Gloating is Fun

Posted: November 26th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 91 Comments »

The Skins lost 27-6 and now sit at 3-8.

They have a franchise QB. And a stud RB. And a workhorse WR. And a talented TE. And a stable OL. And a good set of LBs, especially OLBs. All of that adds up to 3 stinking wins.

Last year the Skins started 3-6. They got some breaks, played better and went on a 7-game win streak to finish 10-6. Their fans bought into them as a team on the rise.

Oops.

* The Skins have the worst STs in the league.

* 2 of their 3 wins came at the end of the game. They could easily be 1-10.

* The defense has only held one team all year to less than 24 points and that was Matt Flynn’s version of the Raiders.

* The offense has gone down in scoring each of the last 3 weeks.

* They’ve only had one game all year without a turnover and that came against the hapless 2-8-1 Vikings.

And on and on and on.

The Skins have been looking for the next Joe Gibbs for 20 years. They thought they found their dream coach in 2002 when they hired Steve Spurrier. He went 7-9 and 5-11.

They replaced him with Gibbs. But not the great guy from the 80’s. They got NASCAR Gibbs. He had 2 winning seasons, but still finished 30-34 in 4 years. They did at least win a Wild Card game in 2005.

In 2010 Mike Shanahan came to town to save the Skins. He had a pair of Super Bowl rings from his days in Denver. He was a certified offensive guru and knew how to coach up QBs. Shanny is 24-35 in Washington. He’s won just under 41 percent of his games. The 2012 division title is a major anomaly right now.

The organization has no 1st round pick since they dealt it to the Rams in the RG3 trade.

So there is a big mess in D.C. And fixing it won’t be easy. Do they bring back Shanny? He and the star QB don’t seem to be best buds right now. Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett has to be fired. He’s been awful. STs coach Keith Burns should be fired. He’s put out an awful unit. You don’t know who to blame the offense on so that side of things is more complicated.

Starting over is easier said than done, but that might be what Dan Snyder does. I sure hope he keeps Shanny and the boys in place. If there is a change, who do you go get?

I wonder if Joe Gibbs wants a 3rd crack at coaching the Skins.

* * * * *

I haven’t seen it yet, but apparently Donovan McNabb was ripping Shanny on FoxSports1. I’ll try to see if I can find that footage.

_


91 Comments on “Gloating is Fun”

  1. 1 TommyLawlor said at 2:00 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    RG3 gets kicked in the nads. Yikes.

    http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/robert-griffin-iii-gets-kicked-yeah-video-062640955–nfl.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

  2. 2 ICDogg said at 3:01 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    http://usatthebiglead.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/robert-griffin-iii-hit-in-the-nuts-by-sf-a.gif

  3. 3 GermanEagle said at 3:12 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    I hope he was ok after that.

    *joking aside and despite my much hatred for the Skins, I kinda like RG III. He just happens to work for a bad coach. Just imagine him teaming up with Chippah. That would be a deadly combo.

  4. 4 GENETiC-FREAK said at 3:26 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Man i was thinking the same thing.. Shannahans are killing this dude! Kyle Shannahan must think hes Chip with all the screens he called today

  5. 5 Buge Halls said at 10:39 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Haven’t we had enough of the run-first attack by QB’s? I kind of like having a QB who actually thinks “throw” first! I’d much rather have a receiver, back, or TE get 20 yards on a catch rather than get 10 yards on a QB scramble!

    And as has been quite evident this year, RG3 can’t beat anybody with his arm. He’s little more than an inaccurate Mike Vick. And much like Vick, can’t win without running.

