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Caliskinsfan
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So this is what it’s sunk to … Cousins throwing two interceptions, the special teams giving up a 69-yard punt return touchdown, and the offense scoring ten points … and everyone is talking about it being a good loss? Miami is the definition of a mediocre team and still found a way to pull off the win on the road. … At what point does Gruden yank Cousins and turn to RGIII – 0-4, 0-6? RGIII couldn’t have done much worse than 10 points and a pick at the worst possible time. Also, did you notice Trent Murphy playing in quicksand out there? The defense looked good for the most part against an offense with zero playmakers, but that guy had no impact and looked lost half the time.
– Rich Perillo, Tampa, Fla.
I hear your argument in response to talk about it being “a good loss.” I don’t know that anyone within the organization would classify it as that, even though some fans may. Believe me, the Redskins players and coaches were plenty upset about the fact that they let a winnable game slip through their fingers. While Jay Gruden and some players spoke publicly of the positives they saw, the message behind closed doors was rather different. And there were many players following the game who either didn’t want to talk at all, or who said despite the positives, the negatives stood out more prominently in their minds.
The Redskins know they have to play much better. They have to find a cure to the self-inflicted wounds. Washington needs more from everyone across the board. Alfred Morris and the offensive line played well, as did many of the defensive players. But Kirk Cousins, the wide receivers, the tight ends, defensive backs, and yes, Trent Murphy, who was largely invisible, all need to play better this week. I know when you’ve been sticking it out with this team for so long, patience is beyond paper thin. And I know, “moral victories are for minor-league coaches.”
But the only way to maintain sanity if you’re a fan is to look for some positives, like the way Cousins got the ball out of his hands quickly, how the line gave up only one sack, how the defense limited the Dolphins to only 10 points, how Alfred Morris rolled up 120-plus yards, how Jordan Reed escaped from the game uninjured. Think of those positives as building blocks.
But at the same time, because this team just really seems so far away from where it needs to be, brace yourself for many more Sunday afternoons like this past one.
It seemed like “new season, same old story” for the Redskins on Sunday. … Do you think we have the right coach for this team of underachievers? RGIII can no longer be used as punchline, and Cousins won’t be carrying the team on his shoulders any time soon. Has the optimism of a new season already died before it has had a chance to develop?
– Olufemi A. Adepoju
Yes, it was indeed much of the same. There were different elements and twists to the plot early on, but the same demons reared their ugly heads in the end and the outcome was the same. I really don’t know the answer to that Gruden question yet. It does take some time to get pieces in place and running the way a coach envisions it. This is only Week 2 of his second season, so you can’t rush to judgement. He and Scot McCloughan overhauled the offensive line, they’ve now made a change at quarterback, they’ve made changes on defense as well. So it’ll take a little while for us to be able to tell if these are just growing pains we’re continuing to see, or if these are indications that the guy at the helm is in over his head.
If you’re a Redskins fan, you have to hope that these are more growing pains and that week by week, baby steps will be taken and that by the later stages of the season, it’s clear that the team is headed in the right direction. Remember, this franchise has endured nearly two solid decades of losing (with only four one-year relief campaigns sprinkled in since the Super Bowl following the 1991 season). It takes a while to undo all that damage. Are Gruden and McVay the right guys for the job? We’ll soon see. Hopefully.
So this is what it’s sunk to … Cousins throwing two interceptions, the special teams giving up a 69-yard punt return touchdown, and the offense scoring ten points … and everyone is talking about it being a good loss? Miami is the definition of a mediocre team and still found a way to pull off the win on the road. … At what point does Gruden yank Cousins and turn to RGIII – 0-4, 0-6? RGIII couldn’t have done much worse than 10 points and a pick at the worst possible time. Also, did you notice Trent Murphy playing in quicksand out there? The defense looked good for the most part against an offense with zero playmakers, but that guy had no impact and looked lost half the time.
– Rich Perillo, Tampa, Fla.
I hear your argument in response to talk about it being “a good loss.” I don’t know that anyone within the organization would classify it as that, even though some fans may. Believe me, the Redskins players and coaches were plenty upset about the fact that they let a winnable game slip through their fingers. While Jay Gruden and some players spoke publicly of the positives they saw, the message behind closed doors was rather different. And there were many players following the game who either didn’t want to talk at all, or who said despite the positives, the negatives stood out more prominently in their minds.
The Redskins know they have to play much better. They have to find a cure to the self-inflicted wounds. Washington needs more from everyone across the board. Alfred Morris and the offensive line played well, as did many of the defensive players. But Kirk Cousins, the wide receivers, the tight ends, defensive backs, and yes, Trent Murphy, who was largely invisible, all need to play better this week. I know when you’ve been sticking it out with this team for so long, patience is beyond paper thin. And I know, “moral victories are for minor-league coaches.”
But the only way to maintain sanity if you’re a fan is to look for some positives, like the way Cousins got the ball out of his hands quickly, how the line gave up only one sack, how the defense limited the Dolphins to only 10 points, how Alfred Morris rolled up 120-plus yards, how Jordan Reed escaped from the game uninjured. Think of those positives as building blocks.
But at the same time, because this team just really seems so far away from where it needs to be, brace yourself for many more Sunday afternoons like this past one.
It seemed like “new season, same old story” for the Redskins on Sunday. … Do you think we have the right coach for this team of underachievers? RGIII can no longer be used as punchline, and Cousins won’t be carrying the team on his shoulders any time soon. Has the optimism of a new season already died before it has had a chance to develop?
– Olufemi A. Adepoju
Yes, it was indeed much of the same. There were different elements and twists to the plot early on, but the same demons reared their ugly heads in the end and the outcome was the same. I really don’t know the answer to that Gruden question yet. It does take some time to get pieces in place and running the way a coach envisions it. This is only Week 2 of his second season, so you can’t rush to judgement. He and Scot McCloughan overhauled the offensive line, they’ve now made a change at quarterback, they’ve made changes on defense as well. So it’ll take a little while for us to be able to tell if these are just growing pains we’re continuing to see, or if these are indications that the guy at the helm is in over his head.
If you’re a Redskins fan, you have to hope that these are more growing pains and that week by week, baby steps will be taken and that by the later stages of the season, it’s clear that the team is headed in the right direction. Remember, this franchise has endured nearly two solid decades of losing (with only four one-year relief campaigns sprinkled in since the Super Bowl following the 1991 season). It takes a while to undo all that damage. Are Gruden and McVay the right guys for the job? We’ll soon see. Hopefully.
