Game Thread: Week 1: Eagles @ Redskins

[deanpet21]

when wait and see is a cover for BS i will call them out

you change shit so much its hard to keep up

didn't change anything. Vt and I plus others have this opinion and you refuse to recognize it.

 

[deanpet21]

Dude, you've already evaluated. Now you're just hoping your guess comes true so you can say "I told you so". This notion of Wentz outplaying KC in one game is a huge one for you. Not sure why or how you define outplaying, however.

So what are you saying you can not critique KC this year? He is hands off?

 

[skinsdad62]

didn't change anything. Vt and I plus others have this opinion and you refuse to recognize it.

BS you have been on this since before the draft counting on 2 number ones from the 49ers

 

[deanpet21]

BS you have been on this since before the draft counting on 2 number ones from the 49ers

I wasnt counting on it. If it was offered how can you not consider it?

 

[Iggloo]

Were you guys aware that Washington has won the last 5 games between these teams? That's one of the longest streaks I can recall. Of course, I hope it ends! I think they have never won six in a row in this series, according to a Philly reporter.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Redskins Results | The Football Database

 

[skinsdad62]

I wasnt counting on it. If it was offered how can you not consider it?

please stop and stop now .

 

[skinsdad62]

Were you guys aware that Washington has won the last 5 games between these teams? That's one of the longest streaks I can recall. Of course, I hope it ends! I think they have never won six in a row in this series, according to a Philly reporter.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Redskins Results | The Football Database

yeah i saw this but the eagles are a tough out no matter what

 

[skinsdad62]

Jay Gruden: "We Hope It Comes Together" 

gruden presser thursday

 

[skinsdad62]

http://www.redskins.com/media-galle..._We_Have/72854471-d4e9-498f-a8d3-6bf7b5efda14

manusky presser

 

[Sportster 72]

I was also born there & have plenty of family in the area. While what you say is accurate there are certainly a fair amt of Eagles fans who are similar to these guys.

Yep if you are pretty familiar with the area you know why there was a prison cell in Vet Stadium. But all in all most aren't so bad.

 

[Sportster 72]

• 
  
  John KeimESPN Staff Writer

ASHBURN, Virginia -- The latest lesson occurred this week in practice, another nugget of education for Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins.

During a two-minute drill in practice, Cousins called his own plays and, after one, he checked it down to the running back. It wasn't a bad decision; it's also a situation he could have handled better as coach Jay Gruden reminded him a few minutes later, providing another lesson to help a quarterback with 32 straight starts.

Gruden told him the check-down was fine, but: running back Chris Thompsonwas 'tackled' in bounds and now the clock was running and the receivers had to hustle back to the line.

"So, yes, Chris is open but in a game it's sometimes better to throw an incompletion or out of bounds or a jump ball to a guy in the end zone who's covered rather than throw to Chris for a completion," Cousins said. "As a young player, you're trying to find a completion. As a more evolved player you're thinking about the next step. It's the next step, next step, next step that you're always taking as a quarterback. That's something I will always be improving upon."

Another thing: In a game, Gruden would call the two-minute offense, something Cousins said he wants him to do.

Brian Quick aside to go over a route, walking through it to show him the way he needs it run. He showed Quick why a route he ran to 12 yards needed to be run to 15 and at a different angle.

"Three years ago, I don't think I'm doing that because I haven't been there and seen it done to know exactly what it should be like," Cousins said. "Because there's always turnover in this league, if you aren't really good at communicating what you need and coaching your teammates and leading guys, you'll never have the stability you need to be successful. That's where I'm trying to grow is in leading the guys around me."

Protection calls

Cousins has steadily grown here, one reason why he's been sacked only 49 times the past two years combined (fifth fewest among quarterbacks with 26 starts or more). During this period, his average time before throwing the ball was 2.59 seconds, eighth longest according to ESPN Stats & Information. The line protects well; Cousins helps.

"It's just more a mastery of do we want to redirect the protection or audible to a different protection," Cousins said. "If to a different protection, which protection is that? I have a better understanding of, is my tight end in the core? Is he available to use in the protection? Is he removed? Singled out to where I can't bring him in related to the play clock?

"That's an awareness level that as a young player, you're not thinking about. That's not 100-level stuff. That's further down the road. I've been trying to get better at that. Every coach has a different philosophy."

offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, to now under Gruden.

"Kyle's philosophy was don’t change the protection, just throw hot," Cousins said. "Jay's mindset is, we want to pick it up and we want to give you the ability to sit in there and throw a pass down the field."

Knowing the protection calls, and being able to perhaps get a defense to tip its hand, helps him audibilize better, too. But that process isn't yet complete.

