The Washington Redskins stink. The offense stinks. The defense stinks. Special teams stink. Coaching stinks. The owner always stinks.
Quarterback Mark Brunell stinks. The kicking and punting is so bad the Redskins need to cut them all on Tuesday. Cornerback Ken Wright should say “flame on” when hitting the field.
This is ash instead of a foundation. New England looked like a Super Bowl contender Saturday while Washington is starting to smell of 2000 when the gang of overpaid mercenaries went 8-8.
Admit it — if Norv Turner or Steve Spurrier was still coaching fans would surround Redskin Park with pitchforks. Joe Gibbs escapes criticism because of three Super Bowl trophies.
But it’s not a lifetime pass.
It’s no longer possible to dismiss the 0-3 mark as just another of Gibbs’ preseasons that lead to Super Bowls. Not when the offense hasn’t scored. Not when the defense has an HOV lane down the middle. Not when special teams can’t cover or return.
The New England loss was an embarrassing effort that would shame anyone with an ounce of pride. It should lead to fighting in the locker room to simply prove someone cares.
If Washington beats Minnesota on Sept. 11, the woes quickly vanish. Gibbs says success isn’t presumed because of past performance. Well, success sure can’t be presumed if the preseason is a dead zone.
Granted, the Redskins are missing three defensive starters. No matter. Defensive guru Gregg Williams isn’t using injuries as an excuse because it’s unacceptable at the professional level.
The Redskins are missing running back Clinton Portis and using two percent of the playbook. However, those aren’t excuses for what has been a terrible offensive line that whiffs against coming linemen. And it doesn’t excuse Brunell from making poor decisions unbecoming someone soon to be 36. And those injured players don’t excuse special teams coverage units from permitting long gains.
Today’s players say they play for pride, but they really have no more concept of it than the Dallas rivalry because at the end of the day it’s all about getting paid and they’re still cashing big paychecks no matter the score. They take a businesslike approach when you really want them frothing at the mouth like Pat Fischer.
Sports are about passion. Leave the analyzing to stock brokers and get the adrenaline rising. That’s what is needed to escape this funk.
Don’t look for much improvement this week, though. First cuts are Tuesday, the second on Sunday and the team plays in-between. Forget a Baltimore gameplan. The Redskins are worrying about Minnesota.
The good news is August doesn’t count. The bad news is summer’s almost done. If the Redskins don’t awaken, they’ll soon be done, too.
Rick Snider has covered local sports for 28 years. Contact him at [email protected].
