***Official*** Washington Redskins 2014 Thread (In-Season) (2 Viewers)

[Sebowski]

If Gruden didn;t have the balls to start McCoy against the Vikings if that is what he wanted to do, then he doesn't have the balls to be a head coach. I don't buy it. It would have been a perfect opportunity for him to stand his ground say he is doing things his way or you can fire him. He would have left with his head high and any excuse to why things went South. Easily re-hirable to get a second shot at this. Now, he just looks like an idiot either way. Snyder doesn't run practice or turn in the team sheet. That's all an Gruden. No way around it.

I'm not sure I buy that logic/line of thinking. I think a just-as-likely scenario is that if Gruden essentially gives Snyder the finger he then gets the reputation of being a head coach that is willing to defy ownership. I don't think that plays well when he starts to go around to other owners asking for a head coaching job. It seems to me that a "plays nice with ownership" resume is a better sell than a "I'm willing to screw over ownership when I don't like what you do" resume.

Bruce Allen is Jay Gruden's boss. Dan Snyder is Bruce Allen's boss. Everyone knows you can only push your boss so far before you are fired. And if you go too far, you will be fired with cause.

Gruden's first priority is to make the relationship with Allen and Snyder work out.

I couldn't disagree more.

 

[thayman]

Snyder sucks ###.

Snyder is an ### hole. But no one has been able to point to anything specific that he's done to cause this team to fail, other than poor GM hiring.

Taking a break from all-nighter prep for family Thanksgiving tomorrow. Cooking for about 3 dozen, give or take, Miles to go before I sleep.

Listen, I can't blame you if you tl;dr'd my previous posting, because it IS pretty lengthy, and I have a tendency to wax poetic instead of just spitting things out, but if you did read what I posted, I thought I made it pretty clear that the folks I've either had conversations with, or listened in on conversations that took place in private social events, that there was a tacit agreement between Snyder and Shanahan that when it came to the Draft, Snyder would have no involvement at all, and all decisions would be made by Shanahan/Allen. The trade between the Rams and the Redskins and the subsequent selection of Robert Griffin III was orchestrated by Snyder and Allen over Shanahan's objection - he neither agreed with the choice of Player, nor the compensation involved with acquiring him. The selection of Cousins WAS a Shanahan pick, used by Shanahan to get a QB with profile he wanted on the Roster as a Plan B if Griffin didn't work out, which was what Shanahan suspected would happen. The intrusion of Snyder into the Draft process was a direct breach of the tacit agreement Snyder had with Shanahan under which auspices Shanahan agreed to coach the Redskins. In the wake of that intrusion, Shanahan was disillusioned and disheartened. Shanahan is the type of guy who wears his emotions on his sleeve, and doesn't hide his feelings very well. Post-draft, there was a palpable sense around the organization and locker room that something in the dynamic had drastically changed. Shanahan's whole demeanor and persona spoke of someone who was, at the least extremely irritated and unhappy. HIs heart was no longer in it, but he wasn't going to quit because of the amount of money involved. Of course, the Players and Coaches sensed this, and given that the Head Coach's son is the Offensive Co-oordinater, perhaps conversations that would otherwise be had away from the organization are had on premises and with other people who otherwise wouldn't be included. Eventually, what happened with the Draft made it's way down the the Players.

As I mentioned previously, I have first-hand experience/exposure to how high-level college and professional football operations work, courtesy of my association with the Penn State football program and my good friend who worked for the Redskins, and through him, association with folks who were on the Team, Coaching Staff and Mangement. Football Players in general, and Professional Football Players in particular are creatures of habit to a fault, and there is a relatively IDENTICAL BLUEPRINT that the majority of NFL Teams follow that's consistent across the League, in particular the most consistently successful ones, that promote this programmed approach. Under this blueprint, Owner, GM, Coaching Staff and Players all have clearly defined roles and expectations, and there is a clearly defined chain of command that isn't ever compromised.. The primary reason some organizations consistently stink, and the Redskins in particular are a good example of this, is because they have trouble sticking to the blueprint.

