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WP - Boswell: Not yet a winner, but the Redskins are starting to look like a team

tr1

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tr1

tr1

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/02/AR2011010203474_pf.html

By Thomas Boswell

Washington Post Staff Writer

Sunday, January 2, 2011; 10:20 PM

Exactly one year ago, in the eyes of a genuine professional like linebacker London Fletcher, the Redskins were hardly an NFL team at all, but some kind of bizarre, cruel joke in which he was trapped. The day after their final defeat, as Jim Zorn was fired as head coach, the locker room imploded with self-criticisms as disgusted players blasted teammates for bad practice habits, lack of discipline, too much partying, not knowing assignments, acting like prima donnas and, in a nutshell, epitomizing a culture of defeat.

"Last year, by Week 7, the season just drug on. It was like a recurring nightmare. We defeated ourselves on Mondays and Wednesdays. There were so many dramas. We beat ourselves before we ever went on the field on Sunday," said Fletcher after a season-ending, 17-14 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday that gave Washington a 6-10 mark.

While only a two-win improvement, this season felt like the start of a fundamental change in attitude to some, like Fletcher, who said: "We've had controversies this season. . . but playing [for the Redskins] now is a totally different feeling. You can enjoy coming to work. We have each other's backs."

Of course, veteran leaders are supposed to say such things after 10-loss seasons. So, discount some of what Fletcher says. But do not dismiss it or you'll miss what's worth remembering from this Redskins season. To fans far away, this year will be synonymous with the arrival of Coach Mike Shanahan and his constant tumult of fussing and open conflict with Albert Haynesworth and Donovan McNabb.

Those feuds exposed his simmering fuse, the chip on his shoulder, his high demands and his insistence that his systems, his methods, must be followed absolutely. Oh, and it might not hurt to get along with his son, the offensive coordinator, either. But the other side of Shanahan was what the Redskins themselves saw and felt everyday. He brought what the Redskins have lacked so often since 1992: Order, discipline and football sanity.

The Redskins are starting to look like a normal NFL team. Oh, let's not get carried away. Don't ignore that botched extra point with nine seconds to play that meant a 17-16 loss to Tampa Bay. Don't forget the locker room tumult before kickoff about the deactivation of a healthy Haynesworth just a month ago when the Redskins looked unprepared to play and were stomped by these same Giants, 31-7. And don't forget that abysmal pregame "fight" and a 35-0 blowout after 16 minutes against the Eagles.

But those bad moments have been the exception this season. The rule has been games like this one in which the Redskins were competitive, didn't ruin their chances with an abnormally high number of mental mistakes and gave themselves a chance to win.

"We had six wins and there were six or seven other games like this one where with different scenarios it could have been different," Shanahan said. "Hopefully, we will learn how to finish."

The Redskins should also be blunt with themselves. They could have won fewer games. Three of their wins were in overtime. Only four teams had a worse yardage differential and only six had a worse point differential. Under Zorn, the Redskins were outscored by 70 points last year; under Shanahan, by 75. The offense was, unfortunately, typical of the Redskins - awful - scoring fewer than 300 points (298) and maintaining its position as the second-lowest scoring team in the NFL since 1992. The defense almost reduced the idea of "bend-don't-break" defense to absurdity, allowing the most yards in the NFL.

However, for an organization that has spent most of two decades looking disorganized, undisciplined, internally divided and, in several seasons, on the verge of quitting late in the season, the whole shape and sense of this season represented progress.

The Redskins still need enormous improvement in basic physical talent, especially along both lines of scrimmage. It's not just the maligned offensive line, either. Internally, the Redskins also believe that their defensive front seven doesn't yet have the physical skills to play the 3-4 defense.

But at the top, the Redskins don't make you want to scream.

In Shanahan's first year, the Redskins increasingly look like a team that can put 11 men on the field (not 10 or 12), almost all of whom actually know their assignments and show a professional level of enthusiasm. Twice, at Tennessee and Jacksonville, the defense was reduced to a quasi-JV by injuries. Yet they played cohesively and won. When the game is close and late, the Redskins win as often as they lose, because they are reasonably organized and don't beat themselves constantly.

