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(photo by Brian Murphy)

It’s been a tale of two seasons for the Washington Redskins’ offense.

For the first seven games, the Jim Zorn’s offense was downright offensive – struggling to score points and/or move the ball against some of the worst teams the NFL has to offer.

Thankfully, over the last four games, the team’s offensive unit seems to have righted the ship. Against Atlanta, Denver, Dallas and Philly – teams that are a combined 12 games over .500 – the Redskins have improved in pretty much every offensive statistical category across the board.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

Over the first seven games, the Redskins offense scored an average of just 13.7 points per game. They averaged 296 total net yards per game, with 93.5 yards coming in the running game and 202.5 yards from the passing game. The ‘Skins offense converted just 25 of 86 third downs (29 percent) and scored on eight of 18 red-zone chances (44 percent).

Over the last four games, the Redskins offense has scored an average of 18.5 points per game. They’ve averaged 332 total net yards per game, with 117.5 yards coming in the running game and 214.5 yards from the passing game. The ‘Skins offense has converted 32 of 64 third downs (50 percent) and has scored on seven of 11 red-zone chances (63 percent).

That’s an improvement of five points, 36 total net yards, 24 rushing yards, 12 passing yards, a 31 percent improvement on third downs and 19 percent improvement in the red zone per game. They’re also giving up less sacks, turning over the ball less frequently and putting together longer drives against quality opponents than they were capable of against teams a combined 13 games under .500.

Which begs the question – what the hell is going on these last four games?

“I think it’s the collective effort with having Sherman Lewis here,” said wide receiver Devin Thomas. “I think it takes a little bit of pressure off of Coach Z and allows everybody on the staff to work together to really utilize what we have. Also, with so many guys being injured, it gives young guys a chance to be put into spots where they can excel.”

That’s interesting. Have you noticed a difference in the plays being called or maybe a shift in the team’s offensive philosophy since Lewis came to town?

“Yeah, it seems like there’s more structure to it and more of a scheme based on going against what defenses are showing us and finding holes in it,” Thomas said. “I think we’re doing a good job with that. We’re getting better in the red zone and we’re building our confidence on the offense.”

You realize that the move to bring in Lewis turned into a national story, with so-called experts making fun of you guys for bringing in a bingo caller, right?

“That’s fine. It’s bingo that he’s here,” said Thomas. “It’s a good thing having him here. He’s really helped us out. He’s been away for a while, but he’s warming up. I don’t know about the situation after this season, but for the last four games, we’ve really continued to get better each and every game.”

From there we headed over to Malcolm Kelly to get his thoughts on the team’s recent offensive improvements.

“I think the offense kind of had a change of pace when he got here,” Kelly said of Lewis. “I noticed it that first Monday night game, when we put up 17 points or whatever it was. Ever since then, we’ve been able to do more and more. He knows what he’s doing, man. He’s called plays for some of the best. He’s been a major part of it. I can’t say if he’s been everything, but he’s definitely been a major part of it.”

Although it was tough for him to accept, do you think it’s helped Coach Zorn to have Lewis here?

“It probably has,” Kelly said. “It probably took a little off of his plate, so now he’s focused more on Jason’s game, and Jason’s game has also improved. I guess it has. I really don’t want to be the one to bad mouth anyone.”

Have you noticed a difference in the tendencies of when a play is called or maybe even what plays you guys are running?

“I think we’re setting a lot more stuff up,” said Kelly. “We run, run, run, run and then go play action. We go short, short, short, short and then go deep. It seems like he really knows how to set stuff up and put us in the right situations. It’s crazy because a lot of the plays we’re running, they’re the same plays – they’re just tweaked a little bit. Either we’re sending someone out wide on a split or instead of having someone go five yards, now they’re going seven or eight. We’re making small adjustments and it’s changing the whole play.”

Seriously, this guy was a punchline when he got here. And now, you and Devin are telling us he’s the real deal …

“He’s more than the real deal,” Kelly said. “Everybody was talking bad about him, asking ‘how can a guy who has been calling bingo for the last couple years come in and call an offense?’ Well, he came in and did it. He’s still doing it. I don’t doubt the man. He’s got so much insight on the game, it’s crazy.”

Okay, the way you’re talking, it sounds like the best is yet to come with this offense. What’s got to happen to take this to the next level and actually walk away with some wins?

