State of the Union at the break

[Darrell Green Fan]

I know the last 2 weeks have been frustrating. But we didn't expect a Super Bowl run this year anyway, we were all looking for solid growth and a reason to be optimistic. Well I think this team has given us that. Some positives:

I think we have built a very solid, diverse offense. The OL has been nothing short of great in pass protection, the running game will improve with Jones out of there and they have obvious great weapons for both a short and deep passing game. This unit went from possibly our #1 need to one of the team strengths in only 2 years. While I still have my doubts that Kirk will be the QB on a year in year out contender he certainly is in the top half of the league and we have seen what it's like to have crappy QB play.

The return game no longer costs us games as they seemed to every month in years past. I know they blew the FG but our kicker and punter have been pretty damn good, Crowder has really improved, we actually have someone who won't go 3 different directions before falling down after a 2 yard return and our kick coverage is much better.

Speaking of Crowder he has the look of a 100 catch guy for years to come, those guys are hard to find. I have no idea what they will do with Pierre and DJax, obviously you can't keep them at their numbers when they are not seeing the ball enough. But good to know we have others in place.

So to me they have dramatically improved 2 of the 3 units. The defense still has promising young talent but they obviously need to fix a few things. Still it looks a lot better than it did when SM got here.

 

[SoCalWizFan]

Cravens! Star in the making.

 

[Sharkinva]

OK yesterdays game has got to come as the 3rd frustration WTF moment in the season for us. Another game we played well enough over all to have won, but didnt quite seal the deal. Granted its not a loss. But this tie, as well as the losses to Dallas and Detroit loom large at present. We are 2.5 games out of first, and 2.5 games technically out of the Wild Card spot if the playoffs was truly or minimum goal for this season.


Few key thoughts as we roll into the bye week.

1. Kirk.... While he is playing well enough to deserve a long term deal at this point... Price is going to be an issue. If he continues to play asa he has the past few weeks, as we all assumed, we are going to have to make a hard decision again. Franchise him, or sign him long term. Either way is going to be costly.

2. Norman.... Im still of the opinion we pay $75 million for a $55 million Dollar CB. Has he done some good things?? Yes he has... But if Im not mistaken, he got flagged three more times for hands to the face some where between last night and now.

3. Play calling ... While we have done better at trying to use the run, Im still seeing a few too many time where our OC and possibly the QB are getting to excited about all the weapons we have in the passing game. 58 passing attempts to 31 Rushing attempts is still a little too lopsided for my tastes.


Bottom line... I think at this point until such time as the Division leader losses two games, with us winning both our games in the same weeks, we are right now chasing the Wild Card spot. We currently hold the tie breakers over NY and Philly. But we are going to need some help to even pull a wild card, and this is assuming we come out of the Bye and win a couple of games most thought we would lose this year.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

Yep Cravens, Fuller, maybe Smith, Compton they have some good young players. Just need more of them.

 

[SoCalWizFan]

To address your pts:

1. I don't see where they have much choice at this time. Cousins is their QB & really about the best person to run the offense rt now. Work out the long term deal for him. It will be expensive but so what. That is the price for an NFL QB & this is true for just about every team.

2. Perhaps but what are you going to do about it - the deal is done. Norman made some mistakes yesterday but he is still one of their best players. Even yesterday he was rt on Green but Green is such a great WR that he still was able to make catches. Sometimes you have to give credit to the opponents.

3. I talked to a Bengals fan @ this yesterday. He was under the opinion that Gruden will generally opt for the pass regardless & I think that is accurate for the most part. He is an Ex QB and loves to pass. Perhaps he will change his ways somewhat especially if they get a top notch RB next season. Also - I believe that the short passes to guys like Reed and Crowder are almost as good as runs. No major complaints with the offense yesterday. They are steadily improving (as is the entire team & like it or not this is a rebuilding team).

 

[kbso83432]

Gruden knows how to design a dynamic passing game.

Cousins has Redskins passing records falling on a yearly basis.

Scherff is a top 5 RG, and Moses has adjusted to RT and is probably top 10 at that position.

Norman was not the product of a good Panthers front 7. Made some bone head mistakes, but shut A.J. down for a half. The Bengals were beginning to march down the field with A.J. when Norman went out.

