Poll: Are We A Playoff Team With Captain Kirk At The Helm?

[tx skin]

Wow that's a tough one. I hadn't even considered the first place schedule we'll be playing this season. But at the same time I think w/ the expected full and healthy returns. Meaning, Rak, Carriker, Mayweather, and an upgrade at FS be it Jackson, F/A, or rookie signing would take pressure off of the offense. I'm modestly confident in Cousins taking first team reps combined w/ proper play calling from Kyle. You know what, I just talked myself into it. Freak it, yes we are a playoff team w/ Cousins as a starter.

[MrJL]

I'm not sure but in the modern NFL isn't the whole 1st place schedule thing close to obsolete. We'll play our 6 division games, four AFC games, one other NFC division in it's entirety and two filler games to round it out. Those first 14 games would be the same no matter how we placed. And if the filler two are against division winners, well, we'd still be playing the same number of games against division champs.

Because we're not playing two games against the NFC East champs next year.

[JMUSkins]

OK, I don't know how often you hear this. But you're a genious.

I like the way you... er I... er we ... think!

[Laron Burgundy]

I'm not sure but in the modern NFL isn't the whole 1st place schedule thing close to obsolete. We'll play our 6 division games, four AFC games, one other NFC division in it's entirety and two filler games to round it out. Those first 14 games would be the same no matter how we placed. And if the filler two are against division winners, well, we'd still be playing the same number of games against division champs.

Because we're not playing two games against the NFC East champs next year.

True that. Also consider that last year 2 of the division champs were different, but that was an oddity. The year before that 7 of the 8 division champs were different. So basically just because we face this year's division champs doesn't mean we'll be facing what will be next year's best team in that division.

San Fran and Atlanta don't have a stranglehold on their divisions. Certainly they are good teams, but neither division really has a bottomdweller. Even Arizona, for as pathetic as they were this year, are a qb and o-line away from being a great team. They draft Luke Joekel and Barkley/Glennon and that team is probably upgraded enough to be at least an 8 win team, and I'm not particularly high on either Glennon or Barkley.

[celticsalmon]

Whether we win or lose with Kirk - depends on the offense Kyle Shanahan designs for him. If his play calling in the second half of the Hawks game- is an indicator- I have serious concerns. Before the game, Kyle was reportedly sought after by team for HC positions. After the game-no one called! They too watch as Kyle took the ball out of an All Pro running back and gave if to a one legged QB.

[Brotherz]

I like Kirk's chances of becoming a good starting QB in the NFL. However, my guess is that our offense will have something else to worry about next season.

Much of the success of our passing game this past season was due to the Shanahans' ability to get receivers open against two-deep zone coverages. I have said that I would press and play man-to-man against the Redskins. That's what Seattle did and it worked. If other teams saw that and learned, the Skins passing game will likely be shut down unless they can seriously upgrade the receivers on the team.

Just so I understand your case here:

You're sayingt that the seahawks were the first team in an 18 game season to press and play man against our recievers and "it worked". Your conclusion is that if any NFL teams watched the Seattle game and learned about the magical defense of press man our offense (our top 3 offense mind you) will be "shut down". You did notice that we dominated them for the entire first quarter and coincidentally it only began "working" when our QB couldn't plant, run or do much of anything else due to two torn ligaments in his knee right? Greg Cosell of NFL films discussed his review of the film from the Seahawks game that basically said recievers were running free (as they have been in Kyle's offense since he got here much less just this year) and RG3 simply couldn't deliver the ball.

I would also point out that we were without one of our most dangerous weapons in Fred Davis and were essentially without a real tight end recieving threat.

The notion that no defensive coordinator considered press man before week 18 is absurd quite frankly. The idea that pess man would "shut down" our offense is even more so. Our offense can be "shut down" by a combination of two things - a) break one of our QB's legs and it will drastically slow down and stop giving the ball to morris after a) above occurs. - That is the recipe for "shutting down" this offense.

Obviously life would be different with Kirk but right now he is a simple short term replacement. He's not our starter. Its a different offense with Kirk but nothing is getting "shut down" by press man.

I don't mean to single you out Oldfan I just have seen so much of this tripe. Its nonsense. This offense (like so many of Shanny's before it) is not stoppable. Its what this guy builds. He has had issues with defense forever. But he routinely has big time offenses built on stretch runs, play action, late round running backs with the one cut ability he needs, and recievers who while not physical superstars have deceptively good seasons because the run freezes the defense to open holes in ANY defense.

