3 Things the Skins MUST address before Sunday

The Redskins currently sit at 1-2. Yes, they barely beat the Rams. Yes, they lost to the Lions. But in reality they are 1-2 with 13 games to be played. Should the Redskins begin to panic? Of course not, but there are some areas that demand improvement ASAP.

#1: Balance in the offense a.k.a. a running game. This calls for improvements in Jim Zorn's scheme and play-calling, the offensive line's preparation and performance, the passing game's effectiveness and lastly, the play of Clinton Portis.

Where to start? The Skins seem to have as many running plays in their playbook as the old NFL Blitz video game offered. They rely on the strength of the left side of their line anchored by perennial pro bowler Chris Samuels. They use motion and pre-snap movement to create blocking mismatches but rarely do they run anything but an off-tackle or dive left. That's it.

Did anyone watch the MNF game between Dallas and Carolina? Dallas's variety of running plays resulted in numerous carries in which Cowboy RBs went untouched into the 2nd and 3rd level of the Carolina D. Near the goal line, Romo faked the quick pass to the right then handed it off to T. Choice on a draw behind the left guard. Choice ran 5 yards untouched for the score.

Now compare that to anything Washington has run, especially the goal line and 4th down runs in which Portis has been stopped short. Yes, the majority of professional O-lines should be able to gain 1 yard but in reality, the only way the Skins are going to get better play out of their aging unit is through next year's draft. Zorn has to mix it up.

A balanced offense with an improved running game will result in more T.O.P, less reliance on JC and the passing game, and more rest for an old defensive unit that proved its inability to win the 3rd down battle against the Lions. Portis is averaging less than 16 carries a game. Give him the rock Zorn.

#2: Big plays on defense. If I have to hear "Football is a game of momentum" one more time I'm going to relinquish all my possessions and apply for monk-hood. But they're right and the only way to capture momentum is big plays, particularly on defense such as sacks, forced fumbles, INTs and big hits.

The NY game was lost after Osi sacked JC and returned his fumble for a TD. The St. Louis game was won when Horton knocked the ball loose from Ram WR Donnie Avery's grasp. What was missing from the Detroit game? A momentous defensive play.

In 3 games, the Washington defense has recorded 4 sacks, 2 recovered fumbles and 1 INT. Need I say more? Greg Blatche has got to dial it up especially if his unit continues to struggle on 3rd down. The Bucs recently replaced Leftwich with Josh Johnson who has yet to start an NFL game. #98 better be tattooed all over Johnson's jersey when it's over with.

#3: Emotion. Excluding a few names like Samuels, Andre Carter and Fletch, the Redskins seemingly play with none. You want to win the fans back at FedEx this weekend? Get fired up. Get in the faces of your opponent like Sean Taylor used to. Get your teammates hyped up like Marcus Washington used to. Earn that swagger.

Ray Lewis, Adrian Peterson, Dwight Freeney, Joey Porter, Troy Polomalu. All the great ones wear that heart on their sleeve and it's impossible to miss all game, all week, all season. It's contagious. This isn't Hollywood- it shouldn't be on the coach. Pacino's not going to walk in and give you that "Inches" speech from Any Given Sunday. Play with a pulse.

Different team, better numbers, same result

Generally, I'd start this post with statistics that proved Washington's offense to be somewhat successful Sunday in Detroit. But that'd be the third straight week that Zorn's unit underachieved despite marching up and down the field. They find themselves 1-2 having scored only 40 points through 3 games. That's 5th worst in the NFL. But at this point no one cares about stats, we just lost to the LIONS.

No one can truly put a finger on it, otherwise the entire DC surrounding area wouldn't be calling for Zorn's head. The players insist the blame should fall on themselves, citing that their head coaches put them in the best opportunities week in and week out, yet they fail to execute. The fans swear the finger should be pointed at head ball coach and play caller Jim Zorn.

My opinion? Starts at the very top. At first, it appears the Skins have hit rock bottom but in reality, Zorn has begun his coaching career 9-10, the same as his predecessors Gibbs and Spurrier. Don't forget DC was picked to finish last in the NFC East by so-called experts.

In Snyder's almost 11 year tenure as owner the Skins have won the division once and made the playoffs only 2 other times. Snyder has gone through 6 coaches and numerous big-name coordinators. He's fired Vinny Cerrato then brought him back and named him Executive VP of Football Operations only to maintain the underachieving, unmotivated, alleged superstar roster that recently has turned into "Big name, no game central."

