No Play Calling For You!

While the players continue to be in support of, and show much love for their head coach Jim Zorn, the owner of the Washington Redskins, Dan Synder - not so much.

After yesterday’s pathetic 14-6 loss to a winless Kansas City, that had a local sports broadcaster proclaiming - “This is embarrassing!” - owner, Dan Snyder (and EVP of Football Operations, Vinny Cerrato) have relieved Coach Zorn of his play calling duties - at least offensively.

No more baller, play caller, for Coach Zorn. (Soup aside).

“I’m not mad”, said Zorn in today’s press conference. “It’s not like I went home and tore pictures off the wall.”

“We need change. We can’t go on continuing to score six points”, realized Zorn.

You got to give Zorn credit for making the realization, and for accepting his demotion (I mean, change). He has even accepted that the condition of team, at this juncture, may have something to do with him.

“If it’s me, I’m willing to try it”, said Zorn, commenting on the move to have Sherman Lewis call the plays, going forward.

That responsibility takes effect next Monday night when the Skins take on the Philly Eagles at FedEx Field.

Why you ask?

For starters, the Skins have been unsuccessful scoring, especially in the red zone. We’re still punting for points. We’re losing to teams that haven’t won games since 1997. We haven’t scored more than 20 points in any of our games this season, home or on the road; and the fans aren’t happy.

Speaking of the fans, we asked fans, or those attending, at the first home game, what they think of the Redskins and we got the following.

Boy, was that ever on point!

While Zorn says Jason Campbell, who was replaced yesterday by Todd Collins, is still the quarterback, he doesn’t know which QB will start against Philadelphia.

It’s odd how reporters laughed when I asked Zorn last season, when they were on the downside of their early win streak, whether other teams had figured out his West Coast offense.

Certainly, I’m not hatin’ on coach Zorn. He’s been responsive and professional to the media at all times: before the season, during the season, and even at this juncture of the season. He’s even so compelling at times you feel for him, especially during this difficult coaching period.


[Zorn at today's press conference]

Everyone deserves a chance, right? But I can guarantee that if you, or I, were not up to par on our jobs, we probably still wouldn’t have our job.

As far as Coach Jim Zorn, he wasn’t fired. He’s still the coach. He’s just no longer the decider-er.

When it comes to the Redskins 2009 season, as the Temptations put it back in the 60s, it's 'a ball of confusion'.

__________________________

Accentuating The Positive.

In our 'Accentuating The Positive' segment, we try to point out the good things about the last Redskins' game (courtesy of Redskins PR).

Albeit individual efforts, in most cases, the light is shining on these items.

Did you know?...

**The Redskins’ five sacks Sunday were a season high and their most since Nov. 3, 2008 against Pittsburgh.

**The Redskins’ eight sacks the last two weeks are the most in a two-game span since Weeks 3-4 of 2007. Their 11 sacks in the last three weeks are the most in a three-week span since Weeks 2-4 of 2007

**The Redskins have the NFL’s longest streak of allowing less than 28 points in a game, which stands at 28 straight. Indianapolis is next on the list with 14 games. Washington has not allowed more than 30 points in 29 consecutive contests, nine more than second-place Atlanta (20).


**With a sack Sunday, Redskins linebacker/defensive end Brian Orakpo has recorded at least a half-sack in four straight games. Brian is the first Redskins rookie to have at least a half-sack in four straight games, and is the first Redskins player with a half-sack in four straight games in one season since Marco Coleman in 2000. Orakpo is also the first NFL rookie to have at least a half-sack in four straight games since Chicago’s Mark Anderson in 2006.

**London Fletcher has now played in 182 straight contests, tied for the second-most in the NFL (excluding specialists) with Tampa Bay’s Ronde Barber. The duo trails only Minnesota’s Brett Favre, who has played in 277 consecutive games. With his start Sunday, Fletcher has now opened 141 straight contests. It is the fourth-longest streak among active players, behind Favre (275), Peyton Manning (181) and Barber (157).

**With his start Sunday, Redskins tight end Chris Cooley has now opened 70 straight games, the longest streak among NFL tight ends. He has played in 86 straight contests since entering the league in 2004.

**Redskins guard Derrick Dockery played in his 102nd consecutive game and started his 99th in a row.

**When Todd Collins relieved Jason Campbell to open the second half, it was the first time since the 2007 finale that a quarterback other than Campbell has taken a snap for the Redskins.

**Clinton Portis’ 78-yard run in the third quarter was the longest of his career. His previous long, which also came against Kansas City, was for 65 yards on Oct. 5, 2003 as a member of the Denver Broncos.

**With 109 Yards Sunday, Portis registered his 44th career 100-yards rushing effort, the most of any player since 2002. It was Portis’ 26th 100-yard game as a Redskin, which extends his franchise record. It is Portis’ first 100-yard rushing game since Nov. 23, 2008, at Seattle.

**With two sacks Sunday and 2.5 last week at Carolina, Andre Carter has recorded at least two sacks in consecutive games for the first time in his NFL career. Carter’s 5.5 sacks are the most he has ever had through six games of any of his nine NFL seasons.

**Demorrio Williams’ block of a Glenn Pakulak punt in the fourth quarter was the first against the Redskins since Andre Frazier of Pittsburgh blocked a Ryan Plackemeier punt on Nov. 3, 2008.