The most positive thing that I saw during the game is that with all of those shifts and movement before the snap, there wasn't one delay of game called... anyone remember the first season that Gibbs was back? So look at the job that Saunders has done with only one off-season. They looked great with all that movement and you could really see the potential... and again, not one pre-snap penalty.

Did anyone else notice that it looked like there were four or five plays when it looked like the skins could break a long one only to be saved by a nothing-but-luck shoe-string tackle by the viks? That tells me that it's just a short time off until we look like KC did over the past few years.

Jason:

You mentioned the challenge of getting all the players involved - is there any feedback on if Cooley or Lloyd are miffed about their completely limited roles?

Thanks for all the grandiose blob entries.

Thanks for the "blog" entries, too ...

Positive? How about this. Saunders only showed another 20% of the playbook because they are saving the good stuff for Dallas.

I was at the game and had the sense there just wasn't any urgency, no killer instinct to put the game away in the third quarter when it was managable.

Lets give some credit to Childress, who knows how to gameplan againts the Redskins, and that dang old Brad, who is just another in the long line of exRedskin quarterbacks who've won a Super Bowl somewhere else.

If anything the Vikes were under estimated and the Skins were under prepared.

I agree that Mr. El was a stud. My favorite play was that punt return with him going Terry Metcalf on us. Spinning, twirling, really dynamic. Then he goes Brian Mitchell on the next punt return and goes straight up the middle for a decent gain. He's the real deal.

Now back to some gloom and doom.

I ask the question of our great Redskins Nation: When can we criticize Gibbs? I know there is a mandatory waiting period for such things. And I know I'm a "loser" for asking such a blasphemous thing. And I'm sure I'll have to go to church, genuflect, pray, and study some verse in the bible for these utterances. But I think this is a legimate question that no one is willing to tackle. We call into question players, other coaches, Snyder, Cerrato, but hardly ever Gibbs. Why not?

I know I'm getting flamed for this, but how about the three Super Bowls? Not enough, how 'bout the bust in Canton? Patience, it has only been one game. Now if they lose 6 straight, I'll be on your, uh, bandwagon Sting.

Sting, it's called faith. He's earned it. 2004 was difficult, but it yielded 2005. We are one game into 2006 and all of sudden the wheels are falling off? Give me a break. Give the team until midseason and then start some serious analysis.

Pre-season means nothing, so we now have a one game sample set to work with. That's not enough.

Jason, I feel the need to throw an extra thank you into my comments every once in a while so that you know we appreciate this blog. Thank you.

Any word on whether the Skins are looking at any DB's? Seems like Vinny would've been on the phone 5 minutes after seeing Pierson carried off the field. Sunday is fast approaching, ANY chance they'll look to bring someone in this week to fill that spot?

Jason,
Speaking of "positives" coming out of Monday night's bummer of a game, in addition to the contributions by the amazing ARE, the 'Skins neither yielded a sack nor committed a turnover, so -- to paraphrase Carl Spackler -- we've got THAT goin' for us. Now, if the Skins can just get a new punter and a new kicker, find a way to work Cooley and B-Lloyd into the mix, and get some help at cornerback, I'll feel a lot better about what awaits in Dallas on Sunday night. Appreciate your great coverage, and bravo for the lively blog, too.

Sheesh...watching Carlos Rogers out there getting toasted I started having flash backs to Barry Will-be-burn (Wilburn). I wonder of the 'skins wished now that they had given Smoot that extra $1-2M he was deserving.

I still can't believe they lost to the Vikings!But there were some positive things,at least on offense(no sacks,false starts,or INT's)JT is right there were 4 or 5 plays that could have broke for for huge gains.(need to be high stepping)I quess also it will be week 5 and 3 more losses before they figure out we need to run and pound the ball!!The Defense sucked,what happened to our attacking D.Yeah it might leave the corners 1 on 1.They had safty help and still got burned,so just go after the QB and drop his Butt!!

