David Elfin On Sports: The End Of The NFL Lockout Brings The Start Of The Annual Losing Here In Washington

[SWFLSkins]

Found this in breaking news section and thought we should throw it against the wall to discuss. I don't think it is as bleak as Elfin portrays it and he really shyed away from any bright spots. This is afterall Shannys second season here and we all knew coming in there were huge changes to implement and a lack of talent in many areas. I think one thing Elfin skipped was the quality of drafting that Shanny has brought to the table and the fact that the final roster is a guess at this point. Also I don't agree with him about the Cowboys, and they have there own woes this year. That line is a year older, and they won't be adding talent to replace it.

...from the article.....http://washington.cbslocal.com/2011/07/22/david-elfin-on-sports-the-end-of-the-nfl-lockout-brings-the-start-of-the-annual-losing-here-in-washington/

The NFL’s 19-week old lockout is blessedly on the verge of ending. That’s great news for the owners, the players, the coaches and other team employees caught in the middle of the labor impasse these past four months, as well as for the fans.

However, it might not be as welcome a development for the Washington Redskins as for, say, their NFC East rivals, the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.

Why?

The Redskins are coming off three straight last-place finishes and were one of just six teams to rank in the bottom third of the league in both scoring and points allowed. Their quarterbacks have combined to start all of three games in coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s offense. No NFC defense allowed more yards in coordinator Jim Haslett’s system.

[chipwhich]

Elfin's article was a waste of my time. Just regurgitating the same old crap.

This team might suck this year, but the makeup of the roster will be vastly different than last year. Who knows what we have until the final roster is set.

[SpacePenguin]

Nothing thought provoking or entertaining in this article. Basically, a regurgitation of the mass media talking points.

I am not amused Elfin. Would it kill you to come up with an original thought?

Everyone knows the team is in rough shape after Cerrato. Calling this article journalism is a stretch. Unless you're the most casual of fans, nothing is gained by reading it.

But, let me add something.....This joke of a team won the same number of games as the media darling cowboys, with little of the "talent" people are so enamored with. So where's this giant gap in talent between the two? It's certainly not based in reality.

Suck on that Elfman.

[Destino]

It would be great to have a team that doesn't suck. I hope Shanny can turn this thing around soon man. I'd love to see articles talking about us building on our success instead of wondering how bad it will be.

[skinfan2k]

but what if mike s can't fix this ship? where do we go on from there? are we gonna become the new clippers?

[Taylor 36]

Funny how he claims that we finished last in the division three years in a row when we tied with the Cowboys, and they picked before us in the draft, because when all the formulating was done, they finished behind us.

Elfin, like so many of his DC sports writing peers, is just writing **** based on crap that was dumped years ago. No fresh perspectives, no originality or thought about changes that have taken place or possibly will before September. It is very pathetic.

[Skinzfever2010]

So a sports journalist writes an article about how bad we will be and....


We get upset because? It's a good chance we're a 5/6 win team, last in our division, praying for the first pick

[Thiebear]

Wouldn't the CBA be good for the Redskins? If we come in last we would get the benefit of a first round pick and not have to worry about it costing 100million.
You'd figure a 'sports' analyst would see this.

[Taylor 36]

So a sports journalist writes an article about how bad we will be and....


We get upset because? It's a good chance we're a 5/6 win team, last in our division, praying for the first pick

I, for one,am not upset about what was said, but more about how it was said. There is no thought or originality to his article. He completely dismisses changes that have been made and ignores the fact that several more will be made before the regular season starts, all while trying to base his opinions on hype that has been proven false just last season. I can't speak for other posters, but I think many agree with me about this, and that is why we are upset at trash like this.

[SpacePenguin]

I, for one,am not upset about what was said, but more about how it was said. There is no thought or originality to his article. He completely dismisses changes that have been made and ignores the fact that several more will be made before the regular season starts, all while trying to base his opinions on hype that has been proven false just last season. I can't speak for other posters, but I think many agree with me about this, and that is why we are upset at trash like this.

:point2sky

Its not an issue of being favorable to the Redskins or not. Most of us complain about the Redskins quite a bit.This guy put zero thought into this "article" and it shows.

[SWFLSkins]

I, for one,am not upset about what was said, but more about how it was said. There is no thought or originality to his article. He completely dismisses changes that have been made and ignores the fact that several more will be made before the regular season starts, all while trying to base his opinions on hype that has been proven false just last season. I can't speak for other posters, but I think many agree with me about this, and that is why we are upset at trash like this.

