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So Jerry Brewer is a columnist recently transplanted from Seattle. His articles have been thought provoking and well written with a decidedly different tone and tenor than I've recently see from many local articles written about the Skins.
Perhaps it's because he comes from an area and has written about a franchise that has known and built recent success.
Excerpt
OK, I get it now.
The Washington Redskins are to catastrophe what Apple is to technology. They didn’t invent their specialty, but they have reimagined its possibilities.
Despite all the seemingly outlandish tales of dysfunction that have been told during Daniel Snyder’s 16 years of ownership, it’s impossible to prepare for how jarring it is to experience up close for the first time. I’ve covered misguided franchises, but this is unprecedented pandemonium. There’s a persistent storm, and even though there are pieces in place now to remedy the problem, there might not be enough umbrellas to keep everyone dry. In this weather, good intentions can get flooded easily.
The team has yet to play its third preseason game, and it already feels like the season is starting to rot amid endless Robert Griffin III controversies and uncertainty over Coach Jay Gruden’s authority and injuries and miscommunication and cynicism. If the franchise doesn’t stabilize soon, the drama could stunt the growth of a rebuilding plan that actually has an upside.
There’s no doubt in my mind that, if new General Manager Scot McCloughan implements his plan without interference, the Redskins will have the talent in a few seasons to build a sustainable winner. He is part of a team-building tree that, for nearly 25 years, has created champions across the NFL. And McCloughan has been a significant contributor to some of that greatness.
But for all the optimism Washington should be enjoying, it’s increasingly clear every day that truly getting off the ground is the ultimate challenge. The dysfunction must diminish before it interferes with the momentum of this rebuilding.
McCloughan has had a solid start, adding talent without hindering future salary-cap flexibility and carrying through with a vision to make this a more physical team with a deeper roster that is less dependent on identifying a quarterback savior.
Nevertheless, after an encouraging training camp that featured a good, workmanlike vibe around the team, the Redskins have reverted back to chaos the past two weeks. While some of the issues are the result of extreme media scrutiny, the controversies aren’t imaginary. Griffin is still tone deaf when making public remarks, and though he has shown some signs of improvement in practice, he hasn’t done anything in two preseason games, outside of throwing near certain 61-yard touchdown pass that Pierre Garcon dropped. Gruden has been unconvincing in his defense of starting Griffin. It’s obvious the coach has reservations about whether Griffin can prosper in this offense, which led to the decision to keep the quarterback in the game and suffer too much abuse against Detroit last week.
Griffin suffered a concussion in that game. We think.
Even the injury report is up for debate at Redskins Park.
Don’t expect any clarity from Griffin. Not on whether he truly has a concussion. Not on how to divide the responsibility for all the pressure he faced against Detroit. And definitely not on whether Gruden should’ve him put him back in the Detroit game for a painful fourth series that ended with him lying helmet-first on the turf.
“As we like to say, I just work here, man,” Griffin said Thursday, speaking publicly for the first time since the Lions debacle.
Griffin seems fatigued, not defiant or even resigned. No athlete in town lives under a microscope like he does, and at the same time, no athlete invites so much attention without being able to properly pacify it. On Thursday, he had another chance to diffuse a situation with a little personality, candor and self-awareness. Instead, he came off proud and aloof, and he squandered an opportunity to gain some locker-room affinity by not making a point to defend his maligned offensive line.
Perhaps it's because he comes from an area and has written about a franchise that has known and built recent success.
Excerpt
OK, I get it now.
The Washington Redskins are to catastrophe what Apple is to technology. They didn’t invent their specialty, but they have reimagined its possibilities.
Despite all the seemingly outlandish tales of dysfunction that have been told during Daniel Snyder’s 16 years of ownership, it’s impossible to prepare for how jarring it is to experience up close for the first time. I’ve covered misguided franchises, but this is unprecedented pandemonium. There’s a persistent storm, and even though there are pieces in place now to remedy the problem, there might not be enough umbrellas to keep everyone dry. In this weather, good intentions can get flooded easily.
The team has yet to play its third preseason game, and it already feels like the season is starting to rot amid endless Robert Griffin III controversies and uncertainty over Coach Jay Gruden’s authority and injuries and miscommunication and cynicism. If the franchise doesn’t stabilize soon, the drama could stunt the growth of a rebuilding plan that actually has an upside.
There’s no doubt in my mind that, if new General Manager Scot McCloughan implements his plan without interference, the Redskins will have the talent in a few seasons to build a sustainable winner. He is part of a team-building tree that, for nearly 25 years, has created champions across the NFL. And McCloughan has been a significant contributor to some of that greatness.
But for all the optimism Washington should be enjoying, it’s increasingly clear every day that truly getting off the ground is the ultimate challenge. The dysfunction must diminish before it interferes with the momentum of this rebuilding.
McCloughan has had a solid start, adding talent without hindering future salary-cap flexibility and carrying through with a vision to make this a more physical team with a deeper roster that is less dependent on identifying a quarterback savior.
Nevertheless, after an encouraging training camp that featured a good, workmanlike vibe around the team, the Redskins have reverted back to chaos the past two weeks. While some of the issues are the result of extreme media scrutiny, the controversies aren’t imaginary. Griffin is still tone deaf when making public remarks, and though he has shown some signs of improvement in practice, he hasn’t done anything in two preseason games, outside of throwing near certain 61-yard touchdown pass that Pierre Garcon dropped. Gruden has been unconvincing in his defense of starting Griffin. It’s obvious the coach has reservations about whether Griffin can prosper in this offense, which led to the decision to keep the quarterback in the game and suffer too much abuse against Detroit last week.
Griffin suffered a concussion in that game. We think.
Even the injury report is up for debate at Redskins Park.
Don’t expect any clarity from Griffin. Not on whether he truly has a concussion. Not on how to divide the responsibility for all the pressure he faced against Detroit. And definitely not on whether Gruden should’ve him put him back in the Detroit game for a painful fourth series that ended with him lying helmet-first on the turf.
“As we like to say, I just work here, man,” Griffin said Thursday, speaking publicly for the first time since the Lions debacle.
Griffin seems fatigued, not defiant or even resigned. No athlete in town lives under a microscope like he does, and at the same time, no athlete invites so much attention without being able to properly pacify it. On Thursday, he had another chance to diffuse a situation with a little personality, candor and self-awareness. Instead, he came off proud and aloof, and he squandered an opportunity to gain some locker-room affinity by not making a point to defend his maligned offensive line.
) is beyond absurd at this point.
