Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
September 7, 2001, Washington Post

Redskins Look Ahead

What a difference a year makes. Last September, Redskins fans were talking Super Bowl. This year . . . well, I haven't heard anyone mention the Redskins and the Super Bowl in the same sentence.

Everything about the team has changed. Gone are coach Norv Turner, hotshot cornerback Deion Sanders, quarterback Brad Johnson and linemen such as Tre Johnson and Dana Stubblefield. In their place are some no-name players and a no-nonsense coach, Marty Schottenheimer.

Schottenheimer has been a winner everywhere he has coached. His record in the National Football League (NFL) is 145-85-1. That's great, but can he make the Redskins into a winner this year? Let's take a look at the Redskins as they start the season.

Offense

Fans love to see long passes and breakaway runs that end up in the end zone. The quarterback, running backs and wide receivers can't do their thing, though, if the offensive linemen -- the forgotten folks in football -- don't do their job of fending off the other team's tacklers.

The Redskins' offensive line looked lousy in the preseason. Tackles Jon Jansen and Chris Samuels are solid. But the guys in the middle -- the center and the two guards -- are a mess. Coach Schottenheimer will have to patch things up in the line quickly or quarterback Jeff George will not have time to find receivers Michael Westbrook and Rod Gardner, and star running back Stephen Davis won't score many touchdowns.

Defense

The Redskins have a couple of young stars on this side of the ball. Champ Bailey is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and I look for LaVar Arrington to be a one-man wrecking crew at linebacker.

The problem may be the line. The Redskins need veteran defensive ends Bruce Smith and Marco Coleman to have big years. But can the team really expect Big Bruce to carry the load? Smith is great, but the man is 38. That is really old for an NFL lineman. And real trouble for the Skins.

Special Teams

Last year, the Redskins' defense was terrific (rated fourth overall out of 31 NFL teams) and the offense was better than most (11th overall). So why did the Redskins end up with an 8-8 record? Simple. The special teams -- the guys who play on kickoffs, punts and field goals -- were awful.

So Schottenheimer had better fix the special teams, too. Having a consistent field goal kicker like Brett Conway all season will help. Last year, the Redskins had five different kickers and lost lots of close games. Maybe Conway can kick the team to some close wins.

The Schedule

Here's some good news: The Redskins have one of the easiest schedules in the NFL. They play the San Diego Chargers (1-15 last season) and Chicago Bears (5-11) and have two games each against the Arizona Cardinals (3-13) and Dallas Cowboys (5-11). If the Redskins can beat the easy teams, maybe they can win just enough of the other games to sneak into the playoffs.

But don't even talk about the Super Bowl.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Will the Redskins have a good year? Send your thoughts to The Score, KidsPost, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071. Or e-mail (with "The Score" in the subject field): kidspost@washpost.com.

© 2001 The Washington Post Company