The Play-Calling In the Last Three Minutes

[stwasm]

I've seen numerous complaints about why the Redskins only ran the ball with less than three minutes left in the fourth, instead of throwing more.

I had absolutely NO problem with that offensive series. At that point in the game, you're milking the clock and making Buffalo burn its timeouts. If we try to throw, we could give up a sack, create a bigger opportunity for a turnover or throw an incompletion that stops the clock. It's all about game management at that point and, even though we didn't pick up the first down, we took a good 40 seconds off the clock and put ourselves in a position to make it difficult for the Bills to win the game.

If you want to get mad, direct your wrath at Derrick Frost for punting a low, line-driver that allowed the returner to go 20 yards and the defense for not keeping the Bills from getting downfield. In fact, the defense didn't even register a sack yesterday.

[mustard2k6]

I just felt that the game was a must win game and we werent playing that way. No way Clinton Portis was going to make it on 3 and 8 when he didn't even register 2 yards per carry.

Countless times this season we've put the defense on the field to loose the game rather than having the offense try to win it

[Sekhmet728]

The bottom line is that Joe Gibbs managed the clock well. There I said it. He actually did a good job during that part of the game. And if it weren't for that miraculous pass, we would have won that game.

[chipwhich]

3 straight runs to 1 yard per carry portis to burn the clock and you don't have a problem with it??? Ahead by 2??? Are you serious?

It was gutless play calling, especially when Portis was lucky all day if he could sniff a carry over 2 yards and the defense was allowing Buffalo to move up and down the field on them at will.

[USS Redskins]

Sorry but this is not 1991. The Bills were stuffing the run all day and showed no signs of letting up. I would think a good coach can see that the running game was a bust (averaging 2.7 yds per carry is pathetic) but Gibbs plays it scared again. Get some balls and throw the ball!

I do agree that this defeat goes down to several keys: Campbell is a turnover machine right now, the D is OK but not good enough to win more than a few games, Gibbs is old and mentally weak, the team is so lame they dont have enough heart to go win one for their dead teammate.

I guess it really shouldnt be that suprising. They have been loosing like this for two seasons now.

[stwasm]

I just felt that the game was a must win game and we werent playing that way. No way Clinton Portis was going to make it on 3 and 8 when he didn't even register 2 yards per carry.

Countless times this season we've put the defense on the field to loose the game rather than having the offense try to win it

3 straight runs to 1 yard per carry portis to burn the clock and you don't have a problem with it??? Ahead by 2??? Are you serious?

It was gutless play calling, especially when Portis was lucky all day if he could sniff a carry over 2 yards and the defense was allowing Buffalo to move up and down the field on them at will.

Sorry but this is not 1991. The Bills were stuffing the run all day and showed no signs of letting up. I would think a good coach can see that the running game was a bust (averaging 2.7 yds per carry is pathetic) but Gibbs plays it scared again. Get some balls and throw the ball!

I do agree that this defeat goes down to several keys: Campbell is a turnover machine right now, the D is OK but not good enough to win more than a few games, Gibbs is old and mentally weak, the team is so lame they dont have enough heart to go win one for their dead teammate.

I guess it really shouldnt be that suprising. They have been loosing like this for two seasons now.

Again, it's not a matter of whether or no Portis will make the first on third-and-eight as it is taking time off the clock and putting the Bills up against the wall, forcing them to use their time-outs. Would you have rather us attempt a pass, watching it fall incomplete and stopping the clock, giving the Bills more time? Or worse yet, seeing Campbell get hit, fumble or throw an interception? While you could question why the offense didn't put four wide receivers out there to spread the defense, then run a draw play, the special teams and defense let us down in that situations.

[TheDoyler23]

I would rather play to WIN the game then play defense and hope to win the game. The Skins have been giving up yards in the 2 minute drill ALL SEASON.

Granted, the big play the Bills made to get into long FG range was at best improbable. How 5 defenders couldn't make a play on the ball in the air i'll never know. But the Bills can't score if they don't get the ball back!

[DieHard86]

Wrong - go back to the Cardinals game. Coaches are supposed to learn that when you try to barely avoid losing, you are at best, a foot away from losing on a long field goal. There is no excuse for repeating this strategy on a day the players needed a win for themselves. No excuse.

On third down, you throw the ball in order to win the game. A first down wins the game. The Redskins coaches should be ashamed of themselves this morning.

[cphil006]

maybe a draw play on third down out of shotgun to throw them off.

Bottom line is we need to execute.

[cphil006]

Sorry but this is not 1991. The Bills were stuffing the run all day and showed no signs of letting up. I would think a good coach can see that the running game was a bust (averaging 2.7 yds per carry is pathetic) but Gibbs plays it scared again. Get some balls and throw the ball!

I do agree that this defeat goes down to several keys: Campbell is a turnover machine right now, the D is OK but not good enough to win more than a few games, Gibbs is old and mentally weak, the team is so lame they dont have enough heart to go win one for their dead teammate.