  6. 6 ceedubya9 said at 9:06 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Yep, that about sums up Washington’s season 🙂

  7. 7 ICDogg said at 2:21 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    ICYMI:

    .@Eagles QB Nick Foles had 152.8 passer rating in Nov, highest in ANY calendar month in @nfl history (min 50 att)— Randall Liu (@RLiuNFL) November 25, 2013

  8. 8 Anders said at 2:40 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    My fear is he manage to get Art Briles or Sumlin. Both has a much better understanding of modern spread concepts and Briles is a proven program builder

  9. 9 bdbd20 said at 5:42 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Briles just signed a 10-year deal. He pretty much owns Waco right now. I doubt he’s leaving in the next 3-4 years.

    Sumlin is an interesting case. He seems destined for a pro job. He’s won everywhere he’s been. The Texans would probably be the most likely landing spot.

  10. 10 Anders said at 8:40 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Dan Snyder could easily give Briles same type of money over 5 less years.

    Briles signed for 10 year 35 mill, Kelly’s contract with the Eagles is 5 years 32.5. Remember coaches contracts are fully guaranteed and Briles would be able to get any college job outside of Nick Saban’s and Urban Meyers’ job.

  11. 11 bdbd20 said at 10:06 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    I really don’t think it’s a money thing with Briles. The fact that he chose to sign that deal makes me think that he likes Baylor and would like to be there for a while.

    If he wanted out, he could easily have USC or Texas.

  12. 12 Anders said at 10:13 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    It is not about wanting out. Its about opportunity. See Kelly, he didnt wanna leave Oregon, but when he got an opportunity he couldnt turn down, he bolted.

    If you as a coach is handing a 10 year contract, you take it because as a coach you never know when you are fired.

  13. 13 Buge Halls said at 10:40 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Shanny will never fire his kid. The only way is if both of them leave.

  14. 14 Anders said at 11:09 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Of course Sumlin and Briles would only be candidates if both are fired

  15. 15 Stephen Stempo said at 4:36 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Does shanahan really know how to coach up qbs? I know he’s pretty good at infuriating them.

  16. 16 mark2741 said at 12:01 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    Great question. He irritated Elway. Did he really help Elway or was he just along for the ride? I think the latter. Who exactly has he ‘coached up’? Brian Griese? He certainly didn’t coach up McNabb, or RGIII to this point, or the other guys he’s had in Washington. Shanahan is way overrated. Except in one area: the running game. He has some knack for taking mediocre RBs and making them instant superstars. But same can’t be said for QBs. No way. Cutler he shipped out because they didn’t get along. Jake the Snake? nah. I don’t get this mystique about Shanny. Anyone who hires his own son obviously has a screw loose. That’s a no-win situation no matter how good his son may/may not be as OC. You just don’t do that.

  17. 17 iceberg584 said at 12:18 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    Maybe Steve Young? Shanny got to SF in 1992, which was the year Young really took the leap from backup with potential to superstar. As great as those late-90s Denver teams were, the best offense that Shanahan was associated with was the 1994 49ers’ offense.

  18. 18 Sean said at 1:16 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    I agree with you, but, to be fair, McDaniels traded Cutler.

  19. 19 Mark Sitko said at 7:31 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    In DC you call for Haslett’s head, AND the ST coach’s head, but not for the head of Shanny’s incompetent son? Come on Tommy – the major problem in DC, and at any company that allows incestuous hiring, is that the Coach has his son running the offense. Clearly he is not capable…and only got the job due to his Daddy. Between that moron running a sub-NFL offense, and the 3 first rounders they gave up for RGknee this team never had a chance…how great was it to watch our 3rd round goofball of a QB outplay their triple first round (and a second) waste of resources?

  20. 20 TommyLawlor said at 8:26 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Who is to blame for the offensive problems? Shanny? Shanny Jr? The GM, because of the fact they won’t invest in the OL? I don’t think firing Kyle and hiring Pat Shurmur would have made a substantial difference.

    That said, I think it was terrible for Shanny to hire his son. If Kyle does a good job, Shanny gets the credit. If the offense struggles, Kyle will get the blame. Lose-lose scenario.