“I think if we keep on executing, sooner or later it’s going to happen for us,” said Kelly. “The last two weeks, we’ve really been in the game. We had control of the game until the very end. Earlier this year we couldn’t move the ball, and now we’re moving it. Then, as the season went on, we couldn’t score. Now we’re scoring. Now we’ve just got to finish it off.”

How frustrating is it to see what this offense can do as everything is starting to come around against quality opponents after struggling against lesser teams for the first two months of the season?

“It’s real frustrating,” Kelly said. “We were talking after last week’s loss. If we were just a team full of nobodies and guys who have no talent and we expected to lose, maybe it wouldn’t be so frustrating. But when we’ve got these guys out there battling all game, controlling the entire game and then losing it in the end – that’s the most frustrating part of it all.”

After walking away, we couldn’t help but wonder “what if?” What if the team had brought in Lewis during the offseason? What if the entire offense hadn’t been decimated with injuries? What if the Redskins opened the season against quality opponents and then had some of the softer teams scheduled for later in the season?

None of it does any good, but seeing the offense finally show signs of life really brings up more questions than answers for us.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Has there ever been a player more afraid of contact than Antwaan Randle El?

Seriously, this is all we can think of every time we see him wave for yet another fair catch or dive to the ground as a defender closes in to avoid actually coming into contact with another human being.

Randle El is supposed to be this great slot receiver, but he’s not even remotely interested in going anywhere near high-traffic areas or fighting for yards after a catch. He simply catches a short pass and as soon as a defender is near, he hits the ground. If this somehow makes him a great anything, then clearly we have a different understanding of the word.

Now, compare that to the recent efforts of second-year receiver Devin Thomas. Against the Denver Broncos a few weeks ago, Thomas caught a Jason Campbell pass and used his speed, plus a series of stutter steps and spin moves to turn a routine route into a highlight-worthy 27-yard gain. Thomas created a little space between himself and the defenders and busted out the kind of play usually reserved for Madden ’10.

The following week, Thomas raced down the right sideline and hauled in a timely 26-yard catch against the Dallas Cowboys. This past weekend, Thomas reeled off the longest play of his young NFL career – a 35-yarder on third-and-seven that kept a third-quarter drive alive.

Three plays later, tight end Fred Davis scored his second touchdown of the season and the Redskins’ offense had three touchdowns in a game for the second time in three weeks.

Thomas’ statistics for the year – 16 catches for 187 yards and one touchdown – aren’t spectacular, but they don’t tell the whole story. In the last three weeks, Thomas has nine catches for 116 yards (as opposed to seven catches for 71 yards in the first eight games). He’s been targeted 17 times during this three-game span, which shows he’s earned Campbell’s trust as he continues to become more and more involved in the offense.

Basically, he’s becoming the go-to guy Randle El could never be.

Regular readers know our stance on Thomas and the rest of the young receivers – the coaching staff’s primary objective for the remainder of the season should be to get the ball in their hands as much as humanly possible. Get them as many reps as possible to build their confidence, and we’re confident they will each prove to be competent and reliable NFL receivers.

In what is becoming a weekly event, we caught up with Thomas, Davis and Malcolm Kelly following the Eagles game to talk about their continued improvement.

All season long, we’ve been telling anyone who will listen that if the coaches give you guys a chance, you won’t disappoint. After another strong performance, can we finally say ‘I told you so?’”

(Laughs). “Ya’ll can say that,” Thomas said. “I ain’t gonna say that, but you can. It feels good, man. I’m finally getting the opportunities I’ve been wishing for since we got drafted and really feel like things are starting to come along. Enough of the ‘he said, she said’ stuff about the playbook or so-called immaturity or whatever. Just give us the ball and we’re gonna make plays. It’s already starting to happen.”

Last week we broke down the numbers and compared the number of plays guys like you, Davis and Kelly are on the field for compared to the Eagles young receivers. People see their production and wonder why you guys are putting up equal numbers, but all of their guys are on the field way more often than any of you. It sounds simple, but you guys can’t make plays if you’re not on the field, right?

“That’s definitely one aspect of it,” he said. “And then there’s stuff like the scheme, who they want to get the ball to and how much time the quarterback has. It all adds up. That’s why, when you start seeing things clicking, it’s because everybody is on the same page.”

Fair enough, but what kind of thoughts go through your head when you see those guys getting so many chances to make plays?