The ones who suffer the most from a disruption in the blueprint and chain of command are the Players, who are the most programmed bunch of the lot. When things are disrupted on the Player level, it's akin to kicking over an anthill. When it eventually leaked down the the locker room that Dan Snyder had, in effect, emasculated Mike Shanahan by interfering in the Draft, orchestrating that trade, giving up a ton of material and acquiring a Player the coach didn't want in the process, the entire process went to pot. At that point the Players know for sure that the Coach is no longer in charge, and the Owner is overstepping his bounds. They lose faith in the guy they are supposed to have complete and total accountability and allegiance to, because they know he's not being backed by the Owner, and that the Owner can call shots he's not supposed to. They get confused as to who is their boss. They start thinking, when it's their job just to DO. Professional football on the field is all about DOING without having to think about it. That's why it's all about repetition, repetition, repetition. Locker room, practice field, game day. Knowing this, if you put the Shanahan timeline under a microscope, you can connect the dots pretty easily.

Fast forward to 2014. I thought I made it pretty clear that through recent conversations I've either been a part of or overheard, the decision to start Griffin vs the Vikings came from Snyder, not Gruden. Again, in a properly functioning professional football organization, that decision is not the Owner's to make. Doing so directly undermined Gruden's authority, and it eventually leaked down to the Players that the Owner had once again emasculated the Head Coach. Confusion reigns supreme, and Players start thinking, instead of just doing. Gruden is currently disenchanted and unhappy, just like Shanahan before him, due primarily to the Owner having direct involvement and interference in areas that belong to the Head Coach. As a result, again, the entire Team is on tilt.

Lather, rinse, repeat. Leopards don't change their spots. What more do you want?

I like your posts and insights. But the theory that Snyder is secretly pulling strings and meddling just doesn't make sense. If we are to follow this logic than we are expected to believe the following:

1). Snyder is behind the scenes calling the shots- Why secretly? I understand what/why Jerry Jones does what he does he wants the credit. So for some reason Dan Snyder is going to go against every character trait that he has ever shown and has now decided that Bruce Allen should get all the credit. All of these decisions are in fact Snyder's but Allen will get all the credit if things succeed. That seems like a real stretch to me.

2). Shanny Sr./Shanny Jr./Zorn/Gibbs/Vinny/Gruden have all fallen on swords for Snyder. Snyder set them up to fail and they have all just choked on it and taken it up the rear. Again does not compute. With the amount of leaks that have come out of Redskins Park if Snyder was in fact pulling strings and making the calls there is no way that doesn't get put out in the media. The only one that really has anything to lose is Kyle, and Gibbs always struck me as a bit too classy. The rest? I'm not so sure.

3). Since Snyder has owned the team he has been incredibly quick to pound his chest and promote anything that is successful. During 2012 if he was in fact the one calling all of the shots I find it very difficult to believe he doesn't put it out there then. Again does not add up.

That being said, where there is smoke there is fire and this organization is dysfunctional as all get out. I think Snyder has been trying to re-invent the wheel since he bought The Redskins. There is still no real GM in place and it's looking to me like the Gruden hire was simply Allen trying to put the Tampa Bay Group back together again. We will see what happens with McCoy moving forward but under Gruden the supposed QB whisperer Cousins has never looked worse and Griffin has never looked worse.

Also I'm back in Maryland now, we should get a beer sometime I have a suspicion we run in the same circles and although I don't think we've met I have a feeling we know/work with some of the same people in the F&B world.

 

[PinkydaPimp]

 

[Hang 10]

You aren't pumped for John Beck 2.0?

 

[Sebowski]

I have no idea why I am making the effort to go to the bar today.

 

[PinkydaPimp]

You aren't pumped for John Beck 2.0?

