Somehow I thought I'd be happier if the Skins won

[scottb]

Maybe it's that the season is over. Maybe it's because we'll never see DG play again. I don't know. I wasn't expecting a great year, but I feel strangely disapointed anyway. Maybe I was expecting Spurrier to be godlike. Maybe it's because there are so many unknowns and holes, I don't have that unbridled optimism for next year. I'm just not sure.

Anyone else feel this way?

Oh well, I know I'll be a lot happier now when talking with the Dallas fans during the off season. It's been hell arguing with them while the streak was alive.

[DeathByLinebacker]

It's probably everything you said plus the fact that we all know that Dallas sucks and it's not really an accomplishment to beat them. It's good to get the monkey off of the team's back, but like Spurrier said it's hard to get excited about beating a team that's been 5-11 for 3 straight years.

[NoCalMike]

Mainly because this simple task has taken 5 years. To be perfectly honest, for the last 5 years I'd say we had a better team, EVERY SINGLE TIME we went to battle. Even though we won yesterday, this is the closest our teams have been in skill level(besides last year) during this whole streak. At least 6-7 times we could have won, by making a chip shot field goal, or just holding onto the ball. Another few times, we were comfortably up in points only to have a total collapse. I am extremely happy the streak is over so the team does not have to worry about it like a dark cloud next year, but there still was really no excuse for the streak to have been at 10 in the first place.

[brandies]

I get excited when that 5-11 team, as a 5-11 team, has beat the hell out of us for 5 straight games, not to mention the other 5. I mean, what is the alternative, to be always wupped by a 5-11 team. This is like the myth of syphisus. We finally rolled the rock to the top of the hill.

[OrangeSkin]

If this win came two weeks ago, it wouldn't be as depressing. The offseason always sucks.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, I realized, "$hit! This is the last 'Skins game for 8 FREAKIN' MONTHS!" Why can't football have an offseason more like NASCAR?

[Hauss]

Seeing D. Green leave was bittersweet. Seeing us have a chance to have a blowout and shoot ourselves in the foot was a downer. It was nice to have the win, to end the streak and see the D play with some emotion. I am already excited for next season but I am still bothered by the lack of focus on the offense(turnovers-dropped passes) and we are still undisciplined. I still believe that Spurrier will make us proud.

[kleese]

there are so many unknowns and holes

I'm not sure about that. I don't think we have LOTS of holes, I just think the holes we have are glaring.

I don't know how you can watch that game yesterday and not want to draft a WR in round 1. Let's face it, we're going to throw the ball as long as Spurrier is here. We REALLY need a speedster/playmaker there. If we get that, then all of sudden, the rest of the WR crew looks MUCH more dangerous in different roles. Gardner would be a great #2 guy and the Thompson, McCants, Russell, etc.... could round out the rest of the corps quite nicely.

We also desperatley need one GOOD guard, and maybe at least one adequate one. I'd definitley take a guard in round 2, and maybe somewhere else in the draft. I'd also sign a free agent there and hopefully let the two best step up in the pre-season. Don't forget-- Rod Jones could get thrown into that mix as well next year.

That's about it on offense-- we're set at tackle, QB, fullback, TE, and IMO, RB.

Defensivley, the only thing I REALLY want is a new safety-- Terrell is unnaceptable. I'd love to upgrade DE as well, but that may simply have to be an area that has to wait. With an offense that scores points, and a really good back 7, we could get away with just Gardener and Wynn along the line. Maybe we could find some decent mid-level FA's to play DT or DE, but it's farther down on my priority list.

So, really, here's our off-season, IMO:

1. WR

2. Guard (probably two)

3. Safety

4. Kicker/punter (BOTH of these need to be fixed next year)

5. DL (Gardener and Wynn are solid, sign one decent FA and we should be OK there).

So, I don't view this as a "crazy" off-season or a puzzling one. IMO, our needs are simple-- I hope the FO feels the same way.

As for the main them of this post......I didn't expect to feel overly happy about this win. Let's face it, we played a team with a lame duck coach that had more or less quit on the season. The Cowboys just went through the motions the last three weeks of the season. We played pretty energized and we gave Green a win on his way out. We also ended the streak, so at least we don't have to hear about it anymore-- sort of start with a clean slate next year.

But it's always disappointing when the season ends. We went 7-9, and while nice to see us headed in a different direction for once, 7-9 in never anything to get too excited about.

The way this team and this league is set-up, we could probably go anywhere from about 8-8 to 12-4 next year-- a lot of it depends on the development of Spurrier and Ramsey and how we address our needs.

As of right now, I pretty confident-- I have faith in Spurrier. But we're going to have to prove it on the field in GAMES THAT MATTER before any of us, or anyone else, truly buys into this team.

[Brave]

I was more relieved than happy yesterday. Had we not shown the same tendancy to make BIG mistakes I might have been a little more excited. We very easily could have lost that game even though we dominated both sides of the ball. We won't beat Philly playing like that ... no matter who QBs them.

I was almost as happy holding Emmitt below 1000 as I was ending the losing streak. I was really watching that closely and there was just NOTHING for him all day. That was a joy to watch.

Until this team quits making such costly errors I don't think you can expect any 11-5 or better records, even if the talent is there. There is hope in that we can fill some holes in the off season and have a very optimistic look going into '03. But those glaring, game-changing errors are going to have to go away.

[TennesseeCarl]

I think we might have felt better if we'd won the game in better fashion. A guy on another board put it about as eloquently as one could.

From Jurgy: "We had to kick their a#ses for 4 quarters to beat them by 6 points."

Beating Dallas and ending this wretched streak was important, no doubt about it. But going out on a note where you commit the usual 5 turnovers, your young WRs display horrible hands and your CB who you've counted on is whipped for 170 yards ain't exactly ending on a high note.

It's 4th and 14...Fred, where do you think the play is going?

[Southtown]

It's 4th and 14...Fred, where do you think the play is going?

My thoughts exactly. Also, for those that put 'action' on the game, that play allowed the Cowboys to cover the spread. :doh:

[Ignatius J.]

kleese,

when we get pressure, terell looks better. I think this justifies putting DE and DT above safety.

-DB

[kleese]

I think a ball-hawking, play making safety is essential for the defense we run. Ohalete looks solid, but I don't like having to compensate for Terrell game after game. He's ALWAYS late on his coverages and isn't a great open field tackler-- he also makes few, if any, plays. I think it's our biggest need on defense.