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When it all feels so wrong
By Ryan O'Halloran
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
January 3, 2007
Brandon Lloyd represents everything that is wrong with the Washington Commanders.
Yes, Lloyd wasn't the only problem in a 5-11 season that began with so much promise. Adam Archuleta will go down as one of the worst free agent signings in NFL history, Mark Brunell lost his job for the second time in three years and Clinton Portis' season ended after the ninth game because of hand and shoulder injuries.
But it is Lloyd -- a player whose attitude earned him two sit-down meetings with Joe Gibbs and who finished with no touchdowns -- who embodies the Commanders' troubled roster-building philosophy.
In surveying the wreckage of Gibbs' worst season as a coach, the Monday Morning Quarterback acknowledges the wretched defensive performance and the conservative game-day decision-making by Gibbs.
Things always come back to Lloyd, though. He cost two valuable draft picks, showing again the Commanders don't care about the draft. He was given a new contract even though he had a year remaining on his deal, showing again the Commanders don't care about players proving something before being paid. And he became a problem to deal with, showing again the Commanders don't always take into account character background issues.
But unlike a lot of Commanders, all indications are Lloyd will receive a second chance in 2007.
Question: Let me guess -- you and B-Lloyd didn't enjoy a cocktail to celebrate the New Year? Is he really that unlikeable?
Answer: Lloyd was probably convalescing at home with his bout of bronchitis that sidelined him for the Giants game. Upon leaving Commander Park on Sunday, Lloyd actually coughed and then shook his head when asked to talk.
But he can at least take credit for the quote of the year: "I have an attitude that's great for a winning team." How would he know? He has never been on a winning NFL team.
Although Gibbs said otherwise Monday, Lloyd has to go.
Q: But this team has bigger issues than Lloyd. What's at the top of the list?
A: Defense, defense, defense. The offense held its own over the final seven games of the season, showing signs of becoming a consistent strength. It's conceivable no major additions will be made on offense. This offseason should be about fixing a defense that fell from the top 10 to 31st in the NFL.
Q: This year's defensive play reminds me of the movie "Babel." A star-studded cast with high expectations, but a story/result that stinks. What are some of the more pathetic numbers?
A: The Commanders sacked the opposing quarterback 19 times, the fewest in team history. They forced 12 takeaways, the fewest in league history for a 16-game season. They ranked 27th against the run, allowed a league-high 30 touchdown passes, gave up 5,688 yards (second most in team history) and had no player with more than one interception. And they went out with a thud, allowing 579 yards to St. Louis and 355 to the Giants.
Q: Gregg Williams had a bad year, and his coaching stock has plummeted like Phil Mickelson's confidence. How would you judge Al Saunders' first go-around with the Commanders?
A: Saunders isn't blameless, but he wasn't the biggest problem with the offensive inconsistency. Any player who says the Commanders' offense didn't need revamping is equal parts out of touch with reality and, well, stupid. The Commanders did score a lot of points during their five-game run to the playoffs last season, but -- and here's the rub -- they came against lousy teams.
Saunders didn't get a full deck to play with. He lost Portis in the preseason. The line struggled early in the season (necessitating the use of Chris Cooley to block instead of catch), Lloyd was a zero and Brunell played his age.
A telling moment came in Week 1 against Minnesota. On a third-down play, Brunell gave up early and threw it away. A split second later, an ESPN camera showed Saunders shaking his head as if to say, "I have to call plays for him?"
It took nine games before Gibbs finally changed quarterbacks and Saunders could begin using most of his playbook.
Q: Saunders and Williams are expected to return. But should Gibbs? His press conferences have been painful to watch, and his in-game decisions (the few he makes) are puzzling. Does Coach Joe still have the goods?
A: The jury is definitely out on Gibbs Version 2.0. He's gone 6-10, 10-6 and 5-11 in three seasons. The interesting thing about Gibbs is how differently he approaches things on Sundays as opposed to the offseason.
On Sundays, Gibbs is Mr. Conservative. In three years, there has never been a fake punt or field goal or surprise on-side kickoff. And the number of times he declined to go for it on fourth-and-short is mind-boggling.
In the offseason, he takes The Danny's millions and overhauls the roster, even in spots that don't need fixing. When Gibbs needs to be conservative, he becomes too aggressive; when he needs to go for broke, he punts.