I will watch..... but i wont like it

 

[PinkydaPimp]

Not sure if it was posted but London Fletcher posted this on FB

"My thoughts on an organization that I spent seven years with. Great organizations have an identity and plan of how they want to function, we made the playoffs twice in seven years, I was a part of the failure like everyone else. At some point Mr. Snyder to do a self evaluation also, look at how the consistently winning organizations operate then implement those strategies. What's the organization's "Mission Statement" "Motto" "Standard of Operation"? I spent seven years there and still don't know either. I know the Patriots have a "Way" and the Ravens "Play like a Raven". It's been too long for a franchise with such a great history to continue to reside in disarray. You can agree or disagree with me, however one thing that's not open for debate are the results (63W-92L) over the last 10 seasons not including the next 5 games. I know for a fact it doesn't matter how great a building looks finished, if the foundation is not done correctly it eventually comes crashing down. In other words it's time to correct the problems with the foundation before you address the framing, drywall and roof issues. I'm no different from any other player who's spent a number of years wearing the burgundy and gold and would love to see this franchise rise from the ashes back to the glory years, that's why I'm offering a solution to the problems that exist rather than just continue to suffer along with our die-hard fans."

 

[Hang 10]

I have no idea why I am making the effort to go to the bar today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uepFO4psgKE

 

[PinkydaPimp]

MY LINK

This picture is hilarious.

 

[nittanylion]

Not sure if it was posted but London Fletcher posted this on FB

"My thoughts on an organization that I spent seven years with. Great organizations have an identity and plan of how they want to function, we made the playoffs twice in seven years, I was a part of the failure like everyone else. At some point Mr. Snyder to do a self evaluation also, look at how the consistently winning organizations operate then implement those strategies. What's the organization's "Mission Statement" "Motto" "Standard of Operation"? I spent seven years there and still don't know either. I know the Patriots have a "Way" and the Ravens "Play like a Raven". It's been too long for a franchise with such a great history to continue to reside in disarray. You can agree or disagree with me, however one thing that's not open for debate are the results (63W-92L) over the last 10 seasons not including the next 5 games. I know for a fact it doesn't matter how great a building looks finished, if the foundation is not done correctly it eventually comes crashing down. In other words it's time to correct the problems with the foundation before you address the framing, drywall and roof issues. I'm no different from any other player who's spent a number of years wearing the burgundy and gold and would love to see this franchise rise from the ashes back to the glory years, that's why I'm offering a solution to the problems that exist rather than just continue to suffer along with our die-hard fans."

Ultimately pessimistic about how much good it will do, but I really wish more of this kind of stuff would come out in public, because plenty of it goes on behind the scenes. Much of it doesn't come out because of legal language that has been placed in contracts of players, coaches and management that extends beyond the term of the contract itself. Some of that stuff has an expiration date, and it will be interesting to see what dirty laundry gets aired however far down the road. There's plenty, and it's only a matter of time.

 

[PinkydaPimp]

can we go back to rg3 at half time?

 

[(HULK)]

Ugly

 

[PinkydaPimp]

im sitting here wondering why im putting myself through the torture of watching this. at least fleener got me some fantasy points.

 

[(HULK)]

Nice drive finally

 

[flapgreen]

Gruden doing work!

 

[Archer]

Fire Gruden now...geez

 

[PinkydaPimp]

Fire Gruden Haslett now...geez

Fixed.

 

[fatness]

I have no idea why I am making the effort to go to the bar today.

Because it's a bar?

Right now Luck is only averaging 14 yards/attempt to go along with his 5 TD's, so the defense has clearly done their part. I can't wait to hear about players missing their assignments in the upcoming press conferences.

 

[dgreen]

Chris Russell thinks Haslett is doing a good job.

 

[Todd Andrews]

We learned nothing starting McCoy. Should have started Griffin.

 

[fatness]

Chris Russell thinks Haslett is doing a good job.

Russell was blaming the players on individual plays. The guy could see 700 trees and not know he's in a forest. He finally got pissed at people saying Haslett's the main problem.

