***Official*** 2009 Washington Redskins Thread (1 Viewer)

[Sidewinder16]

Pakulak was released yesterday, and Renaldo Wynn was re-signed. Must mean the Hunter Smith news is good.

'Skins have an open practice squad slot they can fill.

 

[MikeApf]

Here's Rick Snider's column about Gruden:

Jon Gruden appears to be the frontrunner in Dan Snyder's offseason search for his seventh coach in 11 seasons.

Meanwhile, Snyder's interest seems to have tempered for former Denver coach Mike Shanahan, once considered the frontrunner because of his long relationship with Redskins executive vice president Vinny Cerrato. Sources won't rule out Shanahan, but the latter's demand for more front office control makes it a less-likely hire. NFL sources say the two have discussed the job.

Snyder is seeking is a candidate willing to leave major personnel decisions to Cerrato and the owner. NFL sources close to Gruden said that's not an expected deal breaker.

Snyder was ready for the 2002 search after one season with Marty Schottenheimer, who also was team president. Snyder disliked not participating in personnel decisions for the only time since buying the team in 1999. A heated argument developed between Schottenheimer and Snyder's then minority partner, Fred Drasner, after one member of the coaching staff wouldn't let Drasner use a team vehicle. This, coupled with an 0-5 start, saw Snyder preparing for a switch in September. Schottenheimer was dismissed despite finishing 8-8.

There you have it in a nutshell. If true, then Snyder has learned nothing and the team will continue to struggle. This is very sad for us long suffering Redskins fans. M

 

[beefcake]

How much dead money do we have on old players?

Good thing next year is uncapped!!

Time to blow up this team and hire a lot of Jets.

 

[fatness]

Lavar Arrington show had a beat writer for the skins on today, and his sources say Gruden will be the Skins next coach, thoughts?

Sucks!!! I live in Central Florida and had to hear him as the TB coach...YUCK!!!! Get ready for 12 QB's and none worthy of starting. Hey the good news is that Jeff Garcia is still available and he's only 37-38 yrs old....maybe Rich Gannon can come out of retirement too.

You're exactly right. Gruden isn't a team builder; he likes veterans and his teams decline over time as he piles up more and more vets. Hell, if the Redskins declined much more they'd be at tectonic-plate level. Gruden's fun to watch, fun to listen to, and he makes all those cool facial expressions. But he's not what I want in a coach.

 

[burgundy and gold]

I don't think it matters if Vinny stays or goes. As long as he goes and drafts us some O linemen in the first three rounds this off-season, I'm happy. I also think that either Campbell or Zorn should go. This offense doesn't fit Campbell. If it was up to me, I'd fire Zorn after the season, bring in say Gruden or Holmgren, and depending on what the new offense would be I'd go after a first round qb and keep Campbell or look for a trade or free agent veteran qb that the coach would prefer and let Campbell go.

 

[fatness]

Hi. My name is Dan Snyder and I decided to write to this forum to address some issues you all have brought up.First, if you want to blame the talent on this team, you need to blame Joe Gibbs and Jim Zorn, and not me or Vinnie. On offense, I never would have chosen Brunell or Campbell like Gibbs did. I never would have said I could coach Campbell up like Zorn told me. I would have traded for Cutler or drafted Sanchez or Stafford. A couple of years ago, I would have signed Romo, Schaub or Farve. So clearly I know QBs better than these so called coaches. I never would have picked up 2 wrs and a te last year either. The west coast system of Zorn forced Vinnie there, and thanks to Zorn's whining I have talentless wrs. I wanted to pick up braylon edwards or brandon marshall this season, but the fans and media keep making fun of me picking up too many free agents, so I relented and look what happened. I could have traded our next two #1s for these all-pros. Zorn also double crossed me. He said he would establish a pssing game. If he did, Portis would be running for 2000 yards with the defense all spread out. I mean, Portis got 1300/year under Gibbs' boring offense. Some of you have suggested there a problems with the OL. I don't see how. If those wrs Zorn wanted were open faster and Campbell was better, the OL would just need to hold up for the 2 seconds of protection they currently give.To address our defensive woes, picking up Hall and Haynesworth was genius too. Hall is a lockdown corner that is suffering from not enough pressure. Haynesworth has really blown up teams running against us and he media said I need a force on the line. I should have picked up another DE in free agency. If I had traded our #1 the next 3 years, I would have clearly picked up Jared Allen. Man, we'd have the best D in the league. Blatche is screwing me. He swore he'd bring pressure. I mean, we were the #4 defense the past couple of years. You'd think 1 stud DL would make us #1. I want Orakpo at DE just like you. Blatche says we'd have no OLB. Maybe he should just run a 2 LB defense.You say I've screwed up coaching moves, but each move was approved by groups supposedly smarter than me. Spurrier was the next great HC and tons of teams wanted him. Gibbs was heralded by the fans. When he left, he told me he thought Zorn would be a great HC. He thought so much of him, he never even spoke with him. Marty was a media darling and went 8-8, and I just couldn't have mediocrity in here. I have spared no expense on these coaches.All my decisions the last 4-5 years have been based on what fans and the media wanted, and look where I am now. Clearly I am a better judge of talent that you all and these NFL experts. From now on I'm going to run this organization with an iron hand. Next year we are getting a QB. Then I'll pick a new HC. Then I'll tell Vinnie who to pickup in FA that will fix all our problems. So argue with me all you like, but this is my team and Vinnie and I will fix our problems now that the fans and the media have dug this hole for me.