Q: So despite Gibbs' willingness to make changes on the roster, there won't be change in the front office?
A: Nope. It would make too much sense, and it would require The Danny to cut ties with buddy Vinny Cerrato, which means a "football boss" isn't coming to Ashburn. And until Gibbs realizes he should concentrate on coaching and spend money on a football guy instead of staying at the Ritz-Carlton in St. Louis, the Commanders will be running in wet concrete.
Q: Speaking of running space, only a partnership between Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump would be worse than the Sean Taylor-Archuleta marriage. What kind of player will mesh with Taylor?
A: That's a tough one. Taylor has been through Matt Bowen, Ryan Clark and now Archuleta. Troy Vincent is under contract for next year, but he couldn't stay healthy in the half season he was with the team.
Whoever plays safety alongside Taylor needs to be charge of organizing the secondary and be a vocal leader. Maybe that's Pierson Prioleau, who missed the year with a knee injury. It shouldn't be Shawn Springs, who should remain at cornerback.
Q: The offense has only one free agent starter, left guard Derrick Dockery. He will be back, right?
A: One reason they want Dockery to return is that he likely will be cheaper than an alternative in the free agent market. And though he still draws too many false start penalties for somebody who lines up right next to the football, he's a better option than drafting and starting a rookie.
Q: I know you had to cringe when Gibbs lauded Brunell during his wrapup press conference. Should we assume he will come back as Campbell's backup, and how much should No. 17 be looking over his shoulder?
A: Brunell likely will redo his contract and return to the Commanders. The team should release him and go with Todd Collins as the backup.
Campbell should be aware that Brunell is still in the locker room. But he shouldn't be as worried about Brunell's presence as Patrick Ramsey was in 2005 (and rightly so).
Q: The bottom line is this season was a joke. Is there any reason to hope things can turn around next year?
A: Things can get better because, first, things can't get much worse and, second, an offense called by Saunders and executed by Messrs. Campbell, Portis, Betts, Moss and Cooley can be dynamic. It all hinges on the defense.
Even if the Commanders turn it around, it may be only to 7-9 or 8-8, and that probably doesn't translate into a playoff appearance.
By Ryan O'Halloran
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
January 3, 2007
Brandon Lloyd represents everything that is wrong with the Washington Commanders.
Yes, Lloyd wasn't the only problem in a 5-11 season that began with so much promise. Adam Archuleta will go down as one of the worst free agent signings in NFL history, Mark Brunell lost his job for the second time in three years and Clinton Portis' season ended after the ninth game because of hand and shoulder injuries.
But it is Lloyd -- a player whose attitude earned him two sit-down meetings with Joe Gibbs and who finished with no touchdowns -- who embodies the Commanders' troubled roster-building philosophy.
In surveying the wreckage of Gibbs' worst season as a coach, the Monday Morning Quarterback acknowledges the wretched defensive performance and the conservative game-day decision-making by Gibbs.
Things always come back to Lloyd, though. He cost two valuable draft picks, showing again the Commanders don't care about the draft. He was given a new contract even though he had a year remaining on his deal, showing again the Commanders don't care about players proving something before being paid. And he became a problem to deal with, showing again the Commanders don't always take into account character background issues.
But unlike a lot of Commanders, all indications are Lloyd will receive a second chance in 2007.
Question: Let me guess -- you and B-Lloyd didn't enjoy a cocktail to celebrate the New Year? Is he really that unlikeable?
Answer: Lloyd was probably convalescing at home with his bout of bronchitis that sidelined him for the Giants game. Upon leaving Commander Park on Sunday, Lloyd actually coughed and then shook his head when asked to talk.
But he can at least take credit for the quote of the year: "I have an attitude that's great for a winning team." How would he know? He has never been on a winning NFL team.
Although Gibbs said otherwise Monday, Lloyd has to go.
Q: But this team has bigger issues than Lloyd. What's at the top of the list?
A: Defense, defense, defense. The offense held its own over the final seven games of the season, showing signs of becoming a consistent strength. It's conceivable no major additions will be made on offense. This offseason should be about fixing a defense that fell from the top 10 to 31st in the NFL.
Q: This year's defensive play reminds me of the movie "Babel." A star-studded cast with high expectations, but a story/result that stinks. What are some of the more pathetic numbers?
