Redskins Anonymous

Well the name about sums it up, but here's a video my cousin Scott sent along to me with the tagline "I can't believe it's come to this." Me either buddy. Me either.

A Couple of Jabs

On Sunday evening, my dad, a longtime Redskins fan and season ticket holder (and guy that created the monster of fandom that is your resident blogger), sent me this email. Under normal circumstances, I would have been pissed off and maybe even sent back a smarmy response. However, these aren't normal circumstances we're dealing with as Redskins fans. Here are the contents of the aforementioned email:

From: Dad
To: The Miz

Sent: Sunday, October 18, 2009 11:01:34 PM

Subject: Fwd: Redskins

HEADLINE: "D.C. Police are cracking down on speeders. For the first offense, they give you two Redskins tickets. If you get stopped a second time, they give you two Nationals tickets."

Q. What do you call 47 millionaires sitting around a TV watching the Super Bowl?

A. The Washington Redskins.

Q. What do the Redskins and Billy Graham have in common?

A. They both can make 90,000 people stand up and yell "Jesus Christ."

Q. How do you keep the Redskins out of your yard?

A. Put up a goal post.

Q. Where do you go in D.C. in case of a tornado?

A. To FedEx Field -- they never have a touchdown there!

Q. What do you call a Redskin with a Super Bowl ring?

A. Senior Citizen

Q. What's the difference between the Redskins and a dollar bill?

A. You can still get four quarters out of a dollar bill.

Q. How many Redskins does it take to win a Super Bowl?

A. We may never find out in the 21st century.

Q. What do the Redskins and opossums have in common?

A. Both play dead at home and get killed on the road.

Awesome. These are dark times we're living in. Dark times I tell you!

Field Goal Fest: Redskins lose 14-6

I wasn't all that far off. Outside of a safety in place of a field goal, the scoring went about as I had expected (I picked a 15-9 Chiefs win). Besides the 40% attendance and major booing and benching Jason Campbell, here are my thoughts on the game:

• Of course the day I call him Albert Haynesworthless, he decides to make a home in the backfield. He actually had an impact, and only limped off the field about seven times. The collapse on the sideline was a little melodramatic, I think.
• Justin Tryon is still awful.
• DeAngelo Hall wasn't exactly good either.
• The rest of the defense really can't be blamed too much...giving up 12 points is nothing to be ashamed of. Plus entering the day, they were 4th overall in the league.
• The offense needs to be blown up. Literally. Save Chris Cooley.
• Jason Campbell's benching was probably something that needed to happen, but it doesn't make it feel any better.
• Todd Collins didn't look any better after his first big throw to Santana Moss.
• Portis was gawdawful outside of that 79 yard run, and he also deserved to be benched. I loved how they said he had an ankle injury, and then showed him STANDING pissed off by himself on the sideline. Nice.
• I think Dan Snyder punished all the no-shows by cutting the wires for CBS and causing the "technical difficulties." Wait...did I say punishment?

I can say I'm mad about this, but I can't get too worked up. It was expected. We've now given FOUR teams their first victory of the season now. Vomit. Odds on Zorn getting fired on the bye week: 3 to 2

Your Sieve of the Week:

Mr. Maroon and Black Himself. No explanation necessary.

Week 6: Kansas City

The Redskins will face their NFL record SIXTH consecutive winless team when the Chiefs come calling to FedEx Field this afternoon. They'll have to do so without one of their best players, and last hope at a semblance of offensive line in Chris Samuels, and with questions swirling around ownership, coaching, and leadership within the organization. The team has seen the likes of Sonny, Sam, Joey T, and John Riggins completely trash everything about the organization in the last several weeks. Things are bad kids. Real bad.

Looking at today, I know I can assure one thing: FedEx will NOT be filled by any means. Not only is Dan Snyder trotting a crappy product under crappy direction onto the field, but it's supposed to be 46 degrees with a 90% chance of rain. Guess who gave his tickets away last night? I was shocked that I was able to find anyone to take them. Now it kills me to miss a game, don't get me wrong, but between my frustrating Saturday (i.e. marching band "competition" sans percussion judge, two hour bus ride with Mermaid Man from SpongeBob at the wheel, Tech choking..again, and the Caps playing down to the Preds) and the weather, there was no way driving up to Landover was in the works for today. So from the comfort of my couch under my still very loved VT blanket, here's my crappy prediction on today's ugg-fest.

