Playoff Rooting Card: 1 Down, 5 to go

Well a great week for the Redskin playoff chances as virtually ever thing that needed to happen, happened. Of course that started with Washington beating Carolina in one of the best all around games the Washington defense played all season. Carolina remains at 6-5 but we now own the head to head tiebreaker over them. Joining them at 6-5 are the hapless self destructing NY Giants who defied NFL history to lose to Tennessee despite having a 21 point lead with 10 minutes to go. St. Louis beat San Francisco, bringing both their records to 5-6. Joining them at 5-6 are Philly who lost to Indianapolis, Atlanta who lost to New Orleans, and Minnesota who beat the hapless Arizona Cardinals. Green Bay is the other sap at 4-7 after losing to Seattle hoping for a miracle comeback to get into the playoffs.

The only disappointments were Minnesota beating Arizona and Atlanta beating New Orleans, neither of which are major disappointments. New Orleans is at 7-4 and we will have to hope they go on to win the NFC South crown. Arizona is the worst team Minnesota plays down the stretch and more then likely will lose two more of their remaining schedule.

However the most improbable hurdle of all still remains for the Redskins, and that is winning 6 in a row to close their season. Last year’s team did win 5 in a row in the regular season and one more in the post season so we know it is possible. And for the first time the Redskins play last week actually justified a small glimmer of hope for the Redskin faithful. Finally a complete game was put together and it looks as if Jason Campbell is for real at QB. Lets hope we can get the same performance in every game down the stretch.

If the Redskins win this next week I am going to devote next week’s article to tiebreaker scenarios. With 5 games remaining there are simply too many permutations to really go into. I sincerely believe the tiebreaker scenarios are very important as the odds that we will be the ONLY 9-7 team in the NFC is just not very likely. In fact in 2005 there were 4 9-7 teams, 2 in each conference, none making the playoffs. In 2004 there was only 1 9-7 team and it was a division winner (oh the NFC West what a pitiful conference you are). In 2003 only 1 as well, and it did not make the playoffs. However in 2002 there were a whopping 6 teams and this is the last time a 9-7 team made the playoffs as a wildcard. If a 9-7 teams makes the playoffs I think there will be some ties to break.

Let’s assume Dallas (7-4) will win the NFC East, Chicago (9-2) will win the NFC North, New Orleans (7-4) will win the NFC South, and Seattle (7-4) will win the NFC West. So here is how we stack up against each of the wildcard contenders. Remember all scenarios are provided that we win out and go 9-7:

NY Giants (6-5): This is one of our biggest foes and one of the two the teams I would not want to be tied with. If we win out we will split the head to head tiebreaker. The NY Giants though have a 5-2 NFC record, compared to our 2-5 NFC record. If both of us were tied at 9-7 there is no way we would have a better record in the NFC, so the Giants would win that tiebreaker. The same goes for the division record (in case with a team in another division we are in a 3 way tie you must apply the division record first to the two teams in the same division). It is almost imperative NY goes 8-8.

Minnesota (5-6): The other team I am afraid of. Minnesota owns the head to head tiebreaker over us. We cannot end up tied to Minnesota straight up or we will end up losing. Green Bay could beat them in a divisional tie though and then we would beat Green Bay head to head.

Philadelphia Eagles (5-6): This is another team we need to go 8-8 and not be tied with at the end of the season. Luckily we can help them out by beating them when they come to our place two weeks from now. If we beat them and the Eagles win every other game to remain tied with us they will own the tiebreaker with a better NFC record (currently they are 4-3). And like the Giants they would win any division tiebreaker as well. An 8-8 or worse finish would be good here.

Carolina (6-5): We own the head to head tiebreaker against Carolina by virtue of beating them last week. We need them to lose two more games, but if they do we will own the tie-breaker over them.

Atlanta (5-6): We can take care of them this weekend by virtue of beating them. We will then own the head to head tiebreaker.

St. Louis (5-6): We can take care of them when we face them on Christmas Eve. We would then hold the head to head tiebreaker and give them the one loss they need to assure a tie at 9-7.

