Defeated
by JAMoney14 | 5 years ago | 0 Comments
Defeated
- A story by Jackson Grady
"54 seasons... 864 regular season games."
This is a quote I got from Washington head coach Ricky Chapstick mere hours before his 52 ran out of the tunnel at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Florida for RZ Bowl 60 against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers organization had been blessed with the masterful leadership of Cory Astin, a then 7 time RZ Bowl champion. A legend in the area of team building and on-field execution alike.
The quote defines who Ricky Chapstick is. The quote contains numbers that may change every single season, but walking into his 3rd RZ Bowl (all 3 against Cory Astin led football organizations), Ricky had a different ending in mind. You see, coach Chapstick is someone who invites the big moments, this is contrary to the long running criticism he's picked up in his 54 seasons and 864 regular season games in the Red Zone. I think it's important to realize what a spot in this league means in the first place. Simply walking out on that sideline every week is an invitation for a big moment. This is the greatest football league out there. You'd be a liar if you told yourself it was "just another game" in the Red Zone.
Ricky Chapstick joined the Red Zone in November of 2013. He was thrust into a head coaching position for the Minnesota Vikings, who had already been through 2 of them before he arrived. That was all the way back in Season 6. Ricky Chapstick, as a rookie head coach, was tasked with turning around a disorganized organization in Minnesota. A team who had not drafted well and had all of their eggs in superstar running back Adrian Peterson. Peterson was coming off of a pedestrian year the season before, which shouldn't surprise anyone due to the lack of leadership at that time. Unfortunately for coach Chapstick, the pedestrian numbers would continue. Chapstick never sniffed the playoffs in his two and half seasons in the Red Zone as the head coach of the Vikings.
That was 52 seasons ago.
When Chapstick was ousted as coach of the Vikings after just two and a half seasons, nobody batted an eye. A league still in it's building state, not even ten champions crowned to that point, who can blame them? It seemed to be another short career in a league that was on it's way to becoming legendary. Defeat was not the word. In fact, this new face was far from defeat.
Then, five seasons later, in the annual shuffle of the organizations, a well-documented text message from fellow Hall of Fame coach Terrance Porter gave coach Chapstick a second chance. As luck would have it, Washington was searching for a new coach to take over. A fresh start. A new opportunity in what would become the greatest league in the world. Chapstick jumped at the opportunity. It was at this time I began covering Ricky Chapstick. As a newly hired beat writer for Washington at the time, I was undoubtedly going to begin covering him at one point or another. Humorous about how we operate as people. You never realize what kind of "first time" interactions or events that happen to you will end up being significant. This is no different. All those years ago when I spoke to Ricky Chapstick for the first time, I wrote that he was "excited" to work with Robert Griffin III as his quarterback. Coming off of a short-lived career where Derek Carr and Devery Henderson took turns handing the ball to Adrian Peterson, I imagine it was quite exciting to coach an incredibly talented young quarterback for someone who was basically coming in as a reborn rookie head coach.
Seasons 13-20 saw an incredible emergence for the Red Zone as a football league. League communications became vastly improved. Media coverage increased. It started to become more than just a football league. The fan support for the Red Zone as a whole was becoming too loud to ignore and leadership began to realize what they had in front of them. While this is far from the peak of what the Red Zone was and what is has become today, these 8 seasons were pivotal in the growth of the Red Zone as we know it.
It is hard to gauge these 8 seasons for coach Chapstick. There were a lot of "moments", if not a lot of success. We've talked about coach inviting these moments, and even back then, he did. However, it was around this time that he began ingratiating himself to the Red Zone. One of his first "moments" was his decision to put the team on the veteran shoulders of Jason Campbell. In week 2 of season 13, Robert Griffin III would injure his pectoral muscle, ending his season. Jason Campbell was brought in after an afterthought of a trade from the Cincinnati Bengals, yet found himself as a full-time starter again in the league.
"I traded for Campbell because I saw a lot in him. That doesn't change just because of the unfortunate injury to Robert [Griffin]."
