Early Season Assesment of Spurrier.

[AZ#1SkinsFan]

I know its early in the season, but I just wanted to here your thoughts on how far Spurrier has come as an "NHL Head Coach". What has he improved on? What does he still need to improve on? How do you really think he will do in the years to come?

I think Spurrier has come a long ways since last year. He seems to be much more will to run the ball, a balanced offense is a must to win in the NFL. He seems to be able to adjust to what’s happening in the game much better than last year. His offense seems to be much more explosive, though that has a LOT to do with talent and experience in the system.

BUT what about game planning? It seems to me that Spurrier needs to take Game Planning 101. The last to games we came out and got DOMINATED early, made some adjustments and came storming back. Why can't we start out playing well? At least even and then make the adjustments. Maybe Snyder needs to bring in a game planning consultant to help Spurrier prepare for a few games.

Also, last years team was VERY undisciplined early and Spurrier started fining them and they got better. Why did he remove the fines this year? Will reinstating the "penalty fines" help reduce the number of dumb penalties? Maybe the fines should be based on a percentage of their salaries. Say 1/4 percent of years salary for off sides and false starts, 1/2 percents of a years salary for holding or personal fouls. I don't know, but this is ridiculous.

Anyway, I believe Spurrier has taken great strides in becoming a GREAT NFL coach. I think if he can learn how to game plan and get his team to be smart and play disciplined he can take this team and Redskins teams for years to come to levels that would make us dream happy thoughts every Sunday and ALL SPRING AND SUMMER LONG.

I sure hope so.

GO SKINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PennSkinsFan]

My only big criticism of Spurrier is he still does nto have a disciplined team, and yes, that is part Coaching.

[AZ#1SkinsFan]

Originally posted by PennSkinsFan
My only big criticism of Spurrier is he still does nto have a disciplined team, and yes, that is part Coaching.

You don't see a game planning problem? Seems the team was never very prepared a lot of times last year and everyone stated it was just Spurrier and his attitude (remember Spurrier joking that he was never going to be up all night working like "some other coaches" referring to Gruden and his 20 hour days?). Did he change the way he prepares for the games? They still seam they start each game bad, make adjustments and take control.

[Spence]

I think the team is far better prepared this year than last year, as far as game planning goes. The team has a tendency to commit a lot of penalties and these have put the team in an early hole two weeks in a row. There has been some coaching progress, in other words. Game plans look very good to me, on both offense and defense. Attention to detail remains depressingly abysmal.

[AZ#1SkinsFan]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Spence
Attention to detail remains depressingly abysmal. /QUOTE]

Isn't that part of "Game Planning"? Ramsey stated after the game the the offense was better in the second have because Spurreir started using plays that were not in the game plan. Plays they were not planning on using. Can't we look at game film and see the same things Spurrier seen during the first half yesterday and make the adjustment before the game so we don't fall behind by 18 points? or 17 points like the week before?

[jporterweb]

Originally posted by AZ#1SkinsFan
Spurrier has come as an "NHL Head Coach".

Dammit I thought this was football. :D

[AZ#1SkinsFan]

Originally posted by jporterweb
Dammit I thought this was football. :D

OOPS!!! LOL . . . sometimes I wonder.

[Spence]

Originally posted by AZ#1SkinsFan
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Spence
Attention to detail remains depressingly abysmal. /QUOTE]

Isn't that part of "Game Planning"? Ramsey stated after the game the the offense was better in the second have because Spurreir started using plays that were not in the game plan. Plays they were not planning on using. Can't we look at game film and see the same things Spurrier seen during the first half yesterday and make the adjustment before the game so we don't fall behind by 18 points? or 17 points like the week before? Okay, I take your point. I guess I was trying to differentiate between play-calling [which I think is excellent] and attention to detail, which is, as I said, abysmal. I don't expect everything to work in the first half. Good teams adjust at halftime. Joe Gibbs was the greatest I ever saw at adjusting his game plan at halftime. I take that as a mark of brilliance. I think the game plans in the first half have been good, but execution has been terrible. In other words, I like the calls that Spurrier is making, but how can any of them work when the linemen are jumping offsides, Ramsey does not get the play called in time, and wideouts are committing costly taunting penalties?

[AZ#1SkinsFan]

Originally posted by Spence
Okay, I take your point. I guess I was trying to differentiate between play-calling [which I think is excellent] and attention to detail, which is, as I said, abysmal. I don't expect everything to work in the first half. Good teams adjust at halftime. Joe Gibbs was the greatest I ever saw at adjusting his game plan at halftime. I take that as a mark of brilliance. I think the game plans in the first half have been good, but execution has been terrible. In other words, I like the calls that Spurrier is making, but how can any of them work when the linemen are jumping offsides, Ramsey does not get the play called in time, and wideouts are committing costly taunting penalties?

You make some great points. Its hard to come in with a perfect game plan and just dominate. Though both Atlanta and the Giants seem to have against us. Part of the game plan includes playing to the others teams weaknesses and forcing them to make mistakes. Again both Atlanta and New York seen us as having a line that is still trying to gel and having backs that are weak at blocking. They brough a lot of pressure and caused a ton of problems for us in the beginings of both games. We make offensive adjustments, calling quick screens and crossing patterns. The momentum turned and we came storming back. Didn't Spurrier know they were going to bring all kinds of pressure? We all did. Why didn't we start the game off with the quick screens and crossing patters? It would have forced the Giants back on their heals and gotten us off to a lot better start. I do feel he is Spurrier is getting better. AND, he is gotten a LOT better at making adjustments ( at least he is willing to make the adjustments this year). Hopefully he can right the ship and make it all work. I think he will.

[hail2skins]

Well, I was confused early on about Spurrier's game plan. I didn't exactly figure out what he was trying to do. What he was trying to exploit in the Giant's defense. I also wonder why we only make the adjustments at the half. The first couple of possessions in games are where teams try to figure each other out. I believe the Giants gave the Skins some looks they didn't see on film. Ramsey mentioned their defense did that. Their offense did it in the overtime as well.

I think Spurrier has showed he can coach in this league but like Spence said, he needs to dot his I's and cross his T's.

[NamVet4]

As far as this year vs last year - definite improvment in game planning and game adjustments. Down side is that we're falling behind too early! Coach has to make those good adjustments before the half. I agree with Spence, to a degree, that game planning is still not what it should be for a NFL coach, but I give Coach Steve props for attempting to improve from game to game -which I did not see a lot of last year. Last week a lot of the "gints" fans up here were moaning about their loss to the cowpukes. And gusess who was the target of their venomous tirades - Coach Fassel! It's easy to hammer a coach - but he doesn't put the pads on and play. The entire coaching staff can bust their butts all week but if the players execute poorly the players need to shoulder some of the balme.
So... long winded as I am, Coach Steve gets a C+ so far for the season.

[JoeDaSchmoe]

It all comes down to a few things for me:

1. Balance. He has it this year, and wow, does it ever work. I'm very impressed with our offense right now. Just imagine how good it'll look without so many penalties.

2. Adjustments. He's done a damn fine job here, from calling the quick hitters to catch blitzers out of position to moving a running back out in order to keep a blitz from happening in the first place. As we can tell from the comebacks, Spurrier's very good at figuring out how to turn the game around.

3. Discipline. Here comes the uh-oh. Team discipline comes down to the coaching, and Spurrier's not getting any good marks here. There's no way being the most penalized team in the league can be explained away.

I like what I see in the Ol' Ball Coach, and expect a lot of team improvement as the year goes on.

[Spearfeather]

Originally posted by PennSkinsFan
My only big criticism of Spurrier is he still does nto have a disciplined team, and yes, that is part Coaching.


I agree, this seems to the the biggest problem...has been for a while. A ten dollar fine in practice is not going to do it. Repeated severe toungue lashings or being taken out of the game might get the message across a little better...but sooner or later the players have to take it upon themselves.

[xoffenda]

Penalties is the biggest problem right now. It cost the game on Sunday. I think the over all game plan is pretty good. The offence is clicking so much better this year, because of the big play makers. Coles and Gardner are stepping it up when we need it and we can get down the field very quickly. Once Ramsey calms down with the audibles(that seems to confuse everyone but the defense), hes gonna be awesome.

[PennSkinsFan]

Nah. I think the game planning is fine. The game plan itself is fine. How can you execute a game plan when drives are stalled with false starts, 15 to 25 yard passes are negated with holding calls, unsportsman like conducts, taunting penalties. How can a game plan be excuted when defensive personnel do thier job, shut down a drive, but someone makes a bonehead late hit, EVERY FRIGGIN GAME, or Lavar and Brcue are jumping all over the place and getting called for it.

So, before i actually question the game plan itself, i would prefer to see us execute it first, instead of killing it.

[Patrick]

TOO EARLY. Will wait to make judgement after I know weather or not we are in the playoffs.