More coaching drama

So who are we to believe?

According to this tidbit from ESPN's John Clayton, the Skins are set to name Jim Fassel as head coach ... after the team conducts 1-2 more interviews after the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Colts assistant Ron Meeks has been scheduled for another interview with Dan Snyder and there are now rumors circulating that Snyder's "mystery" candidate could be Steve Mariucci?

My only thought at this point is that this thing is now messier than a soap opera, Skins fans are getting on each other about how much Snyder has screwed up the team since he took over and there seems to be no end in site.

At this point the only thing I can say for sure is that things will definitely be different next year and that continuity Joe Gibbs was trying to bring back in his second run may have just been thrown out the window. I think I'm to the point now where I would just like someone to wake me up when this nightmare is over.

Zorn hired, Williams out

According to ESPN, the Skins finally hired Jim Zorn as offensive coordinator, despite the fact the team doesn't have a coach.

My only comment on this hire at this point is isn't it weird to hire an OC before a head coach? Just a thought.

Also, ESPNEWS has been reporting that Gregg Williams is no longer a candidate for the head coach position and that he actually fell out of favor during his 4 interviews. That must have been some falling out considering he was given a huge raise not too many seasons ago to not pursue other head coaching jobs so he could take over for Joe Gibbs when he left right? Or did I only dream that since no one seems to be mentioning that now.

Well, at least we don't have the problems the Raiders do. People complain about him but at least he hasn't lost it like "Tracksuit" Al Davis. Some things never change.

Another tribute for Taylor

I saw this story floating across the news wires today and thought this was a pretty cool tribute.

Similar to what Major League Baseball did to honor Jackie Robinson this past year, Skins Pro Bowlers Chris Cooley and Chris Samuels will wear No. 21 to honor the late Sean Taylor at this year's Pro Bowl. It's a fitting tribute since Taylor is the first person voted to an All-Star team since 1986, and it should be fun if for nothing more than to see DL flattened by OL.

On the coaching front, it seems Jim Fassel is still considered one of the front runners for the coaching position but there is activity on the OC front as the team interviewed Seattle QB Coach Jim Zorn for the position.

Regardless of how this all plays out, we should at least be a different team offensively in '08.

The Super Bowl is upon us, so it's time for lists

In what is sure to be only one of many lists - and provides us with a welcome break from the sluggish coaching search that is underway - EPSN has ranked the performances of all 82 starting QB's.

And while the list is top heavy with the performances of QB's from the bay area, it's nice to see Doug Williams' 4 TD performance in Super Bowl XXII crack the top 3. The first game I actually remember watching was Super Bowl XXII and what made it even more special is the fact I lived in San Diego at the time. I even remember touring the stadium the day before and getting to see the field all painted up for the festivities.

It's a shame things haven't been nearly as exciting in a long time but hopefully the Skins are about to turn the corner and become a top franchise again like they were in the late 1980s, early 1990s.

Is the surprise spoiled?

My last post dealt with the lack of noise involving the Skins coaching search and a possible rabbit that could be pulled out of a hat. Well, it looks like the surprise could be spoiled if this is to be believed and this is the big secret.

I hate this move if Jim Fassel is to be named head coach, and am equally not as thrilled if he becomes the OC on Gregg Williams' staff. In case anyone forgot to notice, Fassel struggled his last couple of years with the Giants and his time in Baltimore was a nightmare at best. I'm not saying Al Saunders' days in DC have been anything more than mediocre, but Fassel would be a definite downgrade.

I have no problems with looking at tons of candidates and keeping things hushed up so that your fans have something to get excited about once an announcement is made but this is not the right direction. If Dan Snyder is worried about the offense and the growth of Jason Campbell, let get someone who could move Campbell forward, not set him back.

I don't know who is out there that is looking for a move up, but if the Skins want to go unconventional, let's find someone who has a track record better than mediocre. If you want mediocre or someone like Fassel, go after his former boss Brian Billick instead. At least he won the Super Bowl matchup between the two and held on to his previous job longer.

Are we being deceived in the coaching search?

Bram Weinstein brought up an interesting point in the Redskins Radio e-mail today, saying that the apparent "lack" of information being divulged about the Skins coaching search is very similar to the last time, when Joe Gibbs ended his retirement to resurrect the franchise.

I'm not a huge Weinstein fan, but I do like his comment about waiting for owner Dan Snyder to "pull a rabbit out of his hat." He still thinks the job goes to D coordinator Gregg Williams or recent interview Jim Mora Jr., but I think Snyder is still trying to see if he can convince Bill Cowher or someone with successful, previous head coaching experience to take the helm. I'm for this idea, especially since the Big Tuna already has a new gig.

