Smoke Signals: 'Let's execute them all' edition

Privately, some players are chafing at this; some believe there could be more wrinkles, unpredictability and creativity in the approach. Some feel the offense has become static, and, when I pestered Zorn about adding more gadgets and gimmicks to help provide the big-play element, he conceded that there could be validity to that. In a pinch, here are there, perhaps a smidge more of that could help.

“I think that’s a good suggestion,” Zorn said.

The reality is, the Redskins, Lions and Bengals are the only teams in the league who have yet to score 30 points. Only three teams have scored fewer than Washington’s 13 offensive touchdowns (Cincy, Oakland and St. Louis each have 13). They have four offensive TDs in the last four games. It’s not pretty, and surely there is some element that could be added from a schematic standpoint to help jump start this thing.

I think that’s right. The Redskins do lack playmakers, but Zorn isn’t being creative enough in using a talent like Antwaan Randle El, who is ill-suited for the traditional wideout role Zorn [and Gibbs before him] has put him in. When an offense is as bad as this one, the man who designs it and calls the plays should take some responsibility for the results. To do otherwise is cowardly. The fact is, the Redskins are 23rd in the league in allowing sacks and 28th in scoring points. Jim Zorn must take some responsibility for those facts.
Zorn yesterday dismissed any talk of a QB controversy and Jason LaCanfora agrees, laying the bulk of the blame for the woeful offense on people not named Jason Campbell. [Those Jasons stick together.] I agree with a lot of that, as you know if you read yesterday’s Smoke Signals: ‘State of the Skins’ edition, but I think Campbell frequently looks hesitant in the pocket and the lack of overall offensive results speaks for itself. I think it would be silly to bench Campbell this season, but the team owes it to itself [and its many long-suffering fans] to look for real veteran competition for Campbell in the offseason. 
La Canfora reports that Redskins players support Campbell and don’t want to see Todd Collins or Colt Brennan replace their starting signal-caller. 
A mad December dash for the playoffs is nothing new to the Redskins. They made similar pushes in 2005 and 2007, both times successfully, as Joe Gibbs compiled an 8-1 combined record in December in those seasons. It will be tougher this time, though, because the NFC is better. The Redskins made the playoffs with a 9-7 record last year and a 10-6 record in 2005. In 2008, as everyone understands, 9-7 won’t get it done and 10-6 might not be enough either. And in 2008, the team seems to be getting weaker in December, not stronger.

Circumstances are so dire that Zorn said yesterday — six days before the Redskins play the Baltimore Ravens, who boast the league’s second-ranked defense — he is considering which parts of the offense to jettison, potentially simplifying a system that was more productive in the season’s first two months than in November.

Even as he defended quarterback Jason Campbell – emphasizing the coaching staff has given no consideration to turning to backup Todd Collins, who led last year’s playoff run — Zorn said the installation of his West Coast offense has not produced the results he envisioned in November losses to Pittsburgh, Dallas and the Giants. The Redskins remain one of three teams who have yet to score 30 points in a game.

“Each week, as we try to grow in our game plan, I’m always torn between that fine line of pushing the envelope a little bit,” Zorn said, “or should we back off and not work so much on the things that I’d like to do, but work on those things that we have to do? I continue to try to push us to say, ‘Well, we can do this. Well, we can do that.’

“But it’s obvious, I think, in these last several games, we can’t do it all. So we might have to take a step back before we can take another forward.”

Throughout November, when his team averaged 10.8 points and 288.8 yards (down from 20.6 points and 364.3 yards through the first eight games), Zorn consistently blamed the struggles on execution.

DT Kedric Golston is still battling bone spurs and right now is questionable for Sunday night’s game at Baltimore. Fellow DT Anthony Montgomery fared well in the Giants game and should be healthy for Sunday.
MLB London Fletcher is back in the walking boot and is likely a game time decision this week, as well.
In an all to familiar theme, the Redskins find themselves in  the same situation they have the last two seasons.  Every game becomes a must win to keep fading playoff hopes alive.  Last year, losing 5 or 6, and even 7 was good enough in a weak NFC Conference, this year, not so.  The Washington Times spells out the Redskins situation pretty clearly.

Three defeats and four offensive touchdowns later, the Redskins face a taller task when the final quarter of the schedule starts Sunday night in Baltimore: They have no margin for error, and they will need help to extend their season into January.

