The Redskins couldn't get the Vikings off the field on third downs. And the secondary looked waaaay bad. Too much cushion and the middle of the field was wide open. Lots of adjustments needed for Dallas.

As for kicker, that 48-yard attempt was a joke. How can you keep a guy who has proven he is totally ineffective from beyond 40 yards?

How come nobody is talking about how tired the skins looked at the end of the game -- especially the defense. They looked worn down to the nub. Not enough stamina at all -- wonder if coming to training camp so late has anything to do with that? Saw some positives, and it's early, but overall they need a lot of work. And I'm losing sleep over our secondary.

Good thing they cut the backup fullback. It was all his fault. That will get everyone's attention.

First rant of what I assume will be many from me: The Sean Taylor uneccessary roughness call was ridiculous. The guy is paying in spades for his reputation and size. I didn't hear any crying out of Santana Moss when Darren Sharper loosened some of his teeth in the back of the endzone.

Swoop hit a guy going up for the ball, with his shoulder. It was a perfect safety play. He was doing his job... he just happens to be the size of a linebacker. Is it really his fault that he hits like an eighteen wheeler? It's just ridiculous...

Seriously, do we need another blocking TE?? Why can't they go out and find a CB, or better yet, a kicker. I'd settle for a OLineman with a little consistency after last night....too many reasons to be concerned.

I completely agree about sharper's non-call versus taylor's call. frankly, I was surprised that sharper didn't get called, given that he lead with his head.

jason, did you call up chip lohmiller? is he still around?

The main talking points of the game already discussed, I'll jump in on something else.

I hope they don't play another Monday night game this year. Kornheiser can't save the Four-Letter Network's coverage of a game either. After the Jamie Foxxxxxxx interview, and the seventeenth shot of Tom Cruise in the Owner's Box, I went outside and started eating grass.

And that said nothing for the game. Theismann should have been done with football period when Lawrence Taylor broke his leg. Tirico is up on murder one charges in the death of the obvious. Camera angles changing during plays. Field goal kicks set from behind the kicker, so the ball gets lost in the crowd. Is it too much to ask to leave it on one angle for the entire game?

Lastly, does there really need to be a commerical break after every possession change? I don't want to see the NFL changing rules to shorten games when it's not the games doing it.

Not to pin everything on the refs -- because that's not the real story -- but Brandon Lloyd was a defenseless receiver (who never even touched the ball) and was forearmed in the back of the head well after the ball went by. But no call. It's the inconsistency of the officials that is maddening...

taylor has made his own bed with that rep, and it's not doing him any favors. I believe this was the same crew that worked the Pittman-Spitgate playoff game. He is someone I am sure is talked about in pre game meetings, particularly for some big-time late hits when guys are out of bounds. I agree that was a crap call, but I think his rep may have worked against him a smidge there.

In a word, underwhelming. Offense and defense both. Was it just my imagination or did Brunell throw as many passes parallel to the line of scrimmage as he did downfield? I sure hope that wasn't the remaining 98% of the playbook we've been hearing so much about. If anybody reading this went to the game and noticed, did he need to dump THAT many passes out of bounds? I mean, were the Vikings covering that well or was someone open on some of those plays? Avoiding a sack is one thing, but man, it sure appeared on TV that more than once he was too quick to do that.

Mike Rumph is flat-out awful (he couldn't beat out stinky old Walt Harris in SF, for crying out loud) and Carlos Rogers looked like he was playing his first NFL game. Boy, we need us some Shawn Springs, and quick. Adam Archuleta is overrated against the run and has never played well against the pass. Meanwhile, Ryan Clark, who the 'Skins could've and should've resigned for less, looks good starting in Pittsburgh. And while John Hall may be unstoppable in the first three quarters from 20-30 yards out, if he's ever made a clutch kick wearing a 'Skins uniform, I missed it. I'd rather have Nick.

And finally, that whole Tom Cruise thing. That, more than the dismal play of the team, made me ashamed to be a 'Skins fan. Jason, please tell Dan Snyder that people are laughing at him, at least they were in the bar I watched from last night. Seriously, no one tuning in to watch football wants to see Tom Cruise and his robot wife in the owner's box ever again. Enough with the celebrities already. I swear, it felt like someone kept changing the channel to E!.

