Jim Zorn Should Resign

Jim Zorn Faces Bleak Season

The dysfunctional mess that is the 2009 Washington Redskins has been well documented in the Washington, D.C. press. And all the fingers are, rightfully, pointing to owner Dan Snyder and his right hand hatchet man Vinnie Cerrato. Snyder has made a laughingstock of the franchise by trying to buy a team every year by signing aging, big name free agents who never pan out, perennially bad draft choices, refusing to hire a football savvy general manager, and constantly switching coaches.

And now this. Jim Zorn, who I do believe is in over his head as a head coach, has been utterly undermined and humiliated by Snyder and Cerrato. First, they brought in Sherman Lewis, who has been out of football for six years, as an “offensive consultant,” essentially saying they did not have confidence in Zorn in his role as offensive play caller.

Then, they strip Zorn of his play calling duties and hand it to Sherman Lewis, their handpicked so called offensive savior, not Zorn’s. This move completely undermined any credibility Zorn had with the players and makes him a lame duck head coach. Such a move ratcheted up the message that Snyder and Cerrato have no faith in Jim Zorn as a head coach, despite what they may say publically. And it is abundantly clear that Zorn, if he makes it through the season without being let go, will certainly not be back as the head coach of the Redskins next year.

Add to this the clear back and forth between Zorn and Cerrato in the press after the loss to the Eagles, with Cerrato saying the playing calling helped the offense, which is a total joke, and Zorn essentially saying the opposite. And then Zorn’s statement that he actually interceded and called the play that lead to the Redskins last touchdown smacked a bit of insubordination, or at least a poke in the eye at Snyder and Cerrato. Zorn clearly could not be happy with the situation he finds himself in.

And with that, the Redskins players, who already look anemic and at half speed on offense, have no real motivation to try to finish out the season playing hard. What for? The coach is neutered and no longer the leader of the team, and whatever new regime comes in next year will start refresh evaluating talent and reshaping the roster. The players are already squabbling among themselves, especially running back Clinton Portis, who seems to have something to whine about every year.

Jim Zorn should simply resign. He is the head coach in name only. He has been humiliated, demoted, and stripped of any leadership authority he had with the players. He would not be pulling a punk move like Bobby Petrino when he left the Atlanta Falcons in the lurch. He has very legitimate and clear reasons to resign – and that is the owner has clearly showed no confidence in him, he has been stripped of many of the decision making prerogatives of a head coach, and he clearly won’t be back next year.

The Redskins are in a bye week which would be the perfect time for Jim Zorn to step down and save face.  He would be giving up a lot of money because Snyder wouldn’t have to pay him the rest of his contract.  But would Zorn rather have the money or his dignity?

And he would not be quitting on the team.  The team, both the players and management, have already quit on him.

2009 NFL Football Season: Week 3

OBSERVATIONS

Chad Pennington: Chad Pennington is one of the classiest players in the NFL and I hated to hear that he has yet another shoulder injury. I strongly suspect we’ve seen the last of Pennington as a viable starter in the NFL, which is a shame because he is a real winner.

The Wildcat: So far I have only seen the Miami Dolphins run the Wildcat offense successfully. I think the Wildcat is a passing fancy, although we continue to see it in certain situations. We’ve already had versions of this in the past with players like Kordell Stewart, so I limited situations this will continue. As a viable, oft used offensive set, I just don’t see it having legs in the long run.

Felix Jones: The Cowboys exciting, fast, play making running back, who injured his ACL last year, has yet another knee injury. This makes me wonder if he will ever stay healthy enough to have a consistent impact for the Cowboys.

New England Patriots over Atlanta Falcons, 26-10

New England’s offense is still a work in progress. Brady is clearly still rusty with his timing, rhythm, and accuracy, but I am confident this will improve throughout the year. We finally got our running game going. As I mentioned last week, we really need to utilize the backs on our roster and establish a successful running game to keep defenses from pinning their ears back and going after Brady. Look what happened to the Cardinals against the Colts!

The young defense is playing surprisingly well so far. It will be interesting to see how this unit progresses as the season unfolds.

