Sports: Redskins
Mark Maske
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 20, 2003; 10:45 a.m. ET
The Washington Redskins loss to the Carolina Panthers, 20-17, in a last-minute touchdown.
Washington Post staff writer Mark Maske was online to discuss the team, the coach and the season.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Mark Maske: Sorry I'm late. I'll stay as close to noon as I can. Let's get started.
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Urbana, Md.:
Mark-
What in the world is going on with Byron Chamberlain? I know he's inactive because of his weight. What has gone on that the Skins have become so sour on him that they won't even activate him for the games?? He has to be better than anything we're lining up on Sunday's. Right??
Mark Maske: I thought he would help out. He came in out of shape and not knowing the offense and caught three balls his first game, so you would think he'd be better off now even if he still is out of shape. The problem is, coaches get mad at guys when they're out of shape, and I'm sure this is a punishment of sorts.
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Arlington, Va.:
Is it a good thing that Spurrier is calling the plays again? It seems like the offense ran smoother with less confusion at the line of scrimmage with Hue Jackson calling the plays, and surprisingly, there were no offsides penalties last week. I think the Redskins offensive problems on Sunday were due more to poor execution than the plays they were running.
Mark Maske: Hue Jackson did a good job. But let's not get carried away about how different the offense was. It was still Spurrier's offense and, largely, Spurrier's game plan. There was less confusion in large part because they played two teams that didn't blitz that much and they didn't have to audible as often. Spurrier should be the main play-caller because it's his team and his offense, and Hue Jackson should help out.
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Gaithersburg, Md.:
WHY, WHY, WHY are the Redskins so pathetic this season (ok, maybe the last few...)? It seems they just can't get anything done. Does it really come down to coaching? Is there something else going on?
I do have a great solution, instead of worrying about Ramsey getting sacked the entire game on every play as he throws an interception - why not just hand the ball to the other team - at least Ramsey would be safe..
Mark Maske: I wouldn't call them pathetic. They're a few steps away from being a good team. They really should have won the Carolina game to be 5-5. They're in that NFL's great "middle,'' the majority of the teams that are neither really good nor really bad. It's understandable with a second-year coach and a second-year quarterback. Assuming that Spurrier stays, the year to judge them is next season. If they're not any better by then, then you can call them pathetic if you want.
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Norfolk, Va.:
Mark,
The Skins seem to be real close at times to being a very good team, mostly due to a strong young nucleus of players that includes Patrick, LaVar, Laveranues, and Champ. Do you think the organization will take the necessary steps to insure that these players (most importantly Patrick and LaVar) remain Redskins for their entire careers? For my money, I don't think there are two tougher, more intense competitors in the league right now. What are your thoughts? Thanks for your time.
Mark Maske: Coles is in the first season of a seven-year contract, so you don't have to worry about him leaving any time soon. If Ramsey remains entrenched as the franchise quarterback, I don't think you would ever see Dan Snyder let him go. I think you'll see the Redskins put the franchise tag on Champ after the season so that they'll either keep him or get two first-round draft picks for him. LaVar seems to want to be here and make things work here. His contract will have to be redone and extended at some point because the salary cap numbers are getting big. But they already had some preliminary talks on that with his representatives last offseason, and at some point I think you'll see that get done. But it won't necessarily be the coming offseason. They've already made a budget projection for next season that includes LaVar's current contract and, if necessary, Champ on a franchise-player salary.
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Arlington, Va.:
Did Darrell Russell play at all on Sunday? I never heard his name mentioned during the game. Is there any chance he'll play and make an impact against the Dolphins?
Mark Maske: He played. He didn't have much impact. I still believe you'll see more in Miami.
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Arlington, Va.:
The Post does a great job covering the Skins. The mass coverage on Mondays is great!
Why do the coaches insist that Ramsey will be ready to play when he is obviously in pain? He says he can handle the pain, but is this the right decision? The season is all but lost, and Spurrier says he would like to give Hasslebeck some snaps. Why not sit Ramsey for one week?
