Once again the Redskins are picked to finish last in the NFC East and I'm not surprised. Despite last seasons' appearance to the the playoffs, analysts still believe Washington is the weakest team in the division. Here is a breakdown of five reasons why the Redskins will be a better team and not end up in last place.
1. Coach Jim Zorn and the west coast offense he brings to D.C. is number one. The past few seasons the Redskins offense has been decent, but that is about it. Redskin fans know what I am talking about--remember the first time they played the Giants and lost the game on a 4th and goal? Times like that make Skins' fans sit back and wonder whether it is the play calling, the offensive line, or is the other team's defense really just that good?
Offensive consistency is what nation's capital has been yearning for. A young QB who seems to have all the tools to be more than a solid QB in the league seems not to be blossoming quickly under the current offense.
The reason why I have the west coast offense as number one is because this is the offense that Jason Campbell ran so effectively at Auburn. Can you say bringing back comfort to the QB who led his team to 13-0 in the SEC?
He already has made huge strides in preseason workouts with the new offense and should have it down by the end of training camp. With a fresh start from a new coach who made Matt Hasselbeck who he is today, this offense could thrive to be something serious to reckon with.
2. It is Clinton Portis' time to shine. There is no doubting his overall skills and body strength has made Portis one of the premier backs in the NFL, but his lack of focus might have been preventing him from being a top 3 back.
This offseason was different for Portis though. Instead of partying the summer away in Miami he spent his off season in D.C., where the Redskins met with Portis and asked him to be the face and leader of the Redskins franchise-- which carries far more responsibilities off and on the field.
He was in attendance for all the mini camps, voluntary workouts, and is a mentor to the rookies. I'm sure he can still kick it with the best in South Beach, but now he has his head right and has his eye on the prize. The west coast offense also allows Portis to get into the open field and make defenders miss, which is his greatest attribute. So watch for this Miami boy to put up career numbers and open the passing game for Campbell.
3. A solid defense is what kept this team together despite the inconsistencies on offense. After losing Sean Taylor, Carlos Rogers and Rocky McIntosh, many predicted a huge collapse. But that didn't happen because rookies Landry, Doughty, and Heyer proved they belonged in the NFL and held together to win the last four games of the season.
3 comments Last one added 11 months ago — Leave a Comment
Rohit Banerjee 11 months ago
great article bro, completely agree with you, x factor is going to be CPortis, instead of running between the tackles like Gibbs wanted, he is going to be runnign laterally in the system that Jim Zorn is bringing in, the system where he put up huge numbers in Denver.
Also, Randle-El in the slot is great but kelly is going to have a good year too, mark my words, he is the z receiver in the west coast offense and that position always has the most production
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Mike Mitchell 11 months ago
Great article, and makes me more excited about this season. One thing you might want to change though is the Skins made the play-offs in 2 of the last 3 seasons, not back-to-back. Cheers, Tom in DC.
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The Little League Coach 11 months ago
I hope your right. I still have my doubts about the offense as usual, but hopefully you are right. The defense will be solid as always, but they never seem to get it done on offense.
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