  21. 21 Cafone said at 9:48 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Wouldn’t that be win-win? For Senior, not Junior…

  22. 22 BlindChow said at 10:30 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    It makes Senior look bad if Junior fails, like Reid after he promoted Castillo.

  23. 23 Sean said at 1:14 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    I hope you mean nepotistic and not incestous.

  24. 24 BreakinAnklez said at 11:06 AM on November 27th, 2013:

    He was capable OC while running the Texans offense…I wonder how much if that is having a stud WR or his dad being a control freak.

  25. 25 Daniel Norman Richwine said at 8:12 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Given what we know about Snyder, I imagine he’ll play catch up and get a hot college spread coach, assuming what we’ve seen from Chip lately continues. Sumlin seem likely.

  26. 26 BlindChow said at 10:29 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    How about Baylor’s head coach? Reuniting RG3 with the offense that put him on the map in the first place…

  27. 27 Mike Roman said at 8:38 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    I’m sorry but Shanny is a joke. Shanny with John Elway and Shanny with anyone else are two different stories. He’s done ok with QBs, but I wouldn’t say he’s some great developer of them. I’m sure Donnie McNabb was a pain in the ass for him, but he’s having issues with RGIII too so that must say something. They have talent on that team but are clearly dysfunctional. I don’t see how they bring Shanahan back, but I hope they do.

  28. 28 Anders said at 8:42 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Shanahan had problems with everybody outside of Elway. He had problems with Jake Plummer as well.

  29. 29 Andy124 said at 9:10 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    And Cutler iirc.

  30. 30 izzylangfan said at 9:18 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    I know its late but I wanted to get in my comments on Foles. There are several things that we know about Foles:

    1. Fleet of Mind. This was just about the nicest thing a coach can say about a quarterback. We know that all the athletic talent in the world is not enough to make a great QB. ( See Michael Vick.) But look at the pre snap reads of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady and tell me a good mind doesn’t matter. NFL history is full of otherwise mediocre QBs who just get it and talented would be QBs who don’t.

    2. He throws the ball before the receiver is open. This is a natural ability that is difficult to teach. You have to see the play before it happens like a point guard – like maybe Rajan Rondo. He did this the first time I saw him play (last year’s pre season) and now he has made Riley Cooper into a true #2 receiver.

    3. He can look off the defensive backs. When Peyton Manning looks to the left and then throws to the right the announcers end up bowled over, rapturous on the broadcast booth floor over how amazing a QB he is. OK, but how about this second year QB with a relatively few games under his belt doing the same.

    4. He can learn. First of all most QBs in the NFL frequently under throw the long ball. But since the receivers in the league are far better at tracking the ball than the DBs and since they know the play and can more easily turn to look for the ball, the offense has the advantage. Many TDs are scored on under thrown long passes – but when Peyton Manning and Tom Brady do it nobody calls them lucky. Last year Foles consistently under threw the long ball this year not so much. How did that happen. And, that is not the only thing he learned.

    So, Tommy when you say that the only thing we can say about Foles is that he has proved he can be a starting QB in this league but that he has not yet proved he is a franchise QB, I can only sort of agree, because we can also wonder – Isn’t there a better than remote possibility that something extraordinary is going on here.

  31. 31 Cafone said at 9:31 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    I like Foles, but to play devil’s advocate, perhaps Foles’ quick decision making and receiver anticipation seems so special to us because we’ve been watching McNabb and Vick for the last 12+ years.

    You know, sort of like how Vick’s passing accuracy seemed so stupendous to us because we were used to watching McNabb when most of the NFL would have ranked Vick’s passing accuracy as fair to poor at best?

    Don’t get me wrong: I like Foles. I think he can be a starter. But I don’t think he is a top 5 in the NFL level talent and I think it’s the Chip Kelly system that is helping him put up the kind of stats that would have us all believing we have the next Brady/Brees/Manning on our hands.

