For The Redskins To Succeed, Shanahan Must Create a Culture Of Winning

The unthinkable has happened here in Washington.

The Redskins have announced a coaching change.

Mike Shanahan was named the Redskins head coach after nearly a year of speculation that he would take the job.

I remember reading a Pro Football Talk post last spring that detailed Dan Snyder’s attraction to Mike Shanahan and how Snyder would land him in 2010.

This, of course, has happened. But has Snyder really planned anything else other than another giant splash that reverberates around the SportsCenter studio walls?

Shanahan’s hiring has managed to make headlines even though the Redskins have been non-entity in the NFL this year. And with good reason.

He’s a successful coach with two super bowl rings. He put together an incredible offensive line with Denver and made zone-blocking schemes relevant. Throw in the number of talented players he’s coached and drafted, and it’s obvious a lot of people are going to be excited.

However, there’s plenty wrong with this team, meaning Shanahan will have his work cut out for him. The roster may look like a disaster, but it mustn’t be the first thing Shanahan should look to when analyzing what ails this team.

The mentality of the Redskins isn’t a good one. The players admitted communication was poor in 2009. They also felt tension in the locker room. Certain players received preferential treatment, and there were no ground rules laid for the team as a whole.

These aren’t problems that will just blow away with the hiring of a new coach. It will be Shanahan’s job to ensure that the players are unified together as a team.

Where Jim Zorn failed in setting himself up as the undisputed leader of his football team, Shanahan must be firm. It’s one thing to be a player’s coach, it’s another to have the players coaching.

With Shanahan, gone are the days where Clinton Portis doesn’t attend practice; gone are the days when the team goes to the media with their sour grapes; gone are the days when the players are left to their own designs.

Or at least, we hope so.

Shanahan has to lay down the law not only for his players, but for his employer. If Snyder wants to win, he needs to let Shanahan coach his way. Snyder might feel the need to be buddies with Portis or Albert Haynesworth, but he’ll have to quash that desire and back off.

Everything Snyder has tried to do for this team has backfired. Now that he has a proven coach and a capable front office, it’s time for him to fade into the background.

Shanahan knows how to assemble a football team. He has an eye for talent, and has succeeded operating with several different offensive philosophies.

However, the personnel aspects of his duties are for another analytic article.

What I’m really writing about here is the Redskins’ heart.

And they don’t have one anymore.

Sure, certain players bring intensity and effort, but collectively as a team the Redskins don’t seem to care. Be it the huge paychecks, big egos, or poor leadership, the team lacks the drive to become a winner.

That mentality is contagious. You can’t get rid of that atmosphere overnight.

Change, like the switch from Zorn to Shanahan, is good. It can help jumpstart a team in the right direction. Yet it remains up to the leader of the team to establish the right mentality.

That’s step number one for Mike Shanahan. If he can’t accomplish it, all his efforts will fall upon a team unwilling to unite. He will have failed from the start.

And the Redskins will be no better than where they are right now.

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Swan Song: The End of the Jim Zorn Era in Washington, D.C.

The Washington Redskins haven’t experienced much success this past decade, and last Monday night was an ode to the pain and suffering this once-proud franchise has  undergone.

With the Redskins losing 45-12 to the rival New York Giants in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter in a meaningless game, one could look out into the stadium bowl and see a sea of blue. Redskin fans were long gone; Giants fans had made FedEx Field their home.

The Redskins turned in a dismal performance in front of a national TV audience not only showing themselves to be incompetent, but downright stupid. The Giants beat them in every facet of the game, and then the ‘Skins shoveled the dirt on top of their own coffin with an idiotic fake field goal attempt.

It was an ugly game. But then Washington made it laughable when they trotted on the kicking unit only send them in motion out to the left side of the field. At first I had to wonder, what does special teams’ coach Danny Smith have up his sleeve?

After all, the ‘Skins do have two special teams scores on trick plays this season.

However, this wasn’t a calculated risk. It was the death rattle of the Jim Zorn era in Washington. Punter Hunter Smith lobbed up a duck, which was intercepted. Cue the subdued guffaws by Mike Tirico and Co. in the booth.

Exit Zorn. Stage left.