We really, really needed this win given we have the Baltimore Ravens coming to town.

MVP: Fred Taylor, RB

GAMES I WATCHED

Detroit Lions over Washington Redskins, 19-14

I have to admit I loved watching the Redskins lose and the Lions finally win a game. Matthew Stafford did a great job in the pocket and appears to be a player, with improvements in accuracy and touch, who will be around for a long time. What was most impressive to me about the Lions is that they did not fold late in the game when the Redskins hit a big play to Santana Moss for a touchdown. Last year the team would have probably folded up the tent and lost but they did not panic and closed the show. This was a very impressive showing for the Lions.

The Redskins, on the other hand, continue to look lost on offense and are not generating big plays on defense. And even though Albert Haynesworth is not playing like a $100 million man, his loss to injury in first half hurt the defense.

Congratulations Detroit.

MVP: Matthew Stafford, QB

New Orleans Saints over Buffalo Bills, 27-7

The Saints may be the best team in the NFC but I was not quite as impressed with them in this game. As with most teams this year, it’s really the teams that run the ball effectively that have had the most success on offense, even if its’ a team that still ends up passing far more than running. It was really Pierre Thomas’s second half 126 yards rushing that salted away the game for the Saints.

The Bills are an enigma to me. On the offensive side of the ball they have the personnel to score more than they are. The Saints may have an improved defense but they are not stalwarts on that side of the ball. Their two best receivers, Terrell Owens and Lee Evans, were not even factors in the game. They have an effective running game but they have to get points. I think the Bills need new leadership and Dick Jauron should be out after this season if they don’t show some improvement.

MVP: Pierre Thomas, RB

Indianapolis Colts over Arizona Cardinals, 31-10

I know Arizona is a passing team but they did just the opposite of what you need to do to beat the Indianapolis Colts – run the ball. Granted, Tim Hightower and Chris Wells have fumbleitis but going into a shot gun formation and passing every down plays right into the hands of the Colts’ defense. Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are not that great against the run (and therefore I do not consider either a premier defensive end) but they are outstanding pass rushers. By getting behind and not running the ball, they allowed Freeney to run free, and harass Kurt Warner. It was ugly. Wayne Gandy, the left tackle assigned to Freeney, is the goat of the game and was schooled. Why the Cardinals didn’t give him help when they realized Gandy was not going to be able to block Freeney is a real head scratcher. And to top it off the Cardinals turned the ball over twice in the red zone that the Colts turned into points for huge swings in momentum.

Peyton Manning was his usual brilliant self. He appears to be playing about as well as I have ever seen him play. The Colts offense took advantage of the Arizona turnovers and the defense took advantage of the Cardinal game plan with their excellent pass rushing ends. The Colts offense looks to be the best in the league at this juncture.

MVP: Peyton Manning, QB

Dallas Cowboys over Carolina Panthers, 21-7

This was really kind of sloppy looking game for the most part. The Panthers are not impressive on offense and gave up huge running plays on defense. The Cowboys won the game, but they too don’t look like the offensive juggernaut some expected them to be. Both Tony Romo and Jake Delhomme have had rough starts to their season. I don’t think we will see Romo benched but I won’t be surprised to see Delhomme benched in favor of Matt Moore, or even A.J. Feeley, before the season is out.

MVP: Tashard Choice, RB

 

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offensive Player: Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis

Defensive Player: Dwight Freeney, DE, Indianapolis

Offensive Lineman: Carl Nicks, G, New Orleans Saints

Special Teams: Darren Sproles, KR, San Diego Chargers

Rookie of the Week: Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions

Must Have Resource For Washington Redskins Fans

The Redskins Encyclopedia by Michael Richman

Review by C. Douglas Baker

The Redskins Encyclopedia is definitely a must have for Redskins fans. I am not even a Redskins fan and I found it thoroughly engaging and interesting, which is quite a feat for a text heavy encyclopedic history of a professional football team I don’t even root for.

The bulk of the book is dedicated to a chronological history of the Washington Redskins’ franchise from its origin in 1932 as the Boston Braves through 2006.

