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This loss is entirely the fault of management - chiefly, Vinny Cerrato. Here's why

SkinsTillIDie

By SkinsTillIDie
in The Stadium

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SkinsTillIDie

SkinsTillIDie

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You can't pin this loss on Campbell, or Zorn, or really even the refs, as much as you may want to. This loss is on management, specifically Vinny Cerrato.

How can you possibly explain this offensive line? D'Anthony Batiste at left tackle - an undrafted free agent who has played on the practice squad for 3 other teams in his 4 year career. Stephon Heyer at right tackle - another undrafted free agent, a player who has struggled consistently at the position over the entirety of his short career. And Mike Williams at right guard - a natural right tackle who had to lose 100 pounds in the offseason just to get in shape for training camp, after being retired for a number of years.

We have an obscene lack of talent on the line - our starting line was bad enough to begin with but our depth is simply laughable. Every fan could see this last year. Our coaching staff, after reviewing tape from every game from last year, established that our offensive line was our primary weakness - the area that needed to be addressed first and foremost in the offseason. And naturally, Vinny Cerrato does nothing but sign a left guard who was cut by Buffalo (Buffalo!) for underperforming.

We haven't been able to run the ball consistently all year. Blame Zorn all you want for the redzone runs that haven't worked, but the simple fact of the matter is that we SHOULD be able to get one yard when we need it. We should be able to run the ball and get positive yards within the 5 yard line. We should be able to get a yard when backed up on our goalline. Instead, our right tackle gets pushed so far backwards that our designed run is disrupted and we allow a safety.

We didn't see our offense today. Our offense is not 2 step drops and quick slants. We couldn't even run play action because defenders were in the backfield within a second on every snap. We aren't a good running team, yet Zorn had to call runs early and often all game just to protect Campbell. If we wanted to throw downfield, we had to go to max protect, keeping 7 or 8 back to block. Our lack of any semblance of an offensive line prevented our offense from doing anything today. And this game is a microcosm for every game we've played this year - not being able to run the ball, not being able to protect Campbell and give him time and space to make passes downfield. Whenever we need to throw the ball, it seems like Campbell has to evade 2 or 3 defenders just to step up in the pocket. How many 3rd down plays broke down today because of a lack of protection?

And that comes down to Vinny Cerrato's absolute failure to build even an adequate offensive line after years of neglect and downright arrogance. Arrogance that his undrafted find in Heyer would be able to hold down the fort. Arrogance that our line would stay healthy, even when it's amongst the oldest lines in the league (and has lots of history of injury problems). Arrogance that he can pick up linemen from other teams' practice squads and retirement lists and have them produce at a high NFL standard. How can Snyder expect our offense to be explosive when we can't run block and can't pass protect?

But of course, it's Zorn's fault we're not scoring points. And Campbell's too - put everything on their shoulders. Mike Shanahan will fix everything, fire up Redskins One... It's not too late to trade next year's 1st for a lineman, is it?

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SkinsTillIDie

SkinsTillIDie

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Where are the young draft picks on the line waiting in the wings? Rinehart is the only pick in recent memory to be drafted and by the looks of it, he seems like a bust - still unable to get off the inactive list 20+ games into his career. Where are the second and third round picks over the years ready to step up in case Samuels or Thomas goes down? And we were fortunate enough that Dockery was surprisingly cut this offseason - what was our contingency plan when 36-year-old Kendall effectively retired? Was it Rinehart, the same player who is still riding the pine, even as our offensive line struggles immensely?

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NoVaSkins21

NoVaSkins21

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It has been proven time and again that Vinny is a JOKE!!! :doh: He cannot evaluate talent worth :pooh:. This man should be ruining some other franchise, but the owner felt the need to bring this LOSER back after Marty kicked his @ss out the door. Until this man is permanently removed from this organization, nothing will EVER change!!! :doh:

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tkebigdaddy

tkebigdaddy

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I have to agree that we need to get rid of Cerrato and Zorn. How about when asked about Sherwin Williams AKA Sheman Lewis last 4 years experience he told reporters that his son is a coach for some college. How does that qualify him to watch over our offense? Our offense did about as good with Sherman as they did in the previous 3 games. Vinny, Dallas needs is calling and would like to offer you a job.

Tired of excuses, either get it worked out or just get the hell out of DC:chair:

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SkinsTillIDie

SkinsTillIDie

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Well I hope that Jay Glazer report last year is true. Jim Zorn and Vinny being fired would be a good start to fixing this team. In order for things to change you have to make a complete overhaul.