Against the Giants, who still had a chance to make the playoffs until the Packers beat the Bears, it was the Redskins who were rallying in the fourth quarter, cutting their deficit to 17-14 with a 64-yard scoring bomb from Rex Grossman to Anthony Armstrong. If place kicker Graham "Oh-No" Gano hadn't missed a 30-yard field goal - "That can't happen. That has to be automatic. . . . It has to be mental because he's better than that," Shanahan said - the Redskins might have been headed to their fifth overtime game of the season.

This game also showed both sides of what will be a continuing debate about Grossman. He passed for 336 yards on 44 attempts and two touchdowns, but he also had an interception and two disastrous lost fumbles on blind-side sacks. In three starts, plus two minutes in Detroit, Grossman has been almost exactly as productive - or unproductive - as McNabb. His quarterback rating of 81.2 is slightly better than McNabb's 77.1, but Grossman has lost four fumbles in addition to his four interceptions for an alarming eight turnovers in slightly more than three games. McNabb had 16 interceptions-plus-lost-fumbles in 13 games.

"We're not quite as bad as our record, but we're not quite a dominant team either," Grossman said. "That's the next step."

They are far from dominant. But, at least, once a team has a comprehensible sense of order, such thoughts are possible on some future day.

"After 6-10, there are going to be some changes," Fletcher said. "We'll build through the draft and free agency. But, I hope, not necessarily with the biggest names guys but the ones who'll buy into what we're doing here now."

A year ago, the Redskins were a circus. Now they are a football team. Not a very good one yet, to be sure. But one that entirely bears the stamp of their stern new coach.

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zoony

zoony

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The Redskins still need enormous improvement in basic physical talent, especially along both lines of scrimmage. It's not just the maligned offensive line, either. Internally, the Redskins also believe that their defensive front seven doesn't yet have the physical skills to play the 3-4 defense.

not to mention WR, QB, RB, FS, CB....

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Samurai

Samurai

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God bless Boz.

Not too happy to hear D. Hall and London Fletcher already banging the free agency drum to recruit talent. The stadium lights weren't even out on the 2010 season, yet these guys can't wait for Danny to go shopping.

Free agency is going to be an integral part of rebuilding this team, especially considering how few draft picks we have. We can make major upgrades in talent without going after the biggest name free agents. Sounds like this is what Fletcher is referring to.

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Skins199021

Skins199021

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I love London Fletcher I want him to finish his career here, he should be a HOFer but the way he goes so unrechoginized you just don't know.

t

RB is not a need, if you all have learned anything from Shannahan, it doesn't matter who the RB is, this system is made for RBs (name all the dudes that did well with him its a lot)

The skins need to have a plan, and say we will address this position (s) in FA, and the others in the draft, not the o well will see what happens, and let our draft board decide (Cerrato)

I think Rex will be the starter, will have competition from Beck, a 5th round QB, and some random FA

I will probably get fried for this, but I wouldn't mind getting Palmer as a QB (signing only not a trade), he is an accurate QB, even with those picks this year, he is accurate.

I mean he is going to throw 12-20 picks in a season (probably more towards 15, since 20 as been an exception for him not a rule).

I don't know he is only 31 it wouldn't be terrible if we didn't have to waste a pick on a QB and hope he pans out, and draft O-line/D-line/ and LBs, because when we do finally draft a franchise QB, I want him to be the missing link, not the one of many missing pieces.

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IHOPSkins

IHOPSkins

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not to mention WR, QB, RB, FS, CB....
Color me Optimistic

Kelly come s back healthy and with Armstrong and Moss...No WR

Torain and Portis Healthy.....No RB

Sexy Rex gets more snaps and our O-line gets better...No QB (trade McFranchise and Haynesworthless for 2 4ths)

We draft a Shutdown CB and a stud DE/OLB (Good draft for these positions)

We sign a FA interior 0-lineman and DT and draft more O-Line depth

SB :point2sky

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CM916

CM916

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This sums up how I feel about this season. Was it bad, even awful at times? Sure. But unlike 2006, 2008, and 2009, this time I can hold my head high at 6-10. None of those past teams would have rallied like these guys did. We weren't good at all but we never gave up either down to the very last minute of the season and that is something I can hang my hat on.

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Commander PK

Commander PK

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Boswell pretty much sums up my thoughts.

