Bleacher Report - Articles by Anthony Brown

Washington Redskins Cheerleader: Cheer Hard, Smile Pretty, Win

Anthony Brown — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:58:49 -0500

I slept on this one.

Times are tough for the Washington Redskins. So Esquire Magazine went right to the source for the inside scoop on what's going on with this team.

That's right. They asked a Redskinette, ah, First Lady of Football.

Redskin cheerleader Jamilla Keene was interviewed by Esquire following Washington's Week Seven 27-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Ms. Keene thinks the addition of consulting playcaller Sherman Lewis may help the team. She is relieved not to have been near Clinton Portis' helmet when he slammed it on the sideline during the Eagles game. "That might have hurt a bit," she says.

Keene calls quarterback Jason Campbell the silent leader of the team and says the players know it. She does not understand why the average fan does not support head coach Jim Zorn.

A lot has happened in Washington since the end of October. Back then, Keene harbored hopes of a turnaround and playoff run. That takes a total team effort.

"We're gonna cheer hard and smile pretty, and I believe the team could rally, win every last one of the games and go to the playoffs. Stranger things have happened."

Works for me.

Read the full story on Esquire Magazine's Tuesday Morning Cheerleader Series.

These Washington Redskins are Losing with Style

Anthony Brown — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:01:20 -0500

I was invited to host Comcast SportsNet's Live Chat for the Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles game today. Here are four things I learned about the Skins after chatting with fans:

Redskin fans like this Redskin team.

Fans said the Redskins are playing with a greater sense of teamwork and heart since the second half of the Atlanta Falcons game. Washington is still losing but the subs are a scrappy bunch who are rebuilding fan allegiance that had been eroding. They liked these guys better than the starters. Rock Cartwright, Quinton Ganther, Devin Thomas, the kick-off returner, are worth cheering for.

I don't believe the chat fans would extend their disdain to Chris Samuels or Chris Cooley, but that's as far as I would go.

Albert Haynesworth drives fans crazy.

Albert Haynesworth is the biggest upgrade to the team. We see his value when he plays. It frustrates the Live Chat crowd when he's out. What's the use of all that talent when it's on the bench? Nothing.

Even when the game is close, don't get your hopes up.

No one was buying, in the third quarter while holding an eight point lead, that the Skins could win the game. Fans loved the effort and the possibilities, but after 10 games, they were braced for another poor play call, or defensive breakdown, or Jason Campbell turnover that would deny the win. "Wait and see" was the emotionally defensive position taken by a fanbase let down one too many times.

Not sold on Jason Campbell.

Even with two touchdown passes, one touchdown run and 47 percent of third downs converted, fans are not sold on Campbell. No. 17 is performing as a solid, mid-tier NFL starter, but has yet to be the reason the Redskins win. Donovan McNabb twice took the Eagles on fourth quarter scoring drives for a come-from-behind win.

Campbell was 1 for 4 in Washington's last drive from the 16 yard line. After a stellar performance on third down conversions, Campbell and Washington fell a yard short on a fourth down attempt when most needed.

Coverage, playcalling and receiver inadequacy may explain it, but the Live Chat fans wanted to see Campbell lead a drive to set up a tying field goal attempt, if not the winning touchdown. Technical proficiency is not enough for Campbell to win back his fans.

After Campbell's last incompletion to Moss, he was shown on the ground after the play by the Tv cameras. I thought Jason was doing a Haynesworth act as said so. In fact, he was body slammed after the pass by Juqua Parker on an uncalled personal foul.

The NFL should look at that play and make a statement with fines. If they do not, we might as well call those rules that protect quarterbacks the Brady Rule.

No one seems to be as protected by those calls as Tom Brady. I'm looking for the NFL to prove me wrong.

The Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles Look to Ground Each Other

Anthony Brown — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 11:21:02 -0500

The Washington Redskins face the Philadelphia Eagles in a NFC East contest on a chilly day at Lincoln Financial Field. The best that can be said for the Redskins is that they can win.

Not that anyone expects them to. The Redskins are 10 point underdogs to the Eagles. But Washington's effort against the Cowboys stokes the dying embers of hope that something good can emerge from the season.

The best chance for Washington to win this game is old fashioned football. Run the ball. Stop the run.

The absence of Clinton Portis and Brian Westbrook change the dynamics of the contest. Both were the leading scorers for their team. Both Westbrook and Portis scored 12 touchdowns in 2007. That's three touchdowns for every four games they played.

No back on either team is close to that performance this season. Eagles' receiver DeSean Jackson and tight end Brent Celek are on a pace for eight touchdowns each.

Jackson, who was judged too short to play for the Redskins, already gashed Washington for a 67 yard touchdown run and a 57 yard touchdown reception. Stopping Jackson means keeping him off the field.

The Redskin defense is the best in football against the pass, but not so good against the run. The Detroit Lions beat the Skins' 25th ranked run defense on the ground.

The Redskins have to stop Eagle rookie LeSean McCoy. If McCoy is not as versatile at Westbrook, he's more of a mystery to Washington.

Washington's throws its midget, Portis-clones at the Eagles' ninth-ranked rushing defense.

Neither Rock Cartwright, Quinton Ganther, nor Marcus Mason are as tall as Clinton Portis (5 ft. 11 in.). Maybe they can hide behind the line until they break through it.

Rock is as rugged as his name. Ganther may be a reliable blocker. Mason can gash for big yards on occasion. All offer the same advantage as LeSean McCoy. They are a mystery to the Eagles.

Washington's travails are a blessing for Jim Zorn, though he might not see it that way.

The knock about his play-calling is a typical misdiagnosis by the Redskin front office. Bill Belichick makes controversial fourth down calls. John Harbaugh was scored on cable TV this morning for mishandling timeouts in the Ravens loss to the Colts last Sunday.

No coach calls a perfect game. It wasn't Zorn's play-calling that led to a 3-7 record.

The Redskins were not prepared for the season. That says something about head coaching leadership. Why is that a blessing? Because Zorn is learning now that it's that head coaching management, ah, stuff, that must occupy most of his time.

That's an expensive lesson learned on Daniel Snyder's money. Zorn will apply that lesson for some other team in three years or so. Snyder won't get the benefit of Zorn's experience.

Typical.

The Washington Redskins Remember Sean Taylor

Anthony Brown — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:06:12 -0500

It's something you want to forget, but take a moment to remember Sean Taylor. The former Reskins safety was a promising young man and a rising star who was painfully snatched from his friends and family two years ago today.

Taylor emerged as the hard hitting face of the Washington Redskins defense, supplanting LaVar Arrington in that role. No one has replaced Taylor

Taylor was allegedly shot and killed in his home by a few degenerates who had taken advantage of his generosity to enter his home to rob him, according to charges brought by the Miami-Dade states attorney's office.

The accused face trial in January 2010.

Taylor was Joe Gibbs' first and best draft choice since returning to coach the Redskins in 2004. Gibbs passed up the chance to take Taylor's Miami Hurricane teammate Kellen Winslow II with the fifth overall pick that year.

No one argued the choice but Winslow himself, who promised to make the Redskins pay for the snub. Joe Gibbs was the offensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers when Winslow's father, the Kellen Winslow, gave lift to the Air Coryell Downfield Offense.

Young Winslow never made good on the threat on the field. Off the field, however, his rookie contract with the Cleveland Browns fed into Taylor's heartburn about his deal with the Redskins.

Taylor would fire his agents and rehire Drew "Mr. Renegotiate" Rosenhaus, who he earlier dismissed.

Taylor had a rough start to pro football. He worked his way through missed rookie symposiums, late hit fines, trumped up traffic charges, a violent confrontation to recover stolen property and a famous incident where saliva escaped his lips onto Michael Pittman's face.

