I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

He is a teacher. He was a player. He has a great passion for the game.

He knows how to talk and listen to the team. It's a quality many NFL coaches don't have.

The key to this season is the development of the offense and we all know that. The burden rests on Zorn's shoulders.

I just wanted to say that I think that Jim Zorn is moving this team in a very positive direction. We are lucky to have him. He is going to be the next great coach of the NFL!

That is my prediction.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=wilsowilso;573352]He is a teacher. He was a player. He has a great passion for the game.

He knows how to talk and listen to the team. It's a quality many NFL coaches don't have.

The key to this season is the development of the offense and we all know that. The burden rests on Zorn's shoulders.

I just wanted to say that I think that Jim Zorn is moving this team in a very positive direction. We are lucky to have him. He is going to be the next great coach of the NFL!

That is my prediction.[/quote]Agreed. Hopefully the FO can be focused on the fact that "Rome doesn't get built in a day" and resist any temptation to make a change for a "quick fix" (Shanahan, Cowher) if we struggle this year for whatever reason.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

Now that the offense has been set in place, I think the skys the limit for the Skins. And since Zorn was a player I think he understands what buttons to push as well as how fast to bring players along.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=Skins Fan in Indiana;573355]Now that the offense has been set in place, I think the skys the limit for the Skins. And since Zorn was a player I think he understands what buttons to push as well as how fast to bring players along.[/quote]

Welcome to The Warpath!

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=wilsowilso;573352]He is a teacher. He was a player. He has a great passion for the game.

He knows how to talk and listen to the team. It's a quality many NFL coaches don't have.

The key to this season is the development of the offense and we all know that. The burden rests on Zorn's shoulders.

I just wanted to say that I think that Jim Zorn is moving this team in a very positive direction. We are lucky to have him. He is going to be the next great coach of the NFL!

That is my prediction.[/quote]

Nice thread! I couldn't agree more! I think we have a winner here and I like the direction this team is going. Zorn could be the best thing since Gibbs 1. I hope we give him time to show it!

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

I agree Zorn appears to be moving the team in the right direction. But, "Great Football Head Coach" based on what one year, with a .500 record hardly qualifies for a GREAT COACH!

You base a coach's performance on wins an losses at the end of the day. Zorn is a middle of the road 2nd year coach, that there is a very good chance he has to win and make a playoff run or he might no longer be a coach at all, at least in DC!

I like Zorn as a person, and think he has some good ideas/changes this season on how to run a team.

But it's way to early to even put him in a sentence with a "GREAT FOOTBALL HEAD COACH" attached to his name! He has provided in only one season as the SKINS HC nothing more than one losing season.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

Joe Gibbs 1 was a great football coach. Bill Walsh was a great football coach. Bill Belichick is a great football coach. Jim Zorn is not a great football coach, he may not even be a good offensive coordinator. The jury is still out.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=53Fan;573358]Zorn could be the best thing since Gibbs 1. I hope we give him time to show it![/quote]

I am hopefull too.
I will wait another season, but my primary concern with the guy was his inability to adjust play calling mid season when it was clearly evident that defensive coordinators figured him out.
I think some of this was due to him only installing a base package....hopefully he has a full slate of plays that is installed that includes some misdirection rather than the basic gibbs run scheme + basic west coast passing.

What is really needed are reverses, shotgun, draws, WR quick screens, etc to spread the secondary out as to not crowd the box.

Most of our offense last year did not suprise anyone...especially after the first couple months...remember, we went 2-6 after an almost sure playoff level start of 6-2. That to me aint great coaching.

The good thing is any improvement in playcalling should show dramatic improvement in offensive production.
If Zorn is depending on the Skins offense to score due to having more talent and more execution alone, we will be in for a long season.
The reality is he needs to scheme better and make better play calling adjustments before I call him a great coach.

The jury is still out on Zorn

I wish him all the best, our dreams depend on him being better than last year

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=53Fan;573358]Nice thread! I couldn't agree more! I think we have a winner here and I like the direction this team is going. [B]Zorn could be the best thing since Gibbs 1.[/B] I hope we give him time to show it![/quote]

You're talking about a man who is a great leader of men, who won 3 SB's with 3 different QB's and in his day was the master of the halftime adjustment. Let's not go overboard here....