San Francisco (5-6): This is the trickiest team. We do not play them so no head to head record is available. They have a 4-4 NFC record but have one game remaining against Denver. If they lose that game but win all others they will beat us with a better conference record. Losing one of the other 4 games would assure us of having the same NFC record. It would then go to the common game tiebreaker (NO, MN, PHI, STL). If that one loss comes next week to New Orleans then we own the common game tiebreaker (Was 3-2 SF 2-3). If not it goes to the strength of victory tiebreaker and I have no clue how that will play out until near the last week of the season.

Green Bay (4-7): Green bay would have to win out just like us. If they do we would have an identical conference record. It would then go down to common games (NO, MN, PHI, STL) and there we would have a better record (Was 3-2 GB 2-3) and own the tiebreaker. They really aren’t a threat to us anymore but could come into play in three way ties with Minnesota.

So keeping those tiebreakers in mind here is your playoff rooting card for this week:

Arizona (2-9) at St. Louis (5-6): Don’t really care because as I said, we own St. Louis if we beat them. But just for fun let’s root for Arizona to beat them and rattle them a little. Go Cardinals!!!!

Atlanta (5-6) at Washington (4-7): Let’s show Vick where to put his finger. As always, Go Skins!!!!

Minnesota (5-6) at Chicago (9-2): Chicago can clinch its division and help us out at the same time. Go Bears!!!

NY Jets (6-5) at Green Bay (4-7): Just in case Minnesota ends up 9-7, I want Green Bay to end 9-7 with them. That would most likely result in Green Bay beating them in the division tiebreaker. In that case we would then beat Green Bay in a head to head tiebreaker. Oh what a tangled web we weave, that Minnesota loss really complicates things. Go Packers!!!

San Francisco (5-6) at New Orleans (7-4): A win for New Orleans here will help us with any head to head tiebreakers with San Francisco. Also it will give New Orleans some breathing room in the NFC South and maybe help us steal one in their place later on. Go Saints!!!

Dallas (7-4) at NY Giants (6-5): this is the most disgusting part of having to root for other teams and not controlling your destiny. It means sometimes teams you can’t stand have to win. That is the case with the Cowboys. I usually root for the meteor when our NFC East opponents play, but in reality we need the Cowboys to win here. Go Cowboys, you sons of a ***censored by Spence***.

Carolina (6-5) at Philadelphia (5-6): This is a no win, no lose situation. A win by Carolina would give us control of Philly’s destiny, but then we would need Carolina to drop 2 of its last 4. A win by Philly would get Carolina one step closer to the dreaded 7 losses, but Philly would need to lose 2 of its last 4. But since we play Philly one more time and I think Philly is the weaker team, I am rooting for the upset here. Go Eagles!!!!

So that is it, as complicated as it is. Hopefully if we win and a few of these things happen we will have a clearer picture of where we are this time next week.

Vision Quest: The Defense Lives!!!

Late Saturday night a solitary figure worked into the night at Redskin Park. Dr. Defenstein (otherwise known as Assistant head Coach Defense Gregg Williams) worked on his masterful game day plan. The game plan resembled more of a patchwork of discarded limbs (Vernon Fox) and dead body parts (Warrick Holdman).

“It’s an abomination” shouted the town crier Tom Friend. “Your arrogance is blinding you.”

“Don’t listen to them Master” pleaded Igor (aka Dale Lindsey) Dr. Defenstein’s long time assistant. “I know this is the week Warrick Holdman shows why he is starting.”

“Shut up I wasn’t asking your opinion” Dr. Defenstein said as he shoved past Igor and threw the switch that sent thousands of volts of electricity into the book. Thunder crashed, Igor screamed, Tom Friend prayed, and explosions rocked the lab.

As the rubble settled and the power went out a solitary voice was heard in the cold night.

“It lives. It lives. I am still a Genius”

That is the best guess I have for why the Redskins waited until the 11th game of the season to turn in one of their best all around performances of the year and defeated the Carolina Panthers. How else can a team that has been unable to stop anyone all year long out play and out coach a team that was one win away from the Super bowl last year and one of the hotter teams in the NFL? Must surprising was the defense who found away to contain the game’s most dominant playmaking receiver, Steve Smith.