“You can see they’re all on the same page with the quarterback and are involved in the flow of the offense,” Thomas said. “Yeah, you kind of pucker up and wish that the situation was like that for you, but you’re not in that same boat. You take it for what it’s worth and take what you can get.”

Another way you’re getting more involved is that you’ve become the primary kick returner. How did you do back there?

“Overall, I feel I did pretty good,” he said. “I fought for some extra yards here and there. It was a little tough towards the end because they were bearing down pretty good after the momentum swing, but I’m gonna continue to try and do my thing and do my best back there.”

Fred Davis, we’ve been saying all year long that good things will happen if this team finds ways to get you guys involved. It’s safe to say that the Eagles game was another indication that you guys are ready to take on more, right?

“Yep,” he said. “As an offense, we gave Jason time and that’s what it takes to make plays. That’s what we’re supposed to do, and that’s what we came here to do. This game showed a little bit more that we all can make plays if given the opportunity.”

You scored your second touchdown of the season. Can you walk us through the play?

“It was supposed to be a play where I get the ball,” he said. “The guy had me covered a little bit and I saw [Campbell] scrambling a little bit, so I found a little hole in the defense and just stood there.”

We’ve seen signs of life from the Redskins offense over the last few games. Would you say consistency is the biggest area this team needs to improve upon?

“Yeah, when we have field position, we have to take advantage of it,” he said. “We need to be getting fieldgoals or something every time. We have to do something. we’re capable of doing it. We just need to go out there and make it happen.”

If you look at the Redskins and the Eagles, both teams have quarterbacks who have dealt with controversies. Both have big-name running backs sidelined with concussions and a stable of young receivers. So why are they 7-4 and you guys are 3-8?

“That’s a tough question, Fred,” said fullback Mike Sellers, who was nearby.

“Yeah, that’s a tough question,” Davis said. “I think the difference thus far this season is that the Eagles probably haven’t been as injured as we’ve been. I think we have to do a better job of stepping up and making the big plays. [Eagles receiver Jeremy] Maclin is a young receiver, but he stepped up this game and it made a difference for them to get a win.

“The second half of the season we’ve been playing better because we’re used to each other now,” he continued. “We just have to continue to take advantage of our opportunities. It looks like we’re getting better, but there’s still room to improve. ”

Malcolm Kelly, you had a nice catch and run against the Eagles. How you feeling these days?

“My catch was alright, but we still lost,” he said. “I thought we put up enough points to win the game, but we still need to put up more points and we couldn’t do that. A lot of times we’re getting real good field position off penalties. Devin getting a real good return, getting us to midfield almost and we can’t turn it into points or if we did we just turn it into field goals. We’ve got to work on it.”

To us it looks like you, Thomas and Davis are becoming more involved and more consistent. What say you?

“I think if we keep getting consistent opportunities to make plays, then we’ll be consistent players,” Kelly said. “That’s what it’s all about. Nobody would have ever saw what Fred could do. I hate that it came at the point where it had to be Chris Cooley going down. Chris Cooley is a Pro Bowl player, so when were you going to see Fred Davis out there getting as many opportunities as he is getting? Now that he’s getting the opportunities, look what he’s doing. So I mean you’ve got to look at it all around the board. Now they are trying to put guys in positions to make plays and we’re trying to make plays. We can still do a little bit better.”

Against the Eagles, Kelly caught both passes thrown his way for 50 yards. Thomas finished the game with four catches for 45 yards and Davis had four catches for 43 yards and the touchdown. That means 138 out of Campbell’s 231 passing yards came from the young guns, who were the team’s top three producers in Philly.

The tide finally seems to be turning in their favor. Each had a catch of at least 25 yards against the Eagles. Each was able to make a catch, elude a defender and pick up extra yardage. Each player is seeing passes come his way with more regularity. And really, why shouldn’t they?

They’re young, they’re hungry and they’re eager to prove that they can handle whatever responsibilities they’re given. If the ball comes their way, you can bet none of the three of them are going to dive to the ground in hopes of avoiding contact. They’ve been waiting for two years for the chance to show this town that they’re legitimate NFL players, and now that they’re getting the chance – they’re not going to let it pass without a fight.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

When the Washington Redskins take on the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend, they’d be wise to pay attention and take notes.

Not only are they 6-4 compared to Washington’s 3-7 record, but the Eagles have also accomplished something that the ‘Skins are seemingly incapable of grasping – infusing youth into their lineup.

