It’s easy to boo Washington quarterback Mark Brunell for the Redskins problems, but if you really want to heckle those responsible for the team’s woes, you better bring a lunch.
The owner thinks he can buy a winner. The front office believes it can spot talent. The coaching staff says the system can offset loss of talent. That is, until they have to prove it.
Coach Joe Gibbs says he’s as responsible as anyone for the team falling to 2-4. You know what, he’s not being humble. Gibbs is as responsible as anyone.
Gibbs has lost five games in the last two years when blowing double-digit leads. He has blown two games by three points at home this season. When Norv Turner did that, everyone wanted his head. Well, Gibbs is proving very mortal with suspect playcalling and personnel decisions.
Gibbs’ legacy was once untouchable with three Super Bowl trophies. However, this second stint after an 11-year layoff is turning into the same failure of most coaching legends lured back. Gibbs is 19-21 after 40 games over three seasons compared to 29-11 with a Super Bowl championship in his first tenure.
Gibbs hasn’t adjusted to the new game. Losing challenge after challenge to instant replay when sources say his men in the booth disagreed is just stubbornness and arrogance. It’s a red flag for more than one reason here, Joe.
Gibbs won’t change quarterbacks just like he hung on to Joe Theismann until Lawrence Taylor ended the debate. Gibbs flipped Patrick Ramsey from the lineup last year in the opener without real reason, then refused to bench Brunell when the latter was clearly failing late in the season. If Brunell hadn’t stumbled so badly against Seattle in the playoffs, the Redskins would have probably reached the Super Bowl.
After discarding Ramsey for a bag of balls over the offseason, the Redskins have no proven backup. Brunell is already faltering with 10 games to go and the Redskins will probably be 2-5 at the break after facing Indianapolis on Sunday. You think Gibbs will change passers and go to Jason Campbell? Not likely even though the team would need to win eight of its last nine games to make the playoffs. That means the Redskins spent two first-rounders on a passer who is wasting on the bench while the team isn’t heading to the playoffs. Tennessee is grooming Vince Young for the future, but the Redskins have no Plan B, just more wasted picks.
Wasted picks? Why did the front office trade a third-rounder for T.J. Duckett in August and then not use him? Because owner Dan Snyder panicked when Clinton Portis was hurt. Just another of many bad moves by the owner, whose minions will claim he’s not running the team when the sad truth is he’s very involved and trying to reclaim more power. Team sources say Snyder’s meddling again. Just the thought brings shudders.
Gibbs didn’t push for a general manager when returning and that was a serious mistake. Gibbs didn’t build those great teams alone — he shared in the creation with two standout general managers. Unfortunately, Snyder will never permit someone to have real power in personnel decisions. That essentially dooms this franchise because if Gibbs can’t resurrect the team, no one probably can.
There are growing concerns over Gibbs not returning in 2007. Can we start talking about the next coach yet? Maybe Bill Cowher bailing from Pittsburgh? Even better, maybe former Hog Russ Grimm takes over a franchise he helped to win three crowns?
This is what it has come down to before midseason — second guessing. Yes, Gibbs was at his best last season when winning five straight to make the playoffs, but the seas parted for the Redskins over that stretch. The Redskins earned those wins, but let’s just say seas only part once and then collapse and wipe out everything.
And that’s what’s happening to this season.
Rick Snider has covered local sports for 28 years. Contact him at [email protected].
