Making The Case For Jason Campbell In Washington

The Washington Redskins finished the year 4-12 and earned themselves the fourth pick in the draft. New coach, new GM, new direction?

Jason Campbell should be worried about having a starting job next season.

Campbell has started 51 games in his career since being drafted in 2005. Many fans will point to his status as a first-round pick in relation to his production as reason to call him a bust. Those same fans contradict themselves by highlighting the abysmal offensive line as the prime weakness for the Redskins.

Then they try to rationalize by saying that it’s a team game, but the most important position is the quarterback. Aaron Rodgers was sacked more this season. So was Ben Roethlisberger.

Rodgers has a bad line in Green Bay, but if you’ve ever watched him, he gets sacked because he holds the ball too long. Roethlisberger is the same way. They hold the ball too long for the protection their line is allowing them. They both wrestle away from a fair share of sacks, but more often than not, they get out of one sack and into another.

The Redskins thought they could get away with an aging line and zero depth, and look what happened?

Chris Samuels’ career is over. Randy Thomas is at the end of his career with a second triceps injury in as many years. Stephon Heyer was undrafted for a reason. Derrick Dockery was released by the Bills for a reason. Casey Rabach had to suffer through an absurd amount of change at every position around him.

Green Bay and Pittsburgh also haven’t had major offensive system changes every year since 1999, which goes a long way for establishing consistency. Go figure.

Campbell got hit before he could hit the top of three step drops. On screen plays, he was getting hit long before the play could develop. He avoided a number of sacks by moving out of the pocket and running for yards.

Say what you want about every other quarterback in the league, Campbell played exceptionally well for the situation he was in.

For the best statistical comparison, look at Carson Palmer in Cincinnati. This season, he completed 60 percent of his passes for 3,094 yards, 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions with a passer rating of 83.6. The Bengals finished 10-6 and won the AFC North.

Campbell completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,618 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions with a passer rating of 86.4. The Redskins finished last in the NFC East.

Palmer is widely regarded as one of the better quarterbacks in the league, a hair off the elite quarterbacks in the NFL. Campbell is considered average, at best, in the NFL. But who has the better statistics? Which team has the better defense? Which team has a top 10 running back?

Which team is in the playoffs?

There is a lot more to an NFL team than just the quarterback. The Ravens had a strong offensive line, a dominant defense and won a Super Bowl with Trent Dilfer. Dilfer completed 59 percent of his passes for 1,500 yards, 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with a 76.6 rating.

The Ravens relied on Jamal Lewis in his prime and a shutdown, scoring defense. The Redskins do not have either, so why does it fall on Campbell to pick up where the rest of the team has let down?

Campbell has improved his passing statistics every season he has been the starter for the Redskins. That is impressive given the high rate of turnover in the coaching staff and the inconsistency of the players around him. I would like to see Mark Sanchez or Jay Cutler, both pursued in the offseason, succeed at any level with the players Campbell had to work with.

The Jets constructed an offensive line over the last three to four years before drafting Sanchez. Cutler was shipped to Chicago because Denver got tired of his whining, and he led the league in interceptions. But no one sees Cutler as the problem for the Bears.

Double standards are easy to see through, and this is a double standard.

Campbell is a restricted free agent going into the offseason and I for one think he should be re-signed by the Redskins. It makes no sense to draft a young quarterback and have him get pummeled behind the Swiss cheese offensive line, lest he end up as the next David Carr. Let Campbell run the new offense of supposed incoming head coach Mike Shanahan and see what comes of it.

Who knows, maybe he’ll improve more and prove to be one of the few veterans on offense worth keeping. Sure, he misses some throws, but what quarterback doesn’t?

Redskins fans expect more of their quarterback than is physically possible to deliver because no one is perfect. When it comes down to it, Campbell has proven to be worth more than many fans are willing to give him credit for.

Bruce Allen and Shanahan have a tough road ahead of them, rebuild or not. But they could make things a bit easier by keeping a tough, smart and talented veteran like Campbell around just a bit longer.

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Washington Coaching Roulette Spins On As Redskins Tumble

On the heels of yet another loss to a win-less team in the Carolina Panthers, the Washington Redskins find themselves in the midst of a “covert” search for their next head coach.

It is no secret that the front office is unimpressed with Jim Zorn’s performance as the Redskins head coach and owner Daniel Snyder, along with his right hand man Vinny Cerrato have taken steps to push Zorn out of town.

