Official QB switch? Thread

[crazyhorse1]

Ramsey was better than Campbell and had better stats with worse receivers and a worse OL, as well as a horrible coach. I said before last game we had to start Collins and go into a passing and trick-play mode to have a chance
to win and come back with a rested, healthier Portis this week.

Very few agreed. I imagined that Ray did but don't remember for sure. I imagine Ray did because he thinks with his head and suppresses rah-rah BS and Gibbs/Campbell love.

New prediction. We have little chance this weekend if Portis is as dinged as supposed and Zorn tries Campbell and the running game again. My prediction is that Zorn will try to run even when we can't and stick with Campbell too long for us to win. I hope I'm wrong.

Alternative prediction: If Zorn starts Collins and starts throwing almost all the time to Kelly, Thomas, Colley, and Moss, we'll score over twenty points and win, as well as see the emergence of two rookies.

Thomas impressed me last week-- for the first time.

[RayNAustin]

The issue is that many of you claim that Jason Campbell is not the problem....everything else is....but not Campbell.

But....you'all with the man crush on Campbell are beginning to lose members of the club. Why? Because even though it's a tremendous ability possessed by the human being, self delusion and rationalization can only continue for so long.

Sooner or later, everyone's head will eventually be forced to acknowledge the ton of bricks falling.

I actually think most people here think Campbell is part of the problem, but not the whole problem. Campbell could throw the ball more accurately, and there are definitely times he holds the ball too much, or misreads the defense.

However, the line is passblocking very poorly; there's a revolving door at RT (Renaldo Wynn beat Jansen for a sack on Sunday! RENALDO WYNN!). The receivers are often not getting open, and very often at critical times they're dropping passes that are thrown to their hands (Thrash and Kelly last week, Seller's critical drop that would have been a TD against Dallas).

No QB can play well if their line doesn't pass block and the receivers consistently drop passes.

Well, what I've noticed is more along the lines of a long list of excuses as to why Campbell hasn't performed at a high level. But if you agree that Campbell is part of the problem....how big a part do you think?

I criticized Campbell's play last year, and heard the same stories as this year. Though when Collins came in, and things turned around....nobody would admit that apparently Campbell was part of the problem last year. And they still won't admit it. So I'm not buying this business of s l o w l y backing off a bit and admitting that Jason might be a wee part of the problem, while also never forgetting to add in all of the caveats.

It's a strange double standard on this board. Let's give Jason all the time he needs, 3 years, 4 years, whatever......yet write off Brennan without so much as a single opportunity. Collins was similarly written off even after a fine performance last year. And frankly, what exactly has Jason Campbell done to get such an extended pass year after year?

Now I've never thought or said that Campbell was entirely to blame for all of the offensive issues, but I do think he's the largest part of it. Every week, every team has receivers that drop passes. And every week QB's get pressured and get sacked. It's part of the game. And since we can't swap out the entire o-line and replace them with the 1980's hogs, and we aren't likely to see Art Monk, Gary Clark, and Ricky Sanders wearing the burgundy and gold again, should we just sit back and do nothing?

Given the results we saw last year when a QB change was forced, is it so darned unimaginable to actually take a proactive approach this year with the offense performing so miserably, and another season on the brink?

Of course, I don't expect a change will be made at this point simply because we are 7-5, and still in the hunt. And there certainly are politics involved with benching Campbell, including contract issues upcoming. But another poor performance and a loss to the Ravens might change all that....however too late that might be.

[El Mexican]

Ramsey was better than Campbell and had better stats with worse receivers and a worse OL, as well as a horrible coach. I said before last game we had to start Collins and go into a passing and trick-play mode to have a chance
to win and come back with a rested, healthier Portis this week.

Very few agreed. I imagined that Ray did but don't remember for sure. I imagine Ray did because he thinks with his head and suppresses rah-rah BS and Gibbs/Campbell love.

New prediction. We have little chance this weekend if Portis is as dinged as supposed and Zorn tries Campbell and the running game again. My prediction is that Zorn will try to run even when we can't and stick with Campbell too long for us to win. I hope I'm wrong.

Alternative prediction: If Zorn starts Collins and starts throwing almost all the time to Kelly, Thomas, Colley, and Moss, we'll score over twenty points and win, as well as see the emergence of two rookies.