Agreed, G Money. The Skins had enough of their own problems last night without the refs screwing them here and there. I saw flashes, but they need to put it together... and quick.

Sean Taylor is a victim of his size and athletic ability. Every hit he makes looks viscious because of how fast he flies in, and how hard he hits people. I think the refs need to realize this. He's not being judged fairly because he's 3 inches taller and 20-25 pounds heavier than everyone else at his position.

No way a safety the size of Ryan Clark gets that penalty. And that's just unfair.

Jason, any chance we can get some feedback from Cooley? It looked like he was stuck blocking for most of the game. I wonder if that's just the way Saunder's called the game because I find it hard to believe that he wasn't getting open.

What's unfathomable is how a team could spend so much money "upgrading" (although the play of Archuletta and Carter makes the upgrade dubious at best) and totally ignore special teams, which have been a problem here basically since Mosley retired. We are at a clear disadvantage not just in close games, but in every game, when our P, K and coveage teams cannot be relied on. Granted, Frost did better than usual kicking off last night, but it really just astounding that we can't solve this problem once and for all. This where the lack of one single personnel voice is a killer -- the "committee" is worthless, and time and time again Vinny Raquetball proves he is too. I'm more disgusted with this team and the lackluster performance last night than I was during the Spurrier years, which I still can't even bring myself to believe actually happened.

They need to trade TJ Duckett for a proven back-up corner! I want Ryan Clark back! All the hype about Safety Adam Arch, well it's just that - hype. My grandma can probably figure out to cover the middle of the field and she's been in a wheelchair.

And that one 3rd down play (I know there were many,) but particularly the one where the HB slips out of the backfield to the right and catches a pass from Brad Johnson... I called that play... You know, I know video games are completely different, but dang, that is the same play I use to gain a first down. So I'm just curious that if I guessed that play and I know so little compared to the "experts" how in the world the players didn't know.?

Why did we pay Archie Let a Pass Drop In so much $$ for -0-? When are we going to see Big Foot Carter? Did he make a tackle? I believe D'Angelo Hall was picked before we got to "Follow the Pump Fake" Rogers, but he needs to cut the sugar shake routinr and get serious. Did you see him hi steppin' when the Vikes's receiver butter balled that perfect pass, only to get smoked on the next series.

Sweet that we got ANOTHER TE. Secondary gets smoked, Pierson is toast for the season, and now we land another Fauria. Actually I read that Christian has an inflamed hang nail. Ouch.

Major props to M Washington. Heart and soul of the D. Glad to see Holdman step up his game.

Coach Danny, back to basics with the tackling techniques on all kick coverages.

NOVAK, NOVAK, NOVAK. The dude may not be Hall's height and weight, but he can kick off, and he is a money kicker. First kick of NFL career blocked, but was $ in the end "05/ Seattle.

Late.

I quit; take this team and ..... it!

I have been turnerized, shottenmammered, and suprrier off and now I am completely **$%^## off!

I waste no more Sunday afternoons on a bunch that can't kick, punt or pass nor stop anyone else who can.

Now we do not even have a defense; for the past two years we at least had a third of a team. Now we have none.

It's time to sign NOOOVVAACCKKK

What's scary is the play of the other NFC East teams. Those defenses (especially NY's) look incredibly fast and smart.

I hate to say it- but sometimes I think Coach Gibbs is too nice and gives players too many chances- specifically John Hall- You could tell on his chip shot field goals that if they were further out he would miss them wide left.

OldFan, Don't give up so easily. We were blessed with Gibbs I in the 80s. Let's not forget that what makes this franchise great is that it is one of the oldest in the league. But that involved a lot of suffering and frustration between the 1940s and the 1980s.

0-1 and you're ready to jump on the Rams bandwagon for the rest of the season? Come on, Skins fans are better than that.

Me again, I waited 8+ Mos to see this...???? At least throw the damn ball down field, but NO, they go east and west.
I'm soo ticked off right now words cannot express it.......AAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGG!!!!!!!!