That was an answer I got from Chapstick heading into a week 5 matchup against the Seahawks, where Campbell threw for 3 TDs and nearly led a comeback on the future RZ Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks, coached by another one of Chapstick's future long-time rivals in Mike Adelmann (current head coach of the Arizona Cardinals). Campbell and the beaten down Skins finished with a .500 record.
Despite ending the season 8-8, there was hope for Washington. Ricky Chapstick used this hope to draft two players who would become fixtures in his legacy for years to come. Samuel Asante and Warren Coker. Asante, a 1st round pick, shared the field with similarly named veteran Samuel Asante, who Ricky Chapstick picked up off of waivers the year before. Coker, a 2nd round quarterback from Mizzou, was not heavily scouted in the Red Zone. The 6'0 quarterback played well enough to be named the starting quarterback for Washington after Ricky Chapstick made the difficult decision to trade the oft-injured Robert Griffin III to Chicago for a host of draft picks.
"Moments" doesn't always end positively, though.
In yet another moment, Ricky Chapstick was embroiled in controversy, as the league rules at the time forbid a Robert Griffin III trade. As a young coach, Chapstick admits he should have done more to prevent this mishap, as Chicago Bears ownership circumvented the rules by allegedly bribing the commissioners at the time. While one commissioner was eventually cleared, the other was ousted from power. The trade committee that the Red Zone uses today can point to this trade and a handful of others as the catalyst for the change.
Despite this, Chapstick would continue to invite moments into his Red Zone home. In season 16, Chapstick would coach his first ever playoff game in the Red Zone. Current Cowboys general manager Steven Greenhalgh held the clipboard on the other side of the field. In what would become one of the Red Zone's longest standing rivalries, the Greenhalgh-led Packers would defeat Chapstick's Redskins 13-17 after a tipped interception in the waning moments. This would be the one and only playoff game Chapstick would coach in his first stint with Washington.
It was around this time that Chapstick would begin garnering a reputation in league circles as someone who could not handle these very moments he was inviting to his doorstep. Despite this, he had become a regular fixture around the league and his place as a coach during the next shuffle was not in question. He was just getting started, he had not been defeated yet.
Following a... Perplexing first full cycle as coach in the burgeoning Red Zone, Chapstick excitedly accepted a head coaching position with the Detroit Lions. To the excitement of many league-wide, Chapstick was included in a division that also included Steven Greenhalgh (returning to Green Bay), Mike Adelmann (taking over the Vikings) and another RZ Bowl champion in Joseph Durm (taking over the Chicago Bears).
This would become an incredibly competitive division for all four organizations, all of which shared their own "moments" during that stretch of seasons. Ricky Chapstick saw his first signs of true life as a competitor in the Red Zone, with three playoff campaigns, one of which ending with an appearance in an NFC Championship game, which would end in defeat at the hands of the future champion Dallas Cowboys.
This didn't come without a cost, however. That reputation he began to form was coming to the forefront. Someone who would get inside his own head. Someone who couldn't be trusted to get out of his own way. Every season it became worse. Every season media pundits would wonder what could sink the Lions first - Chapstick's mental state or the team's performance itself. This came to a head during a week 17 game against the rival Vikings, once again coached by Mike Adelmann. The game decided the 6th wildcard spot in the NFC. This was a game that ended in a devastating 4th quarter interception from Matthew Stafford. Chapstick was seen throwing his league headset to the turf, storming off the field before he could even shake hands with his opposing head coach. Sometimes, the "moment" you ask for... That moment you build everything towards... It doesn't go your way. Chapstick was under the radar, and his performance in those much anticipated matchups were starting to tilt unfavorable.
After a disappointing season 22, coach Chapstick decided to hand an incredible amount of Lions players their walking papers, in what would become one of the legacy defining moves of his career. This would also become the stretch where Ricky Chapstick would start to establish his own group of players that would follow him for the rest of his career. Chapstick began the free agency period for Season 23 with 17 players on his roster. Yet another "moment" for Ricky Chapstick. He was the one scrapping incredibly talented and productive players like Matthew Stafford, Joique Bell, Calvin Johnson, and Ndamukung Suh. He was inviting this moment. He wasn't afraid to talk to me and other media members back then either.