• To say the Redskins offensive line is patchwork is laughable. We'll see Stephon Heyer at left tackle (vomit) and Mike Williams (yeah, that dude) at right tackle. I'm pretty sure Will Montgomery's getting the start too. Let's hope he blocks better than his Hokie brethren. Considering that Kansas City has spent a considerable number of picks on their D-line in recent years (from memory: Tyson Jackson, Dorsey and Tamba Hali?)...they aren't without talent, and we'll probably see that today. Ugh. JC might be dead with 6:34 in the second quarter. He'll probably be happy to be put out of his misery.
• What egregious coaching error will we see today? Blown time out? Zorn saying that Brandon Flowers hits too hard and should be kicked out of the game for making a routine tackle? Benching Albert Haynesworthless? Oh wait...
• What the hell happened to Larry Johnson anyway? Wasn't he Adrian Peterson before AD came around? Damn did he drop of the face of the earth. Look for him to crawl out from a rock today and rush for 300 yards.
• Over/Under on Matt Cassel dropped interceptions from Carlos Rogers? 3.

As you can tell, I'm none too happy right now. We have a weak defense, and a pathetic offense. Even superhero Chris Cooley has to stay in and block. God help us all...

Redskins 9
Chiefs 15

Field goal fest, here we come!

Weekend Round-Up

Ok guys, I'm alive. Promise. It was tough to post during homecoming weekend because I: a. didn't bring my laptop with me, and b. was only able watch two of the four relevant games to this blog (way to be cheap and not have cable Jeremey/Stephen). However, the long weekend was nice, and I do have plenty to talk about, so strap in...we'll take this team-by-team (saving the best for last with regards to recent performance).

Redskins lose to Carolina 20-17:

Terrible. This was one I wasn't able to watch. Thanks to my trusty Blackberry (that I almost threw against the wall), I saw that we managed to play an ugly game, at least according to the ESPN gamecast. I saw lots of fumbles, lots of sacks, and no Chris Cooley. That is not a combination for winning. To make matters worse, Phillip Daniels and Chris Samuels both appear to have suffered reasonably significant injuries. Wonderful. Any momentum (and there wasn't much) coming out of the win against the Bucs is now gone, and we'll be lucky to compete against the lowly Chiefs this weeked. God help us all. Can we just take this season out back and shoot it already? We could put ourselves out of our own misery.

Caps fall in Detroit 3-2, then poop their pants in the third period for the fourth straight game and lose to the Devils in a shootout.

More terrible in some ways because unlike the Skins, they have no business playing this way. I wasn't able to watch the Detroit game, but I did watch last night. As much as I hate Nylander, maybe Boudreau needs to send a message to Boyd Gordon about late game penalties. The lacka of dissaprine is no good. We're tied with Tampa for the division lead for God's sake. Jose Theodore looks spectacular at times and overmatched at others, but the blueline is KILLING us. I don't know that I've seen such terrible play out of Tom Poti in his now 2+ years in Washington. We have no elite defensemen right now. Not good. I have confidence that they'll turn things around, as they've been in games despite their own stupidity, but Gabby's got to start preaching accountability to the boys in red.

And finally, Hokies take BC behind the woodshed instead of playing down to their opponent.

Maybe it was the three consecutive regular season losses to the Eagles. Maybe it was the fact that I radiate amazingness and was present in Lane Stadium for the dominance. Maybe Bryan Stinespring has finally decided to keep his head out of his butt and call a football game. Maybe Tyrod Taylor is a legit QB. I don't know that these are all the reasons why we won on Saturday, but I think they all made a difference (especially point #2). Now after seeing this team in person, I know that they have the ability to be special. N*%#$ C#*@#& special (yeah, I'm not saying those words)? I don't know...maybe. I don't think we'll win out. I've said it over and over, but we have the ABILITY to win out. Tyrod looks poised, accurate and confident under pressure, as evidenced by his touchdown pass to Danny Coale in the first quarter. Ryan Williams truly is a monster, and should be the '09 version of Bo Jackson in Tecmo. Coale and Boykin look legit, and Ed Wang even brocked werr on Saturday. He graded at 89 percent...wow. Guess those sumo lessons are paying off.

