Shanahan meets Czarniak

"Mike Shanahan appears to be smitten with Lindsay Czarniak."

Biggest comeback of the year: Dan Snyder

January 6, 2010. Snyder should mark it down on his calendar. For the exact opposite reason, so should we.

Wednesday marked the day Redskin fans could no longer blame their beloved owner Daniel Snyder.

It actually began December 17th when he forced his long-time sidekick Vinny Cerrato to resign. Overnight he hired Bruce Allen, son of the George Allen, and slapped the unfamiliar GM tag on him.

Following the season finale, Snyder officially relieved Jim Zorn of whatever command the P.B. (punching bag... or more accurately, poor bastard) realistically had left. And two days later, he gave every Redskin fan exactly what he/she wanted when he lured two-time Super Bowl winning head coach Mike Shanahan out of retirement to lead their franchise.

Assuming Snyder hands over all the keys to Bruce Allen from this point forward, Allen and Shanahan are now fully responsible for whatever direction this once-proud Washington football franchise decides to go.

Here's what's on their plate just six days into this offseason:

1. Assemble a coaching staff. It's safe to assume the entire offensive staff will be gone; Bugel will likely hang it up and Shanahan's son, Kyle, will likely replace 2009's three-headed play-calling nightmare. Will Jerry Gray relieve Greg Blache as defensive coordinator? Is special teams coordinator Danny Smith safe?
2. Jason Campbell. Thumbs up or thumbs down?
3. Health, durability, mileage, work ethic, attitude, team chemistry, the future. Can/should we deal Portis?
4. Who do we take with the fourth overall pick? Offensive line? Quarterback? Running back?

Task number four will most likely decide the fate of the recently introduced duo.

In any case, whoever Allen and Shanahan decide on to be their first pick of the new era in Washington, one thing's for sure: you can't blame Snyder.

Congrats Dan. You can finally put your feet up and take your finger off the trigger for a few seasons.

Over and out

Jim Zorn, head coach for the last two seasons, was officially let go Monday shortly after the team returned from San Diego.

Surprise, surprise. Possibly the most foreseeable firing since Forrest Gump caught Tricky Dick's men snooping inside the Watergate.

Unreasonable football expectations in Washington have struck again aka what have you done for me lately? Lately, Zorn's 6-18. Nice guys don't always finish last but when they finish last in Washington they're axed.

Did he deserve better? Probably so. Did he deserve the job in the first place? Probably not. He originally agreed to be the offensive coordinator in Washington after serving as quarterbacks coach in Seattle, the standard route for offensive minds in the coaching business. But Snyderrato sabotaged Zorn's future and the entire Redskin franchise when they prematurely promoted him to head honcho after failing to hire a big name.

Prior to the season, Redskin pundits tied Zorn's fate in Washington to Campbell. As it turned out, Vinny's fate in Washington was tied to Zorn. As a consequence, Vinny's been left out of Washington's "new direction."

Zorn's legacy in Washington will no doubt be headlined by blown leads, confused looks, and a hideous trick play that failed miserably at the Meadowlands. However, he was directly responsible for the unmistakeable development of Jason Campbell despite implementing an offense that failed to play to his strengths.

Zorn also deserves credit for rising above the controversy and deceit that surrounded him in the worst years of the Vinny Cerrato era. But mainly, I'll remember Jim Zorn for his unwavering commitment to the job despite the countless sucker-punches thrown his way by those around him.

Zorn might have failed as head coach in his first go-round; the numbers don't lie. However, he succeeded unlike most during the Snyder era by epitomizing a true professional. He never pointed fingers, he never made excuses, and he never gave up.

Just three years ago, Zorn helped develop Matt Hasselbeck into a pro bowl quarterback under Mike Holmgren in Seattle. Surprisingly, Holmgren just came out of retirement to take the GM job in Cleveland and if all the pieces fall where they should, the Browns (NOT the Redskins) will be selecting a QB with their top 10 pick come April.

Sounds like someone's in need of a knowledgeable tutor to develop either Clausen or Bradford. Who's to say Zorn couldn't eventually be El Padrino under Holmgren in a few years if brought along appropriately?

Somewhere, nervous as ever, Dan Snyder is praying that never happens.