What Gibbs is Really Doing

[AJ_Skins]

I've had some time to cool off and look at this rationally, and I now think where we are is this. With all of the totality of past events and present circumstances, there is only one way Gibbs was right to make this decision. That is if Patrick Ramsey returns to the lineup, takes his play to another level, and we end up with a winning record and/or a playoff berth.

Most of the assumptions being made are that Gibbs is done with Ramsey, that Gibbs is irrationally attached to Brunell, or that he's willing to throw this season away rather than start a QB he thinks will never meet his expectations. I've been guilty of suspecting the second reason myself. If Joe Gibbs is the coach we all think he is though, none of that makes any sense. Even if Brunell plays well, counting on him to make it through a whole season at a high level at this stage of his career is something even the most amateurish of coaches would not do. Campbell is not ready to play, and will not be ready for several more years. If you are going to put somebody in there who's still "developing", you put in Ramsey, because he gives you a better chance to win right now, which I think is always what Gibbs is trying to do. Instead, he has gone with Brunell.

So now I go back to his statements on Monday, which are all we have to go on as to what Gibbs is thinking:

I think we have a situation where two quarterbacks can go in there and win ball games for us.

Translation: he feels comfortable enough with Brunell's play, the improvement in his health, and the improvements in the offense that we will still have a chance to beat the Cowboys with him in there.

Really what I am looking towards is somebody to really establish themselves as the quarterback, take over and take off with the football team.

He's not talking about Brunell here. He's obviously not talking about Campbell. He's talking about Ramsey.

A lot of time in games you don't predict what is going to happen and you don't know what is going to happen and there were a series of circumstances there yesterday. I think it is not something that you have to go back and say all the different things that I feel.

Sometimes you don't chart the circumstances or what happens. It just happens. Certainly it wasn't the plan I had going in but sometimes plans change and I think you do the best you can in dealing with them, whatever the situation will be.

Most people, including me, have interpreted these statements, along with the stunningly quick hook Gibbs used on Ramsey, as an indication that Gibbs was just waiting for an opportunity to pull him. That may be right, but the usual other half of that interpretation-- that the reasoning behind it was an overly rosy assessment of Brunell's short- and long-term prospects, or a self-destructive attachment to a player he signed to a big contract-- does not make sense. Not if Gibbs is as good of a coach as we think he is.

I think from Mark's standpoint from when he was playing last year, personnel wise, we weren't as good, certainly as we are right now. I felt like the second biggest thing there for Mark was that he got a real severe (hamstring) pull in the Giant game. I think he refused to come out and played with it. I think that probably hurt his play. I also think our football team personnel wise and the things we are doing, I think we are better now. Hopefully that will turn out to be the case.

"Hopefully that will turn out to be the case". These statements are almost word-for-word what Gibbs has been saying for a long time about Brunell, and they hardly constitute a ringing endorsement, much less some kind of belief that Brunell can lead us to the playoffs this year.

I think we have kind of laid out a plan. I have with Bill (Musgrave) and we are going to go to work with Patrick and continue hopefully to improve.

Gibbs's move definitely stunned all of us. I myself, up to this point, have been fuming and flailing trying to understand what he was thinking. I now think maybe I do. This is my guess:

He was in fact looking for an excuse to pull Ramsey, but he wasn't doing it because he thinks Ramsey is terrible, or Brunell is great, as the brilliant minds of this message board seem to be so certain of. He was doing it because he felt comfortable enough with Brunell to do it. He saw enough from Brunell to think "we can get by for a few games, maybe more, with Mark in there, even if he doesn't put up great numbers, and even if we aren't guaranteed to win. He's at least good enough to give us a chance".

So what he was waiting for is an opportunity to send Ramsey a message: "Now is the time". Naming him the starter, giving him the whole preseason, and telling him over and over again, "Now is the time" may not be enough to get the player to understand that *NOW IS THE TIME*.

What we perceive to be Gibbs telling Ramsey "You screwed up after one quarter, that's it, you failed, I'm through with you", obviously makes absolutely no sense. I think this a stark "put up or shut up" message, intended to be unexpected, intended to shake things up, intended to break the long cycle of accepting mediocrity that has plagued the organization for years. But what it isn't is a death sentence on Ramsey. At least not yet. And I think all of us would be well-advised not to take it that way.

Again, ask yourself the questions that have been asked repeatedly over the past few days:

Q: Is Brunell really good enough to carry us through this season, and does he give us any realistic chance to make the playoffs?

A: No.

Q: Is Campbell ready to play, or will he be at any time this year?

A: No.

Q: Is Gibbs willing to throw this season away marking time until he can get rid of Ramsey and/or Brunell next year and start from scratch?

A: No.