Albert Haynesworth summed it up afterwards: “I mean, the score, the record, they’d say that we’re horrible, that we don’t know how to play football,” Haynesworth said. “But I’ve been around these guys a lot. I think they know how to play football. I think we’re all just going different directions, and we need somebody to lead us in the right direction.”

Truer words were never spoken.

Zorn was doing a good job this past month keeping his players focused. He had showed an ability to facilitate and prepare the team in the previous weeks of this lost season.

I believed he had at least saved his credibility with the team’s performance the past month. In fact, I was willing to hear a case for retaining him.

However, any good will he had merited was quickly snatched away with this latest catastrophe.

How can the Redskins bring back a guy who had his play-calling duties stripped midway through the season? How can they bring back a guy who turned in three of his worst losses on Monday Night Football (Pittsburgh in 2008, Philly and New York this year) in front of national TV audience?

I want stability for this franchise; I really do. However, keeping Zorn doesn’t give the Redskins much stability in anything but losing.

Zorn is a genuinely nice guy. He’s a class act. However, that’s really all he has going for him.

He wasn’t even supposed to be the head coach, but was handed the job when Dan Snyder couldn’t find a replacement for Joe Gibbs.

He has had almost no success here in DC; his struggles as a play-caller are astounding; and he has overall failed to get the most out of his players on the field (with the exception of a handful of games over the past two seasons).

Maybe he hasn’t been given the best chance because he has lacked personnel on the offensive line, but the fact of the matter is that the Redskins have flopped too many times in many different situations.

They have failed in big games. They have failed in winnable games. They have failed as the favorite and the underdog. They have failed in close games.

All of that adds up to too much failure.

So…

Exit Zorn. Stage left.

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Cerrato’s Departure: Will It Breathe Life Into The Struggling Redskins?

We all knew something was going to change this offseason for the Washington Redskins following a disappointing 2009 campaign.

We just didn’t think it would be this soon. We also didn’t think it would be Vinny Cerrato doing the departing.

With Cerrato tendering his resignation from the Redskins as VP of football operation position, the ‘Skins hired former Bucs’ and Raiders’ GM Bruce Allen. And most importantly, Allen’s title will actually be GM rather than VP of football operations (what the hell does that even mean anyway?).

In all seriousness, Allen is a legitimate hire. He has a good track record with both the Raiders and Bucs and is the son of former Redskins coach, the great George Allen.

However, is this just a continuation of “celebrity football? ” as Michael Wilbon so deftly put it. Or has Snyder really learned his lesson?

Should Snyder entrust the team solely to Allen, things could move in the right direction. Allen will see the progression of the Redskins over the past month and will most likely give serious consideration to retaining both Jim Zorn and Jason Campbell.

But that will only happen if Allen is, in fact, in charge. He can’t be another yes-man to Snyder.

Snyder has already tipped his hand as to what he wants for the offseason.. He wants a big-time coach like Jon Gruden or Mike Shanhan and he craves one of the star QBs entering the NFL draft.

It’s up to Allen to preach some patience at Redskins Park. The ‘Skins have arguably played some of the best football in the NFC East since last month’s Denver game. They are only several plays away from being 7-6 rather than 4-9 and with another year under Zorn, Sherm Lewis and Campbell, those close games could end up as victories.

The franchise is in desperate need of continuity and Allen has the football sense to realize this. However, he may see the need to put together his own staff and start from scratch. Zorn’s win-loss record is underwhelming, and Campbell, despite his improvements, has yet to take that last step.

That would be all well and good. It normal for a new GM to get his own ides and philosophies in place before establishing continuity.

No matter which approach Allen takes, Cerrato has left him with gaping holes along the offensive line. Cerrato made a litany of errors in both the draft and free agency and it has left Washington shorthanded at several positions.

Snyder acknowledged that “it was time for a change.” The question begs: has Snyder learned his lesson? Will he practice moderation and avoid, “celebrity football?” Or has he simply redirected his failures onto Cerrato to throw fans off the scent?

Only time will tell. Snyder could very well be playing us. He does it often. A telling sign will be who the Redskins draft this year with their first round selection. Everyone with a half a brain realizes the need for an offensive tackle, but Snyder has made it clear he would prefer to take a QB. Which side will win out, Snyder the businessman or Snyder the football owner?