Wow this is the only blog that I've seen where people aren't figuratively jumping off of buildings. Props to Jason for setting a positive mood in a frantic city. This team needs time to grow, especially in the passing game. Somehow we got it into our minds that they would be high-octane in week 1. They wont even reach their full potential in year 1 under Saunders, but will we be patient enough to accept that? Hopefully the defense can stay relatively healthy this year until the passing game clicks.

Here's to hoping Gregg Williams was caught off guard by our secondary's poor play and he will come up with a gameplan fix for those bastards down in Texas.

I was impressed with the way that the offense played on Monday. The way they looked in the preseason, I thought that it would be a looooong season. If everybody can stay/get healthy, I think think that the offense will improve throughout the season while they are learning the system.

The thing I am worried about is the defense. From what I saw, there were only three players, and only two starters, that stood out as playing well. Washington, Taylor and Evans. I know Taylor got called for the facemask, but those things happen, and the unnecessary roughness call was complete B.S. (and I'm not talking about the degree). I tell you one thing, Archuletta needs to step up because he is the highest paid safety in this league and he is not even close to being the best safety on this team. I know it is done an over with, but I would have given that money instead to Taylor or used it to sign a pro-bowl CB. Springs, where are you!!!

The Skins will be fine and will proceed to kick some major tail in the very near future, like Sunday I hope.

However, I am concerned with one long term aspect of this team. How many draft choices do we have who have been on the roster (much less played regularly) for 2 seasons or more? They just got rid of Nemo. Bottom line, our drafting stinks (So what does Vinny do?)! And if the 2 S.F. free agents don't start showing up, then I think our entire Player Personnel section stinks.

I don't care if we have a GM or the 3 headed setup we currently have. IT'S ABOUT RESULTS!

Passionate because we care!

Go Skins!

I agree. What does Vinny do?

Vinny is very adept at golf cart piloting and cigar lighting, two things Charlie Casserley was never able to master that are vital to working for current ownership.

He's also pretty good at looking half-drunk, a tad cockeyed, quite confused and windblown during television interviews.

Why did we sign Archuleta? He does nothing except get burned on every opportunity. Carlos rogers a 1st round pick????? he can't cover ANYBODY!

Vinny is Danny's racquetball partner.

two words sum it all up: Charley Casserly. Our best years with the best results were when he was GM.

Is everyone forgetting that after 11 games last season, we were 5-6? This is just a byproduct of the Skins underestimating their opponents. Once Gregg Williams gets serious and opens up the sick blitzes this weekend, we'll know the real effectiveness of our D. Remember, we're playing against a QB that threw 3 interceptions last week.
Here's hoping we own the state of Texas the next 2 weeks!

As all Redskins fans were hurt by the loss on MNF - Do you think Redskins will stop wearing the all white uniforms? They have not won in those uniforms since they lost to the Seahawks in the playoffs. Do you think they will wear all burgandy at all this yr?

To me, the biggest factor on defense was Brad Johnson's brain and eyes. Greg William's defense is designed to prey upon quarterbacks who think they can thread the needle or who hold on to the ball too long. All the misdirection and blitzes are supposed to confuse. Unfortunately, Brad Johnson, even though he's old and boring to watch, is the perfect guy to pick us apart because he doesn't make mistakes and gets rid of the ball quickly. On those last couple of drives, I was hoping for a turnover, but I knew it wasn't coming. He's just too careful. Fortunately, we are going up against our perfect quarterback in Drew Bledsoe next week. Lets just hope our DB's can do their job against he who never shuts up.

Our best years were with Casserly as the GM? Are you kidding me? He was the one that presided over the 90s and Norval-gate.

The jury's still out on Carlos Rogers. He had a pretty good rookie year, but doesn't look to be anywhere near a number 1 CB (which he wasn't supposed to be until we lost S. Springs). But I think it's too early to write him off. Arhculeta I am concerned about, especially given the Skins history of free agents who get big fat paychecks then don't deliver. Same goes for Andre Carter. Let's hope he just needs a little time to adjust to a new system and will soon be wreaking havok in the backfield.

