Will the Redskins play hard enough to keep fans interested over the next eight weeks?
It’s the only real question remaining with this 2-6 team. Washington might not win another game. Finishing 4-12 may be the real goal given a current four-game losing streak.
Fans realize the Redskins have no real shot at the playoffs with a half season remaining. They know coach Jim Zorn is a goner and vice president Vinny Cerrato could be, too.
The players whose jerseys are most often worn in the stands are steadily falling to injuries. Quarterback Jason Campbell seems one blitz away from serious injury behind a makeshift line that has another new starter coming Sunday vs. Denver. Clinton Portis has a concussion and seemingly no magic left in his legs.
Fans want to know now if they should invest Sundays in something else. Will players truly give enough effort — even in losses — to satisfy backers? Loveable losers are endearing. Quitters are not.
Offensive line coach Joe Bugel and Zorn essentially challenged the players’ manhood at halftime of Sunday’s 31-17 loss to Atlanta. The Redskins responded with two long touchdown drives — the type of effort everyone has waited all season to see.
But Zorn can’t play the emotion card every Sunday. It only works once before players tune out. Either the Redskins play hard against Denver or fans will know the remaining games are unwatchable.
“We have to ask them to rise up. It’s the nature of football,” Zorn said. “They needed to discover something about themselves. Can you push harder? Yes. …
“I can be excited they responded, but I want the response on play 1, not play 30.”
If healthy, the Redskins might have been 5-3 instead of 2-6. Injuries are a limited excuse, though. The effort hasn’t always been there. Maybe Zorn is too much of a teacher and former player and not enough of a leader.
Zorn finally channeled some of the fire that once made him a good NFL quarterback during that halftime tirade. That angst will serve Zorn well in coming weeks. It will make him realize there are no friends in the locker room, only underperformers who will get him fired. If Zorn needs to bruise a few feelings and kick some butts, the time is now. Players aren’t the only ones trying to stay in the league.
Otherwise, the bus out of town will overflow.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
