The Washington Redskins

[SalvadorMontenegro]

At the beginning of the season, I didn't expect us to be any better than 2-2 by this point. And I thought we had a legitimate shot to be 0-4, so I can't complain too much.

Grossman has been... serviceable, which is the way of the Rex. I call him a "Trent Dilfer," because Dilfer won a title with the Baltimore Ravens not by stellar quarterback play, but by making sure he didn't blow it for the Ravens' defense and the team's running back, Jamal Lewis. That's how I view Rex Grossman. Just don't do anything to screw it up.

The problem is, as ESPN keeps ramming down everyone's throat, today's NFL is a passing league where the best teams thrive because they have an outstanding quarterback. Just look at the Colts without Peyton Manning. My concern is that when we play good teams, which the Rams are not, we're going to really struggle, because Rex Grossman isn't going to be able to keep up.

All of that said, I never thought we'd be 3-1 and on top of the division. I never thought I'd be sitting here thinking about how we'd match up against good teams, because I thought we'd lose to bad ones and not even stand a chance against the good ones.

 

[dklaiman]

Oh, and as I said: Eli Manning > Mark Sanchez. All day, every day, any day. Eli tells me he wants an apology, dklaiman. Missed call/bad call aside, he won that game.

You'll get nothing and like it.

And I can't believe our teams are 3-1, either. Or that the poor Iggles are 1-3. Philly.com did make for some interesting reading this morning.

 

[jmorris]

At the beginning of the season, I didn't expect us to be any better than 2-2 by this point. And I thought we had a legitimate shot to be 0-4, so I can't complain too much.

Grossman has been... serviceable, which is the way of the Rex. I call him a "Trent Dilfer," because Dilfer won a title with the Baltimore Ravens not by stellar quarterback play, but by making sure he didn't blow it for the Ravens' defense and the team's running back, Jamal Lewis. That's how I view Rex Grossman. Just don't do anything to screw it up.

The problem is, as ESPN keeps ramming down everyone's throat, today's NFL is a passing league where the best teams thrive because they have an outstanding quarterback. Just look at the Colts without Peyton Manning. My concern is that when we play good teams, which the Rams are not, we're going to really struggle, because Rex Grossman isn't going to be able to keep up.

All of that said, I never thought we'd be 3-1 and on top of the division. I never thought I'd be sitting here thinking about how we'd match up against good teams, because I thought we'd lose to bad ones and not even stand a chance against the good ones.

Good post. I agree with pretty much everything you said here.

I think having a week off at this point is going to be good for the team. Even though the Eagles aren't exactly playing well right now, I don't believe they should be taken lightly.

 

[SalvadorMontenegro]

The Eagles pulled a fast one on everybody. For 15 years they were one of the league's best franchises, because they built through the draft and re-signed their talented players when they became free agents; the same way the league's other solid franchises have done - Patriots, Ravens, Steelers, Colts, etc. This past off season they obviously consulted with Dan Snyder and took his How to Win a Championship RIGHTNOW! approach and bought up all the marquee free agents. When has this ever worked in the NFL? When has it ever worked in sports, in general? Very rarely.

They made a lot of real dumb moves. For instance, turning their offensive line coach into the defensive coordinator. Uh, what? Asomugah has been a disappointment, because he's anemic and couldn't tackle my grandfather - who's been dead for 50 years.

A little over a year ago, the team was in rebuilding mode with Kevin Kolb. Kolb got injured, Vick played well and team owner Jeffrey Laurie decided, "Let's go with the Dan Snyder approach!" As a Redskins' fan, I can tell you that this does not work.

I'm not saying they're cooked, but it doesn't look good. Certainly, the Redskins need to be prepared and play their best. The Eagles are still the most talented team on paper in the division, if not the league.

I think everyone expected the Eagles and Cowboys to be one and two in the division. We've got a long, long way to go, so that's certainly still possible, but it's been a surprise thus far.

 

[dklaiman]

I think everyone expected the Eagles and Cowboys to be one and two in the division. We've got a long, long way to go, so that's certainly still possible, but it's been a pleasant surprise thus far.

There. I fixed it for you.

 

[SalvadorMontenegro]

No, I've had my heart broken too many times. I refuse to get any pleasure out of this.

 

[dklaiman]

So, do you root for the Cubs, too?

