Homer: In their words: Redskins players explain the five-game losing streak

[themurf]

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Make no mistake about it – covering the Washington Redskins as a credentialed media member for the last seven seasons has been a dream come true.

Each and every Sunday, I’m on the sidelines with the best possible view as my favorite football team takes to the field and I know there isn’t a diehard sports fan out there who wouldn’t trade places with me in a heartbeat.

That being said, the job isn’t without its challenges. For starters, a typical game day usually lasts 10 or 11 hours, which is time spent away from your loved ones.

There’s also the whole “try not to get run over” aspect of being on the sidelines, which can be both exciting and terrifying at the same time.

Redskins rookie linebacker Ryan Kerrigan nearly trampled me earlier this season when he picked off an Eli Manning pass and returned it for a touchdown in Week 1, and there wasn’t much I could do other than duck and cover while trying to protect my expensive camera equipment.

But the most challenging part of covering the Redskins is heading into the locker room after a tough loss and trying to make sense of it all. No one likes losing, so you can imagine how thrilled the players are to have a sea of microphones, digital recorders and TV cameras shoved in their face just moments after suffering through a heartbreaking loss.

That’s why I’m shocked outbursts like the obscenity-laced tirade cornerback DeAngelo Hall had after the Dallas loss don’t happen more often. There’s only so many times you can handle the same stupid question over and over before you lose your cool and start telling people how you truly feel. And if those feelings involve a few “F bombs,” then so be it.

And let’s be real – how many different ways can a journalist tactfully ask, “So … what the hell happened today?” as a season continues to spiral out of control?

Like I said, everyone hates losing. Therefore, this gig is a lot less enjoyable when the offense has scored exactly one touchdown in their last 36 possessions and the defense fails to make a play when the game is on the line.

Rather than trying and put into words after the Redskins suffered a fifth-straight loss – this time to a one-win Miami Dolphins team that has been dreadful for most of the season – I thought it would be interesting to let fans hear from the players directly.

Instead of trying to put some spin on things or make sense of it all, I’d rather just share their words from the post-game locker room and let fans draw their own conclusions about what, if anything, the 2011 season has left to offer.

“There were points in the game where we feel like we could have taken control of the game, but we didn’t do it,” said defensive lineman Barry Cofield.

“It’s frustrating,” said fullback Darrel Young. “The same things continue to happen week in and week out. It’s not the coaching staff – it’s the players. We put ourselves in these situations when we get penalties or we miss a block or we don’t catch a pass in a critical situation. We’re killing ourselves.”

“It’s the same thing once again, man,” said tight end Fred Davis. “I don’t know why we keep getting ourselves in those situations with the decisions that we’re making and everybody not making a play at the time when we need them to make a play. If it’s not a receiver, then it’s someone not blocking or someone missing an assignment on a blitz and giving up a sack. We just need to focus on each play, one at a time. We can’t think or think we’re better than any team because we’re obviously not right now.”

“We’ve got to find a way to put some more points on the board – that’s what it comes down to,” said linebacker Lorenzo Alexander. “Whether that’s special teams getting a touchdown or the defense taking it to the house or the offense scoring some touchdowns … we’ve got to find some touchdowns from somewhere. That’s really what’s hurting us right now.

“The coaches can only do so much,” Alexander continued. “It comes down to players needing to win one-on-one matchups and making plays. Obviously other teams are doing it. Their coaches are no smarter than our coaches, so it’s on the players to step up and make a difference. It needs to happen a lot sooner than later.”

“It’s like every team that we play, it’s like they already know they got a ‘W’ against us,” said linebacker Brian Orakpo. “It’s just ridiculous, man. It’s time to turn this **** around.”

“I wish I had an answer for you,” Orakpo said when asked what it’s going to take to turn things around during the team’s longest losing streak in a decade. “It’s frustrating. I don’t have an answer. We just have to dig deep, man. Its cliché, but I’m running out of material. I don’t know what else to say. It’s just; I’ve never been a part of something like this.

