Our lack of a secondary receiver is killing us

You're def right about a 2nd threat @ receiver S but... I think it's only one of the major problems on offense. What we're witnessing IMHO is a total offensive collapse (over the last 4 games). Dallas is not a great defense, period, and we could not do anything. Like others have said it all starts with the line and ours is evidently not an NFL caliber line. Jansen is an embarrassment to RT everywhere. Rabach looks more weak and indecisive every game. Kendall and Thomas are mediocre. Samuels is having his worst season in many years. Most plays are "busted" within a split second of the snap because of the line. Then it comes down to JC making something happen (because every d is going to key on the running back from now on and dare us to put the ball in the air). Campbell has regressed significantly over the last month, probably in part to the struggles along the line but some of the responsibility rests on his shoulders. Very bad passes to Moss and Ports two weeks ago and then several more very bad decisions tonight. It is clear watching on tv Zorn is to his limit w/ Campbell.

Finally... the receiving corp is pitiful. Absolutely pitiful. The shame here is that the same group was pitiful @ the end of last season, with Keenan and Reche making contributions. Now those guys are gone and what we have is one legit receiver who everyone keys on. Meanwhile, teams all over the NFL are getting huge production from rookie wide outs and TEs. The offense is rotten from the ground up and at some point there has to be some serious analysis (within the franchise) why year after year the production is not there.

Good post. Didn't know what you mean by this line though.. Like he's fed up with him? Or he's doing all he can to get positive production out of him and nothing's working?

SF, Randle El has been cutting it ALL year. Did you notice that he wasn't available for the last two drives, and that's why no one was open?


Well, that depends on how you define "cutting it." I'll give you this, Zorn is working him into the gameplan way better than Gibbs ever did.

Before tonight, we were 18th in the league in passing overall, and 25th in the league in terms of passing yardage. So if you mean that Randle El has kept us from being utterly pathetic in the passing game, then you may have a point.

But like I said at the end of last year, Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El as a tandem are not going to win this team any championships. Then again, this offensive line won't help us win another game if they don't get their act together.

No depth at WR and no depth on the OL means that you have to rely on your offensive backfield to do everything. And right now, our superstar RB is injured, and our Franchise QB isn't seeing the field as well as he should be (and I think the hits he is taking have a lot to do with how he's seeing the field).

Well, that depends on how you define "cutting it." I'll give you this, Zorn is working him into the gameplan way better that Gibbs ever did.

Before tonight, we were 18th in the league in passing overall, and 25th in the league in terms of passing yardage. So if you mean that Randle El has kept us from being utterly pathetic in the passing game, then you may have a point.

But like I said at the end of last year, Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El as a tandem are not going to win this team any championships.Well, coming into tonight, Randle El was catching damn near 80% of what's been thrown at him, and averaging over 9 yards an attempt. His ONLY weakness is that he's not a serious deep threat. It took about 25 games for Al Saunders to figure that out, and since he has, Randle El has been money.

Moss' hands aren't as good as Randle El, but he can run every route on the field and is our only deep threat. I don't count Devin Thomas because 10 games into his career, he can't even line up right.

One thing that no one notices is that the Redskins receivers as a whole are very smart and never really line up out of place. Thomas is a rookie, yes, but you can't teach a sense of the game, which he simply isn't ever going to have.

Devin Thomas will have better games. I don't think he'll ever be dependable.

Remember how our offense is awesome with Sellers on the field? This isn't a mistake. The only formation that works for us right now is 2 WR, 2 RB, 1 TE, or the "I formation." Sellers at FB is so much more valuable than anything Thrash or Devin Thomas can give us.

I agree. ARE is not a #2. He's a #3.

Good post. Didn't know what you mean by this line though.. Like he's fed up with him? Or he's doing all he can to get positive production out of him and nothing's working?

You said exactly what I meant - I think Zorn is both fed up and still racking his brain to get better execution. The real clue for me was Zorn remarks about JC after the Pitt game. Very blunt... Jason made bad throws that cost a drive and an INT. My guess is we'll hear more of the same after tonight. Zorn looked furious after our final drive tonight. On 2 plays Campbell made very lousy throws and was not under immediate pressure. In both situations he could have run for yardage or just run to by some time. I just think Zorn expects more out of JC, fairly or unfairly.

We already wasted three 2nd rounders.

Sad to say, but I agree, but only for this year. With the bad knee on Kelly, maybe we should have just put him on IR. Fred Davis..... Thomas.....

Last year, I said that Moss and Randle El weren't shaping up to be the #1 and #2 wideouts that were going to lead us anywhere, but that was with Campbell who hadn't progressed the way he has this year. But that was also with better pass protection up front.

Now, the pass protection has gone to shit, Campbell is progressing nicely and our passing game as a whole still is at the bottom half of the league.

So every year there is a new reason that we cannot mount a decent aerial attack. Maybe it's not the receiver's fault. Either way, Moss and Randle El aren't going anywhere (I don't think), so they'll have another crack at it in 2009.

And man, I hope you're mistaken about Devin Thomas -- though he done absolutely NOTHING to prove you wrong so far.

You said exactly what I meant - I think Zorn is both fed up and still racking his brain to get better execution. The real clue for me was Zorn remarks about JC after the Pitt game. Very blunt... Jason made bad throws that cost a drive and an INT. My guess is we'll hear more of the same after tonight. Zorn looked furious after our final drive tonight. On 2 plays Campbell made very lousy throws and was not under immediate pressure. In both situations he could have run for yardage or just run to by some time. I just think Zorn expects more out of JC, fairly or unfairly.

On the fourth down play to Moss, Portis was wide open underneath, but Campbell was focused on Moss -- who wouldn't have made the 1st down even if he caught it.