Robiskie Thinks He’s in Good Hands

For however long it lasts, at least Terry Robiskie understood what he was getting into.

He compared Washington Redskin owner Daniel Snyder to Al Davis this week--and meant it as a compliment.

Put aside that Davis knows infinitely more about football than Snyder. (He’d certainly never hire a glad-handing retired college coach such as Pepper Rodgers as vice president of football operations to help him pick his next coach.)

Focus on the idea that Robiskie took the job as interim coach of the Redskins knowing he was not going to make the calls, whether it was starting Jeff George at quarterback, firing special teams coach LeCharls McDaniel or--as Robiskie put it this week--even rearranging his desk.

“I think a lot of owners in the NFL have a management style that is hands-on,” Robiskie said. “I think all those owners that have a burning desire to win, that’s the style you’ve got to have. You’ve got to have it hands-on.”

Robiskie, 46, played for the Raiders for three seasons and began his coaching career with them, starting as coach of the running backs in 1982 and working his way up to offensive coordinator.

Monday, on his first day as interim coach of the Redskins, he was wearing a Super Bowl ring, but hesitated to show it.

That’s because it was for Super Bowl XVIII: Los Angeles Raiders 38, Washington Redskins 9.

“I don’t want you telling people I have that on,” Robiskie said.

He regards Davis as a mentor.

“When I started as a kid, I started with Al Davis, who a lot of people thought was a very difficult owner,” Robiskie said.

“I tell you this, a lot of what’s ingrained in me comes from my early days with the Raiders. I was raised a certain way by Al Davis. I think what he instilled in me is, it’s hard to lose.

“I think for all the years I was with the Raiders, I worked with an owner I believed had nothing on his mind but to win. I think I’m fortunate to be with an owner who’s got nothing on his mind but winning.”

The way Robiskie sees it, the difference between an owner seen as committed to winning and one who is considered a meddler is simple: It depends on the team’s record.

“If you are sitting down and visiting with an owner, and they say, ‘Let’s sign Deion Sanders,’ and we say, ‘It’s a good decision, let’s go with it.’

“We sign him and we go out and win 10 games, it’s a positive. He’s helpful, it’s great.

“You go through that same scenario, we sign Deion Sanders, he suggested it, we both agreed to it, we made the decision. Now, all of a sudden, you are not 10-0, 10-4. You are sitting there 4-7, for whatever reason. Now the same suggestions that he is making, people take it as a negative.”

Snyder picked Robiskie for the interim because of his tough demeanor and motivational skills.

That might be a contrast to the fired Norv Turner, but Robiskie has even less power than Turner had, and zero leverage during his tryout--perhaps as brief as three games--while Snyder dreams of a big-name replacement.

Snyder’s move has a chance to look good, because the Redskins finish with Dallas, Pittsburgh and Arizona and could wind up 10-6.

Robiskie’s future--offensive lineman Tre Johnson called him a relief pitcher--probably rests on how hard it is for Snyder to find a glamorous coach willing to work for him.

He doesn’t figure to get far on a wish list that included Steve Spurrier, Butch Davis, Dick Vermeil and Bill Parcells.

Consider this entry on Snyder from Parcells’ diary in his book, “The Final Season:”

“He doesn’t even own the team for a month and he gets rid of 25 people. This is when I ask myself if the next [owner] in here is going to be another Dan Snyder. If he is, I’m gone. I don’t need any owner operators in my life anymore.”

Robiskie, like every ambitious coach in a difficult situation, believes he can change things.

“I really believe if I’m fortunate to have some good years here . . . somewhere along the line, Dan will get his hands off me,” Robiskie said.

Chances are, he won’t last that long.

NEXT FOR NORV?

Some of the most-speculated-on destinations for Turner don’t seem likely to pan out at the moment. He isn’t interested in USC and the Cowboys downplayed the likelihood of his rejoining the organization just now.

Should San Diego Charger Coach Mike Riley move to USC, that would open a possibility with the Chargers.

Should Miami offensive coordinator Chan Gailey leave for a head-coaching job, it would be a natural for Turner to join close friend Dave Wannstedt’s staff.

Cowboy owner Jerry Jones didn’t rule out hiring Turner again, only the likelihood of his joining the current staff.

“Having some input from him in the future is possible because of the respect I have for him,” Jones told the Dallas Morning News. “But since we just reorganized our staff [this year], it wouldn’t make sense to add him to this staff. And I wouldn’t be presumptuous enough to presume Norv would be interested in that.”

The Cowboys rehired Ernie Zampese as an offensive consultant and Jack Reilly as offensive coordinator this year.

“We’ve got a lot of consultants,” Troy Aikman told the Dallas paper. “But I think Ernie’s well entrenched as the consultant here offensively. Wherever Norv goes, and who knows where that will be, I’m sure he’ll be in high demand.”

What next for former quarterback Brad Johnson, all but fired along with Turner?

He might reunite with Coach Brian Billick in Baltimore. Johnson, who will be a free agent, played for Billick when Billick was the offensive coordinator in Minnesota.

OTHER SIDE OF SHOOTOUT

The Minnesota Vikings and St. Louis Rams play Sunday in what should be a scoring fest.

But the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins meet in a battle of two of the best defenses.

Woe unto quarterbacks in this one.

The Dolphins have two of the top five players in the NFL’s sack race--Trace Armstrong with 15.5 and Jason Taylor with 13.0.

The Buccaneers have Warren Sapp with 13.5 and Marcus Jones with 13.

Other teams with a 1-2 punch: New Orleans (La’Roi Glover with 16 and Joe Johnson with 10), Philadelphia (Hugh Douglas with 14 and Corey Simon with 8.5) and Washington (Marco Coleman with 11 and Bruce Smith with nine).

Other rankings: The Dolphins are No. 1 in the NFL in interceptions and gain per defensive pass play. The Buccaneers are No. 2 in average gain per defensive play and third-down defense.

Leading the yapping contest: Tampa Bay, after defensive end Chidi Ahantou said this week, “Our defense is better, hands down,” and questioned the Dolphins’ schedule.

Best response came from Miami linebacker Zach Thomas in the Palm Beach Post: “They’ve got a good defense, we’ve got a good defense. Who cares who says what?”

Here’s the number that might really make the difference: Miami leads the NFL in turnover margin at plus-17.

THE ANSWER IS . . . LEWIS

Who is making the Baltimore Ravens go?

You have to remember only one last name.

There’s linebacker Ray Lewis, the leading tacker for a defense that has four shutouts and gives up 10.3 points a game. That puts the Ravens on pace to break the NFL record for a 16-game season of 187, set by the 1986 Chicago Bears.

There’s defensive coordinator, Marvin Lewis, who can’t get an interview with USC, even though he directs one of the NFL’s best defenses. (The expansion Houston Texans, however, plan to interview him.)

And there’s rookie running back Jamal Lewis, who has shaken the injury questions that dogged him out of Tennessee and already has rushed for 1,095 yards.