There is so much of me that doesn’t believe Redskins coach Joe Gibbs can turn around this franchise. After all, he hasn’t exactly proven himself since returning. He’s 21-27 with the completed 5-11 campaign his worst ever.
And yet, the 34-28 loss to the New York Giants on Saturday showed why the Redskins can return next season with a playoff contender if the defense is righted. The Redskins have the offense and special teams to make the postseason. The defense is a real albatross.
Just find a couple new defensive linemen, safety and cornerback for next season. No problem. Right after that we’ll turn water into wine.
Quarterback Jason Campbell rallied the team after being literally knocked out in the first half. He is showing the great resiliency that wins games. Maybe his stats aren’t the greatest, but Campbell looks like the second coming of Doug Williams.
In fact, there’s really nothing wrong with the offense that another offseason can’t fix. It took longer than expected for incoming offensive guru Al Saunders’ system to mesh, but that transition season is done. This year’s pain means next year’s gain. The Redskins could use a big receiver, but otherwise can stand pat.
Special teams was the strongest in years. In Shaun Suisham, Washington may have even found its best kicker since Chip Lohmiller departed in 1995. Rock Cartwright set the team record for kickoff return yards. Coverage units were sharp.
But the defensive woes were so bad Gibbs probably cursed in private. If Gibbs thinks they played hard, he should watch all the high tackles in open field that let Giants running back Tiki Barber break three long scores. Gibbs won’t admit it, but that’s a player’s way of avoiding injury in the season finale. They should bring in former Redskins Pro Bowl linebacker Ken Harvey to teach tackling after his on-air postgame demonstration scared the tar out of Comcast SportsNet host Chick Hernandez.
The Redskins were sloppy against the Giants with too many penalties. They couldn’t make the big stop. They couldn’t get a turnover or big play. It was a microcosm of the season.
The secondary is the biggest problem. Safety Sean Taylor long ago quit playing pass defense or tackling in the open field. He just preferred to whack people on run defense. Frankly, it came off as a selfish season. Somebody needs to get into his head because a very talented player isn’t performing.
Moving Shawn Springs to safety may help, but then who’s the No. 1 corner? Carlos Rogers after a full season has proven to be ordinary and a bust as a No. 9 pick. He’ll stay, but free agency must focus on a partner.
The line has too many 30-something, ordinary and injury-prone players. You can have one, but not three. The first-round pick goes for a tackle.
As for defensive guru Gregg Williams, give him a chance to revamp the cover-2 defense before deporting him. Underperforming players were a bigger problem than Williams’ scheme.
Meanwhile, Gibbs says he’ll huddle closely with owner Dan Snyder this week over changes. Why does that scare me? It’s going to be another interesting offseason.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected].
