Biggest Disappointment (All Time List)

[kleese]

I think the definition of the word "disappointment" is important here. Sean Taylor's death wasn't disappointing to me... It was a crushing moment for the franchise and a very sad moment for the fanbase. Personally, I don't think it belongs on the disappointment list.

To me in order to make this list there first needs to be a reasonable expectation of good things prior to becoming a disappointment. Also, for me disappointments are akin to regrets... Things you'd like one more shot at doing.

With that in mind, I echo others with Super Bowl 18... That loss kept the Redskins of the 80's from being considered a dynasty... And it kept the 1983 team out of all time greatest talk. The team that took the field in Tampa that night just wasn't the team we saw all year. And Gibbs was terribly outcoached by a Flores, which just shouldn't have happened. Over 30 years later, it still leaves a bad taste in your mouth. The definition of a disappointment in my book.

I'd toss in the 1997 season... My most frustrating and anger-fueled season I've ever had as a fan. I was so excited for that season and there were many teases that year that validated my excitement. But we blew games that year in ridiculous fashion.

Poor Deion....he gets blamed for our failures in 2000, but no one ever mentions the fact that we went from 28th in defense in 1999 to 4th in 2000. Deion, Bruce Smith, Carrier.... Those moves worked; and Jeff George was better than Johnson that year as well. Our failures were due to Johnson's lousy year and incompetence from Norv.!

[MartinC]

83 Super Bowl loss the Raiders - and its not close for me. It still stings.

[#BgMase76#]

Heath Shuler PERIOD

[silent1903]

I think the definition of the word "disappointment" is important here. Sean Taylor's death wasn't disappointing to me... It was a crushing moment for the franchise and a very sad moment for the fanbase. Personally, I don't think it belongs on the disappointment list.

To me in order to make this list there first needs to be a reasonable expectation of good things prior to becoming a disappointment. Also, for me disappointments are akin to regrets... Things you'd like one more shot at doing.

With that in mind, I echo others with Super Bowl 18... That loss kept the Redskins of the 80's from being considered a dynasty... And it kept the 1983 team out of all time greatest talk. The team that took the field in Tampa that night just wasn't the team we saw all year. And Gibbs was terribly outcoached by a Flores, which just shouldn't have happened. Over 30 years later, it still leaves a bad taste in your mouth. The definition of a disappointment in my book.

This. For those who are calling ST21's death a "disappointment", I think they need to look up the definition of the word. This was a tragedy, not a disappointment.

For all those old enough to remember (and I think you can only gauge one's own disappointment by having been through it) SBXVIII, I don't think anything else comes remotely close. People calling out single games where we were 6-10 instead of 7-9? Puhleeease!!!! Individual players not performing up to expectations? Really??? Gibbs 2? Get real. If someone offered us 50% playoff success now, we would bite their hands off.

I don't need to go into detail about one of the best teams ever assembled in NFL history, season record points, +40-something turnover differential, back-to-back SBs etc etc now consigned to history as an afterthought because of this disasterous performance, as others have done more eloquently than I ever could.

Nothing else close. No, don't want to hear anything else! Still not close!

[Koolblue13]

This. For those who are calling ST21's death a "disappointment", I think they need to look up the definition of the word. This was a tragedy, not a disappointment.

I would only call it a disappointment, because he was turning his life around and wasn't running around like a thug anymore, when his old life came back to get him.

If you knew him or were related, then it would be a tragedy.

[London Kev]

Super Bowl loss to the Raiders. Nothing else even comes remotely close. 30 years later and it still stings.

I watched the Rams play Thursday night, and got a flashback when I saw Chris Long. Damn you Howie!

[RandyHolt]

In no particular order

Bad snap vs Tampa in Johnsons monster year
Mitchells playoff fumble
Jack Squirek
Most losses to Dallas
Mike Bass with the only score

Somewhere in the list? Desmond "Stuck in First Gear" Howard

[hail2skins]

Can't forget about the Richie Petibon era either. Especially how it started off so well with a demolition of Dallas on opening night. The Skins then lost 9 of their next 10 games and started a downward slide that we are still trying to fully recover from...

Yes, the 1993 season should get more mention. Granted, we barely made it to the playoffs in '92 and everyone was stunned when Gibbs retired, but did anyone expect this? We scored less than 10 points in seven games that year and exactly 10 points in three others. Super Bowl 18 was a one game crash-and-burn, but '93 was a whole season worth.

[SkinsCrushCowboys]

Outsidek of the Super Bowl loss to the pain in the ass Fish.....having the team purchased by Snyder...

[HogHeaven1983]

my favorite summary of the hard times of skins fans was this post that I saw in 2008 ... You could add more bad stuff since then.

The History of Being Snakebitten.

