Next Day Thread: Ramming Our Heads Against a Wall

[KDawg]

I mean, next season we are essentially an expansion team. That’s both scary and refreshing

[Chris 44]

1 minute ago, KDawg said:

I mean, next season we are essentially an expansion team. That’s both scary and refreshing

This really is both scary and true. Right now we have an owner and an analytics guy. Front office is essentially gone, coaches are dead men walking, players are huge question marks (no blue chippers that must be kept on the entire roster), don't have an established QB, we really don't have a stadium, the training facilities are basically the local YMCA. The difference being we don't have the extra 1st rounder that expansion teams receive. It might be fair to say that your normal expansion team would be in a better position going into their first year. I guess the only good thing you could say is Harris and Co really do have a clean slate to work with.

[method man]

1 hour ago, KDawg said:

We have so many holes. We knew that. But it’s hard to look at this roster and realize we can and need to upgrade basically everywhere aside from punter. 
 

I’m not being facetious. This roster is a mess.

We certainly have the perception of way fewer foundational players vs last season. Ron has left us with a worse roster than what he inherited

 

Assuming we get a great coaching staff top to bottom on both sides of the ball, I can see a bounceback for a bunch of these guys next season, especially some of the guys in the secondary. It just sucks not knowing who

[lovemaskins]

33 minutes ago, Chris 44 said:

This really is both scary and true. Right now we have an owner and an analytics guy. Front office is essentially gone, coaches are dead men walking, players are huge question marks (no blue chippers that must be kept on the entire roster), don't have an established QB, we really don't have a stadium, the training facilities are basically the local YMCA. The difference being we don't have the extra 1st rounder that expansion teams receive. It might be fair to say that your normal expansion team would be in a better position going into their first year. I guess the only good thing you could say is Harris and Co really do have a clean slate to work with.

I disagree wholeheartedly. This team is about as poorly coached as any professional sports team can be. Not that a rebuild isn’t needed, but the cupboard isn’t exactly bare. We have decent enough talent to be competitive, and it’s starts up front. The offensive line we all know is poor and losing our two starting defensive ends definitely made a big difference on defense.  
 

If we had a great offensive mind with just a good offensive line and a good tightend with our current wideouts and backs, that’s a middle of the pack offense at worst. Look around the league, there are teams with worse skill players than us. Same on defense. Give me a scheme that doesn’t give up big plays and busted coverage and we’re also middle of pack, hell I’d take Lovie Smiths Tampa 2 over this crap cause it’s gonna make you drink and dunk all day. We’ve got talent minus a true defensive end and a couple of NFL backers.  
 

This is coaching malpractice we’re watching and a lost locker room about 8 weeks ago. Guys were playing hard early in the season, now theyre waiting for that trip to Cancun.

Edited December 18, 2023 by lovemaskins

[method man]

30 minutes ago, Chris 44 said:

This really is both scary and true. Right now we have an owner and an analytics guy. Front office is essentially gone, coaches are dead men walking, players are huge question marks (no blue chippers that must be kept on the entire roster), don't have an established QB, we really don't have a stadium, the training facilities are basically the local YMCA. The difference being we don't have the extra 1st rounder that expansion teams receive. It might be fair to say that your normal expansion team would be in a better position going into their first year. I guess the only good thing you could say is Harris and Co really do have a clean slate to work with.

It’s not something we want to acknowledge but this rebuild will probably take a while unless whoever plays QB next year pulls a Stroud. Remember Kyle was 6-10 and 4-12 before going 13-3. We could be in for that type of rebuild. 

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

I know how we all view this team and why.  What I’m most curious about is how our new GM and coach views the team. 
 

I’m really curious if the roster is as XFL as it appears, or if it’s really just a combination of bad fits and coaching.  Likely a little bit of everything, but can’t help but think there are some talented guys in this team that have been setup to fail since day one.  