Chris Russell @Russellmania980 · 26m 26 minutes ago You guys win....I am done. Have fun celebrating this. Hope your next Defensive Coordinator is a miracle worker to deal with this mess.

https://twitter.com/Russellmania980/status/539162932546793472

 

[fatness]

Dan Snyder sues paper bag.

 

[Marvelous]

We learned nothing starting McCoy. Should have started Griffin.

I think we are learning plenty.

1. The offense sucks regardless of QB

2. There is no commitment to running Morris. Gruden wants to throw on 4th and inches rather than run the ball. I think the first time Morris got back to back carries was at the goal line.

3. The offensive line is terrible. But a number of sacks were clearly from McCoy holding the ball too long.

4. The defense should try a new strategy and cover the opponents receivers.

Ok, most of us already knew all this before today's game.

 

[fatness]

We learned nothing starting McCoy. Should have started Griffin.

I think we are learning plenty.

1. The offense sucks regardless of QB

2. There is no commitment to running Morris. Gruden wants to throw on 4th and inches rather than run the ball. I think the first time Morris got back to back carries was at the goal line.

3. The offensive line is terrible. But a number of sacks were clearly from McCoy holding the ball too long.

4. The defense should try a new strategy and cover the opponents receivers.

Ok, most of us already knew all this before today's game.

About #2 --- I thought there had been a change recently. For the last 3 weeks Morris was running more and better, with better results. But today he was a much smaller part of things. Gruden went back to wanting to throw, and throw, and throw. 48 passes today; 21 rushes including 3 by McCoy. Gruden's determined to show people that his passing offense works. I'd guess at the end of the season if they have 3 or 4 wins he'll conclude that what was lacking was a good passing QB. And he will have learned nothing. I'm quite disappointed in his stubbornness in insisting on running a passing offense, with Alfred Morris on the team and an O-line that can't pass block.

The Rams won 52-0 today by the way.

 

[Marvelous]

We learned nothing starting McCoy. Should have started Griffin.

I think we are learning plenty.

1. The offense sucks regardless of QB

2. There is no commitment to running Morris. Gruden wants to throw on 4th and inches rather than run the ball. I think the first time Morris got back to back carries was at the goal line.

3. The offensive line is terrible. But a number of sacks were clearly from McCoy holding the ball too long.

4. The defense should try a new strategy and cover the opponents receivers.

Ok, most of us already knew all this before today's game.

About #2 --- I thought there had been a change recently. For the last 3 weeks Morris was running more and better, with better results. But today he was a much smaller part of things. Gruden went back to wanting to throw, and throw, and throw. 48 passes today; 21 rushes including 3 by McCoy. Gruden's determined to show people that his passing offense works. I'd guess at the end of the season if they have 3 or 4 wins he'll conclude that what was lacking was a good passing QB. And he will have learned nothing. I'm quite disappointed in his stubbornness in insisting on running a passing offense, with Alfred Morris on the team and an O-line that can't pass block.

The Rams won 52-0 today by the way.

So if we lose to the Rams 49-0, is it a moral victory that we lost wasn't as bad as the Raiders?

 

[Marvelous]

Gruden already announced McCoy starts next week. No need to look at film to make this decision.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/11/30/jay-gruden-colt-mccoy-competed-will-start-again-next-week/

 

[Sebowski]

That was officially Trent Williams' worst game of his career, right?

 

[thayman]

I love Gruden post game press confences. He takes no accountability, what a putz

 

[Archer]

Again, it's clear to me our coach is clueless. I'll take Harbough over this clown any day

 

[fatness]

I love Gruden post game press confences. He takes no accountability, what a putz

Again, it's clear to me our coach is clueless. I'll take Harbough over this clown any day

Yeah, it's always players making bad plays to him, and going back and re-teaching what they've been trying to teach, and nothing but cursory criticism of Haslett, any other coaches, himself, or the front office. And they keep getting the same results --- bad play, and another week of Gruden criticizing players. He sounds like an excuse-making 15-year-old girl right now.

The players don't draft and sign themselves. They don't coach themselves.

