The Washington Redskins Are A "Good Team". Time To Accept This Fact

[skins island connection]

I've seen this scenario play out way too many times in my life to be all comfy and relaxed.

It depends on how Gruden lets this team handle success. Winning brings confidence, but too much confidence can be a bad thing; bad enough to cause a 4-6 game slide.

I heard they practiced on deep routes all week, and finally thery began to stretch the field, but still in some situations they were too predictable; 3rd & short plays they bunched up and tried to run, and it didn't work, but when they spread the defense out they had much better success. Its plays like that which makes me scratch my head.

If we can take anything from this year, we know the NFC East is back, and physical. It will be a dogfight to the end, but I suspect whoever emerges with the div. title will be too beaten up to do anything in the playoffs.

[Wyndorf25]

3 hours ago, DM72 said:

Still waiting for them to own someone. 

Well re-sign Mike Sellers...it's DETROIT week!!!

[tshile]

4-2, today was the only win that felt like we won the game (as opposed too the other team losing the game)

And I'm not convinced the Eagles are all that good. Even Jim Zorn started 6-2 with Campbell.

Not convinced.

[carex]

looking at this post, to many fans here demand greatness to be considered even good

[pop0422]

I'm not sure what we are in terms of being good or not, but I do know one thing. We have a bunch of scrappy fighters who aren't going to give up no matter the odds

 I wasn't sure if we'd win this one but the only thing I knew was we'd be in it and not the embarrassed. I feel like this every week now, we may not win but we're gonna have a chance no matter who we play.

We just have to cut down on the mistakes that cost us points and give the other teams points and we will start having more breathing room in these games. I'm not concerned about owning teams at the moment, like Sheehan says, "win now and get good later." Right now we just need wins and need to worry about being good in December and January.

4 in a row feels real good HTTR!

[carex]

3 hours ago, Koolblue13 said:

True, but we've tried. Good thing teams keep running up over 100 penalty yards against us and beating us at our own game.

 

did they actually have many big plays negated?  Pass interference plays are things teams try to draw and when if comes to things like fals starts that can be a sign you're playing good as much as your opponent is playing bad.  Also, I'm pretty sure I saw the Eagles get away with some, which means you've got to consider some of their good plays against us questionable  as well as the plays that failed

[TheItalianStallion]

I was really mad after our loss to Dallas, thinking that we blew a game against a lackluster opponent. But now it's looking like we were in it against (and arguably outplayed) a good team then. I'm not sure how I feel about this team, but I'm very curious to see how things play out in this division.

[Diehard Otis]

16 minutes ago, carex said:

looking at this post, to many fans here demand greatness to be considered even good

YES, EXACTLY!!!  

Listen guys - an NFL team (in today's league) can be good and still have flaws.  In fact, there are several good teams in The League that are weak on an entire side of the ball!  

Minnesota - considered THE BEST TEAM (by many) in our Conference, & they aren't considered good on the Offensive side of the ball

Seattle - a Top Contender by all accounts, and they don't have a "legit" #1 Reciever

Denver - the Defending Super Bowl Champion doesn't have a fearsome Offense (and still field a question mark at Quarterback)

Pittsburgh - beat us Week 1, but have a glaring weakness in their Secondary

The Hated Arch Rival - just kicked Green Bay's ass & is still assumed to have a weakness on the Defensive side of the ball

 

Now all of these teams would be considered "good" right now, yet everyone knows they have weaknesses.  That doesn't diminish their current standing in The NFL.  Nor do our weaknesses diminish ours.

The question is, if our next Opponent had our current resume, would you be worried about next Sunday?  (because that's how Lions fans feel right now.)

[carex]

2 hours ago, RedskinsMayne said:

They made some huge mistakes today. The special teams play and pick six were atrocious.  A good team? No.  If the eagles werent foul happy fools we would have lost this game.

We are an average team.

 

the kickoff TD was the result of a stupid penalty you know

and the Pick 6 had a shove in the back of the QB.  It didn't affect the TD, but you know it'd have been called on a Skin

[Koolblue13]

1 minute ago, carex said:

 

the kickoff TD was the result of a stupid penalty you know

and the Pick 6 had a shove in the back of the QB.  It didn't affect the TD, but you know it'd have been called on a Skin

I don't believe in those conspiracies.

[Vanguard]

49 minutes ago, skins island connection said:

 

If we can take anything from this year, we know the NFC East is back, and physical. It will be a dogfight to the end, but I suspect whoever emerges with the div. title will be too beaten up to do anything in the playoffs.

 

So are you saying you'd rather not be division champs?

[Larry]

23 minutes ago, Koolblue13 said:

I don't believe in those conspiracies.