The play on the field only achieved a 6-10 record this season, but the order, discipline, accountability, and attitude change that has been brought to the Redskins this season by the "tyrant" :D will prove to be invaluable to the Redskins over the next several years.

Say what you want about how the Haynesworth and McNabb "soap operas" have affected (or have not affected) the short-term performance of this team, but one indisputable fact of both of them, is that players are being held accountable. and everybody knows who the boss is now in Washington. The media, players, coaches, the fans...everyone. The Inmates are no longer running the asylum. No matter what your name is, or how much you are getting paid, or how much time you spend undermining the coaching staff whining to Snyder, or what your accomplished 5 seasons ago on another team...if you don't perform or you play games with the coaches, you will be benched, fined, and/or disciplined. Also, it is obvious Shanahan doesn't care one iota what you (fans and media) think, and that is why I think he is the perfect coach for this town.

The most encouraging aspect of this season for me can be summed up in two words. Culture and Change.

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Commander PK

Commander PK

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Can you find the article from last year? Seriously inquiry

Nope, no article from last year, because the statement in question was pure conjecture. Boswell is one of the writers from the post, that I actually feel is pretty fair overall. Another, would be Sally Jenkins based off of this season alone. I used to think she was just negative for the sake of being negative, but not anymore.

---------- Post added January-3rd-2011 at 03:31 AM ----------

True but don't dare put McNabb with Haynesworth. McNabb has been a 100% class act as usual and always supporting the coaches and team. Can't say the same for #92.

I agree with this 100%, and do not misunderstand me. McNabb has said all the right things, at least publically, and he has twice the character of Haynesworth. The point I was trying to make, is that irregardless if you are a multi-million dollar malcontent (Haynesworth), or you are a nice guy (McNabb) who is not performing up to par, because A. You are not buying completely into the system, and/or B. You are not pushing yourself as hard in practice as the coaches need or expect of you, you will be disciplined or benched no matter what your name is, or how much money you make.

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Homercles82

Homercles82

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God bless Boz.

Not too happy to hear D. Hall and London Fletcher already banging the free agency drum to recruit talent. The stadium lights weren't even out on the 2010 season, yet these guys can't wait for Danny to go shopping.

You really have trouble reading all the words I suppose.

There have to be some pick ups via free agency. You cannot build a team solely through the draft.

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scruffylookin

scruffylookin

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This column is all well and good but I wish Boswell would stop with the Rex bashing since he is the fool who declared McNabb the greatest since Sonny after week 2.

Since Bos loves history and all let me clue him in on something, Rex Grossman is the first Redskins QB at least since the merger, if not in history (I don't know individual game stats before 1970), to throw for 300 yards in at least two of his first three starts for the Redskins.

Not saying that Rex is the long term solution or that he could keep it up for 16 games, but instead of focusing on the turnovers (especially the fumbles since those are blindside shots hardly the fault of the qb), why not focus on 7 touchdown passes in only 3 games?

So to review, Rex has done something no Redskin QB has done in at least 40 years by throwing for 300 or more in 2 of his first 3 starts. He's thrown 7 touchdowns and 4 interceptions in 3 games. Contrast that to "the greatest qb to play for the Skins since Sonny" who threw 14 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 13 games.

I'd take Bos a little more seriously if he owned up and admit that he was wrong about McNabb and Grossman.

The question isn't whether or not it was the right move to bench McNabb. It really is, why the hell didn't we do it sooner?

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LD0506

LD0506

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Good job tr1, this is the article I needed to see this morning. It is fair and assesses where we are at accurately. While there remains a great deal of work to be done the essentials of professionalism and discipline are already taking root here, and it just proves what so many have been saying for so long, the dysfunction began at the top.

I applaud Shanny 1.0 for his determination to remake this franchise into one where accountability and work ethic mean something again and I agree w/ Painkiller, he is exactly the right coach for us now. The accomplishments so far by him and Bruce Allen are already exceeding (rational) expectations.

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Probos

Probos

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You really have trouble reading all the words I suppose.

There have to be some pick ups via free agency. You cannot build a team solely through the draft.

Not "solely", but the nucleus of your team should be made up of guys you drafted. All the best teams are built that way.

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