One comment from Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden sums up perfectly why the Redskins have been a losing team for most of the past two decades. This week, Gruden assessed the Redskins season so far by saying, "a play here, a play there, we're just so close to being 7-2 instead of 3-6."
If only someone at Redskins park has the smarts or job security to tell you flat out: "NO WAY!"
And as long as this "cup half full" attitude permeates this organization, as it has since Dan Snyder took over the team nearly 20 years ago, this team will never win.
In order to be good one day, the Redskins "powers that be" (whomever they may be) have to first admit that they aren't a very good football team right now, and then spend the next 3-4 years building a winner, piece by piece. It is borderline delusional to This team continue acting as if they are just one play, one call, one bounce or one star player away from being among NFL elite.
Because while Gruden is dreaming of winning four more woulda, coulda, shoulda games, no one is addressing the team's fundamental personnel weaknesses which leave this team a half a dozen or more good players away from being truly competitive.
After all, what playoff caliber team starts four offensive lineman who are either league average or below average at their position.
What Superbowl contender starts two safeties that are too slow to keep up with any good wide receivers down the field, and not agile enough to tackle in open spaces.
No good team starts two young cornerbacks that are fairly good at man-to-man coverage, but at the same time are absolutely horrible at playing any kind of zone (backed by a nickel back that simply can't cover no matter what the defense).
And what 7-2 team generates virtually no pass rush without blitzing linebackers, or safeties, or both.
It has been often said, "you are what your record says you are." And with all of these weaknesses, it is foolish to say the Redskins are anything better than their 3-6 record.
Now, I'm not knocking Coach Gruden's optimism, (or that of Coaches Shanahan, Zorn, Gibbs, or Spurrier before him). A head couch should believe that his team has at least a chance to win every game.
But you can't have an entire organization thinking like that. Or, worse yet, one that hurls the "hater" label at anyone who objectively assesses the weaknesses and needs of this team.
Let Snyder, GM Bruce Allen, and Gruden keep up the "Happy Talk" that constantly emanates from Redskins Park. But to counterbalance this and move forward to better times, the team must hire a grounded voice of reason, to tell it to them straight -- replacing this "culture of unfounded optimism" with an uncomfortable dose of reality.
This person can't be angling to be the next coach or next GM, and shouldn't care less about being the owner's buddy -- happily joining Snyder for aged steaks and over-priced wine. This person must be arrogant enough not to want or need to be liked, but with the experience and clout so their sage advice isn't ignored.
This needs to be a guy who won't quietly accept the owner's wish to trade four high draft picks for one talented but fragile quarterback. This guy knows better than to hope and wish the offensive line improves year and year without using high draft picks on lineman high (rounds one or two). This is a guy who won't dream of spending $100 million on one fat, unmotivated defensive lineman thinking the pass rush problem is solved with the stroke of a pen.
So until Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen admit they aren't the "smartest guys in the room," stop thinking that they are way closer to being good than they really are, and hire a successful team builder like Bill Parcells or Bill Polian to set them on the right course, the losing will continue, year after optimistic year.