And if Allen is here to create a winning franchise rather than serve as a the next yes-man, then he’ll make sure he gets a tackle rather than a QB.

We don’t know what the Allen hiring entails. It could be the turning point for a franchise mired in mediocrity. Then again, it could be a hire to get an angry fan base off an embattled owner’s back. Either way, it just made things that much more interesting.

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Despite Gutsy Effort, Redskins Unable To Kick Their Way Past Dallas

Yesterday’s Redskins-Cowboys game was the first since Week One that I anticipated. And for three-and-a-half periods, it appeared my excitement may have been validated.

Then Shaun Suisham happened. Suisham came into the game perfect on all 12 of his field goal attempts. He left the game having missed two and a big reason why the ‘Skins found themselves on the losing end of a 7-6 score to the Cowboys.

Now, don’t get me wrong, the offense wasn’t exactly piling on the points, but they controlled the ball in the second half with the scrubs in the game.

Think about it: In a defensive battle, the Redskin offense had four scoring opportunities to the Cowboys’ two. The ‘Skins were solid punting the ball and moved it enough to keep field position balanced.

They played a sound game with the likes of Rock Cartwright handling the ball. Jason Campbell was protected by Edwin Williams, Levi Jones, and Stephon Heyer—none of them exactly starter material.

With those guys, the Redskins gave up just one sack. Sure, they couldn’t protect well enough for Campbell to open it up downfield, but they gave him time to make big third-down throws as Campbell went 13-13 on his third-down attempts.

Overall, Washington went 7-15 on third-down conversions, but it was a big 3rd-and-2 with around five minutes left in the game that they wished they could have back.

Campbell lined up in the shotgun with Cartwright next to him on the Cowboy 32. He handed it to him on a draw, which was stuffed, forcing Suisham to come out for a 50-yard FG. Suisham missed, and the Cowboys scored on their ensuing possession to take the lead.

The play call was questionable, but a good kicker would have made that kick. It was indoors, and it wasn’t even with the game on the line. And Suisham missed it.

Zorn was criticized by fans for not taking a shot to the end zone with 15 seconds left in the first half. He went for the 39-yarder instead of taking a chance. I liked that call, and so did Redskins Insider front man, Jason Reid, who said:

Quarterback Jason Campbell probably had one of the best performances of his career while dealing with constant pressure. He made many impressive throws on the move, but the pressure was there. Zorn simply did not want to risk Campbell being sacked, which could have knocked the Redskins out of Suisham’s range. And Suisham had made his first 13 attempts.

So considering the shaky pass protection and Suisham’s accuracy until Sunday (he also missed a 50-yard attempt), I didn’t have a problem with Zorn’s decision.

Not a banner day for the offense, but, considering the personnel on the field, I’d call it a great effort spoiled by a pair of botched kicks.

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Deangelo Hall’s Play is a Microcosm of Redskins’ Performance as a Team

Deangelo Hall was the only Washington Redskins player interested in fireworks, and they weren’t even the right kind.

Hall got into it with his former team on their own sideline, prompting Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith to exchange words with Hall. Smith also appeared to physically pull Hall out of the scrum.

Hall accused Smith of “putting his hands on me,” and, “cussing me out” following the game.

It doesn’t get much more pathetic than this, but then again the ‘Skins find ways to sink to new lows every week.

Hall hasn’t been one of the better acquisitions the ‘Skins have made this decade. Considering their horrible track record, that’s saying something.

Hall is soft in coverage and lax in tackling, and this incident will undoubtedly make him a laughingstock.

A once-promising young corner who has lost his ability and is now spiraling toward the end of a disappointing career. Hall may be 25, but his shelf life is drying up with each passing game.

This scuffle doesn’t help matters. Hall made this past week all about him and his emotions concerning his return to Atlanta.

The scrum wasn’t even his battle, but he got into it just the same. Then to whine to the NFL because there was some pushing, shoving, and…gasp…cursing?

Now I’ve been to my fair share of sports events, and heard my fair share of swearing. Colorful language and sports go hand in hand. Hall is just looking for something to gripe about, but it will backfire.

