Put the Media in Rehab and Let's Go

I'm wondering what we, meaning the Washington Commanders, should do against the Browns this week. 

How much do you want to show in a preseason game? What prejudices do you want your 2023 opponents to develop about you strategically? Maybe nothing. Maybe just do basics. Run. Pass. Block. Tackle. That's it.

I would like to see all our running backs play. All our O-linemen. Maybe show a little success to get an early bite on play action for the 2023 season. 

In the passing game, I'd like to see some deep balls. Some tight end involvement. A well-executed screen. Things that start opponents worrying about us. Nothing fancy. Stuff everybody else runs. Focus on execution from everybody.

It might be interesting to watch for a mental contagion sprouting up with regard to turnovers. I'm hearing Kam Curl is all of a sudden picking balls off in practice. The Coaching Staff has posted their expectation that the defense come up with more turnovers. They drafted Emmanuel Forbes, a notorious thief in College. Maybe the vets don't want the rookie stealing their thefts, so to speak. 

Don't forget Chase Young created turnovers his rookie year. So as much as sacks, we ought to trace Chase's turnover harvest.

Hopefully, creating turnovers goes viral on defense this year. Young people maybe don't remember or weren't alive at the time but the 1983 Redskin team went bananas on turnovers. They had a crazy plus ratio. That was the best Redskin team in history. The one that didn't win the Super Bowl. Theismann's MVP Year.

An early test positive on turnovers would be good.

Media is breaking negative on Sam Howell and the Offensive Line. 

I'm thinking Sam will at the base be on track with Daniel Jones' first year. But let's back up and include some Redskin History here. Sam is an RPO QB with a little pocket passing mixed in. The RPO Era arguably began in earnest with Robert Griffin III and the Shanahans with the 2012 Washington Redskins. 

Ostensibly, the Shanahans implemented the Pistol and the Zone Read because QBs at the time in College Football just weren't being taught NFL Quarterbacking. Instead of expecting quarterbacks to adjust to them, they adjusted to the quarterbacks. What they were doing. How they played their best game.

The RPO Game makes it easier for College Quarterbacks to play right away in the NFL. The League adopted the Shanahan adaptation and that's why watching Anthony Richardson this year could be scintillating.

The Passing game is built off the play fake which itself is built off a successful running game. It really was genius to meld together the Zone Read with the conservative short passing game of Bill Walsh. Conservative Coaches who don't like a lot of turnovers love it because the passing game is really a lengthened running game.

And you take your occasional deep shot.

We have the running game in Washington to make that trend work here. Ground the offense in the running game. Do concentric circles from there. Feed off it. Sam has the arm for deep shots. He'll be OK. And there's potential for Better Than OK.

Because most RPO plays don't take long to develop, the RPO game is kinder to the Offensive Line. 

Much hay was made about how the Washington D-Line roughed up the O-Line this week. The NFC East defensive lines are very similar to ours in Washington. They are good, fast, strong troublemakers every last man of them. May as well face it now. In fact, things should be as disruptive in practice as possible. The games should feel like dress down day. Sandals and Hawaiian Shirts.  

To get stronger, you have to make demands above and beyond what your body can do. Eventually, it adapts. You can lift the new record. The same thing has to happen with the Washington O-Line. 

People gripe they are new. Look, it's a veteran group. Not their first rodeo. They know the NFL. They know what they are getting into. It is not 5 rookies. A few are young. I wish they were younger. I wish the team had developed the O-Line like they developed the D-Line. Didn't happen.

The situational football fact of the matter is, they do not have to be great to have success. I know with the Media everyone has to have been to 10 Pro Bowls and only be 23 years old. Not happening.

This time of year I wouldn't listen to or watch Washington Media. They are still addicted to Dan Snyder. They're like dry drunks having no spouse to abuse. This team could win the Super Bowl and they'd still talk about Snyder. 

It might be worth checking them out midway through the season. Maybe the Detox will be done by then. Now? Still in Denial. Everybody's a bum to them and they're looking for somebody to punch.

Don't they have 9 Round Fitness in D.C.?