Groundhog Day

Well, after a few days of reflection, mostly to let off some steam after the anger that Sunday's game instilled in me, I am prepared to give an assessment of what is unfolding in Redskins park. Not only did the team lose to the sorry Lions, they were dominated on both sides of the ball, something that was not expected from almost anyone. While most people did actually pick the Lions to beat the Redskins (how sad is that?) nobody expected an ass-whipping like it was.

The game came down to each team's first drives, The Redskins inability to score and the Lions marching down the field, 99 yards to put the ball in the endzone; game, set, match. While Campbell and the offense looked pedestrian, the Lions rookie quarterback looked like a 10-year vet, shifting around in the pocket and hitting wide open receivers downfield at will. Kevin Smith looked like Adrian Peterson busting through the gaping holes that his line created, constantly getting 5 or 6 yards at a time. If Stafford would have completed some of the overthrows that he had, this game would have been 35-14 easily. The defense played soft and undisciplined and paid for it. The offense was once again inept, predictable and downright pathetic except for the garbage time drives that make them seem to be not as horrible as they are.

The only bright spot on this team, and this says all you need to know about the Redskins, continues to be the punter, he is the MVP so far this season.

THE OFFENSE

While Campbell looked OK in moving the team downfield, and it was not his fault that both Cooley and Moss ran 1 yard short of the first down markers on key 3rd down plays, he looks like a guy that has no clue as to what he wants to do in the game and frankly, he doesn't seem to be very bright. The final play of the game, a bone-headed call to say the least, was executed horribly by the most inept of all Redskins players, Ladell Betts. I'm still not sure why he's on the team anymore? He doesn't understand basic concepts, if you go down the game is over, simply idiot. On the final drive, Campbell showed how truly clueless he can be; he attempted a pass to Cooley, who was double-covered in the middle of the field with about 18 seconds left in the game, thankfully the pass was incomplete, if Cooley had caught the pass, the game would have been over. Why Campbell threw to him with the time on the clock with no timeouts is beyond me. This has nothing to do with coaching, it's just this guy isn't a capable player in the NFL, period. Look at Stafford, he's a rookie but shows the potential in his play-making abilities, he has a gun for an arm, as does Campbell, but looks like a player in the tight spots, not like a buffoon as Campbell seems to be in the critical parts of the game. 

The running game was non-existent because of lack of execution and lack of creativity by Zorn. How many stretch plays can you call to the left before you try something different? How many people in the stadium or watching on TV didn't know that they were going to run left and run the same play that has been unsuccessful for the past 3 weeks? This guy is really pressing and the player's lack of execution doesn't help either, is it too much to ask for to try a quarterback sneak? Campbell is about 220 and 6-4, you don't think he could get half a yard? Not only was the running game a joke, the play-calling was pitiful, why do we have a receiver that catches everything and not attempt a single jump-ball near the end zone? For the second week in a row they have gotten down to the redzone, not tried a fade route only to watch the other team do it on the other end and result in a touchdown. This isn't rocket science, throw the ball up to the taller guy and let him either catch it, or get a pass interference call. It almost seems like Zorn doesn't want to throw it because everyone is asking for it.

THE DEFENSE

This was supposed to be the strong suit of this team but after 3 weeks, they are just as bad as the offense. They create little, to no pressure on the opposing quarterbacks and play zone, something that they have proven over the past 4 years that they are completely incapable of doing. Everytime they were in zone, the receivers went over the middle and settled into the 20-yard gap that the linebackers created and patiently waited for the ball to be thrown to them. Other teams must see the same things that I do, just wait until 3rd down because the Redskins will play zone, maybe rush 5, and play very soft, always trying to not give up the big play, that's how a team like the Lions can go 9 for 11 on 3rd downs in the first half.

This defense is not very good and the play calling is worse. How many times do we, the fans who supposedly know nothing about football, see every other team in the NFL play bump-and-run coverage on the receivers? Why can't this team do that? Rogers is a pretty good cover corner, he can't catch anything thrown his way but he usually has tight coverage on his man. When they play zone, the linebackers drift up too far and leave huge holes behind them where any average QB can drop the ball in to get a first down. Is there a wonder why they give up 3rd and 10+ everytime? They rush 4, drop back in zone and watch as the opposing team gets the gimme first downs. When they do decide to blitz, it's so obvious that it never works, usually the quarterback has time to see where it's coming from and can either shift the protection to that side or simply call a hot route to any receiver as the Redskins' corners give them 10-yard cushions, making it impossible to stop anyone for less than 9 or 10 yards a pop. Nobody on the defense was very good on Sunday except for Doughty, that should say it all.

