A New Start! (the Reboot) The Front Office, Ownership, & Coaching Staff Thread

[88Comrade2000]

5 hours ago, Riggo#44 said:

 

Jay Gruden got 5 years. Unless he quits--there is no chance Rivera gets less.

The old Dan is returning. Dan plans to be more involved once his fake suspension ends. He will be less patient.

[SoCalSkins]

2 hours ago, Gurgeh said:

If Snyder wanted to sell the team, presumably potential owners would want reassurance they wouldn't be buying a team that would get penalised in future for whatever happened under the previous regime. I wonder if that reassurance is even possible. I also wonder if Dan's thinking about what a future owner may dig up when they start going through the company archives, and what the consequences could be for Dan.

 

The investigation is over. There is no future owner. Stop dreaming. This is as good as it gets. If you want better, too bad. 

[88Comrade2000]

1 hour ago, JSSkinz said:

I think the story was that Joe Gibbs kind of brokered the deal. He spoke with Ron about the job and then connected the two once there was interest from Ron. I got the impression if it weren't for Joe, Ron wouldn't be here.

Yeah, another misstep from Joe.

 

Remember we were told Dan had a group advising him on how to fix the organization? I don’t think there really was a group. It was probably Joe and once Ron was fired; Joe convinced Dan to give Ron a look.  Since Ron was fired with 4 games to go; it didn’t hurt to look at Ron.  
 

 

[Cooleyfan1993]

10 minutes ago, SoCalSkins said:

The investigation is over. There is no future owner. Stop dreaming. This is as good as it gets. If you want better, too bad. 

.....what’s wrong with people dreaming about a new owner? Does that have any effect on you at all? No? Then why do you give two **** if people dream about Snyder being gone? Let them dream. Good lord 

[SoCalSkins]

Just now, Cooleyfan1993 said:

.....what’s wrong with people dreaming about a new owner? Does that have any effect on you at all? No? Then why do you give two **** if people dream about Snyder being gone? Let them dream. Good lord 

 

Dreaming that there is an ongoing investigation that will result in a sale. His whole premise was beyond fan fiction. Trading Landon Collins for Mahommes and Tyreek Hill plus all of KC's draft picks through 2029 is more likely than his dream. I don't think you can trade beyond 2029 due to the CBA expiring otherwise I would have made it longer. My scenarios are at least plausible! 

[BringMetheHeadofBruceAllen]

41 minutes ago, Rdskns2000 said:

Yeah, another misstep from Joe.

 

Remember we were told Dan had a group advising him on how to fix the organization? I don’t think there really was a group. It was probably Joe and once Ron was fired; Joe convinced Dan to give Ron a look.  Since Ron was fired with 4 games to go; it didn’t hurt to look at Ron.  
 

 

 

I doubt that Joe Gibbs was the only person with input on hiring Ron. I'm sure Tanya had her input as well. Probably the Snyder kid(s) too. 😁

[profusion]

Just skimmed the long ESPN article about Robert Sarver and the Suns. Lots of similarities, including an abyssmal record on the court for all of Sarver's tenure except the last couple years. Of course, people are accusing Sarver himself of bad stuff, where Snyder seems better at shielding himself from most of it and having underlings take the fall. I'm continually amazed at what a slippery little weasel Snyder is.

[HigSkin]

I'm gonna put this in here because it has a lot of relevance to coaching and our season.  Silver seems to have a pretty good pulse on RR's thinking.

 

 

Rivera reflects on changes, team mindset at mid-season break

Midway through a season that has been equal parts confounding and exasperating, Ron Rivera is looking for a spark.

 

With a 2-6 record -- thanks to a pair of narrow victories -- and a 4 1/2-game deficit in the NFC East, Washington will need another dramatic November and December turnaround to harbor any hope of sniffing the postseason. While hardly counting on a repeat of 2020, when 2-7 became 7-9 and an unlikely division title, Rivera will spend the bye week searching for scenarios that might translate into a strong second half, as he ponders everything from a quarterback swap to a mentality shift that might spur a sudden revival of his once-mighty defense.

 

Everything is on the table, and while Rivera understands the frustration of fans who'd hoped for a continuation of Washington's late-2020 magic, he's thinking big picture, and his goals remain lofty.