I guess it really shouldnt be that suprising. They have been loosing like this for two seasons now.

Campbell has yet to impress me in the clutch. The bills rookie QB made the right throws when it counted instead of throwing an INT...

Campbell needs to get it done when it counts...

[skindogger47]

Oh yeah and they needed a field goal and their kicker has been perfect for weeks. I bet Gibbs didn't even know that. We were lucky they called a timeout late in the third or we would have looked even stupider (if that's possible).

[Major Harris]

i'm very critical of the play calling. i am not an apologist for all the stupid things this staff does. but if you wanted to throw in that situation, you're stupid.

[skindogger47]

I guess it really shouldnt be that suprising. They have been loosing like this for two seasons now.

That's exactly how I feel.

[@DCGoldPants]

A run play is fine. If its not out of a formation that everybody knows how to defense. That's what was wrong with it.

That play almost never works. If they don't run another jumbo for the rest of the season, it would be a smart move.

[skindogger47]

i'm very critical of the play calling. i am not an apologist for all the stupid things this staff does. but if you wanted to throw in that situation, you're stupid.

Why not? Coaches who have nothing to lose should take some chances, instill some confidence in their players. Joe Gibbs coaches like he thinks the other team is better than his. Every week you can hear it in his voice.

[Warpath11]

I liked the play calling on that series I think we did a good job of forcing them to burn all their time outs. The 3rd down running play was the right call IMO.

[skindogger47]

A run play is fine. If its not out of a formation that everybody knows how to defense. That's what was wrong with it.

That play almost never works. If they don't run another jumbo for the rest of the season, it would be a smart move.

Especially WITHOUT Mike Sellers!

[stwasm]

i'm very critical of the play calling. i am not an apologist for all the stupid things this staff does. but if you wanted to throw in that situation, you're stupid.

Here, here!

Major, we actually agree! OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[No_Pressure]

This is the reason why the offensive line lost the game. The blocking was terrible, especially when we needed it most. Portis getting stuffed was not because he's some awful runner...Adrian Peterson would have gotten 50 yards on 25 carries if his line blocked like that.

[skinfan4ever]

The reason they lost isGreg Williams gave Edwards all day to make that throw by sending only his D-line and dropping evreyone into coverage and still nobody went after the ball. Thats why Sean Taylor had 5ints in 9 games, he would make a play on the ball.He really will be missed.

[Skinsinparadise]

I don't hate Gibbs playcalling there and I would agree with it if I believed what he cleary does that the defense will shut the opponent down in the clutch. But really all year and last season too -- the defense seems to choke in the clutch and give up the big play.

I get Gibbs thinking though the defense has been doing it all game so they will stay on a roll. So his thought process doesn't seem crazy to me.

But it basically speaks to two things

1. He doesn't trust Jason to complete a big pass in the clutch.

2. He still believes that the defense will play in the last series as well as the play earlier in the game.

[skinfan4ever]

This is the reason why the offensive line lost the game. The blocking was terrible, especially when we needed it most. Portis getting stuffed was not because he's some awful runner...Adrian Peterson would have gotten 50 yards on 25 carries if his line blocked like that.

But Portis goes down so quickly and seems to have lost some balance. Did you notice it took 2 or 3 Redskins to bring down 3rd string Jackson.You got to be able to break a tackle once in a while.

[Ball Coach]

Making a team use all of their timeouts is not as important as it used to be. A team can spike the ball to stop the clock and set up for a field goal. A first down in that situation would have been worth much more than making them use a time out.

[carlsbadd]

I knew we were going to lose when we got the ball back with 2+ minutes left.

We have a gutless coaching staff that refuses to try to win the game when we are leading.

Many here will not agree and say "the players still have to execute" while there is some truth to this, the coaches have to put the players in a situation to win.

Our offensive staff has failed to do that. We have very poor clock management.

Why call a time out before the punt? like 5 yards will really make a difference in that situation for a delay of game.

I don't have to second guess what our offensive staff is doing anymore, I see the plays coming from a mile away and so does our opponent.

I feel bad for our players .

[stwasm]

I don't hate Gibbs playcalling there and I would agree with it if I believed what he cleary does that the defense will shut the opponent down in the clutch. But really all year and last season too -- the defense seems to choke in the clutch and give up the big play.

I get Gibbs thinking though the defense has been doing it all game so they will stay on a roll. So his thought process doesn't seem crazy to me.

But it basically speaks to two things

1. He doesn't trust Jason to complete a big pass in the clutch.

2. He still believes that the defense will play in the last series as well as the play earlier in the game.

Again, you want to keep the clock moving in that situation. If JC drops back to pass and throws an interception that's returned for a touchdown, you'd be calling for his head. There are situations where just running the ball can be successful even if it doesn't show up like that on paper. Those last three minutes demonstrated one of those situations.