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!!!!