Smoak Signals - Redskins News for Tuesday

[smoak]

Williams's Ties Bind Him to D.C. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/25/AR2008082502867.html)
Williams, 50, has kept a low profile with the Jaguars -- he was hired almost immediately after leaving the Redskins -- and has addressed the Jacksonville media once. But Williams spoke before the start of training camp about his lingering relationships in Washington, his feelings for Snyder and executive vice president Vinny Cerrato (praising both) and his desire to be a head coach again, possibly even with the Redskins. After a traumatic 2007 season, Williams is relishing the relative tranquility of Jacksonville, but not forgetting a player and team that touched him at his core.

:confused:

Taylor Not Ruled Out for Opener, Would Like to Play (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/25/AR2008082502569.html)
One player who may have benefited from the offense's dismal performance in the Carolina loss was incumbent punter Derrick Frost. Frost, who is locked in a battle with sixth-round draft pick Durant Brooks for the starting job, averaged 51.3 yards on eight kicks. He boomed several punts, including a long of 65 out of the back of his end zone early in the first quarter.

"I feel good about it," Frost said of the performance. "Obviously you can always do better, but I feel for the most part, for it only

In the wake of Saturday's loss, Zorn told offensive starters they will play Thursday, a decision with which veterans agreed. "Yeah, no doubt we have to do this," wide receiver Antwaan Randle El said. "With the way we played, it's just the right thing to do."

Its the right call and an encouraging sign from Zorn

Optimistic Landry finally is practicing (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/aug/26/optimistic-landry-finally-is-practicing/)
Coach Jim Zorn has said he hopes to have Landry at full speed by the end of this week. Landry said ready or not, he's going to try when the team starts to prepare for the Giants on Sunday.

"It felt real good [Monday]," Landry said. "I didn't really open it up. The things I did in my normal style of play, it felt real good. I didn't really push it to that level and see if I can sustain it. I was probably out there at about 93 percent."

[smoak]

Taylor relieved after diagnosis (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/aug/26/taylor-relieved-after-diagnosis/)
Defensive end won't push himself to play in season opener

Taylor, who will turn 34 on Monday, has a chance to get back for the opener, but he won't push it to preserve his streak.

"I do want to be back, but I have to be smart, too," Taylor said. "It's a long year. If it's not right, it's just not right."

[smoak]

DAN DALY: Zorn certainly can handle the truth (http://www.washtimes.com/news/2008/aug/26/zorn-certainly-can-handle-the-truth/)

For a soft-spoken type, Jim Zorn sure doesn't pull many punches. I refer to his day-after comments following the 47-3 preseason loss at Carolina, the first Certified Debacle of his head coaching career.

Joe Gibbs, his famed predecessor, would have served us heaping bowls of mush in such circumstances - the kind Coach Joe faced all too often in recent years.


Redskins coach Jim Zorn castigated his players publicly after the team's loss to the Panthers on Saturday night. (Peter Lockley/The Washington Times)

"It all begins with me," he would have said.

"You win as a team, you lose as a team."

"We've just got to work harder - and get back to playing Redskins football" ... and blah, blah, blah.

Anybody got some smelling salts? After four years of Coach Joe's bend-over-backward diplomacy, Zorn's bluntness is like a jolt of cappuccino. And long overdue, if you ask me.

My opinion is that althoguh I despise the author's attempt to go FAR out of his way to get digs in on Gibbs, Zorn's reaction id what the team needs right now. A kick in the pants from their coach. I've always said that a head coach like Gibbs or Reid in Philly doesn't owe the media or fans a damn thing... Now if they are timid and reluctant to place blame in the meeting room, that is A MAJOR ISSUE (my opinion).

[jaylen]

-ahh... Greg Williams still loves us, too bad GW

- My feeling is that Taylor won't be ready by opening game on that surface so see him for the Saints

- media is sold Zorn's media way works me heck no I think Gibbs protected the players and kept them bound tightly, Zorn's way we'll see

- Frost isn't fooling me,I'd cut his butt right now, I have seen him do this before then sart shanking 25 yarders when we need it most in a tight game.Time to move past him.

[redwolf1218]

i find the author's perspective interesting. all he knows of Gibbs is what he saw in front of the media. did anyone hear Chris Cooley on the radio yesterday morning? he said Zorn was calm, almost shocked, like a "deer-in-the-headlights" reaction, but that Gibbs would have reemed them out.

[smoak]

i find the author's perspective interesting. all he knows of Gibbs is what he saw in front of the media. did anyone hear Chris Cooley on the radio yesterday morning? he said Zorn was calm, almost shocked, like a "deer-in-the-headlights" reaction, but that Gibbs would have reemed them out.


See that is what I mean... I think people forget that Gibbs was not "aww shucks" and "my bad" with the camera off. Again, it'll be interesting to see how Zorn responds, but that is a bad sign!!

