Areas to watch for improvement.

[Art]

To me, this game presents challenges the Tampa game didn't because of the timing of the game and some of the things the Giants can do that the Bucs couldn't. If I had to list three keys to the game I'd list them thus:

1. Handling prosperity -- For 12 years the Redskins have not handled winning like a team capable of winning. A win like last week that lifts tremendous pressure off the entire organization has often been followed with an inexplicable loss where the team kills itself or plays flat, uninspired ball or both. The "We have arrived," syndrome has plagued this team for years. They often feel they have emerged before they have, and have been unable to remain focused week to week. This will be Gibbs' greatest challenge in changing the culture of this franchise. How we respond this week will be easily diagnosed early. We can lose the game because the Giants play better football and we'll know that to be the case if it happens. We'll also know if the team suffers from the same delusions of greatness it has demonstrated in years past after a satisfying win.

2. The edge rush -- Though many here are loathe to admit it, what killed the Redskins a year ago was not running games smacking us up the middle. Rather, running games that captured the edge on us simply destroyed us. The Giants are a team capable of capturing the edge. Barber and even are better suited for outside running than smacking us up the gut. Here is where you'll see whether scheme and coaching matter. Where last year Edwards left guys well off the line of scrimmage in predictable alignments, Williams won't. He will flood areas to prevent some things, including a lot of running on the edges. However, how much he has to sell out will open up other areas of attack, so to me, this is the single biggest key to controlling the flow of the game. We have to take the outside runs away from the Giants without having to sell out to do so leaving us vulnerable to seam passes to Shockey. If we can, we'll know this defense has something going for it .

3. Coverage -- The Giants are going to keep extra bodies in to protect Warner. They will let routes develop deeper down the field. We probably won't be able to or willing to use heavy blitz packages against seven or eight-man protections as the Giants likely will employ. That simply leaves you open to big plays if your guy slips. Warner and those receivers can make you pay for slips and mistakes. This is a game I would expect to see MORE of Taylor and seeing if he can control the middle of the field. This is the game our defensive line will be tasked with getting a majority of the pressure on Warner. Some timely blitzes will be mixed in. This game will be determined by how well we cover, especially when Warner has a bit more time to throw than Johnson did.

I don't really have any keys on the offensive side. The Redskins will be carried by the defense for a while. The offense may explode for 500 yards, or may continue to struggle. But, either way, the offense is not yet on the same page enough for us to know what type of offense it'll be. Toward the middle of the year when teams start adjusting to our defense is when our offense will have to be on the same page and balancing that out. Right now though, the game, to me, is on the shoulders of the defense.

[jrfriedm]

I just hope that we come out and play smart, hard, smash mouth football.

[Drex]

I'd like to see some hard, smash mouth football set up some scintillating, highly successful bombs via play-action

[Saint Joe]

I think our rush defense on the edges will be improved with the speed we brought in at linebackers. Pierce and Washington are significantly quicker than Trotter and Armstead.

[freakofthesouth]

No botched snaps, please.

Great point about handling wins, Art. I completely agree- we seem to come out flat after a win...even in the irrelevant preseason (Miami~St Louis). This is something that Gibbs has the ability of fixing, IMO.

[xe101]

this game will be won between the tackels... who ever controls the ground game will win the game... G-man are sick of Chouglin's **** already and if they win they hope he will get off their backs... so you will see a lot of Barber & Dayne!!!

[Blondie]

Art, don't you or maybe I should say, do you, believe the "we have arrived" syndrome so previlent in the last decade of different coaches is totally lost on Gibbs so therefore the players will lose that train of thinking also?

Blondie

[Art]

Originally posted by Blondie

Art, don't you or maybe I should say, do you, believe the "we have arrived" syndrome so previlent in the last decade of different coaches is totally lost on Gibbs so therefore the players will lose that train of thinking also?

Blondie

I think ultimately they will, Blondie. But, my worry is it's so early that Gibbs may not have had enough time to drill that through to these guys.

[Mr. S]

i dont think our team will implode like they used to in the past. We may be beaten, but hopefully our team can still pull a win and not lose heart.

[semiskin]

I'd like to see some better blocking on punt returns. Our special teams unit has to do a better job of opening up holes for Morton.

[Dallsux]

Originally posted by Art

To me, this game presents challenges the Tampa game didn't because of the timing of the game and some of the things the Giants can do that the Bucs couldn't. If I had to list three keys to the game I'd list them thus:

1. Handling prosperity -- For 12 years the Redskins have not handled winning like a team capable of winning. A win like last week that lifts tremendous pressure off the entire organization has often been followed with an inexplicable loss where the team kills itself or plays flat, uninspired ball or both. The "We have arrived," syndrome has plagued this team for years. They often feel they have emerged before they have, and have been unable to remain focused week to week. This will be Gibbs' greatest challenge in changing the culture of this franchise. How we respond this week will be easily diagnosed early. We can lose the game because the Giants play better football and we'll know that to be the case if it happens. We'll also know if the team suffers from the same delusions of greatness it has demonstrated in years past after a satisfying win.