Washingtonians don’t want to see sensitive football players. They just want winners. Hall certainly doesn’t play like a winner and his latest comments make him appear pretty damn sensitive.

Hall isn’t making any new fans these days and neither is his team. Hall’s play reflects the effort put in by the whole team, which isn’t positive.

Coming off a bye, the ‘Skins put up three points in the first half against the 31st-ranked pass defense in the NFL. They tried to make it interesting in the second half, but the defense was unable to stop Michael Turner.

The Redskins have consistently been in the top five against the run, but this season they are ranked just 25th and on Sunday, they surrendered 6.7 YPC and 181 total rushing yards.

The tackling is woeful, and the basic defensive fundamentals are lacking. The ‘Skins have seemingly lost their will to play.

Don’t let the No. 1 pass defense fool you. The ‘Skins have faced a string of mediocre QBs, and success on the ground has made it pointless for opposing teams to throw.

And can one blame the defense for struggling? The offense has given up two defensive TDs early in the past two games, and put up just 13 first-half points in the process of those two games. That doesn’t inspire aspirations of greatness.

So needless to say, things aren’t pretty in DC. The team doesn’t seem to have much of a core group and the coaching situation is bleak.

Dan Snyder is doing his best Darth Vader impersonation and the Redskins are well on their way to a 2-14 season. Good times in our nation’s capital.

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The Worst Team In the NFL? Say It Ain’t So, ‘Skins

As the Washington Redskins head into their bye week at a lowly 2-5, they have some heavy criticism to ponder.

Jason Smith of ESPN Radio sounded off on the Redskins following an abysmal Monday Night performance against Philly.

“The Redskins are the worst franchise in football…They have become a punchline.”

Smith went on to describe how the other bottom-feeders have it better than the ‘Skins.

While I believe we have the talent to regroup and be a contender in a few years (if we stick to a solid plan that relies on the draft), Smith is right about one thing.

This year, there might not be a team as bad as the Washington Redskins. Nothing goes right for them. Momentum is never sustained, they don’t play well with the lead, and they don’t know how to bounce back from adversity. The list is endless.

Still I look at the front seven on defense, and there is hope. This front seven is really good. They are beginning to establish a strong pass rush, they control the line of scrimmage, and they hit well.

That’s something to build around. Unfortunately, that’s the only bright spot, and it doesn’t hide the poor play from the rest of the team.

Yet Smith might have gone overboard by proclaiming the ‘Skins to be in the worst shape of any team in the NFL. The Rams and Buccaneers both lost to Washington and have looked downright awful. In fact, they have even fewer prospects than the Redskins do.

Conversely, the ‘Skins have a payroll that dwarfs those of the other NFL doormats. They have signed big-name players and given fans big-time expectations in the process. The results haven’t lived up to the yearly hype.

Just three playoff appearances in 10 years and only one postseason win (17-14 over Tampa, savor that ‘Skins fans). That isn’t exactly good.

Smith brought up a valid point. Considering the Redskins make more moves and spend more money than every team in the NFL, their 2-5 record this year (along with their horrid overall performance) might just make them the worst team in the NFL this year. If not, then they are certainly the biggest punchline.

This is a dark year for D.C. football, and finally the fans have had enough. They want blood. Not just Jim Zorn’s blood, they want Vinny Cerrato’s. tThey want Dan Snyder’s.

Of course, Snyder is censoring the mob by banning all signs from Fedex Field for the rest of the season. I guess it makes sense. Only Snyder would spit in the face of the fans who keep him in business.

This organization is in shambles from the top down, and the fans are catching on after 10 painful seasons. Unless they get quick results in the next few years, the seats at Fedex could be pretty empty on Sundays.

Smith saw it plain as day on Monday. The Redskins were unmasked to the nation as a bunch of clueless, uncaring clowns in cleats.

Until the ‘Skins shake off the stench of mediocrity, that’s all they’ll ever be.

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The Washington Redskins First Quarter Review

We have made it through the first quarter of the NFL regular season, and there’s quite a bit to analyze when it comes to the Washington Redskins. Little of what we’ve seen has been positive, much has been disappointing.

