Poll: Which has contributed the most to the Washington Redskins 3-6 record? Injuries, Lack of Quality Depth, or Coaching?

I guess at this point, the question should be asked...which of these three is the biggest reason for the Redskins 3-6 record? Below is my breakdown of the three, and my attempts to put together at least the beginnings of an argument for each of them.

Too many injuries: Several starters are out. This team largely does not resemble the group of players that were supposed to be taking the field. Injuries have crippled this team's chances at anything significant this season.

Lack of Quality Depth: The players behind the injured starters are just not good enough. Is that someone's "fault" we don't have better depth? or are the players are exactly who they were supposed to be from the get go?Back-ups forced to start because of bad luck, that are largely much worse than the players they are replacing? Of course, "Capgate" didn't help.

Coaching: Injuries happen to every team, the coaches are not making the best of what they have. The best coaches find a way to overcome the injuries and lack of quality depth, and adjust to the players they have to work with. Wins can be achieved with anyone good enough to make an NFL roster. There should have been little to no drop off.

Discuss, we have two weeks to figure it out.

It's a combination of injuries and coaching and it's falling mostly on the defensive side of the ball.

Wish there was an "All of the Above" option...

Is it too easy an answer to say a combination of all three?

We've had some key injuries, particularly on defense that have hit hard. With young, developing depth that may or may not become something along with journeymen vets having to step in. And it's all been compounded by poor coaching, both sides of the ball. The defense speaks for itself. And the one man that can mask a lot on offense is being stifled by an OC and HC running scared.

I don't foresee much of anything changing the rest of the year sadly.

Hail.

For me I go with the Injuries as the single biggest contributing factor. I think the depth we have is the best we could get because of capgate, which I don't blame the organization one iota for, and I don't blame the coaches as the single biggest factor either. I don't believe that Haslett is the answer, and I am definitely hoping he is replaced at or by the end of the year, but I don't think Dick Lebeau could turn this group into a solid defensive unit. They just aren't talented enough.

I'm starting to think that this team has just had a horrid run of bad luck, and isn't catching any breaks. They just can't seem to break out of this rut no matter what they do.

Definitely all of the above.

I went with coaching FWIW in the poll, but again a combination of all three is probably more apt.

But I plumped for coaching even over the lack of top tier talent down to how it's now holding us back on offense as well as defense since teams have caught upto this O.

Hail.

Is it too easy an answer to say a combination of all three?

Hail.

I knew that some would be saying this, and that's fine, but I really wanted people to think about what they really believe is the single biggest contributing factor. People who are really coming down on the coaches for instance, predominately Haslett, would be forced to have to rethink their argument if they really believe that injuries are the biggest factor, or lack of depth. Are we asking Haslett to turn water into wine? This is just one area to consider. I am not on the Haslett bandwagon by any means, but I just don't know if there is anybody alive who could be doing better with this group of players.

Yeah I'm going with all of the above. This team isnt very talented on both sides of the ball. Throw in some questionable coaching and catastrophic injuries and you have the 2012 Redskins.

It could be a lot of reasons. But really it could be not enough depth to provide for RG3 and that Shanahan if he does not win this year, you know how Synder is. Hopes that he can keep his job. But seems after three years in the DC, that may not be as that will be a slim chance!

Toughest poll of my entire life.

injuries to garcon and davis are brutal. then you got guys like aldrick robinson who look scared out there, so depth is an issue. the defense sucks, especially at corner and safety. then we have coaching that seems to lack an inspirational spark. coaches should have had our players amped up to go get a win today and instead they looked flat. play calling in the red zone needs to improve as well

Injuries 1st, coaching 2nd, lack of quality depth 3rd, in my opinion, of course. Also, if there was an "All of the above" option, I'd pick that, of course. Can we include suspensions under injuries too, to get Jackson under there.

You say several starters are out, that's almost an understatement, if we consider the upper end of several to be 7. We're missing Brown at RT, Garcon at WR, Davis at TE, Carriker at DE, Orakpo at OLB, Meriweather at SS, and Jackson at FS.

If you include Helu and Hightower, the former of which is a solid playmaker speed back, and the latter of which could actually block worth a damn, that's 9.

Coaching is concerning me too. Danny Smith's problems are well chronicled. Haslett is currently the captain of the good ship "Worst NFL defense in history." And Kyle, well, I'm a bit concerned when we run a 4th and goal dedicated QB run with NO passing options.

Lack of depth is hurting too, though I think that's partly because of youth in some areas, and partly because quality depth won't really help in some others (2 quality depth safeties isn't exactly easy to find).

I said injuries since so many happened in the first few weeks of the season but you still expect improvement and it's not happening. Even last year when the 3/5s of the OL was gone they improved to where they were playing better at the end of the season than when all 5 starters were in the games. The defense isn't improving (phantom PI calls surely don't help) and the play calling on offense isn't doing Griffin any favors either.

Can we include suspensions under injuries too, to get Jackson under there.

Yes, for purposes of the Poll that is what I had in mind. Jackson is out for the year, and was supposed to be starting. He can be considered as an "injured" starter at this point.

Every team has injuries

Shanahan and his stubbornness, indirectly Snyder being the worst leader in all of pro sports.

Where's the option for years of futility in the draft, and wasted free agent signings for nearly a decade or more?

Look, how many of us expected to be 8-8 or 9-7? How many thought we'd make the play offs, or make noise with RGIII? Some of us were excited, but most of us realized this would be a learning year for RGIII. I think RGIII exceeded expectations so much early that even Shanahan began to think we might have a shot this year. But you can't fill all those holes over night. We've done a good job of filling where we can, but we're still a team that's at least a nother year if not two away from being real competitors. That doesn't make Shanahan a failure. It's simply a fact of what we are as a Franchise right now. We are on the up tick I think, but we've not arrived yet, so let's not be throwing in the towel on the skins, just because we are taking our lumkps this year.

I'm frustrated at our lack of a vertical passing game since week 1. I'm not sure how much Garcon being out has to do with that, but our offense has become a predictable dink and dunk bore-fest. Where are the deep shots we were seeing earlier in the season?

I've never seen such poor coaching in all of my life as this year. As soon as they find something that works on offense, they stop doing it and go to something different. They have improper players in the packages. Why was Royster lead blocker on that 4th and goal at the 2? Why wasn't DY lead blocking?

I'll go with coaching. Most of the problems listed fall on Shanahan. He's the head coach; he chose the coordinators and position coaches; and he chose the players.

I'll go with coaching. Most of the problems listed fall on Shanahan. He's the head coach; he chose the coordinators and position coaches; and he chose the players.

ahh, but did he cause the injuries?

ahh, but did he cause the injuries?

That's why I said MOST. Not all the problems.

That's why I said MOST. Not all the problems.

so despite the injuries to key players, you feel that this team should be "coached" into being better than they are with the players they currently have starting? How much better? Enough to flip the record to 6-3 or 5-4?

I actually think there's a fourth option - execution. Maybe I'm off base here, but when execution is poor, it magnifies the other problems namely, coaching errors and lack of talent (which in turn is magnified by injuries).

I'm assuming that execution stems in a large part from consistency. Consistency is difficult with so many young players and new additions.