Breaking down the Redskins-Raiders game and latest NFL news

Post NFL Editor Cindy Boren took your questions about the Redskins-Raiders game and discusses results from around the league.

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Cindy Boren: Hey, gang! Thanks for chatting with me while you await delivery of your Papa John's pizza -- with, for a change, toppings! Nice change from those weeks when you got just crust, eh?. Let's talk, shall we?

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Reston, Va.: I wonder...is there anything more demoralizing than hearing your team announce "now starting at quarterback, JeMarcus Russell"?

The Raiders really started to tank once he entered the game. Do you think the Redskins would have still pulled out a W if Russell was manning the clipboard?

Cindy Boren: Let me ask Steve the Raiders fan who is sitting three feet from me ... He said, "no, that just about does it." I pointed out that his QB could be Null -- Keith Null, St. Louis Rams, and he said, "St. Louis has Null, we've got Void." (And allow me to point out that, in St. Louis, a guy named Incognito is blocking for a guy named Null. That is the acme of their season.)

I think there might have been a different result if Gradkowski had still been in. Note that in two of their wins, the Redskins have knocked the starting QB out of the game.

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Wichita Falls, Tex.: The 2008 draft class is looking better and better -- Thomas, Davis, Kelly, Tryon, Moore and Chris Horton before IR all look like legitimate NFL players. Is this a vindication of Cerratro's leadership or an aberration from what, with reason, we've come to expect?

Cindy Boren: They're looking good; kinda makes you wish someone had listened to the clamor and played 'em a little earlier. I'm not sure what it indicated vindication or what it will mean ultimately -- other than the fact that suddenly these last three games might be fun and not a death march. I hope it doesn't mean that the team stays the course (Hey, we're just a big name away; the o linemen will stay healthy!) and opts not to improve the o line.

(I like chatting during the holidays; answer a question, eat a cookie. Next question!)

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Washington, DC: Redskins win! Redskins win! I did not see that one coming, but probably should have, since the Raiders losing karma is worse than ours. The pessimism will take a long time to wash out.

Is it possible to keep Zorn on in another capacity besides HC? What do the players think about who should stay?

Cindy Boren: The Raiders had a chance when Gradkowski was in there; JaMarcus Russell is just jaw-droppingly bad. Would Zorn want to stay in a capacity other than HC? That's the bigger question. I don't see how that could work because as a general rule it's never a good idea to keep the former guy around.

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Southeast D.C.: Yes, all respect to Brian Orakpo, but how about Lorenzo Alexander? He had 3 big-time plays on special teams (how is it that a big guy the first down field AND makes better open field tackles than any of the Skins DBs?) and he was also a beast on the line.

Get that man a contract.

Cindy Boren: Lorenzo Alexander, star of Special Team Saturdays with Lorenzo Alexander on Jason Reid's Redskins Insider, had a terrific game. Don't get me started on the Redskins' DBs. That's an area that would seem to merit attention, along with the o line, in the offseason. You can't say enough about Orakpo and Carter, but the DBs are dangerously bad.

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Chantilly VA: Andre Carter cost me some anchovies by botching that gimme fumble recovery touchdown!

If I have to ask a question to get you to post this, how about this one: What are the current odds Jim Zorn returns as HC? Five percent?

Cindy Boren: Bummer, dude. I myself do not care for fishies on my 'za, but to each his/her own.

I'm not good with the odds, but it would seem to me that odds of Zorn returning as coach are about two percent.

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Washington, DC: Brian Orakpo is a lock for Defensive ROY, right? Does he even have any realistic competition???

Cindy Boren: I would submit the names of Vontae Davis (DC kid) of the Dolphins and Jakob Lacey of the Indianapolis Colts, but Orakpo is different. He gives every indication of being a truly great player...he's ahead of every defensive rookie in my book. If he played for any other team (meaning one that I don't get to watch as closely), I might argue that he gets a tremendous boost from the presence of Albert Haynesworth. But I see him every week, with and without Haynesworth. Go ahead and give him the defensive ROY right now. (I'll have another cookie while I wait for his acceptance speech.)

