View Full Version : Redskins VS Saints pregame thoughts & news (Merged)
So with the Tanard Jackson suspension and Brandon Meriweather likely to be less than 100%, I think the Redskins are going to need to score 35 points to win this opener. Drew Brees is going to get his yards and receivers are going to be open. I think Doughty, if he has to play, will be in the right spots, but as we saw two years ago against the Texans, he will get out played by players with better athletic skill sets.
Saints receivers will be running open and then their is Sproles who I don't think we can cover. I think Orakpo and Kerrigan will be ineffective against a top QB like Brees with his ability to slide in the pocket and get the ball downfield.
I think the Saints will put up 30+ and RGIII will have a hard time keeping up in his first professional game. Best case scenario is to limit Brees chances with a great ground game and score TD's when in the red zone.
Crazy Horse
09-04-2012, 12:30 PM
if the skins can run the ball and control the pace of the game,they have a chance.to be honest,this game has blowout all over it for the saints.i'm expecting someting like a saints 35-10 win.
i'm expecting someting like a saints 35-10 win.
Yeah, that's what i am thinking too. Could be a shaky start to the RGIII era through no fault of his own. He will seriously need Garcon and Morgan to earn their paydays first thing in week one to keep up. Saints are going to score their points regardless.
Spence
09-04-2012, 05:03 PM
It's going to be a tough game for Washington. That New Orleans crowd is going to be amped up. Saints defense isn't great, but it should be better this year. Did you know more than half of all of Darren Sproles' runs last year went for at least 15 yards? That's freaking ridiculous. They have the great Jimmy Graham, the best tight end not named Gronkowski. Marques Colston in the slot is a holy terror. He must be licking his chops thinking about going up against DeAngelo "Toast" Hall all day. The Skins need to run the ball well to try to control the clock.
Also, losing Vilma to suspension is no loss. He's almost done. Can't shed blocks or chase down anyone. His replacement, Curtis Lofton, is a better player, even if most people don't know it yet. I also think they'll be fine without Gregg Williams at defensive coordinator. They blitzed too much and that exposed the secondary. They'll be better with a more conservative approach. I love the addition of Broderick Bunkley for them, he was the best run-stuffing D-lineman in the league last year.
SkinsGuru
09-04-2012, 06:01 PM
It's going to be a tough game for Washington. That New Orleans crowd is going to be amped up. Saints defense isn't great, but it should be better this year. Did you know more than half of all of Darren Sproles' runs last year went for at least 15 yards? That's freaking ridiculous. They have the great Jimmy Graham, the best tight end not named Gronkowski. Marques Colston in the slot is a holy terror. He must be licking his chops thinking about going up against DeAngelo "Toast" Hall all day. The Skins need to run the ball well to try to control the clock.
Also, losing Vilma to suspension is no loss. He's almost done. Can't shed blocks or chase down anyone. His replacement, Curtis Lofton, is a better player, even if most people don't know it yet. I also think they'll be fine with Gregg Williams at defensive coordinator. They blitzed too much and that exposed the secondary. They'll be better with a more conservative approach. I love the addition of Broderick Bunkley for them, he was the best run-stuffing D-lineman in the league last year.
mostly agree, though i do think the Saints D will be going through an adjustment period over the next year or two . . . they were built (personnel wise) to be an attacking, blitzing, team and with the new approach will come players doing stuff they were not necessarily brought there to do and haven't had to do much of and they will have to play a LOT more disciplined for Spags, something they will be getting used to . . . and you know spags will be evaluating players so he know what to replace in the off-season as some of them will not be able to make the necessary adjustments to play in this system at a level he wants . . . that and this being their first real game in this system, i think the Skins have a chance to move the ball and put up some points . . . problem i see is that i am not sure that they will be able to slow down Brees and the rest of the Saints passing attack . . . i see a high scoring affair with the Saints coming out on top . . . like 38 - 27 . . .
mostly agree, though i do think the Saints D will be going through an adjustment period over the next year or two . . . they were built (personnel wise) to be an attacking, blitzing, team and with the new approach will come players doing stuff they were not necessarily brought there to do and haven't had to do much of and they will have to play a LOT more disciplined for Spags, something they will be getting used to . . . and you know spags will be evaluating players so he know what to replace in the off-season as some of them will not be able to make the necessary adjustments to play in this system at a level he wants . . . that and this being their first real game in this system, i think the Skins have a chance to move the ball and put up some points . . . problem i see is that i am not sure that they will be able to slow down Brees and the rest of the Saints passing attack . . . i see a high scoring affair with the Saints coming out on top . . . like 38 - 27 . . .
