As we begin the Zorn era, what do you expect of the Redskins?

[DieHard86]

Not embarrassing us? Going .500? Winning records? Winning it all within 3 years?

I say that making the playoffs three or four years straight is not too much to ask.

[BALLz]

My biggest concern is a slow start that ends with Zorn not getting a chance. IMO, no matter the record, Zorn needs to be giving at least a 2 year window. I'd hate to see us stuggle to start the season with a few injuries and some rookie hard times, finish strong but miss the playoffs(paloffs), then see Zorn fired due to final record.

[redskin-one]

I expect the first half of the season to be full of errors (new coach/new system etc....)

Second half of the season - I expect to see consistency and some wins.

Next year I expect them to be competative.

:2cents:

[SkinsHokieFan]

Lets take some baby steps with Zorny

If he has this team at .500 this year and on the upswing towards the end of the season that will be a success

Add 2-4 more wins next year and a home playoff game victory and we will start to roll

Basically, this team needs to become one of those "locks" for the playoffs that NE, SD, Indy have become in recent years

[Decimator]

I think that honestly i'm expecting about the same performance as last year. I don't know why, but I feel we should be building with Zorn, and granted it'll be a totally new offense, but I still think this is the NFL. If anything it should shake up our opponents in the NFC East having to face a different o.

I'd like to see 10 wins, and two playoff wins. I hope that this becomes the norm as well.

[IbleedBnG83]

I think he should be given at least three years to build a team that he needs. The defense is going to be going through a transition and is just as important as the offense. I'm actually more worried defensively than offensively. Why? Well, we have more weapons than ever on offense, even though some are rooks. Two, I think the offense, WHICH WILL BE MORE ORGANIZED AND MODERN, will be better suited to the players we already have. To be honest, I don't think the offense can get worse under Zorn than what it was before. Saunders and Gibbs were all over the place, not on the same page, one calling plays on an even day of the month on the off hour when the moon is at its highest point blah blah blah. There were too many variables. Zorn is in charge. He is calling plays, and making the playbook. He is working with the offense directly and getting players to play his game.

I just hope they can shore up the defense over the next couple of years to buy Zorn more time.

[Lloyd Braun]

Not embarrassing us? Going .500? Winning records? Winning it all within 3 years?

I say that making the playoffs three or four years straight is not too much to ask.

I'd say it is hard to set expectations. It's a new system for the players and the fans. Since Zorn does not have head coaching experience nobody knows his coaching style or tactics. We know the type of system he runs, we just don't know how he prepares for games, approaches play calling or game planning. Maybe be the end of the year we will say, "Now that's Jime Zorn football". Whether it's good or bad remains to be seen. So the expectations are :whoknows:

[DGreenistheBest]

There's so many unknowns that I can't say what my expectations are. I'd like to see 10-6 and a playoff win. But I could see myself being happy with 8-8 and no playoff appearance if its plainly obvious that the team is experiencing growing pains but is on the road to vast improvement.

[IbleedBnG83]

I'd say it is hard to set expectations. It's a new system for the players and the fans. Since Zorn does not have head coaching experience nobody knows his coaching style or tactics. We know the type of system he runs, we just don't know how he prepares for games, approaches play calling or game planning. Maybe be the end of the year we will say, "Now that's Jime Zorn football". Whether it's good or bad remains to be seen. So the expectations are :whoknows:

Honestly, I don't think game planning and play calling will be too much trouble. He has experience studying films and game planning as a successful QB. He has Sherman Smith and Stump Mitchell by his side who have experience playing and coaching. They have been in more modern teams who have been more successful. I think they are bringing in some good tactics and experience to the table.

[PlayAction]

I think he should be given at least three years to build a team that he needs. The defense is going to be going through a transition and is just as important as the offense. I don't think the offense can get worse under Zorn than what it was before. Saunders and Gibbs were all over the place, not on the same page, one calling plays on an even day of the month on the off hour when the moon is at its highest point blah blah blah. There were too many variables. Zorn is in charge. He is calling plays, and making the playbook. He is working with the offense directly and getting players to play his game.

I just hope they can shore up the defense over the next couple of years to buy Zorn more time.

I agree. The offense was totally screwed up from an organizational standpoint. Too many chiefs spoiled it for the team. Zorn has everyone on the same page and there's only one offensive philosophy. He's got the QB that he says he wants to play. Now that Zorn has three new playmakers to help the transition to his offense I expect an improvement in the Offense over Gibbs. That won't necessarily translate into more wins. The defense is not what it was in years 1-2 of Williams. Too many stars are on the downside of their careers. But if everyone can stay healthy the defense may be average.

I don't think there's any way the Skins can be a lock for post season play. The NFC East has too many good teams. I'm hoping for a wild card spot.

[MDRedskinsFan]

I don't see why this team can't go to the playoffs again this year if they stay healthy. 1st year head coaches have been having high success with their teams recently. I think the one that most parallels our situation, is Dallas from last year. Parcells quits, had a playoff team, and built the team for the long haul. They hand it off to Wade Phillips of all people, and they go 13-3 and earn homefield advantage in the NFC East, of all divisions. Now, we don't have Romo sits to pee at QB, but we have the same roster as last year, and now a coach who seems like a "take risks" guy. If Campbell continues to progress, then I see 11-5 in our sights. It's the 2nd year that most 1st year coaches have been struggling, so we'll see what happens.

