A team is built on faith. You hear Ray Lewis say that to his teammates all the time that I got your back! This is important because mentally it frees a guy up to fail or succeed while trying to make a play. The Redskins are 3-9 but something good is happening here. You can see guys succeeding or failing but most importantly they are trying to make plays for the team. The most important part of team building is trust in each other.

Unfortunately you also see individualists who are so busy celebrating themselves that they are hurting the team [insert Laron Landry]. Landry’s antics would have him on the bench if the Skins coaching staff were more stable. I like Landry and I think he just needs a wakeup call so he can get back to growing his game. Through this adversity we are finding out who is about team and who is about themselves. I remember Joe Gibbs first season in which the Skins went 8-8 after starting 0-5. Jack Kent Cooke, Bobby Beathard and Joe Gibbs kept that team together and the rest was history. I know people want to blow this up and start from scratch but I would not make that decision until I see what this cast of characters can do until season’s end.

While watching the Redskins over the past four weeks I’ve seen promising improvements. The biggest improvement came on the offensive line. They have provided Campbell with decent time and space to make plays. Campbell for his part is making more plays and putting the offensive unit in a position to score points. All Campbell can do is to get the ball to the playmakers and the past 4 weeks have shown he can do it. Those who question Campbell’s ability seem to conveniently forget he was getting sacked consistently on three step drop backs just a few weeks ago. What I see with Campbell now  is a guy that is not going to sweat the things he can’t control so he is playing free for the first time.  I see a guy who is standing in the pocket, taking hits, gaining confidence and the guys around him are starting to respond. I also see a guy who has taken a beating and kept getting up thus earning the respect of his teammates. Campbell is by no means perfect but he has all of the tools to be successful and I would like to see him in a stable environment before I pass judgment on him. Joe Gibbs saw something in him and I trust Joe Gibbs. 

Devin Thomas, Fred Davis and Malcolm Kelly are all starting to make plays. Devin Thomas in particular is starting to realize that at 6’2, 220 pounds regular sized Cornerbacks cannot contain him. While Devin Thomas is getting the majority of the spotlight Malcolm Kelly is quietly making catches that keep the chains moving.

Former Redskins Cornerback, Sean Springs said no one can cover Fred Davis in practice and he is starting to show that on the field. Fred Davis can flat out fly and he presents all kinds of matchup problems with slower linebackers and smaller safeties.  The quiet fuel to this offensive resurgence for the Skins is the running backs. Rock Cartwright, Marcus Mason and Quinton Ganther are running like they are broke. There is a noticeable difference in the intensity in which they attack holes created by the O-line. That is not to take a shot at Clinton Portis but the difference is pretty clear. Clinton Portis is a heck of a football player and he can help the Skins although I'd like to seem him get back to his Denver playing weight so he can get that speed back. He bulked up at Gibbs request which made him a little more durable at the cost of what made him great.

The Redskins 4^th ranked defense has faltered a bit of late but I believe that has more to do with injuries than anything else. Young guys like Justin Tryon, Brian Orakpo and Jeremy Jarmon prior to injury showed they have much offer. What I see is a 53 man roster going through adversity and coming out of it as a team with something to build on. If you would have caught me after the Lions or Chief losses I would have been an advocate of blowing everything up. I still believe a coaching change is likely but I’m starting to believe a roster purge would do more harm than good. These guys are starting to get it and the results are quantifiable. Losing to the Saints hurt but it showed this team has the talent to compete with anyone when they play together.

Shakespeare said though this be madness, yet there be method in it. He would love the Redskins!