Poll: Which has contributed the most to the Washington Redskins 3-6 record? Injuries, Lack of Quality Depth, or Coaching?

[Wyvern]

I voted injuries. Brown, Helu, Davis, Garcon, Sundberg, Carriker, Orakpo, Nield, Fletcher, Bernstine, Merriweather, Rocca and others.

Injuries do reveal the lack of quality depth -- but this is a team in transition, with cap contraints, and working out from under contraints of old contracts, dead money, etc. It's gotten deeper, but not deep enough. And how many other teams have loads of starter quality depth sitting on the bench?

As for coaching? There are a few coaches I think who could be "upgraded" -- but I'm not certain yet that all of these particular coaches should bear the full brunt of how well their players perform. Core to competing in the NFL is that each week, players (rookies or vets) have to show the the league that they belong at this level. And in those critical individual situations when a player is called upon to execute his role -- it's not about his hype, his play-schemes, or even his coaching -- it's whether the player gets it done. We've had a lot players fail to deliver at crunch-time and make the plays that would make their coaches look like winners.

This is a team with a lot of new parts -- some are going to show they can't be relied upon. Some are going to show they are ready to step up and fill that starter's role. Some are going to be quality depth -- waiting for their opportunity to start.

[first time long time]

This team drives me crazy. When the defense plays half decent the offense struggles but when the offense is clicking the D gives up 30. I see a team with no heart and that is undisciplined so I went with coaching. Watching other teams on the Redzone channel shows me how bad this team is. Kyle needs to throw that college playbook out the window and play NFL football.

[wysknz1]

Lots of key injuries, but I also think defenses now have tape on the offense and know what to do. Coaching needs to be less predictable. They've figured how how to defense RGIII and he isn't as effective now. He could be with the right coaching.

[bedlamVR]

I think injuries are a major issue and you can see it with Garcon Missing and Davis is we have a definate drop down in terms of team spead . I saw a couple of plays yesterday and it looked like RGIII was waiting for the reciever to get open, particulary Paulsen, who seemed to be crawling along, it just did not seem to be a crisp and fast as it was with Davis in there .

The other worrying thing is players - not half assing in but they don't look as if they are having fun out there - like they are getting beaten down by the daily grind - this looked to be affecting the LBs particulary badly - I am kind of used to them - even the back ups running around making plays - it might be because Fletcher and Riley are nursing injuries but thier zip is gone - they seem flat footed and then Kerrigan - who looked very athletic in coverage is just not making an impact without Orakpo out there .

Overall the team looked tierd . On defense this is understandable on the line and in the secondary because we cannot get the substitutions in there and we cannot spell the guys who need a play or two out . (not everyone is Ryan Kerrigan). - Injuries ave not just taken out starters but depleated depth too . I have to wonder also about the RB - Morris is a beast but with first Hightower unable to come back from injury, then Helu not being able to play and Royster has been horribly ineffective (though banged up) in the running game there is no real change of pace and there is no way you can lean on a RB to take the load Morris is in his rookie year and still expect him to be healthy...

I also worry and I always have worried about the heart of Shanahans teams and Mike Shanahan himself - i did when he was in Denver (if they were not above .500 by mid season they were out of it) . Maybe it is time for someone to step up from the players - I don't know if anyone caught the comment last week when he was talking about him expecting at this point in the season the vertrans would be taking over but there was an element of dispair - The players need to take responsibility - and motivation cannot be all down to the players .

One thing i loved about Gibbs teams is he had his vocal leaders on the team - You look at the vetrans right now and London is one (but I am not sure he wanted to come back but the sunday itch was getting to him) and maybe Rex but those are the only follow me leaders I can see . RGIII can be as enthusiastic as he wants to be but he is a rookie and that is all anyone will think when he tries to lift the team - "this is the pro's kid - what do you know" ... The only other guy I could see stepping up was Orakopo - but maybe this team has got too young too fast and there is no real pecking order ...

Maybe the solution would be to bring back Gibbs as an non executive VP - his pep talk seems to have perked up the Cowboys .

