Vision Quest: Vindication

There is a strange odor in the air today. It’s vaguely familiar as if in a dream. Christmas is over 8 days old so it can’t be the smell of cookies baking or wrapping paper and tape. It’s a full day into the New Year, so the smell of champagne is gone from my clothes. So what is that smell that makes me so happy? A smell that makes me walk a little prouder today wherever I go. A smell that makes me reminisce in days gone by and fortunes past.

The smell is Vindication.

Suddenly the last 13 years of frustration don’t seem that heavy anymore. Suddenly I am trying to find ways to wear my Redskin gear to my white-collar job. When I see a fellow fan on the street or in the mall wearing Redskin gear I smile and give a hi-five. There is a spring in my step and a gleam in my eye.

The Redskins are going to the playoffs.

And it is vindication for all of us fans. This time of year we are usually putting our Redskins stuff away and reconnecting with the family. We play fantasy GM, discussing who the Redskins should cut and whom they should sign. We scour the college players and debate who the next Dexter Manley is and who is the next Heath Schuler. We circle the April draft day on the calendar and plan the Redskin’s rise back to glory.

Not this January, not yet anyways.

No more other fans making fun of our Redskin gear. No more averting our eyes and laughing saying wait till next year. Not this year. Our vindication has come. Vindication for years of faithfully following our squad. Vindication for wandering through a 12-year desert of futility. Vindication for surviving the Pettibone year of destruction. Vindication for staying true during Norv Turner’s seven years of bad luck. Vindication for attending Marty Schottenheimer’s family reunion. And, finally, vindication for amateur hour with the Old Ball Coach.

Vindication never smelled so good.

Mark Brunell smells it as well. Everyone, including yours truly, gave him up for good. Many of us felt he was a questionable trade when we already had a decent quarterback in a young Patrick Ramsey in 2004. And after a horrendous year we all confirmed our suspicions and even Joe Gibbs anointed Patrick the starter for 2005. Then we rolled our eyes when he came in against Chicago until he opened our eyes against Dallas. Turns out the old man has a little left in the tank after all. Who knew? Joe Gibbs knew. He said in the off season that Brunell’s last chapter had not been written yet. He was right and what a chapter it is. His accurate arm, good decision making, and nimble legs has not just been a good manager of the offense, he has outright won games for us as well.

Clinton Portis’ nostrils are flaring as well. When he was acquired 2 years ago the NFL experts all said he was wrong for Joe Gibbs style of football. He was too small, not tough enough, not healthy enough, and not smart enough to justify trading an All-pro Cornerback like Champ Bailey and a 2nd round draft pick for. Even after amassing over 1300 yards in his first season with the Redskins the speculation was rampant that Portis had lost a step and could not pound out the tough yards. Portis showed his colors this year. He put up 1516 yards rushing, a franchise record. That’s right he eclipsed Stephen Davis’ record and bettered all other Redskin running backs with names like Byner, Rogers, and even Riggins. He also has 11 rushing TDs and 30 catches for 216 yards as well. Not to mention he is one of the best blocking running backs in the league, constantly giving 8up his 5’11” frame to protect our QB. Clinton Portis has put together one of the best seasons ever handed in by a Redskin running back.

Santana Moss can take a whiff. When the Redskins traded Laveraneus “The Toe” Coles for him everyone thought Joe Gibbs had lost his mind. Do we really need to look at the numbers? No we don’t, but it sure is fun. Santana Moss has 84 catches amassing 1483 yards for a 17.7 avg. and 9 TDS. Coles has 73 catches totaling 845 yards for an 11.6 avg. and 5 TDs. Simple domination, but it goes deeper then that. Santana had 24 catches over 20 yards, 10 of which was over 40 yards; Coles had 6 catches over 20 with only 1 over 40. Santana had 60 catches for a first down compared to Coles’ 52. Santana’s 1,483 yards and 9 TDs are better then any year Coles has ever had with any team. One last thing, like Portis, Moss set a franchise record for 1,483 yards surpassing receivers with names like Ellard, Clark, Monk, and Charlie Brown. Coles is the single most dangerous weapon on the team and can take any pass, even a 2 yard flanker screen, to the house.

Lemar Marshall? You can bet he smells it as well. At the beginning of the season there was real doubt about whether this skinny former safety can fill in at MLB in a 4-3 system. Marshall did nothing but make the correct calls all season long. Not only that, he amassed a team leading 98 tackles with 19 assists. He also led the team in interceptions with 4. He threw in 2 sacks and a forced fumble to boot. But his stats are not as important as what he did at the end of the year. In the last two games of the season, with the playoffs on the line, Marshall made stunning interceptions that helped seal victories. Against the Giants he took a pass away from Jeremy Shockey to set up a key touchdown and against Philadelphia he skied to grab an interception that set up the go ahead touchdown. Marshall has found a home in DC and will most likely get very rich here next year.

