The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

The 5-11 Redskins may have just finished the worst season of Joe Gibbs' 14-year career, but the coach doesn't anticipate major changes in 2007.

"It was the toughest five months of my professional career," said the 66-year-old Gibbs, 22-28 since he returned to Washington in 2004. "I was brought here to win and certainly going 5-11 is not getting it done. It was extremely disappointing. You can certainly be criticized for not being smart enough, but (not) as far as an effort and a commitment.

Our goal is to keep this group together."

That includes an aging defense, which set a 16-game NFL record for fewest takeaways, a Redskins record for fewest sacks and gave up more big plays than any in the league.

"There were certain things that we weren't pleased with," Gibbs said. "We gave up a lot of big plays in the passing game and the run."

While the Redskins did play better down the stretch even when they had already been eliminated from playoff contention in the weak NFC, their run defense was still stampeded by Pro Bowl backs St. Louis' Steven Jackson and the New York Giants' Tiki Barber in the last two games.

"The first year was a learning year," Gibbs said. "The second year, we were extremely happy. This year was a big step back. I thought we would get better. I thought the moves we made in the offseason were well thought out. (But) when you're 5-11, you've got to say they didn't turn out the way we wanted them to turn out. You look at that and say, 'OK. What we can do (differently) this following year?'"

Guard Derrick Dockery, linebacker Warrick Holdman and safety Vernon Fox are the only free agents among the starters so the Redskins will be doing more restructuring too-rich holdover contracts than re-signing players to new deals.

Gibbs said that in hindsight he wished he had returned to the power-based offense during the bye week with the Redskins 2-5 instead of in mid-November when they were 3-7.

"I just hadn't reached that point in my thought process," Gibbs said. "With about six weeks to go (we) stopped to re-evaluate things. We said 'we don't like where we are and this is what we want to look like.' We changed philosophically in some areas. It was (still) Al calling the plays. We made a big step up in a lot of areas the last six weeks."

NOTES, QUOTES

—Safety Adam Archuleta, a virtual non-entity on defense since being benched during the bye week, played a few snaps against the Giants and finally got the meetings with defensive coaches Gregg Williams, Jerry Gray and Steve Jackson the next day that he had wanted for weeks.

"I've had an opportunity to talk with Gregg, Jerry, Steve," said Archuleta, who'll likely be released this off-season after signing a safety-record $30 million contract last March. "Things were expressed that needed to be expressed. I know I'm under contract and it's a pretty big contract. Whatever happens, things will work out."

—Kicker John Hall, sidelined for half the games the past three seasons because of pulled, expects to be cut.

"The writing's probably on the wall," said the 33-year-old Hall, who finished 2004 and 2006 on injured reserve.

—Brothers Santana Moss of the Redskins, 27, and Sinorice Moss, 23, of the Giants played in the same game on Saturday for the first time since they were kids in Miami. Rookie Sinorice Moss was inactive with a quad injury in the teams' previous game this year.

"That was a real special night," Santana Moss said. "Growing up, Nori didn't want to play (organized football), but he was so talented, I kept (pushing him). Eventually, he came around. I wish nothing but the best for him, but I'm upset I lost to my little brother twice."


PLAYER NOTES

—DE Andre Carter led the Redskins with six sacks. Carter is the sixth straight different sacks leader. The last player to lead Washington two straight years was DT Dan Wilkinson in 1998-99.

—RB Ladell Betts' 53 catches were the most by a Redskins RB or FB since Larry Centers led the team with 80 in 2000.

—P Derrick Frost's 42.9-yard gross punting average and 36.7-yard net average were Washington's second-highest in eight years.

—LB Warrick Holdman joined DE Andre Carter and FS Sean Taylor as the only players to start every game on defense this season.

—WR Santana Moss (55 catches), TE Chris ey (57) and Betts gave the Redskins their first trio of 50-catch players since Centers (69), WR Michael Westbrook (65) and WR Albert Connell (62) in 1999.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

REPORT CARD VS. GIANTS

RUSHING OFFENSE: B — RB Ladell Betts came up eight yards shy of a Redskins record sixth straight 100-yard game and also fumbled deep in opposing territory for a second straight week. Still Betts was fourth in the NFL in rushing during the second half of the season after replacing the injured Clinton Portis. QB Jason Campbell scrambled three times for 30 yards, getting knocked woozy once. Backup RB T.J. Duckett struggled again.

PASSING OFFENSE: B — Campbell went out with a solid performance, going 21-for-31 with 220 yards, two TDs and an INT. Campbell also bulled his way out a seemingly sure sack by Giants DE Osi Umenyiora. Antwaan Randle El hit fellow WR with a 48-yard TD pass. Randle El and Moss (six catches) both averaged over 17 yards a catch while Betts and FB Mike Sellers both had TDs. TE Chris ey had five catches. The blocking was fine.

PASSING DEFENSE: C — Giants RB Tiki Barber did so much damage on the ground that the Redskins limiting the Giants to 101 yards in the air was a footnote. DE Andre Carter had his fourth sack in five games. Penalties on CB Carlos Rogers, FS Sean Taylor and backups CBs Kenny Wright and Ade Jimoh helped keep New York scoring drives alive. Taylor, Rogers and LBs Lemar Marshall and Warrick Holdman were all beaten on third-down passes on New York touchdown marches.

RUSH DEFENSE: F — Barber brutalized the Redskins for the second time in two years, running for 234 yards, the most ever against Washington, on just 23 carries. Barber ripped through the defense for TDs of 15, 50 and 55 yards. There were plenty of missed tackles to go around, but Rogers, SS Vernon Fox and Taylor were the prime culprits.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B-plus — KR Rock Cartwright completed a consistently solid season by setting team record for returns and yards. PR Antwaan Randle El was hemmed in again. The coverage units were superb as usual. P Derrick Frost averaged 43.7 gross and 38.7 net to finish a fine final month and a solid second season. K Shaun Suisham didn't attempt a field goal but his kickoffs averaged the 6-yard line.

COACHING: B — Playing without top LB Marcus Washington, No. 1 CB Shawn Springs and leading special teams tackler Khary Campbell, all of whom had gone on injured reserve in the previous week and with nothing to play for against a Giants team fighting to reach postseason, the Redskins came out firing. Washington led 7-3 when the second quarter started, but then Barber took over. It was 20-7 at halftime and that was that.

riggofan wrote:You know what we need? Some big name free agents. And I would prefer that they be very expensive.

KazooSkinsFan wrote:brad7686 and USS Redskin, you would be the Snyder boys? We gut the team and start over every year?

Actually we've tried that. And tried it. And...

brad7686 wrote:

KazooSkinsFan wrote:brad7686 and USS Redskin, you would be the Snyder boys? We gut the team and start over every year?

Actually we've tried that. And tried it. And...

I guess we could play with the same defense...def looked promising this year.