Balancing the scales were Taylor's big hits which induced fear, uncertainty, and doubt in receivers running anywhere near him.

In what has been called the Hand Of God game , Taylor snatched victory from certain defeat by those unwashed heathens from Dallas.

Taylor snagged a blocked field goal attempt and returned it to the Cowboys 44 yard line to set up Nick Novak's winning field goal. The Skins were helped by a face mask penalty against the Cowboys for grabbing Taylor's face mask.

In 2007, with fans clamoring for the Redskins to boost the defensive line by drafting DE Jamaal Anderson or DT Amobi Okoye, Washington selected LSU safety LaRon Landry to pair him with Taylor.

Only Joe Gibbs had the juice to make such a pick with little more than grumbling by the fanbase. But man, when the season began, we could see what Gibbs envisioned with Taylor and Landry. We could only dream of what was to come.

What did come was something worse. Just as Taylor and pro football were adjusting to each other, he was taken. Tragedy pushed Joe Gibbs and Daniel Snyder to their finest moments.

Gibbs held the team together and guided the players to channel love for Taylor to a playoff appearance in his honor. Snyder's generosity was a text book case of how an owner should respond in the face of death.

The crises took a toll on Gibbs, who thought of what coaching was costing him in family time and eventually left the game. Snyder failed to show the leadership in 2009 that he did in 2007.

Family, team, coaches, owner and fans have all been hurt by Taylor's absence.

We don't know what might have been had Taylor lived, but I am certain of this. There's no damned way Tony Romo completes that pass last Sunday if Sean Taylor were back there.

Why the Washington Redskins Will Play Quinton Ganther and Sit Marcus Mason

Anthony Brown — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:37:22 -0500

With more players in County General Hospital than at Redskin Park, Skins fans see players they don't know well.

Introducing Quinton Ganther.

The Redskins signed the former Tennessee Titan to the roster in October. Andrew Strickert, a writer on the Total Titans Web Site, scouts Ganther for Redskin fans. Here's Andrew's assessment:

"Quinton Ganther is one of those guys every team needs. He's a role player, who is multitalented, a jack of several trades type of player, able to fill several roles.

"As a running back, Ganther is a tough little runner. He's not big or strong enough to gain many yards running off tackle or up the middle, but that's still the best way to use him. He'll mostly get a lot of one and two-yard gains. Ganther isn't quite fast enough to run outside although he did have a long touchdown run in a preseason game a few years ago, when he bounced outside and then outran the bunched up defense.

"He's a decent receiver coming out of the backfield, although it's usually been as a dump-off from the QB. (In the Titans' offense the only designed pass plays to RBs are for Chris Johnson.)

"Ganther's strong suit as a back is his blocking, particularly his pass-blocking. I recall one drill in training camp for the linebackers to rush the quarterback against running backs in pass protection. This drill was set up in a way which gave the linebackers the advantage, but Ganther was still successful in protecting the dummy QB. Ganther was one of only two backs who were able to protect the QB in this drill; the LBs did what they were expected to do against the other RBs.

"The area where Ganther has made the biggest contribution is on special teams. He's effective as a blocker on the kick return and punt return units and can cover kicks and punts as well. Ganther can also be used as a wing on the FG/PAT team.

"Ganther has been the de facto backup fullback for the Titans and can contribute there for you if needed."

"In my opinion, Ganther is a much better all-around football player than Chris Henry, formerly a second-round draft pick by the Titans, who was looked at by the Redskins earlier this season. You're fortunate, you're better off with Ganther than you would have been with Henry. Ganther would have made the Titans final 53-man roster after training camp if not for a leg injury in the final preseason game. We've missed him on special teams, which would have been his role again this year."

Pass blocking and special teams are perceived weaknesses of Marcus Mason, who maintains a strong following in the DC area.

Ganther was first signed to the Redskin roster in October, about the time the Skins released Mason. Ganther, too, was cut only to be resigned November 11.

Mason is back on the roster for his third bite of the apple. The Redskins signed him for his familiarity with the offense. They've made their thoughts about Mason abundantly clear by twice releasing him.

So, we will see more of Ganther Sunday in Philadelphia than of Mason.

Roster moves are a test of the front office. Most of the NFL world has judged Redskin football czar Vinny Cerrato. In-season roster changes are another way to assess the guy.

Redskin fans have to hope Ganther does well even if it makes Cerrato look good.

I'd call that a quandary.

The Lost Legend Of The Redskins and Cowboys

Anthony Brown — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:37:06 -0500

The popular topic on Washington sports talk radio yesterday was whether the Redskins' loss to the Dallas Cowboys was the worst in Redskin history.

In the debate that followed, I did not hear the most galling reason of all: Washington's failure to add to the lore of Redskins and Cowboys.

Washington blew its one chance to deal a setback to Dallas in their first appearance at $1 Billion Cowboys Stadium.

In a shutout.

To knock the Boys down to a three way tie for the NFC Beast.

With the Skins' biggest stars injured.

After losing its tailback to injury in the first quarter.

To be able to say "we beat your starters with our scrubs."

Legends grow from such events.

Instead, the radio hosts compared the Redskin's loss to the season's earlier setback to the Detroit Lions.

The Lions? You compare the Cowboys game to the Lions?

What a loss for Washington.

BREAKING NEWS: Marcus Mason Returns To The Washington Redskins

Anthony Brown — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:08:08 -0500

The Washington Redskins signed running back Marcus Mason to a new contract. The Washington area native will be in uniform for Sunday's game with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The signing is a "done deal" according to Chris Russel, Redskins beat reporter for 106.7 FM THE FAN who related the news on The Mike Wise Show this afternoon.

There are no other media reports about the Redskins and Mason yet, but the team has a clear need at running back. The Redskins reported on their Web Site that Ladell Betts and right guard Chad Rinehart are lost for the remainder of the season.

Starting running back Clinton Portis is expected to miss the game with Philadelphia.

Mason worked out for the New England Patriots this month, and he also spent time on the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets rosters.

Mason continues to be a local favorite but was unable to stick with with the team. Washington's coaches have been concerned with Mason's blocking abilities and his overall fit on special teams. He was released in October to create roster space for tackle Levi Jones.

But man, can Marcus run.

Washington Redskins In Dallas: High Character, Low Scoring, Dumb Uniform

Anthony Brown — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:50:08 -0500

Dennis Green's famous rant is the best summation of the Washington Redskins 7-6 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

You know the one: they are what we thought they were and we let 'em off the hook and stuff.

I'm not going to focus on the two missed field goals—Shaun Suisham's first two of the season—or the three first half turnovers the Skins could have made. There will be enough of that over the next few days.

The Redskin players haven't quit on the season. For 57 minutes, the Redskins got the better of the Cowboys in Dallas. For 57 minutes while holding a thin lead, without Ladell Betts (knee) or Clinton Portis, or Chris Cooley, or Chad Rinehart (fibula), or a touchdown, Washington's play gripped us.

They just didn't finish the job.

If Washington doesn't have the quality of depth to win the game, they have the quality of character to be in it. That's a carryover from Joe Gibbs that I like.

But as Green said, we let 'em off the hook.

The last two long drives of the fourth quarter says something about the 'Skins and 'Boys.

With 11:58 in the quarter and Washington holding a six point lead, the Skins went for balance with five passing plays and four running plays. They converted a first down by passing and gained one on a pass interference call.

Washington played the percentages at the end of the drive: three runs for eight yards to set up a down the middle 50 yard field goal attempt. Make it and we steal a win at Jerry's house. But Suisham missed for the second time in the game.

The Skins didn't take a single shot in those three calls to score a touchdown or to get closer for Suisham. Who decides those things?

Jerry Jones criticized Cowboy playcallling for going away from the run. Why else would you dump Terrell Owens except to lean more on the running game?

