No reason to panic yet - Gibbs track record losing in the preseason

[inmate running the asylum]

There is no reason to panic yet, based on Gibbs track record in the preseason. I did the following research and here are the results of the LOSING PRESEASONS under Joe Gibbs. All other preseasons his teams either had winning records or finished .500.

He has had four losing preseasons, but all 4 times the Redskins went to the playoffs. Twice his teams advanced by winning playoff games and the two other times we won the Super Bowl.

I'm sure Gibbs is not pleased with the team now, but there is no reason to panic. So cut back on the Prozac tonight and take it out on the wife by pouncing on her tonight. :laugh:


Preseason 1982 - 0-4 record
Regular season - 8-1 won Super Bowl

Preseason 1991 - 1-3 record
Regular season - 14-2 won Super Bowl

Preseason 1992 - 1-4 record, losing last game 30-0 to Vikings at RFK
Regular season - 9-7 Playoff win over Vikings in Minnesota 24-7

Preseason 2005 - 1-3 record
Regular season - 10-6 Playoff win over Tampa Bay

[AsburySkinsFan]

I'm glad someone's doing their homework tonight. This will help me sleep better tonight and well give me some ammunition to use against Cowgirl and Bungals fans (I currently reside in Bungals territory).

[tizzod]

There is no reason to panic yet, based on Gibbs track record in the preseason. I did the following research and here are the results of the LOSING PRESEASONS under Joe Gibbs. All other preseasons his teams either had winning records or finished .500.

He has had four losing preseasons, but all 4 times the Redskins went to the playoffs. Twice his teams advanced by winning playoff games and the two other times we won the Super Bowl.

I'm sure Gibbs is not pleased with the team now, but there is no reason to panic. So cut back on the Prozac tonight and take it out on the wife by pouncing on her tonight. :laugh:


Preseason 1982 - 0-4 record
Regular season - 8-1 won Super Bowl

Preseason 1991 - 1-3 record
Regular season - 14-2 won Super Bowl

Preseason 1992 - 1-4 record, losing last game 30-0 to Vikings at RFK
Regular season - 9-7 Playoff win over Vikings in Minnesota 24-7

Preseason 2005 - 1-3 record
Regular season - 10-6 Playoff win over Tampa Bay

Might as well talk to the wall.

[Jordash]

YESSSSS. We can look forward to losing to the RAVENS WOOOOOO!!!!

[aolforbroadband]

I'm salivating at the thought of winning 12-14 games. :D

[bulldog]

the record itself is unimportant. however, for the first time tonight we saw in extended time the first team offense and defense get beaten across the board in a game usually used by coaches as the final tuneup for their season opener.

I acknowledged in another thread that Gibbs' preseason record has not been among the best throughout his career but often the WAY in which the Redskins have lost these games has been different from what we saw tonight and in the Jets game.

In the past (1980's-1990's), we usually saw the Redskins starters go out and win their matchups in limited time and then turn a lead over to the backups, only to see them get outclassed and ultimately lose the game.

But what we could all take away from those games was that the starting offensive line pushed people off the ball and the first team overall looked good enough that if the game had remained starters on starters the Redskins would have in all probability won the game.

This is different. No one is playing well, from the first kickoff to the ending gun in the fourth quarter. It is a team-wide malaise. Even rookies who are supposedly fighting for roster spots don't seem to be playing at the same intensity level as rookies on these other teams.

I am not pressing a panic button but the game tonight concerns me a bit. Gibbs made a point during the week of saying the team had to play better this week and the club if anything looked worse.

There has been a fair amount of turnover the past 2-3 weeks with a pair of trades and some FA signings. But these players all are backups and haven't interrupted the flow of play of the starters, so we can't blame the poor performances on transitions.

You can't tell me that Julian Battle and Antuan Edwards joining the defense are the reason that the Redskins linebackers and safeties all of a sudden can't tackle or cover.

If the Redskins had looked better and won the previous games against the Bengals and/or Jets, tonight's results might be easier to dismiss out of hand. Bad game. Move on.

But this bears watching. There are two weeks till the opener and there's a lot of work yet to do. I can't believe the practices are that much crisper and efficient than what we imagine based on what we have seen on the field in these preseason snippets.

I do remember the George Allen Redskins (who DID try to win every preseason game) losing to the New England Patriots 45-7 in a preseason game many years ago.

That Redskins team still managed to win 10 games and make the postseason, so these blowouts are not always indicative of what a team can do.

But sometimes they are evidence of a team that might start slowly and take a few weeks to get their full bearings. With a tough schedule in a tough division the Redskins don't have the luxury of using the Minnesota and Dallas games as 'extra' preseason contests.

That's the bottom line.

[actorguy1]

Sigh...But why did they have to look so pathetic in the third game of preseason? The only one that counts for something. I remember that loss to the Vikings in 92 preseason, it was a nationaly televised game. In the end I don't really give a rats ass about tonight. Just don't want another game in the regular season like the Giants game last year.