Recently, Cerrato hired Sherman Lewis as an offensive consultant following the offensive ineptitude displayed through the first four weeks of the season. Lewis had been out of football for five years, and his actual role with the team is still undefined as everyone labels him as “another set of eyes” for the offense.

The move was done without Zorn’s input, despite what the team is telling the media, and shows a lack of confidence in Zorn’s ability to serve as head coach.

Dating back to the end of the 2007-2008 season, Snyder has made countless attempts to bring in big name coaches. Names like Bill Cowher, Mike Shanahan, Steve Spagnuolo, Jim Fassel, and Steve Mariucci were all mentioned as potential successors to Joe Gibbs 2.0.

Each of those coaches declined the offer, which left the Redskins in a lurch and led to Jim Zorn’s rise to head coach.

The season is a mere five weeks old and already fans are calling for a change, contrary to their past cries of a need for continuity. Lately it seems that Snyder has heard the fans.

It was previously shown that Snyder had an itch to bring Shanahan in as head coach, and until recently that has been true. While Shanahan is a proven coach, Snyder has turned his eye on another coach of note.

The fiery John Gruden.

While the speculation of a Gruden hiring is a recent development, the timing of it is impeccable. In two weeks the Redskins are scheduled to face the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. Since losing his coaching job with Tampa Bay, Gruden has been working as part of the MNF commentary team.

What better place for Snyder to put a good word in for his team and entice Gruden out of the booth and back onto the field.

If Gruden is the man Snyder wants on the sidelines for the Redskins he may have to work for it. It is reasonable to say that Gruden would want control over his staff choices and the presence of a GM or personnel man to help him fill the needs of the team.

Cerrato is not a GM or personnel man despite his current position with the Redskins.

Gruden is perfect for the Redskins under ideal circumstances. He has the personality necessary to whip the locker room egos into shape, and will provide an energy unto himself that is sorely lacking in the Redskins camp.

Snyder has always been a man of action, for better or worse. Hiring Gruden would be a step in the right direction, but it is how much he allows Gruden to control that will decide the fate of the Washington Redskins.

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Washington Redskins Play Blame Game In Lieu Of Football

Greg Blache has been thrown under the bus, Jim Zorn is on the hot seat, Sherman Lewis has his eyes on the offense (or Zorn’s job) and the Redskins fan base is calling for someone’s head on a platter.

After this weeks 17-20 loss to the formerly winless Carolina Panthers, the Washington Redskins have a lot of questions to answer. The offense is below average, the defense is inconsistent and the coaching staff has next to no idea what they are doing or are going to do about any of it.

With all the money being poured into staff and players, someone should be able to give the media a straight answer.

However, since the loss to the Detroit Lions, everyone seems content to point the finger at everyone else. Zorn pointed to Blache, Blache pointed to himself, Clinton Portis pointed to Mike Sellers, Daniel Snyder and Vinny Cerrato pointed to Zorn.

In the midst of all the blame being thrown around, the Redskins have forgotten the most important part of being in NFL.

Playing football.

The Redskins offense is averaging a paltry 14.2 points per game and has yet to crack the 20 point mark this season. Every player has stood by the theory that sooner or later the offense is going to explode on someone.

The world has yet to see that explosion.

Not only have the Redskins not exploded, they haven’t showed any spark on offense or defense. Without a spark, the Redskins are destined for a losing season which will cost Zorn and Campbell their jobs.

Zorn is already feeling the heat with Lewis watching over his offense. Coming on the heels of Blache’s media lockout, the fans have developed a number of theories on the state of Redskins nation.

Blache’s personal silence and Zorn’s new consultant have people talking about the status of their jobs. There is speculation that if Zorn loses to Carolina (already done) and Kansas City, he is out at the bye week. Blache already turned the head coaching job down before the season.

Logically speaking, Gray or Lewis would serve as the interim head coach in the event that Snyder fires Zorn. In either case, the Redskins will be on a one-way train to a top five draft pick come April.

Coaches and staff aside, the players have a role in the path the team is on.

The offensive line is falling apart. Randy Thomas is out for the season with yet another triceps tear. Stephon Heyer is playing the role of doorman and letting everyone into the backfield. Chris Samuels went down midway through the game in Carolina.