 

[fatness]

And we are not the only ones criticizing Gruden, Haslett, and Allen. John Keim is the least rabble-rousing beat reporter of all, but he's been saying the same things we've been saying for at least 2 weeks now.

When the same things happen week after week, whether it has blown assignments or just losses in general, the problems go much deeper than one position. The Redskins benched Robert Griffin III this week. They lost by 22 points.

And that’s what the Redskins must fear the most. With Griffin on the bench, other parts of the organization will come under harsh scrutiny. What that scrutiny said after Sunday’s 49-27 loss to the Colts is this: The road back is a long one -- and will require a rebuild that will test their ability to build a winner.

It’s not as if quarterback Colt McCoy was the problem in this game. He wasn’t. It’s just that he wasn’t the answer, either -- not when it comes to winning or losing. McCoy handled the position better than Griffin had the past three games, but he also was handed prime field position most of the game -- the Redskins started four drives inside the 50-yard line and managed six points. Six.

Part of the reason the Redskins wanted to start McCoy is that they felt they’d be better able to evaluate the roster. But what needs evaluating is more than just the roster. It’s the way it’s put together. It’s the way it’s coached. It’s everything. Again, when you consistently finish last you can’t assume that this group will shovel its way out of this mess. What, exactly, is the proof that they will?

The problem is that they have a young corner in David Amerson who too often has his eyes in the wrong place. Yes, he’s a young player. But that’s a common theme and, after 28 games played, should it be? Too many big plays occur as a result, as was the case Sunday when at least one touchdown was the result of his blown coverage. It’s not just him, but he needs to be better -- he’s someone who factors heavily into their future.

Yeah, you can blame the defensive coaches for all these breakdowns, too. They’re in charge, after all. Then again, there are some basic concepts being whiffed. Missing those basic concepts led to Griffin’s benching. There are few options in the secondary; too many injuries and inexperience. So these lessons, this frustration, will continue.

“The players have to start stepping up and take some accountability at some point,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “Some of these mistakes we’re making back there as a group are unheard of."

Yes, they do. But so does everyone else in the organization. This is unacceptable football. If this level of football continues, the Redskins are headed for a second consecutive 3-13 season. There isn’t a single person in the organization who should rest easy for the next few months. None.

Gruden can’t escape the heat, either. The quarterback play hasn’t been good, for the most part, and that’s his specialty. Is it all on him? No, of course not. But they’re 3-9 and sinking fast and he’s a first-year coach that was not a slam-dunk hire. McCoy’s insertion did not lead to any sort of early spark. Gruden twice went for it on fourth down Sunday. One time resulted in a sack/fumble/touchdown return and the other in a stop at the 2-yard line. He’s coaching a team with little confidence and when that’s the case bad plays often result, no matter what.

At this point, what can you go into next season feeling good about? McCoy put up numbers, but is anyone ready to label him the quarterback of the future? The defense has all sorts of issues. Again, this isn’t just about firing a coach. This is about knowing how to build something.

Is it as simple as saying they must improve the secondary? Maybe it is. Then again, that simple solution is one they haven’t been able to solve for some time now.

So the question is asked again: What can they feel good about? Through 12 games, the answer is not much.

http://espn.go.com/blog/washington-redskins/post/_/id/13424/washington-redskins-face-long-road-back?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

 

[fatness]

Keim

The problems are much greater than quarterback Robert Griffin III. It’s hard to imagine that people doubted this, but if so, it’s hard to believe they do anymore after a debacle in Indianapolis that dropped the Redskins to 3-9. It’s not about losing to the Colts; it’s about looking like a poorly coached team. That’s not on one person, either. The Redskins have consistently failed to build a good team, and it showed. Also, Colt McCoy is not the answer. Again, that’s not revelatory, but it shows that quarterback will remain on the list of question marks entering the offseason. The Redskins will need a major housecleaning, and how far that extends could be determined in the final four games. Coach Jay Gruden still needs to prove he’s worthy of being an NFL head coach, but he’s just part of a long list of question marks with this organization.

