Reactions to story from The Washington Post
Mike Wise: The Redskins Chose Campbell. Now They Must Stick to Him.
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Campbell Critical of Criticism
http://www.thedcsportspage.com/2008/12/campbell_critical_of_...Some would say that the two most powerful positions in the DC area are the President and quarterback of the Washington Redskins. It's important to place things in the proper perspective. The Thursday morning after the election and after reading all the papers and articles, as well as, watching the news programs, the feeling of pride in our nation and empathy for the President Elect for how much there is to complete with so many people within the United States and abroad having so many expectations for President Elect Obama was just so overwhelming. Not since FDR have so many people needed a President to do so much. The list of issues to tackle is long and ever expanding. To see and hear so many individuals rejoice at the recent election deomonstrates how great a democracy can be to encourage and inspire so many people made everyone proud to be an American and brought many individuals together. A quick start to the season had the hopes of many Redskin faithful also unified and running high behind their team and quarterback. With a new coach, a new passing scheme, another new offense for Campbell to master, pass blocking assignments to call for quarterback, and high expectations for the rookie receivers to open up the passing game, all of the questions were soon forgotten as the Redskins accumulated wins in an effort to chase down the Giants, The feeling of hope after such a quick start to the season had fans dreaming of playoffs and altering the expectations that began the season. Now after expectations have been raised and affirmation of legitimacy to the coaching staff and play calling, the offense has sputtered. The recent string of losses has drawn ire on Campbell's shoulders. Are all or some of the criticism heaped upon him fair? Wise: On Campbell In some ways the inefficiency in the offense can be spread among many parties, but it's the leadership and execution that fans are looking at Campbell. So many factors are required to objectively evaluate Campbell's performance. Losing always raises questions and concerns. With poised young quarterbacks like Ryan and Flacco playing so well in their first year with less overall talent on offense than the Skins, more fans are looking at the playoff hopes slip away and are looking at Campbell. It seems very fair to criticize the play of Campbell, but only by looking at certain areas. Offensive Challenges Beyond Campbell’s Control: • Finding a deep threat or reliable receiver to break free from bump and run coverage besides Moss has been an issue for several years. Randel-El hasn’t been a consistent receiver and may soon find himself a casualty of the cap next season if the rookies step up their game. • Campbell has responded well to yet another offense and has managed the game well. He’s taken care of the ball in the passing game and worked on fumbling less this season too. • Campbell doesn’t call the plays like Peyton Manning. • With Jansen back on the line, the running game has led the team to victories and allowed the defense to stay off of the field. What is Campbell being criticized for: • Campbell isn’t asked to win games for the Skins in a shootout. Managing the offense with an effective running game has helped the team win. The defense can barely get any pressure or create turnovers, so the more time the offense can take to score can only help the defense. Campbell has a stronger arm than Joe Theisman, more mobility than Doug Williams and Mark Rypien, and better accuracy than Schroeder. None of the quarterbacks mentioned above were asked to win games on a weekly basis. The difference between Campbell and his playoff predecessors at the possession is they didn’t have the receiver issues that Campbell has. (Not a fair criticism) • The team’s poor pass blocking with three and four receiver set plays has resulted in consistent pressure and bad plays. Part of the issue can fall on the receivers to break free, part on the lineman and backs asked to block, and part on Campbell. In a west coast offense the quarterback must know where the ball should go pre-snap. (somewhat fair criticism) • Winning quarterbacks can make players around them look better. For years McNabb hasn’t had a top flight scoring threat as a receiver, but has always been able to move the ball and put up points. To jump to an elevated status among his peers, Campbell will have to show that he can produce more points and score until better players are on the roster. (somewhat fair to criticize) • At times Campbell has been slow to read the defense pre-snap or been known to hold on to the ball too long to make the right read, and even stare down one receiver. This could be a result of still learning a new offense, but only to a degree. He’s been playing enough to read defenses and should be more in rhythm especially when two young rookies are doing the job just fine. (fair to criticize) Being more creative and inventive to jump start the offense falls on Zorn’s shoulders as much as Campbell’s. When Saunders ran his monster playbook there was talk of Cooley running the ball, but it never happened. With Gibbs, Cooley was the H-Back. Zorn may consider freeing up or exploiting more match up situations with Cooley as an H-Back and more nine and seem routes ala Mark Bavarro for Cooley. Colley could also be a split back with Portis allowing Clinton to run a deep pass route with Cooley blocking the bigger pass rushers. Zorn could also shuttle the rookie receivers and Randel-El on deep fly and post routes and place Moss on the inside to break free from bump and run coverage. The line and defense is aging and Portis is wearing down. Time is short for Campbell before the team regresses, so it is very fair for the fans to look at the team they love so much to question the results the team is putting forth before another phase of rebuilding occurs.
