Zorn’s Welcome is Worn Out – So What Happens Now?

The Redskins are down on their back and upside down (not so bad I guess is it?)

In February of 2008, Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder hired Jim Zorn as the new head coach after Joe Gibbs’ departure. Zorn was the Seahawks’ quarterbacks coach and had never been a head coach before. But that didn’t matter to Snyder who was so impressed with Zorn during the interview process, he promoted him to head coach just two weeks after initially hiring him as offensive coordinator.

20 months later, Zorn looks like he is on his way out of Washington D.C. and Snyder is going to have to make another coaching change once again. It is rumored that by the time the Redskins reach their bye week, Jim Zorn will be fired after the horrendous start to the season. One of the assistant coaches will most likely fill in as the interim coach for the remainder of the season.

Mike Shanahan looks like the leading candidate to get the job. But I would not be surprised if Snyder tries to lure in Mike Holmgren, Jon Gruden or even Brian Billick.

Either way, I seriously doubt that any one of those candidates would take the job in the middle of the season. I don’t really see why any of them would want to work under Daniel Snyder anyways.

The bottom line is that although Jim Zorn has proven he doesn’t have what it takes to motivate his team (or be prepared enough to not waste all of their timeouts with eight minutes still remaining in the game), the problem starts at the top with Dan Snyder.

Just take a look at his coaching decisions in the past. He fired Marty Schottenheimer, a great coach (at least in the regular season) and then hired Steve Spurrier (someone who has never been a head coach in the NFL before).

After that experiment failed, hall of fame coach Joe Gibbs decided to come back to his former team and take over the head coaching position. He led the Redskins to the playoffs twice in his second stint in Washington D.C and brought in a great group of guys to round out his coaching personnel with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams (defensive genius) and offensive coordinator Al Saunders.

So after Gibbs retired, what did Dan Snyder do next? He fired Gregg Williams and Al Saunders for Jim Zorn, another guy who has never been a head coach before.

What are they doing now? Gregg Williams completely turned around the Saints defense and helped make them an elite team in the NFL. Al Saunders is in Baltimore and now the Ravens have one of the most prolific offenses in football. So I think it is safe to say that Dan Snyder has extremely poor judgment when it comes to football.

But Mike Shanahan would be perfect for this job as long as he gets just as much control as Vinny Cerrato. Because neither Cerrato nor Snyder knows what it takes to win.

Shanahan knows how to create a productive running game. He knows how to build an effective offensive line. His winning percentage in Denver was .646 (best in Denver history). And well, he is a winner (two Super Bowl titles in 1998 and 1999).

But for the Redskins as of right now, this is what rock bottom looks like when it comes to an NFL franchise. There is an owner who has no clue what he is doing. There is a “Vice President of Football Operations” (basically a general manager) who knows as much about what it takes to win a Super Bowl as my nine-year old cousin. There is a head coach who has never been a head coach in his career and simply looks in over his head. And then there are the fans who have to suffer and struggle with watching mediocrity game after game, even when the opposing team is just as bad or worse.

I just wonder how the Redskins will do when they go up against some teams who have won a game or two so far… - Michael Klopman

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Dan Snyder Deserves What’s Coming to Him

I will be blunt… the Washington Redskins will never contend for a championship as long as Daniel Snyder is the owner of the team. That statement was one of the toughest and nauseating things I have ever written. I am a loyal and diehard Redskins fan, but sometimes the truth hurts. The thing is, as much as I want the Redskins to succeed I know Dan Snyder doesn’t deserve a championship. He deserves to suffer for what he has done to the Redskins franchise and the fans.

Dan Snyder is arguably the worst owner in the NFL. I think he is the worst owner in football for couple reasons. He spends an absurd amount of money, which is something fans should want their owner to do. But that is all. The owner shouldn’t do anything else and that is a problem that Snyder has. He just has to get involved. Neither Snyder nor Vinny Cerrato, the man Snyder hired as Vice President of Football Operations, have any idea what championships are made out of. For instance, most Super Bowl winning teams usually have amazing offensive lines (except for last year’s Steelers). Did the Redskins draft any offensive linemen after having one of the worst o-lines last season? No (By the way, starting right guard Randy Thomas is out for the season). It is very easy to point out all of the bad moves Snyder and Cerrato have made over the years. Trust me, there are plenty to choose from.

But the most important reason why Snyder is the worst owner in the NFL is how he treats the loyal fans. Never has there been an owner of a professional football team that treats the fans so terribly. Snyder constantly makes the fatal mistake no fan wants their owner to make. He chooses his wallet over the team and its fans.

Snyder has sued over a hundred people and companies who are loyal Redskins fans over the past five years for breaching their season-ticket contracts. In one case, Snyder sued a 73-year-old woman who signed a 10-year, $5,300-a-year contract for season tickets for the Washington Redskins. She was on the verge of bankruptcy and couldn’t afford paying for the tickets so she requested to be released from the contract so she could try to become financially stable.

