Knowing the temperament of each individual player

Jimmy Johnson, the FOX football analyst who guided the Cowboys to two NFL championships in the '90s, had some thoughts about the Clinton Portis-Jim Zorn situation in Washington:

"What's difficult for a first-year head coach is not knowing the temperament of each individual player," Johnson said. "You try to treat everyone the same, and you really can't do that." Some players can be dressed down in front of the team without a problem, others need lengthy "counseling sessions" if they're spoken to sharply. Portis is one of the latter. "That's not the right button to push for everybody," Johnson said. "Different ones get a different reaction. There are a lot of different personalities that make up a 53-man roster. As years go by and you know players and they know you, a lot of these first-year problems are alleviated."