“We’ve just got to keep fighting,” Orakpo continued. “I know we’ve got a good team. I know we’ve got great character … no, forget the character. I know we’ve got great players on this team. I know we’ve got some great playmakers, we’ve just got to put it together.”

Click here for the full article.

[clskinsfan]

Great stuff. You can sense the frustration but I dont know if you can ever trust what is said in a locker room. Pro athletes are "taught" what to say and how to say it when they are drafted. It's extremely rare that a quote comes out of any professional locker room that throws a coach or teammate under the bus. Who knows how any of them really feel. I think some of the interviews with Carlos Rogers give you a real sense of what players feel like being a Redskin. And that is sad.

[authentic]

As you can see, every player I talked to reiterated that the problem isn’t head coach Mike Shanahan or his assistant coaches. All of them said the team’s biggest issue is mental mistakes or failure to execute by the players.

but ppl will still insist that "the coaches don't know what they're doing"... SMH... BTW I enjoyed the read.

[MassSkinsFan]

Thanks Murf - great read. I particularly enjoyed this:

“I’ve been on some teams that have been really bad and this isn’t a bad football team,” said recently-acquired receiver David Anderson. “This is just a case of one error here or there and guys needing to learn how to finish football games.”

The poor execution and lack of ability to close games often comes with a youth movement. I think that's what's happening here, and it's a matter of time before they learn how to win games. Once they do, look out.

Hail.

[Rdskn4Lyf21]

One thing that Fred Davis said bugs me, "We can’t think we’re better than any team because we’re obviously not right now.”

It's not on Fred Davis, but that quote is a great example of what I've felt for years. It always seems like this team will overlook a team with a worse record. How in the **** do we play down so badly to the competition, but play up to other teams? I could be wrong, but I've seen this attitude for years.

[theTruthTeller]

One thing that Fred Davis said bugs me, "We can’t think we’re better than any team because we’re obviously not right now.”

It's not on Fred Davis, but that quote is a great example of what I've felt for years. It always seems like this team will overlook a team with a worse record. How in the **** do we play down so badly to the competition, but play up to other teams? I could be wrong, but I've seen this attitude for years.

I think we should be happy they play up to good teams, because talent wise this is the worst offense I've ever seen. You can say what you want about _____ having potential, but there is not a single healthy offensive player that has proven himself to be anything better than mediocre.

[Boss_Hogg]

It's nice to hear that the players are standing up for Coach Shanahan.

Hopefully that will put a dagger to all the "mutiny in the Redskin locker room" talk from the WaPo and 106.7 the fan.

[JoeSkins]

I was expecting something along the lines of the "Three-headed broadway star" game from Whose Line is it Anyway...

[Redskins Life]

I think we should be happy they play up to good teams, because talent wise this is the worst offense I've ever seen. You can say what you want about _____ having potential, but there is not a single healthy offensive player that has proven himself to be anything better than mediocre.

This is the worst offense you've ever seen? A little hyperbolic, don't you think? I've read people comparing Zorn's record and offense to Shanahan's, but they really don't work together at all. Zorn had a horrific record while up against the easiest schedule in NFL history (no, that is NOT hyperbolic, it is fact).

You want to see worse NFL offenses than our current one, look at tape from 2002, 2003, and 2009. That is just tape from this team this past decade. There are plenty of other teams that have had worse offensive performances than we have. We do have talent, but we have what every Redskin fan has been screaming for for over a decade: YOUNG talent. It takes awhile for them all to gel and get it together. We asked for it, we got it. Now, we have to let it all play out.

[terryb101]

This is the worst offense you've ever seen? A little hyperbolic, don't you think? I've read people comparing Zorn's record and offense to Shanahan's, but they really don't work together at all. Zorn had a horrific record while up against the easiest schedule in NFL history (no, that is NOT hyperbolic, it is fact).

