Actually John, it's refreshing to read something
other than doom and gloom stuff (you know, the stuff I've written since about week 3!)
What if the moves we all hate are the ones Snyder is involved in and, when left to his own devices, Vinny makes somewhat reasonable decisions?
I suppose, if that were truly the case, that Cerrato only has tiny windows of opportunity to actually make his own decisions, and that those were the far more successful decisions being made, I'd have to ease off him. But it doesn't change our fate - in fact, it would simply demonstrate the degree to which we are doomed.
When I referenced 'garbage time', I was referring to the ability to start playing tough against talented teams only after the season is lost or nearly lost. If we have a team identity over the past 5 years, that's it. I don't know why we have to be 'on the brink' of elimination, or as with this year, done with meaningful games before we actually start showing up, but that seems to be the way it is. To me, that speaks of a fragile team psyche.
I think it's great that a number of our no-name/blue collar players, pushed into action because of injury or out of desperation, are in fact producing. But I have serious doubts that we'll see a 'sea change' going forward where we start placing a higher priority on work ethic, 'coachability', and other less sexy attributes. I just don't believe we're capable of building a high quality team from the trenches on up. Not unless we bring back Marty Shottenheimer, or hire a GM and/or head coach who actually has some authority and 'gets' that it's difficult to build a winner without a rock solid foundation.
Anyway, I did enjoy your take - even if I thought you yourself only believed about 25% of it