This is a good point. Since Gibbs left in '92, the Redskins have not had a coach who undestood the finer points of winning consistently. Staying on top of your game is a key for everyone & Norv, Marty, & Steveo never could figure that out. But I think a good sign was that after the Tampa game, Gibbs was acting like we lost, seemingly downtrodden & making several references to how many mistakes we made & what we need to improve upon. Even the players afterwards were that way. Brunell made a good statement where he said that regardless of what we hear out of the Giants camp, we still have to play them & they are gonna play us hard. And Smoot, after the game, didn't have a smile on his face for the first time EVER on camera. I think Gibbs has this team ready to come out & play this week.

2. The edge rush -- Though many here are loathe to admit it, what killed the Redskins a year ago was not running games smacking us up the middle. Rather, running games that captured the edge on us simply destroyed us. The Giants are a team capable of capturing the edge. Barber and even are better suited for outside running than smacking us up the gut. Here is where you'll see whether scheme and coaching matter. Where last year Edwards left guys well off the line of scrimmage in predictable alignments, Williams won't. He will flood areas to prevent some things, including a lot of running on the edges. However, how much he has to sell out will open up other areas of attack, so to me, this is the single biggest key to controlling the flow of the game. We have to take the outside runs away from the Giants without having to sell out to do so leaving us vulnerable to seam passes to Shockey. If we can, we'll know this defense has something going for it .

This is also a very good point. Last year, teams were beating us around the corners because all our defensive schemes had us crashing the middle. They also had us biting on bottlegs, which wasn't a probelm last week at all (probably because I never saw 1 bootleg run last week). I look for Williams to know what kind of running to expect from Tiki & the Giants & have the defense ready for the outside running plays. I expect the safeties & corners to be ready for this & to be waiting in the wings for Tiki to drop him for a loss.

3. Coverage -- The Giants are going to keep extra bodies in to protect Warner. They will let routes develop deeper down the field. We probably won't be able to or willing to use heavy blitz packages against seven or eight-man protections as the Giants likely will employ. That simply leaves you open to big plays if your guy slips. Warner and those receivers can make you pay for slips and mistakes. This is a game I would expect to see MORE of Taylor and seeing if he can control the middle of the field. This is the game our defensive line will be tasked with getting a majority of the pressure on Warner. Some timely blitzes will be mixed in. This game will be determined by how well we cover, especially when Warner has a bit more time to throw than Johnson did.

I don't think this will be a big problem because once you start hitting Warner, even if it isn't a sack, he starts getting nervous. On top of that, now he has to be worried about whether he is going to get pulled mid-game because of last week when Coughlin pulled him out & put Manning in. I just don't see the Giants being very successful on any front this week. Warner had more time to throw last week because the Iggles defense isn't nearly as aggressive as the Redskins' is.

I don't really have any keys on the offensive side. The Redskins will be carried by the defense for a while. The offense may explode for 500 yards, or may continue to struggle. But, either way, the offense is not yet on the same page enough for us to know what type of offense it'll be. Toward the middle of the year when teams start adjusting to our defense is when our offense will have to be on the same page and balancing that out. Right now though, the game, to me, is on the shoulders of the defense.

I also agree with this. The defense will be what wins our games up until about week 6 or 7, when the offense really starts to click in more complicated schemes. Gibbs is not one to throw his offenses to the flames & expect them to grasp everything at once. He likes to ease them into the more complicated stuff until they get it. I don't think they are going to "get it" until then, & until then the defense will be the dominating factor of this team.

:gaintsuck :gaintsuck :gaintsuck :logo: :gaintsuck :gaintsuck :gaintsuck :point2sky :gaintsuck :gaintsuck :gaintsuck :helmet:

[Jethrodsp]

To win today we must do the same thing you have to do every week to win:

1. Win the battle of field position (KO coverage anyone?).

2. Stop the run and make the other team beat you through the air.

3. Win the turnover battle.

4. Run the football effectively and control the clock.

5. Hit 'em in the mouth at every given opportunity.

Here's to it.

Hail Skins.

[redman]

I'd like to see two fundamental problems fixed today. If they are, I don't care so much about the other things:

1) Botched snaps/C-QB exchanges. Can't happen. Period.

2) Better kickoff coverage. Let's see if we can keep them under 20 yards per return.

[Phat Hog]

Two words... Joe Gibbs!