 

Neither do I. 

Yeah, we've had some plays/breaks/calls that really really hurt us.  But we've had some really big lucky gifts, too.  (Fumble out of bounds in the end zone comes to mind.) 

To me, the significant takeaway from those fluke plays that happen all the time, in the NFL, is . . .

For the last year plus, we've been winning the games where the fluke plays went against us. 

 

[DogofWar1]

We have definitely appeared to have improved over the season thus far.  I'm glad, people have to take us seriously at 4-2.  We are good.

But...we've still got a tough row to hoe going forward though.  Next 4 will be tough.  3-3 Lions, 2-4 Bengals, 5-0 Vikings, and 3-2 Packers.  I don't think any of those are remotely easy.  I'm really hoping we can pull off at least 2-2 over this 4 game stretch.  If we're 6-4 after 10, I think we're in a good position to make a run for 10-6.

[Gregpeck99]

I'm looking ahead to Detroit.

It will be our "Super Bowl II"

Hope the "committee" likes to run on carpet indoors!

[PartyPosse]

49 minutes ago, carex said:

 

did they actually have many big plays negated?  Pass interference plays are things teams try to draw and when if comes to things like fals starts that can be a sign you're playing good as much as your opponent is playing bad.  Also, I'm pretty sure I saw the Eagles get away with some, which means you've got to consider some of their good plays against us questionable  as well as the plays that failed

The Roughing The Passer that gave us a first down was a massive play negated. Simply inexcusable every time. 

[Diehard Otis]

5 minutes ago, DogofWar1 said:

We have definitely appeared to have improved over the season thus far.  I'm glad, people have to take us seriously at 4-2.  We are good.

But...we've still got a tough row to hoe going forward though.  Next 4 will be tough.  3-3 Lions, 2-4 Bengals, 5-0 Vikings, and 3-2 Packers.  I don't think any of those are remotely easy.  I'm really hoping we can pull off at least 2-2 over this 4 game stretch.  If we're 6-4 after 10, I think we're in a good position to make a run for 10-6.

Well, I don't know how tough of a row that'll be to hoe DogofWar.  

Of that 4 game stretch, we could be favored in possibly 3 of those games!  Of those games, I would be worried about Minnesota and Detroit, in that order.  I am convinced that neither Cincinnati nor Green Bay should be considered strong teams this year.  Naturally, that doesn't guarantee that we beat either - it simply means that those games look more Winnable now than they did in August.

Minnesota still looks formidable though.

[NoCalMike]

I think the main thing that keeps me reserved for the time being is that looking at today's game, the Eagles really had no business being in within one possession late in the 4th quarter.  They were dominated every which way but the scoreboard today.  As a fan I will always take a win, it still feels great to be 4-2 and I am happy about it so don't let my reservations about anointing this team be mistakes for not being very happy about the squad reeling off 4 wins in a row.

However, I want to see this team become a force that the scoreboard begins to reflect the domination taking place on the field.  When our defense is dominating the other team all over the place, I don't want to constantly be sitting there on pins & needles in the 4th quarter worried about one bad play on defense equal a game being tied up.   There were far too many times from about halfway into the 3rd quarter on where the ball was handed to the offense with a chance to run away with the game, and suddenly they froze or stopped executing.

This team is trending in the right direction, and I am very happy overall with what I see from them, however they aren't there just yet and I will remain tempered until I see statistical domination turn into scoreboard domination!

[NoVaSkins21]

They are playing really well right now which is great.  However, the hallmark of most good teams is consistent success of a long period of time.  They've turned around 0-2 start and won 4 straight which was great for the team, coaches and us fans.  Good is something they need to earn over time.  Here's hoping they get there from here through the rest of the season.

[Darth Tater]

1 hour ago, carex said:

 

did they actually have many big plays negated?  Pass interference plays are things teams try to draw and when if comes to things like fals starts that can be a sign you're playing good as much as your opponent is playing bad.  Also, I'm pretty sure I saw the Eagles get away with some, which means you've got to consider some of their good plays against us questionable  as well as the plays that failed

A big first down throw when the game was in reach was called back due to a hold.  Of course, the hold may have had a role in giving Wentz the ability to throw a strike.  Not a play negated, but the roughing penalty gave us 4 points.  We won by 7, however.

[PigskinRedskin]

I do believe the Redskins are a good team. The season started off shaky and we've continued to improve not just with wins but I believe in players really stepping up and building confidence which helps the coaches because they know the players can execute.

The Sack Sandwich at the end was beautiful, and frankly all game made Wentz look like a rookie which is RARE in Redskins lore as we all know.