    But if Foles + Chip Kelly = top 5 QB numbers, then I guess we don’t really need to care what Foles would look like if he was playing for Shanahan. In the future I think this will be come clearer when Foles inevitably goes down for a few games and we get to see what a backup with experience looks like in his place.

  32. 32 izzylangfan said at 9:51 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    If Foles were playing for Shanahan he would look like ground meat – Just like RGIII.

    I agree that new offenses like Chip Kelly’s along with rule changes and probably better QBs have shifted the equation and the statistics toward the offense. Thus the high QB ratings of Foles and some others are difficult to put in historical perspective. However, particularly in the case of Peyton Manning I think we have a hall of fame QB who more than the others is special because of his mind.

    I can’t really argue with your skepticism. But when I watch Foles I can’t help but see a master QB in the making. I do think we will learn more once teams decide to defend the pass more. It seems now most teams try to stop the Eagles running game and make Foles beat them with the pass.

  33. 33 Cafone said at 10:04 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Again, I don’t want it to sound like I don’t like Foles. You make very valid points about his positive attributes. I agree with you.

    I’m only trying to temper it a little with the thought that these skills we are praising should kind of be the basic skills that most NFL QBs have, and the reason they may be standing out to us is that the QBs we’ve watched the most have been deficient in these areas compared to average NFL QBs.

    Perhaps another way to think about it would be comparing Foles to more “average” QBs… rather than a guy like Vick who, poor guy, probably will have some trouble finding a starting job next year. For example, how would Jay Cutler look in Chips system? or Matt Ryan? or even Ryan Tannehill?

    I don’t think I’m being negative. If Foles really isn’t “super special” that’s actually a positive for the Eagles moving forward because it means he’s replaceable.

  34. 34 Buge Halls said at 10:48 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Well, since Foles is leading the league in many stats, why in the world would you compare him to “average” QBs?

  35. 35 Cafone said at 11:13 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Because we are having a “Generational talent” vs. “Product of the System” discussion.

  36. 36 Neil said at 11:22 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    There’s nothing stopping any of those QBs from manipulating the defense with pumps and eye movement, and yet they don’t. Vick didn’t do those things at the level Foles does when he played in the same system. Foles has limitations for sure, but to call the skills he’s displaying “basic” is offbase. Can any QB learn true mastery of the QB position? Sure. How many actually do? Is true mastery more important than throwing hard and running fast? Foles is in Canton and Vick isn’t, so far.

  37. 37 Cafone said at 11:28 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Re: ” Foles is in Canton and Vick isn’t, so far.”

    Actually, Vick has his jersey in Canton too. They put it there after the drubbing of the Redskins in 2010 where he became the first player in NFL history to throw for more than 300 yards, rush for more than 50 yards, throw four touchdown passes and rush for two touchdowns in one game.

  38. 38 Neil said at 11:29 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Nice. Seems like that place is getting crowded.

  39. 39 P_P_K said at 12:15 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    Donovan might not agree.

  40. 40 Buge Halls said at 10:50 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    The rule changes have affected ALL QBs the last several years – why (in your opinion) are only “Foles and some others” benefiting? Maybe it’s because they are that good. Maybe it’s because they are playing at a level above most of their peers?

  41. 41 mheil said at 3:02 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    I think we have to see him play the same way in the freezing weather of December and January, see how he stands up to a ferocious pass rush, and see him win a few come from behind games against good Ds before reaching the conclusion that he is a master QB in the making.

  42. 42 bill said at 10:29 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Yeah, I’ve been saying for a while that it’s tough for Eagles’ fans to really evaluate Foles objectively, in that Vick has a top 3 (I’d argue best) arm, but I’d rank his pre-snap reads, and pocket awareness well below many of the back-ups in the NFL. Foles’s arm’s going to look very weak in comparison, and his reads and pocket awareness are going to look amazing in comparison.
    With his combination of these traits, Foles can be an effective QB in the NFL, but he’s going to have to have the work ethic to keep improving in both arm and reads to make the next step. I’m willing to bet the coaching staff has a good idea of whether he has the work ethic necessary, and that’s the issue that will have a major impact on whether they draft a QB highly next year.

