In a rare moment of clarity, though, a caller asked whether Cerrato believed the Redskins were better off when he took the job or when he was fired. Thinking back to the one home playoff game under former coach Norv Turner - Jan. 8, 2000; the game ball is encased downstairs - he comes to terms with his tenure.It's not the most in-depth look at Cerrato's tenure with the Redskins and doesn't provide a ton of new information, but for anyone looking for more reasons to blame Cerrato, it's certainly worthy of a read.
"I'd have to say unsuccessful," Cerrato says, nodding for a long while, almost pondering that he just said that word in relation to himself.
He was working out during the NFL owners meetings in Dallas in Dec. 2009 when Snyder told him to meet him alone in a conference room at the Four Seasons. It was the day the owner played the card no one ever thought he'd play - firing Cerrato, the guy who survived six coaches, millions of wasted dollars on someone else's stars and all the anger of fed-up season-ticket holders.
"I didn't know it was coming," he said. Really? After what happened the last decade? "Nope."
Showing posts with label Vinny Cerrato. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vinny Cerrato. Show all posts
Monday, March 14, 2011
Wise on Cerrato: 'Utterly unaware till the very end'
Mike Wise has written an interesting column on Vinny Cerrato and what he's doing now that he's no longer employed by the Redskins or any other NFL team. Here's a taste of what Wise had to say:
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The Skins and blowout losses
It's no revelation to point out that fans aren't fond of their teams getting blown out, especially in big games. But except for a select few elite teams, every team loses big at one time or another, like it or not. Now, I'm not saying the Redskins are an elite team, or even close to one, and I'm also not excusing their terrible, embarrassing performance against the Eagles on Monday night. But judging by some of the crazy reactions from fans, you'd think this kind of thing never happens to the Redskins, or at least hadn't happened for a long time.
But that's not true. Just going back a few seasons, the Redskins suffered two such losses that rival the 59-28 debacle against the Eagles.
Patriots 52, Redskins 7
On October 28, 2007, the 4-2 Redskins traveled to Gillette Stadium to take on the 7-0 Patriots. The undefeated Patriots were definitely thought of as the better team, but some still gave the Skins a fighting chance. Unfortunately, that hope didn't last long; the Patriots took a quick lead and didn't look back. At halftime, the Patriots led 24-0, and they kept their foot on the accelerator, eventually leading 52-0 with just a few minutes left in the game. With about three minutes left, a 15-yard touchdown pass from Jason Campbell to Chris Cooley cut the lead to 52-7, which ended up being the final score.
On that day, the Skins were completely dominated in every phase of the game. Here's the tale of the tape (Patriots numbers listed first):
Total yards: 486-224
Pass yards: 334-177
Rush yards: 152-47
First downs: 34-13
Forced turnovers: 4-1
Tom Brady finished the game 29-38 for 306 yards and three touchdowns. Oddly enough, he also rushed for two touchdowns. Jason Campbell, on the other hand, was 21-36 for 197 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Oh, and he also lost three fumbles.
Silver lining: The Redskins beat the Jets 23-20 the very next week, but they lost four straight games afterward. But then, with Todd Collins filling in for an injured Campbell and with heavy hearts following the death of Sean Taylor, the Skins put together four straight crucial wins to earn a playoff berth. Unfortunately, they lost in the first round against the Seahawks in Seattle.
Giants 45, Redskins 12
Most fans should remember this game; it took place just last season, on another Monday night (December 21) at home. The Giants came into the game as a decent (7-6) team, but they would eventually finish 8-8 and miss the playoffs. The Skins, however, were 4-9 and not a good team at all, though they had just returned home from Oakland after a 34-13 win over the Raiders.
Just like in the Patriots game above, the Giants took the lead in no time and were ahead 24-0 at halftime. Right before the half, though, the Skins pulled off one of the worst plays in NFL history. You probably remember it: Instead of opting for a 38-yard field goal to end the half and at least get some points on the board in an awful game, Jim Zorn sent out the special teams unit to attempt a crazy Hail Mary-type pass with punter Hunter Smith -- not once, but twice -- even after the Giants were prepared to stop it (which wasn't too difficult). If the loss in Week 3 to the Lions hadn't already sealed Zorn's fate after the season, that play certainly did.
The Skins scored two touchdowns in the third quarter (with a missed extra point and a failed two-point conversion), but that was it. The Giants scored the final points of the game, a touchdown in the fourth quarter, and ended up with a 45-12 win. A terrible, embarrassing loss? Yes, definitely.
