Campbell, Zorn don’t deserve all the blame
The Redskins’ offensive problems go deeper than coach Jim Zorn and his playcalling. They’re deeper than Jason Campbell and his passes.
Recommended Stories
When it comes to reasons why they haven’t succeeded — they’re ranked 23rd in total offense and haven’t scored more than 17 points at home since the second home game of 2008 — the Redskins need to pass out the blame.
Poor planning » It’s doubtful that another team would have thought a guy who needed to lose 100 pounds and had been out of the NFL for three years could be an answer at right tackle. But the Redskins did, which is why they signed Mike Williams. They set themselves up in 1999 and 2000 by drafting bookend tackles in Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen. But since then, they’ve selected two linemen in the first three rounds — Chad Rinehart in 2007 and Derrick Dockery in 2003; both in the third round. Some offensive coaches complained about the line three years ago, saying it needed to be upgraded.
Still, they entered this season with no backup having played a snap in 2008. Sunday, they’ll start two linemen who began the season as reserves.
Tackles were plentiful in the past two drafts, especially in the first two rounds; Washington failed to land one. In 2008, the Redskins drafted two receivers (a need) and a tight end (a luxury) in the second round. Those three — Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly and Fred Davis — have not produced for various reasons, combining for 38 catches and one touchdown.
“They built their offense from the outside-in,” one NFL general manager said. “It’s more important that the quarterback has time than weapons. One thing you need is to make sure the quarterback is comfortable in the pocket so you can see if he can execute the game plan. Going backwards, I think they would revisit that.
“They don’t plan there; they just react. [Owner] Dan [Snyder] would rather look smart than be sound.”
The running game » The Redskins rely on the run, as they have since Clinton Portis arrived in 2004. But whether he’s lost a step because of injuries to his ankles or whether there’s a lack of blocking, or because he doesn’t practice enough, the fact is this: In his last 200 carries, Portis — 28 and with more than 2,100 career carries — has just one run longer than 15 yards. This season, 41 of Portis’ 91 carries have gone for two yards or less; six have gone for more than 10 yards.
The Carolina game highlighted the problem — and it’s not always Portis’ fault. Defenses naturally key on Portis, but on one run vs. the Panthers, the weakside linebacker was aligned over the right tackle; Portis ran over left guard. A quicker burst could have resulted in a long gain. Instead, he was tackled for a short one.
But it’s not just Portis. Too often linemen and tight ends aren’t holding their blocks. That happened on a Ladell Betts run Sunday. On the fourth-quarter run, the Panthers had six defenders shaded to the Redskins’ right side and only three to their left. That’s where Washington ran. But tight end Chris Cooley lost his block; left guard Derrick Dockery got moved back and Betts lost a yard. Like the Redskins, it had potential for something grander.
