By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Bill Callahan, in his initial comments Monday as Washington Redskins
interim coach, said rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins “will be in the lineup at some point in time,
whether it’s this year or next year.”
Next year?
The same day, on ESPN’s “Get Up,” reporter Dianna Russini said sources say
Haskins struggles to call plays and identify defenses. “One coach said to me, ‘Not
only is he not ready right now,’” she said, “’but it could be a year, maybe
even two more years before he can actually be a starter.’”
Two years?
The Jay Gruden era has come and gone, but this truth remains: If Haskins
doesn’t play this season, let alone in 2020, something is terribly wrong with
him, his coaches, or both.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Several hours after firing Jay Gruden as head coach, Washington Redskins
president Bruce Allen addressed the media at team headquarters. He holds news conferences
about as often as Washington makes the playoffs, but there was no avoiding this
one.
It was time to take questions and provide answers, a daunting task for team
executives with a 59-92-1 record. However, Allen was ready. He had committed
his talking points to memory and was prepared to repeat them like a needle skipping
on vinyl albums.
We’re all disappointed. We’re not hiding from our record. We’re going to
keep working.
He was big on “we,” not so much on “I.” When asked directly about his
personal accountability for the ‘Skins’ sorry state of affairs, Allen stayed
stuck in the groove. “We’re all involved in this,” he said.
“I absolutely want what’s best for the Washington Redskins and we’re going
to make sure we do it.”
If that’s the case, he should fire himself. Owner Dan Snyder clearly won’t
do it, making you wonder what he sees.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
LANDOVER, Md. – At this stage of the Washington Redskins’ season – five games with nary a win – and this juncture of owner Dan Snyder’s two-decade reign of error, you’re justified in asking yourself an honest question:
What’s
the point?
The
self-reflection is for fans, not the players and coaches who absorb literal and
figurative beatings each week. Those employees are compensated for preparing, practicing,
and playing, the latter done faithfully even when the other duties aren’t reflected
in the outcome.
And
remember, no matter how bad you feel, frustration in the ‘Skins’ locker room
was higher than anywhere else in metropolitan D.C. after Sunday’s 33-7 defeat
against the New England Patriots.
“0-5
is not fun,” quarterback Colt McCoy said. “I’ve never been 0-5. I doubt that
many guys in that room have been 0-5. But it’s not for lack of effort.”
He
got the start, playing his first game since suffering a leg injury Dec. 3. He
actually led “led” Washington on a 67-yard scoring drive on the team’s second
possession, by executing deft ballhandling on a 65-yard touchdown run by Steven
Sims. McCoy faked an inside handoff to Adrian Peterson and gave the ball to
Sims, headed around right end. A juke and a couple of missed tackles on the
sideline gave Washington a lead that it nursed for a whole 10 minutes.
There
were moments when you entertained wild thoughts, imagining that the winless
home team would topple the undefeated Super Bowl champs. But those were
fleeting and spiritless visions, despite New England being held to a touchdown
and two field goals at the break.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Washington
isn’t supposed to – and probably won’t – beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National
League Division Series that begins Thursday night.
Which
means the Nationals have a great shot and just might pull it off.
Storybook
seasons always have happy endings between the front cover and the back cover,
but they typically come up short between the two foul poles. Eventually, either
the pitching implodes, the bats go silent, or fluke plays and errors are ruinous.
The favorite celebrates and the underdog is vanquished.
But
every now and then, a Kardiac Kids-team survives long enough to hoist the trophy
after the final out. (Whether OUR hearts can withstand the tense drama along
the way is a different subject.) In defying the odds and common sense, unlikely
champions provide locals with fond memories for a lifetime.
Prior
to the NL wild-card game, the Nats’ provided playoff memories that were unforgettable
but not fond. A quartet of NL bluebloods had shredded Washingtonian dreams. The
Cardinals, Giants, Dodgers and Cubs – with stirrup-socks older than our upstart
franchise – issued stark reminders that baseball, generally, mostly hurts.