Gregg Williams' defense is going to be ineffective if he can't blitz. And with those corners he's got out there, blitzes will be few and far between.

I liked the way Marcus Washington played last night, but he made a crucial mistake late in the game. Instead of covering Taylor coming out the backfield, he decided to rush Johnson, who, in turn, simply dumped a pass to Taylor who then ran for a first down and then some. Had he stuck with Taylor, the Skins defense actually converts a third down. I know that's just one miscue in a game cast with many, many errors, but it speaks to the nature of the defensive effort last night.

As many people have already noted, I, too, wondered about the lack of a downfield passing game. I know the Vikings safeties played deep all night to prevent the deep heaves, but two- and three-yard completions won't bring first downs. I would've liked to have seen more of an emphasis on running the ball, as well.

The offense, for the most part, proved it could get down field. It just couldn't convert in the red zone. If they score touchdowns, this game is a Redskins laugher. My silver lining is that they at least put themselves in a position to net six. If they figure out how to punch it in there, they'll score some points.

Offense had some rust, but at least we didn't turn the ball over. Once Al meshes his rythm with some shots downfield we'll be ok.

Defense has some key injuries, but guys (most notably Sean Taylor and Marcus Washington) were flying to the ball. Players were a couple steps out of position on a few plays, but they were there.

Those were the things that encouraged me...

However, I am utterly disgusted with Gibbs choice to stick with John Hall. What more does he have to do to prove he's no longer reliable?

People, people, people. Can we say one game? One game. There, I knew you could.

Is kicking a problem? Yes. Is the defensive secondary a problem? Considering the injuries, yes.

But every team has problems. Ever fan base is complaining about something.

These aren't novices, they're professionals. The coaching staff is a proven one. Can we give them more than one game before we storm off like children?

The defense made Chester Taylor looked like a premiere back in the 4th quarter. And smite me with fire, but did Joe Gibbs get out-coached last night? I guess that was the difference with last year... Redskins managed to win the close ones. They've been in a lot of games in the last 6 years, but almost always came out with a notch in the loss column. I seriously thought they moved passed that.

it would easier to shrug it off as "just one game" if:
#1) They wouldn't of played so horribly in the preseason
#2)would of done something about John Hall 2 years ago.
#3) Get into the endzone consistently- this team can't close the deal- it's been that way for a few years now.
#4) Depth at every position except WR and RB is killing us (DB play is an example from last night)
#5) We quit picking up scrubs (and over paying them) from other teams- there's a reason these players are available out there- and start building the team through the draft.

Yes, Joey T, I agree but you do feel my pain right. All the anticipation and we fluster. I guess what concerns me is what another blogger above said, it's really not how bad the Redskins played, but how good the NFC EAST is playing. So I'm thinking, if we can't even beat a very beatable team in the Vikes, it's a daunting task this SUNDAY!!!!! I can smell rubber being burned on our secondary.

The Redskins didn't win all the close ones last season. They lost to the Chiefs, Broncos, Bucs and Seahawks in the playoffs in close games. I don't see that as much of a difference.

And while it is only one game, there were some serious things with which to be concerned, especially defensively. Williams, no matter how good he is, can't coach a corner to be better, to run faster, to cover more tightly. Next week, I wouldn't be surprised to see the corners get torched. Bledsoe is immobile and makes terrible decisions when pressured, but if Williams can't blitz, the Skins will be picked apart.

I don't know if I buy the argument that the NFC East is that great, if one week's worth of games is any indicator. The Eagles beat up on Houston. So what? The Cowboys secondary looked like Swiss cheese again, and Bledsoe is still making the same bad mistakes. The Giants, though, looked stout. They lost a game they should've won. Frankly, I wouldn't say the Redskins are that far behind the Eagles and Cowboys right now. After one week.

