Redskins-Chargers: 4 Keys To The Game

[ExtremeSkins Staff]

Redskins.com's Brian Tinsman breaks down the key players and matchups to keep an eye on during Sunday afternoon's Redskins-Chargers battle at the friendly confines of FedExField.

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[goskins10]

Some interesting comments here:

 

--> With just four days between the games, there is very limited preparation time for the Vikings, but the Redskins need to be 100 percent focused on the here and now. Win Sunday and worry about Thursday on Monday.

 

Sorry, but that's a big DUH!!!! 

 

--> Most importantly, the Redskins need to get back to fundamentals with catching the balls that are thrown. Only rookie tight end

Jordan Reed has caught more than 60 percent of targets this season, and he can't do it alone.

 

This is an extremely telling stat. How much are drops vs/ poor throws we don't know. I think it's safe to say at a best of 60%, it's a good  combination of both. Hank and Moss seem to be the worst. They can't catch a cold.

 

-->He finished the day with a very solid 93 yards on 17 carries, averaging 5.5 yards per carry and scoring his fourth touchdown of the year. Since the bye week, Morris is averaging 5.2 yards per carry, but only 17.3 carries per game.

 

How is it every person an most every board can see this yet our OC continues playing madden and just takes the running game out of the Off at the dumbest times.

 

This is a very winnable game - IF - RGIII does not continue his backward slide. Somehow RGIII needs to get that swagger back he had last year. trust his athleticism and just go out an play. We also need to give them a huge dose of Morris and Helu. Run, run and run some more. But lets see that roll out, the RO and even the QB draw (that was a money play last year, haven't seen it once yet this year.)

 

This starts a  run of absolute must wins. Any losses in the next 3 games and this season is gone. I know we came back last year from 3-6, but that is rare. Also, last years team was playing much better. We may have been 3-6 but we were competitive every game. This team just has not found that level of play - yet! If they start this week, the season can be salvaged.

[Ken Linkins]

I have to say that my 12 year old grand daughter could have written this story. 1. Play with heart 2. do not drop balls when targeted 3, Run the ball 4. Do not allow Special teams to beat you. Come on man! I would have started with PLAY CALLING followed by O-Line blocking, but to say those two things would point the finger at Kyle (where it belongs). If you keep doing the same things, YOU WILL GET THE SAME RESULT. Change up a few things, SHOCK Someone.

[goskins10]

So has everyone given up? If we aren't winning no one wants to talk about the team? It's pretty sad.

 

For those still at least partially engaged, the next few games will define the season, They should also decide if Shanny gets a 5th yr but something tells me he will still be here next year no matter how we finish. Maybe that's the right thing, maybe not.

 

Many are focusing on the cap penalties, but I am sorry, that excuse would be more valid of we were competitive but just missing a few pieces. In fact, as I have said before, by position, we are only OK at a very few positions. And, the back ups in many positions do not look good. 

 

Having said all that, all that could look a lot different if we win the next few games. Looking at the rest of the schedule, only the 49ers and Chiefs (geez this sucks to say), look like probable losses even if start playing better. The rest are very winnable games. With 4 in the conference, we could win the conference at 9-7. I would even accept the cap hit issue and call 9-7 a success. That's the record I predicted at the start of the year anyway. 9-7 to 10-6.

[jdhawk4skins]

 

This is an extremely telling stat. How much are drops vs/ poor throws we don't know. I think it's safe to say at a best of 60%, it's a good combination of both. Hank and Moss seem to be the worst. They can't catch a cold.

The Redskins are 5th in dropped pass percentage...

http://www.sportingcharts.com/nfl/stats/team-receiver-drops-percentage/2013/

 

In my opinion, if the ball is catchable then it is on the WR more than the QB regardless if the pass is off target.

 

 

How is it every person an most every board can see this yet our OC continues playing madden and just takes the running game out of the Off at the dumbest times.

I think in many situations we have been forced out of the run. Look at how many tackles have occurred behind the line of scrimmage on runs this year. It must already been more now than all of last season. There have been many 2nd/3rd and longs during drives as well that forced passing situations. The reality is that our passing game hasn't been consistent and non existent down the field. We are playing too much of the short game and our intermediate routes from last year are being taking away by defenses. Until RG3 can become a consistent threat down field, our offense will continue to struggle in sustaining drives and we'll continue to lose opportunities in running the ball. 

