Identity Crisis

[RainSleetSnowHAIL]

Some background. I'm a lifelong Skins fan, who moved to Denver last summer. I've been lurking in this forum for a few years now, and recently decided to register an account and join the fun Here's my take on the current situation.

I don't believe the blame for the Redskins' recent lackluster efforts can be laid upon Jason Campbell, Jim Zorn, or even Vinny Cerrato. This team is going through an identity crisis, as to what kind of team the Redskins are.

If it were up to most every fan of the Burgundy and Gold, we would have 300 yds passing every game, a 2000 yd. tailback, and a defense that generates multiple sacks and turnovers per game

The question is, when you play Washington, who do you play? Punch you in the mouth running game? Sometimes... Scary defense? We definitely have the personnel for it. Efficient passing attack? Possibly.... The fact is, I don't think the Redskins even know what they are.

Every couple years or so, we get a new coach in town , some personnel tweaks are made, and we still can't get the job done. Norv Turner's teams were too "finesse" (nice way of saying soft), so we brought in smashmouth Martyball. Martyball was too boring, so we bring in the Ol' Ball Coach to air it out with some Fun n' Gun. Fun n' gun doesn't work...so bring back "Jesus" Gibbs to resurrect the smashmouth greatness of the 80's...blah blah Al Saunders blah blah Zorn.

It is my belief that a new foundation must be built, and an identity must be established for the coming years. Championship teams are not pieced together with the "coach of the week" and big name free agents. An identity is established by the leadership, talent is cultivated, and THEN the wins start piling up. Winning is a culture that unfortunately doesn't yet exist at Redskins park. Just my two cents....I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts.

[MattFancy]

I see what you're saying. We run the West Coast Offense which is supposed to be about timing and quick routes. But it still seems like we want to run the ball non-stop. Until we figure out how to run the team, we're not going anywhere. Changing coaches every 3 or 4 years doesn't help either.

[SIXX99]

Welcome to ES. I agree with you for the most part. We just seem to try to get a quick fix and never actually build to solve the problem

[Braxford]

Good point about the identity, I think the team's identity could become clearer as early as the next couple of games IF the team starts executing better, especially in the red zone.

[Whiskey17]

Good points. The Steelers have had 3 coaches since the 70's and one identity. They also have 6 rings.

[DonkeyTeeth]

Good coaches allow the team's identity to evolve as they discover 'what works'. Look at the evolution of Gibbs I starting in 81 - he came to town expected to put in a version of the San Diego air attack. As he saw what Bugel's massive line could do along with Riggins' late career determination, the whole approach changed to ball control and misdirection. The management of the organization worked in concert with the coaches, drafting and bringing in players that could keep that model working.

The problem now is that the Skins haven't shown they can do anything well consistently on offense, and its been that way for years. Part of it is the haphazard addition of talent and leadership, but a lot of it has happened (or not happened) on the field. If any core group of players had demonstrated that they could efficiently execute a ball control, or spread, or west coast, or whatever scheme, there could have been something to build on. But year after year, what looks like its working for a game or two falls flat later on in a season. Maybe that's part of playing against 21st century defenses, but it seems like it makes it impossible to come up with an offensive identity.

[Farbod21]

When we get Shanahan next year and he picks a REAL QB, then we will have an identity. Until then get ready for a long season where people call a 200 yard 0 TD game by our trigger shy QB, "Great!"

[Chachie]

This happens to us every season, no matter who the coach is. Norv, Spurrier, Marty, Gibbs, Zorn. We spend the first 4 games of the year trying to find the endzone. So frustrating.

[indyskins]

This is a huge problem for this team. You look at the elite organizations in the NFL and you know right away what their identity is, how their team is run. What is Redskins football now? In the heyday, there was no doubt what it was about. Now? Start from the top and you have no idea. Is Snyder calling the shots? I would assume so, but you never hear from him at all. What say so does Vinny have? Zorn? What do all of our fearless leaders actually do? It seems to be all done in the shadows with moves coming out of left field - how are people supposed to work in an organization like that?

On the field it isn't much better. On offense we try to meld a power running game with a WCO passing game. Combining these 2 is just a disaster, no wonder the offense has no rhythm, the 2 types require 2 different types of personnel. On Defense? We want to get pressure on the QB but don't want to risk any big plays, so we do half hearted blitzes and give up medium plays all the way down the field.

Until a true leader emerges and instills a strategy and discipline that everyone in the organization buys into, the Redskins will be stuck in this same cycle of mediocrity. We'll pop in as a wild card now and then, but we'll also drop a 5-11 season in just as fast. No consistent vision of what this franchise wants to be is killing this organization.

[DMVSkins]

Redskins = Blind leading the Blind

[kingdaddy]

I see what you're saying but, the fact is, if you ask around the league we do have an identity. It's just not a positive one, or one that strikes and kind of fear into an opponent. We are a poorly run, quick fix, organization that can't get it right no matter who we sign or how much money we spend.

To have an identitiy you have to play to a strength and force that strength on to your opponents and make them stop you. We don't have any clear cut strengths, offensively, defensively or on special teams. In other words, our identity is that we don't do anything particularly well and every team in the league has a good chance to beat us.

The Skins don't even have an identity of being difficult to play in DC. Teams don't fear coming to play the Skins in Washington.

I work in a school district in Pennsylvania where a current defensive coordinator in the NFL used to be the head coach at our high school. He still keeps in close contact with our current head football coach. This guy is extremely knowlegable about X's and O's as you would expect and he knows things about football that us average Joe fans would never know. Well, before the season even started, he made comments to our head coach, still one of his good friends, that "the Redskins are going to be terrible." Apparently he wasn't impressed with things that we're doing on the field.

His prediction appears to be coming true.

Take that for what it's worth but it is true.

[Oldfan]

"Identity" is determined by the schemes chosen for the offense and defense. Players are then selected to fit the schemes.

On offense, we want to be a Walsh WCO team, ball control with the primary weapon being shot to medium passes. However, we don't have the talent to make it work. The main problem is the weakness of the O-line which affects both the pass and run games.

On defense, we want to be more aggressive than in the past. We have the talent for it, but Greg Blache has previously been the problem. He may be coming around.