Redskins skipper says he feels like the worst coach in America
Jim Zorn entered the press conference with a sullen look, no bounce in his step and a lot on his mind. So when someone asked how he was, he answered as he always does: honestly.
» Linebacker is another position the Redskins must fill in the offseason. Marcus Washington likely will be gone after the season and his replacement, H.B. Blades, is too small to be an effective every-down player. Now there are questions about Rocky McIntosh, who does not make big plays and wasn’t even making tackles Sunday. If he was benched because of his knees, then that’s even worse. It would mark the second straight year his knees have been an issue — which they were in college as well. It’s why he fell to the second round.» The Redskins are an aging, brittle team. They entered the season that way, but played near-flawless football for five weeks, then stumbled their way to a few more wins. But they will have to start over — regardless of who is coaching the team — after this season because of their age. They also lack playmakers, which is why they haven’t had a pass go for more than 29 yards in the past six games. And they’ve only taken the ball away eight times in the last eight games. Playmakers win games.» Defensive end Jason Taylor is not worth the money. He played hurt early in the season, first with his knee and then his calf, and deserved credit for not simply sitting out when that would have been easy, and understandable. He applied a little pressure Sunday, but he’s now a part-time player who does not get to the quarterback much. They’ve tried moving him around, put him on the right side and stood him up as a linebacker. None of it has worked. Taylor’s days as an impact player are long gone.
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“I’m not doing well,” he said.
Nor should he be. His team has lost five of six games; the honeymoon is long over between he and the organization and even the fans; and his players are questioning every move he makes, or doesn’t make.
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And yesterday, a day after a 20-13 loss to the lowly Bengals, he gave his players time off so he could do some soul-searching, trying to figure out what’s wrong with his team.
“I just feel like the worst coach in America, to have to lose the way we’re losing,” said Zorn, sweat forming on his brow. “It hurts.”
One of the chief criticisms against Zorn has been the way he blames execution more than anything for their woes. Players have privately said they feel as if he’s simply blaming them all the time.
“When you lose, there will be a lot of questioning,” linebacker London Fletcher said. “We feel coach Zorn is the right person for the job. We haven’t gone out and done it well enough throughout the season.”
Monday, Zorn blamed one person.
“I have to look at myself,” he said. “We need to re-evaluate what we’re doing and if we’re going in the right direction. I believe we’re building a good foundation, but I have to, and do take, the responsibility for some of these games that are just not turning out like we have planned.”
Zorn said that included everything from playcalling to game preparation. The Redskins (7-7) have been outscored a combined 38-0 in the first quarter of the past three games. Losing to the Bengals — who entered 1-11-1 — stung the rookie coach hard, one Redskins source said.
Zorn said he has not talked to owner Dan Snyder or executive vice president Vinny Cerrato specifically about his job. Snyder and Cerrato have declined requests from numerous outlets for comment.
“I have conversations with them all the time,” he said. “I feel tremendous support from both those guys, I really do.”
And he said nobody suggested to him that he needed to take more of the blame. That’s a conclusion he said he came to on his own.
“I just look at it and think, ‘OK, what have I asked of the players,’” Zorn said. “I’ve asked them to give me everything and then the next week I say, ‘OK, we lost that game but I’ve got to have more.’ And I keep demanding it. When it’s the same result, I want to make sure I look at me.
“I’m not rattled, but I’m deeply concerned. It starts with me.”