[manchild157]

Agree with all you guys, the secret to winning the game is consistency...period. We don't have a cushion of games we can lose. I'll never give up on my Redskins but as certain scenarios unfold then I may concede that a season is lost as far as making the playoffs. I personally have watched all the games but have taken leave of Redskins.com because most of my comments would have been negative because of the frustration of our team's performance. Let's get this ship heading in the right direction today. It's good to see some of my Redskin buddies still carrying the torch, good job fellas!!!!

[jdhawk4skins]

 

So has everyone given up? If we aren't winning no one wants to talk about the team? It's pretty sad.

Well I'm not sure about giving up but there are many frustrated fans. Some comments here seem to suggest that Polo learned to exercies possession of fans here allowed to post.

 

It'll be awhile before I can get on here again during the weeks. I miss it though!

 

 

For those still at least partially engaged, the next few games will define the season, They should also decide if Shanny gets a 5th yr but something tells me he will still be here next year no matter how we finish. Maybe that's the right thing, maybe not.

Shanahan will be here for his 5th season regardless. Anyone hoping or expecting Shanahan to be fired will be greatly disappointed. And yes it is the right thing to do since we need to allow him to see this whole rebuild project out. I like players he has drafted and I feel that there needs to be more patience in allowing him ot put all this talent together. Sorry since turnarounds are not always quick to happen and actually rarely do.

 

 

Many are focusing on the cap penalties, but I am sorry, that excuse would be more valid of we were competitive but just missing a few pieces. In fact, as I have said before, by position, we are only OK at a very few positions. And, the back ups in many positions do not look good.

Sorry I disagree since I think we are competitive and are just missing a few pieces. Most of it is just about growth in positions for many young players. It would be great if we can land an experienced pro bowl safety to help the youth there. However, I want to see how Rambo, Gumbs, and Phillip Thomas when he returns turn out turn out. I think they could be a good core of safeties in the future. We need a right guard since Chester has gone from average to worst. A right tackle? Yes but only if we can nail a franchise type player. Polombus has earned my respect. Our biggest week spots are DE, Punting, PR, KR, RG. and a CB to eventually replace Wlson/Hall.

[goskins10]

 

 

Sorry I disagree since I think we are competitive and are just missing a few pieces. Most of it is just about growth in positions for many young players. It would be great if we can land an experienced pro bowl safety to help the youth there. However, I want to see how Rambo, Gumbs, and Phillip Thomas when he returns turn out turn out. I think they could be a good core of safeties in the future. We need a right guard since Chester has gone from average to worst. A right tackle? Yes but only if we can nail a franchise type player. Polombus has earned my respect. Our biggest week spots are DE, Punting, PR, KR, RG. and a CB to eventually replace Wlson/Hall.

 

Sorry, you can't really believe this?   You watched the game last week? The D played a decent 1st half. Other than that all 3 phases were absolutely horrible, including and especially offense. 

 

Polumbus has earned your respect by being listed as average in PFF??  Really that's Ok for you? 

 

You listed our "biggest weak spots (will ignore the spelling error :-), well maybe not…) You have on your own admission DE, PR/KR, and CB. You are OK with our Safety position?? Really??? Reed Doughty is our best Safety, you are Ok with that? Yes we have some possibilities, but we need to call it as it is, not potential.   How about ILB? I'm Ok with OLB due to Kerrigan and Jackson. Orakpo is useless and needs to be gone.    Also, you OK with WR?  After Garcon who do we have?    And this after 3.5 years…   

 

Last year we were competitive. Last year we gave teams all they could handle even if we lost, with the exception maybe of the Panthers game. This year we were fairly competitive against dal last and played a good game against Chicago. Outside of that we have played like a confused HS team.  In 3.5 yrs we are still near the last in D. Our PR/KR is a total question. We have one WR and decent RBs. 

 

IMO RGIII the jury is out. He is just in his second year and coming off a major injury. I am willing to give him a pass here. 

 

Maybe i expected too much after last year. But we are in complete disarray. $18M (that's the one year cap we get back), is 2 maybe 3 starters at best. We are missing 5 or 6 positions meaning we need 13 to 18 players! That's not almost there. Sorry, just not on the same page with you there. 

[goskins10]

How in the world do we get Fouts calling the game? He is not as much a homer as aikman or moose johnston but I am tired of watching games with ex players from the other team calling the game!!  