This is the reason I put this up as a thread. This guy is getting paid to write this crap. I know he stops by here and I hope he reads these responses calling it is what it is, crap. It's almost as if he is a Cowboys fan. HE fails to recognize the truth of the matter, the Cowboys have troubles this year, and the ain't the Cowboys of '09. The OL is another year older and will be worse. Romo is going to face more pressure than he has in the past, and Jerry can't add the quality of players he would like to in the defensive backfield. The Cowboys might score enough points, but the pass defense can be beat if you can avoid the pass rush. The backfield is not top tier and will be exploited by good QB's. The fact that he is a washington writer and yet does not acknowledge some of the quality young players Shannahan has brought after years of mis-management in that area is just lame.

[Wheat]

Funny how he claims that we finished last in the division three years in a row when we tied with the Cowboys, and they picked before us in the draft, because when all the formulating was done, they finished behind us.


Actually, the draft order and standings do not equate. We were in last place in the NFC East even though the Cowturds picked before us. They had a so-called tougher schedule which dictates draft position in the tie-break between us. I had this argument defending your assertion and lost. Just another in a long line of slaps in the face.

Edit: There is a remedy for this type of article...winning.

[McD5]

It's hard not to laugh at the title. Hopefully we can get this thing turned around sometime. Like before we all die.

[skinfan2k]

we suck people face the reality!

[SWFLSkins]

we suck people face the reality!

The Redskins have sucked, but there are some signs that youthful talent is being developed for a change. Besides this article is written as though it was last year, and not this year.

[skinsfan4128]

In a sentiment, I would simply like the five minutes of my life I spent reading that article back. :silly: I'm tired of the same regurgitated pile of :pooh: that these writers continue to put out. It's usually the same story everytime, Dallass win the Super Bowl and the Skins are the doormats. And though we have not been good, we have new management that are conducting things differently from the cretin Vinny's old ways. Wish they would account for this. Alas, it will take winning to shut the fools up ultimately. :(

[Voice_of_Reason]

but what if mike s can't fix this ship? where do we go on from there? are we gonna become the new clippers?

This thing is so broke, it's going to take quite bit of time to really fix it. Just think about what they had going into the 2010 season:
1. A good, but very old defense that needed to be completely re-tooled, regardless of scheme. The DL was pretty putrid in the 4-3, the LBs were the strength, with Fletch and Orakpo, but the secondary was also a mess. Rogers dropping balls, Hall gambling, Landry completely out of position, and the other safety spot was a rotating door. Not to mention the AH disaster. They needed to replace between 8-10 players on the defense in 2 years, just because of age and ineptitude.
2. On offense, the QB situation was a PR catastrophe with JC. Whether he was good, not good, servicable or not was irrelevant. The team and fan base had given up on him, and it was time to move on from that experiment.
3. The OL was the exact same OL as in 2005, just 4 years older. And not very good, and needed a complete overhaul.
4. The WRs were "Moss and the other guys." Again, that tune had been playing since 2005. Kelly and Thomas were supposed to help. They didn't. The WR core needed a complete overhaul.
5. The RB spot should have been the bright spot, but due to personality conflicts, was still a mess. Portis didn't respect Zorn (don't blame him) and didn't come to camp in 2009 in shape. It was the same cast of misfits since 2005, and again, needed an overhaul and youth.
6. The schemes on both sides of the ball were pretty ordinary. Zorn only knew 6 plays, and we ALL were furious at Greg Blache's read and react defense.

And then there were the intangibles: Cerrato and Snyder had worn out the fan base with their sketchy moves, bother personnel and general business. The Media is like a swarming mass of piranhas that can't wait to take another chunk of flesh out of Snyder specifically, and the team in general. Heck, there is an entire radio station that is BUILT on being the "anti-Skins" station, and they plugged in the biggest hater of them all, the most dissapointing player in the last 20 years, Lavar, for 5 hours every day just to take shots at the team whenever possible.

Not to even mention the circus of the 2009 season, with Zorn being deposed, having to have an "org chart" to figure out who was calling plays, which was brilliantly plastered on the screen at the beginning of every broadcast.

This thing was broken at every level: Personnel, Scheme, Fan Trust, even the freaking practice fields were no good.

