Time for Leadership from Daniel Snyder

Every organization on a grand quest faces a crises. The ones that face it down and chew it up go on to great things. We embarrassed ourselves in Detroit. (Yes, I'm a "we" fan.) Players and coaches surely look in the mirror questioning their confidence. The season is at stake. The team can go in any direction. It's time for leadership on the Washington Redskins and that has to come from the top. Looking at you, Daniel Snyder. The answer is not be the obvious one. Now is not the time to serve up Jim Zorn's head on a platter. Organizations facing adversity do not swap key parts in the middle of the fight. There is no tag team for head coaches. If the Redskins are going to make anything of the next 13 games, they have to do it with the team in place. Snyder and his deputy, Vinny Cerrato, hired Jim Zorn for a reason. They believed him to be a bright, undiscovered, innovative offensive mind. Zorn was never a head coach prior to the Redskins. Head coaches face down adversity. They learn to work it through. Zorn can do that best if the craziness around him is deflected. He needs air cover. The reclusive Snyder has already done that, but it's been a whisper campaign, documented in Adam Schefter's ESPN story this morning, No moves expected with Zorn. Mr. Snyder must be that spark for his team. He picked Zorn, albeit under odd circumstances. He populated the Redskins with high character guys. Character counts most with times are toughest. A very public, face to the camera, personal statement by Snyder that he has the utmost confidence in the coach and expects the team to make the playoffs provides shelter for the team to pull themselves together. That move will redirect fan ire at Snyder, of course. But that's what you need now, Daniel Snyder the lightning rod to save my team. What happens in December is another matter. If I were the owner, my December conversation with Zorn would start something like: head coach, quarterback coach and playcaller--pick any two and give up the other. Today, I need Snyder to visibly stand up and tell players and everyone that Jim Zorn is the man. Do it, Daniel. document.getElementById("article-body").getElementsByTagName("p")[0].setAttribute("class", ""); document.getElementById("article-body").getElementsByTagName("p")[0].setAttribute("className", "");