The book provides a review of each and every season in Redskins history, and what a history it has been.  You have the 1940’s with Slinging Sammy Baugh and a few World Championships.  You get to relive the topsy-turvy 1970’s under coach George Allen when the team lost Super Bowl VII to the undefeated Miami Dolphins.  You can recapture the glory years under Joe Gibbs and the heyday of the team in the 1980’s, winning three Super Bowls.  And then you can lament, if you are a Redskins fan, the post-Gibbs era and the recent return of Gibbs to save a franchise mired in mediocrity that persists today (and will like to continue to do so under the meddlesome owner Dan Snyder).

During the journey you will meet the great players and characters throughout Redskins history and get an excellent feel for the deep history and historical ebbs and flows of this long tenured franchise.

One of the nice touches of this work is that it breaks Redskins history into eras.  Before each era the book provides introductory insights into the franchise and where it was at and where it was headed before delving into season by season reviews.  This provides context and continuity. 

It also uses text boxes to provide greater detail about seminal Redskins owners, executives, and players. The text boxes provide some excellent information while nicely breaking up the text, making it more reader friendly.

One section of the book consists of mini-biographies of all the great Washington Redskins players, coaches, owners, and executives in the history of the franchise. I thought I would skim through this section quickly but it captured my attention so much I read through the entire section.

The last part of the book provides what most encyclopedias are supposed to provide, all-time team results, records, and other various statistics about the team.

Overall I found this to be a very through and engaging treatment of the history of the Washington Redskins.

 The Redskins Encyclopedia

Washington Redskins Sign Albert Haynesworth and DeAngelo Hall to Big Deals

I am not at all a fan of Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins.  I have always found it funny how when he first bought the team, he also tried to buy a team.  It never quite worked out. 

Now Danny boy has shelled out a $100 million contract to the best defense tackle in football in Albert Haynesworth, and another $54 million to cornerback DeAngelo Hall.

Was this a smart move?  I’m not sure.  Without a doubt these signings make the Redskins a very formidable defensive team next year.  The question will be, now that Haynesworth is fat and happy, in more ways than one, will he continue to put up the kind of effort that made him one of the most dominant defensive players in the NFL last year?  This guy has a lot of emotional baggage so I am not so sure.  If he does, he will make Jason Taylor relevant again.  Taylor looked to be on his last leg, literally, last year.  Even before he was injured he was not creating the kind of pressure on the quarterback that the Redskins were hoping for.  By taking up multiple blockers on the line of scrimmage, Haynesworth could have a big impact on not just Taylor’s performance but the entire defense.

I have always liked DeAngelo Hall, even though he too is a bit of a head case.  During his years in Atlanta I considered him one of the top cornerbacks in the league, even though he didn’t always get the recognition he deserved.  In Oakland he was often criticized for being undisciplined and out of position.  As a nickel and dime defense back for the Redskins last year I thought he was a real difference maker.  Hall has the potential to be a very solid starter for the Redskins next year.  And he has always had a nose for the ball and turnovers.  With Haynesworth on the line helping get pressure on the quarterback will just make Hall and the rest of the defensive backs even better.

If Haynesworth plays like he did last year, the Redskins should have one of the best defenses in the league next year.

But what about the offense?  With that kind of money doled out to the defensive side of the ball that does not leave a lot of room for signing impact offensive players. And offense is where the Redskins need the most help.

First it’s clear that Jason Campbell is the man at quarterback.  But I am starting to believe that Campbell is just not going to progress a lot further than he is now.  He is, at best, an average quarterback.  Yes, I know the offensive line did not play well and his receivers let him down.  But that gets to my next point.

If Campbell is going to succeed at quarterback he needs two things, better protection at the line of scrimmage and better receivers.  As much as I love Santana Moss, the last two years he’s only showed flashes of being the big play receiver he once was and has constantly battled hamstring injuries.  I am starting to wonder if his better days are behind him.  I have never considered Antwan Randle-el more than a number three receiver.  And the Redskins draft picks at receiver and tight end last year, Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, and Fred Davis were all but useless last year.  Thomas has potential but seems lazy and doesn’t get it.  Kelly I think will be a bust.  And Davis could be a solid contributor, but again, all these guys seem to be real slackers.