A: The Commanders sacked the opposing quarterback 19 times, the fewest in team history. They forced 12 takeaways, the fewest in league history for a 16-game season. They ranked 27th against the run, allowed a league-high 30 touchdown passes, gave up 5,688 yards (second most in team history) and had no player with more than one interception. And they went out with a thud, allowing 579 yards to St. Louis and 355 to the Giants.
Q: Gregg Williams had a bad year, and his coaching stock has plummeted like Phil Mickelson's confidence. How would you judge Al Saunders' first go-around with the Commanders?
A: Saunders isn't blameless, but he wasn't the biggest problem with the offensive inconsistency. Any player who says the Commanders' offense didn't need revamping is equal parts out of touch with reality and, well, stupid. The Commanders did score a lot of points during their five-game run to the playoffs last season, but -- and here's the rub -- they came against lousy teams.
Saunders didn't get a full deck to play with. He lost Portis in the preseason. The line struggled early in the season (necessitating the use of Chris Cooley to block instead of catch), Lloyd was a zero and Brunell played his age.
A telling moment came in Week 1 against Minnesota. On a third-down play, Brunell gave up early and threw it away. A split second later, an ESPN camera showed Saunders shaking his head as if to say, "I have to call plays for him?"
It took nine games before Gibbs finally changed quarterbacks and Saunders could begin using most of his playbook.
Q: Saunders and Williams are expected to return. But should Gibbs? His press conferences have been painful to watch, and his in-game decisions (the few he makes) are puzzling. Does Coach Joe still have the goods?
A: The jury is definitely out on Gibbs Version 2.0. He's gone 6-10, 10-6 and 5-11 in three seasons. The interesting thing about Gibbs is how differently he approaches things on Sundays as opposed to the offseason.
On Sundays, Gibbs is Mr. Conservative. In three years, there has never been a fake punt or field goal or surprise on-side kickoff. And the number of times he declined to go for it on fourth-and-short is mind-boggling.
In the offseason, he takes The Danny's millions and overhauls the roster, even in spots that don't need fixing. When Gibbs needs to be conservative, he becomes too aggressive; when he needs to go for broke, he punts.
Q: So despite Gibbs' willingness to make changes on the roster, there won't be change in the front office?
A: Nope. It would make too much sense, and it would require The Danny to cut ties with buddy Vinny Cerrato, which means a "football boss" isn't coming to Ashburn. And until Gibbs realizes he should concentrate on coaching and spend money on a football guy instead of staying at the Ritz-Carlton in St. Louis, the Commanders will be running in wet concrete.
Q: Speaking of running space, only a partnership between Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump would be worse than the Sean Taylor-Archuleta marriage. What kind of player will mesh with Taylor?
A: That's a tough one. Taylor has been through Matt Bowen, Ryan Clark and now Archuleta. Troy Vincent is under contract for next year, but he couldn't stay healthy in the half season he was with the team.
Whoever plays safety alongside Taylor needs to be charge of organizing the secondary and be a vocal leader. Maybe that's Pierson Prioleau, who missed the year with a knee injury. It shouldn't be Shawn Springs, who should remain at cornerback.
Q: The offense has only one free agent starter, left guard Derrick Dockery. He will be back, right?
A: One reason they want Dockery to return is that he likely will be cheaper than an alternative in the free agent market. And though he still draws too many false start penalties for somebody who lines up right next to the football, he's a better option than drafting and starting a rookie.
Q: I know you had to cringe when Gibbs lauded Brunell during his wrapup press conference. Should we assume he will come back as Campbell's backup, and how much should No. 17 be looking over his shoulder?
A: Brunell likely will redo his contract and return to the Commanders. The team should release him and go with Todd Collins as the backup.
Campbell should be aware that Brunell is still in the locker room. But he shouldn't be as worried about Brunell's presence as Patrick Ramsey was in 2005 (and rightly so).
Q: The bottom line is this season was a joke. Is there any reason to hope things can turn around next year?
A: Things can get better because, first, things can't get much worse and, second, an offense called by Saunders and executed by Messrs. Campbell, Portis, Betts, Moss and Cooley can be dynamic. It all hinges on the defense.
Even if the Commanders turn it around, it may be only to 7-9 or 8-8, and that probably doesn't translate into a playoff appearance.