The offense had showed signs in the past of coming around. With the insertion of Jason Campbell in the starting QB spot the offense showed signs of life during the Tampa game and continued its improvement this week against Carolina. Even without Clinton Portis and Santana Moss playing on one leg, the offense was able to drive when it needed too and scored 17 points, most in the second half, against a very tough defense. They even found a way to run the ball effectively with career backup Ladell Betts who gained over 100 yards rushing.

But the defense that has been the doormat of the league came to play and gave us brief glimpses of what could have been this year. Vernon Fox, a late addition to the team in the last week of training camp started at the second safety opposite Sean Taylor and came up with a timely interception as well as some good tackling all game. Carlos Rogers had his best game of this season rarely being out of position and virtually shutting down Keyshawn Johnson. Sean Springs showed why he is a top corner in the league containing Steve Smith. And the front four, mostly without the help of a blitz, generated pressure on the QB for the first time all year.

Why did this happen? Some postulated the theory that the Redskins were rallying around Williams because of an article written by Tom Friend at ESPN.com who quoted an anonymous player stating Williams is arrogant and inept. Some postulated that Vernon Fox’s play at safety over Arch’s lack thereof provided the extra boost. And still others noted that this team needs its back against the wall to respond, and that time is now. Lastly there was the much publicized rant by Joe Gibbs mid week that questioned the heart of his players and challenged them to step up.

I reject all those theories and embrace them at the same time. They all had a part in why the Defense played well this last week. But the main reason that they played well can be summed up in one word: Adaptation.

For the first time all season Williams actually adapted his base defense and played to the strengths of the players on the field. Recognizing his linebackers were playing too slowly to blitz, he put the pass rush burden on the front four who responded well. Recognizing the opponents wish to run to the right side they flip flopped Holdman and Washington on occasion to keep them honest.

The most important change though was the match up of receivers to defensive backs. In previous weeks other teams were matching their speedy receivers against Rogers to take advantage of his inexperience and poor technique. Tampa mastered that last week moving Galloway to the slot and to whatever side Rogers happened to be on at the time. GW abandoned the side of the field mentality and matched Springs with Smith almost exclusively. Rogers excelled covering the slower more physical Keyshawn Johnson.

This is the fist time all season the defense seemed to adapt to the players we have rather then the players the defensive staff thought we should have. It is a key reason we played better this last week and give us hope for the rest of the season and next. We have talented players and they should be able to put up a modest defensive effort week in and week out. It is up to the coaching staff to play to their strengths instead of letting the opponents exploit their weaknesses.

Still there are things to be concerned about on all areas of the team. Though they contained the run most of the day they did give up a huge 28 yard run that set up one of the field goals for Carolina. Jason Campbell’s timing with the receivers still seems to be off. Before the half a blocked punt gave the Panthers a gift field goal. It also seemed at times that the Redskins were looking to give away this game. Nick Novak’s kickoffs are short and low and he seems to have real trouble kicking from the hash marks at any range.

For Example, at the start of the fourth quarter after going ahead by 4 points the defense gave up a 74 yard 16 play 7 minute defense killing touchdown drives to once again be down by 3. That was immediately followed up with a team killing interception by Jason Campbell in one of his worst throwing decisions of his young career.

Right then it seemed as if the season was lost. But something funny happened. The Redskins defense came out and forced a 3 and out getting the ball back to the offense. And Jason Campbell, unlike certain young quarter backs in NY, rebounded with a perfectly thrown pass over the middle to Chris Cooley who rumbled 66 yards for a touchdown.

The Defense then came up with a great defensive stand including a brilliant one arm tackle on fourth down by Sean Taylor. And when the offense was unable to gain a first down and gave the ball back to Carolina with 1:40 to go and a timeout that same Sean Taylor picked off an errant Jake Delhomme throw in the end zone and sealed the victory.

If the Redskins can turn this season around and salvage this season, it will be this game that we will all point to as the reason things went well. We have a long way to go but for now, for one more week, hope is alive.

Looking Ahead

Up next is the Atlanta Falcons (5-6) who are going through their own controversies. They have lost 4 straight games and went from possible division champion to more then likely being out of the playoffs. The coach’s father has called Mchael Vick a coach killer on national TV, and Michael Vick responded by giving the one finger salute to some boisterous fans in Atlanta.

