Al Saunders

[Oakland Red]

When an actor is playing a role and he doesn't believe in what he's doing, doesn't know how to play the role with any confidence, then the audience doesn't believe in him, and everything comes off as false.

The Redskins were asked on offense to play a new role, and they didn't believe in what they were doing, didn't play the role with any confidence, and the fans didn't believe in them, and everything came off as false in general.

The mistake the Redskins made was not including the players in the decision making process as to what kind of offense to run. Maybe that is not normally done, but I think it was called for here. It is one thing to hire Saunders without consulting the players, but it is another to impose an offense on them without the players having any real say in the matter.

Joe Gibbs didn't realize that the offense of Saunders was going to be so different. On paper, maybe it didn't look as different, but in terms of the mindset of the players playing it, it is very different.

Finally Coach Gibbs realized that we had to go back to Redskins football. That means football that the Redskins know how to play - roles they are confident in playing out, that ring true when they do. Gibbs has his personality and that is what sets the tone with the team. Saunders came in and starting playing a different tone, and the two didn't mix.

So now the task is for Saunders to recognize that he has to adapt his system to the team, and not simply try to impose his system and let them sink or swim.

I am hopeful that things will work out. I am optimistic about next season.