Can we take off the gloves now with Gibbs? Granted, it's early in the season, but the Redskins look like an entirely ordinary team. They don't look bad, just ordinary. So is now the time to roast Gibbs for this ordinary team in year 3 of his comeback? Or am I required to wait another few months because he has won 3 super bowls? Is it Hall's fault that he has been ineffective for 3 years? Or is it Gibbs fault for sticking with him? Is it Brunell's fault that even though he's old and experienced, he still doesn't have this new system down after an entire summer of not seeing his kids and taking pop quizzes? Or is it Gibbs fault for passing on a better Warner and taking an aging QB for lot's o' money? Gibbs was supposed to bring discipline. I don't see too much. How many penalties did we have last night?....and crying about penalties is what losing teams do, not champions. Watching him on the sideline last night I was stuck by the thought that he was hoping and praying, not believing that he could win. Why did Gibbs have to cover his eyes Minn. kicked the winning FG? Why did he look like he was saying a prayer? I could only think that he doesn't believe this team can win. That's what it looked like to me.

Lets face it....it is one game but you can't have it both ways. If you get lit up in the pre-season and say you are saving everything for Monday night then you have to show something more then that conservative BS. Brunell is so desperate not to make a mistake he immediately checks done or throws it away. I know he is a game manager but he will never make plays.

As for the 'D', this is getting serious there inability to pressure the passer at all. This will hurt this team immensely...go ahead and shoot me but our personnel is more suited for a 3-4 then the 4-3 as no one on the line can get consistent pressure (the recipe to beating Dallas/NY Giants)

It is only 1 game and Gibbs team's usually play better as the season goes but as most of the folks say here they looked like garbage last night. I think it started in the pre-season when Portis got hure the players seemed to stop taking practicing in the games seriously and it hurt them. Most of problems this team has on offense is from Brunell who can't locate receivers downfield anymore and cannot make the throws either. What good did it do to bring in more speed and then not use it. On Cooley my fear is that teams figured out he is seriously slow so they cover him a bit and he is shut out. Cooley cannot get any seperation when covered from his lack of speed this started late last year. The thing that concerns me most is how this team just seemed to be ok just playing with the Vikings and not trying to beat them. Also after the loss they were like no big deal that reminds me of the awful times we had under that boob Norv. The players should be pissed that they played like garbage. It is time to let Brunell go or demote him and see what the kid has. But Joes who is damn stubborn is not going to do that even when Brunell can only throw for about a 100 yards on average anymore. With Dallas losing this week and with revenge on their minds from last year and without Springs it looks like a bad start to this season. Terrell and Glenn will combine for over 200 yards receiving against the Skins trust me on that. Or course they have their own Brunell in Bledsoe so we always have an outside shot.....

AA,

There were plenty of shifts to go around in the first half. They got the lead, and as per usual, shut it down. As they should have. Only this week the defense didn't bring it enough. And the running game isn't good enough to run the clock out yet. I'm not going to panic, not until week 10 or so.

Quite a few comments on the officials, but no one mentioned the "roughing the passer" that was leveled on the Vikings for pushing Brunell. Is it possible we only see bad calls that go against us?

Um, after Brunell had released the ball, the Vikings defender extended his arms and pushed him down. That seems to be a pretty standard call in this league. I don't know how else you could argue it.

I don't want to repeat all the same complaints abot CB, safety, lack of 3rd down stops, etc. but I MUST complain about ESPN - if I want to hear Jamie Foxx(or whoever he is) and look at Tom Cruise & his hot babe, I will watch Entertainment Tonite or some other junk like that - PLEASE just show us the GAME!!!!!

Jim-

You cannot shut down the Offense with anything less then a 2 TD lead. The passing offense seems like a dink 'n' dunk attack. I am not proponent of the vertical offense but you will not see many 7 man fronts playing that type of ball. The Vikes played a base cover 2 and dared Brunell to work the intermediate area of the field (which require real arm strength and touch -- more so then just setting, cocking back and tossing up a floater down the sideline). That is where big WR/TE should earn their money (Cooley/B. Lloyd) or even drag the smurfs (Randle El, Moss) through the middle. I think our unwillingness to attack the middle has to do with Brunell's now suspect arm. Of course it would be premature to call for his replacement but arm strength will be critical against Roy "I deliever big hits because I am a step slow everywhere" Williams and the 'Boys suspect corners.