Then you have the aging Chris Samuels who is not nearly as good as he was a few years ago and should retire soon.  Jon Jansen is always hurt and I suspect will be cut.  Stephon Heyer, the young left tackle out of Maryland, was benched and the struggled in the last half of the season.  The offensive line needs some help.

And finally, while Clinton Portis is an excellent running back and the best offensive player on the team he always ends up dinged up and less effective at the end of the year.  The Redskins need to find a back that can reduce the workload for Portis to keep him fresh throughout the season.

So what do I expect from the Redskins next year?  An excellent defense that keeps them in games and a streaky offense that just might let them get into the playoffs.  But I don’t expect big things from the team as a whole because I just don’t see the offense being good enough or consistent enough to carry them much beyond one playoff game.

But if the Redskins’ history under Snyder continues, Haynesworth will tank it while enjoying his new found riches and the Redskins will be sitting at home in the postseason, as usual.

2008 NFL Football Season: Week 13

Kevin Faulk, Mr. Reliable

 

GAMES I WATCHED

Pittsburgh Steelers over New England Patriots, 33-10

This was a very disheartening game for New England Patriots fans. New England did not, in any manner, resemble a playoff caliber team. It was a disjointed, mistake prone display of offense, and a completely pathetic, anemic, wimpy showing on defense.

Let’s start with the obvious. The Patriots lost the turnover battle by a ratio of 5-1, and the scores directly off turnovers 17-7. But turnovers cost teams more than any scores after a lost possession, they take away scoring opportunities and keep the defense on the field. The offense, other than Wes Welker and Kevin Faulk, didn’t seem to show up for the game. Moss and Gaffney dropped passes, the running game never did get going consistently, and Matt Light gave up two easy sacks to James Harrison who stripped the ball from Matt Cassel for two turnovers.

The defense was even more pathetic. Where was the tackling? The Steelers offense ran through our defense like they were foam filled tackling dummies. It was embarrassing to watch. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a pathetic display of tackling. The defense tried to get by on anemic arm tackles instead of bone crunching hits. It wasn’t the defensive scheme that failed. It was a lack of execution and toughness.

At this point in the season there is nothing positive to take away from this game. The Patriots seem to be on a win one, lose one roll, and as a result are likely to roll right out of the playoffs. Last year our weak defense was masked the incredible offense, but this year they are exposed. The loss of Rodney Harrison and Adalius Thomas hurt the defense badly, but if the players on the field aren’t going to at least attempt to make solid tackles then why are then even out there? We don’t have a tough, intimidating, hard hitting presence on the field without Harrison. I always hoped Brandon Meriweather would turn into that guy, but he hasn’t. Our defense scares no one, except Patriots fans!

The only glimmer of hope in this game is that our offense can move the ball even against the best defense if we play up to our abilities and hold on to the ball. There were flashing of this. Moss dropped a long ball and a touchdown pass, Gaffney dropped passes, and if Matt Light hadn’t gotten beat so badly on those two Harrison sacks we might have made a game of it.

The road to the playoffs looks very sketchy. I can only hope we can win out and at least get a shot to defend our AFC Championship. But as one fellow Patriots fan said to me via e-mail, if we make it to the playoffs with this defense, we’ll be probably be one and done.

As for Pittsburgh? I’ve been saying all year they have the best, nastiest, toughest defense in the league and they proved it once again on Sunday. In fact, behind the Giants, I think they are the second best team in the league because of their defense. Their offense is mostly just along for the ride.

And one final thought. Poor Wes Welker got totally jacked up by Steeler safety Ryan Clark on one of the hardest hits I have seen this year. I hated seeing that and it pissed me off. I don’t want to see one of my guys get jacked up. Was it a dirty hit? The ball was tipped and uncatchable so I thought it called for a 15-yard penalty but it was not a dirty hit. This is football not patty-cake. Had Rodney Harrison lit up one of the Steelers receivers like that, especially Hines Ward, I would have been cheering, penalty or no penalty, and calling for him to do it again! Pittsburgh has what our defense lacks and needs, big hitters and an intimidation factor. The hit on Welker made me envious we don’t have that on our side of the ball.

