Redskins.com: For Zorn, Play Calling Remains a Balancing Act

[#98QBKiller]

This is a good opinion piece that I haven't seen posted on here yet. He makes some pretty valid points.

http://www.redskins.com/gen/articles/For_Zorn__Play_Calling_Remains_a_Balancing_Act_51199.jsp

For Zorn, Play Calling Remains a Balancing Act

By Larry Weisman

Redskins.com

Posted: September 15, 2009

Brilliant when it works. Predictable when it doesn’t.

That’s the simple take on play calling in the NFL. There’s a bit more to it, though. It’s not just about the concepts invoked. It’s about getting all the moving parts to handle their roles in this brutal ballet.

Call it what it is -- execution. Yeah, execution. The hoary old cliché. As in, “The play was there for us. We just didn’t execute.” Or go back to John McKay’s great deadpan when asked about his winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1970s. Reporters asked about his team’s execution and McKay replied: “I’m all for it.”

The greatest play calls fail if players line up improperly, run the wrong routes, miss their blocks. A well-made decision by the coach to spring a play designed exactly for this defensive look, for this place on the field and for this time in the game, folds up on itself without the 11 moving parts handling their responsibilities.

We’re not here to god up Jim Zorn and excoriate the players for breakdowns and boo-boos in the 23-17 to the New York Giants. There’s blame enough to go around.

How much do we hang it on the coaches when the players screw up? How much do we nail the players for not making plays work, even if they don’t agree with the calls? Why can’t people with four preseason games and about 50 practices behind them handle their business?

Offensive players wondered why the Redskins didn’t attack a denuded Giants secondary more in the vulnerable areas underneath. Three healthy cornerbacks? Hey, spread ‘em out and pick away.

Fans wanted to know why the Redskins did not throw the ball down the field. Some coaches wanted more runs.

None of this is abnormal. Everybody knows why things went wrong. They always do -- after the fact.

The question for Zorn in this corner was more about philosophy in the second half of the opening-day loss to the Giants. Until their final drive, which produced their only offensive touchdown, the Redskins would see eight first-down calls in the final two quarters. They ran on seven of them. Their gross yardage on those seven mad dashes: four yards.

Sequentially, the runs went this way: 2, 1, 1, 3, 3, -6, 0. That doesn’t leave the play-caller with the options he’d like on second down. Or third down.

So why the emphasis on the run on first down, with so little success to justify it?

“I didn’t want to go away from the run,” Zorn said. “Our problem was we only got one yard on a lot of the runs. I think you’d be really excited if we got seven or eight yards a pop and started grinding it out. But we only got one yard.”

Really excited? Hey, dinner’s on me. The caveat -- the Redskins get seven or eight yards a pop. With some regularity. We’ll go to the finest steakhouse. Bring your pop. And mom as well. We’ll party like it’s $19.99 for surf and turf.

No question Zorn wanted to keep the Giants’ pass rush under control by making the linemen honor the run. There’s also the concurrent idea of honoring Clinton Portis, who likes and needs his touches. So Zorn stayed with the run.

“It was something I have to do because we’re going to be a really good run team and yet we had some softness at the point of attack. Some guys were really blocking well. We were playing a really good defense but we can block those guys,” Zorn said. “I would have liked to have gotten more than to go into the next play at second and eight or second and nine.”

The Redskins maintained balance. They had run the ball 19 times and thrown it 19 going into that last drive, which lasted seven plays, all of them sent in as passes, though Campbell scrambled out of danger beautifully on one of them. But Zorn didn’t really call a lot of runs in the grand scheme of things.

Deduct Cambell’s scamper, Hunter Smith’s 8-yard sprint for a touchdown on a fake field goal and a play on which Campbell checked to a run that got buried. Zorn called 18 runs in total.

Three of those, remember, were down in the shadow of the Redskins’ goal posts in the second quarter after the defense stopped the Giants on fourth and three from the three. To that point the Redskins had run four plays, just one of them a pass.

“I got hurt in the first quarter being on (our) 3-yard line. I didn’t want Jason throwing at that particular time in the game from the end zone. He would have had to drop into the end zone. So I ran the ball three times there. We were looking for a first down,” Zorn said.