Thomas impressed me last week-- for the first time.

Unless Campbell has a carreer game against the Ravens, I don't think the running game will get going.

But will substituting Campbell give us a better chance to win? No.

Philly benched McNabb a couple of weeks under desperation mode. They have little chance of making the postseason. The Skins, on the hand, still are in contention. You stick with Campbell.

This decision was made long before we got to this point (futility in red zone). It was made in training camp by bringing no competition for Campbell. Now Zorn is practically obligated to stay with Campbell until the end of the season.

Changing QB's in the final strech, the most important moment of the season, would only reflect badly on Zorn (and the FO for that matter). The choice has been made, gentlemen, even if it means missing the playoffs.

[RayNAustin]

Ramsey was better than Campbell and had better stats with worse receivers and a worse OL, as well as a horrible coach. I said before last game we had to start Collins and go into a passing and trick-play mode to have a chance
to win and come back with a rested, healthier Portis this week.

Very few agreed. I imagined that Ray did but don't remember for sure. I imagine Ray did because he thinks with his head and suppresses rah-rah BS and Gibbs/Campbell love.

New prediction. We have little chance this weekend if Portis is as dinged as supposed and Zorn tries Campbell and the running game again. My prediction is that Zorn will try to run even when we can't and stick with Campbell too long for us to win. I hope I'm wrong.

Alternative prediction: If Zorn starts Collins and starts throwing almost all the time to Kelly, Thomas, Colley, and Moss, we'll score over twenty points and win, as well as see the emergence of two rookies.

Thomas impressed me last week-- for the first time.

I wasn't surprised by the loss last Sunday. It was very predictable. And this Sunday will make or break the season because 10-6 isn't going to make the playoffs this year. Besides, of the 2 trips to the playoffs in the last 4 years, none of it was due to Jason Campbell. 2005, it was Brunell, Moss, CC and Portis that righted the ship and won 5 in a row. Last year it was Collins, Moss, CC and Portis. And right now, this offense is way worse, and could lose all of the final 4 if they continue like they have played the last 4.

Unless a change is made, we will not be going to the playoffs....period. And even if a change was made now, it would be asking a lot for either Collins or Brennan to come in cold and win 4 in a row.

The change should have been made two weeks ago.

[SkinsJock]

The only reason to make a change at QB would be if the coach felt that gave us a better chance to win the game - there is no way anyone can convince me that we have a better chance at winning this week with a different QB.

I have been concerned about Campbell as our QB and now I have to say that I do not think that Campbell will be our starting QB for the future - he is our starter for the rest of the season and he deserves our support.


Our team has many needs and the problems of the offense are not going to be solved IMHO by just changing the QB anyone who thinks that has not been watching the other 10 players very carefully


How can someone insist that any team with a record of 10-6 is not going to make the playoffs

[Deadskins]

It's a strange double standard on this board. Let's give Jason all the time he needs, 3 years, 4 years, whatever......yet write off Brennan without so much as a single opportunity. Collins was similarly written off even after a fine performance last year. And frankly, what exactly has Jason Campbell done to get such an extended pass year after year?

What he's done is shown steady improvement every year. Yet you want to waste all the progress he's made and the team's investment in him to start the process all over. Yes, Colt could be one of those extremely rare rookies who comes in and lights it up right off the bat, but Zorn apparently doesn't think so (he's betting his first HC job on Campbell). I have to take his judgement over yours, as he has slightly more experience with playing QB in the NFL.

[SkinsFreak]

A decent and realistic perspective.

Benching Campbell would be a big mistake

Let's cut straight to the subject that's been buzzing around the message board and talk radio world:

Should Jason Campbell be benched?

Clearly, his performance has fallen off in the past seven games. After the first five games of the year Campbell's QB rating stood at a very respectable 100 and he hadn't thrown an interception. Now, he's at a mediocre 87.5 rating and he's thrown four picks. After five games, ESPN's Ron Jaworski said that he was a candidate for MVP. Now people are saying he's the main reason the offense has been MIA.

So that has board posters and talk show callers calling for Campbell to be replaced. Put in Todd Collins, look what happened when he went in at this time last year. Put in Colt Brennan, look what he did in preseason. Do either one of those but get another guy for next year. Campbell can't make decisions, he holds the ball too long, he can't make the throws, he can't read defenses, he's not a leader.

