NFC East Champ?

[davy]

Right now only a blind optimist would predict anything other than a last place finish in the division next year.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by davy

Right now only a blind optimist would predict anything other than a last place finish in the division next year.

Well, let's take a look at some division winners in 2006 and see where they finished in 2005

NFC East: Eagles (2005 finish-last place in the division)
NFC South: Saints (2005 finish-last place in the division)
AFC North: Ravens (2005 finish-tied for last place in the division)

Not to mention the Jets who jumped from 4-12 and the cellar to 10-6 and a wild card spot.

[JGisLordOfTheRings]

Originally Posted by TAFKAS

Well, let's take a look at some division winners in 2006 and see where they finished in 2005

NFC East: Eagles (2005 finish-last place in the division)
NFC South: Saints (2005 finish-last place in the division)
AFC North: Ravens (2005 finish-tied for last place in the division)

Not to mention the Jets who jumped from 4-12 and the cellar to 10-6 and a wild card spot.

All very good points. I loved the Jets this year. They just came out and surprised the living **** out of everyone and I like that. Next year WILL be good, I dont care if its supposed "blind-optimism" or not. Its kinda hard not to be a little optimistic about next year after you look at the big picture. We are going to be in a great postion next year to come out and rock the NFC East, and after that....ok, I'll shut up now. Maybe next month I'll say it....:-)

[ncskinsfanec]

Originally Posted by davy

Right now only a blind optimist would predict anything other than a last place finish in the division next year.

I didn't know I was blind, but I'm an optimist! Worst to first next season!

[hesscl34]

Originally Posted by ncskinsfanec

I didn't know I was blind, but I'm an optimist! Worst to first next season!

Those were the days....

... to be truthful, come training camp I'm going to be praying for the best and my optmisim will return!!!!!! HAIL!

[The Huddle]

Originally Posted by davy

Right now only a blind optimist would predict anything other than a last place finish in the division next year.

I haven't really sat down and looked at everything closely so I reserve the right to do a 360 on this one at any time. However, my knee-jerk, off-the-cuff reaction is that we (Skins fans as a group) are falling in to a familiar trap: other teams in the division have major issues + the Redskins occasionally flashed promise in the later half of the season + they have the offseason to tweak problem areas = Washington is definately a contender next year. I'm not buying this time around.

The rest of the NFC East may well have issues, but they did all make the playoffs, and the Redskins were 1-5 against this bunch.

There are indeed some reasons for optimism, Jason Campbell's continued development being the single largest one. On the whole, though, I see no reason to expect a dramatic improvement from Washington. From this year's soggy 5-11 finish, 8-8 would seem like a reasonable goal. I have stated before that increasingly it is my belief that this orgainzation is fatally flawed from a structural perspective- not just the on the field product but the appraoch to building it - and that the five game push to close 2005 looks more and more like an anaomolly. I would LOVE to have egg on my face about this later on, but until I see demonstrably better play on the field- not here and there but on a week-to-week basis -I will be skeptical that Gibbs II is on the right path.