We score 27 legitimate points (not late 4th quarter junk points) I will be pleasantly surprised.
SkinsGuru
09-05-2012, 11:37 AM
We score 27 legitimate points (not late 4th quarter junk points) I will be pleasantly surprised.
AND . . . if the Skins are going to lose, losing in a high scoring game is at least a bit more fun than losing 7 - 6 . . . i expect a lot of higher scoring games this year as i think the skins may be able to jump out on top and score a bit, but if they do, then when other teams start to pass to catch back up our front 7 better dominate or the secondary will let any lead the skins may have disappear faster than you can blink an eye
Crazy Horse
09-05-2012, 03:13 PM
If the saints turn the ball over a lot,the skins have a chance to win,especially if they score tds instead of fgs.it would take a miracle for the skins not to get blown out though,i just hope it is not too humiliating!
How many members will be surprised in the Redskins win? Honestly? I know I will. My biggest concern is that the offense we will see will most closely resemble the Chicago preseason game where Griffin looked hesitant in the pocket. Or worse, he will not show pocket awareness and get drilled like he did against the Colts. I think there is going to be a learning curve with RGIII and this is a not a good first opponent who can score 35 easily.
Spence
09-06-2012, 11:34 AM
I'd be stunned if the Redskins beat the Saints. Let's not forget, New Orleans won 13 games last year. Washington won 5. That's two months of football games they won that we didn't. Their quarterback shattered NFL passing records last year. Our quarterback has never thrown an NFL pass. The Saints are favored by 7-9 points and since they are playing at home, I think that's rather generous to Washington. I think the only question mark about the Saints is their coaching situation, but I expect them to rally around the guys they have and absolutely kick ass this year. They should be better on defense [though not very good] and just as great on offense. Their defense picked a bad week to check out in the playoffs and allow Alex Smith to tear them up. Play that game nine more times and it would come out differently at least six times. The Saints were no worse than the third best team in the NFL last year. The Redskins sucked.
The Redskins are rebuilding while the Saints are trying to get back where they belong -- the Super Bowl. I expect the NFC to come down to the Packers and the Saints this year [assuming Michael Vick gets injured on schedule], while the Redskins are just trying to get respectable again. These teams play in the same conference, but in another way, they're not even in the same league. The Redskins can win if the Saints have a terrible game and Washington is much better than we think [at least for one week], but I don't expect that. I'm just hoping for a good showing, particularly from our punchless offense.
BamaSkins
09-06-2012, 12:53 PM
When this game was initally announced I was predicting a loss for the Skins and an ugly one at that. But after the suspensions of saints HC i could see it coming to play in this game as far as play calling is concerned. If the ball bounces in our direction a few times i can see is pulling the upset.
A lot of it comes from us being a complete unknown. Noone really knows what our team is going to look like so that could play into our advantage.
PennSkinsFan
09-06-2012, 02:46 PM
Speaking of Redskins v. Saints, here is our weekly
GAME PREVIEW (http://dcprosportsreport.com/2012/09/game-one-saints-preview/)
When this game was initally announced I was predicting a loss for the Skins and an ugly one at that. But after the suspensions of saints HC i could see it coming to play in this game as far as play calling is concerned. If the ball bounces in our direction a few times i can see is pulling the upset.
A lot of it comes from us being a complete unknown. Noone really knows what our team is going to look like so that could play into our advantage.
I still think it will take a minor miracle to win, I see Brees throwing for many yards and TD's. Our best hope is that a depleted Saints D gets overwhelmed by the Skins offense with plays they did not anticipate or prepare for. Let's hope the Shannys have something up their respective sleeves with RGIII.