"We've cleaned house. We understand that one way of thinking wasn't going to work anymore and that it was time to move forward with a different strategy."
Using an absurd amount of cap space and draft capital he had gained through trades, Chapstick picked up many very talented players, but more importantly for him - different players. The status quo had been shattered in an attempt to hang with the big boys... Not just in his own division, but with the conference and league as a whole. The results were a mixed bag, but at least began with a historic season. Ameer Abdullah gained league-wide super-stardom, leading the league in rushing multiple times and securing an Offensive Player of the Year once, in season 26. Punter Sam Martin would secure multiple all-pro teams, as would fellow special teamer Emery Martin, the return man. Ezekial Ansah and Malcome Stokes led an impressive defense. Axillary players like Mark Herzlich and Ronnie Hillman provided quality spot time. Tyrod Taylor took over at the quarterback position, leading the Lions to a 8-0 start. Despite the start, the Lions would end the season 10-6, barely sneaking into the playoffs, only to be defeated by the (then) St. Louis Rams in the divisional round.
This defeat would mark a high point for the Lions team, however, never reaching that round again during Chapstick's tenure as the head coach of the Detroit Lions. Despite not winning a championship in his 2nd full stretch in the Red Zone, many were high on Chapstick, as his stock was continually improving year after year. Ricky Chapstick had lost the battles, but not the war. He had not been defeated.
"I am incredibly honored to have been the coach in one of the best divisions in RZ history. I'm looking forward to taking that momentum into Season 28 with Tom Brady and co."
Season 28 began with Ricky Chapstick sliding on a navy blue sweatshirt, this time donning a New England Patriots logo. This was unlike his three previous stops, having had to rebuild a disjointed roster from day 1. The Patriots were a made team, ready to compete. Joining Chapstick in the AFC East was Mike Mojica, which would spark another long-standing rivalry in the league of leagues. For years, both men battled in the AFC East, alongside the Dolphins and Bills. Despite being largely a two man race, the Patriots struggled significantly in the AFC, unable to win the close games. In the first season as Patriots coach, Ricky Chapstick's one true moment came in week 17, when Tom Brady threw for 6 TDs in his final game in the league, which earned him an MVP trophy. With the team's 7-9 record, neither he and Chapstick were truly pleased with this.
Tom Brady remains the only RZ MVP winner to take home the trophy with a losing team record.
This meant an overhaul was needed - at least, that's what it meant for coach Chapstick. Ricky, finding success with his previous strategy of purging the roster, attempted the same thing to this new Patriots squad, which was suddenly without it's greatest offensive weapon in Tom Brady. This time, rather than building through free agency, fearing that strategy would not work again, he decided to focus on the very first RZ Draft of his Patriots tenure to put him in position to succeed. In the first two rounds, he secured two men would would go on to become multiple time pro-bowlers, Brion Murrell and Ruben Baskett. Baskett, a pass rusher, thrived early alongside one of the few defensive players who was able to keep their roster spot, Dont'a Hightower. Murrell, however, took longer to grow. Coming out of college as a cornerback, it took a full season of below average play for coach Chapstick to move him to free safety, a position he would thrive in. From trades, coach Chapstick would land Michigan State standout Connor Cook to replace Tom Brady.
Despite individual successes from the young defensive roster, the Patriots struggled mightily the next two seasons under Connor Cook. The tutelage of offensive coordinator (and former QB under Chapstick in Detroit) C.T. Quarles was not working for Connor and Chapstick felt it was time to move on.
"You cannot win in this league without a quarterback. We know that. We've been through this before and we'll be through it again."
Still without a playoff appearance, the Patriots were continuing to grow. In season 30, they added another young weapon who would become their top offensive star, Russ Harris. The 5'8 burner, affectionately known as Minitron, would be a staple in the Patriots unsuccessful offense for the remainder of coach Chapstick's tenure. Still without a playoff win under this new coaching staff, Chapstick was dedicated to changing that. Then came the New York Jets. After starting 3-4, the Patriots looked to once again struggle. However, a late surge saw them win an astonishing 6 games in a row, all leading to their second showdown with the Jets. Looking to run the table, the Patriots took a one possession lead with seconds to play, and the Jets on their own side of the field...
