NFL: Applying A Tourniquet To Stop The Bleeding

Redskins owner Daniel Snyder on Monday ripped off the band-aid that had been used to cover a gaping wound and applied a tourniquet. He granted the wishes of 90% of the public and 100% of the media when he fired head coach Norv Turner in the wake of a bitterly disappointing loss to the New York Giants. Receivers coach Terry Robiskie was named interim head coach. He immediately fired special teams coach LeCharls McDaniel (long overdue) and named Jeff George as the starting quarterback.

That means that in the past 24 hours, everything I thought I knew about the Redskins has been torn down. I heard the rumors and read the front-page stories saying Turner would be fired "as soon as Monday," and I dismissed them as conspiracy theories of the media, the people who have spent all season gleefully reporting on the downfall of the $100 million team. I also had hoped that team officials had seen enough of George’s scattershot ways to leave him on the bench.

However, Brad Johnson failed to cooperate in that scenario, playing his worst game as a Redskin. As soon as George came in, with eight minutes left in the game, the team started clicking, moving the ball downfield easily. If the officials had not overturned a James Thrash reception, many people believe wrongly, Eddie Murray would have had an easy chip shot. The Redskins would have won and Norv would still have a job.

Or maybe not. I was strongly against firing Turner, citing the turmoil it would cause within the team three weeks before the end of the season, but after seven years of mediocre results, it was time. After losing to the awful Cardinals, the horrendous Cowboys, and the Eagles and Giants in back-to-back, must-win stinkers at home, Turner had clearly lost the team.

It was still sad to see Turner go. He's a genuinely nice guy, and he was on the verge of tears during the press conference. It's very impressive to see a guy stand up there and address people (media) who have been merciless in their disdain for him in a civil tone.

Robiskie will come in and, if nothing else, fire up the team and get them excited to play, something Turner failed to do for seven seasons. In his first live interview for a local station, Robiskie warned Dallas that he was coming, but stopped short of guaranteeing a victory. He really can’t. Even though this team has the talent -- and here I will use that magical sports phrase--"on paper" to destroy a reeling Dallas team by five touchdowns, he can only hope that the good, interested Redskins team shows up Sunday in Dallas.

Snyder has a bad reputation around the country, because he is portrayed as a meddling jerk. He fired everyone when he took over. He started charging $10 to attend training camp. He overpaid to bring in players he thought could help the team win. I think the media contributes to his reputation, creating an aura surrounding him that is just wrong. During Sunday’s game, Pat Summerall looked at a phone on the sideline marked "MR. SNYDER" and suggested that Snyder probably calls plays down from his luxury box. What Summerall knows about the Redskins can fit in a teacup, so he didn’t know that team officials use that phone to call Snyder’s box and inform him of injuries. Snyder thought making a change at the top was the only way to finish this season on a positive note. The fans of Washington hope he’s right.

A "Peak" at This Week’s Game: It’s Dallas week, but nobody is excited.

Maybe they will be after this game. I think the veterans will respond to Robiskie, and the defense will pummel Troy Aikman. Redskins 21, Cowboys 3. (Or this whole Robiskie thing could be a complete failure and they could lay an egg, in which case a bunch of Washingtonians would be jumping off the 14th Street Bridge Sunday night.)