A Confidence I Haven't Had in 25 Years

[Taylorcooley1]

So ya have the skins playing the way they are and ya have fans posting this kind of stuff...life is good!

[Skinsinparadise]

I am feeling really good about the team, too.  Though its hard for me to retrace my emotions during other years to compare.  The 2012 run was electric.  Zorn's 6-2 start felt great.   This team though feels more balanced than those situations.   We've really not had a good defense since the Gregg/Greg days.  And those defenses were a bit hit and miss.

 

Hard to do the chicken and egg thing as for talent versus scheme. Talent to me is always paramount.  Manusky (and I liked the hire at the time) is looking really smart.  However, it helps to upgrade safety from train wreck level to really good.  Zach Brown over Will Compton is night and day.    Breeland has really reemerged.  And Ioannidis and Allen has given the team real push up the middle which we haven't had forever.  We had some of these discussions on the FA thread last off season and one of my points was why can't the defense look much better overnight?  The Giants made that type of leap in 2016 after being horrible defensively in 2015.  Got my fingers crossed, but so far its looking like a similar transformation.

 

And the team looks good even though we got some growing pains at receiver and Crowder and Jordan Reed have been banged up and not themselves, yet.  Having said that, even though I was optimistic about the team before the season -- I am gun shy about counting chickens, yet.  Because this team has had moments in seasons where it felt like everything will come together and then something derailed it.  So I want to see this movie longer before I am 100% confident that a page has been turned. 

 

But overall feeling good.  I was feeling good before the season, too.   We've ran three off seasons in a row the right way as for FA and the draft -- the way most successful franchises do.   And its paying dividends.  My concern as Sub pointed out what happens next off season when FA and the draft goes back to the unorthodox structure that's been common during Dan's reign.  But I'll worry about it, then.

 

 

 

 

[NewCliche21]

35 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

I am feeling really good about the team, too.  Though its hard for me to retrace my emotions during other years to compare.  The 2012 run was electric.  Zorn's 6-2 start felt great.   This team though feels more balanced than those situations.   We've really not had a good defense since the Gregg/Greg days.  And those defenses were a bit hit and miss.

 

Totally agree.

 

This feels different from the 7-1 start in 199X (can't remember) or 1999 (could've won Super Bowl) or 2005 (could've won Super Bowl) or 2007 (had no business making the playoffs) or 2012 (RGIII was extremely exciting) or 2015 (didn't see that one coming).  This feels like the start of something, and the "next year" feeling isn't one of throwing in the towel on this year, it's just being pumped that we're heading in the right direction in a sustainable way.

[LavarArringtonMachine]

14 hours ago, Momma There Goes That Man said:

I'm always realistic and nonbiased regarding this team. I do not own any B&G colored glasses and I hate koolaid. 

 

I had one thought after the end of the game on Monday night: Get ready. We are coming  

 

I can't wait to see how we come out against SF. That will tell me what I need to know about how fired up and ready this team is to be great and have a big season. If they are going to take the next step, it starts against a bad team like SF. I don't need the Oakland game again, but we shouldn't struggle and the game shouldn't be in doubt. 

 

 

 

 

I feel the same way, sugarcoating situations or reality is definitely not my thing.  I like to look at the games inside of the game.  Now out of our next 4 games, we will be facing two bad/inexperienced defenses (49ers, Cowboys), two bad offenses (49ers, Seahawks) and an Eagles team that we are much better than.

 

I smell four blowout wins and riding a nice streak, thats the way I see it!

[skinny21]

Given the number of starting FAs we've brought in, as well as the plethora of young guys starting/contributing (in other words - roster turnover, changed culture and strong leadership), I think I'm at a point of throwing out some of the old beliefs about this team.  You know, the old 'typical Skins' type.  

 

Playing poorly in prime time, playing down to opponents, always shooting themselves in the foot (this past game not withstanding), not playing well in the clutch, etc.  

 

As others have said, this feels like a team that can hang with anyone.  I'm not to the point of expecting great things (yet), but I am feeling much more confident.  

 

We've turned a corner I believe.  

Someone took the street sign down (I blame those damn cheating Patriots), but I think we might just be heading down Contender Ave now, lol.  

[justice98]

Probably the last 3 games in 2012, you couldn't have told me we weren't gonna run the table and get the division.  Before that run of 7 straight, I thought we were cooked cuz we couldn't win a game.  So it took the first four wins in the streak before I got confident.  After they beat the Giants, then the Ravens, I was ready to book it.  Probably helped that we didn't play anybody to be afraid of.