For
a change, though, postseason pain gathered its belongings and relocated across
the diamond Tuesday. It made itself comfortable amongst the Brewers. It became
fast friends with flame-throwing reliever Josh Nader and outfielder/MVP-replacement
Trent Grisham. It also established a meaningful relationship with everyone else
on Milwaukee’s roster.
The
Nationals were left for dead on May 23, when they owned the league’s
second-worst record. Their prognosis wasn’t much better when Hader entered
Tuesday’s game with a two-run lead that needed two innings of protection. Washington
wasn’t supposed to prevail under those circumstances, wasn’t supposed to break
its streak of bad luck and poor timing in win-or-go-home games. Yet, here we
are.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Manager
Dave Martinez laid the groundwork for the 2019 Washington Nationals last year. It’s
what helped him – and his team – survive an abysmal start this season and
eventually capture a playoff berth.
The
Nats were coming off back-to-back, first-round flameouts when Martinez replaced
Dusty Baker – who himself inherited a club that failed to advance in its two
previous postseason appearances.
Washington’s
reputation was such that being 0-4 in National League Division Series shared equal
billing with its four NL East titles in six years.
Sensing
a team under pressure last year, in his first spring training as a manager,
Martinez sought to replace the steam with a cool breeze. He instilled a light
and loose tone, heavy on fun. There were team relay races, walk-off practices
and golf-chipping contests. There was a Circle of Trust, a la “Meet the Parents,”
including skits and funny speeches.
Of
all the gimmicks Martinez implemented, none was more noteworthy than the three
camels. He brought them to camp so his team could face the elephant in the clubhouse,
the Nats’ inability to get over the hump and win a playoff series.
“My
intentions were to bring the hump to us – the proverbial hump question that we
all try to answer, Martinez told reporters that day in February 2018. “For me,
as I thought about it, the hump is every day. And I want them to embrace it,
not fear it. And have fun with it.
“We
all know why we’re here.”
The
answer, then and now, remains the same. Ownership and general manager Mike
Rizzo confirmed as much upon hiring Martinez, and the rookie manager bought into
the thought process during his introductory news conference. “We’re not here
just to win a playoff game,” he said. “We’re here to win the World Series.”
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
The
Nationals got off to a 19-31 start but didn’t let it stop them from clinching a
postseason berth Tuesday. That accomplishment led to an epic clubhouse celebration,
a raucous bash that World Series champions would struggle to top.
Cue
the party poopers.
“Act
like you’ve been there before,” they sniffed on social media. “Celebrate when
you actually win something.”
No
offense to any grouches, killjoys or sourpusses, but please go far away and
stay there.
Something’s
wrong with your ticker if it didn’t get toasty at the sight of second baseman Brian
Dozier, shirtless and singing in Spanish, surrounded by Latino teammates dousing
him with beer as they sung along. Your facial muscles need electric stimulation
if they didn’t reflexively form a smile as Celebrator-in-Chief Gerardo “Baby
Shark” Parra was in the middle of jubilant teammates clapping to the infectious
children’s song.
The
scenes from Nationals Park after Washington beat Philadelphia – and Pittsburgh beat
the Chicago Cubs (on the centerfield video screen) – epitomized unbridled joy.
Starting
pitcher Anibal Sanchez turned into a different sort of whistleblower, leading a
conga line through the clubhouse. Centerfielder Victor Robles and an
unidentified teammate engaged in some up-close dancing and gyrating that was
funny if a bit uncomfortable.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
LANDOVER
– Washington Redskins quarterback Case Keenum threw three interceptions Monday against
Chicago, including one that was returned for a touchdown.
Dwayne
Haskins could’ve done that.
Keenum
was sacked four times and lost two fumbles, including one that the Bears
recovered to set up an 11-yard TD drive.
Haskins
could’ve done that.
Keenum
made a nice throw for a 15-yard touchdown to rookie wideout Terry McLaurin …
and followed with a bounce pass to wide-open Chris Thompson on the 2-point try.
Haskins
could’ve done that, too.
This
isn’t to suggest that Haskins – not Keenum – should’ve been under center during
the 31-15 loss, Washington’s latest chapter in its Monday Night Fiasco history.