And what was going on with that terrible new intro? some random futuristic city turns into an urban football stadium with the "blue" team and the "orange" team playing each other on its streets and fans sitting in bleachers coming out of buildings? what idiot put that together?

So much for MNF as an "institution" that ESPN is "honored" to be broadcasting.

I don't think Brunell was the problem last night. He completed a deep pass to Moss. I think his arm strength has deteriorated a bit, but he can still muscle a few down the field. The Vikings were daring him to do it. They played deep coverage all night. I think it was less about Brunell, and more about the receivers' inability to get open deep. The real culprit last night was Al Saunders. He should've schemed better to move the ball down field. The slant they ran with Randle El toward the end of the game was a perfect play call, and one they should've made more often. The screens would be fine if they were executed properly. But the Vikings were going to give them the little passes. They took away everything deep. The Skins didn't run the right plays.

As for the poster who mentioned the roughing the passer call, I don't know how that could be construed as bad. It was clearly a roughing the passer, according to the rules. You can quibble about the wording of the actual penalty, but not about the call. The NFL coddles quarterbacks too much, but per the rule's definition, Brunell was "roughed." The first Sean Taylor unsportsmanlike, though, was ridiculous. The facemasking call was not.

I also hated the MNF intro. However, I thought the broadcast was going decently until Foxx came in for an extended interview. What the Hell was that? I could have laughed it off with a Skins' victory but in retrospect the Foxx blather pissed me off.

We wouldn't be talking about any of the bad things that happened last night if we had simply kept feeding Portis the ball in the third quarter. We went straight down the field, then decided to start throwing once we made it inside the 20. The Vikings defense was on their heels, finsih them.

Oh, and an answer to the previous question about the Vikings secondary covering our receivers. Cooley, who didn't catch a pass, was open good portion of the time downfield on most of the plays Brunell tossed it to Joe Gibbs/Brad Childress/Tom Cruise. He unfortunatly resembled the guy I saw in 2004 start 8 games then ride the pine. If I were into predictions, I'd say we'll see Campbell by week 5 and be playing spoilers...if I were in the predictions business that is.

Jason, Dave Mustaine would be thrilled at this point that anyone remembers him! You should check out the songs Of Mice and Men and the song Kick the Chair... 2 songs that brought back something that has been missing since Bob Rock convinced James Hetfield that he could sing melodically.

That said, I have loved Brunell since his early days in Green Bay on the occasional opportunity to come in and play. He always had poise. That said, he DOES NOT HAVE THE ARM ANY LONGER. He is a GREAT man of faith as is Joe Gibbs, and I believe is a coach waiting to happen, but his arm is too weak and he knows it. There is no shame in admitting it. Heck, I could not throw the ball nearly as well as him now, but the charade is over. This is not about one game. I did not think Ramsey was the answer and Jason may not be the answer, but we need to find out now, because, while Brunell can still be of use on the field if needed, we need to test the kid. If he is a bust, we need to know. We basically traded away Jay Cutler or Matt Leinart for him, so it is time for the future. Prep him each week for the coming opponent. He does not need to memorize the entire 700 pages of the playbook. We just need someone that can keep defenses honest. And, while I think Mark Brunell is a wonderful person and had many cool highlights and a great career in Jacksonville, he is a pedestrian QB at best, and while he throws the ball away and is not intercepted, it is only because he does not have the arm strength to get the ball down field. Santana Moss even alluded to it in his post game comments on Comcast. If we are going to lose, let's lose big and see what the kid has in the tank.

You need to check out Mudvayne, even at 37 I still like the stuff and they are the most pure band I have heard since Rush thought a synthesizer was the wave of new Rock. They are beyond talented, and the new album "Lost and Found" is phenomenal.

I'm very depressed. Apparently a 'Skins game isn't good enough for Baby Suri. I will have to rethink my Sunday diversion. If Xenu doesn't think good old-fashioned American football is appropriate for toddlers, then I'm out. I'm taking my extra Thetans and watching that silly sport with the ice skates and sticks.

Now, I KNOW you folks in DC care for all that glitz and glamour. After all, politics is just show business for ugly people. Anymore funny Tom Cruise stories?