Mark Maske: The coaches are reluctant to sit Ramsey down because they see this as a make-or-break game for the season. I think it is fine to play him as long as he really is healthy and won't be hurting himself longterm, or hurting the team. At this point, I'm not convinced that's the case. If he missed those two throws in the first half in the Carolina game because he couldn't plant on his right foot, then he shouldn't be playing. Tim Hasselbeck could have hit those throws. Any sound NFL quarterback--including Ramsey when he's healthy--could have. If Ramsey practices today or tomorrow and is okay, then fine, play him. If not, this might be the time to pull him aside and say, "Son, we love your toughness and you're our quarterback. But you're not doing yourself or us any favors by playing when you're not sound. Sit down for a week or two.''
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Washington, D.C.:
Mark,
What are the chances that the Redskins will re-sign Russell? I think he could be a real STEAL for the next couple of years.
Mark Maske: It's a tricky situation. If he doesn't play well for the rest of the season, then how much do you want to keep him? And if he does stay out of trouble and play well, then interest in him around the league goes up and his price tag goes up. But even if that happens, I think the Redskins would be his first choice because they gave him the chance this time and Vinny Cerrato has a very close relationship with the agent, Gary Wichard.
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Arlington, Va.:
Hi Mark:
LaVar showed me a lot on that goal line stand. He stood up Davis when he had momentum and kept him out of the endzone (we all know this). This team seems to truly believe they can win out judging from the talk, what do you think their chances are? Also, do Trotter and Arrington have a shot at the Pro Bowl? Thanks Mark.
Mark Maske: I think the players came out of the Carolina game feeling good about themselves and believing that they should have won that game and can win down the stretch. It seems to me that the people in this building, right or wrong, are convinced they are capble of going 5-1 or 6-0 the rest of the way. We'll see. If they can win the next two games, there still are some good possibilities for this season. If not, say goodnight.
LaVar might make the Pro Bowl off reputation. But off their play, I don't think either Arrington or Trotter deserves to be there this season. They have been caught out of position in key moments too many times, and it has hurt this team.
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Silver Spring, Md.: What's your take on the latest steroid scandal? Will enforcement ever keep up with technology -- i.e., designing new drugs that either aren't caught by tests or aren't illegal under the rules?
Mark Maske: I think the awareness by the sports leagues and the people who run them is the greatest that it ever has been. But the cheaters will always be one step ahead because there is great financial incentive for them to be one step ahead. At least now they're not three or four steps ahead, like they used to be.
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Silver Spring, Md.:
Stopping the pass rush of Carolina's front four seemed to be a big problem last week. Normally, you'll see an offense go to a different cadence, maybe mix in some misdirection or even some screen passes to keep D-lineman honest. (Maryland did this against Virginia, for crying out loud!) Why weren't many screens called since audibles seem to be so popular with Spurrier? Dolphins appear to attack just as much. Wouldn't this strategy be a good one this week, given the opponent?
Mark Maske: Maybe I'm in the minority, but I thought the pass protection last weekend was good enough to win. Peppers and Rucker got some pressures, but that's going to happen. They're great players. Jenkins was the real problem, but he's a Pro Bowl player too. To me, the biggest problems were Ramsey's inaccuracy in the first half, Cartwright's fumble and the defense's inability to close the deal when the game should have been won.
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Charlotte, NC:
Who missed their assignment on the 4th and 1 play on the last drive for Carolina. It looked like the Giants in overtime all over again. Is it me, or is the linebacker play leaving a lot to be desired? They seem to be out of position constantly and blitz when they want to and leave running backs wide open in the flat constantly. Why isn't this being corrected. It was a problem against NY, Tampa (3rd and 14 ring a bell?), and against Carolina on a play that would have sealed up a victory.
