Former Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann appeared on Sirius NFL Radio this morning and he called Sunday’s game against Detroit the biggest of Jim Zorn’s short head coaching career.
Here is an excerpt, courtesy of Sirius.
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(On Jim Zorn’s game management and play calling against St. Louis):
“I thought the game management was good. I didn’t think the play selection was very productive. Obviously, it wasn’t. Calling a run-pass on third down when you haven’t been able to run on the first two wasn’t very effective. Running the ball four times at the end of the game.
“Jason Campbell, to me, has developed into somebody who can make plays for your football team. Of course, you can’t lay it on Jim completely, guys. I mean, Mike Sellers drops a touchdown pass going in. Santana Moss puts the ball on the ground on a two-minute drive. It’s not all just laid on the coach but those specific instances that I just referred to, to me, they were not very creative and it sort of goes counter to everything the Redskins talked about doing in the preseason, bring in Malcolm Kelly.
“And all they did during the preseason when they got down around the goal line was throw fades anyway. And they haven’t done it yet. So you wonder what’s the sense in practicing all this stuff with these new guys if you’re going to go back to the old ways of calling plays?”
(On if the Redskins are prone to being upset in Detroit):
“Yes I do. I think this is the biggest game in Jim Zorn’s short career so far as a coach. I think this is monumental for Daniel Snyder and this football organization.
“I thought the Detroit Lions played really well against the Vikings last week and what scares me is going into Detroit, I know how tough it is. And, Rich, you know it too. The one thing that isn’t bad in Detroit is the fans. The football organization [and] the team have not been very good but the fans are really, really supportive. And I thinking looking at [Detroit] last week, they’re starting to taste a little bit of blood in the water and they realize that they’re pretty good.
“The big key in this game is the Redskins have to put the ball in Matthew Stafford’s hands. He is not playing the kind of rookie quarterback that we see [Jets QB] Mark Sanchez playing. He’s making more mistakes. And you have to figure out a way to keep the ball out of the hands of Calvin Johnson. You do those two things, you’re going to have a chance to win as Redskins. But you leave a football team that’s struggling in a game? I promise you guys it’s going to get ugly at the end. And if the Redskins lose this one they might as well not get on that plane until Thursday to come home to Washington.”
— Ryan O’Halloran