He didn’t get it. Smith’s 38-yard punt put the Giants at the Redskins’ 38-yard line and Eli Manning’s 30-yard scoring pass to Mario Manningham, who eluded three tacklers, gave the home side a 10-0 lead.

Campbell hadn’t done much, in this typist’s warped view, to inspire rampant confidence in dialing up pass plays. Sure, he finished the game with respectable numbers and a passer rating of 93.6, fractionally higher than Manning’s.

But that’s misleading and blown up by the final drive, on which he completed five of six for 56 yards and a touchdown.

To that point, he had been sacked twice, lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown, thrown an interception and had a passer rating of 71.9, built on 14 of 20 passing for 155 yards. The scoring drive put some helium in a flaccid balloon.

If Zorn wants to establish the run -- and it did not get established in preseason nor against the Giants -- maybe the St. Louis Rams are the appropriate target. They yielded 167 rushing yards to the Seattle Seahawks and complemented that leaky effort by allowing 279 passing yards, sacking Matt Hasselbeck not once, though the Seahags were missing two starting offensive linemen.

The Redskins gained 85 rushing yards against the Giants but Clinton Portis got 34 on the first play and Campbell 16 on his late scramble. Other than that: 19 carries for 35 yards. Not quite two yards a yard carry. No good unless the NFL starts allowing a fifth and possibly sixth down.

Sometimes play calling and execution find the perfect place to meet and settle their differences. That needs to be FedExField on Sunday, where the Rams turn into sacrificial lambs, offered as tribute to the lord of the ground game.

Larry Weisman covered professional football for USA TODAY for 25 years and now joins the Redskins Broadcast Network and Redskins.com to bring his unique viewpoint and experience to Redskins fans. Go to Redskins.com for the Redskins Blitz column and NFL Blitz on Friday. Larry also appears on The Jim Zorn Show on WRC-TV on Saturday night, on Redskins Nation, airing twice nightly on Comcast SportsNet, and on ESPN 980 AM radio, all in the Washington, D.C. area. Read his blog at redskinsrule.com and follow him on Twitter.com/LarryWeisman.

[ntotoro]

I have yet to see any evidence of "brilliance" in Zorn's playcalling.

Maybe it has been a while since Larry has seen a real Offense work, so he forgets what it looks like.

[skins4eva]

This is actually a pretty critical piece for redskins.com. Snyder must already be interviewing Zorn's replacement. Did any of you watch the steelers or the pats game this weekend? Both Big Ben and Brady operated out of the shotgun from their endzone. Zorn could have put Campbell in the shotgun and asked to throw at least one pass. If you can't trust your QB to throw from the endzone in this day and age in the NFL, then you need a new QB. We happen to need a new QB and a new coach.

[#98QBKiller]

I have yet to see any evidence of "brilliance" in Zorn's playcalling.

Maybe it has been a while since Larry has seen a real Offense work, so he forgets what it looks like.

I don't see where he called Zorn's playcalling brilliant. I see where he generalizes that if playcalling works it's brilliant and if not it's predictable. Same principal as "winning cures all." It's obvious but true.

[#98QBKiller]

This is actually a pretty critical piece for redskins.com. Snyder must already be interviewing Zorn's replacement. Did any of you watch the steelers or the pats game this weekend? Both Big Ben and Brady operated out of the shotgun from their endzone. Zorn could have put Campbell in the shotgun and asked to throw at least one pass. If you can't trust your QB to throw from the endzone in this day and age in the NFL, then you need a new QB. We happen to need a new QB and a new coach.

Yeah that portion of the playcalling bothered me more than the ARE option, I understand that when you're backed up you would like to get a 4-5 yard run to at least let you snap out of the end zone but Portis had already been stuffed behind the LOS in the game so I was even more nervous watching him try to get out of the end zone than I would've been had Campbell been put in the shotgun on that series.

[Mursilis]

I don't care about balance - I care about points! Did anyone see New England last night? The run was getting stuffed but the short passing game was working, so what did Belichek do? He rode the pass for the victory! He called 77% pass plays! He does what works until the other team takes it away! That's why he's got rings and Zorn's on the verge of getting fired!! Even if JC was only 14/20 for 155 yards prior to the final drive, so what?!? That's 7.75 yards/attempt - more than the ground game was gaining. The WCO is supposed to be about the pass setting up the run, not the other way around.