Bud Foster decided to go ahead and sacrifice that calf. His name was Dave Shinske. Master of Ceremonies for that ordeal was Nekos Brown, who was all over the place. Rashad Carmichael, like I've been saying all year is legit, and Kam Chancellor managed to not mess anything up either. Overall the defense looked great. If Tech plays with that sense of urgency for the rest of the season, the sky is the limit.

Overall, a so-so weekend for FFODC teams. The Caps can buy a break right now, but the Skins can't. The Hokies look really good, but must be consistent from week to week. I'll be back tonight with a Hokie surprise that I hope you guys will like. Until then, try not to burn all your Redskins' stuff.

Wasn't Pretty: Skins Best Bucs

It definitely wasn't pretty but I'll take it. The wife and I refused to boo at the half, because frankly, the defense didn't deserve to be booed. Somehow, the Redskins found their hearts again and pulled out a gutsy win to stop the bleeding...at least for this week. There were some obvious issues, not the least of which was Jason Campbell, but here are my thoughts of the week:

• As for Campbell, he looked terrible in the first half and threw flat deep balls, but his bomb to Moss in the 3rd quarter along with his efficient drive that utilized Cooley were both really solid. He was what he's always been as a Redskin...up and down.
• Clinton Portis made an appearance, and even ran to the right. Nice.
• Big #75...Rhino Chad if you will looked a lot better this week after the first drive. Stephon Heyer...well, didn't.
• Brian Orakpo showed up all over the field, and it looked great. So did Reed Doughty. Sorry for that 2A/2B crack buddy.
• Still don't know how much Hunter Smith's injury affected that 4th and 4 call...but we'll just say I was none too pleased up in my seat on that particular call.
• I would love to know how to breed a child with cinder blocks for hands. Think you could help me out with that one Mr. and Mrs. Rogers?
• Justin Tryon got a sack? What?
  
• Alex Ovechkin should be our backup kicker based on what I saw out of him during warm-ups...speaking of backups...isn't Cooley supposed to be the backup punter?

In today's NFL, a win is a win. I don't know that I've seen more hate between Redskins fans after a win (other than the St. Louis game) before, but people need to calm down a little. The team still has talent, and a relatively "easy" schedule outside of the division. Let's take this momentum and bring things up to 3-2. Hail.

Sieve of the Week:

Carlos Rogers' Hands

Week 4: Tampa Bay

TAAAAAAAAAAAAMPA BAAAAAAAAAAAAY (in the words of my man Nette). So this is a redemption game, right? Wrong. Nobody gets instant redemption from losing to the Lions by beating the awful Buccaneers, but a win would put us on the right track. Tampa is starting a new quarterback, Josh Johnson, who's younger than I am, and who almost started the season at wide receiver. The guy went to San Diego. No, not San Diego State...San Diego. As in the Torreros. And he starts in the NFL. If my favorite team wasn't the Washington Redskins, this fact would make me very happy. Unfortunately the tattoo on my leg is not a Falcon or a Fleur-de-lis, so my team will probably allow him to throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns. Awesome.

In fairness, the Bucs are almost as much of a wreck as the Skins, without the added bonus of dead money and wasted draft picks. Cadallac Williams is a good back that tries to run without legs, since they've broken down on him so many times. Rhonde Barber went to UVA, and well, yeah. Plus he's 150 years old. Barrett Ruud is the only other guy I know on their defense. Do they still have Mike Alstott. Asshole.

Here's what to keep an eye on for the Redskins this afternoon, and things that will probably make me want to throw myself off the top of FedEx:

• Pass Defense. Can we stop anyone? Will Fred Smoot actually follow through and not just run by a guy, but run into the opposing endzone without the ball for no reason? Sounds about right. Reed Doughty took the starting spot back from Chris Horton, so look for further ineptitude, as those guys should be 2A and 2B on the depth chart right now.
• Run Defense. Will Albert Haynesworth stub a toe this week? Will he get poked in the eye? Maybe someone will blow on him. How many times will he need trainer help on the field?
• Pass Offense. Santana Moss showed up, but no one else did against the Lions. Look for Campbell to spread the ball around a little more evenly today, keeping Cooley and Kelly a little more involved.
• Rush Offense. Do we have one of these anymore? Did Clinton Portis die? What the hell is going on?

