Zorn earning his stripes

The Redskins coach halted practice Monday after two straight failed formations. Zorn doesn’t curse or threaten, but the decibel level soared during the team huddle. Six days before the preseason opener versus Indianapolis, Zorn’s tolerance is waning.

So much for the kinder, gentler coach. The learning curve is done. It’s time to earn paychecks. The new coach is about to be judged even if it’s only the preseason. So are some players trying to make the team. Running the wrong way in a formation is like heading to exile island.

“We weren’t focusing,” linebacker London Fletcher admitted.

Zorn wanted some fire in the early morning practice. Rather than letting a bad formation play out, Zorn chewed on some face masks. The coach wanted players to see his ire. And, he wanted to see their passion.

“The team at some point has to get fed up. I think that’s what happened to them and they rallied,” Zorn said. “They were not happy themselves. I think it’s a sign of a veteran team. They saw what was going on as well. They started concentrating.”

Jason Campbell completed two of three passes before scrambling 10 yards on the next snap. The starting defense followed against Todd Collins by jumping up and down in the huddle before two sacks, an interception and an incomplete pass.

Campbell returned for two mid-range completions while Clinton Portis ran inside for a long gain. The kind of play that rambles 80 yards for a score. It has been awhile since Portis showed that spark. The starting defense then returned to shut down Collins once more.

It was the intensity Zorn sought over 20 plays. The starting offense and defense both delivered some of their best snaps of training camp.

Zorn passed another test. It’s not about being liked or hated in the locker room — it’s about being respected. It’s not easy, especially for a first-year coach who has always been one of the guys as a player and assistant.

But Zorn barked out the orders and the players responded.

“That’s what you want to hear. You want him to be a motivator, to yell when yelling is needed and to motivate and encourage you. That’s what he did,” receiver Antwaan Randle-El. “We messed up. He said, ‘Let’s start here. Don’t make the same mistakes.’”

Offseasons are for dating; for promises to be delivered another day. Preseasons are for proving who’s more than talk.

“We are learning each other,” Campbell said. “Everyone has to understand when [Zorn] gets on you he isn’t doing it just to be doing it. He’s trying to help us grow. It’s not just quarterbacks. It’s everybody.”

Everybody has to earn jobs. There will be a surprise or two come summer’s end. It will be the plays on the practice fields of Ashburn that may decide roster spots more than game nights in Canton, Charlotte, Meadowlands or FedEx Field.

Zorn was always a presence in the huddle as a quarterback. It seems he hasn’t lost his touch.

Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at rsnider@dcexaminer.com.