  43. 43 Buge Halls said at 10:51 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Maybe we should evaluate him the way the rest of the league is – highest passer rating – record high actually!

    Seems like the Philly fans are always looking for negatives!

  44. 44 Cafone said at 11:50 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Nobody takes passer rating seriously anymore.

    And if you go by ESPN’s Total QBR, he’s no Josh McCown!

    (nobody takes Total QBR seriously either)

  45. 45 Cafone said at 11:41 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    I’d say that your point may support the “product of the system” argument, since two quarterbacks with such drastically different talents have both been able to succeed with almost no modification in the offense necessary to focus on their individual strengths and weaknesses.

  46. 46 bill said at 12:04 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    I’m still not convinced Vick was “successful” in the system in the way that everyone is evaluating Foles, now. The problem was that 1. Washington’s D was atrociously unprepared for Kelly’s offense, to the extent that Oakland’s D looked like it was coached by a Harbaugh in comparison, and 2. Even SD had limited tape of Vick in Kelly’s offense and played way too much zone. I think what we would have seen as the season went on, if Vick stayed healthy, would have been absolutely huge games on the ground for Vick (100+ yds rushing for Vick alone plus extra yardage for Shady), but relatively low passing days (150-225 yards through the air). The man-free defense was kryptonite to Vick’s passing game, but absolutely gave him a ton of room to run on broken plays. Whether those numbers constitute successful is a subjective thing. I personally think teams would be happy with the tradeoff, because I think they’d be keeping the Eagles out of the end zone fairly regularly. But like I said, YMMV.

  47. 47 Buge Halls said at 2:49 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    Please point to me where Vick was successful – beyond 1/2 of a game in DC

  48. 48 Buge Halls said at 10:47 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    People keep saying “it’s the system”. If that’s true, why did Vick fail at it? It’s a ridiculous comment to blame Foles’ progress and accomplishments on the “system”. The “system” doesn’t help him scan the defense to make sure the right play/protection is called at the line. The “system” doesn’t help him look off receivers and make passes.

    Please, stop giving the credit to the “system” and give credit to the kid making the plays!

  49. 49 Cafone said at 11:05 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Is it really fair to say Vick failed at it? He looked great in the preseason. He looked great in the first Redskins game. He looked great in the San Diego game the following week.

    He had some poor games too, more poor games than Foles, but none of his performances were as bad as the one by Foles against the Giants. And lets not discount the fact that Foles currently has the benefit of playing at a time when the entire offense is more familiar with the system.

    Fole has looked better than Vick, but saying that Vick failed in the new system is going way too far.

  50. 50 Neil said at 11:18 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    What looks like it happened with Vick is his body broke down after a few games. The first two games he wasn’t that far off of Foles’ general performance level, and then he had his one game against KC where he was completely useless a la Foles v Dallas.

    So I’d say in a sense Vick did fail in the system. He’s probably going to fail in any other one he plays in for the rest of his career too solely on account of durability.

  51. 51 Buge Halls said at 2:51 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    PRESEASON? Really, you’re using preseason to compare to the last month of the regular season?

  52. 52 ACViking said at 10:19 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    IZZYLANGFAN . . . so good to see your comment.

    Regarding your remark about how Peyton Manning’s accomplishments may be more about his mind than his body, I think you’re right.

    Every generation of NFL QBs has had a QB or two whose physical skills didn’t match up to their greatness.

    The best? Johnny Unitas — who played with the guts of a burglar. No one better in the 2-minute drill . . . in fact, it’s said Unitas invented the 2-minute drill. He was a bandy-legged kid from western PA, cut by the Steelers after graduating from Louisville. But the guy could read defenses, call a great game, . . . and execute.

    Bart Starr wasn’t far behind. Though maybe more than anyone, he benefited from 8 years of great, great defense and a 8 years of a great offensive line who made the likes of Ben Wilson look good.

