Jimcs50
09-13-2004, 01:42 PM
Here and now, Redskins' Gibbs is still a winner
In recent days, as the big game approached and reality grunted and lined up in a three-point stance across from the coaching legend, Joe Gibbs' familiar high-pitched giggle disappeared. The milquetoast melted a bit and the man who looks and sounds like he should be serving up Sunday sermons became withdrawn and serious. The glint in his eyes turned into a squint.
It was time for Gibbs to live in the NFL present.
He knew, better than most, he could no longer live off past glories, Hall of Fame résumé or not.
Euphoria is for fans, not NFL head coaches. Gibbs, out of the game since 1992, appeared more nervous than a pastor whose church had misplaced its only collection plate as his Washington Redskins prepared to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Sunday, outside the nation's capital in suburban Maryland, the prodigal son jogged onto the field, hauling the fortunes of a billion-dollar franchise and the hopes of Redskins fans on his 63-year-old back. People already are talking about the often-ridiculed Redskins going to the playoffs, not an unthinkable goal given the current state of the NFL.
Thus far, Gibbs has provided a stable framework for winning by instilling a sense of discipline, accountability and professionalism, Redskins qualities that had been frittered away as power struggles between ownership and management raged.
"Joe Gibbs for President" read one sign on Fox's broadcast at Fed-Ex field and, if the band had played Hail to the Chief, who would've argued?
But everyone needs help — even Joe Gibbs.
He really could've used some when the Redskins inexplicably failed to challenge two calls that could have cost them the game. As it turned out, it was a good thing that the coach and team president had Clinton (Portis) as his running mate, and a defense that would make curmudgeonly Donald Rumsfeld smile in admiration.
Gibbs, always the most nervous of NFL coaching Nellies, still appears propelled by the same simple, powerful force that ruled him during his Super Bowl championship run in Washington when the Hogs did all the dirty work for Riggo and the boys in burgundy and gold:
Fear of failure.
All you had to do was look at Gibbs on Sunday. Wearing dark glasses and a black Redskins cap, he fretted from start to finish, even at the end when it appeared there was little the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could do to prevent a 16-10 loss.
"It was so hard-fought we didn't think we had it until it was actually over," said the relieved coach, a diabetic who in his postgame news conference sounded exhausted from an eight-month buildup of anticipation and expectation.
"You've got all the emotions going. (My wife) Pat said (Saturday), 'Good gosh, I don't know when I've ever wanted one like this.' For the family, and me personally, it's a big deal. I told our players that, hopefully now, the attention can go on them. They made all the great plays today."
A year ago, the Redskins were coached by Steve Spurrier, who proved to be as spectacularly pathetic in the pros as he was stunningly successful in college.
A year ago, Gibbs was in NASCAR as a team owner, which he still is. Now he's trying to drive the Redskins to the playoffs for only the second time since he departed all frayed at the edges from the self-imposed demands of his job.
It will be a while before we know if Dan Snyder's latest coaching experiment is the answer, but right about now it looks like the best $28 million he ever spent. As Gibbs regains his sea legs, the Redskins could make things interesting in the NFC East, where they have been regularly devoured since Gibbs' first reign.
Then again, Steve Spurrier won his first game two years ago, too. One game does not make a season, of course, but it's readily apparent that, unlike his predecessor, Gibbs actually cares about doing it the right way, namely, getting the basics down. And he has spun a comfortable cocoon of knowledgeable assistants that have smoothed his transition from the pits to the sidelines.
Gibbs, of course, also knows the mantras of pro football: Protect the quarterback, run the football and stop the run. Keep turnovers and penalties to a minimum. Against Tampa Bay, the Redskins permitted zero sacks (even with their best offensive lineman out for the season), outgained the Bucs on the ground 166-30 and committed only one turnover and three penalties.
Gibbs also knows what he doesn't know as well — defense — which is why the Redskins won his homecoming game, the 500th in franchise history. That's why he hired Gregg Williams as his defensive coordinator and architect of a blitz-happy defense.
"I can't take any credit for that," Gibbs said of the Redskins' domination of the Bucs' offense that was limited to 169 yards. "All I do is walk down there and scream, 'Stop 'em!' I get a lot of the credit and don't deserve it, I'll tell you right now."
