so if we finish 6-10.....

[Brandon Lloyd Christmas]

So you don't think the injuries had any affect on our team, or we should be able to overcome all of them more easily? I won't be so homerish to say that we haven't had our share of mistakes from the coaches, I don't think I've ever ignored that fact. I'm well aware that Gibbs has made his share of blunders this year, I also question our playcalling, 2 minute offense, and lack of aggressiveness on defense. I'll also admit that I believe the real reason our D was so bad last year was due to poor personnel decisions and not having enough depth.

However, you can't sit there and deny that we haven't had an enormous amount of significant injuries, not just some guys getting dinged up for a week or 2, and that is beyond any of our coaches control. Even given the circumstances, we are still playing competitive football. I truly don't think that lack of depth is as much an issue this year as it was last, I think it's due more to a lot of bad luck, it happens, hopefully we can continue to fight through it and make something of this season.

lets look at who we lost for the season

carlos

jansen

taylor

before taylor passed away, it was just carlos and jansen. jansen was awful during the preseason so losing him isnt a big issue. he wasnt that good to begin with, plus hes always injured so this wasnt unexpected.

rogers accident was just bad luck, and losing him hurt, but lets be honest, the guy should have someone behind him thats decent to solid = enter fred smoot, who has done ok in spot duty for him.

thomas will be back, so hes missed about 10 games, which hurts, but fabini is downright terrible, and this is where the coaches are faulted. when you have a good starter, and a complete garbage backup, you pay the price. we have paid the price for thomas missing time, because of our personel decisions.

taylor was playing until the eagles game, and you cant replace him, but lets be honest again: our defense shouldnt fall apart just from missing a saftey. he should have an adequate backup: enter reed doughty, a lifetime special teamer who has no business being on the field, and again, this is our personel problem. we should have somebody competant to do ok in spot duty, not a nosedive in production.

you point blank listed numerous reasons as to why we lose games, and frankly, our depth (as weak as they are) has done decently, although i wish we had some better options on the oline. but we lose close games instead of winning them, and thats where coaching comes into play.

[Oldfan]

Our injury situation is only slightly worse than the average NFL team.

Here's a link.

Moreover, the injury factor isn't strictly a matter of luck. It's a factor which can be controlled with good planning.

[Gregpeck99]

You can blame the losses on injuries, bad coaching, inadequate depth, too-short receivers, and so on ... but the reality is the reason so many games were lost (barely) is lack of offensive production. The Skins simply do not score enough points. The chief reason for this is an underachieving QB. This was to be expected. As I have said many times this is JC's development year. He needs more experience to achieve to the next level where he will be able to decide games merely by making 2-3 "successful" clutch throws a game. When this happens ... probably next year ... the Skins will get over the hump of averaging more than 20-22 points a game .. and become competitive enough to challenge for the playoffs in the parity-driven NFL. Who the head coach is, how tall the receivers are, or who plays back-up right Guard will be inconsequential ... the Skins need an elite QB to win consistently. Simple as that.

[Oldfan]

The Skins simply do not score enough points. The chief reason for this is an underachieving QB. This was to be expected. As I have said many times this is JC's development year.

Will you agree that an intelligent offensive scheme, something other than we need to run Portis 25-30 times whether it works or not, will aid Campbell's development?

Will you also agree that our aged O line is headed south, and unless we address the problem right away, Campbell's progress will be jeopardized?

[Brandon Lloyd Christmas]

Will you agree that an intelligent offensive scheme, something other than we need to run Portis 25-30 times whether it works or not, will aid Campbell's development?

Will you also agree that our aged O line is headed south, and unless we address the problem right away, Campbell's progress will be jeopardized?

i agree that both of these issues need to be addressed.

or how about our lack of halftime adjustments?

[AllSkinsfan]

Can someone honestly tell me what any other coach could do here with the following issues.

*an aging roster thats young in only a few spots due to mishandled drafts

*An old and injury prone offensive line

*Receivers who are always injured and dont have the size to go up and catch passes

*A battered secondary, both by injury and tragedy

*A defensive line that cannot get to the QB

* 2/3 starting linebackers on the wrong side of 30

We are a team with barely any young talent. Free Agency is our end all. Like I said, this team is two drafts away from being consistently good.

Totally agree with you. If we didn't have as many injuries as we've had this year, everyone would not be criticizing Joe Gibbs - I guarantee that. Again, our record this season cannot be hung on Gibbs. I can't believe some people think that a new coach would fix everything. That is complete BS.