#### you.

 

[NMYMND]

Here's Rick Snider's column about Gruden:

Jon Gruden appears to be the frontrunner in Dan Snyder's offseason search for his seventh coach in 11 seasons.

Meanwhile, Snyder's interest seems to have tempered for former Denver coach Mike Shanahan, once considered the frontrunner because of his long relationship with Redskins executive vice president Vinny Cerrato. Sources won't rule out Shanahan, but the latter's demand for more front office control makes it a less-likely hire. NFL sources say the two have discussed the job.

Snyder is seeking is a candidate willing to leave major personnel decisions to Cerrato and the owner. NFL sources close to Gruden said that's not an expected deal breaker.

Snyder was ready for the 2002 search after one season with Marty Schottenheimer, who also was team president. Snyder disliked not participating in personnel decisions for the only time since buying the team in 1999. A heated argument developed between Schottenheimer and Snyder's then minority partner, Fred Drasner, after one member of the coaching staff wouldn't let Drasner use a team vehicle. This, coupled with an 0-5 start, saw Snyder preparing for a switch in September. Schottenheimer was dismissed despite finishing 8-8.

There you have it in a nutshell. If true, then Snyder has learned nothing and the team will continue to struggle. This is very sad for us long suffering Redskins fans. M

True. How can any fan read this and continue to give money to Snyder? He's basically saying this is his playtoy (and it is), and he's happier if he calls the shots and lucks into 1 or 2 good seasons a decade rather than get credit for hiring someone knowledgeable enough to build a long-term winner. Frustrating.

 

[dgreen]

Lavar Arrington show had a beat writer for the skins on today, and his sources say Gruden will be the Skins next coach, thoughts?

Sucks!!! I live in Central Florida and had to hear him as the TB coach...YUCK!!!! Get ready for 12 QB's and none worthy of starting. Hey the good news is that Jeff Garcia is still available and he's only 37-38 yrs old....maybe Rich Gannon can come out of retirement too.

You're exactly right. Gruden isn't a team builder; he likes veterans and his teams decline over time as he piles up more and more vets. Hell, if the Redskins declined much more they'd be at tectonic-plate level. Gruden's fun to watch, fun to listen to, and he makes all those cool facial expressions. But he's not what I want in a coach.

He worked for Al Davis (who loves old players) and a Tampa ownership that didn't spend money. I'm not sure he'd go the same direction with Danny. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it will also be a huge failure like everything else this team tries, but I don't necessarily think he'll come in and want to assemble the over the hill gang.

 

[Maroney=Sped]

The more I watch football, the sicker I feel. The excitement buy Denver's coach. The wildcat that Miami does, when we have one of the better player in ARE to play it. Henne, and Sanchez airing it out. And we get to watch old big ten football every week.

I was thinking the same thing last night. I watched the Jets call an aggressive offense with a rookie QB and a WR that was just added to the team last week and four first round picks playing OL. And, I watched Miami's innovative offense being called by a 100 year old man from part of our glory days.

Fixed. Every successful young QB in recent memory has inevitably had a good or outstanding OL in front of him. When they drafted Manning the Colts made it a point to bolster their O-line. Brady stepped in behind a young OL that was good and became very good shortly thereafter. Matt Ryan's o-line was improved and protects him. Brees and Rivers in San Diego have enjoyed good line play. The Giants OL is one of the best in the league for Eli.

A bad o-line forces a QB to continually defend himself by avoiding before he can set and throw. Good QB's can do this some of the time, but it's going to take a toll on the offense and take the QB out of rhythm etc. We've not seen the best that Campbell has to offer IMHO because he's never had a good o-line to throw behind except in 2006 (when he was first starting) and parts of 2007 and 2008 when, not coincidentally he was at his best.

 

[Maroney=Sped]

Lavar Arrington show had a beat writer for the skins on today, and his sources say Gruden will be the Skins next coach, thoughts?

Sucks!!! I live in Central Florida and had to hear him as the TB coach...YUCK!!!! Get ready for 12 QB's and none worthy of starting. Hey the good news is that Jeff Garcia is still available and he's only 37-38 yrs old....maybe Rich Gannon can come out of retirement too.

You're exactly right. Gruden isn't a team builder; he likes veterans and his teams decline over time as he piles up more and more vets. Hell, if the Redskins declined much more they'd be at tectonic-plate level. Gruden's fun to watch, fun to listen to, and he makes all those cool facial expressions. But he's not what I want in a coach.

He worked for Al Davis (who loves old players) and a Tampa ownership that didn't spend money. I'm not sure he'd go the same direction with Danny. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it will also be a huge failure like everything else this team tries, but I don't necessarily think he'll come in and want to assemble the over the hill gang.

Gruden's also always coveted the Notre Dame job, and Weis is on thin ice there.

 

[TobiasFunke]

As a Redskins fan living in Baltimore, it's getting harder and harder to remain a fan. (Has nothing to do with the Ravens either) Most of the games get blacked out here and there is a piss poor product on the field. I used to go to at least 3 or 4 games a year, but I haven't been to a single one in the past few years. I was at FedEx for the U2 concert the other week and forgot what a horrible stadium it is.I find out on Friday what sex my first born is going to be. If it's a boy, I can't promise I'll raise him a Redskins fan.

