skinfanjon
08-24-2005, 12:46 PM
Main Entry: 1trust 1.
Pronunciation: 'tr&st
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse traust trust; akin to Old English trEowe faithful -- more at TRUE
1 a : assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something b : one in which confidence is placed
2 a : dependence on something future or contingent : HOPE b : reliance on future payment for property (as merchandise) delivered : CREDIT
3 a : a property interest held by one person for the benefit of another b : a combination of firms or corporations formed by a legal agreement; especially : one that reduces or threatens to reduce competition
4 archaic : TRUSTWORTHINESS
5 a (1) : a charge or duty imposed in faith or confidence or as a condition of some relationship (2) : something committed or entrusted to one to be used or cared for in the interest of another b : responsible charge or office c : CARE, CUSTODY <the child committed to her trust>
- in trust : in the care or possession of a trustee
Trust. Trust is something almost everyone of us have in Joe Gibbs. It is formed from the ashes of three Super Bowl victories, and countless regular season triumphs. It is also a pre-requisite for success in the NFL. Without an owners trust in his coaching staff, or a coaches trust in his players, or a players trust in another player, victory is hard to come by, nearly impossible. Trust is something the Redskins have lacked for some time now. Last season, the lack of trust was rampant. It was clear Gibbs didn’t trust Brunell early in the season, and it also he didn’t trust Ramsey late in the season. Offensively, there was a lack of trust amongst the players as well. Portis did not trust his blocking; Ramsey did not trust his protection, or his receivers; the wide receivers did not trust their quarterback. With this sort of second guessing, one can only expect to fail. Which we did. Moral victories are only worth so much, and close losses are worth nothing.
Now, fast forward to preseason, 2005. Trust is something being built. Suddenly, the offensive line trusts itself. Dockery trusts Rabach to pull his weight, something Raymer failed to do last season. Thomas trusts Jansen to maintain his blocks, something Ray Brown (the ageless wonder, respectively) was unable to do consistently at this late stage of his career. Samuels trusts his fellow dirtbags, and Jansen is trusting his achilles. By trusting the guy next to you, you are free to focus on your own responsibilities. By forming trust, you form a bond. You form a group whose individual talents pale in comparison to the accomplishments as a unit. You begin to form a team, in the true sense of the word.
After performing a post mortem on last weeks game, I see trust as the most critical factor to this unborn season. On the surface it would appear that the most important element would be Gibbs’ trust in Ramsey. Although that may be true, that trust or lack there of will be formed based on the play of the o-line; so far, so good. After dominating one of the top defensive lines in all of football a week ago (Panthers), the Skins came home to find a less intimidating foe next in line. Dominance was expected, and that is what we receive. On paper it wasn’t as pretty. Last week Ramsey was not sacked and only hit twice; this week he was sacked twice and hit four times. However, one also must consider the amount of deep shots we took during each respective game to reach any logical conclusion.
After a close examination, Jon Jansen wins this weeks award for best lineman. Jansen was flawless throughout the game, and dominant at times. Last week, he appeared to be testing out his “new legs”; he struggled at times in isolated pass protection, though overall he played well. This week, he completely eliminated the Bengals top pass rusher from a year ago, Justin Smith. On the first sack of the game, a third and 5 from our own end of the field, Jansen took his man completely out of the play using great leverage, then successfully picked up a corner blitz. Though the rush was still able to find Ramsey, Jansen was clearly not at fault. On the next possession, again on third down (and 7), Jansen teamed with Dockery and Samuels to snuff out a stunt from the defensive line as well as a blitz bringing two linebackers. Again, Jansen took out two players, allowing Ramsey to step up in the pocket with ease, though he overthrew an open Patten. It was Jansen leading the way on an end around for Moss, showing his athleticism, though it was only a short gain. It was Jansen walling off the right side on an off tackle run by Betts, clearing the way for a 15 yard gain. Aside form the outstanding individual efforts, he played with power and skill throughout the contest. As I said, he was never beaten off the snap, never allowed his man to make the tackle, and never allowed any pressure on Ramsey. He appeared to find confidence in his rehabilitated lower leg, and the difference was clear. News flash folks: Jon Jansen is the leader of this line, and he is absolutely back to form.
Next up is Randy Thomas, as he also had a near flawless game. Thomas, a former pro bowler, has played well in his years in Washington but has never really been dominate in any particular area. That is, until Friday. Thomas was matched up against Bryan Robinson most of the contest, and he simply took him to school. On a first and ten from around the 35, he simply manhandled Robinson, turning him inside and driving him left until passing him off to Rabach. After finishing that block, he moved on to the linebacker sliding into the vacated space, and turned him inside also. This allowed a nice six yard pickup by Betts, and if Moss had held his block, it would have gone for at least 15 or 20. On another first down, again from around the 35, the call was a counter right, with Dockery pulling. Thomas combined with Jansen to completely seal off the trenches, allowing Dockery to get around with ease and help Betts pick up 15 yards. Those were the sort of plays last year we struggled with, as there was usually too much penetration and congestion for the back to get around the corner. This season, it appears Portis (once he is playing) will be able to reach the edge with ease, and that spells trouble. Aside from these individual efforts, Thomas was flawless in his pass protection, was able to get a good push off the line, and even made it too the second level of the defense once or twice. This was a match up he should have owned, and clearly he did his part.
