Guest Article: Time to Demand Results

Guest Article submitted by: Carlos, from the DC area

As a long-term resident of the DC area I have been an avid Redskins fan my entire life. I am writing in response to the previous post stating there are "reasons to be optimistic". As a long-term fan I am tired of the constant excuses and promises of "next year". While I agree that there are some promising players on the team, such as Orakpo, Kerrigan, Helu, and Riley, there are still significant issues to address; and I am honestly not sure that Mike Shanahan is the coach to get it right. Shanahan must demonstrate to Snyder and the fan base that he has a solid long-term plan for the team.

While I am not advocating that Snyder fire him at the end of season--at least not yet--I do think the team should be performing better than it is. While I did not expect the Redskins to play like the Packers, Patriots or Steelers, I do think a final record near .500 was a reasonable expectation. Even though the Redskins are still "rebuilding" I think it is important that Snyder soon meet with Allen and Shanahan, ask them both how they plan on addressing the team's weaknesses, what players they will acquire in the off-season, what resources they need to achieve these goals, and how they will end the 2012 season with a record near .500 or better. Snyder must make it clear that failure and subpar performance in 2012 are unacceptable.

The fan base is honestly tired of waiting for "next year" when "next year" never comes. The fan base has spent the better part of 20 years, with the exception of three seasons, waiting for the team to change. No matter the coach, no matter who the team drafts, no matter what schemes the team adopts, the fan base finds endures the same garbage year in and year out. I am honestly tired of hearing "wait 3-4 years" because, no matter who is in charge, 3-4 years pass; and we end up with the same below average to mediocre team. The same mistakes--dropped passes, fumbles, INT's in the red zone, offensive linemen who hold or jump offsides, missed field goals at crucial points in games, defensive backs and safeties who give up big plays, players who do not live up to the expectations associated with their contracts, and so forth--continue unabated. The Redskins have subjected their fans to almost 20 years of gross incompetence, mismanagement, and failure to meet expectations.

This is the same team who somehow manages to at least play semi-competitive games against the Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, and other top tier teams; but cannot manage to beat teams in more dire predicaments like the old Lions, Rams, Panthers, Dolphins, and Chiefs--franchises that have been bad for years, if not decades. They find ways to blow games they should win easily. Teams that are 2-6, 1-7, and so forth love to play the Redskins because they know, for at least that one Sunday, they will look like the Packers or Steelers. If you are a coach who desperately needs a win to keep your job, if you see the Redskins on the schedule, it is your lucky day because they will make your team look like a top contender. It gets frustrating because the Redskins never manage to get over that hump.

I did not expect the Redskins to be like the Packers, Patriots, Saints, Steelers, and other top-tier teams this year. 3-12 or 4-12 would have been acceptable for Shanahan's first year, not his second. That the team will likely finish well below . 500 is unacceptable even for a "rebuilding effort". The team does not seem to be getting better. In fact it seems to be getting worse. While I agree it is premature to fire Shanahan after this year, Snyder must issue the following ultimatum to Allen and Shanahan in the off-season: Either finish near. 500 in 2012 or you're fired. He must make it clear that, while 2012 will be a rebuilding year, there need to be concrete signs of improvement.

The bottom line is that fan base is tired of losing. They would be willing to endure a 3-13 or 4-12 season if they were convinced Allen and Shanahan were making the right personnel decisions and laying the groundwork for long term success. As of today they do not see evidence of that long-term vision. Instead all they see is more of the same, especially at the QB position. Shanahan and Allen do not seem to have a clear vision or plan for improving the team. The fan base would be willing to endure another losing season if meant that the pieces were starting to finally fit. They just do not see that. The fans are not seeing progress or improvement, but more regression. That the offense has scored only one touchdown since in three games does not represent improvement, but rather a serious step backwards.

For example the Detroit Lions represent a positive turnaround story. In 2009 their first win after an 0-16 2008 was against the Redskins. In 2010, while they finished 6-10, they were competitive in several of their games and lost some heartbreakers. Even though their season ended without a playoff berth anyone following the Lions could see that the team would be competitive within 1-3 years. You can see similar turnarounds in San Francisco (which, like the Redskins, finished 6-10 in 2010), Oakland, and Buffalo. And, despite continuing to lose, Carolina is showing signs of improved performance under Cam Newton. Furthermore many of these franchises were in much dire shape than the Redskins. While these other teams have achieved turnarounds in short order, the Redskins continue to show very little signs of improvement, especially on the offensive side of the football.

The Redskins are rapidly turning into the Orioles of the NFL: a once well-regarded team that is now a joke in their division. It becomes extremely frustrating to see the Redskins always finish last in the NFC East when, with an exception of a rare bad season here or there, the Cowboys, Eagles, and Giants are usually .500 or better and in the playoff discussion. Those teams always seem to have it together, while the Redskins remained mired in last place.

Maybe Shanahan and the team can somehow put together 2-3 more wins and finish 6-10. However, if the team does end up with a record as bad as Zorn's 2009 team, Snyder musk ask the difficult questions and demand concrete results for next year. The patience of the fan base is wearing thin. They want results, not excuses.