So what does Gibbs do to win, both now and in the future? Brunell is good enough to play this week. Say a prayer, cross your fingers, and put him in there, but part of that prayer is that Ramsey finally "gets it" and steps up to the plate once and for all. Until that happens, we can get by with Brunell. If it doesn't happen, we're in trouble.

The reason this doesn't immediately jump out as the thought process is that it doesn't really fit the mold of what most coaches do with QBs these days. Generally what happens is teams draft a young QB, (Carr, Harrington, Manning, Palmer, take your pick) maybe wait a while for him to learn the offense, and then turn the reigns over to him and let him play until he gets it together, or if he fails to do so, boot him out to go play somewhere else.

I as much as anyone else have been guilty of thinking that this is what Ramsey needs...he's never had that kind of opportunity, and the fact that Gibbs yanked him the way he did leads us all to believe he never will, at least not here. I think the reality is that this is Gibbs's idea of developing a QB, as opposed to the way "accepted wisdom" would have you do it these days.

So maybe we should all cool off, and hope Brunell can hold it together long enough for Ramsey to come back stronger than before. Because I think that's what Gibbs is betting, hoping and/or praying is going to happen. And lo and behold, it actually matches up precisely with what he said.

To the extent that I've been unable to see that and been overly harsh on the coach, I apologize, if my assessment here is right. Likewise, I think those of you on here badmouthing Ramsey should reconsider the possibility that you're doing Coach Gibbs no favors by trying to "support" his decision in that way.

Disagreements?

[sircharlz]

That's a handful to follow.

I think this Monday Night game is the most important game all season for Gibbs. So he is going in there with the personell he is most confident in (Brunell). He trusts Brunell to not give the game away with an untimely turnover.

With that said - what I would love to see for the rest of the season is high output from the offense early in games. Get at least a 3 possesion lead by the 3rd quarter and bring Ramsey in for clean up. By week 10 Ramsey may be polished and confident enough to start. If he can get the big lead then JC can come in the 4th and play cleanup.

[mrdoctor]

i believe Brunell has a good chance of pulling a victory on monday!

[AJ_Skins]

That's a handful to follow.

I think this Monday Night game is the most important game all season for Gibbs. So he is going in there with the personell he is most confident in (Brunell). He trusts Brunell to not give the game away with an untimely turnover.

With that said - what I would love to see for the rest of the season is high output from the offense early in games. Get at least a 3 possesion lead by the 3rd quarter and bring Ramsey in for clean up. By week 10 Ramsey may be polished and confident enough to start. If he can get the big lead then JC can come in the 4th and play cleanup.

See, this is where we disagree. I don't think the Coach's thinking is that short-term. I think he wants to go to the playoffs every year, I think he wants to win the Super Bowl every year, and I think he knows that the only way that's going to happen this season is if Ramsey becomes a quarterback capable of winning a Super Bowl. Neither of the other two QBs on the roster are going to do it. If it doesn't happen, we start over next year, but I don't think this is just about the Dallas game.

[sircharlz]

See, this is where we disagree. I don't think the Coach's thinking is that short-term. I think he wants to go to the playoffs every year, ......., but I don't think this is just about the Dallas game.

It is very short term - one game at a time. Brunell won't make the mistakes that Ramsey would. Given the importance of this game - personally for Gibbs, for the franchise, for the owner, and for the fans - Coach does not want any mistakes. Period. If we play a clean game, we'll win. It may not be pretty, but we'll be 2-0.

Let's get over this hurdle, be ahead of .500 all year and possibly ease Ramsey back into the starting roll.

You all remember what a potent offense we had in Gibbs 1. If Gibbs is able to recreate it this year it's very likely Ramsey will get the 4th quarter of games to get back his role as number 1.

[Burger35]

Too much to read, but I'm sure it was positive so HTTR.

[AJ_Skins]

It is very short term - one game at a time. Brunell won't make the mistakes that Ramsey would. Given the importance of this game - personally for Gibbs, for the franchise, for the owner, and for the fans - Coach does not want any mistakes. Period. If we play a clean game, we'll win. It may not be pretty, but we'll be 2-0.

Let's get over this hurdle, be ahead of .500 all year and possibly ease Ramsey back into the starting roll.

You all remember what a potent offense we had in Gibbs 1. If Gibbs is able to recreate it this year it's very likely Ramsey will get the 4th quarter of games to get back his role as number 1.

The only problem with what you're saying is that playing Brunell is a major gamble. There has to be some other payoff down the road, because if it really was just "let's take it week to week and see what happens", I don't think he would have made this kind of (seemingly) crazy move.

[AJ_Skins]

Too much to read, but I'm sure it was positive so HTTR.

Yeah...number one rule on a message board...don't make long posts, because they don't get read. This one may be strictly for the hardcore...