[Going Commando]

I think injuries have been a big factor, but I also think this team wasn't talented enough to play much better than we have so far, pre-injury. There are a lack of playmakers and we only had about 6 or 7 upper level starters, one of which is a rookie QB. Three of those starters have gone down (Fred, Orakpo, & Garcon) and missed the majority of the year between them.

[illone]

How is Indy 5-3 with a less talented roster?

Good coaching and a team that is playing for something.

What are the Skins really playing for? Shanny? Snyder? I don't think the Skins have the proper leadership in the Front Office. Bruce seems like a legit GM, but he doesn't even have the proper control, he's nothing more than a figurehead without a pen since Shanny has control of the personnel decisions.

[Gart Monk]

This team isn't going anywhere until they learn how to sign productive FAs

[The Trashman]

I think lack of quality depth has really taken a toll on the 'Skins this year. All the other issues factor in but the quality of the players and backups have not lived up to their billing.

[Morneblade]

How is Indy 5-3 with a less talented roster?

Good coaching and a team that is playing for something.

Yep, this. It's the coaching. Haslett needs to be fired because he is a crappy DC. Banks needs to be cut (and that is on coaching because they have kept him....and played him). Kyle needs to start throwing vertical and stop the gimicky crap and NEVER run a sweep on 3rd and short in the redzone. Playcalling is a problem. Penalties (we're last in the league) is a problem and that is on coaching as well. I was so pissed off yesterday watching all the coaching elements(or lack of ) that were killing us.

[cphil006]

I think lack of quality depth has really taken a toll on the 'Skins this year. All the other issues factor in but the quality of the players and backups have not lived up to their billing.

We have terrible safeties and our projected starters are injured (Merriweather) and suspended (Tenard Jackson). The weakes link in this group is the secondary.

Our playcalling was awful... the fact that we ahve RG3 can disguise it only for so long. He's able to turn chicken crap into chicken salad... but sometimes he runs out of chicken and all we have left is the crappy play-calling showing it's ugly head.

[Sticksboi05]

ahh, but did he cause the injuries?

Seriously? Every team has injuries. Good teams deal with it. The Packers won the Superbowl with half their team on the sideline.

[Rypien1191]

I'd say $18M in the hole doesn't help.

[The Robert Griffin Experience]

Seriously? Every team has injuries. Good teams deal with it. The Packers won the Superbowl with half their team on the sideline.

5 years of Ron Wolf drafts is a pretty high bar to climb if you want to compare "depth". I don't think there's a team in the league other than the 2010 Packers that could have pulled that off.

I think our depth has held up fairly well though it doesn't look it - I think a competent DC gets more mileage out of our defensive depth, and the fact that we can even put up 330 yards at all starting our 2nd string TE (who was 3rd string last year and in preseason), our #3 and #4 WRs, and our backup RT with a rookie QB, even a great rookie QB like RGIII is says a lot about the depth on offense. I do want to see better playcalling (though Andy Reid got away with imo worse playcalling for years in Philly) and I do want us to go vertical more and use gimmicks less. But if they feel that developing RGIII this way is better than throwing the entire playbook at him, then so be it.

[Sticksboi05]

Coaching. Still undisciplined. Still tons of mental mistakes. Still blown coverages. Still poor tackling technique. Still lack of preparation. Still outrageous playcalling in critical situations. Still wondering why certain players made the roster (Banks), still no depth granted we were dealt a bad hand with the cap penalties. Oh and still no urgency when we are down two posessions in the 4th quarter. Poor clock management I mean Christ we could go on for days about the poor coaching here.

[Hiro]

While I do think the injuries to our starters (which, in turn, also involves our lack of quality depth) has really hurt us, I am really partial to the idea that coaching is involved.

I don't know what happened to Shanahan, if it's age or the number of years he's been coaching, but he isn't that mastermind he was in Denver. A mastermind who, I thought, rivaled Bill Belichick in his ability to pick out solid football players and his ability to prepare his team.

Until I see tangible improvement in the areas of basic execution and discipline, I'm done with Shanahan.

[darrelgreenie]

I guess at this point, the question should be asked...which of these three is the biggest reason for the Redskins 3-6 record?

