Good article by Wilbon

[maroonandblack30]

Michael Wilbon - Zorn, Redskins Shouldn't Panic Over a False Start - washingtonpost.com

[rypper11]

I agree with Wilbon on this one. He took the blame like a man. This is a team with 8-8 talent.
Atlanta grossly underachieved last year with arguably the worst NFL coach in decades and no quality starting QB.
Baltimore still has a top 3 defense that imposes it's will on other teams and a young aggressive offensive line.
Miami is very impressive and the new coaching staff is doing a great job but they are they only team of the four that really are playing beyond their skill level.

[LRT]

Wilbon got it 100% right on this. We're neither as good as we thought at 6-2 nor as bad as we think at 7-7. This is no time to panic. It's time to make some solid off-season decisions to build up the good and mitigate against the bad, not time to blow up rosters or fire coaches.

[Joe Kidd]

That 6-2 start raised our expectations to unreasonable levels. I understand everyone was hyped up after beating Philly and Dallas, and that was a nice achievement, BUT we have to keep the big picture in mind. We have a rookie head coach who has never even been a coordinator in this league. We have a QB learning another new system. And we have had only had one offseason to bring in players that fit with what Zorn wants to do. You can't build a winner overnight. We have to have some patience, more importantly I hope Snyder has the patience to stick by Zorn for at least another year. If he's a disaster next year it's time to move on.

[CRedskinsRule]

Once this year passes, and history is looked at, what greater feat could have been achieved than the Skins forever beating Dallas in the last Skins Boys game in Texas Stadium.

HTTR

[KI Skins Fan]

If Zorn has lost the support of the majority of the players, then he may have to go. If he goes, I won't blame him for anything. I say that because all he did was to take advantage of his chance to be a HC when it was offered to him.

In my opinion, any blame would rightfully fall on Dan Snyder and Vinnie Cerrato for hiring someone who was not fully qualified to be an NFL HC.

If Bill Cowher is available in 2009 then I hope that Dan Snyder will correct his mistake and throw enough money and power at Cowher to hire him. I say this not only because I feel that he would be much more successful than Zorn but also because I HATE the WCO and a passive defense.

I must admit that I'm unconcerned about fairness to Jim Zorn - I just want to see the Skins win another Super Bowl before I die.

[CRedskinsRule]

Originally Posted by KI Skins Fan

If Zorn has lost the support of the majority of the players, then he may have to go. If he goes, I won't blame him for anything. I say that because all he did was to take advantage of his chance to be a HC when it was offered to him.

How could anyone blame him??? Even if he has lost the support of the players, this would be the right time for Snyder to come out and say forcefully, that JZ is our coach and the team will be his going forward. Thats what you do with a first year HC

In my opinion, any blame would rightfully fall on Dan Snyder and Vinnie Cerrato for hiring someone who was not fully qualified to be an NFL HC.

So Jack Kent Cooke was to blame for bringing in an unqualifed HC who went 8-8. Joe Gibbs retired. The re-treads available looked awful. Danny took a chance. no blame there.

If Bill Cowher is available in 2009 then I hope that Dan Snyder will correct his mistake and throw enough money and power at Cowher to hire him.

WOW WHAT A MISTAKE THAT WOULD BE. Cowher will not come back with a "fire in the belly" and would be a terrible fit with the Redskins. I am sure a lot of people disagree, but, put me on the record as saying Cowhers success was due as much to the patience of an owner who trusted the man he put in charge, as Cowher's own ability. Snyder needs to demonstrate that now with JZ, not by going and getting a "superstar" head coach.

I say this not only because I feel that he would be much more successful than Zorn but also because I HATE the WCO and a passive defense.

I must admit that I'm unconcerned about fairness to Jim Zorn - I just want to see the Skins win another Super Bowl before I die.

Again, Cowher had 1!!!! SB win in 15 years. Yes he was a good to above average coach, but again, he had 15 CONSECUTIVE years before he won a SB, how about we give JZ 3?

