What is Wrong with Alex Smith?

[bobandweave]

2 hours ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

So now that B&W has been given the nod to say ‘Kirk’ even though he was never told not to, it’s Kirk, Kirk, Kirk, Kirk, Kirk, Kirk. ?

 

Why do you call me out like this? I was confused. I saw what the mod said so I used the dude's name today. Yesterday you call me out for not using the guys name, today you call me out for using his name. See this is what I mean by people just complaining to complain. Can't do no right with some of you

 

 

Quote

 

Talking about “Alex Smith’s record” after he just put up 16 on the worst defense in football, against an offense that set a record for having 1pt per 160 yards of offense after missing numerous FGs and turning it over 4 times.  

 

What's the issue with talking about Alex's record? For that matter did you watch the game or just read this forum? See you guys are saying untrue things like

 

1. Alex did nothing to win this game which is flat out wrong. Tampa scored 3 points, Alex led offenses scored 16. That's enough to win and he won. 

 

2. You crying about stats. Who the hell cares about stats? Only those who hate Smith and longing for Kirk seem to be upset. Some people just want to cry and whine about anything because they don't like the guy. Boohoo if you don't like him don't watch him. Your as bad as the RG3 truthers from way back and the people that Norman was talking about.

 

Truth is if they win next weekend at home the team will be 7-3 which aint happened since the 1990's, more than 20 years ago.  The record matters. 

 

Alex Smith don't care about your style points and neither do I.

 

The stats yesterday were QB Rating 100.5. That was good right?  Why you expecting him to blow up throwing to a broken down Reed, an undrafted Mo Harris, and Michael Floyd gimmie a freaking break.  The receivers on the team suck. The good ones are hurt. AP only rushed for 68 yards on 19 carries not like he was doing much of anything yesterday. The old saying is the QB takes all the heat when the teams lose and gets all of the praise when he wins. Except here. Alex can't do nothing right to you. 

 

He won another game taking the record to winning percentage of .667 which only 6 out of the other 31 NFL teams have better percentages today. It's ugly but it's working. And as a fan of 40+ years at this point with the clowns they got running the show - Dan, Bruce, Jay - that's impressive.

 

And don't even say the game was won by the Defense. Sure they made some plays but you know what else they did? 8 out of 9 Tampa offensive drives went into Redskins territory. Defense gave up 400 passing yards to Ryan Fitzcraptic, Peyton Barber had 61 on the ground, and Jaquizz Rodgers and Chris Godwin each had 100 yards receiving and they aint world beaters by any stretch.

 

I'm sure you will blame Alex for that too. Might as well not stop there, blame him for homeless people and world hunger while you out there ignoring what he's doing and that's keeping this team in the hunt. Kirk is gone, teams moved on and heading in the right direction. This is RG3 all over again bullcrap

[Commander -JB-]

9 minutes ago, Taylor 36 said:

Bull ****!  Reality:

 

Vikings 5 -3-1

Redskins 6-3.

 

IF this was all about the QB play, Alex wouldn't even be in the competition, never mind the conversation.

When all of those 4,000+ passing yards translate into wins holla at me.  Cause Cousins has a penchant for playing just like Ryan Fitzgerald Sunday.  A whole bunch of yards passing and too many damn turnovers.  Fact.

[KDawg]

I think too many people look at Smith vs. Cousins as a black and white thing. But in reality it's extremely complex. 

 

They are virtual opposites of one another. Kirk puts up numbers, scores points, turns the ball over.

 

Alex has mediocre at BEST stats, doesn't score many points, and doesn't turn the ball over.

 

Is one any better than the other? Who knows. But right now... as in at this moment... Alex Smith's ball security is paying off for the team. But maybe he makes the team's floor higher and ceiling lower vs. Cousins making the floor lower and ceiling higher. Or maybe Kirk, on this team, would make the team that much better. We have absolutely no way of knowing. And playing the game of "if Kirk were here and Alex wasn't" isn't really going to solve anything because it's all hypothetical. 

