“It’s really not easy covering this crap up. You basically have the assignment of covering for a crap show.”
That’s how Rick “Doc” Walker opened his appearance on the “Chris Russell Show” on Thursday, over on Team 980. Walker spent all three hours with Russell on Thursday’s program.
Walker continued, “That’s the way it is. And it’s been worse. You’ve been here quite a long time, as I have done this quite a long time, and it makes you really remember the good times.”
Walker a former tight end, played for the Redskins 1980-1985. In his seasons with Washington. the Redskins were 6-10 in 1980, 8-8 in 1981, Super Bowl Champs in 1982, NFC Champs in 1983, NFC East Champs for a third consecutive year in 1984 and 10-6 in 1985.
The remainder of the Joe Gibbs (1.0) era saw the Redskins finish 12-4 and lose the NFC Championship game, Super Bowl Champs (1987), 7-9 Gibbs’ only losing season in 1988, 10-6 in 1989, 10-6 in 1990 winning a road playoff game, Super Bowl Champs in 1991 and 9-7 winners of a road playoff game in 1992.
Walker was reminding Russell and all of the football fans listening to 980, “There is no guarantee you will ever experience it again, but I sure hope so. Because I miss it, and it does make me remember the good times and the great moments we experienced through this ball club.”
“But there is no guarantee that will ever happen again.”
Russell replied that he has been covering and reporting on the team for 14 years and has been fooled more than once, thinking surely the team was going to break through and be good again.
Walker talked of how he thought, “there is no way we are losing to the Giants,” but he, like all the rest of us, was again disappointed by the Commanders.
He suggested that perhaps Sam Howell is not going to be able to fix this problem of holding onto the ball too long. Then he quickly transitioned to how Giants DC Wink Martindale was ahead of Commanders OC Eric Bieniemy last Sunday.
Walker expressed his frustration that Martindale repeatedly showed early he was calling for blitzers and pressure, but the Commanders offensive coaches and players seemed to have no answers.
Russell pointed out that Bieniemy talked of their making adjustments but asked Walker, wasn’t Bieniemy late with the adjustments? To which Walker unhesitatingly declared yes, because the entire first half the offense was being overmatched by the Giants’ execution of the Martindale attack on Howell.