MVP: James Harrison, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers 

New York Giants over Washington Redskins, 23-7

Lethargic. Apathetic. Uninterested. Stale. Those are the words I would use to describe the Washington Redskins the past few games. Like the Patriots, I don’t think it’s the offense scheme that’s at fault working, the players simply are not executing on the field. The pass blocking is porous, the receivers, other than Santana Moss, are terrible, and Jason Campbell is sketchy at times. The Redskins defense has played reasonable well this year, but since they stacked up to stop the run the supposedly top notch defensive backfield got chewed up by Eli Manning and the Giants receivers, particularly Domenik Hixon. The Redskins certainly do not look like a playoff caliber team and seem to lack any fire or emotion. This is particularly surprising since the late Sean Taylor, the great safety who was murdered last year by thieves, was placed in the Redskins Ring of Honor before the game.

The Giants just keep rolling along. Want to stop our league leading running game? Fine, we will just pass the ball instead. At 11-1 they are the best team in the NFL.

One more thought: PLAXICO BURRESS IS AN IDIOT!!!!!

MVP: Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants 

Minnesota Vikings over Chicago Bears, 34-14

The Minnesota Vikings have played in some of the most wildly entertaining games all year long. They had a crazy, topsy-turvy shootout with New Orleans, a close game they gave away to the Indianapolis Colts, another close and entertaining game they tried to give away to the Green Bay Packers but Adrian Peterson’s heroics saved them, and now another wild game with the Bears.

This series of plays encapsulates the game. Minnesota is down 7-3 and backed up against their goal line and goes three and out giving Chicago good field position after a punt. They stop the Bears on third down but get a close but legitimate unnecessary roughness penalty giving the Bears a first down in great field position. Matt Forte breaks off a 26 yard run and is just pushed out at the one yard line. First and goal at the one yard line. The Bears seem to be dominating the game and are about to go up 14-3.

But not so fast! Minnesota has a great goal line stand with Jared Allen getting one of the tackles. The Bears go for it on fourth down and don’t make it. Oh well, the Vikings are backed up to their one yard line anyway. Then Gus Frerotte
unleashes a beautiful long pass to a wide open Bernard Berrian for an NFL record tying 99 yard touchdown pass and a 10-7 lead. The game was pretty much the Vikings from there on out.

The Vikings had a lot of guts trying a long pass in the end zone so they were clearly playing the game to win and weren’t playing scared. And the Vikings defense had a phenomenal day, especially defensive end Jarred Allen who was instrumental on the goal line stand, was in the backfield most of they day, and had three sacks. They might not be the best team headed into the playoffs but they certainly are an entertaining one.

MVP: Jared Allen, DE, Minnesota Vikings 

Houston Texans over Jacksonville Jaguars, 30-17

The interesting thing about this game was that one of the best wide receivers in the league, the Texans Andre Johnson, and their promising rookie running back, Steve Slaton, got to show off their talent to a national audience. And they took full advantage of it. Jacksonville was never in the game. The Texans should have a better record than 5-7 but they lost their starting quarterback Matt Schaub and gave some games away with turnovers.

Jacksonville has completely imploded this season. Fred Taylor, the 11-year veteran running back who has played for the team his entire career, says this is the worst team he has ever played on. Granted they had devastating injuries all across the offensive line, but it looks like a team that has given up. I wonder if head coach Jack Del Rio will be back next year?

MVP: Andre Johnson, WR, Houston Texans 

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offensive Player: Mark Clayton, WR, Baltimore Ravens, 5 catches, 164 yards, 1 td, 1 td passing

Defensive Player: Jared Allen, DE, Minnesota Vikings

Offensive Lineman: Chris Snee, G, New York Giants

Special Teams: Rob Bironas, K, Tennessee Titans

Rookie of the Week:  Steve Slaton, RB, Houston Texans, over 180 total yards