NY Times: Washington Is 3-0, but Few Are Rushing to Hail the Redskins

[bubba9497]

Washington Is 3-0, but Few Are Rushing to Hail the Redskins

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/09/sports/football/09redskins.html?pagewanted=print

So much seems familiar about the Washington Redskins. The three Super Bowl trophies are behind a desk at the front entrance to Redskins Park, standing as guardians for a franchise rich with success and legend.

Joe Gibbs, the coach who won those trophies, walked off a practice field one day last week, his face more lined than it was when he filled that display case, but his aura almost entirely intact. The Redskins are 3-0 for the first time since 1991, the last season Gibbs clutched one of Lombardi's trophies.

But that familiarity is viewed through a haze of good will, the desire to believe that a beloved figure can repeat past glories.

Gibbs isn't being booed at home the way he was last year, when his return to the N.F.L. brought, he says now, exactly six days of fun - the six days the Redskins won games in 2004. The Redskins are one of just four undefeated teams remaining as the N.F.L. enters the second quarter of the season, but all their victories have been nail-biters.

So while the buzz around the league is about how the Colts have found a defense to match their offense, how the Bengals have embraced respectability and how the Buccaneers have rediscovered their championship-caliber defense, the Redskins may be the least respected undefeated team.

The Redskins win with a defense that allows few points but produces few sacks and turnovers. And this week that defense faced a barrage of questions about why one of its stalwarts, linebacker LaVar Arrington, spent more time on the bench than in the huddle. They win with an offense that scores few points, one that seemingly waits until the situation is most dire to do even that.

They win. But nobody outside of Washington seems to think much of it. These are not yet the Redskins of the shiny silver trophies. This group has enough dings and scratches to mar even their unblemished record.

"I take offense to that," defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin said. "I've never heard of a team being 3-0 being terrible. It's not about being the best team in the N.F.L. It's about being the best team that's on the field that Sunday. At some point the offense will play good, the defense will play good, special teams will play good - then what will they say about us?"

Gibbs himself could probably use a day like that. After all, Gibbs has already replaced his starting quarterback - during a 9-7 victory over Chicago in Washington's season opener. The Redskins needed two touchdowns in the last 3 minutes 55 seconds to rally for a 14-13 victory over their biggest rival, the Cowboys. Then Washington had to scratch out a field goal in overtime last week to beat Seattle, 20-17.

That's three victories by a total of 6 points. The Gibbs-coached Redskins of 1991 won their first three games by a combined 81 points. Still, in the era of parity, winning by 6 is proving to be just as good as winning by 81.

"We showed last year that we had guts," Gibbs said after a practice last week. "We played every week hard, we just couldn't win things. There's a lot of differences. We got key players back from injury, we added some players. You win with players up here. You don't win with coaching or trick plays. You get the right players and you win games.

"Our start this year is so much better than last year. I feel much better about things. But it's only three games."

Now, the bruising part of the schedule is about to begin - the Redskins play at Denver and at Kansas City, then they play host to San Francisco, then they play the Giants on the road and the Eagles at home. Those games will provide a barometer of where the Redskins and Gibbs rank in the new order of the N.F.L.

But for now, the talk that the game passed Gibbs by has been quieted. Last season's offense, which the former Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann has called horrific, has made way for one that runs more efficiently, if not always explosively. Quarterback Mark Brunell, free of the hamstring injury that hampered him last season, has completed 57.1 percent of his passes, compared with 49.8 percent in his nine starts last season. Santana Moss, acquired in a trade from the Jets, has added the big-play threat the Redskins lacked last season.

"We know who we are - we're going to have to scratch and scrape for points," the veteran offensive lineman Ray Brown said. "There are going to be some ugly moments."

The defense, the strength of the team this season and last, is ranked fifth in the league and has allowed 12.3 points a game. That's remarkable, considering it has generated just two takeaways and four sacks and is doing it without linebacker Antonio Pierce and cornerback Fred Smoot, who were lost to other teams. And Arrington, the former defensive cornerstone, now healthy after missing much of last season with a knee injury, has been mysteriously excised from the defense.

