Revival: A Washington Football Team Outlook
by JAMoney14 | 3 years ago | 0 Comments
By Jackson Grady, RZBR
Landover, Maryland - September 19th, 2021
On Sunday, September 19th - Uncertainty still looms over the Red Zone. League officials are still trying to determine an official start date to the world's greatest football league, because of uncertainty around the current scandal rocking the league's scouting departments. Uncertainty in two of the league's biggest markets in Houston and New Orleans, who as of today, have still not signed official contracts for their assumed head coaches. Uncertainty around a playerbase and fanbase who has never had to go this long without Red Zone Football.
About 15 months ago, uncertainty was at the forefront of one of the more polarizing coaches in Red Zone history. A man I've covered since he joined the Red Zone 8 years ago.
Coming off of an 8 year stretch that saw the Washington Football Team reach the Red Zone Super Bowl twice in a 3 year span and saw them set the Red Zone record for consecutive regular season victories (25), the unability for the coaching staff in Washington to seal the deal with a championship caused doubts to ring throughout the league.
That head coach, who some thought was finished after coming up short in his second stint as Washington head coach, eventually did decide to return to Red Zone, quietly inking a deal with the Indianapolis Colts.
That year would prove to be as disappointing as the rest.
The coach - the man - in question, is the Red Zone's own Ricky Chapstick. Ricky came into a tumultous Colts situation and aimed to turn it around... and turn it around he did. After a 7-9 season, Chapstick set the world on fire by trading 7 draft picks (all within the first 3 rounds) over the next 3 years to select Quarterback Kamryn Killings, arguably the greatest prospect in Red Zone history. Killings would go on to win 12 games his rookie year, earning a 1 seed.
Title hopes were dashed that year with a divisional round loss to Miami and Ricky would never come that close to that regular season success again with the Colts. This run with Indianapolis told us two things:
1. We were wrong: Ricky Chapstick was not out of gas. His will to perservere was not gone.
2. We were right: Ricky Chapstick was running on fumes.
After a mid-season victory over the very coach who had defeated him not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES in the Super Bowl, Ricky Chapstick announced his intentions to resign as the head coach of Indianapolis. The man who had given everything he had for 60 consecutive seasons, with no absenses, no breaks, and more importantly, no championships, had officially stepped away.
That was then. This is now.
The revival of Ricky Chapstick was expected, and for some, unwelcome. Ricky Chapstick, despite his contributions and consistency, has been looked at as a nuisance or a "diva". This isn't completely unwarranted, and coaches notice this behavior. That puts another target on the ball coach's back. Teams want to beat him. They want to be the next chapter in a saga that never sees a coach Chapstick Superbowl win. The league moves quickly. The league evolves. This is the very reason why the Red Zone is the greatest league in the world and the very reason why it has survived for 70 years through trials, tribulations, commissioner changes, unrest, controversy, and coaching changes.
Walking into Season 70, it only feels right that the revival will take place in the same place Ricky Chapstick has enjoyed so many of his career's highest moments. From his first winning season (Season 15) to his first playoff berth (season 16), to the many awards his players have enjoyed under his guidance and of course the aformentioned league-record 25-straight victories spanning from seasons 59 to 60. He holds another record as well due to his time in Washington.
Most Career Superbowl Appearances without a victory (0-3)
On May 27th, 2021, the Washington Football Team officially signed Ricky Chapstick to a cycle-long deal. This will be Ricky's third coaching stint in Washington. After the dust clears with all of the uncertainty surrounding the league itself, Ricky will run out onto the field 10 seasons to the season from his last Super Bowl defeat to Cory Astin's Chargers. Chapstick will jog out onto that field against those same Chargers for week 1. These Chargers are not the same group that stifled his offense in RZ Bowl 60. These Chargers are not the same ones who boasted a top-defense and the undisputed greatest head coach in RZ History.
These Chargers are new. This Football Team is new. This Ricky Chapstick is new.