"He just threw it up there and it landed in their hands. Nothing we can do about it now but move forward."
A hail mary brought every Patriots fans for miles to their knees, defeating the surging Patriots. They never recovered. They would end the season 9-7 and miss the playoffs yet again.
Mojica, led by new team owner Papi, was hired as a life long Jets fan. Mojica, despite being a much more successful coach during his time in the Red Zone, was in the same position as coach Chapstick - neither had been crowned a RZ Bowl Champion. Over the course of the next 8 seasons, Mike Mojica would be crowned RZ Champion for the first time in his career in season 33. This was a moment that hurt coach Chapstick, but the pride and happiness he felt for his friend and rival was obvious.
Over the next several years, the Patriots would knock at the door but continue to fall short, cycling in older players or players who had been abandoned by their former teams. Even bringing in names like Mark Herzlich, Sam Martin, Grant Terra and Ronnie Hillman. It was during this time that the Buffalo Bills coaching staff suddenly left the Red Zone, making way for one of the single most dominant forces in the league's history... Cory Astin joined as the head coach mid-way through the cycle, showing signs of success, with his own degree of struggle. Even in the early days, it was very clear who the future of the league was.
That was it. With Mojica, Astin, and the rest of the AFC continuing to beat down on the Patriots... Who could never put together a consistent roster, the Patriots let coach Chapstick go with 0 playoff appearances in 9 seasons. All of the momentum that coach Chapstick had build had vanished in a heartbeat, and perhaps for the first time, the feelings of hopelessness and defeat began to creep in.
"I'm happy to announce I have accepted the head coaching position for the Los Angeles Rams!"
Ricky Chapstick was poised to bounce back in a big way after his disappointing run in the AFC. Chapstick signed his Los Angeles Rams contract at the start of Season 36. With another NFC franchise in need of some big changes, Chapstick was prepared to do just that.
Unfortunately, the QB trade controversy he found himself in in Washington reared it's head again, as the league had many disputes with coach Chapstick for attempting to trade former first-round pick Jared Goff. Chapstick was no stranger to carving his own path with the roster, but this was different. The uproar coming from Chapstick's trade attempts left a disenfranchised Jared Goff to leave the team. With no interest in fixing this broken relationship, Chapstick shockingly released Jared Goff before he played a single game with the franchise. He would go on to backup the New York Jets during their Season 40 RZ Bowl victory.
This led the way for two more moments. The Rams, under Chapstick, were dedicated to bringing in their own guys to make a run similar to the one they had in Detroit over 10 seasons ago.
The Rams completed a trade with Buffalo to bring Tyrod Taylor in to be their starting quarterback before week 1. A first round pick was the price, a price they were willing to pay to get their guy. Joining Taylor in the QB room was disgraced quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Both QBs would play a pivotal part in Chapstick's debut season with the Rams.
LA began the season on an absolute tear, destroying their first 4 opponents by an average margin of 30 points. The league was taken aback, and the usual overreactions began to pour in. Comments about Chapstick's dedication to his play style and claims that he'd "figured this thing out" ran rampant. This was another "moment" that coach Chapstick had always invited. He had always wanted the attention he was getting now. Through the next 4 weeks, the Rams would cool off, but still go 3-1, bringing their record to 8-1.
"People want to call it a publicity stunt, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Colin [Kaepernick] is a great quarterback and he'll keep the train rolling."
Despite the success, an awkward landing for Taylor on a scramble would end his season, bringing in backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick to finish a great opening season for the Rams.
LA would finish 9-7 and land outside the playoffs.