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This Is Completely Ridiculous
http://curlyr.blogspot.com/2008/12/this-is-completely-ridicu...This is our guy. Get used to it. And he needs a big new contract.I have a hard time even believing this is an argument, that we are even having this discussion. Apparently there are some numbnuts out there that want to see quarterback Jason Campbell benched either for Todd Collins because he led the Redskins to four consecutive victories and the playoffs last season or Colt Brennan because he looked I don't know, good in preseason?This is absurd. Jason Campbell is the guy and the team is going to live and die with him. Anyone that thinks the Redskins' struggles the past four games are all on Jason Campbell is simply not paying attention.Yes there have been problems, the team does not seem inspired, injuries are piling up, age is becoming a factor, the receivers cannot get open, the tight end cannot score, special teams has two weak legs and commits too many penalties and the defense cannot handle a strong running game and passing game simultaneously.Yes that is all true.Now go back in your mind to where you were in May......Redskins draft all skill players high, don't spend high picks on real needs, hey guys let's jam another offense down Jason Campbell's throat, so raise your hand if you think the west coast offense will work with this team.Then go back in your mind through September (3-1) and October (3-1). Does November (1-3) spoil all that?Do you think the Redskins are the team from the first half of the season? Because I do not.But I do think they can be that team.Whether it is this month or into next season, let us be honest with ourselves as Redskins fans. Jason Campbell is not a failure, in fact quite the opposite, he has taken huge strides this season.He has the second fewest interceptions in the league right now, four, and only Jeff Garcia among qualifying quarterbacks has fewer with three, and Jeff has more than one hundred fewer attempts than Jason.Jason is connecting at nearly a 64 percent clip, good for twelfth right now, and tenth among quarterbacks with 300 or more attempts (which maps to taking roughly all their team's snaps).Jason is twelfth in passer rating right now, tenth among passers with 300 or more attempts.Sure it would be great to see more touchdown passes (20th) and yards per game (17th), while we are at the wailing wall let us take a moment to remember what happened last season when Joe Gibbs and the old dudes put Jason out there with no serious position coaching and assumed because he was a professional he would mature on his own. In thirteen games, thirteen fumbles, eight lost, eleven interceptions, 77 passer rating versus 87 this year AND HE HAD THE SAME OFFENSIVE LINE AS THIS YEAR BUT A YEAR YOUNGER.=====It started Monday, after the loss to the Giants. That was the day Vinny Cerrato was on ESPN 980, the hate on Jason talk just came forth. Check out comments on individual Monday threads at the ORB (Official Redskins Blog) here, here, here and here.Meanwhile Jason La Canfora and the crew (Other Jason and Cindy) at the Washington Post's Redskins Insider were also drawing tons of flak, they were the first to point out Monday that there was no quarterback controversy within the team, a notion echoed that afternoon by Rich Tandler at Real Redskins wh posted up Monday afternoon on the absurdity of the argument against Jason Campbell here (and that is when I knew this was a big deal) and the majority of the 42 comments are supportive of Jason, maybe there is something behind that Blog for Sophisticated Redskins Fans tagline after all.Jason LaCa had posts on Jason's solid standing and inflammatory reader comments on Jason Campbell Tuesday here and here while at the ORB the unwashed were back at it Tuesday hereThe final Redskins Insider word Wednesday is here, more of the same in comments, and Mike Wise at the Washington Post addressed the silliness of the bench Jason movement Wednesday. As usual I resent standard Mike Wise argument that bloggies are somehows meansies because unless I missed something there were no actual Redskins bloggers calling for Jason to be benched (help me out here readers and fellow writers if I missed something). By Wednesday on the ORB the deport Jason movement seemed to have died down.And NO Wilbert Montgomery, the Redskins will not be doing the Eagles thing and benching the veteran for the young guy out of sheer panic.Jason Campbell is a solid NFL quarterback with a great future on this team.Jason Campbell: Getty Images from here.
