Why did Petitbon bomb as head coach?

[Atlanta Skins Fan]

BallCoachSpurrier voted Petibon as the best DC ever. I replied:

"So what happened when Petibon was head coach? I know the talent was old, but even so, he bombed.

"Any theories on why such a good DC would bomb as HC?"

Om then requested that this be a separate thread, so here it is. Opinions?

[Tommy-the-Greek]

I really enjoyed his first game as a HC. It went downhill after that though:doh:

thank you BTW whoever helped me to reduce that monster pic.

Thank you Die Hard:notworthy

[Guest Trevor]

Well, too much smoke has blurred some of my memory, but if I recall right one of the biggest mistakes Petitbon made was switching from Gibbs old offense to a west coast offense.

Rypien threw the ball into the turf more times that year than I can ever remember a qb doing. He had very little to no touch on the short passes.

[RySkins]

He gets my vote as the best defensive coordinator as well.

As far as this question:

First of all, Pettibon only got one year as a head coach so you never know what would have happened if he had been given more time. He took over an aging Redskin team, one that had lost out on Reggie White in free agency and that had lost its heart and sole in Gary Clark to the rival Cardinals. The team also lost solid starting CB Martin Meyhew and all of the free agent acquisitions, like Carl Banks and Al Noga, were flops.

Also, the injury to Rypien in the second game of the season really set the team back. Cary Conklin showed that he was not the QB of the future as the team had envisioned. Rypien and the offense looked great in crushing the defending champion Cowboys openning week, but after the injury the offense sunk the rest of the season.

Speaking of offense, perhaps the biggest reason Pettibon failed was due to the offensive system implemented by Rod Dowhower, who inexplicably went away from Joe Gibbs's one-back offense and installed a two-back, short-passing offense. And the team never settled onto a running back. Brian Mitchell rushed for 116 yards and two scores as the feature back in week one, and then saw the ball about 5 times per game the rest of the season. Meanwhile, Reggie Brooks had a good rookie campaign but was more of an all-or-nothing back that helped cause the offense to struggle.

In summary, the 1993 Redskins would probably have had a poor season regardless of who was coaching the team, assuming that other coaches would have been dealt the same hand as Pettibon. Richie just got caught here at the wrong time, and after 12 years of incredible success, Jack Kent Cooke raised the axe and decided one season was enough (yet he put up with many years of Turner). Bill Belichek ws a flop in his first year at New England too, but won a Super Bowl in year two. A lot can happen over the course of time, and who knows of Pettibon would have succeeded given a better hand or more time.

[bulldog]

the truth is the drafts in 1991, 1992 and 1993 were awful. There was little available younger talent to rebuild with on the roster and with free agency looming the Redskins and Charley Casserly became convinced that the team had to release some veteran leaders like Gary Clark, Wilber Marshall and Ricky Sanders because of money concerns.

Petitbon was left in a vortex with little depth and a squad composed of older vets like Monk and Jacoby that were coming to the end of the line and were starting to miss games because of injury problems.

Then you have to factor in the contract given to Mark Rypien in 1992. It was envisaged he was going to be the starter at age 29 for the next several seasons. Instead, after 1992 he started 6 more games before his Redskins career was officially over in 1994.

Bobby Beathard gave Joe Gibbs Art Monk, Russ Grimm, Mark May, Darrell Green and Charles Mann in the first 2-3 rounds from 1980 to 1983.

Charley Casserly gave Petitbon Bobby Wilson, Desmond Howard and Tom Carter as his building blocks.

None of these players made the pro bowl at their drafted positions. Wilson had a good rookie year in 1991 and was hurt thereafter. Carter was an average NFL defensive back for 10 years, but definitely wasn't worth the #17 pick in the first round.

Howard made it as a kick returner in the NFL, but nobody takes a return man #4 in the entire draft.

As a receiver, Howard had less ability than Kevin Lockett. And we got him for nothing as a mid-tier free agent.

There is an open question of whether Petitbon had the skills and finesse to be a successful head man in the NFL, but he really wasn't given a fair chance either.

One season? Norv was 3-13 his first season and by year 4 was still chugging along at 6-10. And he got TWO more seasons after that because of the ownership change and all the chaos surrounding the team.

It still annoys me when I hear people like Peter King say they can't wait until Norv gets another HC opportunity as he is such a good coach.

What is that opinion based on? Certainly not is 49-59-1 record as head coach here in Washington.

True he won 2 Super Bowls as the OC for the Cowboys, but we all know how few coordinators become outstanding at the next level.