[method man]

1 hour ago, DWinzit said:

His size not allowing him to separate especially when pressed and his hands have never been great been the greatest as he is more of a body catcher. I misjudged how much both of these would play into him as a pro. He had jukes in college that allowed him to separate that just aren't good enough in the pros. Also, he hands are just much worse than realized as without separation he must snag balls with his short catching radius...

His 3 cone is below average so I think many of us were overrating his quickness in retrospect as well

[Darrell Green Fan]

11 hours ago, NoCalMike said:

Sam Howell experiencing the ups & downs of being a first year starter in a new offense, behind a terrible O-line?  You don't say!? I would have never expected it.  I guess next you're going to tell me that he may struggle against the 49ers defense.   Come on already.  Are we really doing this again as fans?  4 Mins of decent looking play by Brissett in the 4th quarter of a game in which the outcome was already determined is all it's going to take.

 

This fanbase, never disappoints.

There have been countless young QBs who have shown flashes to get their fans excited.  Very few have developed into franchise QBs.  Howell has regressed.  Big time.  I don't think it's fair to call out fans for giving a take that could very well turn out to be accurate.

[profusion]

15 minutes ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

I know how we all view this team and why.  What I’m most curious about is how our new GM and coach views the team. 
 

I’m really curious if the roster is as XFL as it appears, or if it’s really just a combination of bad fits and coaching.  Likely a little bit of everything, but can’t help but think there are some talented guys in this team that have been setup to fail since day one.  

 

I think it's a combination. It seems ages ago now, but this team didn't look this bad early in the season. There is talent on this team, albeit not enough. Good coaching will make a big difference next year, even if we're still a couple years away from the good stuff.

[stoshuaj]

10 hours ago, seantaylor=god said:

 

What’s your basis for this? 

As I plainly stated in the post:  get back to me when he’s been back there for 12-14 games or so.  It’s really that simple.

[veteranskinsfan]

Howell has taken way too many hits this season.  Get him a decent offensive line then we can evaluate him fairly.

[RandyHolt]

Cheeseman indeed is not working here

[Voice_of_Reason]

11 hours ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

I don’t really care to learn anything about Fromm either but I’d be fine with that.

Neither do I.  But playing Brissett is malpractice.  
 

Also, I’d sit Terry. No reason to get him killed at this point.  I don’t care so much about any other player on offense.  

[philibusters]

6 minutes ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

Neither do I.  But playing Brissett is malpractice.  
 

Also, I’d sit Terry. No reason to get him killed at this point.  I don’t care so much about any other player on offense.  

 

I kind of want Terry to get his 1000 yard season

[Koolblue13]

At least we're not watching Bijon Robinson being used as a full back to block while losing to the Panthers. 

[Voice_of_Reason]

39 minutes ago, philibusters said:

 

I kind of want Terry to get his 1000 yard season

I don't give a lick about Terry's 1000 yard season.  He'd probably have it minus the drops he's had this year.  I like Terry.  A lot.  But I want him healthy and ready to go for next year.  

[Conn]

3 hours ago, KDawg said:

I mean, next season we are essentially an expansion team. That’s both scary and refreshing

Maybe I’m stupid but I’m really excited for it even if the roster is even worse in the short term (I don’t necessarily expect it to be worse, it’s hard to get worse). I think they’ll likely be scrappy and play like a team that’s earned nothing. I hope. Rivera’s teams always felt like they thought they had done something. I have to assume that trickles down from leadership. But I’d rather watch a roster of UDFA’s trying to earn something than whatever the hell we’ve been watching. 

[Skinsinparadise]

 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2023 by Skinsinparadise

[Thinking Skins]

This season for Sam is feeling like Patrick Ramsey, and I feel like he will be forgotten between Taylor Heinicke and Jaylen Daniels. Yesterday's game was just....weird. Yes if you look at the boxscore it looks like he had a bad game, 

 

11 / 26, 1 TD 1 INT, 1 Sack, 

 

But let remember that second drive of the game where we drove down the field and got to the 12 yard line, and went for it on 4th down but couldn't convert on 4th and 1 because the ball was tipped. That was a good drive. There was a beautiful scramble by Howell for 13, another pass by Howell to Terry that was called back because of a hold by Leno. Another pass to Terry.

