Redskins Mailbag: Is 2-5 Gibbs’ fault?

By Connor Byrne  |   Thursday, November 02, 2006  |  Comments( 3 )

Washington Redskins
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If you would like to get in a future mailbag segment, please send an e-mail, with your name and location, titled "Mailbag" to Connor J. Byrne's address: cbyrne@realfootball365.com.

T. Miller in Lynchburg, Va. - As I sat and watched the hated Cowboys get led to a victory by Tony Romo, I came to realize that Mark Brunell is officially the worst QB in the division. Do you agree, Mr. Byrne?

CB: It's hard to say at this point, T. Romo played very well against the Carolina Panthers last Sunday, but who's to say he'll continue with that pace? Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart looked fabulous in his first two NFL starts, but he's since diminished into a typical young signal caller prone to error.

When it comes to quarterbacks in the NFC East, there's no question the Giants' Eli Manning and the Eagles' Donovan McNabb are the top two. Which one is better is a debate for another day. If Romo continues playing well, then he's definitely better than Brunell. We'll find out first hand who currently holds the edge when the two teams square off in Maryland this weekend. It should be interesting.

Gary in Washington, D.C. - I hate to say it, but I blame Joe Gibbs for the Redskins' failures this year.

CB: A lot of blame has been flung in Gibbs' direction of late, Gary. Considering the 'Skins' struggles, fans are always looking for an authority figure to scapegoat, no matter how much this particular one has accomplished. The NFL, like all other leagues, is a "what have you done for me lately?" business. Gibbs has won three Super Bowls as the Redskins' sideline general, but those occurred in the '80s and early '90s.

Gibbs' personnel decisions have obviously been somewhat questionable since his return, but keep in mind the 65-year-old is still one of the finest coaches in the league. Despite his team's horrid play this year, Gibbs has demonstrated a tireless work ethic. He's constantly at team facilities trying to crack the code of why his guys are performing so poorly. Unfortunately for the Hall of Famer, it's been for naught thus far.

If Gibbs leaves for good at the end of the regular season, I expect those who bashed him will end up being sorry.

Arthur H. In Pensacola, Fla. - All I can say is, I ordered the Sunday Ticket package for this?? These guys are horrible! What's their biggest problem?

CB: Sorry to hear you spent your hard-earned money to watch 16 Redskins games, Arthur. On the bright side, though, at least you can watch all the league's other great matchups on a weekly basis. Anyway, I digress...

In response to your question, it's too hard to point out Washington's biggest problem. This is a team in disarray right now and it's not just one area. The QB play is bad; Clinton Portis is constantly hurt; the high-priced free agents they brought in aren't getting it done, etc.

However, if I had to point out one disappointing area, it's the safety tandem. I expected, perhaps foolishly, that Sean Taylor and Adam Archuleta would fare really well as quarterbacks of the defensive backfield. First of all, Taylor was called the "best player in the NFL" by Portis during the season, and not all that many people jeered at that, though they were surprised. This year, though, the 6-foot-2, 232-pound Taylor hasn't intercepted a pass. Archuleta, meanwhile, is a lost cause. The 28-year-old simply can't cover anyone.

-The Washington Redskins Mailbag is a weekly segment each Thursday. Send e-mails titled "Mailbag" to cbyrne@realfootball365.com.
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CommentsComments: 3  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
fr8ttrain		11:54 AM
11/02/2006
You need players who can play, no coach is great without that element. Gibbs is fine as coach. He just needs a team with heart...
No.2
tele1		10:04 PM
11/02/2006
I love Joe Gibbs. I can't imagine my redskins love affair without him in the picture. Let's face it skins fans, life after Joe...
No.3
adam		06:00 PM
11/03/2006
I just don't understand some of the decisions. I love Joe Gibbs and I definitely don't want him to leave but a lot of this does...
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