Our Coach smells the vindication. Every media pundit, every so called expert, every loud mouth with a microphone called Joe Gibbs over the hill, washed up, done for. Joe Gibbs, the best coach in Redskin history and the only current coach with a bust in Canton, was being questioned by everyone. Everyone but us. Sure many of us questioned some of his moves, but the true Redskin fans knew in the heart he would bring us back to respectability. And he has. From 6-10 last year to 10-6 this year, how many coaches can do that? A team of miscast losers and pretenders has been transformed into a team that wins games when they need to. That, my friends, is all Joe Jackson Gibbs. He orchestrated the Portis for Bailey trade, he initiated the Moss for Coles trade, he believed Gregg Williams faith in Lemar and opted to not resign Pierce.

And the whole team can breathe in that sweet aroma as well. At the start of the season they were written off, with Dr. Z of sports illustrated going as far as saying they would be 4-12 and coachless at the end of the season. Dr. Z was by no means the only one as almost everyone predicted our 5th straight non-winning season. Then after we were 3-0 there were still doubters calling them the worst 3-0 team in history. After playing tough in KC and Denver and then coming home and whipping San Fran like the bastard child of the NFC that they are many hanger-ons started to come out of the woodwork. Suddenly there are a lot more Redskin fans at the sports bar.

What followed was that embarrassing loss at the Giants. The doubters all said “See I told you they were no good.” Then the Redskins rebounded though and hung on to win at Fed Ex against Philadelphia. This held the Doubters at bay for a bit. Then came that game at Tampa where everything went wrong, and Oakland where we did everything wrong, and San Diego where LT could do no wrong. At 5-6 the harpies were everywhere singing our demise.

I have a slip of paper from a Chinese Fortune Cookie taped to my monitor at work that I think is my credo in life. It reads “The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do”. I believe that to be very true. This team should be taking great pleasure right now. Everyone said that winning 5 games and making the playoffs was impossible, everyone not wearing the burgundy and Gold on Sundays that is. This team rose up and did the impossible by winning those 5 games. Three of which were in the NFC east; sweeping the Cowboys for the first time in 10 years, avenging our earlier loss to the Giants and completing the sweep against Philadelphia for the first time since 1988. Not to mention 3 of the games also happened to be on the road.

I am not saying I am satisfied with only a playoff appearance. I want more, much more. Especially against Tampa. Right now though everything else is whip cream on our cappuccino of success. I like our chances though. The Redskins posted a 10-2 NFC record, tied for best in the conference with Seattle and Chicago, two teams we both beat by the way. We split with the Giants this year but we got the last one and are a different team all together from the one that lost in the Meadowlands. We didn’t play Carolina in the regular season, and no the preseason games does not count. Sure we lost to Tampa but after playing one of our worst defensive games of the season, missing key players like Sean Taylor and Cornelius Griffin, and they still needed a bogus 2 point conversion call to do it. I think the Redskins wanted this Tampa match up, and so do I.

I have contended all year Tampa is a fraud just stop Williams and double Galloway and they aren’t going anywhere. The Redskins though are going to take the playoffs one game at a time. Just like they did the last 5. You have to know though that they are burning down deep and have a little more vindication to exact from a league that has treated them so badly. What better place then Tampa? Home of the Redskins only Super Bowl defeat. Home of the last time the Redskins lost in the playoffs in 1999.

Time to go Pirate hunting.

Gregg Williams to stay in DC!!!

As I was finishing this article the news of Gregg Williams' contract extension flashed over hR and the wire. With the media speculating that GW is the first assistant coach in the league to get calls from about 10 NFL teams looking to fill their vacant or soon to be vacant Head Coaching spot, it seemed as if GW was looking at his last year in Burgundy & Gold.

Not to me though. I always thought GW was being groomed for Gibbs job and this confirms it. It makes perfect sense as well. In Gibbs first tenure he watched what happened after he left the franchise and knows that he must find a real transition plan. Remember Gibbs is also Team President as well as head Coach. A role I believe that he will keep when his coaching days are done. Having a hand picked successor will be the best way to assure continuity and keeping the best defensive mind in the game is by your side as you finish up your head coaching days and strive for one more Lombardi trophy.

GW has said he wants to be a head coach again someday but he has also raved about the DC area and his relationship with Joe Gibbs and Daniel Snyder. Big props to Daniel Snyder for essentially doubling GW’s salary and giving him a 3 year extension. It is my belief Joe Gibbs will either serve out the full term of his five year contract, which just so happens to end 3 years from now, or retire early after winning a Super Bowl. Then Gregg Williams will be there to take over the reigns.

It is a wonderful piece of news during a wonderful week. You can bet the defense will be flying all over the field on Saturday excited at the news. Snyder, Gibbs, and Williams are shaping a top flight organization and we as fans will benefit from this as a result.

Hail Redskins!!!!!