 

 "Believe me, I didn't go into this with rose-colored glasses," said Rivera, who was hired after the 2019 season, Washington's 14th consecutive campaign without a playoff victory. "You win the division at 7-9, and people think you're there, but what it really means is you got hot at the right time and your division wasn't very strong. My goal is to transform this organization and build a winning culture, and you're not gonna do that by going 7-9 and winning the division."

 

While Rivera has seen signs of progress in 2021, it has not been reflected on the scoreboard; only the Lions, Texans, Dolphins and Jaguars have worse records than Washington after eight weeks, and the rival Dallas Cowboys (6-1) are running away with the NFC East.

 

The coach still believes in his team, and in his team-building process, but he's anxious to get some positive reinforcement.

"I know it's about winning -- and that's what we're working toward," Rivera said. "People want to see us win, and I get it. When you're not winning, it's hard to sit there and say, 'We're close.' But I have to look at it a different way. There are steps we've made that are positive, and if we keep taking steps we'll get to where we need to go."

 

The question is, can the process be jump-started? The obvious place to begin is to assess the quarterback position. Taylor Heinicke, a relative unknown before last December, has been the guy since Ryan Fitzpatrick went down with a hip injury in the second quarter of Washington's season-opening defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers (a setback that may well prove to be season-ending, pending an MRI next week).

 

Heinicke has shined in some big moments, spurring dramatic victories over the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons, and Washington has been a middle-of-the-pack offense in terms of production. Scoring, however, has been an issue: Washington is averaging just 19.5 points per game, tied for 24th in the NFL rankings, and has particularly struggled in the red zone.

 

"I love what he does," Rivera said of Heinicke. "The problem with Taylor is when he overthinks it, and tries to be too perfect. Look at the touchdown throw he made to DeAndre Carter against Denver, and the ball he threw to Adam Humphries against Green Bay that got picked off in the end zone (by Chandon Sullivan in the fourth quarter). It's basically the same route -- he's working it to the corner -- and if he throws that ball to Adam the same way as the one he throws to DeAndre, it's a touchdown. But he was trying to make the perfect throw, instead of just laying it out there where it's supposed to be."

 

Heinicke's backup, Kyle Allen, has been far from perfect when it comes to ball security. He fumbled 13 times and threw 16 interceptions while starting 12 games for the Carolina Panthers in 2019, and he had one of each in four starts for Washington last season. Allen, however, gave the team some juice when he entered the lineup in relief of Dwayne Haskins, completing 69% of his passes and compiling a 99.3 passer rating before going down with a season-ending ankle injury against the Giants last Nov. 8.

If the offense seems stale at any point during the second half of the season, it stands to reason that Rivera might be tempted to insert Allen as a change of pace. What Washington would lose in terms of mobility and anticipation might be offset by Allen's superior arm strength. Conversely, if Allen were to take over at quarterback and struggle, Heinicke could be called upon in relief, which would theoretically keep opponents off balance.

 

The simplest course of action, obviously, would be to maintain the status quo (with Heinicke at quarterback) and tighten things up. The impending return of injured players like tight end Logan Thomas, right guard Brandon Scherff, rookie right tackle Sam Cosmi, and rookie receiver Dyami Brown could obviously help, while Rivera sees increased roles for wideouts Dax Milne and Carter and running back Jaret Patterson.

 

 

As for the defense -- well, there's a lot of room for improvement. Expected to be among the NFL's top units heading into 2021, Washington currently ranks 27th in both yards and points allowed, and its biggest stars have been struggling. One of them, defensive end Montez Sweat, suffered a jaw fracture against the Broncos that will keep him out for several weeks. His fellow edge rusher, 2020 NFL defensive rookie of the year Chase Young, has just 1.5 sacks and three tackles for loss.

 

"We would like to see a little bit more from those guys," Rivera said. "They need to stop pressing and trust their teammates. Sometimes when a guy tries to chip them, instead of running through the chip and blowing that guy up, you'll see them duck underneath or slip around and miss a chance to make a play. Sometimes Chase starts outside and plants his leg and cuts inside -- because he's trying to make a play -- and the quarterback gets flushed to the outside. If Chase stays outside, he has an easy sack, but instead he dives underneath."