Presuming (I understand its a big assumption) - that RG3 comes back at 95% of himself prior to this latest disastrous injury, - they can try press man and two things will happen - we will run all over them and half of the yards will be from our QB and we will strike them deep multiple times which is exactly what would have happened to seatlle if he didn't get hurt.

That interception he threw was a perfect example. Go look at that. Garcon had them beat like they owed him money. Rg3 just couldn't reach the point he needed to reach with the ball. Now go back and look at the first Philly game at Fed Ex. Rg3 CAN reach any spot on the field he wants to - when he's healthy.

People are climbing out of the wood work to take shots at this franchise. Many simply can't believe we are good again. Some simply DON'T WANT to believe we are good again. So they strain logic to find something to worry about like one of the most dynamic offenses this league has ever seen being born right here in our backyard.

Sure, I'd love some more receiver weapons. Who wouldn't? If we get the $18 mil back and after replacing the Right Tackle, figuring out the tight end situation and replacing 2/3rd of the secondary there's enough to get a wallace or bowe or something - I'm all for it. But the notion that our offense is getting shut down as is because a defensive coordinator might finally try press man is preposterous in my opinion.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

The improvements of this team were so much more wide spread than Robert Griffin III. He may have magnified those improvements and he absolutely contributed to this season's turnaround. But let's not forget that we had a different hero in each of the last 5 wins to capture the division title. Here is a breakdown of our 7-game winning streak:

vs. Philly: Griffin plays a great game and is the star of the show (4 TDs)

@ Dallas: Griffin again goes off (4 TDs) but certainly gets some help from Morris and Garcon

vs. NY: Griffin plays well, but we win thanks to our defense and a balanced offensive effort

vs. Baltimore: We bog down in the second half offensively, and get a nice game-tying drive from both QBs and a key return from Crawford in OT

@ Cleveland: Cousins!

@ Philly: Morris and the D win this game...Griffin is perfectly efficient but nothing spectacular

vs. Dallas: Morris dominates and the D steps up, forcing 3 turnovers

I don't want to discount Griffin's season or his impact. He's a special player. But this TEAM is coming together and showed that it was capable of growing into a contender with Griffin or Cousins playing QB. The improvement of the undermanned defense in November and December (seriously, look at some of the names that were floating around in our secondary at times), the establishment of our running game, and having mainly the same players in year 3 of Shanahan's schemes are going to pay dividends as long as we can get Jake Plummer-esque production out of the QB position.

Shanahan, despite whatever people want to say about his decision-making against Seattle, has turned this team into a viable NFL outfit. We're not the 2000 Patriots or anything, but we have a chance to compete each and every weekend and real shot to contend for a while...we are bigger than any one player, even RG3.

[No_Pressure]

We're not a bad team with Cousins at the helm. I honestly feel he's a starting NFL QB and will have a good career. I don't expect it to be here, but you never know with RG3's health being in question. I think we could be a playoff team with him, and I know we're one with a healthy RG3. I'm worried that RG3 won't be able to play next season or for half of it, a quarter of it, who knows? I'm glad that our fallback is a guy as good and smart as Kirk. I know we can do great things with him.

[Laron Burgundy]

Just so I understand your case here:

You're sayingt that the seahawks were the first team in an 18 game season to press and play man against our recievers and "it worked". Your conclusion is that if any NFL teams watched the Seattle game and learned about the magical defense of press man our offense (our top 3 offense mind you) will be "shut down". You did notice that we dominated them for the entire first quarter and coincidentally it only began "working" when our QB couldn't plant, run or do much of anything else due to two torn ligaments in his knee right? Greg Cosell of NFL films discussed his review of the film from the Seahawks game that basically said recievers were running free (as they have been in Kyle's offense since he got here much less just this year) and RG3 simply couldn't deliver the ball.

Thank you! I've been saying this to absolutely anyone who claims our wr aren't good enough. They like to point to Seattle as if our offense was healthy. If you play press man, guess what, you are disrupting the timing of the routes and hoping your pass rushers get to the qb quickly. 2 problems with that against our offense, when healthy rg3 has the mobility to extend the play for a pass, so you better be able to run with your man step-for-step (seattle corners are 4.5 guys, Garcon can outrun them), and secondly, rg3 can outrun your defensive line to the edges, meaning big gains until your corners are playing off man or zone coverage, or your defensive ends playing more to contain than to get upfield, which puts them back to problem #1 of the qb having too much time.