Posted by Fight Club dot com in Dec 2007 (with a few additions)

The beginning of the end started in April 1992 (3 months after probably our most dominating team ever blew out the Bills in the SuperBowl) when Gibbs traded 2 first round picks (#6 and #31) to move up 2 spots to get WR Desmond Howard at the #4 spot. Total bust.
If Gibbs had kept the two original 1st round picks, he could have picked Troy Vincent (all pro CB) at #6 and any number of solid players at #31, including Darren Woodson or Levon Kirkland. They went 9-7 that year and won a playoff game vs. Minnesota with B Mitchell playing QB/RB/PR/KR. In the NFC Championship game they lost to SF in a tight game at Candlestick, on a muddy field in the rain, the skins were driving for a go ahead TD late and the called a run play and the OL opened up a huge hole that had TD written all over it but Brian Mitchell dropped the ball on the handoff ... SF recovered ... Game over.

In 93. Rictie Pettibone takes over as HC, starts his tenure with a dazzling victory over the defending champion Dallas Cowboys on Monday night. The team goes on to win just 3 more games.

In 94, we draft Heath Shuler, a can't miss prospect at QB. He get's outplayed by a 7th round draft pick in Guss Frerotte.

In 95, we draft Michael Westbrook, a can't miss prospect at WR. He's most famous for beating up teammate Stephen Davis.

In 96, after surging to a 7-1 start, the team's run defense is exposed, and the team goes 2-6 in the second half of the year, missing the playoffs.

In 97, in a late season divsional game against the Giants on ESPN Sunday Night Football, Frerotte is lost to injury headbutting the stadium wall at Fedex field after scoring the team's only TD score, later in a tight 7-7 ball game Michael Westbrook, throws his helmet after being digusted about a non-call on a defender, the team is penalized 15 yards, taking the team out of FG range, and the game end's in a tie. The team goes 8-7-1. Misses out on a playoff berth by a half game.

In 98, after spending big money solidifying the interior defensive line in FA with Dana Stubblefield and Big Daddy Wilkerson, the team starts the year going 0-7. Stubblefield get's injured for the year after their 7th loss walking down the stairs of his home during a bye week.

In 99, Washington finally starts playing Norv Turner football, and they finally have a legit QB in Brad Johnson. The team is 2nd in the league in total offense behind St Louis. They make it to the Divisional Playoffs, playing an offense-less Tampa Bay team.
The Skins were in total in control in the 2nd half, leading 13-0 and driving into TB territory looking to put the game away ... when brad johnson puts up a floater that is picked off and leads to a collapse of the skins as tb scores two quick td's.
Washington has a chance to take the lead at the end of the game, but Dan Turk, the special team's snapper, botches the snap on the FG try, and Washington loses 14-13.

In 2000, Washington seemingly has everything going their way. They parlay 3 1st rounders into 2 picks in the first 3 selection and draft Chris Samuels and LaVar Arrington. They sign Deion Sanders, Mark Carrier, Bruce Smith and Jeff George (Why?). They team goes on to struggle to stay within .500 all season long, Dan Synder blows a gasket after an important division loss to the Giants and fires Norv Turner. Terry Robiskie takes over and goes 1-2, Washington sinks to 8-8, again missing the playoffs.

In 2001, Snyder hires Marty Schottenheimer to do everything but clean the bathrooms at Redskins Park. In his first draft, in spite of saying he wants to run the ball, he passes on future all Pro Guard Steve Hutchinson in the middle of the first round to draft a forgettable WR named Rod Gardner (who later got the nickname 50/50 which were his chances of catching the ball). Washington starts wearing their dark jerseys for home games and starts playing a bad version of MartyBall going 0-5. But the team rallies, a wins their next 5 games. They finish a promising 8-8. Unfortunately, Snyder thought he could do better and fires Marty for Steve Spurrier.

In 2002 and 2003, Spuriier fields a completely lost and abysmal Pro Football team of mostly old Florida players. Sign Trotter, he's a bust. Gets Danny Wuerfell to play QB, he's a fantasy football lock!
Spurrier jumps ship,

In 2004, who on Earth can possibly take this team over? Joe Gibbs, thats who! Our Demigod has returned! Back to restore order in the insanity. Mark Brunell will lead us! Portis is a bigger star than Bailey! But it all starts with Jansen on the shelf for the year, and 6-10 is in the cards.

2005 was up and down, mediocre until the last 6 games in the year when White on White uni's were here to stay until 2006... We had Seattle rattled, it's just that our #1 draft pick Carlos Rogers foreshadowed his inability to make big plays by dropping a sure Pick 6 that would have completely changed the the game.

2006 starts with Brunell proclaiming, it's Super Bowl or bust. Our star running back (Portis) separates his shoulder in preseason making a tackle on a meaningless INT. Beating Jax was the high point, unfortunately, that was in September, the rest is an agonizing blur.

