The Shanaplan Gets Accelerated

[Paintrain]

Originally Posted by calia

For all the talk that the Redskins cannot turn things around in a year (and that we need more like four), while I might be inclined to think a year is unrealistic, four seems indulgent. Look at the vastly improved Lions, Bills, and Raiders this season (heck, even the Bengals look decent). Granted, all three have been drafting a few players upon which to build a foundation for a few years, but so have we (e.g., Orakpo, Williams, Davis) -- just not enough of them. But these are each franchises that have been bottom dwellers for a long, long time. Why can't we seem to climb out of the cellar for anything other than a brief period when Gibbs II was here (for 2 of the 4 years)?

I think part is the competition of the NFC East. While the teams may not be the forces they were in teh 1980s and 1990s, it's still a smashmouth division and the Giants, Eagles, and Cowboys have each had better success than we have had. Part is clearly a decade of Cerrato -- whom I dislike perhaps more than Randy White, Michael Irvin, and some of my other favorite Cowboys to hate. Cerrato did more damage to us than any opposing team, player or coach ever did. But even this doesn't seem to explain why it is that our team has been just so flat out disappointing since about 1992.

I really, really hope BA and MS can turn it around. And maybe these young guys stepping up and playing well will be the first real signs of it.

Truly? It's because we hadn't sucked enough.. Staying the 4-7 win range for the past 5 years has put us just outside of striking distance for a Suh, Megatron or a top QB. We needed a good old fashioned 1-15 stinker to get one of them.

I know it's unpopular to say this but I've said it before. Gibbs II set this franchise back a LONG time. The decisions made during that era and the resulting decisions from it (examples: not re-signing Smoot therefore having to draft Rogers instead of Ware, trading for Brunell instead of playing it out one season with Ramsey then trading picks for Campbell and as a result not trying to sign Brees, etc, etc, etc) are what pushed us to the edge, Vinny launched us over the cliff. The fact we went to the playoffs twice under him is a testament to what an amazing coach and leader he is but his personnel skills are a molten pile of feces.