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

This is a prediction thread. I can't make any kind of case for Jim Zorn's greatness yet!

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=skinsfan69;573362]Joe Gibbs 1 was a great football coach. Bill Walsh was a great football coach. Bill Belichick is a great football coach. Jim Zorn is not a great football coach, he may not even be a good offensive coordinator. [B]The jury is still out[/B].[/quote]

If the jury is still out, saying he IS a great football coach is just as valid as saying he IS NOT a great football coach isn't it?

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=skinsfan69;573362] The jury is still out.[/quote]

very funny...we typed the same phrase at the same time without knowing it...that should tell you something

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=wilsowilso;573366]This is a prediction thread.[B] I can't make any kind of case for Jim Zorn's greatness yet[/B]![/quote]

Yea....I guess you can't other than the thread title.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=skinsfan69;573365]You're talking about a man who is a great leader of men, who won 3 SB's with 3 different QB's and in his day was the master of the halftime adjustment. Let's not go overboard here....[/quote]

COULD BE skinsfan69. As you said, the jury is still out but I do think Zorn could become a great coach. I have no more respect for anyone than Joe Gibbs, but Gibbs didn't start out too great either. Gibbs wasn't judged a great coach in his first year either, but he sure turned out to be one. I never said he would be Joe Gibbs, I said he could be the best SINCE Gibbs.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

i really like the fact that Snyder didnt grab one of the old retread coaches. hopefully he will give Zorn enough time to find out if he can coach in this league

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

I think you'll get your wish skinsnut. He has about 3 times the amount of offensive plays installed this year as he did last year.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=skinsfan_nn;573371]Yea....I guess you can't other than the thread title.[/quote]

I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach, but plenty of Redskin fans and people all across the land don't know it yet.

Would that be better for you?

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

Zorn is a up and coming coach, with alot of room for improvement. If he can stay in town for a few years, we will then have our answer if he is a good or great coach.

You measure greatness by how many rings you have won.

Get some rings Coach!

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=skinsnut;573364]I am hopefull too.
I will wait another season, but my primary concern with the guy was his inability to adjust play calling mid season when it was clearly evident that defensive coordinators figured him out.
I think some of this was due to him only installing a base package....hopefully he has a full slate of plays that is installed that includes some misdirection rather than the basic gibbs run scheme + basic west coast passing.

What is really needed are reverses, shotgun, draws, WR quick screens, etc to spread the secondary out as to not crowd the box.

Most of our offense last year did not suprise anyone...especially after the first couple months...remember, we went 2-6 after an almost sure playoff level start of 6-2. That to me aint great coaching.

The good thing is any improvement in playcalling should show dramatic improvement in offensive production.
If Zorn is depending on the Skins offense to score due to having more talent and more execution alone, we will be in for a long season.
The reality is he needs to scheme better and make better play calling adjustments before I call him a great coach.

The jury is still out on Zorn

I wish him all the best, our dreams depend on him being better than last year[/quote]
Not sure i agree with some of your points on Zorn. Frontline injuries and bad pass protection limit play calling ability. Reverses and fakes are gimmiks only to be pulled out once in awhile. Last year we had screens, slants, and alot of WR's catching the ball at the line of scrimmage. His play calling has alot to do with the pocket collasping and not being able to throw the ball deep. Couple that with the fact that JC has a slow release and takes long strides makes it tough to call long yardage pass plays.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

He seems to be following Walsh in that he is rather involved with his QBs and stressing mechanics from them. He's a straight shooter as well, so he definitely can earn, and likely has earned, the trust of his players.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

Zorn = 8:8 1st season
Gibbs= 8:8 1st season
...only time will tell

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

Zorn gives of this vibe that makes you beleive oh we gone but good, he's delegating responsibility better this year & all the coaches are on the same page.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

I would love to see Jim Zorn with us for a long time . I just hope he gets the chance if this is not a playoff year.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

well, it's the preseason, it's the time for unbridled and potentially unreasoned optimism. I hope you're right. I will say that he seems like a good guy, how that relates in terms of wins and losses though...that's what's important. Belichick is a complete and utter asshat, but the dude just wins.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

If he goes 8-8 or worse again he will not be a NFL head coach fo sho....nothing wrong wrong with being optomistic, but lets make the playoffs once first b4 predicting greatness.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=skinsfan69;573362]Joe Gibbs 1 was a great football coach. Bill Walsh was a great football coach. Bill Belichick is a great football coach. Jim Zorn is not a great football coach,[B] he may not even be a good offensive coordinator[/B]. The jury is still out.[/quote]

Seriously. I don't care how bad the O line was, 12 points a game over the last 8 is putrid. How can anyone see signs of greatness in last year's performance?

