This Is Completely Ridiculous

This is our guy. Get used to it. And he needs a big new contract.

I have a hard time even believing this is an argument, that we are even having this discussion. Apparently there are some numbnuts out there that want to see quarterback Jason Campbell benched either for Todd Collins because he led the Redskins to four consecutive victories and the playoffs last season or Colt Brennan because he looked I don't know, good in preseason?

This is absurd. Jason Campbell is the guy and the team is going to live and die with him. Anyone that thinks the Redskins' struggles the past four games are all on Jason Campbell is simply not paying attention.

Yes there have been problems, the team does not seem inspired, injuries are piling up, age is becoming a factor, the receivers cannot get open, the tight end cannot score, special teams has two weak legs and commits too many penalties and the defense cannot handle a strong running game and passing game simultaneously.

Yes that is all true.

Now go back in your mind to where you were in May...

...Redskins draft all skill players high, don't spend high picks on real needs, hey guys let's jam another offense down Jason Campbell's throat, so raise your hand if you think the west coast offense will work with this team.

Then go back in your mind through September (3-1) and October (3-1). Does November (1-3) spoil all that?

Do you think the Redskins are the team from the first half of the season? Because I do not.

But I do think they can be that team.

Whether it is this month or into next season, let us be honest with ourselves as Redskins fans. Jason Campbell is not a failure, in fact quite the opposite, he has taken huge strides this season.

He has the second fewest interceptions in the league right now, four, and only Jeff Garcia among qualifying quarterbacks has fewer with three, and Jeff has more than one hundred fewer attempts than Jason.

Jason is connecting at nearly a 64 percent clip, good for twelfth right now, and tenth among quarterbacks with 300 or more attempts (which maps to taking roughly all their team's snaps).

Jason is twelfth in passer rating right now, tenth among passers with 300 or more attempts.

Sure it would be great to see more touchdown passes (20th) and yards per game (17th), while we are at the wailing wall let us take a moment to remember what happened last season when Joe Gibbs and the old dudes put Jason out there with no serious position coaching and assumed because he was a professional he would mature on his own. In thirteen games, thirteen fumbles, eight lost, eleven interceptions, 77 passer rating versus 87 this year AND HE HAD THE SAME OFFENSIVE LINE AS THIS YEAR BUT A YEAR YOUNGER.

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It started Monday, after the loss to the Giants. That was the day Vinny Cerrato was on ESPN 980, the hate on Jason talk just came forth. Check out comments on individual Monday threads at the ORB (Official Redskins Blog) here, here, here and here.

Meanwhile Jason La Canfora and the crew (Other Jason and Cindy) at the Washington Post's Redskins Insider were also drawing tons of flak, they were the first to point out Monday that there was no quarterback controversy within the team, a notion echoed that afternoon by Rich Tandler at Real Redskins wh posted up Monday afternoon on the absurdity of the argument against Jason Campbell here (and that is when I knew this was a big deal) and the majority of the 42 comments are supportive of Jason, maybe there is something behind that Blog for Sophisticated Redskins Fans tagline after all.

Jason LaCa had posts on Jason's solid standing and inflammatory reader comments on Jason Campbell Tuesday here and here while at the ORB the unwashed were back at it Tuesday here

The final Redskins Insider word Wednesday is here, more of the same in comments, and Mike Wise at the Washington Post addressed the silliness of the bench Jason movement Wednesday. As usual I resent standard Mike Wise argument that bloggies are somehows meansies because unless I missed something there were no actual Redskins bloggers calling for Jason to be benched (help me out here readers and fellow writers if I missed something). By Wednesday on the ORB the deport Jason movement seemed to have died down.

And NO Wilbert Montgomery, the Redskins will not be doing the Eagles thing and benching the veteran for the young guy out of sheer panic.


Jason Campbell is a solid NFL quarterback with a great future on this team.



Jason Campbell: Getty Images from here.