Game Day Thread ~ The Commanders @ The Seachickens!

[RansomthePasserby]

2 hours ago, AJ* said:

Perfect transition from a Commander's loss to a game break to show how great Dallas is playing and seeing their receivers with about 10 catches each for big yards. Ugh, Thanksgiving is going to be rough. 

Great. I’ll be with my wife’s family in the Midwest for Thanksgiving, so it’s going to be fun being the guy at dinner who’s team gets curb stomped on national TV. Why does our team have to be so embarrassing?

 

Edited November 13, 2023 by RansomthePasserby

[Warhead36]

Like I said before, I don't put much stock into the "Howell having to learn a new system" stuff. For one thing, most offense are pretty similar to the Reid WCO anyway. But if your QB and Coach/OC are good, you'll be fine. Tua killed it his first year with McDaniel. Hurts developed nicely his first year with Sirianni. Lawrence balled out his first year with Pederson. And the list goes on and on.

 

EB is not a good OC. I wanna see what Howell can do with someone like Ben Johnson.

[Leonard Washington]

I can’t believe we are talking so much about the offense.
 

The defense is poop! Seattle and many teams have no respect for them and go for it on 4th down regularly.  Teams know we can’t keep it together for 4 plays in a row. 

[Warhead36]

Just now, Leonard Washington said:

I can’t believe we are talking so much about the offense.
 

The defense is poop! Seattle and many teams have no respect for them and go for it on 4th down regularly.  Teams know we can’t keep it together for 4 plays in a row. 

The offense wasn't completely off the hook tonight though. At one point we had a stretch of 13 yards gained over 12 plays. They were bailed out by Howell's impressive play.

[Conn]

Just now, Leonard Washington said:

I can’t believe we are talking so much about the offense.
 

The defense is poop! Seattle and many teams have no respect for them and go for it on 4th down regularly.  Teams know we can’t keep it together for 4 plays in a row. 

Because Howell and the offense actually matter and will carry forward into the future to some degree. This defense is about to get stripped down and rebuilt and is obviously worthless. Nothing to really talk about other than to acknowledge that it sucks and allows opposing offenses to set some record or other almost every week. Overpaid, over-invested in, over-pedigreed, complete lack of production. The offense at least has elements that are recognizably foundational to whatever we build next. 

[WilberMarshall]

Can anyone who knows football or has a better set of eyes tell me what is the identity of this team?

 

 

 

[Conn]

1 minute ago, WilberMarshall said:

Can anyone who knows football or has a better set of eyes tell me what is the identity of this team?

 

Sure. Have you seen the seminal classic film “Dumb and Dumber”? 

Great. Now, it has a horrendously embarrassing sequel called “Dumb and Dumber To”. That’s our current identity. 

Edited November 13, 2023 by Conn

[Warhead36]

2 minutes ago, WilberMarshall said:

Can anyone who knows football or has a better set of eyes tell me what is the identity of this team?

 

 

 

Sam Howell and passing the ball 90 times a game.

[Captain Wiggles]

3 minutes ago, WilberMarshall said:

Can anyone who knows football or has a better set of eyes tell me what is the identity of this team?

 

[Riggo-toni]

On the plus side, if Lord Farquaad were still the owner, that garbage would be burning...

[glongest]

18 minutes ago, WilberMarshall said:

Can anyone who knows football or has a better set of eyes tell me what is the identity of this team?

 

 

Yep sure can.  Perennial losers.

 

[Sacks 'n' Stuff]

11 minutes ago, Riggo-toni said:

On the plus side, if Lord Farquaad were still the owner, that garbage would be burning...

Howell would be having Thanksgiving with him.

[ExoDus84]

Just watched the game. Ole lock arms illustrates how I feel at this point. 

 

 

[dswerdlw]

Sam is the future. I'm undecided about Bienemy, as I can see arguments for and against him as a playcaller. I'd like to see how things develop this year. If EB can manage to get our run game going consistently, I'd have a lot more confidence in him. That doesnt seem likely, but it's possible. As for Rivera and Del Rio, I'm convinced that they are not the future. Clearly, our defense is the biggest issue right now, and I think Del Rio has stunted the growth and productivy of our players. For that reason, I am not yet willing to give up on St. Juste, Forbes, and the rest of our secondary. It's looking like we'll need to invest in a free agent edge rusher in addition to drafting one. Finding a dynamic, veteran MLB has to be a priority. And, yes, Sam is the future.