[skinsfan1523]

Yeah that portion of the playcalling bothered me more than the ARE option, I understand that when you're backed up you would like to get a 4-5 yard run to at least let you snap out of the end zone but Portis had already been stuffed behind the LOS in the game so I was even more nervous watching him try to get out of the end zone than I would've been had Campbell been put in the shotgun on that series.

Yeah that made me mad, we pretty much threw up the white flag on that one and said here have it back, maybe this time you can get the TD. Zero killer instinct on that series.

[ntotoro]

I don't see where he called Zorn's playcalling brilliant. I see where he generalizes that if playcalling works it's brilliant and if not it's predictable. Same principal as "winning cures all." It's obvious but true.

That's kind of what I'm implying, that the Offense is so poor, even one good play looks brilliant when you're accustomed to such mediocrity. It's almost as if you're saying even a broken clock is correct twice a day, but you don't even realize you're saying it.

[Mursilis]

If you can't trust your QB to throw from the endzone in this day and age in the NFL, then you need a new QB.

That's what I thought as well when I saw those lame runs - Zorn just doesn't trust Campbell. Those Campbell jerseys are going to be on clearance real soon.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

If play calling remains "a balancing act", he needs to get him a new set of scales.

Hail.

[Skinz4Life12]

this piece inspires little confidence that zorn will change his ways.

EARTH TO ZORN: just because you don't run on 1st down doesn't mean you are "getting away from the run"

[rick7423]

I often wonder who insists that JC be the QB, is it Zorn, Snyder, or Vinny (et al)? If it is Zorn, then yes, both need to go. If it is anyone else, then we are doomed because regardless of who is coaching, if the front office dictates the on field players the team is bound to loose.

Also, if the coach is EVER hesitant about calling a play because of lack of faith on the QB, then that QB is not good enough to be on the field. This is the NFL, which stands for Not For Long!

[I_Bleed_B&G]

I often wonder who insists that JC be the QB, is it Zorn, Snyder, or Vinny (et al)? If it is Zorn, then yes, both need to go. If it is anyone else, then we are doomed because regardless of who is coaching, if the front office dictates the on field players the team is bound to loose.

Also, if the coach is EVER hesitant about calling a play because of lack of faith on the QB, then that QB is not good enough to be on the field. This is the NFL, which stands for Not For Long!

It has to be Zorn 100%. I'm sure it was Snyder and Vinny who were going after Cutler and Sanchez. Zorn doesn't have the status to tell anyone what to do. Zorn will be gone and so will JC. Thats why he hasn't been offered a contract extension. If Midget and Raccoon eyes liked campbell so much, he would have a deal already.

[darrelgreenie]

If Midget and Raccoon eyes

LoL! i'm gonna steal that!

LMAO!!!!!

[Brandon Lloyd Christmas]

I have yet to see any evidence of "brilliance" in Zorn's playcalling.

Maybe it has been a while since Larry has seen a real Offense work, so he forgets what it looks like.

plenty of fans have obviously forgotten as well. there isnt a single team in the NFL that doesnt have a few nice plays every sunday on offense no matter how bad their offense is.

[Skinsinparadise]

I heard Zorn say the same thing on Sheehan today -- more or less I take it as him saying well you would have liked those plays if they worked? Well, yeah. But stubbornly sticking to the run continually when it wasn't working, why not switch gears?

Of course we would have liked them running a lot if the running game was working but the fact that it wasn't I thought is the point in question, so I don't get what point he's trying to make considering the context was it wasn't working so why where you sticking with it. I guess what he was trying to say was well it wasn't working but I thought it finally would.

[The Full Monty]

I thought he would bring some of Mike Holmgren's offensive wizardry. I mean, that was the understanding right? Guys under Holmgren (Andy Reid, Mariucci, etc.) have gone on to field competitive teams.

I thought wrong. Shoddy playcalling. No identity. Not even a flash of Holmgren in this guy so far.

[Skinz4Life12]

I heard Zorn say the same thing on Sheehan today -- more or less I take it as him saying well you would have liked those plays if they worked? Well, yeah. But stubbornly sticking to the run continually when it wasn't working, why not switch gears?

