Escape Artists: 2016 Washington Redskins

[Morneblade]

4 minutes ago, DC9 said:

 

He played quite a bit on Sunday.  At NT, too.

 

Yeah, he was. He was getting moved around quite a bit as well. I was hopeful he could help us there next year, but this year he needs to get bigger and stronger.

[NewCliche21]

Loved the post.

 

I'm sick of having the same feeling of "got out of there alive" rather than "owned them" whether we are at home or away.  I don't think that we've had one game that could be enjoyed for the last half of the fourth quarter.  There's no reprieve from that feeling of "are we going to lose the lead" at the end of games, so it makes it more of a relief that we didn't lose rather than something to celebrate.

 

The third-down conversion rate has a MASSIVE part of that.  In most gameday threads, you'll see two responses after a touchdown:  

1)  YESSS!!!  

2)  I really hope our defense doesn't let them just respond with their own TD  Again.

 

Remember in 2005, the Monday Night Miracle?  Scored a touchdown with 3:55 left needing a touchdown to win, and there was no onside kick.  We trusted our defense to get the ball back to our offense, which they did.  That's the feeling that comes with not having them convert on third down literally half the time.  Once the third downs become more often punts (no, I don't care that it's 48% or whatever) on the next down than they do anything else CONSISTENTLY, and we don't have the legit feeling that teams are in four-down territory no matter where they are, what the score is, or how much time is on the clock, then we can start feeling more confident in sealing wins, and these victories will feel like victories.

[Always A Commander Never A Captain]

3 minutes ago, Morneblade said:

 

Yeah, he was. He was getting moved around quite a bit as well. I was hopeful he could help us there next year, but this year he needs to get bigger and stronger.

 

His draft weight was 299.  We told him to start gaining weight and in training camp he had gained something like 8 pounds.  I recall coaches saying they wanted him in the 315-320 range.

[Morneblade]

1 minute ago, Alcoholic Zebra said:

 

His draft weight was 299.  We told him to start gaining weight and in training camp he had gained something like 8 pounds.  I recall coaches saying they wanted him in the 315-320 range.

 

Yep, wasn't going to be the answer this year, but maybe '17. I liked his tape, he's smart and tough. He'd be a nasty DT in a 4-3 too.

[Hail4Life]

19 hours ago, petey hodge said:

That's like, 12,000 feet!!!!

 

 

 

And over 2 miles!

[DC9]

1 hour ago, goskins10 said:

 

I agree we need a big guy in the middle but sorry all I think of when I think of Knighton is GB torching us over and over and over again because we could not get his big ass off the field. It was painful to watch. I believe that's why we and many other teams are going with a hybrid guy. If our ILBs could stop anything, might not be as bad as we think.

 

At this point, I really wish they would let Iaonnidos play more. He must just not be ready.

 

That goes right into why teams are avoiding signing big men (or two down linemen) cause you can counter their effectiveness with the hurry up.

 

I think it has less to do with Knighton personally and more with his versatility. 

 

If he were here, he'd be getting doubled and Rickey and Baker would be getting singled.  That would not change and I stand by that.

1 hour ago, Morneblade said:

 

Yeah, he was. He was getting moved around quite a bit as well. I was hopeful he could help us there next year, but this year he needs to get bigger and stronger.

 

Yeah Jay said the beginning of the year he wanted him to put on 15 lbs.  Looks like he's got about 15 lbs to go.

 

Kelce isn't that big a boy either, so it was disappointing.

1 hour ago, goskins10 said:

 

Did he? I have not watched the game yet. I am on a cruise and could not get the game. Could not even get the radio broadcast - it's blacked out now. I watched highlights and a little of the game NFL Replay but not the whole thing yet. That's tonight.

 

Glad to hear he got some time. If I saw correctly the run D was better, right? Coincidence?

 

He plays a lot of nose with Hood in rotation in the base 3-4 package.

 

Eagles used a ton of 3TE sets so we were in Okie enough for him to get a couple series worth of snaps, it seemed.

[KDawg]

It's not about Knighton specifically, folks. It's about what he does. He anchors the front. Keeps the Backers clean. It's always extremely important to do that, but especially when your LBs are not the most athletic group.

 

We let Knighton go for good reason... he wasn't in shape.

 

The problem was we didn't replace him with a big body that can clog the line. 

 

Its not as much of an issue in the nickel, but it would still help with a big anchor in a 1-technique.

[Wildbunny]

8 minutes ago, KDawg said:

It's not about Knighton specifically, folks. It's about what he does. He anchors the front. Keeps the Backers clean. It's always extremely important to do that, but especially when your LBs are not the most athletic group.

 

We let Knighton go for good reason... he wasn't in shape.

 

The problem was we didn't replace him with a big body that can clog the line. 

 

Its not as much of an issue in the nickel, but it would still help with a big anchor in a 1-technique.