[jaylen]

i find the author's perspective interesting. all he knows of Gibbs is what he saw in front of the media. did anyone hear Chris Cooley on the radio yesterday morning? he said Zorn was calm, almost shocked, like a "deer-in-the-headlights" reaction, but that Gibbs would have reemed them out.

yeah Zorn looked shook, he seems so well reasoned with everything, Gibbs might not have expressed his angst but he always wore those feelings upfront.

a player saying Zorn was shocked or deer in the headlights doesn't sound good but we'll see. he's so well reasoned when he needs to be motivating.

[shally]

yeah Zorn looked shook, he seems so well reasoned with everything, Gibbs might not have expressed his angst but he always wore those feelings upfront.

a player saying Zorn was shocked or deer in the headlights doesn't sound good but we'll see. he's so well reasoned when he needs to be motivating.

he needs to have a plan B... or plan C...

there will be games like this and he has experienced them both as a qb and as a qb coach...

[SkinsfaninNJ]

he needs to have a plan B... or plan C...

there will be games like this and he has experienced them both as a qb and as a qb coach...

Its a little unfair to judge him on that yet. Often you change to plan B or C at halftime. He hasn't had a game yet where the starters come back after half. Let's hope we can see adjustments we used to see under Gibbs I.

[Skinz4lyfe]

This is all a part of the learning curve for Zorn. I think this is the silver lining of having our rear end kicked. This allows the coach (and players) to figure things out. What did trouble me is how we lost. That's scary. Nevertheless, it is a test to see how we will handle adversity.

[Hrabanmaur]

Its a little unfair to judge him on that yet. Often you change to plan B or C at halftime. He hasn't had a game yet where the starters come back after half. Let's hope we can see adjustments we used to see under Gibbs I.

Hey, maybe he did switch to plan B. We only gave up 13 points in the second half, compared to 34 in the first half. :smash:

[smoak]

Punishments vary for Redskins' putrid performance (http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/08/26/sports/FBN-Woeful-Redskins.php)

The offensive coach's idea of punishment? Make the starters play. The defensive coach? Make the starters not play.

The 47-3 whipping laid on the Washington Redskins by the Carolina Panthers not only made everyone more humble when practice resumed Monday, it produced divergent methods of dealing with it.
Are the linemen getting too old? Are they still having trouble learning Zorn's West Coast passing scheme? Were they affected by the sad news last week that the daughter of position coach Joe Bugel died of cancer? Did they just have an off night?

Zorn, using a word that would make any lineman cringe, said the pass blocking was "soft."

The starting five is a proud veteran group — all are in their 30s — and they gave no excuses Monday after a chewing-out session from Bugel.
Samuels had the most embarrassing moment when he was bull-rushed on a highlight-reel play by Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers, who pushed Samuels into quarterback Jason Campbell and caused a fumble.

"My hands were wide," Samuels said. "That's something I learned in elementary school way back when, tight hands win, and I didn't do that on that one particular play, and he took advantage of it."

Samuels knows the replay will be shown again and again, with hardly a mention of his five Pro Bowl seasons.

"That's the story of my life as an offensive lineman," Samuels said. "You can block a guy 55 times out there, but that 56th time, if he gets by and gets a sack, he had a great game and you didn't. It's as simple as that."

[smoak]

Jags Face Motivated Redskins (http://phi.scout.com/a.z?s=67&p=2&c=783198)


Redskins starting tackle Jon Jansen spoke about Saturday night’s beating—

“It was very disappointing. There’s no hiding that fact. I’m disappointed in myself and everything we did, but the great thing about it is that luckily we’ve got a quick turnaround. We can go back out there on Thursday and try and put it behind us and get ready for the regular season.”

[SkinsfaninNJ]

Jags Face Motivated Redskins (http://phi.scout.com/a.z?s=67&p=2&c=783198)

I'm not sure how I feel about our offensive starters playing, especially it its against the Jags second teamers. If we dominate for a series or two, what have we accomplished? If we don't, does the team go on suicide watch?

[Hr fan]

See that is what I mean... I think people forget that Gibbs was not "aww shucks" and "my bad" with the camera off. Again, it'll be interesting to see how Zorn responds, but that is a bad sign!!

You beat me to it. JG NEVER chewed the team out publically, but this certainly doesn't mean he didn't let the playerws know what the thought of their performance (just ask Bostic et al). Gibbs just didn't use public media for what he considered private, and therefore constructive, criticism. BTW this doesn't mean Zorn's comments are destructive. He singled no one, no part of the team, no part of the organization out. He merely stated the obvious. Making a big deal of the difference between "it (failure) starts at the top with me" and Zorn's we stunk tonight (failure) is very picky, and IMO doesn't open a whole new era of communication. The article is trying to get something going. I hope this attempt fails.