The Cowboys rushed 33 times for 153 yards and got nothing from it. They won the game by doing what Jones criticized them for--passing the ball. Tony Romo completed seven of eight passes and made a key scramble for a first down on the winning scoring drive. Aggressive.

Whatever you think of Tony Romo, he's a gunslinger. That's what I like about him. He has 15 touchdown passes after today's game. Few will praise Jason Campbell for his 24 of 37 performance when he's scoreless.

Cowboy fan frustration with Romo is qualitatively higher than Redskin fan frustration with Campbell.

The Redskins' focus since Gibbs II is to take care of the ball. That's understandable after the Fun 'N' Gun days, but it's a Gibbs II carryover I do not like.

The point of football is to score touchdowns.

No touchdowns today, but Redskin players didn't quit.

Extra Point No. One: Flush that burgundy on burgundy look. The Redskins are 0-2 in that uniform. The Redskin Retro uniform would have been better. When I say Retro, I mean the NFL%20Products/MagnetsNFL/12%20Inch%20Magnets/NEW/12in_Redskins-(retro-helmet).jpg" title="Arrowhead helmet" target="_blank">arrowhead look, not that pseudo-Packer Circle R.

Extra Point No. Two: Clock management and play calling at the end of the half and the game may indicate too many cooks in the kitchen. Sherman Lewis will have to work that out with Jim Zorn and Sherman Smith. Preseason is the time to do that. This is a no-win situation for Lewis, Smith and Zorn because we'll be into December before the process is refined.

Extra Point No. Three: ESPN 980 "Redskins Radio" reports that Ladell Betts has both a torn ACL and MCL. Have the Skins texted Marcus Mason yet?

Extra Point No. Four: I find it unsettling to see Redskin players and Cowboy players fist bump each other for making a good play.

Washington Redskins: For Ladell Betts To Star, He Must Score

Anthony Brown — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:23:42 -0500

One good game against Denver and people are ready to start Washington Redskin running back Ladell Betts over Clinton Portis. Shades of 2006.

Portis suffered a freak injury during a preseason game that year. He played hurt for eight games before going on the injured reserve list.

Betts stepped up to be the bright spot in a dismal season.

Fans called for the Redskins to bench or trade Portis in favor of Betts.

See if you can spot the anomaly in Betts' and Portis' 2006 rushing performance.

Betts: 16 games, 9 starts 245 carries, 4 TDs

Portis: 8 games, 7 starts, 127 carries, 7 TDs.

Portis was three times more productive as a scorer, with one touchdown for every 18 carries. Betts carried 62 times per score.

Offense-challenged teams cannot afford that production.

To his credit, Betts is more effective this year with two touchdowns on 52 carries. That promises one score per game.

But, is one good game enough to make line-up changes? Uh, no.

If they are smart, the Redskins will try to win games the Joe Gibbs way: run the ball and beat you up with defense.

Washington's next three opponents, the Cowboys, Eagles and Saints, are vulnerable on the ground. They rank eighth, ninth and 20th in run defense.

For Betts to put the star in starter, he must score against those guys.

There is a great reason to start Betts over Portis, though. But it isn't rushing. It's receiving.

In 2006, Betts caught 53 passes adding a touchdown and 443 yards to his total offense stats. He's not been a prominent part of the Jim Zorn-Sherm Lewis West Coast scheme yet. We have to hope that will come as soon as Sunday.

As for Portis, maybe Indiana Jones put it best: It's not the years. It's the mileage (Raiders Of The Lost Ark ).

Tiki Barber rushed 2217 times in his 10 year career with the New York Giants. Portis in 7.5 seasons has 2176 rushing attempts.

Wear and tear is the big factor with Portis, not any character issues tacked to him.

He isn't done yet. So Betts has to play his way into the starting line-up and take the debate off the table. Betts has to score more than Portis.

Vote For Brian Orakpo, NFL Rookie Of Week 10

Anthony Brown — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:07:30 -0500

I love it when Brian Orakpo writes my stories for me.

The Washington Redskins rookie defensive end/linebacker is up for Week 10 Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week following his five-tackle, one-and-a-half sack performance against the Denver Broncos. He has seven sacks on the season. (H/T to David Elfin, Redskins 360 for the pointer.)

Fan votes are tabulated on NFL.com through noon on Friday, Nov. 20.

It is the second consecutive week Orakpo has earned the nomination (which lets me recycle last weeks story).

Orakpo is up against Eagles receiver Jeremy Maclin, Cardinals running back Beanie Wells, Bengals return man Bernard Scott, and Packers linebacker Clay Matthews.

Tell me again, when does Pro Bowl voting open?

Nov 20, 2009 UPDATE: Clay Matthews, rookie linebacker of the Green Bay Packers was selected Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week according to a story on NFL.com. announcements for the winners of this honor are hard to find on the NFL Web Site, much less so than the fan voting for the event. Vote for the Rookie gets home page space during the week leading up to the vote.

The Rookie of the Week is selected by fan votes. Polls close at Noon Fridays.

Washington Redskins: Scratch Gruden From Redskins Head Coach List. Zorn To Stay?

Anthony Brown — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:18:19 -0500

Scratch Jon Gruden from the wish list of potential head coaches for the Washington Redskins.

Gruden found a new voice on Monday Night Football and signed a lucrative multi-year contract with ESPN to continue.

That development might be good news for current Redskins head coach Jim Zorn.

I suspect that Daniel Snyder's adolescent rage over the Redskins performance last month was a huge turn-off for the big name coaches Snyder targeted as replacements.

Snyder's entreaties to Mike Shanahan after the third game of the season must have reeked of Al Davis to Shanahan. Davis fired Shanahan as Los Angeles Raiders head coach after the fourth game of the 1989 season following a 1-3 start.

Mike Holmgren, another dream candidate, said in a recent Chicago radio interview that he did not like the way Washington was treating Zorn. Holmgren implied that he would not be as nice about it as Zorn if he were treated the same.

Gruden signed the ESPN deal after taking a good look at Cleveland (1-8) as he did with Washington for a Monday night game in October.

Gruden was traded to Tampa Bay by Al Davis in 2002 for two first round draft picks. The Raiders have been in a decline so steep that even Norv Turner could not save them.

Gruden's enthusiasm and unique speaking style begs for a Frank Caliendo impression as John Madden and Howard Cosell once did. The broadcast booth feels like fun to him.

With Gruden off the list, Bill Cowher and Tony Dungy firmly retired and Shanahan and Holmgren sure to demand intolerable assurances from Snyder, Zorn may be the only man standing for Redskins coach in 2010.

Jason Campbell: How Do You Like Me Now, Josh McDaniels?

Anthony Brown — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:40:25 -0500

The Washington Redskins' unexpected win over the Denver Broncos must have been especially sweet for Skins' QB Jason Campbell.

Campbell was rejected by rookie Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels last spring in Daniel Snyder's aborted trade offer of a Campbell for Jay Cutler swap.

In a public embarrassment for Campbell, Snyder was not able to entice any other team to give up a second round draft pick for Campbell that might have sweetened the offer to Denver.

Doubts are still the issue for Campbell who never-the-less established himself as a mid-tier starting quarterback. But Campbell must have circled the Broncos date for his "I'll show you, Josh McDaniels" game. (I know I would have.)

Campbell may deny it. That would be just like him. But anger, properly channelled, is a powerful motivator. Jason Campbell has to be the spark that ignites the team.

The Washington Redskins may yet finish 8-8.

Phillip Daniels Is My Favorite Redskin Friend

Anthony Brown — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:40:16 -0500

Of all the athletes I friended on Facebook (to friend is a verb on Facebook), Washington Redskins DE Phillip Daniels is my favorite.

Daniels does what friends do, introduce themselves, and invite you into their personal space.