Reasons he may not even be a good offensive coordinator:

1) Couldn't get production out of the rooks when other teams were doing it all over the league. If the Eagles could get almost 1000 yards from that knucklehead Desean Jackson, Zorn should have been able to get more out of Davis, Kelly and Thomas. Don't tell me they can't read playbooks. They read playbooks well enough to be high draft picks in the NFL. Simplify if need be, and get the guys to produce on the field.

2) The running game - 342 carries for a guy who's best run went for 31 yards? The best running teams use multiple weapons out of the backfield. We had good enough talent, but Zorn chose to run Portis into the ground instead of developing weapons out of the other guys.

3) Passing game - weak and uncreative. Like someone else said, where were the no huddle plays? The trick plays? The roll-outs to give Campbell more time to throw? Teams like the Chargers and Dolphins regularly threw to their running backs for huge gains. Our RBs were non-existent in the passing game, making it all that much easier to defend the offense.

4) Mike Sellers on the goal-line. I don't care what he says, Zorn gave those carries to Sellers, because he was miffed with Portis. He let his personal feelings get the better of him. Not what great coaches do.

5) Nobody else wanted him even as an offensive coordinator. Are we supposed to think the FO knows something the rest of the league doesn't? Why? Because of their stellar track record?

I am one who thinks the 6-2 start last year was more of a fluke than an indication of what Zorn can do on a long term basis with a healthy team. I believe other teams figured him out once there was enough film to be studied and he was unable to adjust. There were some first year coaches that did show signs of greatness last year (Harbaugh, Sparano, Smith). Unfortunately, Zorn wasn't one of them (In my opinion).

But I hope you guys are right. I'd gladly eat crow over this one.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=53Fan;573372]COULD BE skinsfan69. As you said, the jury is still out but I do think Zorn could become a great coach. I have no more respect for anyone than Joe Gibbs, but Gibbs didn't start out too great either. Gibbs wasn't judged a great coach in his first year either, but he sure turned out to be one. I never said he would be Joe Gibbs, I said he could be the best SINCE Gibbs.[/quote]

At least Gibbs was a very good offensive coordinator in San Diego before joining the Skins and even though he started out 0-5, he was able to right the ship enough to finish the season 7-9. THAT was a sign of potential greatness to come. Starting 6-2 and ending 2-6 gives the exact opposite impression. But we'll see soon enough.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

I'm pretty confident that Zorn will be a very good coach for us. But it's pretty crazy that he's just starting his head coaching career, while Dungy just retired after nearly 15 years as a head coach. And Zorn is two years older.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=53Fan;573372]COULD BE skinsfan69. As you said, the jury is still out but I do think Zorn could become a great coach. I have no more respect for anyone than Joe Gibbs, but Gibbs didn't start out too great either. Gibbs wasn't judged a great coach in his first year either, but he sure turned out to be one. I never said he would be Joe Gibbs, I said he could be the best SINCE Gibbs.[/quote]

i hear you. but zorn needs to improve in a lot of areas and one is stop being so blunt and calling guys out in the media. i don't know...i just don't see the guy as a leader of men and that's one trait a hc must have. i don't think he commands respect like some other coaches do. we'll see.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=stu_nna;573384]Not sure i agree with some of your points on Zorn. [B]Frontline injuries[/B] and [B]bad pass protection [/B]limit play calling ability. Reverses and fakes are gimmiks only to be pulled out once in awhile. Last year we had screens, slants, and alot of WR's catching the ball at the line of scrimmage. His play calling has alot to do with the [B]pocket collasping [/B]and not being able to throw the ball deep. Couple that with the fact that JC has a slow release and takes long strides makes it tough to call long yardage pass plays.[/quote]

I think that's the point. Every friggin team is bruised and battered down the stretch, but good coaching can overcome those obstacles. He was clearly unable to adjust to the injuries and the record reflected that.