Of course all three factors mesh together.

But, if I had to pick "thee" singular reason it would be injuries: Garcon, Davis, Jammal Brown (although predictable), Helu, Hightower, DEFENSE: Orkapo, Carriker, Meriweather, Fletcher (obviously playing hurt imho), Bernstine (not really a big injury but I guy I thought had a chance to contribute considering the lack of quality S on this roster)

[Bigmuss1]

I went with injuries, because of who the injuries occurred to, star players not playing will hurt any team.

[Chew]

I think penalties should also be a part of the argument. I didn't realize until they announced it during the game yesterday, but the Redskins are the most penalized team in the NFL? Yikes. And that made me think, how many touchdowns have we had called back this season due to penalty? Like 5 or 6???

It blows me away that, even with the lack of "play makers" we have at the receiver position currently, the Washington Redskins are the #2 offense in the NFL http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/total

It just pisses me off when i see all this media slobbery of Andrew Luck, when RG3 would be getting the same praise if he just had a defense because he'd be winning games. Luck gets the benefit of having the 5th ranked pass defense, and the 11th ranked defense overall.

[The Robert Griffin Experience]

Pretty much. I'm now convinced that the Colts intentionally tanked that season. Absolutely convinced. There is no way you can legitimately go 2-14 and then a year later, your talent base is already looking like a playoff talent base. Luck has played good but not great. Maybe they just drafted that well, but last I checked they didn't draft any OL or any stud defenders.

Or maybe it's hiring the guy who coached the Ravens defense.

[Commander PK]

Of course all three factors mesh together.

But, if I had to pick "thee" singular reason it would be injuries

I realize that, but I wanted people to have to pick their main one, because how can you objectively put the lion's share of the blame anywhere else after you do that? Which means how do you justify yelling for a coach to be fired, AFTER you admit that Injuries have decimated the team?

---------- Post added November-5th-2012 at 09:51 AM ----------

It just pisses me off when i see all this media slobbery of Andrew Luck, when RG3 would be getting the same praise if he just had a defense because he'd be winning games. Luck gets the benefit of having the 5th ranked pass defense, and the 11th ranked defense overall.

With that same defense this team would be at least 6-3 versus 3-6. No question in my mind at all.

[SKINSFAN87]

It isn't one factor, but many that are contributing to the demise of this team. I believe that the injuries on this team have the least amount of impact on this team because when rak and carriker were in there this defense was getting creamed already, if anything, if the two original starting safeties were playing maybe our secondary would be better, who knows. I believe it's a real lack of playmaking talent at all positions except for qb and rb as well as poor coaching especially on the defensive side of the ball. Now with that being said, we are only 3 games out of first place and 1/2 game out of second place barring the eagles lose tonight, so we are still in it if this team can somehow get it together for the stretch run.

[artmonkforHOF]

Depth & Coaching, I picked depth. Any way you cut it, neither head of the two headed Shallen monster is living up to the hype

[Thiebear]

4th running back- got lucky

2stars off dline

Dowdy is starting lol starting?

Garçon stil has puffytoe

And we stop good calls so bbanks

Debacle calls come in. Try to get a yd from shotgun.

Wr drop 6 a game,

penalized like the Raiders

If the offense doesn't score every other series we lose.

[Momma There Goes That Man]

Pretty much. I'm now convinced that the Colts intentionally tanked that season. Absolutely convinced. There is no way you can legitimately go 2-14 and then a year later, your talent base is already looking like a playoff talent base. Luck has played good but not great. Maybe they just drafted that well, but last I checked they didn't draft any OL or any stud defenders.

Or maybe it's hiring the guy who coached the Ravens defense.

Exactly. They were smart and tanked but always had more talent than we did...I think now we can put better coaching on there too. They also had a pretty nice draft as well. We got a meaningless win in Seattle and New York and had to give up the farm for RG3. A top 10 pick would look pretty good next year.

Oh well, I dont advocate tanking, it sends a bad message to the team if they catch wind and punishes paying fans but its tough looking back in hindsight.

[sempre_victrix]

How about another choice: Not enough quality starters.