So, thinking that anybody can fix all that in one or even two years is ludicrous. Shannahan tried to fix parts of it quickly. He tried to bring in McNabb just to add some stability to the QB position so he wouldn't have to think about it for 3-4 years while he fixed everything else. Good idea, wrong guy. The AH thing was just another circus, but it really didn't cost them anything.

He did, in their first 2 drafts, pick up a whole shlew of players that should be able to compete. They replaced 4 of the OL going into the mid part of the season last year, and there are more changes coming. The RB position is completely re-built, with a few FAs and with a 4th round draft pick. The WR position is a little interesting. They drafted a bunch of guys, found a guy on the roster, and now might pick up a FA.

On defense, they changed scheme, and have tried like mad to pick up guys to fit the scheme.

They also are trying, with about 50% success to re-engage the fans and win back some good will. Most of that will happen when the team starts winning. But they are trying something new. The only really big PR debacle of the last 12 months has been the ill conceived Snyder vs.City Paper lawsuit. Which was just dumb PR. But other than that, most of the PR has been reasonably positive.

I have no idea if Shannahan is going to be able to fix all this stuff. He's done some good things, and some stupid things. But I'm convinced it's going to take a while...

[warpath213]

I agree with you here, man. Anyone who thinks that we are going to be serious contenders within our division on a regular basis any time soon is delusional. Until we can actually field an offense that poses a threat (how long has it been?!?!?) and figure out how to run a real 3-4 defense we are going to be listless.

Not trying to be a huge downer here, but it's just how I see things.

[RedskinWarship]

the article sucks worse than the redskins do, and the author has a stupid last name. ELFIN? seriously, are you descended from elves?

[bedlamVR]

All teams have been exposed to the negative effects of no off season and the lack of positive effects of the team mates - i would think it would be more of a problem for teams like the Cowboys and the Eagles who come in with a meh we just need to turn up attitude .

There is no comment in the article about the fact the Giants and Cowboys are well above the projected cap and changes will have to be made on their rosters - the Cowboys may not be able to afford to re-sign Free (for example) if they are over the cap and if they cannot make above vet minimum signing untill they got under the cap .. The Eagles have the 31 dog killer at QB and seem to be courting disaster by trying to bring in Farve in again to back him up while trading away the QB of the future (the one under 30 who they have tried twice to shoehorn into being a starter) ....

but no - there are no problems anywhere else in the NFL - only the Redskins have problems - everyone else it is rainbows, puppies and gummy bear streams ... i am not saying the Skins don't have problems and we could be years away from being truly competitive especially with the CBA crap but there are issues elsewhere ...

[charles mannley]

20 years of suckitude and a certain way of doing business(if that is what you would call it)will make a skeptic of anyone. I am not expecting a whole lot this season other than improvement.

Yes the FO is on a short leash, but so far Shanahan has done a great job of letting our reputation continue to let people think they know what is going to happen. If you look at the moves and the way he has done them it shows some patience and that character is something he is putting a lot of value in.

I didn't read the article and judging by what has been said says it goes off of the SOS.

The thing that constantly bugs me is the worst yardage defense talk, I am pretty sure that has never been a goal of this reseme. They want more turnovers which has been up since last year.
Hopefully the running game will be better and we can get some average play out of the quarterback.

[Goskinz0721]

20 years of suckitude and a certain way of doing business(if that is what you would call it)will make a skeptic of anyone. I am not expecting a whole lot this season other than improvement.

Yes the FO is on a short leash, but so far Shanahan has done a great job of letting our reputation continue to let people think they know what is going to happen. If you look at the moves and the way he has done them it shows some patience and that character is something he is putting a lot of value in.

I didn't read the article and judging by what has been said says it goes off of the SOS.

The thing that constantly bugs me is the worst yardage defense talk, I am pretty sure that has never been a goal of this reseme. They want more turnovers which has been up since last year.
Hopefully the running game will be better and we can get some average play out of the quarterback.

Until this team wins consitently, year after year, it's the same ol' same ol' sales pitch from every writer about the Redskisn. It's always the hope that things will be better this year.

If only "blah, blah, blah" is signed the offense/defense will be better. This team looks great on paper. We're 1-2 players away from making a push to be great. XXX will fill in nicely in this offense/defense.

