Eat Sleep Redskins

Who are these guys?

2010-08-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

John Beck ... getting hurt.

So how good are the Redskins?

The Bills didn't seem to provide much of a challenge last week, and the Skins' starting offense played very little. One thing is for sure, the Ravens will provide a bigger challenge, especially for the Redskins' offense.

A few things I'll be watching closely:

How the Redskins' starting offensive line performs against Baltimore's strong defensive front seven. Larry Johnson is expected to start for the Skins, and it'll be a good chance to see how he can perform against a top defense. Rookie lineman Trent Williams especially will bear watching.

How outside linebackers Brian Orakpo and Andre Carter perform. Against the Bills, Carter in particular seemed to struggle with the move to OLB in the 3-4. Both he and Orakpo will be responsible for a lot of the coverage on running backs. And at this point, that's a very scary sentence.

Speaking of defense, can the Redskins stop the run? As I pointed out after the Bills game, the Skins' defense gave up an average of 8.1 yards a carry last week against the Bills. That's unacceptable. The defenses' run-stopping ability must improve, or it could be a very long season.

Who is the third QB? Is there one? John Beck looked shaky at best against the Bills (The Skins' third-team offensive line didn't help), and Richard Bartel sat out last week with a hamstring injury. Coach Mike Shanahan has intimated that neither is a lock to make the team. Neither figures to get much time (a half at most), so every snap is important.

As always, hope for no significant injuries Saturday night. Oh, and don't forget to make fun of Jim Zorn. (I know, too easy).

So far, so good

2010-08-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

McNabb, Redskins all smiles after blowout

First of all, apologies that I haven't updated this space as much as I should have. Busy times. And I promise to try and keep this as updated as needed. But if you want even more of my Redskins comments, I highly recommend you find me on Twitter: @EatSleepRedskin.

Anyway, let's talk football.

The Redskins opened up their 2010 (pre)season with a 42-17 crushing of the Buffalo Bills, who, like the Redskins, have a brand new head coach with a brand new offense and defense. I know Redskins fans will get very excited about the win, but one thing is clear after watching the game: The Skins, under Mike Shanahan, are light years ahead of the Bills under Chan Gailey. This is not to say that the win wasn't impressive, but keep in mind the starters only played about one quarter. New Redskin Donovan McNabb and the offense were merely average at that point.

General comments about the offense:
One thing that was clear to me Friday night was the team's crispness. By that I mean how the offense got in and out of the huddle. There wasn't any hurrying or moments where the team seemed confused. McNabb (and backup Rex Grossman) seemed to know where everyone was and what they were doing. That's a big step up from previous seasons under the constantly confused Jim Zorn.

General comments about the defense:
Alright I'll say it: The run defense worries me. The Bills averaged 8.1 yards a carry as a team, and that's a scary number. Andre Carter particularly looked out of place at times, coming too wide and allowing RBs to scoot inside for big gains. Perhaps this isn't a trend that will continue. Perhaps as Albert Haynesworth gains back his starting duties, the defense will be able to stop the run. When I first heard that the Skins were going to a 3-4 base for the first time in team history, it was welcome news. I, like most Redskins fans, had grown tired of Greg Blache's "bend but don't break" defense, which was about as boring as watching paint dry. The 3-4 we saw Friday night showed pass-rushing promise, but the Bills runners were able to run wild.

Individual honors
Those that I thought improved their stock immensely against the Bills:

Brandon Banks. Banks is tiny. 5-7ish. 150ish. Tiny. The only way this guy is making the team is with standout play on returns and maybe some good plays on offense. His return ability is obviously tremendous. (Does he return kicks, too? No. Seriously.) He'll eventually have to show he has some usefulness on offense too. But there are three more games to play.

Trent Williams. The rookie showed he can play. Didn't allow any of the Bills rushers to get near McNabb or Grossman. The offensive line, as a whole, stood out to me. They didn't allow a sack until the fourth quarter. Poor John Beck. If Williams continues to show what he did on Friday night, the Redskins should be set at LT for the next decade or more.

Ryan Torain and Keiland Williams. With Larry Johnson and Willie Parker both intentionally held out of the game, Torain and Williams got most of the work Friday night, and while neither stood out, both showed flash enough to play in the NFL. The battle to back up Clinton Portis and Johnson (who has shined in camp) will get very interesting as the preseason goes on.

Biggest question mark
Well, maybe not the biggest, but who the heck will be returning kicks this season for the Redskins? Certainly, it won't be Devin Thomas, who muffed one kickoff and looked shaky on another. I'd like to see Banks get a look there.

That's all for now. Hit me with some feedback.

In LaVar vs. Portis, "Wolverine" wins

2010-05-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

When LaVar Arrington first entered the league, I quickly nicknamed him "Wolverine," after the comic book hero who was violent, very aggressive, and who had the ability to heal very quickly.

In his early years with the Redskins, Arrington displayed an unmatched tenacity on the field. He was like a rocket, hurtling towards running backs and quarterbacks alike. His most famous hit, of course, is the one that ended Troy Aikman's career.

Arrington's "healing factor," so to speak, was on display throughout his early career. I remember one instance in particular when Arrington was literally knocked out in the first half, but returned to play later in the game.

His healing ability ran out, though, and Arrington retired from the NFL and became a sports radio personality in the D.C. area.

And, apparently, Clinton Portis doesn't like him very much, but we'll get to that later.

Arrington had a falling out with the Redskins, and eventually left for the rival New York Giants before the 2006 season. He lasted just one injury filled season before he was forced to retire.

So it was with a bit of surprise when Arrington returned to the world of the Redskins at Sean Taylor's funeral in 2007. Arrington and Taylor were only teammates for two seasons -- most of which Arrington spent injured. But LaVar's words touched me more than any other that day:

LaVar's comments start at 2:52.

Enter Portis.

Portis first criticized Arrington back in February. Arrington then responded on his radio show, and if you haven't heard the audio from that response, I recommend that you do.

All was quiet until yesterday, when a radio interview of Portis criticizing Arrington was released. Portis criticized Arrington for what he said at Taylor's funeral.

Courtesy of the Bog, here's what Portis said:

"I lost a lot of respect for LaVar at that moment, speaking at Sean's funeral. To get up, I really thought that was, um, I don't know what you call that. LaVar ain't know Sean like that....
"I remember me and Sean was going to jump LaVar, you know, for throwing pie at Sean's face his rookie year, and trying to haze Sean, and be the tough guy. He felt like it was a joke. We didn't like that [stuff]. For all the attention LaVar claim, and that him and Sean was cool -- they wasn't cool. Sean ain't [mess around] with LaVar....I don't think you should do that. If you cool with somebody, or you know somebody, you knew 'em. Don't go and portray, set out an image like 'this is your buddy, this is your pal,' like you all hung, when y'all really didn't. I don't think that's fair, man."

Wow.

Well, Arrington responded today on the radio, but not in the way expected: he took the high road.

Among his comments:

"When you go into personal things like that I can only hope and wish and pray he finds peace and clarity in his own life."

In this battle, Arrington did more by doing nothing. Portis continues to embarrass himself by spreading hate. If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was trying to get himself fired.

Way to go, LaVar, by turning the other cheek.

Why Galloway and Wade make sense

2010-04-30T17:39:00.000-07:00

The Redskins recently signed two veteran wide receivers -- Joey Galloway and Bobby Wade.

Galloway, who literally is a graybeard, has played 15 years in the NFL for five different teams and has caught 689 passes for 10,777 yards.

Wade, while not quite as aged as Galloway, will be going into his ninth year in the league and has already played for four different teams.

Neither of these signings figures to loom large this season. Galloway is just two years younger than his new receivers coach, Kennan McCardell and Wade has been nothing if not a journeyman.

But here's something to keep in mind: Some Redskins fans have been clammoring for D.C. to sign Terrell Owens, the big-play, once-hated rival. Owens is 36 and will turn 37 before this season is over. If Owens is still a stud receiver, it's possible that Galloway can still display the speed that made him an NFL star. And Wade has started 50 games in his eight-year career.

The Redskins have 11 receivers listed on their roster. Before Galloway and Wade were signed, they had just two receivers with more than three years of NFL experience: Roydell Williams and Santana Moss. Galloway and Wade will bring some much-needed veteran savvy, at least as long as they're with the team.

For Redskins, no draft surprises -- so far

2010-04-22T20:02:00.001-07:00

Despite a late smoke screen with rumors that they might select Tennessee safety Eric Berry, Mike Shanahan and the Redskins did the wise thing and picked Oklahoma tackle Trent Williams with the No. 4 pick in the NFL draft.

The Skins were in dire need of an offensive line upgrade after last season, and with the free-agent moves they've made so far this offseason, combined with the selection of Williams, the line is definitely improved.

Williams played right tackle for the Sooners until his senior year, when he switched to left tackle. And while Oklahoma State's Russell Okung was listed above Williams on most draft boards, Williams is considered to have higher pro potential than the solid-if-not-spectacular Okung. So the Redskins are banking on Williams playing up to his potential.

As for the rest of the draft, unless the team can find buyers for Jason Campbell or Albert Haynesworth, the Skins won't have too many more selections in this draft, so it'll have to come down to quality over quantity.

It's draft time! 2010 version

2010-04-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

Amongst all of this schedule hoopla, I almost forgot that the NFL draft starts Thursday night!

I still have to believe that the Redskins will be picking an offensive tackle. Despite all of the talk and speculation, clearly the Redskins' biggest need is still a left tackle.

Now, whether it'll be Oklahoma State's Russell Okung or Oklahoma's Trent Williams, I don't know.

New coach Mike Shanahan has been playing coy with media, and his son has been suggesting that the Skins' offensive line is just fine the way it is. But if Washington selects anyone other than one of those above, it'll be a surprise to me.

So who do you have tonight?

Schedule, 2010

2010-04-21T14:14:00.000-07:00

The NFL released its 2010 schedule Tuesday, and so I now get to tell you all how I think the Redskins will do this season.

First off, the actual schedule, courtesy of the Redskins:

What we have here is a fairly balanced schedule. When the opponents were initially released, I thought that it was an overpoweringly difficult schedule, but the "difficult" opponents are spread out over the season, so the first half of the schedule is similar to the second half. (Also, note that the Bye week comes in the exact middle of the season).

But there aren't too many "gimmie" games for the Skins. The closest they come are at the Lions, against Houston, at the Rams and at Jacksonville, and those aren't too easy. Consider: The Lions -- THE LIONS! -- edged the Skins last season.

Prime time = ouch
There are three national TV games on the docket, which hasn't been good for the Redskins recently. The Redskins played three prime time games in 2009 and lost all three. Not only that, but they scored just 29 points in those three games COMBINED. They were shut out by the Cowboys, 17-0.

The Redskins are winless in their last two seasons in prime-time games. They're 1-5 for the last three years, and 1-7 in the last four years. Since 2004, the Redskins have won just 3 prime-time games. 3 out of 14 games. Ouch.

Divisional games ...
I really would like to say that I think the Skins will go far this coming season. But, going game-by-game, I just have trouble seeing anything over a .500 season. Of course, that may be because I'm marking off all divisional games as a loss.