This weekend I found out there might be a little Funke on the way in nine months (A Maebe Funke, if you will).So I'm in the same boat, but I'm trying to take a different approach. I figure I'm obviously screwed for pretty much the rest of my life ... but Dan Snyder is in his mid-40s, so at least my offspring have hope that the Redskins will be a competently run franchise by the time they reach adulthood.

 

[fatness]

"Things ain't working," cornerback Carlos Rogers said. "When things don't work, there comes about change. Maybe it's good. Maybe it's bad. They say players panic. Coaches panic, too, when things happen. It's the beginning of the season. We got a long way to go. We've got a lot of things we need to iron out. It's a lot of problems. It's from personnel to coaches to whatever it is.

"Until we address those issues and turn them around, we're going to be the same, going up and down. It starts not only with the players and the coaches. It starts with the ownership. They bring everybody in, and they've got last say-so of everything, so that's where it starts, I guess."

Carlos Rogers, punching his ticket for out of town.

 

[fatness]

I had to laugh at this from Tracee Hamilton:

If Sunday's offensive performance is the result of "another set of eyes," then quick, where are the blindfolds? Perhaps this could be Washington's take on the Terrible Towel: Issue a black scarf and a cigarette to every fan brave enough -- or angry enough -- to attend Sunday's game.

link

 

[Sidewinder16]

I had to laugh at this from Tracee Hamilton:

If Sunday's offensive performance is the result of "another set of eyes," then quick, where are the blindfolds? Perhaps this could be Washington's take on the Terrible Towel: Issue a black scarf and a cigarette to every fan brave enough -- or angry enough -- to attend Sunday's game.

Hamilton had a number of zingers in her column this week. I kind of liked this:

Lewis has rings; he's the Sauron of the NFL, for heaven's sake. But he's been away from the league for five years. He probably thinks the Wildcat offense is something Goldie Hawn drew up for Woody Harrelson. (Update: Dan Snyder just diverted Redskins One to California to meet with Hawn.) I have to think that Lewis spent his flight back to D.C. on Sunday evening thinking, "I gave up delivering Meals on Wheels for this?"

 

[fatness]

I'd just like to express my gratitude to our personnel department, Mr. Snyder and Mr. Cerrato, for guiding us to this fortunate place:

Realistically, Help on the O-Line Isn't Available

From left to right, here's the expected starting unit for Sunday's game: LT Stephon Heyer, LG Derrick Dockery, C Casey Rabach, RG Will Montgomery/Chad Rinehart, RT Mike Williams. T D'Anthony Batiste and whoever doesn't start at right guard also likely would be active against the Chiefs.

Regardless of what anyone thinks of Coach Jim Zorn and quarterback Jason Campbell, even Bill Walsh and Joe Montana would have been hard-pressed to make things happen in the West Coast offense with that bunch.

 

[Arsenal of Doom]

I had to laugh at this from Tracee Hamilton:

If Sunday's offensive performance is the result of "another set of eyes," then quick, where are the blindfolds? Perhaps this could be Washington's take on the Terrible Towel: Issue a black scarf and a cigarette to every fan brave enough -- or angry enough -- to attend Sunday's game.

Hamilton had a number of zingers in her column this week. I kind of liked this:

Lewis has rings; he's the Sauron of the NFL, for heaven's sake. But he's been away from the league for five years. He probably thinks the Wildcat offense is something Goldie Hawn drew up for Woody Harrelson. (Update: Dan Snyder just diverted Redskins One to California to meet with Hawn.) I have to think that Lewis spent his flight back to D.C. on Sunday evening thinking, "I gave up delivering Meals on Wheels for this?"

This was my favorite:

Clinton Portis looked energized early in the game, but faded -- he took oxygen after a half-yard touchdown drive. Albert Haynesworth is still taking a knee more often than a priest during Lent. Why don't they just go ahead and replace the benches with Victorian fainting couches and haul the players to and from the huddle on Rascals?

 

[dgreen]

The more I watch football, the sicker I feel. The excitement buy Denver's coach. The wildcat that Miami does, when we have one of the better player in ARE to play it. Henne, and Sanchez airing it out. And we get to watch old big ten football every week.

I was thinking the same thing last night. I watched the Jets call an aggressive offense with a rookie QB and a WR that was just added to the team last week and four first round picks playing OL. And, I watched Miami's innovative offense being called by a 100 year old man from part of our glory days.

Fixed. Every successful young QB in recent memory has inevitably had a good or outstanding OL in front of him. When they drafted Manning the Colts made it a point to bolster their O-line. Brady stepped in behind a young OL that was good and became very good shortly thereafter. Matt Ryan's o-line was improved and protects him. Brees and Rivers in San Diego have enjoyed good line play. The Giants OL is one of the best in the league for Eli.

A bad o-line forces a QB to continually defend himself by avoiding before he can set and throw. Good QB's can do this some of the time, but it's going to take a toll on the offense and take the QB out of rhythm etc. We've not seen the best that Campbell has to offer IMHO because he's never had a good o-line to throw behind except in 2006 (when he was first starting) and parts of 2007 and 2008 when, not coincidentally he was at his best.

True enough.

 

[dgreen]

So, when does Pro Bowl voting start? Do we think the Redskins will make the same push as last year to get a ton of votes for their players? The fan reaction will be fun if they do that again.

There obviously aren't many worthy this year, but I guess I could be convinced to vote for Haynesworth, Fletcher, and Cooley.