And we probably didn't sign him again for the same reason this year.

I believe our coaches thought Golston could do the job and downplayed that situational football where that kind of guy is not on the field enough...

 

Sure you can go without in nickel just as fine, but in GL situation, you starts missing him.

Somehow, I could relate our RZ problem with the fact that we don't have a true FB to pound the ball between the tackles, which makes things easier to guess for the D. Without a real one, they know we're not gonna go much between, so that's easier defense to me.

 

I generally like Jay and our Coaching staff, but I believed they whiffed on those two positions.

[RedskinsMayne]

18 hours ago, DC9 said:

 

Yeah... it's not even a mile bro.  You're saying it's 4 miles plus?

 

 

uh no, but my feet are smaller than most feet

[AlvinWaltonIsMyBoy]

21 hours ago, DC9 said:

I'd LOVE for this team to get into the playoffs, even if it's just a one and done.  I think it's important for the players and it's important to attract a FA or two.  We're going to need to have herculian efforts the last several weeks here just to be in the discussion.  And we're going to have to root for Dallas on Sunday as well.

I've said before that whether we make the dance or not, my opinion on our team won't change.  Our weaknesses and needs are pretty obvious, and I have no doubt SM will get to work on those deficiencies.

 

But, I believe it is extremely important for this team to make the playoffs, no matter how they make it or if they get trounced in the first round.  Winning is a culture.  It's a learned behavior.  Back to back trips to the playoffs might not change how I think about this year's squad, but it could definitely change how this team thinks about itself.  And that confident, winning mindset is something that has eluded us for 25 years.  

 

I don't care how we get there, I just want to see us there.  Personally, I'm thinking Tampa loses two, we drop one, and we get to the party.  Much like the Cardinals, I don't think we matchup particularly well with the Panthers.  I'm hoping the Panthers keep Kuechly out for another week, although I did see where Rivera said they don't plan to shut him down for the season.  I think Funchess/Ginn/Olsen could give us plenty of problems.  

[TSO]

Great conversation, fellas. Excellent points all around. Here's where I am on some of the points being made here. 

 

I don't think they assumed they were fine at Dline. The talk that came out about it was, in my mind, more out of simply acknowledging how the offseason went versus actually believing they're going to be just fine up front. I don't put a lot of stock into quotes during the offseason, they're not going to just come out and say "yeah, we suck there", because that'd be spitting in the faces of the players you need to perform for you.   

 

Now, do I believe they thought they'd be this bad? Nope. 

 

I think they relied too much on the assumption that a rotation of Golston, Hood, Reyes, RJF, and Baker would be versatile enough to stop the run and generate a pass rush consistently. As for the run defense, I personally believed, and stated at the time, that they'd likely be gashed for those 4-8 yard runs consistently, but then would make up for it with TFLs due to the one-gap scheme.

 

I was wrong and, clearly, so were they in terms of the perception they likely had about the Dline as a whole. Reyes got worse as the preseason wound down, and then he got hurt. Golston was playing too large of a role to start, and then he got hurt. Hood has played better than he had in recent years, thank God, because if that didn't happen I have no idea what we would've done, lol. We had to sign Jenkins in desperation, who rarely penetrates. 

 

After the first game of the season, in which the Steelers ran right up the gut whenever they wanted for 5 yards or more, I thought our run defense was going to be so terrible there was no coming back. We saw how it changed everything, and how everyone else behind the Dline suffered for it. We saw how, just to have a chance at stopping the run, we essentially had to sell out and then we got killed over the top when Ben would see it.

 

That's why I'm a little more sympathetic and actually think Barry isn't as bad of a coach as most think. After that game, Barry attempted to solve the issue in numerous ways, but those solutions caused other problems. This is what we're seeing to this day. The cliche "it all starts upfront" is a cliche for a reason. We got exposed upfront the first game of the year and everything has been a consequence of that.

 

I'm seeing our guys "cheat" to stop the run more than not, especially at ILB. Which has made them susceptible to biting on play action. I've seen them line up closer to the LOS as another way to "cheat", which has opened up those TE/RB leak routes as they drop back to get into their zones, only to have someone come in front of them while their momentum is taking them back (they're never able to just attack downhill, which makes those tackles easier to make and, instead, they're having to stop their momentum first and then get going towards that player who just made the catch). Not sure I'm explaining that well, but I know what's in my head.    

 

I've actually been impressed we managed to salvage some dignity in the process, lol. When we went on that 4 game winning streak after the 0-2 start, the defense was at the heart of it. It's crazy to me that we're stopping offense's enough to even get them into 3rd and long situations (where the inconsistent interior pass rush is killing our outside pass rush, and then our weaknesses at ILB and Safety continue to be exposed because they can't cover longer than, like, two seconds).  