Sure, there's mistakes still being made out there on all facets of the ball and some peculiar play calls (3rd and 1) but I believe the arrow is pointing up. But like a few said, consistency is really telling if a team is considered "good" in the NFL but remember, it's still the NFL and even the best teams have close games against unlikely opponents. 

[Diehard Otis]

37 minutes ago, NoCalMike said:

I think the main thing that keeps me reserved for the time being is that looking at today's game, the Eagles really had no business being in within one possession late in the 4th quarter.  They were dominated every which way but the scoreboard today.  As a fan I will always take a win, it still feels great to be 4-2 and I am happy about it so don't let my reservations about anointing this team be mistakes for not being very happy about the squad reeling off 4 wins in a row.

Mike, I don't think we're very far apart in our assessments.  Philly did get dominated today without having to face us at full strength (Reed).  Yet their top-rated Defense still got steamrolled!  AND let's also bear in mind that they were gunning for us, since we went into the day beating them 3 times straight.  Sure their Rookie didn't have that chip on his shoulder, but I betcha Fletcher Cox did.  And they got dominated!

37 minutes ago, NoCalMike said:

However, I want to see this team become a force that the scoreboard begins to reflect the domination taking place on the field.  When our defense is dominating the other team all over the place, I don't want to constantly be sitting there on pins & needles in the 4th quarter worried about one bad play on defense equal a game being tied up.   There were far too many times from about halfway into the 3rd quarter on where the ball was handed to the offense with a chance to run away with the game, and suddenly they froze or stopped executing.

[Italics mine]
This is a key point you mention.  My take is that this team is learning how to be great; that will definitely take time.  But as things stand now, they are good enough to close the deal in this type of contest.  Of course we both know that in the very recent past, The Redskins may very well have lost this exact kind of game, & everyone on here would be moaning about the sky always falling on our heads.  That isn't happening right now - and I contend that this new development (ie, us Winning a game that tightened up in the 4th Quarter) represents progress.  That my friend, is a corner that we have turned.

37 minutes ago, NoCalMike said:

This team is trending in the right direction, and I am very happy overall with what I see from them, however they aren't there just yet and I will remain tempered until I see statistical domination turn into scoreboard domination!

Agreed!  And I don't fault you AT ALL for tempering your optimism.  I suppose I'm quicker to embrace this "new era".  Truthfully, it seems that I am quicker than most to do so; but our fanbase (& The League itself) have to admit that these ain't your older brother's Washington Redskins.  We are seeing the rise of a new animal.

And I'm sure that we can both agree that it is about time that this development has come to pass.

[Vanguard]

35 minutes ago, NoCalMike said:

I think the main thing that keeps me reserved for the time being is that looking at today's game, the Eagles really had no business being in within one possession late in the 4th quarter.  They were dominated every which way but the scoreboard today.  As a fan I will always take a win, it still feels great to be 4-2 and I am happy about it so don't let my reservations about anointing this team be mistakes for not being very happy about the squad reeling off 4 wins in a row.

However, I want to see this team become a force that the scoreboard begins to reflect the domination taking place on the field.  When our defense is dominating the other team all over the place, I don't want to constantly be sitting there on pins & needles in the 4th quarter worried about one bad play on defense equal a game being tied up.   There were far too many times from about halfway into the 3rd quarter on where the ball was handed to the offense with a chance to run away with the game, and suddenly they froze or stopped executing.

This team is trending in the right direction, and I am very happy overall with what I see from them, however they aren't there just yet and I will remain tempered until I see statistical domination turn into scoreboard domination!

 

This is exactly how i feel.  I can't say I would call them a "good" team yet.  But they are headed in the right direction.

[Diehard Otis]

1 minute ago, Vanguard said:

This is exactly how i feel.  I can't say I would call them a "good" team yet.  But they are headed in the right direction.

And Vanguard, the best part of this is while we may not agree on how "good" these Skins are, we all can smell the dawn of a new day!

That damn sure represents progress, doesn't it?

[Vanguard]

Just now, Diehard Otis said:

And Vanguard, the best part of this is while we may not agree on how "good" these Skins are, we all can smell the dawn of a new day!

That damn sure represents progress, doesn't it?

 

It sure does.

[Diehard Otis]

Just now, Vanguard said:

It sure does.

Yes sir!

And props go to Scot McCloughan, Jay Gruden, Scott McVey, Joe Barry, & Kirk Cousins.  Because all of these men by name are the objects of our ire when things go awry, they should definitely get a shout when the ship is sailing proudly forward.

And props to Daniel Snyder.  Yes, I said it.  It took awhile, but he has learned to stay in the background & outta the way.  Yes, he gets props for that.