Yes, I'm giving the Redskins an "L" for every divisional game, even against the McNabb-less Eagles. Why? Because the Skins have had trouble with divisional victories for several years now. Color me skeptical, but I'll wait until Shanahan and Co. start beating the pants off the Giants, Eagles and Cowboys until I start to be a believer.

Might the Redskins be better off without Okung?

2010-04-13T16:31:00.000-07:00

The general consensus among NFL scout-types and Redskins fans alike is that the team from Washington will draft Oklahoma State tackle Russell Okung with the fourth overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.

But I'm here to ask a question:

Might the Redskins, who lack draft picks, be better off trading down, thereby picking more draft picks, and selecting either Oklahoma tackle Trent Williams or Iowa's Bryan Bulaga?

There's a growing thought that Williams and/or Bulaga might actually be better than Okung for various reasons -- athletic ability, NFL potential, etc. But there's also the question of whether Williams especially, but also Bulaga, might fit the Redskins' new blocking schemes better than Okung, who has struggled against speed rushers.

It's something to think about at the very least. The team could obviously use more draft picks, but the likely trades of Jason Campbell and/or a running back might solve that issue. Don't be surprised if the Redskins bypass Okung.

Of course, the Lions might make the decision much easier if they select a left tackle with the No 2 overall draft pick.

CSN's Rich Tandler had a far more detailed write-up, and you should all go read it.

Okung highlights/lowlights

Williams highlights/lowlights

Bulaga highlights/lowlights

Failed Redskins QBs

2010-04-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

So the Washington Post posted a photo gallery of every starting quarterback for the Redskins since 1992.

They titled this gallery "Redskins quarterbacks: A revolving door."

Sadly, they are not wrong.

But as I went through all of the names and faces, I realized that I had forgotten some of these guys ever started for the Redskins.

Which names surprised you? Or which jumped out? I totally forgot about Tim Hasselbeck.

Another guy who stood out to me was Brad Johnson. Boy, the team really misused him. Didn't play that badly, had a winning record, but then was dumped and went on to win a Super Bowl.

Actually, that's kind of fitting.

McNabb to the Redskins

2010-04-04T18:46:00.000-07:00

Offseason champs, baby!

For those fans who thought that the Redskins were being too quiet under Bruce Allen and Mike Shanahan this offseason, the team had a big answer Sunday.

The Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles agreed to a deal to send veteran star quarterback Donovan McNabb to Washington in exchange for a second-round pick in this year's draft and a fourth-round pick in next year's. Considering the relatively low cost, getting a guy like McNabb -- who has started 142 games in his NFL career -- was a good deal.

But what does this deal really mean? Well, for starters ...

The Redskins found their starting QB for the 2010 season. Say goodbye to Jason Campbell. It doesn't make much sense to keep a guy like Jason, who has sizable trade value, when it's obvious that Campbell won't be starting unless McNabb gets injured. Rex Grossman was brought in to be the system guy.

The Redskins' first-round pick is probably settled. Now that the Redskins have a suitable starter at QB for this season, it seems likely the team will select an offensive tackle (like Oklahoma State's Russell Okung) later this month.

The Eagles have been weakened. If McNabb knows anything, it's how Philly's offense works. He's been starting for the Eagles since 1999. The Eagles now figure to start either Kevin Kolb or Michael Vick, but McNabb being with the Redskins should cause the Eagles some headaches.

Still far more to come about this.

Buchanon strong option to start

2010-03-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

The Redskins signed free-agent cornerback Phillip Buchanon Monday, nabbing yet another former star from Miami.

If you're keeping track, that's now four former Hurricanes on the team: Clinton Portis, Santana Moss, Rocky McIntosh and Buchanon.

Taking a quick look at the Redskins' roster, you can probably pencil Buchanon in as a nickel back right now, but he has the potential to start opposite DeAngelo Hall. Carlos Rodgers has started many games for the Redskins, but he was benched multiple times last season and hasn't exactly stood out. Last year's third-round draft pick, Kevin Barnes, was a non-factor his rookie year.

Would not be surprised if Buchanon was starting by mid-season, if not sooner.

A new (hope?) thought: Tim Tebow

2010-03-22T18:14:00.000-07:00

While Albert Haynesworth talked about switching to the 3-4 and Devin Thomas dismantled former coach Jim Zorn, a topic recently popped up on news sites, fan sites and message boards: Could the Redskins be thinking about drafting former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow?

Yeah, yeah. I know. Can't throw. Can't read defenses. Gator QB (EW!). But the guy is a college football living legend for a reason.

Let's say that offensive tackle Russell Okung falls to the Redskins in the first round. What's the Redskins' second biggest need? Another OL? Okay maybe. Also, the team might use another young running back. Maybe another linebacker or safety. But a young QB not named Colt Brennan (who, the way things are looking, won't survive training camp) would be a good idea, too.

Tebow has his problems, sure. But if there was one player in this draft I would want to take a gamble on, it's Tebow.

Here's a video, with some of his highlights.

One wild thought: If the Skins draft Tebow, get him used to the system slowly. Use him at fullback on some runs. Give him the ball on some running plays. Then have him throw from the FB position. He could have a dangerous weapon if used well. Just a thought.

Also, take a look at the stats of six college quarterbacks, and guess which is Tebow. You may be surprised.

Final note
If the Redskins draft Tebow, that will be the latest in a long line of GatorSkin QBs. Remember Danny Wuerffel? Shane Matthews? Rex Grossman was recently signed to be a system mentor/backup. All the Redskins are missing is Chris Leak, who is apparently playing in Canada for Montreal of the CFL. Go get em, Danny.

And your next Washington Redskins draftee will be ...

2010-03-17T18:21:00.000-07:00

(March 18 edition)

All signs point to the Redskins either selecting a quarterback or a left tackle in the first round of this year's draft.

But which one will it be? Do the Redskins trust quarterback Jason Campbell? Can they protect him with their current offensive line?

The team has signed several offensive linemen this offseason, but none appear to be the standout left tackle. Wednesday, the team also signed quarterback Rex Grossman, who worked with new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and QB coach Matt LaFleur in Houston. Grossman doesn't figure to start ahead of Campbell.

That leaves us with little to go on for whom the Redskins may be targeting.

A lot will depend on what the teams ahead of Washington do in the draft. Up first are the Rams, who could use either a stud defensive lineman or a big-time QB. The general feeling right now is that St. Louis will pick Sam Bradford, a quarterback from Oklahoma.

The Lions are next, and they have a solid QB in Matthew Stafford. Look for the Lions to either go with Oklahoma State OT Russell Okung or defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

If the Lions take Suh, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will likely take Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. If the Lions take Okung, look for Tampa to pick Suh.

Now come the Redskins, who seem to like Bradford, Okung and Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen.

Here's how I see it: If Bradford is there, they'll pick him. If he's gone, they'll go after Okung. If both are off the board, they'll pick Clausen. The Redskins can't trade down too much or risk losing Clausen to a team like Seattle, which also needs a QB.

The third option is to stick with Campbell and trade down for more draft picks and a shot at lower tier offensive line talent like Rutgers' Anthony Davis.

Best bet for your newest Washington Redskin:
Jimmy Clausen.

Change has come, and that name is Shanahan

2010-03-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a few months, but the Redskins -- and I along with them -- are getting back into action.

The team opened spring workouts on Monday, learning new offensive and defensive schemes, and meeting new coaches.

But before we go there, though, let's take a look back at this offseason so far.

If you'll kindly remember the last time we saw the 'Skins, they were finishing up yet another disappointing season, led by first-year coach Jim Zorn.

Well, Zorn was ousted. Another NFL legend took charge of the Redskins, this one named Mike Shanahan.

And Shanahan wanted change. Boy, did he bring it.

Goodbye to old favorites like Fred Smoot and Cornelius Griffin. Goodbye to running backs Ladell Betts and Rock Cartwright, as well as receiver Antwaan Randle El. Goodbye to many other old friends.

"A day of change," new Redskins personnel guru Bruce Allen called it. I'd call it as a house cleaning. And by God, it was sorely needed -- out with old, past-their-prime talent.

And free agency brought its usual excitement for Redskins fans. Except this March was not like the recent others. There was no big Albert Haynesworth-like signing. No Julius Peppers. No LaDainian Tomlinson.

The Redskins wanted to focus on their offensive line. They took a look at Packers OT Chad Clifton, but he re-signed with Green Bay. They took a look at OT Tony Pashos, but he signed with Cleveland. They re-signed Mike Williams, the mammoth tackle-turned-guard.

Yet no free agent signings. No Willie Parker, who visited. No Larry Foote, who visited. No Casey Wiegmann, who visited.

What in the name of Dan Snyder is going on here? Usually, when Washington wants someone, they get him. And guys going in and out of Redskins Park without a deal is not the norm.

But the Redskins eventually signed Artis Hicks, the former Minnesota guard/tackle who cleared holes for Adrian Peterson. The team also signed Larry Johnson, a 30-year-old past-his-prime running back.

Personnel changes aren't the only changes in Ashburn. The team will be switching from a 4-3 defensive scheme to a 3-4 scheme, meaning instead of four defensive linemen and three linebackers, there will be three defensive linemen and four linebackers.

Offensively, the addition of Johnson creates questions at running back. Mainly, how are Clinton Portis and Johnson going to interact? Both have been known to have explosive personalities. Can they make it through an entire season together, sharing carries?

Despite heavy criticism, Jason Campbell continues to look like the starting quarterback of next year's team. Shanahan's system is usually very QB-friendly. If Campbell is going to have success, he'll have it under Shanahan. And the team seems committed to rebuilding an offensive line that was dreadful last season.

Up next for the Redskins is the draft. Something I'll write about later this week.

End of an error

2010-01-04T20:22:00.000-08:00

Well, the Jim Zorn Error -- I mean Era -- is officially over.

And the least-guarded secret in Washington is that former Denver coach Mike Shanahan will be the next head coach of the Redskins.

The only thing I can say right here is that Shanahan's tenure in D.C. will undoubtedly be more effective than Zorn's.

Zorn's 6-2 start was a blatent mirage. He had six wins in his first eight games and then six wins over his last 24 games.

Above all, though, the Zorn era will be remembered, I think, a lot like the Spurrier era was in D.C. A supposedly offensive coach comes to D.C. and the Redskins start well -- remember Osaka? -- but ultimately, there was fighting in the locker room and there systemic lack of discipline.

I admit I didn't pay a lot of attention to Shanahan's Denver teams, but the guy has won a Super Bowl before, and his teams were almost always competitive. Both of Zorn's teams ...well, weren't.

Truthfully, I am fairly sure that Shanahan's time in D.C. could not possibly be any worse than Zorn's.

Why bother?

2009-12-21T20:13:00.000-08:00

There really isn't much to say about the Redskins loss to the Giants Monday night.

From the opening drive, it was quite clear the Giants were an experienced, sound playoff team. The Redskins are about as far from that as you can get.

When it was over, it was 45-12, certainly the most embarrassing Redskins loss of the year and rivaling the 52-7 walloping the Patriots put on the them back in 2007.

The talk going into the game, about Redskins players with the arrival of new GM Bruce Allen, was "These guys are playing for their jobs."