 

First drive was very good. But RGIII still throwing off his back foot. He will stay inaccurate and inconsistent especially on long passes if he stays that way. But still it was a good drive. Block is completely on Forbath. 

 

Totally unlucky on the 2 punts. TD int was total luck for San Diego. 

 

Awesome drive after the pick. Finally got some running room. This will loosen things up for the passing. And hawk, your boy polumbus made a nice block on the TD. Give credit where its due…  :-)  

[goskins10]

I really like the 13 personal we are running. I had thought we would do this if Reed worked out I just expected Davis to be one of the TEs. Unbelievable how for Davis has fallen off the chart and so quick. 

 

Need to score this first possession. Can't let them get the ball back ahead. Need to answer. 

[goskins10]

Well well!  Our D played good with a lead, although that dropped pass was lucky. But we are due for some luck. Rivers is crazy elusive. We are getting close to him but just can't get him. He has only been sacked 7 times this season. So its not just us. 

[goskins10]

That was as good a game as we have played all year. With dallasts win, this may be moot. But as I said before, a 9-7 finish for us and I will be in Hawks and Dorrells camp of thinking we just a few players short. 

 

Good teams find a way to win. They did it. D really stepped up on that goal line stand (helped a little I think by poor play calling, but still, I will take it) and the Off did what it had to in overtime. What a great drive. 

 

I find it absolutely amazing that the refs find their hankies on us in the 4th but can't on the other team. How many holding calls were missed on the 2 SD drives??? Also, that was a good challenge and should have been over turned. He did not complete the play. It's the same rule we lost the Robinson catch on against the lions. They have to be consistent. 

 

Anyway, great win. Still alive, Maybe on life support, but still alive. 

[jdhawk4skins]

 

Polumbus has earned your respect by being listed as average in PFF?? Really that's Ok for you?

No you missed the statement I made based on observation as well. you want to knock that position? ...well pray tell anyone disagree with what you see on the field. You want to provide details about how Polombus had performed so badly. Provide some broad examples of his poor play and not just one or two isolated ones. Maybe you are just living on yesteryear? Really what you are suggesting; that I just look at PFF and make my opinions? Let me know when you became the defacto expert in observing football games here since I must have missed that memo.

 

Coming from someone who harps on statistics, I find it interesting you use it now as if it is some weakness to suggest a player who struggled last season is playing well enough today. However, I don't just go by the numbers. I watch and then check to see what the numbers suggest.

 

 

 

You listed our "biggest weak spots (will ignore the spelling error :-), well maybe not…) You have on your own admission DE, PR/KR, and CB. You are OK with our Safety position?? Really??? Reed Doughty is our best Safety, you are Ok with that? Yes we have some possibilities,

Yes, I'm okay with the safety position and possibilities is exactly what I pointed out so what is it you want? Players to show up tomorrow at safety and become Pro Bowlers? Many defenses are out there struggling to find a way to stop passing attacks against the likes of Rogers, Manning, and Stafford; all we played so far this season. Do you think we are the only ones suffering on coverage? This is just another example of lack of logic due to lost of patience. And yes, if you are an adult trying to stick to a topic you should ignore the spelling errors. I don't have time to satisfy your grammar and spelling expectations.

 

 

Outside of that we have played like a confused HS team. In 3.5 yrs we are still near the last in D. Our PR/KR is a total question. We have one WR and decent RBs.

Yes spot on! Many less confused HS teams could have performed better than what we have this season (smh). I won't even commment on the statement about decent RBs. Oh wait! I will, we just posted over 200 yards rushing for the third time this year. You want to call AM decent? Really! One WR maybe your opinion but I haven't been so quick to give up on Hankerson like you have. He may never be a #1 WR threat but I still believe he can be a quality #2.

 

 

IMO RGIII the jury is out. He is just in his second year and coming off a major injury. I am willing to give him a pass here.

Wow ...really; the jury is still out on RG3? i don't recall that statement from you last season and not one that came close. However now after no off season where DCs have time to figure out how to play the zone read; a time when he showed up one month ahead of schedule you have the jury out on him. That is quite a swing in attitude from last season. You want to question fans here about their devotion from our team because we don't make enough comments here? I question a fan's devotion that swings his opinion so wide and so quickly because a young QB, with no preparation, struggles to start out playing like he did last season.

