Same old things always come back to haunt us

[tr1]

Glad to see all of you Nancys are back. It had been four long weeks without you.

Quite pleasant, actually.

[tr1]

These fake 'GMs' we have, have gotten us to the playoffs two out of the last three years.

These fake 'GMs' have patched together a team missing six starters....and managed to get us to the playoffs.

Please, think about this for a minute or two.

[Touchdown Portis!]

Go be a Cowboys fan then dipsh*t. How could you not be proud of this team???

[Geneva]

This game from the START was won and lost on the line. Our OL could not pass block or run block and our DL could not get to their QB with our front four. You can't keep your TE and TB in the backfield to compensate for the poor play on the line and still move the ball down field. We need big time line help and have for the last few years. Ever year prior to the draft the board is filled with posts about DT and DE on first round picks. This year I think they must take all linemen in the first three rounds. As always JIMO.....

[tr1]

This game from the START was won and lost on the line. Our OL could not pass block or run block and our DL could not get to their QB with our front four. You can't keep your TE and TB in the backfield to compensate for the poor play on the line and still move the ball down field. We need big time line help and have for the last few years. Ever year prior to the draft the board is filled with posts about DT and DE on first round picks. This year I think they must take all linemen in the first three rounds. As always JIMO.....

I believe we were missing two starters on the o-line who should be back next year.

The rookie tackle from Maryland is just green. He'll improve.

[DCranon21]

I wonder where you were when Portis carried this team on his back for 4 weeks? Why do you think Portis is not the answer? Unless you want a big softee at RB. We just need a couple of changes on the offensive and defensive line. Yes upgrade at receiver, but what you've said about Portis is wrong.

[Walking Deadman]

Gibbs doesn't publicly bash his players.

He gives them all the credit when we win and takes the blame for the loss.

Don't think he doesn't say anything to them behind closed doors however.

Also, I guarantee Buges and Williams did alot of yelling as well.

[TheGreek1973]

We played great up until we missed the damn fieldgoal. Personally I want this POS kicker gone. No excuse whatsoever for a chipshoot miss. We make that momentum is on our side. Plus it has to be said Moss also played like crap. Dropped a HUGE pass in the first quarter that would have given us at least a field goal try. You simply can't drop balls like that in the playoffs. YOU CAN'T. The miss field goal and the drop by Moss (to say nothing of the bs effort on the INT. My first thought was how come Lloyd is in the game) were the game. We had them on the ropes. We had the crowd going out of it. We turned the game around. Say whatever you want, this team made me proud to be a skins fan.

[los227]

There is NO doubt we need a DE. PERIOD. As for Portis, he didn't lose a step, he just isn't hungry anymore. Look at all these high priced running backs and compare them to rookies who are real hungry to get that paycheck that CP got, that Shaun Alexander got, that Edgerrin James got. There is no doubt that CP isn't hitting the holes with the explosiveness he used to. Would you? If you got payed so much money, you wouldn't take that violent hit just to get that extra yard anymore. These guys get paid too much money and lose their killer instinct. You can tell that Portis doesn't have that drive to do more than he needs to. Example: On one of the training camps that I attended this past summer. Portis and Moss, after enduring what seemed to be a very harsh practice with the heat being in the high 90's, and all the running around. Portis and Moss simply ignored all the fans and went right into the building after practice. There was ONE Redskin still on the field. After that crazy workout, 21 was out there running laps after practice, alone. while some of the coaching staff and players were signing autographs, and the high priced FA in the building already, 21 was out there running and so I watched him do his laps and did not think he'd come to sign autographs. As soon as he was done, he came over drenching in sweat and a little blood on his fingers, and signed autographs for nearly the entire fanbase that attended that day. That's what a Real player does. In practice and on games. Gives 500% and then a little more.

Portis is a phenomenal blocker, above average runner and poor receiver. We could find a running back with those attributes elsewhere with a lower cap hit. Somebody that would Hit that hole with the fear in him that if he doesn't get that yard that he might get cut!

We need:

1st:Ddefensive End

2nd:Receiver

3rd:Olineman

4th:Fullback-lets face it guys Sellers is a great guy to pretend like he's a good player, but he has stones for hands, isn't fast enough to get to the corner quickly enough, and isn't a better blocker than the guy he's blocking for. Portis is a better blocker then sellers

[Jahbird]

I just flipped out when Joe Gibbs said he was proud of this teams effort tonight. Other than three minutes of this game we looked like ****. It looked like we gave no effort at all. Putting pressure on the qb is all about effort. Blocking people on the line is all about effort. We were awful at that. Actually we were pathetic in doing both of those things. I am the biggest fan ever and am usually so positive about everything even when things go bad but today I was embarressed to be a skins fan. We lost to a team that we were better than and wasted money getting flights and ticketd for dallas. Was this just me or does anyone else think it looked like we were not ready for this game at all?