If so, a lot of guys lost their job today. There's not one player who had a good game. Marcus Mason -- who should not be playing for the Redskins next year -- had a decent game running the ball.

Also, I should mention that Fred Davis had a heck of a game as well. He continues to impress replacing Cooley.

The Redskins defense, especially, was eaten alive. The Giants completely owned the first quarter. They had a 10-minute drive. Most of the first half was controlled by N.Y. The second half wasn't much better.

The Redskins were better off not even stepping on the field. All there was Monday night was a giant embarrassment on national TV.

The witch is dead

2009-12-17T08:01:00.000-08:00

Sing it now, friends.

Vinny Cerrato, the universally despised president of football operations for the Washington Redskins, resigned early Thursday morning.

Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch!
Ding Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead.
Wake up - sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed.
Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead. He's gone where the goblins go,
Below - below - below. Yo-ho, let's open up and sing and ring the bells out.
Ding Dong' the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low.
Let them know
The Wicked Witch is dead!

By the way, I'm giggling like a schoolgirl that the best way to describe Cerrato is "universally despised." God.

But, the rumor is that the Redskins have hired for Tampa Bay general manager Bruce Allen to run the show. Allen is the son of former Redskins coach George Allen.

To me, it's pretty clear that Dan Snyder really wanted a big change. If he didn't want a change, he wouldn't have fired Cerrato (which is what happened, regardless of whether Cerrato "resigned.")

So, goodbye Jim Zorn. Goodbye Jason Campbell (probably).

Allen was the GM in Tampa for a long time. His former head coach in Tampa was Jon Gruden, who, coincidentally, is calling the Redskins-Giants Monday Night Football game this Monday night in D.C. Do you guys really believe in coincidence?

Look for Gruden in D.C. next year.

Jason Campbell deserves more time

2009-12-14T09:16:00.001-08:00

As the season comes to a close, one of the more pertinent questions for the Redskins is that of their quarterback.

Do the bring back Jason Campbell, or do they go in another direction?

Earlier this year, I would bet some good money that the team was planning on going in another direction. After all, Campbell and the offense as a whole had not played well. Even last week, de facto GM Vinny Cerrato scouted both Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen and Texas QB Colt McCoy.

I myself have been long calling for Campbell to be benched. I still think he holds the ball too long and doesn't make quick reads and decisions.

But maybe it was too soon to start looking elsewhere.

Since Sherman Lewis started calling the plays and especially over the past four games, Campbell and the offense have thrived.

Has it saved his job?

It's undeniable that Campbell is not a perfect quarterback. He will never be a Brett Favre or a Peyton Manning. But he is better than Trent Dilfer, who quarterbacked the 2000 Ravens to a Super Bowl championship.

As the weeks go on, the more and more I think that the Redskins SHOULD bring Campbell back.

No, he probably will never put the team on his back and will it to a come-from-behind victory, but he's good enough to manage the game and won't lose many games by himself.

The Redskins have spent much of the last 15 years tearing everything down and rebuilding. Maybe it's time to just let things coast and see where it takes the team.

Sherman Lewis seems to be having an effect. Let he and Zorn run things awhile longer with Campbell in place.

But please, dear god, solidify the offensive line.

Orakpo's coming out party

2009-12-13T16:21:00.000-08:00

On a big day in many ways, Brian Orakpo's performance stood out. The rookie out of Texas finally had a breakout performance, a game to remember.

Four sacks.

Whatever you want to say about the Redskins - they've definitely had a down season - Orakpo will be a great player. He already is.

All together, it was a great defensive performance by the Redskins. They totaled eight sacks. Orakpo led with four, Andre Carter had two and Lorenzo Alexander and Doughty had one each.

The offense performed as well as it had since Sherman Lewis took over the play calling. Quinton Ganther, the Redskins fourth starting running back this season, came through for two touchdowns.

Offensive thoughts

Fred Davis came through again with two touchdowns. That tight end play next season should be interesting. I think the Redskins could come up with a very good two tight end set and create big mis-matches with Cooley and Davis. When Cooley was healthy, we never saw Davis. With Cooley out, Davis has suddenly shown up big.

Next season, Redskins need to use both tight ends better.

Ganther was a bright spot. The Redskins continue to get more production out of backup running backs than they got out of Portis. Ganther ran for 50 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns. Great, great play. He also had a few catches.

Campbell's play -- 16 of 28 for 222 yards and two touchdowns -- was solid. He was pressured throughout the game but came out alright. He's still got to get rid of the ball quicker.

I loved, loved, that the Redskins went for the throat up 27-13. Instead of settling for a FG, the coaches called a good drive to get another TD.

Graham Gano -- the new kicker -- did a good job. Made some solid kicks and had two good kickoffs for touchbacks. I'll reserve final judgment for when he makes a pressure kick to win or lose a game. That'll tell me who he really is, but it was a good start.

Defensive thoughts

I really can't say enough about Orakpo, but he had a tremendous game.

The Redskins seemed to want to be more aggressive on defense -- more blitzes, lots of pressure. It worked, especially by the end of the game. The Raiders' offensive linemen didn't know who to block. Definitely worked out well for the Skins, who had eight sacks - the most in... as long as I can remember.

I think this is a plus - Landry only got burnt on one double move. I really want to like the guy, he was a 6th overall pick, but the guy isn't impressing. The Redskins seemed to move him closer to the line and play him like a linebacker. I think this was a good move. Landry can hit well and has a lot of speed. Keep him up near the line of scrimmage.

Overall, a big victory and something to build off of.

Redskins finding new ways to lose games

2009-12-06T13:56:00.000-08:00

For once, the Redskins offense showed up.

For once, Jason Campbell played well.

For once, the play-calling was perfect.

But the Redskins found yet another way to lose a game. In perhaps the Redskins most painful loss of the year, it was the kicking game and turnovers which burned the Skins late.

Points:

I continue to be incredibly unhappy with the Redskins red-zone offense. It's almost like the Skins coaches are afraid to make a mistake. It's the same with the way the Redskins play with a lead. They have a lead and seem to not to want to make a mistake.
You can't win too often in the NFL when you play scared.
Shaun Suisham, for as well as he's played for the most part this year, the guy just can't make a field goal when it really matters. He failed against the Cowboys two weeks ago, and he failed today. His miss from 23 yards sealed the Redskins' loss.
Laron Landry had a mixed game. He had several very good tackles up near the line of scrimmage. He's a natural strong safety, and he plays like it. But he got burned deep twice in coverage.
I thought Jason Campbell played very well for most of the afternoon. It also helps that the Saints' defense is missing a few defensive backs. He threw for a career-high 367 yards, but his interception on a potentially game-winning drive was perhaps the worst possible thing that could have happened.
I thought Devin Thomas had a terrific game - the best of his young career. He needs to do this every game, and the Redskins need to get him the ball and allow him to consistently have that success. It was also another good game for Fred Davis. I'm not sure how the Redskins will handle the tight end position when Chris Cooley comes back next year. Davis is a starter and potentially a Pro Bowl player. Cooley is already a Pro Bowler.

Question

How the heck did the Saints get the ball back in OT after Sellers' fumbled?

Sellers did fumble - not going to argue that - but the play was called dead. So Sellers stops even going for the ball. The Saints player - McAlister? - stops as well and picks up the ball about four seconds after the play was called dead. So the refs blew the whistle and Sellers stops going for the ball and the refs give the ball to the Saints? Maybe I'm wrong about this one, but I call that ridiculous.

Definitely a tough loss to swallow. The Redskins should have won this game. There were many plays in there - the punt where the ball hit Kevin Barnes and the Saints recovered; the strip after the INT that was returned for a Saints TD - that should have doomed the Redskins.

But the Redskins did play well today. They played well enough to win. I guess that's something.

Offense offensive

2009-11-22T13:18:00.001-08:00

When a defense plays as well as the Redskins defense did against the Cowboys, one would expect that team to win.

And the Redskins defense did a very good job against the Cowboys offense.

As usual, however, the Skins offense and special teams let the defense down.

Kicker Shaun Suisham missed two field goals, his first two all season. His two kicks would have given the team at least a two-score lead, changing the game.

In the second half, the Redskins burned two timeouts unnecessarily. Timeouts that the Redskins needed in the closing seconds.

"It's on me," said Jim Zorn, talking about the missing timeouts in his post-game press conference.

Yes, yes it is.

Game balls

While it's hard to single out someone on the Redskins' defense, Andre Carter really had a great game pressuring Romo and stopping the run

Rock Cartwright knew he'd be getting some carries Sunday, but with Ladell Betts out with an injury, Cartwright was all the offense had. He totaled career-high numbers: 67 rushing yards and 73 receiving.

London Fletcher led the team again in tackles with nine and had a key interception. The Redskins didn't exactly stop the run well, but overall, they stopped the Cowboys when they needed to.

Goats

Suisham's game was disappointing to say the least. Some kickers are clutch - Matt Stover comes to mind - but then some kickers are simply un-clutch. Suisham hadn't missed a kick this season, but today, when it really matters, he couldn't hit two.

Zorn made too many bad decisions. The second-half timeout issues, combined with clock mismanagement to end the first half, did not look good for His Medium-ness.

I'm also growing increasing annoyed with Zorn's eternal optimism. The team failed to score a touchdown in the game - AGAIN! - and Zorn was all about how hard the team played.

Zorn, get real. The team is now 3-7 and the schedule is not going to get any easier. Come on. Let's start re-thinking how the Redskins are trying to attack teams.

That's going to be the key going forward. The Redskins need to re-think their offense, because what they've been doing this entire season is not working.

Betts should start over Portis

2009-11-16T14:21:00.000-08:00

The Redskins beat the Broncos. Yes, yes. Now, let's get one thing straight.

Betts, not Portis, should start against Cowboys
I don't even care if Clinton Portis is healthy or not.

Betts showed more explosion and burst than Portis has shown at any point this season. Remember that run where Betts bounced off several defenders, as well as doing a little Moss-esque spin move, and picked up 15ish yards? Could you imagine Portis trying to do that this year? He wouldn't have bounced off the defenders, and the only spin move he has done is spinning toward the ground on the way down.

Hearing Zorn at his press conference Monday, it doesn't sound like Zorn was as impressed with Betts (and Cartwright) as I was, but Zorn said that Portis wouldn't play Sunday unless he practiced this week.

Considering Portis hasn't practiced since the preseason, I think it's a good bet that Betts will be starting Sunday in Big D.

If Portis is indeed unhealthy - which would explain a lot of things about his play this season - let him sit and get healthy.

Either way, let's ride the horse that beat the Broncos, as far as he'll take us.

A few Betts links

Betts gets better with more carries

Betts isn't better than Portis, people

Betts not better than Portis, but certainly a better fit

Theismann wants Betts in, Randle El out

Quick reaction: Big win, good win

2009-11-15T13:04:00.000-08:00

It figures the Redskins would beat the Broncos.

The Skins have been playing bad teams all throughout the first half of the season - five straight games against winless teams and all - and the Redskins have just two wins and six losses.

But the Broncos - 6-2 - come in, and suddenly the Redskins find themselves a rhythm on offense and win 27-17.

Maybe this second half of the season will be good for the Skins after all.