 

The two QBs couldn't be more polar opposite, though. I'm more intrigued (although again, it's pure hypothetical and pretty much useless) by what a QB in the middle of the two of them would be like with this team.

[OVCChairman]

1 hour ago, Llevron said:

 

Just wanna point out that I think a good coach would still call him out and hold him accountable. I believe Jay Gruden is doing that, too. You have to let him know he needs to be better, cause if hes not eventually it will end our season. 

 

I dont know if you watch the Wiz, but Brooks wouldn't call out Alex and just let it keep going. That's why they are what they are now. A group of super talented losers. I think more than anything accountability is the job of a coach. 

 

 

I agree completely... and Jay should be having constant conversations with Smith with the intention to get better... but he also needs to look at himself and ask if he's doing everything he needs to be doing to put the team in the best position to be successful.  Alex needs to be better, and Jay needs to be putting Alex in position to be better. 

[bobandweave]

26 minutes ago, Taylor 36 said:

Bull ****!  Reality:

 

Vikings 5 -3-1

Redskins 6-3.

 

IF this was all about the QB play, Alex wouldn't even be in the competition, never mind the conversation.

 

The Redskins who were 7-9 last season and have half the talent that the 13-3 Vikings have.

 

The Vikings are a great team with weapons on both sides of the ball and with Kirk they have a worse record this year after 9 games then they did all of last season with Case Keenum running the show in 2017. The Redskins Alex Smith led team in 2018 has a two game division lead with a mash unit with no real talent on that side of the ball something that Kirk never had. That's your reality.

 

The Vikings were in the NFC Championship game last season something this franchise hasn't done in over 20 years without ya boi, where you think they end up this year? .

 

Get outta here with this trash. The Vikings are top to bottom a better team then the Redskins with superior talent everywhere last year and this season.

 

Yet with Kirk what's happening to that team right now? 

 

I will laugh all damn day at all of you Kirkers when he leads that team to nothing this year, next year, and the year after that. Chokers gonna choke. And winners gonna win. If Alex is Mark Brunell then Kirk is Jay Cutler.  Alex = winner, Kirk = stats. Give me the winner all day every day over a stats guy who has it all except where it matters - the win column. 

 

6 is greater than 5. 

 

 

[zCommander]

Crowder and Qinn are slated to play on Sunday as of today, let's see if that helps Alex. Every other Sunday or maybe the Sunday after that instead of any given Sunday with Alex so far... lol

[NoCalMike]

I suppose if we pull back the microscope from this season alone, what we have to ask ourselves is:  Is the current performance of Alex Smith his ceiling?  

 

If your answer is yes, then the next 3-5 seasons are going to be extremely trying & frustrating to watch on offense.

 

If you answer is no, then the follow up question is, what can be done to improve his performance?  You have to back an examine his last couple seasons in San Francisco and his best seasons in Kansas City and look at the differences on this current roster.

 

For me, I fall somewhere in between.  Alex Smith isn't going to become a "new" Alex Smith all of a sudden, but I have also seen enough of his games to know what we are seeing now is not his ceiling.  It doesn't help when half the starting O-line is in shambles, or that the running game is still inconsistent.  Can't help that the WRs on this team are unspectacular (at best, the nicest way to put it).  Surely, it isn't good that playmakers like Chris Thompson can't stay on the field for more than a game or two at a time.  How about the fact that the guy who is considered the best weapon on the team (Jordan Reed) is being taken out of the game half the time on crucial 3rd downs (Why? I am not sure, is it his lack of blocking ability on obvious passing downs?).

 

You could come back at me and say "all these are just excuses" and I can concede that sure, a Top 5 (maybe even 10?) QB could get better production out of this roster despite the guys around him, and yeah you are probably right, but that isn't who the front office signed.  They signed a guy who needs the speedy and elusive skill position players around him to succeed.