The biggest concerns, though, are Hall and Brunell. In my mind, it's questionable whether Brunell is able to make the tough throws that a top-notch QB needs to make. Last year the excuse was that Moss was the only receiver who could get open deep and that once he got double-teamed Brunell had no one else to throw it to. What will the excuse be now? I pray there's no need for one and he delivers, but my gut tells me it aint gonna happen. And this isn't the early 90's when the hogs could so dominate that Rypien had all day to throw the ball. Defenses bring all kinds of pressure and Brunell trying to make tough passes on the run looks pretty pathetic at times.

It has only been 1 week!!!

Can the team fall apart and be a sub-.500 disater becasue of one loss to an average team? Sure.

On the other hand it is a 16 game season so maybe we should stick with it for a few more games:

I am pretty sure at the end of 16 games:

- New England will be more than a cheap saftey better than the Bills.
- Tampa can and will score some points this year and maybe even win a game
- New Orleans, The Jets & St. Louis will not go undefeated
- Denver, KC, & Seattle do not have completely inept offenses.

It was a bad result with some frustrating plays...but hey we only get to actually watch our Skins play 16 games a year. Try to enjoy is as much as you can while you can....soon enough we will be reading Jason's page fillers from the second mini-camp (no offense dude) or watching the nats strive to win 30% of thier games.

Put on your jersey, crack open a beer and enjoy football season for a while and don't panic until the Skins are in real trouble!

Hell we could be Raiders or Packers fans...talk about hopeless.

Am I the only one that sees the positive in this loss? Yes it is a loss, but nothing screams gets focused like a first week loss to what hopes to be a middle of the pack team like the Vikings followed by an away game against your biggest rivals. I believe this is just the wake up call our "Dream Team" needs to rattle off 4 or 5 W's in a row.

The guy who said the best year's for the Skins was when Casserly was GM must be out of his mind. Bobby Betherd was the GM during those years. Casserly presided over 10 years of losing football with one year being the exception.

RE: Our best years were with Casserly as GM

I'm hoping this is just some ill informed kid rather than someone who was around for the Bobby Beathard years. Bobby, not Charlie, was responsible for those super bowls, kid.

Re: Brad, who is just another in the long line of exRedskin quarterbacks who've won a Super Bowl somewhere else.

I did a lot of soul searching and could not come up with a single exRedskins who had won a Super Bowl somewhere else. Perhaps they are referring to Stan Humphries, who went to a super bowl with the Chargers but did not win it. Who else was this boob talking about?

WHEN WILL JASON CAMBELL BE OUR #1 Q??
THE FUTURE IS NOW!!!!!
MARK BRUNELL WAS GOOD 8 YEARS AGO!!!!

I think Mark Slehreth(sp) won one in Denver.

Yeah, one game does not make a season, but I am really concerned about whether Brunell can get Saunders' offense going. I think Archuleta is a bust, just like Neon Sanders was. We should have given Smoot what he wanted, a lot less than what we paid Archuleta and Rogers! The positives, I like what that rookie Golston did, he was in the backfield most of the time! Mr. El definitely is a positive, very exciting player! Carter? another bust. Cerrato had proven time and time again that he waste a ton of money paying overrated players. Prediction, 8-8 or 9-7 season, out of playoffs!

Hey STRO:

CC was a good GM; among his last masterful trades, as pointed out by columnist Boswell last week, was getting Champ and Jansen for a much-later round pick. Anyhow, anyone in the past is better than Cerrato. Agree?

I fear that Archuleta and Carter were big mistakes. Archuleta can't cover any one, and Carter is too small to be a end in the NFL. San Fran tried to make him a LB, but that did not work either.

If we are 1-4 after 5 games, for crying out loud, let's get Jason Campbell some playing time and see if he is the QB of the future. The Skins is the only team I know that has turnover galore of personnel year in and year out, no stability! Let's keep our draft choices intact and start developing our own and hire a TRUE GM with extensive experience in dealing with personnel!

