Redskins Ban Signs and Some T-shirts at Fed Ex Field

In order to avoid televisions cameras from catching signs and T-shirts that are critical of management, the Redskins organization has banned all signs and started to demand that offending T-shirts be removed.

In a live chat today with Post reporter Dan Steinberg, one commenter wrote:

At half time, I went down to the concessions area to get a beer and a dog. Of course, the crowd was once again getting restless at the lack of productivity we were seeing on the field. Standing two rows away from me in line, were two middle aged men. One wore a T-shirt that read "Fire Snyder", the other's said "Fire Vinny".

It wasn't long after standing there that the men were surrounded by close to a dozen people wearing yellow security jackets. The conversation between them and the two men escalated quickly as security asked the men to remove their shirts. Of course the men refused, and one stated that he had been a season ticket holder for 26 years. The conversation continued to get heated and before you knew it 6 or 7 armed security officers formed a circle around the layer of yellowed jacketed security officers.

"Sir, you're about to lose those season tickets if you don't take off that shirt" is what he was told. I don't know what got into me but I had seen enough and had to speak up. This was beyond absurd! I cut across a crowd of people, entering the circle of security.... I said " these guys should be able to wear whatever they want! What the hell is going on? What the hell is this? Communist Russia??? ".

I was quickly greeted with a stern warning to not interfere and a shove in the chest that sent me back a few feet. A few minutes later, the men were escorted out of the area and a security woman approached me with an explanation about their actions. "Look, I know what you're saying, and I can't say that I don't agree with you, but I'm a part-time teacher and this job is my Holiday money"...."upper management told us to come up here and ask these men to remove their shirts and I can't lose my job, so I'm doing it."

I decided then and there that I would NEVER again set foot in Fed Ex Stadium as long as Dan Snyder was the owner. The way I saw people being treated for voicing their opinions on this night embarrassed me as a Redskin fan, a Washingtonian, and as an American. These sort of totalitarian strong arm tactics are downright shameful and I needed to let others know about it.

Profootballtalk.com has picked up the story and has a post of its own.

Cerrrato Says Zorn Won't Be Fired this Season

Yesterday morning, on his radio show on Sports Talk 980, Redskins Exec VP of Football Operations Vinny Cerrato said Jim Zorn would not be fired this year:

Per the AP: "Jim Zorn will remain the Washington Redskins coach 'for the rest of this season and hopefully into the future..."

This statement by Vinny, and his ensuing ridiculous and patently unbelievable explanation of how the play calling duties ended up with Sherm Lewis, set off a firestorm with local sports media.

What did it mean? Was Vinny sincere? Was it all a media ploy by Snyder? Was Gibbs behind this?

Here's what I think - the guarantee came from Cerrato and is only valid if Cerrato sticks around, which as Jessica has pointed out on this site earlier - his days may be numbered. I think Cerrato knows that he and Zorn's fates are intertwined at this point. The only way Cerrato sticks around is if Zorn stays or Cerrato somehow manages to buy enough time to convince Snyder that his fate shouldn't be Zorn's fate.

I think Cerrato is sincere - for once. I think as far as Vinny is concerned Zorn will be the coach for the rest of the year. The bad news for Cerrato and Snyder, however, is that if the Skins continue to lose it won't be Cerrato's decision. Unless they can turn things around in the next couple of weeks, Cerrato and Zorn may be shown the door in Ashburn.

Are We Going to See a Gibbs III?

Another day, another Redskins rumor. Lord knows how the players or coaches are managing to focus on winning Monday night's game.

The new rumor: Joe Gibbs is considering a return to the Redskins to function as a General Manager. While Gibbs is a coaching legend, selecting talent was not his strong suit. Remember Brandon Lloyd and Adam Archuleta? By his own admission, Gibbs also fought strongly against signing Joe Jacoby.

From PFT:

As the Washington Redskins continue to quickly unravel, the man who delivered the team's only three Super Bowl trophies could soon be coming back.

Again.

There's a rumor making the rounds that two-time former head coach Joe Gibbs could be returning in a role similar to the one occupied by Bill Parcells in Miami. Gibbs would be responsible for hiring a G.M. and a head coach, and otherwise stabilizing the franchise without grinding away as a head coach.

We reported earlier this month that owner Daniel Snyder still consults with Gibbs, and that the two men had dinner in Charlotte the night before the Redskins' loss to the Panthers.

For now, it's just a rumor. And it possibly flows from the fact that it makes a lot of sense.

Then again, the fact that it makes so much sense probably means it won't happen.

Is Cerrato on the Hot Seat?

Mike Florio of Profootballtalk.com has an intriguing post that Vinny Cerrato's fate is intertwined with that of Jim Zorn. And unless cows start flying soon, Zorn is going to be fired. So could that mean that Cerrato will also be fired?