You want to see worse NFL offenses than our current one, look at tape from 2002, 2003, and 2009. That is just tape from this team this past decade. There are plenty of other teams that have had worse offensive performances than we have. We do have talent, but we have what every Redskin fan has been screaming for for over a decade: YOUNG talent. It takes awhile for them all to gel and get it together. We asked for it, we got it. Now, we have to let it all play out.

what your saying is we have a chronic problem with this offense that has been going on for 10 to 15 years. and i agree with you..this team has struggled mightly for a long time trying score touchdowns..and its kinda easy to figure out.. we have had so many different coaches and schemes on offense that by the time they(players) figure out what they are doing the coach gets fired and they have to start all over again.and of course we have an owner who is very impatient,and thinks he knows more about football than the people who have been doing it for a lot longer than he has..he just tries too hard to have a winner, and that screws up more than helps outs..i have been a skins fan since 1969,and this is without a doubt the worst team i've seen, these guys(most) have no heart and it just seems they are happy just to be in the NFL getting a big pay check,

[theTruthTeller]

This is the worst offense you've ever seen? A little hyperbolic, don't you think? I've read people comparing Zorn's record and offense to Shanahan's, but they really don't work together at all. Zorn had a horrific record while up against the easiest schedule in NFL history (no, that is NOT hyperbolic, it is fact).

You want to see worse NFL offenses than our current one, look at tape from 2002, 2003, and 2009. That is just tape from this team this past decade. There are plenty of other teams that have had worse offensive performances than we have. We do have talent, but we have what every Redskin fan has been screaming for for over a decade: YOUNG talent. It takes awhile for them all to gel and get it together. We asked for it, we got it. Now, we have to let it all play out.

I clearly stated that I was talking about healthy offensive talent, not performance, not potential.

I'll grant you that 2002-3 was pretty horrible in retrospect, but Canidate had a solid 4.2 average, and Ramsey looked like a decent QB without a line.

Without Moss and Cooley in the lineup, 2011 has Fred Davis as a solid player. We're not going to build the team around Fred Davis.

You a speculating about the "young talent". Hankerson, Helu, Paul are all players that people are hoping will be good in the future. They haven't proven themselves yet. There is no QB with a future on the roster - even in the development stage. And the RB situation is not good. Hightower is a good back to have on the roster, but he is not an every down back.

[NoLeafClover]

It actually worries me more that no one can seem to pinpoint what the issue is. The team just seems defeated right now. To hear all the players say they believe in the coaching staff and the system and to still look as bad as they do week after week just makes no sense.

It seems like a difficult problem to try to fix.

[authentic]

It actually worries me more that no one can seem to pinpoint what the issue is. The team just seems defeated right now. To hear all the players say they believe in the coaching staff and the system and to still look as bad as they do week after week just makes no sense.

It seems like a difficult problem to try to fix.

...perhaps because we lack stability and leadership at the most important position in Football.... A Quarterback....I believe the scheme is there, the desire to win is there, the preparation is there. But we don't have anyone who we can rely on to make those plays.

[Boss_Hogg]

^^^ I honestly believe it's injuries and the shortened off season. We had many sweeping changes on offense this year and many guys did not have enough time to practice and jell.

[paloosa]

I am glad to hear what they have to say but you can hear the stunned, angry feelings in the words Orakpo used. He has never been apart of something like this. He played at the University of Texas where he was apart of a winning program. So let them lose a few more games and you might see some finger pointing. I can understand Rookie mistakes but not the Veterans.

[KCClybun]

It's nice to hear that the players are standing up for Coach Shanahan.

Hopefully that will put a dagger to all the "mutiny in the Redskin locker room" talk from the WaPo and 106.7 the fan.

It won't. But it's a nice thought/

[HailGreen28]

snip

OPs like this are a reason to love this board. Thanks murf.

[themurf]

It actually worries me more that no one can seem to pinpoint what the issue is. The team just seems defeated right now. To hear all the players say they believe in the coaching staff and the system and to still look as bad as they do week after week just makes no sense.