Today, we're going to take a look at this new Football Team and how these piece fit with Ricky Chapstick.
The Offense
This offense is manned by assistant coach Antonio Montgomery, a long-time assistant under Ricky Chapstick, and a man who played Tight End under the Season 14-20 Washington team. He will have several challenges ahead of him if he hopes to get this offense to play to their potential.
Quarterback: Ryan Fitzpatrick
Coming into Season 70, Washington will have journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick under center. Fitz' history in the league is no secret. Nobody expects Fitzpatrick to win MVP or be responsible for highlight plays on a consistent basis, but then again, he doesn't have to be.
Fitzpatrick's accuracy and poise under pressure is a perfect fit in Washington under a system that coach Chapstick has cultivated over 60 seasons. Compare Ryan Fitzpatrick to some of the most successful quarterbacks under the Chapstick tree. Guys like Tyrod Taylor, Warren Coker, Dwayne Haskins, and Mitchell Trubisky. These are not megastars at the position, and yet Chapstick was able to make it work through disciplined play and a reliance on a lethal rushing attack.
That said, over the last 3 stints in Chicago, Washington, and Indianapolis, there has been an increased emphasis on a reliable passing game. While still far from a primary means of attack, you cannot win football games if you cannot convert passing plays. This unique balance has found success and while Fitzpatrick himself will be unable to do it alone, we have plenty of reason to believe his supporting cast will be more than enough to get the job done.
GRADE: C+
Receivers: Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Dyami Brown
Assisting this run-first, efficiency-based offense is a very strong receiving core. This group of receivers, including TE Logan Thomas, is going to be able to compensate for any lack of throw speed or periodic cold streaks that Ryan Fitzpatrick or the running game are having. Fitzpatrick is not going to be able to throw players open the way some of the more elite peers would, but he doesn't have to.
Terry McLaurin is a premier talent in this or any other league at the WR position and has the kind of breakaway speed that makes him a threat deep, even in this new league we find ourselves approaching. In addition to his speed, McLaurin is incredibly dangerous in the open field, able to extend plays further than they would otherwise go as a possession threat.
Curtis Samuel provides that possession threat. While not being a premier deep threat himself, Samuel is the embodiment of that focus on efficiency that the Football Team will be looking for in season 70. With McLaurin demanding most of the attention, there's a good chance Samuel will perhaps be even more important than his partner on the other side of the field. I anticipate a huge year (barring injuries) for Samuel in this offense.
Dyami Brown is a rough-around-the-edges all around WR threat who will inevadibly see a ton of play in season 70. Samuel is a very good player, but Dyami Brown comes to the table as a young rookie with tremendous upside, who will more than likely be a staple in this offense for years to come. Brown has a ways to go before he is where he needs to be, but the experience he gains from this playtime will be pivotal in his development.
GRADE: A-
Backfield: Antonio Gibson, J.D. McKissic
Far and away the biggest weapon in a coach Chapstick-led offense is the rushing attack. It is without question that every move made towards improving the offense will be made towards the rushing game for coach Chapstick in the first few seasons.
That said, he has a fantastic starting poitn in Antonio Gibson. Gibson is a dual-threat RB who posts sub 4.4 40 times and is able to catch the football coming out of the backfield. Gibson has shown remarkable breakaway ability and elusiveness in exhibition games and training camp and looks to be THE primary piece of this offense for the foreseeable future.
Scouts around the league question the ceiling of the young Memphis product, but at only 23 years old, Gibson could easily leverage a massive Season 70 into the starpower held by previous Chapstick stallwarts Alfred Morris, Ameer Abdullah, and Jonathan Taylor.
Speaking of Ameer Abdullah, there is plenty of speculation around the league that Abdullah could be reunited with his former head coach early on in Season 70, becoming the #2 back in a backfield that already includes receiving threat J.D. McKissic. There is no question that the offense will utilize 3 running backs (or more) in the coming seasons, as versatility and keeping his guys fresh has always been a major priority for the veteran coach. As it stands now, there's plenty of early potential in this backfield, but I would not be surprised to see coach Chapstick move on from Gibson in favor of a more polished back if this team becomes a postseason threat sooner than expected.
