November 03, 2009
Redskins’ Snyder says team has ‘let everyone down’
Team owner Dan Snyder says his Washington Redskins have “let everyone down.“
Skins’ Hall fond of Falcons, no fan of Petrino
ASHBURN—DeAngelo Hall has plenty of positive things to say about his old team, the Atlanta Falcons. His old coach? That’s another matter. The Washington Redskins cornerback made it clear yesterday that he’s still no fan of Bobby Petrino, the coach who quit the Falcons during the 2007 season. The former Virginia Tech star and Petrino got in a shouting match on the sideline that year, leading to a $100,000 fine for the player and no doubt hastening the coach’s abrupt departure for the University of Arkansas.
November 01, 2009
Skins players see stark reality of 2-5
ASHBURN Having failed to assemble a winning football team, the Washington Redskins now have a split in viewpoint between the front office and the locker room. While executives accent the positive, many players won’t play along. They know what a 2-5 record means. They also remember last year: Add this season’s start to last year’s finish, and the Redskins are a 4-11 team since last Halloween.
October 28, 2009
Cooley tops Redskins’ injury woes; Cerrato defends personnel work
On the day after the Washington Redskins’ top receiving weapon was sidelined, their chief personnel executive said he had loaded the 2-5 team with a playoff-caliber roster. Vinny Cerrato, the executive vice president of football operations, also told reporters yesterday that coach Jim Zorn’s job status was undecided in the days after the play-caller switch from Zorn to offensive consultant Sherm Lewis, who made his debut in the role in Monday night’s 27-17 loss to Philadelphia.
October 27, 2009
New play-caller, but same old story for Skins
LANDOVER, Md.—Sherm Lewis might want to go back to Bingo. Or, better yet, he might want to apply for a job as the Philadelphia Eagles’ play-caller—it’s a much easier job with someone such as DeSean Jackson on your side. Jackson scored on a 67-yard reverse and caught a 57-yard touchdown pass in the first half, and the Eagles converted three turnovers into points last night in a 27-17 win over the Washington Redskins.
October 26, 2009
Consistent Eagles, turmoil-plagued Redskins meet tonight
LANDOVER, Md.—Over the past decade, the Washington Redskins have employed six coaches. The Philadelphia Eagles have had one. Since 1999, the Redskins have burned through more than a half-dozen so-called No. 1 quarterbacks. None has started more than 42 games. The Eagles have had Donovan McNabb. He’s started 131. Since Jeffrey Lurie bought the Eagles in 1994, the franchise has been one of the most successful in the NFL. Nine playoff appearances. An NFC title. Only five teams have won more games since his first full year of ownership. He’s hired talented people to do the work and let them be.
October 25, 2009
Redskins, Eagles look to end the embarrassment
Surely there’s no way the Philadelphia Eagles will lose to one of the NFL’s most dysfunctional franchises, even if the game is on the road. Oh, wait. They just did that. A week after laying a 13-9 egg against the Oakland Raiders, the Eagles (3-2) have another potential letdown game against the Washington Redskins (2-4). The Monday nighter has prime-time slaughter written all over it, with the Redskins coming off a distraction-filled week following the front office’s decision to strip coach Jim Zorn of the play-calling.
October 24, 2009
Week in Review
There is no silver lining to news that International Paper will close its plant in Franklin. The mill employed about 1,100 workers. As the company explains, the closure has nothing to do with the quality and dedication of the work force but is a consequence of market conditions. Situations such as this inflict pain wherever they occur; they prove particularly devastating for communities such as Franklin and Isle of Wight. The IP mill forms a cornerstone of the local economy. The lost jobs will not be readily replaced. Businesses that depend on the patronage of International Paper’s employees will suffer.
Redskins say Zorn will finish season
WASHINGTON—Well, that should quiet things down for a while. The Jim Zorn unemployment watch is over. Jerry Gray, as it turns out, isn’t a coach-in-waiting about to be promoted any day now. Another week of Washington Redskins craziness ended with an actual message of stability yesterday: The front office said Zorn will be the coach for the rest of the season.
October 23, 2009
Zorn will continue coaching through season, Redskins say
Jim Zorn will remain the Washington Redskins coach “for the rest of this season and hopefully into the future,“ a team executive said on a radio talk show this morning.
Skins’ instability starts at the top
Almost everyone has an idea on how to fix the Washington Redskins, and many begin with firing Vinny Cerrato and hiring a “real” general manager. That idea misses the point. Cerrato, the executive vice president of football operations, is not the problem. Replacing him with a “real” general manager will not solve anything.
October 22, 2009
Redskins unsettled by change
Jason Campbell knows there could be some moments of chaos with Sherm Lewis calling the plays. “There’ll probably be a couple of plays I have in my head,“ the Washington Redskins quarterback said, “just in case if some reason it doesn’t get in on time.“ The Redskins spent yesterday trying to get a feel for their new front office-mandated play-caller. Lewis, who still carries the title of offensive consultant and has been out of retirement for only two weeks, stood before the offense’s morning meeting for the first time and went over the passing game.
October 21, 2009
Benched QB Campbell to be Redskins starter
Jason Campbell will remain the Washington Redskins starting quarterback. Coach Jim Zorn said yesterday on his ESPN980 radio show that he will stick with Campbell for Monday night’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Campbell was benched at halftime of Sunday’s 14-6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Todd Collins played the second half, but neither quarterback was able to mount a touchdown drive against a defense that entered the game ranked last in the National Football League.
October 20, 2009
Lewis takes over calling Skins’ plays
Sherm Lewis has gone from calling Bingo games to calling plays for the Washington Redskins. Lewis, who came out of retirement two weeks ago to join the Redskins’ staff as an offensive consultant, took over play-calling duties yesterday after coach Jim Zorn yielded the role at the request of the front office. While he didn’t say he was given an ultimatum, Zorn said he complied with the request “because I want to stay here and win.“
October 19, 2009
Lewis takes over Redskins play-calling from Zorn
Barely two weeks ago, Sherman Lewis was enjoying retirement, calling Bingo games at a senior center and delivering Meals on Wheels. Now the ex-assistant will be calling plays for the Redskins.

