The Washington Redskins love talking about identity.
“You’re playing to establish our identity as an offense,” quarterback Rex Grossman said. “Establish who we are as a team.”
If this is their identity, the Redskins should enter the witness protection program in the offseason.
The offense is ranked 17th in the NFL — 31st in running and a surprising 12th in passing. But other than their 28-14 victory against the New York Giants in Week 1, the Redskins rarely have played well. Many of their points in close losses came in garbage time.
What kind of identity could the Redskins create in their final weeks? The second coming of the 1993 Redskins that won four games? Players would be better off wearing ski masks and leaving no witnesses to this mess.
There is little benefit from playing well in the final weeks of the season, no such thing as spillover into next year. The only current offensive starters who are sure to be back are running back Roy Helu, fullback Darrel Young and receivers Santana Moss and Jabar Gaffney, and the wideouts are veterans who aren’t building on anything.
Maybe Grossman will return. Right tackle Jammal Brown and center Will Montgomery could be back, too.
But out of that group, Helu is the only one who can use more experience over the final three games, including Sunday at the New York Giants. Otherwise, the 2012 starting lineup will be a bunch of returning injured or suspended players and newcomers.
Still, Shanahan dangles the prospect of returning in 2012 as a way to keep players motivated over the final weeks. Certainly, some of the current starters could remain as reserves.
“Sometimes you rate players more when you’re out of the playoffs,” Shanahan said. “It’s easy to get up when you’re playing for something. When you’re playing for pride and characters, you’re showing the coaching staff what you’re made of is a good indication of character.”
The Redskins truly believe that 30 turnovers, including 20 interceptions, cost them a winning season. Certainly they didn’t help. But by scoring a bunch of points late in games that already were decided, the Redskins have deluded themselves into thinking they were one or two plays away from winning. Opponents wouldn’t have allowed the late scores if they mattered.
“You look at our record. Very easily two or three plays could [make it] better than it is,” Grossman said.
There will be some carryover. Kyle Shanahan will become the second offensive coordinator to last three seasons in Washington since Joe Gibbs’ first stint ended in 1992. Grossman backed his beleaguered coordinator, saying continuity empowers great teams.
“I have a lot of confidence in the offensive gameplan every week,” Grossman said. “I feel like it’s one of the best in the NFL. You look across the NFL — best teams have had continuity. You look at Green Bay, New Orleans. All these teams establish what they do well and what’s unstoppable in their offense. They’re very, very precise.”
Which is precisely the Redskins’ problem.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