"He can get us out of a bad play smoother than he has in the past," Gruden said. "That's the key. Pre-snap is the key, knowing where the protection is solid or weak. How we want to attack the coverage, where the routes will be and anticipation when throwing. He's not perfect by any stretch; he's still going through that. The different route concepts we like for different coverages. They might play a [coverage] where he has to reset and find someone else or pull it down and run it. That's the transition he's going through now."

Cadence

Cousins has improved with his cadence calls. He's increased the words he'll use to identify a look or change a call. He's improved his ability to go deeper in the play clock before making a final adjustment.

"He has a great handle on cadence, snap count," Gruden said, "which is a huge element that no one really talks about. He has a good gauge on that. He gets the ball snapped [fast] or he can drag it out if he needs to use every second of the play clock, to see what the coverage is doing. Or he can snap it quick and catch them off guard. He's way better there; a lot better than last year."

This allows the Redskins to use formations or strategies that in the past they could not, perhaps arming him at times with more responsibility at the line.

It also will help Cousins in various situations. Two years ago in Atlanta he made a protection call only to later realize -- too late for his comfort level -- that the blitz was coming from the other side. So he knew he had to throw "hot" to receiver Ryan Grant. Pick-six; game over.

"I can't change in the noise and say let's go to a different play," Cousins said. "So I know I'm hot and throw the ball that shouldn't have been thrown or thrown to a different spot. But to better master this on the road, in the noise, that's something I can do with hand signals or fake cadences to get them to show they’re blitzing and then we get them to show what they're doing. It's never 100 percent. But it's also nice to be on the side where you're dictating terms and you can feel what's going on and get to a better play."

Cousins said he has a greater understanding of all the factors on a play before the snap: the play clock, hand signals, audibles. He's always felt comfortable reading coverage pre-snap. But these other areas have increased what he can do before the snap.

"There’s a lot of room to grow there. But I'm trying to continue to take steps," Cousins said. "To Jay's credit, he doesn't need to have control so he is willing to give me as much as I want so this could evolve so that years from now I do have a lot of control and a lot of say. Right now we have a good give and take. He'll say, 'What are your thoughts?' But I'm saying, 'Well, what are your thoughts?' That's been good for me to grow. He's given me that extra responsibility when I think I can take it or want to try it.

another evolution of his game he is working on

From Keim's article it sounds like Cousin's is improving in some areas before the season started. I seem to remember a few saying he could not improve and what we see is the best it will ever get.

 

[j_y19]

So what are you saying you can not critique KC this year? He is hands off?

Of course not. But if your critique for the year hinges on if he can or can't outplay Wentz in one game (of which you still haven't defined why outplay means) then your opinion, again, is highly suspect.

 

[Stymietee]

From Keim's article it sounds like Cousin's is improving in some areas before the season started. I seem to remember a few saying he could not improve and what we see is the best it will ever get.

Yep....I am one of them, I admit it, and it is nice to know that he's improved......in practice, let's wait and see if it translates into games. .

 

[skinsdad62]

Of course not. But if your critique for the year hinges on if he can or can't outplay Wentz in one game (of which you still haven't defined why outplay means) then your opinion, again, is highly suspect.

dude you and i both know this will be a hit job on KC . the fact that we are in the "game thread " and he brings up negative shit on KC this shows you what he is about

this is the game thread we should talk about the game but he wants to re-litigate the KC debate

 

[deanpet21]

Of course not. But if your critique for the year hinges on if he can or can't outplay Wentz in one game (of which you still haven't defined why outplay means) then your opinion, again, is highly suspect.

I already defined it. If you don't know what outplay means then I cant help you.

 

[deanpet21]

dude you and i both know this will be a hit job on KC . the fact that we are in the "game thread " and he brings up negative shit on KC this shows you what he is about

this is the game thread we should talk about the game but he wants to re-litigate the KC debate

your the negative one not me.

 

[j_y19]

I already defined it. If you don't know what outplay means then I cant help you.

Where did you define it? Please humor me. What is YOUR definition?

 

[j_y19]

dude you and i both know this will be a hit job on KC . the fact that we are in the "game thread " and he brings up negative shit on KC this shows you what he is about

this is the game thread we should talk about the game but he wants to re-litigate the KC debate

He will be almost giddy if KC doesn't play lights out. He can claim he was right all along. I can't wait....

 

[deanpet21]

He will be almost giddy if KC doesn't play lights out. He can claim he was right all along. I can't wait....

No,. I have KC in fantasy. I hope he balls out. I am just not going to treat him with kid gloves like you guys are.

 

[deanpet21]

Where did you define it? Please humor me. What is YOUR definition?

decision making, Comp %, turnovers, and just overall game management. I don't want to see him spike the ball coming out of a timeout like in the 1st Giants game. 24M this year. Yes the microscope should be on him. You guys still treat him like a QB who is still learning. Those days are over.