Hey Lazy Lightning:

I agree that Cerrato is laim, but CC was not by any stretch of the imagination a good GM. He proved that convincingly in Houston. In the 10 years he was the GM in Washington, those teams had a losing record, and only had one trip to the playoffs. That was 1999.

I'm wondering just who is on this long list of ex-Redskin quarterbacks who have won Super Bowls elsewhere?

The Redskins are perpetual underperformers. When are these misguided fans going to understand that? How many years do we have to be told to be patient. EVERY SINGLE YEAR there is a different excuse for not winning. The team is a failure, Gibbs should have stuck to winning in NASCAR and Snyder is a disgrace to this city.

Dallas will certainly sport their home white unis Sunday night in Dallas; What does anybody think about the 'Skins in all burgundy?

Some of these comments are unbelievable. We have only lost one game! The basic reason is that after the Portis injury, the players took the preseason games off. They thought them a waste of time, and now they are ready to start the season. No one is saying to be patient; we made the playoffs last season, for goodness' sake. The team is much improved this year; I think Rocky McIntosh should start sooner rather than later. I am concerned about Archuleta, Rogers and Carter. I think Rogers just needs a good whack to remind him that he is just a second year player, and he hasn't done nothing yet! They will find ways to utilize Carter; we really haven't had DEs who could go and get it since Dexter Manley and Charles Mann.

Sting, explain to me just exactly what Gibbs has done to deserve to be questioned.
What has he done since he returned. Let's see:
1)turned around a team that was incredibly underachieving with Spurrier,
2) brought hope back to a hopeless situation,
3) made the playoffs last year, improving in the last 1/2 of the season to win every game necessary to make the post season, knocked off Tampa Bay on the road(and they were a damn good team),
4) gave Seattle a scare before losing without their full team.
Yeah, I can see why Gibbs should be questioned. I'm all for getting rid of him right now and hiring a real, qualified coach.

Pete, one ? Is 10-6 and winning a playoff game on the road being a "perpetual loser?"

Didn't Brad win one? and of course Trent Green used to be a skin... one of those instances where we put in all the training and then let him go, then he turns into a major QB... altho, not saying he has won one. (Is that 1-1?) Now without getting too carried away here... the thing that is driving me crazy and caused me to give up my 4 season tix in utter frustration a few years ago... got sick of paying DS to screw up... why do we always seem to think (Archuleta for ex.) that the other guys are what we need. Actually what we need right now IS FRED SMOOT!! OR NICK NOVAK!! Are they blind?

dallas will wear white if they have the choice which they do in dallas...im down with the all burgundy!!! hell go for the throwbacks with the all burgundy hemits!!! Ricky Ervins looked tough in those digs!!!

its one game boys and girls...we turned it around at 5-6 last year...have some faith!!! its not like we got killed or anything...correctable mistakes!!!

archelleta, carter and lloyd need to show something but you cant call them a bust after one game...rogers needs to stop strutting after he gets burned on a bomb and the dude drops the pass...wtf was that???

i still dont know about hall...im for novak all the way...we need someone automatic in side 50 not 40...he hasnt been accurate since he started getting hurt...

Cosmosfla... I did'nt say perpetual "losers". I said perpetual "underperformers", which is what they are. With all the money and talent that team has, it is absurd that they are not a better team.

Pete, I guess we disagree.

I feel the Skins have some very talented players at rb, receiver, and linebacker.
However, if I were comparing our team to the rest of the NFC East, I'd say we are 3rd or 4th in overall talent.

For example, QB, cornerback, kicker/punter, and O-line are inferior to all three rivals. Therefore, I feel the players have overachieved as a direct result of their coaching.
On the other hand, I feel we are making bad decisions from a personnel standpoint. I think Brunell is a great guy, but was a poor choice. In my estimation, this is the cardinal error of Gibbs' second stint, and may be the reason we never achieve greatness.

Loyal Skins fan forever...in good times and bad. Hang in there!