And if we are supposed to use that as a gauge, Petitbon proved to be an even better coordinator with 3 Super Bowl titles to his credit and a record of achievement held over many more seasons of winning football.

[Om]

I loved Richie as a DC. Never really seen anyone so adept at all aspects of his job – maximizing the skills of the talent on hand; game planning and scheming against each opponent; calling signals during the game; and making adjustments on the fly.

You'd have THOUGHT this ability to "see the game" would have translated to the HC position, but it did not. Much as you would have THOUGHT Norv Turner's skills as an OC would have translated. Same with Ray Rhodes. Bruce Coslet. Many others. HC is so much more than X's and O's, though ... it's management. It's administration. It's PR. I don't' think Richie wanted any part of any of that stuff, and I think it detracted from his ability to excel at what he was good at.

It was only one year, so perhaps it's unfair to judge him on this, but the fact is I have NEVER seen a Redskins team more inadequately prepared from Sunday to Sunday than that ‘94 team. As much as we complained about the lack of "discipline" under Turner, and the mental errors and penalties, my recollection of the Petitbone year was that it was even worse.

The team couldn't even get the right unit on the field half the time. Guys were scrambling ont the field late, or scampering off trying to beat the snap, and taking delay of game penalties, etc. It was horrible. And it didn't seem to improve as the year went on. I can't quantify that, but it's a strong feeling I had then, that hasn't abated since.

Maybe, if circumstances had been different, Richie could have turned it around, but I've always had my doubts. I happen to believe in the Peter Principle.

And remember, he was not JKC or Charley Casserly's first choice ... but when Gibbs retired precipitously, they were in position to almost HAVE to give him a shot. Too many years of service, too much loyalty, and Gibbs' expressed and pointed endorsement. Plus – and I can't remember the teams in question – but if memory serves, there had been some loud criticism leveled at more than one club for bypassing long-time, successful assistants to hire sexy young coordinators from other wildly successful teams.

Couple Richie's difficulties during that one season, with the likelihood that there was a REASON he didn't get a sniff as HC for all those years, AND the fact that Norv Turner became all the rage after 2 consecutive titles with Dallas ... and I don't think anybody should be all that surprised that JKC and Casserly pulled the plug.

The good news is, after a decade, we still think of Richie as the mastermind of the best defenses we've ever fielded ... and not a failed HC.

His legacy is quite apparently a good one, and quite fully intact.

[GURU]

I also seem to remember injuries being devastating during Pettitbon's season as HC. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen any team, in any sport get walloped by injuries like that team did.

Seems like 15 or so starters missed time at one point or another that season.

Hard for any coach to be successful under those cirmcumstances.

[Die Hard]

Om - You summed it up quite well. I also recall the playcalling was atrocious. For instance running the ball between the tackles on third and long. At least Marty had the common sense to call draw plays to at least give the idea of a pass play It was like that all year.

I knew I had enough of Petitbon in the last quarter of the last game of the season - wasn't it the Raiders?. Down by a touchdown with 2 minutes to go on what was likely to be the Redskins final possession of the season. 4th and 1 near midfield. And we punted. At that point... WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU GOT TO LOSE?!?!

31 to go...

[Mad Mike]

Om, Good point. I had forgoton the team's inability to get players on and off the field. Not good. He was a gread DC though.

I have a vivid memory of him signaling a play VS Denver in the Superbowl. We were ahead at the time and the camera was dead on Richie as he spun his upheald forearm in sort of a "start em up" motion followed by a slap to the inside of the elbow and a raised middle finger :laugh: (over twist up the middle?)

He was a jem.

[indyskinsfan]

No doubt about it, Pettibone was at his best in the high spotlight.

His turnover ratio for his defense ( we call Takeaways) for one season is among the Highest of All Time! 1991 was also so volume filled with Chip Lohmiller leading the NFL in kick scoring that the credit went to - yep - Richie Pettibone!

In 1984 Pettibone, fresh off of losing Tony Peters, the forgotten "True Shutdown" corner in 1982, due to interactive squaballs and off the field activities, Pettibone was forced to look for a another corner to team with his secondary. He looked to Texas and selected Darrell Green, a World Class Sprinter, nicknamed "MX" for MX missile.

In 1988 following the Skins SB win yet again, the loss of Mel Kaufmann was huge, but Monte Coleman and Kurt Gouviea remained. There was a need for an outside, aggressive LB, who could think on his feet, with speed, and yet be a force against the run and blitz from his position, so as not to expose the "zone" coverage that didn't move until the snap of the ball.

