Gibbs' first season

Does anyone else have the book 'Gut check' (http://www.gutcheckbook.com/)? If you don't I highly suggest picking it up.

Anyway, I was reading through it last night and if you read the game logs from Gibbs' first season, there are a lot of similiarities to this season. In the first 5 games where they went 0-5 the team was very sloppy with turnovers and execution. It wasn't until week 6 that they started to turn things around and they went 8-3 the rest of the way to finish at 8-8.

I'll try to post some stuff directly from the book later.

Matty....I actually was browsing again as well and it is very similar! The good news about this is that the players have all bought into the system and they are not going to go 0-5.

This team will be ready to play Monday Night. They will not let the Cowboys offense dictate the game...just worried about the offense turning the ball over +4 times for points!

Gotta get it. I need some re-assurance after this week. But we all knew it would take time and there'd be growing pains. But did they have to lose like that to the GIANTS. Arg.

We will have our revenge! Just let it come soon.

I mentioned in another thread that it could be similar like that. I think Gibbs needs a little time to try different things and really figure out the identity of this group. They are ahead of the game with one game already won (no 0-5) and the D playing as well as they are, so it won't be nearly as bad as his first go around. Plus, he now has that experience to look back on as a reference. This sloppy loss could very well be the impetus to get it together and crush for the rest of the season....I hope so at least!!!

Gotta pick that book up though.....sounds good.

Im hoping that this loss was what we needed to have the players get their acts together.

Our defense is doing well, but our offense is still giving up points. Ramsey needs to play great this week and show that he should still be here instead of us having an extra first round pick

What I remember about 1981 was that Gibbs came in and wanted to install "Air Gibbs" a la "Air Coryell". Gibbs of course was hired from the San Diego Chargers where he was the offensive coordinator on their team, which was coached by Don Coryell, and which had one of the greatest offenses in league history.

"Air Gibbs" crashed, and Gibbs of course found that he had to create a system that fit the personnel that we had, and ultimately to fit the kind of division we played in, to handle players like Lawrence Taylor.

I do think that it takes time for a team to orient itself to a new coaching staff, and I think we will have to continue to improve our personnel. So there are similarities with 1981.

There are differences as well. Gibbs himself has much more experience. What he doesn't have right now is Joe Theismann. Joe Theismann was really as good as it gets as a quarterback when he was at his peak. And if you don't believe me, ask Roger Staubach, who said as much after watching Theismann's heroic efforts on a Monday night at Lambeau Field in 1983.

I really think Joe Gibbs is sending an important message when he says he is fed up with the notion of being a savior. It really does come down to the players. We have a lot of good players on our roster right now. Quarterback is the most important position on offense, however, and I think that settling out that position will be the key to the season.

We don't need a Joe Theismann. I am disappointed right now in Mark Brunell, however. Perhaps he just needs some time to adjust to the new system, and he will start to really click. Perhaps he isn't going to bring the fire and spark to lead the team. Maybe being quarterback is a job and not a passion for him. I don't know.

With Pat Ramsey, you have someone who has the physical talent, and who is smart and who is a good person. Is he going to overcome his lack of experience, which really is not just at the NFL level, but includes his time at quarterback before coming to the NFL, which was limited in scope (see Thomas Boswell's article from mid August). Is he going to overcome his trouble with making quick decisions and not replace that by making a lot of regrettable ones? He might, but if he does, will he do it fast enough?

1981 offers a good comparison, but I do think that there are differences, and to me it starts at quarterback.

Another similarity to '81 was the roster had a lot of turnover much like this year.

Shane,

Theismann struggled in his first season with Gibbs much like we're seeing Brunell and Ramsey struggle in picking things up. He threw 19 TD's vs. 20 INT's that year, and he was a 8 year veteran at the time.

Matty, that's interesting about Theismann in 1981, I didn't remember that. However, I wonder how much of that came out of the failed attempt to install "Air Gibbs". Gibbs didn't stick with his system, but greatly changed it to a ground oriented approach during that year.

I hope that it is just a question of Brunell and Ramsey adjusting. Maybe you're right. That has to be a part of it, certainly.

One of the key components of the 81" Gibbs offense was the tight ends. Don Warren, Rick Walker and Clint Didier scored many TDs in that season and gave the Redskins more options to score. Cooley will get a lot of touches this year. Unfortunately, I don't see anyone stepping up except Mike Sellers.

our other two TEs are blockers... sellers and cooley are more balanced in their roles..