Chalk talk: The fade route

Save for Chase Daniel’s pass to Marko Mitchell in the end zone, the Redskins have not executed the fade pass all that well this summer. Even in practice, at least the portion open to the media, it was a 50-50 ball at best.

Against New England, Jason Campbell could not connect with Malcolm Kelly on the route.

Two mistakes occurred on the play: one, Kelly needed to do a better job of getting into the defensive back before making his move. He did not create much space because of his inability to do this; in college, he could get away with that, but not in the NFL.

“It wasn’t as aggressive,” Redskins coach Jim Zorn said. “He just took off instead of setting the guy up.”

But the throw was poor as well. Some coaches, notably Jon Gruden, will talk about throwing to a spot. Gruden, for example, wants it to be seven yards deep and three yards from the sideline.

Zorn does not ask his quarterbacks to throw to a spot.

“In reality, everybody gets off the line differently,” he said. “Santana moss is different than Malcolm Kelly. So you have to throw it differently. We throw to the player. What a concept. Sometimes the DB may jam the receiver so they don’t get as deep. When you’re going against a physical corner, you don’t get that even break every time.”

Campbell needed to put the ball on Kelly’s back shoulder or at least throw it higher. He failed to do either. For quarterbacks, it’s typically a one step and throw — and they have to slightly dip their back shoulder to get the proper loft (on a regular throw, the shoulders stay level).

“The throw was worse than the route,” Zorn said. “I wanted a better throw and I’m going to get it. … It’s most quarterbacks favorite throw, but you have to put the ball on the right spot.”