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NASCAR Bucks The Economy, Brings Drivers, Brands and Messages to the Apple…
http://joefavorito.com/?p=301NASCAR Bucks The Economy, Brings Drivers, Brands and Messages to the Apple… December 5th, 2008 With all the talk of inflation, recession and the economy, even on a day when the Big Three are pleading their case to Congress for help, NASCAR continues on as the leader in the brand activation space. As they have for several years, the motor sports industry leaders bring drivers, cars and media to New York for their season ending announcements, sponsor meetings and awards, and find every way to again have their biggest assets…their drivers…tell their stories to both ardent followers and casual fans through the media and in person at a series of wide ranging, high energy activities. Whether it is Jimmie Johnson mugging for the cameras in Central Park or meeting the fans at the Hard Rock Cafe, or Dale Jr. featured again on Yahoo.com, there is never an absence of activity when NASCAR comes to the Apple. Even with all the media coverage, the brand remains very mindful of the economy and the state of spending and need for more ROI for its partners. Gone is the traditional lap around Manhattan with the drivers, replaced by more spread out fan-friendly activities…talks about the future spending of the sport and candid assessments for solutions by industry leaders temper enthusiasm, but also show great leadership. In the current economy, NASCAR was able to use the week to show the media, its fans in the area, and most importantly both Madison Avenue and Wall Street that all invested in Nascar on any level have a group that is looking for answers, but still knows how to activate against the dollars already spent and those currently in play for the future. The week remained a well messaged, highly active party, while showing fiscal responsibility and temperment needed. And on to some good reads…the New York Times’ Howard Beck has a mock interview with Cablevision’s Jim Dolan, who has not met with the media in almost two years…the Palm Beach Post has a look at the rejuvenated Heat’s second unit, the “Goof Troop”… the LA Times’ Bill Dwyre has a good look at Bob Arum’s work to make boxing more relevant again in the sporting landscape…and the Washington Post’s Mike Wise has a good look at the panic setting in around D.C. with the Redskins’ latest setbacks… Segnala presso: Tags: Bob Arum, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Daniel Snyder, Golden Boy, Howard Beck, Jimmie Johnson, LA Times, Miami Heat, NASCAR, NBA, New York Times, Oscar de la Hoya, Washington Redskins Posted in Miami Herald, NASCAR, NBA teams, NFL, New York Times, Washington Post, boxing | No Comments »
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On the Field for Practice - 12/3
http://theredskinsblog.com/2008/12/03/on-the-field-for-pract...The first December day of practice, crisp and cool. If there was a mood or tenor to practice today, I’d have to characterize it as relief. One of the nice things about the weekly routine of football is that it offers a clear definition of when to stop thinking about last week and start thinking about next week, and the first practice is as good a marker as any. Just because the week is fresh, though, doesn’t mean the team is. On the offensive line alone, Pete Kendall, Randy Thomas, and Chris Samuels were all either rested or limited in practice. This isn’t all that unusual — Kendall has been rested during Wednesday practices going back at least to last year — but it’s certainly not something that increases the cohesion along the offensive line. The main thing I was watching, in light of the all the recent chatter and the two articles in today’s Washington Post, was the quarterback position. And yet again Jason Campbell looked good. Remember, there’s no pass rush to speak of in practice, and even if the guys are going “full speed,” it’s not to going to be the same as game speed. It’s a totally different environment, and apparently that’s just the way it is. But yet again, Campbell in practice looks decisive and seems