It seems like a difficult problem to try to fix.

The players know that they -- collectively -- are the reason for this extended losing streak. They're not running from it or assigning blame elsewhere. At least we've got that going for us. If not, things would be a whole lot uglier these last seven games.

OPs like this are a reason to love this board. Thanks murf.

I really appreciate you taking the time to read my content and the positive feedback. It really is tough to get people to care when the season seems lost, so it really does mean a lot to have some folks around here who are willing to participate in the discussion. Cheers.

[herb mul-key]

Mike Shanahan is questionable as a leader of men..same with his son...in the press conferences or audio do they exude a personality that you'd wan't to follow, or perform for, or be fired up by???

This team has no fire...and yea I see shinny ****ing at the refs...but this team has no fire...I don't sense one iota of personality from Kyle Shanahan...kind of like our offense...

[authentic]

Mike Shanahan is questionable as a leader of men....

I think his former players which dates back to his days in San Fran will say differently... Just Sayin....

[GoDeep81]

Great read murf!! Good to hear the players still have the coaches back!

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

It actually worries me more that no one can seem to pinpoint what the issue is. The team just seems defeated right now. To hear all the players say they believe in the coaching staff and the system and to still look as bad as they do week after week just makes no sense.

It seems like a difficult problem to try to fix.

Everyone knows exactly what the issue is.

With seven games left, no player is going to say, "Our two QBs should be rolled into a carpet and thrown off the back of Daniel Snyder's new mega yacht."

I will also say this, I thought Shanahan was a disaster as a leader last year. This year, he does seem to have his "guys" so the team seems fairly unified. There's no Haynesworth or McNabb or even a Portis lingering around to cause factions. There is no Carlos Rogers just waiting for the end of the season so he can start elsewhere. He probably would have gotten on shakier ground if he let the Beck Experience continue much longer, but the team seems to like Rex if nothing else. I don't think they will sell him out regardless of the record.

Having said all that, at 2-7 next year, all bets may be off.

We as fans may be able to accept that last year was a wasted year and the rebuild is finally underway. But if you are Chris Cooley or Rocky McIntosh and it dawns on you that Mike Shanahan has just dicked away 30 percent of your career, you might have a different attitude.

[Hitman21ST]

“It’s frustrating,” said fullback Darrel Young. “The same things continue to happen week in and week out. It’s not the coaching staff – it’s the players. We put ourselves in these situations when we get penalties or we miss a block or we don’t catch a pass in a critical situation. We’re killing ourselves.”

"The coaches can only do so much,” Alexander continued. “It comes down to players needing to win one-on-one matchups and making plays. Obviously other teams are doing it. Their coaches are no smarter than our coaches, so it’s on the players to step up and make a difference. It needs to happen a lot sooner than later.”

The players obviously don't know that they're not at fault. It's all Mike's ego, Kyle's ineptness, and Haslett's idiocy. Our coaching staff must have brainwashed the players into thinking that the staff is competent.

/sarcasm

[NoLeafClover]

The players know that they -- collectively -- are the reason for this extended losing streak. They're not running from it or assigning blame elsewhere. At least we've got that going for us. If not, things would be a whole lot uglier these last seven games.

Yes, I suppose. But it still seems like a bigger issue than simply injuries and quarterback woes. The team started out 3-1 with Rex Grossman under center. They can win games with this squad. It just seems like this team has given up. Now whether that's coaching or the personnel or what, obviously something is going on under the surface here.

Is it a character issue?

[SkinsHokieFan]

Yes, I suppose. But it still seems like a bigger issue than simply injuries and quarterback woes. The team started out 3-1 with Rex Grossman under center. They can win games with this squad. It just seems like this team has given up. Now whether that's coaching or the personnel or what, obviously something is going on under the surface here.

Is it a character issue?

I think it was that Eagles game. It was pretty damn deflating.

You could feel not just a game slip away, but the entire season that day (with the injuries, QB change and the 4 INTs)