BamaSkins
09-07-2012, 09:30 AM
I still think it will take a minor miracle to win, I see Brees throwing for many yards and TD's. Our best hope is that a depleted Saints D gets overwhelmed by the Skins offense with plays they did not anticipate or prepare for. Let's hope the Shannys have something up their respective sleeves with RGIII.
See thats the thing. We have no "real" clue about what our offense is going to look like and neither do the Saints so its going to be hard to prepare for us. Also the Saints have not been that impressive this preseason(JMO) and that could be due to their suspensions.
I would not put any money on the Skins to win, but to me its not out of the realm of the possibilty.
While I agree that our offense will surprise just about everyone with the RGIII specific plays, I think the Saints offense will prove it doesn't matter if the defense knows what is coming, superior talent and execution will prevail. Our offense will rely on subterfuge until RGIII gets his feet under him and the talent takes over.
Crazy Horse
09-07-2012, 03:46 PM
What a bunch of BULL*HIT!!!!
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/07/appeals-panel-overturns-bounty-suspensions/
appeals panel overturns Saints bounty suspensions for players.
SkinsGuru
09-07-2012, 04:16 PM
What a bunch of BULL*HIT!!!!
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/07/appeals-panel-overturns-bounty-suspensions/
i am not too worried about tis . . . Vilma still won't be playing as he will go on the PUP and the LB they replaced him with, Curtis Lofton is a better LB anyway . . .
Appeals panel? Why isn't anyone appealing the Burbank ruling on the salary cap penalty?
Spence
09-07-2012, 04:37 PM
I'm hearing Will Smith may play since he went thru a training camp. He'd help the pass rush if he's in good shape to play.
This has really got to be a dagger to Roger Goodell's chest.
SkinsGuru
09-07-2012, 04:43 PM
at least there won't be any of the "we had players suspended or we would have won" excuses if the Skins win . . .
Maybe the team and fans won't be so angry with the players back!
SkinsGuru
09-07-2012, 04:45 PM
Maybe the team will be over confident with the players back!!
I really think the Saints are in for a long year, won't make the playoffs, and are susceptible here in the opener. Unfortunately, I don't think the Redskins have the personnel to pull off the upset. Very concerend about the secondary and Haslett. If we see blitzes all day, it could be a very ugly game. The matchups are terrible on the defensive side, and Haslett has shown no noticeable ability to change his scheme or style of play. Blitz Brees and pay dearly, and I suspect Haslett will do just that.
The offensive matchup looks quite favorable for RG, and he should have a decent game. The team should be able to move the ball and score with some regularity. I anticipate a stronger run than pass mix, and think the team may run 40 times. I think Royster and Helu will get the carries in the 1st half, with Morris coming in the 2nd half. All 3 may get double digit carries, and RG will get a handful as well.
I expect Garcon to have a big game and make a few big plays. Minimally reasonable stats for RG would be 16-26 for 200 yards with a touchdown(really should have 2 here), 1 pick, and take 2 sacks, no fumbles. Anything less will be quite disappointing for me.
Brandon Banks absolutely has to make an impact in my opinion. He has only 1 role on this team as a return man, and mostly just as a punt returner. Figure that NO will kick off for touchbacks, and a Brees' offense won't look to punt much. Banks may only get 3 or 4 chances to make a difference, and he has to make it count to justify his spot. 10 yards for punt returns and 30 yards for kick returns is expected from a return specialist. Obviously, a huge play from Brandon could be a difference maker, and he needs to be one.
All in all, I think the Skins play a normal Skins game, which is give up more big plays than they make. They're never really out of the game, but never really a threat to win. Good enough to lose respectably, and will show that they have serious work to do yet.
Just wanted to throw out an opinion on Redskin schemes and matchups to slow down the Saint offense, and pull off an upset. It's my opinion, and some others, that football is generally won with just a handful of plays by taking advantage of superior matchups. Hence the importance of a Brady, Brees, or Rodgers. It's a team game for sure and it's 11 against 11, but games are generally decided by taking advantage of positional mismatches while limiting your own mismatches. Typically on offense, you want to match strength against weakness, and on defense you want to match strength against strength.
