"Finding a way to win" vs. "Finding a way to lose"

[Dirt]

I know it's a cliche, but I like Mike Shannahan's saying (often) of "find a way to win". The Skins did just that last year, whether it was 3 OT wins, or a game saving holding penalty. It was a difference from the previous years. We lost those games then.

However, just as previous years, we found ways to lose. Whether it was a botched snap on a game winning FG, or a successful 4th down hail mary to Andre Johnson.

Here's a good article on the subject, posted by HapHaszard-

http://www.extremeskins.com/showthread.php?341295-FFLS-Skins-excel-at-finding-way-to-lose

The Redskins can claim they're snakebitten, but they're really not. They arguably invent more ways to lose than any team in NFL history. Yesterday's debacle(botched snap vs tampa) merely showed they have more imagination than brainpower.

"It's really been that way since I've been here," said linebacker London Fletcher, a fourth-year Redskin. "We find a way to lose. We let teams stick around. We shouldn't be in these situations.

Now I'm as excited as anyone about the promise the team has shown in the preseason. But twice this preseason(for whatever it's worth) the Skins have shown that same habit with the Ravens and Bucs.

I know, I know, it's backups, and especially in preseason game 4. But it still looked, and felt the same: "A ten point lead in the fourth quarter is not enough to make us comfortable. Not at all."

The last time I can remember the Redskins just plain blowing out a team to where there was no question throughout..was the Raiders a couple years ago, and we couldn't have asked them for a better collapse which resulted in a very fat Jamarcus Russel getting sacked a lot.

So what is it? The defense? Last years badly ranked defense definitely gave up some game winning drives. But before that, when we were ranked in the top 10, the same sort of defensive meltdown would happen late game. What good are rankings if you're losing games??

Is it the stamina of players? Are they getting tired in the late 4th quarter? ..I doubt it. If anything, they're too pumped up/thinking too hard/committing too quickly.

My theory is this: The Skins defense cannot handle obvious passing situations.

Last year, watching the opponent on 3rd and 7 was torture. Every time, someone was open. You would see DHall/Rogers 10 yards away from the receiver pre-snap and rip your hair out. It would seem Haslett's solution is to pressure the QB. Or, at least depend on only 3-5 guys to do it. Early downs, the blitzes look great. It's a 'blitzing attitude', and it's great to scare teams with that, but NOBODY is scared of 3rd and 7s vs the Redskins.

When the Skins take a 10 or 14 point lead into the 4th quarter, it's almost as if an entirely different defense steps on the field. It's not that they're just playing 'lax because they're comfortable with the lead... It's that they're on an entirely different playbook for this quarter. They seem to be uncomfortable with it. Perhaps a better blend of the '4th quarter with the lead defense' through the early part of the game? Or perhaps just play the same way you were when you um, got the lead?

Is it as simple as the defense or are the Skins 'snakebitten'? Is it some intangible habit that even Mike Shannahan is having a hard time to break? I would have to say, it sure as hell feels like it.

So as excited as I am to see the team progress, and as refreshing as it looks... I have a pretty good(bad) feeling that the Skins will continue to give us heart attacks every Sunday this season.

Hell, maybe that's why I love 'em so much... I mean it would be boring if your team just blew out every other team on Sunday 'ala 07 patriots, right?

... no, screw that, I want some blowouts this season. Please. At least a couple. eagles

[charles mannley]

Its called mental toughness. The only time I have seen it in the last twenty years was with Joe Gibbs in 05 and 07. I think you have to have the high character smart football players that you always hear about and quite frankly I am still a little nervous these guys haven't gained it yet. It sucks because in this salary cap era and how most of the games go down to last minute you have to have players that are reliable and when the game is on the line, make a play. I can only hope and trust that Shanahan can bring that out of them because otherwise it will be another season of "if our receiver had only caught that pass" or "that dumb mother****er how do you get paid millions of dollars and have that penalty haven't you been playing this ****ing game since you were a kid."

[DavidGQ]

Eh...against the Ravens and Bucs, our cut list players were out there. They r the one that gave all those points. Our first string are solid. No Score against them in First quarter in all PS games. That should said something

[Rpredskins]

finding a way to lose is history now. We'll leave that job to Romo sits to pee and friends

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

We've been a crap team for as long as I've been alive

Crap teams find ways to lose

[S.T.real,lights,out]

We've been a crap team for as long as I've been alive

Crap teams find ways to lose

I agree with this 100%!! I expect us to play every game close this year but we still will make a lot of stupid mistakes that will cause us to lose. I think having younger guys excited for every game will help out a lot tho.

