In the wake of Sunday's 23-17 loss to the New York Giants, Jim Zorn said he saw "a lot of good" in the Redskins' effort and execution on offense.
So why did they lose?
Bad play here, bad play there.
"The several [bad] plays added up to us being frustrated most of the day on offense, just because they were drive-stoppers or they [hurt us] in field position," Zorn said.
Zorn defended his decision to try a trick play--a wide receiver option--on the Redskins' second offensive play of the game.
Antwaan Randle El rolled right and tried to throw to either Santana Moss or Chris Cooley, but there were well-covered. Randle El was eventually tackled for an 11-yard loss on the play.
"The trick play was pretty sound," he said. "It was the right field position. It was on the script. To me, it could not have been set up any better. They covered it well.
"I would trust every time if I called it again that Antwaan would just throw it away. He decided to try and make something out of it. There was nothing really there."
Zorn said he liked Jason Campbell's decision-making during the game, except for one key play in the second quarter.
Campbell eluded pressure on a pass play by rolling right. He scrambled past the line of scrimmage and tried to throw to Santana Moss along the right sideline, but Giants cornerback stepped in front of the pass for an interception.
It was a poor decision, Zorn said.
"I can say, 'Hey, obey the rules. You have to throw the ball behind the line of scrimmage.'" Zorn said. "He knows that. He just lost sight of where he was and thought he could get the ball into Santana."
On perhaps the game's most critical play, defensive end Osi Umenyiora swatted the ball from Campbell's hands, scooped up the fumble and raced 37 yards for a touchdown midway through the second quarter.
"Jason could have stepped up further in the pocket, and then he could have made a decision to throw--either throw the ball away or run," Zorn said. "There was nothing really there.
"We were trying to go deep to Santana, but they doubled him. We tried to get the ball to Chris Cooley, but he was covered. [Campbell] was looking for the check-down. He really did the right thing."
Zorn suggested that Campbell needed to be more aware of pressure in the pocket.
"We always talk about that rhythm, that clock, and that clock didn't go off for him," Zorn said. "He'll see it and we'll get better at that."
As the Redskins prepare for this Sunday's game against the St. Louis Rams, Zorn said he wanted to build on positive plays, from Clinton Portis's 34-yard run on the first play from scrimmage to Randle El's 35-yard catch-and-run to Cooley's 17-yard touchdown reception.
"When our players see what happened and how it happened, there will be a lot of recovery here and a lot of practice time on those things that we just fell short on," Zorn said. "We will improve. I believe that."