 

[fatness]

Paul Eldert ‏@pauleldert 3h3 hours ago Since hiring Jim Haslett, the #Redskins are 12-13 when scoring 26+ points. They are the only NFL team to have a losing record in that span.

 

[fatness]

Chris Russell ‏@Russellmania980 18m18 minutes ago

#Redskins cut two veteran OL this year (Will Montgomery & Mike McGlynn). Neither were special, but both starting for KC/Den on SNF

 

[flapgreen]

Geez, Gruden is worse than a thought. What a disloyal #####

 

[Sebowski]

2 crazy stats, fatness. I still blame RG3 though. What a bum.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Hard to stick to the run when you're so far behind all day long.

 

[Jerry Curl]

I blame RG3 for how bad this team is on defense.

I blame RG3 for not blocking people when he played.

I blame RG3 for how bad Gruden is as a coach.

I blame RG3 for the drama surrounding the Redskins name.

I blame RG3 for the Ferguson issues.

I blame RG3 for the hang nail I have.

RG3 is to blame for everything, since it is easy to make him the scapegoat for bad coaches lets make him the scapegoat for everything.

Side note, how is Morris still a coach in this league and When your OC is Sean McVay and DC is Jim Haslett, what do expect?

I blame RG3 for those hires. This is a bad bad bad coaching staff.

 

[Jerry Curl]

Keim

The problems are much greater than quarterback Robert Griffin III. It’s hard to imagine that people doubted this, but if so, it’s hard to believe they do anymore after a debacle in Indianapolis that dropped the Redskins to 3-9. It’s not about losing to the Colts; it’s about looking like a poorly coached team. That’s not on one person, either. The Redskins have consistently failed to build a good team, and it showed. Also, Colt McCoy is not the answer. Again, that’s not revelatory, but it shows that quarterback will remain on the list of question marks entering the offseason. The Redskins will need a major housecleaning, and how far that extends could be determined in the final four games. Coach Jay Gruden still needs to prove he’s worthy of being an NFL head coach, but he’s just part of a long list of question marks with this organization.

Starting with Allen and Gruden along with the entire coaching staff. RG3 is a good player, his performance is what happens when you have bad coaching.

I do want to take a moment and say that ANY OF YOU who supported the Colt McCoy move should feel shame for not understanding the game of football better.

 

[MattFancy]

That best part about the game yesterday was not getting my hopes up for a win.

Even though we forced the fumble right away. I knew we had no shot. Even when we got the INT on the next posession, I knew we had no shot. Then, once the Colts went ahead 7-3 after we forced 2 TOs and had the ball in their territory to start both drives, I knew it was over.

There are so many things wrong with this team, QB is not the reason we suck. Sure, you can say McCoy played well yesterday. He really only played well for the 2nd half, when the game was already over. Sure we made it 21-17 in the 3rd qtr, but did anyone really think we were going to come back? And of course, as soon as we made it 21-17, the awesome defense let them score a TD in 3 plays I believe. So again, our defense creates 3 TOs and our offense came away with 3 points.

The defense looked lost out there. I've never seen so many receivers running around so wide open before. The best was seeing Chris Russell try to defend Haslett on Twitter all game long. Sure, we don't have much talent on defense, but holy hell, there were so many blown assignments out there that it has to fall back on the coaching staff. Fatness's stat he posted a few posts ago just shows how bad Haslett has been here. We basically need the offense to put up 30+ in order to win most weeks. In fact, we've put up 26+ 4 (Jags, Eagles, Vikes, Colts) times this year, we're 1-3 in those games.

As for the offense, it looked pretty horrible in the 1st half. Think at one point McCoy had 4 yards passing and our net passing yards was -3. Another 5 sacks. Weird thing that I didn't know until after the game, McCoy had 5 fumbles yesterday, thankfully he only lost 1 of them, but wow that could have been much worse. He did turn it around in the 2nd half, but most of his numbers came when the game was already decided in the 2nd half. Some of the play calling was bad too. That 4th & 1 play call was horrible. I didn't mind going for it there because it's not like we had anything to lose, but that was a terrible play call.