For the next 5 seasons, the Rams would continue to struggle. Tyrod Taylor was benched in favor of Cam Newton via trade. Draft picks that never panned out and free agents who never measured up to their contracts caused coach Chapstick to fall into a broken mental state. After disappearing for much of Season 40's offseason, he resurfaced in a lesser role, coaching games on gameday... and that was it. This obviously led the Rams down the path of inner destruction, and another mediocre season. The reputation he had earned seemed to be all true. This would make 12 straight seasons without a single playoff appearance for coach Chapstick, and some pundits within the Red Zone world questioned whether he would return as head coach for season 41. Despite his own doubt, Chapstick decided to break the door down and challenge his own reservations. He looked to create more moments by shaking the very foundation of his roster.
Another roster purge took place, leaving the Rams in question, but with loads of cap space. High quality players, such as Jason Verrett, Tavin Law, Shon Clarke, Christian Kirksey, and Griffin Mosley all joined the Rams in the summer of season 41. These players, alongside Samson Ebukam, Tim Williams, Josh Johnson, and Aaron Donald, would help propel one of the best defenses in the league for the next 4 seasons. They would become known as "LA's Finest". The Rams were still left without any semblance of offense. That is where coach Chapstick would focus his two first round picks, bringing in QB Ryan Wang and HB Deric Little. The Little/Wang combo proved to be an immediate force alongside a new-look defense. They would score their first division championship under coach Ricky Chapstick, leading them to a showdown with the Eagles in the postseason.
Despite a loss, Ricky Chapstick regained his smile. The smile he had lost over the last 12 seasons of constant defeat. The smile he hadn't felt since his days in Ford Field. The smile that would propel him to his first ever RZ Bowl.
Even while posting record defensive numbers over the next few years, the offense could not carry it's load, leading to yet another controversial decision at quarterback for Ricky Chapstick. Ryan Wang was benched in favor of 6th round draft pick: Rookie QB Miles Bush.
"I appreciate everything Wang has done for us. We just had to go in another direction. We're excited about the direction of our team."
Miles Bush, a man who had run a 4.54 40-yard dash at that years RZ Combine, fit the bill for Chapstick teams in the past. The impact was felt immediately. The Rams turned a questionable 5-4 season into an incredible run, ending the season 6-1 behind the electric season of Miles Bush. Bush finished with a 6-1 record, 1,345 yards passing, 12 TDs, 5 interceptions and an incredible 523 yards rushing. This shock of the system seemed to be just what the Rams needed.
They would compete in the playoffs in a wildcard game, defeating the #1 seed, #2 seed, and #3 seed consecutively to be crowned the NFC Champions. Standing in the way of Ricky Chapstick's first RZ Bowl appearance was none other than Cory Astin. The Baltimore Ravens had been carving their own legacy during this time, winning two RZ bowls in seasons 39 and 42, looking for #3 against Ricky Chapstick. The Ravens were widely regarded as having the most stacked roster in the league, which today is no surprise for an Astin managed team.
The much anticipated showdown between the Cinderella story Rams and the powerhouse Ravens was over as quickly as it began. The Ravens destroyed the rookie quarterback, dominating the Rams by more than 35 points.
"People would like to point and laugh at the final 52 minutes of our season. At the end of the day, there's only one NFC Champ. Congratulations to the Ravens. We will be back."
This would be a new high for coach Chapstick, who commanded respect with his newfound style. Despite losing his smile. Despite losing his chance at RZ Bowl greatness, his head was held high knowing he finally was finally validated as someone who could "get to the big game." While the Ravens would go on to win another RZ Bowl to cap off the cycle in season 45, the Rams fought and clawed, competing every step of the way. The darkness had been cleared. The defeat and doubt he had in his mind was gone. Ricky Chapstick knew he had the coaching ability to get to the big game. He knew he could do it.
Thus began the newest chapter of the story of Ricky Chapstick. Heading back to the NFC North for the 3rd time in his now veteran career, he accepted the position with the Chicago Bears. With a smile on his face, he welcomed rival Mike Mojica into the division to join the Green Bay Packers.
The Bears seemed like a perfect fit for the run-first coach, as he began with a very intriguing duo in Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen. In what came as a shock to the league, Howard was traded before he could even take a snap for the Bears, being moved to the Eagles. Cohen would be joined by Ameer Abdullah, a Chapstick staple, for the first season under coach Chapstick. Also entering new territory was 2nd year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. The young signal caller's position was immediately compared to one Chapstick had faced years ago - Robert Griffin III.