Daniels proudly shares the exploits of his football playing son, DeVaris, a junior wide receiver at Vernon Hills (Illinois) High School. Daniels' Facebook entry today linked to a profile of DeVaris in Sporting News Today (Nov 8, 2009).

You don't see coverage of Chicago high school sports in the DC Metro area. Facebook lets a proud poppa to share the news with his friends, all 1,106 of them on Facebook in Daniels' case.

The Redskins non-pass rushing defensive end doesn't get much press outside of games. Yet I know him, though we've never met, because of what he shares on Facebook.

Daniels thanked his fans who congratulated him on Facebook for winning the Ed Bloch Courage Award. He announced on Facebook his intent to play through a torn bicep injury about the time that news was released through NFL channels.

In a discouraging season, Daniels shares his disappointment in the outcome without ever going negative. He's one of the few players to reach out directly to Washington's camp followers.

He is believable when he says he feels badly for the fans because of his active, personal relationship with them.

Daniels hopes to build a sports agent business after his playing days (I learned that on Facebook) that could be launched by the time DeVaris Daniels leaves college.

Pro teams start scouting prospects when they are in high school. The Skins are still looking for a super star receiver to draft. With their track record, they'll still be looking when DeVaris turns pro. I wouldn't count on any family discounts from Daniels, but maybe he will say something about it on Facebook.

Chris Cooley is the king of blogs among football players. Daniels and Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald have this Facebook thing down pat.

I know because they are friends of mine.

Daniels' post about DeVaris reminds me that former Hog Russ Grimm's son, Cody, is a senior strong safety for Virginia Tech . He is credited with 72 total tackles, one sack, and three forced fumbles so far this year.

So lets say, in the wildest dreams of the Redskin faithful, that Russ Grimm is head coach next season. How does that play out when comes time to draft a strong safety?

I'll check that out on Cody's Facebook profile.

Russ Grimm--still one of the football names ever.

Vote for Brian Orakpo: NFL Rookie Of The Week

Anthony Brown — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:10:53 -0500

Washington Redskins rookie defensive end/linebacker Brian Orakpo is up for Week 9 Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week following his four-tackle, two-sack performance against the Atlanta Falcons. (H/T to Redskins.com )

Fan votes are tabulated on NFL.com through noon on Friday, Nov. 13.

Orakpo is up against Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman, Detroit receiver Brandon Pettigrew, Pittsburgh receiver Mike Wallace, and Indianapolis cornerback Jerraud Powers.

Um, we know quarterbacks get all the love in these things and Wallace made a good showing on Monday Night Football.

Brian's going to need every vote he can get, so get thee to NFL.com and cast thy vote right now.

Tell your friends.

When does Pro Bowl voting open?

Denver's Pat Bowlen Can Get You Out Of This Mess, Dan Snyder

Anthony Brown — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:38:13 -0500

There is no crises manager better than Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen. The Washington Redskins could use him right now. Or rather, they could use the way he thinks.

What was Pat Bowlen thinking during the Mike Shanahan and Jay Cutler controversy last spring?

It turns out that he was thinking about how to run a football organization in crises. His moves are stark in their contrast to Daniel Snyder's. Lets take a look.

The offseason is the owner's time to move

The Broncos ended the season with four losses to find themselves out of the playoffs. Bowlen must have thought about Shanahan's dismissal for a longer time than that losing streak. Yet he did not move until season's end. The Broncos' best chance to win out was with Shanahan at the helm. They were no worse off by waiting. But by waiting until everyone knew how the season ended, Bowlen lowered the temperature of the move.

Offseason is the owner's time. In season belongs to the players and coaches. In season is when owners must act to keep the team focused on goals because anything else is a distraction.

Treat your people with dignity

Bowlen let Mike Shanahan announce his dismissal to his coaching staff. More importantly, Shanahan was the first to make the announcement. Bowlen made the formal announcement at a press conference, immediately followed by Shanahan's farewell press conference. Good-byes are hard, yet Shanahan understood, kinda-sorta, why Bowlen made the move and said so. That's a far cry from his feelings for Al Davis, or Jim Zorn's reaction to consultant help.

Mike Shanahan is not part of the buzz around Denver. Winning helps. So does the classy way Denver said good-bye.

Back your people

Bowlen never confused the fact that the front office is his real team. Put the right people in place and back them in adversity. It's football. It's life. There's always adversity. If you have the right people, you will weather the storm.

Raise your hand if you thought rookie head coach Josh McDaniels would lead Denver to a 6-1 start. It would have been easy for Bowlen to rip McDaniels for souring his relationship with quarterback Jay Cutler. Instead he backed the coach against the glamour quarterback. That set the tone for the team. I cannot imagine Snyder taking that approach.

No player is bigger than the team

Jay Cutler was the hottest commodity in the NFL last spring. With all the emphasis on franchise quarterbacks, Bowlen was quick to let Cutler go when he became a detriment.

No one player can win a championship. Bowlen saw that with John Elway. No one player can be allowed to upset team focus.

Snyder seems to think one more star will solve every problem.

Hold yourself accountable to the fans

In the midst of the Cutler controversy, Bowlen reached out to Bronco fans to explain his actions. "It has never been about one player," wrote Bowlen in an April 4, 2009 letter to fans . He didn't duck the issue. He faced the fans to explain. Bronco fans were skeptical (who can blame them). However, Bowlen had a reservoir of goodwill to draw on.

Pat Bowlen had the courage of conviction in his unproven, untried rookie head coach and the direction he set for the Broncos.

Daniel Snyder showed neither courage nor conviction in backing Jim Zorn. Neither does he show an understanding that a team is something more than a few big stars and some other guys.

The management take-away is that football teams are organizations and must be lead organizationally. You achieve through your people. Those people have to be well selected, well managed and goal-focused.

Players play. Coaches coach. Building a well managed team that is talented throughout the roster is the owner's job. Do that well and you can back them with confidence as Bowlen has.

You want owners to fade to the background during the season, but in a real crises, they must come forward to shelter the team while they figure things out. Snyder did that very well in the aftermath of Sean Taylor's death. I find it amazing how that's escaped him now.

It remains to be seen if Josh McDaniels can finish for Denver as strongly as he started. Jim Zorn got off to a strong start, too, in 2008. Bowlen's backing after a rough start gave McDaniels room to achieve.

So, who's in favor of hiring Pat Bowlen to be an owner consultant to Daniel Snyder?

What Mike Holmgren Really Meant Was....

Anthony Brown — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:56:09 -0500

Maybe we've got Mike Holmgren all wrong. What if he wasn't writing off Washington as his next coaching home, but instead was opening negotiations with the Redskins on working conditions?

Take a second look at Holmgren's statement Redskins unfair to Jim Zorn" target="_blank">criticizing the Redskins' treatment of head coach Jim Zorn and try to read between the lines.

Holmgren closed his discussion of the Redskins on ESPN Radio Chicago by saying:

"Jim Zorn is one of the nice people. I'm a nice guy, but I'm not that nice . Jim Zorn is really a nice man. What they did, I did not like it at all." (Emphasis mine.)

Now, here's what Holmgren might have meant:

If those clowns and their idiot lawyers try that [crap] on me when I'm in Washington, I will crush them.

I'm not yet sold on Holmgren, especially for anything more than head coach. He did not succeed in Seattle until the Seahawks made him give up his general manager role.

But Holmgren is not a man to be trifled with. It counts in his favor that he would dominate the football discussion in Redskin Park in ways that Zorn cannot.

That's something to think about.

Daniel Snyder may someday feel as bad for Zorn as he does for Redskin fans. By now it must have sunk in even to him the damage done by his October antics. Zorn is a member of Holmgren's large coaching family. He will find work as offensive coordinator or position coach somewhere in the Holmgren network next year.