Not once in the past 20 years, have I heard anyone inside this organization say "it's going to take some time to rebuild the roster with people we consider Redskins". WTF is a Redskin player these days anyway? An overpaid, loafer who sucks? What is this teams "thing"? Run? Pass? Defense? None of the above?

Constant coaching turnover has ruined this franchise. Until someone, anyone, can stay here for more than a sneeze this organization will continue to finish last in the league. Snyder doesn't get it and maybe never will.

[HailGreen28]

I think everybody could use a reminder how bad we've been.

We have adults running the FO now. Let's be patient. But sugarcoating how bad we've been recently, accomplishes nothing. Maybe one reason we need this reminder, is to remember how tough a job our FO has, trying to rebuild this team.

[SWFLSkins]

I think everybody could use a reminder how bad we've been.

We have adults running the FO now. Let's be patient. But sugarcoating how bad we've been recently, accomplishes nothing. Maybe one reason we need this reminder, is to remember how tough a job our FO has, trying to rebuild this team.

The damage done due to the long running Vinny and Dan show is not easily fixed. But the author fails to acknowledge that Shannahan has the team heading on a proper course.

[JimmyConway]

The damage done due to the long running Vinny and Dan show is not easily fixed. But the author fails to acknowledge that Shannahan has the team heading on a proper course.

:point2sky

The author is doing this for a number of reasons. My guess, increased readership of his "work" and so he can say I told you so after the season.

Predicting the Skins will spend a lot on FA and that they will be bad is like predicting that it's going to be hot tomorrow in the DC area.

[redskins55]

Well... If there was any year for us to have more questions than answers at key positions on the field, this would be the year! Since the lockout everyone is at a disadvantage,and that just might be an advantage for a team with No QB, no #2 CB, no RB, no #1 WR, no NT , C, RG, RT, LT, or FG kicker.... :doh:

I mean wow... we're in trouble unless we spend some money in free agency!

[IONTOP]

Their quarterbacks have combined to start all of three games in coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s offense.

Huh? We only played 3 games under Kyle as an OC last year? And our quarterbacks combined to start in those games?

That's why I always say... Start the game without a QB just to piss off the stats guys...

[Skins3000]

Found this in breaking news section and thought we should throw it against the wall to discuss. I don't think it is as bleak as Elfin portrays it and he really shyed away from any bright spots. This is afterall Shannys second season here and we all knew coming in there were huge changes to implement and a lack of talent in many areas. I think one thing Elfin skipped was the quality of drafting that Shanny has brought to the table and the fact that the final roster is a guess at this point. Also I don't agree with him about the Cowboys, and they have there own woes this year. That line is a year older, and they won't be adding talent to replace it.


...from the article.....http://washington.cbslocal.com/2011/07/22/david-elfin-on-sports-the-end-of-the-nfl-lockout-brings-the-start-of-the-annual-losing-here-in-washington/

The NFL’s 19-week old lockout is blessedly on the verge of ending. That’s great news for the owners, the players, the coaches and other team employees caught in the middle of the labor impasse these past four months, as well as for the fans.

However, it might not be as welcome a development for the Washington Redskins as for, say, their NFC East rivals, the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.

Why?

The Redskins are coming off three straight last-place finishes and were one of just six teams to rank in the bottom third of the league in both scoring and points allowed. Their quarterbacks have combined to start all of three games in coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s offense. No NFC defense allowed more yards in coordinator Jim Haslett’s system.



No one cares about yards per game. This is the misperception that the Skins fans had with this fourth ranked defense we had under Zorn and company. The group could not get off the field to save the economy, gave up more points than a little bit, could not sack the qb, the least amount of turnovers, and everyone was whooping and hollering about converting to a 3-4 defense. Pleassseee. The team is going in the right direction especially with drafting players and realizing that a mixture of more youth from the draft and less free agency will take this team a long ways.

[NLC1054]

It's just the same thing over and over around here with the media.

None of them are providing any in depth insight into what the problems could be, or suggesting ways they could go about filling the holes. I don't need positivity. Give me some depth. Give me quality research that takes more than assumption and 5 minutes on Google. There is literally nothing this guy wrote that the last 5 jabronis talking about how much the team is going to suck said.

Come with a new angle, ya jerks, this one is getting old!