 

[Marvelous]

Lavar Arrington show had a beat writer for the skins on today, and his sources say Gruden will be the Skins next coach, thoughts?

Sucks!!! I live in Central Florida and had to hear him as the TB coach...YUCK!!!! Get ready for 12 QB's and none worthy of starting. Hey the good news is that Jeff Garcia is still available and he's only 37-38 yrs old....maybe Rich Gannon can come out of retirement too.

You're exactly right. Gruden isn't a team builder; he likes veterans and his teams decline over time as he piles up more and more vets. Hell, if the Redskins declined much more they'd be at tectonic-plate level. Gruden's fun to watch, fun to listen to, and he makes all those cool facial expressions. But he's not what I want in a coach.

He worked for Al Davis (who loves old players) and a Tampa ownership that didn't spend money. I'm not sure he'd go the same direction with Danny. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it will also be a huge failure like everything else this team tries, but I don't necessarily think he'll come in and want to assemble the over the hill gang.

I like this persepective. The Redskin's will be innovators at failure, trying to to find new and immaginative ways to create a bad football team.

 

[buster c]

back from our annual Redskin Roadie - this year brought us to downtown Charlotte, NC. Our first impression of the action made us envious of the urban setting as compared to the nightmarish game-day experience of Raljon, MD. We walked to the stadium from the hotel. Seemed like there were 25K fans wearing the burgundy & gold. In my experience, Skin fans travel very well, but this was well over-the-top.

BAC Stadium was nice - you can walk around the entire lower seating bowl just like at RFK and when I found myself behind the Skins bench an hour before kickoff, my skin began to crawl. I knew that the poor little rich-boy king was close by. A pencil-neck geek alert went out and we located the hapless dim-wit sitting on the bench next to an older MILF and a few of his emasculated fluffers in their Botany 500 suits.

Now, I'm not a guy who boos the home team, and my best heckling days are well behind me, but I knew what I had to do. 'Selllllll the Teeeeeeam!!!' erupted from my alcohol-free pie hole three times over the next 60 seconds. To my surprise, the most clueless public figure of my lifetime looks back and scans the crowd, joining the hundred or so witnesses in laughter, totally oblivious to their concurrence. Although he did not shake my hand and thank me - as many did - it was cathartic and less messy than other alternatives which the law does not look favorably upon.

 

[Sidewinder16]

I've never understood this common coaching logic. Zorn on challenging the "muffed punt":

"I could have saved the timeout," Zorn said. "But gosh, it was worth it for me to challenge that one. I mean, that was a key play in the game. I wasn't going to save a timeout for that. It was my duty, in my mind, to challenge that one."

No, Zorn, it actually is NOT your duty to challenge a play that clearly has no chance of winning. Timeouts are kind of valuable.

Zorn talked about this today on his Tuesday radio show. He said he wasn't challenging the muff (he knew it had hit Westbrook first). Instead, he was challenging whether it should have been fair catch interference. Apparently, you can't interfere with the fair catch by pushing a passive player into the receiver, but you can push an active player (Westbrook was actively blocking) into the player trying to make a fair catch. I guess the on-field officials didn't make that clear because Zorn said he didn't get that detail until he talked to Mike Pereira on Monday.

 

[dgreen]

I've never understood this common coaching logic. Zorn on challenging the "muffed punt":

"I could have saved the timeout," Zorn said. "But gosh, it was worth it for me to challenge that one. I mean, that was a key play in the game. I wasn't going to save a timeout for that. It was my duty, in my mind, to challenge that one."

No, Zorn, it actually is NOT your duty to challenge a play that clearly has no chance of winning. Timeouts are kind of valuable.

Zorn talked about this today on his Tuesday radio show. He said he wasn't challenging the muff (he knew it had hit Westbrook first). Instead, he was challenging whether it should have been fair catch interference. Apparently, you can't interfere with the fair catch by pushing a passive player into the receiver, but you can push an active player (Westbrook was actively blocking) into the player trying to make a fair catch. I guess the on-field officials didn't make that clear because Zorn said he didn't get that detail until he talked to Mike Pereira on Monday.

Hmm, I'm pretty sure the ref said something like, "Washington is challenging the ruling on the field that the ball touched their own player."

 

[dgreen]

From Jason Reid:

There's so much going against Zorn within the organization that even if the Redskins rallied around him and somehow qualified for the playoffs, it's highly doubtful Snyder would stick with him.

This is what Snyder did with Marty: he made up his mind before he saw the end of the movie. Of course, I have no reason to believe they turn anything around. But, if they do, Zorn would probably deserve a lot of credit there. And he wouldn't get it because Snyder has already made up his mind.

There's no one I respect more in the locker room than Samuels for his selfless dedication to his teammates. He has continued to practice and has remained in the lineup despite a knee that often puffs up after games. He came back after having multiple surgeries in the offseason, and you wouldn't even know what he goes through physically because he just shuts his mouth and works.But several of Samuels' teammates have been telling me all season they just didn't know how long he could hold up. And if it wasn't the knee that forced him to shut it down, they figured, it would be something else because Samuels has overcome a lot physically and that takes a toll. One other thing I've been told: Without Samuels on the line, it's game over for the Redskins' offense.

GB Samuels, but it's probably time to hang 'em up. I love what he's done for the team, but he could be risking a lot if he keeps playing. He's given this organization enough. He should think about himself now.

Several players told me Campbell had time to go through only one progression on passing plays.