What kind of person does that? Dan Snyder is suing senior citizens who can barely make it out of the house to a game just so he can make some extra money. That is absolutely horrible.

And now it looks like Washington has hit rock bottom. The Redskins just lost to the Lions who had not a game in 19 attempts. Jim Zorn, the coach Snyder hired (who has never been a head coach), is failing. Albert Haynesworth, the player Snyder is paying 100 million dollars, can’t stay on the field. The fans are booing after victories. This is what some people call “karma.”

It is becoming extremely difficult to support and root for a team with an owner who is a scumbag and the rest of the fan base sounds like they are starting to feel the same way.

So this is what I have to say about Dan Snyder, the owner of my favorite football team… He deserves what’s happening right now. I just wish I didn’t have to feel the pain. - Michael Klopman

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Have a Fantasy Football or Baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

NFL WRAP-UP – Week 3 Final

Did anyone else besides me notice the crest on the 50 yard line of Qualcomm stadium this Sunday? 1960 - 2009??? The Chargers are actually celebrating the 49th year of the AFL? Who celebrates anniversaries this way? Would you celebrate your 50th birthday on your 49th because it is the start of your 50th year of life? Shesh!

On to the week that was.

Lions (19) – Redskins (14)
The Lions tear the Redskins Teepee apart finally winning a game. The people of Motown have been through a lot the past two years and this was long overdue. Good for the Lions and good for the people of Motown but bad for Jim Zorn, very bad. To say he’s on the hot seat is an understatement. Things were so bad for Zorn this week that he even got into an argument with Redskins legend Sonny Jurgensen on the air.

Patriots (26) - Falcons (10)
The Patriots defense clamps down in the 2nd half shutting them out.

Jets (24) – Titans (17)
Rookie Ryan Mouton’s two turnovers do in the Titans. The Titans (who we think will still make the playoffs) are officially the best 0-3 team in football. The Jets are now 3-0. Btw – the Jets need to nix the old NY Titans uniforms, they are awful. There has to be a better way to increase your merchandise sales.

Vikings (27) - 49ers (24)
Frank Gore left this game after his 1st touch of the ball with an ankle injury yet the 49ers (who are better that people expected them to be) were second from going 3-0 and had one taken from them in typical Brett Favre fashion with his long touchdown pass with just seconds to go. You will see this highlight for quite a while. The word is that Gore will miss at least two more games.

Ravens (34) – Browns (3) / Eagles (34) – Chiefs (14)
The Ravens and Eagles took care of inferior opponents. The Browns have scored just 1 touchdown in their past 9 games and the Chiefs are rebuilding. The Chiefs aren’t as bad as the Browns but it’s going to be long years for both. Did I say that the Browns have scored just 1 touchdown in their past 9 games? Mangini is a joke……… more on this to follow.

Bengals (23) - Steelers (20)
The Bengals show some resolve and come from behind to knock off the Steelers. The Steelers miss Troy Polamalu and have absolutely no running game (can’t remember ever saying that about a Steelers team.)

Saints (27) – Bills (7)
The Saints offensive machine continues as they come alive late. Great game next week, Jets vs. Saints.

Bears (25) – Seahawks (19)

The Bears hold off the Seahawks. Not sure how to look at this one as this was closer than many had thought with the Seahawks playing without 9 starters. The Seahawks uniforms were worse than the Jets. Awful really, what are they thinking? The NFL has so many rules about uniforms giving fines for sox being uneven, shirts not tucked in, players wearing unauthorized bandannas under their helmets, but they let the Seahawks wear fluorescent green over puke green?

Giants (24) – Bucs (0)
Not much to say here. Even Gaints fans were changing the channel.

Broncos (23) – Raiders (3)
Broncos too care of business. JaMarcus Russell may be a man boy, but he’s not an NFL QB. 61 yards passing? Ca’mon. How do they explain cutting Jeff Garcia? The defense plays their hearts out every week. If I were on the Raiders defense I would be pissed.

Jaguars (31) – Texans (24)
Can the Texans defense stop anyone? Put the Raiders defense with the Texans offense and you have a complete NFL team.

Chargers (23) – Dolphins (13)

The Chargers drowned the fish. Looks like Chad Pennington is done for the year, and maybe his career. What a shame. Throughout his career Chad, certainly showed that he has guts and, he’s one of the brightest and classiest guys in the NFL. Chad has the highest completeion percentage in NFL history.  He’s gonna make a great coach some day. Unfortunately, maybe sooner than later now; it’s hard not to root for this guy.

Colts (31) – Cardinals (10)
The Colts just don’t lose in September. Did you know that the Colts have the NFL best regular season record of 116-46 in the last decade? Think of how much money you would have made the past 10 years picking Peyton Manning and the Money Line in the regular season. When you think about it, it’s actually amazing that Peyton doesn’t get more press than he does!

Cowboys (21) – Panthers (7)
Wow, what an awful start for John Fox and the Panthers. It was a tight game with the Panthers actually staring a drive that could have given them a lead until Jake Delhomme threw 27 yard TD pick to Terrance Newman with 5:07 left in the 4th ¼. It’s an every other year thing for the Panthers. Unfortunately this one appears to be the other.

