Four Years Later: Are We Better Off?

[BDBohnzie]

Are the Skins really better off? I don't see it.

Yes, 2 playoff appearances in 4 years vs. 1 between 1993 and 2004 is great and all. However, those 2 playoff appearances came about because this team went out and had huge winning streaks. Great teams do not have to run off 4 or 5 straight to make the playoffs. Great teams do not need their backs against the wall to start executing. This Redskins team does.

The pieces are there to build a great team, a team that will consistently make the playoffs. However, until the holes are filled, this will be an 8-8 team that will be a 6th seed at best.

With that said, I'm looking forward to next year. To see if this team can execute without the emotion that they lived off of in December 2007. To see if the weaknesses are strengthen, and the key personnel are kept and improve.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by BDBohnzie

Are the Skins really better off? I don't see it.

Yes, 2 playoff appearances in 4 years vs. 1 between 1993 and 2004 is great and all. However, those 2 playoff appearances came about because this team went out and had huge winning streaks. Great teams do not have to run off 4 or 5 straight to make the playoffs. Great teams do not need their backs against the wall to start executing. This Redskins team does.

The pieces are there to build a great team, a team that will consistently make the playoffs. However, until the holes are filled, this will be an 8-8 team that will be a 6th seed at best.

With that said, I'm looking forward to next year. To see if this team can execute without the emotion that they lived off of in December 2007. To see if the weaknesses are strengthen, and the key personnel are kept and improve.

I've never understood that view.

Who cares how it happens, as long as it happens?

As the saying goes it's not how you start but how you finish. Gibbs is famous for having teams that finish strong. I'm not sure why that is something that should be looked down upon.

[BDBohnzie]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

As the saying goes it's not how you start but how you finish. Gibbs is famous for having teams that finish strong. I'm not sure why that is something that should be looked down upon.

I'm not looking down upon finishing strong, I'm looking down upon the fact that it takes a strong finish to make something out of nothing. I think it's great that the Skins finished strong in 05 and 07 and made the playoffs, but the simple fact is losing streaks both years put them into position to win or die. The "better" teams do not have 3 or 5 game losing streaks.

Gibbs 1.0 built a great team. The Skins were consistently winning 10+ games a year, and making the playoffs. Under Gibbs now, the team doesn't have that consistency. This isn't to implying anything about Gibbs, it's just stating the obvious. Being better off means getting better from year to year. This team since '04 has been a roller coaster. The Skins are not worse off than 4 years ago because they are finally starting to build towards the future. However, they are not better off either because year in and year out, there are personnel and coaching issues. And while all teams have it to some extent, not to the extent these Skins have had them. It seems that the Skins are grinding their gears, which is why I voted for The Tripp Republic response in the voting.

I think if you ask the question next year "Five Years Later: Are We Better Off?", it will be a profound yes. I have faith in the staff to make the necessary adjustments and continue building this team into a consistent winner. And the gears they are grinding this year will be in the right gear going forward. Here's to a good to better '08 and to the start of a Redskins dynasty.