WHEN HE RETIRED as
Since Gibbs seems to be the only person Daniel Snyder deigns to listen to, Gibbs should make a phone call to Ashburn today. His message should be this: Don't give up on Jim Zorn and Jason Campbell just yet.
OK, beating the Raiders isn't enough to save anyone's job. And maybe in his mind, Snyder has already fired both his coach and his quarterback and is simply waiting until the end of the season to make it official.
But considering the myriad problems the Redskins have to fix in the off-season--and Snyder's notorious impatience to win--is it really worth it to start from scratch yet again?
When he was hired, Zorn said he expected his players to become truly familiar with his offense by the end of his second season and to know it by heart by the start of the third. Zorn's not Nostradamus, but he's been proven fairly accurate. Whether he and Campbell get a shot at that third season remains to be seen.
But say this about Zorn: His players haven't quit on him (nor he on them) when each side had plenty of chances to do so.
Just as integrity is defined by what you do when no one is watching, the sign of a professional is how you execute when the outcome is meaningless
In the past month, the Redskins are just 1-3. Zorn has been stripped of his play-calling duties--but, to his credit, he has retained his dignity.
Two of Campbell's five offensive linemen weren't even with the team in training camp; another has changed positions. Campbell also has lost his Pro Bowl tight end and his two top running backs to season-ending injuries.
The schedule in the past four weeks has featured three potential playoff teams (Dallas, Philadelphia and New Orleans) and another (Oakland) that has beaten both the Eagles and Bengals. If ever there was
Instead, the Redskins have scored 30 points in back-to-back games (a first under Zorn). Campbell, finally looking more comfortable with his arsenal, has thrown for 1,076 yards and six touchdowns in the past four games, with a passer rating (88.6) that's higher than his season mark (87.7).
Most of all, the Redskins actually look like a team for a change. Take away a couple of mistakes and
To be fair, it helps to have consummate professionals like London Fletcher, Phillip Daniels and Casey Rabach, all hold-overs from the Gibbs era. They haven't let the Redskins quit when they easily could have.
Two years ago, Gibbs earned praise for keeping the team together after the death of Sean Taylor. The Redskins rallied to win their final four regular-season games and earn
This year's performance isn't as impressive, but it does say something about Zorn and Campbell.
And before he pulls any triggers, Snyder should also think back to 2001. That year, Washington lost its first five games, but rallied to finish 8-8. Rather than building on that momentum, Snyder fired coach Marty Schottenheimer in favor of a big name (Steve Spurrier) and restored Vinny Cerrato's personnel duties.
You know how well that worked out.
Personnel moves are Snyder's prerogative, and Zorn and Campbell haven't set the world on fire in their two years together.
But with a dearth of draft picks and major holes to fill on the offensive line and in the defensive back seven, can the Redskins afford the expensive and time-consuming progress of starting over with a new coach and quarterback?
It's worth thinking about.
Steve DeShazo: 540/374-5443
Email: sdeshazo@freelancestar.com