Posts Tagged ‘colt brennan’

2009 Washington Redskins: Five Things to Watch For

 The Redskins started hot in 2008 and showed the world their potential.Unfortunately, with a disappointing 2-6 finish, they missed the playoffs, causing mixed reviews and a lot of uncertainty.His presence can’t hurt, as Washington didn’t have a lineman top four sacks all season.

With Haynesworth wreaking havoc in the middle with Cornelius Griffin, Orakpo should have plenty of time to make things happen.

4. Can Clinton Portis Avoid Another Late-Season Slide?

After tearing it up in the first eight games of the season, Portis appeared to hit a wall, and stunk it up in the final eight contests.While you could easily blame this on nagging injuries and too many carries, you could also blame the ineffective Jason Campbell and predictable Jim Zorn.

Portis can last the season, but his productivity will continue to suffer if Jason Campbell cannot progress.

3. How Good Can Albert Haynesworth Make the Defense?

Haynesworth is a big, big man.

He can plug the middle and eat up running backs, but he also has the strength and agility to get to the quarterback.

He adds anywhere from seven to ten sacks to a Redskins team already surviving with solid talent; That, with his presence, could ultimately make the leap to elite.

However, if his supporting cast can’t make the jump, Haynesworth could go down as a free agency bust.

2. Is Jim Zorn on the Hot Seat? 

 Zorn is most definitely on his way out of Washington if he can’t prove to Dan Snyder that his system works. And the only way he can do that is by getting to the post-season, and possibly winning a game.

Zorn hurt Snyder’s insides with a 6-2 opening tease, and then sliding to an 8-8 finish.

And while the defense wasn’t always scoring all A’s, the offense was ugly and boring, leaving the Redskins to wade in mediocrity.

If Zorn’s chosen one, Jason Campbell, can’t succeed early, it could be both of their necks.

1. Is Jason Campbell Still Their Franchise Quarterback? 

 If you were Jason Campbell, would you feel comfortable?

You’ve heard about Derek Anderon, Brady Quinn, Jay Cutler, Brett Favre, and now even Michael Vick.

They are all better than you, they all want your job (probably not Favre), and your team would have preferred any one of them over you.

Oh, and there was also Mark Sanchez.

Hell, your coach even thinks Josh Freeman is better than you.

And believe it or not, there is even a growing support group for Colt Brennan.

The point is, while Campbell has shown excellent game-managing ability, he hasn’t shown and type of a killer instinct or ability to truly take over games.

If that doesn’t show-up in the early going, someone else could be behind center for Washington.

After a solid draft and a big offseason full of DeAngelo Hall and Albert Haynesworth signings, the Redskins look to be back to their winning ways.

Maybe.

Take a look at five things that could be preventing that from happening.

5. Good-Bye Jason Taylor, Hello, Brian Orakpo?

 Jason Taylor was a wine-and-dine chance that failed. And considering his weak 3.5 sack total, he wasn’t very difficult to say goodbye to.Now he’s back with the Dolphins, and now Washington is starting over with a new defensive end. Isn’t that what they should have done in the first place?

Orakpo brings excellent size and athleticism to the Redskins front line, and also brings the versatility to drop back and be used on the outside as a linebacker.

Hey Washington, Why Not Colt Brennan?

Could the Redskins answer be sitting on their bench?

First, it was Jason Campbell for Jay Cutler. Maybe.

That didn’t work.

Then it was Campbell involved in draft-day talks. Did the Redskins want a different quarterback, an upgrade, some competition?

Regardless of what you took out of it, it’s clear the Redskins (namely Daniel Snyder) don’t have too much confidence in their starting quarterback.

After making solid strides in his first eight starts (going 6-2) in 2008, Campbell and the rest of the offense took a dive off the deep end…and never returned.

Washington sputtered the rest of the way, going 2-6, finishing 8-8, and missing the playoffs. Very New York Jets-Favre-like.

And just when we were beginning to believe.

However, after trade talk rumor after trade talk rumor, here we are, back with Campbell as the opening day starter.

The thing that is the most interesting is how the Redskins appear so sure they’re starting with the best player at the quarterback position.

After his solid finish to the 2007 season and leading the Redskins into the playoffs, it’s arguable that Todd Collins, even at 38, could be a better option.

Not exactly an addition toward the future, but Collins is clearly a better game-manager and decision-maker.

But even if it would be the better play, it’d still be foolish. There’s no point in stunting a potentially good player’s growth, unless you have a young guy you can run with.

But wait, don’t they already have another good, young quarterback on their roster?

Depending on your definition of good, quarterback, and roster, you may answer yes.

Yes, folks, I’m launching the idea that Colt Brennan, Hawaii alum and all, can be, and should be the starting quarterback for the Washington Redskins.

It makes sense on so many levels.

Snyder and the Skins’ front office have already begun to realize they messed up with Campbell. As solid as he has looked in some stretches, he has looked obscenely average in others.

He’s a polished Jamarcus Russell. Wow, I can already hear the applause.

Oh, and here comes the lifetime aware for “Most Average Athlete.” But instead of shtick, mediocrity, or an old dude flailing lame-duck passes into triple coverage, we could get the Hawaiian player with a bad attitude.

Let’s face it, from the media, to your friends, to your own disillusioned perception of what quarterbacking is, you developed a finely tuned hatred for Colt Brennan.

He’s the guy you wish had killed dogs, instead of Michael Vick, because that way the hatred you already have for him would be met with something that actually deserves it.

No, the truth is, Brennan is actually pretty good. He was flat-out dominant at Hawaii, but was restricted on an NFL-scouting basis, due to his lack of elite competition and the type of offense he played in.

The there’s the “questionable character,” and all that mumbo-gumbo.

Are they relevant? Yes, but not to the degree where an NFL front office will continue to keep him off the field just to save face.

It’s time to come to a blinding realization. I know you (we) have been waiting for it for some time now, and we had hoped it would have come in a better form, but alas, this will have to do.

For now, we’ll have to do with the NFL and a specific team/front office to allow us to reach our temporary state of Zen.

The Redskins, Daniel Snyder, and the rest of the collective NFL world will have to swallow their pride and admit, once and for all, that Jason Campbell very well could be a bust.

Or, he just is a bust.

He was drafted the same year Aaron Rodgers and Alex Smith were, and he’s nowhere near Rodgers’ level, while being only another bad season away from Smith’s.

Washington is coming to a crossing of roads, and they need to jump on Brennan’s bus or ride the flat-tired Campbell-train.

While it’s likely to be a bumpy ride, either way, at least with Brennan, the ride could be a little more exciting.