I just flipped out when I saw a thread about this team entitled "pathetic". This team is anything but. Tell Rock Cartwright he is pathetic. Tell anyone of those 53 men they are pathetic. In the immortal words of Peter Griffin I find your post to be shallow and pedantic.

[PortisFan123]

I think it is amazing that we were in the heat of it so to speak mid 4th quarter. What screwed us up was Sellers barking at Collins and Suisham missing his 30 yard field goal.

Moss certainly did not help things by once again giving up on a play...that was BIG bull**** there. And I like Moss but it reminded me of a few times this year when I actually saw the guy give up on a ball that he should not have.

Also when your O line cannot block or create opportunities ( HOLES ) for your runner, what do you expect. CP can hardly be expected to run down two D linebackers at the line of scrimmage.

Our D played well but naturally ran out of gas.

I thought Collins did very well until the INT's. The first one really was not as ill advised as the second, because it is clear from watching that Moss stopped running the route.

[MattGeorge85]

In the immortal words of Peter Griffin I find your post to be shallow and pedantic.

I agree, shallow and pedantic.

[Sarge]

And what would you have him do on TV?

"I must say, I've never seen a more pathetic effort in an important game in my life"

Yeah, that would be a great message to send to the team at end the season

Damn, some people are...................

Hell, I'm not going to say it

It would definately get me banned:doh:

[llcamino]

Everyone that is knocking Portis' speed because he got caught by a LB needs to look at that play again. Portis was clearly hesitating and waiting for a hole that NEVER opened. Meanwhile, the LB was allowed a free pass around the outside (like the one Andre Carter looks for but NEVER gets)and caught him from behind. Whether or not Portis should be dancing around looking for a hole is a different debate, but he was caught because of poor OL play, not lack of speed.

How can we not address D-Line next year? Andre Carter is an average pass rusher at best, and he's viewed as a hero....tallest midget in the circus! Once again the front four cannot generate a pass rush without help. Even Cris Collinsworth mentioned it last night.

[Skin'Em84]

No pressure on Hasselback leaving our secondary exposed. Bad offensive line play coupled with weak running by Portis.

If the FO doesnt seriously address the lines in the draft, we are all wasting time.

I'm tired of hearing the FO and fellow posters explain away reasons NOT to address the D-line in the first round for a change.

I want to be like serious,contending teams. I want a pass rush with real atheletes on the D-line. I want a real O-line instead of guys with "names". Randy Thomas, Jon Jansen..both are done!

And it's time to add a WR like Roy Williams or Chad Johnson to go along with Moss to have a truly explosive WR Corps.

And I'm tired of watching Portis weak running between the tackles. We need a real running back that runs WELL between the tackles. Not a running back who is always hurt or en-effective at the end of the year.

We need a real GM.

True on the D-Line addition. False on everything else.

The most important thing to do this off season is to acquire, preferably through free-agency or drafting, a powerful d-lineman. I've been saying it for years, and whether its a run stopping DT or a great pass rushing DE, it would be effective.

Our line is good, just lacks some depth, although that is beginning to change. If we can get a stud OL in the draft, or FA, then do it, otherwise, acquire some young guys. Jansen and Thomas still have it in them, just get injured some.

We have explosive recievers, and a possession reciever in Cooley. Mix may be good, and a tall WR would be useful, but the more pressing issues are depth on the OL and a stud DLman. Same issues its always been.

[RandyHolt]

Portis is fine. Gibbs prefers inside running especially when it is getting stuffed. That plays into portis's weaknesses and Gibbs does it over and over. Teams know our play calls - its run run short pass - 80% of the time. Know that no running back can run inside on known running plays and be successful.

We need a big WR for the 4th year now. That pass to our shortest WR Moss in the back of the endzone that should have been picked is the final answer.

[Wyvern]

Portis makes a ton of money, has had issues running between tackles and at times seems to go down easy, and has no home run threat. I would not be surprised to see him leave.

On the other hand, he is a warrior out there, he does a ton of intangibles, and no one blocks like him. I honestly do not know the right answer here.

That basically is the Redskin issue in a nutshell -- do we have the right kind of RB to meet the running needs of a Saunders offense? Clinton is a good RB, but he's no receiving/breakaway threat like Marshall Faulk nor Priest Holmes was.

We can improve the O-line and create those holes for Portis to break away -- but I suspect whenever Clinton gets past the line of scrimmage, he won't break many tackles on his own. Portis just doesn't seem to run 'in balance.' He runs so low to the ground, it doesn't take much to down him. As for those 'must' short-yardage situations --he tends to fall down, rather than forward.

Clinton does get great numbers (usually due to lots of carries) but those numbers don't seem to ever translate into game-changing or game-winning plays. Rather his numbers seem to be the result of an accumulation of a lot of short-yardage (and the occasional 10-yarder) carries.

Here's hoping Portis turns this around in 2008! ...However, I'm starting to suspect that the Skins may have to think about finding another RB in the near future.

[VaK9Trainer]

you guys are incredible. This team overcame so much. I am proud fo them. I am not embaressed or ashamed at all.

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!