Crowder

The defense is not the total train wreck we thought it was going to be after the Dallas game.

Season half over and we're still in the hunt.

 

[j_y19]

To address your pts:

1. I don't see where they have much choice at this time. Cousins is their QB & really about the best person to run the offense rt now. Work out the long term deal for him. It will be expensive but so what. That is the price for an NFL QB & this is true for just about every team.

2. Perhaps but what are you going to do about it - the deal is done. Norman made some mistakes yesterday but he is still one of their best players. Even yesterday he was rt on Green but Green is such a great WR that he still was able to make catches. Sometimes you have to give credit to the opponents.

3. I talked to a Bengals fan @ this yesterday. He was under the opinion that Gruden will generally opt for the pass regardless & I think that is accurate for the most part. He is an Ex QB and loves to pass. Perhaps he will change his ways somewhat especially if they get a top notch RB next season. Also - I believe that the short passes to guys like Reed and Crowder are almost as good as runs. No major complaints with the offense yesterday. They are steadily improving (as is the entire team & like it or not this is a rebuilding team).

The only real complaint you can have with the offense at this point is that we continue to flounder in the red zone. We have left a ton of points on the field this year. My personal opinion is we send way too many receivers out in the red zone. they are occupying the same space and bringing their defenders with them. It would be nice if we could stretch the defense a bit more, creating gaps in their coverage that savvy WRs like Garcon or Crowder can take advantage of. Jackson is rarely a factor in the red zone. Reed is, but the defenses know he is our only big body and double him. Maybe spread him out and get him in 1 on 1s with the CB and let him use is size and great hands to win.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

The only real complaint you can have with the offense at this point is that we continue to flounder in the red zone. We have left a ton of points on the field this year. My personal opinion is we send way too many receivers out in the red zone. they are occupying the same space and bringing their defenders with them. It would be nice if we could stretch the defense a bit more, creating gaps in their coverage that savvy WRs like Garcon or Crowder can take advantage of. Jackson is rarely a factor in the red zone. Reed is, but the defenses know he is our only big body and double him. Maybe spread him out and get him in 1 on 1s with the CB and let him use is size and great hands to win.

Yeah this is obviously a problem. One answer may be the lack of a good running game, it may be as simple as switching running backs. But yeah it's a big problem, good thing is it's a better problem to have then constant 3 and outs.

 

[skinsdad62]

shark you beat me to the punch about the state of the union but i am going to approach it more "long term "

1) KC has to be the qb we build with money or not . he isnt a star but with weapons he can be effective

2) our run game is fine , we are running more , the 3 headed monster will produce

3) my apologies to stymie but garcon is the must resign while jackson may not be , i will go against the grain and say we need both money be damned . the less weapons KC has the less effective he will be . davis is also a must resign
4) our O/line appears to be set , Long seems to be the real center we have longed for and we developed him . kujo is on a good path in development (but needs work )
5) gruden should be our HC our OC is doing well and barry has warts but he is getting the most out of the talent we have
6) the d/line has two guys we can build with , TM (next year ) and Baker . the rest are old , role players , and BU's . we will need to inject some young talent here
7) compton and mason are stop gap special teams guys , cravens has potential , but an upgrade here is needed
8) our CBS are fine , but safety is a huge issue with age and talent deficiencies an upgrade is needed here as well

9 ) we are in year 2 of the SM era . i think we have forgotten that we arent a year in year out contender yet . we are an avg team in talent and in play . we have not had back to back winning seasons in 20 plus years and yet expectations are for back to back playoff appearances

10 ) the fact is we are still in the playoff hunt and if we beat the boys , giants and eagles we should be there we also need to beat the packers and cards as our WC competition . however if we fall short its all part of the learning process

11) so yes its cool to be frustrated , but understand we are at the start of the journey

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

I wasn't aware that this was coming when I started my Positives thread. Since they are similar maybe Dad can combine them? As for your post Dad I think Compton has shown to be a keeper, he was all over the field again yesterday. But they need to replace Foster, he does nothing, with a real monster.