 

At the end of the day, the front office made the decision to bring in Alex Smith. I am sure they saw enough of his game tape to understand what it takes to make Alex Smith the best possible Alex Smith.  It is possible there just wasn't those options out there in free agency in 2018, and they didn't want to overspend on aging vets that are former shells of themselves.

 

In the mean time, the team is 6-3. Two game lead in the division in week 10.  We'll see what the Alex Smith era brings in the big picture soon enough.

[bobandweave]

14 minutes ago, OVCChairman said:

 

 

I agree completely... and Jay should be having constant conversations with Smith with the intention to get better... but he also needs to look at himself and ask if he's doing everything he needs to be doing to put the team in the best position to be successful.  Alex needs to be better, and Jay needs to be putting Alex in position to be better. 

 

Jay's playcalling is garbage and way too predictable which is part of the problem. They need to strip him of calling plays and give that to someone else. 

[Sandy Monk]

4 minutes ago, bobandweave said:

 

team with weapons on both sides of the ball

 

 

Happy to leave the D be, as bend don't break can be infuriating but great against turnover prone QBs. 

 

That said, I was drooling all weekend at other team's offensive weapons, and wondering why Washington can't have nice things there too.  

[Why am I Mr. Pink?]

Just now, zskins said:

Crowder and Qinn are slated to play on Sunday as of today, let's see if that helps Alex. Every other Sunday or maybe the Sunday after that instead of any given Sunday with Alex so far... lol

 

But can they be full participation in practice this week? If they are limited ... I might want to wait a week on both of them. Id take a Mo or Quick or Floyd who has practiced the past few weeks with Alex vs bringing in a cold WR.

 

Maybe a 100% Ty > a 60% Trent or Lauvau or Scherff who hasnt practiced all week. I wonder how much Trent and co being limited in practice every week has limited their ability to play at their highest level.

[DJHJR86]

Any comparisons being drawn between Cousins last year to Smith this year need to take into consideration the injuries, putrid defense, and lack of a running game.  Just throwing records out there does absolutely nothing.  

[Taylor 36]

52 minutes ago, -JB- said:

When all of those 4,000+ passing yards translate into wins holla at me.  Cause Cousins has a penchant for playing just like Ryan Fitzgerald Sunday.  A whole bunch of yards passing and too many damn turnovers.  Fact.

So, you're just going to dodge the point, huh?  Typical.

 

Here are some facts for you:

 

2018 -

AS - 64.1% completion rate       KC - 71.3% completion rate

AS - 2045 yards                           KC - 2685 yards

AS - 11 TD total                         KC - 18 TD total

AS - 3 INT, 6 Fum                      KC - 5 INT, 8 Fum

 

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SmitAl03.htm

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/CousKi00.htm

 

So, this turnover machine has 2 more interceptions and 2 more fumbles than Mr. Play-it-safe, yet has 7 more TD's, a much stronger completion percent and 640 more yards, and you want to sell it as AS is the better QB?  You guys keep acting like there is some wide margin between Smith and Cousins in TO's.  There's not, especially considering how many more times KC has had to drop back compared to Alex this year.  The job of the QB is to score points, something Cousins does and Alex does not. 

 

Put it this way, who in their right mind would say that Alex Smith is more valuable to his team when it comes to scoring than Kirk Cousins is to his?  If you say Alex is, you're just lying.

[Sandy Monk]

3 minutes ago, NoCalMike said:

Is the current performance of Alex Smith his ceiling?  

 

Stopped reading for the moment with a clear " **** no" .. LOL

 

4 minutes ago, NoCalMike said:

If you answer is no, then the follow up question is, what can be done to improve his performance? 

 

Pretty easy. Familiarity is THE number 1 thing for a PTSD quarterback like Alex. Yes, even above talent at skill positions. 

 

Next comes OL. Protect him. Make him cozy, and get a comfy rhythm, and he looks (dare I say it?) no.. I won't. I'll just say real good. 

