Gibbs record when leading in the 2nd half

[Mickalino]

Of 60 regular-season games since he returned to coaching, Gibbs has lost 18 that the Redskins led in the 2nd half, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. That's 30 percent. He had 22 such losses in 184 games his first time around - which is 12 percent. Whatever happened to the "great halftime adjuster". He is the opposite now.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-redskins-gibbs&prov=ap&type=lgns

Facing 3rd losing record in 4 seasons, Gibbs faces mounting questions

By HOWARD FENDRICH, AP Sports Writer

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) -- The questions are mounting for Joe Gibbs during a second stint with the Washington Redskins that has been far less successful than his first.

How could a Hall of Fame coach be unsure of an NFL rule?

How could any head coach be unaware a group of his players planned an on-field tribute to a slain teammate?

Why are the Redskins regularly relinquishing second-half leads?

With Washington in danger of missing the playoffs for the third time in four seasons during Gibbs II, he's hearing plenty of second-guessing these days.

"You do feel for him," Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell said Tuesday. "This is probably the first time in a long time that people have been criticizing him the way that they have."

That, of course, comes with losing, and the Redskins have dropped four consecutive games, and five of their past six, to fall to 5-7 heading into Thursday night's home game against the Chicago Bears.

Gibbs is 26-34 in the regular season this go-round, after going 124-60 the first time. His players stand by him publicly -- and have been doing what they can to lift his spirits privately during what's been a trying stretch.

"They encourage me. You know what I mean?" Gibbs said. "Because sometimes when you get down as a coach, you need somebody to pick you up, and certainly they do."

Since Gibbs was lured back to the team he led to three Super Bowl championships, he has been dogged by criticism -- about play-calling, about choices of whether to go for it on fourth down, about clock management, about wasting timeouts, about losing leads.

The most recent fodder came in Sunday's 17-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Washington led 16-5 late in the third quarter on an emotional day of tributes to Sean Taylor, the Pro Bowl safety shot to death last week.

The assistant coach in charge of Washington's defense, Gregg Williams, told his players Saturday night that he wanted to honor Taylor by lining up with 10 men instead of 11 on Buffalo's first snap on offense.

Williams did not, however, tell Gibbs, who said Tuesday that "probably in the future" he should be let in on similar plans.

"Had I known about it, I'd have been all for it," Gibbs said. "I turned around and was doing something else there, and I missed it."

More scrutiny came with what happened at game's end.

When the Bills lined up to attempt a 51-yard field goal, Gibbs called timeout just as Rian Lindell approached the ball, that last-second, freeze-the-kicker gambit so popular this season. When the Bills were set to re-kick, Gibbs again called timeout, drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for consecutive timeouts to ice a kicker. Lindell's kick from 36 yards was good with 4 seconds left.

Afterward, Gibbs acknowledged he wasn't sure about that rule and squarely put the blame for defeat on himself. But he also said he asked a nearby official whether he could call the second timeout. An NFL spokesman said Tuesday that officials are under no obligation to point out what the rules are in such a situation.

Gibbs couldn't recall feeling as badly about an in-game decision since the 1984 Super Bowl loss against the Raiders, when a play call late in the first half led to an interception returned for a touchdown.

"A lot of people felt like I probably could have cost us that one," Gibbs said. "I lived through that, and so hopefully I'll be able to kind of live through this one."

Bears coach Lovie Smith was sympathetic when asked about Gibbs' gaffe.

"Who doesn't make mistakes? I can't tell you how many mistakes I make every game," Smith said in a conference call with Washington-area reporters. "Every head coach would say the same thing."

Losing a lead is nothing new for these Redskins: They have been ahead in the second half in five of their seven losses this season.

Of 60 regular-season games since he returned to coaching, Gibbs has lost 18 that the Redskins led in the second half, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. That's 30 percent.

He had 22 such losses in 184 games his first time around, 12 percent.

