What must Jim Zorn accomplish this season to keep his job?

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by KI Skins Fan

The primary reason I'm thinking about this is because there are four big-time former NFL coaches who will probably be looking to return to coaching next season and I don't think you-know-who can resist hiring a big-name Head Coach. The coaches to whom I'm referring are Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden, Mike Holmgren, and Mike Shanahan.

To try to answer my own question, I think that, at a minimum, Jim Zorn will need to take this team to the playoffs to keep his job. But that might not be enough. If we back into the playoffs as a wildcard and lose in the first round, I think that Zorn may still lose his job.

I'm suggesting that, with people who Dan Snyder will undoubtedly view as better coaches available, that the bar may be set unrealistically high for Jim Zorn this season.

Other than Zorn guiding the Skins to the second round of the playoffs, there is one other faint hope for DS retaining Zorn and thus maintaining continuity. That is, Snyder could hire Mike Holmgren in an executive capacity to oversee both Vinny and Jim Zorn and to serve as a close advisor to both of them. That might even work.

Can people PLEASE stop the Cowher talk??? He's not going to coach here. This man worked for the Rooney's who have one of the best operations going in the NFL. Why would he come and work for Snyder? As for the other guys the only one I could see coming here is Gruden. For the sake of continuity I hope Zorn doesn't get fired, regardless of how the season turns out.

[KI Skins Fan]

Originally Posted by skinsfan69

Can people PLEASE stop the Cowher talk??? He's not going to coach here. This man worked for the Rooney's who have one of the best operations going in the NFL. Why would he come and work for Snyder? As for the other guys the only one I could see coming here is Gruden. For the sake of continuity I hope Zorn doesn't get fired, regardless of how the season turns out.

Money.

[redskingrove]

Let's face the facts. Zorn as long as he improves should stay and this would obviously provide a more comfortable atmosphere for the players to develop in the offensive schemes. Too much change can build resistance and be devastating to any plan. Blache just carried on the prior years defensive scheme and it has kept us in the top 5 defenses for a couple of years now.
In the draft, we went defense to bolster our sack record. Our defense was ranked 4th overall which wasn't so aweful that we needed to address defense so much again this year, but the offensive line which provides a QB time to throw the big plays, or a RB to break the big plays was not really addressed except for a few small additions in free agency. This has put Zorn as a victim of DS and Vinny's ego of wanting notariety with defensive production. You may say that defenses win championships but that is not the entire truth. Without a strong offense to put points up on the board when the defense stalls an opposing offense, you'll still go nowhere and your D will eventually get tired thus giving up points.
The FO (DS and Vinny) have rolled the defensive dice to try and produce the winning edge. They saw other teams that went far into the playoffs and beyond and bought into the grand picture instead of seeing the whole needs in a championship team.

Keep Zorn and develop your players. Also give the offense (LINEMEN) talent to be more productive. The FO did it with the defense so why not the offense if winning is their top priority!

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by redskingrove

Let's face the facts. Zorn as long as he improves should stay and this would obviously provide a more comfortable atmosphere for the players to develop in the offensive schemes. Too much change can build resistance and be devastating to any plan. Blache just carried on the prior years defensive scheme and it has kept us in the top 5 defenses for a couple of years now.
In the draft, we went defense to bolster our sack record. Our defense was ranked 4th overall which wasn't so aweful that we needed to address defense so much again this year, but the offensive line which provides a QB time to throw the big plays, or a RB to break the big plays was not really addressed except for a few small additions in free agency. This has put Zorn as a victim of DS and Vinny's ego of wanting notariety with defensive production. You may say that defenses win championships but that is not the entire truth. Without a strong offense to put points up on the board when the defense stalls an opposing offense, you'll still go nowhere and your D will eventually get tired thus giving up points.
The FO (DS and Vinny) have rolled the defensive dice to try and produce the winning edge. They saw other teams that went far into the playoffs and beyond and bought into the grand picture instead of seeing the whole needs in a championship team.

Keep Zorn and develop your players. Also give the offense (LINEMEN) talent to be more productive. The FO did it with the defense so why not the offense if winning is their top priority!

Lets see we have CP who was ranked where in the NFL this year? The SB was won with how many points? Now Zorn is a victim? How do you know it was not Zorn giving the final OK to bring in players or who we drafted?

[redskingrove]

If you think Zorn is calling the shots with only two years now as a HC, then you have bumped your head really hard. Main point.....if you continue to change the schemes of a team all the time without letting systems work kinks out and without giving the coaches the tools they need (right players) to get the job done, every coach would fail; not just Zorn. It is obvious that the FO is going in one direction when it comes to adding players to build on than what the offense needs to accomplish.

Try working on your car's engine with Playschool tools if you have any doubts.

[hooskins]

Originally Posted by redskingrove

If you think Zorn is calling the shots with only two years now as a HC, then you have bumped your head really hard. Main point.....if you continue to change the schemes of a team all the time without letting systems work kinks out and without giving the coaches the tools they need (right players) to get the job done, every coach would fail; not just Zorn. It is obvious that the FO is going in one direction when it comes to adding players to build on than what the offense needs to accomplish.

Try working on your car's engine with Playschool tools if you have any doubts.

Hello B-Mitch! Seems like you have a ton of free time now, huh?

[Trample the Elderly]

Originally Posted by KI Skins Fan

Money.

We've posted about this many times all ready. If it was just about money then we would've had one those big names you mentioned. Snyder has put such a bad coaching cloud over the club that coaches don't want to come here IMO.

They could've gotten Cowher and some other "big name" guys. We were a Cowher kind of team anyway, defensive football that is focused on the run.

Money wasn't the issue, it's control. Zorn said so in so-many words when he said he had no choice in picking FAs or in the draft. He might have put his two cents in, but that's it. All of the big name guys are going to want to have the power to steer the club in the direction they feel will allow them to win.

I don't think Holmgren would come to a club that just fired Zorn. Cowher probably already turned us down. Shanahan would want the kind of control that he had in Denver. Chucky, eh . . . maybe, maybe not? If they fire Zorn the FO is f'ed up for sure.

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by KI Skins Fan

Money.

Sorry but there are other teams that will pay him and there are other teams that will give him full contol. A guy like Cowher will never work for Snyder. Neither will Mike H. What happened to the last strong head coach that worked here? Got fired after one year. The only strong HC that can work for Snyder is/was Gibbs.