 

Next comes derp derp weapons. The TEs they have currently are fine, but one is grossly overpriced.. and the other.. old as ****. WRs? I like MO Harris, and see Doc as a #2 at best. Have to figure Crowder a cap casualty. Nothing else proven worthy just yet. Get a WR that is impressive, please. Other QBs have a Michael Thomas, A Brown, Greene, OBJ3, Julio J, TY Hill, etc. 

 

I want nice things too!!!!!

 

( much respect for your other fine comments in that post, sir ) 

[bobandweave]

1 minute ago, NoCalMike said:

I suppose if we pull back the microscope from this season alone, what we have to ask ourselves is:  Is the current performance of Alex Smith his ceiling? 

 

No it's not his ceiling

 

1 minute ago, NoCalMike said:

 

If your answer is yes, then the next 3-5 seasons are going to be extremely trying & frustrating to watch on offense.

 

The haters are gonna answer this question Yes because they know no better. And they will be miserable here every week win or lose with them. But his floor is the season when he didn't throw a TD to a WR all season and his ceiling was last season. The difference between these two seasons? The talent around him. The most talent you surround him with the better he will do. 

 

 

1 minute ago, NoCalMike said:

If you answer is no, then the follow up question is, what can be done to improve his performance?  You have to back an examine his last couple seasons in San Francisco and his best seasons in Kansas City and look at the differences on this current roster.

 

Simple to me. 

 

First in the offseason they need to get more speed on the offensive side of the ball. Currently they have none. They will have a lot of draft picks to use on playmakers.

 

This offseason I wanted them to draft Calvin Ridley instead of Payne. Why? Because FA WR's worth a damn are too expensive (sorry but I wasn't for the signing of P Rich this year and 5 year 40 million is highway robbery and a terrible signing) and they aren't active enough in trades to get one that way (should have traded for Josh Gordon). This draft coming up needs to be all about offensive skilled positions. 

 

When they have more playmakers just how you saw when the Chiefs went from worst to first in Alex's first season there and picked up Kelce that draft the more talent you surround him with the better he will do. You have to give Alex some weapons. That's why Ridley was my first round choice this past draft.

 

The Chiefs last year were loaded with talent and Alex's stats looked better then they do now. The playmakers here on this team suck. Can't say it enough but when your #1 WR is a first round bust in Josh Doctson, your #2 is Michael Floyd a guy kicked around the league, and your slot WR is an undrafted Mo Harris your receiving weapons suck. Even the RB sucks if it weren't for AP. Garbage in, Garbage out. 

 

Next season you gotta figure that Chris Thompson and Darrius Guice will be healed and return. Signing AP for another year helps there too. So this unit should be okay. Receiver wise that unit is garbage and likely to lose Crowder on top. Losing Crowder isn't a big deal, he's been lost all season anyway. But infusing talent here is a must. You infuse talent around Smith and the results will be better. That also includes shoring up the Offensive Line. Do that and his happy feet go away. The game plans simple. This team needs a #1 WR and a #2 WR. 

 

 

[Commander -JB-]

2 minutes ago, Taylor 36 said:

So, you're just going to dodge the point, huh?  Typical.

 

Here are some facts for you:

 

2018 -

AS - 64.1% completion rate       KC - 71.3% completion rate

AS - 205 yards                           KC - 2685 yards

AS - 11 TD total                         KC - 18 TD total

AS - 3 INT, 6 Fum                      KC - 5 INT, 8 Fum

 

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SmitAl03.htm

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/CousKi00.htm

 

So, this turnover machine has 2 more interceptions and 2 more fumbles than Mr. Play-it-safe, yet has 7 more TD's, a much stronger completion percent and 640 more yards, and you want to sell it as AS is the better QB?  You guys keep acting like there is some wide margin between Smith and Cousins in TO's.  There's not, especially considering how many more times KC has had to drop back compared to Alex this year.  The job of the QB is to score points, something Cousins does and Alex does not. 

 

Put it this way, who in their right mind would say that Alex Smith is more valuable to his team when it comes to scoring than Kirk Cousins is to his?  If you say Alex is, you're just lying.

