On the State of the Washington Redskins

I got started on my "Sunday Evening Notebook" but realized the only things I cared to discuss dealt with the Redskins. So here are a few notes on the state of the team, and on this week's lost to Detroit Lions:

- Jim Zorn is getting appropriately ripped for being a bad coach. The man is a bad head coach. Most are pointing to his two key decisions on the Lions' first scoring drive, when he went for it on 4th and goal at the 1 (but called a stretch running play with the washed up Portis that now even Portis questions) and when he accepted the penalty on third down to try and push the Lions out of field goal range (when rookie QB Matt Stafford ran for about 25 yards on 3rd and 13). First, I think it's reasonable to expect your players -- and your franchise back -- to gain a single yard on 4th down against the worst team in the league. Second, it's reasonable to expect your defense to stop the worst team in the league on 3rd and 13. Each decision is essentially 50-50; Brian Billick, who presided over plenty of such decisions in a fairly successful career, seemed to agree with both of them. But good coaches get these 50-50 calls right. More often than not, Zorn's been wrong.

- All that said, you can't fire Zorn yet. Here's why: you need to seem halfway, just a little sane for the next guy who comes in. Dan Snyder already has a reputation as a highly blemished, deeply flawed decision maker. He ran Marty out of town after an 8-3 finish to a season that started 0-5 -- a team that was starting to really look strong and confident. Despite personnel and scouting issues being theee main reason this team hasn't consistently competed for the division title, Snyder has refused to sign a capable G.M. There is literally nothing in his past that says he would be a good man to work for, save his handling of Sean Taylor's death two years ago. If the Redskins want Shanahan, Cowher, or Holmgren (or Gruden, Dungy, et al), they need to show that they can avoid a rash decision, just this once. That, and they have no one on the staff right now who I'd like to take over this team. Greg Blache? No thanks.

- As Redskins Insider alluded to this morning, there are so many things wrong with this team, I have no idea where you'd start overhauling:

1) The offensive line is patchwork. Great guys, all of them, and they've given us a number of quality years. It will be a sad day when Randy Thomas and Casey Rabach are no longer on the team. But they are an old unit, and I fear for Jason's life when they face the Cowboys or the Giants later in the season.
2) The secondary is far weaker than we thought. They are allowing huge cushions to the opposing receivers. The safeties are adequate in run support but not much for covering. One fears we overpaid considerably for Hall.
3) Clinton Portis looks like he may be done. Last year, he went to town on the weak teams at the beginning of the schedule. Yeah, the O-line was different and better, but he's not cutting very sharply, he's not riding through tackles or hitting holes quickly.
4) The receiving corps experiment hasn't exactly panned out. Santana was great yesterday, which is one game out of three. Randle-El was largely absent and, despite throwing to them early to get them involved, Kelly and Thomas offered nothing. Even Cooley was quiet.

Let's just say Jason Campbell is a big part of the problem (Though I don't think he is). Then just think for a second about all the parts that look like they ought to be scrapped too, and try and think about the "young talent" waiting in the wings to take over. There's literally none.