Everyone and their mothers pointed to the offensive line as the Achilles heel of the Redskins offense and it looks like they are right.

Jason Campbell was sacked five times against Carolina, despite an otherwise spotless performance. And while many people point to Campbell’s statuesque style of play, none of the sacks were a result of holding the ball too long.

On the day, Campbell completed 74 percent of his passes going 17-for-23 for 145 yards and a touchdown. This loss, like the other losses, is not Campbell’s fault.

With the line crumbling in the passing game, the running game suffered and yielded less than 100 yards against a Panthers defense that had allowed 180 per game before facing Washington.

Neither phase of the game was working for the Redskins, which ruined the effort put forth by the defense.

London Fletcher has been a tackling machine, DeAngelo Hall has created a couple of turnovers, Carlos Rogers hasn’t been scorched by the opposition and the defensive line has come closer and closer to producing a big sack day.

The Redskins defense forced and recovered a fumble on Carolina’s first play of the game. That ultimately led to a 10-yard touchdown pass to Portis, which was the first opening drive touchdown for the Redskins since last season and the first touchdown for Portis since the final game of last season.

The Redskins defense got to Jake Delhomme three times and intercepted one pass, but the offense’s lack of movement wasted the opportunities.

In the end, it was the Redskins’ special teams that led to the loss.

Antwan Randle El called for a fair catch on a Panthers punt, but Byron Westbrook, Randle El’s teammate, was pushed into the path of the ball creating a fumble which was recovered by Carolina inside the Redskins 20 yard line.

Carolina promptly scored and completed a two-point conversion, taking a 20-17 lead with nine minutes remaining.

Nine minutes is more than enough time for an offense to regroup and score. Campbell tossed a picture perfect pass right over Devin Thomas’ shoulder as Thomas sprinted down the left sideline.

Thomas dropped the ball and two plays later the Redskins punted.

The story of the year for the Redskins thus far. They are always a dropped pass or a penalty away from a game-changing play, but they can’t distance themselves from the costly holding calls and lapses of focus on the field.

Next week, Kansas City comes to Washington in a game neither team can afford to lose.

The Chiefs are 0-4 and coming off of a valiant effort against the Dallas Cowboys where they lost by just six in overtime. The Chiefs don’t have much going for them, but could and should use the Redskins recent inability to win as motivation to come out with more energy and more fire.

The Redskins are on the final week of the cupcake portion of the schedule.

After the Chiefs, the Redskins face just one team with a losing record in the Oakland Raiders in Week 14. The Redskins face the Giants, Falcons, Broncos, Chargers, and Saints once, as well as the Eagles and Cowboys twice.

If the Redskins lose against Kansas City, they will almost assuredly lose to nearly everyone else they have left on their schedule. The Redskins should feel lucky to have salvaged two wins thus far.

It doesn’t matter who is to blame for the poor performance the Redskins are guilty of through the first five weeks of the season.

There is plenty of cause for concern even this early in the season, and the Redskins can ill afford to deflect the blame for their ineptitude any longer.

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Sherman Lewis Brings Experience and Championships to Washington Redskins

Jim Zorn finally admitted his weaknesses in running the offense when he brought in Sherman Lewis as an offensive consultant.

For those of you who do not know who Sherman Lewis is, he had coaching roles on two Super Bowl winning San Francisco 49ers teams and another with the Green Bay Packers. In short, Lewis knows what he is doing in the NFL.

More importantly than his championship pedigree is his experience in the West Coast offense run by Zorn. Zorn’s offensive woes extended through Sunday when the Redskins struggled to move the ball and score points against a reeling Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that had just been shut out by the New York Giants.

Hiring Lewis doesn’t mean the Redskins will erupt in a flurry of offensive prowess come Sunday.

It also marks a reunion of Mike Holmgren disciples. Holmgren was the coach of the Super Bowl winning Packers team that Lewis was the offensive coordinator, and was the head coach in Seattle where Zorn was the quarterback’s coach.

Perhaps Lewis’ presence could entice Holmgren to consider being the GM for the Redskins come next season. That is best saved for another time, and maybe another dimension where Daniel Snyder cares about building a real team.

Either way, having Lewis to bounce ideas off of and help to improve his general approach to running the offense can’t hurt the team’s chances of winning.

Zorn has proven his offense is capable of success, but only when the ball is between the 20s and there are only seven minutes left in the game. Lewis will likely help Zorn strike a balance with the pass and the run, which has been lacking in Washington.

