For the Redskins, the Unthinkable Has Happened

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La Canfora on Gibbs Resignation

The Washington Post's Jason La Canfora reports on Joe Gibbs's resignation from Redskins Park with washingtonpost.com's Jonathan Forsythe.

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In his first term as Redskins coach, Gibbs became famous for many things, including a cutting-edge offensive system, superlative halftime adjustments and some of the best game management tactics in the NFL. In his second term, all that reversed.

In his first year back, one veteran player, meaning no harm, casually referred to Gibbs's "1991 offense." By the 2006 season, Gibbs had fired himself as offensive guru, and the team brought in Al Saunders for that role after years of success in Kansas City and St. Louis.

Instead of faring well after intermissions, the Redskins became perhaps the worst team in the NFL at holding second-half leads over the last four seasons. Narrow losses, which Gibbs always called "heartbreaking," became the rule. A shattering 52-7 defeat to the perfect Patriots in New England may also have been a sign to Gibbs that his era as a premiere builder of champions was in the past and that, perhaps, some of his assistants, like Williams or Saunders, might do better with more or complete authority.

Despite his shortcomings in his second tour with the Redskins, Gibbs had a glorious final chapter in which his strongest suit -- his character -- was on display to a greater degree than ever before. From his private words and personnel warmth to his players to his public statements and words from the pulpit at Taylor's funeral in Miami, Gibbs struck exactly the right notes to minister to his players as people. And he also helped them to bond behind the memory of their teammate to be a better, closer and more focused football team.

All season, Gibbs praised his players' character and said that, in the last month, he even saw groups of players in small team-called meetings do extra work or simply talk about how much they wanted to play their best. When Gibbs came back four years ago, he inherited a team, and an organization, with almost zero cohesion, collective self-esteem or leadership. Steve Spurrier, the most casual and disengaged of NFL coaches, barely seemed to know all his players' first names let alone worry about their character or ability to interact and lead. Gibbs rebuilt the team from the inside out, stressing personal qualities almost as much, at times, as raw athletic ability.

Now the Redskins face an enormous test. Will they hold fast to the lessons Gibbs taught them? Will they play as an unselfish group, as they did increasingly under his guidance, or will they splinter, withdraw from each other and revert to the easy cynicism and selfishness that tempts every pro athlete?

Later today, Gibbs will speak about the reasons for his retirement. But for every player and coach that he has left behind, the meaning of the last four years must be kept fresh and in the front of every mind. Whether Gibbs is the coach or not, they can still interact with each other, and play on game day, like a true Joe Gibbs team.