The 3-4 defense came back strong again in the early 2000's because Bill Belichick realized he could sign quality 3-4 personnel in the mid to late rounds, and to confuse the growing trend of spread offenses. The 3-4 worked perfectly as he got good pieces cheaply to fit, and he wrecked havoc on passing offenses with creative blitzing packages. The Patriots won all the time, and the NFL copycatted his defense. The Steelers have always played a 3-4, but it was BB who brought back the 3-4 with his winning and solid mid to late round drafting to fit it.
Well now the Skins have shifted to a 3-4, as many teams have, but guess what? Offenses have caught up and passed it, and the creative blitzes no longer work. The 3-4 and 4-3 are basically interchangeable now because most teams still use 4 men to rush the Qb. The problem with Haslett and his 3-4 is he is still playing that old style zone blitz which isn't fooling anyone, and most every Qb can now read and take advantage of that mismatch. Brees, for example, will chew that blitz up and spit it out 6 ways to sunday.
I was seriously hoping for a defensive scheme change this year, but judging the preseason, it aint happening under Jim. We'll see on sunday, but I am not optimistic.
Here's what I believe the team should do. I don't care what you call it, a 3-4 or 4-3, but Kerrigan and Orakpo should be on the line rushing the Qb almost all the time. Their advantage is in rushing upfield, that's the mismatch. When either are in coverage, the mismatch goes the other way.
Now, the Saints will throw 40 times a game, 65% of their plays. Many of those sets are with 3, 4, or 5 receivers. That means the Skins will need to play nickel and dime a lot. In fact, the entire league, minus the Jets, are going in this direction. Let's kiss the front 7 goodbye, and play a base front 6, with the current 4 linebackers and only 2 down lineman. They rotate constantly to stay fresh. Of course Kerrackpo are on the line always, standing or hand down, they sub in and out with Jackson and Wilson to stay fresh, so we have a 4-2-5 defense as a base. No longer are the front line only to take up blockers, but now to penetrate into the backfield and make plays on the Rb and Qb. And the team does not blitz, except in rare instances. The Skins should be able to get an excellent pass rush with this constantly refreshed group. The front 6 have to stop the run, and this is where Fletch and Riley should shine.
Against the Saints, we now have 7 defenders to stop the pass always. The back 7 play a mixture of man and various zone defenses with differing personnel, this is how to confuse opposing quarterbacks now. Haslett will need to rotate different groups in based on incoming Saint packages. C.Griffin should be matched up against Colston with safety help as he is the best physical matchup. Colston gets mismatches because of his size more than anything else. Wilson, as the team's best corner, has to go man against D.Henderson, and Hall goes man against L.Moore. These are positive matchups for Washington in my opinion. Brees looks deep first, so protecting against the big play is paramount.
The problem is going to be stopping Graham and Sproles. Bernstine, if he is even activated, is the type of player to man up with Graham deep. Bernstine is probably not ready, and the task falls to Gomes. Fletcher is going to have him short. Riley, as the best cover linebacker, will have to take Sproles. There are opportunities to blitz against Sproles with Riley only as that is a positive mismatch. In dime packages, mostly 3rd downs, Fletch comes out for Crawford. Crawford can occasionally take Sproles when he is in. Graham and Sproles are big red zone targets, and they will require man coverage with help. Need that 4 man rush to get penetration quickly, with decent coverage to turn 7 into 3.
The way to defeat New Orleans is to run the ball, control the clock, and make them settle for field goals. The Skins need to force at least 3 field goals from the red zone, and of course, they will need to score td's instead of fg's. Brees is going to get his yards and they will move the ball with relative ease, the goal should be to contain the big play, force long drives where a mistake is more likely. While that safety blitz may get a sack, or even force an occasional turnover, the big plays given up completely negate the positive ones.
I believe Shanahan will absolutely try to control the clock, and run the ball all game long. The key will be for Griffin to convert those 3rd and 5 or less into 1st downs. This is where his running should be seen mostly. Get the 1st, hit the slide, get a new set of downs and manage the clock. This is RG's primary function, secondarily he needs to throw a few deep balls and try to hit one, but at least keep the defense guessing. Garcon should have a big game as he has a nice mismatch, Moss will also have a nice mismatch in the slot.
