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

[Commander PK]

Umm draft a guy who can help right now. We have no play makers on offense and you couldn't find a CB/SS in the 4th round. RG3 is the future at QB anyway. We can't draft a luxury pick when this team blows

Edit: Nevermind, brain fart

because he played well in the pre-season?

He has one game of real experience and looked exactly like a 4th round pick. You're really reaching with this one

We'll see won't we. Only time will tell.

[skinfan2k]

Do you think if Shanahan had known about "Capgate" before the draft that he would have still drafted Cousins? Given the team's cap space at the time, it was a bold move yes, but not that much of a reach. Hindsight is 20/20. As many people thought it was a bad move at the time, many also thought it was brilliant. May still turn out to be.

Umm, he did. Free agency happened before the draft. He knew about cap gate in March and the draft was in April. And what are you taking about cousins going to be that top CB?

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

Umm, he did. Free agency happened before the draft. He knew about cap gate in March and the draft was in April. And what are you taking about cousins going to be that top CB?

he's banking on somewhat trading a pick for Cousins

[skinfan2k]

he's banking on somewhat trading a pick for Cousins

Well thats dumb. You wait 2-3 years to assume you are going to get a better draft pick. Essentially you are wasting 2-3 years to get a 2nd or 3rd round pick for a using a 4th in the current year. Not a good ROI

[Commander PK]

Umm, he did. Free agency happened before the draft. He knew about cap gate in March and the draft was in April. And what are you taking about cousins going to be that top CB?

Yup, you are exactly right. I got my time frames mixed up. Cousin's may or may not turn out to be a good move for the team, we'll have to see how it plays out over time.

[skinfan2k]

Yup, you are exactly right. I got my time frames mixed up. Cousin's may or may not turn out to be a good move for the team, we'll have to see how it plays out over time.

thats why it hurts. we draft RG3 so high and then waste a 4th on another QB who will sit and learn for the potential he gets good

[Oldfan]

Raise your hand if at least one time in the St Louis game you would have at least TRIED man coverage on Danny amendola before he set a record for receptions in a half.

From the Washingotn Post:

Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall said he and his teammates didn’t really have an answer for the fourth-year pro out of Texas Tech. Washington spent much of the game in zone coverage, but Amendola found openings and used his speed and elusiveness to generate yards after the catch. The Redskins also used some man coverage on Amendola, and he managed to get open despite that coverage as well.

[Commander PK]

thats why it hurts. we draft RG3 so high and then waste a 4th on another QB who will sit and learn for the potential he gets good

you have to focus on the forest man not the trees. The big picture. Not every single move is going to pan out, good ideas at the time will seem like poor ones with hindsight. The Redskins just don't have the luxury of being perceived as impatient anymore.....but even if that weren't the case, I still don't think that Shanahan has had enough time to work his magic. The last few years have not been kind to us in numerous ways beyond his control.

[skinfan2k]

you have to focus on the forest man not the trees. The big picture. Not every single move is going to pan out, good ideas at the time will seem like poor ones with hindsight. The Redskins just don't have the luxury of being perceived as impatient anymore.....but even if that weren't the case, I still don't think that Shanahan has had enough time to work his magic. The last few years have not been kind to us in numerous ways beyond his control.

This move was never a good idea. Ask any draft expert here and look at the number of needs on this team

[illone]

I love the strategy on Cousins pick, but I think it's too early for the Skins to be trying to make value picks for potential trade bait when there are so many holes.

In theory its the right way to go. In reality a team like the skins cant afford to create trade bait, yet. Once the team is stocked with talent on both sides of the ball (will it ever be?) then it's a good idea to look at developing a QB for trade bait like what New England has done, and Philly in the past....

[bricucci]

Injuries, personel moves and Defensive Coaching.

[eamcnulty]

Doesn't anyone see that under shanahan we are just one rg3 injury from being the worst nfl team this year and some of the worst stats in nfl history? This is what shanahan has compiled over 2 1/2years. Other then the obvious rg3 pick his player selection has been horrible. I want an apology as a long time skins fan for putting this crap on the field w absolutely no progress for his term. It's truly humiliating!

[SkinsFanRicky]

The Secondary

[DogofWar1]

Doesn't anyone see that under shanahan we are just one rg3 injury from being the worst nfl team this year and some of the worst stats in nfl history? This is what shanahan has compiled over 2 1/2years. Other then the obvious rg3 pick his player selection has been horrible. I want an apology as a long time skins fan for putting this crap on the field w absolutely no progress for his term. It's truly humiliating!

Well, one injury.

If we don't include the other 8 or so major injuries. I think if we had a fully healthy team, and then replaced RGIII with Grossman, we'd probably be reasonably competitive.

[Mad Mike]

This move was never a good idea. Ask any draft expert here and look at the number of needs on this team

1) There are no "draft experts" here. Just a bunch of people who think they are "experts".

2) Maybe you haven't noticed but RG3's style exposes him to a lot of hits. A good backup is not a luxury. It's a necessity if we are ever going to have playoff hopes.

[skinfan2k]

1) There are no "draft experts" here. Just a bunch of people who think they are "experts".

2) Maybe you haven't noticed but RG3's style exposes him to a lot of hits. A good backup is not a luxury. It's a necessity if we are ever going to have playoff hopes.

umm thats because we expose him with the draws and runs. MS could use him in a conventional way but they don't. And really who invests in a backup QB when they are other needs? and why would it matter we have a awesome backup when the whole team is trash?

[Mad Mike]

umm thats because we expose him with the draws and runs. MS could use him in a conventional way but they don't. And really who invests in a backup QB when they are other needs? and why would it matter we have a awesome backup when the whole team is trash?

