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

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:


It was never about this year.

Daniel Snyder (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Daniel+Snyder?tid=informline) might have said he expected to win the NFC East (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/NFC+East+Division?tid=informline) and return to the playoffs in an interview with Comcast (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Comcast+Corporation?tid=informline) SportsNet in August, which was a nice, preseason carrot for the owner to dangle in front of the needy masses. And the signings of Jason Taylor (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Jason+Taylor?tid=informline) and later DeAngelo Hall (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/DeAngelo+Hall?tid=informline) might have been done to immediately bolster the defense.

But from their build-through-the-draft mantra to their brazen pick of a position-coach lifer to take over for Joe Gibbs (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Joe+Gibbs?tid=informline), the Redskins have not-so-covertly sold their fans and themselves on one big idea: that 2008 would be a starter kit toward lasting NFL (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/National+Football+League?tid=informline) success.

That doesn't mean instantly believing smoke and mirrors can lead to hoisting a Lombardi Trophy a year after essentially the same roster barely made the playoffs. It means planting seeds, marrying the minds of a new coach, his young quarterback and yet another new system.

Just because there was gravy before the grunt doesn't mean the long-term goals should now be shelved.


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??

Another nice quote from the article:

"But real progress in Washington is going to take a virtue this franchise has not had in the past decade: bona fide patience. It's the only way to erase years of impetuous, rash decision-making.

Since Brad Johnson threw for more than 4,000 yards and 24 touchdowns in 1999, there have been 11 changes at starting quarterback for the Redskins. From Jeff George to Tony Banks, from Danny Wuerffel to Patrick Ramsey and beyond. Because of injury or just plain awful play, not one since Johnson has managed to begin and finish a 16-game season.

Jason Campbell has that chance, the opportunity to put a complete regular season under his belt. For the growth of him and the franchise, he deserves that."

This team has made great strides this year under a rookie coach and shown flashes of real brilliance (granted, not so much lately). I am hopeful that we make the playoffs this year but agree with Wise - patience Skins nation.

.............yes.............
A signifigant amount of bandwagon jumping has been witnessed. Maybe a year early?
.............GUILTY

Yes, the start raised my expectations. How could it not? Two road victories in the NFC East. We saw what this team could be.

Patience w/ JC yes. JC, Zorn and company deserve another year. No doubt about it. I'm growing less impatient w/ the FO though. Alot of people want to take up for VC but frankly he hasn't produced squat here for a number of years. I'll give VC another year too w/ Zorn and JC, but VC would be on the shortest leash next year if i were DS. If we don't put a high level product on the field next year, i say, let's rebuild our FO, personell dept over.

I know some will argue. Yes, there's some good things VC has done. There's been really one constant in the last 7-8 years w/ the skins (besides DS) and thats Vinny. Who's team in the NFC East has had the least amount of success in the last 7-8 years? W/out researching, i'd venture to say us.

So yes, JC/Zorn..let's have patience. VC, you've got one more year to right the ship. Then I'm starting the fire VC chant.

Skins played PERFECT ball for 4 straight games to go 4-1... unrealistic to expect any team to play that way over the course of a season. 10-6 is still very realistic though.

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 you're 100% on the money. My only bone to pick is on the bolded part. I think most of us around here were saying the Redskins would be 10-6 or 11-5.

However, the REASONABLE people were indeed saying 7-9 wins :-).

I think any expectation that with a new coach we expected to do great or be better than last year was unrealistic. The talent we have has won us a few but there has only been 1 rookie coach to EVER have won the Super Bowl first year in with a team, JGruden with TB against his prior team.

Yes. The fast start, especially beating Dallas and Philadelphia on the road, raised expectations. I think it took opposing defensive coordinators a few games to catch onto what Jim Zorn's offense was doing. Once Pittsburgh demonstrated how to exploit the weaknesses of the pass protection, teams started doing the same. The problem I see, Zorn continues to call the same kind of game, irregardless of the opponent. I see very few adjustments from game to game and NO ADJUSTMENTS at halftime. The offenses' inability to score points is leaving the defense on the field too long and the defense is collapsing in the fourth quarter.

I think you're 100% on the money. My only bone to pick is on the bolded part. I think most of us around here were saying the Redskins would be 10-6 or 11-5.

However, the REASONABLE people were indeed saying 7-9 wins :-).

Wait, the REASONABLE people had us at 7-9? I'd say hine site they were not the REASONABLE people at all and after a few more games the REASONABLE ones will be the 10-6 or 11-5. I'm guessing you picked us around the 7-9. LOL

Wait, the REASONABLE people had us at 7-9? I'd say hine site they were not the REASONABLE people at all and after a few more games the REASONABLE ones will be the 10-6 or 11-5. I'm guessing you picked us around the 7-9. LOL
YOU are correct! It ain't over yet...