LOL @ even calling that a progression. So, the plan has to be mass protect with only a couple receiving options, right? Or quick hitting passes, right? Or maybe Zorn will do what he's been doing and just demand that the players execute.

Gray, who has served as a defensive coordinator in his career, is not in all the position-group meetings and does not devise the defensive game plan each week. Other than that, he's just the right guy to comment on the defense overall.

I'm on record as not being a fan of Portis's act. Yeah, he runs hard and blocks well for a back on game days -- but so what?Portis doesn't practice while others continue to give everything they have throughout the week. He threw the coach under the bus last season when things began to turn badly, and he got on the phone with coaches behind Sellers' back. Many players, who requested anonymity, told me last week they are fed up with Portis, who puts himself ahead of the team, in their opinion, because of his close relationship with the owner.

I'm not a fan of players putting themselves above the team. I'm also not a fan of players whining to reporters about players putting themselves above the team. Get over it. That's the way it is. Do you job and don't worry about him.And, on what other team would Mike Sellers still be the primary lead blocker? The recent "Portis problems" are based on him calling out a player not doing his job. Not sure how that makes Portis the bad guy. A lot of people see Sellers missing blocks and yet he's still out there being told to "execute". How about you bench him?

 

[TobiasFunke]

back from our annual Redskin Roadie - this year brought us to downtown Charlotte, NC. Our first impression of the action made us envious of the urban setting as compared to the nightmarish game-day experience of Raljon, MD. We walked to the stadium from the hotel. Seemed like there were 25K fans wearing the burgundy & gold. In my experience, Skin fans travel very well, but this was well over-the-top.

In defense of the Carolinians, the Redskins were considered the "home team" for purposes of TV broadcasts and marketing and whatnot before the Panthers came into existence in the 90s. When I lived in NC in the 90s I knew a ton of people who were lifelong Skins fans and were just starting to embrace the Panthers. I'm guessing this had a lot to do with the fan ratio.

 

[sinatravolta]

The more I watch football, the sicker I feel. The excitement buy Denver's coach. The wildcat that Miami does, when we have one of the better player in ARE to play it. Henne, and Sanchez airing it out. And we get to watch old big ten football every week.

I was thinking the same thing last night. I watched the Jets call an aggressive offense with a rookie QB and a WR that was just added to the team last week. And, I watched Miami's innovative offense being called by a 100 year old man from part of our glory days.

I was watching the game last night and contemplating jumping on another team's bandwagon for awhile, just so I'd have something interesting to watch/root for this season. I really like what the Jets are doing this year, on both sides of the ball.

My friends and I are debating which team to jump on the bandwagon with for the rest of this year (and possibly next ). Right now we are between the Falcons and the Saints. Agreed about the Monday night game - that was fun to watch. 2 teams playing good football and playing aggressively in their own ways. Jets with lots of blitzing and not afraid to throw downfield with a rookie QB. Miami by using formations most NFL teams don't, and successfully cycling different QBs/formations in and out of the game even late in the game without anybody losing their rhythm or getting false start/illegal formation penalties. That is impressive coaching to me. Or at least impressive coaching compared to what I've been watching for the last 17 years. One of those last 3rd down plays where the Jets blitzed heavily and the Dolphins had a massive protection + rollout scheme was excellent - Jets doing something they're good at and Dolphins coming up with a smart counter to it just at the right time.

 

[fatness]

One thing we could do with our Sundays is make this a "hey, what did you do instead of watching the game?" thread.

I bailed before the Tampa Game. I'm done watching them this year, and it's nice having the free time on Sundays. I went to visit my mom the last 2 weeks. Yes, I actually chose visiting my 77-year-old mom over watching the Skins. She's more dynamic than they are.

And I'm not spending 3 hours every week being completly frustrated and angry, knowing I can do nothing about it.

 

[ChrisCooleyFan]

One thing we could do with our Sundays is make this a "hey, what did you do instead of watching the game?" thread. I bailed before the Tampa Game. I'm done watching them this year, and it's nice having the free time on Sundays. I went to visit my mom the last 2 weeks. Yes, I actually chose visiting my 77-year-old mom over watching the Skins. She's more dynamic than they are.And I'm not spending 3 hours every week being completly frustrated and angry, knowing I can do nothing about it.

As good as it sounds, its like driving down the road and there is a wreck on the opposite side, some people just have to look. I do find myself flipping and watching other games more often.

 

[Bizkiteer]

Gruden RAVES about the wildcat. I heard him say a couple weeks ago that he spends hours and hours studying the wildcat.

LOL, listening to him...he still doesn't have a clue, so we can only imagine what he's like when he hasn't studied.

 

[Bizkiteer]

I don't think it matters if Vinny stays or goes. As long as he goes and drafts us some O linemen in the first three rounds this off-season, I'm happy. I also think that either Campbell or Zorn should go. This offense doesn't fit Campbell. If it was up to me, I'd fire Zorn after the season, bring in say Gruden or Holmgren, and depending on what the new offense would be I'd go after a first round qb and keep Campbell or look for a trade or free agent veteran qb that the coach would prefer and let Campbell go.

What makes you think you are going to be happy then? We haven't seen barely 3 total OL drafted in the last 3 years, so asking for 3 in one year is a bit coo coo for cocoa puffs. We are a drafting a QB...unless we fall on the #5 or later spot, which then Sam Bradford and McCoy might be gone then.