 

[SalvadorMontenegro]

I'm anhedonic, not masochistic.

 

[Mr_Amazing]

The Eagles pulled a fast one on everybody. For 15 years they were one of the league's best franchises, because they built through the draft and re-signed their talented players when they became free agents; the same way the league's other solid franchises have done - Patriots, Ravens, Steelers, Colts, etc. This past off season they obviously consulted with Dan Snyder and took his How to Win a Championship RIGHTNOW! approach and bought up all the marquee free agents. When has this ever worked in the NFL? When has it ever worked in sports, in general? Very rarely.

They made a lot of real dumb moves. For instance, turning their offensive line coach into the defensive coordinator. Uh, what? Asomugah has been a disappointment, because he's anemic and couldn't tackle my grandfather - who's been dead for 50 years.

A little over a year ago, the team was in rebuilding mode with Kevin Kolb. Kolb got injured, Vick played well and team owner Jeffrey Laurie decided, "Let's go with the Dan Snyder approach!" As a Redskins' fan, I can tell you that this does not work.

I'm not saying they're cooked, but it doesn't look good. Certainly, the Redskins need to be prepared and play their best. The Eagles are still the most talented team on paper in the division, if not the league.

I think everyone expected the Eagles and Cowboys to be one and two in the division. We've got a long, long way to go, so that's certainly still possible, but it's been a surprise thus far.

This is the tactic that is employed by teams that are almost there, but need that extra push. It happens with verteran teams. Teams realize that certain players give their team a better chance to win a title. If those players are starting to age, you want to get as much help around them as possible so that the window stays open. When teams sign tons of free agents, it's similar to reaching for that last breath of air before drowning.

 

[SalvadorMontenegro]

Yeah, I understand that. The Patriots team that almost went undefeated had a good group of players and then brought in Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth (he was good at the time) and, I think, Adalius Thomas on defense. That could work. It almost did, but didn't. Another example could be the Vikings team that was not very good with Tarvaris Jackson and then picked up Brett Favre and Jared Allen and went to the NFC Championship and almost won it.

The issue with the Eagles is that they just had too many other problems. They weren't like one or two pieces away from being a Super Bowl team. Not in my opinion, at least. Their O-line stinks, their linebackers aren't great, the safeties aren't great. They brought in some marquee guys - Babin for the pass rush, Asomugah and Rodgers-Cromartie for coverage, Cullen Jenkins to stop the run, Vince Young (Although, Vince Young stinks. I don't understand how no one gets this, yet.) to back up Vick. It hasn't worked, - I admit that it could still work, but I'm becoming increasingly doubtful - because all those pieces haven't fixed the team's crucial flaws. And I feel like the decision to make the offensive line coach the defensive coordinator was just... bizarre.

Yeah, I'm a Monday morning quarterback. The Eagle's brain trust know far more than I do about putting together a team; but, like I said, I grew up with this approach in Washington and it never worked. I can't think of many times in sports that it has worked. It worked for the Yankees for a while in the 90's. That's about it. Most good teams in professional sports are built by finding young players that fit together, interlocking, like pieces of a puzzle, not by throwing a bunch of huge pieces haphazardly into the frame and hoping they'll fit.

The thing is, all of this was brought about by Vick having ONE GOOD SEASON as a passing quarterback. The Eagles were in full on rebuilding mode at the beginning of last season until Kolb went down and Vick shot the lights out and eventually took the team to the playoffs, which no one expected. After that happened, the team went nuts and decided "now is the time," Vick is our guy and we have to do this now! Honestly, I think it was desperation. They had so many years of ALMOST getting it done with McNabb that after last year, I think Jeffrey Laurie just got impatient and decided to abandon the proven model.

Watch, after all I just wrote they'll probably win out and blow away the AFC team in the Super Bowl.

 

[dklaiman]

OK, I know I can't blame Eli for this loss, but really? The Seahawks? Give me a break.

 

[jmorris]

The NFC East is still wide open in my opinion. I'm still not counting out the Eagles.

 

[SalvadorMontenegro]

No running game at all. I don't know who's at fault for that. I mean, neither Jacobs nor Bradshaw have ever been Adrian Peterson, but they've had some good seasons. I don't know if it's the line, or if it's them, or if it's the plays.