It's important to note here that this outcry for Campbell's ouster is coming strictly from outside of Redskins Park. Usually when there is dissatisfaction among the players with the play of the quarterback, some off-the-record comments will be made to some of the media types. I have checked with a couple of reporters who are out in Ashburn frequently and they both told me that there has been no grumbling about benching Campbell.

Let me repeat, none. Zip. Zilch. Zero. Nada. Not a whisper, not a grunt.

Now, I'm not going to go and try to put lipstick on the pig that has been the Redskins offense over the past month and a half or try to minimize Campbell's role in it. A grand total of two touchdowns in three big November home games speaks for itself. The quarterback takes the snaps, he runs the show, and he gets Miss DC. A lot of it is on him.

But it's not all on him, and that's one of the two points I want to make here. This offense is not a well-oiled machine just needed a stud quarterback to take the wheel. Dropped passes, ill-timed penalties and missed blocks are problems that I can see with my own two eyes.

Yesterday, Jim Zorn went into detail about how Antwaan Randle El ran an 11-yard pattern when he should have run an eight-yard pattern. That made Campbell's throw appear to be low when it was exactly where it should have been. Instead of being to turn around and easily take a couple of steps for a first down, Randle El was touched down short of the first.

The second point to make here is directed at those of you who point to Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco and say, see, it shouldn't matter that Campbell is learning a new offense, these guys can step right out of college and get it done.

Yes, Flacco and Ryan are having good years. That's no guarantee that either of them will be good quarterbacks in the NFL for a long time. Did you ever hear of Daunte Culpepper? The learning curve is different for all quarterbacks. Let's look down the list of the top QB's in terms of rating and see how their careers have unfolded:

1. Tony Romo—Did not throw a pass for almost three and a half years before bursting onto the scene.
2. Phillip Rivers—Drafted high, did not play much for two years, has been good but not great in three years as a starter.
3. Kurt Warner—Couldn't make it out of college, played Arena League, bagged groceries, made the Rams as a backup, got his chance due to injury, won two MVP's, declined, nobody wanted him, now back as an unquestioned starter.
4. Drew Brees—Played in one game as a rookie, posted QB ratings of 76.9 and 67.5 in his first two years starting, had two great years with the Chargers, was allowed to leave as a free agent in favor of Rivers, has had two and a half stellar years in New Orleans.
5. Chad Pennington—Played little in his first two years with the Jets, then broke out in his third year, has been steady if unspectacular since then.
6. Jeff Garcia—Canadian League, made the Pro Bowl in San Francisco, bounced to the Lions and Browns, both of whom had major QB issues, to the Eagles where he took over for an injured McNabb and led them to the playoffs, to Tampa Bay.

I defy you to find a pattern there and tell me where Campbell "should" be at this stage of his career. No, he hasn't shown a steady progression from game one as a starter through yesterday, his 32nd game behind center. But neither did most of the guys listed above, or many other solid starters around the league.

Take the quarterbacks of the last two teams the Redskins have faced. Matt Hasselbeck, under the coaching of Jim Zorn in Seattle, had many fits and starts with the Seahawks. Then, in 2005, he got it. A year later the Seahawks were in the Super Bowl and may well have won it if not for some strange officiating calls.

And Eli Manning seemed to be completely lost as late December of last year. Nobody in NFL history has thrown more incompletions in a game than he did against the Redskins in the Meadowlands in Week 15 of 2007. A few weeks before that, he'd thrown four interceptions in an ugly loss to the Vikings. His demeanor was way too laid back. He's now wearing a Super Bowl ring.

Not that all of this means that it's a slam dunk that Campbell will be leading a parade down Constitution Avenue holding a Lombardi Trophy this year or any time soon.

It does mean that there is a potential payoff in being patient, letting Campbell stay in there until he and the other 10 guys on offense are executing the offense the way it's supposed to be executed.

Sometimes to best way to change things is to make no changes at all. This is one of those times.

Link

And Ray, unless you've played QB in the SEC for four years, been a NFL starting QB and have been through a dozen new offensive systems during that time, we don't have the first damn clue as to how long it might take to learn any given system, regardless of system complexity.