Gibbs and Pettibone remembered that other than Mike Singletary of the Chicago Bears, there was another LB, that gave them fits! It was Wilbur Marshall and Beatherd's last major acquisition was secured to make way for yet another Pettibone defensive treat, not so much in shutdown, but CONTROL one the most prolific scoring machines in Pro Football History - the vaunted Buffalo Bills led by Jim Kelly, Thurmon Thomas and Andre Reid.

Yes he gets my vote - Richie Pettibone

Casserly had no patience, and the fans were spoiled to death. Pettibone also was just giving the old cadillac a whirl, but by then the wheels were starting to already come off anyway. Gibbs knew he wouldn't have stamina for another team upheaval for 3 years and decided to retire. Pettibone was a heartthrob choice and much like Norv, was ill suited to step in with a magic wand, because he didn't seperate himself from the offense, like he should have.

[joe]

Sometimes my memory fails me. This time it did not. Tony Peters was a safety. The Cornerback who held out, keeping Darryl Green from becoming the best punt returner the NFL has ever seen was Jeris White. Also, Ryp was hurt in the second game of the season the year before, Gibbs last. I think that he re-injured his knee during Petibone's one year as coach, but I am not certain.

Petibone had a major flaw as a head coach. Interestingly, it was the same flaw that Norv Turner had. He believed that he was dealing with men who should be able to motivate themselves. He did not believe in playing head games, a-la Parcells or throw orange juice or chairs across the room like Gibbs.

The Washington Post did an indepth analysis of why Petibone failed several years ago. Yes, Casserly betrayed him. But what he did was simply not support him to Jack Kent Cooke. It was Cooke who fired Petibone and became enamored with Norv Turner in who he saw a young Joe Gibbs.

One thing that I will always remember is that he correctly predicted that Rich Gannon would become a great quarterback in the league. Perhaps Gannon is the type of self-motivator that Petibone preferred.

[indyskinsfan]

And yes thanks on the Rebuttal Joe.

Yes it was Tony Peters, not the "True Shutdown" corner (was Darrell Green). Peters however shutdown half the backfield with stellar play at his position, with same intensity as Mel Blount and Ronnie Lott.

That is correct that Jeris White was there. Wasn't the other safety, Mark Murphy? Anywho, thanks on the correction.

Not sure about Ryp's last year either, but in 1992 against the 49ers in the divisionals, in which the mud played a role, the Skins D was keeping Young in check, but the offense kept giving the ball back to them. This was in large part to Ryp's injury on his throwing hand, his thumb, I believe, because he seemed to push the ball,instead of actually throwing it.

[SonnyJ]

That '93 team was the most depressing that the Redskins ever fielded.

It started so beautifully with the trouncing of the Cowboys. I remember reading a quote after that game (by Dierdorf or some other slob) that the Redskins and Cowboys were the best two teams in the league.

And then the slide began.

The team basically became non-competitive. Even during Norv's tenure, you could rarely say that (OK, maybe you could've made that case during 0-7 in '98 - and the first three games last year).

You only need one hand to count the # of Redskin games that I've missed in 30 years. But one that I did I am very grateful for - the 38-3 ***-whooping Dallas laid on the team in '93. From what I remember reading, Dallas could have won by 50.

As Om said, the team was woefully unprepared every week. There was bickering in the locker room. It had ceased to be a team. That falls directly on the hands of the head coach. As much as I loved Richie as a DC, I wanted him out as head coach toward the end of that season.

I remember hearing Gibbs say that he would have gone 4-12 with that team, too. I don't buy it. I was initially buying into the hype that the change in offense would be good for the team, that things had gotten stale under Gibbs. I was really buying in after the first game. But I soon saw how absolutely wrong I was. Gibbs may have struggled to go 8-8, but he would have had them competitive.

Scheming against an offense was Richie's forte. Unfortunately, he just couldn't handle all of the duties of a head coach.

[bulldog]

you know that Richie is still highly thought of because the Redskins have tried to re-hire him as DC TWICE in the past 4 years :laugh:

[Kenny]

Correct me if i'm wrong, but didn't Rypien get hurt in like the third game of the year against Arizona(at that time Phoenix) in '93 and was done for the year. We wound up losing that game and the season seemed to go downhill from there without Ryp.

I think that team just never recovered from that and a long miserable year was the result. Not to mention it was a team that had great success, but was clearly on it's last legs.