Neither
QB coordinates a defense that insisted on putting lumbering linebackers on speedy
wideouts. Neither throws blocks to slow relentless pass rushers like Khalil
Mack & Co. Neither is susceptible to violations for holding, offsides, interference,
or other various infractions among Washington’s nine penalties against the
Bears.
The
question isn’t whether Haskins would’ve led Washington to victory. Three games
into an 0-3 season that nearly everyone predicted, the starting quarterback in that
trifecta is beside the point. Haskins easily could have the same record as Keenum
in burgundy and gold.
No,
the issue is whether keeping Haskins on the bench is best for him and best for the
team, not necessarily in that order.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
There’s been a lot of coverage lately about players who request – no, demand! – to be traded. Their desire to work elsewhere has caused great consternation among some fans and media members, who fret that these players are upsetting the natural order.
Detractors
insist that the universe isn’t supposed to work like that.
Only
management gets to decide if and when a player is shipped out.
You
say he loves being part of that franchise? Sorry. He and his family are entrenched
in the community? Tough. He’s being sent to a horrible situation with a
terrible organization? Oh well.
That’s
part of the job and comes with the territory.
The
same imbalance of power surfaces in the private sector from time to time. When
a company decides to relocate its headquarters, some lucky workers get to
choose between keeping their job or staying put. I imagine former employees of
the Baltimore Colts weren’t required to steal away in the middle of the night,
but they likely can offer moving advice to current employees of the Oakland Raiders.
The
general public has a lot more empathy for transplanted office workers than,
say, wideout Demaryius Thomas, who earlier this month was traded from New
England to the New York Jets. Thomas didn’t request, demand or suggest a move.
Nonetheless,
he went from a Super Bowl favorite to a contender for the toilet bowl.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times
Fran
Tarkenton retired nearly 40 years ago, having led the NFL in passing yardage (3,468)
his final season. Steve Young hung ‘em up 20 years ago, departing with a career
passing rating (96.8) that ranks No. 7 all-time.
In-between
and since then, several quarterbacks known for running as much as passing have
terrorized NFL defenses. Scramblers of significance include Michael Vick, Roger
Staubach and Russell Wilson.
However,
despite the list of luminaries who have led potent attacks, “dual-threat
quarterback” remains something of an asterisk. It isn’t a full-fledged stigma,
yet it carries a sense of “otherness” … as in other than a “regular” QB.
Baltimore’s
Lamar Jackson isn’t your typical quarterback. For that matter, neither is
Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, though he distinguishes himself through normal
measures (i.e., passing ability), not the former’s preternatural skills as a
rusher.
Both
have been absurdly good in their first two games this season and they’ll face
each other Sunday in Week 3.
Mahomes
is merely continuing the exploits that made him the 2018 NFL MVP. Jackson is trying
to convince the league that he’s not just a halfback taking snaps.
Putting
himself in the same sentence with Mahomes makes a great opening argument.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
I
suspect several college coaches would like to have a word with Virginia’s Tony
Bennett.
The
Cavaliers’ men’s basketball coach knowingly violated his association’s unwritten
rules, the unspoken agreement that members will always prime the pump for the
members coming behind.
That
sacred code helped Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski more than double his salary, from
$4.1 million in 2011 to $8.9 million last year. It allowed football coach Nick
Saban to do likewise, going from $4 million in 2007 – when he signed with
Alabama after leaving the Miami Dolphins – to $8.7 million this season.
Even
obscure associates like Iowa State basketball coach Steve Prohm and Cincinnati
football coach Luke Fickell ($2 million each) have enjoyed a hefty boost in
earning power.
So
imagine the guild’s chagrin at Bennett breaking ranks instead of breaking the
bank. Having led Virginia to its first national hoops title last season, he was
positioned to move the needle and show solidarity with his peers. All that
remained was following the time-honored script for a coach in his position.
He
executed the opening act perfectly, securing a contract extension that the
school announced Monday. But he flubbed his lines when Virginia offered the
perfunctory financial adjustment.
Bennett
declined to accept a pay raise.
His
fellow coaches probably likened that to blasphemy.
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