Redskins Training Camp Day Twenty-Two - The Headset Fits

So far so good guy

Sunday 10 August 2008

Jim Zorn is getting comfy quickly in his new chair. Never before a pro level play caller, much less a head coach, Jim Zorn is bringing a sensibility this team has lacked for some time: fuck it let's play football. He again called all the plays against the Bills, even pulling out a few in reserve for special occasions, including Todd Collins' second quarter swing pass to Ladell Betts that, with excellent downfield blocking from Jason Fabini and Marcus Mason scored a touchdown. Hey coach is that a wild card in your pocket or are you just happy to be here?

Let us hope the Redskins are truly preparing for the regular season and not simply learning how to win in preseason. I'd hate to see the Redskins go 5-0 in preseason and then open the season 0-5.

Matt Terl has notes from coach Zorn's Sunday press conference. An interesting tidbit that I wonder if will continue through the regular season: coach Zorn says one of the reasons he did not light it up with big downfield passes was that the team did not have to with the running game working so well. If this notion is compatible the Zorn Philosophy then Jim Zorn will be happy here, that is how you run the west coast offense in Washington, as opposed to how Andy Reid runs it in Philadelphia, now granted Jason Campbell is not the same type of quarterback as Donovan McNabb even though they are both black which is beside the point, I think I better just leave it at that, any more I will get in trouble.


In Quarterback Hills Jason Campbell is at an 80% clip with a TD and no INTs (ibid.). So much for that old saw too many systems in too many years for Jason. Not that preseason is a great measure of regular season performance, Jason Campbell had 11 interceptions and 13 fumbles last season in 12 games and a start last season.


In Receiver Estates Anthony Mix will miss a week or so after cracking a rib in last night's preseason win over the Bills. This gives Billy McMullen (Wahoowa!) more room to excel. Rich Tandler is moving this competition over toward Billy.


In the quaint hamlet of Offensive Line backup center Justin Geisinger and rookie third round draft pick offensive guard/tackle Chad Rinehart got good reviews from coach Jim Zorn (ibid. and op. cit.). Currently left guard Pete Kendall is listed as the backup center on the official depth chart, this could be Justin's spot to take. Last season center Casey Rabach aka Casey Nutsach missed one game with a groin injury suffered against the Packers, reserve lineman Mike Pucillo started at center in place of Casey that week, Mike had back problems and was put on IR at the end of last season and was not re signed when his contract expired.


In Tailback Terrace Jim Zorn still <3 Clinton Portis (ibid.). It is becoming obvious, and I wonder when writers like Jason La Canfora and the other made guys as well as the littles like us pond scum bloggers talk about Marcus getting nabbed by another team if they cut him with intent to place him on the practice squad, does that help establish the conventional wisdom? Or are the quote football guys unquote around the league already on to Marcus. (Note to Matt Terl: there's Curly R's question for director of player personnel Scott Campbell)


On Injury Island, LaRon Landry (hamstring) and Devin Thomas (hamstring and not enough wind to push a greased string through a rat's ass) are expected to play next week against the Jets. They have not played yet in a preseason game. Safety Chris Horton (colon infection, ewww) and Rock Cartwright (rib injury, wait what?) should also be back by the Jets game. Receiver Malcolm Kelly (knee) will start some light work this week and linebacker HB Blades (knee), defensive end Erasmus James, who was activated from the PUP list today, and offensive tackles Stephon Heyer (knee) and Todd Wade aka Big Head Todd aka 8 Ball, cornerback Carlos Rogers and linebacker Rocky McIntosh (both recovering from gruesome knee injuries Carlos Rocky) are all out at least another week (all op. cit.).


Subbing for the vacationing Lee Gibbons, Brian Mulholland at Hog Heaven reviews the linebackers, a good newbie kind of post.

The Fun Bunch wakes up from a two month slumber and predicts Redskins Super Bowl.

Blogger Chris Cooley thinks Sammy Baugh is dead. He caught himself and atoned in his own comments, props for not eliminating the error but Chris, it is good blogging form to put the text for correction in strikethrough, update the post adjacent to the error and then credit the source of the correction, here are your tools: strikethrough is <> to open, < /s > to close, take out the spaces between the brackets and the tag. The hat tip, abbreviated h/t, is the appropriate credit, with a link to the comment with the correction. Later Chris pines for Olypmic football.

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Redskins transactions of note

Activated from phyiscally unable to perform list: defensive end Erasmus James, continuing a long recovery from 2006 ACL and MCL injuries (op. cit.).



Jim Zorn: Dean Rutz / Seattle Times from here.