By the way I share your optimism. When we were 0-2 and trailing the Giants in the 4th most every one of us probably thought it was another lost season with little hope in sight. I was proud of the show we gave an international audience, that was a Hell of a game yesterday. I'm proud that this team never seems to quit. We have an offense that can move the ball and generate points in crunch time after watching year after year of an offense that found itself in 4th and 17 in similar spots after taking a sack and committing a holding penalty on the final drive.

 

[gkekoa]

Seems like fun:

1) QB- I think KC has shown more than enough to say he is the answer. Remember, this is year 2 as a starter...he is better than Luck at this point. KC needs to continue being decisive and he won't have problems maintaining a top ten QB role.

2) RB- If Leonard Fournette is available, sure we take him in round 1. If not, wait until round 2 or later, BPA, because our run game is fine and all of them are capable of catching the ball out of the backfield.

3) WR- Very sticky situation here. I think the only one we should resign is DJ, unless PG can be had at 4 mil or less. DJ should not be looked at for more than 7-8 mil. There will be other WRs on the market that are better suited for the money.

4) TE- I do like the idea of resigning VD. Other than a draft pick, perhaps, this position is locked up.

5) OL- I'm a huge fan. Unless an obvious BPA is there in the draft, hands off.

6) DL- Draft, draft, draft...Our current DL is doing better as a whole than most will give them credit for, but they are talent deficient. Ziggy Hood and Chris Baker are good pieces. I consider OLB part of the DL. I also think we are good there. How about that Trent Murphy guy?

7) ILB- DRAFT, DRAFT, DRAFT...maybe even get one in FA. I think this is the weakest position on the team.

8) CB- We are very solid to good. I think we are set.

9) S- HELP

 

[reptec101]

We have to sign KC long term because he really aint a bad QB. Why franchise him again? They know what he is already and he probably will only get better. He actually puts us in position to win more times than not,, it's the other areas of the team that now is letting him down.

Let's not waste a high draft pick on RB... Zeke is tearing it up mainly because of his front line. Yes he's a talented back but that line is making him look like Barry Sanders. We need to get to the QB and we also need to keep building the O line. Secondary is doable.

WR is a problem because we may lose Jackson and perhaps Garcon and Doctson aint reliable. Have to address WR in FA.

We aint a bad team with what we have now. We could easily be 6 and 2. Actually, we should be 6 and 2. Let's not blow up this ship quite so fast. We're sailing in the right direction.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

Surely the coaches saw that Kelly is the better option right? As for safety I was big on Duke but he played that jump ball to Julio very badly, should have cost us the game. I think it will be hard to sign DJax, he is clearly unhappy and who can blame him?

 

[skinsdad62]

Surely the coaches saw that Kelly is the better option right? As for safety I was big on Duke but he played that jump ball to Julio very badly, should have cost us the game. I think it will be hard to sign DJax, he is clearly unhappy and who can blame him?

i like Djax but i think garcon stays healthier and does more for us . i think we need to keep both until dox shows he can play

 

[j_y19]

i like Djax but i think garcon stays healthier and does more for us . i think we need to keep both until dox shows he can play

Unfortunately I just don't see how we can keep both. DJax is a special player, a home run hitter. However, He just can't stay on the field and that will only get worse as he gets older. Its hard to justify paying him the kind of money he will want (and probably get) for 12 or so games a year. Garcon is a baller, a possession receiver. He will get that tough first down, but not scare too many teams going deep. Still, you need receivers like that. IF I could only sign one (which is what I think we will be able to do), I would go with Garcon and hope that Docson can develop to take DJax's role. as an aside, I won't be surprised if DJax actually wants to leave. KC is a fine QB, but the deep ball isn't his strength. I have to believe he is getting a bit frustrated with his use and touches in this offense.

BTW, it may seem like TE is a strength right now, but I done know how much longer we will have Reed given his concussion issues and Davis is very close to being over the hill. That position could go from a strength to a huge weakness overnight.

 

[SoCalWizFan]

Surely the coaches saw that Kelly is the better option right? As for safety I was big on Duke but he played that jump ball to Julio very badly, should have cost us the game. I think it will be hard to sign DJax, he is clearly unhappy and who can blame him?

