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A lack of leadership from the inexperienced coaching staff was obvious. Jim Zorn had no business being the head coach in the first place. Why would a quarterbacks coach from Seattle get a head coaching job? He had no idea what he was doing. That's why Mike Shanahan was hired, a proven winner of three Super Bowls, one of which was with the San Francisco 49ers as an offensive coordinator. The other two were with Denver Broncos in the late nineties. Bruce Allen was also hired as a general manager to make better roster decisions. He is the son of former Redskins coach George Allen, but his resume of assembling Super Bowl caliber rosters is impressive.
Seasoned veterans were acquired to add more experience and leadership in the locker room. Donovan McNabb upgrades the quarterback position with his athleticism and awareness, but his tendency to get injured is a cause for concern. The question of why a division rival would trade their franchise quarterback for draft picks is still baffling to me. McNabb may be almost thirty-four years old, but he can still play. There is no doubt about that. The offseason workouts he puts himself through were designed to keep himself in the best shape of his life. Even younger players struggle to keep up with him in the weight room. The Redskins will face the Eagles twice this season, and he will get his revenge in the first game or the next. Rex Grossman was also signed for insurance purposes, and he looks like one of the most reliable backups in the NFL if the preseason was any indication. Something to think about... John Elway was older than McNabb when he won two consecutive Super Bowls with Shanahan.
The inconsistent play from the offensive line last season caused the offense to rank near the bottom in scoring and efficiency. Injuries and lack of depth may have caused this, and this problem was addressed in the draft and free agency. The retirement of Chris Samuels came as a huge blow to a team in need of a talented left tackle. Trent Williams from Oklahoma was their first pick in the draft back in April, and he will be expected to protect McNabb's blind side. Clinton Portis and Larry Johnson will require a considerable amount of help from the line to find holes to run through. The running game is bound to succeed in the Shanahan system though. Unknown running backs would inevitably become statistical stars in Denver. Sixth round picks like Terrell Davis could gain over two thousand yards in a season and be named Super Bowl MVP. Clinton Portis started his career with Shanahan, and hopefully this will inspire and motivate him to play like he used to. It won't take long for Santana Moss, Joey Galloway, Devin Thomas, Chris Cooley and Fred Davis to find chemistry with a quarterback like McNabb. With adequate protection, he can rifle it wherever he wants it to go. The receivers just need to pay attention.
The defense actually played well last season, and they will continue to make things difficult for opposing offenses. Albert Haynesworth's criticism of the new 3-4 defensive scheme is now infamous, and he continues to be a problem for the coaching staff. His millions of dollars have made him apathetic, but his talent and size can still help keep the ball in the backfield. London Fletcher's leadership and tackling ability will keep the defense focused, no matter what Haynesworth may say or do. It is of vital importance that the secondary play attentive and aggressive football. Turnovers are essential for any defense; DeAngelo Hall, Carlos Rogers and Laron Landry have the speed and agility to return any interception for a touchdown. They have to step up and play at a higher level than they ever have before.
The NFC East is one of the hardest divisions to play in, but the outcome of any game can never truly be predicted. They may not play in the Super Bowl any time soon, but there will be a considerable amount of improvement. Redskins fans should be optimistic about what the future may hold. Dan Snyder is desperate for success, and I think he may have finally realized what he has to do to ensure this...NOTHING! He has to let the people he hired do their job, and he found highly qualified people to do what needs to be done. Snyder has turned his attention to other things like stadium renovation. Two gigantic HD screens have been added behind the endzones to keep up with the modern stadiums their rivals have. They're "punter proof" too!
They will start the season off at home against one of these rivals on a Sunday night. The Cowboys have Super Bowl aspirations, but it won't be easy with the new and improved Washington Redskins standing in their way. Here's the rest of their schedule....
| DATE & TIME (Eastern) | OPPONENT | TV |
| Sunday, Sept. 12 - 8:20 PM | Dallas Cowboys | NBC |
| Sunday, Sept. 19 - 4:15 PM | Houston Texans | CBS |
| Sunday, Sept. 26 - 4:05 PM | at St. Louis Rams | FOX |
| Sunday, Oct. 3 - 4:15 PM | at Philadelphia Eagles | FOX |
| Sunday, Oct. 10 - 1:00 PM | Green Bay Packers | FOX |
| Sunday, Oct. 17 - 8:20 PM | Indianapolis Colts | NBC |
| Sunday, Oct. 24 - 1:00 PM | at Chicago Bears | FOX |
| Sunday, Oct. 31 - 1:00 PM | at Detroit Lions | FOX |
| Sunday, Nov. 7 | BYE | |
Monday, Nov. 15 - 8:30 PM | Philadelphia Eagles | ESPN |
Sunday, Nov. 21 - 1:00 PM | at Tennessee Titans | FOX |
Sunday, Nov. 28 - 1:00 PM | Minnesota Vikings | FOX |
Sunday, Dec. 5 - 1:00 PM | at New York Giants | FOX |
Sunday, Dec. 12 - 1:00 PM | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | FOX |
Sunday, Dec. 19 - 1:00 PM | at Dallas Cowboys | FOX |
Sunday, Dec. 26 - 1:00 PM | at Jacksonville Jaguars | CBS |
Sunday, Jan. 2 - 1:00 PM | New York Giants | FOX |
HAIL TO THE REDSKINS!!