There are going to be more injuries this year, so I hope he's got some contingency plans ready.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=44Deezel;573417]Seriously. I don't care how bad the O line was, 12 points a game over the last 8 is putrid. How can anyone see signs of greatness in last year's performance?

Reasons he may not even be a good offensive coordinator:

1) Couldn't get production out of the rooks when other teams were doing it all over the league. If the Eagles could get almost 1000 yards from that knucklehead Desean Jackson, [B]Zorn should have been able to get more out of Davis, Kelly and Thomas. Don't tell me they can't read playbooks. They read playbooks well enough to be high draft picks in the NFL. Simplify if need be, and get the guys to produce on the field.[/B]

2) The running game - 342 carries for a guy who's best run went for 31 yards? The best running teams use multiple weapons out of the backfield. We had good enough talent, but Zorn chose to run Portis into the ground instead of developing weapons out of the other guys.

3) Passing game - weak and uncreative. Like someone else said, where were the no huddle plays? The trick plays? The roll-outs to give Campbell more time to throw? Teams like the Chargers and Dolphins regularly threw to their running backs for huge gains. Our RBs were non-existent in the passing game, making it all that much easier to defend the offense.

4) Mike Sellers on the goal-line. I don't care what he says, Zorn gave those carries to Sellers, because he was miffed with Portis. He let his personal feelings get the better of him. Not what great coaches do.

5) Nobody else wanted him even as an offensive coordinator. Are we supposed to think the FO knows something the rest of the league doesn't? Why? Because of their stellar track record?

I am one who thinks the 6-2 start last year was more of a fluke than an indication of what Zorn can do on a long term basis with a healthy team. I believe other teams figured him out once there was enough film to be studied and he was unable to adjust. There were some first year coaches that did show signs of greatness last year (Harbaugh, Sparano, Smith). Unfortunately, Zorn wasn't one of them (In my opinion).

But I hope you guys are right. I'd gladly eat crow over this one.[/quote]

great point. it's the staff's job to get these guys to learn the plays. i remember doc walker killing the staff about this last year. but last year is done with so let's hopefully see improvments this year.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=44Deezel;573417]Seriously. I don't care how bad the O line was, 12 points a game over the last 8 is putrid. How can anyone see signs of greatness in last year's performance?

Reasons he may not even be a good offensive coordinator:

1) Couldn't get production out of the rooks when other teams were doing it all over the league. If the Eagles could get almost 1000 yards from that knucklehead Desean Jackson, Zorn should have been able to get more out of Davis, Kelly and Thomas. Don't tell me they can't read playbooks. They read playbooks well enough to be high draft picks in the NFL. Simplify if need be, and get the guys to produce on the field.

2) The running game - 342 carries for a guy who's best run went for 31 yards? The best running teams use multiple weapons out of the backfield. We had good enough talent, but Zorn chose to run Portis into the ground instead of developing weapons out of the other guys.

3) Passing game - weak and uncreative. Like someone else said, where were the no huddle plays? The trick plays? The roll-outs to give Campbell more time to throw? Teams like the Chargers and Dolphins regularly threw to their running backs for huge gains. Our RBs were non-existent in the passing game, making it all that much easier to defend the offense.

4) Mike Sellers on the goal-line. I don't care what he says, Zorn gave those carries to Sellers, because he was miffed with Portis. He let his personal feelings get the better of him. Not what great coaches do.

5) Nobody else wanted him even as an offensive coordinator. Are we supposed to think the FO knows something the rest of the league doesn't? Why? Because of their stellar track record?

I am one who thinks the 6-2 start last year was more of a fluke than an indication of what Zorn can do on a long term basis with a healthy team. I believe other teams figured him out once there was enough film to be studied and he was unable to adjust. There were some first year coaches that did show signs of greatness last year (Harbaugh, Sparano, Smith). Unfortunately, Zorn wasn't one of them (In my opinion).

