Kill Me Now: Redskins Fall to Lions

I never thought it could get this bad. Never. There's always that "oh they're the Redskins and they'll suck against a bad team," but it was always lack of focus. It was never this feeling of sickness, of disgust. The Washington Redskins lost to the worst team in all of football. And they didn't just lose, they were controlled the entire game. From opening kickoff to failed laterals in the closing seconds yesterday, the Lions wanted it more, and proved that they were a better team. It wasn't one of those games like the Rams last year or the old Cardinals back in the day, we just suck. Flat out, no excuses suck. There are two Redskins I respect right now, and only two: Chris Cooley and London Fletcher. The rest have to earn it back. I've got to rant on this, so bear with me.

How on God's Green Earth does any player (besides #47 and #59) justify their fat-ass contract every week for this organization?! We all know Dan Snyder is a moron for paying these like he does, but how can they sleep at night? It's theft I tell ya. They might as well be pulling their plasma TVs, or 100 foot yachts (glares at Albert Haynesworth) right from your house. The complete and total lack of disgust on the sidelines is pathetic, and I just can't understand what is going through their heads right now. Don't tell me the Lions are a good team in the postgame interviews. Bullshit. The Lions are garbage, and they have been garbage for as long as most people can remember. Unfortunately, for as bad as that joke of a franchise is, Washington is worse. To put salt on the wounds, even if we fire Zorn, we've still got money committed to guys like Albert Haynesworth, DeAngelo Hall, and Clinton Portis for years, so good luck with a rebuild. You have to have money to build a new team. I hate to break it to you guys, but this team is done.

Liken the Redskins to a dam that has a ton of holes in it. Each free agent is a finger, which blocks a little of the water, but doesn't solve the overall problem. Over the last ten years, Dan Snyder has committed his proverbial fingers to plug in the holes to keep from a major flood (by staying in the neighborhood of 8-8). What happens now that it's so bad and he's using his toes to try and stop the water, but it just keeps coming? That's the situation we're in. We're handcuffed and can't get any better, but the rest of the NFL has caught up and passed us. The dam burst yesterday.

Our pass defense is terrible. Our run defense is suspect. Our run offense is nonexistant, and our pass offense doesn't have enough competent pieces to matter. This run of mediority, no matter how unsatisfying has given way to worse. Absolute misery. When Snyder's lackies Larry Michael and Frank Hanrahan started trashing the team yesterday, you knew they were done. Snyder's supposed childhood heroes like John Riggins, Sonny Jurgensen and Sam Huff have given up and just flat out call the guy an idiot now. We're the laughingstock of the league...and yet I'll still be there with my butt in 414 next Sunday, because I just can't quit on them. This sucks.

Alabama Recap: Hokies fall to 0-1

I don’t think any of us can act super surprised this morning. Tech mixed a combination of pressure defense and a few special teams sparks to carry a 17-16 lead into the fourth quarter…and blew it. Our offensive line, which was supposed to be vastly improved…well…wasn’t. Ryan Williams was dynamic but made redshirt freshman mistakes at the same time. Bryan Stinespring couldn’t diagram a play to get his receivers some separation to save his life. The game was completely status quo. That being said, Alabama is a hell of a team, and it’s hard to feel terrible after hanging with a team like that for 3 ½ quarters (especially with little to no offense). Hats off to ‘Bama and Saban, and I hope they smack the hell out of Florida in the SEC Championship game. Here are some specific thoughts on last night:

• Jake Johnson had a very hot and cold game. He was very strong and an effective tackler at points, and confused and out of position at others. It seemed obvious to me that Johnson had never started a game in his career.
• Kam Chancellor let me down (a la my preview). He may have all the size and athleticism in the world, but until he can package that with consistency and heady play, he’s not going anywhere. He’s starting to remind me more and more of Aaron Rouse. I would say he had a hand in about 200 of Alabama’s (close to) 500 yards of offense.
• We have to tackle before we look for the big play. We had at least 20 missed tackles due to players going for the strip before trying to bring a player down. That being said, Cody Grimm has a free pass from now on to always try and force a turnover, because he’s damn good at it.
• ESPN commentary said nothing about the why Greg Nosal was in the game. That irks me. Nosal looked OK at points, and certainly better than Blake DeChristopher did in the last 10 minutes.
• Speaking of our starting right tackle, he won’t keep his spot long if he keeps looking like a statue when he “pass blocks.” ESPN caught him at least three times misreading blitzes and getting caught looking at guys just running by him.
• Our defensive line is damn good, and just had trouble when the linebackers broke down in the 4^th. Alabama got their yards when they got to the second level (which led to mistackles), but there were a lot of times that they didn’t have that chance to do that. Thanks to big John Graves, Cordarrow Thompson, and Antoine Hopkins. All three had great games.
• Tyrod didn’t look that bad. He didn’t rack stats up on the box score, but he didn’t make any dumb plays and took what the defense gave him (which was little to nothing). Stiney and the receivers take the blame in this one. Receivers for not getting separation in the secondary and Stiney for diagramming plays that a fourth grader can figure out pre-snap.
• Losing Greg Boone for the second half really didn’t help our offense at all.

Overall, Frank Beamer was right. We aren’t to Alabama’s level yet, and we need to pass block and not make stupid plays on special teams. Alabama has some of the most elite athletes in the country, and that won things for them in the 4^th quarter. If the Hokies want to stay in the national picture and win the ACC, they must learn from this game, and quickly, Marshall will be a welcome tune-up before Nebraska and Miami. Hopefully they can get things together before then. Here’s to finishing 13-1! Go Hokies.