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Redskins face confidence crisis
Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King spoke with CNNSI anchor Bob Lorenz on September 24 about week four in the NFL season on CNN's NFL Preview: Bob Lorenz: The biggest question right now in the NFL is what is wrong with the Washington Redskins? Peter King: I think what is happening right now in Washington is that the Redskins have a crisis of confidence. I talked at length last night to Brad Johnson, their struggling quarterback, and he said, 'Hey, listen, I just haven't made the throws' and you would expect to see Johnson really struggling, struggling with red lines in his eyes. But he said, 'You know what, I usually go to sleep every night at 11:30, get up at 6:30, same thing this week, it really hasn't really affected me.' Now on to his coach, I think Norv Turner has made it very clear in what he has said and what he hasn't said. And what he said to me last night is that if Johnson struggles and struggles badly tonight he will pull him for Jeff George sometime during this game. But he told me if you are looking for a quick hook, it is not going to come. Similarly if you are looking for a quick hook from Redskins owner Daniel Snyder on Norv Turner after this week, I don't think that's going to come either unless Daniel Snyder tells Norv to make a quarterback change and Norv disagrees. That's when I think you are going to see some fireworks. BL: Is there discord on the Redskins offense, are they starting to point fingers and get nervous? PK: No, I don't think there is any finger-pointing on the offense. I think there is an absolute befuddlement about why a year ago they were the best deep throwing team in the league and why this year they are not. I talked to Irving Fryar last night at the Redskins hotel [and] he said we just missed a few chances. But what they also miss is, no question about it, the deep threat that is Michael Westbrook because Albert Connell is simply too inconsistent to be a deep threat. This also proves that you can expect to assemble the 1996 Pro Bowl team and expect to walk over teams. BL: The Cleveland Browns released Orlando Brown, whose eye was seriously injured when he was hit by a penalty flag thrown by a referee last season. What's going to happen with him? PK: Well, the Browns just didn't want to pay him his $1.8 million salary he has for the rest of the year. This could be a short-sighted move in the long run because he likely can't ever play football again. But if he can, he is still a much above-average offensive lineman. The Browns made an interesting move before they waved Orlando Brown; they asked him to sign a waiver saying he wouldn't sue Jeff Tripplett , the referee who threw the penalty flag that injured him or the NFL, Brown refused. BL : St. Louis Rams superman Kevin Carter is in a swirl of controversy. He didn't start this week. What's the story there? PK: After Kevin Carter went AWOL on Wednesday, Mike Martz fined him the maximum amount he could fine him by NFL and NFLPA rules, said he wouldn't start the game against Atlanta and Carter accepted this. Then Carter told Martz later that he really wanted to start this game in Atlanta, but Martz say no you can't do this, Carter is in funk. Martz told me, 'We have to have rules. During training camp, Orlando Pace missed one day when he had a baby and we have to do the same thing on both sides of the ball BL: Troy Aikman obviously has nothing to prove, but do you think the Cowboys feel he is a little vulnerable when he steps onto the field? PK: You don't throw away your entire offseason planning. Everything has been focused on Aikman leading the Cowboys again to the Promised Land and you just don't throw that away after going 1-1 with Randall Cunningham at quarterback. Cunningham gave them a spark but this team is Troy Aikman's.
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