Four big disappointments in Washington

By Connor Byrne  |   Monday, October 23, 2006  |  Comments( 11 )

Washington Redskins
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Entering the 2006 season, the Washington Redskins were expected to be serious contenders in the NFC. Joe Gibbs' team finished 2005 strong, winning five straight games at the end of the season to end 10-6 and make the playoffs. Once the Redskins arrived to the postseason stage, they took out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then lost a heartbreaker to the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round.

With the bye week upon them, the 'Skins are one of the league's biggest disappointments. Sitting 2-5, the team's chances to contend for anything but a high draft pick next April seem slim and nil at this point. Last Sunday's embarrassing 36-22 loss to the Indianapolis Colts certainly didn't help matters.

Naturally, when a team is underperforming, there are always various reasons. Mostly, it's all about certain players or coaches who aren't living up to advanced billing. Currently, the Redskins have no shortage of major letdowns. Let's analyze the three greatest:

4. High-profile acquisitions at wide receiver:

The Redskins spent a great deal of money on two of their biggest offseason acquisitions, receivers Antwaan Randle El and Brandon Lloyd. In terms of offensive production, the team's investments haven't yet worked out.

Randle El, a former star for the Pittsburgh Steelers, has only 18 catches and is averaging a measly 9.3 yards per reception. Lloyd, meanwhile, has hauled in just 11 passes from quarterback Mark Brunell and has yet to score a touchdown. The only significant contribution from either was Randle El's 87-yard punt return touchdown in Sunday's loss.

3. Mark Brunell:

When looking at the QB's statistics - 64.1 completion rate, seven touchdowns, three interceptions, rating of 90.4 - most would see a productive player. However, if you ask anyone who's watched the 'Skins closely this year, it's easy to see the 36-year-old has fallen off severely from 2005's strong showing. The 14th-year man simply hasn't gotten the job done on a consistent basis.

In fact, his on-field conservativeness and immobility has driven most D.C. backers up a wall. Many Redskins fans are calling for young Jason Campbell to take the helm, but Gibbs has no such plans right now. If the team loses a couple more games in the near future, Campbell, a former first-round pick, will likely grab the reins and begin developing in earnest.

2. The secondary:

Among the most highly touted aspects of the team during the offseason and preseason was the defensive backfield. A starting quartet of Shawn Springs, Carlos Rogers, Sean Taylor and Adam Archuleta was supposed to be among the league's most formidable, but that hasn't materialized at all.

Springs has been injured for most of the season; Rogers' coverage has left plenty to be desired, and now he, too, is injured; Taylor and Archuleta, meanwhile, have been an incredibly disappointing safety tandem, with Archuleta, the NFL's highest paid safety, taking the brunt of criticism from Redskins fans. Rightfully so, considering he can neither cover nor tackle, and his talked-up blitzing skills have been nonexistent.

Through the first seven games of the year, the Redskins' defense - mainly the secondary - has been humiliated to the tune of 14 TD passes to just two interceptions from opposing quarterbacks.

1. Al Saunders:

The former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator was given a high salary by Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to grab hold of the offensive play-calling duties in Washington. Along with that, Saunders - whose offenses were often the best in the league with the Chiefs - was made an assistant head coach. Saunders entered the D.C. area with plenty of fanfare, but now his infamous 700-page playbook has become much maligned.

This year, Saunders' offense actually ranks in the top 10 in both yards gained and points scored, but those numbers are substantially misleading. Other than two strong showings against the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars, the unit has been so-so at best.

--To enter Thursday's articles, send e-mails titled "Mailbag" to cbyrne@realfootball365.com.

Get more on the Washington Redskins at RealFootball365.com.
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