A Return of the Running Game?

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by REDSKINS4ever

Under Zorn the Redskins were a terrible team. How do you start off 6-2 in 2008 and finish 8-8? In 2009 Redskins were worse than Richie Pettibon's 1993 squad although both of those teams finished with a 4-12 record. Anyways, in the years since Gibbs left and Shanahan took over, the Redskins were a dismal looking team to watch. They were not an explosive team at all.

Zorn's first half success was likely due to:

1) He did run things differently than any other NFL coach. This was ultimately his downfall, but at first, opponents had to figure out what the heck he was trying to do on the field

2) At first, he brought motivation and fun to the team in practice and on gameday. Remember the "hip hip hoorays". The players in interviews admitted it was corny and had no idea why they were doing it, but they were having fun and believed in him...while they were winning. Once the losses started coming, the team thought he was not a serious coach and the kid-like "fun" was no longer cutting it...so he lost the locker room, especially a team leader in Portis.

I'll always remember him for chucking yoga balls at the QBs in practice, the slip-n-slide drills and the swinging gate. The best part was he called a time-out after showing the formation, came out of the timeout and still ran it! Since he was a lame duck coach who had already been stripped of his power and dignity, I really think that was just a big middle finger to the organization and Dan Snyder...on Primetime National TV!