Should Zorn be fired? An argument can be made for both sides. Yes, he has all but abandoned the run on a team whose strength seemed to be running. Yes, he's made numerous questionable decisions concerning 4th downs and field position that appear so easy in hindsight. Yes, it appears the increasing pressure of scoring TDs is now affecting his play calling in the red zone.

More than likely in the upcoming weeks, Snyder will lose all patience and Zorn will be replaced as head coach. As a result the team will probably lose the majority of their remaining games and Campbell won't be re-signed in the offseason. What does this mean for Skins fans that accept nothing but instant success and playoff appearances? More disappointment, more roster turnover, more unjustified enthusiasm and more expectations that won't be met.

For those who refuse to accept the truth and honestly believe that the Skins are generally the better team but somehow find a way to continue losing, look around. Only rarely do teams maintain ineptitude: the 49ers, Dolphins, Jets, Broncos, Vikings and Falcons are all on the rise after years of playoff no-shows. But the Skins somehow always find a way to begin every season as a contender and end the season a pretender. Don't believe me? When was the last year Skins fans felt that their team actually exceeded expectations?

As far as a solution goes, I would understand the firing of Jim Zorn despite my belief that he should be allowed to at least finish the season for the sake of Campbell's and the offense's development. I do believe he will be a successful head coach in the NFL one day but it does appear that he lacks the ability to motivate and focus his team right now.

We could all be wrong if the Skins rebound from this loss and play the rest of the season with a chip on their shoulder. But barring a significant change in scheme, execution, and/or results JZ could be gone before the bye week. The only real solution is to round up everyone that actually shows up to win, not work. The players, not those "employed" by Snyder.

This has only happened once in Snyder's tenure when Sean Taylor died and the team finished the season like they had something to fight for, something to prove. It was led by the players, not coaches. Campbell, Portis, Moss, Cooley, Samuels, Griff, Fletch, DeAngelo. The Redskins lack a true leader. It's time someone took responsibility and led this team like a Peyton Manning, or Tom Brady, or Ray Lewis. Otherwise, another bystander will fall victim to the incredibly overrated and unjustified Redskin expectation juggernaut.

Tampa Bay truly has no idea what to expect. Neither do I.

Motor City meltdown... what defense?

22 first downs. 390 total yards of offense. Santana Moss finally showed up and played out of his mind. What the hell happened? For the second time this year the Washington defense could simply not get off the field.

Losers of 19 straight, the Lions - led by their rookie QB - marched down the field on drives of 99, 74 and 86 yards in the first half. 12 plays, 11 plays, 18 plays. Worst part is, on each of those 3 consecutive drives, the lowly Lions assumed possession inside their 7-yard-line. They held the T.O.P. advantage in the first half by 14 minutes! That first half domination was the difference.

I officially owe the Lions offense an apology. I simplified stopping them to merely stopping Calvin Johnson. #81 was more or less held in check but it was everyone else that seemed to take part in the offensive clinic ran on Greg Blatche’s unit Sunday.

Stafford threw for 241 and no INTs. RB Kevin Smith racked up 100+ on a Skins defense that excelled at stopping the run in the first 2 games. Bryant Johnson caught one TD and was involved in a crucial defensive pass interference that put the game out of reach. Efficiency. Props to Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan for completely exposing the Washington D.

So what happened? The Lions ran for 154 yards. They converted 10 of 18 on 3^rd down. Where was Albert Haynesworth? Where was that pass rush? Why is Landry seemingly nonexistent in run support? How could Stafford be allowed to scramble for 21 yards on a pivotal 3^rd and long?

Greg Blatche was simply outcoached. The Redskins were outplayed. They rose to the occasion in the last 2 weeks but became complacent and overlooked a Lions offense that unofficially passed the torch for Most Embarrassing Franchise Sunday afternoon. It’s the unheralded players like Horton, Fletch and Doughty that show up every week they’re called upon. The aura of superiority placed on big names like Haynesworth, DeAngelo and Landry needs to be reevaluated at the end of the season.

MVP goes to Fletch. He led the Skins with 16 tackles, one for a loss. He laid the lumber on more than one occasion. More importantly, he never missed an assignment. If only the same could be said for the rest of his teammates.

Bad, bad loss. It will be interesting to see if someone from the defense steps up and takes responsibility knowing what kind of hostility Jim Zorn, and most likely Jason Campbell, will face in the next few days.