Juxtaposing the Redskins current state with Cleveland’s revival
By Ian Cummings
There’s always a joke.
No matter how riddled with parity we like to believe the NFL has become, there’s always at least one organization that better serves as the butt of a joke, than the banner franchise.
For twenty years, spanning the length of Dan Snyder’s tenure with the Washington Redskins, the burgundy and gold have taken the role of the former for seasons on end. Bruce Allen is regarded as “literally a joke” by executives across the league, and Snyder, through a vicious recurring cycle of self-destruction, has attracted the same reputation.
For all their failings, however, the Redskins, for the better part of the twenty-first century, weren’t the lowliest franchise in the league. For a long time, the Cleveland Browns, with their infamous quarterback jersey, their well-documented, high-profile draft woes, and their comedic coaching carousel, have been a sliver more laughable. They’ve been a buffer for the burgundy and gold for over a decade.
But the tides are turning in Cleveland. The franchise just south of Lake Erie is experiencing a revival at the hands of John Dorsey and redemption figure Jimmy Haslam. After winning five of their last seven games to finish 7-8-1 in 2018, the Browns hired upstart offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens to coach up his fiery understudy Baker Mayfield.
Kitchens recently appeared at a press conference with his general manager at his side. To any other franchise, the conference is a representation of something they do every year. For the Redskins, however, it’s completely foreign.
A few key quotes from Browns officials Kitchens and Dorsey stand out from the press conference. A team environment is clearly emphasized, and at one point, Kitchens says “If you use ‘I’ as a word, and not a letter, then we have a problem”. Another memorable quote from the newly-anointed head coach? “Two is one. One is none.”
Not only is the emphasis of unity a culture shock to Redskins fans, but so too is the transparency. Cleveland’s general manager is sitting in front of the crowd, cameras in his face. He’s not offended by the desire for accountability. He welcomes it. He explains the plan he and Kitchens have in place, moving forward, and he leaves no doubt that they know the expectations moving forward.
Where are the Redskins, during all of this? Promoting Bruce Allen to oversee business and football operations after the worst midseason collapse to date, when both Snyder and Allen haven’t had a press conference in almost half a decade? With the fans in a full-blown revolt and all communication lines between team and base severed completely?
The Redskins are still stuck in their ways. And for perhaps the first time under Dan Snyder, the Browns look better. Much better. There is no buffer anymore. For some, who saw Dan Snyder’s operation for what it was, there never was one.
It’s not that image necessarily matters, in the grand scheme of things. With their occasional playoff flukes, the Redskins have managed to make themselves look a little better. But they’ve been dysfunctional through the majority of the last twenty years, in spite of glimpses that have given some fans cautious, empty hope. Cleveland’s failure may have overshadowed Washington’s at times, but it won’t anymore. The NFL needs a new joke. And the Redskins are nailing their job interview.