But I hope you guys are right. I'd gladly eat crow over this one.[/quote]

I agree 100% percent, at the end of the year I was mad at Zorn but over the off season I have mellowed out and kinda like the guy. But if he don't learn how to adjust he needs to go. It took over 4 weeks before he learned how to beat that tactic used by the Steelers "overload one side". The solution to that problem made me throw up, and showed arrogance on Zorn's part. Running one wide receiver screen against Baltimore and that was the last time that tactic was used against our offense. No brainer, but not part of his system. That fast every other team we played took notice of our adjustment. We need to be just as swift. I think he now understands why Gibbs slept at the office. If not, he can play golf with the Ole ball coach.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

I have a ton of hope that Zorn will be a very good to great coach. I like the approach that he takes with the players. I think you see a lot of players following him with confidence. Even the issues with Portis tend to reflect a man who can listen and respect others over time.

However, he also shows a stubborness to his approach that could be his achilles heel. Joe Gibbs knew football and was very good at going with the flow of the game. At the moment this is the one quality that I think eludes Jim Zorn.

He has only coached an nfl team for one season, and he did not have a losing record. I expect we will see improvement this year.

Bottom line- I HOPE Jim Zorn is a great football coach,

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=wilsowilso;573352]He is a teacher. He was a player. He has a great passion for the game.

He knows how to talk and listen to the team. It's a quality many NFL coaches don't have.

The key to this season is the development of the offense and we all know that. The burden rests on Zorn's shoulders.

I just wanted to say that I think that Jim Zorn is moving this team in a very positive direction. We are lucky to have him. He is going to be the next great coach of the NFL!

That is my prediction.[/quote]

Absolutely. He actually reminds me a lot of Tony Dungy, except for when he screams at rookie punters.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=44Deezel;573417]Seriously. I don't care how bad the O line was, 12 points a game over the last 8 is putrid. How can anyone see signs of greatness in last year's performance?

Reasons he may not even be a good offensive coordinator:

1) Couldn't get production out of the rooks when other teams were doing it all over the league. If the Eagles could get almost 1000 yards from that knucklehead Desean Jackson, Zorn should have been able to get more out of Davis, Kelly and Thomas. Don't tell me they can't read playbooks. They read playbooks well enough to be high draft picks in the NFL. Simplify if need be, and get the guys to produce on the field.

2) The running game - 342 carries for a guy who's best run went for 31 yards? The best running teams use multiple weapons out of the backfield. We had good enough talent, but Zorn chose to run Portis into the ground instead of developing weapons out of the other guys.

3) Passing game - weak and uncreative. Like someone else said, where were the no huddle plays? The trick plays? The roll-outs to give Campbell more time to throw? Teams like the Chargers and Dolphins regularly threw to their running backs for huge gains. Our RBs were non-existent in the passing game, making it all that much easier to defend the offense.

4) Mike Sellers on the goal-line. I don't care what he says, Zorn gave those carries to Sellers, because he was miffed with Portis. He let his personal feelings get the better of him. Not what great coaches do.

5) Nobody else wanted him even as an offensive coordinator. Are we supposed to think the FO knows something the rest of the league doesn't? Why? Because of their stellar track record?

I am one who thinks the 6-2 start last year was more of a fluke than an indication of what Zorn can do on a long term basis with a healthy team. I believe other teams figured him out once there was enough film to be studied and he was unable to adjust. There were some first year coaches that did show signs of greatness last year (Harbaugh, Sparano, Smith). Unfortunately, Zorn wasn't one of them (In my opinion).

But I hope you guys are right. I'd gladly eat crow over this one.[/quote]

1. All over the league? I think you may be generalizing just a bit. I guarantee there were many more rookies that struggled vs. those that made a smooth transition and contributed meaningful numbers in their first years.

2. & 4. You're contradicting yourself here. First he pounds Portis into the ground and then he's miffed at him and takes away goal line carries? If he was so miffed at him why did he give him 342 carries? And CP still had a respectable 9 TDs, so these points really make no sense.

3. If you can't master the basics you probably shouldn't be running gimmicks. Besides, not sure how tossing it to the backs would have made the offense any more "creative".

5. There are plenty of coaches that are off the league's radar that turn into fine coaches, just as there are plenty of hot prospects that flop.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

I like Zorn, but unfortunately good coach or not, he will be replaced at the end of the season. Too many high profile coaches out there for DS to sink his teeth into and he will not be able to resist unless we make the Super Bowl this yea!!!!!!