Football is a game of individual matchups, and that is where games are won and lost. Minimize your mismatches as best as possible, and create your own mismatches to exploit. Haslett's defense would work if the team had true shut down corners, but they don't. He is trying to compensate by sending 5 and 6 rushers nearly every play. He thinks he is creating a mismatch. The problem is, that's a matchup any decent Qb nowadays will win more times than not, and elite quarterbacks like Brees will bury your head in your hands and keep it there.
My opinions only.
Some predictions for the game:
The Redskins will get over 150 yards rushing, split between RG, Helu, Royster, Morris, and Young. Probably will see a reverse or 2 with a receiver.
The team will run the ball close to 40 times, with 26 or so pass attempts. Some of the pass attempts will turn into runs for Robert to get to that 40.
The Saints will probably be the opposite with 40 passes versus 26 runs.
RG will complete close to 60%. I'll say 16 of 26. I'll give him 200 yards passing. I think he will get 2 touchdowns, take 2 sacks, and throw an interception. I think he will also get 35 yards rushing on 7 attempts. I don't expect much more statistically, but I certainly don't expect much less as this is a great matchup for him to have a strong game. Leadership, comfort, command, and resiliency will also need to be monitored. He should be ok there hopefully.
Garcon will be an offensive star with 9 receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown. The 3 runningbacks will each get 10 or so carries, with Morris being the 4th qtr guy. Moss and Davis will be moderately effective, at least converting some key 3rd downs. Skins should score at least 20 points, or this offense is not working. Saints are not good defensively, and there is no reason not to put decent points on the board.
I'm afraid for this defense as I think Haslett will bring the blitz early and often, sometimes 6-7 guys. It would be near miraculous to keep them under 30 points, I don't see it. A nightmare would be 40 points and that is a possibility. As such, I don't think the Skins can cover in this game.
I think Banks will need to make a huge play for this team to have a chance to win. The defense is all but sure to give up more than the offense can score, so it comes down to specials to make a positive difference. I believe Brandon will return 2 kicks for a 25yd avg, and 2 punts for 15 yards total. He's an easy guy to root for, and now is the time to shine, but I believe he will not be a factor.
Shanny and Grif get a free pass for this game as no one expects much against the Saints in their building. But next week is already a must win game against the Rams in St. Louis. Shanny has to win that game, and RG needs a decent performance here as well. Otherwise, this could get ugly and fast.
This game will be one of the few highlights for the Saints this year as they go 8-8 and miss the playoffs.
Playoff predictions:
I really think the Eagles are an elite team, but the Vick question is too large to ignore. So I'll stay with the Giants winning the East and Dallas as a wild card.
The Packers and Bears make it, along with the Falcons and 49ers.
I'll go chalk and stay with the Packers all the way. But Dallas and Romo could be this year's Giants, and a healthy Vick changes everything.
In the AFC, it's the Patriots all the way, throw in Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Houston, and Chargers. The Patriots should walk to the championship game, and only the Ravens or Steelers have a legit shot in my opinion.
Chalk says Patriots and Packers in New Orleans, I'll stick with it and go Patriots as Champs.
In football nowadays, it really is all about the Quarterback, the Head coach and his staff. Then sprinkle in a few playmakers on either side of the ball to help or hinder the Qb. When in doubt, take the team with the best Qb, HC, pass rushers and receivers. If I was going to start my own football team, I would take a Qb, DE/OLB, Wr, and Cb with my top 4 picks. Get studs there, and fill out the rest with slightly above average players to build a consistant winner.
Dale you should get paid for writing something that thorough!
Crazy Horse
09-08-2012, 10:52 AM
I Think the only way we beat the saints at home this sunday is if god has the skins in the weekly office pool.
Crazy Horse
09-08-2012, 10:54 AM
Best way to beat the saints and the only way the skins have a chance is to consistenly run the ball and keep drew breese off the field.
SkinsGuru
09-08-2012, 02:43 PM
nice write up Dale . . . and agree with a lot of what you said . . . i am simply hoping that Brees is a bit rusty and the all the turmoil over there causes their offense to be a bit off their game . . . if not, and its probably a not, the Saints will just score too much for the Skins to be able to keep up . . . that's why i picked the Saints 38 - 27 . . . for the Skins sake, maybe Colston who is listed as questionable will miss the game and help the skins out in the secondary and with no Robert Meachem not there maybe that effects the offense a little too . . .