Washington on the other hand is coming off an emotional win and riding high on some well earned praise for the first time in weeks. This seems like a perfect opportunity for the Redskins to get a streak going to end the season strong. But this Falcons team lives and dies by their inconsistent nature. They can be horrible one week and incredibly good the next.

To win this game the Redskins must isolate and contain Vick and make him throw the ball to his receivers and away from Warrick Dunn and Alge Crumpler. Also containing Warrick Dunn is another task for the defense, because if we need to put 8 guys in the box to stop him Vick will find a way to burn us either on a roll out or throwing deep sometime this week.

On Defense, this is Lemar Marshalls’s week to sign. He is fast and should be able to shadow Vick all game long. Rogers and Springs should be able to contain their receivers. Taylor can also have some Vick shadowing duties if Vernon Fox is developing as good as some think. But for God’s sake please play Rocky McIntosh a little on defense. I have nightmares of Alge Crumpler rumbling down the field with Holdman 5 yards behind,

On Offense we need to test the porous defense of Atlanta on deep routes and turn Jason Campbell loose early. We can then run Betts and Ducketts after we get a few guys out of the box. John Abraham may be back from injury and Jon Jansen will need to shut him down. Atlanta has one of the worst pass defenses in the league. Give Campbell some time and we can make things happen.

The Redskins need to take it one game at a time, and every game is a must win from now on out. If we can play like we did last week we can play with any team in the league. Here’s hoping that Dr. Defenstein’s monster has enough juice left to get us through one more week.

Playoff Rooting Card: 6-0 or We Don't Go.

Ok I admit. I am crazy. I am a little high on cranberry sauce and a little low on perspective. I am a big man and Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Plus the wife and I hosted both of our combined families over for the holiday, so the house is a mess and we are tired as hell. But as I settled in to watch in despair as the Cowboys crushed Tampa, I drifted back to last year’s magical 5 game run to end the season and a thought occurred to me.

We aren’t that far away from where we were last year at this time.

I ran to the computer and looked at the standings and sure enough a 9-7 team is real possibility for making the last wild card spot. A good possibility? No. But still there. And last year, with their backs against the wall losing to an underperforming Raider team the Redskins reeled off five straight to get into the playoffs. Yet this is not last year’s team. A young inexperienced QB, Portis is on IR, Moss is hurt, and the defense might as well not even take the field.

Yet when you look at the teams left vying for those two playoff spots. There is still hope. Not much hope, but hope none-the-less. Here is the breakdown by division:

NFC East: The Dallas Cowboys (7-4) are going to win the east, mark it down. Their experiment by going to Romo when they still had a chance for winning this year worked. The Giants (6-4) are slumping and we do play them one more time. They could finish 8-8 easily. The Eagles (5-5) are done without McNabb and if they are a .500 team with him, they are less without, and we play them one more time as well.

NFC North: Chicago can actually clinch the division this weekend. That is how bad the rest of the teams are. Green Bay (4-6) could go on a run if Favre plays superman, but it is doubtful. Minnesota (4-6) holds a head to head tiebreaker on us but have lost 4 straight and seam to be slumping back to where we thought they would be. Detroit (2-9) is done.

NFC South: Carolina and New Orleans (both 6-4) will battle it out for the division title. Odds are one of them will be the other Wild Card. Atlanta (5-5) could easily finish 8-8 due to Vick’s erratic nature and Mora’s inability to reign it in The good news is we play all of them and get head to head tiebreakers with any of them. Tampa (3-8) is done.

NFC West: Seattle (6-4) will likely win this as Hasslebeck and Alexander are coming back healthy. San Francisco (5-5) is troublesome because they are hot and in a weak division but they have some tough games ahead. St. Louis (4-6) have lost 5 straight and look to be a team on the ropes. Arizona (2-8) is what we always thought they were, losers.

So if the Redskins can somehow hope to actually win their final 6 games, the playoffs are not out of the question. With that in mind here is your playoff rooting card for this weekend:

Arizona (2-8) at Minnesota (4-6): An Arizona win here would make Minnesota need a miracle. Like us. Go Arizona.

Carolina (6-4) at Washington (3-7): We need a win and we need Carolina to lose. Perfect marriage in my opinion. Go Washington as always.