[Burgold]

I think it isn't so much my hope that's erroded or even confidence, at least not the confidence you feel on game day, what's been lost is "benefit of the doubt." I need things to be proven before I can believe in it. Don't put a good roster in front of my face... I've been followed by the mirages of the Norv Turner years. Don't give me a fantastic start... I've been fooled into getting Zorny.

 

Right now, this team looks solid. It's really close to looking good. If my pilot light had been blown out I'd say that this would be enough to spark it back to life. As it is, the flame has always been burning, but I'm just not able to pull enough heat from the vents. I'm wrapped up in blankets, shivering, and jogging in place to keep off the chill.

 

I'm ready for a bonfire. I don't want to see hints that we're a year off from being good or a piece away from being good. I just want us to be good. I want to look at the schedule and just get excited versus think about hard games, doable games, and easy ones. In the glory years, every hard game was a winnable game and I rarely believed we would lose.

 

As I said, the pilot lights burning to the point that I think (almost every week) we have a chance. I don't know what this team has to do or I have to do to shovel enough coal to get me to the point where no opponent has power over my optimism, but I think I still need more for me to give them the benefit of the doubt before every opening kickoff.

[NoCalMike]

If you had to pin me to a category it would "almost there" or perhaps "on the cusp..." of having confidence.

 

The two things I want hold out and see are how this team handles a very mediocre 49ers team coming off their bye week, in which certainly the rematch with the Eagles on MNF In Philly looming will be in their heads. I guarantee you there will be some prep for that game going on between now and the 49ers game.

 

And then secondly I want to see how they handle the rematch with Philly.  That is the one game that sticks out through 4 games where the team we have seen the last 3 weeks didn't fit.  Some credit goes to the Eagles who don't look half bad, but honestly I don't think either team looked all that good in that game, and both teams have looked solid since.  The 'Skins played awful on their way to being down 0-13, and then took a 14-13 lead like it was nothing, but then sort of got sloppy and fell apart and got behind the 8 ball.  I don't care what others say, there is nothing about that Philly team that tells me the 'Skins can't win the rematch, and comfortably.  Will it happen? Who knows.  3 Primetime games in 4 games is a-typical and they have looked good in 2 of them so far......so?

 

I am almost there.............ALMOST!

[justice98]

I have to admit, part of my confidence is that the rest of the league seems inherently mediocre.  There's not one team in the league that I wouldn't want to face or that I would go into a game thinking we didn't have much of a chance.  The teams that were supposed to be the favorites don't seem that great, so why not us. 

[HailSkins789]

I feel great about this team. The fact that despite all the injuries we had in KC, we hung with them til the end and should have won, shows me that it's the coaching and culture that has changed. This team doesn't show quit at all. Especially on defense. They were beat the eff down in that fourth quarter and still held KC to 3 on one drive to give the offense a shot at the end. Once our WR's come around (need to put Doctson as the 1, Pryor isn't a natural) and the RB game gets better (would like to see Mack), we will be in great shape. I fully expect us to crush SF, and beat Philly soundly before heading into the Dallas game. Hopefully Norman is back by then, but I think we can win the next two without him. 

[srtman04]

8 hours ago, CTskin said:

This season has been and will be an absolute blast (just as long as we don't do the injury-every-play dance again). 

 

-Offense was great last year and although we've taken a slight step back, we're still top 10.

-Defense is the real deal. I feel like they could be top 5, but I'll conservatively say top 10. 

 

Point is that when you're top 10 in both offense and defense, you're a playoff team. It's such a different feeling having a defense that you can trust. Last year I had to walk away on 3rd downs (especially on 3rd & longs), but now I can watch them, all riled up, like a normal person.

 

Yeah no kiddin.   3rd and 25?  No problem!   It seemed with what our defense was doing under Joe ****ing Berry.  It's pretty pathetic and unbelievable actually for an NFL team!  

[Warhead36]

I forgot about the Zorn 6-2 start. We were playing damn good football back then. But the difference is/was, nobody really thought of Campbell as anything but a game manager. Cousins is much much MUCH better. Unfortunately that 6-2 start was just a carry over from the end of 07 win streak.

[VeroViper]

Going back to that 6-2 start with Zorn. We actually started off 4-1 with wins at Dallas and at Philly to get to 4-1. The very next week we lost at home in bumbling fashion to a lowly Rams team. I knew it was a mirage right then and there. As far as this team goes.....I think we're for real. The talent is there. And it's mostly young talent. I like the direction we're headed.

[DC Lumber Co.]