[tmandoug1]

Trade Mclaurin for picks before he gets found out.....not happy with his inability to be #1. 

[dyst]

3 hours ago, Sacks 'n' Stuff said:

What lead?

Any lead on any game with any amount of time left. Just can’t trust this defense to hold. For today - yep it was a tie not a lead.

[CapsSkins]

15 minutes ago, tmandoug1 said:

Trade Mclaurin for picks before he gets found out.....not happy with his inability to be #1. 

 

Either trade him or pair him up with a 1B-type like Tee Higgins (which I keep promoting because it seems like he'll be available). We need a bigger-bodied receiver, anyway. Samuel and Dyami should be gone.

[Warhead36]

Terry is a solid #1 WR but he's not an A1 alpha. He's not someone who dominates matchups. I wouldn't trade him, but I'd prefer to go out and get a real dominant presence. Trade up for a Marvin Harrison jr or Keon Coleman. Someone who can just take a game over physically. That allows us to slide Terry to #2 and Dotson be the slot. THAT would be an impressive WR trio, probably the best in the league by 2025.

[MartinC]

1 hour ago, WilberMarshall said:

Can anyone who knows football or has a better set of eyes tell me what is the identity of this team?

 

 

 

Offense is easy. Uber WCO. Short passes which replace run calls to protect a poor O’line with screens and occasional shot plays built in. Offense is built around the QB.

 

Defense heaven knows. Jack Del Rio certainly doesn’t.

[TheItalianStallion]

I can't believe they actually ejected Forbes over that. After the promise he showed last week, I'm wondering how today's game would've looked had he been allowed to continue playing for the entire game.

 

Howell continues to show promise, but he also needs to keep working. Despite the hefty volume and yardage, there are still visibly a number of things missing.

 

We may have just squandered our chance for a playoff push, regretfully.

[@DCGoldPants]

7 hours ago, MartinC said:

Defense heaven knows. Jack Del Rio certainly doesn’t.

 

I believe he runs a "Cover-2005". Named for the last year his style of Defense was effected in the NFL. 

[MisterPinstripe]

Missed XP cost us the game. If we are up 1 with less than a minute left it completely changes the tenor of the game. Rather then them having no pressure, because if they don't score we go to OT, they HAVE to score. More pressure on them and it changes the plays that they are calling as its now a MUST score. Maybe we still lose, but that 1 point was huge.

[Warhead36]

1 hour ago, MisterPinstripe said:

Missed XP cost us the game. If we are up 1 with less than a minute left it completely changes the tenor of the game. Rather then them having no pressure, because if they don't score we go to OT, they HAVE to score. More pressure on them and it changes the plays that they are calling as its now a MUST score. Maybe we still lose, but that 1 point was huge.

Entire complexion of the game changes. The Seahawks probably go for 2 after their go ahead TD to try to go up 7 and I'm not sure our D would stop them.

 

But you are right, the missed XP was ginormous.  But there were still other reasons why we lost.

[RandyHolt]

Not enough is said about Jack's zone match man. I think it sucks, is confusing, is easily schemed against and is killing this team. Always looking for a DB fall guy to take the blame.

 

Sure he is still refining his playbook but those that don't like EB just know 1) the grass ain't always greener and 2) his replacement will run the ball more ft. Sam less. No complaints if a new OC doesn't meet your standards but love Sam as a league leading passer.  EB and Sam are doing this all with an underwhelming WR corpse. Maybe league worst OL.

 

EB's offense would look even better without likely the leagues worst defense putting pressure on him to pass. Worst defense before the trades.  Don't forget EB got nothing on draft day. Even worse, our defense got next to nothing as well. Hindsight, all of the TEs we didn't like...

Edited November 13, 2023 by RandyHolt

[Llevron]

11 hours ago, Conn said:

Happens all the time where the QB is obviously a talent and the OC is obviously making his life harder rather than easier. Herbert, Lawrence, Tua are all examples. Herbert the best straight up comparison as he was producing great numbers but still obviously being held back.

 

I don't know those teams as well as I know this one so its hard for me to argue against your point here. But suffice to say I know it happens. I'm not even arguing against it happening here. I just don't see the benefit yet in rolling the dice because people don't like EB. Realistically, EB is done regardless because if the ownership is smart they will hire someone else to make the decision and someone else is always going to come with a preference and connections. The chance that person keeps anything in place is low. 