He played just two snaps against Seattle, had an animated discussion with Gibbs after practice Wednesday and practiced with the special teams Thursday. Arrington had 17 sacks and 11 forced fumbles combined in 2002 and 2003.

When asked about Arrington, the assistant head coach for defense, Gregg Williams, said: "We're pretty old-school coaches. You've got to do it in practice if you're going to do it in the game. I'm not going to relent on that. If you don't do it, you don't get a chance to play in the game."

Arrington's situation has his teammates perplexed. Running back Clinton Portis said the Redskins needed Arrington on the field. But Portis acknowledged that this Redskins team is producing results that are hard to dispute and sometimes hard to believe, given that Portis hasn't scored a touchdown and Arrington hasn't done much of anything.

"That's what happens when you want help around you," Portis said. "Help makes you better. But when you get help, your help has to get the ball. When you ask for help, when you finally get help, you've got to accept it. You can't pout about not getting the ball."

There is little need for pouting anyway. The first three victories this season might not have been convincing to everyone else, but at least, as Gibbs puts it, it's "what you're supposed to be doing up here."

"That's why it's so tough to go to work when you lose," he said, "because you're supposed to win and so many people count on you - the fans, the owners, the players. So many things are wrapped up in it. That's what always weighs on you. It's all the people that count on you."

[Walking Deadman]

Yep,

I knew it was pissing the fans off-- thus, the 12th man got mad and loud.

The players are taking the lack of respect personally (see C. Griffins comments) and it's firing them up also.

Keep it up fellas.....prove them all wrong!!!!!!

[Commander PK]

Griffin no doubt mirrors the rest of the team's thoughts as well. If we lose the game tommorrow, it won't be from a lack of effort I guarantee you that.

[Califan007 The Constipated]

the Redskins may be the least respected undefeated team.

MAY be the least respected undefeated team???... :laugh:

[jpillian]

Since when is it: N.F.L.?

Anyone feel this article was felt by a junior in High School that used to cover the school's chess team -- but has finally taken the big leap to covering the N.F.L. ?

:doh:

[SoCalRedskinFan]

Just got done watching playbook on NFL channel and Sterling gave us much props! Was nice to see for a change!:helmet:

[Peregrine]

actually I was unaware the redskins knew much about what the media was saying... I figured that they were kept pretty sheltered from it(but on second thought thats pretty stupid, I guess I just though they didnt have much of an opinion on it).

When I look at that, no doubt Gibbs will use it to motivate the team, tell them everyone else thinks they are a joke. I think he will challenge them to go out there and prove everyone wrong, and in my mind, that could be the deciding factor. We find out tommorow.

[seanyt]

Well I guess we'll just have to see. Perhaps people will jump off the Denver bandwagon when they see how Plummer handles the corner blitz. It's been my recollection that jake doesn't handle the pressure too well.

As far as these Critics go, to hell with them. It's always the same no matter what are record is. It seems like it's a safe quote in football commentary and sports talk to bag on the skins.

On a more positive note, at least they showed some respect for our D. that some how only had 1 pro-bowl player on it...

[tizzod]

That's three victories by a total of 6 points. The Gibbs-coached Redskins of 1991 won their first three games by a combined 81 points. Still, in the era of parity, winning by 6 is proving to be just as good as winning by 81.

Great. So shut the f**k up. Article over.

[redskinedwizard]

i said it before and i say it again...i love being the underdog. who would of ever thought we would be 3-0 right now?

[TNSkinsFan]

I don't care if we win every game 6-3. It's about wins and losses. Stats are so damn pointless. Here's a stat. The Patriots have won 3 of the last 4 Super Bowls by a combined 9 points. But they won, so it's all gravy. The mediots are really getting on my last nerve this year.

[chet06]

i wish darrell green was a part of all of this

[Lil Kenzo]

I glad that everyone is doubting us...it makes the victories that much sweeter.

[GhostRider]

I think the lack of respect if anything could be a real motivator.