Friday, October 3, 2008
Campbell's growth key in Skins' streak
After a meeting with coach Jim Zorn and an assistant Monday afternoon, Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell had two options for the next two days: Go home to relax and enjoy two rare days off or bury himself in a meeting room.
As usual, he chose the latter.
Instead of celebrating the biggest win of his career, Campbell stayed at work, watching three Philadelphia Eagles game tapes for nearly four hours, the first stage of preparation for the next opponent.
Unflappable in the face of criticism after a season-opening loss to the New York Giants, Campbell didn't change.
And during a three-game winning streak that has raised respect and expectations for the Redskins, Campbell hasn't changed.
His demeanor remains the opposite of a roller coaster, his confidence level never teeter-tottering.
And Redskins fans should take that as a good sign: Their team is 3-1, and the player most responsible for that still sees himself as a quarterback in a new system who must quickly forget about last weekend's huge win over Dallas and focus on the next challenge.
"That's who he is," said Chris Meidt, a Redskins offensive assistant who works exclusively with the quarterbacks. "When I was just starting to work with him, everybody said he wasn't emotional enough and he wasn't fiery enough. There's good and bad with that. The highly emotional and fiery guys, when things aren't going well, they go the other way. Jason's not that way. He's very even. Coach Zorn talks about staying medium about how you act, and Jason epitomizes it."
Campbell's even-keel attitude has rubbed off on the Redskins as they prepare for Sunday's game in Philadelphia. The Redskins are one of the NFL's biggest surprises, and it's in large measure because of Campbell's development within Zorn's West Coast passing offense.
The system, which some insisted takes years to master, Campbell has learned well enough to throw for 878 yards and six touchdowns.
The quarterback, who was deemed by some pundits as a bad fit for the rhythm-oriented scheme, has yet to throw an interception in 124 attempts.
And the head coach-quarterback tandem, featuring two people relatively new to their jobs (Zorn's first year as an NFL play caller, Campbell has made only 24 starts), is the talk of the league.
"I know what he's been through in terms of all the different offenses, and I just think he's in a comfortable place right now," said Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, Fox's lead NFL analyst, who called Washington's win over Dallas and will work Sunday's Redskins-Philadelphia game. "He has a good relationship with Jim Zorn, and he's within a scheme that he feels comfortable with. Those two things are helpful for any quarterback."
Said Campbell: "It's fun the way we're moving the ball, and it was fun [Sunday] to see how we could control the fourth quarter with our run game. We still left some plays and points out there, but at the end of the day, we understood where we had to improve."
The attention Campbell in particular is receiving couldn't have been predicted a month ago when he looked lost at Giants Stadium during a 16-7 loss to the defending Super Bowl champions. He finished the game 15-for-27 for 133 yards.
But starting at halftime of the New Orleans game, the Redskins have received more than efficient play from Campbell. He won the Saints game with a 67-yard touchdown pass. He clinched the Arizona game with a 17-yard scoring toss. And he downed previously undefeated Dallas by completing 20 of 31 pass attempts in the face of an intense pass rush that dumped him twice in the opening quarter.
It marked the first three-game winning streak for Campbell since he took over as the Redskins' starting quarterback in November 2006.
"He's really putting the ball on the money and when he has a little time, he's completing the balls he's throwing," Zorn said. "He's made some uncannily accurate throws, he's made some throws while he's had to maneuver in the pocket that have been dramatic."
One play - and one uncanny throw - helps summarize Campbell's growth.
In a 7-7 game last week, the Redskins had a third-and-goal from the Dallas 2-yard line. Santana Moss was the first option on a quick slant, James Thrash the second on a post corner and Antwaan Randle El the third with a seam route.
Moss and Thrash were covered. With the rush forcing him to maneuver in the pocket, Campbell scanned left to right and saw Randle El open in the back-middle of the end zone for the touchdown. Instead of forcing a throw to Moss, trying to run for the touchdown or throwing it away and settling for the field goal, Campbell showed patience by staying with the play.
"Just a great play," Meidt said. "He did a tremendous job of avoiding the rush and then seeing Antwaan breaking back so Jason could deliver him the ball,"
That Campbell is going to his third and fourth options is a testament to his patience, the offensive line's pass protection and Zorn's coaching. The two began working last spring knowing their fortunes would be intertwined. If Campbell wanted to become a franchise quarterback and earn a new contract, he would have to buy into what Zorn was teaching. If Zorn wanted to be successful in his first head coaching job, he would have to effectively tweak Campbell's mechanics to get him to play at a high level.
So far, the relationship has blossomed. Campbell loves the fact he has direct in-game contact with the person calling the plays. Zorn recognizes the athletic ability, the huge arm and the work ethic.
"He's very willing to listen," Zorn said. "It's a great working relationship of trust. He has to respond to that, and I would put it on him - he's responded very well to my coaching and my prodding, my gritting of the teeth. That's made a real difference."
Said Campbell, "He's continuing to push me and make me get better."
Campbell has improved the most in the fourth quarter, which was his bugaboo last year in close games. This year in the final period, he's 26-of-36 for 350 yards and two touchdowns, and the Redskins have outscored their last three opponents 27-7. During these key third-down situations is when Campbell shows he believes in Zorn's theory of thinking only about the present play and not the past.
"Watching Jason before he got injured last year, I thought he was a good young talent but there were moments he wasn't able to make the play at the end of games," Aikman said. "This year, he's played phenomenal and more important, he's played great in the fourth quarter. ... The biggest thing is, I think Jim has been terrific the last two weeks calling games. He has called games to win instead of not to lose, and Jason has responded very favorably to that."
Aikman, Zorn and even Campbell were to quick to point out this week that yes, the last three weeks have been great, but this week could be a time when the tough Eagles pass rush puts Campbell on the run for four quarters.
But the three wins have laid a foundation for - and perhaps validated - what Zorn and Campbell are trying to accomplish.
"Every week has been a step forward for Jason," veteran guard Pete Kendall said. "As he builds to the half-century mark [of 50 starts], you're going to see this guy blossom."