The Redskins’ offense has shown signs of life and the potential to be a high powered offense, but those moments are often marred by costly penalties and critical mistakes.

If Lewis’ presence can also instill some discipline in the Redskins offense, perhaps the best is yet to come as so many players have alluded to. With three Super Bowl rings to his credit, Lewis must have done something right as a coordinator.

Redskins fans will have to wait and see what impact Lewis’ input makes on the offense, because nothing with the Redskins is ever a quick fix.

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Washington Redskins Rumors Abound, but Jim Zorn Is Here for the Year

Redskins fans across the nation seem to have united under the banner of ousting Jim Zorn from the head coaching job and out of Washington all together. With Dan Snyder as the owner, the action to relieve Zorn of his duties is not out of the question.

It is, however, a stretch of the imagination these days.

Since attempting to revive the good ol’ days by bring Joe Gibbs out of retirement, Snyder has been less meddlesome in his team duties. He still reels in the big names from free agency, like Albert Haynesworth this year and all-around blunder signings of Adam Archuleta and Brandon Lloyd.

But he isn’t as prone to irrational firings these days, which bodes well for Zorn and only enrages fans.

It is highly unlikely that Zorn will lose his job in the beginning or middle of the season. There is far too much left to unfold with the rest of the season, but barring some miraculous turnaround in his or Blache’s playcalling, the end of the season will be the end of his head coaching days in Washington.

For years Redskins fans have been calling for Snyder to keep his nose on the business end of things and let football minds run the team and it never happens. And the one time everyone wants Snyder to intervene, he decides against it.

Snyder has said himself that axing Norv Turner in the middle of the season so many years ago was one of the worst moves he ever made.

Not that Turner was lighting the league up, but it threw the team into chaos that has yet to subside some 10 years later.

A mature and wiser Snyder is turning out to be the fans’ worst enemy. Even though it appears Zorn is safe for the time being, it hasn’t stopped fans from speculating the next potential head coach.

Of course, fans are still wary about the likelihood of a Bill Cowher, Mike Shanahan, Mike Holmgren, or John Gruden taking control of team. Even with the noted change in Snyder’s approach to team activities, it is unknown whether or not he will relinquish the personnel decisions to his next candidate.

That is the one caveat to coaching the Washington Redskins that will hold the franchise back as long as it stands. As head coach, it is understood that Snyder is going to have a say in every decision that affects the team.

If Snyder wants to win he will have to remove himself from personnel decisions beyond signing their paychecks. And even then he needs to be less generous to individuals that are brought on to the team.

Snyder has earned the right to run the team as he sees fit, but aside from Jerry Jones and Al Davis most owners in the NFL leave the football decisions to the football people.

You can be a fan of your team without feeling compelled to run it like a fantasy team.

Until further notice, Zorn is the head coach and will be calling the plays. Fans will once again have to sit through a sub-bar product on the field. Unless something is done to change the culture of the team it will be run by the prima donnas and paycheck players.

Whatever coach ends up with the job next season will have to put players in their place for the sake of the team or he will be run out of town on a rail like so many others before.

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Jim Zorn Is Out of His League As Redskins’ Head Coach

The Redskins evened their record at 1-1 with their underwhelming defeat of the visiting St. Louis Rams. A win is a win in the NFL, but a 7-9 win over the worst team in the NFL raises questions for the team.

It is difficult to place the blame on any one player or coach so early in the year because there are plenty of games left to play.

That being said, if Jim Zorn doesn’t step up his red-zone play calling, the Redskins are never going to beat the better teams in the NFL.

Pete Prisco wrote in his Week Two grades that “Jason Campbell was efficient, but he didn’t make it happen in the red zone.”

There is no doubt that Campbell was efficient against the Rams, completing 23 of 35 for 242 yards, but claiming he came up short in the red zone is absurd.

In the four red-zone appearances, Zorn called five passes to nine runs. Four of the passes were thrown by Campbell, and one by Clinton Portis.

All of Campbell’s throws reached the end zone, two were off target and the other two were dropped. Two touchdown passes were dropped, one by Devin Thomas the other by Mike Sellers.

Jim Zorn didn’t call a single pass play in the red zone after the first quarter.

He did call a halfback option for Portis, who overthrew Chris Cooley in the end zone.