Here's the tale of the tape for that game (Giants numbers listed first):
Total yards: 387-302
Pass yards: 273-213
Rush yards: 114-89
First downs: 23-15
Forced turnovers: 3-0
The Giants didn't necessarily dominate statistically, but they dominated the Skins in every other way possible. Also, Eli Manning was 19-26 for 268 yards and three touchdowns. Campbell, though, was 15-28 for 192 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. He was also sacked five times.
Silver lining: Sort of. The Redskins lost their next two games and finished the season with a 4-12 record. But that also led to Zorn's firing and, more importantly, Vinny Cerrato's overdue departure. So yeah, losses aren't fun, but sometimes they lead to good things.
-----
Is there an overarching point in all of this? Maybe, maybe not. But it's clear that the Redskins are not an elite team, and they won't be until they stop making horrific personnel decisions and start keeping draft picks instead of giving them away for overrated, older players -- especially ones that don't fit a certain scheme that the team will run.
It's hard to watch Albert Haynesworth laying on the field against the Eagles (and in other games too) and think that the primary problem isn't effort or a lack of heart. But really, that's not it. The Redskins are too old at too many key positions, and they don't have solid backups behind them. That's not a defense of Haynesworth -- far from it. But until the Skins start operating differently -- and there are a few signs that maybe the Skins are, in fact, changing for the better -- these types of losses will continue to happen. And no amount of yelling or insane ranting is going to change that.
It takes time to build a consistent winner; Band-Aids rarely work.
But that's not true. Just going back a few seasons, the Redskins suffered two such losses that rival the 59-28 debacle against the Eagles.
Patriots 52, Redskins 7
On October 28, 2007, the 4-2 Redskins traveled to Gillette Stadium to take on the 7-0 Patriots. The undefeated Patriots were definitely thought of as the better team, but some still gave the Skins a fighting chance. Unfortunately, that hope didn't last long; the Patriots took a quick lead and didn't look back. At halftime, the Patriots led 24-0, and they kept their foot on the accelerator, eventually leading 52-0 with just a few minutes left in the game. With about three minutes left, a 15-yard touchdown pass from Jason Campbell to Chris Cooley cut the lead to 52-7, which ended up being the final score.
On that day, the Skins were completely dominated in every phase of the game. Here's the tale of the tape (Patriots numbers listed first):
Total yards: 486-224
Pass yards: 334-177
Rush yards: 152-47
First downs: 34-13
Forced turnovers: 4-1
Tom Brady finished the game 29-38 for 306 yards and three touchdowns. Oddly enough, he also rushed for two touchdowns. Jason Campbell, on the other hand, was 21-36 for 197 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Oh, and he also lost three fumbles.
Silver lining: The Redskins beat the Jets 23-20 the very next week, but they lost four straight games afterward. But then, with Todd Collins filling in for an injured Campbell and with heavy hearts following the death of Sean Taylor, the Skins put together four straight crucial wins to earn a playoff berth. Unfortunately, they lost in the first round against the Seahawks in Seattle.
Giants 45, Redskins 12
Most fans should remember this game; it took place just last season, on another Monday night (December 21) at home. The Giants came into the game as a decent (7-6) team, but they would eventually finish 8-8 and miss the playoffs. The Skins, however, were 4-9 and not a good team at all, though they had just returned home from Oakland after a 34-13 win over the Raiders.
Just like in the Patriots game above, the Giants took the lead in no time and were ahead 24-0 at halftime. Right before the half, though, the Skins pulled off one of the worst plays in NFL history. You probably remember it: Instead of opting for a 38-yard field goal to end the half and at least get some points on the board in an awful game, Jim Zorn sent out the special teams unit to attempt a crazy Hail Mary-type pass with punter Hunter Smith -- not once, but twice -- even after the Giants were prepared to stop it (which wasn't too difficult). If the loss in Week 3 to the Lions hadn't already sealed Zorn's fate after the season, that play certainly did.
The Skins scored two touchdowns in the third quarter (with a missed extra point and a failed two-point conversion), but that was it. The Giants scored the final points of the game, a touchdown in the fourth quarter, and ended up with a 45-12 win. A terrible, embarrassing loss? Yes, definitely.
Here's the tale of the tape for that game (Giants numbers listed first):
Total yards: 387-302
Pass yards: 273-213
Rush yards: 114-89
First downs: 23-15
Forced turnovers: 3-0
The Giants didn't necessarily dominate statistically, but they dominated the Skins in every other way possible. Also, Eli Manning was 19-26 for 268 yards and three touchdowns. Campbell, though, was 15-28 for 192 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. He was also sacked five times.