I think to really make the defense effective they need a very elite type safety & they could get that next offseason. They already have Cravens but he is more in that hybrid role now. If they add a top notch safety & a solid D lineman they should do very well especially if Breeland can somehow rebound to his old self.

As for Jackson - well he is a nice luxury but not sure he is worth tying up all of that money if he is going to always have injury issues (almost a given with his size & age) & perhaps have a bit of an attitude (which I do hold against him unlike you).

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

When we signed him I figured Jackson would be more of a problem by now. He's been pretty good considering how frustrated he must be. But I believe his deal is up and he may be looking to move. I love Garcon but is he really an $8 million player?

 

[skinz2winz]

Yep Cravens, Fuller, maybe Smith, Compton they have some good young players. Just need more of them.

Not sure what football you are watching but Smith has reverted into a shell of his late last year self and Compton is just bad, period! Like Cravens and Fuller's potential though.

 

[SkinFaninATL]

This is my point of view of our team.........

QB - I have seen enough! Kirk Cousins is definitely worth signing. I love the way he runs the offense.

RB - I'm about done with Matt Jones. I love Rob Kelley. He runs like a big back should. Chris Thompson has been staying healthy. He has been a great COP back, lately.

WR - Somehow, I don't see us keeping neither Garcon, nor DeSean. The reason why is Pierre Garcon would have to take a paycut because he's not worth $8 mil per, based upon what he's asked to do in the offense. DeSean may command too much money, but he's injury prone. Plus, too one-dimensional. I love him, but still. Honestly, I wouldn't mind if we allowed both to walk and we went after Terrelle Pryor to pair him with Jamison Crowder and Josh Doctson. I'm sorry! I'm all in on Pryor. I've seen enough! He is slowly becoming a franchise WR. He has it all. He looks, so much like Megatron out there. It is scary. Sure! He's likely to command a bit, but it would be cheaper to sign him than to re-sign both DeSean and Pierre Garcon. Speaking of Crowder, he's getting better and better. He's becoming a smaller version of Pierre Garcon, but a little more dynamic.

TE - Jordan Reed needs to stay healthy. That's all. Vernon Davis has shown he still has it. Will be worth re-signing.

OL - Trent Williams and the crew has been getting it done all year. We could still use a center.

DE - Chris Baker is a keeper. I would say Trent Murphy has been a pleasant surprise.

DT - We went into the season with Kedric Golston, as our starting NT. Ziggy Hood is a starter by default. We need a run-stuffing behemoth at that position.

ILB - We get gashed up the middle at a continuous basis. I blame that a lot on Mason Foster and Will Compton. We need some gap-shooters. Honestly, I wouldn't mind Su'a Cravens playing more

OLB - Ryan Kerrigan is still getting it done with 7.0 sacks in eight games. I haven't been overly impressed with Preston Smith. I was expecting more of a breakout. We'll see how he does for the 2nd half of the season.

CB - Josh Norman has been a good pickup for us. He had a rough game with the penalties, but he has shown why he was a top CB for the Panthers, last year. He's got to catch INT's. He should have six at this point. Bashuad Breeland hasn't awaken from the nightmare that occurred against Antonio Brown on the first game. Quinton Dunbar has been up and down. Jury is still out on Kendall Fuller.

FS - It amazes me that we haven't had a replacement for Sean Taylor and he's been gone for nine seasons. Nuff said.

SS - Ihenacho is a presence at times. Donte' Whitner has been solid, but not the future.

K - Despite his big miss on Sunday, Dustin Hopkins has been a very good kicker for us.

P - The same can go for Tress Way, as a punter.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

Not sure what football you are watching but Smith has reverted into a shell of his late last year self and Compton is just bad, period! Like Cravens and Fuller's potential though.

Missed the "maybe" part of my post 'eh? Smith showed huge promise as a rookie. Maybe (there's that tricky word again) he can build off of that going forward. Compton is on pace for 170 tackles this season. Unlike Foster we see Compton making plays every week, including the forced fumble on Daulton that could have saved a loss.. He is limited physically which is why I said we need a monster next to him. But again MAYBE he is a keeper you can build a good defense with as I said.