We only have a few more months to go...if "Mr." Snyder does for Tom Cruise what he's done for the Redskins, it's only a matter of time before he'll be someone who used to be famous.

The redskins added alot of speed at WR this offseason. But the huge question was and apparently still is.... WHO is going to get the ball out to all that speed. Its like building a drag racer. You dont go out and spend $100 thousand on a frame, $50k on suspension, another $30k on a control system and then trust all that money to a stock 1979 ford slant six motor. Or if you do, you cant honestly expect it to run 5's in the quarter.

the Skins got the parts (Portis, Moss, Cooley, Randle-El, Llyod, ect.) But the motor running all that expensive hardware does leave something to be desired. Brunell would be the perfect vetran west coast ball control QB. Too bad the Skins are not running a west coast offense.

Couple of points;
-Offense looked predictable (see 1st play to moss).
-Didn't use Lloyd or Cooley????
-Portis looked good considering....
-Where was Duckett??
-No depth on Def (PiersonP's injury hurt)
-Carter was invisible
-LB's only bright spot on Def
-I agree with earlier post; What is Gibbs doing covering his eyes on kicks????

"Skins go forth on a wing and a prayer..."
Joe Gibbs

novak, Novak, NOVAK for sure before he is gone...we dont need trouble from 40+ especially when the game is on the line...we need mr clutch...

how can we not blitz with a bad secondary...all the more reason to blitz...then they only have to cover for a few seconds...without blitzing they have all day to pick apart our week secondary...we will get picked apart all day long...make something happen...might as well die trying...blitz!!!

that offense, though showing more potential, threats and talent (Randel El is awesome), looked too much like last year...like everyone said, lets go down field...everyone goes down field on us (whether its 10, 20, 30 or more they still throw the ball down field)...in the immortal words of Joe Magrath (Slap Shot)...give 'em some of that back!!!

i wasnt at the game but on TV it looks like brunell has tunnel vision...and at any point in time he is only seeing a very small part of the field...look left, roll right and throw it away...i was wondering if there were receivers open and according to all the bloggers they were out there...BJohnson doesnt have a problem seeing the whole field...we never should have given him up...how different would things have been if we had him the whole time...great manager of the game like brunell but he can get the ball to his receivers...not a great QB but so under rated...cant believe every team he played for and won games for felt they had to replace him and we arent trying to replace brunell...

i dont know if he needs to go now but he better start distributing the ball down field or i will jump on the campbell bandwagon...

it is only game 1 but how disappointing after all that buildup and knowing that its only going to get tougher...

Play of the Game for me was that punt return for Randle El. wasnt so much the return to midfield but the two huge hits he created with is athleticism...i jumped off the couch after Rogers blasted that dude...crowd was going nuts and we cant take that momentum shifter to a victory...like whomever said earlier gotta play to win...get that killer instinct...too much like the Caps of old...get a one goal lead in the first period and try to sit on it...sit back and they will kill you...ATTACK!!! every player on every play needs to have a killer instinct...there were spurts of it but that was it...just spurts...

tunnel vision indeed... I saw a replay of Byron Leftwich (who offensely has less to work with than Brunell) and you could see as soon as the ball was snapped his eyes move around to his 3 different recievers. Quick. Head on a swivel. I think in the end he dumped it off to his check down. The point is (I hope I'm not giving Leftwich more credit than he deserves) that I don't see Brunell doing theat. After he see's that he no longer has what it takes to wing it in there to Moss, he either ducks his head and runs for a paltry 3 yards or back-yards it to super fan in the stands.

and how many of us will praise Brunell if he wins next week against Dallas. Were so fickle.

While I'm disappointed in the loss and we obviously have problems in all aspects of the game, I'm more disgusted by our loser fans.

I, for one, will take Gibbs over any coach in the business right now. It's amazing to me what little faith people have in a proven genius. Look at the qb's of the past...Rypien, D. Williams, Theismann...all average at best. How did Gibbs win with them? Maybe we should see if South Carolina will let Snyder buy out his contract, or maybe we should bring back Turner and his disciplined coaching style. Even better, maybe we should see if Lou Holtz is available as he would surely strike fear into the hearts of the NFC East opponents.

cosmofla...you are so, so right.