 

Last Sunday, Young came up huge at the end of Washington's 17-10 defeat to the Broncos, forcing a Melvin Gordon fumble -- their second fumble of the three-play drive -- that linebacker David Mayo recovered at Denver's 24-yard-line with 21 seconds remaining.

 

"That's great," Rivera said, "but where were those plays earlier in the game? When they know you've got to take the ball away from them, and you still take it away from them…that's impressive, but where was that earlier? Why do we have to always put ourselves behind the 8-ball to play that hard? We should always be at that level."

 

It's yet another mystery Rivera will try to solve during the bye week and beyond, joining a long list that includes the still-struggling kicking game (new kicker Chris Blewitt, Rivera believes, needs to stop trying to drive the ball so hard, which is raising his release point).

 

Rivera is hopeful that a run of post-bye success during Washington's next four games -- against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Panthers, Seattle Seahawks and Las Vegas Raiders -- can keep hope alive heading into a five-game stretch against NFC East rivals (including a pair of clashes with the Cowboys) to close the regular season.

 

"If we can win three or more of those four," Rivera said, "those last five games become real, and we can control our own destiny."

That may seem far-fetched at the moment, but Rivera -- who went 12-4 in his third year with the Panthers, after a pair of losing seasons -- remains convinced that the long game will go Washington's way.

 

"My resolve hasn't waned, because this is something I've been through," he said. "I've seen the process play out, and I know that it works. It's unfortunate right now, because we still kind of hold ourselves back, more than anything else, by not paying enough attention to the details. But I do see improvement. We're getting there."

[KDawg]

2 hours ago, HigSkin said:

I'm gonna put this in here because it has a lot of relevance to coaching and our season.  Silver seems to have a pretty good pulse on RR's thinking.

 

 

Rivera reflects on changes, team mindset at mid-season break

Midway through a season that has been equal parts confounding and exasperating, Ron Rivera is looking for a spark.

 

With a 2-6 record -- thanks to a pair of narrow victories -- and a 4 1/2-game deficit in the NFC East, Washington will need another dramatic November and December turnaround to harbor any hope of sniffing the postseason. While hardly counting on a repeat of 2020, when 2-7 became 7-9 and an unlikely division title, Rivera will spend the bye week searching for scenarios that might translate into a strong second half, as he ponders everything from a quarterback swap to a mentality shift that might spur a sudden revival of his once-mighty defense.

 

Everything is on the table, and while Rivera understands the frustration of fans who'd hoped for a continuation of Washington's late-2020 magic, he's thinking big picture, and his goals remain lofty.

 

 "Believe me, I didn't go into this with rose-colored glasses," said Rivera, who was hired after the 2019 season, Washington's 14th consecutive campaign without a playoff victory. "You win the division at 7-9, and people think you're there, but what it really means is you got hot at the right time and your division wasn't very strong. My goal is to transform this organization and build a winning culture, and you're not gonna do that by going 7-9 and winning the division."

 

While Rivera has seen signs of progress in 2021, it has not been reflected on the scoreboard; only the Lions, Texans, Dolphins and Jaguars have worse records than Washington after eight weeks, and the rival Dallas Cowboys (6-1) are running away with the NFC East.

 

The coach still believes in his team, and in his team-building process, but he's anxious to get some positive reinforcement.

"I know it's about winning -- and that's what we're working toward," Rivera said. "People want to see us win, and I get it. When you're not winning, it's hard to sit there and say, 'We're close.' But I have to look at it a different way. There are steps we've made that are positive, and if we keep taking steps we'll get to where we need to go."

 

The question is, can the process be jump-started? The obvious place to begin is to assess the quarterback position. Taylor Heinicke, a relative unknown before last December, has been the guy since Ryan Fitzpatrick went down with a hip injury in the second quarter of Washington's season-opening defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers (a setback that may well prove to be season-ending, pending an MRI next week).

 

Heinicke has shined in some big moments, spurring dramatic victories over the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons, and Washington has been a middle-of-the-pack offense in terms of production. Scoring, however, has been an issue: Washington is averaging just 19.5 points per game, tied for 24th in the NFL rankings, and has particularly struggled in the red zone.