For the vast majority of fans who are asking for a front-office shakeup, firing Cerrato would be a silver lining to the almost unbearable state of the franchise. From Florio's post:

Redskins fans, there might be signs of hope in D.C., after all.

We're hearing that there's a strong belief within the Redskins organization that the fates of coach Jim Zorn and V.P. of football operations Vinny Cerrato are tied together.

So if/when Zorn goes, Cerrato could be dumped, too. (There's a chance Zorn would go after the Eagles game next Monday, and that Cerrato wouldn't be fired until after the season ends.)

That might help explain why Zorn and Cerrato will decide tomorrow who'll call the plays for the rest of the year. And why Zorn didn't simply refuse to give up his play-calling function.

Firing Cerrato would be such a positive for the franchise that it would take the sting out of what is shaping up to be a possible 2-14 season. In fact, I would gladly toss away the season to get rid of Cerrato as the team needs to move on, the sooner the better.

Skins Lose to Chiefs, Zorn Relieved of Play Calling Duties

I have to admit, that in some sick pathetic way, losing is getting easier to handle. Earlier this year, and in year's prior, a Skins loss at home to a winless Chiefs team would have ruined my weekend and caused me to avoid listening to sports radio or watching ESPN for days. Now, not so much. The losing, because of its frequency and its magnitude, is apparently becoming easier every week.

The Skins-Chiefs game was one of the worst games I have ever watched. Two pathetic teams playing in front of a half empty stadium. The highlight of the game for Skins fans was watching QB Jason Campbell get benched at the start of the second half. Alas, the Todd Collins era looked a lot like the Jason Campbell era - boring and ineffective.

On the same day that the Patriots put 59 points on the board, the Skins could only manage 7 first downs and 6 points against the 32nd ranked Chiefs defense.

Last night we learned Zorn had been relieved of his play-calling duty. This morning we learn that former Green Bay offensive co-ordinator Sherman Lewis (hired recently as a "fresh set of eyes") will call the plays. I am happy Zorn got stripped of his play calling duty. Then again, I would be happy to see Zorn drawn and quartered at this point. Quite honestly, it probably wont make a difference. This is just a temporary half-step. When we lose to the Eagles next week (and we will lose), Zorn will get relieved of all of his duties.

The season is lost. Time to rebuild.

Game Day: The End of the Road

So this week is the end of the road for the Skins schedule. At least the part of the schedule that was supposed to be a cake walk. With the exception of the Giants, who we faced in week 1, the rest of the cream puffs on our schedule (St. Louis, Detroit, Tampa Bay, Carolina and now KC), were supposed to give the Skins a chance to jump out to a quick start. If this team were half the team folks thought it was at the beginning of the year, we should be sitting at 4-1 heading into this week - poised to move to 5-1 before we take on the Eagles.

Alas, we aren't 4-1. Heck we aren't even 3-2. We are a pathetic 2-3, having lost games to the otherwise winless Lions and Panthers, and to be honest - we could be 0-5 right now. We barely squeaked out wins over the Bucs and Rams.

This week is the end of the road for this Skins team. The last truly winnable game on the schedule until we face the Raiders in the closing weeks. Realistically folks, we could be looking at a 3 or 4 win team here for the season.

I have said it before, and I will say it again. Blow it up. If you know Zorn wont be here next year then can him. If you know Campbell wont be back, then trade him. If you think Portis is done, then show him the door. If we are going to be a 3 win team lets get our youngsters out on the field. Lets see Anthony Alridge at RB, lets see Marko Mitchell at WR, lets see what the future holds for this team.

I Should Have Stayed in Witness Protection

This picture was taken on Sunday. You can tell by the smiles that this picture was taken before the Skins embarrassing meltdown and loss to Carolina. This picture of my partner and I (thats me on the right) was taken at the Legends sports bar outside of Akron, OH.

I have to tell you that its hard enough to watch the Skins lose, even harder to watch them squander a 15 point lead in route to a loss to the win-less Panthers, but nothing compares to the shame, disgust and public humiliation that is involved in watching them lose in a sports bar in northeastern Ohio while the once-hapless Bengals beat the Ravens, the Steelers beat the Lions, and even the disastrous Browns pulled out a W over the Bills.

By the end of the 1 PM games, the bar was filled with smiles and high fives as Bengals fans, Steelers fans and even Browns fans celebrated victories. Surrounded by this sea of excitement, our little enclave of Redskins fans was an island of disappointment.

The game was nothing short of pitiful. The play-calling was once again horrific. The 4th and 3 call totally lacked sense. The decision to run Portis around the end that resulted in a safety was moronic.

I don't want to see anymore Clinton Portis. He is done. Completely and totally done. Watching paint dry is more exciting that watching Portis run.

The INT not withstanding, DeAngelo Hall is a bum. His inability to tackle Carolina's totally immobile QB to end the game is beyond explanation.

The offensive line is a nightmare. An inexcusable nightmare. Vinny Cerrato and the rest of the folks responsible to putting together this pathetic o-line should be taken out and publicly beaten.