New Orleans (6-4) at Atlanta (5-5): Tough call here. New Orleans has the better record and the better team, Atlanta could catch fire at any moment. Since we play both of these coming up I am rooting for Atlanta to bring the whole division to 6-5. Go Atlanta.

San Francisco (5-5) at St. Louis (4-6): Ok another toughie. Either way the redskins benefit, but I think they benefit more from having both at 5-6. Go St. Louis.

NY Giants (6-4) at Tennessee (3-7): easy call. Hope that Vince Young and company can help us out and repay us for that win we gave them. Go Tennessee.

Philadelphia (5-5) at Indianapolis (9-1): The winter of the eagles Discontent starts here. Philly should unload on them. Go Indy.

Green Bay (4-6) at Seattle (6-4): Seattle should break out if it’s slump just in time to help us out. Go Seattle.

I know it would be a miracle for all of this to happen each and every week. I know it would be a miracle for our defense to just contain Steve Smith. I know it is crazy to even think about the playoffs at 3-7. And I know the redskins have shown us no signs to point to that they are even capable of doing what they need to do.

However today marks the first day of the Christmas season. And if the Redskins really want to give a gift to the fans, they can start with the gift of hope, by winning Sunday. And that would be something we would all be thankful for.

Vision Quest: Fix This Defense!!!!!

For a brief shining moment it seemed as if everything was right in DC. Jason Campbell suited up and played in the first game. During the first half the team seemed to swagger a little and even came up with a much needed red zone interception to remain tied at 3. Sure we had not scored much but JC’s passes were crisp even though the receivers were dropping them. And then to start the second half the Redskins, led by their new quarterback and without their two top playmakers in Portis and Moss, put together one of the finest drives of the season and capping it off on a well executed TD pass from Campbell to Cooley. The future was all there in that last play and Redskin fans everywhere had stars in their eyes.

And then it all fell apart.

The Redskins defense, predictable as always, yielded a 14 play, 85 yard morale crushing drive that chewed up 8 minutes and 36 seconds of clock and resulted in a touchdown to tie the game. In every game this season the Redskins have been owned in the third quarter, and this was no exception despite the score being tied. In fact of the 10 redskins games played the opposing team has scored on it’s first drive of the second half 7 times, including in each the last 6 games straight. In fact overall the Redskins are losing the third quarter battle 67-24 on the season. And over the last 6 games where the Redskins have gone 1-5 with a lucky FG block and penalty giving them their only win, the spread was 60-7.

Quite simply Gregg Williams is being out coached and outclassed by every team in the NFL and has brought shame on not only the Redskins football team, but his reputation as a defensive genius.

We can’t put all the woes of the team on one coach or unit, even when that unit is as woeful as the Washington defense. Certainly the blame for our pitiful 3-7 record rests with all facets of the team. Play calling has been horrible and the need for Al Saunders to simplify our playbook has become apparent. Joe Gibbs personnel choices, including his love for Mark Brunell, are certainly fair game. Joe Bugel has had 3 seasons to put together a decent offensive line and failed for two and half of those seasons (only consistency was during the last half of last season). Lastly, our inability to have consistent special teams has been written about here explicitly, in fact I think I have a restraining order against me from Danny Smith.

The difference between those units and the defense is simple: They have gotten better as the season has gone on. Gibbs finally relented and started Jason Campbell this last week and it looks as if we have our quarterback of the future. All of a sudden Saunders play calling looks better with a live arm tossing the ball around. The offensive line seemed to protect Jason Better as well, though run blocking needs improvement. And even the special teams unit has become more consistent in recent weeks.

However the defense has not improved. In fact it has slipped. I am not just talking about the fall over the past three years where we went from a top 3 defense in 2004, to a top 10 defense in 2005, to a defense ranked in the thirties (out of a possible 32). No our defense has taken a step back in virtually every game this season. Our run defense has been horrible only to be outdone by our porous pass coverage. And what’s worse is there is no excuse for it.