I do believe Richie got the shaft, particuarly when you think about Norv getting 7 years. I wouldn't say Richie bombed simply b/c he only had one year. Norv bombed!

As far as Richie goes, we'll never know how he would have done, had he been given more time.

HTTR!!

[theposse]

What I remember from that year with Petibone as HC was watching him on the sideline and he looked lost, like he had lost control and didn't know what to do. I felt sorry for him, and I agree on paper that it's not fair that he only got 1 year and Norv got 7. And perhaps it would have been different if circumstances were better for the team injury-wise, etc. But I cannot recall a coach looking so forlorn as Petibone did for most of that year. When Norv was struggling in those first few years I still had the feeling like he was in control and he might be able to turn things around. I think Petibone just wasn't enough of a leader, and despite his greatness as a DC, I was glad that they didn't keep him as HC. I realize this argument is rather touchy-feely, but he just did not inspire any confidence to me (and presumably to the team) as HC.

[Henry]

I'm pretty sure Rypien got injured in game 2 against the Cards, but frankly, we were on our way to losing that game anyway. maybe it was game 3, it was a long time ago.

Anyway, part of the problem was Casserly. He totally panicked in the face of the impending salary cap and gutted the team a season too soon. Goodbye Marshall, Clark and Mann, Hello Banks, McGee and Noga. Ugh. :puke:

By week 3 we had Conklin throwing to Howard and handing off to Reggie Brooks. Good heavens, it's a wonder we won 4 that year.

The team got old in 92. By 93 it was ancient, injury prone, and as many have already pointed out, undisciplined and uninspired. 0-3 to the Jets? Worst game I ever saw. (9-7 last year to the 'Pokes comes close)

I'm sure The Bone was part of the problem that year, but it was by no means all his fault. He just took all the blame.

[Wacky Ralph]

Poor Pettibone. I remember his first game as a head coach. Wasn't it a Monday Night game where Brian Mitchell had a brain fart and downed a kickoff on the 1 yard line, instead of in the endzone?????

Pettibone still has a restaurant in town. It's near Arlington, I think. He uses the Redskins font for the letters. I asked the waiter for a taco, but he said they didn't have any. This made me sad. Then, the waiter asked me if I would stop spitting at the window. I told him I was only trying to clean it because my window was dirty, that's all. I haven't been back since.

[Blade]

Originally posted by Die Hard

I knew I had enough of Petitbon in the last quarter of the last game of the season - wasn't it the Raiders?. Down by a touchdown with 2 minutes to go on what was likely to be the Redskins final possession of the season. 4th and 1 near midfield. And we punted. At that point... WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU GOT TO LOSE?!?!

31 to go...

DH, it was the Vikings and not the Raiders... I remember it well because it was my first regular season game ever at RFK.

What a great choice, eh? At least the tix were REAL cheap

[RySkins]

If I recall correctly that Viking game was something weird like a Friday 3:00 game. I actually remember that as the only game Desmond Howard looked decent in.

Speaking of that season, the worst memory is suffering through that 3-0 home loss to the Jets. It was about 5 degrees and was the worst football game I've ever seen in my life!

[redman]

Om summed it up well.

Ritchie to me is the classic example of someone who excells at one thing, and is more of a coach than an administrator. We lose sight of this as it's "only football", but there's a certain amount of genius in the ability of the truly great head coaches to manage people and organizations.

Joe Gibbs was as good as any and maintained it longer than most do, and he was understandably burned out at the end of it. But now we're seeing him excel in the same kind of way but in a totally different environment. Parcells and Walsh have it too.

OTOH, to be a coordinator, your duties are far less complicated by comparison, and you have a nice, thick layer of insulation above you. Think about it, how many times have you seen a coordinator interviewed anywhere but perhaps by the local beat guys? And even that's not very often.

Ritchie was absolutely brilliant in scheming defenses and coming up with ways to thwart what offenses were doing. Just as valuable, he was also brilliant in making adjustments mid-game when his initial plan didn't work. (For example, do you realize how close we were to getting blown out in Super Bowl XXII when the Broncos were up 10-0 and driving?!?!) I'd rank him up there with Buddy Ryan and Marvin Lewis on defense in recent years, and Spurrier and Gibbs and Walsh on offense in terms of the brilliance of their schemes.

