[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by skinsguy

True, but I think that line is very thin. I do believe it took Norv Turner too long to finally get the Redskins into playing better football and winning games. However, point being is, they finally started winning more. They finally started winning division championships and getting into the playoffs. I felt Snyder was a little hasty in firing Turner midseason. Especially when the Redskins were at a 7-6 record. By all accounts, Turner should have been fired before the '98 or '99 seasons. But, because he wasn't, and because they (front office) stuck with him, he eventually got the Redskins in the playoffs.

I guess my line of thinking is, if you're going to fire a guy, don't do it after he finally "catches on". Stick with him at that point. I suppose I was giving Turner a free pass for the ugly years we endured under him before that '99 season. From that point on (the '99 playoff season) is when Turner should have been scrutinized the most in my opinion. In another words, "Ok, you have finally started doing what we hired you to do. So, we're starting on a clean slate now. We are going to see if you can at least repeat that and eventually improve from that. If so, then you're working out. If the team regresses, you're gone!"

We can say the team regressed that following year, but since Turner was fired before the season was over (at a 7-6 record,) then we can't really say for sure that Turner would not have gotten the Redskins into the playoffs again. Or, at least a 10-6 record if nothing else.

Fair points

But let's also remember Turner wasn't just 7-6. He had just lost 4 of his last 5 games (including back to back division losses). The team was heading on a downward spiral. Should Snyder have waited until the end of the season? Yes, and he's admitted as much. But Norv did have to go.