    And Roger Staubach was no cannon-armed QB. He was though a great reader of defenses.

    Anyway, I think your points a great one.

  53. 53 P_P_K said at 12:17 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    Having these qualities in any qb is great. Having them in a guy who is essentially still in his first season is remarkable.

  54. 54 Michael Winter Cho said at 9:35 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    I was going to say hire Mark Helfrich but–maybe not…

  55. 55 ACViking said at 10:06 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Re: Paging Carl & Bonnie Lindros

    Dan Snyder may have a Lindros-sized headache in Griffin and his family — whether his parents are as notoriously prominent as the Lindroses were in dealing with former Flyers GM Bob Clarke.

    Nevertheless, when parents are openly involved in their son’s professional endeavors, little good seems to come of it.

    Dan Snyder . . . time’s yours. Lots of luck, pal.

  56. 56 Cafone said at 10:10 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Who do you blame when your kid is a brat
    Pampered and spoiled like a Siamese cat?
    Blaming the kids is a lion of shame
    You know exactly who’s to blame:
    The mother and the father!

  57. 57 bill said at 10:16 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    The one bit of “inside info” I’ve ever received dealt with the involvement of the Lindros clan with the running of the Flyers during the Cup Finals run of ’97. The upshot of the information I got was that Terry Murray would in no possible universe be the coach of the Flyers in ’98. That information was given to me in February ’97, and I doubted its veracity, as the Flyers were having a fantastic season and playing quite well. But as every other part of the information came to fruition (things as specific as line combinations that were supposedly “unacceptable”), and Al Morganti started speaking of how Murray was “coaching for his job” as the playoffs started (despite having smoke and mirrors in goal), I came to realize that, if anything, the stories about Karl and Bonnie were underselling just how demanding they were.
    I doubt the Griffins are as involved, or demanding, but I guess they don’t need to be for it to ruin Griffin’s career. Only time will tell.

  58. 58 Buge Halls said at 10:52 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Momma McNabb anyone?

  59. 59 Cafone said at 11:30 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    I wouldn’t put Momma McNabb in the same category, but this actually exists: http://youtu.be/odxE-Rv76p4

  60. 60 Joseph Dubyk said at 10:06 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    I don’t think they have a franchise QB… Bad mechanics, horrible attitutde, doesn’t see open WRs, and inaccurate.. He can run, but whoopdy do.

  61. 61 bdbd20 said at 10:07 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    I would really like to see RG3 with a coaching staff that knows how to develop QB’s. I do think he can be special. Running that option garbage does nothing for his development.

    For his sake, I hope the Shannahans are gone after this season.

  62. 62 Joseph Dubyk said at 4:53 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    So he had an awesome year last year despite his coaches? And now all the sudden it’s his coaches that can’t coach and not him??????

  63. 63 bdbd20 said at 5:07 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    You’re correct. He did have an awesome year. He did not, however, develop many QB skills.

    He ran the option and made some great throws. He still hasn’t developed the ability to read coverages.

    If you want that from your QB, then so be it. I’d rather have a guy who keeps progressing as a passer.

  64. 64 Cafone said at 10:10 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Theoretically, Kirk Cousins could be a franchise QB.

    He was the next QB taken after Nick Foles and that guy is the next Brady 😉

  65. 65 BlindChow said at 10:14 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Redskins fans are already clamoring for Cousins.

  66. 66 Donald Kalinowski said at 2:09 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    There are so many dumb generalizations in this comment. This is typical jargon associated with mobile QBs.

    How does this guy have a horrible attitude? I’ve yet to hear anything come from his mouth or see him do anything that would make me question his dedication to his team.

    How does he have bad mechanics and how is he inaccurate? A lot of his completions are tight spirals to moving receivers on slant routes off of play action.

    And maybe his inability to get the ball to open receivers have to do with his poor offensive line and poor playcalling by his offensive coordinator.

