I don't know what to say. At the beginning of the season, we all thought this team was a 7-9 or 8-8 club. That still looks like kind of a possibility, I guess. That's the most positive thing I can say about it. Even with a bad defensive performance on Sunday, I still think the defense has been upgraded and as long as we stay with the 3-4 next year (hoping that Snyder doesn't can Shanahan if we fail to make the playoffs), we'll continue to improve on that side of the ball. We really have to look at this as we have been saying all along, that it is a multi-year rebuilding project. If you were expecting the Redskins to make the playoffs this year on the strength of the 3-1 start, though, it's Armegedon for sure.Re: the offense -- another lackluster offensive performance. Beck looked OK...he didn't totally suck...and that is definitely a positive, but it also doesn't look like he's going to take this team to the playoffs. His final stat line looks serviceable, but when the team got behind and we needed to keep pace with the Panthers, we just couldn't flick the switch and do it. Once again, in the first half, when we had chances to score TDs we scored field goals. In other words, he seems like a fine guy if you are leading and playing in a close game, but compare him to Newton, who is playing in his first year...Newton is a playmaker in a way that Beck just is not and likely will not be. Beck or Grossman are serviceable if the rest of the team is just clicking on all cylinders and we just don't have the horses for that just yet.Re: the defense -- I'm actually more upset over the defensive performance than the office for this game, only because I do think the defense has the potential to be a good unit, moreso than the offense. And they laid an egg. They gave up a ton of yardage on the ground and also let Newton have his way through the air when he needed it. Bad day for the defense. But, I think they will regroup and come back.Future -- as the tag line of this thread says, "they are who we thought they are." Significantly improved on defense, marginally improved on offense, but massively lacking at Quarterback and also in dire need of more offensive lineman (little depth). This offseason they have to get a QB. I still don't fault them for not drafting a QB this year...I mean...is Gabbert lighting the world on fire? (though Christian Ponder certainly looks like a legitimate QB). In their estimation, there just wasn't anyone worth it this year, and meanwhile Kerrigan certainly looks worth a first round pick. But next year, with a deep QB class...they have to go QB. The big concern for me is that they give Shanahan another year or two to get a new QB and see if they can get some traction with them. And I don't say this because I am a huge Mike/Kyle Shanahan fan. I am saying this because I fear that if they can Shanahan, the new guy comes in and starts all over again and then we are back to square one -- not only with offense but also with defense. Hell, if you must fire Shanahan then install Haslett as head coach, just to at least keep continuity on that side of the ball.I am not so down on the team because I know they are a multi year project but I do think Shanahan has basically lost two years messing around with McNabb, Rex and possibly Beck (we'll see how he does...maybe he'll shock all of us and go on a tear). This is hindsight and hindsight is 20-20 but in hindsight it does seem to be a wasted two years. Either Mike can't evaluate QBs as well as we thought or Kyle is being given too much authority; in either case, it lands on Mike as the head coach.Here's hoping that Beck continues to play solid and we fine a way to go 8-8. I fear if we dip down much further Snyder may not be as patient.
I've known since the offseason that we would have a high draft pick. I can't root for a loss and I've been pleasantly surprised with the advances they have made this year.
