What has happened to us?

[scottb]

Last night near the end of the fist half (while we were sitting on 22 yards of offense) I was soooo pissed. I kept thinking what a woeful season we were going to have and how pathetic it would be to be swept by the cowboys again. By the end of the 3rd quarter, I was happy and excited....how sick is that? I let a second string peformance during a meaningless preseason game change my attitude 180 degrees!

I never used to react that way. Heck, I've been a skins fan for...oh my God..around the time of Noah and the great flood. I remember the first skins marching in two's off the ark several years before the age of Lombardi. I endured truely horrible seasons and enjoyed the great times as well. BUT..I was always rolled with the seasons and was never fickle.

I don't know what's happened, but whatever it is, a good portion of this board is infected as well. I guess we need to ease back and enjoy the game. So relax fellas...please.

[NavyDave]

The cure of Norvitis is not Motrin,Pepto Bismal or Maalox.

So it will take a while for the Kool Aid to work.

Probably the mid way point of the regular season

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Take a sip of the Marty Kool Aid and Believe

[bulldog]

I think what has happened is fans remember back to 1982 or 1991 and recall how "easy" it was for the Redskins to excel and reach the summit in the NFL.

That memory belies the hard work that went into crafting those teams.

Gibbs spent the entire 1981 preseason and season auditioning players for his football team. He tinkered with the offense and basically scrapped his Coryell-inspired system within the first month and a half of the season. He started FOUR new players on the offensive line including Jacoby, Grimm, Dean and Bostic. May was the backup off the bench and was a rookie as well.

Things didn't look any more settled then they do now. Of course with hindsight we know these players would become pro bowler and 10 year vets, but at the time who knew?

By 1982, the offensive line that would take the team to the Super Bowl had played 16 games together in 1981 and had the offseason/preseason of 1982 to work together as well.

This year's line has not started even ONE game together yet!

In 1991, the Redskins capitalized on moves that had been made in 1988-91 and went to the Super Bowl. It was a slow climb back. 7-9 in 1988, 10-6 without a playoff in 1989. 10-6 and a wildcard in 1990.

Wilber Marshall, Chip Lohmiller, Jim Lachey, Earnest Byner, Jumpy Geathers, Eric Williams, Fred Stokes would all make key contributions to that 1991 season. All were brought in AFTER the 1987 victory over Denver.

It took Gibbs and the front office FOUR YEARS to set the 1991 team up the success it enjoyed.

In my mind we are back in 1981. We have some younger players with real promise and a few vets that are pro bowl caliber performers. Other than that we have a lot of question marks.

If everything breaks right, 9-7 or 10-6 is possible. If not being 8-8 as in 1981 or even 7-9 is a distinct possibility.