 

"I love what he does," Rivera said of Heinicke. "The problem with Taylor is when he overthinks it, and tries to be too perfect. Look at the touchdown throw he made to DeAndre Carter against Denver, and the ball he threw to Adam Humphries against Green Bay that got picked off in the end zone (by Chandon Sullivan in the fourth quarter). It's basically the same route -- he's working it to the corner -- and if he throws that ball to Adam the same way as the one he throws to DeAndre, it's a touchdown. But he was trying to make the perfect throw, instead of just laying it out there where it's supposed to be."

 

Heinicke's backup, Kyle Allen, has been far from perfect when it comes to ball security. He fumbled 13 times and threw 16 interceptions while starting 12 games for the Carolina Panthers in 2019, and he had one of each in four starts for Washington last season. Allen, however, gave the team some juice when he entered the lineup in relief of Dwayne Haskins, completing 69% of his passes and compiling a 99.3 passer rating before going down with a season-ending ankle injury against the Giants last Nov. 8.

If the offense seems stale at any point during the second half of the season, it stands to reason that Rivera might be tempted to insert Allen as a change of pace. What Washington would lose in terms of mobility and anticipation might be offset by Allen's superior arm strength. Conversely, if Allen were to take over at quarterback and struggle, Heinicke could be called upon in relief, which would theoretically keep opponents off balance.

 

The simplest course of action, obviously, would be to maintain the status quo (with Heinicke at quarterback) and tighten things up. The impending return of injured players like tight end Logan Thomas, right guard Brandon Scherff, rookie right tackle Sam Cosmi, and rookie receiver Dyami Brown could obviously help, while Rivera sees increased roles for wideouts Dax Milne and Carter and running back Jaret Patterson.

 

 

As for the defense -- well, there's a lot of room for improvement. Expected to be among the NFL's top units heading into 2021, Washington currently ranks 27th in both yards and points allowed, and its biggest stars have been struggling. One of them, defensive end Montez Sweat, suffered a jaw fracture against the Broncos that will keep him out for several weeks. His fellow edge rusher, 2020 NFL defensive rookie of the year Chase Young, has just 1.5 sacks and three tackles for loss.

 

"We would like to see a little bit more from those guys," Rivera said. "They need to stop pressing and trust their teammates. Sometimes when a guy tries to chip them, instead of running through the chip and blowing that guy up, you'll see them duck underneath or slip around and miss a chance to make a play. Sometimes Chase starts outside and plants his leg and cuts inside -- because he's trying to make a play -- and the quarterback gets flushed to the outside. If Chase stays outside, he has an easy sack, but instead he dives underneath."

 

Last Sunday, Young came up huge at the end of Washington's 17-10 defeat to the Broncos, forcing a Melvin Gordon fumble -- their second fumble of the three-play drive -- that linebacker David Mayo recovered at Denver's 24-yard-line with 21 seconds remaining.

 

"That's great," Rivera said, "but where were those plays earlier in the game? When they know you've got to take the ball away from them, and you still take it away from them…that's impressive, but where was that earlier? Why do we have to always put ourselves behind the 8-ball to play that hard? We should always be at that level."

 

It's yet another mystery Rivera will try to solve during the bye week and beyond, joining a long list that includes the still-struggling kicking game (new kicker Chris Blewitt, Rivera believes, needs to stop trying to drive the ball so hard, which is raising his release point).

 

Rivera is hopeful that a run of post-bye success during Washington's next four games -- against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Panthers, Seattle Seahawks and Las Vegas Raiders -- can keep hope alive heading into a five-game stretch against NFC East rivals (including a pair of clashes with the Cowboys) to close the regular season.

 

"If we can win three or more of those four," Rivera said, "those last five games become real, and we can control our own destiny."

That may seem far-fetched at the moment, but Rivera -- who went 12-4 in his third year with the Panthers, after a pair of losing seasons -- remains convinced that the long game will go Washington's way.

 

"My resolve hasn't waned, because this is something I've been through," he said. "I've seen the process play out, and I know that it works. It's unfortunate right now, because we still kind of hold ourselves back, more than anything else, by not paying enough attention to the details. But I do see improvement. We're getting there."

