NFL: Redskins' Roller Coaster Season Continues

Sunday was quite eventful for me. My girlfriend and I were traveling back to the D.C. area after Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania. I had set the VCR to tape the Redskins-Eagles game. My whole day was predicated on not finding out the score, so I had to avoid listening to sports or news broadcasts and avoid all human contact for the six hours of what is usually a four-hour trip. I even walked into a rest stop with my head down so as not to not make eye contact with anyone.

What I saw when I finally got home, wolfed down some leftover turkey and stuffing and pushed play was the possible end of the Redskins’ season. A team that had Super Bowl aspirations is left grasping for a playoff berth.

I won’t even go into why they lost, because no one even knows. What is more disturbing is that they did lose. To a team with far less talent running a high-school offense, in a game that would have given them the division lead. At home. Six days after beating the World Champion St. Louis Rams on the road. There are no excuses, even though more than half the offensive starters were missing due to injury. You get seven shots from inside the three-yard line, you punch it in. If you don’t, you don’t deserve to be a playoff team.

Everyone around here wants Norv Turner fired. I’m not sure that is the answer. After all, it’s not his fault that the special teams stink. Anyway, this team would be so much better if they had some emotional leadership. Turner is not going to provide that, so it’s up to the players. The veterans that this team shelled out millions of dollars for need to have a locker room tirade.

Where are Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, Mark Carrier? Art Monk may have been one of the most reserved football players ever, but when he made a locker room speech in 1990, the Redskins won their last five games and stormed into the playoffs. That’s what they need right now.

The Jeff George experiment is over, for this year and possibly forever. He has an arm like a cannon, but he makes stupid decisions. He’s too nonchalant with the ball. He stands in the pocket like a statue before throwing 40 yards downfield into double coverage. Every snap, I hold my breath until I make sure he hasn’t fumbled or thrown a crippling interception. His record as a starter was 1-2, right on pace with his career winning percentage. He lost to the Cardinals and Eagles. Time to bench him.

Turner is going to end this QB controversy now, and start Brad Johnson Sunday. He is the QB for this team. He’s a poised veteran who can calmly move the team down the field--and, at least for this season with this team--to a missed field goal. Just hope the Redskins have some sense and sign him to a long-term deal this offseason.

Sunday, the Redskins take on the New York Giants. At home. In a game that will determine if they make the playoffs. Befitting their roller coaster season, they’ll probaby win by three touchdowns. Or lose by one point. For such a veteran team, you never know which one is going to show up.

I should have asked someone the Redskins score in that rest stop. I would have saved myself three hours of agony.