Some of the stats are misleading. The ‘Skins are fourth against the pass, but they haven’t been nearly that good. And they have yet to play a good QB after Eli Manning dissected them in Week One.

The offense is ranked 15th in total offense, with 325.2 yards per game, and yet when it comes to scoring points they rank 27th, with just 14 points per game.

The defense only gives up 16.8 first downs per game (only eight teams are better). However, they have surrendered first downs on 43 percent of all third down conversions (eighth worst in the NFL).

The ‘Skins are also losing the time of possession battle. They allow opposing offenses to control the ball for an average of about 32 minutes per game.

The time of possession battle is a big one for the Redskins. Their offense needs the ball a ton in order to generate scoring. Without establishing a rhythm, most offenses sputter. This one is non-existent.

Two things kill momentum and rhythm more than anything else. Turnovers, and not possessing the ball. The ‘Skins have struggled in both areas. They have turned the ball over seven times through four games, and Jason Campbell has fumbled the ball a total of seven times (two lost).

So to improve their fortunes, the ‘Skins have to make the following adjustments:

1. Get The Defense Off The Field

The defense isn’t playing up to par. They aren’t aggressive enough, and they don’t play with much swagger. They show a lack of discipline in zone coverage, and haven’t controlled the line of scrimmage consistently.

Look no further than their 22nd ranked run defense. They have given up 512 yards at 4.3 yards per clip, well above last year’s average YPC. For those of you keeping score at home that’s 128 rushing yards per game.

That kind of run defense isn’t going to allow you to control the football. The front seven has some work to do.

2. Protect The Ball And QB

Jason Campbell is in a shaky state right now. The coaching staff has little confidence in him, and every mistake just makes the playcalling that much more conservative.

Campbell hasn’t been great with the ball in his hand this season. His seven fumbles are an NFL high, and in 2007 he had the same problem (eight fumbles lost).

Even if the ‘Skins can recover the fumbles, the play is still wasted, and yards are still lost. That’s unacceptable, considering the offense has enough moving the chains from ten yards away.

Part of that is due the offensive line. The line is beat up, and several players are new to the starting lineup. This leads to some issues in protection as the line has given up eight sacks on Campbell.

Still, the line isn’t as bad as last year, and I see this line as a group of overachievers thus far. So the emphasis is really on Campbell to protect the ball.

If the ‘Skins continue to turn the ball over, you can say goodbye to any shot at winning the time of possession battle, let alone getting into a rhythm. Things are just too uneven, and that leaves little margin for error.

3. Create Sacks And Turnovers

Coming into the year, many thought our offense was bad, but no one criticized the defense. Little did we know the ‘Skins defense wasn’t going to live up the hype.

Fortunately, defensive coordinator Greg Blache has 12 more games to pull it together. He has a lot of work to do.

For starters, the defense is ranked 12th (and that’s only due to the inflated pass defense ranking). That might seem ok, but the defense made upgrades after finishing fourth last year. So it isn’t so good.

Now I’d settle for a Top-15 defense if it meant we were flying around, creating turnovers, and generating a consistent pass rush. We aren’t.

This little stat says it all. Just 7.38 percent of opposing team’s pass plays end in a sack or INT. That’s 20th best in the league. That’s not what Dan Snyder was hoping for when he inked Deangelo Hall and Albert Haynesworth.

So that’s what the ‘Skins need to improve. Trust me there’s more (like scoring in the red zone, establishing the run, fixing up playcalling, and scoring in general), but we’ve been over it quite a bit.

What about the positives you ask? Well there’s a young nucleus forming on defense.

Bookends at DE. Brian Orakpo and Jeremy Jarmon both have been great the past few weeks. Orakpo has a pair of sacks while Jarmon has one and a forced fumble. If Haynesworth sticks around a full four years, that defensive line might shape up.

Also, the ‘Skins have seen solid play from Chris Horton at SS. I know he has been inconsistent in pass coverage, but it’s just his second year, and he’s a great tackler.

Rocky McIntosh, Hall, Carlos Rogers, and Laron Landry might all turn out to be core players as well, but I really think a more aggressive approach would suit them. Landry has big play capability, but Blache’s schemes limit that. I know I hate on Hall, but he gets INTs which is something the rest of the Redskins secondary doesn’t do.

