Super Bowls highlighted his first tenure, catapulting Joe Gibbs into the Hall of Fame. He took over a franchise not far removed from playoff seasons and delivered more.
The success Gibbs had in his second stint, however, was much less. Rather than guide Washington to titles, his victories are more subtle. The Redskins are coming off two playoff seasons in the past three, but they haven’t advanced to an NFC Championship Game since the 1991 season.
But they also had only made the playoffs once since the time Gibbs retired after the 1992 season and his return in 2004. Gibbs went 30-34 and 1-2 in the playoffs in his second time here; he was 124-60 and 16-5 in the postseason in his first stint.
“I wouldn’t say it detracts from [his legacy] and it’s hard to say that it adds to it either,” one NFC East executive said. “He gave it a shot, had a couple good years, but it probably didn’t live up to expectations.”
What Gibbs will be remembered for, at least initially, is stabilizing the franchise. Before his arrival, owner Dan Snyder had fired two coaches and had a third resign after two years. They went through five defensive coordinators in five years.
“There’s a lot of continuity,” Redskins corner Fred Smoot said. “Before [Gibbs] came, there was a lot of change and it was year after year.”
“Things are like night and day,” Redskins returner Rock Cartwright said. “He brought the family mentality.”
The Redskins enter the offseason with no room against the salary cap, but with draft picks in the first and second round.
They ended the season with 10 starters under 30 years old, with three other starters under 25 who ended the season injured, including quarterback Jason Campbell.
“They’re a better team than they were before,” the NFC East executive said. “There’s probably hope for the future.”
“He left it in solid position,” said CBS analyst Charley Casserly, Gibbs’ general manager for part of his first tenure. “That’s the way people will look at it. They have a good nucleus of young players. And they have a quarterback they can build on with Jason.”
