Dook Fought Back: Hokies WIN 34-26

I remain unimpressed with what I saw of the performance on Saturday, but in this day and age, I'll take a win any way the Hokies can manage it. While our pass defense seemed atrocious, and big pass plays a week before playing Boston College terrify me just a little bit, we're finding different ways to win games, and that's what matters. Bryan Stinespring is slowly crawling his way out of the doghouse...very slowly. If Tyrod Taylor can beat teams with his arms and his legs, we might just have...dare I say it...an explosive offense. Overall, I'm happy with Josh Oglesby's efficiency, and Taylor's confidence, as well as the receivers' newfound ability to step up when needed. Something about Dyrell Roberts drop late in the Nebraska game seems to have sparked the whole corps play over the last two weeks. I would feel a lot worse about this week if we didn't have Bud Foster at the helm of the defense, but I fully expect he'll have the troops ready to roll come Saturday...and I can't wait for Enter Sandman. Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Go Hokies

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.

Week 3: @ Detroit

I have to apologize for my lack of Redskins coverage this week, but frankly, the #9 vs. #11 matchup in college football was a little more intriguing to me. The Redskins might end up being the big story of the weekend after today's game though...but for the wrong reasons. I can't say that I would be shocked if the Skins lose this game, and as a result, I wouldn't be surprised if Jim Zorn starts collecting unemployment. I can't give a real great breakdown on this game other than the fact that Matt Stafford has been underwhelming in his first three games, Calvin Johnson is still a freak and the Lions "run game" is not anything to be very afraid of. Don't get me wrong about this one...the Redskins SHOULD roll. The problem we face is that they're the Redskins and they don't blow out teams they're supposed to. Half the time they don't even beat teams they should blow out, and I don't think this one will be any different. There are two teams we could actually see this afternoon wearing the burgundy and gold:

Team One: The locker room is in dissarray. They've lost their right starting right guard and their confidence. The red zone offense is stagnant and predictible and the coach doesn't know how to manage the clock. They struggle mightily against the worst team in the NFL for the second year in a row.

Team Two: They're fired up and ready to stomp someone out. They're tired of a fanbase that has no faith in them and a city that's starting to give up on them. They're tired of being a laughingstock. It doesn't matter who they're playing, someone will pay for the crap they've been getting.

Which team shows up today? I would love to think that the latter will end up in Motown today, but I'm worried that it'll be the former. What do you guys think? I'm gonna go with my gut and say they step up in a game they should dominate.

Redskins 34
Lions 13

Lackluster Effort: Skins Outlast Rams

If there's one thing I can tell you about yesterday's game at FedEx Field, it's that the boo birds were out in full force. The anemic Redskins offense seemed to hit an invisible wall around the 8 yard line against the Rams, and the fans really let them hear it. As I mentioned in the preview, the Rams were a typical letdown opponent for the Skins, and as the middle-aged gentleman behind me pointed out all game, we got those S.O.S (Same Old Skins). Booing the offense in their home stadium while in the victory formation is certainly a new phenomenon in DC. I'm not used to seeing fans so upset with a mediocre efforts (hell, I've probably been to 150 Redskin games and they've probably lost at least 80 of them). The booing was absolutely merciless. It didn't fall on deaf ears either:

BACKUP Linebacker Robert Henson: "All you fake half hearted Skins fan can .. I won't go there but I dislike you very strongly, don't come to Fed Ex to boo dim wits!! No I didn't play but I still made more than you in a year and you'd [gladly] switch spots with me in a second, I was talking to the fans [who] said the crazy stuff, I'm use [to] heckling but I've never been booed in my own stadium. Again that was for the half hearted but if everyone wants to jump in come on."

You know what, I do agree that we won the game, and the booing was excessive with a team kneeling to secure a victory. My wife and I clapped and sang Hail to the Redskins at the end, but it also didn't mean that I was thrilled with the offensive effort. The defense played a strong game overall, and the only guy I booed was Justin Tryon. Surprise, he's a joke. On offense, every single guy this side of Chris Cooley deserved an earful. Cooley was the most reliable, consistent target on the field, and the play calling was absolutely horrendous. Henson needs to understand that the boos were for Jim Zorn's offense and his idiocy, and not the defense. On top of that, to second a point that Brian Mitchell made on Postgame Live, SHUT UP AND GET ON THE FIELD BEFORE YOU RUN YOUR MOUTH. Calling out fans for not making as much money as you is childish, and the you will probably never hear the end of this one.

Back to the offense...It seemed to me that we only ran to the right side ONCE in the entire second half. The biggest concern I have for the offense coming out of this game is the overall lack of confidence that Jim Zorn shows in Stephon Heyer, Will Montgomery (even though he's not the starter), and Jason Campbell. If you think enough of Montgomery to be in the game, you have to give him a chance to block. The only time I saw the run game go to his side, Clinton Portis had around an eight yard run. Secondly, if you have first and goal at the ~8 (which we did at least three times), mix up the damn playcalling. Run left, draw, throw away/run left does not constitute variety. Every defensive coordinator in America knew what plays were coming, let alone Steve Spagnuolo, who saw the Skins twice last year. It's just getting to be a big fat joke. Unless something is fixed quickly, the Redskins might get more than boos the next time they come to Landover. Losing to the Lions is not all that unreasonable now.

