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Commanders running short on saviors
Published August 3 2005
David Teel
Gloom is good. Check that. Gloom can't be any worse than the fervent, delusional optimism of past Washington Commanders training camps.
Since Daniel Snyder's hostile takeover of the franchise in 1999, the Commanders have had more expectant saviors than the gang on "Gilligan's Island." Coaches such as Marty Schottenheimer, Steve Spurrier and Joe Gibbs. Players such as Jeff George, Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, LaVar Arrington and Clinton Portis: The hype surrounding their arrivals was dark-chocolate tempting, and many of us swallowed it whole.
And what hath this annual gorging wrought? Bupkis, that's what. One playoff appearance, in 1999.
Well, as Washington convened camp this week, the Super Bowl-or-bust crowd was as quiet as the Mark Brunell Fan Club. Indeed, good luck finding anyone outside the friendly confines of Commanders Park who projects Washington making the playoffs.
Saviors? Not among this bunch of imports.
Santana Moss and David Patten may start at wide receiver, but unless they morph into Randy Moss and George Patton, they alone won't carry the Commanders to postseason. Quarterback Jason Campbell may prove to be a draft-day heist, but not this season.
No, if Washington is to levitate into playoff contention, last season's core players and coaches must improve markedly.
The upgrades need to start with Gibbs and his staff, especially his offensive assistants. Be more creative, and mercy, devise some passing plays that net more than your average toss sweep.
But don't dump all your venom for last season's 6-10 on the coaches. They certainly didn't get much help from their players.
Brunell flopped as the starting quarterback; backup Patrick Ramsey was better but not better enough; absent dependable tackle Jon Jansen, the offensive line blocked poorly; Portis, a Pro Bowl running back with Denver, averaged a career-low 3.8 yards per carry, despite a 64-yard jaunt on his first regular-season touch.
Defensively, the Skins were right good. Often stuffed the run, usually pressured the quarterback. But middle linebacker Antonio Pierce, the team's leading tackler, and cornerback Fred Smoot, departed via free agency, leaving unproven folks such as Lemar Marshall, Walt Harris and first-round draft choice Carlos Rogers as possible replacements.
Still, if Gibbs and the Commanders are to repeat their 1980s transition from chumps to champs, they must obsess over offense, specifically the passing game. Washington produced a league-low five pass plays of 40 yards or more last season, and the details are damning.
Four of those plays came in the first four games, and after a Brunell-to-Laveranues Coles hook-up of 45 yards against the Browns, the Commanders attempted 387 passes without a 40-yarder. Their next "deep" play came on their final pass of the season, a 45-yarder from Ramsey to Taylor Jacobs that set up the clinching score in a 21-18 victory against the Vikings.
Ramsey's live arm, Jansen's return and Bill Musgrave's arrival as quarterbacks coach may help. So, too, might the speed of Moss and Patten. But no NFL starter, part- or full-time, had a higher interception percentage last season than Ramsey, and only the Bears (look for Fox to assign the cast of "Arrested Development" to broadcast the Chicago-Washington season-opener) scored fewer points.
Given those concerns and conditions, how can the Commanders expect to prevail in the NFC East? No matter how prolonged Terrell Owens' tantrum, the Eagles are the division's gold standard; the Giants signed Plaxico Burress and Pierce; the Cowboys added quarterback Drew Bledsoe and fortified their secondary and both lines.
Washington, by the way, is 3-15 against the division since the 2002 realignment - 1-5 each year (sorry, no extra credit for consistency). The last time the Commanders posted a winning division record was 1999, when they went 5-3 courtesy of a sweep against the Arizona Cardinals, since deported to the NFC West.
Washington hasn't swept New York since 1999, Dallas since '95 and Philly since '88. Man, some of us are old enough to remember the '70s, when the Skins owned the Eagles and Giants like Ma Bell owned phone service.
Gibbs, naturally, isn't buying the doom and gloom. He says Washington retained as many, if not more, key players than any team in the league; he says the working stiffs are confident in coaches/management, and vice-versa.
Then again, what else can he say? That he'd rather be hangin' with his NASCAR team as Tony Stewart contends for a second championship? That the likes of Sean Taylor and Arrington make John Riggins look angelic?
Give Gibbs this: If his second act fizzles, he won't lay the blame on Snyder, the players or anyone else.
"Nobody could have done more than Dan did," Gibbs said. "If we don't get this done, if I don't get it done, it's strictly going to be my responsibility."