to be getting rid of the ball quickly — and, to judge by what I can overhear people saying on the field, to the correct receivers. When you watch all three QBs take reps, it seems reasonably clear why Campbell is the starter, and why Zorn claims that he’s not even considered a switch. I’ll keep an eye on it throughout the week, but that’s how it looked today. Clinton Portis again didn’t practice — Zorn said that his neck is sore, although his knee is improving. Zorn did add, though, that Ladell Betts and Rock Cartwright “are going to have to help us, and Mike [Sellers] has been stepping in on third down and doing a great job.” Potential bad news for people hoping to start Portis in their fantasy league playoffs, but good news for the contingent that thinks taking some of the load off will help Portis out in the long run. In one of those practice plays that’s probably not significant in the immediate future, but could be promising in the long run, Kareem Moore showed some excellent ball awareness and took a great angle coming across the field to make a tricky-looking interception along the far sideline. He’s unlikely to have much opportunity to do that in games just yet, but it’s good to know that he can if he has to. Also not practicing? Shawn Springs. Zorn thinks he’s going to be okay, but calls him an “extreme player,” by which he seemed to mean someone who needs to feel like his body is correct before he can show what he’s capable of. Jason Taylor was joking with me before practice about feeling out of it, but he looked fine in the defensive line drills that I saw. He’s another one, like Campbell, who has consistently looked sharper in practice than in the games, for whatever reason. Something else to keep an eye on. Other players who were limited or out of practice: Marcus Washington, London Fletcher, Kedric Golston, Cornelius Griffin, London Fletcher, and Andre Carter. Oh, and Alfred Fincher was not there due to some personal business in New Orleans. So not exactly a huge crowd on the practice field today.
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Smoke Signals: ‘Slow news day’ edition
http://dcprosportsreport.com/?p=2037Smoke Signals: ‘Slow news day’ edition By Spence | December 3, 2008 Yeah, it’s a slow news day so this will be a short and sweet Smoke Signals. QB Jason Campbell is taking a lot of blame for the fact that the offense doesn’t actually score points. He doesn’t like taking this blame. Welcome to life as a highly-paid man playing a boy’s game, Jason. Post columnist Mike Wise thinks Redskins fans should shut up, stop complaining about Jason Campbell and blame someone else for the fact that the offense doesn’t actually score points. Actually, Wise makes some very good points about how the NFL has figured out Jim Zorn’s play-calling preferences [remember, he had never called plays before so no one had a book on him] and the head coach needs to come up with some new tricks. That’s absolutely true. Nevertheless, Campbell can’t entirely escape blame for the offensive troubles. Nobody has defended Campbell more stoutly than Jason LaCanfora and he does more of that here. Yes, the Redskins lack playmakers and defenses are doubling Santana Moss and Chris Cooley, leaving Campbell with few options to make positive yardage. That’s true. But quarterbacks are part of the offense and this offense is terrible. Thus, Campbell deserves some of the blame. Not most or even all that much of it, as I wrote previously, but he can’t escape some responsibility for the 28th-ranked offense in the NFL. [But not the 28-lowest-paid offense in the NFL.] Remember Durant Brooks? He’s the punter the Redskins drafted earlier this year and then cut after a few weeks because he was so awful. [Not that his replacement has been any great shakes.] Well, Brooks, having replaced Derrick Frost on the Redskins roster earlier this season, may now replace him again. Frost has been cut by the Green Bay Packers and Brooks was just brought in for a tryout. The NFL is small and weird. Send to Facebook Topics: Redskins, Smoke Signals | No Comments »
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