bubba9497 Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 Gibbs: Redskins not close to ready By Mark Zuckerman THE WASHINGTON TIMES http://www.washtimes.com/sports/20040821-120954-3413r.htm If Washington Redskins fans believe the team is close to being ready for its Sept. 12 regular-season opener, they need only listen to Joe Gibbs as he deals out some harsh doses of reality. "No, I don't think we're close," the coach said this week. "We have a lot of things to improve upon. I felt like last week we backed up. That's going in the wrong direction." Gibbs was not at all pleased with the regression his team seemed to take in last Saturday's 23-20 loss to the Carolina Panthers. And it's not like the Redskins wowed many folks in Gibbs' first game back in the NFL, a sloppy 20-17 victory over the Denver Broncos in Canton, Ohio. Which makes tonight's third game of the preseason against the Miami Dolphins at Pro Player Stadium all the more important from Washington's standpoint. A solid effort from his first- and second-stringers might convince Gibbs his team is coming together in time for the start of the regular season. Another snoozer, though, and Redskins players, coaches and fans alike might have reason to start showing preliminary signs of panic. "We want to step up," Gibbs said. "All the things we had problems with last week, we hope we'll show some improvement." First and foremost, Gibbs needs to get his offense in sync after a dreadful performance against Carolina. Quarterback Mark Brunell rejoins the first-string offense after giving way to challenger Patrick Ramsey last week, getting a chance to state his case definitively for the starting job. Brunell has not shown much so far, completing 10 of 23 passes for 137 yards, one touchdown and one interception. But the left-handed veteran appears to be miles ahead of the younger Ramsey, who faltered mightily against the Panthers and enters tonight's game with a paltry 27.1 quarterback rating in the preseason. Not that either quarterback has gotten much help from his supporting cast. The Redskins' offensive line continues to try to jell in the wake of Jon Jansen's season-ending Achilles' tendon injury. Kenyatta Jones will make his second start in place of Jansen at right tackle, hoping to improve on his mediocre-at-best showing last week. Gibbs also wouldn't mind seeing some flashes of brilliance from star running back Clinton Portis, who has been a nonfactor in the first two games with 26 yards on nine rushes. Portis, a Miami native who will be playing in front of a large crowd of family and friends tonight, isn't as concerned with the offense's blase preseason stats as he is with the unit's repeated mistakes. "You don't want to have any mental mistakes. You don't want to have turnovers. You don't want to have penalties," Portis said. "Every game, you're just trying to improve in those categories. Now if we do that, we'll be fine." The Redskins' defense has outplayed the offense to date, even with coach Gregg Williams refraining from showing too much in the exhibition season. Williams, the head coach last season in Buffalo, knows Miami coach Dave Wannstedt well and expects a tougher test from the Dolphins' offense than he has seen so far. "This will be another good steppingstone for this team," Williams said. "Right now, we are taking baby steps. But we're a long way away. We are improved from what we saw on film last year, but we have a long way to go. As good as we have done in stretches, we have to have a consistent 60 minutes of ball." To that end, Williams is likely to give his first-string defense more reps tonight (the unit has been on the field for just six total drives in two games). He's also likely to give rookie safety Sean Taylor his first action against an opponent's starting offense. Taylor, like Portis another Miami native returning home, probably won't start but should find himself in the huddle before the end of the first quarter. Williams has yet to have his full projected starting 11 on the field at the same time, and that won't change tonight. Linebackers LaVar Arrington (sprained knee) and Mike Barrow (tendinitis in knee) did not make the trip to South Florida with the rest of the Redskins yesterday. With so many injuries throughout training camp — defensive linemen Brandon Noble, Cornelius Griffin and Phillip Daniels also have missed time, though all three will play tonight — the new-look Redskins defense has not had much opportunity to mesh. "It's going to take some time," said Barrow, who has yet to play this preseason. "It's a very complicated defense. We've got to get to the point where everybody knows it like the back of their hands." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulldog Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 I will never forget that after winning the Super Bowl, Gibbs was asked the following summer in camp about returning and he indicated he was concerned not about getting back to the Super Bowl but about winning the opener and hopefully being able to contend for a playoff spot That was 1983 and the team finished at 14-2 Gibbs ain't gonna give this team any love in terms of pre-season expectations, not that their on-field performance has warranted any long list of credits :laugh: Even if the first teamers were crushing people 21-0 in these games before the scrubs came in, Joe would still be worried about that fourth quarter fumble by Gibran Hamdan :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thinker Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 Originally posted by bulldog That was 1983 and the team finished at 14-2 I think that 1983 team was the most dominant team in Skins history. Only played one really bad game - the Super Bowl against the raiders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dallsux Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 Does anyone really expect a whole lot from a Gibbs team in pre-season? Of course he's not happy with the performances as of yet. He never was happy inpre-season. For that matter, he never