Justin Tryon and Kevin Barnes are two other young CBs with potential. Tryon finally had a big game last week, notching a sack at nickel corner, while Barnes is a rookie who will be a physical CB in a few years.

With the defense showing some promise, the pressure is on the offense. What is there to salvage as a positive?

Antwaan Randle El has been solid from the slot with 13 catches for 158 yards. Most of his production was from the first two weeks (ARE was held without a grab last week), but he has still shown an ability to get open and gain some yardage after the catch.

However, the lack of a true number two is plaguing Campbell. Santana Moss has stepped it up, but we all know he is an inconsistent receiver at the number one spot. Malcolm Kelly has been a big disappointment and Devin Thomas doesn’t fit either.

So what about Marko Mitchell? The guy was the best player in the preseason, and he has size, speed, and toughness. With the lack of production we are seeing from Kelly, I don’t see how Jim Zorn has anything to lose by playing Mitchell.

But getting back to the positives (hard to find them on this offense), Chris Cooley is yet again the only solid threat week in, and week out. And still, the coaching staff fails to pick up on this and use him often in the red zone.

Cooley, in the seam, from 15 yards out. We saw in New York and we saw it last week. It works.

Another thing I like is the ‘Skins trying to establish the short to intermediate passing game to set up the run. They did it in Detroit and it worked well save for the fact they couldn’t finish in the red zone, and didn’t run it enough in the second half when the box was opening up. But that’s a start.

If the ‘Skins can control the clock in the first half through the air and keep it close, the running game will be there in the second half. That is when the box opens up and defenses wear down.

Through the first quarter of the season, the football hasn’t been pretty, but somehow Washington sits at 2-2. They have a few more soft opponents and then embark on a rough journey through the NFC East and NFC South.

I’m not expecting much from the ‘Skins. They haven’t played well yet, and both wins were against the dregs of the league by the skin of their teeth.

Despite this gloomy outlook, I desperately want see some intensity. The team is going through the motions right now, and that reflects on the entire franchise. The coaching staff needs to find a way to be more motivational so these guys will play with some pride.

If that happens, we could end up pleasantly surprised come January.

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With Backs to the Wall, Jim Zorn and Washington Need to Floor It vs. Tampa Bay

With a veritable firestorm surrounding head coach Jim Zorn following the Redskins 19-14 loss to the Lions, it’s time for him to take a long, hard look at his formula because something is obviously not clicking.

The offense has stalled at all the wrong times while the defense isn’t even close to being as good as advertised. Special teams? Well at least Hunter Smith is punting.

The coaching staff hasn’t been very prepared to say the least. Their psyche is anything but stable at the moment and you can see it with their conservative approach. They are so scared of blowing opportunities that they don’t even create them. One thing goes wrong and the team packs up for the day.

That kind of gameplan may keep things close, but it doesn’t lead to the playoffs. It leads to 8-8—or worse.

So Zorn needs to make a move and get serious. His back is against the wall, and now he knows it could be only a matter of weeks before he’s shown the door.

Usually teams will rally during the toughest times, but the Redskins don’t seem to fit the prototype. They remind me of a team that gets slammed through the wall.

Zorn isn’t winning any popularity contests with his most important players (Jason Campbell and Clinton Portis) and that won’t help the lethargic locker room. He needs to find something to jolt this team out of its coma…and fast.

His defense, expected to be the anchor, has been floundering all season. They are ranked 15th, giving up 325.7 yards per game. In addition, they can’t get off the field early in games, which cause two problems.

First, it keeps the offense from establishing its gameplan early; something that happened in the Giants game. With the way this offense has struggled, the defense can’t let opposing offenses sustain so many first half drives.

Secondly, it leads to a deficit in time of possession, which wears out the defense late in games. We saw this in the Lions’ games as the defense couldn’t come with key stops on Detroit’s final two drives.

Opposing offenses have converted 51 percent of their third down opportunities against the Redskins, which is a league worst. And Washington’s defense has been on the field for an average of 32:41 a game (good for seventh most in the NFL).

