Time for changes after a 2-5 start to the season? Head coach Joe Gibbs said the team will consider anything as coaches and player personnel officials analyze the Redskins' first seven games during the bye week.
The Redskins hold practices on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, before breaking for the bye. Meantime, Gibbs and the coaching staff will spend hours in film study, breaking down the offense, defense and special teams in order to find solutions to the inconsistency plaguing the team.
"If there is anyplace we think somebody could help our football team, certainly that would be a consideration," Gibbs said. "We're hopefully trying to do that all the time."
On Monday, Gibbs was asked if, given the team's 2-5 record, it was time to get a closer look at some of the younger players on the roster.
Replied Gibbs: "There may be a chance for us to play somebody. That'll be part of the evaluation. That'll be something we'll have to be convinced on that this is the best way for us to go."
One of those young players is second-year quarterback Jason Campbell, the former first-round draft pick who has yet to play a down in the NFL.
Gibbs said he was not focused on making a quarterback change at this time. That means Mark Brunell will remain the starter, unless he succumbs to injury. Brunell has a strained muscle in his ribs that could force him to miss practice time. Backup Todd Collins will get the bulk of reps in practice.
"We know at some point Jason's time is going to come, but right now that's not something that's a focus of mine," Gibbs said. "We'll practice the way we've been practicing, unless Mark has a tough time going [due to his injury]."
Regarding Brunell's performance in the Week 7 game at Indianapolis, a 36-22 loss to the Colts, Gibbs said: "Mark played with great courage and I felt he made some real good throws. Mark's day was the like the rest of the offense. We were inconsistent at times. We'd like to have had better plays."
Brunell completed 27-of-37 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. His QB rating was 106.4.
For the season, Brunell is ranked ninth in the NFL in passer rating. He has completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,465 yards, seven touchdowns and just three interceptions. He has thrived in the short and intermediate passing game, but the offense has struggled to sustain drives, especially in the second half.
On defense, rookie linemen Anthony Montgomery and Kedric Golston have seen significant playing time as Cornelius Griffin and Joe Salave'a have struggled through injuries. Montgomery was a fifth-round pick last April, and Golston was a sixth-round selection.
However, rookie linebacker Rocky McIntosh has seen limited playing time on defense. He has played on special teams coverage units, however.
McIntosh is listed as the backup weak-side linebacker on the Redskins' depth chart, behind starter Warrick Holdman.
"Rocky has played on [special] teams and we want him to play more [on defense]," Gibbs said. "That would be one of the goals that we have here. We're doing everything we can do to try and get him ready. It just so happens that he's in with a [linebacker] group that's a pretty senior group.
"Rocky is a young guy who we would hope plays a lot and he's done every single thing we've asked of him."
Apart from the starting lineup, Gibbs also indicated that there could be some changes in the offensive and defensive schemes.
"Hopefully there will be changes schematically to what we are doing on offense, defense, our passing game, and our running game," Gibbs said. "Obviously we have some areas that we have real concerns in.
"Personnel wise if there is anything we can do we are going to do it. We are hoping we are going to get some guys back healthy. Obviously that would change the structure of our team there.
"I would say it is going to be active and a lot of work over the next two weeks. We will try to put ourselves in the best position to get ready to come back and play Dallas here. That is the way I look at it. Each game from here on out takes on its own character. It always does."