[Chris Luva Luva]

I think the fact that this team has been so bad for so long that people are just tired of losing. In their weariness they jump for anything that might end their misery but they're really just prolonging it by not keeping some consistency.

[brad7686]

Ramsey was better than Campbell and had better stats with worse receivers and a worse OL, as well as a horrible coach.

Ramsey never had a Qb rating higher than 75 and Campbell has never had one lower than 76, and has a rating of 87 this year. Obviously, Ramsey threw for a lot of yards because he played for Spurrier, who was a horrible coach, and almost got Ramsey killed every week. As for the receivers, at least Ramsey had some that could catch a ball in their chest. Being better than Ramsey doesn't necessarily mean you can start in the NFL though.

[LORD GIBBS]

Whether Colt or JC is starting, I think we are good for a few years.

I agree 100% with that. I'd like to see both stay for at least another two years.

Yep.

Here's a thought... for whatever it's worth. (probably nothing...)

Offer JC a modest contract extension now while he knows he's currently struggling and not yet to that elite status. If they were to release JC, I guarantee there would be more than a dozen teams lined up to gain his services. JC is worth keeping, even if he has to battle with Colt next season for the starting job. You could most likely save some money by signing JC now.

We just drafted Colt, so we have him locked up for several years. Getting JC to sign now, at a reasonable rate that won't break the bank, would give us decent depth at the QB position for several years at hopefully a good price. If JC were to light it up for the remainder of the season, his price tag would rise accordingly.

I believe JC should remain the starter for the rest of this season, and going into next season. This allows JC ample time to find himself and learn this offense. This also allows Colt to put in his time. JC should start next season. If for whatever reason, JC continues to struggle, I'm definitely not opposed to giving Colt a shot at that point.

That said... just to stir the pot a bit...

I see something in Colt that JC doesn't possess. Colt has a charisma about him that seems to inspire and ignite the players around him, kinda like Romo does with the Pukes. They suck and are flat when Romo is out, but play very inspired football when Romo returns. Like Rome, Colt has that certain something about him.

This characteristic in Colt was evident in preseason when Colt was playing, granted it was with the 3rd and 4th stringers. But this charisma was also evident in the few games I watched Colt play at Hawaii. The players just seemed to be more energetic and inspired when Colt was playing. JC is a good leader, but he has a dry personality and is very even-keeled. Colt brings a certain excitement to the game and it appears to rub off on his teammates.

I still believe JC should be the starter, but he should know there's a guy in waiting that could take over his spot.

Very Nice Read Fire I agree 100%

[VetSkinsFan]

I believe JC should remain the starter for the rest of this season, and going into next season. This allows JC ample time to find himself and learn this offense. This also allows Colt to put in his time. JC should start next season. If for whatever reason, JC continues to struggle, I'm definitely not opposed to giving Colt a shot at that point.

I don't believe that he has performed well enough to secure a guaranteed starting position for next year. He can compete for it, but he has NOT solidified the position to the point where no competition is needed.

[redskins14ru]

a good contest to see who gets to start at qb? if we did stick with Jason next year then get a better 2nd rounder at qb in the draft there would be brennan. or we could leave the qbs alone let them compete and do the obvious and get dline and oline draft picks. and I don't believe the skins are even any where near tha tpoint right now. this weekend beat the ravens and then go on the the playoffs.

[crazyhorse1]

Whether Colt or JC is starting, I think we are good for a few years.

I agree 100% with that. I'd like to see both stay for at least another two years.

Yep.

Here's a thought... for whatever it's worth. (probably nothing...)
Offer JC a modest contract extension now while he knows he's currently struggling and not yet to that elite status. If they were to release JC, I guarantee there would be more than a dozen teams lined up to gain his services. JC is worth keeping, even if he has to battle with Colt next season for the starting job. You could most likely save some money by signing JC now.

We just drafted Colt, so we have him locked up for several years. Getting JC to sign now, at a reasonable rate that won't break the bank, would give us decent depth at the QB position for several years at hopefully a good price. If JC were to light it up for the remainder of the season, his price tag would rise accordingly.