14 hours ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

I have confidence that at worst, we're going to be competitive week in and week out, and at our best, we should be playing January.  That's good enough for me right now.  Given that our WR play has been overall abysmal and we're still 2-2 through a very tough schedule, I can only think there is nowhere to go but up from here particularly with the offense.

 

Perhaps it's just woe is me type stuff, but one thing I did feel in the KC game was "go figure, we finally field a competitive squad and put it to someone on prime time and guys start dropping like flies".  Just felt unlucky to see so many of our guys hit the turf, particularly Trent early in the game coming on the heels of the news about Nsheke, him being replaced with Fleming that got whooped on 3rd down, then Josh going down and not coming back, followed by what felt like damn near everyone else.  Of course Trent is a bad SOB and trotted his ass right back out there and hopefully Josh will heal sooner than later.  Both are critical to any level of success we are going to have moving forward.

 

Yeah I'm with you 100% on this sentiment following the loss at Arrowhead. I didn't understand those who wanted to place the blame squarely on Doctson, on Jay's time out, on Preston or Brees penalties. None of the above had me frustrated after that game.

 

I was mainly upset because I was disgusted with how common it is for luck to not work in this teams favor. Perfect example: Lose arguably the best backup swing-tackle in the league for a few weeks? Bet your ass one of the starting OTs are going down. 

 

But moreso than the injuries was my frustration with the refs. I knew we were in for an uphill battle after the obvious bad call on the Reed fumble. I knew we weren't getting the benefit of the doubt the rest of that game.

 

And its beyond aggravating to me that because of luck and penalties, this team has to play the perfect game, just to have a CHANCE at a win. The Redskins aren't just playing one opponent each week. Most of the time were playing the team, the refs, and the injury ghost... Every damn week.

 

This Redskins team, a team with boatloads of heart, toughness, character, swagger, or whatever you want to call it, deserved to win that game. We fought our hearts out to the bitter end and made the best team in the league  EARN every single yard and point they got. They weren't scoring at will like they have against every opponent thus far. Hell, even after being bailed out multiple times via ticky-tacky calls, they STILL had to settle for a field goal. I love that about this team. We are going to make sure you remember you played us, and make everyone think twice about disrespecting us as "just the Redskins". 

 

I think they've earned the fanbase's support at this point and we should Rally behind them. I agree that with the way this team is built that we are far from our ceiling. We should Rally behind them at home to give them any advantage possible while working the kinks out. If Pryor or Doctson emerge as a serious outside threat, we get healthier, and avoid major injuries? The sky is the limit.

 

Not a single team scares me the rest of the way on the schedule. After 4 weeks and a bye coming at the perfect time for us to get healthy and come out pissed off...This team has given me the confidence that we can go toe-to-toe with anyone. And to be honest, the Eagles should feel lucky to have faced us when they did (basically preseason game 5), because I think we're going 1-1 against them and sweeping the rest of the division. 

[kleese]

11 hours ago, VeroViper said:

Going back to that 6-2 start with Zorn. We actually started off 4-1 with wins at Dallas and at Philly to get to 4-1. The very next week we lost at home in bumbling fashion to a lowly Rams team. I knew it was a mirage right then and there. As far as this team goes.....I think we're for real. The talent is there. And it's mostly young talent. I like the direction we're headed.

 

Ha, I was going to post this... I was at the Eagles game in Philly the week before and then I was at that Rams game. Worst loss I've ever seen in person. Devastating. The Rams were awful and we blew that game in epic and embarrassing fashion. How many times can you say you lost in large part because your left guard had a costly fumble? 

 

Anyway, like you, after that game, even though we were 4-2, there was this sinking feeling. To their credit, they beat two terrible teams the next two weeks (Lions/Browns), but they slogged through those games and looked nothing like the team that started 4-1. We were fortunate to be playing terrible teams during that stretch. Then of course, we totally bottomed out the second half of the season. 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I like the way this team comes out looking to punch someone in the mouth from the start.  They try to dictate from the opening kickoff.  Haven't seen that in forever.  Offense is looking for a big play or an extended clock hogging drive.  Defense is looking for a 3rd down sack or a turnover right away.  Great to see.

 

The way they came out against the Raiders was great, then they did it again against the Chiefs.  Really want to see them do it against the 49ers, they should be able to.

[TradeTheBeal!]

I am unmoved.  This is a 2-2 team on the way to 7-9.  I look forward to a heaping helping of 11-5 Crow Pie right around Xmas.

[Spaceman Spiff]

13 minutes ago, TryTheBeal! said:

I am unmoved.  This is a 2-2 team on the way to 7-9.  I look forward to a heaping helping of 11-5 Crow Pie right around Xmas.

