Commanders

[flashback]

I find it very, very hard to believe that the Skins defense is anything to sweat this year. Yes, they'll be better than last year. They did manage to get Wright, Rumph, Marshall and Holdman off the field, so they can't help but improve. They might even get into the teens, defensive ranking-wise. That's still a long way from "dominant" or even "good".

 

[silverbear]

Defense, not offense. And if Campbell is at worst decent, the Skins will a tough out. I hope I'm wrong, but...

The Skins will be decent at the start of the season, their early schedule is kinda soft... but it gets stiffer as the season proceeds, and if the injuries start to mount up, as they generally do, that team will really suffer...

As for Campbell, he didn't show any great leap forward in his play in preseaon before he got hurt... he was 12 of 22, for 179 yards, 0 TDs, 0 ints... that works out to an 81.4 quarterback rating, not a great improvement over his 76.5 last year... his slightly improved numbers might be explained away by the fact he played against last year's 20th ranked pass defense (the Steelers), and the 27th (the Titans) in preseason...

 

[silverbear]

What's that have to do with their defense?



Cambell isn't day-to-day because he was getting battered. His injury ocurred on one play where he took a low hit to the knee. Like I I said, the Washington OL has looked pretty good, not devastating, but pretty good, and not awful.

Yes, awful... I've seen or heard all of their games, and even the radio team has been commenting on how bad the line play has been...

This is reflected in the stats sheet, where the Skins rank at or near the bottom in every major offensive category...

 

[silverbear]

I find it very, very hard to believe that the Skins defense is anything to sweat this year. Yes, they'll be better than last year. They did manage to get Wright, Rumph, Marshall and Holdman off the field, so they can't help but improve. They might even get into the teens, defensive ranking-wise. That's still a long way from "dominant" or even "good".

The Skins will have a middle of the pack defense that will be tough against the run, but vulnerable to a good passing attack... this is an improvement over last year, but they're still not a good defense... at best, they'll be mediocre...

 

[firehawk350]

They can still be thrown on, allowing a 65.5 per cent completion rate and 194.8 yards per game passing, they're not generating anything in the way of a pass rush (1 sack in 2.5 ballgames), and they're not forcing turnovers (2 thus far in preseason)... they're doing a fine job stuffing the run, and a good job in the red zone, but they have problems...

Actually, even with the Texans game, we've been the class of the division, defensively speaking... we're giving up 259.7 yards per game, the Skins' adjusted (2.5 games) average is right at 290 yards per game... we're allowing 58.9 per cent completions, compared to the Skins' 65.5 per cent... we're giving up 184.3 yards per game passing, to the Skins' 194.8... we've recorded 4 sacks, to the Skins 1... we're giving up 75.3 yards per game rushing, to the Skins' 96.0 (again, adjusted for 2.5 games played)...



If you take their 3 game totals and divide them by 2.5 (since they really only played barely more than a half this weekend), they're gaining 236 yards a game of total offense... that would rank them 31st in the league this preseason... their adjusted scoring average (once you factor in 2.5 games played instead of 3, and 7 of their points coming on a short int return for a TD) would be 12.0, which would rank them tied for 31st in the NFL in the preseason... their yards per carry average is 2.5, dead last in the league... they've given up 8 sacks in 2.5 games, which would work out to 51 sacks for a 16 game season...

I don't know which Skins team you've been watching, but their offensive line play this preseason has been completely putrid... which is, of course, why they went out and traded for Pete Kendall...

Overall rankings are extremely misleading in preseason. The scrubs play too much and affect the stats. You can't use a projected formula to extrapolate the starter's performance either, because there are teams that get hot at the end and make a comeback and vice versa. You gotta use the good ol' scout's eye.

On top of that, there will be a bunch of mistakes on both sides of the ball due to trying and experimenting by the coaches. There's no gameplanning and coaches want to rest key players where they wouldn't during the reg season. Portis would have been in for example. Springs would have been in against the Ravens and Griffin wouldn't have come out so early.

Having said all that though, we have looked good on defense. The run defense has been consistently very stingy and the pass defense, while not great, has been pretty good and we have gotten off the field enough on third downs. Only 1 TD against the Skins starters and that was against the 13-3 Ravens. The lack of turnovers/sacks is concerning, but I hardly think that the amount of sacks we've seen from either the Cowboys or the Skins will be indicative of what we'll see in the season. So I'm not overly concerned.

On offense, when Campbell has been in, he's looked pretty good IMO considering the circumstances (missing half his line). He's thrown some excellent throws and has used his mobility well too. The running game has concerned me and it's going to start off slow IMO because Samuels/Kendall need to gel and Portis needs to develop chemistry with the line. But overall, I think we'll have a good offense.

 

[Bach]

I want to see the Cowboys dominate again. Every other team in the NFL can suck rocks for all I care, especially the Skins.