"Mitchell is our guy going forward. He has everything we want in a quarterback and I know he is the player I want guiding this offense for the foreseeable future."
The Bears shocked the RZ world by facing all comers. Coach Chapstick brought his team to the playoffs in his first season for the first time in his career. A 12-4 record was still only good enough for a wildcard game though, and standing in his way was his former team, the LA Rams. Mitchell Trubisky's game management, an inspired defense and as always... an impeccable running force... led the way for a 24-10 victory over the Rams. Another underdog victory over the Giants brought the Bears, led by Chapstick, to the NFC Championship, their 2nd in 4 seasons. This time, it was act III against the Packers. Their long-standing rivalry dating back to Patriots/Jets was reignited in the form of Packers/Bears. However, the result was the same as it was in the past, and Mike Mojica would be victorious yet again. The Packers would go on to win the RZ bowl, Mojica's second in his illustrious career.
Unlike great performances in years past, Chapstick was determined to not allow this to be a flash in the pan.
Over the next few days, Chicago devised a plan. The trades of Nick Kwiatowski and Allen Robinson (along with several other pick for pick trades) landed the Bears with two very good first round picks. Enter the Miami Dolphins. The Bears moved both first round picks, in addition to late draft compensation to nab one of the most dominant offensive players in RZ history. The Bears selected WR Trey Grigsby with the #1 overall pick.
As time progressed, the chemistry between Trubisky and Grigsby only improved. The Bears slowly transitioned from a conservative run-first team, to a pass first team. After a 9-win season that had it's own ups and downs, the Bears steamrolled the NFC for most of the next 5 years, becoming a perirenal playoff force. The additions of Delanie Walker (and later Trubisky favorite Reed Standeford), LeVeon Bell, and fellow early draft pick Dixon Blue, the Bears offense quickly became a show to watch every gamed. Coach Chapstick turned this offensive success into over 75 wins in 7 seasons during his time with the Bears, including 5 playoff berths and 2 NFC Championship appearances.
Mitchell Trubisky is the first quarterback to start and finish a stretch as the starting QB under Ricky Chapstick.
What he was missing was that coveted RZ Bowl position he had always dreamed of since facing coach Astin's Ravens nearly 10 seasons prior. Despite 2 NFC Championship appearances during his time with the Bears, he was never able to translate that offensive success... That new identity... Into a championship. Parallel to Chapstick's efforts were Mike Mojica book ending his time with Green Bay with two championships. These RZ Bowl victories were not celebrated by Ricky Chapstick in the same manner as Mojica's first was. Doubt began once again creeping into his head.
Incredible, isn't it? From doubting he can make the game, to turning that pessimism into doubting he could win that game. Here stands a coach that had every level of success as the head coach of the Bears, yet he continued to be subject to criticism of self-hate and self-doubt. This inevitably leading to defeat at his own hands in the playoffs.
Unfortunately for coach Chapstick, this time they may have been right. A man who continued to win 10 games per year was in no different place than he had been 40 seasons prior when he struggled to win a single game as the head coach of the Vikings.
"It's about time I come home."
Now we all know where this journey has taken us. This journey has taken me through many careers. It's taken me through highs and lows of my own life, but even dating back to my first article I wrote about Ricky Chapstick in the preseason of season 13, I could never have predicted where we are now. Ricky Chapstick accepted a contract offer from the Washington Redskins on June 22nd, 2019. I could sit here and tell you everything he's done since he's accepted the position, but you already know where this is leading.
Ricky Chapstick is one of the winningest coaches in the Red Zone over the last 15 seasons as of this post. Carrying on the success he had with Mitchell Trubisky, Chapstick has turned Dwayne Haskins into one of the top quarterbacks in the league. He became just the 4th coach in RZ history to post a 16-0 season (alongside coaches Greenhalgh, Astin and Parian).