Zorn’s playcalling seemed to shy away from the passing game despite Jason Campbell having led several drives to the red zone through the air.

In 18 games as head coach for the Redskins, Zorn’s offense has scored 20 or more points on seven occasions. Of those seven outings, only two of the opposing defenses ranked in the top 10 for NFL defenses.

Jim Zorn may be heading into his final 14 games as head coach of the Washington Redskins. Sadly enough, if he goes, so does Jason Campbell.

Jason Campbell has performed to the best extent that Zorn’s play calling has allowed him. He has no room to make mistakes that other quarterbacks have. Zorn’s lack of trust in Campbell will be his and Campbell’s downfall.

If Zorn does intend on keeping his job, he needs to adjust his play calling in the red zone to incorporate less trickery and more consistency.

The team drafted Malcolm Kelly, Fred Davis, and Devin Thomas for a reason, and that reason is the red zone.

Why haven’t we seen it yet?

When it comes down to it, Zorn is simply out of his element. He is a quarterback’s coach who fell into a head coaching job. He can’t be blamed for the position he is in, but he can certainly do a bit more with it than he has been.

The Redskins will be in for a rough season if Zorn insists on putting handcuffs on Jason Campbell. He needs to give Campbell room to adjust plays and make mistakes.

Campbell can’t learn from mistakes he isn’t allowed to make.

Jim Zorn’s days as head coach are indeed numbered. Daniel Snyder is an impatient man and will not hesitate to oust Zorn in favor of a different coach.

Just ask Norv Turner.

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Mandatory Optimism: 10 Predictions for the Washington Redskins

The regular season begins on Thursday with Pittsburgh facing Tennessee. The Redskins regular season doesn’t kick off until Sunday, where they will face the New York Giants.

With the approaching regular season comes a bevy of predictions for the season and for each team. This is a prediction for the Redskins.

The Redskins are a bit of an enigma at this point in time and could be a surprise team from the NFC or sink into their slump of mediocrity. These predictions do not cover the latter.

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San Diego Chargers’ Shawne Merriman Charged Off the Field

There is something wrong with Shawne Merriman.

He came into the NFL with a ton of hype, and has lived up to every ounce of it. In the last three years, however, he has found himself in hot water.

After a stellar rookie season where he totalled 10 sacks, he earned Defensive Rookie of the Year. His second season was just as productive, but was tainted by controversy: During that 2006 season, Merriman accumulated 17 sacks in just 12 games. He was suspended by the league for four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, having tested positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone.

He claimed the positive test was the result of a tainted nutritional supplement. Since the suspension ended, there has been little talk of the infraction.

He managed to make it through the 2007 season without incident, once again putting up double-digit sack numbers and stepping into a leadership role for the Chargers’ defense.

Then, Merriman tore ligaments in his knee. He played in only one game in 2008.

With last season a less-than-fond memory for Merriman, it is safe to assume he is hard at work trying to get back on the field to make up for lost time.

I don’t call hooking up with reality show personality Tila Tequila hard work.

It was reported on September 6 that Merriman had been arrested and charged with battery and false imprisonment after he choked and restrained his supposed girlfriend Tila Tequila.

Being a student at the University of Maryland myself, I want nothing but the best for the former Terrapin, but I have to call some of his career decisions into question. In spite of his numerous charitable actions for various communities, Merriman hasn’t done much to set a good example off the field.

No matter the excuse, he tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug during a season in which he produced his best numbers.

Nothing can possibly excuse his actions towards Ms. Tequila (real name Tila Nguyen) and Merriman could find himself in hot water with hard-nosed commissioner Roger Goodell.

A word of advice to Shawne Merriman: learn to prepare your own nutritional supplements and never ever date Tila Tequila. Both are sure fire ways to keep out of trouble and off the police blotter.

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Jason Campbell Quiets Critics with Great Performance

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Preseason football does not count. A win in August does not hold any bearing on a loss in October. But just because it doesn’t count doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter. Jason Campbell is putting the time for mistakes to good use.

In the first two preseason games, Campbell had only completed four of his 13 completions and thrown no touchdowns. Chase Daniel threw for two touchdowns in the win over the Steelers last week. With Campbell under center the starting offense scored a whopping three points in two weeks.

In those two weeks, Campbell managed to avoid pressure when it closed in on him; he made some decent reads, but didn’t hit open targets as noted by his one for seven performance against the Steelers.