Sunday, Washington finally found the combination of offensive linemen and running backs for a great running game. A season high 174 rushing yards, mostly behind Ladell Betts.

Jason Campbell didn't make any mistakes. I would not say he played well by any means, but he did not make any mistakes.

But the play of the game might have been when Brian Orakpo knocked Kyle Orton out of the game. Orton had burned the Redskins with two deep 1st-quarter throws.

But Chris Simms was not ready for primetime, completing just 3 of 13 passes for 13 yards and an INT. His play, or lack thereof, allowed the Redskins to stay in the game.

I want to take nothing away from Ladell Betts. He should start again next week in place of Clinton Portis. But Levi Jones made an immediate impact for the offensive line. His play in left tackle allowed Stephon Heyer to move to right tackle (his natural position), and the running game exploded.

DeAngelo Hall needs to shut up

2009-11-08T15:19:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gents, I give you DeAngelo Hall after the loss, talking about his skirmish with the Falcons:

I have been a fan of Hall, but this, combined with his poor tackling, hasn't exactly endeared him to me.

Even if Mike Smith did grab him in a "harmful" way and everything happened as Hall said, it's time to just let it go.

Just let it go.

(Thanks to RealRedskins and CSN for the vid).

It almost was

2009-11-08T13:00:00.001-08:00

For once, the Redskins' defense could not save the Redskins.

The Falcons, behind Michael Turner (166 yards), were able to run - quite literally - over the Redskins for a 31-17 victory.

The Skins were down 24-3 at halftime, but were able to pull back to 24-17. So close, yet so far. Turner went long on another TD run on the Falcons' next drive and Atlanta pulled away.

First, some points:

1. Ladell Betts should start next week over Clinton Portis, even if Portis is healthy. Betts showed way more speed and power than Portis had all season. Start Betts. Sit Portis.

2. The defense really let the team down. Haven't seen the running defense exposed so badly.

3. Campbell continues to be a lame-duck QB. He won't be around next season. I'd bench him as well. Right now, I trust Todd Collins much more than I do Campbell.

Some other quick thoughts...

I love that Marko Mitchell got into the game and made a few catches. I'd bench Antwaan Randle El and put in Mitchell a lot more. Not sure if Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas will ever make it here, now. Randle El continues to add very little to this team.

Jim Zorn looked like he was bored from time to time on the sideline. I don't think he's very happy right now without being able to call plays.

DeAngelo Hall may be a very good cover corner, but he can't tackle worth a lick. Hall missed more than a few tackles today. Ditto for Laron Landry, who has no excuse. I know Landry is playing out of position, but the guy needs to wrap up players, not go for the big hit.

I have a feeling that unless the Redskins make some significant changes to the way the offense works (big name changes, or something similar), I think the team is seriously looking at a 2-14 season.

Doing the same thing has gotten the Redskins to 2-6. They can't keep doing the same thing and hoping something clicks.

Things that need to change

2009-10-30T23:06:00.000-07:00

Since the Redskins' season is nearing its halfway point (bye week this week, and the team's 8th game next week against Atlanta), it's as good a time as any to go through what I'd like to see from the team for the rest of the season.

It appears increasingly unlikely the Redskins (2-5) will turn their season around. At this point, they'd need a good 7-game win streak to turn it around, and looking at the team's upcoming schedule, that seems highly unlikely.

With that in mind, here are some things I'd like to see in the coming weeks ...

1. Who is Marko Mitchell?
The rookie receiver stood out in the preseason. That is to say that no one else played well. But Mitchell does have some promise. He's tall, he's fast and he seems to have good hands. I'd go so far as to say that he's played better than either Malcolm Kelly or Devin Thomas in his one year than they have in their two. So let's get him some reps. Antwaan Randle El is not long for this team, that much is clear. Get Mitchell some reps.

2. Free Brian Orakpo.
It's fairly obvious that the Redskins were fooling themselves thinking that Orakpo was going to be some fierce defensive end/linebacker combo linebacker in the mold of some Pittsburgh linebackers of old. I think the Giants picked up a linebacker - former Virginia LB Clint Sintim - who could be that guy for them, but Orakpo - from his first day on the team - always seemed to be more comfortable on the line. I still say that any play that doesn't have him on the line is a wasted play. In Orakpo's place, try out Chris Wilson. He's a former defensive end who has looked decent as a linebacker.

3. Time for a curtain call, Mr. Portis.
Truthfully, I feel really bad for Clinton Portis. The guy came to Washington coming off a pair of 1,500-yard seasons with Denver. He was young and dangerous. In Denver, he was a smallish, quick, break-away running back. When he leaves Washington, he'll still be relatively young (he's only 28), but god, what did the Redskins do to him? He has lost at least two steps (did you see his long run a few weeks ago? He had one guy to beat and a blocker, and still got caught from behind), and he's not small or quick. He beefed up for Gibbs' offense, and took pounding after pounding. He's injured every week, and it shows. I do think the guy has been a warrior for the Redskins, but the Redskins have burned him out.

It's time for the team to look at younger options. I'd even like to see Ladell Betts get more carries.

4. It's Collins time - yeah, I said it.
Todd Collins, that is. I've seen enough of Jason Campbell over the years here to know that he isn't going to be the guy - ever. He's never been consistent, but he's had flashes of genius that have buttered our opinion of the guy. Truth is, he hasn't improved in any way since his first year in the NFL. Collins won't be the Redskins' guy in the long term, but I do think that he'll give the team a better chance to win this year. Next year? Probably try Colt Brennan and finally see what he has, and bring in a veteran for some insurance. Draft a big-time QB in 2011 if need be.

5. Pray for our offensive line.
Seriously, I am pretty sure there is nothing that can be done about this group of fat guys. Stephon Heyer is obviously not a long-term answer at left tackle. He might be decent at right tackle, but the Redskins probably will be looking for a premier LT in next year's draft. Luckily it's looking like they'll have a relatively high pick to spend on that LT. Mike Williams hasn't looked horrible (that I can remember), but he hasn't exactly looked like a former 1st round pick. It's hard to count on anyone on that line right now. Randy Thomas has been injured quite a bit over the past few years. Chris Samuels sounds like he'll retire. Casey Rabach isn't getting any younger. Dockery has been solid, but that's about it. Questions with no answers right now.

PR nightmare

2009-10-28T07:28:00.001-07:00

The Redskins have a PR problem. A big PR problem.

First of all, the Redskins lost to the Eagles Monday night. Sorry for my late commentary on that - I was out of town without a computer or a permanent internet connection. Also, to be honest, I'm not sure what else needs to be said about this year's team on the field. They've been ripped by everyone near and far, and ripped for everything - talent, coordination, play calling - everything.

And while I'm still calling for the Redskins to be "blown up," the real shame for the team right now is the public relations hell storm that is or is about to be called down.

As has already been cited, the Redskins have been suing their own fans because they simply couldn't afford tickets anymore. But now, as the team continues to lose game after game, the Redskins' security forces seem to taking away many of the fans' freedoms at the game itself.

The team recently has banned signs inside FedEx Field. To prevent injuries, the team says. I'm sure it has nothing to do with various signs criticizing the team. The Redskins already have banned bags, so, you know, if a fan wanted to wear a paper bag on his or her head, that wouldn't be allowed. Also, media can no longer interview tailgaters in the FedEx Field parking lot.

So what of it?

It's a bad showing all the way around for the Redskins. They have a public relations nightmare on their hands, and it seems like they're in complete denial.

On a side note, it seems like they're in complete denial about a lot of things this season.

It's quite clear that the Redskins don't want to see their fans complain. I can understand why, but sometimes you just have to admit that something isn't working and move through and past it. Admit failure and move on. This team seems unwilling or unable to do this. The team acts like everything is just fine, and maybe it's because the team technically can turn it around and make this a successful season. Maybe once the team is at 2-9, they'll admit things just aren't working.

But taking away fans' ability to show displeasure with the team is a bit over-zealous. Taking away signs, making fans change "Anti-Snyder" T-shirts, or turn them inside out, is ridiculous. Read about fans' experiences at FedEx here.

As for the team itself, I think it's about time some young guys started playing.

Boy, I wish we had a young QB to try out and see what he can do. Someone, perhaps, like Colt Brennan or Chase Daniel? What a waste.

How to lose control of a perfectly good football team

2009-10-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

It really is amazing how fast things can go from "Horny for Zorny" to "FIRE HIM!!!!"

Just a few months ago, Zorn was entering his second season, offseason spent bolstering his team's talent. 2009 was to be a playoff-run year.

Now, the team is a mess. They've faced six straight winless teams and won just two games.

Thank god for the Tampa Bay Bucs, or they might be the worst team in the NFL. And I'm not totally convinced that if the Bucs played the Redskins again, there wouldn't be a different result.

One of the worst things about this year's team is that the defense isn't very bad at all. The Redskins' defense is ranked fifth overall, third for pass defense. They had five sacks Sunday against Kansas City (1-5). Another absolutely wasted defense. Last year the Redskins finished with the fourth-ranked defense. A waste.

Adios Zorn
A year ago, Dan Snyder and Vinny Cerrato hired Jim Zorn as an offensive coordinator while looking for a new head coach. Zorn was brought in to call plays and manage the offense. But when Cerrato and Snyder couldn't find another coach they wanted, they offered Zorn a shot at the head coaching job.

A year and a half later, with the offense sputtering, they've taken play calling away from Zorn. So what exactly is Zorn going to do now? Is he a good game manager? All he's wanted to do was to call plays. He had never called plays before he came to the Redskins. But he comes to the Skins and they unexpectantly make him the head guy.

Snyder and Cerrato went looking for the next Mike Tomlin and unfortunately found the next Jim Zorn. Oops.

The team is a mess.

What exactly will taking the play calling away from Zorn do? Isn't this just a precursor to firing Zorn midseason? The problems with the offense go way beyond play calling. Snyder and Cerrato already brought in "consultant" Sherman Lewis to take a look at the offense. Now they take the play calling duties from Zorn. Is there any other way to undercut the man's authority and his responsibilities?

Speaking of problems with the offense ...
Why the hell did Cerrato/Snyder dump Chase Daniel when they put Colt Brennan on IR? The Redskins have no young backup on the team. With Brennan on IR, Todd Collins looks like he's going to be the guy from here on out. Which does nothing good for the future of the team. When Cerrato stashed Brennan on IR, it would have been a great idea to keep Daniel around to learn. But instead, Daniel is now in New Orleans and probably infinitely better off than he was here.

Jason Campbell is done. It's becoming very clear that his five-year experiment is over. The problem remains that there is no one ready to take over for him.

I'd like to see what Brennan has, but it's looking more and more like we will never see what Brennan has because he's injured in this critical situation. The Redskins might be forced to draft a young QB without first seeing what Brennan can do. And if the Redskins do draft a young first-round QB, Brennan might as well be as good as gone.

One thing is clear
This team is a mess.

We'll see how it all shakes out, but I don't expect to see Zorn last past the bye week, which comes after Monday night's game against the Eagles.

It's a shame, too. The defense is good enough for a playoff run. But the offense is bad enough to lose the rest of the team's games.