Silver lining: Sort of. The Redskins lost their next two games and finished the season with a 4-12 record. But that also led to Zorn's firing and, more importantly, Vinny Cerrato's overdue departure. So yeah, losses aren't fun, but sometimes they lead to good things.
-----
Is there an overarching point in all of this? Maybe, maybe not. But it's clear that the Redskins are not an elite team, and they won't be until they stop making horrific personnel decisions and start keeping draft picks instead of giving them away for overrated, older players -- especially ones that don't fit a certain scheme that the team will run.
It's hard to watch Albert Haynesworth laying on the field against the Eagles (and in other games too) and think that the primary problem isn't effort or a lack of heart. But really, that's not it. The Redskins are too old at too many key positions, and they don't have solid backups behind them. That's not a defense of Haynesworth -- far from it. But until the Skins start operating differently -- and there are a few signs that maybe the Skins are, in fact, changing for the better -- these types of losses will continue to happen. And no amount of yelling or insane ranting is going to change that.
It takes time to build a consistent winner; Band-Aids rarely work.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Cooley out for season with broken ankle
As if things couldn't get any worse for the Redskins (especially on offense), Chris Cooley is out for the season after breaking his ankle in the second quarter against the Eagles last night.
The play on which Cooley was injured looked pretty awkward, with Cooley stopping quickly over the middle of the field and possibly getting his right cleat caught in the ground. Cooley immediately fell to the ground clutching his ankle, unable to put any weight on his right foot.
Oddly enough, with Cooley out, Fred Davis had the best game of his career. Davis caught eight passes from Jason Campbell for 78 yards and a touchdown. He also led all receivers with 10 targets in the passing game.
While losing Cooley is an enormous loss, it's not like the offense was putting up huge numbers even with him in the lineup. There's no question the offense is better with him playing, but the silver lining with him being out, if there is one, is that Davis will get a chance to be the featured tight end for the rest of the season. Though it's unlikely that Campbell will return next year, it's still important to find out if the young receivers drafted by Vinny Cerrato -- Devin Thomas, Davis, and Malcolm Kelly -- can actually contribute.
By the way, Cerrato deserves special thanks for drafting both Thomas and Davis ahead of DeSean Jackson, who scored two long touchdowns last night and sure looked like the best player on the field.
The play on which Cooley was injured looked pretty awkward, with Cooley stopping quickly over the middle of the field and possibly getting his right cleat caught in the ground. Cooley immediately fell to the ground clutching his ankle, unable to put any weight on his right foot.
Oddly enough, with Cooley out, Fred Davis had the best game of his career. Davis caught eight passes from Jason Campbell for 78 yards and a touchdown. He also led all receivers with 10 targets in the passing game.
While losing Cooley is an enormous loss, it's not like the offense was putting up huge numbers even with him in the lineup. There's no question the offense is better with him playing, but the silver lining with him being out, if there is one, is that Davis will get a chance to be the featured tight end for the rest of the season. Though it's unlikely that Campbell will return next year, it's still important to find out if the young receivers drafted by Vinny Cerrato -- Devin Thomas, Davis, and Malcolm Kelly -- can actually contribute.
By the way, Cerrato deserves special thanks for drafting both Thomas and Davis ahead of DeSean Jackson, who scored two long touchdowns last night and sure looked like the best player on the field.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Redskins select Jarmon; Cerrato making sense?
On Thursday, the Redskins used their 2010 third-round draft pick to take Kentucky defensive end Jeremy Jarmon in the NFL supplemental draft. The selection of Jarmon was the only pick in the supplemental draft this year, and it was also the first pick ever made by the Redskins.
The move seems to be a decent gamble, and here's Vinny Cerrato's reasoning on the decision:
In this case, Cerrato appears to be right. According to the linked Washington Post article, five other teams were willing to give up fourth-round choices for Jarmon, so using a third-round choice was the only way the Redskins were going to land Jarmon. And although it's impossible to predict his production, adding a young defensive lineman to an aging group of defensive ends certainly seems to be a positive.
Right now, the defensive ends on the Redskins roster, besides Jarmon, include: Alex Buzbee (24), Andre Carter (30), Phillip Daniels (36), Rob Jackson (23), Brian Orakpo (23 on July 31), J.D. Skolnitsky (22), Derek Walker (22), Chris Wilson (27), and Renaldo Wynn (34). The defensive tackle position is pretty deep, but as shown, the Redskins needed an upgrade at end -- or at least the chance of one. Buzbee will probably stay on the practice squad, and Skolnitsky and Walker could join him depending on how well they do in training camp. Jackson seems like an interesting talent, but he can't stay healthy.