Good luck enjoying this one. It will probably be a jokefest like last week, but I'll stick with my obnoxious homerism and pick the Skins to start at 2-0 at home. Have we been 2-0 at home since the 80s? Don't think so. That would take a little bit of the hot garbage taste out of my mouth from last week.

Hail.

Redskins 23
Buccaneers 21

Why Can't We Be Friends?

"It's a big tent, and we will embrace and love everyone. I'm a big Washington Redskins fan. I'm a big Nationals fan. And I do honestly believe that a rising tide raises all boats."

-Ted Leonsis (via The Bog)

Two of my teams are going in polar opposite directions today. As discussed here yesterday, the Redskins are in a complete nosedive, bound by salary-cap handcuffs and poor management, while the Capitals are one of the most promising young teams in the NHL. I find myself depressed in such a young NFL season, expecting the boys in burgundy drown at the bottom of the proverbial NFC East barrel. The team isn't built for the future, but the present, and the present isn't coming up roses. On the other hand, I'm filled with optimism, as the Capitals expect to challenge for the Stanley Cup for this year, as well as the foreseeable future due to wonderful roster management and scouting. "Why is this so hard?" you might ask. The intelligent 'fan move' would be to put my efforts into the Capitals and their success rather than wallow in the filthy bed that Dan Snyder made.

I consider myself to be an equal fan to both organizations. I grew up idolizing Peter Bondra, Dale Hunter and Olie Kolzig. My wife still wears my old blue jersey to games (circa 1995ish), and I'll always have fond memories of going up to games in Landover with friends and family as a kid. I was as excited as anyone with the arrival of the MCI center and a pretty new sheet of ice for my favorite team, along with a Stanley Cup finals birth shortly thereafter. Capitals Nation was strong on the momentum from that 1997-1998 squad, and it carried into the early part of this decade. However, the wheels fell off. Management looked toward big free agent signings to put the Capitals over the top, and they found themselves with a mediocre squad as a result. Attendance dipped and enthusiasm waned. Then came the rebuild. Verizon was empty as I watched games from my apartment down in Blacksburg. I hated hearing the cheers of Pens fans in the stands, knowing that I couldn't make a 4 hour drive up for a game. The Caps got no love from the mainstream media, and from that neglect, wonderful blogs like On Frozen Blog and Japer's Rink were born. I've been a regular reader of OFB for over two years, and I absolutely admire their work. However, now that the Capitals are tasting consistent success, Caps-only fans (as I like to call them) are taking time away from covering their all-world team to kick the Redskins while they're down.

Don't get me wrong...the Captials have had the short end of the hockey stick for the better part of the last two decades, and these blogs were created with good reason, and blossomed due to hard work and quality reporting. But I have to argue that many of their readers, like myself, care a great deal about all of the district's franchises, and that includes (and started with) the Washington Redskins. For the better part of the 1980s and into the early 1990s, the Redskins justified their press coverage. But after developing such a rabid fan base from kids that were either born or grew up during their heyday, they began to falter. Those fans (now aged 22-35ish) stuck with the Skins through the lean years of the 90s, and continue to stick around through mismanagement and mediocrity. Championships will do that to people. If the Patriots fall off their perch in the coming decade, you can bet they will still pack Gillette Stadium with people that loved Tom Brady and Teddy Bruschi. That's what championships do. Unfortunately for the Caps, they haven't achieved that level of greatness yet, even if they've been on the doorstep and could kick the door in over the next few seasons.

