WaPo: Commanders Dumbing Down Their Defense

[theebs]

Is it the maturation of Campbell, the addition of Portis, a stronger defense, or being in the 2nd year of Saunders' offense that makes you think they'll score less than what they did last season - 19.2 pts/game?

I dont think they will, they have too many weapons. You took the part of what I said that linked back to the rest of my point.

My point was I think they are a good team with a good roster and a great head coach. If campbell struggles they will score less and alot of pressure will be put on the defense.

I guess Commanders fans, even when your complementing them are always looking for an argument. Pretty much par for the course I guess.

 

[big dog cowboy]

:laugh1: one of the most ridiculous spin-jobs I ever heard

Man has to have his dreams doesn't he?

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Man has to have his dreams doesn't he?

not a freakin' Commander fan

crush them!

 

[Frozen700]

That doesn't mean it isn't complex. That doesn't mean it isn't more complex than Parcells' defense. That doesn't mean they're "dumbing it down" like the Commanders.

Why? Because it's more complex.

don't argue with him.....our Defense was so vanilla and so easy to figure out last year...making it a much easier defense

lets see.....Rush 3....send Ware off the edge occasionally.....and have everyone just drop back in coverage.....thats pretty simple to me

Were doing so many different things now....our 3-4 isnt going to be simple at all....if it was simple then defense's would know what we do..before we do it....

and intelligence had nothing to do with our play last year.....shows how much you play sports...or how athletic you are....you can make all the right decisions during a football game....but when the quarterback has all day to throw the ball and the play breaks down....hows that have to do with intelligence?...our problem last year was doing what our coach said to do....and not getting there in time...therefore giving the QB all day and all night to find all kinds of people....had nothing to do with the brains of our players

Now were actually going to give our secondary some help....by getting after the QB....now it turns into a guessing game....the cb's and S's....now have to guess and time it properly when to jump a route and when to make a play...

read and react is so easy.....your just playing it safe...and seeing what comes at you....then reacting to it....vs gambling...trying to make a play..and a smart 1 at that...knowing you dont have someone to cover your ***..

if anything this style of D is a little more complex...and actually requires smart D players..who know when to take a gamble...and requires close to perfect execution

This D will be much more fun...and exciting this year 2 watch...because of the complexity of it.....when you know something is going to happen....its not that fun..now is it?

 

[silverbear]

That's a pretty devastating, unconvincing assessment.

Campbell might be at least average in year two. Their offensive line is fantastic.

Their starters on the OL are good, not great, and their depth is awful... if they stay healthy, they'll be an effective unit, but one or two injuries could see a SERIOUS dropoff in performance...

I don't think much of Campbell, I like their running backs and one of their tight ends (Cooley)... their defensive line is a joke, their linebackers are adequate, and their secondary has a large number of question marks...

If the line stays healthy, and Campbell shows a little progress (the latter a big if, IMO), then their offense will be fair to middling, but their defense will not be good, by any stretch of the word...

I do like the notion that they're just idiots so Williams realized he had to change.

Particularly since Skins fans have told us for a coupla years now that the secret to the Skins' defense was Williams' schemes, which masked average talent... now, Williams is changing those schemes that they bragged on so long and loud... yeah, that's funny...

But, then again - they're not the only defense in the east that's preaching change after a monumental collapse through lack of execution last year.

I'll take our defensive talent over theirs, all day, every day...

 

[silverbear]

Just for my two cents... the Commanders O-line was playing pretty good by the end of the season. They were good run blocking and didn't allow many sacks.

However, that was with a quickly improving Dockery playing at LG. Now that he's gone and Wade is playing that position, their OL could be much worse this year. Wade is a journeyman tackle that they're moving to guard. They really wanted Leonard Davis but didn't have the money to compete for his services.

I thought I read somewhere that the Skins offered Leonard slightly better money that the Cowboys did, but he factored in the lack of state income tax in Texas and a serious desire to go "home", and chose the Boys...

 

[silverbear]

Is it the maturation of Campbell, the addition of Portis, a stronger defense, or being in the 2nd year of Saunders' offense that makes you think they'll score less than what they did last season - 19.2 pts/game?

I don't know if they'll score less or not, but a logical case could be made for a dropoff in offensive production by the Skins next year... that case starts with a regression by the offensive line, replacing Derrick Dockery with Todd Wade (who has never played guard, was not a particularly good tackle, and seems awfully TALL for an NFL guard)... there was no change to the receiving corps, so it's rather unrealistic to expect any real improvement there... the running game was and will remain decent, depending on how the line performs...

Which brings us around to the quarterback situation, which I believe might well be the undoing of the Skins... Jason Campbell didn't exactly put up impressive numbers last year, and that was with the Skins "protecting" him by emphasizing the running game and the short pass... eventually, they're gonna need him to step up and win games with his arm, and that will involve him taking chances that he was not allowed to take last year... combine that with the league getting more of a "book" on him as a result of the games he played last year, and even if he does improve a bit in this offseason (not an altogether unrealistic expectation), then his numbers might not even be as good next year as they were last year...

