Pads were left in the locker room. Special teams coach Danny Smith donned shorts instead of a parka. A light mood reflected a long-term lease on the playoffs.
Welcome to Casual Wednesday.
The second postseason in three years at Redskins Park provided a sense of normalcy rather than relief following a four-game winning streak needed to enter the Super Bowl elimination rounds. Unlike coach Joe Gibbs’ playoff return in 2005, this time offers none of the tension. There is no “happy to be here” mojo as Washington readies for Seattle on Saturday, either.
Twenty-three Redskins remain from the last January session. London Fletcher, Keenan McCardell, Pete Kendall and Reche Caldwell are among since-acquired veterans sporting postseason resumes. It’s a young team with an old feel, especially after enduring the death of safety Sean Taylor.
You won’t see the tension around Redskins Park. After burying a teammate, nothing else comes close.
Light midweek workouts are the biggest reflection. Gibbs opted for no pads two days after Taylor’s funeral because the Redskins played Chicago the following night. The team ended a four-game losing streak and Gibbs kept the easier midweek routine.
Normally, no hitting is heresy to coaches. The hard way is the only way no matter the cost. They believe players won’t practice hard unless pushed and this time of year doesn’t protect slackers.
“They just want to be in pajamas, show up and draw some stuff on the ground,” Gibbs said. “We’ll probably show up Sunday for the game.”
Wednesday walk-throughs are a mental practice. Better to literally walk the passing routes and blocking schemes than risk a depleted roster in practice.
Gibbs is trusting players to be ready. They earned it by not fading after a 5-7 start. The Redskins became better in the waning weeks of the season when other teams might have folded.
“I’ve always felt the best football teams are when they’re player-driven and it wasn’t the coaches trying to get something done,” Gibbs said. “Each year you try to do that, they try to do that but it’s hard to get in your grasp. Since I’ve been here it’s happened maybe five times in 15 years that players take responsibility.”
Football is “totally different” to Gibbs in his second stint. The draft was shortened from 11 to seven rounds while free agency revolutionized player acquisition. Aggressive defenses now disrupt the old offensive schemes.
But one thing remains the same, and it’s Gibbs’ strength — human nature. He can motivate whether players are wearing pads or pumps.
“Human nature was there a 1,000 years ago,” Gibbs said. “The same things motivate us, same things discourage us. I think that’s always going to be the same.”
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected].