A Holmgren disciple might view the Skins with reluctance after the treatment of their brother. And they might have second thoughts about running the West Coast Offense with Washington's talent after watching Zorn struggle.

What exactly would they do that Zorn hasn't tried? They will ask Zorn about that.

So, the Danny has some cleaning up to do. Yesterday's psuedo-sympathetic offering to fans was a half-step.

(Hey Danny, you feel sorry for someone when you were standing on the corner and witnessed an accident. You apologize to someone when you were behind the wheel and caused the wreck.)

Fixing the front office by naming a respected general manager with independence of action might entice Holmgren or Mike Shanahan to DC.

There's only a 33 percent chance of that happening, so I'm warming up to the idea of hiring consultants out of retirement.

Lets hire former New York Giants GM Ernie Accorsi for a few weeks this offseason to be another set of eyes for Vinny Cerrato.

We won't ask Accorsi to do much, just light duty work like evaluate players, clean up the salary cap, run the draft, and fix all the sacks and stuff.

What's good for the goose is sauce for the gander.

How Jim Zorn and Jason Campbell Are Hurting Each Other

Anthony Brown — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:34:46 -0500

Mellow to a fault. That's the way to describe Washington Redskins head coach Jim Zorn and quarterback Jason Campbell.

One of these guys needs to be a real fire-breather.

When you get one of those low key, even-keeled, polite personalities leading a high pressure organization, that person needs an alter ego who's the in-your-face, tough-as-nails butt-kicker to energize the group.

Bush had Cheney. Eisenhower had Patton. Butch had Sundance. Starr had Lombardi.

Zorn and Campbell? A pair of real nice guys. Not soft, mind you. Just too polite. Unfortunately, their personalities parallel when they should complement each other.

Zorn the medium

Zorn is roundly criticized for playcalling as the factor leading to a 2-5 start. That's Daniel Snyder's belief, which means it's wrong. Playcalling was never so bad that it alone led to five losses.

The Redskins play like they are still preparing for the season's start. Something about preseason and training camp was lacking.

John Keim touched on that point yesterday in The Washington Examiner . He wrote:

"The Redskins practices have been criticized by analysts when they’ve visited. There’s a feeling by them that Washington lacks a sense of urgency in practice.

"Their training camp was not as strenuous as previous coaches...nor as many around the league, according to media who see many teams’ camps.

"Oh, and some of those analysts have not liked the music played before practice. It just does not send the right message."

We saw this before in Joe Gibbs' 2006 training camp before that year's disaster. The emphasis then was on not getting hurt instead of toughening up. (Sigh!)

When we are past the Snyderratto misdirection and get to the root cause of this year's debacle, here's what we will find. The Redskins lost the season before it began. There's a price for staying medium.

Campbell the nice

I was certain that Jason Campbell would silence his critics this year. Instead, he's silenced his supporters.

Campbell is playing better than last year, yet it's not good enough to get a franchise contract...from anybody.

He has two or three games to turn things around. What we need to see from him is fire as much as firepower.

Campbell is a high-class guy who doesn't seem to assert himself. Maybe he does in the locker room, but we never hear whispers of player reluctance to face Campbell when they miss a block or run the wrong route.

Neither Joe Gibbs nor Jim Zorn asked Campbell to be the playmaker. Campbell has to morph to that right now to save his career.

So yes, he does have to catch his own touchdown passes if no one else will. And he has to shove that back across the goal line. Campbell has to do this by force of will.

The clue for whether Campbell gets it will come during his comments at ESPN 980's A Night Of Quarterbacks later today.

Jason Campbell has to stop the nice talk about what "we" ought to do. We already know what the Redskins need to do. The question is what's Jason going to do?

Elite athletes are criticized when they proclaim their abilities. It sounds egotistical, but they are programming their unconscious minds to accomplish goals.

Consciously declare yourself and your unconscious mind will drive the body to sign the check you wrote.

I want to hear Campbell speak in declarative sentences what he's going to do to overcome all the team's problems and beat the Falcons.

More egotism works for Campbell who has to show NFL GMs that he should have a shot at leading their teams. That's the same group who would not give up a second round draft pick for Campbell last spring.

Campbell's nice guy personality would complement Bill Belichick. Campbell has Zorn instead. It would be best if Campbell ignited his tonsils and belched some fire from now on.

Vinnie Cerrato Needs a Good Answer for Mike Holmgren

Anthony Brown — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:32:53 -0500

What will Vinny Cerrato say now?

The Washington Redskins executive vice president lambasted Steve Largent after the Hall Of Fame receiver and former Congressman spoke up in support of his friend Jim Zorn.

Today, Super Bowl coach Mike Holmgren said the Redskins were "very unfair" to both Jim Zorn and Sherm Lewis.

"You can be upset with me as a play-caller or how the team's going, [then] fire me," Holmgren said. "But don't do that. Don't pull the rug out from under me, tie my hands, make me look foolish...take away what I came there for to do in the first place. Don't do that."

Holmgren made his comments today on the Waddle and Silvy Show on ESPN 1000, serving the Chicago market.

Most of Holmgren's interview covered Brett Favre and Jay Cutler. The portion on Zorn comes at 8:14 of the interview found on Waddle and Silvy podcast of the show.

Jason Reid transcribed Holmgren's comments today on Redskins Insider .

So, Little Danny Snyder's adolescent rage against Zorn could have big time consequences if Homgren interviews for a 2010 Redskin head coach vacancy.

Tell me Daniel, how do you react to adversity during the season? Do you fix problems, or fix blame?

As Ricky said to Lucy, Snyder and Cerrato have a lot of 'splainin' to do.

Forget about any big name coach here next year. Holmgren and Mike Shanahan will have five or six options if they want to return to the sideline in 2010. All of them will be more attractive than the Redskins.

Tony Dungy and Bill Cowher are firmly retired.

Marty Schottenheimer declared that he would never work for Daniel Snyder—a year before he actually worked for him—so anything goes. But after 10 years, everybody knows that Snyder can't change his spots.

Snyder is likely to find a young, hungry, and pliable assistant coach you've never heard of to take the job.

Don't exclude Jim Zorn either. If the Redskins manage seven wins or better, Zorn likely stays. That would be the fitting end to a bizarre season.

Sonny Jurgensen, Joe Theismann, and Jason Campbell Have Lost Their Appeal

Anthony Brown — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:31:16 -0400

It must have seemed like a great promotional idea last August when ESPN 980 Radio dreamed it up: gather Washington Redskin quarterbacks Sonny Jurgensen, Joe Theismann, and Jason Campbell on stage for a fan event during the bye week, this Tuesday at a Ballston, Virginia, restaurant.

Awkward is the only way to describe A Night Of Quarterbacks now.

What are these guys going to say to a fan base in revolt?

The Redskins sunk their season with a 2-5 start and a 24th place ranking in total offense.

Campbell is the: 14th ranked quarterback in yards; 17th ranked for touchdowns, and 18th ranked for QB rating.

Jurgensen has already called for Campbell to be benched. Theismann has criticized the team's play and called the hiring of offensive playcaller Sherm Lewis "absolutely the worst thing this organization [the Redskins] could do."

Jurgensen was elected to the Football Hall Of Fame in 1983. Theismann led the Redskins to its first Super Bowl win. Campbell, it seems, will do neither.

ESPN 980 is owned by Daniel Snyder's Red Zebra Broadcasting. Typical of a Snyder event, A Night Of Quarterbacks costs $106.00, or about the same as a lower level game seat at FedEx Field.

Red Zebra could fill FedEx Field at that price for A Night Of Daniel Snyder. Fans would pay to vent their feelings direct to the man.

I'd go.

Chris Cooley, We Feel Your Pain

Anthony Brown — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:09:26 -0400

The way the Internet brings fans into the player's world is magical—especially when the hero-player opens the door.