I hate the cowher love, or the anybody but who we have love- it is the essence of what made Snyder a bad owner in the beginning:
Look at the Giants D, how many ex Skins are on it, but we had to have a star
Look at the backup qbs in the league, how many are ex Skins.
Football, and winning football, is developed through PATIENCE, finding talent, and growth of that talent.

I am sick of the constant tumult of the Skins, I too want to see multiple SB championships come to DC, but the way to do that is NOT by seeking the latest/greatest, but by working with and growing the talent we have.
thanks for listening to my I really needed to vent all this.

[53Fan]

Originally Posted by CRedskinsRule

How could anyone blame him??? Even if he has lost the support of the players, this would be the right time for Snyder to come out and say forcefully, that JZ is our coach and the team will be his going forward. Thats what you do with a first year HC

So Jack Kent Cooke was to blame for bringing in an unqualifed HC who went 8-8. Joe Gibbs retired. The re-treads available looked awful. Danny took a chance. no blame there.

WOW WHAT A MISTAKE THAT WOULD BE. Cowher will not come back with a "fire in the belly" and would be a terrible fit with the Redskins. I am sure a lot of people disagree, but, put me on the record as saying Cowhers success was due as much to the patience of an owner who trusted the man he put in charge, as Cowher's own ability. Snyder needs to demonstrate that now with JZ, not by going and getting a "superstar" head coach.

Again, Cowher had 1!!!! SB win in 15 years. Yes he was a good to above average coach, but again, he had 15 CONSECUTIVE years before he won a SB, how about we give JZ 3?

I hate the cowher love, or the anybody but who we have love- it is the essence of what made Snyder a bad owner in the beginning:
Look at the Giants D, how many ex Skins are on it, but we had to have a star
Look at the backup qbs in the league, how many are ex Skins.
Football, and winning football, is developed through PATIENCE, finding talent, and growth of that talent.

I am sick of the constant tumult of the Skins, I too want to see multiple SB championships come to DC, but the way to do that is NOT by seeking the latest/greatest, but by working with and growing the talent we have.
thanks for listening to my I really needed to vent all this.

:headbange I love this post. Very good points CRedskinsRule!

[Coff]

Originally Posted by CRedskinsRule

Again, Cowher had 1!!!! SB win in 15 years. Yes he was a good to above average coach, but again, he had 15 CONSECUTIVE years before he won a SB, how about we give JZ 3?

I hate the cowher love, or the anybody but who we have love- it is the essence of what made Snyder a bad owner in the beginning:
Look at the Giants D, how many ex Skins are on it, but we had to have a star
Look at the backup qbs in the league, how many are ex Skins.
Football, and winning football, is developed through PATIENCE, finding talent, and growth of that talent.

I am sick of the constant tumult of the Skins, I too want to see multiple SB championships come to DC, but the way to do that is NOT by seeking the latest/greatest, but by working with and growing the talent we have.
thanks for listening to my I really needed to vent all this.

Not that I'm joining the Cower bandwagon, but my God, to downplay him by saying he only won one Super Bowl is a little ridiculous. In fifteen years, he won one Super Bowl, won two Conference Championships and appeared in 5 Conference Championship games and went to the playoffs ten times! And with the exception of Roethlisberger, he had crap quarterbacks. Bill Cower, on average, took the Steelers to the conference Championship game every three years. Put it another way, in the last 17 years in which the Redskins have been unable to win a divisional playoff game, Bill Cower won 5.

His teams went deep into the playoffs with consistent regularity over a long span of years. Let's not just say the man's only accomplishment was one Super Bowl in 15 years.