[Horatio]

This from Cold Hard Football Facts:

The Washington Redskins, on the other hand, were a very bad team in 2010. In fact, their 6-10 record is actually misleading: they were not nearly as good as their record indicated. According to the Quality Stats used by Cold, Hard Football Facts, they were straight up terrible. Consider the following stats:

The Redskins ranked 29th in CHFF’s Scoreability Index (17.79 Yards Per Point Scored), which measures how efficiently teams score points.
Ranked 27th in the Offensive Hog Index, which measures offensive line performance
Ranked 26th in the Defensive Hog Index, which measures defensive line performance
Ranked 24th in Defensive Passer Rating, which measures the performance of opposing quarterbacks
Ranked 26th in Passer Rating Differential, which compares the team's quarterback performance with opposing team's quarterback performance

The one area in which the 2010 Redskins rose from awfulness all the way to mediocrity was in passing efficiency, measured in Passing YPA, in which they finished 18th in the league (6.01 YPA).

[SWFLSkins]

Good find Heratio....

The Washington Redskins, on the other hand, were a very bad team in 2010. In fact, their 6-10 record is actually misleading: they were not nearly as good as their record indicated. According to the Quality Stats used by Cold, Hard Football Facts, they were straight up terrible. Consider the following stats:

[SlinginSammy HOF '63]

It's most likely going to be a lean year around here, that isn't breaking news, but anyone that thinks things are going to be rosey and cheerful for Dallas is hittin' the pipe. I believe our staff know full well that this will be a tough year and part of the reason for loading heavy on the draft this year was to get what we need and make a serious run for a top pick in 2012 by trading away some of the 2012 draft.

[SWFLSkins]

It's most likely going to be a lean year around here, that isn't breaking news, but anyone that thinks things are going to be rosey and cheerful for Dallas is hittin' the pipe. I believe our staff know full well that this will be a tough year and part of the reason for loading heavy on the draft this year was to get what we need and make a serious run for a top pick in 2012 by trading away some of the 2012 draft.

And that is the point Sammy. Dallas is not all that deep especially after today. And they had/have holes that are not getting attention.

[JimmyConway]

This from Cold Hard Football Facts:

The Washington Redskins, on the other hand, were a very bad team in 2010. In fact, their 6-10 record is actually misleading: they were not nearly as good as their record indicated. According to the Quality Stats used by Cold, Hard Football Facts, they were straight up terrible. Consider the following stats:

The Redskins ranked 29th in CHFF’s Scoreability Index (17.79 Yards Per Point Scored), which measures how efficiently teams score points.
Ranked 27th in the Offensive Hog Index, which measures offensive line performance
Ranked 26th in the Defensive Hog Index, which measures defensive line performance
Ranked 24th in Defensive Passer Rating, which measures the performance of opposing quarterbacks
Ranked 26th in Passer Rating Differential, which compares the team's quarterback performance with opposing team's quarterback performance

The one area in which the 2010 Redskins rose from awfulness all the way to mediocrity was in passing efficiency, measured in Passing YPA, in which they finished 18th in the league (6.01 YPA).



I agree with you Horatio that this team isn't good. In fact our record should've been worse than 6-10. However, the defense was better than everybody is making it seem.

Take CHFF's bendability index (Bendability Index is not merely an defensive indicator! It is a team-wide measurement of ability to keep opponents off the scoreboard. It takes into account a variety of factors (including proficiency of offense and special teams, red zone defense, and turnover differential) and then spits it all out in an easy-to-understand number):

Final 2010 Bendability Index


Team Yards Points YPPA
1 Green Bay 4946 240 20.61
2 Pittsburgh 4430 232 19.09
3 Baltimore 5094 270 18.87
4 New England 5864 313 18.73
10 Washington 6228 377 16.52

On the other hand, the Skins finished 29th in "Scoreability Index." Clearly, the O-fence was bad and much worse than the D. This could be why they got rid of CP and drafted Helu, Royster, Hankerson, etc.

Bottom line: Eflin, we know the Skins are bad. Most sensible fans realize this and Eflin needs to provide some value to readers.

[Oldskool]

What an Elfin waste of my time. :D

[1972FAN]

didn't read the article, I don't read garbage from hacks.

[SWFLSkins]

What an Elfin waste of my time. :D

Hahhaa, a little Elfin magic.

[Chachie]

Elfin's article was a waste of my time. Just regurgitating the same old crap.




Replace "crap" with "truth." :(

[RichmondRedskin88]

Its losing day already? I forgot the cake. sorry guys.