Eli actually played pretty well. The first INT was his fault, but the second was not. Didn't see the third, but the game was over at that point, anyway. It's too bad, because people are going to look at the stats and say, "Oh, he's throwing the interceptions again!" but that wasn't really it. Victor Cruz is good, too.

 

[dklaiman]

The NFC East is still wide open in my opinion. I'm still not counting out the Eagles.

One of the talking heads during the Packers-Falcons halftime show picked the Eagles to win the East. Just like Chirs Berman used to call the NFC Central the Norris Division (after the pitiful hockey division), I'm thinking of referring to the NFC East as the NFC Least. And that bears in mind how bad the NFC West is.

 

[SalvadorMontenegro]

I've never been one to look on the bright side, but we played horribly, yet still hung around until then.

Grossman has become, as I predicted he would, a liability. He threw an INT when we were close to the end zone and couldn't throw a single touchdown pass. Beck comes in for what? One drive? And he gets in the end zone. It's time for Grossman to go. I believe we're going to need to draft a quarterback, but for now, Beck is the best option, in my opinion. Unlike Grossman, who has had a career of fickle play and is generally not good, Beck is relatively unused. I can't see any harm in giving him a chance to play. He can't be much worse than four interceptions, right?

 

[dklaiman]

Is Shanahan too stubborn to admit he made a mistake by going with Grossman? At the very least, by going with Beck, the Redskins can determine if they'll need to draft a QB next year--although they're out of the Andrew Luck bowl.

 

[SalvadorMontenegro]

It's hard to tell. Back during training camp, I think that most people that cover the Redskins got the feeling that Beck was going to be the guy. I think the decision to start Grossman was a surprise. Grossman has not been good (at all), but we are 3-2. Sports Illustrated predicted that the Redskins would win three games all season. We're 3-2 and the division stinks. The Cowboys and Eagles are under .500 and the Giants are ahead of us by only one game. The issue is whether you make a dramatic change when you're still very much competing. Santana Moss has openly supported Grossman. I think some of the players feel like a change at this point would be a bad idea, because we're still contending. If we were 1-4, it might be a different story. I mean, the players might feel differently.

I'm back and forth. Grossman has not won us any games. It has not been his play that got us the three wins. It's not like we're benching a star quarterback. I don't think that Beck could play much worse than Grossman played on Sunday. At the same time, for the psychology of the team, a change at quarterback at this point might be a bad idea. We are still very much alive in this division and that type of a move could create a feeling of chaos or disorder.

After mulling this over for two days, I think we have to stay with Grossman, for now. If we get to be 3-4 or 3-5, than I think it's time for the switch. Neither of these guys are the quarterback of the future. Neither one is Shanahan's new John Elway. We're going to have to draft someone. I don't know college, but I've read that there are going to be numerous talented quarterbacks in the upcoming draft. We won't get Luck, but maybe there's someone else. Knowing Dan Snyder, we'll do some ridiculous trade and wind up with Peyton Manning.

 

[dklaiman]

Do you want Donovan McNabb back?

 

[SalvadorMontenegro]

I know you're kidding, but honestly... I did not agree with the decision to bring Donovan McNabb in, because I didn't feel like it was a good idea to bring in a veteran quarterback given the team around the quarterback and the fact that Shanahan was in his first year as coach But I also don't feel like McNabb got a fair chance. There really wasn't any way we were going to be good last year, no matter who the quarterback was. I do feel like Donovan McNabb would be a better quarterback for us than Beck or Grossman if he had been given the two years to learn the offense and gel with the offensive unit. A big reason this team is better than last years is that they've had a year to build chemistry. Look at the tremendous improvement on defense.

I think McNabb is pretty much done at this point, but I would have liked to have seen him given at least two years with the Redskins. That said, the Shanahans know more about this than I do. But that said, they brought him in in the first place.

I think my point is that I never would have brought McNabb in, but once he was brought in, I would have given him more of a chance than he was given.

 

[jmorris]

I liked what I saw from Beck so am also torn on whether I really want Beck to start this Sunday or not. Could it be possible that Beck had a good game (for the limited amount of time he was in there) but really isn't what we need right now? I suppose. Grossman played very well his first game and everyone got very excited about that. I think the best call would be to let Grossman play against Carolina. If he plays the same way, or worse, then the way he has been playing, Beck needs to be given a shot.