We fully realize that it’s blasphemous to suggest the Redskins should try to be more like a division rival, but the simple fact is the Eagles have figured out how to completely revamp their receiving corps on the fly, while the Redskins still have no what the future holds for their young pass catchers.

Fact: the Eagles’ top four receivers – DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant and Brent Celek – have three years or less NFL experience.

Sobering fact: the best of the Redskins youngsters, tight end Fred Davis, ranks fourth on the team in catches. Not bad, until you realize he only had seven catches in the first six games before an injury to Pro Bowler Chris Cooley forced the team to work Davis into the mix. Rounding out the pack, Devin Thomas ranks sixth on the team in receptions, Malcolm Kelly is eighth and Marko Mitchell ranks 11th.

Because we’ve always loved digging into the numbers, we decided to take an in-depth look at how the Redskins and Eagles have utilized their young receivers during first 10 games. Here’s what we learned:

Thomas has been on the field for 320 out of the team’s 634 total offensive plays (50.4 percent). Thomas has been targeted 27 times and has 12 catches (44.4 percent catch rate) for 141 yards and one touchdown. He averages 11.8 yards per catch and his longest reception was for 27 yards.

Kelly has been on the field for 309 out of the team’s 634 total offensive plays (48.7 percent). Kelly has been targeted 21 times and has 10 catches (47.6 percent catch rate) for 131 yards. He averages 13.1 yards per catch and his longest reception was for 36 yards.

Davis has been on the field for 283 out of the team’s 634 total offensive plays (44.6 percent). Thomas has been targeted 30 times and has 23 catches (76.6 percent catch rate) for 223 yards and one touchdown. He averages 9.7 yards per catch and his longest reception was for 24 yards.

Mitchell has been on the field for 32 out of the team’s 634 total offensive plays (5 percent). Mitchell has been targeted twice and has two catches (100 percent catch rate) for 22 yards. He averages 11 yards per catch and his longest reception was for 11 yards.

If you add up the numbers for all four players, they’ve been targeted 80 times and have 47 catches for 517 yards and two touchdowns. Sadly, two Philadelphia players – Jackson and Celek – have better individual production than all four Redskins receivers combined.

Here’s the Eagles’ breakdown:

Jackson has been on the field for 435 out of the team’s 579 total offensive plays (75.1 percent). For the season, Jackson has 42 catches for 728 yards and five touchdowns.

Maclin has been on the field for 436 out of the team’s 579 total offensive plays (75.3 percent). For the season, Maclin has 37 catches for 477 yards and four touchdowns.

Avant has been on the field for 357 out of the team’s 579 total offensive plays (61.6 percent). For the season, Avant has 27 catches for 380 yards and two touchdowns.

Celek has been on the field for 504 out of the team’s 579 total offensive plays (87 percent). For the season, Celek has 50 catches for 568 yards and five touchdowns.

That means the Eagles have gotten 156 catches for 2,153 yards and 16 touchdowns out of their quartet. Not only does Philadelphia know all four players are bona fide NFL contributors, but they’re getting an average of 39 catches for 538 yards a four touchdowns per new guy. That’s a little bit better than the 11 catches for 129 yards and .5 touchdowns the Redskins have gotten out of their youth movement, wouldn’t you say?

Here’s our issue: the most active member of the Redskins’ Future Four (Thomas) has been on the field for half of the team’s offensive snaps. Conversely, all four Eagles youngsters have participated in more than 61 percent of Philly’s offensive snaps. This might come as a shock, but you can’t make plays if you’re not on the field.

We’ve said it before and we’ll continue to say it again and again until someone at Redskins Park gets the hint – the season is over. The Redskins will not be making the playoffs in 2009. Screw playing for pride. Put in every young player you’ve got on the roster and see what they’ve got.

You’re not winning with Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El as the focal point of the passing game, so try something different. Start Thomas and Kelly. Ensure that each player is targeted no less than five or six times every game. Continue to increase Davis’ role. Remember that Mitchell is still a member of the Washington Redskins.

What’s the worst that happens; you continue to lose? That’s been happening since Jim Zorn arrived in town. There will be major changes during this offseason. The coach is gone. The starting quarterback is too. Who knows what other names will be shown the door. With all that going on, wouldn’t it be nice to know if, moving forward, the team can count on Thomas, Kelly, Davis and/or Mitchell?