My sentiments exactly!

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

It's called respect YM. Until we get the upper hand I respect them. Can't stand them, but I do respect them.

Ehh.... when we were the "class"(as you so eloquently put it) of the division they didnt respect us... so.... you have give respect to get it... as far as I am concerned its not a two way street. So they get nodda from me.

But Hey! Thats just me, right? :laugh2:

 

[streetcredit]

I expect them to be the best 5-11 team in the league.

 

[silverbear]

Overall rankings are extremely misleading in preseason. The scrubs play too much and affect the stats. You can't use a projected formula to extrapolate the starter's performance either, because there are teams that get hot at the end and make a comeback and vice versa. You gotta use the good ol' scout's eye.

I'll grant you that firehawk, but my statistical argument was made in rebuttal to the assertion that the Skins have looked really good in preseason... clearly, the numbers show that's not the case...

 

[Hostile]

Ehh.... when we were the "class"(as you so eloquently put it) of the division they didnt respect us... so.... you have give respect to get it... as far as I am concerned its not a two way street. So they get nodda from me.

But Hey! Thats just me, right? :laugh2:

Right.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Right.

HAHA!

You know you dont believe that....

 

[firehawk350]

I'll grant you that firehawk, but my statistical argument was made in rebuttal to the assertion that the Skins have looked really good in preseason... clearly, the numbers show that's not the case...

I might be wrong, but I believe that the original poster was merely referring to our starters performance. If that is the case, then the statistical argument holds no water unless we refer to the opposing offense's starters performances. I'll look it up later, I got much to do in the work realm...

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

I might be wrong, but I believe that the original poster was merely referring to our starters performance. If that is the case, then the statistical argument holds no water unless we refer to the opposing offense's starters performances. I'll look it up later, I got much to do in the work realm...

forget the statistics..especially when it comes to pre-season....I live in the DC area and I have watched them with my own eye's...there defense has looked very good. They have talent...there secondary is nasty...they will be a force on that side of the ball

 

[AmishCowboy]

Until someone knocks off the Eagles they are still the :lombardi: class of the NFC East.

 

[Bull Frog]

Until someone knocks off the Eagles they are still the :lombardi: class of the NFC East.

Hold on. They just lost to their in-state rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, in their dress rehersal. They have no chance this year. Same goes for the Giants because they lost to the Jets.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Until someone knocks off the Eagles they are still the :lombardi: class of the NFC East.

Do you know how ridiculous that trophy image looks in that sentence with the Eagles?:laugh2:

 

[VACowboy]

Let me restate my original post, with this caveat: I hope I'm as wrong as some of you say.

I don't think you can judge a team by stats or wins/losses in the preseason, but you can get a good idea of what kind of game they'll bring by watching the quality of their play. And the Skins defense has looked the best of any of the four NFC East teams', from what I've seen.

i may be completely wrong about their OL, but when they get Samuels back and integrate Kendall, and if Campbell plays decently, I think the Skins will be pretty tough to beat.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

we'll be pretty tough to beat ourselves

 

[firehawk350]

we'll be pretty tough to beat ourselves

I agree. The only team I don't see as really tough to beat in the NFC East is the Giants. There are just too many gaping holes I see on that squad and too much dissension in the ranks to really push hard for a playoff spot.

1) I don't think anybody really sees Eli as a leader, and I don't think anyone trusts him to make the game winning decision/throw and that will REALLY hurt when the pressure builds.

2) Brandon Jacobs may be good, may not. But he's no Eli and the Giants don't have a RB with the ability to take it to the house any play capability that all the other NFC East possess in one fashion or another (Skins - Portis, Eagles - Westbrook, Boys - Julius).

3) Playing a guard at tackle (left tackle no less), and probably needs a guard more then the Skins did and Eli isn't exactly known for his cool in the face of pressure. Combine that with the NFC East teams absolute love for the blitz and I'll be asking for a good address to send the roses to his mother.

4) No Michael Strahan who has been a stalwart DE and leader for many years. Without him, teams can throw TE/RB support to Osi's side and negate much of the effect he'll have.

5) Starting a career DE at WLB in a 4-3... That's a bit risky to say the least. Also speaks to their horrid lack of talent at this position. Speaking of which, where are all the Giants fans bragging about picking up Arrington?

6) Their secondary was absolutely horrendous the last two-three years and has shown no signs of getting any better. The Giants have serious match-up problems against any NFC East TE.

Having said all that though, they play like a team possessed at the Meadowlands and have always been hard to beat there, so I'm definitely not discounting THAT game.

 

[AsthmaField]

2) Brandon Jacobs may be good, may not. But he's no Eli

I agree. While Eli may be a crappy QB... he can throw a much better spiral than Jacobs. Jacobs accuracy is terrible.









j/k wit cha FH