Now it's the players turn

[Hr fan]

This morning's WAPO had the coaches blaming the rookie safeties as the primary reason for losing to Dallass. A dramatic change in coach-speak. It's no longer "we all did it" and "we have to work harder starting with me" and "we just have to execute, the calls were right".

Rookie play as the cause may even be true, but this is the first time the coaches have thrown any players by name under the bus. This while admitting that the PLANED cover on one long touchdown was using 5'11" London Fletcher to cover the deep middle against 6'3" TO. They maybe thought that he was fast enougn and could jump high enough to make up for the physical disadvantage any other coaching staff would have admitted. Instead it was "LF turned the wrong way". Also, with 2 rookies, why expect perfect play (not adjust to the D to the fact that they will make mistakes)?

Are the coaches trying to escape the heat of their own mistakes, or are the players inadequate and the future bleak in the light of our injury situation?

[GreenspanDan]

without sean taylor back there, GW reverted to whatever it was he was doing last year that resulted in the other team completing approximately 4 long bombs for touchedowns every game.

[SpicyMcHaggis]

One should ask these brilliant coaches why we have to give Reed Doughty extensive playing time if our pro-bowl safety is injured. Could it be that we screw up at least half of our player acquisition decisions, and the players that actually turn out to be good we pay enourmous amounts of money/draft picks for?

[fent]

One should ask these brilliant coaches why we have to give Reed Doughty extensive playing time if our pro-bowl safety is injured. Could it be that we screw up at least half of our player acquisition decisions, and the players that actually turn out to be good we pay enourmous amounts of money/draft picks for?

one should also ask why doughty was playing over Prioleau for so long? if it's an experience problem, put the guy who has 9 years in the league, 7 in Williams' system, into the dadgum game!

[hogs86]

I do not not think the coaches are calling anyone player out. To quote Fred Smoot it is the coaches job to put the players in the best position and the players job to cover and make tackles.

[Skinz4lyfe]

one should also ask why doughty was playing over Prioleau for so long? if it's an experience problem, put the guy who has 9 years in the league, 7 in Williams' system, into the dadgum game!


Bingo! That was the question I had all game. From what I've seen from Doughty, he's a decent SS but his coverage skills are lacking to say the least. Maybe they see something in practice that we don't.

[The Skinsinator]

One should ask these brilliant coaches why we have to give Reed Doughty extensive playing time if our pro-bowl safety is injured. Could it be that we screw up at least half of our player acquisition decisions, and the players that actually turn out to be good we pay enourmous amounts of money/draft picks for?This is the best explanation to this problem and why TO torched us on Saturday. I was surprised to Doughty in there for such an extended period.

[oldskinfan]

w/ Taylor out I would have played 3 deep so safeties had less space to cover and pressed the receivers. Play w/ 2 LB's and count on Springs and Smoot for run support. It was obviously Romo took advantage of our injury situation. If we had really taken away the deep ball, he usually proves impatient and makes bad plays. The cowgirls RBs also are not great receivers the way Westbrook is so that would have been a better approach.

[saviour]

The bigger joke here is that the Reed Doughty is even on the team. Considering that he was kept over Omar Stoutmire on two seperate occasions this year. Both Gibbs and Williams need to ask themselves why that desicion was made. Considering injuries can happen you would think they would keep the veteran as a backup.

I guess its easier to keep the young guys so that if everything falls apart you could blame their inexperience for a loss rather than bad play calling.:thinker:

[CNYSkinFan]

The bigger joke here is that the Reed Doughty is even on the team. Considering that he was kept over Omar Stoutmire on two seperate occasions this year. Both Gibbs and Williams need to ask themselves why that desicion was made. Considering injuries can happen you would think they would keep the veteran as a backup.

I guess its easier to keep the young guys so that if everything falls apart you could blame their inexperience for a loss rather than bad play calling.:thinker:
ding ding ding ding ding

I have openly questioned this decision to keep Doughty over Stoutmire many times, and this game shows you why. I do not understand the fatuation with Doughty. He ia Ade Jimoh without the cover skills....

Seriously he is about as fast as a defensive lineman why we were playing him over Prioleau is just crazy

[Biggie]

ding ding ding ding ding

I have openly questioned this decision to keep Doughty over Stoutmire many times, and this game shows you why. I do not understand the fatuation with Doughty. He ia Ade Jimoh without the cover skills....

Seriously he is about as fast as a defensive lineman why we were playing him over Prioleau is just crazy
Not to mention that the only way he can cover the deep pass is to tackle the receiver before he catches it.

[hail2skins]

I think this is a little more dramatic than the article is stating. Williams specifically said it was the inexperience of the younger safeties that was the problem. I don't see this as throwing people under the bus. The safeties themselves even took responsibility for their play. So, I'm not looking at this as some new way the coaches will handle the team. Everybody could tell they were confused on plays in the 2nd half. We even discussed it in the game thread.

[Hr fan]

I think this is a little more dramatic than the article is stating. Williams specifically said it was the inexperience of the younger safeties that was the problem. I don't see this as throwing people under the bus. The safeties themselves even took responsibility for their play. So, I'm not looking at this as some new way the coaches will handle the team. Everybody could tell they were confused on plays in the 2nd half. We even discussed it in the game thread.

We all agree - the problem is inexperience. When Heyer went in schemes were adapted to his inexperience with blocking help. When Torrence went in he was targeted, as any pro QB will do to take advantage of the inexperience. GW had a week to figure out how to compensate for the S's inexperience as best he could (for instance, since deeper routes are needed to take advantage of the inexperience how do we create more pressure?). What we got was the exact same defense he plays with ST in there. He had to know the inexperience would be targeted, but did nothing, NOTHING, to compensate for it. Then the coaches say it was the players' inexperience that led to defeat. Well, duh! My point was that the coaches until now have accepted the heat, now it looks like they are shifting the blame and harboring excuses (Inexperience = Injuries hurt us instead of the usual coach-speak of injuries are part of the game and similar pronouncements).

[saviour]

We all agree - the problem is inexperience. When Heyer went in schemes were adapted to his inexperience with blocking help. When Torrence went in he was targeted, as any pro QB will do to take advantage of the inexperience. GW had a week to figure out how to compensate for the S's inexperience as best he could (for instance, since deeper routes are needed to take advantage of the inexperience how do we create more pressure?). What we got was the exact same defense he plays with ST in there. He had to know the inexperience would be targeted, but did nothing, NOTHING, to compensate for it. Then the coaches say it was the players' inexperience that led to defeat. Well, duh! My point was that the coaches until now have accepted the heat, now it looks like they are shifting the blame and harboring excuses (Inexperience = Injuries hurt us instead of the usual coach-speak of injuries are part of the game and similar pronouncements).

Here here.

I do not believe that the coaches was throwing the players under the bus on purpose but I always believe the coaches should NEVER tell the press that it was the players fault for not being in the right place without masking it to some degree. Anyone watching the game knew that players were out of position. GW could have earned some of my respect by atleast saying "I have to coach better to make sure that these things dont happen in the future"

[hail2skins]

Here here.

I do not believe that the coaches was throwing the players under the bus on purpose but I always believe the coaches should NEVER tell the press that it was the players fault for not being in the right place without masking it to some degree. Anyone watching the game knew that players were out of position. GW could have earned some of my respect by atleast saying "I have to coach better to make sure that these things dont happen in the future"
I think this is opposite of what HR_fan is saying. He liked that they called players out. IMO they didn't call out players specifically but mentioned inexperienced players and everyone could guess who they were. I don't see it as the coaches changing their approach to addressing games.