Mike Cardano is the founder of the Around The Horn (Baseball Blogs) and Extra Point (Football Blogs). Mike is also the founder of the fantasy sports games Ultimate Franchise Baseball™ and Ultimate Franchise Football™.

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Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

THE WORST OF THE WORST – NFL WEEK 2

TONY ROMO – There is no better way to completely ruin the opening night of a new billion dollar stadium than throwing three interceptions and basically giving the Giants 21 points. On the night that Jerry Jones’ enormous spectacle finally opened, quarterback Tony Romo showed why he is the most overrated player in the NFL.

Take your time and just try to think of someone more overrated… Did you think of anyone yet? It’s just not possible.

If it wasn’t for running backs Marion Barber and Felix Jones, the Cowboys would have been blown out. Romo made some terrible passes throughout the night, including three picks that looked like they were thrown right to the New York secondary. He might be able to throw all over the Tampa Bay defense, but the NFC East defenses are going to make his life miserable.

JEFF REED – It’s hard to place blame entirely on a kicker, but in this case it is kind of hard not to. In a hard-hitting typical Pittsburgh game, the Steelers had a couple opportunities to get ahead in the fourth quarter. But kicker Jeff Reed missed two (that’s right… two) field goals in the final 15 minutes from 38 and 43 yards out, respectively.

With less than 12 minutes to play, the Steelers faced a fourth-and-17 on Chicago’s 20 yard line when Jeff Reed went in for the field goal attempt. He could have put Pittsburgh up 17-7, but the ball went wide left. After a Bears touchdown, Reed had another opportunity to put the Steelers ahead, but the 43-yarder went wide left again. It is unacceptable for the defending champions to squander opportunities like that.

JIM ZORN – Zorn’s offense made five trips to the red zone and only came out with three field goals. Yes, Mike Sellers and Devin Thomas dropped easy touchdown passes, but other than that Zorn showed he has no confidence in his quarterback when he is within 20 yards from the end zone.

Zorn’s red zone play calling was horrendous to say the least. On the seven-yard line, Zorn called two running plays to Clinton Portis and gained a total of two yard, and then called a half-back pass to tight end Chris Cooley. Why is he so afraid of Jason Campbell in the red zone? He rarely throws interceptions and if it wasn’t for two dropped balls, Campbell would have two touchdown passes.

And to top that off, Zorn had the offense go for it on fourth-and-inches on the two-yard line. Washington could have just kicked a field goal, making the score 12-7 and forcing the Rams to have to score a touchdown to win with less than two minutes left (the reasonable and just plain smart call), but Zorn was too desperate. And of course, he called a horrible running play to the outside (a play that never worked throughout the game) and Portis lost two yards. Fortunately for Zorn and the Redskins, they were playing the Rams. - Michael Klopman

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Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie Baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship!

Campbell Confusion

Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell just can’t get any love. The fans aren’t cutting him any slack. Analysts and writers are close to giving up on him all together. The Washington organization has even implied that it may have had enough of him already.

But the question that nobody has answered yet is… why?

The 27-year-old has started in 36 games since 2006 and has played in a different system each season. Campbell’s completion percentage, passer rating and touchdown passes have improved every year. Though he only threw 13 touchdown passes last season and only averaged 6.4 yards per pass, he only threw six interceptions and started to use his legs as a weapon. Yes, there has been a lack of the “big play,” but Campbell is still improving.

But after he makes a bad throw, fans immediately call for backup quarterbacks Colt Brennan and Chase Daniel. When owner Dan Snyder and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Vinny Cerrato had the chance to acquire quarterbacks Jay Cutler and Mark Sanchez, they pounced on the opportunity but came up short.

This season will be his fifth in the league and the third as starting quarterback at the beginning of the season – and it seems like he is playing for his job this year.

The Redskins 2008 story is simple.

- A new coach implemented a new system and it worked for the first half of the season.

- The offensive line was healthy and that opened up holes for Clinton Portis, who was an MVP candidate during the first eight games (including a five-game streak which he rushed for 120 yards or more).

- The healthy o-line and Portis helped open up the passing game, allowing Campbell to throw zero picks during half of the season and lead the Redskins to a 6-2 start.

- THEN, the offensive line fell apart. Portis was no longer a real threat as he collided with Coach Zorn and the media. And Campbell was sacked 22 times in the second half of the season, making it nearly impossible for the offense to score more than two touchdowns in a game (that only happened once in the second half of the season against San Francisco).

Everyone needs to realize that Jason Campbell is not the problem. The problem is the offensive linemen protecting the former Auburn Tiger. As his passing statistics improved each year, the number of sacks drastically increased too. Campbell was sacked a career-high 38 times in 2008. The blame shouldn’t go to the quarterback if he is lying on his back for the majority of the game. If the offensive line can stay healthy and keep Campbell on his feet, then the Redskins will be able to put up plenty of points. But that is a very big “if.” - Michael Klopman