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=Mattyk72;573449]1. All over the league? I think you may be generalizing just a bit. I guarantee there were many more rookies that struggled vs. those that made a smooth transition and contributed meaningful numbers in their first years.

2. & 4. You're contradicting yourself here. First he pounds Portis into the ground and then he's miffed at him and takes away goal line carries? If he was so miffed at him why did he give him 342 carries? And CP still had a respectable 9 TDs, so these points really make no sense.

3.[B] If you can't master the basics you probably shouldn't be running gimmicks.[/B] Besides, not sure how tossing it to the backs would have made the offense any more "creative".

5. There are plenty of coaches that are off the league's radar that turn into fine coaches, just as there are plenty of hot prospects that flop.[/quote]

We did some things pretty well until the o-line started falling apart. To add more plays and gimmicks to a team that was struggling with learning a new offense, a rookie receiver who wasn't running the correct routes half the time, and 2nd string o-linemen playing out of position, would have made us look more like the Keystone Kops out there than a professional football team IMO. Once that happened, I would have probably wanted to fire Zorn myself. We always talk about how we wouldn't mind taking a losing season or two, if it would get us on the right track and make us stronger in the long run. Well? Hopefully that is what's happening.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=44Deezel;573417]Seriously. I don't care how bad the O line was, 12 points a game over the last 8 is putrid. How can anyone see signs of greatness in last year's performance?

Reasons he may not even be a good offensive coordinator:

1) Couldn't get production out of the rooks when other teams were doing it all over the league. If the Eagles could get almost 1000 yards from that knucklehead Desean Jackson, Zorn should have been able to get more out of Davis, Kelly and Thomas. Don't tell me they can't read playbooks. They read playbooks well enough to be high draft picks in the NFL. Simplify if need be, and get the guys to produce on the field.

2) The running game - 342 carries for a guy who's best run went for 31 yards? The best running teams use multiple weapons out of the backfield. We had good enough talent, but Zorn chose to run Portis into the ground instead of developing weapons out of the other guys.

3) Passing game - weak and uncreative. Like someone else said, where were the no huddle plays? [B]The trick plays[/B]? The roll-outs to give Campbell more time to throw? Teams like the Chargers and Dolphins regularly threw to their running backs for huge gains. [B]Our RBs were non-existent in the passing game, making it all that much easier to defend the offense.[/B]

4) Mike Sellers on the goal-line. I don't care what he says, Zorn gave those carries to Sellers, because he was miffed with Portis. He let his personal feelings get the better of him. Not what great coaches do.

5) Nobody else wanted him even as an offensive coordinator. Are we supposed to think the FO knows something the rest of the league doesn't? Why? Because of their stellar track record?

I am one who thinks the 6-2 start last year was more of a fluke than an indication of what Zorn can do on a long term basis with a healthy team. I believe other teams figured him out once there was enough film to be studied and he was unable to adjust. There were some first year coaches that did show signs of greatness last year (Harbaugh, Sparano, Smith). Unfortunately, Zorn wasn't one of them (In my opinion).

But I hope you guys are right. I'd gladly eat crow over this one.[/quote]

I can see your point of view on most of your sentiments and some I agee with and some I don't.

Having said that I want to focus on the items that I bolded in your post.

First of all running trick plays is a little more difficult than people think. To be able to run trick plays you have to be able to execute your basic plays on a regular basis. The defense has to believe and commit to what they see to bite on a trick play. Plain and simple, we couldn't execute basic plays, there was no chance for a trick play.

Second involving your backs in the passing game requires the one element that we didn't have last year...time. The running back in a passing play is usually the 3rd read or later in the QB's progression. The exception to that rule is the screen play. I believe that we could use some more of these. JC didn't have enough time to hit his hot reads on many occasions; how in the world was he supposed to hit the 3rd, 4th, or 5th reads?

Essentially both of these areas can be inproved upon with improved pass protection and offensive execution in general.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

Unless the team utterly flops this year, I hope that we stick with Zorn and don't get impatient. I think that Zorn can be a very fine head coach, whether that is clearly evident this year or not, and this team needs continuity.

Re: I think Jim Zorn is a great head football coach.
 

[quote=44Deezel;573417]Seriously. I don't care how bad the O line was, 12 points a game over the last 8 is putrid. How can anyone see signs of greatness in last year's performance? [/quote]How do you score points with an OL devastated by injury, against the Giants, Ravens, Steelers, Cowboys, Eagles.