 

[Bizkiteer]

As a Redskins fan living in Baltimore, it's getting harder and harder to remain a fan. (Has nothing to do with the Ravens either) Most of the games get blacked out here and there is a piss poor product on the field. I used to go to at least 3 or 4 games a year, but I haven't been to a single one in the past few years. I was at FedEx for the U2 concert the other week and forgot what a horrible stadium it is.I find out on Friday what sex my first born is going to be. If it's a boy, I can't promise I'll raise him a Redskins fan. :(

This weekend I found out there might be a little Funke on the way in nine months (A Maebe Funke, if you will).So I'm in the same boat, but I'm trying to take a different approach. I figure I'm obviously screwed for pretty much the rest of my life ... but Dan Snyder is in his mid-40s, so at least my offspring have hope that the Redskins will be a competently run franchise by the time they reach adulthood.

Congrats!!! I have 2 boyz, one almost in HS...I have always told everyone that they both do not have to be 'Skins fans. I always say that they can choose any of the 31 teams, which someone points out that there are 32 teams in the NFL. My quick matter of fact response is the same each time..."The Cowboys are not an option!" Both of my boyz cheer for the 'Skins, which can be said that they are smart...not for really cheering the team, but cheese'n up to their Dad.

 

[Bizkiteer]

So, when does Pro Bowl voting start? Do we think the Redskins will make the same push as last year to get a ton of votes for their players? The fan reaction will be fun if they do that again. There obviously aren't many worthy this year, but I guess I could be convinced to vote for Haynesworth, Fletcher, and Cooley.

Nah, that validates it for DanMan and Boy Blunder...I'd love to support the actual players, but don't want to send the FO the wrong message at this point. Don't get me wrong though, it's not like I'm gonna vote for some cowpuke.

 

[dgreen]

I don't think it matters if Vinny stays or goes. As long as he goes and drafts us some O linemen in the first three rounds this off-season, I'm happy. I also think that either Campbell or Zorn should go. This offense doesn't fit Campbell. If it was up to me, I'd fire Zorn after the season, bring in say Gruden or Holmgren, and depending on what the new offense would be I'd go after a first round qb and keep Campbell or look for a trade or free agent veteran qb that the coach would prefer and let Campbell go.

What makes you think you are going to be happy then? We haven't seen barely 3 total OL drafted in the last 3 years, so asking for 3 in one year is a bit coo coo for cocoa puffs. We are a drafting a QB...unless we fall on the #5 or later spot, which then Sam Bradford and McCoy might be gone then.

They're going to overreact to fan/media reaction. We say they need OL, well, darn it, they're going to get themselves 20 new offensive linemen. And, while doing that, they're going to completely ignore everything else. So, in a couple years, they'll have turned those 20 offensive linemen into an average starting unit, at best, and leave the team without anything at RB, WR, or LB because they didn't bother to address needs there.

 

[dgreen]

Gruden RAVES about the wildcat. I heard him say a couple weeks ago that he spends hours and hours studying the wildcat.

LOL, listening to him...he still doesn't have a clue, so we can only imagine what he's like when he hasn't studied.

Why the hate for Gruden?

 

[Bizkiteer]

Gruden RAVES about the wildcat. I heard him say a couple weeks ago that he spends hours and hours studying the wildcat.

LOL, listening to him...he still doesn't have a clue, so we can only imagine what he's like when he hasn't studied.

Why the hate for Gruden?

After hearing him for the years down here in Florida w/ the Bucs, I've had my fill of Chuckie. Sad thing is that I used to really like him when he was in OAK and first came to TB.

 

[fatness]

Redskins defensive tackle Anthony Montgomery was displaced in the starting lineup by Albert Haynesworth this offseason, and now might be sent right off the roster.

A league source tells PFT's Mike Florio that Montgomery is being shopped in advance of next week's trading deadline.

A starter for 21 games between 2007-2008, Montgomery has not been active this season.

The decision to shop Montgomery comes after the team found out that Philip Daniels will play through a torn biceps, and the team re-signed Renaldo Wynn Monday.

link

 

[fatness]

Video of Riggins, killing Vinnie and Zorn.

To Vinny: "Let's face it, your real true passion is radio, so I would say just go ahead and go radio full-time with the occasional appearance on ESPN, maybe TV, start analyzing games. I mean, you're a great guy, Vin, but you're no GM."

 

[Maroney=Sped]

Redskins defensive tackle Anthony Montgomery was displaced in the starting lineup by Albert Haynesworth this offseason, and now might be sent right off the roster.

A league source tells PFT's Mike Florio that Montgomery is being shopped in advance of next week's trading deadline.

A starter for 21 games between 2007-2008, Montgomery has not been active this season.

The decision to shop Montgomery comes after the team found out that Philip Daniels will play through a torn biceps, and the team re-signed Renaldo Wynn Monday.

link

Wynn over him? Ridiculous. Monty was actually a pretty good DT in 2007 before he got hurt in the 2008 training camp. WTF is Wynn going to bring to the team?

 

[fatness]

Another set of eyes?

 

[buster c]

One thing we could do with our Sundays is make this a "hey, what did you do instead of watching the game?" thread. I bailed before the Tampa Game. I'm done watching them this year, and it's nice having the free time on Sundays. I went to visit my mom the last 2 weeks. Yes, I actually chose visiting my 77-year-old mom over watching the Skins. She's more dynamic than they are.And I'm not spending 3 hours every week being completly frustrated and angry, knowing I can do nothing about it.

maybe because I've attended the last two games I am not ready to bail. not sure, but will see.I'm a bit torn. How can you opine on what you do not see?Fats, just invite your mom downstairs to the basement and watch the game together. Ask her to bring some meatloaf.