    You’ve basically taken a scouting report of Vince Young and applied to RG3 simply because they’re both mobile.

  67. 67 Joseph Dubyk said at 4:52 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    Actually watch RG3 play and not his highlight reels.

  68. 68 JJ_Cake said at 10:33 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    Hard to gloat at an org that has won a few SB’s and we’ve never won one.

    I’m glad we didn’t make that trade the skins did, man the rams are getting great draft position.

  69. 69 Anders said at 10:34 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    They havnt won any under Dan Snyder

  70. 70 Cafone said at 10:47 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    I disagree. I find it very easy to gloat.

    They have 5 championships; The Eagles have 3. Who cares that a few of theirs came after they gave the NFL Championship game a lame hippie monicker that sounds downright silly these days? It’s hard to even say out loud without sounding like you are being bigoted towards the LGBT community.

    Who cares at all? I wouldn’t care if they had ten and the Eagles had zero. They have a disaster of an owner that will continue to stumble through mistake after mistake while the Eagles have a great owner who hires the right people and lets them make the football decisions. The Eagles have a bright future. Redskins fans have a crap organization with a racist name that is an embarrassment to the NFL.

  71. 71 ICDogg said at 2:07 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    Don’t you love the way some other teams’ fans gloat about rings their teams won as if those fans had anything to do with winning them? As if it somehow makes them better persons because they root for a team that won the Super Bowl 20-odd years ago.

  72. 72 Ark87 said at 4:40 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    They’re just trying to get under our skin. Trolling us. They know all of our angst stems from that fact. Doesn’t change the fact that their team has been putrid for a generation with the only hope they’ve had in forever also looking putrid this season. Can you imagine being a teenage Redskins fan (born and raised that is, not an RGIII band wagoner)? Hats off to them, can’t question their fan credentials, that’s for sure.

  73. 73 Buge Halls said at 10:34 AM on November 26th, 2013:

    “2 of their 3 wins came at the end of the game. They could easily be 1-10”

    Pretty much the same as we were last year – a missed (easy) interception in the 1st game and a few phantom PI penalties in the 2nd and 4th games were the difference between 4 wins and 1 win last year!

  74. 74 sprawl said at 12:45 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    17 / 16 (@CLE)
    23 / 24 (BAL)
    17 / 19 (NYG)
    23 / 21 (@TB)

    We were 6 points away from having 0 wins last year.

  75. 75 Eagles_Fan_in_San_Fran said at 12:52 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    Tommy, in the name of God and all that is good and right, please delete the above post from Sprawl – it is burning straight through my eyes and destroying my brain! (And please, Sprawl, let us never speak of the unpleasantness of 2012 ever again.)

  76. 76 Buge Halls said at 2:47 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    Yep

  77. 77 Sb2bowl said at 6:32 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    what is this twenty twelve that you speak of? I know not what you mention, nor shall it be mentioned again?

  78. 78 bsuperfi said at 12:37 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    There are a lot of comments (all the time) re Foles’ potential and what we know now. For me, the last stretch of games is crucial especially because of the weather. He needs to be able to keep up his accuracy in bad weather. Any real Super Bowl hopes for a Philly team are built on playing some critical games in bad weather late season. This is where we don’t just get to see his intestinal fortitude, but also his arm strength. After all, this is where arm strength really matters.

    The pats/broncos game was a great example of this. Brady is a great qb in many respects. But he can flat out throw in cold and windy conditions. He threw much better than manning IMO. Big difference if you want to go deep in the playoffs outside of a dome.

  79. 79 ICDogg said at 12:41 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    Interesting stat courtesy of Jaws:

    Since 2010, Brady ranks 25th out of 31 qualifying quarterbacks in completion percentage on passes over 20 yards in the air. He has hit on just 30.3 percent of those throws. Compare that to Aaron Rodgers (44.4 percent, No. 2 in that time frame) or even Manning (38.2, No. 7). This season, the contrast is particularly sharp. Manning sits at 41.5 percent in 2013, compared to Brady’s mark of just 22.9.