I've let my thoughts on this matter be known in previous posts and hopefully this matter will be settled soon. There is only so much you can say about a covert coaching search.

Green, Monk, Grimm finalists for Hall

In his first year of eligibility, Darrell Green took another step towards being elected to the Hall of Fame by being named one of the 17 finalsts. And while I am really excited that Green is being received so well, I can't help but wonder if the voters will finally wise up and elect Art Monk this year.

Skins fans know Monk retired as the leader in multiple receiving categories in NFL history but was overshadowed by at the same time as GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) Jerry Rice. And while it's been a shame that Monk has been denied his spot for so long, the thing that really gets me is that Michael Irvin was voted in before him, even though Monk's stats over his career were better than Irvin's in almost every category.

I could rant and rave about this for days but I will save that if Monk is once again denied when the final vote is cast on Feb. 2.

Other finalists who contributed to the Skins include Russ Grimm and Andre Reed (we won't hold the fact that he mainly played for Buffalo against him).

Who will be the next coach?

Now that the media carousel is spitting out tons of names for the vacant head coaching gig, let's take a look at who may actually be on the radar:

1. Jim Schwartz (Tennessee defensive coordinator): The first official interview, I find it hard to believe that while he is one of the hot candidates this offseason he will actually get the job. If Dan Snyder decides to hire a defensive minded HC, I think another former Titan DC will get the job. Which brings us to ...

2. Gregg Williams (Washington assistant head coach-defense): This in house candidate and former head coach seemed to be named the successor to Joe Gibbs the moment Gibbs hired him to run the defense. However, the longer this process drags out and the more big name candidates interview for the job, the less likely it seems Williams has the job locked up.

3. Al Saunders (Washington assistant head coach-offense): Another former head coach in the league, Saunders was brought in two years ago to punch up the offense. Unfortunately, I don't know if the offense was really that much better under his guidance and I don't really see him as a likely choice to succeed Gibbs.

4. Bill Cowher (former Pittsburgh head coach): This is the exact type of big splash Snyder has made in the past and he could do a lot worse than hiring the former Steelers head guy. However, Cowher has repeatedly said he wanted to take two years off before coaching again which would put his return in 2009. But we know from experience that if Snyder wants something bad enough, he will usually throw enough money at it to make sure he gets it. So if Cowher feels the need to get rich again, he will probably have the opportunity.

5. Russ Grimm (Arizona assistant head coach-offensive line): Gibbs wanted to bring his former lineman in to run the offense when he returned but Pittsburgh wouldn't let go of him. One of the fans choices to replace Cowher, Grimm was passed up and followed Ken Wisenhunt to Arizona. It's probably not likely Grimm will be hired but it would be fun to see the old "Hog" take control of a team he helped get to 3 Super Bowls as a player.

I personally still think Williams has to be the favorite to get the job but if Cowher can be swayed out of the booth, the job is his. Either one would be a good choice to run the Skins and have the type of mentality needed to keep this team headed in the right direction.

Gibbs to retire

Well, I feel like an idiot. After my late post last night getting on the media for the slew of stories we were about to get about whether Joe Gibbs would return, he goes and decides to announce his retirement today.

Gibbs took on a lot this year and to say his second run wasn't as good as his first is unfair. He was out of football almost completely (he spent a couple of seasons as an in-studio announcer right after his first retirement) and had about 15 years of progress to catch up on. And while he still made some big blunders and had troubles at times adjusting to the "New NFL," he still took us to the playoffs.

At the very least the AP put it best in their story when they said Gibbs twice rescued the franchise from mediocrity because before his return, we were on our way to becoming the 1990s Bengals.

The obvious replacement has to be Gregg Williams, who it has been rumored was to be the heir apparent when Gibbs finally left, but it could still be a somewhat open position. Al Saunders is also being rumored as a replacement but you have to feel that after he has struggled to get this offense going in two years, he is more of a long shot.

Who do you think will replace Gibbs? Drop a comment saying who you'd like to see as the next head guy for our team.

Let the media circus begin

The Skins have been out of the playoffs for two days and the local media is already harping on whether Joe Gibbs will be back as coach next season. Nevermind the fact that he is probably still processing the loss to the Seahawks and enjoying his first day off in months, but in an effort to be the first one to break a potential story the media now has to harass a coach the day after his team's season finishes as to whether he is retiring.

I don't know about you but when I finish a huge project that has taken up all of my time, I tend to enjoy a day or two to relax before I start thinking about the next job. And it's my feeling that if I feel that way many others may to, including Joe so why not give the guy a break. He should have at least earned that much considering the type of year he had.