Well, the good news is… with the rate of improvement for the defense this defense should be ready for the regular season come week 18.

[Cooleyfan1993]

10 minutes ago, KDawg said:

Well, the good news is… with the rate of improvement for the defense this defense should be ready for the regular season come week 18.

[bh32]

Sounds like the players aren't putting in the time as far as studying or giving max effort..Ron needs to start making an example out of the players that aren't giving max effort.

[SoCalSkins]

1 minute ago, bh32 said:

Sounds like the players aren't putting in the time as far as studying or giving max effort..Ron needs to start making an example out of the players that aren't giving max effort.

Cutting Hopkins really showed them! Ron himself seems pretty checked out. They are all just going through the motions now. 

[COWBOY-KILLA-]

“Why do we have to always put ourselves behind the 8-ball to play that hard? We should always be at that level."

 

This quote from him is Highly Concerning. 
It speaks to not playing hard throughout the game, and he was referencing Chase. Wtf man. You can’t be the face of the franchise, do the commercials, always be flapping your gums and NOT be the hardest worker on the field.  
This year sucks man. Smh. 

[SoCalSkins]

20 minutes ago, COWBOY-KILLA- said:

“Why do we have to always put ourselves behind the 8-ball to play that hard? We should always be at that level."

 

This quote from him is Highly Concerning. 
It speaks to not playing hard throughout the game, and he was referencing Chase. Wtf man. You can’t be the face of the franchise, do the commercials, always be flapping your gums and NOT be the hardest worker on the field.  
This year sucks man. Smh. 

You have to blame the coaching just as much. You don’t change culture when your defensive rookie of the year decides to skip OTAs and phones it in in terms of effort except for a play here and there. If Gregg Williams was coaching these guys would be playing much harder. 

[COWBOY-KILLA-]

Just now, SoCalSkins said:

You have to blame the coaching just as much. You don’t change culture when your defensive rookie of the year decides to skip OTAs and phones it in in terms of effort except for a play here and there. If Gregg Williams was coaching these guys would be playing much harder. 

Oh yeah definitely. I’m not even singling out or blaming Chase for all our problems either. It’s just concerning as all get out that it’s even a topic how hard players are playing, Which should be a given. 

[Dissident2]

It’s annoying hearing Ron talk about this like he’s totally sure his process is working based on his “past experience.”  Dude has 3 winning seasons in 11 years of coaching. This is the norm for him. He has never “gone through the process” and consistently come out a winner. He’s usually gone through it. and continued to lose. I do give him some leeway because of all the injuries, but his record doesn’t inspire confidence. 

[Renegade7]

Hey, what happened to the congress deadline?  Does it automatically trigger at midnight tonight or is that past their bedtime?

[FrFan]

4 hours ago, Renegade7 said:

Hey, what happened to the congress deadline?  Does it automatically trigger at midnight tonight or is that past their bedtime?

[Gurgeh]

8 hours ago, Renegade7 said:

Hey, what happened to the congress deadline?  Does it automatically trigger at midnight tonight or is that past their bedtime?

 

Too early to tell yet, but there's pushback against taking it any further from some "old school" members of the congressional committee:

 

Quote

 

Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), the senior Republican on the committee, disagrees. In an emailed statement, Comer referred to the letter requesting the NFL documents as the “theatrics” of a Democratic Party that is “out of touch with the American people,” as well as a poor use of committee resources that he felt should be devoted to issues “that actually impact Americans.”

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), who also serves on the panel, echoed the sentiment, saying he believes Congress “has no business” delving into the NFL’s affairs.

 

“Making it political or a quasi-spectacle larger than what it is just has no basis here. We have real business to handle,” Donalds said in an interview Wednesday. “Getting involved with what’s happened with the Washington Redskins and the NFL is not one of those things that we should be doing. And, yes, I did call them the Washington Redskins. I’m old-school like that.”