[RedskinzOwnU]

His tenure is already a failure. The sooner he goes, the better. We have a really old team with almost no young talent. His god-awful coaching aside, I'm not even impressed with the personnel changes he's made over the past 4 years, especially when you consider the massive cap hits and large number of draft picks we gave up to acquire all this "talent."

[Brandon Lloyd Christmas]

Totally agree with you. If we didn't have as many injuries as we've had this year, everyone would not be criticizing Joe Gibbs - I guarantee that. Again, our record this season cannot be hung on Gibbs. I can't believe some people think that a new coach would fix everything. That is complete BS.

yeah! more excuses for how bad gibbs is!

hes currently a bad coach. end of story.

[cbuccaro]

I can't believe some people think that a new coach would fix everything. That is complete BS.

Give me a break! Half this team's problem is that they play like a bunch of squirrels. They have no character when it comes to finishing games and BECOMING a winner.

Despite their injuries & age they are good enough to have the lead for 3/4 of the game, only to blow it in the end. This problem can be solved by bringing in a coach who might get through to these guys that they need FOCUS to stop the stupid penalties, take care of the damned ball, and HAVE SOME CONVICTION on the goal line to score a freaking touchdown.

[MikeBass]

Give me a break! Half this team's problem is that they play like a bunch of squirrels. They have no character when it comes to finishing games and BECOMING a winner.

Despite their injuries & age they are good enough to have the lead for 3/4 of the game, only to blow it in the end. This problem can be solved by bringing in a coach who might get through to these guys that they need FOCUS to stop the stupid penalties, take care of the damned ball, and HAVE SOME CONVICTION on the goal line to score a freaking touchdown.

And why do you think that the coaches that we have are not stressing this to the guys?

Do not think that a change of coach will be the answer to all of our problems at this point. Some teams has been changing coaches every other season but their track records usually stays the same.

In the case of the Steelers, if this is what we are looking at, the guy inherited a good team with a stable front office situation.

Our team has been in dissaray for years now and just inserting a new coach would probably lead to more dissaray rather than fixure.

[The Full Monty]

Unless there is a complete change in organizational philosophy...

Another coach = same (or worse) results.

Yup.

We need a GM. Handle the draft and be more conservative with free agency and draft-pick trades.

Let's steal Scott Pioli from New England.

And hire a new up and coming coach, like Gibbs was once, who has the energy and innovation we need.

[Gregpeck99]

I agree Oldfan ... these factors are retarding JC's development for sure ... but as a testament to his talent ... Campbell ALMOST brought the Skins to victory in most of the losses this year. JC is being Brees-ed this year ... and next year I think he will break out ... the conmglomeration of bad things happening to one team will certainly not be repeated ... just as everything broke right in '05 ... everything fell apart this year. In any event, I guarantee that next year there will be changes at the top and in any event, new player talent will be brought in thru the Draft, FA, etc. to fill obvious gaps (OL, DL, WR). Again, in the Parity-Centric NFL, any team ... including the Skins ... can show dramatic improvement from one year to the next.

[Truant]

I don't get it, so if we go 7-9 or better then you want Gibbs to stay?

I think the problems extend far past Gibbs. What does he really do? The offense is pretty much Saunders and the D is entirely Williams. As for the draft, we've had a long standing history of ignoring the offensive and defensive lines, that was the case well before Gibbs V2. Not saying Gibbs is great, just saying that the tangible effect of Gibbs coaching isn't very substantial. He's like the CEO of a corporation.

I think that plenty of people are looking for change for change's sake. Things were pretty bad before he got here and, result wise, not much has changed.

What has changed is that we acquired most of our best players over this period: McIntosh, Campbell, Portis, Moss, Cooley, Fletcher

We've been in "salary cap hell" for years, but I think this roster is rather strong compared to teams we've had here. The failures (Arch and BL) are sizable mistakes that can't be overlooked, but in general I think the team is ready to make a push with some young talent from the draft.

It seems that the players have not turned on Gibbs, which is surprising in this day and age. There is a general problem in Washington, probably not developing young talent, and THAT is the problem that needs to be fixed or it won't matter who is our figurehead.

:two cents:

[mike42]

His tenure is already a failure. The sooner he goes, the better. We have a really old team with almost no young talent. His god-awful coaching aside, I'm not even impressed with the personnel changes he's made over the past 4 years, especially when you consider the massive cap hits and large number of draft picks we gave up to acquire all this "talent."

That is the biggest problem with Gibbs. I'm glad you pointed that out.

[Shadowplay]

he needs to go. what a loser. go back to that redneck nascar or do something other than being here in DC.

I've never had a problem criticizing our Head Coach, but this is below the belt. Respect the guy that helped make the Redskins what they are and what they were.