Stalled Improvement

[armada58]

Let me start by saying that I am really excited about the future of this team. By no means is this a pessimistic thread. My cup is always half full (or twice as big as it needs to be). What I am seeing right now with this team, however, is a lack of improvement from one week to the next. I believe that for the rest of the 2008 season we are probably not going to see a significant improvement in the play of the team as a whole.

Taking everything into consideration, I must say that I am very happy with what Zorn and Company has been able to do with this team this year. Starting with the day he was hired up until the Detroit Game, this team has progressed every week. Sometimes only slightly and sometimes huge. The fact that that progression has stalled is not an indictment of Jim Zorn. It is, quite frankly, just a reality. We've hit a wall. Plain and Simple. The kind of wall that almost every team is bound to hit with a rookie coach and brand new offense. I'm going to stop looking for this team to find the end zone consistently or for Kelly & Thomas to break out. I'm going to stop waiting for a pass rush to magically appear or for Jansen to have a good game. The thought of "this is the game where we'll blow 'em out 35-10" is not going to enter my brain any more. We are what we are.

I believe that the next steps a team like the evolving Redskins need to take are the kinds of steps that can only come in an offseason. Where a team learning a new passing game takes the previous 16 games of experience and fine tunes the 70% of the playbook it already knows while learning the missing 30%. The kind of offseason where the previous seasons rookies take a leap and finally contribute to the growth of the team. Offseason improvements where weak links on the roster are addressed (hopefully). I really think that this coming offseason is probably one of the most important in many, many years. I certainly believe that we're not going to improve much until then.

Along with the stalled improvement is also the opposite reality that we are not regressing either. We simply are what we are at this point. Our running game and secondary are our strenghts. Our pass rush and deep passing game are our weaknesses. Our ball security and time of possession are strengths. Scoring and punting are weaknesses. Etc, etc, etc.

Please keep in mind that this thread is an opinion of the team as a whole. There are certainly exceptions to this premise on an individual basis. For example, you could certainly argue that the O-Line is regressing or that secondary is getting better. In the end, I'm simply saying that this team as a whole has hit a wall and isn't likely to take any steps forward or improve beyond what they are until this offseason. No blame. No pointing fingers. No "start Brennan" B.S. We've maximized what we've got for this season. That's not a bad thing seeing is how we're still in the playoff hunt.

I like where we are and love our future. I think we are in the infant stage of really good era of Redskins Football.

:point2sky:helmet::point2sky

[NVskinsfan]

Fair assessment!

[robotfire]

This sums up my feelings right now completely. The truth is, it takes time. It takes a few offseasons. It takes patience.

My only fear is that the people who can do something special will not be given that patience and time needed to do so. If that were to happen, then all of this suffering would be for naught.

[chipwhich]

I will agree with you IFFFF

We stop trading draft picks for aging players.

Use the draft for lineman.

Build a team through the draft. Enough is enough. To date, I can't say this will happen.

[dent19]

most every system needs 3-5 years to total come around. In no way do we totally have the right personnel to run the offense correctly.

But what will the team look like next year and the next. Portis, Betts, Cooley, Moss? what are their contract status and would they resign if they had the choice? would we resign them? The Oline wont look like it does next year (thank god), but will it be better. that will take time to fix. Will the new WR come around?

i didnt want to go to the defense, way too many questions to go through.

[mhearn]

i just hope with jansen taking over for heyer from his injury, we dont just replace jansen with heyer next year..i dont think heyer is a solution at the position..hes a decent player but hes not much stronger at the position than jansen if at all.