On defense only 2 starters are new to the team, Andre Carter and Adam Archueletta, both of whom were supposed to be upgrades at their position. Sure Carter seemed a little too light in the run defense department and did not provide much of a pass rush, but how is that different from the last two years when Daniels manned that spot? Arch is a pro-bowl safety that seems to be misused in the Redskins D. I blame the coaches for not scheming to his strength.

The rest of the crew is not new to the defense and should have no learning curve. Yet many seemed to have regressed.

Carlos Rogers is having one of the worst sophomore slumps that I have seen. It is not just that he is being burnt like my first attempt at frying a turkey, no. It is the effort that he is giving on the field. In fact the only effort he seems to care about is his dancing, despite the fact the only time he gets to do it is when the opposing players drops a catch-able pass. His missed interceptions are frustrating, but there is a reason he is a CB and not a WR. However two plays last week, his blitz where he half heartedly rushed the QB despite having a clear lane, and where he jogged after Galloway on Tampa’s go ahead TD are indicative of a player who needs a heart transplant.

Warrick Holdman was anointed as the starter at OLB despite the drafting of Rocky McIntosh very early on. And to date he has done nothing to deserve this honor. Dale Lindsey has some kind of Man crush on Warrick because this is two straight years that we have had to watch him get blocked by a wide receiver, tailing a Tight end making a catch for a big gain, or drug along like a load of laundry by the opposing running back. In fact I think they should sell all Holdman Authentic jerseys with grass stains received giving up a third down conversion.

Sean Taylor just seems lost in the defense at time. Sure Arch gave him very little help but that should not affect his tackling or the pursuit angles he takes on runs. Marcus Washington is doing more dancing then game changing hits. Griffin and Salave’a are not occupying enough blockers to allow Lemar Marshall to be effective. Daniels has not provided enough of a push to justify his presence on the field. And Sean Springs has been a shadow of the shut down corner he used to be.

Yet Williams and the coaching staff refuse to play the youth on the team, even though we are virtually out of the playoffs. Rocky McIntosh has not seen much action that is not special teams related. When we traded up to get him he was billed as a line backer who could play all 3 spots. We heard all summer how well he was progressing and how much he has learned the defense. Why is he not starting or at least on a heavy rotation at either weak side linebacker? Holdman and Marshall are both older and failing, time to give the kid some time.

We also drafted two young defensive tackles this year in Golston and Montgomery. When Salave’a was hurt Golston got a lot of playing time and Montgomery also rotated in. But now that the season is over & Salave’a is healthy, Old Joe getting most of the reps. This just des not make sense. It is time to play the rookies and build them for next year.

The frustrating part of this is if our team, even with its offensive issues, had gotten even a partial showing of last year’s defense we would still be in the hunt for the NFC east crown. The Giants (6-4) are fading as I thought they would in the second half as injuries pile up and Eli’s weakness has shown. Dallas (6-4) is on a roll but Romo is going to hit a wall once teams have enough tape on him, in fact our defense as woeful as it is figured him out a couple of weeks ago. Philadelphia (5-5) is done now that McNabb is out for the rest of the year.

At 3-7 it is no leap to think we could have been in this race if our defense had helped us win a few. The losses to Tennessee and Tampa at the very least would have been won with an above average effort to stop the run. In both of these cases the Redskins faced average running attacks gave up big time rushing totals. Tennessee is #9 in rushing this year averaging 127.8 yards rushing, but against Washington racked up 194 yards with Travis Henry alone getting 178. Tampa is ranked #28 in rushing averaging 91.2 yards and against the Washington defense 181 yards rushing, 122 to Cadillac Williams.

These are the more extreme examples but cases can be made that the Redskin run defense cost us the Minnesota, Philadelphia, and even Indianapolis games as well. When you can’t stop the run you can’t win in the NFL. Your safeties cheat up and your corners are left on an island. All of a sudden you are going to see more sites like Rogers trailing Galloway for an unforgivable TD last week.

One can only hope that Gibbs proclamation about priorities will reverberate with the Defense for the rest of the season. In the NFL defense is not just about schemes and positioning but passion and will as well. The Redskins defense in 2004 had a swagger on it, despite losing two starters very early in the season. They exerted their will on the opponent and dictated terms to the offense. They said you main gain yards but it won’t be on the ground and you will pay for it. Time to get back to that type of attitude.