Ok so you just reiterated my point?  That Cousins throws for more yards but always has a higher turnover rate?  Genius!  Bravo to you, fine sir!  

[bobandweave]

18 minutes ago, Sandy Monk said:

 

Happy to leave the D be, as bend don't break can be infuriating but great against turnover prone QBs. 

 

That said, I was drooling all weekend at other team's offensive weapons, and wondering why Washington can't have nice things there too.  

 

Because they don't listen to me. Ask around I was banging the drum last draft that while stopping the opposing rusher was a nice thing to do that rarely if ever do the Redskins have its pick between WR's in the draft and that they had to pick one they liked. Calvin Ridley was my first choice but even Cortland Sutton would have been nice. Now not knocking Payne but I was calling for that long before I saw the receivers on the team were garbage this season. If they hadn't of been so stupid and signed P Rich this offseason I think they would have drafted a receiver. The problem with P Rich is dude is always injured. Wasn't a fan of that move and predicted it would fail and it did. Bottom line this team needs good healthy receivers. That's what's missing now 

 

11 minutes ago, Taylor 36 said:

So, you're just going to dodge the point, huh?  Typical.

 

Here are some facts for you:

 

Bro you just said you was posting facts and gave Alex 205 passing yards this season LOL yup those are your "facts" 

 

 

 

[Taylor 36]

13 minutes ago, bobandweave said:

 

The Redskins who were 7-9 last season and have half the talent that the 13-3 Vikings have.

 

The Vikings are a great team with weapons on both sides of the ball and with Kirk they have a worse record this year after 9 games then they did all of last season with Case Keenum running the show in 2017. The Redskins Alex Smith led team in 2018 has a two game division lead with a mash unit with no real talent on that side of the ball something that Kirk never had. That's your reality.

 

The Vikings were in the NFC Championship game last season something this franchise hasn't done in over 20 years without ya boi, where you think they end up this year? .

 

Get outta here with this trash. The Vikings are top to bottom a better team then the Redskins with superior talent everywhere last year and this season.

 

Yet with Kirk what's happening to that team right now? 

 

I will laugh all damn day at all of you Kirkers when he leads that team to nothing this year, next year, and the year after that. Chokers gonna choke. And winners gonna win. If Alex is Mark Brunell then Kirk is Jay Cutler.  Alex = winner, Kirk = stats. Give me the winner all day every day over a stats guy who has it all except where it matters - the win column. 

 

6 is greater than 5. 

 

 

Do you watch football?  Better yet, do you understand it? I know, dumb questions.  The "trash" y0u post shows the answers are emphatically no's. I know this is hard for you to understand, and it may take you a few days to figure it out, but 2018 teams aren't the same as 2017 teams.

 

The Vikings defense is nothing like it was last year, nor it's running game. Last year they had a top three defense; this year it hasn't been close. Neither the defense nor the running game have anything to do with Kirk. The defense is getting back to itself, though, so it might get interesting quickly.  To this point the Vikings have on the majority of their games BECAUSE of Kirk Cousins.

 

The Redskins defense and running games have been worlds better this season than last season due to some off season pick ups and the health of the players. They are winning because of those two aspects, along with some good ST play.  They are winning IN SPITE of Alex Smith.

 

All you have to do is look at the production of the QB's to see who is actually helping their team and who is holding them back. 

 

 

[skinny21]

You don’t think our record would be worse if we had drafted Ridley over Payne?  That’s a surprising take, IMO.    

[Llevron]

38 minutes ago, KDawg said:

 But maybe he makes the team's floor higher and ceiling lower vs. Cousins making the floor lower and ceiling higher. 

 

That's it ^^

[TradeTheBeal!]

3 minutes ago, -JB- said:

Ok so you just reiterated my point?  That Cousins throws for more yards but always has a higher turnover rate?  Genius!  Bravo to you, fine sir!  

 

Alex has lost 0 of his fumbles and Kirk has lost 5 of his.  Why?