Redskins doomsday clock at 11:59

2009-10-11T13:15:00.000-07:00

Jake Delhomme sealed Sunday's Panthers win - Carolina's first of the year - and may have sealed Jim Zorn's fate at the same time.

There aren't a lot of words for the Redskins loss. Team Zorn was up 17-2 at one point, but Carolina came back to win. It's hard to put into words just how bad this loss was. 17-2 was the largest lead Zorn has ever had. Now it's the biggest lead he's ever lost.

It would be very easy to say that Zorn needs to be fired. It's becoming more and more clear that Zorn isn't cutting it on offense.

But it's not just Zorn.

Greg Blache's defense leaves a lot to be desired. They're pretty good once the opposing team drives the length of the field to get into the red zone over and over again, but all the time on the field leaves the team tired at the ends of games.

Special teams were a big factor in Sunday's loss to Carolina. They gave up a huge kick return and also gave the ball away on a punt return after a Redskins player touched the ball.

And it's not just the coaches.

Is there one player on the offensive line worth his weight? Maybe Dockery. Maybe Rabach. Samuels was injured early in Sunday's game (he never returned) and the Redskins couldn't pass block from there on in. Heyer got blown up multiple times by Panthers end Julius Peppers. Samuels' replacement, Batiste, also got blown up multiple times.

QB Jason Campbell was sacked five times and never looked comfortable. He completed most of his passes, but the plays that he missed were more memorable that any passes that he completed.

The Redskins receivers fail over and over again to establish themselves, fail over and over again to separate from defensive backs. None of the young guys - Thomas, Kelly or Davis - appear ready to be standouts any time soon. Moss isn't getting any younger, and opposing teams can shut him down if they concentrate on him. Cooley, who has be dependable all season, caught zero passes against the Panthers.

And it's not just the players.

I could go through this with almost every single aging starter for the Redskins (and there are many aging starters). It's an organizational problem, and it goes straight to GM Vinny Cerrato and Dan Snyder. The entire organization needs to be cleansed.

The Redskins haven't been in rebuilding mode in more than a decade - it's time.

The Skins are now 2-3, losing two out of their last three games. That's two losses to previous winless teams. That's two losses to two of the worst teams in football.

I don't see Zorn surviving long. But I hope Snyder has the courage to tear the organization apart. It's in serious need of an overhaul.

The doomsday clock is now at 11:59.

Another unnecessarily close win

2009-10-06T09:41:00.001-07:00

You know what the Redskins really needed Sunday against Tampa (Bay)?

They really needed to put up 30+ points and look dominant against a team that was starting a new quarterback and a defense that had been walloped frequently this season. The Lions aren't the worst team in football - the Buccaneers are.

But the Redskins' struggles against the winless Bucs -- a 16-14 bittersweet victory -- pointed out all of this team's flaws.

And there were positives as well as negatives. The running game was a bit more effective, the passing game less so. The pass rush a little more effective, the rush defense a little less so.

The Redskins have proved they can compete against the worst teams in the NFL. Even win, if they really try hard. They're 2-2. Time to take what they've done in the first quarter of the season and learn. The team isn't destined for failure. But they could be, easily.

Some stuff to take away from Sunday's game against Tampa Bay.

Jason Campbell, who are ye?
Campbell and the Redskins had less than 100 passing yards in the first half and finished with just 170 yards. By the end of the game, he had managed to throw three interceptions. He finished with his lowest passing percentage of the year (54.5%). All in all, he looked a rookie version of himself. Which isn't good for a fifth-year player.

It kind of looked like Jim Zorn and Co. wanted to be a little more aggressive - Campbell threw deep a few times, connecting with Moss once on a 59-yard TD - but there is being aggressive and then there is making bad decisions, which is what happened.

It's hard to imagine Campbell having this kind of performance again. The guy is very protective with the ball -- to a fault. Everyone has bad games, and his wasn't good. But I do like the aggressive play. Keep up trying to get deep. Just leave out the INTs next time.

The defense has to improve
Cadillac Williams and the Bucs ran over, under and through Albert Haynesworth and the Redskins defense. Haynesworth himself had zero tackles. Greg Blache's defenses in the past have been excellent at stopping the run, but this year, maybe because of an emphasis at getting after the QB, the rushing defense has not been good.

In total defense, the Redskins were 4th last year, but now are 12th. And that's after adding to the defense. It's a sad trend, and hopefully something the Redskins can improve upon. The Skins did improve in one area Sunday: they were the worst team in the league as far as giving up third-down conversions, but Sunday, they allowed Tampa Bay to convert just 2 of 15 third-down attempts. But that may have more to do with the QB the Bucs started - Josh Johnson - who doesn't seem much like an NFL QB.

On the plus side, the Redskins are the fourth-ranked scoring defense, giving up just 15.5 points a game. Unfortunately the team's offense is still awful.

Smaller thoughts
I like DeAngelo Hall. I like his playing style. I like his INTs. I do NOT like his celebrations. Get ahold of yourself, Hokie. ... Wither Malcolm Kelly/Devin Thomas/Fred Davis? They've been highly unproductive, and they're going to start costing some serious money soon. But it's never about the receivers. Receivers are very easy to find. It's all about the quarterback, offensive line and the offensive coordinator or whoever calls the plays. They are the cogs that make offenses go. Not running backs or receivers. ...
Speaking of running backs, Clinton Portis had a good day Sunday. But he still doesn't look explosive or anywhere close to it. Not sure how long the Redskins can keep him around. It won't be a popular decision, but it's time to move on. To who? Not sure that guy is on the team yet. ...
I thought Reed Doughty played very well at safety. He's impressed me with his tackling. Solid, not spectacular, but simply solid. ...
Chris Cooley had a heck of a game. He seems to be the only offensive set piece the Zorn and Co. seem to know how to use effectively. Though I'm not sure how much more mileage they can get out of those bubble screens. Reminds me of Gibbs-era screens to Santana Moss. ...
Speaking of Moss, I wish he would be just a little more consistent. One game he catches 10 passes, and the next he catches two. A lot of that has to do with the QB and the play caller, but gosh. ...
I was happy to see Brian Orakpo on the line more against the Bucs. He's a tremendous passrusher. Finished with a sack.

The Redskins travel to Carolina this week. Another game the Redskins will probably be favored to win. Another game the Redskins will play another unnecessarily close game.

Want to guess when the last time was that the Redskins had won by more than two touchdowns?

It's been more than two years. Oct. 7, 2007, against the Detroit Lions. 34-3.

That's what the Redskins really need right now. To completely obliterate a team. A team just like Carolina.

For the good of the team, Snyder must make a decision

2009-09-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

Danny Snyder and Vinny Cerrato's special relationship has been well documented.

It's a relationship that has spanned almost 10 years and over that time, the Redskins have been nothing if not mediocre. Some years a little more, some a little less. But doubtlessly mediocre.

And it's a relationship that, for the good of the Redskins, must end.

The roster
The Redskins have the oldest roster in the league with an average age of 27.60 and average NFL experience of 5.55 years.

But who on the roster right now is absolutely isn't expendable? Certainly not Campbell. Portis hasn't converted a third- or fourth-down (and 1) seemingly all year. Maybe Samuels or Dockery on the line. Not sure about any of the receivers. Maybe Moss, but he's wildly inconsistent. Anyone on defense? Maybe Haynesworth, but he hasn't proved his worth yet. Neither has Orakpo.

Everyone else could be replaced.

While we're talking about Orakpo, why the heck did we draft him to play a typical linebacker? He's a passrushing fiend, yet we have him playing basically a drop-back, read-and-react linebacker? Makes no sense.

Why does Cerrato have five running backs on the roster? We have Portis, Betts and Cartwright - who are basically the same type of back and very little upside - and then Alridge, who the Redskins haven't used yet but has a lot of upside. Betts and Cartwright are veterans who are not needed. They're good running backs, but provide the same thing that Portis brings to the table.

Campbell is not a West Coast Offense QB. Not sure why Cerrato brought in a WCO coach to teach a deep-ball passer how to run a WCO. Collins is too old to be anything other than a backup right now. Brennan has a lot of upside but really hasn't shown it quite yet. Oh, and he's on IR. Daniel showed a lot of upside, but Cerrato decided to jettison him.

Alright, I'll say it
First off, Snyder must fire Cerrato, and this time not bring him back. It'll be a tough decision to fire Cerrato, but it's something that Snyder must do if he wants the Redskins to ever get better on the field.

This team needs a complete overhaul. It's full of aging veterans - take a look at the defensive line (Wynn, Carter, Daniels) - who, while they have great experience - aren't exactly helping this team out right now.

It's pretty clear that Campbell probably won't be the Redskins starter next season (unless for some reason he has a great rest-of-the-season. Maybe take the time now to overhaul the team. It's going to take some time, but in the longhaul, it'll be worth it. Fix the offensive line first. Then get a quarterback who can make quick decisions and run the team from the line of scrimmage. He doesn't have to necessarily have a big arm. Don't worry too much about the running back or receivers - they are very easy to find.

Defensively, I think there are some key young guys in place. Horton and Doughty are playing well. Orakpo has potential, but please, use him wisely. I like Rocky McIntosh. The Redskins need to find a replacement for Fletcher, who is getting a little up there.

All is not lost
This year isn't over by a long shot, and the team can turn it around and avert disaster. I don't necessarily think Zorn is a bad coach. I just think he's trying to do too much and failing at everything. If he wants to truly be a head coach, he can't be the one calling the plays. He also can't be coaching QBs.

He has to manage the game.

The team needs to do a better job at using the weapons it has. Use Fred Davis more. The guy is a great athlete, but he's only had five catches in his two-year career. Create a few packages a game for him. Use Kelly and Mitchell more on high, deep stuff. There's some young talent there.

Use Alridge with what he does best. Get him out in space and let him run. He's the only speed runner on the team. Use that.

Use Orakpo better. Have him be pretty much a pass-rushing linebacker. Bulk him up. Don't worry about dropping him back in coverage, that's not what he does well. Move him around and blitz him from multiple angles to confuse offenses. The guy is a weapon. Use him.

Play some more bump-and-run on the defense. Be more aggressive. Attack with Landry more. The guy is a rocket when blitzing. He is a natural aggressive safety, should be playing close to the line and attacking it. Don't drop him back in coverage too much, you're taking him out of the game.

If the Redskins start looking like they'll be out of the playoffs, which I'm not saying they'll be, look for some big changes on the way.

The team can turn it around this year, but they must start playing smarter football.

Quick reactions, Redskins-Lions

2009-09-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gents, we now know who the Washington Redskins really are. It took an embarrassing loss to figure it out, but it's finally done.

Yes, the Redskins lost to the Lions 19-14 Sunday afternoon. Yes, Detroit broke their 19-game winless streak against the Skins.

And oh boy, I was enraged. I felt anger and pain, but most of all, I felt confused about where the team is headed.

Some points:

The Jason Campbell show is finished.
Until now, I was unsure whether Campbell would continue to be the starting QB of the Washington Redskins after this season. His performance against the Lions solidified my belief that he will not be. Yes, he put up ok numbers Sunday, but not when it mattered. And he never really seems to be in charge of games like a starter should be.
I wish that Colt Brennan wasn't on IR so that we could see if Brennan has what it takes. Alas, we've probably wasted Brennan's time on the team yet again.