Seattle comeback ends 07 for Skins

Arguably the hottest team in the NFC entering the playoffs, the Skins saw their season come to a halt with a loss at Seattle on Saturday.

But rather than try to dissect what went right, wrong or second-guess the guy getting paid millions to make the decisions, I would like to take a few moments to reflect on how far the team came this year.

I realize I may be shooting myself in the foot with this statement but the fact that we made the playoffs after the season we had should be considered a victory, especially since it looked like we didn't have what it took after the loss to Buffalo. However, the team rallied together and pulled off a run similar to that from a couple of years.

Now that this season is behind the Skins, we will now spend the next few months speculating what options are available and while we will be doing this a little earlier than desired, I believe that the pieces are place for another run next year, despite the fact things looked good heading into '06 after the run to the '05 playoffs.

Aside from speculating about who Dan Snyder will overpay to come play here, Skins have another cause to keep a close eye on - Art Monk's Hall of Fame election. All I will say about this right now is that it is a tragedy Michael Irvin was voted in before Monk, but both deserve to be there. But again, another topic for another time.

I want to close by saying congrats to the Skins for what they did accomplish and let's hope 2008 turns out better than '07.

Playoffs: Redskins at Seattle

For the second time in the second Joe Gibbs era the Skins have made the playoffs by winning a bunch of games in a row to sneak in as the No. 6 seed.

Previews with an abundance of breakdowns showing why each team will win can be found all over the net so I will end this post with one thought: How cool would it be for the Redskins to open the playoffs and 2008 with a win at Seattle, especially since they try to boast having the loudest fans in the league?

Hail to the Redskins.

Williams replaces Taylor in Pro Bowl

The late Sean Taylor's Pro Bowl replacement was announced today, Cowboys S Roy Williams. And while it may seem sacrilegious to replace Taylor with a Cowboy, it seems to make sense that one big hitter replaces another. Congrats to Roy on his trip to Hawaii but hopefully Washington will have the last laugh this postseason.

Does Joe Gibbs match up to his Hall of Fame self?

For only the third time since he retired the first time, the Washington Redskins are heading back to the playoffs under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs. Now there is no doubt in my mind that what Gibbs did in his first tenure with the team qualifies him as a Hall of Famer however anyone who feels the second time around has been as good as the first is just kidding themselves.

But before you go accusing me of saying Gibbs is not a good coach, I want to take an in depth, impartial look at how "The Return of the King," as the Washington Post dubbed his coming out of retirement, has really gone.

First and foremost, Gibbs is the best coach we have had since his retirement. He is the only coach to take us to the playoffs twice, and other than Norv Turner's one playoff year, he is the only coach to post a winning season since then too.

But the one question I have is if Gibbs wasn't who he is, would he have lasted this long at the helm?

His overall record in 4 years (not including the playoffs) is 30-34 and he has losing seasons of 6-10 and 5-11. I think it would be fair to assume that he would have been a coach on the hot seat heading into the season and that he may have even been out of a job in the AFC by midseason. So it sure was nice for him to have the reputation he did.

However, looking past measureables such as records and statistics, it is apparent that Gibbs was the right guy to have in charge this year. It seems that his personality and experience have been invaluable in dealing with the scores of injuries and tragedies the team faced this year and his positive outlook made it possible to rally the Skins and earn the final playoff spot.

And as Washington gets ready for Saturday's game, you have to feel confident knowing that with Gibbs at the helm the Skins should be able to beat Seattle, especially after the year in which the Seahawks have had.

So while media pundits and reporters outside of DC continue to argue whether the game has passed Gibbs by, I feel confident in knowing that he is the one in charge on Saturday. After all, we could be stuck with Norv or Steve Spurrier.

Happy 2008

I realize that it has been a long time since I have regularly updated this blog but in the tradition of New Year's resolutions, one of mine is to update this blog more frequently. But first things first, congrats to the Skins for making the playoffs despite the emotional and injury drains.

We get another shot at Seattle in the playoffs and considering where this team picked itself up from, we should be considered by everyone in the NFC as the scariest team in the playoffs. Excluding the loss to the Patriots, even when the Skins were down they managed to keep their other losses within 8 points.

It will take a lot to make the Super Bowl and it will take even more to beat the AFC rep, but I don't see any reason why Washington won't make it. Granted we beat a down Dallas team and we also lost to Green Bay and Tampa Bay during the regular season, but again, those were close games coming down to the final drive.

The postseason already got more exciting with Washington earning the final spot, but the fact that we actually have a shot at advancing makes it even better.