Your Sieve of the Game:

Devin Thomas, Wide Receiver. Didn't make it onto the box score (except for one kick return), but dropped a guaranteed touchdown and almost tipped it up for an interception. Dude was on the field today and contributed NOTHING. Runner Up: Fred Davis (1 catch, -2 yards)

Week 2: St. Louis

Don't have a ton to say about this one. This preview isn't really going to involve the Rams because...well...they're completely awful. The only way the Redskins lose this game is if the act like the Redskins and choke it away (I'm glaring at you Pete Kendall). Here's what the burgundy and gold needs to accomplish to get some confidence back today.

• Win the battle in the trenches. Chris Long is a joke. Mow him over Chris Samuels. Clinton needs to rush for 125+ today. Campbell needs time to throw and make said throws.
• Get some separation on the outside. Yes, we all know Cooley is reliable, but you have to throw to your receivers (and not just ARE) to be successful in the NFL. Campbell must establish a rhythm with Moss and Kelly today.
• Get pressure on Mark Bulger. At least 3 sacks for some confidence, and I think we need to see at least one from Orakpo, so I can finally start calling him Osackpo.
• Decent play calling. Jim Zorn, like last year's opener couldn't call the game to save his life. Maybe there's just something about the Meadowlands...or Tom Coughlin. Or he isn't all that good against good defenses...We must do better than the standard "run-run-pass-punt," and not only resort to the standard Randle El option pass. It's awful and he never knows what to do with the ball. Everyone in the stadium knows what's coming when you call it, so why would the defense be faked out? Call something else JZ.

This game comes down to focus and talent. The Redskins should have the latter, but the former has been called into question. The Redskins will either lose by a field goal, or win by 20. Unfortunately my brain is telling me it's the first. Skins struggle...Campbell starts to hear the boo birds.

Redskins 21
Rams 17

Week 8: @ Detroit

I was worried about the Rams game. It was the standard "Redskins shit the bed" game. Sure enough, the Redskins shit the bed, and the people panicked. Having just gotten my Redskins tattoo, I was pretty angry that it was going jinx the season. Our heroes managed to bounce back to win an ugly one against the Browns last week, and seem poised to move to 6-2 going into the Monday night showdown against Big Ben and the Steelworkers. There's a little business to be taken care of today at Ford Field, and the Skins best be focused. Don't get me wrong, this Lions squad is terrible. Awful. Stupid. There will be no excuses if the Skins don't win by at least two touchdowns today. While we've been playing well lately, teams see that our passing game has been nothing more than run-of-the-mill. I do feel that we have been keeping teams somewhat honest with some timely passes. However, the passing game seems limited, and not nearly as scary as it was going into the Philadelphia game. Unless we start to establish ourselves as a consistent (note: consistency is NOT Santana Moss going missing for two weeks) passing offense, teams will eventually figure out a way to stop Clinton Portis. It's all well and good that Jason Campbell has yet to throw an INT this season, but I'd rather see us take a few more deep shots than try and preserve the record with a conservative passing game. Here are a few things to look for today besides Campbell's deep balls:

• Portis- How long will he play? I suspect if we get an early lead, Clinton will get his standard 120, and we'll see a lot of Rock Cartwright. You heard me. I said Rock. I'll put Shaun Alexander's carries at <5>
• D-Line Pressure- Can we generate a pass-rush today without bringing the house? This team needs to learn how to get to the quarterback against a terrible line (see: failures against STL), and get into an opposing quarterback's head. Today provides a great opportunity for this. This game will be about building more confidence in the defensive line, and we'll need that down the stretch. While the defense is playing lights-out ball (6th overall in the league), we won't stay that way without generating some pressure on the QB.
• Turnovers- Can we avoid any stupid turnovers, and can we create some easy points against a team that is known for boneheaded plays and poor coaching? If we can create 2-3 turnovers today, expect a blowout of epic proportions.

Zorn should have his troops ready to maul the Lions today. I fully believe that he expects no less than a blowout, and that's hopefully what we'll see. I'm predicting 120 out of Clinton, 3 Campbell TD passes, a turnover directly leading to a score, and a partridge in a pear tree. Detroit will be lucky to pull off any points against our defense, but Calvin Johnson alone will probably manage to find the endzone. I know people have been saying it every week, but keep your eyes peeled for #11 in the burgundy and gold today. This is a great chance to get him some major work.

Redskins 38
Lions 10

**Bonus Kicking-Them-While-They're-Down Pick:

Fighting Jeff Garcias 23
Cowgirls 6