Did the 6-2 start raise our expectations to an unrealistic level?

Your right the season is not over and who knows it just takes a couple of big play's to spark some confidence in our O and they could get moving or should I say scoring. The same thing seemed to happen to the Giants last year and with our strong D we could surprise a few people. I'm one that never gives up and I never pick the other team to win no matter what the odds are against us. I guess its just my nature not to give up and I believe we can win every week. Luckly I can let the losses go alot easier now days.

Although I never agree with you in the parking lot, I feel exactly the same with the Skins.

Yeah, I think we obviously aren't as good as we appeared back in September, but we aren't as bad as some people seem to think now either. We are close. Watching the Giants game I saw a team who is clearly better than us, sure, but I didn't think we were outclassed. They executed and we didn't but we have guys who can play too.

I would just like to make 2 points - someone said that Redskins fans have not shown patience over the last 8 years. Are you on drugs – I think we have shown nothing but patience – patience with an under performing team particularly recently with the offense, changes to HC which often made no sense. And particularly patience with a front office which, more often than not, made moves that everyone at the time could see were really bad and proved in hindsight to be even worse.

The second point was about us not looking out classed against NYG – I thought we looked outclassed in every single aspect of the game. To me it showed how far off this team is from being a Championship team. We looked much closer to the NYG’s last year than we do this year and we seem to be going backwards the longer this season goes on.

Guess it depends on how you define patience.

Redskins fans have always been pretty quick to call for the backup QB. In fact I think DC invented the term QB controversy.

Yeah, I think we obviously aren't as good as we appeared back in September, but we aren't as bad as some people seem to think now either. We are close. Watching the Giants game I saw a team who is clearly better than us, sure, but I didn't think we were outclassed. They executed and we didn't but we have guys who can play too.This is essentially going to be my offensive breakdown condensed into 50 words.

Hope I didn't spoil any surprises ;)

Mattyk72 Re: Did the 6-2 start raise our expectations to an unrealistic level?

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Guess it depends on how you define patience.

Redskins fans have always been pretty quick to call for the backup QB. In fact I think DC invented the term QB controversy.


I agree about the QB point. I am still really hoping that JC is the guy and that he will step up to the next level, but I think the end of last year and the impact Collins made has put a big question mark in a lot of peoples minds that JC gets the most out this offense.

Having said that I think people are wrong to suggest we drop him now. I don’t think anyone really knows yet how good or bad he is. Like everyone else I think we need to improve the O line and our passer protection and get the WR corps to stop dropping the ball before we can start looking at how effective JC is. My gut feeling is he is a good the average QB who in a good team could get the job done but in a average team isn’t going to make the difference.

I think that there's no doubt the hot start raised expectations to a point that a first time head coach would have a difficult time reaching. Jim Zorn was set up for disappointment the minute they started winning games. I hoped it would continue, but I knew there was a good chance that once film circulated they'd be in a little bit of trouble and there's nothing wrong with that.

The Skins are building something here. If Jason Campbell continues to improve and shows that he can get it done when they take off the "training wheels" if you will, this team could be good for a long time. Colt Brennan has a shot at becoming the a good backup and that would be amazing. I'd love to see this team continue to build through the draft, retain players, and have a coach who wins for a significant period of time.

This team has a chance to be great, in my opinion, and they need to be left alone and allowed to develop. There's no need to make the flashy moves, just keep drafting talent and filling fewer and fewer holes through free agency. I believe that Jim Zorn has a chance to become this franchise's next great coach if they have the patience to let him mold this team.

Good piece by Mike Wise here:

washingtonpost.com (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/02/AR2008120203021.html)

The article got me thinking, especially this part:



I think most of us can agree our expections back in August for this year were in the 7-9 win range, which we're on course for. So what has changed exactly? The only thing that makes some sense to me is the fast start inflated our short term expecations and has made us lose sight of what the long term plan is.

Yes, I agree the team is certainly capaable of playing better right now, but it still doesn't change the fact that realistically this was a 7-9 win team coming into this season with a rookie head coach, a new passing game and some new coaches on the staff, a QB learning yet another new offense and one that is a pretty big departure from the Gibbs/Saunders philosophy, and a front office that signaled they are working on stocking through the draft and taking a more conservative approach to free agency.

This simply wasn't a team built for winning right now. So can we just calm down with the silly notion that if this team misses the playoffs we need to make major changes to the personnel and staff??

I think I'm one of the few people on this site that really keeps it real. I'm not patting myself on the back or anything but it amazes me how angry some people get after loss. Look, we all get mad, including myself, but once we cool down everyone needs to realize what this team is. Below average on offense...did anyone think we were going to be the 99 Rams??? And an above average, play-off caliber defense, below average special teams. And as you mentioned a new coach. The one truly great player we had has tragically passed. I was thinking this was a 5-7 win team. So far they've surpassed my expectations.

We should not have been a playoff team last year. 9-7 didn't sniff the playoffs in the AFC. We were one and done by a team that was only slightly better than us last year and would have been one and done themselves had we not made the playoffs.

We were a realistic 4-4 team at the break. The only reason we are still thinking playoffs is because we beat a underachieving Dallass team and a woefully inconsistent Philly team. I mean, how do you tie the Bengals and then rack up 48 on the Cardinals?

This is a 7-9 that got a couple of fortunate wins that will transform us to a 9-7 team this year. We are lucky to go 2-2 the rest of the way. I see easy losses coming to Baltimore and Philly. And the way we played STL and DET, beating Cincy and SF is no sure thing.

I think that there's no doubt the hot start raised expectations to a point that a first time head coach would have a difficult time reaching. Jim Zorn was set up for disappointment the minute they started winning games. I hoped it would continue, but I knew there was a good chance that once film circulated they'd be in a little bit of trouble and there's nothing wrong with that.

The Skins are building something here. If Jason Campbell continues to improve and shows that he can get it done when they take off the "training wheels" if you will, this team could be good for a long time. Colt Brennan has a shot at becoming the a good backup and that would be amazing. I'd love to see this team continue to build through the draft, retain players, and have a coach who wins for a significant period of time.

This team has a chance to be great, in my opinion, and they need to be left alone and allowed to develop. There's no need to make the flashy moves, just keep drafting talent and filling fewer and fewer holes through free agency. I believe that Jim Zorn has a chance to become this franchise's next great coach if they have the patience to let him mold this team.

Good post. A reasonable voice heard above the chaotic clamor of panic.