David Teel can be reached at 247-4636 or by e-mail at dteel@dailypress.com «
Copyright © 2005, Daily Press
Published August 3 2005
David Teel
Gloom is good. Check that. Gloom can't be any worse than the fervent, delusional optimism of past Washington Commanders training camps.
Since Daniel Snyder's hostile takeover of the franchise in 1999, the Commanders have had more expectant saviors than the gang on "Gilligan's Island." Coaches such as Marty Schottenheimer, Steve Spurrier and Joe Gibbs. Players such as Jeff George, Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, LaVar Arrington and Clinton Portis: The hype surrounding their arrivals was dark-chocolate tempting, and many of us swallowed it whole.
And what hath this annual gorging wrought? Bupkis, that's what. One playoff appearance, in 1999.
Well, as Washington convened camp this week, the Super Bowl-or-bust crowd was as quiet as the Mark Brunell Fan Club. Indeed, good luck finding anyone outside the friendly confines of Commanders Park who projects Washington making the playoffs.
Saviors? Not among this bunch of imports.
Santana Moss and David Patten may start at wide receiver, but unless they morph into Randy Moss and George Patton, they alone won't carry the Commanders to postseason. Quarterback Jason Campbell may prove to be a draft-day heist, but not this season.
No, if Washington is to levitate into playoff contention, last season's core players and coaches must improve markedly.
The upgrades need to start with Gibbs and his staff, especially his offensive assistants. Be more creative, and mercy, devise some passing plays that net more than your average toss sweep.
But don't dump all your venom for last season's 6-10 on the coaches. They certainly didn't get much help from their players.
Brunell flopped as the starting quarterback; backup Patrick Ramsey was better but not better enough; absent dependable tackle Jon Jansen, the offensive line blocked poorly; Portis, a Pro Bowl running back with Denver, averaged a career-low 3.8 yards per carry, despite a 64-yard jaunt on his first regular-season touch.
Defensively, the Skins were right good. Often stuffed the run, usually pressured the quarterback. But middle linebacker Antonio Pierce, the team's leading tackler, and cornerback Fred Smoot, departed via free agency, leaving unproven folks such as Lemar Marshall, Walt Harris and first-round draft choice Carlos Rogers as possible replacements.
Still, if Gibbs and the Commanders are to repeat their 1980s transition from chumps to champs, they must obsess over offense, specifically the passing game. Washington produced a league-low five pass plays of 40 yards or more last season, and the details are damning.
Four of those plays came in the first four games, and after a Brunell-to-Laveranues Coles hook-up of 45 yards against the Browns, the Commanders attempted 387 passes without a 40-yarder. Their next "deep" play came on their final pass of the season, a 45-yarder from Ramsey to Taylor Jacobs that set up the clinching score in a 21-18 victory against the Vikings.
Ramsey's live arm, Jansen's return and Bill Musgrave's arrival as quarterbacks coach may help. So, too, might the speed of Moss and Patten. But no NFL starter, part- or full-time, had a higher interception percentage last season than Ramsey, and only the Bears (look for Fox to assign the cast of "Arrested Development" to broadcast the Chicago-Washington season-opener) scored fewer points.
Given those concerns and conditions, how can the Commanders expect to prevail in the NFC East? No matter how prolonged Terrell Owens' tantrum, the Eagles are the division's gold standard; the Giants signed Plaxico Burress and Pierce; the Cowboys added quarterback Drew Bledsoe and fortified their secondary and both lines.
Washington, by the way, is 3-15 against the division since the 2002 realignment - 1-5 each year (sorry, no extra credit for consistency). The last time the Commanders posted a winning division record was 1999, when they went 5-3 courtesy of a sweep against the Arizona Cardinals, since deported to the NFC West.
Washington hasn't swept New York since 1999, Dallas since '95 and Philly since '88. Man, some of us are old enough to remember the '70s, when the Skins owned the Eagles and Giants like Ma Bell owned phone service.
Gibbs, naturally, isn't buying the doom and gloom. He says Washington retained as many, if not more, key players than any team in the league; he says the working stiffs are confident in coaches/management, and vice-versa.
Then again, what else can he say? That he'd rather be hangin' with his NASCAR team as Tony Stewart contends for a second championship? That the likes of Sean Taylor and Arrington make John Riggins look angelic?
Give Gibbs this: If his second act fizzles, he won't lay the blame on Snyder, the players or anyone else.
"Nobody could have done more than Dan did," Gibbs said. "If we don't get this done, if I don't get it done, it's strictly going to be my responsibility."
David Teel can be reached at 247-4636 or by e-mail at dteel@dailypress.com «
Copyright © 2005, Daily Press
