Sports Radio Interviews

Jason Campbell: ‘There Is Only So Much a Leader Can Say and a Leader Can Do’

SRI continues to work in new writers. This post is courtesy of Tim Gunter from 790 the Zone in Atlanta.  This is a make-it or break-it year for the Redskins and Coach Jim Zorn.  Jim is only in his second year as the head coach of the Redskins, but Daniel Snyder’s proven track record, 5 head coaches in 10 years, has shown us that if you don’t win then you don’t coach in Washington.  As for Campbell, the Redskins have made no secret that the former first-round draft pick has yet to achieve the superstar status many of the peers in his age group have reached and is on a short leash as well. 

After refusing to discuss an extension of Jason’s contract that expires at this season’s end, the team had an open flirtation with USC quarterback Mark Sanchez and reportedly made a feverish attempt to trade up in April’s draft to land the ex-Trojans star.  They also reportedly had interest in Jay Cutler.  Needless to say, Jason Campbell will play with a “chip” on his shoulder and try to show the Redskins that they have a franchise quarterback.  From this interview, you can tell that Jason is upset with the play-calling of the coaching staff and that he wants to take more shots downfield.  So the ball is in your court Jim Zorn.

Jason Campbell joined 106.7 The Fan in DC to talk about last Sunday’s game, on whether there are trust issues with the offense, on whether he would like to take more big shots downfield and the opportunity to make big plays, on fans perception that Jason is cool and won’t get into the face of other guys, and on whether he will pay attention to Jay Cutler and Mark Sanchez because of what he had to go through in the off-season.

On what he took from the game Sunday:

“Well after watching the film, there is not one guy that can be like: ‘I didn’t mess up,  I can point the finger’, because if they do they are lying.  You can go from top to bottom.  Each guy can point out some things that they all could have done better and coaches also.  We understand that in a game like that you first of all have to protect the football and I go and throw an interception.  When I was in the pocket, I did a good job for the most part.  I stepped up in the pocket and eluded the rush.  On the one play I held on to it for a second too long.  Osi being the great player that he is, got his hand on it and picked it up for a touchdown.  That one really hurt because we really didn’t have the ball that much anyways in the first quarter.  I think we had four or five plays and we got the ball back in the second quarter with like 6:00 and something left to play.  That is really when I was beginning to throw the ball.  It just hurts that they would score a touchdown off of that because we hadn’t had many opportunities up until that.”

On whether there are trust issues with the offense:

“You know there are things that I feel like we can do.  Eventually, I will feel that we will get to doing them.  One thing about it you have as the quarterback you have to scramble and everything and get the ball downfield and hit those deeper intermediate routes.  I think right now, coaches they watch the film and just want to make sure that the time is going to be there to hit those deeper routes and if we have an understanding is how deep we are supposed to get on those routes.  Are we supposed to be in the right place at the right time based off who we are playing?  I think as a team like the Giants were, they are just a fabulous up front defense that’s just in your face all the time.  I think from the coach’s perspective he probably thought that maybe this is not the time to try to out ourselves in position where we lose yardage. Let’s just try to move things where we are moving in a positive direction just because of the heat and the pressure that they try to bring.  I think sometimes where we hurt at yesterday was first down.  We weren’t getting a lot of positive yards on first down and I think against defenses that is where it’s just a critical part is getting yards on first down.  You don’t get yards on first down, now you are in third and long and third and medium against good football teams you are asking a lot.”

On whether he would like to take more big shots downfield and the opportunity to make big plays:

“You know every quarterback wants that and if a quarterback doesn’t tell you that, there is something wrong with him. Every quarterback wants that. (Host: Are you given the opportunities to do that?) Umm.”

On fans perception that Jason is cool and won’t get into the face of other guys:

“That’s not true because yesterday I did a lot of that.  It’s just not caught on TV and the camera is not on me 24/7 where they see me what I am doing.  Lots of times I was on people a lot yesterday.  One time, I got on my own self.  People probably think I am crazy for getting on my own self but most definitely I was upset when I got the ball knocked out of my hands, but other than that, I am on guys.  In practice, I am pushing guys.  I am hollering at guys to pick it up to do what we got to do to have a better practice to do things. People just don’t hear that and catch that on camera. I am not going to do it when a camera is looking at me: Oh I did it just because a camera is on me so everybody can see I do it.  I am doing it for that.  I just do it when it is supposed to be done and at the right time and the right place.  Yeah, I do a lot of that.  I am calm and cool for the most part and sometimes that’s a little something else that comes out of me.  It’s not always going to be caught on camera to show the whole world that he really gets onto those guys.  It’s not about how you get on somebody, it’s doing it for a purpose.”

On whether he will pay attention to Jay Cutler and Mark Sanchez because of what he had to go through in the offseason:

“No, I definitely won’t because we are all three different style of quarterbacks.  We are all three in different situations.  Mark Sanchez is in his rookie year.  He had a great game yesterday.  You know Jay Cutler, that situation created a lot of pressure with demanding to be traded and everything.  You get this team in Chicago and the time you get there everyone is ready to crown you.  I think it’s just a lot of pressure right now, but I think he will slowly settle down and get the feel of everything and get the feel of the offense.  It’s definitely not a situation where I look at what he does or I look at what Sanchez does because we are all in different situations and we are obviously in different divisions, but any time I have a quarterback, you know it’s like a brotherhood.  You know you don’t ever wish bad things upon anyone else in the league that plays your position.  I know how tough it is to play the position and I know how hard it is to play the position.  I understand you get a lot of credit when you win and you shouldn’t get a lot of the credit. Y ou get a lot of the blame when you lose when you shouldn’t be getting as much blame, but I understand the territory of it.  But it’s definitely not a situation where I compare myself to these guys each and every week.”

Listen to Jason Campbell on The LaVar Arrington Show on 106.7 the Fan in Washington DC

Tags: Jason Campbell, Jim Zorn, NFC East, Redskins lose 23-17 in open to Giants, Washington Redskins