I believe JC should remain the starter for the rest of this season, and going into next season. This allows JC ample time to find himself and learn this offense. This also allows Colt to put in his time. JC should start next season. If for whatever reason, JC continues to struggle, I'm definitely not opposed to giving Colt a shot at that point.

That said... just to stir the pot a bit...

I see something in Colt that JC doesn't possess. Colt has a charisma about him that seems to inspire and ignite the players around him, kinda like Romo does with the Pukes. They suck and are flat when Romo is out, but play very inspired football when Romo returns. Like Rome, Colt has that certain something about him.

This characteristic in Colt was evident in preseason when Colt was playing, granted it was with the 3rd and 4th stringers. But this charisma was also evident in the few games I watched Colt play at Hawaii. The players just seemed to be more energetic and inspired when Colt was playing. JC is a good leader, but he has a dry personality and is very even-keeled. Colt brings a certain excitement to the game and it appears to rub off on his teammates.

I still believe JC should be the starter, but he should know there's a guy in waiting that could take over his spot.

Very Nice Read Fire I agree 100%

Actually, Colt's personality irritates me to death, as does Campbell's ponderous slowness. I can't imagine a hair trigger fool like him leading me anywhere.

[crazyhorse1]

a good contest to see who gets to start at qb? if we did stick with Jason next year then get a better 2nd rounder at qb in the draft there would be brennan. or we could leave the qbs alone let them compete and do the obvious and get dline and oline draft picks. and I don't believe the skins are even any where near tha tpoint right now. this weekend beat the ravens and then go on the the playoffs.

I don't think Campbell is a bad player. He would be one of the best players in the league if we had the Giant's OL. As it is, he's a bad player-- because he needs better protection. It's not a question of absolute good or bad; it's just a fact that Campbell just can't be effective behind our pathetic OL. Collins delivers the ball the fastest of the three; therefore, he's the best choice behind our present pathetic line. If we rebuild the OL through free agency and the draft, Campbell might well become an instant Ripien or Williams. Collins can sit. Frankly, I think Colt, right now, is the one not likely to succeed in either circumstance.

[Countertrey]

I can't imagine a hair trigger fool like him leading me anywhere.

I haven't read anywhere that he has asked you to follow, so you should be in good shape.


My read on this is that Campbell has done nothing to cement his position for next year. I suspect that, even as we speak, Zorn is considering how he can increase the attention he provides to Brennan, while not causing Campbell to feel his world getting rocked before the season ends.

I have no idea how much real potential Brennan has... though I am now convinced that Campbell is missing both the ability to quickly read his progression (there is no way that he should not be able to find some of these receivers when they are, in fact, open, even with the pathetic O-line protection) and the ability to improvise in the passing game.

[SkinsFreak]

Collins delivers the ball the fastest of the three; therefore, he's the best choice behind our present pathetic line.

Where do you get that from? Do you have proof of that? Really, I'm curious...

I've seen Collins play too, but to say he has the fastest release of the three seems to be a stretch. Not to mention he's the oldest and slowest with far inferior scrambling ability, a high priority behind a week line that provides little to no pass protection.

[SkinsFreak]

I can't imagine a hair trigger fool like him leading me anywhere.

I haven't read anywhere that he has asked you to follow, so you should be in good shape.


My read on this is that Campbell has done nothing to cement his position for next year. I suspect that, even as we speak, Zorn is considering how he can increase the attention he provides to Brennan, while not causing Campbell to feel his world getting rocked before the season ends.

I have no idea how much real potential Brennan has... though I am now convinced that Campbell is missing both the ability to quickly read his progression (there is no way that he should not be able to find some of these receivers when they are, in fact, open, even with the pathetic O-line protection) and the ability to improvise in the passing game.

There's no doubt JC has been the recipient of much criticism as of late, and he probably deserves criticism to some degree. But it just seems odd, to me anyway, that he's getting so much of the blame by some fans that think that all of a sudden he's lost it, especially after Ron Jaworski, a well respected ex-NFL QB and analyst, previously named JC the mid-season MVP.

Has JC all of a sudden forgot how to play football? Or is it that maybe Zorn has thrown much more of the playbook and scheme at him as of late...

“I am putting Jason in some advanced situations because really we have to move along with this football season,” Zorn said. “We all hope that there is a balance there. And I probably have tipped the scales. Those are things that you find out as you go along.