(photo by Brian Murphy)

By now, everyone is familiar with the “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” dilemma. Well, over the weekend, we participated in the Washington Redskins’ equivalent – “Who do we blame, Jason Campbell or the offensive line?”

Regular readers of this site know where we stand on the issue. We’ve always believed Campbell is good, but not great. He’s not the type of player who can throw an entire team on his back and single-handedly guide them to victory, but if he’s surrounded by the proper weapons, he’s good enough to get the job done.

Unfortunately, this year’s he’s stuck behind a below-average offensive line that’s been decimated with injuries and the entire offense has suffered because of it.

If the coaches dare to call any play involving more than a three-step drop, they run the risk of killing their quarterback. The Redskins offense takes a shot downfield once a game, not because there’s a chance they’ll complete it, but more so they can say they tried. For Redskins receivers to gain any significant amount of yards, they need to catch a quick pass, make a defender or two miss and then focus on gaining yards after the catch.

Our buddy, who we’ll refer to as “Bart,” refuses to buy into this line of thinking. He’s of the mindset that the Redskins offensive line would be perfectly fine, if not for injuries to tackle Chris Samuels and guard Randy Thomas. Concerning the team’s lack of depth on the offensive line, he challenged me to name any team in the NFL that has a great left tackle backing up a Pro Bowl left tackle. Bart is convinced the Skins had four starters locked in, if everyone remained healthy – even though Thomas hasn’t been healthy in three years and Samuels showed signs of breaking down last season. Bart was on a roll; logic be damned.

“Frankly, as often as Campbell may take a quick hit, he takes a late hit for not getting the ball out on time,” he said.

Bart finished up his argument saying, “Seriously, how long are we going to baby Campbell? He simply doesn’t throw the ball on any rhythm. He could make our line look great by throwing on time and limiting the rush.”

So, to recap, we’ve got Bart firmly convinced that the offense is stuck in neutral because Campbell simply doesn’t throw the ball on time. We’re of the mindset that Campbell does his Patrick Ramsey imitation because he knows that, more times than not, the guys called upon to protect him are going to fail. With neither of us willing to budge, we turned to a fair and impartial voice of reason – Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen.

“The Redskins could have Peyton Manning back there and it wouldn’t matter behind THAT offensive line,” Jurgensen said.

Bart tried his best to convince the Hall of Famer, but daddy wasn’t buying it. Mind you, Jurgensen is the same man who said the Redskins would have been 4-0 to start the year if they’d have gone with backup quarterback Todd Collins instead of Campbell. He’s by no means a blind homer or even a Campbell supporter. Jurgensen simply believes that the front office has neglected the offensive line for too long and the team is now paying the price.

We bring this debate up because we also learned some interesting news this past weekend. It seems owner Daniel Snyder has been a busy man these days. Two weeks ago, he was apparently on the sidelines of a Notre Dame practice, watching Fighting Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen in action. This past weekend, while in Texas for the Cowboys game, Snyder personally attended the University of Texas’ thrashing of Kansas 51-20. Word is he was there to evaluate Heisman hopeful Colt McCoy.

Look, anyone familiar with the Redskins knows the chances of head coach Jim Zorn and/or Campbell being around next season is somewhere between slim and none. And we’re bracing ourselves for the inevitable – namely Vinny Cerrato surviving the shake-up and keeping his job as the team’s vice president for football operations. Smart money says if any of those three is likely to remain employed at Redskins Park, it’s Cerrato. Fine. If it plays out that way, we’ll live with it.

We know that no one involved in the Redskins’ decision-making process gives a damn about what we think. But Sonny Jergensen is a completely different story. He’s a Hall of Famer and is someone who the owner has a great deal of respect for. When Sonny talks, Snyder listens.

If the team is going to roll the dice and use their first-round pick on a young quarterback – whether it be Clausen, McCoy or any of the other big names out there – they better spend the rest of the offseason focusing on their offensive line.

Randy Thomas is done. In all likelihood, the same holds true for Chris Samuels. Tackle Stephon Heyer can help provide depth, but probably shouldn’t be a starter. Guard Derrick Dockery and center Casey Rabach are both respectable, but nothing more.

So use your first rounder on a quarterback and then spend every remaining pick on the offensive line. If you draft four or five big bodies, you increase the chances of filling the void. The team should also target offensive linemen via free agency or trade. Anything to upgrade the line. More importantly, anything to increase the chances that the next Redskins quarterback becomes the franchise cornerstone the team is sorely missing.