Over the past few weeks, many a Redskins fan could surely be spotted muttering that this, this! would never have happened with Joe Gibbs at the helm. But if circulating rumors hold any sort of accuracy, he might not be far from the team soon enough. Pro Football Talk is reporting that the legendary head coach might be returning to the team in a football director role. The whispers are that Gibbs would fill a role similar to that of Bill Parcells in Miami. Gibbs would be responsible for hiring a new coach and general manager, and generally getting the train back on track. It's not so crazy, really: Dan Snyder already consults with Gibbs regularly, most recently having dinner together before the 'Skins loss at Carolina, and Gibbs is probably one of the few people on Earth to whom Snyder would probably cede some control. more ›

It's been all over the papers and on the tongues of many Washingtonians: who's going to replace Joe Gibbs as head coach of the Redskins? Although only a few weeks long, the saga seemed to stretch on forever. And in the end, the 'Skins surprised everybody, something Dan Snyder seems to enjoy: They picked the man who had just been hired to be the team's offensive coordinator, Jim Zorn. Who? more ›

It's the final edition of the Passion of the Gibbs! Redskins coach Joe Gibbs is resigning, the Post is reporting. Gibbs will reportedly stay with the Redskins in some kind of consulting capacity, but the 67-year-old will no longer serve as head coach after 16 years in the job. more ›

Well ain't this a kick in the pants? The Washington Redskins, faced with having to take the same long cut to the playoffs that they did the last time they found themselves all but eliminated and facing a slew of teams suddenly willing to play dead, took their act on the road to Minnesota and won 32-1421, in a game that was only briefly tense and was basically decided by an alert eye on the sidelines and a well-timed challenge by Joe Gibbs. more ›

Well, so much for inspiration. The Washington Redskins pulled out all the stops to honor their teammate Sean Taylor yesterday. There were special patches, a moment of silence — the defense even took the field in a “missing man” formation (which history will remember as a 22-yard gain for the Bills). The inflamed passions failed to translate into quality gameplay, and Washington found themselves coming undone for many of the same reasons they’ve done so... more ›

As the region continues to mourn the loss of Sean Taylor, some hopeful news has come to light in the search for his killer. Over the course of the week, officials have stated that they have "no reason" to believe that Taylor was anything more than the random victim of a botched burglary. However, in a story broken by the Miami Herald, a relative of Taylor's has announced that three men have now been detained... more ›

It took Joe Gibbs a few minutes to get to his point, but after only a couple cursory questions, he was able to say that, yes, the guys sure did “play their guts out” yesterday. It’s become a mantra of his, as though we’re rooting for a team of underdog high school kids and what matters isn’t whether they win or lose, but how they play the game. No matter the futility, the mind-boggling play... more ›

Jason Campbell couldn't miss, the defensive line looked like a wrecking crew, Carlos Rogers actually intercepted a pass (and returned it for a touchdown!), and Baby Jesus announced his preference for Joe Gibbs over Jon Kitna in a beating of the Detroit Lions so savage that Daniel Snyder had plenty of free time to stop worrying about the state of his football team, and start worrying about how the rides from his terrible theme parks... more ›

In beating the Eagles in their nest last night, there were a number of plays you could point to as being critical--not the least of which was Laron Landry's game-ending decapitation of Philly wideout Kevin Curtis to seal the deal. But if you were a fan looking for something a little defining or divining, the Skins offensive series to end the first half was probably the stretch of play that gave you that first tingle... more ›

We read all the local columnists, so you don't have to. This week we find meat-eaters being compared to Michael Vick, a lot of bum opinions on city schools and District residents being called "granola." Courtland Milloy: According to Milloy's Wednesday column in the Post, your choice to eat a hamburger isn't all that different than Michael Vick's decision to brutally fight, torture and kill dogs for money. "We'll kill a duck, deer, turkey --... more ›

Tonight, George Michael, by far Washington's best known and most dynamic sports reporter, leaves his post at Channel 4. The move, announced in November, comes amid a swath of cutbacks at NBC which claimed fellow sportscaster Wally Bruckner along with Susan Kidd, Arch Campbell, I.J. Hudson and Clay Anderson. While Michael was offered a generous deal to stay, it would have come at the cost of cutting half his staff. After 27 years at Channel... more ›

Hey folks. We're coming down off the high of the gorgeous fall weekend, but it's Monday, and the Redskins lost, again (heard this over the weekend and maybe we should save this for Overheard, but whatever: "I think Joe Gibbs should be elected to lead the country. Cause he's doing the same damn thing as the president: NOTHING!"). Anyways, here's this morning's news: More Transportation Woes: That privately-backed plan to build express tollways along... more ›

Joe Gibbs and Charley Casserly, who successfully collaborated at Washington during Gibbs' first coaching tenure, meet this weekend as rivals, with Casserly currently serving as the VP/General Manager of the Houston Texans. Both still have one thing in common, however: their respective teams are off to disappointing starts this season, and eye this weekend's contest as a chance to put themselves back on the right track. This week, Redskins quarterback Mark Brunell found himself back... more ›

Coach Joe Gibbs, despite having posted a career win-loss record that is just to die for, has never once won an opening week game on a Monday night. It makes you wonder why he’d willingly go through it again, especially after last night’s dispiriting loss to the Minnesota Vikings and their newly befuglified uniforms—squandering both a home game and a match against a very beatable team. In a game set against the backdrop of September... more ›

Redskins Stumble out of Preseaon The Redskins dropped their fourth and final preseason game last night, losing to the Baltimore Ravens 17-10. The loss sealed the first winless preseason in Joe Gibbs' 24 years as a coach. Though common wisdom dictates the insignificance of the preseason, there should be cause for concern among Redskins fans. The team scored a meager 27 points over the 4 preseason games, their lowest total since 1961. Their first-team... more ›

