Sherman Lewis Brings Experience and Championships to Washington Redskins

Jim Zorn finally admitted his weaknesses in running the offense when he brought in Sherman Lewis as an offensive consultant.

For those of you who do not know who Sherman Lewis is, he had coaching roles on two Super Bowl winning San Francisco 49ers teams and another with the Green Bay Packers. In short, Lewis knows what he is doing in the NFL.

More importantly than his championship pedigree is his experience in the West Coast offense run by Zorn. Zorn's offensive woes extended through Sunday when the Redskins struggled to move the ball and score points against a reeling Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that had just been shut out by the New York Giants.

Hiring Lewis doesn't mean the Redskins will erupt in a flurry of offensive prowess come Sunday.

It also marks a reunion of Mike Holmgren disciples. Holmgren was the coach of the Super Bowl winning Packers team that Lewis was the offensive coordinator, and was the head coach in Seattle where Zorn was the quarterback's coach.

Perhaps Lewis' presence could entice Holmgren to consider being the GM for the Redskins come next season. That is best saved for another time, and maybe another dimension where Daniel Snyder cares about building a real team.

Either way, having Lewis to bounce ideas off of and help to improve his general approach to running the offense can't hurt the team's chances of winning.

Zorn has proven his offense is capable of success, but only when the ball is between the 20s and there are only seven minutes left in the game. Lewis will likely help Zorn strike a balance with the pass and the run, which has been lacking in Washington.

The Redskins' offense has shown signs of life and the potential to be a high powered offense, but those moments are often marred by costly penalties and critical mistakes.

If Lewis' presence can also instill some discipline in the Redskins offense, perhaps the best is yet to come as so many players have alluded to. With three Super Bowl rings to his credit, Lewis must have done something right as a coordinator.

Redskins fans will have to wait and see what impact Lewis' input makes on the offense, because nothing with the Redskins is ever a quick fix.