Carter will start at right defensive end, and Daniels is the likely candidate to start on the left. Orakpo could also see some time at defensive end, but the Redskins apparently feel like he can contribute at linebacker as well; it'll be interesting to see exactly how he's used. Depending on how quickly he develops, Jarmon could see some snaps at left defensive end as well.
The one negative of the Jarmon pick, though, is why he had to enter the supplemental draft in the first place:
So, Jarmon's move to the NFL was a no-brainer. Fortunately, he has owned up to his mistake, which at least shows some maturity and responsibility on his part. Jarmon also is ready to learn: "Phillip is a 14-year veteran and I'm sure he has seen just about everything in the NFL. I'm hoping to just get in, land under the wing of those guys and follow in their footsteps." I like to read quotes like that from rookies; it's important to show some respect to the veteran players and leaders on a team.
I'm a fan of the Jarmon pick because it makes the Redskins better in the long run and gives them more options on the defensive line. Wynn and Daniels may be in Washington just for this season, and even if Jarmon doesn't get on the field a ton this year, he'll be better equipped to contribute in 2010-2011. More moves like this one, Cerrato. Please.
The move seems to be a decent gamble, and here's Vinny Cerrato's reasoning on the decision:
"I thought that it was a situation where you get a chance to get a big defensive lineman, and he gets the chance to come in, learn from two veteran guys," Vinny Cerrato, the Redskins' executive vice president of football operations, said in a conference call. "He is 21 years old, and he has got the size. To me, in next year's draft, if he had gone through the combine and everything else, the guy probably goes in the second round, 'cause D-linemen always go high in the draft. So I think we got the chance to get a quality player at a quality price.
"I don't think we could have got him in the third, come next April. And this way, he is a year ahead. For our third-round pick next year, we are getting a year of his work already into it."
In this case, Cerrato appears to be right. According to the linked Washington Post article, five other teams were willing to give up fourth-round choices for Jarmon, so using a third-round choice was the only way the Redskins were going to land Jarmon. And although it's impossible to predict his production, adding a young defensive lineman to an aging group of defensive ends certainly seems to be a positive.
Right now, the defensive ends on the Redskins roster, besides Jarmon, include: Alex Buzbee (24), Andre Carter (30), Phillip Daniels (36), Rob Jackson (23), Brian Orakpo (23 on July 31), J.D. Skolnitsky (22), Derek Walker (22), Chris Wilson (27), and Renaldo Wynn (34). The defensive tackle position is pretty deep, but as shown, the Redskins needed an upgrade at end -- or at least the chance of one. Buzbee will probably stay on the practice squad, and Skolnitsky and Walker could join him depending on how well they do in training camp. Jackson seems like an interesting talent, but he can't stay healthy.
Carter will start at right defensive end, and Daniels is the likely candidate to start on the left. Orakpo could also see some time at defensive end, but the Redskins apparently feel like he can contribute at linebacker as well; it'll be interesting to see exactly how he's used. Depending on how quickly he develops, Jarmon could see some snaps at left defensive end as well.
The one negative of the Jarmon pick, though, is why he had to enter the supplemental draft in the first place:
Just two months ago, Jeremy Jarmon was excited about returning to the University of Kentucky for his senior season.
“I talked with Micah Johnson, our middle linebacker, and All-American cornerback Trevard Lindley, and found out they were in no hurry to leave [for the NFL],” Jarmon said. “We were having fun there and we were all coming back.”
Then Jarmon, a 6-3, 277-pound defensive end, made a mistake.
He purchased an over-the-counter dietary supplement to help him maintain his weight during the offseason. He was rehabbing a shoulder injury and he was worried he would gain weight since he could not work out regularly.
Turns out the supplement had a banned substance in it.
The NCAA ruled Jarmon, a three-year starter for the Wildcats, ineligible for the 2009 college football season.
"When I found out in May, I was real disappointed at the time and that was definitely a low point--if not one of the lowest points of my life," he said.
So, Jarmon's move to the NFL was a no-brainer. Fortunately, he has owned up to his mistake, which at least shows some maturity and responsibility on his part. Jarmon also is ready to learn: "Phillip is a 14-year veteran and I'm sure he has seen just about everything in the NFL. I'm hoping to just get in, land under the wing of those guys and follow in their footsteps." I like to read quotes like that from rookies; it's important to show some respect to the veteran players and leaders on a team.
I'm a fan of the Jarmon pick because it makes the Redskins better in the long run and gives them more options on the defensive line. Wynn and Daniels may be in Washington just for this season, and even if Jarmon doesn't get on the field a ton this year, he'll be better equipped to contribute in 2010-2011. More moves like this one, Cerrato. Please.
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