Saunders Quote in ESPN article

Guaranty success? Are we talking about the NFL?

Thats my point, there is no gaurantee of success so the fans have to put up with another rebuild that may or may not work. I think thats a lot to ask for again.

Where was all this opposition when he was hired? All I heard was how his O has been ranked so high and how he would open up the O. Now that the year has gone bad it was just another Redskin mistake. Remember our D kept us in alot of games that our O would have lost last year but our D won with holding the other team to few points.

How about these quotes from former Skins, on Joe Gibbs. (Source USA Today column, 11/17)

Gibbs' management has been skewered by some former Redskins. Many of them area sports-talk radio barkers. This week, they had plenty to say on-air:

John Riggins: "This is not a good football team. They have the ability to turn into a bad football team."

Brian Mitchell: "The coach should start answering questions. The atmosphere (is) a country club; guys think they are rock stars."

Doc Walker: "Joe gets a get-out-of-jail-free card. (Adding '05), he has 20 weeks of inept production on offense. Call it the way it is: Take the blinders off. The evaluators must be evaluated."

Gibbs, who once worked 100-hour weeks, said upon his return that he was going to need a lot of help. Wow, was he right. Dan Snyder, for all his meddlesome ways, has given Gibbs all the tools any coach could possibly ask for — team presidency, de facto GM powers, an open checkbook and the highest-paid staff of assistants in history.
The meticulous coach with the nervous giggle has produced 19 victories in 41 regular-season games. For $5-million-plus a year, the president of this Washington institution is quite fortunate that it is he who is not up for re-election.

Anyone consider that maybe JG told DS he'd take the job if he could hire whoever? And that JG wanted to hire AS in 04, but he wasn't available till now?

Anyone consider that maybe JG told DS he'd take the job if he could hire whoever? And that JG wanted to hire AS in 04, but he wasn't available till now?

If that was the case it would be more of the same rock solid mentality that kept Brunell in for so long.
You've got to be fluid to succeed. Just because Gibbs wanted Saunders a few years ago when the team was just starting to rebuild doesn't mean that he needed to go out and get him after he already had something decent established.

I get so annoyed with how people connect the price of something with how good it is. These coaches may not be any good even though we pay them a lot, just like our free agents. High-Priced means absolutely nothing to me, especially with snyder being our owner. If gibbs told him to sign jeff george for $10 miillion he would. If i were other teams i would try to bait the redskins into free agents by placing bids on them knowing the redskins would beat out with higher bids.....i think other teams have actually started to do that. Then, since the redskins can't evaluate talent for some reason, they start to rely on other teams' interests in free agents and draft picks, and make their personell decisions based on how interested other teams are in those specified players, especially if these players are jersey sellers.

It's certainly a long-term situation, setting everything up so when Gibbs steps asides, he knows he's got quality guys taking over. Same growing pains happened 2 years ago when Gibbs came back. It takes time for an offense to be implemented and click. I don't think the coaching staff thought it would take this long, and thought they had a playoff run in hand.

I wouldn't call this season a waste. It looks like Brunell could be led out to pasture after this season if Campbell does well. Saunders will get all gears going on this juggernaut. While it sucks now, long term is looking good.

I think that's the bigger plan of bringing in Saunders. For next year and beyond, more so than this year.

If that was the case it would be more of the same rock solid mentality that kept Brunell in for so long.
You've got to be fluid to succeed. Just because Gibbs wanted Saunders a few years ago when the team was just starting to rebuild doesn't mean that he needed to go out and get him after he already had something decent established.

Good point. My point is that Gibbs may have come back w/the expectation that he wouldn't have to work late hrs. That considered, he saw Al was free & figured he's the best O-coordinator out there (not just best available).
My main problem w/AS's hiring has been the timing, just as you said the team was doing well last year. However, Gibbs is team prez & he's got 2 more yrs. here. He was thinking as much as a GM than a head coach when he hired al. Plus, he's more patient than we are. I'll wait till his time is up to call this one. If we start scoring points, we'll love the hiring of Al Saunders. Let's see what happens this week for starters, feels like a season opener!
On a more cynical note, he could be taking advantage of the Danny just the way players do - hire a coach w/DS's $ so he doesn't have to work as much. I hate to say that, but the thought has crossed my mind!!!

Collins said this offense would take an entire year to fully master. Looks like he was telling the truth.

And with a QB change, it might be even longer.

And with a QB change, it might be even longer.

which is why the change should have been made earlier