All of the MSM love that the Redskins have received as a result of their fan base has caused Capitals-only fans to have an inferiority complex of sorts. They love to see their team get the coverage they deserve (which is slowly starting to come to fruition), but they also have a little too much fun at the expense of the big boy in town when they're hurting. Capitals fans, OFB, whoever holds this opinion...you should be better than that. You should eat up these years of success...of championship hockey, and deservedly so. I know I will. But in the process, I implore you not to alienate a good chunk of your fellow fans by spitting on the Redskins as you pass them on the way to glory and DC Sports legend. You know how it feels to be stuck in neutral with bad signings and bad drafting. You know how it feels to be pissed off at management for throwing away thousands of dollars of YOUR MONEY at a questionable character free agent (staring at YOU Jaromir). You know how it feels to have a team take your time and devotion and only give you heartbreak. Take a second before the puck drops on Thursday to put yourselves in some burgundy and gold shoes, and maybe you'll realize that they feel a little too familiar. We Redskins fans are not in a comfortable position right now, and the Caps are our ray of hope. Don't darken it with the shadow of your schadenfreude.

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

Redskins Fall to DSRL: Quick Thoughts

Image Courtesy of the Washington Post

Again, sorry for the delay on this, but the week has been hectic so I’m a little behind. Here are my quick hits from the Redskins 23-17 loss to the New York Giants.

• I still don’t think Eli is worth $100 million. His receivers are young but better than they’re given credit for. That being said, our defensive backfield was HORRENDOUS all day, and LaRon Landry really made the only play that set up D-Hall’s INT. We have to step it up.


• Tackling was awful. Smoot just reminds me of Deion Sanders so much in that regard. We have to wrap up and quit going for strips. The defense is pressing for big plays.
  Albert Haynesworth in particular did his job on two 3rd and ones and one 4th and one in the first half. His size, penetration and strength single-handedly killed two New York drives. That’s why you make the money.


• However, pass rush left a lot to be desired. Eli still had plenty of time to find open receivers, and didn’t have to check down often. Brian Orakpo was nowhere to be found. The Skins need him to have a big week against a sub-par St. Louis offense. He needs to build some confidence.


• Malcolm Kelly’s blocking was good, his route running wasn’t. He couldn’t gain separation, and he and Santana seriously disappointed. If they continue to put up numbers like that, the Skins will be lucky to win four games this season.


• Jason Campbell single handedly lost the game. He didn’t do anything terrible or great, except for his fumble. He had about six yards in front of him on the strip-turned-touchdown by Umenyiora, and he didn’t step up into the pocket. His Madden-type awareness on that play was about a 7.


• The offensive play calling was weak and predictable. Run-Run-Pass-Punt, Repeat. Not good. I liked the fake field goal, but that was the brightest spot of the day.

Feels kind of like last year's opener. We don’t have a bad team, but probably not a good one either. Campbell protects the ball and we win by a score of (wait for my genius from the preview) 17-16. The defense did not lose the game. If the receivers get going next week, we should coast, but we all know how Washington franchises play against serious underdogs…

Week 1: @ New York Giants

First of all, Eli Manning is not worth $100 million. Second of all, I hate that New York is the team we struggle the most with in the NFC East. Here are the keys to the game for both teams. I’d make this longer but I’m too jacked for football to be productive today.

The Giants will win if…

• Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw control the tempo of the game. Albert Haynesworth called out Jacobs earlier in the week, and that’s a large man to make angry. If Big Al can’t back up his talk, the Giants could have a big day on the ground. If that happens, the Skins don’t have a shot.
• They rattle Jason Campbell early and often. The offensive line WILL struggle against Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and co., but if it’s before they establish a tempo, they’re in deep.
• They find some receivers. They’re young, but I personally think New York’s receiving corps has some serious potential. Whether or not they show it today is big. If they don’t scare the Redskins secondary, Blache will bring the heat all day long.

The Redskins will win if…

• They force Eli Manning to beat them. Stopping Brandon Jacobs (as mentioned before) is HUGE. I honestly think Eli doesn’t like having to win games, and he doesn’t have any Tyree Miracles, or Plexiglass to save him on the roster this year. That will allow the Redskins to control field position and time of possession.
• Clinton Portis has a big day. Jim Zorn MUST be able to set up play action against such a strong pass rush. The Giants are tops, and you have to keep them guessing. Consequently, the line must gel and be able to consistently get some push up front, which won’t be easy.
• Malcolm Kelly emerges as a viable #2. His size is invaluable, and if he gets hot, we’ll see Cooley catch a lot more balls, which is never a bad thing. If either Kelly or Cooley finds the end zone this afternoon, I like our chances.