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Rockville: " 'za"

OMG!

Is there no word we will not cut up?

Will we start saying "o" for no?

Never mind. I know I am a crank.

Cindy Boren: Dear crankypants, it's a junk food! It's okay to disrespect it. (Another pfeffernusse ...)

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Borderline playoff team: To all the critics from the early going, if we squeaked out 2 wins (Dallas and NO), we'd be right in the thick of the playoff hunt in the NFC. Not saying that calling for Cerrato, Zorn's and Campbell's heads were unwarranted, but this is why you play out the season...

Cindy Boren: Good point. It brings me to a conversation I had with a Redskins fan about at a party Saturday night. If I were a fan, I would really be angry about the frittering that went on early on in the season. Look at all those winnable games that were just frittered away. And now the team is in position to do a little damage, make a little run, but, because of the fritterage, there's no chance of being in the playoff hunt. Now, I get paid the same whether the team wins or loses, so the frittering doesn't anger me. But if I were a fan, that'd be tormenting me. That and the inattention to the offensive line.

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Fairfax, VA: I am really surprised that people are thinking we have momentum of late....we are 2-5 and beat the Raiders....is this really momentum?

Shouldn't we still fire Zorn, and put an O-line in place and improve as if we were 4-9?

Cindy Boren: I hear you and am asking the same thing. Is this success you can build on? What happens when the starters return next year? Do you sit these guys? The Raiders, do not lose sight of this, are a truly dreadful/hideous/awful/painful-to-watch team. If Orton and Gradkowski hadn't been knocked out, those Ws might well be Ls and we'd be discussing 2-11. I'm not sure that this run of modest success justifies staying the course.

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Alexandria, Va.: What happens to Jason Campbell after this season? Will someone else pick him up as a starter? A backup?

Cindy Boren: Going into the season and through the first half, you had to wonder how much interest there'd be in him (after the team futilely tried to trade him). Of course, it always was in the back of your head that someone else would see something in him and snap him up...and now he's playing well and I think there are teams where he might be a good fit, as a starter or a backup--should the Redskins opt not to match any offers. Oakland (although why would you wish that on him), Pittsburgh, Carolina spring to mind.

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Bowie, Md.: So it looks like maybe Cerrato DID give Jim Zorn a playoff roster, it's just that all the playoff caliber players were third and fourth string (or not on the team at the beginning of the season).

It kills me this late season run will probably be justification for keeping Cerrato around (but probably not Zorn, and maybe not Campbell), when the fact that the starters he chose didn't play any better than the gap-filling scrubs that are in there now should be an indictment, not a credit.

Cindy Boren: A playoff roster ... for 2010. Maybe he just forgot to say that part.

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Fairfax, Va.: Cindy, I know a lot of fans believe that O-Line is the real need of this team but if the Skins decide not to bring back Portis, is Ganther enough of RB NOT to draft a RB high in the draft? What would you do?

Cindy Boren: You're an impulse buyer, aren't you? Tennessee didn't keep him around and they're a pretty good judge of talent. Now, I like the guy and like what I've seen, but I have to see him against some, ahem, quality opponents before I am willing to stake my sterling reputation on him for next year....just in case he's more Charlie Brown than Jim Brown.

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Fairfax, Va.: JaMarcus Russell was a no. 1 draft pick, wasn't he? How does talent scouting go so wrong?

Cindy Boren: I believe Al Davis fell in love. He's got to be rethinking the situation more than Elin Nordegren right now.

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Bowie, Md.: What kind of cookie?

Cindy Boren: Pfeffernusse. There's powdered sugar everywhere. Good thing I'm the Jerry Glanville of sports writers and alwaysalways wear black.

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The District: A little luck and some good calls, we're a 10-3 team! When do the moral victory playoffs start? I think we're a #1 seed.

Cindy Boren: And don't forget the frittering! There was plenty of that. It would be kind of cool if there were a moral-victory playoffs. Your team might meet my Cheeves in the Morally Super-ior Bowl.