Nothing Campbell has done in the first two preseason games has gone towards making a case for his role as the starting quarterback.

Then he took the field against the Patriots.

From the opening snap, Jason Campbell showed great poise and patience in the pocket and made good throws over the course of an opening drive march down the field for the first touchdown of the game.

The second quarter is where Campbell really showed what he is made of.

On another lengthy drive, Campbell hit some short passes early on before finding Chris Cooley open down field for what would become a 73 yard completion. The drive seemed destined to stall in the red zone as the offense was penalized for an illegal shift.

Jason Campbell, not one to be rattled, lined up for a third and goal and dropped back for another pass. Derrick Dorsey stepped up in the pocket and threw a tremendous block on a blitzing Patriot giving Campbell room to roll to his left and assess the receivers looking for room in the end zone.

Campbell looked at all three receivers vying for position in the end zone and didn’t see anything he liked. Linebacker Paris Lenon stepped up towards Campbell looking to put the quarterback on the ground. Campbell turned his shoulders just enough to throw a pump fake at the closing defender, which made Lenon jump in an attempt to stop the pass he surely thought was coming his way.

With the defender in the air and a clear path to the end zone, Campbell brought the ball down and ran it in himself.

Touchdown Redskins!

Preseason or not, Jason Campbell showed every reason why Redskins fans should have a little faith in him as their starting quarterback. He showed poise in the pocket, made quick reads and accurate throws. He looked down field and made some deep throws that kept a couple of drives alive and ultimately set up both touchdown drives in the first half. He didn’t throw an interception and took a big hit at the close of the first half.

Campbell was 11 of 19 for 190 yards and a rushing touchdown in the first half.

In the second half, Campbell and the starters made a single series appearance which ended in a punt. Campbell completed a couple of passes, but nothing spectacular.

Taking the first half into account, I dare you to find something wrong with his stat line. He would have had better numbers if not for a couple of drops by receivers, one by none other than Santana Moss.

There is bound to be at least one person, some sports radio DJ or football analyst that will criticize Campbell for some infinitesimal mistake or technical “hitch” despite his impressive showing. I would just like to highlight how well Campbell took advantage of the deficiencies the Patriots’ secondary.

Many of Campbell’s critics are quick to talk about how he doesn’t make decisions quick enough and he holds the ball too long, neither of which were on display in this dame.

Aside from Campbell, there were plenty of bright spots on the offensive side of the ball for Washington. Malcolm Kelly made some good catches and had some nice yards after the catch. Devin Thomas looked good returning kicks and making a couple key catches on some early drives.

The biggest thing that stood out about the offense was the use of Chris Cooley over the middle and on deep routes. Last season he caught a ton of passes but wasn’t utilized to the best of his potential. He didn’t show up in red zone situations in the game against the Patriots, but he is being used more effectively than last season.

As with any preseason game, nothing is perfect. There is plenty of room for improvement and the starters will have the remainder of the preseason to do just that. The defense was less than stellar against Tom Brady and the Patriots starters. The secondary looked bad on Randy Moss’ pair of touchdown catches inside the 30.

The defensive line put adequate pressure on Brady, with Albert Haynesworth landing a big hit on Brady which was ultimately Brady’s last snap of the game. The offensive line kept the pass rush off of Campbell’s back but didn’t open many holes for the running game.

Despite ultimately losing, the Redskins showed a little of what they can do. Jason Campbell stepped up and showed a lot of people exactly why he is and should be the starter.

Surely Todd Collins hasn’t shown he should be the starter and fan favorite Colt Brennan has thrown some costly interceptions, one of which went for a 99 yard touchdown for the Patriots. He did, however, make up for the interception with a deep strike to rookie upstart Marko Mitchell for the score.

Chase Daniel has been lights out in his appearances, but it comes against second and third stringers which is hardly the real deal for the NFL.

With only one more preseason game to go before teams are expected to cut their rosters to 53 by the start of the season, there is still so much that is unknown about this Redskins team. Fans can only wait and see what the team will offer come kickoff week one against NFC East division rival New York Giants.

A Redskins Fan On Redskins Fans

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Going into the 2009-10 season, there are innumerable questions surrounding the Washington Redskins. What will the offense do this year after a mediocre showing last season? Who is going to step up and produce from last year’s draft class? Will Albert Haynesworth play to his contract?