 

I did take the time to look up how the OC in Miami compared to this situation for my own personal edification and I don't see how the situations compare at all. If anything it helps argue patience with EB. I will add detail if asked or where it is comparable. But the easy point is that Tua really had no OC.... until he did and he looked good. Chan Gailey - his first OC - just up and quit. Tua looked like a backup. The next OC was OC by committee. He had two of them. Two guys shared the role....how dysfunctional is that? Tua again looked nothing like his 2021/2022 form. Finally they hired Frank Smith and stuff started to look better....people actually thought Tua was looking like a franchise QB. Until that point he was largely looked at as a guy who would be a backup. Not at all like Sam Howell this season. Its not the same at all. But to add, Tua looked even better in his second year in that system. Continuity is important when these dudes have 3 seconds to make decisions that millions of people are going to criticize for years after. That **** is measured and it means something to me if no one else. 

 

11 hours ago, Conn said:

I really don’t have patience for a 55 year old man to be “learning” on the job while our (seemingly) franchise QB hangs in the balance. He’d immediately be in the top 10 oldest HC’s in the league (higher after firings/retirements) and still learning his primary job as playcaller? And then he needs to manage the entire team as HC (and manage the media) while he also learns playcalling on the job? That isn’t even taking into account whether he has the leadership qualities, interpersonal communication skills, and networking ability to put together a highly qualified and competitive coaching staff and then lead them all (and the roster). It’s too much of a leap for a guy whose base job—offensive play calling—already has plenty of flaws and growing pains evident in it. 

 

It strikes me as very repetitive and not helpful to the discussion that people, who for whatever reason but usually wrongly, don't like the offense we are running make it read so personal when we have this friendly debate over sports. I'm not sure his age matters. But if you want to argue it does, then I would argue that Andy Reid might start next season as the oldest HC. The amount of Superbowls won on that list alone should tell you something about discounting them because of age lol. 

 

A lot of that stuff quoted above I think are pointless talking points that you think help make your point. I think they are silly honestly. I would much rather argue his play calls than his interpersonal skills and networking ability. 

 

11 hours ago, Conn said:

On top of it, he’s been slow to adjust (in-game and between games), rigid with his scheme regardless of our strengths and weaknesses, and stubborn, which are not attributes I value in someone who is still learning. 

 

I think you are dismissing a lot of issues on this team to pin a unfair portion of the blame on Bienemy. He should take a lot of blame for how things are going right now for sure. But in the next two paragraphs you give Sam credit for making do with how things are going. Its just not fair to blame a guy for everything going wrong and give him no credit for what is going right. Past that its asinine if your goal is evaluation. We don't know EBs role in benching the under preforming OL. We don't even know his role in the run game if we are honest. We have a Offensive Run Game Coordinator lol. We could choose to say that EB throws it so much cause he doesn't have control over the run game like wants. We just don't know what's happening really. To say he is rigid and stubborn regardless of strength is just silly. You don't know any of that for sure. 

 

Prove to me his rigidity. I don't believe you. I will be happy to change my argument on this from today forward if you prove it. I just don't think you can. 

 

11 hours ago, Conn said:

I don’t see it. Howell will be fine with another playcaller, he picked up this complex Reid WCO well enough. I want somebody qualified and coveted, someone who GM candidates and coaching assistants are clamoring to work with—not somebody that nobody else wants. I’m not interested in “not rocking the boat”, I want to take this thing into the dry dock and build a damn luxury yacht from the hull up like a real organization. 
 

Howell is the talent to covet and prioritize here, not Bieniemy. And hot GM and HC candidates will line up to walk into a situation with him, buckets of premium draft picks, and almost $100M in cap space. We’d be doing Howell a disservice to settle just because he’s making do. 

 

I think ultimately Bieniemy wont be here and Sam will just have to deal with it. But it seems short sighted to me to put him in that situation unnecessarily when he is being so successful. I am excited to see who we will be able to attract with him and what we have to look forward here. I doubt Bienemiy will be the top of that list in all honesty. How could he be unless they just start SMOKING defenses these last few weeks? Hopefully my tone in this post doesn't come off too critical of you or your ideas. I just dont see how they are well founded in fact. I think we agree for the most part at the end of the day. How we get there is the fun part tho. Pls dont think im a jerk i dont intend to be.