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Paris, France: Here's the 100 million dollar question. (And no, you don't win 100 mill if you get it right. It's not that kind of question.)

Assume that the Skins continue to score 30 points and win each of the last three games. What happens to the team (coaches and offense) next year?

(I know some people will laugh but Dallas and NY -- at home -- aren't doing so well now and San Diego will probably not have anything to play for in the last game. It's very likely to happen.)

Cindy Boren: Evidently your beret is a size or two too small; it's cutting off the blood flow to your brain. It's entirely possible that the Skins could go 2-1 now, but I don't think that's going to save Zorn's job. It might save some of the players' jobs, but not his. Just my take at the moment.

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Bowie, Md.: Why oh why is Randle El still returning kicks? If it's because Zorn doesn't want any valuable receivers getting hurt, then just don't put anyone back there at all. Forget about the return man, forget about flankers, just send all 11 guys to try to block the kick. If they don't get there, just let the other team go down and down the ball. What would be wrong with that? Then there's no risk of Randle El fumbling, or a bad kick bouncing off a blocker. The only danger would be the ball might roll to the 1 and be down, but Randle El let's that happen half the time anyway!

Cindy Boren: It's a question we ask ourselves and everyone else every week. It just has to end. This is awful.

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Waldorf, Md.: The progress the offense has made lately would be very encouraging if this organization had more patience. I think next year will be a great year for Jason Campbell if the team upgrades the offensive line and lets him stay in the same system. Chris Cooley's injury has allowed Fred Davis to develop nicely, possibly giving Campbell two formidable options at that position in 2010. Let's not overlook Devin Thomas's recent contributions.

Yes, I'd be very excited if this were any other team. But I'm afraid Daniel Snyder and Vinny Cerrato will again demonstrate their lack of patience by bringing in a new coach, a new system, a possibly a new quarterback (Colt McCoy or Jimmy Clausen). If Cerrato is not fired, let's hope he at least does not undo the momentum the Redskins might have going into next year.

Cindy Boren: Interesting take and there seem to be two camps. The last three games should bring some clarity, I would think.

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Charlie Brown: Don't knock him, he scored a bunch of key TDs in the Skins' 1982-83 Super Bowl runs.

Cindy Boren: Not the one I was thinking of!

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Westminster MD: Is Randle El done?

Cindy Boren: Given his averge per return, you have to think so.

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kickoffs: Cindy,

Is it really legal to kick the kick offs in the end zone?

Cindy Boren: Totally legal and, around these parts, a rare sight.

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Forest Hill, Md.: Hey Cindy, I have seen some real promise for this Skins team over the past month, and I have a feeling they will finish the season pretty strong. Does that mean it's time for Dan to come in with his wrecking ball and start all over for next season? I would give this team one more season and definitely keep Campbell. Is there anyway they give it one more try?

Cindy Boren: With all the glitzy names queueing up to coach again and with the hotsy-totsy QBs in the draft, don't you think that temptation will prove irresistible?

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Plan for Next Year: Instead of bringing in a splashy new coach or (heaven forbid) drafting a 1st round QB, what say Snyder hires a big name (Joe Jackson Gibbs?) just to tell him what the next step should be. It could be a short-term hire -- whoever it is could be empowered to pick a new coach and/or GM or to simply tell the Danny to cool down and let some continuity establish.

I see a potential win-win-win situation here:

(1) Snyder could make his desired big splash if he picks someone high profile enough.

(2) Actual decisions could be made by someone who actually knows something about football (e.g., not Snyderrato).

(3) Because it could be structured as a short-term position, Snyder might actually be willing to relinquish control (especially if it were to Gibbs).

Cindy Boren: I believe you're saying that what's needed is another consultant (maybe another guy named Sherman?). Your idea isn't the worst one I've heard, but I believe that it can only happen in Bizarro World. I don't see the owner doing that.

It's time to run now. With next week's Monday night game, I'll be chatting a little later in the day -- looks like 3:30 now. Until then, see you on the Redskins Insider blog and on Twitter. Thanks for your supersmart comments and enjoy your 'za!

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