 

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/11/04/house-oversight-committee-nfl-roger-goodell-washington-football/

[Est.1974]

9 hours ago, Dissident2 said:

It’s annoying hearing Ron talk about this like he’s totally sure his process is working based on his “past experience.”  Dude has 3 winning seasons in 11 years of coaching. This is the norm for him. He has never “gone through the process” and consistently come out a winner. He’s usually gone through it. and continued to lose. I do give him some leeway because of all the injuries, but his record doesn’t inspire confidence. 

I’m finding his constant reference back to us over achieving last year equally annoying. We could all see that we got hot on stole the division in a poor year.

 

Thats no excuse for this years **** show start. We’ve clearly regressed, roster and coaching application in my opinion. Focus on that instead of hiding behind last years outcome.

[Conn]

I’d hope Silver has a “good pulse” on Rivera’s (outward-facing) thinking—he’s a literal team employee now. 

[BudLighticke]

4 hours ago, UK SKINS FAN 74 said:

I’m finding his constant reference back to us over achieving last year equally annoying. We could all see that we got hot on stole the division in a poor year.

 

Thats no excuse for this years **** show start. We’ve clearly regressed, roster and coaching application in my opinion. Focus on that instead of hiding behind last years outcome.

I’ve been really frustrated with Rivera myself but I didn’t get that impression from that quote at all. I actually like that he keeps referencing that a 7-9 record in a down division year doesn’t mean that we had arrived and that the longer term vision is to be much much better than that. No more settling for mediocrity is what I think he was trying to convey. Whether that happens or not, is anyone’s guess. I won’t hold my breath lol.

 

Also, I know it’s easy to just point to how many winning seasons he’s had and act like he’s not a good coach, but he took a terrible 1-15 panthers team to the Super Bowl a couple of years later and had some other really solid seasons mixed in. He’s not some dope coach, even though I said something out of frustration a couple weeks back referencing this regime, I do think it’s way too soon to be breathing down their necks. 

[LetThePointsSoar]

Danya Snyder sucks.  I really hate that all the eviction talk is dying down vs ramping up. 

 

Can we please force this SOB to sell already?!?!? 

[Riggo#44]

14 hours ago, Dissident2 said:

It’s annoying hearing Ron talk about this like he’s totally sure his process is working based on his “past experience.”  Dude has 3 winning seasons in 11 years of coaching. This is the norm for him. He has never “gone through the process” and consistently come out a winner. He’s usually gone through it. and continued to lose. I do give him some leeway because of all the injuries, but his record doesn’t inspire confidence. 

Here is what I keep going back to whenever people bring up Ron record:

Pete Carroll had 1 winning season without Russell Wilson

Bill Belichick: 62-74 without Tom Brady.

What's the big difference between Mike McCarthy last year and this? I'll give you a hint, it rhymes with Mack Messcot.

Bruce Arians had sub-.500 seasons three straight years.

 

Every single one of them struggled to win without a legitimate starting QB. Do any of them take Taylor Heinicke anywhere?

 

I got in the car and there was a talking head whining about Rivera, saying "the honeymoon has been over for a long time for Rivera!" I thought, he's been here a year and a half...

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

10 minutes ago, Riggo#44 said:

Here is what I keep going back to whenever people bring up Ron record:

Pete Carroll had 1 winning season without Russell Wilson

Bill Belichick: 62-74 without Tom Brady.

What's the big difference between Mike McCarthy last year and this? I'll give you a hint, it rhymes with Mack Messcot.

Bruce Arians had sub-.500 seasons three straight years.

 

Every single one of them struggled to win without a legitimate starting QB. Do any of them take Taylor Heinicke anywhere?

 

I got in the car and there was a talking head whining about Rivera, saying "the honeymoon has been over for a long time for Rivera!" I thought, he's been here a year and a half...

Ding, ding, ding.

 

Fans are pre-dispositioned to always blame the coaching for everything.  One would think after so many years, of different head coaches with varying degrees of experience and reputation, spanning from hotshot OC's to SB winning head coaches, where all of them end up in just about the same territory record wise, that fans might be able to start realizing that coaching at the pro-level is entirely overrated.  That or there is a spell cast over Ashburn that immediately makes every head coach forget everything they ever knew about winning.  @thesubmittedone has done more research on this very fact that anyone I know of and practically every time he posts it...*crickets*. 

 

Edited November 5, 2021 by BatteredFanSyndrome