Jim Zorn is on very thin ice, but not finished. Yet.
I'm sure most fans would like to see Zorn gone right now, and I think that he is calling some piss-poor plays (especially in the red zone). But it's not time to kick the head coach off of this island. I think if this season turns south, it'll be the end of Zorn's tenure here, and I can only blame Zorn. He chose to attach himself to Campbell. He chose to keep the play calling duties despite the fact he had never been an offensive coordinator before, much less a head coach. Nothing about his tenure in D.C. has been good.

What happened to the defense?
The Lions were able to drive up and down the field pretty much at will. Detroit continually took advantage of the Redskins' defensive backs and completed 55 percent of their third-downs. (The Redskins completed just 20 percent.)

I do believe that Mr. Greg Blache is in denial about how poorly his defense played against Detroit. The Lions held the ball for over 36 minutes and had drives of 99, 74, 86 and 84 yards. Those are whoppers of drives.

If this is a reflection on how the defense will perform, the team is in trouble. On top of this, Haynesworth's hip injury is a huge concern.

Some (too few) positives

I don't think the Lions are as bad this year as people are making them out to be. Blache pointed this out in a post-game interview. They lost to the Vikings, who are unbeaten. They lost to the Saints, who are unbeaten.
Santana Moss still proves he's the Redskins' best receiver. He had 10 catches, 178 yards and a touchdown. That's double what he had coming into the game. He needs to be consistent for the Redskins to have any success.
Hunter Smith is awesome. The Skins haven't had too many good punters over the last 20 years. Hunter the Punter averaged 45 yards per punt, with a long of 58 yards. Simply excellent.

A question
Is it too early to talk about "blowing up" the team? I'm talking about a complete overhaul. New QB. New RB. New coach. A new general manager. Everything.

Redskins vs. Lions (PRESSURE!)

2009-09-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

The Redskins take on Detroit Sunday with as much pressure on the team as there has ever been.

Jim Zorn is under pressure to get his offense going. Portis is under pressure to prove he's not over the hill. Campbell is under pressure to throw touchdowns, not just completions. The defense is under pressure to stop offenses.

The Lions, as I've mentioned, have what's considered among the worst defenses of all time. And Campbell has had great success against Detroit in his career. The Lions haven't won a game since 2007, a streak of 18 games now.

But many experts are predicting that Lions will break that streak against the Redskins. Why? Because the Redskins are an easy target. They haven't performed well against opponents they should dominate.

I don't think the Lions will win, not with Matt Stafford quarterbacking them, and certainly not in his rookie year. I think the Redskins defense will be able to pressure and confuse Stafford into mistakes, but the question is whether the Skins offense will be able to beat the Lions defense.

I say yes. Big-time. The Redskins should be able to control the game, rushing and passing. Though Portis is questionable with bone spurs, the Skins seem to have good depth with Betts, Mason, Cartwright and now Alridge, whom the Redskins re-signed this week.

30-17 Redskins.

Jason Campbell against Detroit

2009-09-24T08:43:00.000-07:00

I read an article this week from Sports Illustrated about how Detroit's pass defense has been very bad since 2007, and apparently the Lions are only getting worse. The Detroit Lions have the worst pass defense in the history of the NFL.

That got me wondering how Redskins QB Jason Campbell has performed against the Lions over his career. I knew that he had done well in the past, but I had no idea how well.*

Campbell has played two games against the Lions, but those games make up most of his career-high single-game totals.

In 2008 alone, he set career highs in completion percentage (82.1), average yards per attempt (11.7) and passer rating (127.4). He also threw for 328 yards, a season-high and second only to a 2007 game in Dallas where he passed for 348 in a loss.

His numbers against Detroit are simply out of this world compared to his numbers against everyone else.

Campbell	vs. Detroit	Everyone else
Yards per game	288	202
Completion Perc.	80.7	60.6
Yards per pass	10.1	6.6
Passer rating	126.4	80.2

The passer rating stat stands out. 126 is a phenomenal, elite number. His 10.1 yards per pass is very large as well.

Another number stood out - 0. Campbell has never thrown an interception against Detroit in his career. He has thrown three touchdown passes.

What do the numbers mean? They provide good hope going into Sunday's game at Detroit. The Redskins certainly need all the offense they can muster.

On another note
Check out this video from the NFL Films folks. They had Jim Zorn mic'd up last Sunday against the Rams. The communication between he and Campbell is great. I'd say this is definitely one of the best videos I've ever seen on the Redskins. Perhaps the best.

*Numbers are averages and thus a little off. They should be close enough to the real numbers not to make much of a difference. I spent 2 hours on this and you'll like it, damn you.

Quick reaction to win over Rams

2009-09-20T13:02:00.001-07:00

Usually when a team wins, it's a moment to celebrate. But the Redskins' win Sunday against the Rams felt empty.

The Redskins controlled the game, but the team went 0-for-5 for scoring touchdowns in the red zone. The Skins racked up 362 total yards and Jason Campbell performed well enough. Clinton Portis ran well enough, but neither scored any touchdowns.

Truthfully, the Redskins were lucky to come away with the win. It took the defense stopping a last-second deep ball before the win was guaranteed.

Some quick thoughts

Shaun Suisham was not very good last year - he was last in the league in field goal percentage. This year, he's turning into the offensive MVP. Crazy times.
I was not impressed with Jim Zorn's play calling, especially in the red zone. I don't understand why, if you have a quarterback like Campbell, that you create an offense like you have Chad Pennington starting. Doesn't make sense. Campbell can throw the ball 60 yards flat footed. Throw some deep balls. In the red zone, the Redskins came away with nothing. They have to solve that.
The Redskins defense is still coming into shape. They gave up some big plays Sunday, but played well when it was necessary.
I'd like to see more of Ladell Betts. He's looking good again after an injury hurt him last year.

Disappointing win. The Lions come to town next week, and the Redskins will be heavily favored to win that one as well.

The Redskins' offense will have to wake up.

I'll have some more on the game later this week.

The test cometh

2009-09-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

The Giants game is in the rear-view mirror, and we've come to the trap game.

What's a trap game?

The Redskins are expected to destroy the Rams. Not to just win - that would be too easy - but to actually rout them. The Redskins are such locks to win that, among media members who predict game results, the Redskins were picked to win by each and every person.

That's a tough situation to be in. Fans expect 300 passing yards from Jason Campbell, and 100 rushing yards by Clinton Portis. Oh, and for the defense to harrass Rams QB Marc Bulger and blow up the Rams running game.

This is the same situation that the Redskins went into against the Rams last year, and the Rams came away with the underdog win, a win which started the Redskins' slide out of playoff contention.

What do the Redskins have to do to beat the trap? And should Jim Zorn be worrying about his job if the Redskins lose?

Jason Campbell must make good decisions.
Contrary to popular belief, Campbell doesn't have to throw for 300-plus yards against St. Louis and he doesn't have to throw for three-plus touchdowns. He does, however, have to play with confidence and not make stupid mistakes. The problem is, Campbell has rarely looked calm and confident in his time with the Redskins.

The offensive line must do its job.
The OL has to keep Jason Campbell upright as well as open up running lanes for Portis and Ladell Betts. The line did a decent job against the Giants, who have one of the best defensive lines in the game. Against the Rams, the Redskins should have a chance to establish an identity. The Redskins are always seem to be more confident - and perform better - when they get the running game going.

Portis must be consistent.
Portis got off to a strong start last week, carrying the ball 34 yards on the Redskins first play of the game. After that, though Portis had 15 carries for 28 yards, which ain't good at all. In years past, the Redskins have gone as Portis has gone. If he had a good game, the Redskins had a good game. That is to say that the Redskins QBs haven't led the offense, Portis has. I don't think it has to be that way, but that's the way it has been. Portis doesn't have to be crazy good, but Campbell has played better when Portis is doing well.

The defense must assert itself - pressure pressure pressure
Albert Haynesworth can dominate. The Giants did a good job of limiting him, but Rams don't have the Giants talent on the line. Haynesworth needs to control the middle of the defense, and the Redskins need to attack Bulger, pressure him into mistakes, and take advantage of the mistakes.

What the Redskins need to be wary of is underestimating the Rams and allowing Bulger and running back Steven Jackson go wild. Jackson has the potential to control the game. That would be a real surprise, with the Redskins' additions on the defensive line.

Really, though, it comes down to Campbell. I think if the Redskins lose this game against the Rams, there will be a significant amount of pressure on Danny Snyder to dump Zorn and to not re-sign Campbell.

Quick hits

Campbell needs to show that he has learned in his years in Washington. If not, there's nothing to save him.
Portis has to show that he's not over-the-hill. He didn't have a great game against the Giants, but the Rams' defense shouldn't be close to the Giants' D.
Who's going to make an impact at receiver for the Redskins? Randle El was the leader last week in the slot. Will any of the second-year players step up? Will Moss have an impact? He was shut down against New York.
Rookie Orakpo had a so-so game against New York. He should have a better game against St. Louis. The Redskins should use him as an attacking linebacker. He can rush the passer much better than he can drop into coverage.
Maybe the Redskins will have a punt return against St. Louis. They had just one against the Giants - for zero yards.

After reviewing the tape ...

2009-09-16T23:31:00.000-07:00

Alright, I forced myself to re-watch the Giants game. I had meant to do it Monday or Tuesday, but whenever I thought I'd sit down and watch it, I either did not have time, or I found anything and everything else that I had to do.

Here's what I saw:

The Redskins defense kept the team in the game.
Yeah, no duh, right? While coordinator Greg Blache's defense seems to be in the "bend-but-don't-break" variety, they did a good job of stopping the Giants when they reached the red zone, forcing FG attempts instead of giving up very many long touchdowns. Fans have complained that the Redskins cornerbacks play too far off the opponents receivers, but they do that so that opponents won't be getting behind the defensive backs and scoring many long touchdowns. Giants QB Eli Manning, however, did a good job of moving around in the pocket and avoiding the Redskins rush for the most part. But the Redskins defense did enough to allow the team to win. Jason Campbell and the Redskins offense gave up a touchdown on offense when Osi Umenyiora sacked Campbell, creating a fumble and returning in for a TD.

Along those same lines ... DT Albert Haynesworth is indeed a monster.
The Giants had almost no success whenever they tried to run near Haynesworth, and they attempted to double-team Haynesworth almost all night. The Giants did have some success running the ball, but only when they ran away from Haynesworth and/or Haynesworth was out of the game.

Orakpo had a decent game. London Fletcher was all over the field.
When I watched the game the first time around, I thought that rookie LB/DE Brian Orakpo was virtually invisible, but Orakpo held up fine. He didn't stand out, but he didn't give up any major plays that I noticed. I still would like to see him rushing the passer way more than dropping back in coverage, which is his weakness, but he's a work in progress.

Fletcher was credited with 18 tackles, which currently leads the league (Yeah, Week 1). He had a great game helping to slow down the Giants running game.

