Should He Stay or Should He Go?

The Redskins are now on a skid that began to plague the team in the late last season. It seems as though head coach Jim Zorn is simply not qualified to lead his team past the .500 mark, much less into playoff contention. So, if that's the case, and to the dismay of many Redskins faithful it certainly seems it is, why not cut Zorn loose and begin to rebuild immediately?

It's a question that's already circulating around at the local and national level, and there are arguments to be made for either decision.

Wouldn't firing Zorn simply make matters worse for a team that's already struggling to find inspiration? Besides, who do you replace Zorn with, defensive coordinator Greg Blache, who allowed the Lions to march downfield 99 yards for the opening touchdown in the first quarter? Or maybe offensive assistant coach Joe Bugel? At least he comes from the Joe Gibbs era days of glory, but he doesn't seem to fit the bill as a head coach, even on an interim basis.

What's the advantage of showing Zorn the door this early in the season? Plenty of time to work things out, not just for next year, but for the remainder of this season. With that diagnosis you simply need to find the right man for the job. Someone with a penchant for turning teams around. Someone with almost the opposite disposition of the laid-back-to-the-point-of-seeming-soft Zorn.

I hear people say Zorn seems like such a nice guy and that it would be a shame not to give him a fair shot at proving his worth as a mentor. This may be true for the development of Jason Campbell and the youngster squad of backup QBs on the Redskins' bench, but what about the rest of the team? With such a historically veteran team, those players don't need a mentor, they need a strongman. Someone like John Gruden or Bill Cowher.

How many Redskins fans were excited when they heard about Jim Zorn getting the nod as head coach after Joe Gibbs' retirement. Most of us were clueless about Zorn and doubtful about Snyder's decision. After a disappointing loss in their season opener last year to the Giants, the Redskins went on a tear. All of a sudden people were hailing Zorn as a genius, but after a short streak of success the wheels began to fall off.

So here we are, three games in and hanging out at the bottom of the heap in the NFL. Yes, it's early. Yes, there are a lot of tough teams out there. The Rams are not one of them. The Lions are not one of them. Unfortunately for their fans, neither are the Washington Redskins. Most people who look at this team right now will blame coaching, not talent, for that unfortunate reality.