2007... Running game and pass protection dies before it can get off the ground after devastating injuries to the entire RHS of the OL (Jansen and Thomas).
Then Carlos Rogers tears his MCL and ACL and is out for the year. The best player on our team and the heart and soul of our defense Sean Tayor is shot and killed during a botched burglery attempt by a bunch of juvenile delinquent thugs. The teenager shot Sean Taylor in the leg thinking it would be non-life threatening, but the bullet severed a major artery and Taylor basically bled to death. During the following game which was dedicated to Sean Taylor in front of a highly emotional home crowd, Our high priced coaching staff (was Gibbs showing his age?) forgets the rules calling 2 consecutive time outs (a 15 yard delay of game penalty) moving Bills closer (from a 50 yard kick to a 35 yard kick) for a game winning FG with seconds on the clock.
Rocky McIntosh tears his ACL and MCL and is out for the year. Jason Campbell dislocates his knee and is out for the year.
But a late surge of 4 wins gets them in the playoffs; but their season ends in Seattle, when their patchwork offensive line is exposed.
The Seattle DL spends the whole game in the Redskins backfield.

2008 ... Redskins lead the league in dead cap space. Hire an untested head coach Jim Zorn, after a crazy and long interview process. When Synder completely disrespects Greg Williams who was the clear choice to succeed Gibbs. Snyder announces he wants "continuity", but then doesnt hire Greg Williams (after interviewing him 4 times).
Snyder hires Zorn as offensive coordinator, then promotes him to HC a month later when it appears the head coach candidate list runs dry. (NOBODY wanted to work for Dan Snyder)
It's announced the Rocky McIntosh has a degenerative knee condition. And Carlos Rogers might not be back for the opener.
Question marks remain at CB and DE. And it's not clear how our 30+ year old linemen will perform, especially those that suffered season ending injuries in 07.
Portis appears to have lost a step or two after being pounded for years. We are now pinning our hopes on some good luck in the 08 draft.

(Somebody needs to write a good recap of the horrors of 2009, 2010, 2011)

In 2012, I have to admit that I think the GOOD LUCK CHARM of RGIII might have finally righted the Redskins ship ... And add in our 6th round steal of a running back ... and for the first time in 20 years I am optimistic about the Redskins future ... Hopefully we can stay away from injuries and Snyder stays out of the way. I would like to see our coaching staff stay in place for 10+ years (Just for some consistency). Although I do find it kind of funny that the Redskins have had a horrible offense but a great defense (mostly) for 10 years, and this year we finally get a great offense and the defense collapses. Though some of that was due to injuries (when I saw that the redskins lost 2 players in PRE GAME WARMUPS last week, I was shaking my head thinking that maybe this snake bitten thing is continuing ... however when RGIII rallied the team in the final minute to pull out a win ... I was thinking the the Good Luck Charm of RGIII might finally have overcome the 20 year SNAKEBITTENNESS of this team.

[Darth Tater]

I think the definition of the word "disappointment" is important here. Sean Taylor's death wasn't disappointing to me... It was a crushing moment for the franchise and a very sad moment for the fanbase. Personally, I don't think it belongs on the disappointment list.

To me in order to make this list there first needs to be a reasonable expectation of good things prior to becoming a disappointment. Also, for me disappointments are akin to regrets... Things you'd like one more shot at doing.

With that in mind, I echo others with Super Bowl 18... That loss kept the Redskins of the 80's from being considered a dynasty... And it kept the 1983 team out of all time greatest talk. The team that took the field in Tampa that night just wasn't the team we saw all year. And Gibbs was terribly outcoached by a Flores, which just shouldn't have happened. Over 30 years later, it still leaves a bad taste in your mouth. The definition of a disappointment in my book.

I'd toss in the 1997 season... My most frustrating and anger-fueled season I've ever had as a fan. I was so excited for that season and there were many teases that year that validated my excitement. But we blew games that year in ridiculous fashion.

Poor Deion....he gets blamed for our failures in 2000, but no one ever mentions the fact that we went from 28th in defense in 1999 to 4th in 2000. Deion, Bruce Smith, Carrier.... Those moves worked; and Jeff George was better than Johnson that year as well. Our failures were due to Johnson's lousy year and incompetence from Norv.!

Interesting. Your definition of disappointment is why Gibbs 2 was a disappointment in my book but also why Sean Taylor's death was a disappointment Taylor's death was a crushing, sad moment, yes, but the disappointment stemmed from the fact that the hopes I had for "Area 51" which now would never come true.

[Chachie]

I wouldn't put Norv on the list. Just my opinion but I think that guy's a real solid coach who was simply dealing with a brand new, horrible front office and his tenure here was doomed. In fact, he may have overachieved with what he had here to work with.

Lavar Arrington was awesome his first 2 seasons but after that was a pretty big disappointment to me. Not the biggest... but big.

[WesB]

Norv Turner's entire coaching tenure.
Spurrier's entire coaching tenure
Zorn's entire coaching tenure
McNabb, Haynesworth, Stubblefield, Bruce Smith, Dieon, Archuleta, etc. etc. etc.

[tkatz]

OL Andre Johnson
WR Alvin Harper

[bonesbr549]

How about seeing Dion Sanders in the Burgandy & Gold. Made me want to puke. I think my tops would be heath schueler Desmond Howard was the other big bust. Worthless coach Norv without a doubt.