  80. 80 bsuperfi said at 12:52 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    Well, that’s counter evidence for sure. Though, there could be a bunch of alternative explanations for that stat. When I look qualitatively at Brady v. Manning, it sure seems like Brady has a stronger arm.

    I’m not saying Foles’ arm is too weak. Just that arm strength in the late season run is something to keep an eye on. I actually don’t think hyper arm strength is that important, even for deep passes. It’s important for throwing the ball without too much arc down the field – critical for Vick’s game (wait for the receiver to come open at the last second and then throw) or for a late season game where the wind could act up.

  81. 81 ICDogg said at 1:19 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    It’s having a great coach behind you and having an incredible will to win that puts Brady ahead. It’s not arm strength. He just finds a way, somehow, even when he’s banged up, when his receivers are 3rd string, etc. because he is so competitive.

    That is what will make or break Foles, too. We will get to see what he is all about the more tough situations he faces.

  82. 82 mtn_green said at 5:28 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    Brady is clutch.
    Oddly enough Vick has a good number of fourth quarter comebacks too, although last year defense gave away game again.

    We will see if Foles can make the passes to win.

  83. 83 CrackSammich said at 1:53 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    Keep in mind the talent discrepancy that each of those guys is throwing to. It doesn’t seem that Manning has a bad receiver to throw to, while Brady was throwing to all backups for a significant part of the season. I can remember watching a couple Pats games earlier this season where Brady put it in the right spot but his receivers weren’t fast enough/didn’t get off the press in time to catch it.

  84. 84 ICDogg said at 2:03 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    No question that is part of the difference. But Brady still finds a way to win with those guys, and that is really my point, that it’s less a matter of arm strength and more about intangible matters of character and competitiveness.

  85. 85 Eagles_Fan_in_San_Fran said at 12:44 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    So I take it that you’re not exactly a Skins fan, eh Tommy?
    So let me ask: In order of disgust, how would you rank our fine friends here in the NFC East – Skins, G-men and suck-a$$, scumbag, America’s Team-my-M-F-A$$ Cowboys?

  86. 86 ICDogg said at 1:51 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    I think how much you hate the division rivals is mostly a function of (a) how good those teams are and have been in the past and (b) how many of their fans you have to put up with. I’ve always had to put up with more Giants fans, but on the other hand there is nothing worse than putting up with a Cowboys fan who grew up in the Philly area but adopted the Cowboys because they were winning at the time and the Eagles were losing.

  87. 87 planetx1971 said at 1:04 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    I’ve freely admitted to the Cardinals D making be nervous but after reading other threads & seeing how outta control COCKY their fans are, AND THEY ARE BAD, I’m PRAYIN Foles can light them up. Not simply win. Seems nobody’s giving us a shot & I actually prefer that.

  88. 88 Donald Kalinowski said at 2:11 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    They’re like the Chicago Bears- the team we should beat but always lose to.

  89. 89 ICDogg said at 1:45 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    Saw this on BGN

    http://i.imgur.com/WetWvrz.jpg

  90. 90 planetx1971 said at 3:18 PM on November 26th, 2013:

    Just found my new Avatar I think!!

  91. 91 xeynon said at 11:22 AM on November 27th, 2013:

    The Redskins’ biggest problem is Dan Snyder. If there’s one thing the NFL clearly shows, it’s that no matter what the organizational structure is or who the coach/GM are, it’s difficult to have any sort of sustained success with a guy at the top as meddlesome and incompetent as Snyder. Unfortunately for Skins fans he’s not going to fire himself. As Eagles fans we should be grateful for 1.)Jeffrey Lurie, and 2.)the fact that in Snyder and Jerry Jones we have two of the NFL’s worst owners from the standpoint of impact on on-field performance in our division.