Redskins Misc News & Info

[Caliskinsfan]

Interesting interview with Jay addressing Kirk's mental game, situational football decisions, locker room grumblings...
Thought his answers were calm and well thought out, not simply gratuitous and/or coach speak.

CSN: Gruden Says No 'Red Alert' After 0-2 Start 

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Mike Jones Mailbag...

Are there really locker-room grumblings over Cousins’s performance? Really? Or were they just like, “Bro, I was open?”

– Reggie Skinner

Nobody was happy after that loss to the Cowboys, but there’s nobody calling for Cousins’s head this early. We saw frustrations on the part of the wide receivers as Cousins missed wide open targets while going with a check-down, or just overthrowing them completely, and we saw a furious Pierre Garcon after the interception into quadruple coverage. But that’s the extent.

You have to take everything with a grain of salt. I’ve talked to a lot of players on both sides of the ball. Are they frustrated and miffed over their 0-2 start and the lack of effectiveness of their quarterback? Yes. But they’re also frustrated by penalties, missed opportunities, blown assignments on defense. Nobody is looking at Cousins as the ultimate reason for the two losses, nobody is crushing him and lobbying for Colt McCoy. Yet.

Could a wide receiver in the minutes after a game vented to his agent about frustrations over the loss? Absolutely. That happens all the time. It did last year too. Does that mean Cousins has lost the locker room? No. Overblown. At least for now. Of course, Cousins has to play much better. He had plenty of opportunities to hit big, and he fell short. Eventually, as losses mount and if more poor play continues from the quarterback, then he absolutely could alienate some of his teammates, particularly guys in contract years, depending on Cousins upholding his end of the bargain to help them get paid.


Does the Redskins offense need to improve in the run game and get Matt Jones more involved in order to be successful? Or can they continue to use 5-yard check-downs to Reed and others as a way of moving the ball on first down and in short yardage situations?

– Chris Duble

Yes, improving that run game, and getting Matt Jones more involved definitely should rank high on the priority list for Jay Gruden and Sean McVay. Despite the signs of promise that he showed last season, Kirk Cousins isn’t yet at the point where he can put his team on his back and consistently throw for 40 to 50 passes a game and give Washington the best chance to win. This team badly needs balance. It’s how it is in the NFL. Despite the pass-happy trend that we’ve seen in recent years, an ability to run remains important. Only three of last season’s other playoff teams ranked in the bottom half of the league in rushing: Pittsburgh (16th), Denver (17th) and New England (30th). You know the common denominator there, right? Hall of Fame quarterbacks.

Matt Jones crosses the goal line for a first-half touchdown on Sunday. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)
Gruden has never displayed a strong commitment to the run, not in his years here, or his offensive coordinator days in Cincinnati. But the Redskins do need to run the ball more. It’s extremely hard for a running back to settle into a rhythm when he’s not getting a steady dose of carries. Only once did Gruden and McVay call for runs on consecutive plays. Jones displayed an improved feel for his line and the defense, and he ran hard. But, they didn’t use him enough. Why not try to pound it a little more in the red zone? Why not keep running until they truly shut it down? Sunday’s ground production didn’t stink like Week 1 against Pittsburgh. A commitment to the run will ease pressure on Cousins, and it will also create more opportunities for the play-action passes downfield and the bootlegs. Sure, the Redskins could dink and dunk their way downfield some, but the best chance for success calls for a two-dimensional offense.

How do we rebound against another division opponent this week? Is there any hope our run game will be effective?

– Justin Dickens

Well, bud, I wish I had great news for you. But the Giants currently boast one of the stingiest rushing defenses in the league. They held Ezekiel Elliott (4.0 yards per carry againstWashington) to 2.6 yards per carry in Week 1, and held Mark Ingarm to 3.3 yards per carry in Week 2. For the season, the Giants have surrendered just 142 rushing yards, fourth-fewest in the NFL. So that’s not exactly an ideal matchup.

However, the Redskins can certainly do better in the rushing department if they truly commit and guard against giving up on it too quickly.

The key to rebounding this week involves the Redskins’ ability to capitalize on opportunities. On offense, they can’t afford to get into the red zone and settle for field goals. The defense can’t get Eli Manning & Co. in third-and-long situations and give up big-gainer first-down plays. Missed opportunities killed Washington in a very winnable game against the Cowboys.

Safety Duke Ihenacho hasn’t taken any snaps on defense in the regular season so far. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press)
Why isn’t Duke Ihenacho active? Will we see him at all moving forward?

– Jay Sharma

The safety didn’t dress for the season opener, and he did play in Sunday’s loss to Dallas, but only 17 snaps on special teams. Given the struggles of starting strong safety David Bruton Jr. (missed tackles, coverage breakdowns), it wouldn’t come as a surprise if Ihenacho gets some opportunities going forward. He had a good training camp and preseason. Durability has always been the one knock on Ihenacho. But if he can manage to stay on the field, I think he could help the defense.

 

[Sportster 72]

Cali, I agree about Gruden. The guy is honest. Sometimes folks don't like it but he doesn't mind saying what he thinks.

Heard JP Finlay this morning talking about Skins locker Sunday. He said emotions were raw after the game, they felt like they let one they should have won get away. His take on Gruden talking to Cousins was to calm him and prep him for the post game interview. He said Cousins was upset and he didn't want him to carry that into the press conference.

He also felt like there weren't problems in the locker room and PGs reaction to the interception was much like the reaction he had when Griffin was here.

Make of that what you will, none of us and this includes the media knows for sure. He also said there was nothing like that after the Steeler game, the guys all knew they had their butts whipped.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Spaight practicing again.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Whelp...UGH!

DJax didn't practice today.

Sat out with knee and ankle. Felt pain 3rd Q Sunday. Unsure about rest of the week/Sunday

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Wouldn't mind seeing this at all

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Good, hope he stays loose.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Norman when asked if he was going to follow O'Dell - 'I didn't get the memo'

Love his response here

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Heh, made me laugh

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Preach Trent

 

[Krusheasy]

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Nacho tweeting 'got me on ice now'

Hope he's playing more than STs this Sun. Like to see him over Bruton.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Barry said in his presser today that Norman following Dez in the 4th was the 'plan' all along.

Wut?!

 

[Sportster 72]

I am not buying that either Cali. That kind of talk just makes me want to see him out of here SOON.

 

[Sharkinva]

I am not buying that either Cali. That kind of talk just makes me want to see him out of here SOON.

He is better than Haslett.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

quotes like that are going to get him major heat and deservedly so.

He threw Bree under the bus with that too

 

[Sharkinva]

quotes like that are going to get him major heat and deservedly so.

He threw Bree under the bus with that too

Still baffles me that we fired Jim Haslett because every one just knew he was the worst possible DC we had EVER had, only to bring in the worst DC ever?? Only my Redskins God love their Forest Gump special asses.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Still baffles me that we fired Jim Haslett because every one just knew he was the worst possible DC we had EVER had, only to bring in the worst DC ever?? Only my Redskins God love their Forest Gump special asses.

Doesn't baffle me that Haz was fired, baffles me that Barry was considered the best choice.

 

[Sharkinva]

Doesn't baffle me that Haz was fired, baffles me that Barry was considered the best choice.

At the risk of going against all that is sacred on this board.... Aside from the D-line.. I think we finally have the type of players Haslett was salivating for. And I dont think we would be giving up 32.5 points a game if he had this defense. As bad as some say Haslett was... Barry is worse.