When does Bruce Allen start getting some pressure put on him? He seems to be getting a pass with the media. He built this mess yet seems to not be getting much blame so far. Same with Gruden. He's quick to call out his players when they aren't playing well, but when he is going to take some accountability and look at his coaching staff. Haslett and the whole defensive staff need to go. What does McVay do? Sure he was billed as some great young offensive mind, but what does he do? Gruden calls the plays, correct? It seems to be like Gruden is trying to coach to save his job. I honestly wouldn't be shocked if he's gone after this season.

 

[hammerva]

You know this team is bad when people like Kevin Sheehan is making fun of Larry Michael for defending Bruce Allen on spending time talking about some harvest fest for the homeless while the Skins are embarrassing themselves every week. When people in ESPN980 (Owned by the Skins) is mocking you then it is really something

 

[RGIII HTTR]

For the first time since I can remember as a lil kid, I find myself not caring about if I watch the Redskins game or even if they win. Never root for loss, but the reality is that I find myself not caring. Tired of the investment into this team, this must be what it feels like to be a battered spouse. You keep coming back because you think you love them, only to get your ### beat again. They say sorry (hire new coach, spend $$$ on FA's) and then rinse and repeat.

 

[MattFancy]

You know this team is bad when people like Kevin Sheehan is making fun of Larry Michael for defending Bruce Allen on spending time talking about some harvest fest for the homeless while the Skins are embarrassing themselves every week. When people in ESPN980 (Owned by the Skins) is mocking you then it is really something

Which is why Allen is not a GM. He's basically a PR guy for this team. What other GM would write letters to Congress or the fans explaining the team's name history? What other GM would get excited because he is bringing back gold pants to the team?

 

[MikeApf]

All of this talk is a bit pointless. We are just blaming different people. Either RGIII sucks. Or Bruce Allen sucks. Or Jay Gruden sucks. Let's not forget Jim Haslett. So on and so forth. But the bottom line is: yes, the team is bad. Really bad. The organization is bad. It's not well structured; it's not well run. We don't hire football guys at the top of the chain to run football operations. We don't hire guys who won't be "yes men." We sign guys to our roster based on a "fantasy football mentality." But while you can blame, Allen, Hasslet, et. all, the bottom line is: we could eliminate the whole lot of them and we would still suck the next 5, 10, 15 years. And why? Who is the one hiring their replacements? Who is the one setting the basic organizational structure and organizational culture in which their replacements will work? Who is it? I hope you guessed my name!

 

[MattFancy]

The thing is, we're basically the Tampa Bay Bucs of the North. Every one on this staff is connected back to the Bucs in one way or another. Which would be great if they were a model franchise like the Packers/Ravens/Pats/etc. But we're trying to copy the mid-2000 Bucs when they just weren't very good.

 

[CR69]

For the first time since I can remember as a lil kid, I find myself not caring about if I watch the Redskins game or even if they win. Never root for loss, but the reality is that I find myself not caring. Tired of the investment into this team, this must be what it feels like to be a battered spouse. You keep coming back because you think you love them, only to get your ### beat again. They say sorry (hire new coach, spend $$$ on FA's) and then rinse and repeat.

As a cowboys fan, I can relate to this. Fortunately things seem to be slowly changing as Jerry's son Stephen is making more of the decisions. Does Snyder have any kids?

 

[Marvelous]

Hard to stick to the run when you're so far behind all day long.

The Redskins actually had the lead at one point it the first quarter.

Their play selection:

11:50 1st & 10, WAS47 Colt McCoy sacked by Jerrell Freeman for 5 yard loss

11:50 2nd & 15, 50 Colt McCoy passed to Alfred Morris to the left for 1 yard gain

10:22 3rd & 14, IND49 Colt McCoy incomplete pass to the right

10:07 4th & 14, IND49 Tress Way punted, no return

More accurately, it is hard to stick to the run when Jay Gruden is calling the plays.