 

[Marvelous]

Redskins defensive tackle Anthony Montgomery was displaced in the starting lineup by Albert Haynesworth this offseason, and now might be sent right off the roster.

A league source tells PFT's Mike Florio that Montgomery is being shopped in advance of next week's trading deadline.

A starter for 21 games between 2007-2008, Montgomery has not been active this season.

The decision to shop Montgomery comes after the team found out that Philip Daniels will play through a torn biceps, and the team re-signed Renaldo Wynn Monday.

link

Wynn over him? Ridiculous. Monty was actually a pretty good DT in 2007 before he got hurt in the 2008 training camp. WTF is Wynn going to bring to the team?

I really don't see any reason to trade Montgomery unless they think he just can't play. The Redskins have Mason, Aldridge, and Wynn on the team. They are not contributing. They are not part of the future. And if they are waived, no one is going to claim them. So it's not like roster spots are at a premium here. After Griffin is gone a few years from now, I would rather have Montgomery for DT depth than to be still searching for DT depth.

 

[buster c]

Meanwhile Sally Jenkins has another column about the Redskins.

I am not a Sally fan for reasons other than her writing abilities, which are superbly on display here, the best diagnosis I think I've seen on this topic

In Unstable And Serious Condition

By Sally Jenkins

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Forget all the subtle analysis about what the latest moves by the Washington Redskins signify. What's going on is plain: Management is sabotaging the head coach.

The hiring of Sherman Lewis as an "offensive consultant" is a naked insult to Jim Zorn and his staff, as Redskins owner Daniel Snyder and his functionary Vinny Cerrato well know. The only possible effect it can have is to rob Zorn of authority and sow confusion and dissent in the locker room. Their attempt to frame it as a benign offer to bring in "another pair of eyes" is a charade. In fact it's a clumsy move, carried out by a management that fosters back-channeling instead of team building.

"I'm just not sure this is the way to run a big time professional franchise," Hall of Famer John Riggins said on his Twitter account.

Seconded.

The hiring of the 67-year-old Lewis from a bingo hall is a perfect snapshot of what's wrong with the Redskins. None of us knows the inner workings of the Redskins organization; all we can work from is the public result. But even from that standpoint, observing the Redskins this week was like looking at an MRI, a resonance image of their decade-long malaise. What ails the team appears to be a preexisting condition: The administration apparently fosters division, infighting and chaos.

"Quite candidly, in 2009, things go bad, somebody's got to go under the bus," defensive coordinator Greg Blache said last week, shortly before he went mum. That told you all you needed to know about the bad air in Ashburn. But if you needed any more evidence, then came the disclosure that Clinton Portis really did try to throw Mike Sellers under the bus, requesting Sellers be benched, which led to a locker room quarrel that ended with both men having to be restrained.

You might ask, what exactly does the front office expect the fresh eyes of Lewis to perceive in all this mess? Lewis was a superb assistant coach in his day, but he has no clear duties except to look over Zorn's shoulder. Asked what Lewis's actual job will be, Cerrato replied, "They'll get that figured out here in the next day." Asked what Lewis had been doing in the five years he's been out of football, Cerrato stammered, "Uh, ah, I don't, professionally."

Zorn frankly admits he never had a conversation with Lewis before he arrived. Can you imagine the awkward introduction?

Zorn: Who are you?

Lewis: Mr. Snyder hired me. He said the offense needed help.

Zorn: Aren't you a little old to play right guard?

Stability works; instability doesn't. There is evidence of that all across the league. Three teams fired their offensive coordinators before the season even began: Buffalo, Kansas City and Tampa Bay. What did it get them? A combined 1-11 record. Scapegoating doesn't fix problems; it exacerbates them, as Zorn, to his credit, knows. His backing of Jason Campbell despite three interceptions last Sunday, which paid off with a victory and a 2-2 record, was not just the smart thing to do; it was a stroke of healthy leadership.

Why doesn't Snyder seem to know all this? Why do the Redskins continually make the same management mistakes? One possible answer is they suffer from something called "toxic management." Denial and refusal to accept criticism are classic hallmarks of it, and so is shifting blame to others.

Toxic management is not just a term; it's a pathology, and experts have written books about it. The leader in the field is Roy Lubit, a member of the faculty of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, and the author of "Coping with Toxic Managers and Subordinates." According to Lubit, toxic managers are "rigid, aggressive, self-centered." They're also divisive. Some of the indicators: bullying of subordinates, impulsivity, inability to concentrate and moodiness. Also: a record of grievance filings by employees, customer complaints and high staff turnover. Toxic managers actually prefer tension to stability, because it's a demonstration of their personal power.

It's impossible to know Snyder's true motives because he doesn't grant interviews during the season. For clues, all we have are Cerrato's public rationalizations, such as his attempt Friday to suggest that hiring Lewis was actually Zorn's idea.

"I give Jim a lot of credit for bringing a guy, you know, wanting another set of eyes, because we have struggled some."

How's that for blame-shifting?

Lewis: These young receivers never seem to run the right way.

Zorn: That's what I keep telling them.

Lewis: Who evaluated and drafted these guys?