Too many missed tackles, though.
On Manning's first half touchdown pass to WR Mario Manningham, Manning did a good job of checking into a quick WR screen to counter the Redskins all-out blitz. It was one-on-one coverage, and Manningham beat CB Fred Smoot's tackle (which would have resulted in a punt) then beat DE Andre Carter's tackle, then beat CB DeAngelo Hall's attempted tackle. Great run after catch, but putrid tackling. Combined with misses from Chris Horton and LaRon Landry earlier in the game, the Redskins had six missed tackles at this point. Too many.

Does Jim Zorn trust Jason Campbell?
Whenever the Redskins were backed up deep in their own red zone, the Redskins usually tried running the ball twice, and then attempting a quick screen or dump off. On their first possession of the second quarter in backed up, the Redskins ran in all three downs, not even attempting a pass to pick up the first down. Perhaps Zorn is justified, when Campbell makes bad decisions like trying to throw the ball after he's already cross the line of scrimmage and ends up throwing an interception. And the Redskins attempted just one deep pass, a mixed up bomb to Santana Moss, where Moss went a different direction than Campbell threw. Bad times.

Offensive line did a pretty good job ... Campbell not so good.
The Redskins offense as a whole did not play well, but the team's offensive line was not to blame for the most part. They kept the dangerous Giants defense off Campbell almost all game.

Campbell, though he had a good passer rating, did not play as well as the rating. He looked a little lost, a little flustered, and a little confused. He turned the ball over and it cost the team deeply. He also must do a MUCH better job of feeling the pass rush and know when to step up, and when not to.

On sack-fumble-TD for Umenyiora, as announcers pointed out, he had a lot of space in front of him to step up. That's something that a pro QB has to feel.

The Giants have a good defense, so I'll give him a bye this week. But he won't get any pass from fans if he doesn't light up the Rams defense for some real numbers and touchdowns.

Playcalling bone to pick
After Hall's INT late in the third quarter, why wasn't the first play after that a shot into the end zone, looking for a touchdown?

Instead, the Redskins handed off to running back Clinton Portis, and Giants DE Justin Tuck split between tackle Stephon Heyer and guard Randy Thomas (Heyer was left looking for someone to block) and stopped Portis for a 5-year loss. All of that momentum gone in a flash. The next play is a 9-yard screen to Portis. Decent, and getting back the yardage lost. I'll accept it. Then Campbell uses the Redskins' second timeout of the half, leaving the team only 1 for the rest of the game. Not that timeouts are important at the end of the game, right?

And then on third and six from the 8 yard line, Campbell is sacked because he couldn't get rid of the ball fast enough. Poor play calling, poor execution. The Redskins settle for a FG.

Other bits...
Carlos Rogers dropped another easy interception early in the first quarter. Hit his stone hands and bounced off them, laughingly. ... Cedric Golston and Lorenzo Alexander are no substitute for Haynesworth in the middle. They played okay, but don't provide the push of Haynesworth. ... When will Landry ever live up to his potential? He had a decent game vs. Giants. Missed too many tackles for my liking, but his deflection caused Hall's INT. ... I like the look of Campbell in the shotgun. He seems to have more of a feel out of that situation. ... What do you think about using the trick field goal play so early in the season? Holder Hunter Smith scored on the run, but now that play is on film. Will that matter? Think the Redskins will use it again later in the year? ... The Redskins ran to their left side the vast majority of the time, right behind Chris Samuels and Derrick Dockery. Casey Rabach got pushed back quite a bit by the Giants DTs. ... I personally don't mind the end-around/trick pass play to Antwaan Randle El on the second play of the season. I just didn't like the execution. Randle El should have thrown that pass away, or at least not tried dancing around. ... WIth six minutes left in the half, the Giants had outgained the Redskins 203-68. The Redskins had just 26 passing yards. ... TE Chris Cooley had a good day, despite putting a scare into the team with a fumble that was called back after a replay. He has been an excellent value draft pick for the Redskins.

What we learned, Vol 1, Chapter 5

2009-09-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

The Redskins lost, but it's okay.

The Skins did indeed fall, 23-17, in New York against the Giants. The Redskins - especially in the first half - didn't look like a complete football team. New York controlled the game and the Redskins never led. But it's not so bad.

What we learned:

1. The Giants are really good.
Maybe I am overestimating how good the Redskins are, but the Giants looked like a very, very good team. Their defense is their calling card, and they had three sacks, harassed Jason Campbell all day, and shut down the Redskins' running game. That's not to say the Skins didn't have their chances against the Giants, and I'm not absolving them of the loss simply because the Giants are good. But the Giants do have a great defense, and Eli Manning ain't too shabby either. They are the conference favorites, and they showed why on Sunday.

2. The offense is a work in progress (again).
It wasn't just one thing. It was everything, but the problems Sunday could have a lot to do with the Giants' defense. The Redskins had trouble protecting Campbell as well as running the ball. That added up to the Redskins having trouble moving the ball, especially in the first half. The team's top receiver, Santana Moss, had just two catches for 6 yards, and one of those catches was for -2 yards. Clinton Portis managed 62 rushing yards on 16 carries, but he gained 34 of those yards on his first carry of the day. The team did make a late push, and maybe against a lighter defense, the Redskins might have been able to show more. But one bright spot on offense ...

3. Randle El is a heck of a slot receiver.
The Redskins demoted Antwaan Randle El from a starter to a third receiver, similar to what he did in Pittsburgh. The spot opposite Moss went to Malcolm Kelly. Randle El responded with seven catches for 98 yards, one of his best games as a Redskin. One of the best things about Randle El is his speed and quickness, and he showed those attributes to the max. While he didn't work too well as an outside receiver, he's absolutely perfect in the slot.

4. Training camp reports are highly suspect, but the defense isn't THAT bad.
Reports out of training camp said that the Redskins defense was super. Well, maybe that had more to do with the Redskins offense than the defense. The Giants were able to keep drives alive, especially in the first half. What's worse, the Redskins missed several tackles. But, the defense did a good job of holding the Giants to field goals instead of giving up touchdowns. And in the second half, the Redskins defense kept the team in the game, including an interception by DeAngelo Hall. But where was rookie Brian Orakpo? The guy was all over the field in the preseason, he disappeared Sunday. Maybe the DVR will explain some things.

5. The kids aren't all right.
Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly and Fred Davis had a combined one catch - Kelly's 6-yarder. Is this just another symptom of the Redskins' poor offense? I'd hate to think the Redskins wasted three second-round draft picks.

The Skins open at FedEx Field next weekend against the St. Louis Rams, which presents a better matchup with the Redskins than the Giants do.

Hey, at least it's football season.

The Redskins have no shot against Giants

2009-09-11T23:21:00.000-07:00

Let's get one thing straight right out of the gates: The Redskins will lose Sunday against the Giants. The Redskins will start the season 0-1; the Giants 1-0. It is almost inevitable.

You disagree? Why? What gives you any clue that the Redskins are any better than the Giants, a team that cruised past D.C. twice last year? The Skins couldn't score more than a touchdown in both games. Do you think the Redskins improved that much? Or the Giants fell that much?

Do you honestly believe that receiver Plaxico Burress - who is no longer with N.Y. - meant that much to the Giants? Let me remind you that Burress did not play when the teams met Nov. 30, and the Giants still won 23-7.

Will Albert Haynesworth make that much of an impact? Gosh, I hope so, because the Skins will need all the help they can get. I can already see Giants running back Brandon Jacobs literally running over Laron Landry. Again.

I can already see the Redskins stuffing the line of scrimmage with nine players, and Giants QB Eli Manning doing some sort of trick and abusing DeAngelo Hall for 55 yards to Hakeem Nicks.

I can already see Jason Campbell being flattened over and over again by the Giants superb defensive line, which, despite its relative thinness, has been pretty adept at shutting down the Redskins' rushing attack. (The Skins averaged just 3.3 yards per rush last season against the G-men.)

Why can I see all of these things? Because they've all happened before. The Giants have had the Redskins' number. Let's face it.

But, there is hope. Haynesworth, a monster defensive tackle, was brought in to stop the Giants from doing what they Giants like to do - run the ball down your throat, and then play-action pass you to death. If Haynesworth and the defense can stop the Giants running game - no easy task - then the Redskins might have a chance. Manning isn't his brother.

Offensively, I have less confidence that the Skins will succeed. QB Jason Campbell has been known to get flustered under pressure, and that's exactly what the Giants do. Rush the passer. They even drafted a kid out of Virginia - Clint Sintim - who is very, very good at rushing the passer. The Redskins will need to get their ground game going against the Giants to have success, in my opinion. I don't see it happened, but there's always hope. The Redskins need to challenge the Giants with the deep pass.

Honestly, though, my prediction?

Giants, 30-14.

Preseason complete - Cut time

2009-09-06T14:41:00.000-07:00

Let's get one thing out of the way - the preseason is finally over.

Now the real games begin. When the Redskins play the Giants next Sunday, the games will count, and every score will matter.

There's only one thing - the Redskins can't keep all the players they've had throughout the preseason. Friday night, the team had 75 players on the roster. By Saturday night, the team had just 53. Check out the full list of players who were cut right here.

Some quick notes on the surprise cuts:

Quarterback situation: The team had to make a decision on Chase Daniel and Colt Brennan, and it seems that the Redskins have picked Brennan. Daniel was cut seemingly because he was too short - at about 6 feet - to play QB. Sunday, Daniel was signed to the Saints roster. It's a great place for Daniel, and I think he has the potential to contribute in a season or two of sitting behind Drew Brees, who at about 6-feet, has been an All-Pro QB for New Orleans.

Running back situation: The team kept four running backs - Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts, Rock Cartwright and Marcus Mason. The team let Anthony Alridge and Dominique Dorsey go. I don't much like this move. Mason adds nothing to the team that Portis, Betts and Cartwright don't already have. Alridge and Dorsey have speed and different running styles than any of the Redskins current backs.

Others: I liked defensive tackle Antonio Dixon, a rookie free agent from Miami. The Philadelphia Eagles quickly scooped him up. Good move by them, and congrats to Dixon. ... I'm a little surprised that offensive lineman Jeremy Bridges was cut since he was signed with a little hoopla and had starting experience with Carolina. But, according to training camp reports, he didn't perform well here at all. ... The Redskins kept just five wide receivers. None of the cuts were surprising. Keith Eloi, Trent Shelton and D.J. Hackett had done nothing to separate themselves in the preseason.

Here are five players who signed to the Redskins practice squad Sunday:

Safety Lendy Holmes
Fullback Eddie Williams
Wide receiver Trent Shelton
Defensive end Rob Jackson
Defensive end J.D. Skolnitsky

Not exactly sure what the Redskins saw in any of these players, but maybe that's why they pay the Redskins for these things, and not me.

UPDATE: The team apparently has signed former Giants QB Andre Woodson to the practice squad. Another player where I'm not sure what the Redskins see in him other than "Oh, hey, you know the Giants offense inside and out" type of thing. He completed less than 40 percent of his passes this preseason with zero TDs and 2 INTs. Pretty piss-poor. But, hey, he is 6-4.

But hey, the preseason is finally over. Time for the real games.

What we learned, Vol 1, Chapter 4

2009-09-03T22:08:00.000-07:00

The Redskins lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars 24-17 Thursday night in the teams' final preseason game.