St. Joe is Coach For Life, he's among the 2 or 3 best coaches in the League, and he's probably the main reason the team didn't fold on itself last year and rallied to get into the playoffs. Every week in the NFL, 16 teams lose and 16 teams win (obviously, I'm ignoring when they start kissing their sisters). And these days, it's absolutely impossible to predict games. Every single one is a crapshoot. There is no coach I'd want in charge of my favorite team other than St. Joe.

All the folks saying the 'Skins should sign a cornerback or an offensive lineman or a safety or whatever need to skim over the list of available players and name one player that would be an improvement over what's already in Ashburn.

As for Brunell, the guy put the team in position to win yesterday. We obviously have a lot of former NFL quarterbacks posting here, so I'll limit my opinion so as not to, you know, come across as an idiot who doesn't know my arm from my elbow.

'Skins fans need to chill. It's a long season.

Now, on to more important matters. How's Cooley's hair?

I have the utmost faith in Joe Gibbs as a coach. And for the most part I have faith in him as a personell guy since most of what he has done has worked out.

But to compare Brunell to three guys who actually had the ability to get the ball down the field more than about eight yards is a serious reach. Rypien, had an arm and was not tunnel vision bound. Same for Williams. Thiesman wasnt a gun slinger by any means, but he also wasnt a one look and throw it away kind of guy. And all three had something Brunell clearly doesnt. When push came to shove, and a QB HAD to make a play with his arm, Doug Joe or Rypien could and would get it done. There were not a whole lot of passes for three yard dump offs on third and seven. Brunell is what he is. He wont directly lose a game for you by throwing picks out the wazoo or taking dumb sacks for holding onto the ball too long. But aside from the Dallas game last year, I cant remember too many times where he has lead his team from behind in the forth on the strength of his arm either.

And for the record, he didnt put the team in position to win yesterday. He put them in position to tie the game up. Had he actually completed a few passes inside the 20, we might not have been looking for a tie in the 4th quarter with 50 seconds left.

I agree with all those who remind us to not go too far with one game, but you can't deny that we've become the NY Yankees of the NFL except we are nowhere near as successful. The franchise is the biggest earner and has the best fan base because of the unbelievable heart and soul they brought to the game in the Allen and (especially) Gibbs eras. The Hogs, Monk, Green, Riggins were all about keeping your head down and getting it done. Now we are a strutting group of imbeciles who puff and squawk for the clueless billionaire owner sitting in his box beside the celebrity candy. We love Gibbs because he is our link to the past, but man there is no soul in this group of players. Until they develop some character and humility they're losers regarless of their number in their win column.

I believe Boswell's article this morning sums up this thread quite nicely.

Lest we forget: it's Dallas week!

Fishnets?! Did Katie raid my closet or what?ha!

Great update&blog-thanxxx...

Sported KAKA out today-killer!!!

@Angry American
"go ahead and shoot me but our personnel is more suited for a 3-4 then the 4-3 as no one on the line can get consistent pressure (the recipe to beating Dallas/NY Giants)"

I noticed on a couple of third down plays in the 2nd and early 3rd quarter (when we were stopping them), they did switch to the 3-4. They didn't blitz a linebacker, but Brad Johnsons not going to scramble anywhere so the extra man in coverage helped out.

The most positive thing that I saw during the game is that with all of those shifts and movement before the snap, there wasn't one delay of game called... anyone remember the first season that Gibbs was back? It seemed like it took until the second season for the offense to get in sync pre-snap. So look at the job that Saunders has done with only one off-season. They looked great with all that movement and you could really see the potential... and again, not one pre-snap penalty.

Did anyone else notice that it looked like there were four or five plays when it looked like the skins could break a long one only to be saved by a nothing-but-luck shoe-string tackle by the viks? That tells me that it's just a short time off until we look like KC did over the past few years.

