Gibbs Deserves Credit for Redskins' Success

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A LOT HAS been made, and rightly so, of Jim Zorn in his first year as the Redskins' coach.

As you may have noticed, Washington isn't 6-2 halfway through the season very often. In fact, the last time that happened was under Norv Turner in 2000. Oh, and by the way, Dan Snyder fired Turner — who started 7-1 in 1996 and somehow missed the playoffs — with three games to go in what turned out to be an 8-8 season.

That's where the comparisons end with Turner, though.

Zorn's fiery temperament — whether he is yelling at Clinton Portis on the sideline or at a reporter during the postgame news conference — seems to be just what the Redskins needed after four years under Joe Gibbs.

Yet if you were to look at the key contributors on this year's team, all were brought in by Gibbs.

A cynic would ask why, with this talent, Gibbs needed two incredible finishes for his only postseason appearances in his second tenure. Yet at 6-2, there's no need for rudeness when we can laud the old coach for his player evaluation.

Trades for Portis and Santana Moss have proven correct in the long term. Drafting Jason Campbell and Carlos Rogers out of Auburn the same year sure looked good, too. Ditto for taking LaRon Landry — a genius move for tragic reasons — and signing London Fletcher.

So, as Zorn is praised for being the right coach to lead the Redskins to the playoffs, don't forget to give Gibbs his due one last time.

Photo by Preston Keres/TWP