As for the rest of the line, Dockery, Smauels and Rabach all played very well. Dockery was again outstanding, though this time he did make a couple of mistakes. He was beaten twice off the snap, as both times his man (John Thornton) got an excellent jump. But he managed to recover well, and was only responsible for Ramsey taking a hit once. That hit came just after Ramsey released the ball, and it was the long completion to Patten between two defenders, a forty yard gain. Though he did have the mistakes, he was dominant in picking up the blitz. Once a blitzing safety was completely swallowed up by the massive Dockery, something Theisman pointed out to everyone from the booth. Bostic commented that it “was unfair”. He also snuffed out a stunt/corner blitz on a third and seven, giving Ramsey plenty of time to check down to an open underneath receiver, though Betts plain out dropped the pass that should have been for a first. On the old school roll left protection plays we all remember from the Gibbs of old, Dockery did an excellent job of selling the play and then turning his man inside, completely sealing off the play and giving Ramsey time to throw. One of the results was a touchdown pass to Thrash in the back of the endzone. As for Samuels he looked slow (again) a couple of times off the snap, but other than that his technique was flawless. He was the cause of a sack when Gathers got a great jump and came flying around the end, forcing Ramsey to step into a blitzing LB. However he was excellent once he engaged his man, and was not beaten with any power moves. He used leverage consistently, and used his hands to keep space and direct his defender as well as I’ve ever seen him in the past. Rabach was pushed back a couple of times, but nothing to the extent of what we saw last season. He has shown good recovery skills in both games when beaten, showing his effort and desire to not give up on a play. He also has done an excellent job of recognizing blitz packages, and making the proper adjustments. For all the different looks Cincy brought (quite a few for preseason), there were no unblocked shots at Ramsey. Overall, I give the entire unit a grade of A-. Individually: Jansen an A+, Thomas an A, Samuels, Dockery, Rabach a B+. Excellent job all around.
Now, back to this trust thing. In a player/coach relationship, trust is never more evident than in play selection. If a coach trusts his QB, he will allow him to throw deep and make decisions on the field. If there is a lack of trust, the play calling will resemble the 2004 Redskins. Ultra-conservative. Because it is still preseason, it is impossible to gauge what amount of trust Gibbs has in Ramsey, as we are clearly trying a lot of different passing options at this early stage of the season. But if Ramsey wants to be allowed a little slack, he will absolutely need to eliminate these silly turnovers.
Pronunciation: 'tr&st
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse traust trust; akin to Old English trEowe faithful -- more at TRUE
1 a : assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something b : one in which confidence is placed
2 a : dependence on something future or contingent : HOPE b : reliance on future payment for property (as merchandise) delivered : CREDIT
3 a : a property interest held by one person for the benefit of another b : a combination of firms or corporations formed by a legal agreement; especially : one that reduces or threatens to reduce competition
4 archaic : TRUSTWORTHINESS
5 a (1) : a charge or duty imposed in faith or confidence or as a condition of some relationship (2) : something committed or entrusted to one to be used or cared for in the interest of another b : responsible charge or office c : CARE, CUSTODY <the child committed to her trust>
- in trust : in the care or possession of a trustee
Trust. Trust is something almost everyone of us have in Joe Gibbs. It is formed from the ashes of three Super Bowl victories, and countless regular season triumphs. It is also a pre-requisite for success in the NFL. Without an owners trust in his coaching staff, or a coaches trust in his players, or a players trust in another player, victory is hard to come by, nearly impossible. Trust is something the Redskins have lacked for some time now. Last season, the lack of trust was rampant. It was clear Gibbs didn’t trust Brunell early in the season, and it also he didn’t trust Ramsey late in the season. Offensively, there was a lack of trust amongst the players as well. Portis did not trust his blocking; Ramsey did not trust his protection, or his receivers; the wide receivers did not trust their quarterback. With this sort of second guessing, one can only expect to fail. Which we did. Moral victories are only worth so much, and close losses are worth nothing.
Now, fast forward to preseason, 2005. Trust is something being built. Suddenly, the offensive line trusts itself. Dockery trusts Rabach to pull his weight, something Raymer failed to do last season. Thomas trusts Jansen to maintain his blocks, something Ray Brown (the ageless wonder, respectively) was unable to do consistently at this late stage of his career. Samuels trusts his fellow dirtbags, and Jansen is trusting his achilles. By trusting the guy next to you, you are free to focus on your own responsibilities. By forming trust, you form a bond. You form a group whose individual talents pale in comparison to the accomplishments as a unit. You begin to form a team, in the true sense of the word.
After performing a post mortem on last weeks game, I see trust as the most critical factor to this unborn season. On the surface it would appear that the most important element would be Gibbs’ trust in Ramsey. Although that may be true, that trust or lack there of will be formed based on the play of the o-line; so far, so good. After dominating one of the top defensive lines in all of football a week ago (Panthers), the Skins came home to find a less intimidating foe next in line. Dominance was expected, and that is what we receive. On paper it wasn’t as pretty. Last week Ramsey was not sacked and only hit twice; this week he was sacked twice and hit four times. However, one also must consider the amount of deep shots we took during each respective game to reach any logical conclusion.