Invariably, with so many questions, fans have their own opinions on their team.

If there is one issue that seems to be on everyone’s mind it is the quarterback position. There is a splinter effect when it comes to the fan base on incumbent Jason Campbell. Some fans are behind him 100 percent. Some fans are calling for Todd Collins. Some fans are calling for Colt Brennan. To each his or her own.

What fans fail to realize is that pulling Jason Campbell from the starting position accomplishes nothing. Let’s go down a few different roads to see how each potential quarterback change might affect the team. Remember, this is all purely hypothetical.

There are the Todd Collins fans out there that recall when he stepped in for the injured Jason Campbell two seasons ago and lead the team to the playoffs. However, there is a fact that those same fans fail to identify. Todd Collins had been with then offensive coordinator Al Saunders for five years prior to his arrival in Washington, as a backup no less.

Collins entered the game with a substantial grasp on the offensive scheme Al Saunders ran and had simply had to step in and go through the motions he had been practicing for so long. Todd Collins is a perfect example of what time inside the same system can do for a player. But with Saunders gone, Collins is out of his comfort zone.

At 37 years of age, Collins is an example of trying to teach an old dog new tricks. He doesn’t have five years as a backup to absorb the offense. And based on reports from training camp, he looks completely out of his element in year two of the Zorn offense.

To all the fans who want Collins in the starting lineup, I ask you this. What good does having a near 40-year-old starting quarterback play in a new offense behind an aging and questionable offensive line do for a team that is still a ways away from being Super Bowl contenders? If future Hall of Famer Brett Favre can’t take a team to the Promised Land, how do you expect a career backup near the end of his career to do any better?

There are the Colt Brennan fans out there that recall what the young gun did in the preseason last year and think he would be the perfect man for the job should Jason Campbell prove he can’t be the starter. However, Brennan came out of the spread offense run at Hawaii, which is historically the worst system for a quarterback to come out and expect to be a starter in the NFL.

His predecessor, Timmy Chang, set most of the collegiate passing records that Brennan broke a short time after. Timmy Chang isn’t in the NFL. Brennan is lucky to have been drafted by the Redskins and Dan Snyder based off his status as a big name player coming out of college.

I will be honest; I like Colt Brennan. I have seen and heard plenty of interviews he has given and find him to be, at the very least, a really good guy. He has all the records and a resume coming out of college that is full of accolades and could potentially set the table for Brennan to be a solid quarterback in the NFL. But I won’t jump on the bandwagon and say he is better suited for the job than Campbell.

Brennan has zero game experience and has worked with and against second and third string players. His outstanding preseason performance came against defenders who were fighting for roster spots or a tryout with another team’s practice squad.

You can argue that we’ll never know what he is capable of until he gets the chance to showcase his talent on the field against real NFL defenses. But if you really want to see him have a chance at success with him, let him sit the year behind Campbell learning the offense. Let Campbell have the season, or the first eight games to cement his position or seal his fate and if the latter proves true, let Collins take the reins.

Colt Brennan’s best chance to start is next season. Barring a great season by Campbell and a trip to the playoffs, it would seem that Campbell is headed for the door in what is the last year of his contract. Brennan will have had last season and this coming season to learn and absorb the offense.

If Campbell is out and Collins is gone given his age, Brennan will then have the offseason to build on what he learned and absorbed over the last two seasons and translate it into timing with receivers and ultimately into a solid on field performance.

The common thread between the two quarterbacks behind Campbell is time. Collins’ time is short, and would be best spent on the final few games if the team is floundering behind Campbell. Brennan needs time to develop into the player everyone seems to believe he already is.

I am not saying Jason Campbell is untouchable. If he comes out in the first half of the season and is abysmal, by all means pull him out. That is only if it is his play that is responsible for the poor on field product.

What if Campbell has 1,700 yards and 12 touchdowns with four interceptions midway through the season, but the team is 2-6? If he is doing his job he can’t be held accountable for the team’s shortcomings, right?

I am not an expert; I do not claim to know everything. What I know is based on what I see on the field and based on statistics that do not lie. In that sense I call them as I see them and what I see is a whole lot of confusion among Redskins fans as to what it takes to be a successful NFL quarterback.

No one likes to hear the old “give Campbell time to prove his worth” line, but what do they think it would take for Brennan to succeed? Time.

 

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