[quote]1) Couldn't get production out of the rooks when other teams were doing it all over the league. If the Eagles could get almost 1000 yards from that knucklehead Desean Jackson, Zorn should have been able to get more out of Davis, Kelly and Thomas. Don't tell me they can't read playbooks. They read playbooks well enough to be high draft picks in the NFL. Simplify if need be, and get the guys to produce on the field.[/quote]Kelly - injured. Davis - How do you get him into the game when you have a Pro Bowl TE and haven't had time to install a complete offensive package. Thomas - not an issue with "can't" it was a matter of "wouldn't" read the playbook. His attitude appears changed this year. To me his motivation is an issue that should've been handled by the position coach or OC (S. Smith)

[quote]2) The running game - 342 carries for a guy who's best run went for 31 yards? The best running teams use multiple weapons out of the backfield. We had good enough talent, but Zorn chose to run Portis into the ground instead of developing weapons out of the other guys.[/quote]When the run game was working Zorn fed Portis. Any good coach does that. When the running game was struggling Portis got less carries to not wear him down. Team/carries Steelers/13, Cowboys/15, Seahawks/29, Giants/11, Ravens/11, Bengals/25, Eagles/22, 49ers/29 (this is the only game late in the year where the YPC was low and Portis had a heavy workload). The only opponents during this stretch that had a somewhat balanced workload for their backs were the Giants (Jacobs/Ward), Ravens (Mclain/McGahee), 49ers (Gore/Foster). If Zorn put Betts in and he fumbled in a key situation, the Negative Nancy crowd would be screaming Zorn is a bad coach for putting Betts in.

[quote]3) Passing game - weak and uncreative. Like someone else said, where were the no huddle plays? The trick plays? The roll-outs to give Campbell more time to throw? Teams like the Chargers and Dolphins regularly threw to their running backs for huge gains. Our RBs were non-existent in the passing game, making it all that much easier to defend the offense.[/quote]It's been said before, Zorn didn't have his whole package in. If you remember correctly Gibbs' retirement and the coaching search was pretty sudden. Our offensive system change was a major overhaul in the passing game. How do you execute a no-huddle when the offense is still being learned? Here's some numbers for you: Redskins - 20% of passes to RB/FB.
Dolphins - 26%
Chargers - 33%

Team X - 18.4%
Team Y - 16.8%

Are the OC's of team X & Y bad OCs? I'm sure you guessed by now who Team X & Y are? X - Cardinals, Y - Steelers.

[quote]4) Mike Sellers on the goal-line. I don't care what he says, Zorn gave those carries to Sellers, because he was miffed with Portis. He let his personal feelings get the better of him. Not what great coaches do.[/quote]Possibly. Or, he believed his 270+ lb Pro Bowl FB could get in from the 1. For the record though, I agree that was a bad couple of playcalls. Sellers isn't a ball carrier. He's a blocker and decent receiver out of the backfield. But do we say Zorn sucks because he made one mistake at a crucial point? I don't believe so.

[quote]5) Nobody else wanted him even as an offensive coordinator. Are we supposed to think the FO knows something the rest of the league doesn't? Why? Because of their stellar track record?[/quote]If I remember correctly during the HC search, most of the HC candidates mentioned Zorn as a very good OC candidate. The FO track record over the last 4-5 years is far superior to the first 5 years. We'll find out this season, but if DT & Rinehart gain starting roles, Kelly/Davis produce, and we get solid play from Orakpo and Barnes I'd say the FO is doing pretty good.

[quote]I am one who thinks the 6-2 start last year was more of a fluke than an indication of what Zorn can do on a long term basis with a healthy team. I believe other teams figured him out once there was enough film to be studied and he was unable to adjust. There were some first year coaches that did show signs of greatness last year (Harbaugh, Sparano, Smith). Unfortunately, Zorn wasn't one of them (In my opinion).

But I hope you guys are right. I'd gladly eat crow over this one.[/quote]I believe you will be proven wrong. IMO the 2-6 finish had a lot more to do with OL injuries/age and the defense's inability to stop people in the 4th Qtr and create turnovers than Zorn's coaching ability.