Washington Redskins tight end Chris Cooley opens up wide on his chriscooley47 blog, mostly written by his brother, Tanner.

Chris reached a new high today by sharing a career low point—his broken ankle suffered Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Cooley had corrective surgery today. He and his family shared the experience, pictures and all, on his blog. I'll just send you there and let Captain Chaos speak. (Or rather wife Christy and Tanner speak for him.)

First thing's first, Chris. Get well and come back healthy. There's no rush. It's not like we are going to the Super Bowl or anything.

In the past, I've said that Chris Cooley blocking is Chris Cooley wasted, speaking of the too-frequent need for the tight end to stay in and block rather than run a pass pattern.

Fred Davis filled Cooley's shoes against the Eagles, catching eight passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. He was the leading receiver in the game.

That was great to see. However, color analysts Ron Jaworski and future Redskins head coach Jon Gruden pointed out repeated breakdowns in Davis' blocking game.

I guess there's no satisfying fans, because now I miss Cooley's blocking.

Washington's wounded reads more like a casualty list than an injury report. Davis has to get better at blocking in the next two weeks. The state of the offensive line demands it.

So let's wish Davis well as he develops that part of his game. He showed Monday night that he can be a beast. We need to see more of Davis and Devin Thomas catching touchdowns in the same game.

That goes for you, too, Malcolm Kelly.

Vinny Cerrato To Jim Zorn: Just Kidding

Anthony Brown — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:32:53 -0400

Yo, Jimbo. All is forgiven. You are cool.

Oh, that whole episode where we treated you just like Jason Campbell on the pretext we were replacing him? Just kidding.

After losing to Detroit, we thought the team needed a laugh to break the tension. Just to lighten things up, you know. You can be assured of one thing. We got your back, buddy.

Yeah, right.

Washington Redskins de facto GM Vinny Cerrato announced Friday morning that Jim Zorn is and will be head coach through the end of the season and "hopefully into the future."

Rght...if the Redskins win nine of the next 10 games.

Washington gave Zorn the dreaded vote of confidence about a month late and two weeks after the players asked for clarification about their coach. Better late than never.

With that, Cerrato hopes to quell the turmoil he helped create. It will work too, not just because it's the smartest move he's made this month. We all just want to move on.

I wish Cerrato did not insult our intelligence when he did it.

“Sure, the frustration is high but the relationship within the organization remains the same.”

That doesn't ring true, Vinny. Your relationship is not the same. If you did any more to Zorn, it would have been a felony.

The front office had to say something. The disruption was pushing the team closer to 6-10 than to 10-6. It made it harder to lure the next big name coach to the Redskins.

Zorn won't be stressed out of the job. (I admire him for that.)

Maybe, just maybe, Daniel Snyder and Cerrato learned what not to do the next time the team faces adversity.

Maybe, but I doubt it.

There is no doubt, however, that neither Cerrato nor Snyder are the equal of the talent on the team.

Daniel Snyder Blew His Chances With Mike Shanahan Weeks Ago

Anthony Brown — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:16:16 -0400

When the going gets tough for the Washington Redskins, Daniel Snyder wants to fire somebody, especially coach Jim Zorn who is 20 games in to the job.

There's something familiar about that.

Oh yeah! Al Davis fired Shanahan as coach of the Los Angeles Raiders in 1989. Shanahan coached the Raiders for 20 games. Davis released him after a 1-3 start in his second year as coach.

Queue the Twilight Zone music.

Snyder has shown adolescent fury at coach Jim Zorn for the last three weeks, disdaining the man he said was a steal of a coaching prospect just last year.

So Shanahan must have felt a pang of familiarity when approached by Snyder's people.

News accounts say that Shanahan rejected Washington's overtures because of timing and low odds of fixing the Redskins this season.

But, would Shanahan want to work for Davis, or anyone like him, again?

Shanahan will have his choice of five or six coaching positions if he wants. So don't look for a parking space with his name on it at Redskin Park anytime soon.

You would think a smart guy would try to rally the troops before shooting the general, if only to show that he's the type of owner who has his coach's back in adversity. You know, the kind of guy you want to work for.

Snyder had difficulty finding someone to coach the Redskins last year. Backstabbing Jim Zorn, whatever his opinion of his coaching abilities, won't make recruiting Zorn's replacement easier.

That's right, Mr. Snyder. The next guy is going to want more money and firmer guarantees. It will cost you a fortune.

Washington Redskins Dump Marcus Mason Again

Anthony Brown — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:35:00 -0400

Goodbye again, Marcus Mason.

Buried in the news that the Washington Redskins signed free agent lineman Levi Jones was their release of DC area native Marcus Mason. Running back Anthony Alridge was also let go.

Thrashing in the backfield

Given the state of the offensive line, it's no surprise that the Skins would reach for Jones. But Washington busted a "who he?" move when they signed free agent running back Quinton Gaither.

The Redskins keep looking for something at running back. Alridge was signed and released twice this season. Mason survived his second training camp with the team, raising both his and his local fans' hopes.

Mason saw limited action. Alridge never saw the field.

Gaither beat out Chris Henry for a roster spot on the Tennessee Titans roster last season. Tennessee released him in September after his calf injury and to make room for Javon Ringer.

Chris Henry worked out for the Redskins earlier this month.

Another first rounder for the line

Jones joins Mike Williams as Washington's second first-round lineman from the 2002 draft. Jones was the 10th overall pick that year. Williams was fourth overall.

Because of injuries, the Redskins rejected the thought of signing Jones after he was released by the Cincinnati Bengals last May.

Jones visited the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers in recent weeks. Seattle was expected to look at him if the Skins did not sign him.

Tackle D'Anthony Batiste remains on the roster.

Pete Kendall really spoiled Washington's front office. Kendall, a starting guard, was available thanks to the insensitivity of the New York Jets' management. You can be certain that made the Redskins believe they could pick up a commodity lineman anytime.

Yes. You can get warm bodies anytime, anywhere. Quality linemen come from the draft or are a free agent signing in the offseason. Nobody but the Jets gives up a good lineman.

Washington has been content to source offensive line talent with experiments like Williams and Todd Wade.

Jones' presence suggests doubts about the return of Pro Bowl tackle Chris Samuels. If Samuels comes back healthy, Batiste likely stays and Jones goes.

Jones was involved in a notorious incident with Steelers linebacker Joey Porter in a Las Vegas casino in 2007.

If you were scared before...

We knew how thin the Skins were on the O-line. That was scary enough.

What's scarier is the looks at different running backs. The coaching staff is worried about who's behind Clinton Portis.

As Vince Lombardi said on NFL Films, "What the heck is going on out there?"

Lombardi didn't actually say "heck."

Washington Redskins' Joe Bugel Comfortable with Stephon Heyer at Left Tackle

Anthony Brown — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:27:37 -0400

He's an icon of Washington area sports, the last vestige of a glorious and distant past. As Redskin fandom quakes, Joe Bugel expresses confidence in his embattled Washington Redskins offensive line.

Bugel spoke to reporters after Wednesday's practice at Redskin Park.

Says Bugel, "...fortunately, the guy who's made tremendous improvement is Mike Williams. I've been so proud of that guy, I mean, being able to play both guard and tackle, I think he's a rejuvenated person right now."

Bugel was comfortable with Stephon Heyer at left tackle, replacing Chris Samuels. Heyer played left guard throughout his college career at Maryland.

Heyer would have been a first round draft pick at left tackle if he were not injured in college insists Bugel who shared that Heyer was actually uncomfortable at right tackle.

Will Montgomery, named as starting right guard this week, is a tough guy. "If you are going to go into battle, you want to go with him [Montgomery]."

"We got guys who work hard. That's all you can ask as a coach. It's my job to coach 'em up" says Buges. "If we are not playing good, that's my responsibility."

