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The Ghost of Rod Dowhower (no, he's not really dead)

Riggo-toni

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Gibbs gone. A roster overloaded with aging veterans, especially on the offensive line. Continuity was considered key. Nearly all the coaching staff retained intact. Calling the plays on offense - a QB coach with no playcalling experience, but who had proven himself as a developer of young QBs. He announces the Air-Coryell era in DC is done, to be replaced with a West Coast offense. The idea seems a bit strange, since the QB has accuracy issues in short to medium range, and most of the WRs are more speedsters than the prototypical physical WCO WRs. Still, the team starts with a bang, as a victory over Dallas sends Redskins Nation into euphoria. A bit of film study on the Skins' O, and all the league' defensive coordinators shut down the Skins O by playing a soft zone. The Skins' O stalls... and dies.


The year is....1993.

Petitbon was coach, but it was Dowhower's anemic offense that sank the team and led to Petitbon's abrupt exit and the Dark Era of Norvo the Terrible.

Despite the dog and pony show Snyderatto put on in 08, I don't think Snyder ever had any intention of hiring G. Williams, simply because he had too many bad childhood memories of the Petitbon (not to mention Pardee) hiring. Of course, there were a few other factors. Snyder reportedly wanted Saunders on the first train out of town, but Williams wanted to keep him around. Had GW stayed, my guess is Saunders would be calling the plays, JC would be gone, Collins would start, and the Skins would've drafted a new future QB...maybe even Joe Flacco.
Which brings up the utimate irony: By trying to avoid the Petitbon/Dowhower era, Snyder inadvertedly resurrected it.
 
This sounds an awful lot like one of ASF's conspiracy theories. ;)

Still, you bring up some interesting points. Gibbs, like George Allen, loved veterans. Both times he left, the O-Line was old. In fact, if I remember correctly, the Skins were the oldest team in the league when both Petitbon and Zorn took over. The difference is that neither Gibbs II nor Zorn could get a lot younger due to the salary cap.

Not that any of that would prevent Zorn from being the proverbial deer in the headlights but it sure didn't help. Even if we had a guy like Cowher, I doubt he'd be initially successful because this team has too many players who are either marginal or don't play with enough passion. Still, it would be easier to put up with losing if we could actually SEE improvement along the way.
 
Wow, great post Riggotoni. You're right that the similarities between the end of Gibbs 1.0 and 2.0 are really interesting and thought provoking. In particular, your theory that Snyder made the same mistake as JKC/Casserly while trying to avoid doing so. To borrow a line from Family Guy, did you know that Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln? :doh1:

Seriously, I think what we saw happen personnel-wise with Gibbs 1.0 should have been enough for a competent F.O. to sit Gibbs down and say, "Coaching is your strong suit. Personnel is not. We'll give you your choice of personnel guys, no matter the cost, but we don't want you doing it yourself. Besides, the HC as GM model rarely if ever works in the NFL."

I'd like to think that Gibbs, being a reasonable guy who had the best interests of the franchise at heart would have seen the light on that. If not right away, after a few days of talking it over, thinking and praying about it. I think had that taken place, we'd have seen a very different outcome from Gibbs 2.0. But then, we'll never know for sure.

But then in fairness, everyone was literally blinded with joy at the "Return of the King" and I don't think anyone, least of all Dan "Belt Buckle" Snyder was willing to look a gift horse savior in the mouth. Certainly for that I'm not going to blame him. Hell, I don't know of many people, me included, who would have had the presence of mind and/or cojones to have that sit down with Joe Gibbs.
 

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