The coaches don't want to call out their players but I will.

DEFENSIVE BACKS - Landry plays centerfield but is never close enough to the ball to make a play and constantly, like the big run that Stafford had on the first touchdown drive, flies right by the runner trying to make the big hit instead of wrapping up. Horton is constantly lined up against wide receivers (again because of the stupid zones that they run) which is not a good matchup for him. Last week he was a bit lucky against the Rams on the last play of the game because Bulger didn't get enough on the throw, if he had 5 more yards, the receiver would have ran past Horton and game over. Hall is a non-factor, he can't seem to stay with his man ever just like Smoot, who at least tackles the guy after he gets the first down. 

LINEBACKERS - played OK against the run but cannot, for the life of them, cover anyone over the middle, there is a reason that tight ends and slot receivers have field days against the Redskins, the zone coverage in the middle is pathetic. Fletcher is a tackling machine and McIntosh seems to have flashes but none of them can stay with a receiver for more than 3 seconds and are not very good on the blitzes. Orakpo is definitely a good rush defensive end but not very good in coverage, maybe with some time he can develop it but not right now.

D LINE - Haynesworth was OK, he had a sack and should have had another one when Stafford escaped him on what I thought was the play of the game. Daniels and the rest of the gang didn't seem to show up anywhere except for 7 yards downfield when the hustled to get into the tackle. Carter was a non-factor again and, besides Orakpo's sack, they did nothing for the team, which is not all their fault because the QB's know that the corners cover soft and take 3 and 5-step drops, getting rid of the ball quickly.

COACHING

One word, HORRIBLE! Zorn and Blatche can't get anything right it seems.

The offense runs the same 3 running plays and show little to no versatility in their game plans. Why can't they find a way to go deep at least once a series, at least to keep the safeties back far enough for the ever-slowing Portis to get 5 or 6 yards? Why do they have receivers that they don't use? Why does Kelly catch everything thrown his way but is never on the field during key moments in the game? Why is Betts on the team (I'm going to harp on that until he's gone, he's useless, he has no speed, no cutback, no moves, nothing!)?  If Zorn can't figure out that everyone and their mother knows what he's going to call, then he's just as dumb as people say he is, your offense is boring, predictable, and unimaginative, figure it out Jim, if not, see you later!

Defense, as I said before, the play calling is a joke. Why do they insist on running so much zone when it is never successful? Why do you the corners never play up on the line of scrimmage? Why does it seem like this team plays prevent defense the entire game? If you play a soft zone, rush only 4 everytime and don't even get a bump on the receivers, how do you expect to stop anyone? This is the most frustrating part of the collapse of this team, the defense is supposed to be the good side of the ball and they always played scared, time to man up and play aggressive and passionate defense, if not, get on the next bus out of town and good riddance to you!

CONCLUSION

All of this does cover up the sad, but unmistakable truth that the Redskins have been, for the past decade and a half a joke of a franchise with no identity, no marquee players, and no hope of improving. They have been perennial losers since the last Super Bowl in 1991 and have shown no signs of getting out of that funk. For some of us, the Redskins used to be a model franchise that was always a contender for the Division crown and the Super Bowl, the teams in the 80's had one thing that the most recent versions don't have, the best offensive line in the league and 8 or 9 defensive lineman that could rotate and constantly bring pressure allowing the d-backs to play tighter coverage and get some turnovers. All that is gone, now they have an average to mediocre offensive line, no big-play guys on offense except for Moss and a defense that plays prevent the entire game.

These are recipes for disaster and the season is bearing this out. If the team can't let it all out, play loose and attack on both sides of the ball, this is going to be a long and difficult season, adding another sad chapter to the post-Super Bowl run. A run that includes going from one of the best, to the east coast version of the Raiders, a franchise that is defined by the excentrities of their owner and not for their play on the field. Maybe things will turn around this season, maybe not, but the one thing that is clear is if they go south and don't make the playoffs, everyone needs to go. They need to blow it all up and start over, trade as many players as you can and try to load up on 4th and 5th round draft picks that make the good teams go, if not, we are going to keep bringing in new coaches and live in our own version of groundhog day.