Crazy Horse
09-08-2012, 08:06 PM
if the skins outside rushers can get to breese and not let him set his feet,we have a chance to win.graham,the tight end is breese security blanket,if they add an extra db to just spy him on every play,that could also help a lot. like i said though,it will take a miracle for the skins to win.
Dale you should get paid for writing something that thorough!
Thanks, just a football fan who used to coach youngsters, and enjoy discussing the game and how it continually evolves. A Redskin fan who wants to really see the team get back to prominence as well.
I Think the only way we beat the saints at home this sunday is if god has the skins in the weekly office pool.
It's a tall order for sure.
nice write up Dale . . . and agree with a lot of what you said . . . i am simply hoping that Brees is a bit rusty and the all the turmoil over there causes their offense to be a bit off their game . . . if not, and its probably a not, the Saints will just score too much for the Skins to be able to keep up . . . that's why i picked the Saints 38 - 27 . . . for the Skins sake, maybe Colston who is listed as questionable will miss the game and help the skins out in the secondary and with no Robert Meachem not there maybe that effects the offense a little too . . .
Thanks, I do think Brees will be a bit rusty and the turmoil will affect them adversely. I also wonder how the new coach will handle the responsibility of a live game. If I had more confidence in the secondary, I'd feel a lot better about their chances. I still think they have a chance, but most everything has to fall right. Besides turnovers, I think the key will be holding them to 3's instead of 7's. And of course, our team needs to score 7's instead of 3's. Very little margin for error, and need multiple big plays. The good thing is a loss won't be devastating, as long as they play competitively at least.
if the skins outside rushers can get to breese and not let him set his feet,we have a chance to win.graham,the tight end is breese security blanket,if they add an extra db to just spy him on every play,that could also help a lot. like i said though,it will take a miracle for the skins to win.
I agree, hopefully they can get pressure without sending the house after Brees. Graham cannot be covered by a linebacker in my honest opinion, he has to be covered by a safety or a tall corner, I agree with you. A loss won't bother me too much as long as the team plays decently. No blowouts.
Spence
09-09-2012, 09:31 AM
That's the word. (http://dcprosportsreport.com/2012/09/report-alfred-morris-to-start-at-tailback/) Apparently, this is something the Redskins might never have done before in the history of the team.
Crazy Horse
09-09-2012, 11:51 AM
had to start him after the preseason he had.
SkinsGuru
09-09-2012, 12:16 PM
good for him, he earned it with good play . . . now it is for real however . . . i would be he comes out in 3rd down passing situations for sure as they will want the best blocking RB out there at the time . . .
PennSkinsFan
09-09-2012, 12:46 PM
He did earn it. Like the youth being given the football.
I have to take my hat off to Jim Haslett. He devised a terrific gameplan to slow down Brees and that offense. Drew was noticeably unhinged as the game wore on. Haslett had players in position all game to make plays. Had Orakpo caught that easy interception, and had M.Williams made a couple of plays he was there to make, the Sainst offense would have only had 2 touchdowns. His blitzes were more effective than not.
The offense, led by Robert was spectacular, and Kyle deserves some credit for that as well. That trade for RG really looks worth it after this game, and the sky is the ceiling for that kid. Kudos also to Mike for a few gutsy 4th down calls, and an aggressive attitude. Today was a great day to be a Redskin fan, trying still to temper expectations, but WOW!
I don't think Raheem Morris' contribution should be undersestimated. He beat NO when he was HC at TB and faced them even more times while he was DB coach there. He knows how to defend Brees I believe.
I put all pregame Saints news in this thread, including Dale's awesome writeup and the news on Morris starting.
I don't think Raheem Morris' contribution should be undersestimated. He beat NO when he was HC at TB and faced them even more times while he was DB coach there. He knows how to defend Brees I believe.
I agree, I love having Raheem on the staff, and believe he is a difference making coach. The secondary looked like a decided weakness, and were tasked with single coverage on top receivers as well. Hardly any blown assignments, pretty tight coverage throughout actually, and solid tackling after the catch. No doubt he will be a defensive coordinator very soon, and probably a Head Coach again as well.
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