“I’m trying to push it. Now maybe I take a step back.”

[Countertrey]

Has JC all of a sudden forgot how to play football?

You know, I suspect that much has to do with a few missed blocks from his tackles, a few unexpected sacks, and suddenly, Campbell has no confidence in his blocking... it gets into his head, and suddenly, the game is faster, and he can't keep up. Things that were close to automatic early in the season are suddenly requiring thought. That slows him down, causes missed opportunities, passes thrown short or behind receivers... or too hard, with no touch. The result is the same... incompletions and sacks.

Trust me... I hope I am wrong. But, we saw the same dynamic with Ramsey... except he took a lot more punishment.

[Fios]

Has JC all of a sudden forgot how to play football?

You know, I suspect that much has to do with a few missed blocks from his tackles, a few unexpected sacks, and suddenly, Campbell has no confidence in his blocking... it gets into his head, and suddenly, the game is faster, and he can't keep up. Things that were close to automatic early in the season are suddenly requiring thought. That slows him down, causes missed opportunities, passes thrown short or behind receivers... or too hard, with no touch. The result is the same... incompletions and sacks.

Trust me... I hope I am wrong. But, we saw the same dynamic with Ramsey... except he took a lot more punishment.

His (understandably) not having faith in any receivers not named Moss, ey or Portis doesn't help either. You can see he's been trying too hard to force balls to Moss the past few games. I think Ramsey had a lower potential ceiling than JC (hopefully still) does but Jason has taken some serious shots of late. I think some of this is on Zorn too, he's been a little uneven with the play calling of late. Note I am not suggesting Jason is blameless, there's just no way receivers are covered as often as his play would indicate. But Thrash has no place in an NFL receiving corps unless it's as a backup and, outside of a handful of plays, Randle-El has been stealing a paycheck since he got here.

[Gibbs4Life]

I don't see Randle El stealing a paycheck...he stays healthy and he gives us 4 or 5 or 6 solid plays in a game. He's a slot reciever, so in order for him to get going we need our 1 and 2 to make some plays. Let's not talk about his special teams duties.

On the QB what should we do question:

This question is complicated because there are contract negotiations to be had and if I think Campbell is a FA after this season? Not sure on that but what I want to say is this. Our best draft pick, mark my words, in 2008 was the NCAA's all-time leading passer. Number 5 had a better pre-season than any QB we've had in 10 years. Yeah he played against 2nd 3rd and 4th stringers, but he showed mobility, accuracy, leadership, competitiveness, toughness, humility, a willingness to take risks, and as John Madden said 'the team feeds of his energy; now what does the team feed off of from jason?

I'm not saying throw jason to the wolves or worse the lions, I think we've invested alot in his development (not the least of which was having to watch brunell while he got prepared) but this was the year where he was suppossed to blossom, and yeah there is the excuse of a new head coach, but thats just an excuse. Colt Brennan looks like something special I think he deserves a chance to compete next year for the starting role.

[Chris Luva Luva]

Note I am not suggesting Jason is blameless, there's just no way receivers are covered as often as his play would indicate. But Thrash has no place in an NFL receiving corps unless it's as a backup and, outside of a handful of plays, Randle-El has been stealing a paycheck since he got here.

I stole Fios's password, he didn't write this.

[TeeterSalad]

Has JC all of a sudden forgot how to play football?

Probably not but in the last few weeks it seems he's forgotten some of the basics he acquired from Coach Zorn in the beginning of the season. Protecting the football and a quick release being the two that catch my eye the most.

[RayNAustin]

Has JC all of a sudden forgot how to play football?

Probably not but in the last few weeks it seems he's forgotten some of the basics he acquired from Coach Zorn in the beginning of the season. Protecting the football and a quick release being the two that catch my eye the most.

The question suggests that he actually learned how to.....a point of contention IMO. I've been pointing out this since mid 2007, and the pattern we've witnessed this year is a repeating pattern.

The most logical conclusion at this point, at least in my opinion is this: Jason Campbell is a mechanical player as opposed to an instinctive player that has the ability to improvise and make something out of nothing. Most of the better QB's in the NFL are able to improvise, and rely on instinct as is necessary since opposing defenses aren't always cooperative with one's game plan.