Sorry, Joe, the nation's capital begs to differ.
***
In recent days, as the big game approached and reality grunted and lined up in a three-point stance across from the coaching legend, Joe Gibbs' familiar high-pitched giggle disappeared. The milquetoast melted a bit and the man who looks and sounds like he should be serving up Sunday sermons became withdrawn and serious. The glint in his eyes turned into a squint.
It was time for Gibbs to live in the NFL present.
He knew, better than most, he could no longer live off past glories, Hall of Fame résumé or not.
Euphoria is for fans, not NFL head coaches. Gibbs, out of the game since 1992, appeared more nervous than a pastor whose church had misplaced its only collection plate as his Washington Redskins prepared to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Sunday, outside the nation's capital in suburban Maryland, the prodigal son jogged onto the field, hauling the fortunes of a billion-dollar franchise and the hopes of Redskins fans on his 63-year-old back. People already are talking about the often-ridiculed Redskins going to the playoffs, not an unthinkable goal given the current state of the NFL.
Thus far, Gibbs has provided a stable framework for winning by instilling a sense of discipline, accountability and professionalism, Redskins qualities that had been frittered away as power struggles between ownership and management raged.
"Joe Gibbs for President" read one sign on Fox's broadcast at Fed-Ex field and, if the band had played Hail to the Chief, who would've argued?
But everyone needs help — even Joe Gibbs.
He really could've used some when the Redskins inexplicably failed to challenge two calls that could have cost them the game. As it turned out, it was a good thing that the coach and team president had Clinton (Portis) as his running mate, and a defense that would make curmudgeonly Donald Rumsfeld smile in admiration.
Gibbs, always the most nervous of NFL coaching Nellies, still appears propelled by the same simple, powerful force that ruled him during his Super Bowl championship run in Washington when the Hogs did all the dirty work for Riggo and the boys in burgundy and gold:
Fear of failure.
All you had to do was look at Gibbs on Sunday. Wearing dark glasses and a black Redskins cap, he fretted from start to finish, even at the end when it appeared there was little the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could do to prevent a 16-10 loss.
"It was so hard-fought we didn't think we had it until it was actually over," said the relieved coach, a diabetic who in his postgame news conference sounded exhausted from an eight-month buildup of anticipation and expectation.
"You've got all the emotions going. (My wife) Pat said (Saturday), 'Good gosh, I don't know when I've ever wanted one like this.' For the family, and me personally, it's a big deal. I told our players that, hopefully now, the attention can go on them. They made all the great plays today."
A year ago, the Redskins were coached by Steve Spurrier, who proved to be as spectacularly pathetic in the pros as he was stunningly successful in college.
A year ago, Gibbs was in NASCAR as a team owner, which he still is. Now he's trying to drive the Redskins to the playoffs for only the second time since he departed all frayed at the edges from the self-imposed demands of his job.
It will be a while before we know if Dan Snyder's latest coaching experiment is the answer, but right about now it looks like the best $28 million he ever spent. As Gibbs regains his sea legs, the Redskins could make things interesting in the NFC East, where they have been regularly devoured since Gibbs' first reign.
Then again, Steve Spurrier won his first game two years ago, too. One game does not make a season, of course, but it's readily apparent that, unlike his predecessor, Gibbs actually cares about doing it the right way, namely, getting the basics down. And he has spun a comfortable cocoon of knowledgeable assistants that have smoothed his transition from the pits to the sidelines.
Gibbs, of course, also knows the mantras of pro football: Protect the quarterback, run the football and stop the run. Keep turnovers and penalties to a minimum. Against Tampa Bay, the Redskins permitted zero sacks (even with their best offensive lineman out for the season), outgained the Bucs on the ground 166-30 and committed only one turnover and three penalties.
Gibbs also knows what he doesn't know as well — defense — which is why the Redskins won his homecoming game, the 500th in franchise history. That's why he hired Gregg Williams as his defensive coordinator and architect of a blitz-happy defense.
"I can't take any credit for that," Gibbs said of the Redskins' domination of the Bucs' offense that was limited to 169 yards. "All I do is walk down there and scream, 'Stop 'em!' I get a lot of the credit and don't deserve it, I'll tell you right now."
Sorry, Joe, the nation's capital begs to differ.
***