In recent years the Giants have been a terrible matchup for us. We finally seem to have added the right parts to put up a bigger fight against them. Whether that turns into a ‘W’ is a big question. Opening up the season in East Rutherford is never easy, and I don’t expect it to be today, but I think they might surprise us a little bit with their competitiveness and tenacity. We MUST hit them in the mouth and send a message. Let’s kick this thing off right.

Redskins 17
Giants 16

Recap: Redskins Fall to Jags 24-17

I’ll keep this quick, since I’m a day late and it’s college gameday.

• I think Orakpo was held on every play for the first two drives. He’s a freak.
• Justin Tryon should give Jeremy Jarmon a hug for the free interception he got out of Jarmon’s good pass rush.
• I’d be surprised if they actually kept anyone after Rock in the backfield.
• Marko Mitchell didn’t have his best game, but he’s still the #5.
• Speaking of #5, Colt has to be the number three while Chase will be on the practice squad, at least in my opinion.
• Our special teams are still awful, but good job on that 48 yarder Shazzam.

VT/Alabama Preview later this morning…WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Preseason Week 4: @ Jacksonville

The fourth and final preseason week is here, and thank God it’s almost time for things to matter. I’m going to keep it short and sweet today, so here it goes. Jacksonville is not a particularly exciting city, and I don’t count anyone among their 347 fans a friend, so I don’t have anyone to really talk trash with. Tonight’s not even a glorified tune-up, with guys like Portis, Haynesworth, Fletcher, and the like showing up in street clothes, or not even making the trip at all. Tonight is about the final three or four roster spots that are up for grabs. Here’s what to watch for:

• Marko Mitchell not completely surrendering the fifth and final receiver spot.
• Whether Marcus Mason can prove to be valuable enough to keep as a fourth HB.
• What linemen get a roster spot (glares at Mike Williams, who probably will, albeit undeservingly).
• Who can lock down the fourth/fifth corner spots between Kevin Barnes (here’s hoping), Byron Westbrook and Justin “I can’t cover my leftover brownies with tinfoil let alone an NFL fourth-stringer” Tryon. I bet you can guess who I hope gets cut.

Try not to freak out flipping between the first round of college football games and this matchup, and I won’t fault you for switching for good at halftime. However, just be aware that Dan Snyder might just find a way to sue your ass if you don’t watch the whole game. Preseason is part of the package if you didn’t already know!

Preseason Week 3: New England

Preseason week three…if any preseason game means jack, it’s this one. Starters typically play at least a half and should be putting in the final tweaks to prepare for the regular season. I’ll be up in Landover again tonight, and there are a few things I’m looking for…

• Please don’t rain again. Misha and I stuck it out for the full game last week, and it was a soaked mess. I’d rather NOT sit in the rain again tonight.
• Jason Campbell HAS to show some accuracy and it has to be beyond the first down marker. It seems that Campbell has earned the reputation of a guy that can’t hit receivers downfield, and only completed over 60% of his passes last year because of check-downs. That’s a fair assessment right now. Campbell missed on two long ball shots last week (underestimating Malcolm Kelly’s speed, apparently…) and really didn’t contribute anything significant. This is his last true tune up if he doesn’t want to get worked in week 4. We should all pray that we don’t need to see more of him next week.
• Running Back competition: Dorsey or Mason…who steps up with Rock out of the lineup? This is their big audition.
• What can Albert Haynesworth do in a XXXL jersey? He complained that he couldn’t breathe well last week which is why he took fewer snaps. Let’s hope they made the jersey big enough this time so we can see #92 eat Mr. Butt Chin Brady for dinner.
• Thomas, Kelly, and Mitchell, can continue to inspire optimism, and will one of them take a step beyond Randle El and become the #2 guy? That would be ideal.
• The big grudge match of Daniel vs. Brennan will be one to watch, although the competition is overhyped/overvalued.
• Finally, can Brian Orakpo continue to impress? He’s gotten nothing but praise since he donned the burgundy and gold. Let’s see him pull some Osi Umenyiora moves on that New England line tonight.

