Who's to Blame?

Whether we admit it or not, the blame game remains one of the best and worst hobbies of the human condition.  No matter what, we enjoy laying responsibility at the feet of one person or another, which becomes doubly true when following and observing sports.  This morning, the media members all around the country are finding culpability in the Redskins 24-14 playoff loss last night.  I might as well add to it.

I will be honest…during the game I did not once call for Cousins to come into the game.  Yes, he won a game against the Browns in December, but I continued to believe RGIII provided the best chance for the team to win last night, especially since so much of it looked to be dependent on Alfred Morris.  Who cares about the quarterback when your running back churns up yardage like Morris did in the first quarter?  My thinking was if we could return to Morris offensively, the game would be ours.

Of course, that mentality was flawed.  Without an effective passer back there, the aerial attack was rendered moot, leaving the play action game ineffective by association.  Morris carried the ball only five times in the second half, rushing for 20 yards.  Yeah, that’s still four yards per carry.  People can continue to discuss RGIII being in the game, but if he’s so hurt, give the ball to the second leading rusher in the league.  RGIII missed passes throughout the second and third quarters and, despite the success on the run by the Redskins early on, Kyle Shanahan never returned to the running game, even with a one point lead.  I think this game was winnable with a consistent running attack and a few play actions, which Griffin runs well regardless of his injuries.  For the short-term, Kyle Shanahan deserves ridicule for poor play calling as the game progressed.

As for the injury, I find it tough to blame one person.  Mike Shanahan should have seen he was hurt, Dr. James Andrews (an expert who decided to discuss RGIII’s knee publicly before this game in a very strange move) also should have said something, and Griffin definitely could have been more honest.  But, I thought about Jay Cutler a few years ago, sitting out of the NFC Championship while Twitter excoriated his lack of backbone.  I am glad Griffin kept trying to play, since he clearly was very hurt, a fact not so obvious when Cutler sat out.

 

But, at a certain point, the coaches need to make a decision.  And I will stand by my statement…Griffin gave us the best chance to win last night.  But, in the long run, his injured knee could wreak absolute havoc on the team.  His explosiveness out of the backfield has not been doubted all year and provided some electrifying plays this season.  While he might be the best option, Cousins is also a “good not great” option at quarterback.  For the sake of next season, Shanahan should have made the call to take RGIII out of the game.  And I’ll say it…Cousins likely loses the game last night anyway if he’s playing, but we would have been spared the tortuous twisting of Griffin’s braced knee in the fourth quarter.  At this point, we know he can lead this team to the playoffs.  The question is: how many more will he be healthy enough to see?

On other parts of the field, the Skins proved very well that they are ahead of the curve for what had been charted as a tough rebuilding process.  The loss stings, but for this team with rookie skill players, porous defensive backs, and plaguing injuries to go 10-6 marks a real accomplishment.  Some ESPN projections had the Skins at 2-14 this year, and most did not foresee seven wins in 2012.

So Skins fans should be worried about Griffin’s knee but, if he comes back healthy, he will have a more experienced group around him which now knows the bite of a tough playoff loss.  If the defensive backfield can add a few pieces (how about the play of Reed Doughty last night by the way?), Washington will be competitive next season.  Until then, however, we will have to move on and hope RGIII doesn’t need too much knee rehab in the coming months.

Bit #1: The return of hockey

I’ve been told my numerous sources that my blog receives very little readership whenever it discusses hockey as the main topic.  That’s good to know, as I was sorely tempted to feature the meeting of the minds that occurred in Toronto yesterday morning.  A tentative agreement has been reached that, if ratified by both owners and players, will bring hockey back somewhere around mid-January.  A quick 48 game season will commence, with all games in-conference, before the postseason.

Obviously, I am exceptionally glad the NHL will be back.  The sheer idiocy and greed inherent in these negotiations disgusts me, so the parties need to politely excuse themselves from the public eye for a while and let the game rebuild itself.  My first preference, however, would be to fire Gary Bettman.  He might be helping the league with its financial situation, but his ill-advised Sun Belt Strategy and his presiding over three lockouts during his tenure signifies his time has come.  Well done getting a deal done, Gary…now please leave.

Bit #2: Thoughts on next week’s games

Everyone will be quick to anoint the Seahawks for next week.  Make no mistake about it…Atlanta will have their hands full, especially with the power running game Marshawn Lynch brings to the table.  But, Russell Wilson posted his lowest QBR against the Redskins since losing to San Fran in Week 7.  ESPN reports his QBR plunged to 9.7 when faced with five or more pass rushers.  The Falcons can bring that kind of pressure, so I’d expect them to finally get a win in the postseason.

For Green Bay-San Francisco, the two teams meet as different entities from the Week 1 victory in Lambeau by the Niners.  Kaepernick can run the option and wreak havoc with his legs, a new twist for the Packers, who have not played a truly mobile quarterback all season.  But, for the Packers offense, they bring a running game to this contest, a marked change from the meeting in September.  Then, half of Green Bay’s offensive plays did not contain a running back at all.  Compare that to the combined 27 carries last week, and the identity of Green Bay looks mighty different four months later.  My bet…this game comes down to who kicks for San Francisco.

Not too much intrigue in the AFC, though I’d be willing to bet Baltimore gives Denver more trouble than we might think.  Their offense looked like its old self yesterday, with Ray Rice pounding the pavement a ton.  Still, expect Manning-Brady in the championship.