The dreaded Q word has raised its ugly head in Washington in the wake of the Redskins' 45-12 loss to the New York Giants on Monday - their 10th defeat of the season.
Quitting is a serious felony in the NFL, but the Redskins' quarterback Jason Campbell, preparing for what could be his final home game as a member of the team, did not shy away from alluding to it.
Campbell came out of the game against the Giants questioning the effort of his teammates and saying some of them may have quit on the team. "I used to be a guy who used to try to beat around the bush a little, but I'm going to be honest and saying some guys have [quit]," he told one interviewer.
He was equally candid in another interview. "Did some guys quit? You know, I always try to be positive, but I don't know. Like I said, something like that happens , it just makes you wonder about everything."
While other playes shied away from using the word quit, they conceded that the effort in Monday's loss did not match what the Redskins had put forth in previous weeks.
And the cornerback DeAngelo Hall acknowledged: "From the outside, it might look like some players have given up ... Monday Night Football is supposed to be the biggest stage and guys are supposed to bring their A game because the world's watching. When you put that kind of egg out there, it's hard for the smell to go away."
When the team returned to Redskins Park on Wednesday to begin preparing for this Sunday's game against Dallas, the head coach Jim Zorn also talked about effort. He said it was difficult for coaches to review film of the loss against the Giants, and conceded the players' level of effort was lacking. "We did things, but we needed more. And we didn't get it," said Zorn.
* With agencies
The distractions and discord came to a head in Monday's 45-12 loss to the New York Giants, and players and coaches are hoping the problems dissipate before the Cowboys arrive in town this weekend.
Reflecting on Monday's loss, the most lopsided since Jim Zorn took over as head coach, Campbell said: "It's a total of everything we've gone through all year long. All the uncertainty, different questions, distractions, everything just caught up with us in that one game."
The team is trying to regroup in two key areas: playing and coaching.
The Redskins' coaching staff has been dealing with news that one of the assistants, secondary coach Jerry Gray, has interviewed for the team's head coaching job while Zorn is still under contract. While multiple sources have said Gray has interviewed for the position, Gray would not confirm the reports in certain terms Wednesday, saying, "Jim and I have had conversations, and the conversation is between he and I."
As for the players, Campbell came out of Monday's game questioning the effort of his teammates, saying some may have quit on the team. "I'll be honest, I used to be a guy who used to try to beat around the bush a little, but I'm going to be honest, I think some guys have," he told Comcast SportsNet on Tuesday.
In a separate interview with the Washington Post on Tuesday, Campbell said, "Did some guys quit? You know, I always try to be positive and (think the best) about people, but I don't know. Like I said, something like that happens, it just makes you wonder about everything."
During his weekly media availability before practice Wednesday, Campbell seemed to back off of his strong comments, saying Monday's woes were more a "matter of everyone getting dominated in every phase of the game."
"Monday night, it just seemed like everything we've been going through just fell on us," Campbell said. "Nothing was going right, offensively, defensively, coaching, anything. Nothing was going right. Everything was in disarray."
While other players shied away from using the dreaded "Q" word — quitting is a serious felony in the NFL — they acknowledged that the effort in Monday's loss didn't match what the Redskins had put forth in the preceding weeks.
Cornerback DeAngelo Hall said the difference against the Giants was more attitude than effort, though he acknowledged that "from the outside," it might look like some players have given up.
"Because it does seem like that. You put out great effort after great effort after great effort and you come up short," he said. "And then you put out the kind of performance we put out on `Monday Night Football,' which is supposed to be the biggest stage and guys are supposed to bring their A-game because the world's watching. When you put that kind of egg out there, it's hard for that smell to go away."
When the team returned to Redskins Park on Wednesday morning to begin preparing for the season's penultimate contest, players gathered for their regular Wednesday team meeting, and Zorn talked about effort. It was difficult for coaches to review film of the Giants' loss, and Zorn conceded the players' level of effort was lacking.
"We hadn't had a game like that, so I think it was down," Zorn said. "We did things, but we needed more. And we didn't get it. Really, that's a reflection on me."
Zorn said he liked how players responded at practice later in the afternoon, but he won't know for certain whether they heeded his message until Sunday. A loss to the Cowboys would mean the Redskins will not post a single win against an NFC East opponent this season. It'd mark the first time since a 3-13 season in 1994 that the Redskins failed to beat a single division foe.
"I try not to think about it," Campbell said.
^-0-<
Staff reporter Jason Reid contributed to this report.
bc-fbn-redskins
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
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The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
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Specs%20
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The%20Roundup%20%3A%20No%20Way%20Out
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Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 571bhp
Torque: 650Nm
Price: Dh431,800
Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 455bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: from Dh431,800
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
PRISCILLA
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Sofia%20Coppola%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Cailee%20Spaeny%2C%20Jacob%20Elordi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars