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Thursday, August 27, 2009

More on Jason Campbell and the Redskins' Offensive Philosophy

A recent Washington Examiner article by John Keim is one of the most fair and accurate analyses of Campbell that I have read in a while, and sums up my feelings of him very well.

As I briefly touched on in my last post, I believe Campbell has shown the level he is capable of playing at in the NFL, and it all relies on his supporting cast. When Campbell is supported by good line play, a dominant run game, and good defensive play, which the Redskins had through eight games last season, he can play the role of what fans and coaches call a "game manager" very well.

Through the first eight games of 2008, Campbell threw eight touchdowns and zero interceptions. While the Redskins weren't putting up a ton of points through the air, the passing game was consistent and did not turn the ball over.

With the support of a dominant run game, in which Clinton Portis was in the ballpark of 1,000 yards at the midway point, the Redskins were able to make up for the lack of scoring through the air by keeping opposing offenses off the field and winning the time of possession battle.

Football fans across the country will find themselves hard pressed to find an NFL analyst who won't swear by the "run the ball and play good defense" philosophy as a recipe for success in the NFL. It was the Redskins' gameplan through the first half of 2008, and had them at 6-2 and near the top of the NFC.

While I agree with this idea, I have two major concerns with it which apply to the Redskins.

My first concern is that this philosophy isn't one that will lead to very many convincing victories in terms of outscoring the other team. While the game may be won convincingly in terms of physically outplaying a team, or in terms of the time-of-possession or turnover battle, the low offensive output through the air will often have fans biting their nails as the opponent is often still within one score late in the fourth quarter.

Out of the Redskins six wins through the first half of the season, only one was by more than seven points (and it was an eight-point victory against the lowly Lions, who would go on to finish 0-16). Sure they were winning, but there wasn't a game where their opponent wasn't within striking distance late in the fourth quarter.


On the other end of the spectrum, a team like the Colts, Patriots, Chargers or Saints can rely on their passing game to come out and score two, three or four touchdowns on any given Sunday and put less pressure on the defense and the running game. They have the capability of putting 27+ points on the board every week, which the Redskins did only once in 2008. (Saints - 10 times, Chargers - 8 times, Colts - 6 times, Patriots - 6 times, without Brady).


It will be interesting to see how the Redskins do in the passing game this season. Campbell is in his second year as a starter in the same system for the first time since high school, which should improve his decision making. One of the great weaknesses in his game is that he holds on to the ball too long. We should get a better idea this season of whether this is because he is simply a slow decision-maker, or because he did not yet feel comfortable in the system.

Additionally, Malcom Kelly has begun to stand out at the wide receiver position throughout training camp and the preseason. He is a big target with great hands, and rumors around Redskins Park suggest that he is poised to take the #2 receiver spot from Antwaan Randle-El.

This is a move that should work out great for the Redskins, as Randle-El is best suited in the slot where his quickness can cause matchup problems for linebackers and nicklebacks. It also gives the Redskins more size on the outside, which they have needed in the redzone for a long time.

If Kelly performs well, and provides a legitimate threat outside of Cooley and Moss that opposing defenses have to gameplan for, the Redskins should see fewer eight-in-the-box sets, which will allow Portis to flourish and open up the play-action game, giving them a balance on offense which disappeared in the second half of 2008.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Remembering 2008, and Looking Ahead to 2009

After a long hiatus, mostly due to a busy semester during last season, I'm back to talk some Redskins football.


Re-reading my last post brought back all the highs and the lows I felt last season. I truly believed the Redskins were a serious contender in the NFC at the midway point last season. They played mistake free football on offense, solid defense, and were pounding teams to death in the fourth quarter with Clinton Portis. It was a recipe for winning, and at 6-2, they were doing just that.


With MVP and playoff talks swirling around the nation's capital, The Redskins had a chance to prove themselves on the national stage with a Monday night showdown against the Steelers.



After a humiliating 23-6 loss in which the Skins were physically dominated in all facets of the game, it became clear that a different team showed up for the second half of the season.



The offensive line, with a combination of age and injury, could no longer control the pace of the game. Clinton Portis went from a 1,000-yard first half of the season to a 500-yard second half. Protection breakdowns in the passing game halted our offense further and led to a sub-par performance from Jason Campbell in the second half of the season.



The gameplan for beating the Redskins was clear: crowd the line of scrimmage, bring pressure, hit them hard, and they won't be able to keep up. The result was a 2-6 finish, in which the offense averaged fewer than 13 points per game, and another season out of the playoffs.



Following a dissapointing finish to the 2008 season, most offseason talk concerning the Redskins' success in 2009 has centered around Jason Campbell. I feel he is more of an x-factor than a key component to their success. Without good physical line play protecting him well and creating a running game to support him, I don't think that Campbell will have the chance to succeed.

He has shown that when he is protected well, he is capable of being a good "game manager" and even hit a big play or two. That said, I think Campbell still has some accuracy and pocket presence issues which he needs to work out, and entering his third full season as a starter it is time for him to take his game to the next level.



After watching the collapse of the Redskins at the end of the 2008 season, my top concerns with the team heading into 2009 is with their ability to physically control the game on the line of scrimmage and stay healthy at those positions. The additions of Albert Haynesworth and Brian Orakpo should help tremendously on the defensive side of the ball, but doubt still lingers with the offensive line.




After the first preseason game two weekends ago against the Ravens, the Redskins picked up where the left off in 2008. They were physically dominated by the Ravens. Last weekend against the Steelers, aside from a field goal drive that was sparked by a fake punt for a first down, the Redskins offense looked very inept in the passing game once again, although the line provided a good push in the running game.


Heading into the second half of the preseason, we will get to see more action from the first team. I am anxious to see how the offensive line performs, particularly in pass protection, and see if Campbell begins to show any improvement. I would also like to see if one of the second-year recievers, Malcom Kelly and Devin Thomas, begin to stand out and take the #2 receiving spot. So far, Kelly has shown tremendous hands, and at 6'4 225 he is a big taget over the middle of the field and in the redzone.


Aside from those three question marks, I think that the Redskins have a team built to compete at a high level in the NFC. Their #4 overall defense has added some new playmakers, so we can only expect a repeat performance or perhaps improvement. Clinton Portis has proven to be a top back in the NFL when healthy, and Chris Cooley has proven to be a top tight end over the last four years.

There's an old saying that football is won in the trenches, and the Redskins need to show that they can win those battles if they want to compete in the NFC East.