I’m excited that I don’t have to deal with any Pittsburghers this week, as well as taking two of my teacher friends (although one is a Pats fan). It should be a good time. The only thing I can think of to give New England crap about is the fact that they cheated their way to their rings. Joe Gibbs would have never done that. I will always hate Bill Belichick for the way he ran the score up on ole Joe just to be a dick...oh and New England had about 1400 real fans before 2001. They were AT BEST third in the pecking order (behind the f*ckin' saaawxxxxx and the Celtics) until Tom Brady came around, so not many people from New England can claim that they're long-time dedicated fans. Oh and I hate them because Matt Wallace is a bandwagon fan and I like to see him suffer. That's right Matt...I hope butt chin breaks his leg tonight, just so I can be there to see it.

All that hate is in partial jest. It's just a preseason game, so let’s just hope the offense can look polished and the defense can continue to look dominant. A win would be nice, but isn't the be-all, end-all tonight.

Redskins 27
Patriots 24

Come on back for tomorrow...fun thoughts from the mini-feed and a recap.

Thoughts from the Mini-Feed: Redskins WIN 17-13

Images Courtesy of CSN

So after sitting in the rain for 2+ hours leading up to and through kickoff, I was able to take in a pretty decent game last night. It felt good to be back in the old seats, and despite the obvious lack of character at FedEx, I did feel very at home. However, before we get to the football aspects of last night, I’m going to take a few paragraphs to paint a picture of last night’s game environment for you.

According to Steinberg, the crowd was about 60-40 in favor of the home team. I would tend to agree. I did see a lot of stupid yellow towels, but they were definitely outmatched in terms of cheers when the teams were introduced. My section probably had about the same ratio, but there were certainly some interesting sights before and during the game. I did spot one dude in a DeSean Jackson Eagles Jersey with a Steelers Super Bowl Champs hat down to my left (I would have snapped a picture but it would have been a little TOO obvious). The Steeler fans were VERY antagonistic towards the Redskin fans, and the Redskin fans did not back down. There were a few fights, and a few tongue-lashings, but nothing too major. Every argument ended in the same six-fingered gesture from every Pittsburgh fan (see item #3 from yesterday). By the looks of them, it didn’t seem as though some were even capable of counting to six, so I came off mildly impressed.

Don’t get me wrong…Steeler Nation can be very dedicated and very loud, and I commend them for that. However, coming from a rabid fan base in Blacksburg, I know that there are certain ways to handle being a group of crazy fans. First of all, Pittsburghers cheered louder when the Steelers ran out for their opening drills, they drew some solid cheers and a good smattering of boos. However, they cheered at least twice as loud when the team started stretching...WHAT? They seemed to cheer for really stupid things (hence my tweet that they act like they’ve won a championship when Hines Ward bends over to tie his shoes), and don’t cheer at the right times. I cannot count how many times they added to the crowd noise when they were on OFFENSE and trying to call/run a play. If they’re going to be loud and obnoxious, at least they could channel it into disrupting the opposing team’s offense. Speaking of their intelligence, two guys in the front of my section decided they were going to fly a Steeler flag, but the first 3-4 times they put it up to wave it, they held it upside down. When a nice gentleman in a Clinton Portis jersey decided to point out their mistake, one of the gentlemen decided to jump into a towel waving clinic, yelling and cussing while gyrating his hips and twirling his cool yellow towel. Needless to say, he looked VERY intimidating and badass.

This leads me to Mrs. Quiet Steeler fan sitting in front of me. Keep in mind that I know I can be very loud, and very obnoxious when provoked, but I was not even that dialed in last night (after all, it was only preseason). I did not have a drop of alcohol in my system, nor was I cussing or using offensive language. My meanest comments during the game were “Six and Pitts don’t rhyme!!” and “Go back to Pittsburgh.” At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the middle aged woman sitting the row in front of us (and a few seats over) decided to pipe up after my “wow, you can count to six” comment. She turned around and said “Can you please SHUT UP?! I’ve had to listen to your crap all game!” After posing the fact that I wasn’t being obscene, she told me that she wanted to “enjoy the game in some peace and quiet.” Peace and quiet. At a professional football game. Right.