[authentic]

i'm sure the team is stressing that they must put it all on the line. Why not?, they will be out for two weeks and what sweeter way than to get your rest fresh after whiping the Cowchips and being 2-0 in the division. Make no mistake this game is very important.

[Epistopheles]

So, if Brunell does manage to hold things together for a while, like we all hope, when do you expect that we will see Ramsey again? Only after Brunell falters, or gets hurt?

[AJ_Skins]

So, if Brunell does manage to hold things together for a while, like we all hope, when do you expect that we will see Ramsey again? Only after Brunell falters, or gets hurt?

I don't know. Whenever the Coach feels is the right time. As we've seen, his feelings on these matters can be pretty unpredictable. Again, this is all guesswork on my part, but I've finally found an explanation that makes sense, so I'm sticking with it for now.

[sircharlz]

The only problem with what you're saying is that playing Brunell is a major gamble. There has to be some other payoff down the road, because if it really was just "let's take it week to week and see what happens", I don't think he would have made this kind of (seemingly) crazy move.

Like you said in your first post...... I don't think this was a crazy move for the coaching staff. It's probably been a topic of discussion for them since OTA's.

Once your ahead of the game (i.e. 2-0, 3-0, 3-1). Then you have room to experiment. Gibbs does not want to get behind the 8 ball this year. We'll probably squeek out a few ugly wins and then they'll be more comfortable opening up the offense (if it can).

[GSF]

I think you're right about a couple things, and wrong about a couple of things. You're right that Gibbs hasn't ruled out Ramsey playing again, and that he hopes Ramsey will step up when he gets the chance. I think you're wrong that this move is all part of a plan to develop Ramsey.

It's pretty simple really. Gibbs thinks Brunell gives him the best chance to win right now, so that's who's playing.

Another thing I think you've got wrong is that we ALL were stunned by this move. I wasn't at all surprised, and I think a lot of other fans weren't either.

Lastly, I do think that Brunell could lead this team to the playoffs if he can stay healthy. He's going to have great protection, a strong running game, and a great defense. All he has to do is protect the ball and keep defenses honest. I think he can do that now, even as bad as he was last year.

[sircharlz]

So, if Brunell does manage to hold things together for a while, like we all hope, when do you expect that we will see Ramsey again? Only after Brunell falters, or gets hurt?

Read my earlier post.........

I think we'll see him late in games once our offense is putting up large leads. Let him play some clean up and work his way back to the starting roll.

If you're a true fan and believer in the skins, this is what you've got to keep your faith in. Don't let the negative people on this board pull you down. Always look for the best possible outcome.

[Joncevensen]

great post man, i actually like that believe that Ramsey hasnt received a death sentence YET, but i do think his facing judgement day

[TheDane]

That's at least feasible.

Brunell is the guy who, right now, Gibbs thinks gives us the best chance to win. To the extent that Ramsey shows him something otherwise, that perhaps Patrick is our best chance to win, I am 100% sure that Gibbs will put him back in.

I don't think anyone is saying that Ramsey is certainly done. What they are saying is that he has made enough mistakes, and shown enough of a propensity to make mistakes, to understand why Gibbs may say "ok, that's enough, sit down."

Whether or not he intends "sit down for now," I guess we'll find out. It all depends on whether or not Patrick improves. And it looks like, for now, Patrick will have to show that improvement in practice. If he does -- if this benching was the "spark" Ramsey needed -- then by all means put Patrick back in there.

Everyone would be happy. No one wants to see us have an unsettled situation at quarterback.

But the consistent theme here: I'm confident Coach Gibbs knows what he's doing.

[Woofer]

Some good thoughts, but I don't know about Ramsey playing "Clean-up". I think it's more likely that he'll get some tutuoring at practice.

[AJ_Skins]

Lastly, I do think that Brunell could lead this team to the playoffs if he can stay healthy. He's going to have great protection, a strong running game, and a great defense. All he has to do is protect the ball and keep defenses honest. I think he can do that now, even as bad as he was last year.

That's the difference in the way we see things. Brunell was horrible last year. How long has it been since he played an entire season as a starter, without injury, and played well? What did he do against the Bears to show he's any different? I don't think you invest as much time and effort into Ramsey in the offseason as they did only to chuck it that quickly. It makes no sense, that's why there's been this overwhelming reaction. It has to be that Gibbs sees this as a continuation of what he was trying to do with Ramsey-- this is what he thinks may be the only way to get his attention. There's no guarantee it'll work though, obviously. I really don't think he's betting too heavily on Brunell. I can't believe that, because of the way Brunell has played.

[JimmiJo]

AJ, this is not about Patrick Ramsey, this is about the Washington Redskins and what is in the team's best interest.

