Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
September 6, 2002, Washington Post

Shedding the Old Redskins

Are you ready for some football? The Washington Redskins open their season against the Arizona Cardinals this weekend. So it's time to check out the hometown team.

What's new with the Redskins? Just about everything. They have a new coach, new quarterback, new defensive coordinator. The Skins even have new uniforms for home games. With all these changes, are the Skins headed for the Super Bowl? Or at least the playoffs?

I doubt it. Last year, Washington finished with an 8-8 record. This year, the team might be lucky to do that well.

Let's take a look.

New coach. Win or lose, new coach Steve Spurrier should be fun. Folks think Spurrier is a genius because his teams at the University of Florida always had a pass-happy, high-flying offense with trick plays that put a lot of points on the board. Of course, Spurrier could run up big scores because his Florida Gators had much more speed and talent than the Vanderbilts and Kentuckys of the Southeastern Conference.

Welcome to the National Football League (NFL), Coach Spurrier. Every team is tough and the Skins' offense is not blessed with big-time talent. Sure, there are star running back Stephen Davis and rock-solid tackles Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen. But the Redskins' receivers are just so-so and the middle of the line looks shaky. If Spurrier can score big with these guys, maybe he is a genius.

New quarterback. Last week, Coach Spurrier announced that Shane Matthews would be the Skins quarterback instead of Danny Wuerffel. The truth is that neither is a proven NFL quarterback on par with Donovan McNabb, Jeff Garcia, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning (QBs the Skins will see in the first half of the season).

Matthews and Wuerffel played for Spurrier at Florida and so they should know his "Fun 'n' Gun" offense. Still, expect the Skins to struggle this year at quarterback.

New defensive coordinator. Steve Spurrier is not the only new coach for the Skins. Washington also picked up Marvin Lewis to coach the defense. Lewis is a great coach who put together the Baltimore Ravens' Super Bowl defense just two years ago.

The Skins have some of the building blocks of a first-rate "D." The linebackers -- Jessie Armstead, Jeremiah Trotter and LaVar Arrington -- should be terrific. Cornerbacks Champ Bailey and Fred Smoot can cover anyone. The line, however, looks weak. Teams ran on the Redskins last year and, unless Coach Lewis can figure out something quickly, they will again this season.

New uniforms. I like them! The darker red is a big improvement and the spear and feathers on the helmet look cool. I am glad that, at least for home games, they got rid of the old Indian head on the side of the helmet. It looked as old as a 1938 nickel.

New coaches, new quarterbacks, new uniforms. But I think they will be the same old Skins.

That's Fred Bowen's opinion. What's yours? Tell us how you think the new-look Redskins will do this season. Write: The Score, KidsPost, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, DC 20071. Or e-mail (with "The Score" in the subject field): kidspost@washpost.com.

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