Yes.
I have seen true greatness in the way Jason Campbell and Jim Zorn have responded being benched and stripped of play calling duties, respectively. They have been open about their disappointment, but they have also been uncritical of those above them. Zorn especially has impressed me by saying he gave up being in the loop on Sherm Lewis’ sending in the plays to Jason Campbell because he wanted to “avoid the temptation” of changing the calls.
Accepting a demotion, being disappointed but supportive of the team, and still moving forward…that looks like humility to me, and that’s true greatness.
It has yet to translate into much success on the field, but I know in my own life that the outward success that may think to be so hard to realize really is not that hard, compared to winning the war within.
I am not sure the Redskins will win many games on the field of battle this season, but if these small breakthroughs of humility by the head coach and starting QB are for real, there is reason to think there may be some good things ahead…especially for an historically streaky team that seems to always play to the level of their competition. Considering how much better the coming teams on their schedule are compared to the last four games, maybe we’ll be pleasantly surprised tonight.
And secretly in the middle of all that has happened this week, one very important breakthrough occurred: Jason Campbell will undoubtedly be relied upon to make more play calling decisions. I can’t see Sherm Lewis being as determined to call the plays his own way as Zorn was.
I am such a homer, I know, but I still have hope for this team, as crazy as that sounds.