Dorf, Joe Gibbs did not get outcoached....because he did not coach...Saunders did!!! All of you who keep talking about Joe Gibbs teams, did we forget that he is more or less a bystander now? I love this team and I'm brokenhearted. Our defense which has been stellar the past two seasons did not show up (except for Sean Taylor and Marcus Washington) which is a major problem. With our fierce schedule and the competitiveness in the NFC East, I will be shocked if we win 4 games. Certainly we will not win against Dallas - which is so sad.

Offense:

Better wasn't good enough for the Redskins. They showed more of everything _ motion, formations, schemes _ than at any time in preseason. But they also gained just 266 yards and were stymied in the red zone on two very crucial occasions. Clinton Portis looked rusty in his return to the field following three weeks nursing an injured shoulder, but he led the team with 10 carries for 39 yards and a touchdown. Early, the passing game and Mark Brunell were quick and sharp. But as the game dragged on, so did the attack. Brunell's arm strength and confidence is suspect. Maybe the biggest surprise was TE Chris Cooley's lack of production, just two catches for minus-3 yards. The line was stout enough. Overall, there's a lot of work to do. Grade: C-minus

Defense:

The biggest fault was the inability to stop third-down conversions. The Vikings were 9 of 17, the entire reason Minnesota squeezed out a 3-minute advantage in time of possession. Interestingly, the Vikings made a conscious effort to go after Carlos Rogers, Washington's best cornerback with Shawn Springs still recovering from abdominal surgery. Rogers struggled on the touchdown catch by Marcus Robertson. He got lucky on a couple of drops by Troy Williamson, one of which would have been a touchdown. There was no pass rush to speak of, with Demetric Evans getting the only sack on Brad Johnson. No pass rush and corner coverage must improve or we will have a loosing season. Grade: C

Special teams:

You talk about mixed bags. Antwaan Randle El was electrifying on a couple of punt returns, and gives Washington a threat it hasn't had in many years at that spot. Derrick Frost had a tackle and an assist early in the game. He had a couple of booming punts and gradually got higher and deeper on his kickoffs. But just before the Vikings' final drive, when the Redskins really could have used a booming punt, Frost got off a weak 36-yarder. As for John Hall, he booted three short field goals to help the Redskins salvage some points. But he missed the one that counted, the 48-yarder that would have sent the game into overtime. Grade: D

Great to read all of these comments. Love it when you guys get a conversation going and go back and forth. So much to churn over.
Anything that's need to be directed to me, just shoot an email. Cheers.

The problem with the Sean Taylor unnecessary roughness penalty was not that the official blew the call and flagged what appeared to be a legal hit, but that Taylor hit the receiver at all. The ball had bounced up in the air, and if Taylor had been playing to win the game, instead of head hunting, he could have made an interception that would have given the Skins great field position, or perhaps even run it back for the winning TD. That's what fans and coaches should be screaming about.

yeah and taylor inadvertantly drilled Rumph (i think) twice when it looked like Rumph was going to come down with interceptions...

but gawd do i love that guy and the sound coming through the HD TV every time he hit someone...ever tackle he is was in on you could hear his hit over everything...he just need to exercise a little control and use a little mroe intellegence...a big his is not always his best play...he was touted as a big hitter AND a ball hawk...he needs to focus on both...

Tom Curise you have got to be kidding me, this team will never recover.Carter is wothless, Adam Archulleta is no Mark Murphy and he was the slowest saftey to ever play the game. I would rather have John Lynch's 10 year old playing than this guy.Here is novel thought pay the players that have done the job for this team.Could you imaginge if we paid Antonio the money he wanted and Lavar what that linebacker corp. would look like. How about Brad Johnson who not only one a superbowl after Synder thought Jeff George was better, but kicked our ass monday night. How about taking the 10mm that Adam got and pay Ryan Clack the 2mm the Steelers gave him, give the best cluch kicker in the game Adam V.3mm and give Ty L. the balance. Lets see that three great players for the price of one of the worst players that I have seen play in the burgandy and gold. Synder keep that jet on the ground when the free agent market opens next year PLEASE. Stop spending the FANs cash on this weak talent, you are making this team, this town and the fans, the laughing stock of the league. POOR JOE, it won't happen untill we have new ownership.Snyder your a good busniess man sell high and move to LA and be a Scientologist.