[CRedskinsRule]

Originally Posted by Coff

Not that I'm joining the Cower bandwagon, but my God, to downplay him by saying he only won one Super Bowl is a little ridiculous. In fifteen years, he won one Super Bowl, won two Conference Championships and appeared in 5 Conference Championship games and went to the playoffs ten times! And with the exception of Roethlisberger, he had crap quarterbacks. Bill Cower, on average, took the Steelers to the conference Championship game every three years. Put it another way, in the last 17 years in which the Redskins have been unable to win a divisional playoff game, Bill Cower won 5.

His teams went deep into the playoffs with consistent regularity over a long span of years. Let's not just say the man's only accomplishment was one Super Bowl in 15 years.

I didn't mean to imply it was his only accomplishment, but I was responding to the comment that wanted to see the Skins win another one before someone dies.
I just want to get away from superstar coach/blockbuster player type answers. We need to develop good organizational habits. That means patience, choosing a path and gutting out the hard times. Any fan of the Redskins has "gutted out" alot of bad years and stuck with this team. I want our FO to do the same with the people they have chosen.

[KI Skins Fan]

Originally Posted by CRedskinsRule

So Jack Kent Cooke was to blame for bringing in an unqualifed HC who went 8-8. Joe Gibbs retired. The re-treads available looked awful. Danny took a chance. No blame there.

Your comparison to Gibbs is invalid. Gibbs was selected by a highly regarded professional GM, Bobby Beathard. Also, Gibbs was a successful OC. Zorn was picked by Pinky and The Brain and he was never an OC.

Gibbs lost his first five games. After that, he realized that he was taking the wrong approach with the Air Coryell schemes because his personnel was a better fit for emphasizing the running game, so the Hogs were born and John Riggins became the work horse. After that, Joe Gibbs went 8-3 the rest of the way.

Conversely, Zorn has changed nothing, insisting that the system works and that the players are not running the plays properly. The result is that the rest of the league is on to his offense and we are getting worse, not better.

The histories of the first years of Gibbs and Zorn are, in fact, contrapositives.

As far as the retreads are concerned, I think you are overlooking the up and coming candidates, such as Spagnuolo, who turned down the job.

Remember, Zorn wasn't even a HC candidate, initially. I even suspect that they weren't all that interested in Zorn as an OC, but rather as the best person to develop Jason Campbell. They had to offer him the promotion to OC to force Seattle to let him go. Then, the HC search got weird and they ended up hiring Zorn as HC.

No way was Zorn as qualified as Joe Gibbs!

[joethiesmanfan]

I have to second guess Zorn's aquisition judgement. The Shawn Alexander signing, Placemeier, we may wind up with a bunch of Seattle garbage players is my fear.

[Joe Kidd]

Originally Posted by joethiesmanfan

I have to second guess Zorn's aquisition judgement. The Shawn Alexander signing, Placemeier, we may wind up with a bunch of Seattle garbage players is my fear.

Those were all stop gap moves, nothing long term. Nothing to be concerned about. When in a pinch coaches always look to players they are familiar with.

[Daseal]

I have to second guess Zorn's aquisition judgement. The Shawn Alexander signing, Placemeier, we may wind up with a bunch of Seattle garbage players is my fear.

What's to question about these moves. Especially Alexander? He knew the system already -- and we had an injured RB, and he's a few years removed from a league MVP. We needed a running back for a short time, we got one that needed no transition into the offense, and luckily didn't have to play much.

Placemeier was somewhat necessary. Brooks wasn't getting it done.

[joethiesmanfan]

Originally Posted by Daseal

What's to question about these moves. Especially Alexander? He knew the system already -- and we had an injured RB, and he's a few years removed from a league MVP. We needed a running back for a short time, we got one that needed no transition into the offense, and luckily didn't have to play much.

Placemeier was somewhat necessary. Brooks wasn't getting it done.

I am no fan of Seatle under Holmgren, they are soft and they have always been soft. Even Zorn said Betts and Portis hit the hole with violence. Mr. Softee wasn't the answer. I would have rather had Rock in there. The point is Zorn does not recognize Mr. Softee. When he was a coach for Seattle. WCO ain't Redskins football.