A Long Rant About the Redskins

You Gotta Play With Emotion
The talk leading up to this game centered on what would happen to the Redskins, and there were only 2 choices: a) they channel the emotion and win, b) they wear out from all the emotion and lose. As it turned out, the results could indicate that both happened (the Redskins had a big lead and blew it), but the truth is, neither happened. First of all, how overly simplistic is it to expect 53 men to react to tragedy in exactly the same way. The thought that every single one of them could be so empowered by Taylor's death that they would play above their usual abilities is preposterous. Some probably played better through their grief, perhaps others were hindered by it. Or maybe during the game they put it out of their minds and played as they do every other Sunday. That's what it looked like to me, as the Redskins blew another game they should have won thanks to bad coaching and the inability to make the one game-clinching play.

Childhood Illustions Shattered
When I was growing up Coach Gibbs was a hero. A larger than life authority figure who coached with an iron fist and a gentle heart. He was tough but he had a soft spot and a deeply religios side. And he won. He won 3 Super Bowls with 3 different quarterbacks, at the time no one had done it with 2 (technically Parcells had 2 different QBs in the Super Bowl, but Simms played most of the second Super Bowl season). And at the time they were 3 of the worst Super Bowl winning quarterbacks. Gibbs then left the team in the incapable hands of Richie Petibon leading to more than a decade of terrible teams. Gibbs left to dominate NASCAR but in 2004 decided to come back. At the time I viewed it as a great return to past glory, good old Coach Gibbs would restore Redskins pride and bring us back where we need to be. In the fourth season of Gibbs Part Deux, it has been an absolute disaster. Other than a playoff appearance in 2005 (after a 5-6 start the Skins won 5 in a row to make the playoffs, even winning the first game), his teams are 6-10, 5-11 and 5-7 so far this year. He clearly hasn't adjusted his game plan to the new NFL which involves more passing and less of his 3 yards and a cloud of dust offense which worked when you could build a great offensive line like the Hogs. Also new in the NFL, calling timeouts right as an opponent tries to kick a field goal. Which brings us to...

The Stupidest Coaching Decision Of Gibbs's Career
With the Redskins leading 16-14 Bills kicker Rian Lindell was lining up for a game-winning field goal from 51 yards away. Gibbs called timeout just as Lindell was about to kick. Lindell made that kick but he would have to try again. As he was about to, Gibbs called timeout again. You can't do that and Gibbs got a 15 yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. That moved Lindell up, to a much easier field goal, which he made, to stick another dagger through the Redskins already pained hearts.

Personal Responsibility
"There's nobody to blame but myself. I should have known the rule." -- Joe Gibbs.

Another Questionable Decision by Gibbs
This one I agreed with at the time, but having access to the results, I now see the logic of going the other way. With 11 minutes left and the Redskins winning 16-8, the Bills were facing 3rd and goal from the 24. They gained 18 yards on the play but also committed a penalty. Gibbs elected to give the Bills a short field goal rather than put them at 3rd and goal from the 34 and risk a penalty for a first down. The Bills probably would have tried a safe running play to get a few yards back and the result would have been the same, but the field goal did come back to haunt the Skins.

Jason Campbell, Not Getting it Done
Campbell had a great first quarter, hitting every receiver but once again he failed in the redzone. The Redskins had 1st and 10 at the 14, 1st and goal at the 3, and 1st and 10 at the 15, and ended up with 3 field goals. Also for the fourth straight game, he couldn't make a play to put the game away.

Tribute to Taylor
The Redskins played their first defensive play of the game with only 10 players, in tribute to Taylor. The Bills gained 22 yards on the play, proving how much Taylor will be missed.