Individual play hasn’t been much better on defense. Albert Haynesworth has freed up London Fletcher, but other than that has done very little. In fact, the entire front four has struggled to stop the run on first down.

The ‘Skins are 22nd against the run, and have surrendered 100-yard rushing games to two backs in the past two games. That a huge dropoff from the top-five run defenses of the past few years.

The secondary is 11th against the past, but they have left plenty to be desired. DeAngelo Hall has been beaten routinely while aside from Chris Horton, the other defensive backs have been lackluster.

The defense has been incredibly disappointing thus far and yet I see it as being the fault of Greg Blache.

Blache’s gameplan has failed to utilize the Redskins strengths. They don’t blitz off the edge and they fail to shoot the gaps. Tackling is non-existent while the coverage schemes are soft.

Defense has been the Redskins’ bread and butter for years. For a solid turnaround, Zorn needs the defense to play more aggressively, and Blache needs to be the one to make that happen.

Offensively, Zorn simply has to go for broke.

He is scared to let Campbell run the offense in the redzone. And it shows.

Two 4th-and-goals from inside the five. Two stretch plays? That’s the worst play in the book in a short yardage situation. It takes light years to develop and the blocking must be flawless.

If you don’t want Campbell to throw it, at least give the running game a chance up the middle. Better yet, throw it.

Zorn might be scared to throw because of dropped passes, but it’s worse getting stuffed on 4th-and-short multiple times.

So the offense can move the ball at will, but if they can’t get over the hump in the redzone, that’s not much of a positive.

They have strengths. They do a good job establishing the short to intermediate passing game at some points. However, they don’t utilize the running game once the passing game starts clicking.

Throughout the second half the Lions were respecting the Redskin WRs. The box was less cluttered, meaning there was running room for Clinton Portis. However, the ‘Skins only handed him the ball 12 times on the game.

Portis isn’t the back he once was, but with just seven in the box, he can wear down defenses while taking pressure off of Campbell. Zorn failed to realize this last Sunday.

As far as the passing game is concerned, the ‘Skins have done a miserable job getting the ball consistently to Chris Cooley. He disappears in long stretches, and they never use him in the redzone (aside from that one halfback option pass…yuck).

So things aren’t too hot for the ‘Skins as they prepare to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. However, Zorn has caught a break as he is taking on a team with even more problems than his Redskins.

Still, he can’t breathe easily, another loss will up the pressure that much more.

Time to dig deep. Time to just win.

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Redskins Have Some Kinks to Work Out; Rams and Lions Will Help with Ironing

Not much changed for the Redskins during the offseason. Sure, on paper maybe, but not on the playing field.

Play calling was a nightmare. Offensively, Jim Zorn pushed the panic button after a pair of first half gaffes by Jason Campbell. Apparently no one told him you have to be aggressive when trailing.

Zorn seemed content to play it safe and run the ball on first and second downs repeatedly. Of course, that set up a ton of third and longs, putting Campbell in more difficult passing situations than had he been throwing in on first and second.

I don’t think Zorn comprehends that his job is on the line. Playing conservatively when down 10 points doesn’t save head coaching jobs in the NFL.

Zorn has two weeks worth of cream puffs to get down and dirty. He can’t play it close to the vest against Detroit and St. Louis. He needs to get the offense in motion, and they need to steamroll these teams.

If the offense squeaks out victories against the Lions and Rams (or worse, loses), they will have failed to gain some much-needed confidence. These two weeks can provide the shot in the arm the offense requires.

The checklist should read as follows.

1. Use the passing game to set up the run.

The ‘Skins had a lot of success with this scheme last year as it kept extra defenders out of the box. By the end of the game, Clinton Portis had plenty of room to operate.

When Portis gets going, the chains move and defenses wear down. Establish the passing game and the box will open up.

2. Find a possession receiver.

Malcolm Kelly deserves another shot, but it’s beginning to look like the ‘Skins might have missed on all three of their second round draft picks in 2008.

Kelly has the size to be dominant, but his effort last week was lackluster. He didn’t show much burst, and his route running was not up to par. He’ll need to get open if he wants to put up numbers.

3. Win the time of possession battle.

The offense can do nothing if it doesn’t get on the field and find its rhythm.