cracked a smile during the regular season. I remember in 91 when they won the last Super Bowl, he smiled at the end of the game & one of the announcers had made a comment about how that was the first smile Gibbs had cracked all season long. That's just the way he is. He's not happy until the season is over & there is another trophy in the case. :point2sky :logo: :phinsuck: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REDALERT Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 Well, basic mistakes being eliminated and the team geling is something I'm looking for. Not to speak of the offense getting something going against the first unit. It's not gonna be easy, and just because some of Joe Gibbs old years in pre-season were similar to this years pre-season doesn't mean anything. And if anyone can't see the team still has a way to go before being where we thought they would be at are naive. Joe's being honest about his observation. He's not gonna put his foot in his mouth by saying the team is something he knows their not yet. It may take some time my people, even though we want instant gratification. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Happy Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 I agree. Gibbs might be saying the team is not ready because they actually aren't ready yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dallsux Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 Originally posted by REDALERT Well, basic mistakes being eliminated and the team geling is something I'm looking for. Not to speak of the offense getting something going against the first unit. It's not gonna be easy, and just because some of Joe Gibbs old years in pre-season were similar to this years pre-season doesn't mean anything. And if anyone can't see the team still has a way to go before being where we thought they would be at are naive. Joe's being honest about his observation. He's not gonna put his foot in his mouth by saying the team is something he knows their not yet. It may take some time my people, even though we want instant gratification. Well, that's certainly one of the things that makes us love Gibbs so much. He's not gonna blow somke up our azzes about where he thinks the team is. It's not like he is intentionally keeping how he feels from us. He really does feel that way. That's part of what separates him from the rest of the idiots that we've had to deal with. He's honest. He's not gonna tell us what we want to hear. He knows what we want to hear. We want to hear that this team is ready to play in the Super Bowl. Gibbs has never done that-not even in our Super Bowl years. I believe throughout the 91 season as we won each game, Gibbs' response was something along the lines of, "We were lucky." God, it's nice to have him back. Thanks again, Coach! You're the man! :phinsuck: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chopper Dave Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 I'm gonna be there tonight... I can't wait. Edit: Just to preface, this is my first Redskins game. I grew up in Philly and then moved down here when I was 9. My parents were too afraid to take me to Skins-Eagles games at the Vet when I was a kid. This is definitely a milestone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gfunk76p Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 no need to panic the only way i'll be panicing is if we start out 0-5 wait been there done that i think if we go 3-3 in our first 6 we will be ok but who cares about this preseason crap we all start over in a couple of weeks and this will be forgotten have faith in Joe and believe even if we looked like the best team in football right now what do you think Gibbs would say???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halter91 Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 Hopefully they'll do better tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woofer Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 Originally posted by Zero Cool I agree. Gibbs might be saying the team is not ready because they actually aren't ready yet. I'd rather have him worried than happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FunBunny Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 I'd rather have him worried than happy. Agreed. Excessive confidence can be a liability for a head coach. Over-confidence was one of Spurriers many flaws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieselPwr44 Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 Originally posted by Zero Cool I agree. Gibbs might be saying the team is not ready because they actually aren't ready yet. Gibbs is worried and he has a right to be. The offense has looked mediocre at it's best. It doesn't suprise me in the least at the blunt honesty Gibbs uses when describing his team. What does suprise is that the media doesn't believe that he's that honest. They think it's "coach-speak". Kinda like the open QB competition....maybe one of these days they'll realize that Gibbs is honest in his opinions.:2cents: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimboDaMan Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 Originally posted by REDALERT Well, basic mistakes being eliminated and the team geling is something I'm looking for. Not to speak of the offense getting something going against the first unit. It's not gonna be easy, and just because some of Joe Gibbs old years in pre-season were similar to this years pre-season doesn't mean anything. And if anyone can't see the team still has a way to go before being where we thought they would be at are naive. Joe's being honest about his observation. He's not gonna put his foot in his mouth by saying the team is something he knows their not yet. It may take some time my people, even though we want instant gratification. Red, I'd say "naive" applies to those who expected a lot more at this stage. Its a new offense, new coaches, a lot of new players. You should expect miscues. On the whole, both the lines have done better than I expected, and