Zorn: (silence)

Lewis: Jim? Jim?

The turmoil at Redskins Park is familiar to LaVar Arrington, once a close friend of Snyder's and now an embittered ex-player. Arrington's criticism of the Redskins should be taken in context, given his hostility over a contract dispute, but it's worth listening to because it's based on inside-the-clubhouse experience. On his radio show Thursday he described a classic dynamic of toxic leadership: He suggested that Snyder is intentionally undermining Zorn, because he's disenchanted and impatient to make a change, and predicted that certain players will be "in on this." True or not, Arrington's suspicions indicate the level of paranoia Snyder creates in Ashburn.

According to Lubit: "Toxic managers divert people's energy from the real work of the organization, destroy morale, impair retention, and interfere with cooperation and information sharing. Their behavior, like a rock thrown into a pond, can cause ripples distorting the organization's culture."

Ring any bells?

Unfortunately, for Zorn and his staff, the experts say there's only one effective way to deal with a toxic manager who is ruining a company.

Leave.

 

[buster c]

and a shout-out to my new girl, Tracee Hamilton, who I just recently became aware of (no, really) and who has written a few good articles for the post, including this off-topic one, which makes me root for her to be successful even more:

Hamilton

 

[fatness]

and a shout-out to my new girl, Tracee Hamilton, who I just recently became aware of (no, really) and who has written a few good articles for the post, including this off-topic one, which makes me root for her to be successful even more:

Hamilton

Man, what a good article. For those who haven't read it yet, it's not about football at all. But it's a damn good article.

 

[dgreen]

The more I learn about the top of this organization, the more I think, "This is the type of stuff you expect to hear about an NFL franchise in the 1930s." You know, there's all those crazy stories you hear about old team that traded a player for a team bus or some other nonsense that seems so foreign to modern-day sports. That's the type of junk we seem to be dealing with here. I honestly would not be surprised at all if Zorn was fired in the locker room during halftime this Sunday if things aren't going well.

 

[fatness]

Wilbon's column

Going back to Jimmy Johnson, his analysis of the Redskins didn't just center on Snyder. Here's what else he said:

"[Jim] Zorn . . . he's not good enough to do the work that lies ahead. That's a negative. The scouting department . . . they are trucking around the country doing their job but no one in the D.C. office is trusting their work. That's a negative. The salary cap situation . . . well, that's a negative. The team is bloated with high-priced veterans. On the other side, how about young, up-and-coming players. Hmm, can't think of any . . . Jason Campbell is not championship material . . . Since the roster isn't where it should be, the Redskins need extra draft picks to rebuild, however they don't have any right now; that's a negative. To get any marks in the positive column there has to be a drastic philosophy change . . . "

 

[fatness]

I would not be surprised if Chris Samuels does not play any more this year. The stenosis thing he has can paralyze you for life. And in the middle of such a discouraging season he may (wisely) pay attention to his health.

 

[fatness]

Dan Steinberg

Since I'm still getting e-mails about the stretch play out of the end zone that resulted in a safety, I figured it was worth providing offensive coordinator Sherman Smith's thoughts on the playcall.

In his sit-down with Comcast SprotsNet's Chick Hernandez, Smith said that with Mike Sellers, Chris Cooley, Mike Williams and Stephon Heyer all in one-on-one situations on the right side of the line, the team was in fine shape, matchup-wise.

"We felt that we had what we wanted," he said. "The blocking wasn't uneven. It was, 'Hey, their guy on our guy.' So when you can get one-on-one blocking, you should be able to run inside or outside. That's what you should be able to do. And that's what we had, one-on-one blocking, and we got defeated at the point of attack.

The story of the Redskins 2009 season: "Defeated at the Point of Attack".

 

[dgreen]

Dan Steinberg

Since I'm still getting e-mails about the stretch play out of the end zone that resulted in a safety, I figured it was worth providing offensive coordinator Sherman Smith's thoughts on the playcall.

In his sit-down with Comcast SprotsNet's Chick Hernandez, Smith said that with Mike Sellers, Chris Cooley, Mike Williams and Stephon Heyer all in one-on-one situations on the right side of the line, the team was in fine shape, matchup-wise.

"We felt that we had what we wanted," he said. "The blocking wasn't uneven. It was, 'Hey, their guy on our guy.' So when you can get one-on-one blocking, you should be able to run inside or outside. That's what you should be able to do. And that's what we had, one-on-one blocking, and we got defeated at the point of attack.

The story of the Redskins 2009 season: "Defeated at the Point of Attack".

Exactly. This isn't something new. It's not like they've had great success with it. There is absolutely no reason to take that chance from your own endzone.And at the coaching staff feeling confident with Sellers, Cooley, Williams, and Heyer. Hmm, let's see. Sellers' failures are being highlighted more and more each week. Cooley has never been a stellar run blocker. Williams was seeing his first regular season action in 4 years and was at a different position. And, well, Heyer is Heyer. No reason to have enough confidence in him when you're backed up in your own end.

How many of those four won their one-on-one matchup? Zero?

 

[thayman]

You guys are too negative. The team isn't talking about trading upteen draft picks for some random O-Lineman. PROGRESS BABY!!!!

 

[buster c]

You guys are too negative. The team isn't talking about trading upteen draft picks for some random O-Lineman. PROGRESS BABY!!!!

lately, it looks like DGreen and my keyboards are as :whoosh: as a Sellers lead block for Portis