Patrick Ramsey's brief appearance this season was ugly. Actually, it was disastrous. He held onto the ball too long, made poor decisions, and cost the team a potential victory against a division rival. But the one thing he did show, and has shown in his short career is that he has a huge arm. Simply throwing the ball 30 yards down the field a few times each game can do wonders in keeping opposing defenses honest. At the moment, Gibbs is still reluctant to use him, and rightfully so. The systems he has played in under Spurrier and while at Tulane have been polar opposites of the system the Redskins run. Throughout his career, he has constantly been subject to ferocious pass rushes behind suspect offensive lines. It will take time to train him to not believe that he will be sacked every pass attempt, but the only way to get that experience is to play him. Right now, the quarterback controversy is only in its infancy, but you can bet that if Brunell continues to struggle against the Bears, it will become a full blown nightmare.
If there is going to be any hope of righting the ship in time to get this team into the play-offs, this game constitutes a must-win situation. The match-ups for this weekend's game would seem to favor the Redskins. The Bears starting quarterback is gone for the season. Their defense has been far from stout, giving up 371 yards per game. This will be a make or break game for Brunell and the offense. If he plays a smart, solid game, and leads the Redskins to a victory on the road, he will likely save his job for the time being. However, if he plays the way he has up until this point, any post-season hopes will likely be gone and Gibbs may be more inclined to listen to the fans and get Ramsey ready to play during the bye week. If that's the case, it will be time to start getting our hopes up again for next season.