that's the key to how this will turn out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. S Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 I want to see the offense really step up. Portis keeps getting stuffed, and the recievers keep getting no where early on. I just think that if our backups keep winning these games, its obviously not a good thing (other than that we may have depth). I hope we actually have some good passes by Brunell this game. And as always, wanna see Taylor work his magic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Om Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 This is so great. A whole new generation are getting their first little nibbles at the banquet of The Redskins According to Gibbs. I love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sisko Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 "No, I don't think we're close," the coach said this week. "We have a lot of things to improve upon. I felt like last week we backed up. That's going in the wrong direction." OK, for all you guys that came onboard after Gibbs 1.0 here's a translation for you. "Our guys competed awfully hard out there today. I'm confident we'll be fine because I know what we do works" I think Gibbs is just telling it like it is. This team is getting accustomed to entirely new offensive/defensive schemes and it's going to take some time. We are fortunate to have had the extra preseason game. I still think we'll look better once Gibbs starts game planning for specific opponents though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeB Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 Originally posted by REDALERT And if anyone can't see the team still has a way to go before being where we thought they would be at are naive. C'mon dude... Not saying your wrong, but you along with everyone else on this board seems to forget it's preseason. I've seen some of the worst garbage ever during preseason turn to gold, and sterling preseason efforts wind up just fool's gold. Point is, you just can't tell. In fact, you'd almost be better not watching the pre-season games and getting your head filled with this or that... But, I know that's impossible and folks want to draw conclusions and speculate. It's in our nature, and besides, it's fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulldog Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 does anyone really expect that a new team implementing a new system is going to be ready by the second preseason game to look as if they have been together for 5 years? :laugh: no, especially when the players are not being showcased for their skills but are being run 'vanilla' to avoid giving away what is on tap for the regular season. The Redskins will not be as good in September as they will be in November. What will get the team out in decent order is hard work and TALENT. That's right. It may just be big plays by Portis and Coles that save the Skins the first couple of weeks. These guys are being kept under wraps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumbo Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 Originally posted by Zero Cool I agree. Gibbs might be saying the team is not ready because they actually aren't ready yet. Yeh, I'm happy to be as big a homer as anyone when I want to be, but no matter how ya want to spin this pre-season so far Gibb's is rightfully dissapointed in his two most basic needs: Good QB'ing and RB/ run blocking. Even with all the "explanations" the seeming talent level in those areas is not showing up very much at all in the outcomes. That simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander PK Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 We will be fine. If we could just finish .500 this year. I would be satisified. I think this team may start out slow, but start getting hot near the end of the season, the last five games or so. This year is really a welcoming home party for Coach Gibbs. At best I think we are 10-6, at worst I think 6-10. Like it or not Skins fans, we are still rebuilding here, and it's gonna take a little time. The difference is, we now have a Coach who we know who can, and will get the job done....it will take some time. Have faith, the future looks very promising in Redskins Country! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potato Sack Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 These journalists crack me up. Gibbs was ALWAYS like this. He always believes there's ALWAYS something his team can improve upon. That's what makes him the HoF coach he is. Gibbs will have this team ready come September. I don't doubt it for one moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSUskinfan Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 I 'm looking (hoping) for Ramsey and Jacobs to light up the offense. Cmon guys! Ramsey can get away with floundering again, but Jacobs really has to prove himself in a situation other than training camp. Also, McCullough WILL rip up Miami's scrubbs tonight. All this would be wonderful, but I'm in KANSAS. Lousy gametracker on ESPN.com... :logo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrfriedm Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 Originally posted by Chopper Dave I'm gonna be there tonight... I can't wait. Edit: Just to preface, this is my first Redskins game. I grew up in Philly and then moved down here when I was 9. My parents were too afraid to take me to Skins-Eagles games at the Vet when I was a kid. This is definitely a milestone. Have a good time, and enjoy yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 What I've seen positive so far: We pretty much shut down Steven Davis. Yes, that was vanilla vs. vanilla, which meant it was a wrestling match. But, we didn't used to win wrestling matches We've had very few of the traditional penalties. What I'd like to see: A few good runs by Portis. (A few by Rock would make me happy, too.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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