Gregg Williams has hopes of succeeding Gibbs as head coach when and if he retires. So much so he negotiated a clause in his contract that he will be paid $1 million if Gibbs is not followed by him. This used to be a given in Redskin circles and though of as a good thing. However if GW and his staff can not turn this Redskin defense around THIS season he may not only not be the next Redskin Head Coach, he may not be a Redskin coach at all next year.

Vision Quest: 10 Things We Can Still Do This Year To Get Ready For Next.

Losing to a division rival is never easy. Getting blown out is even worse. And watching the 27-3 dismantling of the Redskins on TV this last Sunday was one of the worst games I have ever witnessed a Joe Gibbs team play. They weren’t just beat; they were systematically broken down and destroyed. And with 9:00 to go they just gave up and allowed the Philadelphia Eagles, one of the worst running teams in the NFL run out the clock.

As the pounding rain came down on Lincoln field and the redskins walked into the tunnel it became obvious. The 2005 season at 3-6 is now over.

I could rant and rave absolute this player or that player who has failed to show up this season, but really, what would be the point? The season is over and we still have seven games to go. No amount of raving would alleviate the fact that it will be a long painful reminder of the promise of this season and the hopes to build on the playoff performance from last year are over.

In the NFL at mid season you are either doing one of two things. You are either building toward the future or preparing for a run at the playoffs. My friends and fellow fans, the Redskins are doing neither right now. You know who else has done neither the last few years? The Arizona Cardinals. How is that working out for them?

If stupidity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results then my friends, we qualify. We call the same plays, use the same players, and run the same defensive schemes week in and week out with one result: pitiful failure. And when we come out the next week we hope that things have changed and do the same thing.

Sure you can point to our 3 wins as obvious examples of our formula working, but is that really the case? Houston is a poor team and we barely got by. We should have lost the Dallas game but God and Troy Vincent mercifully intervened. Jacksonville, well that looked like a different Redskin team, or at least a different offense. Remember one thing, Jacksonville also lost to Houston, twice.

And please stop the comparisons to 2000. The 2000 Redskins were a talented team with horrible character flaws and a weak coaching staff. They finished 8-8 and were in the playoff hunt for most of the season. The 2006 squad would need a 5-2 run to equal their accomplishments. Not bloody likely in my opinion.

My criticism though should not be perceived as despair though. I do believe in this coaching staff and most of all Joe Gibbs. I have come to the conclusion that the front office structure and talent evaluation is not going to work. I have come full circle on this premise. In 2005 one of my first articles for hR called for a GM for Coach Gibbs. But then I drank the Kool Aid that Redskins.com was spewing. I always had a problem with our talent evaluation on the second day of the draft but thought we made up for it on first day and FA signings. I guess what I am saying is that now I appear to have been right about wanting the GM before I became wrong about it late last year. (Man John Kerry would be proud of me now)

So what can the Redskins do to build towards the future? Here are some steps I think we can do this season to prepare us for 2007. Some are obvious, some are not. Doing a few of these next week would be a good sign that the Redskins will fix the problems that they have.

1.) Start Jason Campbell now. I am a Mark Brunell apologist, but it is time for him to go. He is not the only problem with this team, but his replacement can benefit the future of the Redskins more then any other player on the field. We need to put the ball in the hands of Jason Campbell and live and die with his mistakes, which will be plentiful. We traded a 1st, 3rd, and 4th round pick for the right to select Campbell. We need to give him real game action.

2.) Start giving Rocky McIntosh real and meaningful snaps. My distaste for Warrick Holdman aside, he did have a good game against the eagles. But to be quite honest he is no longer an NFL starting caliber OLB. It is time to get rocky McIntosh some looks at either Will or at Mike with Marshall moving back outside. We traded 2 2nds for the right to select McIntosh, time for him to show he can give our defense a spark.

3.) Put Clinton Portis on IR. Unless we win every game that Clinton Portis is out, it is time to let him rest. Portis is a very young guy who has had too many carries over the last two years. His body is battered and needs a rest. With his injury he needs to sit for the rest of the season. Since his shoulder injury Portis has not been the same running back from last year. Let’s get him healthy for 2007.

