ZornWatch '09 Has Begun

Things heating up for Coach Zorn

The Jim Zorn DeathWatch has begun.  We knew it'd begin sometime, but two weeks in?  Ah, the pressure of unreasonable expectations.

Coach was interviewed during his weekly segment on 980, and quickly was asked about whether the results of this week's game against the Detroit Lions would impact his job status.  His response, as relayed by Redskins 360: "I won’t even answer that question. I’m trying to get ready for Detroit. I’m not worried about my job."

So he claims.

But even if he wasn't, he might be now.  Once a coach makes it to the hot seat, that discussion tends to fill the room, sucking all the air from it.  It's the giant cat lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce at any moment.  Even if you try to ignore it, the back of your mind knows its there.

Regardless of whether this is too early for ZornWatch09, it's pretty clear that this was a make-or-break year.  The Mike Shanahan rumors were hot and heavy in the off-season.  And Danny Boy probably has Bill Cowher on speed dial.

The World's Most Impatient Owner certainly isn't afraid to make a change, even if it's just for change's sake.

Although the Skins escaped with the win on Sunday, the game highlighted some of the big concerns fans have with the ZornStar.

Take the third-and-goal halfback pass.  That far back on third down, teams aren't looking for the run, so the trickery wouldn't fool anyone.  If he wanted to pass the ball, just put the ball in Campbell's hands.

Zorny acknowledged the error of his ways, telling 980, "calling the halfback pass on third down instead of first down, I would probably change that."

Then there was his attempt at calling time out while the team should've been running the clock out.  The Sports Bog broke down the tape as if it were the Zapruder film, concluding that Zorn's explanation doesn't jive with reality.

Those two examples probably aren't death sentences for a coach; they're small, but critically important things that someone two seasons into his head-coaching career should have a better handle on.  They're most definitely warning signs.

The hot seat definitely isn't red hot, but little incidents like that are sure to turn up the heat.  And with coaching hot seats, once that flame gets cranked up, there's no cooling it off.

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