[trichey]

I think we he a chance depanding the the growth of JC. Hopefully Zorn is working with JC so he can pick up the WCO fast. Plus for some reason I think that our defense will be in the top ten.....

[Emoshag]

Honestly, I kinda got a little out of the box on this and I have a prediction for the first three games....

We will absolutely STOMP the Giants. 34 to 17. We have a HUGE second quarter and all the broadcasters start oooohhh-ing and aaahhhhhh-ing the Skins and praising Zorn. We all get that "Holy ****ing ****!" attitude and get a inflated sense of pride.

Then.....

We lose to the Saints on our turf. 24 to 10. Our defense gets rattled in the third quarter and we lose a lineman to injury. Now everyone is thinking the first game was a fluke and it was just the instinct and raw talent that won the first game. Zorn has one, and only once does it appear, look during the game that hints at confusion and frustration with something and thats what the whole next week the pundits focus on. Ewxpect to hear Schlerith and the ilk say "He is in for a rough road" or "He is in over his head."

The third game against the Cards is a toss up. Could go to overtime, but it is moderately scoring. 17-21 range. I will wager the Skins edge them out, but we look sloppy at parts and leave feeling a little uneasy over aspects of our execution and game plan.

And not once do we call multiple time outs to freeze the kicker. :laugh:

[skindogger47]

If our defense can play ball I see us going 8-7 to 11-5 given our schedule. We are returning all starters on both sides of the ball except Sean, so there's no reason these guys can't come together and win a bunch of games in a new unpredictable offense unless the injury bug hits us again.

[Thirtyfive2seven]

I don't see why this team can't go to the playoffs again this year if they stay healthy.

I don't disagree with you but parity in the league makes it nearly impossible to predict. The cowboys could be a 12 win team again. The Giants could be even better with the confidence they gained at the end of last season. The Eagles could actually play McNabb for an entire season without injury and should be dangerous as well.

That said, it'll be damn hard to win the division. The NFC is only getting stronger. Hard to tell which teams will emerge this coming year.

[HailSkinz1]

I'm hoping we get what we got when Joe Gibbs first arrived in '81. Not necessarily losing our first five games, but let's give them this year to get the system down and work out the kinks and grow into a championship team. If we start out 1 - 4 or something and can finish .500, I'll be fine with that. Even if we just show steady improvement all year long and fight our guts out, as Gibbs would say, I'll be happy.

I'm hoping, maybe not exactly expecting, to see this team build something this year that will make us perennial playoff contenders for the next 10 plus years.

Hail,

H

[Aghar]

Expect at least 8-8. Anything else should not be tolerated by any fan here. It's about time we are all tierd of subpar seasons because of excuses x,y,z. :2cents:

[ridgely00]

I expect him to be fired after 1 year so DanO can hire a bigger name.

[GregW8705]

I expect less frustration than in recent years. I believe the teams will progress more over time and seem more competitive than they ever did under Gibbs or the series of unfortunate stand-ins we've had over the last 15 years.

[Morneblade]

6-10/7-9. Starting out poorly and then playing better as the year goes by. I think the defense will take a step back as well and that will not help things.

[Redd]

I think the first 12 games we'll either lose by blowouts or close losses. Probably go 4-8 in that stretch. The last 4 games the Redskins especially Jason Campbell will start getting comfortable with the Zorn WCO and win 3 of the last 4.

Season record 7-9. I really really really want to be wrong but in a good way.

[Rdskn4Lyf21]

Hoisting a Lombardi in 3 years. Yes, I think we are that close.

[19Skins72]

I expect a very rough start coupled with a very strong finish.

I expect we will not be in the playoffs, but I'd be surprised if we have a losing record.

If Zorn can survive his first offseason, I expect we will be a playoff team next year and for several years to come!

[FanboyOf91]

6-10. Coaching transition plus knee injuries to key young players plus aging key starters + new offense = not good season.

[Emoshag]

I expect him to be fired after 1 year so DanO can hire a bigger name.

I only comment, not because I necessarily disagree with you.... but Snyder is a businessman. And all businessmen make mistakes when running things. He has shown he has learned that instability at the top (which precludes himself because he isnt the manager or the coach) is a poor way to win championships.

I wouldn't take the firing of Williams and Saunders as signs that he went about the new coach hiring the wrong way. I LOVED Gregg Williams as our defensive coordinator. And the whole time they were on the market for a coach I was hoping and praying that Williams didn't get the job and would remain the coordinator.

But after the Spurrier debacle Danny learned that the coach needs time. We are a above-par football team now talent-wise and we are completely switching offensive philosophies. That kind of change in the short term is IRREVERSIBLE. Think of the flux like what happened to our offensive line last year. Guys out of position, missing assignments, getting the schemes wrong and generally horrible.... and that was only 5 guys and two hadn't moved. Now make that a problem of 11 guys getting it wrong....

In short, we are either going to see something significant this year.

11 wins.

or

11 losses.