I don't know what else to say. The season is lost. The only things left that will bring me any joy are the inevitable firing of dipshit Jim Zorn and the much-deserved firing of Vinny Cerrato (if Dan Snyder is finally shamed into 86ing his hand-maiden).

That's it. What happens on the field really doesn't matter any more this year. Let's just blow it up. Blow the whole thing up. Trade away as many veterans as we can. Portis, Campbell, Moss, Randle El, almost anyone on the defense. It's time to start fresh. Load up on draft picks, and rebuild this team, this franchise and this fan base.

Skins Bring in New "Eyes"

The Skins brought in Sherman Lewis to help out on the offense as a "new set of eyes."

Unhappy with the team's offensive production through the first four games, the Washington Redskins made their boldest personnel move since hiring Jim Zorn -- bringing in a consultant to help salvage the coach's embattled offense.

Vinny Cerrato, the team's executive vice president of football operations, said Sherman Lewis, a longtime NFL assistant and offensive coordinator who last coached in 2004, will provide "another set of eyes" for Zorn and his coaching staff.

Lewis was expected to start work at Redskins Park on Wednesday morning, as players begin preparations for Sunday's game at the Carolina Panthers. Speaking to reporters on a conference call Tuesday evening, Cerrato said the hiring was prompted by the team's offensive struggles and that Lewis joins the staff with Zorn's blessing.

Cerrato did not give his second-year head coach a vote of confidence but said the decision to add Lewis, 67, to the staff is not an indictment of any sort on Zorn.

"We have had some struggles and thought that it was a good time to bring in a fresh set of eyes and see if there's anything that the fresh set of eyes saw that could help us," Cerrato said.

The most damning was ex Redskins GM Charlie Casserly's comment:

Charley Casserly, the Redskins' former general manager, said during an appearance Tuesday on Comcast SportsNet's "Washington Post Live," that the move did not bode well for Zorn's future, calling the addition of Lewis a "kiss of death."

We Won - But It Sure Doesnt Feel Like It

Yesterday, the Skins came from behind and beat the hapless Tampa Bay Bucs 16 to 13. The win moves the Skins to .500. A win is a win right? Well it doesn't feel like a win.

QB Jason Campbell had his worst game ever. Throwing three INTs and fumbling the ball once. Four very ugly turnovers. Campbell over threw receivers, under threw receivers and stood in the pocket too long resulting in three sacks (two on a horrible first series that ended in Campbell coughing the ball up on the Skins 10).

RB Clinton Portis once again failed to break the century mark. Sure he got close, rushing for 98 yards - but his yards per carry still was less than 4. This offense is in desperate need of a change of pace back - a RB with some speed who can keep defenses from just stacking 8 in the box (paging Anthony Alridge).

WRs Malcolm Kelly (recently demoted to 3rd on the depth chart) and Devin Thomas failed to catch a single ball.

Once again TE Chris Cooley was one of the only bright spots on the team. Cooley, who leads the team in receptions this year, had five grabs for 65 yards and a TD.

Inexplicably, RB Anthony Alridge and WR Marko Mitchell were on the inactive list for the Bucs game. What the hell is the purpose in carrying a fifth RB if Alridge is just going to be on the inactive list? And after everything he showed in preseason, why does Zorn refuse to put Marko Mitchell on the field? At this point, deactivate Devin Thomas and give the big guy a shot.

Very little has changed since last week. Instead of losing to a bad team on the road, we eked out a win over a bad team at home. The offense still looks dreadful and the play calling continues to mystify.

The schedule Gods have put the winless Panthers and Chiefs ahead of us. Two eminently winnable games. Given the sorry state of our offense, however, both of these are eminently losable games as well.

Revisiting an Article That Panned the Zorn Hire Back in 2008

Not only did Tim Kawakami pan the hiring of Zorn; he thought it was one of the most dumb football decisions ever. He wrote his piece just after Zorn was hired.

I thought I would revisit his article as the Skins slide.

Some tidbits:

It’s OK to hire a head coach without previous play-calling/coordinating experience–Andy Reid, John Harbaugh, John Madden, Jon Gruden (I think) hadn’t yet been coordinators when they were hired as head coaches. The difference: They were all universally believed to be capable of coordinating and on the path to head-coach land.

Not Zorn. Nobody thought that. Whatever nice things they’re saying in Seattle, I can tell you, privately they were not saying those things about Zorn before he left.

I talked to Zorn when he was first getting into coaching on the Seahawks staff and I can tell you that, if first impressions mean anything–and they do–I walked away from that interview thinking, This guy shouldn’t be anywhere near an NFL sideline...
Zorn is the worst: Least prepared, worst communicator, most obvious risk for total failure, right from Day 1.

This one is on the shoulders of Danny and Vinny. Zorn seems like a nice guy but even a reporter who met him once had a more informed view of his limits than did the Skins.