GRADE: B
Offensive Line: Brandon Scherff & Co.
Despite the weapons in the backfield and catching the football, the foundation is not the most solid in the league. It is hard for an aging quarterback in Fitzpatrick to get free and extend plays as it once was. Fitzmagic is not going to be able to rely on those wheels anymore - and that's where the big boys come into play.
The Tackles consist of Charles Leno Jr. and rookie Sam Cosmi. The latter of the two have no experience at the highest level and have not proven themselves to be elite from an athleticism standpoint. The hope is that Cosmi can develop into a reliable lineman, but as of today the right edge could be a major weakpoint, that if exposed by some of the more lethal pass rushing attacks in the league, could spell disaster for Ryan Fitzpatrick.
At Guard, Brandon Scherff can have a huge impact here assisting the young Cosmi, as well as doing what he does better than most interior lineman in the league - destroying defensive lineman and carving a hole for inside runs. This rushing attack will be a key factor in their success and perhaps even moreso than Gibson, Scherff will be expected to play a major role. On the other side, Ereck Flowers will do his best. That's all he can do, really. Bleacher Report ranked this line the 16th best in the league, dead center.
GRADE: C
The Defense
That takes us to the other side of the football, a side that has never really been a focus for this coaching staff... Although that may all change this season... Headed up by defensive coordinator and former 6th round pick Lynn Childs, the league anticipates a newfound aggression from a staff that usually relies on a "bend-but-don't-break" approach.
Defensive Line: Matt Ioannidis, Jonathan Allen, Da'Ron Payne
With a defensive front 7 that has been dubbed the "best" in the league on paper, it appears that Ricky Chapstick's choice of coordinator has made a statement that goes beyong personnel.
With this group, it appears Washington will shift their expected 4-3 defense to run a 3-4 instead. Inside, the three down lineman expected to get far and away the most playing time will be stars Da'Ron Payne, Jonathan Allen, and Matt "E-Adonis" Ioannidis. Payne stacks at 319 and will likely play at one of the outside positions, as the incomperable strength of Ioannidis is too overwhelming to move anywhere but NT. Ioannidis was recently ranked #1 in "strongest" defensive players, just head of Vita Vea and Linval Joseph. His presence inside will make life hell for opposing guards and centers.
While hopefully drawing double teams and resisting being moved around by interior lineman, the quicker Jonathan Allen will have ample opportunities to both rush the QB from the three point stance and also maintain the edge on his side of the field. The depth is there as well as backup DT Tim Settle is nothing to sneeze at in a new league that expects to see backups and depth players see the field much more frequently and become increasingly important. While depth at the DE positions will need to be addressed as Chapstick reorganizes into a 3-4 personnel, currently these three become a leading candidate for the best defensive front in the league.
GRADE: A+
Their co-horts behind them will have a lot to do with that... Which brings us to -
Linebackers: Montez Sweat, Chase Young, Cole Holcomb, Jamin Davis
Without question the strongest aspect of this team heading into Season 70 is the front 7. As we already talked about on the line, backing up those massive and athletic bodies will be perhaps the best pass rushing duo in the NFC. I'm of course talking about Chase Young and Montez Sweat. Sweat was an incredibly productive pass rusher during Chapstick's last stay, which began in Sweat's rookie season. He has had his ups and downs and looks to continue his development in an incredible defensive suite.
Chase Young is a can't miss prospect who has proven to be exactly as advertised. The idea behind the 4-3 was to put Chase in the position to be more than just an edge rusher, as he's also an incredible run defense, as is Sweat. Their weaknesses will come defending the pass, to be certain. That is where the aggressive nature we talked about before will come into play. Lynn Childs and coach Chapstick do not plan on resting on their laurels with the usual "bend-but-don't-break", but instead putting their front 7 on the line of scrimmage and letting them attack the quarterback. With 5 of the best front men heading your way on most downs, it will not be easy for opposing offenses to deal with.