The Skins won't win much if Campbell's quarterback rating remains in the mid-70s, or if his yards per attempt average remains under 6.5... that's the bottom line for the Skins' offense in 2007...

 

[silverbear]

My point was I think they are a good team with a good roster and a great head coach.

I don't think their roster is that good... in particular, I don't think they have much in the way of depth, and as a result, will be victimized more by any injuries than most teams would...

And while Gibbs used to be great, I don't think he's even a good head coach any more... I thought when he was hired it was a good move on the part of Danny Boy, but the reality is he has not done a very good job with the Skins this second time around... a 21-27 record over the last three years tends to back up that subjective opinion...

 

[burmafrd]

Their O line is weaker with losing Dockery. So how can their Offense be even as good- unless Campbell takes a HUGE step forward?
Their D line has virtually no pass rush and was not improved. Their LBs overall are decent,no more. So their front seven is WEAK overall. Their CBs- very suspect unless Smoot is reborn. Thier D coach is cordially hated by most of the players now. Their Head coach is not what he was 20 years ago.
Overall, there is no case to be made that they are a good team.

 

[Hoofbite]

Their O line is weaker with losing Dockery. So how can their Offense be even as good- unless Campbell takes a HUGE step forward?
Their D line has virtually no pass rush and was not improved. Their LBs overall are decent,no more. So their front seven is WEAK overall. Their CBs- very suspect unless Smoot is reborn. Thier D coach is cordially hated by most of the players now. Their Head coach is not what he was 20 years ago.
Overall, there is no case to be made that they are a good team.

their offense can be as good becuse they have people coming back from injury.....Portis and moss won't be slowed down at all. Now....will they be as good? Who knows.

 

[DallasEast]

Gregg Williams' playbook: five stapled sheets of paper
Al Saunders' playbook: 700 pages inserted into a 3" binder

If I were a Commanders' offensive player, I'll be very pissed right now.

 

[burmafrd]

If the O line does not get the job done what does it matter about Moss and Portis?

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I thought I read somewhere that the Skins offered Leonard slightly better money that the Cowboys did, but he factored in the lack of state income tax in Texas and a serious desire to go "home", and chose the Boys...

I think they offered even the amount as we did, the GIants on the other hand, offered the most

 

[Bob Sacamano]

don't argue with him.....

because I'm right, our scheme is easy for the players to grasp

we have nothing to crow about

 

[Frozen700]

because I'm right, our scheme is easy for the players to grasp

we have nothing to crow about

ok easier to grasp....but is much harder and complex to play in...requires you to be fast...smart....and athletic....

thanks...i knew you would see it my way...bye now!

 

[Bob Sacamano]

ok easier to grasp....but is much harder and complex to play in...requires you to be fast...smart....and athletic....

thanks...i knew you would see it my way...bye now!

how can something that's easy to grasp require you to be smart?

 

[Chocolate Lab]

The new D is definitely more complex... No doubt about that.

As for the article, it was funny. Basically, last year didn't work, so we're going to try some different things. Never mind that we didn't get any better players in our weakest areas and our personnel is still inferior overall.

 

[Frozen700]

how can something that's easy to grasp require you to be smart?

Are u stupid? or ********? just because a play is easy to run doesn't mean it doesn't require you to be some what smart to run it

A slant is a easy play to tell someone to run.....but will they be smart enough to run and cut fast enough to make make sure the defender is behind them them and doesn't jump it? If there not that fast, are they smart enough to run the slant and at the same time shield off the defender with their body so they don't bat the ball or jump in front? Are they smart enough to know how deep to run it if the lbs drop back in zone?

just because a play is easy to learn doesn't make it easy to do.....sure blitzing is easy....but you have to be smart enough when blitzing this isn't back yard or street football...you don't just run in there foolishly....when blitzing you have to be smart enough to take the right angles and go through the right gaps, and know what moves to use to get by blockers to get to the Qb successfully....especially when facing a qb like Vick, or Young....and when throwing in stunts, and shades...and all those things we never did last year..makes it a little more complex

and when defending...you know pressure is going to be applied to the qb....and you know theres a high percent chance that if the blitz works 100 percent that the qb might throw the ball up for grabs...and leave it to his receiver to make a play.....so the defender has to be smart and quick on his feet....should he jump the route? should he just make the tackle knowing theres possibly no help behind him if he does take a gamble?

Go out and play some sports...and you will see what im talking about

 

[theebs]

Ken Hamlin is not an improvement over Keith Davis and a rookie Pat Watkins?

we had 3 good pass-rushers last year?

I think cl was referring to the Commanders, seeing that is what this thread is about.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

A
just because a play is easy to learn doesn't make it easy to do.....

we're talking about the scheme being easy to grasp

the Skins have to dumb down their playbook...so what? we run a scheme that is easy to assimilate

we have nothing to crow about

and I'm sure the Commanders players are somewhat smart too, except for Sean Taylor, he's a putz