From: rich@grebyn.com (Richard Lawrence)
Subject: Re: Pathetic
Organization: Grebyn Timesharing
Distribution: dc
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 22:25:38 GMT

In article <ELM.92Nov16024628@terrorism.berkeley.edu> elm@cs.berkeley.edu writes:
>
>Don't we still have the second-best record in the NFC East?  There is

You just haven't been watching the games. The games we win, we win
*very* ugly, with the exception of Denver (and their so ripe to be
stomped on most of the time anyway...).

>only one non-division leading team in the NFC that's ahead of the
>Skins (the Saints).  Considering that the OL and LB are badly banged
>up, it's hardly surprising the the offense and defense are doing
>poorly.  Also remember that KC is hardly an easy opponent, especially
>at Arrowhead.  At least we didn't lose to the Packers or the Rams (at
>home!).

I just don't buy into it. The Post had a big article after the KC game
that basically said "they're hurt, it's ok". Hurt doesn't sharply
decrease the intelligence of all the players on defense (except maybe
Brad Edwards) but that appears to be what has happened. I know it's not
coaching, because Richie Pettibon is the best. I will give it to Martin
Mayhem that playing with a broken arm (!) is a damn good excuse for
blowing a coverage.

Also, the OL is heavily damaged, but when Rypien has time, he is not
throwing well. When he has time and happens to throw well, the receivers
are not coming through. The other guys are playing soft zones with 5-6
db's, but we've had teams ('90) that couldn't run and played soft zone
and produced anyway. Art Monk is the master of the five yard out
pattern. In effect, this is like a short run because it causes the
linebackers to choke up on the line (and db's) to bump when the
receivers release. I *will* accept that the OL shuffle has totally
destroyed the running game, but we still haven't seen Green in a
significant role.

Watch Rypien this week against New Orleans. It's very likely he'll get
clobbered, but watch him on the plays that he does have time (count
seconds: if you get to four, he's had more than enough time for a pro
quarterback to find a receiver regardless of coverage). I swear Ryp is
taking one _glance_ downfield for the patterned receiver, and if he sees
anything but a Redskins jersey he shovels it to the safety valve. Said
safety valve is Byner/Ervins (Ervins had what, 10 catches this game?)
and that's just not working.


>Yes, the team looked like they sucked today.  Didn't the Bills look
>worse in KC last year?  This isn't an apology for a poor game, but I
>think it's too early to push the panic button.  If you want to worry,

Teams have ups and they have downs. The Redskins have looked down for
three games. Not a good sign.

>BTW, to give you an idea of how bad the paper here is, how's this quote
>from Sunday's _San Francisco Examiner/Chronicle_:
>
>"OL Matt Elliott, the last player taken in the NFL draft, may touch
>the ball in a game before first-round pick Desmond Howard, the Heisman
>Trophy winning WR who has not caught a pass. [...]"

Yeah, when I was in Santa Clara a couple of weeks ago (Synoptics HQ) I
laughed aloud about how non objective the sports people were. The guy
was covering the 'Niners and said something like "let's take a look at
how New Orleans, the only other team that has a chance against the best
team in the league ['Niners], did this weekend". I think this two weeks
before San Francisco lost to Phoenix.

-- 
Rich Lawrence, Synoptics Systems Engineer  DOD#9630  rich@grebyn.com
     '92 Seca II "Yuri"  CI$:71101,2272  GEnie:R.LAWRENCE14
   216 years ago my government gave me certain inalienable rights.
     Since then, they've been trying to correct their mistake.
Newsgroups: dc.redskins