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Averaging on the Upswing? Or...Stuck in the Middle with You

Here's the stat of the day...our track record for most of the Gruden era...

Last 2 games :1-1
Last 4 games: 2-2
Last 6 games: 3-3
Last 10 games: 5-5
Last 12 games: 6-6
Last 14 games: 7-7
Last 20 games: 10-10
Last 33 games 16-16-1
Last 37 games: 18-18-1
Last 57 games: 28-28-1

Now, this level of average, mediocre, up-and-down performance has been maddening for a lot of people. I think a lot of it is because we've seen this story before...but with a lot more optimism.

1994. We're coming off of a miserable 4-12 season where the then-aging Redskins, under Richie Petitbon, limped through the season with meager offense, brittle bodies, and a sense of finality to the halcyon days of Joe Gibbs. This, plus the implementation of the salary cap, caused Charley Casserly and new coach Norv Turner to rebuild the team from the ground up. The 94 season was not pretty, as we went 3-13 with John Friesz, Heath Shuler, and Gus Frerotte all taking turns under center. We couldn't run the ball worth a damn as Ricky Ervins and Reggie Brooks were not very effective behind the patchwork offensive line, and our defense couldn't stop school kids at a crosswalk, despite having a talented LB corps and two solid CBs. However, glimpses of a strong downfield passing attack and sparks of talent by some of our young talent made us look towards the future. This future started to come together at the end of the 95 season (6-10), followed by two near-misses at the playoffs in 96 (9-7) and 97 (8-7-1). QB and RB injuries, among others, took us back a notch in 98 (6-10) before we stormed through 99 with a 10-6 record and an offense that scored almost 28 ppg and a trip to the NFC Championship against a Rams team we matched up well with was lost due to getting Turk-Squared on a field goal snap.

All the while, we felt pain and joy...but even when we took a step back, we seemed to be doing so in preparation to take step forward. To recap the progress...

94 - 3-13
95 - 6-10
96 - 9-7
97 - 8-7-1
98 - 6-10
99 - 10-6

Fast-forward to 2014. We just came off a 3-13 debacle under Mike Shanahan and Robert "All in for Week 1...even if I should have been all in for Week 8" Griffin. Jay Gruden inherits a QB controversy, a team in need of restructuring and rebuilding, and Jay and Sean McVay set forth with an attempt to rebuild. We go 4-12 the first season, with tickets being resold by the end of the year for as little as $5 (I scooped those up, that's for sure). However, after early-season controversy over the Kirk/Griff QB decision, we go on a late season run and slide into the NFC East title at 9-7 and host a wild card game. However, after a 6-3-1 start, we fell out of the playoffs at 8-7-1 in 2016. McVay left, our top two WRs leave via free agency, injuries ravaged the team, and Jay's personal distaste for Kirk Cousins at QB reared it's head, and we struggled to a 7-9 record in 2017.

To recap the progress under Gruden...

2014 - 4-12
2015 - 9-7
2016 - 8-7-1
2017 - 7-9
2018 - ?????

It's 2018. We're 3-2. We lead the division. If we beat Dallas this week, we'll be 4-2.

To continue to the fairly interesting parallel, we lost to Dallas in 99 at this same point in the season, and fell to 4-2. Both in 99 and in 2018, we are starting veteran QBs in their first season as the starter in Washington.

Why don't we feel that same level of optimism that we felt heading into the late 90s? Why has it always felt like we were slouching towards mediocrity instead of building a winner? It's not like Norv Turner wasn't that likeable, "aw shucks" guy who was known as an "offensive guru". So why do we feel like we are mired in the muck and muddle of "meh" instead of building a contender?

Let me know your thoughts below...