Mark Maske: Jeremiah Trotter blitzed the quarterback instead of covering Davis and, yes, you're right, it has been a major problem and it is ridiculous for it to have happened so many times in one season in key situations. It reflects very badly on the players and on the defensive coaches who have tolerated it.
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Urbana, Md.:
Mark-
To follow up on the Chamberlain question. If they're going to keep him inactive for being out of shape. Don't you think after the season is over he's not going to want to resign here anyway? Or do you think the SKins are looking in a different direction in getting maybe a blocking TE?
Mark Maske: He's already under contract for next season, but it appears that he'd better show up to training camp in shape if he wants to stay around.
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Potomac, Md.:
Snyder and Spurrier have taken their beatings. Cerrato has escaped most of the attack, yet his acquisitions in the off-season were very uneven and ignored a couple of the really needy areas.
Snyder gets the blame. If this is so, then Cerrato's just a puppet who plays racquetball with the boss. If it's not, then he's a mediocre personnel guy at best. Your opinion?
Mark Maske: It's hard to make a case that there's not talent on this team. The decision-makers addressed what they thought were the biggest needs--the offensive line and the receivers. Sometimes you can't do it all at once. You can fault the front office, if you want, for what happened with the defensive tackles and the lack of a speed pass rusher coming off the edge. Personally, I won't find too much fault unless we go through another offseason and those needs aren't filled.
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Washington, DC:
After this season is over, will it be time to say goodbye to Bruce Smith? He's had an awesome run, but it seems like he just not the player he used to be and he will weigh heavy on the salary cap.
Mark Maske: He said before the season that he planned on this being his final season. I certainly don't think he'll change his mind. But if he does and wants to play one more season, I don't think it will be with the Redskins.
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Falls Church, Va.:
Mark, I was wondering what you thought of Davis's performance on Sunday...Personally I thought the 'Skins held him back well (except on that last drive).
Mark Maske: He averaged 3.3 yards a carry. He fumbled once and might have fumbled again. The Redskins' defense did a pretty good job of shutting him down. But he did open up some space for the Carolina passing game and he did make the decisive plays on the Panthers' winning drive, so it was sort of a mixed bag. Both sides could feel vindicated.
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Robert, Glenn Dale, Md.:
Mark,
Life-long Redskins fan here but am about to give up after all the lame excuses and breakdowns. Don't you think it's time for some major changes on this team--starting with the Defensive Coordinator who refuses to blitz despite having 2 of the best corners in the league?
Mark Maske: There have been major changes every offseason. The only way for this team to be better next season is to not have major changes--keep the head coach (with perhaps a change or two to his staff) and keep the nucleus of the team intact while adding to it.
On Edwards, I think the best solution, if it's possible, would be to keep him as the coordinator but give him someone on his defensive staff that he can lean on, a veteran coach who maybe has been a coordinator before but isn't after the job here and could help the guy out.
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Chapel Hill,N.C:
As an avid fan of the Redskins, it seems that year after year they find some way to just disappoint me to the point of craziness. Other than the 2001 season, when they had the highest payroll in history, I can honestly say I've never been so frustrated with this team because I feel that there is too much talent for this team to be struggling like this, as opposed to the talent level last year or in some previous seasons (i.e- the Gus Frerotte era). Is my dissapointment well founded, or did you even expect them to perform this inconsistently?
Mark Maske: I thought it would be an up-and-down season where, if the breaks went their way, they could end up being a good team. It looked like things were headed that direction early on, with their luck with other teams' injuries and the 3-1 start. But no one should be shocked at a 4-6 record. This team is starting a quarterback with less than a full season of NFL starting experience, and you'll have to live with some things. There are some excellent players on this team but also some glaring deficiencies, most notably the lack of a pass rush. I still believe that if they can keep most of what they have and add to it for next season, they can be a very good team next year.
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Sykesville, Md.:
Mr. Maske,
I know it is extremely early to think about the draft, but, considering the lack of a consistent running back this year would the Redskins consider using a high draft pick on one?