 

Maybe i expected too much after last year. But we are in complete disarray. $18M (that's the one year cap we get back), is 2 maybe 3 starters at best. We are missing 5 or 6 positions meaning we need 13 to 18 players! That's not almost there. Sorry, just not on the same page with you there.

 

No you are not on the same page and you are not even reading from the same book. 13 to 18 players? Maybe if you are looking to replace the whole special teams. However even that is a stretch from 13 to 18 players. Every year teams, even very good ones, are looking to replace at upwards of a 1/2 dozen players. In my opinion that is where this team currently is in needs.

[jdhawk4skins]

I'm not sure I've been this frustrated over a win in some time. What bothers me is two key areas. When it was 3rd and 3, RG3 made a poor pass to an open Garcon. So we then give the ball back to Rivers. Our defense lets them drive right down field for a potential win. SD didn't even need to use its final time out until they got inside the 10 yard line. We need to learn how to seal a game when we do have the lead. It's not just a problem for this season it was one from last season. Fletcher is really struggling so when can Barnett be ready to step in and help? I really don't think he can be that every down player like in the past at this point in his career.

 

Amerson was quite the enigma in this game. He makes two great plays with that INT and the stop on the goal line to save the game. However, he almost gave the game away on 4 and 2 by letting off his WR to pursue a covered gates. That led to an easy key first down play for SD. The touchdown he gave up in the corner of the endzone where he was simply juked was frustrating to see but the whole defense failed us on that drive.

 

Finally, RG3 did make some key passes in overtime but he didn't need to have to do this if he would have made a few key first downs on that final drive in the 4th.

 

Many players that are struggling at times but still make key plays on others are young and it needs is to be expected even when it is frustrating. I'm happy about the win but I really want to see us take advantage of leads. We had a 21 - 7 lead on Denver that we just seem to let get away from us.

[goskins10]

Quote -  Let me know when you became the defacto expert in observing football games here since I must have missed that memo.

 

Hawk - Please don't take this stuff so personal. I am not polo or bust. No need to attack me personally (item above is just one example). I did not attack you just questioned some of your opinions. If you felt it was a personal attack then please accept my apologies. There is no way it was intended that way. Also, the spelling thing was just a joke. I am one of the worst spellers on these things. I have to go back and edit almost every post. That's why it was supposed to be funny. In the end I am not here to fight, just discuss opinions.  

 

So in that vien here are my responses - 

 

Polumbus - My point about PFF was that on plays where it's not that critical he may be doing OK, but most times that I have seen there is a critical play, I have seen him get run over or leveraged out of position. I could go through and give you exact plays but I just don't have the time. Like you I have to work for a living. 

 

Safeties and positions of need - My point here was you can't say that position is Ok when in fact it is in the worst shape of any position in terms of actual play. You are hoping the players we have develop. Maybe they will but maybe they will not. You can't that position settled though on a possibility. All in all we need - RT, DT, K/P R, ILB, DB and S, and could use back ups in many positions like L/RG, C, and NT. To me that's a lot for $18M to cover. Which we will not have all of since we had to push a lot os salaries forward. 

 

RBs - Saying the RBs was not meant to be a slight. Of course AM is awesome and Helu is finally having a good season. One person not discussed was DY is probably the best FB in football. 

 

RGIII jury out - I should probably haves been more specific here. His potential is obviously off the charts. But you have to agree there are some real concerns. My concern is that he is struggling with reading D, getting off his first option, and his accuracy is way down from last year. Also his footwork has gotten sloppy since last year. A lot of his good numbers have come in trash time. Look I love the guy to death. I have said more than once, and even in this thread once, I give RGIII a pass on his problems as growing pains. He is just a second year player coming off a serious injury. So when I say the jury is still out I meant that he is still learning. And really it could still go either way. He could realize that potential or never get over the hump. No one knows yet. 

 

Hope this is clearer and more importantly none was meant to be personal. Hope that at least is clearer. 

[hailyeah1]

well guys we won ,thats the bottom line  it my not been pretty but a win is a win.

as far as posting yeah its been sparse considering what we used to do win or loose .

we had over 300 posters on the old format but barely 20 have found the new one.

even rich tandlers redskin site hasn't had many commenting either .

its been so  so on hailredskins but alot more active than here.

i think we are alittle bummed out because of the way the season has gone so far .

lets hope the light switch is on and and the engine is running for the rest the season!!!