He wanted them to play one series. But that wouldn’t have worked considering their first series lasted one play and resulted in an interception.
So coach Jim Zorn sent the Redskins’ first offense back for another crack at Jacksonville’s defense Thursday night. And they went three and out.
So he sent them out again. And they went three and out again.
If there was a sixth preseason game, Zorn would send them out for more work. Alas, for the Redskins, who finished 3-2 this summer, the next game is the season opener vs. the New York Giants. In Thursday’s 24-3 loss to Jacksonville, the Redskins first offense managed 14 yards on seven plays.
Worse, none of the three second-round draft picks look ready to contribute to help the passing game.
And, after the past four quarters by the first string offense, it’s debatable as to whether or not the offense will be effective. Once more, it produced little. At least quarterback Jason Campbell wasn’t sacked, which in itself was an improvement over the 47-3 debacle vs. Carolina last week.
Still, here is the ugly reality from the Redskins’ first offense in their final three preseason outings: a combined three points and 133 yards in their last 48 plays covering four quarters.
While it’s hard to sometimes know what will carry into the regular season and what won’t, the offense has to be cause for concern. For some.
“I don’t care about the preseason,” guard Pete Kendall said. “People can be upset if they put all their stock in the preseason.”
Campbell slowed down after a good start in the preseason. In the last three preseason games, he completed 11 of 24 passes for 70 yards and no touchdowns.
“What we need to do is find a way to get into a rhythm,” Campbell said. “It’s not a big deal; it’s nothing to start getting scared about.”
But that’s been difficult. At times, receivers aren’t running to the right depth, throwing off the timing. Rookie receiver Devin Thomas didn’t use his body on one pass, allowing the defensive back to poke the ball in the air for a subsequent interception. He also didn’t come back hard enough. Another time, he ran a two-yard route on a third and 6 play that called for him to run six yards.
“It was poorly executed,” Zorn said. “Those are the issues we’re dealing with.”
