Are the Washington Redskins better off today than they were a year ago?
A simple question, but with a complex answer: They’re headed in the right direction despite some wrong turns.
“Going from four wins [last year] to competing for a Super Bowl takes some time,” coach Mike Shanahan said on Monday.
Time is something Washingtonians don’t wish to waste anymore. It’s been 19 years since the Redskins last won the Super Bowl. Shanahan is just completing his first season, but you have to be of drinking age nowadays to remember when the Redskins were an elite team. Now they just drive fans to drink.
“I’m not sure if rebuilding is the right word,” Shanahan said.
Oh, it’s the right word. It means “to build again” and that’s what the Redskins have done repeatedly since 1993 when Joe Gibbs left after three Super Bowl victories.
The one-year Richie Petitbon era is best described as the golden parachute season for Gibbs’ coaches. Norv Turner followed with seven seasons of mediocrity. Marty Schottenheimer tried to turn things around in 2001 with a “my way or the highway” approach, only to hit the bricks himself after one year. Successor Steve Spurrier was just a waste of two seasons. Gibbs himself was lured back for four years of mixed success, though it was a golden age compared to other regimes. Jim Zorn’s two seasons were as bad as Spurrier’s.
Zorn’s 4-12 finale seemed to be rock bottom for a team that has seen it several times over the past two decades. Now Shanahan is 5-8, and possibly on his way to 5-11. A major franchise change has barely produced more victories.
Is Shanahan moving the franchise ahead, or is this another wasted five-year plan?
“Everybody knows it’s a process,” he said.
It’s going to be a long process. Obtaining too many aging veterans made 2010 another wasted season. Returner Brandon Banks is the only new consistent playmaker, though offensive tackle Trent Williams and receiver Anthony Armstrong will help.
Shanahan’s two biggest moves haven’t really panned out, either.
The 3-4 defense doesn’t have the right personnel, leaving Washington halfway between a 4-3 and 3-4. It will take at least two more years to change. The Redskins would have been better off staying in a 4-3.
Trading for quarterback Donovan McNabb was a mixed short-term move despite McNabb’s lackluster stats. McNabb (14 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, 77.1 rating) is having the worst year since his 1999 rookie season. Comparatively, predecessor Jason Campbell has 10 touchdowns, six interceptions and an 84.4 rating for 6-7 Oakland.
Maybe Shanahan shouldn’t have accepted the owner’s disapproval of Campbell and kept him around. Granted, McNabb’s leadership makes a huge difference over Campbell’s mild-mannered attitude, but a supportive coach might have turned that around for him.
That Washington has a long-term plan means they’re better off than last year. But it’s still a long-term plan that was needlessly prolonged, and it feels longer by the loss.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