What else could Washington's O-line coach say? Still, it's a relief hearing someone in Washington express confidence that the players can get it done.

The six minute video of Bugel's press conference is on the redskins.com video gallery (October 14, 2009).

Kansas City Chiefs a Test For Washington GM Vinny Cerrato

Anthony Brown — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:16:41 -0400

It's the nightmare scenario dreaded by Washington Redskins fans—the team's two best offensive linemen are out: LG Chris Samuels out for the Kansas City Chiefs game, RG Randy Thomas lost for the season.

How effective is de facto GM Vinny Cerrato at preparing for this day? We are about to find out.

Stephon Heyer moves from the right to left tackle position. Mike Williams moves from backup right guard to right tackle.

Chad Rinehart and Will Montgomery will battle it out for the right guard slot.

The Redskins don't invest a lot of draft picks in offensive linemen, either by Cerrato's design or by command of owner Daniel Snyder, who sees draft picks as the way to sign proven stars like Jason Taylor.

Cerrato wouldn't put it that way. He would point to Rinehart, drafted by the Skins in the third round (96th overall) of the 2008 draft, and to Dockery, drafted in the third round (81st overall) of the 2003 draft.

Cerrato will also tout Williams as a first rounder (fourth overall) from the 2002 draft.

Yes, but...

Rinehart hasn't cemented a claim as a starter even when the need is great. He competes for the right guard spot with journeyman Montgomery, who passed through the Panthers and Jets rosters before landing with the Redskins as an unrestricted free agent.

Williams was drafted by Buffalo, but did not last there. He was out of football for four years before signing as an unrestricted free agent this year with Washington. He lost 25 percent of his body weight to round into football shape.

Yet Williams is not the player tapped for the difficult left tackle spot. That goes to Heyer, a question mark even at right tackle.

Heyer signed as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He has 12 starts with the Redskins, with four at left tackle in 2008. Heyer's poor performance was one of the reasons the offensive line did not measure up last season. O-line coach Joe Bugel complimented his development during the offseason.

It may help that Heyer will play next to Dockery instead of Rinehart, who has less experience than him.

With draft picks either traded away or used on other positions, the Skins will start linemen sourced as castoff free agents or undrafted players and Dockery, who wasn't appreciated until he left for Buffalo.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is the crew that's going to protect your first-round quarterback and block for your expensive running back acquired by trading Champ Bailey, and two draft picks, to Mike Shanahan in Denver.

There goes that name again.

So, how do we tell if this works? By watching Heyer.

With D'Anthony Batiste filling in for Samuels last Sunday, Jim Zorn kept Chris Cooley in to block instead of catching passes.

Chris Cooley blocking is Chris Cooley wasted.

Heyer must block without assistance Kansas City's RDE Glenn Dorsey, selected in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2008 draft. Heyer and the whole O-line must avoid confusion by the Chiefs' new 3-4 defensive alignment that could send pressure from any direction.

Fail at that and Washington will lose. We'll spend another week critiquing Cerrato for building the offensive line on the cheap.

Daniel Snyder, Washington Redskins Looking For Coach To Save Them

Anthony Brown — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:04:07 -0400

It seems the chiefs at Redskin Park have convened something of a death panel for the team.

According to DC Pro Sports Report, who cited NFL.com's story by Jason LaCanfora, Daniel Snyder and Vinny Cerrato are flirting with the idea of naming special teams coach Danny Smith or secondary coach and interim defensive spokesman Jerry Gray as interim head coach, replacing Jim Zorn.

Typical.

At precisely the moment when the management should be doing everything to get the team focused on a turnaround, they continue to torpedo the coach.

LaCanfora wrote that Snyder was so angry about Sunday's loss to Carolina that he refused to fly home on the team plane.

Way to foster teamwork, Daniel.

How does Zorn respond to that sort of thing?

By studying the example of his quarterback, Jason Campbell.

When the owner went ga-ga over rookie Mark Sanchez, after going ga-ga over Jay Cutler, Campbell went to work. Asked by his teammates why he was showing up for summer workouts, Campbell said he was there for the team.

Campbell's display of class and character can rub off on Zorn. Zorn must show more assertiveness, just as Campbell should.

Zorn, Sherman Smith, Campbell and all the players must be there for each other, and against the owner.

Snyder is not their friend. Embattled coaches and players are allied with each other.

Set your jaw, get to work and win, guys.

The Redskins organization is edging toward 6-10 every day. For the record, Hog Heaven writers Anthony Brown and Greg Trippiedi picked the Redskins to go 9-7 and 11-5, respectively.

Those achievements are mathematically possible. Turmoil from the top is the biggest obstacle facing the team.

Daniel Snyder should keep that in mind as he rocks the boat. He won't get what he wants by swapping people off the field.

Fans are not booing the players on the field so much as the man who put them there.

As for the thought about a special teams coach running the whole team, recall that Marv Levy was George Allen's special teams coach. Levy had a pretty good career.

Washington Redskins: Homecoming Team

Anthony Brown — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:55:54 -0400

It's official. The Washington Redskins are now everybody's favorite homecoming team, the soft spot on the schedule for the likes of Kansas City.

Just yesterday, I wrote that the Redskins were a team on the brink of greatness. All that was needed was for the owner to go public with a statement of faith and confidence in his team.

A segment of fans wouldn't believe it. It's like your dad saying he believes in you. He has to say that, but he's your dad. You can't believe in yourself if the big guy doesn't believe too. You try harder because you don't want to let the old man down.

The Redskins need to play over their heads this season. They might have Sunday, if the owner showed real leadership.

Daniel Snyder did not just fail this test. It was an epic failure.

We all understand an owner has to say something positive. We all understand that a lot of these players won't be here past December. That's always true. Snyder sabotages his own efforts to win. Only this time, he's strangling his effort to lure a big name coach to replace Jim Zorn, too.

Can any blue chip head coach candidate believe the owner will have his back when the going gets tough? It's pro football. The going is always tough. unless your name is Gibbs, Snyder will always fold.

Snyder is likely to blow-up the Redskins and make significant football decisions again. Snyder will blow it again.

Did Snyder really try to replace Zorn three games into the season? Yes, according to reports that he twice approached Mike Shanahan about the coaching "vacancy."

I wonder if that approach reminded Shanahan of Al Davis, who fired him as Los Angeles Raiders coach after four games in 1989?

Shanahan won two Super Bowls in his first three seasons as Broncos coach. That must excite Snyder, who won't consider that Shanahan was working with John Elway at quarterback.

Shanahan never returned to the big dance with Elway or Jay Cutler, once the object of Snyder's affection. Denver is off to a 4-0 start without Shanahan. Maybe Pat Bowlen was on to something about Shanahan and Cutler.

So Snyder is after another team's castoff, again.

Would any blue chip candidate share thoughts and strategies to rebuild the team after watching Snyder's treatment of Jim Fassel last year?

Snyderrato mined all the good ideas from Fassel, then left him dandling, as he did Gregg Williams, while Synder sweet talk Steve Spagnuolo and other candidates.

Why exactly did Steve Spagnuolo wait for the chance to coach the Rams instead of the Redskins?

This is Jim Zorn's future. He will be gone by, or before, the end of the season. There's no shame in being fired by Daniel Snyder and Zorn will be thankful Snyder let him add "head coach" to his resume when no one else did.

Zorn will get a gig somewhere as offensive coordinator, then be hired a season or two later as head coach somewhere else.

Then, Zorn will bring his team to FedEx Field and beat the Redskins, just like his predecessors Marty Schottenheimer and Norv Turner.

The Redskins scored 17 points while losing to the Panthers. The Kansas City Chiefs, Washington's next opponent, scored 20 points while losing to the Cowboys. The Chiefs can't wait to get to ole DC. The Skins are the cure for what ails them.