Derrius Guice and Haskins have led the charge, but with very clever maneuvering, the roster has evolved into a defensive force to couple with that offense. Will Fuller's addition 3 years ago provided a much needed receiving threat. Throughout the last 7 seasons, coach Chapstick has continued to welcome moments. From his 28 game regular season winning streak that stretched over three seasons, to his domination of the Dallas Cowboys, Chapstick has proven he can win in tense moments time and time again.
There's but one thing that continues to hold him back.
Season 55, Washington stands at 3-4 heading into a pivotal matchup with the Dallas Cowboys. A 38-41 victory that would be the first of 28 straight for Ricky Chapstick in the regular season. This victory also opened up the first of a single-season streak that would end at the hands of a familiar foe...
The wildcard matchup the Skins happened into after finishing their 3-5 season undefeated? The Mojica led New Orleans Saints. The Skins fended off the 3 time RZ Bowl champions team to take home a 34-20 victory. Yet another try for the Dallas Cowboys, who also fell victim for an impossibly focused Ricky Chapstick. The now two-time RZ Bowl champions stood in the way of Washington, but again, the team was too hot to fold in the NFC Championship game. For the 2nd time in as many RZ Bowl appearances, Ricky Chapstick faced Cory Astin in the big game. This time, his seemingly unstoppable Chargers.
"People would like to point and laugh at the final 52 minutes of our season. At the end of the day, there's only one NFC Champ. Congratulations to the Ravens. We will be back."
Deja vu. In yet another brilliantly depressing performance, the Chargers dispatched of Washington... Quickly and effectively. Without a shred of the fire they had shown in the previous 11 games, the Skins fell 33-14.
In a lot of ways, his 2nd stint as head coach for Washington has been a single-stint summary of his entire career.
From beginning with heavy reliance on Adrian Peterson and the run game behind a young and questionable quarterback, to establishing of who you are as a team with success and failures, to dominance and playoff success.
You all know what comes next. Seasons of effort at just one more chance. A 16-0 season that ends in disappointment. Champions crowned while he can do nothing else but watch and wait... all leading to a Season 60 opportunity at the same group that has crushed him twice before. This is a moment coach Chapstick begged for. Openly rooting for the Chargers in the AFC championship game against the surging Cleveland Browns. The Chargers did emerge victorious, setting up a 3rd bout between dynasty and underdog. It's almost so perfect, you could not script a better story...
Unfortunately, in the scripted stories, the underdog eventually wins.
So here we stand. 54 seasons. 864 regular seasons. 21 playoff appearances. 6 NFC Championship appearances. 3 RZ Bowl appearances.
...and nothing to show for it.
As much as I'd like to post another Ricky Chapstick quote here, I can't. As of this post, he has not reported to the media. He answered no questions immediately following the loss to the Chargers. His last moments on screen showed him hastily embracing the head coach of the season 60 RZ Bowl champions, congratulating them on yet another dominant performance, their 8th championship since joining the greatest league on the planet. The Skins organization has a contingency plan in place, stating that they will move forward with the assistants if Chapstick does not report back for season 61, which is slated to be the final season until the coach carousel begins again.
From a team standpoint, there were few surprises from the front office in DC this offseason. What was expected from most media outlets this season has come to fruition. Big time players from Washington had no choice but to enter free agency for season 61. All Pro MLB Tyler Farley, DT Da'Ron Payne, DT Emmett Patterson, RG Melvin Tharpe, C Tyler Chapman... All have moved on to greener pastures. It appears Washington has tried their best to patch these holes with veterans, including former Washington pass-rusher Matt Iaonnidis rejoining the ranks, but it will certainly not be the same team heading into season 61.
There's no way to know what is next for Ricky Chapstick. Whether it's a reduced role, or an outright retirement. All that seems certain right now is that the years of disappointment and invitation of "moments" have taken a toll on him, a man who has dedicated the better part of the last 7 years to competing in the greatest league in the world. A man who has been a on his own personal roller coaster the entire way. A man who is not interested in retorts of it being "just a game of football."
This seems to be a man who has finally succumbed to his own defeat.