After a close examination, Jon Jansen wins this weeks award for best lineman. Jansen was flawless throughout the game, and dominant at times. Last week, he appeared to be testing out his “new legs”; he struggled at times in isolated pass protection, though overall he played well. This week, he completely eliminated the Bengals top pass rusher from a year ago, Justin Smith. On the first sack of the game, a third and 5 from our own end of the field, Jansen took his man completely out of the play using great leverage, then successfully picked up a corner blitz. Though the rush was still able to find Ramsey, Jansen was clearly not at fault. On the next possession, again on third down (and 7), Jansen teamed with Dockery and Samuels to snuff out a stunt from the defensive line as well as a blitz bringing two linebackers. Again, Jansen took out two players, allowing Ramsey to step up in the pocket with ease, though he overthrew an open Patten. It was Jansen leading the way on an end around for Moss, showing his athleticism, though it was only a short gain. It was Jansen walling off the right side on an off tackle run by Betts, clearing the way for a 15 yard gain. Aside form the outstanding individual efforts, he played with power and skill throughout the contest. As I said, he was never beaten off the snap, never allowed his man to make the tackle, and never allowed any pressure on Ramsey. He appeared to find confidence in his rehabilitated lower leg, and the difference was clear. News flash folks: Jon Jansen is the leader of this line, and he is absolutely back to form.
Next up is Randy Thomas, as he also had a near flawless game. Thomas, a former pro bowler, has played well in his years in Washington but has never really been dominate in any particular area. That is, until Friday. Thomas was matched up against Bryan Robinson most of the contest, and he simply took him to school. On a first and ten from around the 35, he simply manhandled Robinson, turning him inside and driving him left until passing him off to Rabach. After finishing that block, he moved on to the linebacker sliding into the vacated space, and turned him inside also. This allowed a nice six yard pickup by Betts, and if Moss had held his block, it would have gone for at least 15 or 20. On another first down, again from around the 35, the call was a counter right, with Dockery pulling. Thomas combined with Jansen to completely seal off the trenches, allowing Dockery to get around with ease and help Betts pick up 15 yards. Those were the sort of plays last year we struggled with, as there was usually too much penetration and congestion for the back to get around the corner. This season, it appears Portis (once he is playing) will be able to reach the edge with ease, and that spells trouble. Aside from these individual efforts, Thomas was flawless in his pass protection, was able to get a good push off the line, and even made it too the second level of the defense once or twice. This was a match up he should have owned, and clearly he did his part.
As for the rest of the line, Dockery, Smauels and Rabach all played very well. Dockery was again outstanding, though this time he did make a couple of mistakes. He was beaten twice off the snap, as both times his man (John Thornton) got an excellent jump. But he managed to recover well, and was only responsible for Ramsey taking a hit once. That hit came just after Ramsey released the ball, and it was the long completion to Patten between two defenders, a forty yard gain. Though he did have the mistakes, he was dominant in picking up the blitz. Once a blitzing safety was completely swallowed up by the massive Dockery, something Theisman pointed out to everyone from the booth. Bostic commented that it “was unfair”. He also snuffed out a stunt/corner blitz on a third and seven, giving Ramsey plenty of time to check down to an open underneath receiver, though Betts plain out dropped the pass that should have been for a first. On the old school roll left protection plays we all remember from the Gibbs of old, Dockery did an excellent job of selling the play and then turning his man inside, completely sealing off the play and giving Ramsey time to throw. One of the results was a touchdown pass to Thrash in the back of the endzone. As for Samuels he looked slow (again) a couple of times off the snap, but other than that his technique was flawless. He was the cause of a sack when Gathers got a great jump and came flying around the end, forcing Ramsey to step into a blitzing LB. However he was excellent once he engaged his man, and was not beaten with any power moves. He used leverage consistently, and used his hands to keep space and direct his defender as well as I’ve ever seen him in the past. Rabach was pushed back a couple of times, but nothing to the extent of what we saw last season. He has shown good recovery skills in both games when beaten, showing his effort and desire to not give up on a play. He also has done an excellent job of recognizing blitz packages, and making the proper adjustments. For all the different looks Cincy brought (quite a few for preseason), there were no unblocked shots at Ramsey. Overall, I give the entire unit a grade of A-. Individually: Jansen an A+, Thomas an A, Samuels, Dockery, Rabach a B+. Excellent job all around.
Now, back to this trust thing. In a player/coach relationship, trust is never more evident than in play selection. If a coach trusts his QB, he will allow him to throw deep and make decisions on the field. If there is a lack of trust, the play calling will resemble the 2004 Redskins. Ultra-conservative. Because it is still preseason, it is impossible to gauge what amount of trust Gibbs has in Ramsey, as we are clearly trying a lot of different passing options at this early stage of the season. But if Ramsey wants to be allowed a little slack, he will absolutely need to eliminate these silly turnovers.