How would firing Jim Zorn help anything? It means Campbell would have to learn a new system - if he's allowed to stay. If not, we have a rookie QB that would set this franchise back 3 years with a team that's built to win now. Overhauling the coaching staff won't bring instant success. It is this same demand for instant change and instant success from Dan Snyder that has prevented this team from being built properly. Joe Theisman once said on how to build a team: "You build your defense, you build your offensive line, and then you get your quarterback." It seems like Cerrato and Snyder have bypassed this second step.

You see the Giants or the Eagles play and their quarterbacks have all day to throw. You don't need all-pro receivers or even an all-pro quarterback to have an offense run smoothly. Bradshaw scored a 23 yard touchdown today off right tackle without even being touched. When's the last time we've seen blocking like that from our team? We don't even get our linemen into the second level, blocking linebackers and safeties.

Our yards-per-play went down an entire yard when Samuels went out last year. That stat, above all, should be the tell-tale sign of how an offensive line is the most essential ingredient to flow and success for an offense. We never seem to get in rhythm because we can't run the ball and we can't give Campbell even a few seconds to stand in the pocket, look downfield, go through his progressions and make a good pass.

This isn't Zorn's fault. This isn't Campbell's fault. Replacing either to make a change for change's sake is EXACTLY what has gotten us in this position today. Management needs to sit tight, add youth and talent to the offensive line through the draft and free agency, and slowly replenish areas of our team that is getting up there in age and ability (OL, RB, WR, DE, MLB, etc.). Making wholesale changes will just keep this franchise in flux, forever the offseason champions and midseason strugglers.

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nightbird

nightbird

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Agreed.

A year here and there we'll get on a decent run and be in the playoff hunt around 9-7, but with the Snyderatto regime we will NEVER be consistent contenders the way the strong franchises are.

was chad r inactive?????

Yes he was.

According to Zorn, it was nothing against Chad, but just that "MW looked so good in practice so we wanted to see what he could do."

Ridiculous.

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AzSkinsFan63

AzSkinsFan63

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Completely on the mark..the offensive line was putrid due to lack of depth..period.

RB's suck..Portis is no longer the same back but could still function well with an O-line. after Portis Skins have nothing.

We have no confidence in Campbell and yet we have 1 backup and got rid of Chase???

Obviously Zorn does not have any control on player personnel...

Cerrato must go....

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Redzone Offense

Redzone Offense

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You can't pin this loss on Campbell, or Zorn, or really even the refs, as much as you may want to. This loss is on management, specifically Vinny Cerrato.

How can you possibly explain this offensive line? D'Anthony Batiste at left tackle - an undrafted free agent who has played on the practice squad for 3 other teams in his 4 year career. Stephon Heyer at right tackle - another undrafted free agent, a player who has struggled consistently at the position over the entirety of his short career. And Mike Williams at right guard - a natural right tackle who had to lose 100 pounds in the offseason just to get in shape for training camp, after being retired for a number of years. /QUOTE]

I agree, but how do you explain Zorn calling a stretch play from the endzone? I don't think I have ever seen that before...............:doh:

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Fred Jones

Fred Jones

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Let's not get ahead of ourselves. JC is an average starting QB. Not a backup, but not in the top 15.

Zorn is an average play caller at best. It gets tiresome to watch defenses guess the play and stop it.

That said, I agree with everything the OP said about Vinny. He is the one responsible from bringing in players. I think Zorn has done a good job as head coach this season. Just not a good job at offensive coordinator. Not a great job as HC, but not bad. Have to wait and see how the season plays out.

But, it all starts with the owner, so difficult to do anything until the culture changes.

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youngestson

youngestson

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You can't pin this loss on Campbell, or Zorn, or really even the refs, as much as you may want to. This loss is on management, specifically Vinny Cerrato.

I would argue the players lost the game with the help of sub par coaching. The organization (or lack there-of) however Is responsible for the haphazard way in which coaches and players have been assembled and managed. That is, as you say, the fault of Vinny and Little Snyder.

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whatmeworry

whatmeworry

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Even I, who is not even involved in football, has been saying this for years. As flashy as the skill players are a great team is built from the lines out. Vinnie's mama must have been raped by an offensive lineman and he still holds a grudge. For three years me and a lot of others having been screaming for offensive linemen. And we've gotten - Rinehart?

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