Basically what I'm saying is, press man only works against this offense when rg3 is hurt. There is simply no real reason to believe otherwise. Our receivers were only especially poor in one game this season, pittsburgh. That was with no Garcon and with nearly 1/3rd of all the drops these receivers had ALL SEASON. It was a poor game for sure, but one bad game does not at all mean we are in trouble with our wr.

[Son of Gadsden]

Based on the way Schaub looks now compared to with Kyle as the OC, I'd say Kyle can work miracles on QBs.

[MartinC]

Incorrect. Cousins had 351 yards total offense.

And the Browns allowed the 10th most yards in the NFL, they we're comically bad against the bootleg. If Cousins were to play the Browns every week he would be MVP of the league.

For sake of accuracy against the Browns Cousins had 329 passing yards, 2TDs and 1 INT and 22 rushing yards. So thats the 351 number you are quoting DG. The team had 430 yards of total offense (not 480) which is what I think other posters are alluding to. I think you have to look at the offense as a whole not just the QB production in the context of this thread.

As to this thread I honestly dont know as there are a lot of other dependancies but my gut tells me is would be a bit of stretch and I like our chances a lot more with a healthy RGIII under centre as opposed to Cousins. I think we would have to play much better on defense with Kirk at QB to win 10 games next year.

[deejaydana]

I think we'd more likely be a wild card team vs a division winner and my reasoning is RG3 is that rare talent that makes others around him better by his very prescense (when healthy of course). We don't yet know what we have in Kirk because a game and a quarter isn't enough to judge any QB. We all hope he continues w/what we've seen so far becuz it's been entirely promising.

[Larry]

I'm not sure but in the modern NFL isn't the whole 1st place schedule thing close to obsolete. We'll play our 6 division games, four AFC games, one other NFC division in it's entirety and two filler games to round it out. Those first 14 games would be the same no matter how we placed. And if the filler two are against division winners, well, we'd still be playing the same number of games against division champs.

Because we're not playing two games against the NFC East champs next year.

Yeah, I read a lot of people talking about how finishing with a better record gets somebody a tougher schedule. But I think the way it works is that 14 of our 16 games are set in stone no matter whether we finish first or last. And those 14 games are identical, for all four teams in the NFCE.

Now, I suppose that the NFL COULD make the schedule tougher/easier for, say, the last place team, by adjusting which opponents a team gets at home. But I don't think it's really possible to do.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

Now, I suppose that the NFL COULD make the schedule tougher/easier for, say, the last place team, by adjusting which opponents a team gets at home. But I don't think it's really possible to do.

You're right, those are set in stone. Plus, I'd be curious how that would even help. Sometimes, I prefer to get the weak teams at home so that a potential win becomes even more likely. The problem with getting a 12- to 13-win team at home is that you will probably still lose and now you have to go on the road to play a bad team.

[JOSH8572]

no were not close

[kingdaddy]

Cousins will be even better with an offseason to learn the playbook and to work with the starting offense. He's shown he can play at a high level and his team will be better around him as they get healthier. No doubt the Skins are a playoff team with KC and the Shanahan Band!

[Alaskins]

For sake of accuracy against the Browns Cousins had 329 passing yards, 2TDs and 1 INT and 22 rushing yards. So thats the 351 number you are quoting DG. The team had 430 yards of total offense (not 480) which is what I think other posters are alluding to. I think you have to look at the offense as a whole not just the QB production in the context of this thread.

As to this thread I honestly dont know as there are a lot of other dependancies but my gut tells me is would be a bit of stretch and I like our chances a lot more with a healthy RGIII under centre as opposed to Cousins. I think we would have to play much better on defense with Kirk at QB to win 10 games next year.

Martin, prepare to dodge pitchforks and torches from some folks.

Everyone, Kirk did a great job in the Browns game but had some early jitters. Could he be a top-10 QB (like RG3) at this point? My head says no, but my heart bleeds B&G, so I want to think yes. In reality, I think that we haven't seen KC in enough game situations to warrant an answer to the OP.

He showed some serious promise and I think that he can be a good QB in the league. I would have to see his performance after teams have game-planed and were expecting him... In order to answer the OP.

[NeueRedskinWelle]

We would lose a big chunk of rushing yards per game without RG3 in and of itself. We'd be a much more figured out, and therefore exposed team. We wouldn't be a playoff team straight up, but we'd be in the right direction for sure.

[brandymac27]

I voted not sure, b/c that's my honest answer. I just haven't seen enough from him yet to really judge one way or the other. Hopefully, if he needs to take over next season, he'll do a great job.