Ashburn, Va. — The 2014 season for the Washington Redskins has unceremoniously come to an end – at least the product on the field has. But the next six months will determine where this franchise will go moving forward.
In brief, the past five months have been an assortment of comedy and errors unlike anything I have ever covered in 15 years.
For every positive the Redskins can mention about this season, there can be two or three negatives to over shadow those accomplishments.
Head coach Jay Gruden has endured one of the most dysfunctional seasons in recent memory. He went through all three of the quarterbacks on the roster and the thought is that he still is not sold on any of the three for the long haul.
Robert Griffin III finished the year with a decent outing, throwing and running against the playoff-bound Dallas Cowboys. He continued his recent resurgence which perhaps can be the long term answer at the position that Gruden so desperately desires.
If not, will the front office consider signing a free agent signal caller in the off-season on (gulp) draft pick number one in April?
Wherever they decide to look, one thing is for sure… the offensive line needs a major overhaul, regardless of who is behind center. Gruden’s offense is, at best, a pass-first offense that will sprinkle in the run. This current line, as bad as they have looked at times, was built by previous head coach Mike Shanahan to run the football. Running back Alfred Morris, who benefited from Shanahan’s offense, eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the third consecutive season. But he did not touch the ball as much as some would have liked in the organization. His carries and yards were down this year but his production was still Pro Bowl-caliber.
For this organization to take the necessary steps to becoming a legitimate post, they have to look at the talent evaluators in the building. Is Director of Player Personnel Scott Campbell truly the person to take this team into the future? Is President/General Manager Bruce Allen the right fit to evaluate talent? After evaluating the people who evaluate talent, the team must take measures to shore up their coaching philosophies. It is apparent to anyone who watches football that the Redskins have been getting out-coached for some time now. Although I think Jay Gruden was the right hire, his reputation — and to some extent his career — is riding on what he does this off-season.
The focus of this team should not be on Griffin but on defensive coordinator Jim Haslett.
For the past four years, everyone in this market has understood that this team would be better suited to run a 4-3 defense. But if the Redskins are going to argue that they have the personnel now to run a 3-4, then they need to get a better coordinator to orchestrate it. Haslett simply does not make adjustments as the game goes on. This is not a personal attack but rather the facts.
Why was cornerback David Amerson consistently assigned to cover Dallas’ wide out Dez Bryant yesterday when just a few weeks ago rookie corner Bashaud Breeland successfully put a blanket over the receiver in the first game against the Cowboys? Bryant had three receptions in that game. Yesterday, he only caught four but two of them were for touchdowns. He caught scoring passes of 65 and 23 yards to give him 16 touchdown receptions on the season, breaking former Dallas receiver Terrell Owens’ team record of 15 set in 2007. The Cowboys adjusted their game plan from the Week Eight, 20-17 loss to the Redskins by putting Bryant on the opposite side of Breeland on the field. As consistently shown over the past four years, the defense had no answers. That to me reeks of coaching.
Why are the same defensive backs consistently playing 10 yards off of the ball? Why have the Redskin’s front four never been able to put any pressure on opposing quarterbacks in the past four years? This has to be assessed. If the team decides to stay in the “vaunted” 3-4, then take a look at someone who truly knows how to make it effective. Maybe Rex Ryan, recently fired from the New York Jets, would be a great fit to run the defense. Take a look at a young, energetic guy because the defense needs attitude and guys who are all about their craft. For my money, the defense has three what I call “dogs” on it. These are guys that never stop coming and compete on every play. Those guys; Breeland, and linebackers Ryan Kerrigan and Keenan Robinson, are guys that the defense can be built around. There are other guys that I think can add value to the unit as well such as linebacker Will Compton, safety Phillip Thomas; and defensive linemen Stephen Bowen, and Jason Hatcher. These are high-character guys who will compete and keep the peace in the locker room. A guy like Kedric Golston, also a D-lineman, should not be overlooked as a leader as well. As I have always said, reward the guys who want it and care about the game.
On offense, reward the Darrel Young’s (fullback) and Niles Paul’s (tight end)… the guys who are constantly giving up their bodies for the team. Left tackle Trent Williams showed that he is a warrior this year, playing through injuries and becoming a leader. Center Kory Lichtensteiger showed that he could be a factor up front. But it would be doing these guys a disservice to not surround them with better talent on the offensive line.
The receiving core has to be looked at as well. Of course, DeSean Jackson, one of the most electrifying players in the game, earned every penny of his contract. But what about the gamble to put Andre Roberts in the slot? Roberts was originally signed to be the number two receiver opposite Pierre Garçon. But then Jackson fell into the team’s lap. However, it is quite obvious that Santana Moss should have been Washington’s slot guy this year.
Why is politics still being played by a team that is not good? I thought the goal was to win with the best players, not play the highest paid players. The fact is that some of those high-priced players are overpriced and that is why their former teams let them walk.
Putting egos aside and doing what is best for the fans of this team — who deserve better — is imperative this off-season. The status quo has got to stop. No longer are fans willing to spend $150.00 – $200.00 on a game day experience that is void of the experience they should remember. Why pay that kind of money to see a team lose when they can do that from the comfort of their own couch?
The people that wear the burgundy and gold and the people who produce the burgundy and gold had better take a good hard look at themselves in the mirror… only then will they see a monster looking back at them.