So yes, by all means, lets pay a kings ransom to draft the most athletic QB since Vick and then not let him use his talents. That makes perfect sense.

Because if we did that and used that 4th round pick on a DB we would be in the Super Bowl!!!!! [/sarc]

Seriously. I wonder if any of you have been watching football for more than a few years. An if you have paid any attention in that short period of time.

Bottom line is that this team sucks because it was run for a decade just the way you want to run it now. You want to fire a HOF bound coach and join the coaching carousel again? Great let's go through a new coach every year. Who needs continuity. Let's fire the pro and hire a rookie HC to teach Griffin a new offense next year. And when he doesn't work out we can hire a new one the year after that. Because that has worked so well in the past.

Here's a tip. Look around the league at the best teams and what do you find? Continuity. They have a system and they work at it year after year.

The ONLY reason this team has struggled is because of personnel issues. Poor Shanahan had to take over a team saddled with the likes of a POS like Haynsworth and many of your so called "experts" here thought Haynsworth should have stayed and Shanahan let go. How many millions in cap space has Shanahan NOT had to work with for no fault of his own? Yet somehow it's all his fault for not turning a team full of second stringers into Super Bowl champions.

I dont know why I'm so surprised. We've turned into a scapegoat society where actual solutions are not as desired as punishing someone... ANYONE for a perceived failing even if they are not at fault.

[Commander PK]

and why would it matter we have a awesome backup when the whole team is trash?

it's impossible to have an honest debate with somebody who makes statements like "the whole team is trash." If that is really what you think, nothing anybody can say is going to dissuade you. Why bother. It's clear you have an agenda, and will ignore all other points that don't adhere to that agenda.

[skinfan2k]

it's impossible to have an honest debate with somebody who makes statements like "the whole team is trash." If that is really what you think, nothing anybody can say is going to dissuade you. Why bother. It's clear you have an agenda, and will ignore all other points that don't adhere to that agenda.

cry me a river if i am not a blind homer. This team needs alot. Why not add another RT/LB/CB in the 4th round?

[Mad Mike]

it's impossible to have an honest debate with somebody who makes statements like "the whole team is trash." If that is really what you think, nothing anybody can say is going to dissuade you. Why bother. It's clear you have an agenda, and will ignore all other points that don't adhere to that agenda.

Actually other than a few bright spots the whole team does suck. skinfan2k's problem is in thinking that we could have gotten more value for that 4th round pick and that we would have been a much better team if we had drafted anyone but a QB there. Sorry but one 4th round pick is not going to fill many holes. solidifying the most important position on the field is as good a use as any for that pick.

My question for the anti-Shanahan crowd... Name the starters expected to play next weekend who would start on most other teams in the NFL. I'm talking walk on and take the job because they are clearly better than the other guy. You cant get to 5. Think about that.

[Commander PK]

cry me a river if i am not a blind homer. This team needs alot. Why not add another RT/LB/CB in the 4th round?

I'm not a blind homer either, and I don't think that anybody is above criticism. God knows I've levied plenty of it at people on this forum over the years. With that said, I try really hard to be objective and look at all the facts before I make a decision. Doesn't always work that way, I have my emotional moments just like everybody else...but I do try to not be reactionary. For me, there are just WAY too many variables in play that make the overall picture too murky to really discern where we are yet. Not enough has gone right yet to objectively judge the job Shanahan is doing. You and some of the others who are thinking like you may call them excuses. I call them irrefutable facts that for many reasons beyond his control, Shanahan has not put a winning product on the field yet, and it goes way beyond just making a questionably ill-advised draft pick in the fourth round that in the grand scheme means little one way or the other. Cousins on the bench is not the difference between a winning team and a losing team right now.

[DogofWar1]

There is a big difference between "sucks" and "role player" or "average."

I think we have a lot of average talent. The problem is, average talent on its own struggles, especially when there are a few spots, like Safety, where we have very below average play. Furthermore, for average players to really look "good," you generally need

Last year, our DLine was very solid. Carriker, Cofield, and Bowen got 14 sacks between the 3 of them, a solid number. Fast forward to this year, and they're struggling to get any pressure. Do the three of them suck? I don't think so, they just needed a difference maker, like Orakpo, there. Orakpo is out, so they appear incapable. Add in the loss of Carriker, and it's even tougher.

Truthfully we need those average players on the team, simply because no team can afford 52, or even 22, above average players or difference makers, unless you're hitting on every pick in every draft and have a bunch of superstars on rookie deals.

It's just that, when you lose the guy who raises the ability of everyone around him (in our case, Orakpo), everyone starts falling back to earth. Normally, we'd manage, but we lost Carriker too, and have no, literal, Safety net.

So I don't think our guys "suck," I think they're average. With a healthy Orakpo and Carriker (and the same safety problems), we managed to be 13th in the league in defense in one of the most offensive friendly years in the NFL's history. We just need one or two guys who raise the talent level of everyone around them. Orakpo is one guy, Fletcher might have been another previously, but his age is catching up to him.

Next year, assuming we don't have another bout of pervasive injuries-itis, will be the year to judge the defense. We'll presumably have Orakpo back, Carriker back, and a new ILB, SS (possibly Meriweather still), FS, and probably a new CB or two.

[laurent]

Where's the lack of talent option?

[Thinking Skins]

I'm going with coaching mainly because the penalties and the guys being naive and just doing stupid stuff that have cost us games, not to mention just bad playcalling lately by KS (seems teams have figured out our College Ball offense). Even the lack of depth we have goes to coaching because our coach is our leading talent recruiter.

[darrelgreenie]

that for many reasons beyond his control, Shanahan has not put a winning product on the field yet,

Talent, depth and coaching fall directly under any HC/GM control.