In the first half against the Giants, Washington controlled the ball for under 10 minutes. You can’t establish your game plan if you don’t touch the ball. By the time the ‘Skins got a decent shot, they were down 17-0.

4. No early turnovers.

Obviously, the turnovers played a factor. Back-to-back drives early in the game ended in turnovers, and that really ruined any shot the Redskins had at establishing themselves.

Turnovers are never good, but if they occur in the opening stages of the game, they can be devastating. Zorn must stress avoiding them so the team can preserve time of possession and field position.

 

This two-week period will determine how far this offense can go in 2009. They sorely need a boost, and the Rams and Lions fit the bill to remedy their offensive woes.

If Zorn can get his offense going in the next 14 days, it will go a long way toward making the playoffs and saving his job.

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For the Redskins’ Defense, It’s Time to be Aggressive

Following an uninspiring performance from last year’s No. 4 defense in a 23-17 loss to the New York Giants, it’s time for Greg Blache to take a long, hard look at his scheme.

Soft coverage on third downs kept the defense on the field while the blitz schemes were anything but imaginative. Missed tackles plagued the defense along with an average performance in the trenches.

Say what you will about the offense being at fault for the large gap in time of possession, but it was the defense that failed to force a punt in the first half. It was also the defense that allowed the Giants to convert 46 percent of their third down opportunities.

This defense, so highly touted coming into the season, looked downright ordinary. But why? With all the star power it’s hard to come up with excuses.

My first stone cast at DeAngelo Hall. He signed a big deal in the offseason, and played well below his potential. He gave up numerous big plays in key situations against receivers who lined up both out wide and in the slot. His interception came solely from a smart play by LaRon Landry who tipped the ball after Hall was beaten over the middle.

Speaking of Landry, he didn’t play well either. Landry leaves his feet far too much going for the big hit and was step behind in coverage. Poor tackling technique from the whole secondary led to missed tackles throughout the game.

However, the biggest problem is the playcalling. Blache didn’t make the most of his talent, and that must change quickly.

The ‘Skins have never been an aggressive defense, but this year they are equipped to be. Instead, Blache employed a lot of soft zone coverage, which Eli Manning picked apart.

Hall is certainly a weak link in either zone or man. He is fine against the deep ball, but doesn’t give much of an effort on short and intermediate routes. The ‘Skins would be better suited to playing a press man coverage as it would allow Landry to play more aggressively. Playing so far back limits his playmaking skills and doesn’t allow him to freelance.

Another issue is that Blache’s blitz schemes consist of sending extra bodies simply for the sake of it. There’s no rhyme or d reason to his blitz packages; they aren’t staggered or mixed. Two or three extra defenders simply run right into the interior of the line.

That’s it. No attempt to find the gaps or establish an edge rush; just an occasional dash into the center of the line. That’s too straightforward for an experienced offensive line like the Giants.

Blache needs to rethink his defense. He needs to blitz more and locate weaknesses along opposing lines. He only blitzes in the most predictable situations and his defenders aren’t adept at timing their rush.

Blache is a straight shooter with little creativity. That’s a bad mix with the abilities of this defense. There’s too much talent to play bend-but-don’t-break. This defense is capable of creating turnovers and sacks at will under the right direction. However, the front four was once again ineffective in getting to Manning as he had plenty of time to throw.

Granted poor coverage by Hall certainly didn’t help the defensive line’s cause, but there was still little penetration. Credit is due to strong play from the Giants line and yet Washington’s defense is better than their performance. They just need to the right guidance.

The Titans defensive line played well without Albert Haynesworth last week. Their scheme just works. The linemen are aware of which gaps to shoot and they play with passion. They find the weaknesses and expose them. We didn’t see that from the Redskins defensive line. In my book, that’s poor coaching.

Against the run, the Redskins did not disappoint. They allowed only 3.3 yards per carry against one of the better rushing offenses in the NFL. However, they failed to consistently penetrate into the backfield the way Tennessee and other top defensive teams do.

Blache’s defense is better than this; much better. It was an underwhelming performance overall, and that must be fixed if the ‘Skins wish to compete against contenders. The effort was poor and if Blache wants to stick around, he’ll be working plenty of overtime in the coming weeks.

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