Andrew’s Redskins’ Review. Now With Added Shanahan

So a disappointing season has limped to and end. Back in my First Look articles, from last August, I saw us finishing last but was hoping we’d make a fight of it. It wasn’t really to be.

The likable, but perhaps out of his depth Jim Zorn has gone, in a move that is in no way surprising – he’d probably been emptying his office steadily over the last few months – and Mike Shanahan is in. Not just as Coach, but in an Final Say role that he likes and that the team needs. But there’s a lot to fix, let’s take a look at some of the problems he’s inherited.

The Offensive Line
Make no mistake, this was a terrible unit this year. Whether it was injuries or just bad play it all starts with these guys and a lot of the other issues are direct results of these guys. When passing, there is never any confidence that when Campbell drops back he is going to have any time or space, that the pocket will hold as long as it needs to.

When Running, there’s little confidence that they’ll clear the way or win the battles that they need to The ‘Skins were 27th in rushing yards, with a paltry 94.4 yards per game. That’s something to be addressed. Which leads me onto…

Running Back
Clinton Portis is a great player, there’s no mistake on that. Through all his years, he’s given is all but it’s that effort that’s starting to take its toll. Even when fit (or at least as fit as he gets) he didn’t look like the same player. Those years of hard-won yards starting to take their toll? Age? Conditioning? That damned offensive line again? Probably a combination of all these things and more. We also saw that Ladell Betts was not a starter, and that the rest of the backs weren’t really up to it either. One glimmer is the emergence of Quinton Ganther as a hard runner who’s difficult to bring down and who will fight for those extra yards.

Clinton Portis played his first two seasons under the new Man in town, and there’s a strong chance that we’ll see an offense that will suit him better next season.
A fan favourite, they’ll be many who’ll want him to do well. But I can’t help but think that he’s on the downside and we should be looking to back him up with a young stud. Could that be Ganther? Probably too early to say, but I don’t want to go into the 2010 season with the backs as they are.

Jason Campbell
There are some, me included, who think that Jason Campbell has shown us an awful lot this season. He’s been strong, he’s made plays and he’s shown the sort of guts and determination you can build a team on. He’s still been frustrating, but not in the sort of measures the 2008 model was. All things considered, he was certainly better than he ended last season and you got the feeling he could see a drive out when it matters. Of course, the record won’t reflect that and his teammates (yes you, Clinton) taking shots at him – questioning his leadership, temperament and virtues won’t help at all. He’s out of contract this off-season, and we don’t know at this point what Mike Shanahan is thinking. If not him though, we’ve got no-one who can lead the team and will be looking at the draft and then to start a rookie.
Personally I think he’s earned a solid chance to show what he can do. I’ve not been his biggest fan over the short years, but he’s won me over this year.

Older Players
There’s nothing definitive that says that older players cannot be productive, though it favours some positions more than others. Some coaches thrive on it, and get the best out of players in the ‘later’ years of their playing careers. Let’s see what Shanahan can do, as Santana Moss and Antwaan Randel El will both be 31 before the next season starts, Clinton Portis will be 29 and across the board this isn’t a young team. Half of the O-line will be well into their 30s.
Some of the younger players stepped up this year (finally, in some cases!) and it will be good to see how they progress from this. Even if in some cases, like at Tight End, it could mean some tough choices.

The Defence
If there was one bright spot (and for the record, there was more than one) then it was the performance of the D. They frequently kept us in games, and played hard. Of course, they got blown out on a couple of occasions, and in a couple of days they were beaten in the 4th quarter after tough games. But there have been misteps too. DeAngelo Hall has missed so many tackles that I’ve lost count; LaRon Landry took a step backwards this season and an opposition QB will pick on Fred Smoot all day long. Albert Haynesworth wasn’t the same player he’d been at the Titans, but he was doing a different role. With solid play from the rest of the line (who are also ageing) and rookie wonder Brian Orakpo at linebacker with the best MLB in the NFL in London Fletcher there is a solid core that can make good things happen.

It’s way too early to make guesses or predictions for what next year will bring. We have the #4 pick and can expect some aggressive free agency work too. As ever, it’ll be interesting to watch the off-season and see what happens.

Image Credits: Skaines, clydeorama and davidseletyn
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