[Homercles82]

Losing a 4th quarter lead in a preseason game when 3rd stringers, 4th stringers, practice squad and cut list guys are playing means nothing to me.

[CommDownMan]

I agree with your points on defense, but how many times did the offense give the ball right back to teams? Not just preseason (it's happened several times over the years), but that's what I'm bringing up. Against Ravens we throw an INT that started the collapse, we get the ball back after the kickoff and promptly go 3 and out. Good running teams eat up the clock and we couldn't do it. I think this team is better up top and the running game seems to be coming around. Blow outs or not, I just want to see the Redskins have a long sustained drive to end a game and we can just take a knee.

[NewCliche21]

Jee.

Zus.

Christ.

Our starters played like winning starters. Our practice squad played like a practice squad.

I swear, Redskins fans are the poster children for Xanax.

[Fred Jones]

I swear, Redskins fans are the poster children for Xanax.

A winning season, finally, would solve many problems.

[pjfootballer]

We didn't have the right personel last year to run the 3-4, so everytime Haslett tried to blitz or use some new formation, it was usually a mistake that killed us. We had square pegs in round holes last year. I think with the game on the line this year, you'll see a better defense. They'll know their assignments and we actually have a line that can get some pressure. I don't like to compare years past anymore, because I believe this is an entirely different team. They are younger and hungrier. Also, the offense will be able to run the ball better and I think Kyle Shanahan's play calling will be better.

[tiger187126]

i'm pretty sure we won last night, and the only reason that tampa was in it at the end was because of that ridiculous 96 yard TD that was thrown into double coverage.

plus those receivers last night were fighting to be starters for tampa, so they weren't just some scrubs.

was the TD pass to donte not enough for you to relax?

another way to look at it is, the redskins have been the most exciting team to watch in recent years and have a ton of OT, last drive games;

[TheShredder]

Jee.

Zus.

Christ.

Our starters played like winning starters. Our practice squad played like a practice squad.

I swear, Redskins fans are the poster children for Xanax.

Xanax with a beer chaser! :cheers:

---------- Post added September-2nd-2011 at 11:06 AM ----------

I agree with your points on defense, but how many times did the offense give the ball right back to teams? Not just preseason (it's happened several times over the years), but that's what I'm bringing up. Against Ravens we throw an INT that started the collapse, we get the ball back after the kickoff and promptly go 3 and out. Good running teams eat up the clock and we couldn't do it. I think this team is better up top and the running game seems to be coming around. Blow outs or not, I just want to see the Redskins have a long sustained drive to end a game and we can just take a knee.

I've pointed to this in other threads. You can see that there is a drastic change in the make-up of this team vs any other in the last several years. The changes to the major issues will result in a drastic improvement. The running game and defense will be a large reason that the 6 games that were lost last year by less than a TD will even up. The mentality and motivation will serve to push the edge and then we can expect to change the momentum of the past. 3 key changes will result in a different culture at Redskins Park.

[jgbkab1]

If you look at a lot of NFL games, most of them go down to the wire. There are not as many blow outs as it seems. It's just usually when a team that you despise has one, you take notice. The Skins need to correct some of those mistakes that we make late in games. Every season since '05, we could have been a double-digit win team. We could have won every game in '10 except 2nd Philly and 1st NYG, Every game in '09 except the 2nd DAL and the 2nd NYG. This team has never really sucked (not the entire team). The team just sucked in the 4th quarter. That's the change we need in DC.

[2cents]

That drive at the end of the 1st half in the Raven's game tells you what you need to know. We hit them, they hit back. But we didn't fold. We drove down the field against their starters and scored a TD. Am I worried about 5th stringers blowing a lead last night? Ah....no.

[Diehard Otis]

OP: Trust me, I understand your frustration, but I truly believe we will all see the fellas get off the mat and zap some folks this season. The main differences I've noticed in competition so far are The Skins have dictated tempo and not made a habit of making costly, unforced errors. Maybe it was during the Indy game, but I remember actively thinking "WOW! We're not only moving the ball on them, but we ALSO are not stopping ourselves" (procedure penalties, linemen running into the rusher, etc.). Small thing, but it seems to me that this year, teams will have to beat us without our help.