Of course we would have liked them running a lot if the running game was working but the fact that it wasn't I thought is the point in question, so I don't get what point he's trying to make considering the context was it wasn't working so why where you sticking with it. I guess what he was trying to say was well it wasn't working but I thought it finally would.

he should have seen that it wasn't working, and then made something called ADJUSTMENTS at half time.

good teams do it and win games in the 2nd half.

[SirClintonPortis]

Umm, two runs to the left with the SAME move of motioning Sellers to the left? That works...IN MADDEN '95. That was the worst moment of the game for me. That's beyond dumb...

[gca61087]

I thought he would bring some of Mike Holmgren's offensive wizardry. I mean, that was the understanding right? Guys under Holmgren (Andy Reid, Mariucci, etc.) have gone on to field competitive teams.

I thought wrong. Shoddy playcalling. No identity. Not even a flash of Holmgren in this guy so far.

Andy Reid - Donovan McNabb

Steve Marriucci - Steve Young

Jim Zorn - Jason Campbell

Find the quarterback that doesn't belong anywhere in the discussion of the other two...

[gca61087]

look guys, zorn is right and wise alludes to it. there is only so much a play-caller can do. it doesn't matter what play is called; if your receivers don't get open, your quarterback makes a poor decision, your line doesn't block well, or your back doesn't make a good cut, IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT PLAY YOU CALL.

[#98QBKiller]

I thought he would bring some of Mike Holmgren's offensive wizardry. I mean, that was the understanding right? Guys under Holmgren (Andy Reid, Mariucci, etc.) have gone on to field competitive teams.

I think that was exactly the understanding with moving him to HC before he had even been an offensive coordinator here. But we have yet to see it. I haven't completely lost hope though, I'll take it for what it is; a loss to one of the best teams in the league in week 1, at their house, a place that we are almost always horrid at. But one thing that worries me is that he seems to not want to make adjustments to his gameplan whether it be in the game or from week to week. And maybe even from season to season for that matter. I'd be a lot more confident if we'd started 2-6 and finished 6-2 last season not vice versa.

he should have seen that it wasn't working, and then made something called ADJUSTMENTS at half time.

good teams do it and win games in the 2nd half.

Exactly.

[CjSuAvE22]

I dont agree with this article at all, the main person to blame for sundays loss is the coaching staff they failed to make any adjustments there trying to show jim zorn did call passing plays is also mis leading. Think about it how many times did campbell throw on first down?? maybe 3 times the whole game not including the final drive also how can you expect a qb to have decent numbers outside of the last drive when you ask him to throw on 3rd and long when the whole world knows hes gonna drop back and pass? (esp against a damn good defense) Campbells turnovers were no doubt part of the reason we lost the game but i give MORE blame to Zorn hands down running 95 percent of the time on first down is unacceptable and its a reason why we went 2-6 last year the 2nd half of the season.

[#98QBKiller]

I dont agree with this article at all, the main person to blame for sundays loss is the coaching staff they failed to make any adjustments there trying to show jim zorn did call passing plays is also mis leading. Think about it how many times did campbell throw on first down?? maybe 3 times the whole game not including the final drive also how can you expect a qb to have decent numbers outside of the last drive when you ask him to throw on 3rd and long when the whole world knows hes gonna drop back and pass? (esp against a damn good defense) Campbells turnovers were no doubt part of the reason we lost the game but i give MORE blame to Zorn hands down running 95 percent of the time on first down is unacceptable and its a reason why we went 2-6 last year the 2nd half of the season.

This article is mainly criticizing the coaching staff (Zorn).

[gca61087]

I dont agree with this article at all, the main person to blame for sundays loss is the coaching staff they failed to make any adjustments there trying to show jim zorn did call passing plays is also mis leading. Think about it how many times did campbell throw on first down?? maybe 3 times the whole game not including the final drive also how can you expect a qb to have decent numbers outside of the last drive when you ask him to throw on 3rd and long when the whole world knows hes gonna drop back and pass? (esp against a damn good defense) Campbells turnovers were no doubt part of the reason we lost the game but i give MORE blame to Zorn hands down running 95 percent of the time on first down is unacceptable and its a reason why we went 2-6 last year the 2nd half of the season.

as a head coach/playcaller, knowing your best player on offense is you running back, you have a beast of a run blocker at fullback, and the strength of you offensive line, how can you expect to average 2 yards a carry?

jim zorn expects better production out of the run game, and he should. unfortunately, he isn't getting it.