 

There is some level of good coaching happening there for this to occur, I'm sure of it. 

 

I think every single player on our Dline, outside of Baker, shouldn't be anything more than a rotational guy that spells the starter after every couple drives. I was wrong about RJF, for instance, being a full time starter. I thought he was awesome last season and underrated, so I assumed him playing a larger role would mean good things. But he's not someone who is going to give you what you need every down. He's a playmaker, though, and when he knows where he's going he can get there faster than any of our other linemen. But he too often has no effect on the play or even gets pushed back. Jenkins doesn't get pushed back, but he almost never penetrates as well. Baker is the only guy you can rely on to get consistently good play, but he's not a guy who can really take over, either.

 

So everything has been a battle because of this. Everything has become more difficult. Everyone else looks worse than they are (not saying they're good). It's a travesty.

 

I don't believe that it required a big, traditional space-eating NT to make it better. I think the idea was fine, and still is; getting more versatile linemen up front. I just think they didn't execute. And not because they're stupid, or Scot screwed up, or whatever... but because that's just the way the offseason went. It would've cost too much in FA for a player not deemed worthy and/or we would've had to reach in the draft in order to address it.

 

I don't need to necessarily see size being added at interior Dline this offseason. The biggest thing, for me, is that we get at least one great player there. A Calais Campbell, who isn't some ginormous NT, would do wonders. Or someone like Geno Atkins. Heck, imagine if we had Aaron Donald, who weighs 284 pounds?

 

I'm not against size, don't get me wrong. I just don't think that's the issue. The overall talent means more than size, and I like the idea of guys on the line being able to line up anywhere... it's a sound idea on Barry's part and he's not the only one to think like that. I just believe we don't have a consistently good to great presence there. 

 

If we can get one or two this offseason, I'm going to do backflips. 

[KDawg]

For the record...

 

teams are throwing more than running on 4th down and short because we don't cover the flats. Pretty much ever.

 

When we do, it's the OLB. Which also means that the ILB or a safety has to play contain. If the QB rolls out he can now run for 2, or if the ILB/safety gets there he can throw behind.

 

If we don't cover the flats, it's an automatic first down as long as the receiver catches it.

[Always A Commander Never A Captain]

I'm all for a big dude on the DL who can command a double and be immovable.  That wasn't Knighton though.  I think we should entertain bringing in Johnathan Hankins or Brandon Williams.  Some beef on the d-line who are hard to move.  Williams is who our fanbase thinks Knighton is.  I haven't paid as much attention to Hankins and Snacks as I should.  But I feel like Hankins lines up in several spots on that d-line.  He's the type of not great, but do-it-all guy whose better against the run that we need on our team.

 

Btw, anyone have a spot where you can find TFL and QB Hit numbers?  Right now I'm looking at OverTheCap for those, and it's a little tedious.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

17 hours ago, KDawg said:

For the record...

 

teams are throwing more than running on 4th down and short because we don't cover the flats. Pretty much ever.

 

When we do, it's the OLB. Which also means that the ILB or a safety has to play contain. If the QB rolls out he can now run for 2, or if the ILB/safety gets there he can throw behind.

 

If we don't cover the flats, it's an automatic first down as long as the receiver catches it.

 

Why don't we cover flats?

 

Is it by design, is it players not knowing their assignments, or is it players not being able to execute their assignments?

[TheGreek1973]

Look, as Cooley said this morning these guys may not be HOers players but they can play this game but this scheme is too complicate right now for them.  I don't know if that is the case, all I know is even the simple things they can't do.  Lynch was saying as much during our game with the Eagles, Cooley was kind of saying the same thing. And if this was a one time deal fine, but it seems we are dealing with this almost every game.  Therefore it is Barry and his staff coaching these guys.  If its so complicated where their is confusion immediately change it to more simple defenses.  This is what is frustrating, we are playing on D the same way we were playing back in our first game with the Steelers.

 

If you look at how well the Cowboy Defense is playing you have to scratch your head and say why?  Same players as last year for the most part, hell they even had guys suspended and still they have improved from last year.  What improvement have you seen from us?  Even got arguably the top 3 corner in the league to lock down that side of the field and we still suck.  Its Barry and his staff, can't be anything else IMO.  The dude can't coach and his record is all you need to see to know this is true.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

But, it's fair to assume that the "simple things" cease being simple depending on how complicated the game plan is. 

 

For example, it may seem logical to John Lynch that a CB should cover a WR on the outside. But, if we have 6-8 different coverages installed this week and we call one in the huddle and then check out of it to another one a couple seconds before the snap...it's not ridiculous to think that these guys can start to get crossed up. Maybe Breeland has a brain fart and thinks that Whitner is going to shade to his side so he should play outside leverage, but in reality Whitner is bailing to the middle. The result could look like Breeland failing to do a "simple thing" like covering a slant.