It's not all about the pass rush, however.
A star rookie, who is expected to make a major impact out of the gate, is Kentucky product Jamin Davis. Jamin is a freak of nature prospect, much like Chase Young, who is expected to do a little bit of everything at the MLB position. His end to end speed makes him a threat every play from anywhere on the field. Some stories out of camp have said that Davis was winning 40 yard sprint contests with the wide receivers. He still has some development to do himself, as he can easily get caught out of position and rely too much on his athleticism to bail him out of bad positioning or bad pursuit. That said, most in the league expect him to become a breakout star immediately and bolster a defense much like Roquan Smith did for Chapstick with the Chicago Bears.
His partner in crime does not have those issues. Cole Holcomb, while an athlete in his own right, is a consistent tackler and ball pursuer who will never have issues with angles. Cole can have some issues shedding blockers when engaged with a more aggressive offensive line, but his decision making will never be in question. That's the thing about this front 7, they all make up for each other's weaknesses in the best way possible.
Finally, in terms of depth, this will also come down a bit to coach Chapstick's personnel decisions. Moving to a 3-4 requires players that will be able to move in to account for Montez Sweat's inability to cover in zone or the defensive ends fatigue. As it stands now, linebackers Jon Bostic and David Mayo will fill some space in the meantime, but are best served as backups for the middle of the field rather than help for Sweat or Young. Expect some signings or trades in the early going to fix this very small problem.
A good problem to have, all things considered.
GRADE: A
Secondary: Kyle Fuller, William Jackson III, Landon Collins, Kamren Curl
An alleged weakness of the Football Team's defense is the secondary. With all signs pointing towards Chapstick utilizing a much more aggressive defense, you would expect that to be backed up with corners who are more adept in man to man coverage. Other than stars William Jackson III and Kyle Fuller, that is not the case. We all know this league is very open and utilizes 3-5 WR sets consistently, not even accounting for the fact that many RBs and TEs are essentially WRs in their own right. For that reason, Washington will need som stellar and unexpected play from guys like Darryl Roberts and a player who was recently moved from FS to CB, Troy Akpe. The depth, at this point, is non-existent, consisting of mostly patchwork and bandaids with vets and unproven young players.
Ignoring the depth issue at corner for a moment, Fuller and Jackson are inarguably a top-tier duo at CB1 and CB2. When matching up with teams who rely on their top WRs to do a bulk of the work, Washington should be more than fine shutting them down long enough for their intense pass rush to get to the QB. The struggles will come when the rush doesn't get there, because Fuller and Jackson can only stop so much... Which takes us to the other part of the secondary.
The projected starting safeties are going to be veteran Landon Collins and 2nd year man Kamren Curl. Landon Collins, while once considered an elite safety, has fallen off in terms of pass coverage and is now essentially a 5th linebacker in this defense. That puts a lot of strain on Curl, who will not only be expected to cover the slot WR, but also drop back and defend the deep ball against elite WRs, not limited to division rivals in Amari Cooper or CeeDee Lamb. Curl, who is capable, is not considered a ball-hawk by any means and will himself rely on Fuller and Jackson to keep players from making him a necessary playmaker. Depth is not a problem here, as both Bobby McCain and rookie Darrick Forest are more than capable in relief efforts.
Keep an eye on Forrest to breakout from his backup role and become a franchise centerpiece once Landon Collins moves on. His raw athleticism and potential is reminiscent of Justin Blackmon, a safety that thrived under coach Chapstick for 6 years in Indianapolis.
GRADE: B-
All in all, don't be fooled by a veteran QB or shaky depth in the secondary. This team is poised to win RIGHT NOW... and Ricky Chapstick refreshed and ready to compete in the new Red Zone as soon as the uncertainty clears.
What do you rank the personnel of the WFT? Agree? Disagree? Let me know.
Oh and also, #Hail #CultOfRicky
See you soon.