The Redskins will report to work Wednesday eighth in the NFC, a game behind Atlanta and Dallas in the race for the sixth playoff spot.

We haven’t reached that elite status,” Zorn said Monday at Redskin Park before holding a longer-than-usual team meeting that lasted nearly an hour. “It doesn’t mean we’re not good. It just means we’re one of those teams that didn’t separate. I think we’re battling. We haven’t lost heart. We haven’t lost the hope of putting a good game together.”

Right you are Zornado.  The Redskins have not reached the Elite Status.  Why?  Don’t blame Jason Campbell, yet. Don’t blame play calling, entirely.  Read this dammit!

“That’s the way we’re looking at it, point blank,” cornerback Fred Smoot said. “Win out and let everything play out. We hold our future in our hands, so we feel if we win out, that puts us in a good position.”

No offense Fred, but aren’t ya kind of tired of saying the same things year in and year out, we must win out, we hold out future ion our own hands, blah, blah, blah.
So, the Redskins have to win out?  And they have to do it possibly without the NFL’s leading rusher?  Against one of the best defenses in football?  Good luck.

Asked Monday whether Clinton Portis would be able to survive Washington’s final four games, Zorn said, “We want him to do more than just survive. Either we have to rest him … Clinton has a real stiff neck. We gotta try to get him out there … and go, I’m hoping.”

Granted, week to week, the Redskins have a fascination with labeling Portis questionable, yet week after week, Portis rolls on to the field.  A true testament to Clinton Portis, the person, the player, and the dedicated professional.  But, it is also a sign, as Tom indicated yesterday in his State of the Redskins Smoke Signals column, perhaps it is time to take a look at how Portis is utilized.

Portis is increasingly banged up every week and probably cannot sustain this pace. Portis needs to give up some carries to TB Ladell Betts if the Redskins are going to continue to be a run-oriented offense. [And they don't have much choice, since the passing game is so sterile and weak.] The Redskins need to cut Portis’ carries to about 20 per week, at the most, and consider holding him out of at least one game.

Perhaps so.
I think Rock Cartwright speaks to the frustrations of the team and the fans.

“I’m tired of going on December runs,” special teams captain Rock Cartwright said. “Tired of it. We’ve been that way for a while now, putting ourselves in this position, and I have no clue why. I have no clue.”

Rock, I have a clue.  Read this dammit!
Perhaps at some point, someone in Redskins Park, somewhere, a light bulb will flicker, and the reality will hit home.  The Redskins can’t handle the blitz and pass protection, nor can the defensive line apply hardly any pass pressure.  It leads to 3 and outs.  It leads to stalled drives.  It leads to third and longs.  It leads to shorter passes before the first down marker because of heavy pass pressure.  It leads to opposing quarterbacks having ample opportunity to scan the field without the fear of menace.  It leads to opposing offense picking apart an already pressed secondary.  Then, late in the game, after the defense has been picked apart and exhausted, it leads to giving up control at the line of scrimmage.
Perhaps some day, somewhere, somehow, the Redskins brass really wills tart to believe in what Bobby Beathard and Joe Gibbs knew in the 1980s, you win on the front line, you win in the trenches.  Until then, expect the same you have gotten since 2000.
Rick Snider at The Examiner dissects the Redskins and he isn’t kind about it. I think this sentence pretty much sums up his views of our burgundy and gold.

Now in the final month, the Redskins have become the great pretender.

The Express put it bluntly and clearly …

They play solid defense but can’t score. Nothing is going to change the rest of the way.

Washington probably has a couple wins left in it.

But, in conclusion, the Redskins look like they are good enough to just miss the playoffs.

The Rocky Mountain News sums up the fading Redskins well, good read.
In preseason Zorn used a slip ‘n slide to teach his players how to slide. At least in Jason Campbell’s case, it doesn’t seem to be working.

Last week, after nine months of lessons, we got to see exactly now well Jason Campbell can now slide.

“Hilarious,” Colt Brennan said.

“An implosion, almost,” described Pete Kendall.

“He’s probably the worst slider in the league,” Randy Thomas said.

“That was ugly,” Campbell agreed.

“Oh, so embarrassed,” Zorn said this week, when asked about the results of his fabled teaching methods. “Did you see it? Ok, enough said. That was SO bad. But anyway, we’ll work on that. I’m gonna have renewed energy. I’m gonna put some new feeling into the way I coach him sliding.”

What’s with that awful necklace Jim Zorn was wearing?
Talk about it!