 

What we could see this drive was that there was an intent to get the ball to Terry. It seemed like 1 out of every three passed that Sam attempted was going to Terry. That includes the ill advised interception that Sam threw that was a pass thrown where he had an open WR right in front of him but opted instead to go look for Terry who had THREE guys around him. 

 

Then there are the sacks. Lets first talk about the comments. He said that he wanted to get the ball out quickly. That was in his Wed comments. EB didn't like those comments. That kinda sat with me because it shows that he's not comfy in the pocket. He is quicker to scramble. And he has good legs to scramble and create plays, but that means that WRs have to do different things.

 

Could he have done those passes that Brissett did? I am telling myself that he could have. But at the same time, Brissett hasn't been abused by this line the way that Sam has, so he has more confidence to stand there and deliver it. Sam may have rushed it or not set his feet, or seen "ghosts". So I really don't know. 

 

The beautiful thing was that he did make some plays like the plays that I mentioned earlier, the one on the sideline to Terry the was called back by ref that shows that he will take some shots even if they are not the ones that Jacoby took. But like I said. I think he is either entering Ramsey era or maybe even injured. Don't be surprised if he goes into a medical thing soon. 

[profusion]

Whoever coaches Howell next (and wherever it is) will have to rebuild his confidence and fundamentals somewhat. He looked much sharper earlier in the season. Too many of his throws have been off, lately, and his decision-making seems to have suffered.

 

It's entirely possible he'd be better off with a change of scenery, leaving aside what's best for the Commanders.

[zCommander]

Cheeseman said if he was on another team he would have been cut a long time ago. Well his comment didn't go too well 

[CobraCommander]

17 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 

 

 

Could he not do this in college? I feel like our terrible coaches probably ruined him.

[Voice_of_Reason]

1 minute ago, zCommander said:

Cheeseman said if he was on another team he would have been cut a long time ago. Well his comment didn't go too well 

I really appreciate his self awareness.  Show's he's a good, young kid.  Hopefully he gets another shot somewhere.  

 

Or, a la Andrew East, marries a cute Olympic gold medalist gymnast and becomes an influencer.  Either way, good luck to the young man.  

 

As a side note, the trophy room at the East/Johnson household must be something to behold: cases and cases of gymnastic trophies and medals, a few Olympic medals on her side, and maybe a xeroxed copy of his offer letter on his side.   

[Thinking Skins]

2 minutes ago, profusion said:

Whoever coaches Howell next (and wherever it is) will have to rebuild his confidence and fundamentals somewhat. He looked much sharper earlier in the season. Too many of his throws have been off, lately, and his decision-making seems to have suffered.

 

It's entirely possible he'd be better off with a change of scenery, leaving aside what's best for the Commanders.

This is what is going to happen. Unfortunately because he was a 5th rounder he's not seen as valueable, but he has talent. He just has to stay prepared and take advantage of his opportunities. Thats why I like Nick Mullins and Gardner Minshew. Minshew is now on an 8 win team. Right now if they try to put this all on him and say that the fact that we lost because he couldn't rise above all the losing this org has cast upon him, that's a lot. 

[Voice_of_Reason]

1 minute ago, CobraCommander said:

Could he not do this in college? I feel like our terrible coaches probably ruined him.

Specialists are an odd bunch.  One year they know what they're doing, the next they don't, then they do again, then they don't again.  And coaching actually seems to have little to do with it.

 

I think it was Suisham, who at times couldn't have kicked the ball into the Atlantic Ocean which standing in a rowboat 30 miles off the coast of Iceland while he was here, being coached by Danny Smith, went to Pittsburgh, coached by Danny Smith, and didn't miss for like 7 years.  It it wasn't Swishy, it was somebody.