The fact that Zorn was able to coach him up some (his improvement early on was very evident) appeared to indicate Campbell was turning a corner in his development, yet he has once again digressed. I suspect that his holding the ball too long and locking in on receivers, and not seeing the entire field (open receivers) is a natural inclination (which was the scouting report on him in college). This would explain why he can look impressive at times, given ideal conditions (lots of time in the pocket to study the field and find an open guy). But when you throw something new at him (like good defensive coordinators continuously do) he falls back to his old habits because that IS WHO HE IS.

This would also explain why the Redskins have so many problems in the Red Zone. The field is much smaller, and decisions must be made even quicker. You just can't lock on to receivers because DB's and LB's are reading the QB's eyes way more in the red zone than when the field is larger.

Again, his methodical approach to the game and how he processes information is who he is. Trying to change that fundamentally is not going to work. That's like telling James Thrash to just run faster and expect him to do it. If he could run faster, don't you think he would?

The WC offense is designed to negate good pass rushes because it's a quick hitting, short control pass oriented style that demands the QB process more information, more quickly than a conventional, run first, vertical pass oriented offense. Given that most here would agree to some extent that he holds the ball too long, can you not see how this could dramatically impact the effectiveness of the offense? Huh???? Duh!

What many fail to consider here is that Zorn's version of the WC also adds the additional responsibility to have the QB set pass protections at the line of scrimmage! Is it not possible that this additional responsibility isn't impacting Campbell's performance as well as the 0-line pass blocking?

I don't think you can legitimately conclude that the 0-line is "pathetic" given that they've been able to provide Portis the opportunity to LEAD THE LEAGUE in rushing. Maybe there is a combination of issues causing the pass pro problems.....communication between the QB and the line when setting those protections......wrong or ineffective protection schemes being set....along with missed assignments and finally.....defenses recognizing that they can safely come after Campbell without fear of getting burned consistently? All of this revolves around the effectiveness of the QB.

And for those who automatically conclude that a switch to Collins or Brennan would be a negative, I say you cannot say this with any reasonable measure of assuredness. There is no evidence for such a conclusion. In reality, there IS evidence to the contrary......last year

[SkinsFreak]

Has JC all of a sudden forgot how to play football?

You know, I suspect that much has to do with a few missed blocks from his tackles, a few unexpected sacks, and suddenly, Campbell has no confidence in his blocking... it gets into his head, and suddenly, the game is faster, and he can't keep up. Things that were close to automatic early in the season are suddenly requiring thought. That slows him down, causes missed opportunities, passes thrown short or behind receivers... or too hard, with no touch.

First, I agree that the 23 sacks this season that stem in large part to poor pass protection and the dropped passes by receivers can cause even the most seasoned QB's to lose confidence and become rattled.

Things that were close to automatic early in the season are suddenly requiring thought. That slows him down, causes missed opportunities, passes thrown short or behind receivers... or too hard, with no touch.

I personally believe part of that is due to the lack of confidence in the o-line and the dropped passes, but I also believe some of that has to due with Zorn delving deeper into the playbook and throwing more complex schemes and plays at JC. Zorn admitted this and that's why I posted the quote from Zorn's presser. Zorn recognized that perhaps he needs to scale it back a bit and allow JC to absorb what's been taught.

Most here remember school or their college days. The first week or two your professor would ease you into the subject matter. Even though it was all new, at that point, you'd have a sense the class was doable. Then the professor would throw the book at you and and all of a sudden you'd feel completely lost and your mind scrambled and confused. Things eventually get better as you're able to absorb the material.

This could be the case with Zorn and JC. If Zorn were to scale it back a bit, it could make a huge difference for JC. And I'm not saying this is the sole problem, solution or that JC is God. I'm just saying it's plausible and could help, as recently recognized and admitted by Zorn himself.

[Deadskins]

Wrong again Ray; Rabach calls the pass protections. And pass protection and run blocking are totally different animals. Some players do one better than the other. Jansen, for instance, is not as good a pass blocker as Heyer is, which is why Zorn went with Stephon in the early going, and totally coincidentally I'm sure, that was when Campbell's numbers were up.

And you still haven't explained why Zorn is so stubbornly sticking with Campbell, when anybody can plainly see the upside in switching to Collins or Brennan.