bubba9497 Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 Spurrier: Making postseason 'very, very unrealistic' Busy offseason, 3-1 mark fade fast as Redskins are 4-7 with 5 games to go -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Edward Lee Sun Staff Originally published November 30, 2003 http://www.sunspot.net/sports/football/bal-sp.redskins30nov30,0,6164156.story?coll=bal-sports-football Time - along with some hope - is running out on the Washington Redskins. With a 4-7 record and just five games left in the season, Washington is still mathematically alive for its first playoff berth since 1999. But even the Redskins acknowledge that embarking on a five-game winning streak is not only unlikely, but it also wouldn't even guarantee them a postseason opportunity. "There aren't a lot of teams with seven losses in the NFC," said strong safety Ifeanyi Ohalete. "There are a lot of teams with five, six, seven wins that are not going to win their divisions. It's going to be tough to get into the playoffs." Only six teams from the NFC make the playoffs, and 10 own better records than Washington. The Dallas Cowboys (8-4), Philadelphia Eagles (8-3), Carolina Panthers (8-3) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6) have beaten the Redskins - a critical factor as head-to-head meetings determine the first tiebreaker. History is not on Washington's side, either. Since 1998, only eight of the 60 NFL teams that qualified for a playoff berth did so with seven or more losses. Two of them (the Seattle Seahawks in 1999 and the New York Jets last season) were division winners. Even Redskins coach Steve Spurrier could not prevent reality from seeping into his comments during the week as his team prepared for the New Orleans Saints (5-6) today at 4:05 p.m. at FedEx Field. "The playoffs are very, very unrealistic now," Spurrier said in an uncharacteristic moment of pessimism. "But we're going to play out the season with our best players and try to win every game we play and go from there." This is not what the Redskins envisioned after acquiring 13 players during a busy offseason and opening the season with a 3-1 record. At that time, second-year quarterback Patrick Ramsey was emerging as the best passer from the 2002 draft, wide receiver Laveranues Coles was on pace for a Pro Bowl-type season, and Spurrier was being roundly lauded as an offensive genius for transferring his Fun 'N' Gun system to the NFL. But the success masked holes that opposing teams eventually found. The offensive line - one of the team's most overhauled units during the offseason - committed numerous pre-snap penalties and struggled to pick up blitzes. Injuries depleted a running back corps that didn't scare defenses, who assigned most of their personnel to blanketing Coles, Rod Gardner and the other wide receivers. Freed from former defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis' assignment-emphasis attack, the defense took risks that offenses exploited. A 24-23 loss to the Miami Dolphins last Sunday - Washington's sixth in seven games - has brought more turmoil. Defensive end Bruce Smith complained to team owner Daniel Snyder about a demotion. Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson and defensive coordinator George Edwards have reportedly expressed interest in pursuing coaching opportunities on the college level. And Ramsey is out for today's game, and perhaps the rest of the season, with a bone bruise and an aggravated fracture in his right foot. Backup Tim Hasselbeck will start against the Saints, who are angling for their own postseason appearance. It's enough to make a three-time Pro Bowl cornerback wonder about team morale. "I don't know what stage we're at or what the emotion is for this team," said Champ Bailey, who is in the last year of his contract and could bolt after the end of this season. "I feel like everybody's in it, but you never know." So with just five games left and a remote possibility at a playoff spot, is there anything left to play for? Offensive tackle Jon Jansen thinks so. "Every time you go out there, you're playing for something," he said. "Right now, it's just a matter of pride." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyDave Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 I'm torn between winning the remaining five games and getting top 10 draft positioning to add quality to the team along the d line Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom [Giants fan] Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 This is actually a great position to be in now. For me, if the Giants win, good, they got a win and there is a week to feel ok. But, if they lose, hey, higher draft pick and better chance of a top college player. My only problem is, the Giants have not done a very good job of picking top draft picks. :doh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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