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Sunday, June 5, 2011
Time to get into the top ten worst teams of 2011, lets start with the Washington Redskins. Last offseason the team hired Mike Shannahan and traded for Donovan McNabb, two moves that were supposed to turn around the Redskins. Instead they ended up at 6-10 and are now in a rebuilding stage. Surprisingly, the Redskins did not pick a QB in the draft. Now with Washington not wanting anything to do with McNabb and Grossman definitely not being the answer, could John Beck start for the Hogs? That is a question left for the future. What is not a question, how great a past this team has.
Some head coaches represent the franchise that they once helped win. Joe Gibbs is that kind of coach. Gibbs style of play in his first stint with the Redskins was to build a strong offensive line, known as "The Hogs." That philosophy helped players like John Riggins to run to open daylight and more importantly help the Redskins to three Super Bowl Championships. Gibbs has the most wins in franchise history and has the third best winning percentage in NFL history. Gibbs got hired by Washington in 1981 and after losing the first five games of his rookie season, the tension was on. Luckily the Redskins would finish with a 8-8, which would be the worst record for Gibbs in his first ten years as Washington's head coach. In 1982, Hogs nation was finally blessed with a Super Bowl title when the team beat the Miami Dolphins 27-17 in Super Bowl XVII. 1983 might of brought a 14-2 record for the Redskins, but it also brought a 38-9 loss at the hands of the Oakland Raiders in 1983. The next few years, the Redskins' seasons were highlighted with early playoff exits. In 1987, Washington was able to get back to the big game thanks to the arm of Doug Williams. In Super Bowl XXII, Williams became the first African American QB to win a Super Bowl when the Redskins blew out the Denver Broncos 42-10. Gibbs would win his third and final championship in 1991 when Washington finished with a 14-2 record and steamrolled through the playoffs on route to win Super Bowl XXVI over the Buffalo Bills 37-24. After a sub par 1992 season, Gibbs surprised everyone by retiring. In 1996, Gibbs was inducted into the Hall of Fame and actually came back to the Redskins in the 2004 season. Of course, for this coaching great, that return is best left untold.
The most dominating CB of our history of the franchise series is also the greatest Redskin of all time. Darrell Green was drafted in the first round of the 1983 draft out of Texas A&M-Kingsville. One of the fastest NFL players in NFL history, Green was known to keep a Tootsie Roll in his sock to help him run faster. In Green's 19 seasons with the Redskins, Green went to seven Pro Bowls, was a first team all-pro selection four times, and is apart of the 1990's all-decade team. The first time Green touched the ball, he returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown in a preseason game. That play would prove how much of a dynamic player Green was. In his rookie season, Green would lead the team in solo tackles with 79 and would finish as a runner up in the Rookie of the Year voting. It is hard to pick Green's best season as a player. For 19 years he played some Hall of Fame worthy football. One of Green's toughest performances came in the 1987 NFC Championship Game. Green was playing with a torn rib cartilage when he forced a fumble to secure the victory that would help the Redskins get to their first Super Bowl Championship. In 1997, Green would return an interception for 83 yards, which would be the longest of his career but definitely not his last. In the last game of his career, Green ended it how it began: with a big play. Green returned a punt 35 yards on a reverse by Champ Bailey, which is the longest gain from a player his age. Green is a true Iron Man that not only started nearly game of his career, but played each game like it was his last. Green was voted into the Hall of Fame in 2008 and is one of the greatest CB's to ever play this game. Click here to look at Green's stats. Note: tackles were not recorded before 2001, Green had a total of 1,159 tackles.
Lets give some love to the offensive line here. I mean without a good offensive line, everything will go down the toilet. Without this all-pro guard, the Redskins may not have three Super Bowls. Russ Grimm was selected in the third round of the 1981 draft out of Pittsburgh. In his ten year career, Grimm went to four Pro Bowls and was a first team all-pro selection four times. Grimm was better known playing alongside Jeff Bostic, Mark May, George Starke, and Joe Jacoby which became known "Hogs" offensive line. The "Hogs" helped the Redskins get to four Super Bowls and win three of them. Many teammates, such as May, said that Grimm embraced the "Hogs" persona then anybody else on the Redskins during the Joe Gibbs era. After finishing as a finalist for the Hall of Fame on numerous occasions, Grimm was elected into the Hall in 2010. Grimm will be a Redskin forever and that showed after he coached the team for nine years. Grimm went on to coach the offensive line for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He currently serves as the O-line coach for Arizona, but will be a "Hog" for life.
Unfortunately there is no love for the QB here, yep another signal caller bust. Heath Shuler was selected third overall by the Redskins in the 1994 draft. Shuler had a promising college career with Tennessee by finishing second in Heisman Trophy voting and also setting numerous records for the Volunteers (records that have since been broken by Peyton Manning, sorry Shuler). After Joe Gibbs retirement in 1993, the Redskins had fallen on some tough times and looked to Shuler as their QB of the future. Like many busts, Shuler held out of training camp until he got the deal he wanted, a 7 year $19.25 million ($2.75 million a year). Shuler was never able to live up to the contract as his poor play eventually got him replaced by Gus Frerotte. His poor career was highlighted by five interceptions against the Arizona Cardinals in 1996 that eventually got him traded. To say it nicely, the Redskins could of gotten a better player with that selection. Marshall Faulk was chosen by the Indianapolis Colts just a pick before the Redskins drafted Shuler. Probably the best QB's that were taken in 1994, were undrafted (Jeff Garcia, Kurt Warner). Click here to look at Shuler's stats.
One of the greatest coaches in NFL history, Joe Gibbs changed the face of the Redskins to help them win three Super Bowls. Gibbs most notably helped strengthen the Redskins offensive line. Sure Gibbs had great players like Doug Williams, John Riggins, and Art Monk but you can't argue that his style of play helped turn the Redskins into what they are today. He is why they have three Super Bowl Championships. He is why there is so much "Hogs" pride. Joe Gibbs defines the Redskins and I don't expect any coach to define Washington like Gibbs has anytime soon.
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