[sportscurmudgeon]

It IS the talent. There are a few really good players and lots of players that have been hyped to be "outstanding" but who are merely "slightly above average".

It is the players on the field who do not execute. Joe Bugel did not the two illegal motion penalties and the holding penalty when the skins had first and goal at the ten. Joe Gibbs did not drop the two passes that hit receivers in the hands in that sequence of plays.

Talent deficiencies on the current team:

They need an upgrade at WR. Coles is good but not great. Nothing behind him is better than average.

They heec an upgrade at offensive guard and center. They need Jansen back at strength to play LT.

Cooley has promise as a tight end. None of the others on the team are anything other than back-ups.

The RBs are fine - - as long as they don't have to play Cartwright.

I think they had a problme at QB for the immediate future because Brunell looks really bad and Ramsey just doesn't get it yet. And Tim Hasselbeck is not the answer either.

The DL has two good players and the rest are waiver wire specials. One danger here is that GRiffin - one of the good players - has a history of playing good one year and playing very nonchalantely the next year. If that happens, the defense will take a step back next year.

The LBs are fine.

They still need a safety and they need a much better nickel back and dime back than they have. (Apologies to Ade JImoh Fan Club; he just doesn't get it done...)

I think that it is entirely the on-field talent that needs to shoulder the blame for the season.