Mark Maske: I doubt it. I believe the best way to get a defensive lineman or two will be early in the draft. This team just used a second-round pick on Ladell Betts last year. When Betts comes back from his injury, he probably will get an audition down the stretch to see if he can be the main guy next year.
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Waldorf, Md.: What are the reasons that the Redskins defense is unable to generate a consistent pass rush? Could one reason be because they practice against the Redskins offense, who can't stop a pass rush?
Mark Maske: To me, the main reason is a lack of talent on the defensive line.
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Bethesda, Maryland:
In following up to the George Edwards question, you must be referring to when Bill Arnsparger was hired in 1999. They should try to keep the defensive staff intact because they need stability. Lavar cannot have another defensive schem that he needs to learn. As far as the running backs go, what is the latest on their health? It seesm like we cannot establish any running game without having a stable one to begin with.
Mark Maske: You'd maybe want a coach who's slightly less "veteran'' than that, but yeah, that's the idea.
On the running backs, Betts is out another week. Cartwright says he's going to play, but I don't know how effective he'll be able to be on a pretty bad ankle. It looks like Trung starting and getting most of the carries, probably backed up by John Simon.
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Rosslyn, Va.:
Hey, I was wondering why Rock Cartwright didn't get the ball very much on Sunday. Trung Candidate just isn't performing and Rock has demonstrated that when he gets the ball things can happen, it opens up the running game which opens up the passing game. What is Spurrier/Jackson thinking?
Mark Maske: They definitely seemed to go away from him after he fumbled at the goal line. That was a really, really bad fumble. You simply can't have the ball stripped by an arm tackle at the 1-yard line. You've got to score on that play. There was an opening. Still, he seemed to be the best running option that they had. I don't know if that's still true this week because of his bad ankle, but I do think it's true when he's healthy.
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Raleigh, NC:
Hi Mark,
To me, the disappointing part of the game last Sunday was when the Redskins had the ball on the 30 with about 1:05 left and couldn't move 40 yards to get into field goal range. I was surprised they didn't try to use the middle of the field more. Can you comment on the playcalling in the last minute of the game? Was this part of the reason that Spurrier wants to resume play-calling?
Mark Maske: That was a really bad series. The one that Ramsey threw deep was a bad decision on his part. That ball wasn't supposed to be thrown there. I don't think that was the only reason that Spurrier took back the play-calling, but it might have been a small part of it.
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Lanham, Md.:
It appears that referees make some of the most controversial calls which impact the outcomes of NFL games and the same teams ALWAYS get screwed. I don't believe that Stephen Davis crossed the goal on Sunday and this is a call he would not have gotten last year. Also, the schedule for the Washington Redskins is one that denotes great success in the past season.
Mark Maske: I don't think that Stephen Davis got the ball to the goal line. But I am not a conspiracy theorist. The Redskins benefitted from a phantom interference call to take the lead.
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Hyattsville, Md.:
I was actually encouraged by the game on Sunday. The offense gelled much better in the second half. Ramsey missed a few throws, but he is a 2nd year guy. The OL actually played much better except for Jenkins beating each OL guy once. The defense was especially stout against the run.
I don't know- to me this looks like a team that needs a year together and some continuity.
Is Snyder committed to bringing this team back next year, with basically the same coaches?
Is there any chance of us keeping Bailey, or are we headed toward an ugly blow-up in the offseason as we tag Bailey and he says "no way I am playing for the Skins."
Mark Maske: A lot of people at Redskins Park feel the same way that you do about that game. For a team that just had lost, they were a fairly self-satisfied bunch of players on Monday. We'll find out if that was the right attitude or not.
I do think Snyder is being pretty patient and looking at this as a three-year deal, and will try to bring back the nucleus of the team and add to it. I think Bailey probably will end up getting the franchise tag placed on him and probably will end up being back here next season.
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Mark Maske: I have to run now. Thanks for the questions and see you next week.
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