It's been a busy few days for the Redskins, as the deadline for roster cuts passed and the free agent signing period began. Washington sports fans might still be mourning the departure of LaVar Arrington, but the team is moving on and making some big changes. On Friday, the Skins cut five players in a last minute move to get under the salary cap. Linemen Brandon Noble and Cory Raymer, DBs Walt Harris and... more ›

Capitalizing on the playoff fever that gripped the entire D.C. metro area, today the Washington Redskins added Al Saunders to their coaching staff as offensive coordinator. Saunders, a former head coach with the San Diego Chargers, spent the last four years in Kansas City, guiding the league's top-ranked offense. Saunders was said to be in the running for the head coach position in Oakland, interviewing there multiple times, but Joe Gibbs swooped in with Daniel... more ›

For the Washington Redskins, the 2005 regular season was an unpredictable series of dizzy highs and swampy valleys as the team went from looking like a playoff shoo-in to an NFL also-ran. With only the thinnest post-season hopes remaining, however, the Skins made Tony Kornheiser look like a genius and rattled off December wins even as critical competitors – the Falcons, the Vikings, the Cowboys – hit the skids. It all culminated in yesterday afternoon’s... more ›

This review written by DCist Contributor Jim Smalley. Photos by Katie L. Thompson. On Tuesday night, DCist took the opportunity to catch two D.C. hardcore punk bands on the backstage at Black Cat. What ensued was one of the most intense live performances you will find in the District. Opener The A.K.s feature not one, but two throat-shredding vocalists, Alexi Petersen and Noah Foster who equally share airtime. Behind them stand Justin Parker on guitar,... more ›

The Washington Redskins treated their fans to a fantastic Christmas Eve by continuing their remarkable reversal of fortune with a well-fought win over the NFC East leading New York Giants, 35-20. The game’s completion ended what had been a remarkable week for Washington that began with a beatdown of the hated Cowboys and continued as every team that needed to lose to put the Redskins into playoff position did so en masse. It was... more ›

Two weeks ago, a stirring home win over the Philadelphia Eagles resulted in the Washington Redskins notching a respectable 5-3 record. Entrenched in the NFC playoff picture, Head Coach Joe Gibbs lauded his team’s play and spoke of the opportunity they now had to compete in “big games” instead of desperate games. That was two weeks ago. Circa today, the Redskins are nursing their wounds after a second critical late-game loss placed their season in... more ›

For a football team climbing toward a playoff berth from the mushy middle of the conference standings, the way that ball bounces can make you or break you. Last week, after the win over Philadelphia, the fortunate bounces emerged as a talking point among the Redskins’ players—all of whom seemed keenly aware how important it was that they got to those loose balls whenever the need presented itself. Against Tampa Bay, however, the Skins... more ›

Ugh. It had been a long time since the Redskins had found their way to a midseason division game that found them looking to actually take over the top spot and assert dominance instead of trying to make up games on the division leader. And after their thorough drubbing of the 49ers, Sunday’s meeting with the Giants was seen as a chance to turn the final corner and start being thought of as a... more ›

Joe Gibbs spent the past week making sure we knew he wasn’t looking past the San Francisco 49ers. He didn’t want to provide them with locker-room material. He didn’t want his team to lose focus and start drifting ahead to next week’s battle in the Meadowlands. Gibbs wanted one thing made clear—the San Francisco 49ers were the greatest threat to life in the DC Metro region since the Hot Zone. “Do you think you... more ›

Joe Gibbs is not the first coach to get riled up about the “tuck rule” – that hair-splitting, pantomime-based judgment call that differentiates between a quarterback fumble and an incomplete pass – but he’s the latest in a long line of people that needs to get over it. Sure, it’s frustrating, and yes, it took a potentially game-tying safety away from the Washington defense, but it’s just a single play. It’s pretty to think... more ›

Well, that didn't take long. Patrick Ramsey's tenure as the Redskins free-and-clear starting quarterback lasted just three offensive series, after which Joe Gibbs named Mark Brunell as the new starter going into next Monday night's game against the Dallas Cowboys. The decision was made at a news conference yesterday. Gibbs expressed some measure of regret at the announcement, telling the Post "You don't like doing this. I don't. Sometimes you don't chart the circumstances or... more ›

Last year, the Washington Redskins were a football team only a neoconservative could love. A season opening touchdown run by Clinton Portis kicked off the campaign with a shocking, awesome touchdown run. But by midseason, the team had gotten bogged down. It was clear that the defensive unit was capable of winning the war, but week in and week out, it was just as evident that the offense was taking the field without a... more ›

Coach Joe Gibbs never had a whole lot of success playing out in San Francisco the first time he coached the Washington Redskins. Of course, back then, both the Redskins and the 49ers were frequently atop the NFC, and, along with Dallas, a fixture of the playoffs. At recently rechristened Monster Park last Saturday, fans were treated to two teams trying to get back to that level of play, and the only monster in... more ›

If I was a passionate Redskins backer—and I am—I’d be watching this game very carefully. Because if there was ever a week for the Skins to begin a reversal of fortunes it’s now. This week’s home game is a rematch with our divisional foes from New York, so there’s an opportunity for comparison. When these two teams last met, the Giants won by virtue of seven Redskins turnovers—the most takeaways for New York in a... more ›

The Gibbs works in mysterious ways. Trust in the Gibbs, and salvation is at hand. That’s my story, and despite what the rest of the world has to say about the Redskins loss to Pittsburgh, I’m sticking to it. There’s nothing to be ashamed of in losing a tight 16-7 game against a Pittsburgh team that boasts the league’s top defense (having finally wrested that distinction from Washington last week), one of history’s greatest... more ›