 

How about some positivity from you for once. 

 

 

[NoCalMike]

19 hours ago, Burgold said:

I think it isn't so much my hope that's erroded or even confidence, at least not the confidence you feel on game day, what's been lost is "benefit of the doubt." I need things to be proven before I can believe in it. Don't put a good roster in front of my face... I've been followed by the mirages of the Norv Turner years. Don't give me a fantastic start... I've been fooled into getting Zorny.

 

 

 

Wow. I think that is put in the best way possible. This team has slowly but surely eroded any chance of getting "benefit of the doubt" points from me as a fan.  There have just been way too many instances in past seasons where the team looked good for such a short stretch and every time (just about....) I would buy in that it was the start of better times to come. Whether it was playoff berth seasons or hot starts, or winning streaks.....every single time the fan base has been burned when it all fizzled quickly. 

 

Wake me up to get excited when this team becomes consistently good enough to where I don't even care what the schedule looks like or what times or on it and when etc etc......

[TradeTheBeal!]

3 minutes ago, Spaceman Spiff said:

 

How about some positivity from you for once. 

 

 

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

I agree this may be the best roster since '91.  But that's really the function of the bar being so low.  Still it's easier to find a WR and RB than an entire defense and that was kind of what if felt like we needed last offseason.  Barry was a clown, we all know that, but I can't believe the difference Manusky has made.  I was not thrilled with that hire. 

[cakmoney61]

Three things have given me immense confidence in the 2017 Redskins:  defense, defense, and defense.  Knowing they can stop people has given me a totally different feeling and outlook about this team.  

 

There is something about a sound, smart, and physical defense that improves my psyche and gives me hope of victory.  You don't need a dominating offense when you have a good to great defense.  

 

In the past, I changed the channel when the Redskins were on defense, but not this year.  They've been a joy to watch! 

[Rex Tomb]

24 minutes ago, cakmoney61 said:

Three things have given me immense confidence in the 2017 Redskins:  defense, defense, and defense.  Knowing they can stop people has given me a totally different feeling and outlook about this team.  

 

There is something about a sound, smart, and physical defense that improves my psyche and gives me hope of victory.  You don't need a dominating offense when you have a good to great defense.  

 

In the past, I changed the channel when the Redskins were on defense, but not this year.  They've been a joy to watch! 

I actually think the second time we play the Eagles, we'll be much more dominant (especially if their RB position is still up in the air).  I'm hoping they work on keeping Wentz contained and really bring him down this time.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

Great thread Kleese! 

 

I'm mostly with you, especially with how you feel about the coach and the talent. Our depth is what impresses me...we essentially experienced Body Bag Game II on Monday Night and somehow still managed to put ourselves in a position to win the game. I LOVE Gruden and was so excited when we extended him. I think he's the perfect coach here. 

 

What I'm going to need to see to finally feel confident is a team that handles success. Over the past two decades, when we've had surprisingly successful seasons they've always come when we were able to sneak up on people. We would always need a galvanized team to win 4 or 5 or 7 straight games to get to the post season. Last year was the first time we ever gave ourselves any margin for error (6-3-1 after the SNF game vs. Green Bay) and we almost immediately pissed it completely away. 

 

So, I want to see us sustain a level of play where we hang with contenders (we have a few more waiting on our schedule) and outplay inferior teams. If we do that over the course of a couple months, I'll really believe we've become a solid team. 

[MassSkinsFan]

 

I was a pretty hardcore fan from the early 70s until the early 90s, when my life became hyper-focused on music. At that time I stopped being a fan of any sports team other than in name. I didn't know a thing about the Skins from then until the mid-00s. Imagine my surprise to walk back into the ****show to end all ****shows, after years of being accustomed to teams that won consistently. It was tough. It changed my expectations. Before, I expected wins and good play. Since, I expected poor effort, the occasional flash of talent or dumb luck, clownish nonsense from spoiled players and ultimately losses. A few years ago, after the RGMe thing got resolved, I could see the start of a change, and I was cautiously optimistic that the wining ways would eventually return.

 

Remember all that talk about "Learning to Win?"

 

Well, that's over - WE KNOW HOW TO WIN!!!

 

That's what has me excited again. When the chips are down and things look bleak, these guys know what they have to do to overcome whatever hurdles are in their way. Even if they don't always do so, at least they consistently have a shot. That's the feeling of confidence I remember having for the 20 or so years of my initial fandom. Thank Gruden it's back.