4.) See what Duckett and Betts can do in his place. Betts and Duckett should be given equal amounts of carries with the victor getting a contract at the end of the season. Both are players that compliment Portis in some way. Betts is a decent 3rd down back with better hands then Portis and has a North-south style; Duckett is a pounder who can spell Portis in short yardage and time eating situations. Unfortunately both are free agents at the end of the year. Let the best man win the competition (the 3rd we traded for Duckett is gone either way) and give him the first chance at resigning after the season.

5.) Let Sean Springs try his hand at safety. Why would you take a shutdown corner and make him a safety? Because he is no longer a shutdown corner and a few years past 30. Making Springs a safety to pair with Taylor can prolong his career by a few years as well as fill a big need for a cover safety and turn Taylor loose on opposing defenses. We don’t know how Prioleau (who will be 30 next year) will recover from his injury and Troy Vincent is already 35. We can replace Springs at corner through a high draft pick (my choice) or perhaps a free agent. Arch isn’t getting it done and we need to find a long term replacement, which brings me too….

6.) Find a role for Arch. Redskin’s fans want to pound Arch but he simply has not been used in a way that plays to his strength. He is asked to do man coverage too much and is more of a run stopper and roaming hitter then a cover guy. Some have suggested playing him at OLB and devising a bastardized 4-3 (really a 4-2-5) could allow him to do that on 2nd and 3rd downs. Arch is here for two more years at least (the cap hit is low but the next few years we need as little cap hits as possible). It will be cheaper to keep him then cut him and he has no trade value at all. We need to play to his strengths.

7.) Eliminate the 15 yard cushions on 3rd and 5. GW needs to have an edict that no cushions are given beyond the first down marker…ever. I rather see a corner get beaten deep then on a crucial 3rd down fall victim to a simple hook or slant pattern. I would put this on the corners but I remember Harris giving this cushion last year as well. This is coaching plain and simple.

8.) Allow audibles. Not allowing audibles in today’s NFL is arrogant and costly. Today’s defenses are changing with every motion and every down and distance. What is the point of all the pre-snap movement if we are not trying to determine what they are running? And once we determine it why do we not take advantage of it by allowing the QB to audible? Simply puzzling and arrogant and it is leading to the lack of offensive ability, especially in the second half. We need to adjust to the defense and play to our strengths.

9.) Play the young defensive linemen more. I am glad that Kedric Golston is getting a ton of playing time; however we need to do more. Evans needs to be rotated in at end. Evans played very well last year and has been non-existent this year. Montgomery needs more playing time at DT. Salave’a is a great story and given his all playing through excruciating pain, but it it's time to let the big guy out to pasture soon. Montgomery needs to be ready for next year.

10.) Joe Gibbs needs to get more involved with the play calling and 2nd half adjustments. Only3 years in a Joe Gibbs team have the Redskins been outscored in the 3rd quarter (82,85, and this year). Joe Gibbs turning of the offense over to Saunders seems to be a mistake right now but can be fixed. Gibbs does not have to take over play calling but can make suggestions to Saunders for strategy for the second half. Our team comes out flat out of the dressing room each and every game. This is a coaching thing and he , GW, and Saunders need to get together and come up with a new and different strategy every half, whether up or down. The other teams are doing it to us, time to get Gibbs back to doing what he does best. Coaching.

Up next

We go to visit Tampa Bay (2-6 they play Carolina tonight) for the 3rd time in 2 years. This has become one of the team’s most frequent non-NFC East rival. The Redskins were eliminated by the Bucs in the 1999 season’s playoffs. The Redskins returned the favor last year. Throw on top of that the 2005 robbing on the bogus offsides and 2-point non-conversion and you have plenty of reason to watch this game. Not to mention the fact that both teams are in the middle of a slide down from last year’s performance. The loser of this game will probably be picking in the top 5 of the draft next year.

Hopefully the Redskins will start the Jason Campbell era this game. The Bucs are depleted and will be coming off a short week. It is perfectly situated for JC to start chucking the ball around. We will also see more of Betts and Duckett as Portis will be out. If we can win this game we come into a 3 game home stretch that can perhaps help us hold our heads high. We will see.

That’s all for this week. Until next time Hail to the Redskins!!!!