She then tried to say that I hadn’t said cheered for the Redskins at all and that I was rude, and I proceeded to remind her that she was an opposing fan in a different stadium, not at Heinz Field, and if she had a problem with it she should go back to Western Pennsylvania. She then admitted that she was actually from DC and then threw up a “talk to the hand” before I could retort. Misha and I spent the rest of the game cheering as loud as humanly possible in a positive way for the Redskins, and I think it made her ears bleed. Awesome.

Now outside of the circus in the stadium, there was actually a football game, and these were just a few of my observations:

• Jason Campbell was not sharp, but I’m not ready to write him off after at least two of his plays were blown up by Troy Polamalu. One of them was a breakup that only Ed Reed and Adrian Wilson could have duplicated.
• Chase Daniel has a firm grip on the number 3 spot over Colt Brennan right now, and Brennan looks almost lazy and bored in the pocket. His interception was terrible.
• Brian Orakpo is the real deal, and he looked much faster in person. He’s got a great motor and has a bright future, especially with that group in front of him playing the way they did.
• Speaking of the D-line, Haynesworth ate at least two blockers on the first series, and was VERY disruptive overall. Jeremy Jarmon also had a great motor and was consistent in giving the Steeler offensive line a handful.
• Kevin Barnes had a great pass breakup in the third corner and looked good in coverage most of the night.
• Justin Tryon is still terrible.
• Marko Mitchell has to be the clear #5 wide receiver. I haven’t seen the Redskins complete a fade pass for a touchdown since…well probably Art Monk.
• The third and long defense was terrible, just like much of last year, and our linebackers did not do a good job of dealing with Dennis Dixon’s mobility.
• DeAngelo Hall had no business drawing a flag for unnecessary roughness when he hit Heath Miller about .02 seconds after the ball passed by him. Surprise surprise, a Wahoo can’t take a hit from a Hokie, even in the NFL.
• The run game looked really solid overall, and the coaches have a tough decision to make with regards to who to keep. Dorsey and Mason both look solid.
• Nice bounce back game Fred Davis, one forced fumble and one touchdown. Guess you can’t fumble when you catch it in the endzone!

Overall I was very encouraged by the performance, and I think that they’ll continue to improve. The effort and energy levels weren’t in the same league as last week, and they really came out to play last night. The offensive starters are expected to play AT LEAST the first half next week, and could go longer. We’ll really get an idea of where they stand after Friday.

I’ll leave you all with my mini-feed posts (which were live tweets from the game) and responses from Steeler fans. It got a little out of hand to say the least.

Me: i wonder if anyone's told burghers that 'pitts' and 'six' don't rhyme

Steeler “Fan” #1: Well, apparently, nobody told you that in the dialect of American English spoken in southwestern Pennsylvania, and parts of northern West Virginia and southeastern Ohio, which is related to the older Appalachian dialects, which have, in turn, developed less than other US accents due to longer geosocial isolation, and are somewhat more related to ... Read Moreolder Scots and Irish than either group is to modern American English as far as vocabulary and intonation, the phoneme groups ``ts'' and ``ks'' are often conflated, such that ``Pittsburgh'' would be pronounced similarly to ``Pixburgh''; it is from this that ``Sixburgh'' became popular; in that dialect, they actually would be considered to rhyme. But if you wish to be culturally insensitive and politically incorrect, that is okay, too; I find that being either can often be a source of amusement.

Wow…take a breath and get a life. I’ve never EVER heard anyone from Pittsburgh legitimately say Pixburgh, and if they did, I think I’d hit them. I bet anyone that says Pixburgh would come off something like this.

Me: steelers fans act like they won the super bowl when hines ward ties his shoes

Steeler Fan #2: Uh, I'm pretty sure we did win the SB. So...you can have the preseason game.

Congratulations on not getting the joke. Oh and I’ll take our 42-31-3 all-time record against Pittsburgh.

That’s about all for the recap. Hopefully you all didn’t have to put up with as much crap as I did last night, but it was still fun to be back at FedEx nonetheless.