Since the start of the 2004 season, according to Elias, no other NFL coach has more than 11 such defeats, although the three tied with that many make for some pretty good company: Bill Parcells, Mike Holmgren and Jeff Fisher.

"It's got me -- I think all of us around here -- frustrated," Gibbs said when asked about the second-half problems. "I don't think one thing is to blame. In most cases, we say if we could have made one more play in any one area we would have won."

Campbell pointed to the team's approach.

"Sometimes, we get a lead, we back off a little bit," the quarterback said. "You go back, you watch film, you watch all the games, you're like, 'Darn, this team should at worst be 9-3.' Go look at all the games we were winning at halftime. We can't change what we do in the second half. We have to keep pouring it on."

Notes

G Randy Thomas is expected to return Thursday. He's been out since tearing his left triceps in Week 2. ... After flying back from Taylor's funeral Monday night, the Redskins did only an extended walkthrough Tuesday. CB Shawn Springs (back) and WR James Thrash (ankle) didn't participate; WR Antwaan Randle El (hamstring) and FB Mike Sellers (back) did. ... A framed photo of Taylor and his daughter sits alongside football pads on the top shelf of his locker at the team's practice facility. The locker is sealed off with Plexiglas, the contents neatly arranged: sweats, practice jersey, helmet, mouth guard, burgundy cleats, a game ball from Oct. 1, 2006, notebooks, a pencil.

[Midnight Judges]

The great halftime adjustments are gone. Not only do we run the prevent defense, we run the prevent offense as well. :doh:

Every adjustment in Gibbs 2.0 is too little too late.

[Redskins4ever]

The difference is the quality of the players. It's not Gibbs. I'm sorry but Portis, Moss, Randle El, and Cooley isn't in the same league as Monk, Clark, Sanders, and D. Warren/. The quality of the quarterbacking isn't the same as back then also.

[@DCGoldPants]

I think it IS Gibbs. I think that the play it safe mentality in the NFL doesn't work unless you're up by 4 scores, or have a D that isn't big on giving up 3rd down conversions.

[tnjazz]

The great halftime adjustments are gone. Not only do we run the prevent defense, we run the prevent offense as well. :doh:

Every adjustment in Gibbs 2.0 is too little too late.

He has a highly paid OC and a highly paid DC. Perhaps THEY should pitch in a little on making those adjustments?

[Midnight Judges]

The difference is the quality of the players. It's not Gibbs. I'm sorry but Portis, Moss, Randle El, and Cooley isn't in the same league as Monk, Clark, Sanders, and D. Warren/. The quality of the quarterbacking isn't the same as back then also.

I agree with this (except Cooley does compare to Warren) but I think it's the scheme as well. Running the damn reverse every week for no gain, the run-run-pass three and outs after we get a lead, Not trusting JC to throw the ball, not running the hurry-up offense enough, clock management, wasting time outs, not knowing the rules regarding timeouts, and then on defense letting TO score 4 TDs, expecting London Fletcher to cover WRs 30 yards down field, 12 yard cushions by our CBs, rarely using Landry at the LOS, etc.

We have been outcoached-something you could rarely if ever say in Gibbs 1.0.

[Midnight Judges]

He has a highly paid OC and a highly paid DC. Perhaps THEY should pitch in a little on making those adjustments?

Absolutely. But Gibbs is the HC, and he bears responsibility.

[Redshu]

It's been said time and time again. How can you miss that? How can you not know the rules? How can a team come out and play like that in second half?

What type of adjustments are taking place, the one's that allow you to lose?

[tnjazz]

Absolutely. But Gibbs is the HC, and he bears responsibility.

Not disagreeing; I'm just amazed that so many people who want Gibbs gone want one of THESE guys to succeed him!

:doh:

Yes, ultimately Gibbs is responsible. He needs to light a fire under GW's ass though, as far as I'm concerned. The D has cost us dearly this year, and that's on GW first.

[pjfootballer]

To quote Charles Barkely, "That's Turrable."