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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, September 23, 2009

NFL: Portis says all Redskins are on the 'hot seat'


JOSEPH WHITE
AP Sports Writer

ASHBURN, Va. — Jason Campbell says the Washington Redskins are putting too much pressure on themselves. Clinton Portis says "everybody in this organization" is on the hot seat and that the owner is on the verge of losing fans.

Jim Zorn admitted that the halfback pass is probably not a good idea on third-and-goal from the 5.

And the new right guard? The coaches still haven't decided who that's going to be — mainly because the front office gave them a full slate of backups who didn't play a down in the NFL last season.

The drama never stops at Redskins Park.

"I just feel like people are putting to much pressure on themselves," Campbell said. "Everyone wants to make a play. ... And when we do make some plays, let's be excited about it. It seems like we find ourselves playing to impress the people on the outside and not trying to do what we need to do as a team to get to the next level and have fun doing it."

Campbell and Portis Wednesday offered state-of-the-union comments about a team that got booed throughout a 9-7 victory over the St. Louis Rams. They painted a picture of a team on edge, one that needs to get its act together by Sunday or else become the first to lose to the Detroit Lions since 2007.

"We're getting booed coming off the field," Portis said. "So I think everybody in this organization (is) on the hot seat. You know, I think you look at the owner, he (is) on the verge of losing fans. You know, how long before people just give up and stop coming? You look at the players, and people want you out of here. You look at the coach, people want you out of here. So who's not on the hot seat? Until we come out and play to our potential, I think everybody (is) on the hot seat."

But why now? The Redskins are 1-1.

"It's just people growing tired," Portis said. "You come out, you bring a family of four or five to come to a game, that's $500, and then you've got to eat and park. You're spending $700 a week to come there to see some entertainment, and you get there and there's really not a lot of entertainment."

Campbell spoke of how his relationship with Zorn has developed over the course of a year, with "still a little bit more" to go as far as the coach trusting Campbell to truly be himself. With so many questions having a downbeat tone, Campbell was asked if he was tired of playing defense.

"Yes, it does seem that way. All the time it's like you're always defense," Campbell said. "I'm not going to say anything in defense as far as myself anymore because it doesn't matter what I do, there's always going to be something said. But about us as an offense: I'm not defending us in the red zone because it's true. We do have to score in the red zone. It's obvious."

After practice, it was Zorn's turn. Once again, the coach dissected play after play in the red zone from Sunday's game, describing the failures that caused touchdown drives to turn into field goal drives.

Zorn conceded that he probably should have called the halfback option pass from Portis to Chris Cooley on first down or second down — when the defense could have been sold on the possibility of a run. The play was covered, and the pass fell incomplete. A reporter made a lighthearted comment about Campbell being open on the play for a pass back to the quarterback, but Zorn wasn't laughing.

"It's not comical," Zorn said. "This whole thing is very serious about the success of a play."

Asked about Campbell's remarks that the players are trying too hard to please outsiders, Zorn said he hasn't sensed that as a coach. He said boos are understandable when a team doesn't score a touchdown.

"Everybody said, 'Did you hear the fan boos?'" Zorn said. "I said, 'I'm booing, too.'"

On the practice field, the offense split the snaps between Will Montgomery and Chad Rinehart as the team tries to determine which player will replace injured right guard Randy Thomas.

"It's too early to say what's going to happen," Campbell said. "because no one's ever seen Chad in real, game-like situation."

The other bit of drama this week involved a post-game interview between Zorn and Sonny Jurgensen, who does commentary for the team's radio broadcasts. Jurgensen said he wouldn't have run the halfback pass if he had been the quarterback. Zorn told the Hall of Fame quarterback: "Well then, I would have to take you out of the game."