The big news on the Jim Zorn radio show on ESPN 980 was about Shaun Suisham being cut and Graham Gano being signed. But Zorn also had an uncomfortable moment when asked, again, about the play-calling situation. Oh, and LaRon Landry won’t be benched. There’s also a little message for Devin Thomas.
On if he thinks about the position he’d be in if they’d won the last three games: “Yes. Yes I have. It’s a real frustration. But I also have to live with the reality of it. We have lost all three. … You don’t remember back on the circumstances and how hard we fought. It’s exciting, but it’s still a loss and that’s the frustrating thing about the entire situation. Coulud we be 6-6? Yep.”
On if he thinks about whether or not he’ll have the chance to finish what they’ve started: “That’s a good question. I always have that hope because we’re working hard. We haven’t skipped a beat or relented the principles we’re trying to coach by and our players. We have a lot of pretty good players either on IR or sporting an injury. Yet our team with all the guys we’ve got are still fighting and scratching and trying to pick up where those guys left off. That’s what I’m excited about. We have a competitive chance every game we’ve been in since those things have been happening.”
On if benching LaRon Landry for getting beat by another double move is an option: “No.”
Why: “Because he got beat in that situation for us, I guess I would say that’s a bad deal. No question about it. LaRon knows it as well. But he has had a tremendous year. Unfortunately those things glare, just like missing a field goal. Yet I put a lot of weight on LaRon as far as regrouping or regaining that edge. He created that sack. We got him on a blitz. It was a great blitz. He also had some breakups.”
On if he’s playing out of position and if a move to strong safety is an option: “We might move him around. I don’t think wholesale. Just like we blitzed him and just like he’s playing free safety and actually knocking balls down, making tackles. Everybody would love that. It’s the double move that’s been his nemesis and it was the same play on both sides. He got beat twice. We’ll stick with him, no question.”
On plans for Clinton Portis, if he’s cleared today by doctors in Pittsburgh: “If they’re good then we’ll try to get him back up to speed as quickly as we can. The thing I look for is if he is solid and he’s cleared then how do we work him in to regain his conditioning and strength. I have to be smart about that. How will we work him into the game as well. I won’t just say, you’re in, go for 70 plays. That’s not going to happen. We’ll still count on those three running backs that we’ve been using. We have to.”
On, now that the system is working, if he thinks having Sherman Lewis call plays was the right to do: “That’s a bad question. Sorry. I wouldn’t answer that question.”
On if he’s learned anything from watching Lewis call plays: “It’s his mix.”
On Devin Thomas’ potential as receiver, if he could be their best one in the future: “Could be. But I’m not counting out Malcolm. But both those guys will come on. Both will compete. And Devin’s not out of the woods yet. He’s still learning too. If he’s listening, I’m saying get back in the line and here we go. We have to go again. You’re not going to the Pro Bowl next week my friend. There’s a lot of work to be done. I think he knows that. He’s been pretty good considering the situation.
On if he feels good about the receiver situation: “I do. I think those guys are coming on. I do feel good. And let me backtrack on the play-calling. I feel really good about how Sherm Lewis is performing. If we’re all responsible for certain issues and certain things, he’s doing a wonderful job. I evade those questions because it has to do with me as well. But I don’t have any negative thoughts or anything about how he’s working our program. It’s going very well with the way it’s organized.”
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