CBS
Redskins' flat offense needs boost ... desperately
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- For Jim Zorn's sake, this season better not be déjà vu all over again. Otherwise, he can start looking for another job.
The Washington Redskins' head coach began this season as he began the last, falling behind early in the opener to lose to the New York Giants. Of course, he rallied in 2008, winning six of his next seven games, and he better rally again because there are plenty of qualified replacements out there waiting to be called. I can think of two in particular, Mike Shanahan and Mike Holmgren, and if Zorn is to keep them on the sidelines he better open up his offense more than he did in Sunday's 23-17 loss.
I don't care that the Redskins lost;
what bothers me is how they lost, which is just how they lost a year ago -- by doing next to nothing on offense. Zorn is an offensive head coach, and when he was hired he was supposed to invigorate quarterback Jason Campbell and his teammates. But that didn't happen much of last season, and it didn't happen Sunday. In fact, the Redskins' offense scored as many touchdowns for the Giants (one) as it did for itself and was too inconsistent, too safe and too unproductive when it mattered.
Listen to this: It took Washington's offense over 58 minutes to produce its lone touchdown. The team's most memorable run was by a punter, not star back Clinton Portis. It coughed up an interception. It coughed up a fumble. Its best receiver had a whopping 6 yards in catches, it burned timeouts when guys were lined up wrong and it made too many stupid mistakes -- like having wide receiver Antwaan Randle El try an option pass on Washington's second offensive snap, or one play after Portis shredded the Giants for a 34-yard run.
Result: Randle El was sacked for an 11-yard loss, and the drive stopped.
"We just have to be stronger," Campbell said. "We have to make more big plays."
No kidding. Afterward, Zorn pointed to the first quarter when Washington had four offensive plays, saying it was difficult to get anything going with so few opportunities. OK, I get that. But the Redskins were down by a field goal at the end of the period. One lousy field goal. Where they screwed up were in the possessions that followed. The second was four-and-out; the third was four-and-an-interception; and the fourth featured a critical mistake by Campbell, who absolutely, positively must produce this season or he can join Zorn looking for work.
Campbell was hit by an onrushing Osi Umenyiora, who forced the quarterback to fumble, scooped up the ball and returned it for a touchdown and a 17-0 lead. Sound familiar? A year ago the Giants jumped to a 16-0 lead in the season opener en route to a 16-7 victory.
"Oddly enough, it feels like exactly the same game," tight end Chris Cooley said. "We're in a two-minute drill at the end of the game trying to catch up. We gave ourselves a shot, though. That was the big difference. Just too little too late."
Well, they better get something going and fast.
Owner Daniel Snyder is not going to sit around with his hands in his pockets, waiting for Zorn's offense to come together again. If there was a criticism of Zorn in his first season, it wasn't the 8-8 finish as much as it was the offensive fizzle -- with Washington averaging 12.5 points per game during the second half of the season, including a four-week run where it did not score more than 13 points in any contest.
Zorn can complain about lack of opportunities against New York, but the Redskins beat themselves. Granted, they were up against one of the league's top teams and top defenses, but they made it easy for the Giants by committing too many early mistakes -- just as they did a year ago -- and not producing enough big plays. On an afternoon when the Giants were without cornerbacks Aaron Ross and Kevin Dockery, the Redskins weren't able to get wide receiver Santana Moss involved -- he had two catches -- and scored their only first-half points when punter Hunter Smith ran a fake field goal in for a touchdown.
Worse, when they had a chance to tighten the game in the second half, following a DeAngelo Hall interception, they moved the ball exactly two yards to the New York 9 before settling for a field goal. I think you get the idea: They just weren't any good on one side of the ball. "Settling for a field goal is not good," Zorn said. "We were in the game the whole way. I was beside myself, especially early, not being able to move the ball."
He should have been. Washington cannot and will not survive in the NFC East if it doesn't play more efficiently and more effectively on offense. When the Giants took away Moss by double-covering him, Washington did the right thing by throwing over the middle, with Cooley and Randle El the targets. But they didn't sustain drives, and, more important, they didn't produce much of anything until it was too late -- with Campbell driving them the length of the field in a no-huddle, two-minute offense at the end.
You can talk about the Giants' overwhelming time of possession, but
the Redskins' defense allowed exactly 16 points, and that's not bad. In fact, it should be enough to beat most teams, provided, of course, you can find the end zone without a Sherpa. For the moment, Washington cannot, but never fear. It's too soon to panic.
It is not, however, too soon to demand more of Zorn's offense. I don't care what he does -- run more no huddle, get Portis more than 17 touches, take chances downfield when they're there. Something. Anything. Washington must perk up on offense, or Zorn can ship out ... and the clock is ticking.
"I can tell you," said Zorn, "that we have a very good football team."
Well, then, let's see it. He can talk about how proud he was that his team didn't quit and that it fought to the end, but as Moss accurately pointed out that's what they're paid to do. As he put it, "I take it for what it is: We got beat. We weren't the better team." I'd say that's an accurate assessment.
And I'd say there is hope around the corner for Zorn and his team, arriving in a schedule that could save them from an early fade: They have the Rams next week; then Detroit; then Tampa Bay. Put them together and what do you have? Three teams that all lost Sunday and by a combined score of 107-48. Can you say, 3-1?
"I'm not discouraged at all," Campbell said. "We lost the game, but at the end of the day we know we're a better team. We've just got to bounce back next week and play harder and play better.
"Who knows? Eli [Manning] was saying to me that in 2007 they had a tough first one, and the next thing you know they went on a winning streak and won the Super Bowl. So you can't get down after one game."
No, but you can improve. The Redskins must.