That being said, Ritchie was never particularly a people person. He should have recognized that and seen that being a head coach has far too many social and business demands that have nothing to do with defensive schemes and coaching. He was always uncomfortable in front of the camera, and it was compounded by the fact that he was replacing a legend, had a team that was in the playoffs the year before (and had won a game on the road as an underdog), and had been a dominant championship team two years before, and was left with an aging, injured team under a new FA and salary cap system.

Ritchie appeared overwhelmed at times, and I think it's because he was. And I think the team sensed it and he lost control of them by mid-way through the season. Cooke saw that and knew that Ritchie wasn't the man for the job. That's why he only lasted one season, not because of the record.

[The Sisko]

I won't rehash what most everybody has already said about Pettibon not being a great administrator and motivator etc. however, I do agree with it and think it was ultimately his undoing. Add to that the age of the team and Casserly's brain farts in more than a few drafts (though I think the Desmond Howard pick can be attributed more to Gibbs) and the poor guy never had a chance.

However, what I wanted to point out is that I blame most of that slide into medocrity on Joe Gibbs. In addition to the aforementioned Desmond Howard draft pick, I think he left the team at it's lowest point in many years knowing full well ahead of time that we were in need of major rebuilding. Many of us here have talked about players' lack of loyalty and so on, however I don't think I've ever heard anyone discuss this issue as it relates to Gibbs. I've always had just a little bit of bitterness towards the guy because of that, but on the other hand the appreciation for all the joy, cowgirl butt whippings, and Super Bowls he brought us does tend to mitigate that.

Even so I have always attributed Richie's failure as a HC in small part, say 40% or so, to Gibbs.

As for him getting canned after only a year, I think that was a combination of him just not being the right guy for the job and the team wanting to get ahold of the next hot OC coaching goo-roo ie Nerval. It was not unlike the Marty situation where I think if S double didn't leave Florida when he did, Marty would probably still be our HC at this point.

[Henry]

I dunno Yusuf. Gibbs left for health reasons. It's hard to fault a guy for that. That happens to plenty of teams, and they don't all crash and burn like we did.

I DO think that without Gibbs' influence, Casserly made some truly boneheaded FA decisions in 93. Again, hard to exactly blame Gibbs for that.

Had Gibbs stuck around, I think we'd probably have gone 9-7 again and then had a few mediocre seasons while rebuilding on the fly. Instead we floundered for a season and then completely gutted the team with a brand new head coach.

[Kenny]

I think Joe Gibbs may have seen the trouble coming and decided to get out so he wouldn't have left on such a low note.

Not to mention his well documented 15 hour workdays probably caught up to him. Also, the fact that he didn't have anything left to prove probably made his decision an easy one.

Yeah, maybe he could have done better than 4-12, but I don't exactly think we were championship material anymore by that point even with Gibbs. I don't believe he could have guided that team to another title.

As the old saying goes, "All good things must come to an end." Let's hope though, that some more good things are upon us in the not too distant future.

HTTR!!

[Riggo-toni]

Besides injuries and bad personnel, a big problem was Ritchie gave Rod Dowhower absolute control of the offense, because that was the structure that brought us all those championships - Joe running the O, and Ritchie running the D. Problem was, Rod was right up there w/ Jimmy Raye as the worst Offensive coordinator in Skins history. Every year you see more and more teams bomb out trying the West Coast Offense. The Skins started out okay in it, but then teams adjusted by using a soft zone defense against us, and completely shut us down.

Why dind't JKC give Ritchie as much leeway as he later showed Norv? Remember we fired Pardee just a year after he'd been named Coach of the Year. It was a highly criticized move around the league, until Gibbs won the SB 2 years later. I think JKC dreamed of the same scenario repeating itself - he fires the Defensive Coordinator turned head coach to make room for the offensive genius who leads the team to victory. I thought it was a good move at the time, but no longer. Had Petitbon replaced Dowhower with a decent OC, and the Skins found a competent GM, things might have turned around. They certainly would've been better than Norvball.

I have always maintained that JKC shoulda fired Casserly when he fired Ritchie. Petitbon inherited a horrible, aging roster. JKC was the only owner who voted against a salary cap, and with good reason. The Skins were already about $20 mil over. Even Casserly has admitted he was totally unprepared for free agency. Can anyone name me one great FA pick CC made? To Mendes and Cerrato's credit, they rebuilt the worst O line in the NFL their first year here, something Casserly never did. We often criticize the $$ we spent on Bruce Smith or Mark Carrier or Peion, but what about the big cash for flops like Stubby or Leonard Marshall. At least in 2000 we improved our defense from #30 to # 4.