| Martin M. Barna. 16th June, 2005 - 2:59 pm
 About this time last summer, the air in and around the nation’s capital was abuzz in anticipation. After ten seasons with fourteen different starting quarterbacks, five different head coaches, and only one postseason appearance, the return of legendary coach, Joe Gibbs, and the acquisition of star running back, Clinton Portis, gave the D.C. faithful all the reason they needed to rev up the engine on the old Skins bandwagon.
Gibbs, who led Washington to three Super Bowl championships between 1983 and 1991 before moving on to NASCAR in 1993, provided a sense of optimism that had been sorely missed during the Richie Pettibone, Norv Turner, Stan Humphries, Jeff George and Gus Frerotte eras. Here was a proven leader who knew how to put together championship teams and would stop at nothing to lead the burgundy and gold back to glory.
One year and ten losses later, however, the reality of the situation has become apparent. As Gibbs readily admits, the game has changed significantly in the years since his initial departure. Substantial differences in style of play, league rules, and free agency have undoubtedly forced the 64-year-old to modify his approach. Yet, with a full year of acclimatization now under his belt, there are no excuses this time around – particularly since many of the team’s big name contracts were structured for a 2004-2006 championship run. So do the ‘Skins have the pieces in place to make a Charger-like breakthrough in 2005? Let’s take a closer look:
While last year’s 6-10 finish and dismal 1-5 record divisional record was anything but promising for diehard supporters, it is worth mentioning that only three of the ten losses (at Philadelphia, at Pittsburgh, and home against Green Bay) were decided by more than seven points. Gregg Williams’ stingy defensive unit, which allowed an NFC-best 267.6 yards per game, kept the team in many close games, but was unable to overcome an anemic passing attack. The success of Williams’ defense is especially impressive considering the unexpectedly quick development of rookie safety, Sean Taylor, and the injury to Lavar Arrington, which forced the elite linebacker to miss the majority of the season. Despite losing Fred Smoot and Antonio Pierce to free agency, the unit has remained relatively intact, and will add talented Auburn cornerback, Carlos Rodgers, to an already formidable secondary. As was the case last year, defense will not be a problem in D.C.
More importantly though, Washington has maneuvered to vastly improve an oft-maligned offensive unit for the upcoming season. Already boasting the division’s best offensive line, Gibbs has redesigned the run-blocking scheme to utilize Clinton Portis’ ability to make immediate downfield cuts instead of last year’s system, which forced runners to wait for holes to develop. The receiving corps has also been significantly enhanced with the additions of Santana Moss, David Patten, and Kevin Dyson. These three speedsters will join Rod Gardner, Taylor Jacobs, and James Thrash to form one of the deepest receiving squads in the league. With such a talented supporting cast, Patrick Ramsey faces an ultimatum: Step up or step back and let standout rookie quarterback, Jason Campbell, steal the show. If either of these young signal callers can figure out how to keep moving the chains without making too many major mistakes, look for next year’s team to feature a much more potent offensive arsenal.
Not only are all the personnel in place, the Redskins’ 2005 regular season schedule appears to be ideal for a breakthrough year. With only five games against teams that played in last year’s playoffs, Fedex Field will host the likes of Chicago, San Francisco, Oakland, Dallas and the New York Giants – teams whose combined 2004 road record was an abysmal 11-29. The squad’s away schedule is slightly more difficult, but with trips to Arizona, New York, Dallas and Tampa Bay, a reasonably talented team could easily come away with four or five road victories. Couple that with five or six home wins, and Philadelphia might be given an unexpected run for their money for the NFC East crown in 2005.
Ten years of disappointment have begun to take a toll on Redskins Nation. A franchise unfamiliar with underachievement, Washington has reached an important juncture in team history. Should Gibbs’ squad falter again, as they did in 2004, the old coach may feel that he has nothing left to give and throw in the towel once more. This scenario would be a devastating setback to the future of the club and would likely push Washington down amongst the perennial bottom-feeders in Arizona, Cleveland, and Chicago. A breakthrough season, on the other hand, would likely allow Gibbs to remain in D.C., and would instill an enormous sense of confidence amongst the team and its enormous fan base for years to come.
All signs seem to indicate that the Washington Redskins are on the cusp of a breakout season. They have the coaches in the Gibbs, Williams, and offensive guru, Joe Bugel. With stars such as Portis, Moss, tight end Chris Cooley, Arrington, Rodgers, Taylor, and cornerback Shawn Springs, they clearly have the talent. They even appear to have a fairly stress-free regular season schedule. While all of these factors seem to point to a successful 2005 campaign, it is impossible to account for variables such as off-field problems, serious injuries, and team chemistry. As we near the start of training camp, the Skins seem confident that they are ready to take the next step, but if they find themselves sitting on the couch at home in early January for a sixth straight year, the D.C. faithful might be forced to endure this extended cold spell for quite some time. |
