Bowe certainly isn’t gettin’ behind anybody very quickly. Not very good at getting separation. Just good at winning the battle for the ball when it’s a tie between him and the defender. Almost amounts to the same thing, except without separation, the percentages aren’t as good.

Cassel and his receivers ALL need to see the field the same way, and understand the main chance in any given situation, especially the obvious ones. This is something Payton Manning does all the time, and everybody thinks he’s such a genius, but most of what he does is pretty obvious.

Maybe the demotion of Ward will help get the QB and WR communication to improve. Maybe they’ll start playin’ smarter on the perimeter on BOTH sides of the ball.

I usually end up defending LJ, because folks mostly say “He’s lost a step,” a claim with which I disagree, even though I didn’t like drafting a 1-D RB in the 1st round nor did I like giving him a fat new contract, on a cap-strapped team with other, more urgent, needs.

As for Cassel, I don’t think his salary is CRAZY outta whack, but I don’t think they set the table for him, and he may be REGRESSING from the QB I saw last year playing for New England. He looks a lot like McNabb used to look, playing behind a porous O-Line in Philly.

It’s easy to say he isn’t getting protected very well, and it’s true, but it’s to the point where he’s uncertain of himself against 3- and 4-man pass rush, forcing the ball out quickly into 7- and 8-man coverage packages too early. QBs like Cassel and (a younger?) McNabb should be able to READ the 3- and 4-man rush, and KNOW that they can buy extra time with their feet.

Cassel pulls the ball down prematurely, time to time, which was something that he did LESS often last season, when I was reviewing game tape in my scouting. This was a difference between Thigpen and him that is no longer much of a difference. Cassel has “happy feet,” I’m sorry to say. But I never thought McNabb sucked, nor do I think Cassel sucks. But in Cassel’s case, where he’s still developing, I’m concerned that he’s regressing.

He can barely look at his primary and then be ready to dump it underneath, because if he doesn’t he’ll be sacked.

While the Washington offense may not be much, their defense seems to be doing very well (tied for 5th overall defense, 3rd in defending the pass). Although they will now have faced 5 consecutive teams with losing records, and are 2-3, this may have something to do with their D stats.

If we are going to get a win, now is the time. With the Chargers, Jaguars, and Steelers coming up, the next good chance is then the Raiders in week 10.