[AJ_Skins]

AJ, this is not about Patrick Ramsey, this is about the Washington Redskins and what is in the team's best interest.

Why do people have to always go to these idiotic lowest common denominator arguments? This is not an attempt to boost Ramsey. It's an attempt to somehow comprehend what otherwise seems like an entirely incomprehensible chain of events.

[sircharlz]

How long has it been since he played an entire season as a starter, without injury, and played well? What did he do against the Bears to show he's any different? .

Don't forget that out WR's dropped a lot of passes that killed our drives. Brunell didn't throw many balls against the Bears, but the ones that were thrown were mainly on target and the WR's hung onto them.

It's easy to think that it was all Brunell's fault last year, but think back. I truely believe that this year will be very different. I think we'll sustain drives and find the endzone more and 70% of that is due to better WR's and 30% of that is due to a healthier Brunell.

And now it's time for me to go to bed. Good night. Oh yeah, good post AJ - I enjoy discussion with insightful people.

[GSF]

AJ, this is not about Patrick Ramsey, this is about the Washington Redskins and what is in the team's best interest.

Why do people have to always go to these idiotic lowest common denominator arguments? This is not an attempt to boost Ramsey. It's an attempt to somehow comprehend what otherwise seems like an entirely incomprehensible chain of events.

JimmiJo's statement was not idiotic at all. I'd say he has a good understanding of what you call incomprehensible. I really don't see why so many of you guys are having such a tough time with this.

[AJ_Skins]

Don't forget that out WR's dropped a lot of passes that killed our drives. Brunell didn't throw many balls against the Bears, but the ones that were thrown were mainly on target and the WR's hung onto them.

It's easy to think that it was all Brunell's fault last year, but think back. I truely believe that this year will be very different. I think we'll sustain drives and find the endzone more and 70% of that is due to better WR's and 30% of that is due to a healthier Brunell.

And now it's time for me to go to bed. Good night. Oh yeah, good post AJ - I enjoy discussion with insightful people.

But see...if that's what you think, how do you explain naming Ramsey the starter, going through a whole preseason without making a change, and then doing it in the first half of the first regular season game? If that's all there was to it, it would mean Gibbs is indecisive and impulsive, and those are two things I've never heard mentioned in the same breath with the words "Joe Gibbs"...

[AJ_Skins]

JimmiJo's statement was not idiotic at all. I'd say he has a good understanding of what you call incomprehensible. I really don't see why so many of you guys are having such a tough time with this.

You realize you're in the minority, right? And you realize that it if was just a change, that would be one thing...it's the timing and the abruptness of it that has people dumbfounded.

[FBChick]

If you're a true fan and believer in the skins, this is what you've got to keep your faith in. Don't let the negative people on this board pull you down. Always look for the best possible outcome.

As a true believer and a Fan this is not what I need to keep my faith in. Personally all I need is that Gibbs is looking to win first and foremost. I trust that when Ramsey starts showing a better ability to manage the team (Not throw the damn football, but manage the team on the field), he will come back in at QB, because only then will he become the QB that gives us a better chance to win.

Personally I don't think Gibbs was looking for an excuse to pull Ramsey. I think what Gibbs saw was a change in the overall feel of the offensive team when Brunell took over after the injury. Things settled down a bit more, after Brunell entered the huddle and seemed to run a bit more smoothly. No, not fancy, not amazing.. just smooth, time draining, mistake free, football. He liked what he saw and decided to let it play out for the game. He reviewed the game tape and saw it again, and knew this was what he had to do.

This is what happened in the preseason of 2004 (Ok we'll call it less mistake filled for that time) It's what he felt when all the chaos going on, on that side of the ball last season (which is why I believe Brunell stayed in so long), and it's what was soo apparent during this preseason, that ever mediot, fan and bystander noticed. Brunell does soo much more then just throw the ball, which is why Gibbs seems so "in love" with this guy. He can calm down a huddle, see more and react better before and immediately after the snap. He can communicate with the team better, and probably can communicate with Gibbs so much better. All of this is just as important as how the QB throws the ball.

He knows Ramsey has the better arm, and knows if Ramsey can figure out how to become a better field general, Gibbs will hand the reigns back to him faster then you can say Boo. I mean in the end.. what did Ramsey really do for us last year? He only won three games, two of which, if we didn't win.. we would have been the worst in the NFL. One, of course, the vikings game, which is exactly the reason why Gibbs named Ramsey the starter for this year. It was that game where Ramsey really started to show something of a sense of leadership. Recovering from 2 interceptions, and leaning enough on the running of Betts and the Defense, to win the game we were suppose to lose. Who knows what happened to him in the off-season, and if someone tells me the Campbell drafting shook him.. then I'd say if that was all it took to ruin Ramsey.. I don't want him at the helm.