 

[MikeApf]

I honestly think that the relative level of disgust among the Redskins faithful may be reaching a new low. When was there a time you felt worse about the team. I don't even think I felt this bad when we were going through the John Beck era. With Beck, I knew he would flame out and eventually we would have to get a real QB, so there was the Hope of the Untried Solution. Now, it feels like even having a real QB will do us no good.

So I ask you, has there been a time where you felt more hopeless about this franchise?

 

[Marvelous]

All of this talk is a bit pointless. We are just blaming different people. Either RGIII sucks. Or Bruce Allen sucks. Or Jay Gruden sucks. Let's not forget Jim Haslett. So on and so forth. But the bottom line is: yes, the team is bad. Really bad. The organization is bad. It's not well structured; it's not well run. We don't hire football guys at the top of the chain to run football operations. We don't hire guys who won't be "yes men." We sign guys to our roster based on a "fantasy football mentality." But while you can blame, Allen, Hasslet, et. all, the bottom line is: we could eliminate the whole lot of them and we would still suck the next 5, 10, 15 years. And why? Who is the one hiring their replacements? Who is the one setting the basic organizational structure and organizational culture in which their replacements will work? Who is it? I hope you guessed my name!

I have thought a lot about Nittanylion's posts.

I point out how bad Gruden because he is out in the public and his efforts directly show on how the Redskin perform. It is easy to see that he does not act like a head coach, who is trying to build up his players. He is not a leader of men.

Griffin has looked terrible. But part of me thinks most people will look terrible when the environment created by Gruden is so bad. And for the most part, everyone is playing bad, not just Griffin.

Nittanylion's post similarly points to Snyder being a poor leader and owner, although he has been able to keep his deeds secret. That is precisely the reason it is hard to evaluate Snyder, because we don't know exactly what he does to help or more likely, hinder the team. We can speculate (and we do it well), but it is hard to know.

There is a very good chance that Snyder has set up an environment that it is impossible to succeed. If that is the case, then Gruden is also a product of the environment, similarly to how Griffin and other players are a product of the environment. They all suck because that is what the organization produces. And there is no plan to fix that.

Over time, it comes out that Snyder has done some doozies that have really harmed the team. The stories about the front office wanting to draft Jamaal Charles and they ended up with Malcolm Kelley. Just mind boggling.

Ultimately the failure of an organization falls on the owner. No two ways about it. Worse than Gruden initial 3/4 of a season, Griffin's 3 seasons, Haslett's and Allen's 5 season's, is Snyder's 15+ seasons as the owner. And it has mostly been a huge failure. There are few teams that have performed worse than the Redskins in that time frame. And that is a long time to evaluate a person.

In the long run, it does not matter if Griffin or McCoy or Cousin starts these last games. As long as Gruden is the head coach, things will remain the same.

In the long run, it does not matter if Gruden is HC or if Haslett is the DC. As long Snyder is the owner, the coaches will probably suck.

Why? Because that is the environment at Redskin Park.

We are basically reduced to hoping that the Redskins can have enough luck that they can put together a single good season. The two playoff appearances under Gibbs 2.0 and one under Shanahan look just like that. Some decent people and lots of luck. 3-13 and 5-11 records are the norm. A winning record and the playoffs are the exception.

 

[fatness]

You know this team is bad when people like Kevin Sheehan is making fun of Larry Michael for defending Bruce Allen on spending time talking about some harvest fest for the homeless while the Skins are embarrassing themselves every week. When people in ESPN980 (Owned by the Skins) is mocking you then it is really something

I've never heard the hired hands on that station rip Michael, the coaching staff, and the team like they've done this year. Never. It would not suprise me if Snyder decided in some quiet, heavy-handed manner, to tell them to zip it.

By the way, if you didn't see Brian Mitchell yesterday talking about Bruce Allen, here you go: http://www.csnwashington.com/redskinsblog/brian-mitchell-makes-passionate-plea-answers-after-another-redskins-loss