It's their homecoming game.

The Washington Redskins Are On The Brink Of Greatness

Anthony Brown — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 20:01:53 -0400

Or disaster.

Whatever is going on out at Redskins Park, we are not seeing the full, unaltered picture. The team is on the brink, teetering in either direction. The Redskins are on the verge of great success. Or not.

Telltale signs:

Two of the most admired players on offense, Clinton Portis and Mike Sellers, get in a shouting match--with each other. Monday. Because Clinton tried to have Mike removed from the Lions game the week before.

Sherm Lewis, a distinguished retired coach, was retained to consult with the team under circumstances more likely to cause failure than success. Unsolicited advice is ignored advice.

Lewis is as certain to be called Coach Bingo as he was pointed at the wrong part of the organization.

Defensive coordinator Greg Blache challenged Comcast sports analyst Trevor Matich on the post game show following the loss to the Lions. Matich's October 8 In The Trenches story appeared on redskins.com. Blache gets excused from taking reporter questions for the rest of the season. Those points may not be not related, but they look suspicious.

So, are the Skins on the verge of falling out? It doesn't look good, but let's take a chill pill and remember one thing about the Redskins.

These guys stared at death and spit in its face to made a run to the playoffs. That was just two years ago.

Same players. Same owner. Mostly the same coaches. Same fans.

Daniel Snyder never showed better leadership than he did then. He showed it by rising up and sheltering the team in the face of crisis. He did it for the team. The team responded.

Now, the team faces a little adversity. And it's just a little adversity. Most pundits expected the Redskins to finish around 8-8 or 9-7.

At 2-2, the Redskins are achieving what was expected. So let's have the leader do now what he did then: show public faith in the team and confidence in the personnel purely for the sake of the team.

If Daniel Snyder can find the backbone to publicly support the team, instead of second guessing them, the team will take its step to greatness.

Then, we will all feel better.

Would Redskins Have Problems With Norv Turner?

Anthony Brown — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:42:56 -0400

Yeah. Yeah. This is a Redskins site, and Turner is long gone and largely forgotten. But we need to get our minds off the circus that is the Redskins.

Would you feel better if Norv Turner were here?

A column by Craig Elsten for the San Diego Network News reads Don't blame Norv—Look Higher Up.

It seems disgruntled San Diego Chargers fans are up in arms over the whuppin' that the world champion Steelers put on the team Sunday night.

Charger fans think the team is soft. Turner's Chargers are off to their customary slow start. The Chargers are 2-2, and fans sense they are uncompetitive with the best in the division, the shockingly unbeaten Denver Broncos.

Turner says the Chargers' problem isn't scheme or game planning, but a variety of correctable breakdowns. The players just have to execute better.

Elsten says the real problem with the Chargers isn't Turner. It's higher up. He points the finger at GM A.J. Smith, who picked players and coaching staff that are not on the Steelers' level.

All of this should sound eerily familiar to Redskin fans. San Diego is evidence of a parallel universe, right down to Norv Turner.

Craig Elsten's conclusion for Charger fans, applies here too:

"There is plenty of season yet to come. People who say fire the coach are basically saying pull the plug on 2009. Who’s gonna take over? Rivera? Are you going to jet in Bill Cowher from the CBS set and install him on the sidelines? The NFL’s a little more complicated than that. Jump into the pool and you’ll drown.

"Terrible teams without hope switch out their head coach at the first sign of distress. That’s a move for the Rams to make, not the Chargers. So how about just shelving all the negativity and hatred towards the head coach, and instead focusing on the players on the field, and then the guy who put them there?"

Redskin fans are already focusing on "the guy" who put our team together. That's not Jim Zorn.

Grumbling about Dan Snyder noted by other blogs and sports columnists could grow into a groundswell over the winter if the skins lose nine or more games.

The Washington Capitals are perennial playoff contenders. Caps owner Ted Leonsis is compared favorably to Snyder. My neighbor, Mike Lee, who covers the Washington Wizards for The Washington Post, assures me the 'Zards will make a playoff run this season.

If those teams win titles, some Redskins fans won't come back to the Danny.

That would give Turner the last laugh.

Washington Redskins Hire Sherm Lewis at the Wrong Time

Anthony Brown — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:54:04 -0400

I read Jason Reid's Analysis Behind the Sherman Lewis Hiring and shake my head.

Leave it to Daniel Snyder to make the wrong move at the wrong time.

In Lewis' case, he's the right candidate for something, but comes, oh, two training camps and 20 games too late.

I know Sherman Lewis, by reputation. Though he had departed by the time I arrived at Michigan State University back in 19-long-ago, Sherman Lewis was mentioned with reverence in occasional stories in the student newspaper. There was a picture of Lewis as a Spartan football player in the old Jenison Field House, world headquarters of the MSU athletic empire when both the Spartans and the Big 10 were football dominant.

In the days when a black guy could play football but not hope to coach, Sherman Lewis was Exhibit A of the foolishness of that ancient custom. Tony Dungy would supplant Lewis in the 'Eighties as the symbol of discrimination against a good man, but Dungy made his break-through. Lewis could not.

The Michigan State University Athletics web site tells the Sherman Lewis story in all its historic dimensions and it is worth the read.

As one of only 390 African-Americans in a student body population of 44,000, I enjoyed being confused occasionally for Sherman Lewis. I am grateful to him for that.

It's too bad Daniel Snyder didn't check out the Sherman Lewis story years ago. He might at least have talked to Lewis about his coaching vacancy in 2002 instead of rushing to hire Steve Spurrier.

Lewis might have noticed the double whammy Snyder dealt to Jim Zorn by pushing him to head coach while allowing Zorn to be the only candidate other than Jim Fassel to name his offensive coordinator.

Zorn picked Sherman Smith, with whom he shared the Seattle Seahawks backfield. Like Zorn, Smith had neither coordinator nor play calling experience.

Where was the bright idea then to tap Sherman Lewis as a consultant, or better, as offensive coordinator?

That Zorn got the Redskins to 8-8 last season with those handicaps shows that he's got something. He's worth keeping in spite of the current rough patch. So I hope Lewis can help him. Or help Daniel Snyder think football before Snyder stirs the pot again.

Sherm Knows, But He Won't Tell You About Receivers or Linemen

Any advice that Lewis the consultant gives should be shared with the coach and owner only. It's unprofessional for any consultant to break confidences. Don't look to read Lewis comments in the media, except on Radio Free Redskins, but I'd be curious to know Lewis' opinion of two areas: receiving and blocking.

Our young receivers can't seem to break free of coverage. What's his opinion of those guys, especially fellow Spartan Devin Thomas?

The Redskins decided last season to implement the West Coast Offense for the passing game and keep Joe Gibbs' Downfield Offense for the rushing game. Does this hybrid scheme make any more sense than a two-headed goat?

Doesn't it challenge an offensive line to pass block one way for the WCO and run block another for the Gibbs-Coryell system?

I see these things and shake my head.

The Spartan Connection

Sherm Lewis is the most recent Spartan connection to the Redskins.

Jimmy Raye was Marty Schottenheimer's offensive coordinator in 2001. Raye quarterbacked MSU to a national championship in 1965 and played in the infamous 10-10 tie game against Ara Parseghian's Notre Dame in 1966.

Schottenheimer and Raye brought in former MSU quarterback Tony Banks to back-up Jeff George, Snyder's handpicked successor to Brad Johnson.

No other team wanted George at quarterback. Neither did Schottenheimer after the first two games of 2001.

George was benched. Banks played. No one confused Banks as anything other than a back-up player, but he did manage an 8-6 record as Redskin starter.

Snyder released Schottenheimer and Raye before anything came of that.

MSU pursued Redskins' defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis as a head coach candidate in 2002. Lewis remained committed to a pro coaching career and was named head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2003.