Chips knows the ‘Skins' woes

December is a wonderful time, a time of giving, sharing and receiving. It has everything: presents, caroling, Yule logs and, of course, eggnog. But no matter how wonderful this December is, it will be horrible for one particular group, Redskins fans.

We have all heard the countless excuses the players and supporters of the burgundy and gold have given for the Washington Redskins' sub-par year. But, let's make no mistake about it: The ‘Skins have played themselves into a hole, one that is five wins wide by nine losses long. The ‘Skins have given up 22.7 points per game, and their "Fun ‘n' gun" offense has sputtered throughout the year. On average, their opponents have bested them in every statistical category except for one, penalties, which is hardly a good thing. Washington has committed 25 more penalties than its opponents this year and has been penalized for 156 more yards than its opponents.

In a town like Washington, the tendency is to play the blame game. One really does have to wonder why such a highly-touted team has played so poorly. The problem is that, for some reason, the coach is always the target and the players seem to have purchased immunity. But, when it comes down to it, it is the players, not the coaches, who are on the field. And it is the players, not the coaches, who have been losing the Redskins' games.

Sure, Steve Spurrier has made a few bad decisions, and his pass-happy offense hasn't really worked out. But what is a passing-oriented coach supposed to do when his quarterback is on his back after every play? Patrick Ramsey, who is out for the season with a broken foot, has been sacked 30 times in 2003. He was the most sacked quarterback in the NFL during the period he played; there is no passing offense anywhere that could survive under that type of pressure.

When it comes down to it, the ‘Skins just don't have the talent. They have weak offensive and defensive lines. They run by committee because of their lack of a legitimate running back, which is hardly ever effective in the NFL. To top it all off, their defense features unquestionable talent at cornerback and linebacker but has glaring holes.

Getting a new coach is the easy way out. And it won't change anything, just like it didn't when Norv Turner and Marty Schottenheimer were replaced. But regardless of what caused the situation to be so bad, the only thing worse than finding no presents under the tree on Christmas, is going to be enduring the last two games on the Redskins' schedule.