[MikeB]

What your research doesn't show is the fact that even though they lost those games, there were still signs of of a competent football team to be found. In this string of three games the Skins have absolutely nothing positive to show for on offense or defense. Tonight was almost surreal... I can't remember ever seeing a preseason game like that from a Gibbs team.

The only thought that keeps my sanity is that the Colts got mopped up last season by the Bengals in preseason... but I'm grasping at straws here...

[Craig]

This is such a meaningless statistic throw out here. There is no causality between losing record in the preseason and going to the playoffs. Besides, maybe the starters were winning and those preseason games and the reserves lost the games. This preseason, the starters have been thoroughly outplayed in 2 of 3 preseason games.

Yes, we all know the Skins can turn it around in the regular season, but that they seem to be regressing worries me and most skins fans.

[pez]

What your research doesn't show is the fact that even though they lost those games, there were still signs of of a competent football team to be found. In this string of three games the Skins have absolutely nothing positive to show for on offense or defense. Tonight was almost surreal... I can't remember ever seeing a preseason game like that from a Gibbs team.

The only thought that keeps my sanity is that the Colts got mopped up last season by the Bengals in preseason... but I'm grasping at straws here...

I agree... I don't mind losing preseason games at all... they mean nothing.

What I do want to see is that this team can perform the basics... and they are not showing us this at all. Like I mentioned previously, I am one of those that says don't worry if we win or lose preseason games. I would prefer that we lose while keeping the playbook closed. But can someone tell me about any positive aspect in the game tonight in term of fundamentals?

[inmate running the asylum]

With a tough schedule in a tough division the Redskins don't have the luxury of using the Minnesota and Dallas games as 'extra' preseason contests.

That's the bottom line.

So should we commit hari-kari now or wait until after the Dallas game? :rubeyes:

[bulldog]

Inmate, evidently, you didn't read the breath of my post because it was hardly a panic response. It was a reasoned look at a team whose preseason performance, while not necessarily indicative of regular season performance, does in fact differ from those of previous Redskins teams that were under .500 in the summer.

You know better than to take one line out of context and comment on that to the exclusion of the balance of the piece written, my friend :D

[inmate running the asylum]

This is such a meaningless statistic thrown out here. There is no causality between losing record in the preseason and going to the playoffs.

How can YOU make a claim like this, when football success is based on so many intangibles that can't be measured, such as emotion and motivation? Joe Gibbs and Greg Williams are two of the greatest motivators in the game. Gibbs track record which is all we have to go by in the preseason, indicates that he can motivate a team and turn it around. Scoreboard baby! :laugh:

[inmate running the asylum]

You know better than to take one line out of context and comment on that to the exclusion of the balance of the piece written, my friend :D

Yeah I know. But sometimes I like to have fun trying to mess with your mind. :laugh:

You aren't going to snitch and turn me in to Die Hard or Om, are you? :paranoid:

[Skins4481]

One other big difference is that we are installing a new offense. What if our offense loses confidence and become frustrated with the new offense just because Saunders doesnt want to reveal his playbook. I mean you dont have to reveal EVERYTHING but you should do something to give your team some confidence in the new system they're in.

[tizzod]

One other big difference is that we are installing a new offense. What if our offense loses confidence and become frustrated with the new offense just because Saunders doesnt want to reveal his playbook. I mean you dont have to reveal EVERYTHING but you should do something to give your team some confidence in the new system they're in.

Just because YOU don't see it doesn't mean it's not happening.

[Craig]

How can YOU make a claim like this, when football success is based on so many intangibles that can't be measured, such as emotion and motivation? Joe Gibbs and Greg Williams are two of the greatest motivators in the game. Gibbs track record which is all we have to go by in the preseason, indicates that he can motivate a team and turn it around. Scoreboard baby! :laugh:

OF course they can turn it around. You are pointing out the obvious. I don't disagree that they can turn it around. But it is not a given. Gibbs has had losing regular seasons too. As you point out, there are so many variables that lead to success. It's possible this team is not as talented or primed for success as we thought. We shall see.

[inmate running the asylum]

bump :laugh: :thud:

[fansince62]

they looked bad last night. very bad. there is no way around this - and they looked bad executing fundamentals. forget about "the new offense" - how about Jansen not looking like a 49er reject game after game? how about ending the constant reruns of prileu (sp?) diving into the pile or behind the pass catcher always after the fact; how about Wright not getting toasted on every other play; how about arch not being a one dimensional run stopper only; how about LBs who can cover in the flats; how about Brunell not throwing ducks every other pass; how about a D-line that can mount a pass rush,oh, once a game maybe........

face it...this is not, at present, an SB team being molded. this team has to master the basics first. pathetic and embarrassing are the only words that fit.