 

Well some of it is just good luck, BUT...Kirk has had two of his fumbles go bouncing past the LOS where LBs quickly scooped them up and housed them for 6.  

 

So, much like quarterbacks...not all fumbles are created equally.  Also bear in mind that Kirk threw a soul-crushing, game ending pick against GB but got let off the hook due to the worst roughing the passer call in league history.

[Zazzaro703]

Even with Alex Smith playing C- football, without his protection of the football no way we are 6-3. The super downside is you'd think we would have seen much more improvement by now. However, he really can only get better and we just have to hope it clicks and he hits his peak come January. That's not that much of a stretch either, he just has to hit open WRs. It will be extremely disappointing if he is still wildly missing open WRs come late December/January. 

 

Great defense and protecting the football is winning football and just letting the other team beat themselves normally will get you 8-10 wins during the regular season. It's not winning football in January though unless you have a next level defense that just allows nothing, so Smith is going to have to elevate his play if we are to make any noise in the post season. Again, since just hitting open WRs will improve our offense and we aren't asking him to move mountains I guess I'm cautiously optimistic that Smith will get better. We are 6-3, I don't care how we got here I'm just happy we didn't do our normal not win a game for a month a some point during October/November.

[Sandy Monk]

5 minutes ago, Taylor 36 said:

Do you watch football?  Better yet, do you understand it?

 

5 minutes ago, Taylor 36 said:

They are winning IN SPITE of Alex Smith.

 

 

Ahahahaaaaahaaaaa!!!!! that's just awesome! Thank you for it. 

[Taylor 36]

7 minutes ago, -JB- said:

Ok so you just reiterated my point?  That Cousins throws for more yards but always has a higher turnover rate?  Genius!  Bravo to you, fine sir!  

Again, barely higher TO rate.  If you want to keep acting like he is 18 TO ahead of Alex so you can sleep better at night, go for it.  Kirk has everything else in his favor as well, but that too will be ignored by you as usual.  Again, what ever makes you feel better.  Keep chanting "All Cousins's does it turn it over."  I'm sure you can create a celebratory dance to go along with it.

5 minutes ago, bobandweave said:

Bro you just said you was posting facts and gave Alex 205 passing yards this season LOL yup those the "facts" 

 

 

 

It is actual 2045 yards.  I fixed it.  The typo still doesn't take away the facts of the matter, but don't let that stop you from your spin!

[Sandy Monk]

1 minute ago, Zazzaro703 said:

Even with Alex Smith playing C- football, without his protection of the football no way we are 6-3. The super downside is you'd think we would have seen much more improvement by now. However, he really can only get better and we just have to hope it clicks and he hits his peak come January. That's not that much of a stretch either, he just has to hit open WRs. It will be extremely disappointing if he is still wildly missing open WRs come late December/January. 

 

Great defense and protecting the football is winning football and just letting the other team beat themselves normally will get you 8-10 wins during the regular season. It's not winning football in January though unless you have a next level defense that just allows nothing, so Smith is going to have to elevate his play if we are to make any noise in the post season. Again, since just hitting open WRs will improve our offense and we aren't asking him to move mountains I guess I'm cautiously optimistic that Smith will get better. We are 6-3, I don't care how we got here I'm just happy we didn't do our normal not win a game for a month a some point during October/November.

 

THIS is a really, really good post, sir. Seriously. Thank you. It encompasses most of the elation and concern of the fanbase.. yet does so in a very respectable way. Again. Seriously. 

[Llevron]

1 minute ago, Taylor 36 said:

Do you watch football?  Better yet, do you understand it? I know, dumb questions.  The "trash" y0u post shows the answers are emphatically no's. I know this is hard for you to understand, 

 

You need to chill bruh. You are are taking this too personal. To the point where you are just coming off like a jerk now. You ain't smarter than anyone else in here just cause you like your opinion more. 

 

Then you say Kirk has no effect on the run game or defense at all?? You know that's wrong! I know you do.