The Skins starters played sparingly, and (I believe) seven starters did not play at all. So I'm not even going to bother talking in detail about how the starters played. The "first-team" defense was so-so, the first-team offense was decent. Campbell looked comfortable, which is saying a lot considering Campbell almost never looks comfortable.

This being the final preseason game, the matchup belonged to backups. Todd Collins, the Redskins No. 2 QB, did not play. It was basically Chase Daniel vs. Colt Brennan for the Skins' No. 3 QB spot.

So what did we learn?

1. Anthony Alridge lost the ball, and probably lost a roster spot.
OK, I'll admit that I liked the way Alridge ran the ball last week against the Patriots. I liked his speed - something the Redskins' backfield didn't see much of last season. Unfortunately, Alridge fumbled the ball returning the Jags first kickoff, and Jacksonville recovered and quickly scored a touchdown putting the Redskins down 10-0 before the Skins offense touched the ball.

The other two running backs, Marcus Mason and Dominique Dorsey played well - I'll probably give the edge to Dorsey - so, that one mistake will probably cost Alridge his job with the Redskins.

2. The Redskins third-string QB situation is too close to call.
Daniel and Brennan both played well, but Daniel's night started out awkwardly because he came in after Campbell, leading the Redskins' second-team offense against mostly Jacksonville's first-team defense. It wasn't pretty. Daniel barely had time to throw - and in many cases didn't have time to throw - in his first-half action. Brennan relieved Daniel in the third quarter and faired better. Brennan was solid but not spectacular. He said after the game:

"I thought I managed the ball well--I didn't throw an interception today everybody!--so we're making progress."

Brennan had to leave the game midway through the fourth quarter because of a leg injury (did not seem serious), and Daniel came back in. He played much better against the Jags' third stringers than he did against the first, leading the Redskins down the field and throwing a TD to Marko Mitchell.

It'll be a tough decision on who the Redskins keep, and who they let go. I think the team will keep Brennan and try to stash Daniel on the practice squad. I'm not sure that will work out. My opinion? Try and keep both. They have talent.

3. The kicking situation is not settled.
Shaun Suisham and Dave Rayner are battling for the Redskins kicking job this season, but unfortunately, the Skins are just too bad on offense for the kickers to get many field-goal tries in. It will come down to the wire, and I think the team will probably keep Suisham because they're comfortable with him, even if he is one of the worst kickers in football.

4. Joe Theismann should be replaced as a broadcaster.
I love the guy as a Redskin, but as a broadcaster, it's just sad. And annoying. A few of his gems: (Talking about Campbell): "He stands there like a tree in a forest" trying to say that he sees above everyone. uh-huh. After Suisham kicked a 48-yard field goal: "I guess you could say he has a leg up right now." Yes, that was bad, Joe. "Pacman (Jones) is headed to the CFL" No, he's not Joe. They said no to Pacman. Joe also was talking about "that other league" referring to the UFL. Eesh. Oh, and pronouncing Reed Doughty's last name "Doherty" over, and over, and over again.

Some other (small) things we learned ...
Marko Mitchell, who caught a TD from Daniel in the fourth quarter, will make the team, and perhaps get a lot of playing time during the season. ... Defensive end/linebacker Chris Wilson had a tremendous game rushing the Jags QBs ... I thought backup fullback Eddie Williams did not have a good game, missing blocks. Mason didn't have much room to run. ... One-time starter-now-backup safety Reed Doughty has impressed me this preseason. I didn't like him last year, but he's come to play. Reminds me of former Redskin Matt Bowen. ... Second-year cornerback Justin Tryon had a good game with an interception, and looked really fast returning the pick. ... Rookie linebacker Robert Henson finally stood out on defense. Thought he might be on the bubble. Still might be, but he had a good game. .. Receiver Keith Eloi had a great catch from Daniel, but I think he'll still be among the cuts.

What to expect against Jaguars

2009-09-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

Thursday night, the Redskins will play at Jacksonville.

It's the last preseason game, which means that all of the starters will play a quarter or less.

What this means is that, for an average fan, this game is almost meaningless. The important people in Thursday's game will probably be players you have never heard of. The game is, however, very exciting for all of us armcharm-GM types. The backups will play most of the game.

What to expect ...

It's Colt vs. Chase, Round 2.
I believe tonight will be the final battle of the Cult against the Church. If Colt Brennan plays poorly tonight, and Chase Daniel plays well, look out. Daniel could push Brennan out. I don't think it will play out like that, though. I do think that both quarterbacks are raw, but talented and should be kept on the roster. Brennan still has a leg-up on Daniel because of the extra ear.

I expect both quarterbacks to play well. I don't expect to see much of Jason Campbell or Todd Collins.

Watch the running backs.
Marcus Mason, Dominique Dorsey and Anthony Alridge are fighting for 1 or 2 roster spots. Probably only one. I think all are fine backs, and maybe the Redskins will release one of the more "secure" running backs - perhaps Ladell Betts - in order to give one of these three a shot.
Thursday night, whichever one of these runners plays the best will probably win a job. Mason has the best all-around potential, but Dorsey and Alridge both have great pure quickness and speed, something the Redskins have lacked at the running back position in quite some time.

The other camp battle.
The Redskins' field-goal kicking situation is still up in the air because the team just hasn't been able to attempt too much kicks. Shaun Suisham probably still has the leg-up on the job because the coaches are comfortable with him. Dave Rayner was brought in to battle with him, but Rayner hasn't attempted any kicks in a game from long range.

The competition might come down to Thursday.

Starters play little, and hopefully no injuries
Many starters - Clinton Portis, Albert Haynesworth, for two - will not even be playing Thursday. Most of the starters will only play a series, probably. The team is trying to avoid injuries, now, as it gears up for the regular season.

Roster cuts, Round 1 (80 to 75)

2009-08-30T09:14:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, the Redskins will have to cut five players to get under the NFL mandated limit of 75.

UPDATE: The team made the cuts early. None of the players listed are really surprising, save perhaps Alfred Fincher.

Since there is still one preseason game to be played, and backups will probably get most of the work, the team will need depth at positions. The team is also going to have to cut another 20 players before the end of the week.

Instead of trying to figure out who the Redskins are going to cut - or who I would cut - here five bubble players who I feel need to make the team, somehow. These are guys whose status with the team is still up in the air.

1. Anthony Alridge, running back. My feeling is that the Redskins need some youth (and speed, more importantly) in their running back corps. No, he's not Marcus Mason. The Redskins don't need another strong runner. They need speed and dynamic ability. Mason is a strong runner, and Alridge is not a full-time runner. But Alridge brings another element to the table that Mason just doesn't have. It will be unpopular, but it's the right thing to do. Will Jim Zorn keep four running backs? Or will Ladell Betts and/or Rock Cartwright go? I just don't see Betts or Cartwright leaving, so the it will come down to whether or not Zorn wants to keep another running back around. I say he has to.
2. Antonio Dixon, Defensive tackle. I like what I've seen from his big guy out of Miami. He's made quite a few solid stops. The problem, again, is that the Redskins seem to be fairly deep at this position, and a rookie free agent has a hard time of stick around.
3. Marko Mitchell, wide receiver. No surprise, and I don't think Mitchell is even on the bubble anymore, but maybe he is. Mitchell has stood out more than anyone else in camp. He'll probably take the 5th wide receiver spot. It doesn't sound like Zorn will keep six receivers on the team.
4. Dave Rayner, kicker. Truth be told, I haven't seen this guy kick. All I know is that Shaun Suisham was the worst kicker in football last year and yet he's still fighting for a spot on the team. He missed a 52-yarder against the Patriots, and while a 52-yarder is no easy kick, it's yet more ammo against Suisham. I'm of the opinion that anyone - anyone - has to be better, right?
5. Chase Daniel, quarterback. Mayhap my opinion of Daniel will change Thursday against the Jaguars, if Daniel throws two interceptions and looks like he doesn't know what he's doing. The Redskins have the same problem with the quarterback position as they have with the running backs: old, established talent vs. young bucks. Todd Collins is solid. Then there are Colt Brennan and Daniel. Brennan and Daniel should make the team, but both won't, unfortunately. Daniel should get more extended playing time Thursday, and if he has another huge game, he could push Brennan out. My feeling, though, is that the Redskins will attempt to keep Daniel on the practice squad.

There are a few things I want to point out, real quick. There are no players from the offensive line on this list, nor are there players from the defensive backfield or linebackers. Quite frankly, no bubble players have stood out to me. Who has stood out for you?

What we learned, Vol 1, Chapter 3

2009-08-29T08:52:00.000-07:00

The final score was Patriots 27, Redskins 24 - but it was a preseason game, and the final score really doesn't matter.

What we learned from Friday night's game:

1. Jason Campbell is just fine, thank you much.
Campbell looked solid in his first extended playing time of the year, completing a mix of passes against the Patriots, who will probably have one of the best defenses in the NFL. He wasn't perfect, overthrowing Santana Moss on a deep throw that would have been a touchdown because Moss was open by 4-5 yards. But it was a solid showing, which Campbell needed.

2. Still don't know about the receivers.
Moss will be the No. 1 receiver, that is for sure. But after that ... The Redskins seem to really want to get Malcolm Kelly into that No. 2 roll, but he dropped end-zone fade routes. To be fair, the throws weren't great, but Kelly was drafted to make those sort of catches. After him, Devin Thomas was solid, if not spectacular, as was Antwaan Randle El. The man all of these receivers might have to look out for is rookie Marko Mitchell. He stood out on a 33-yard touchdown from Colt Brennan, and has been surprising throughout the preseason. If he keeps playing like he has, he'll move up the depth chart quickly.

3. The Patriots have a great offense.
The Redskins seem to have a pretty good defense, but New England made the Skins' defense look like swiss cheese. Using quick, accurate, mid-range passing, Tom Brady and the Patriots consistently drove the field on the Redskins, who couldn't really seem to get much pressure. But Brady was getting rid of the ball pretty quickly. Not even really sure Brady was hit until Albert Haynesworth knocked him out of the game in the second quarter.

4. The Redskins have running back issues.
The team will probably only keep three running backs on its roster ... and that's a big issue. Clinton Portis is the starter. Ladell Betts seems entrenched as a third-down back/No. 2 rusher. Rock Cartwright is the special teams demon/kick returner. After that, there's Marcus Mason, Dominique Dorsey and Anthony Alridge.
Alridge I expected to be cut any day now, because he's been injured most of camp and hadn't seen the field until the Patriots game. Well, he played and led the Redskins in rushing with almost 50 yards on nine carries, showing off his speed and elusiveness.
Dorsey has been an upgrade over Randle El on punt returns, and has looked decent as a runner. He's another guy who has shown off his speed.
And then there is Marcus Mason, who isn't quite as fast as Dorsey or Alridge - or quite as elusive - but has a little more build to him that allows Mason to run through tackles a big better. He was perhaps the most impressive runner from Friday night, scoring a 1-yard TD on the Patriots first-team defense.

Quite a problem. And no easy solution. Cartwright plays on all of the special teams and is a leader there, but Mason, Alridge and Dorsey have all shown the ability to run the ball and provide a bigger spark than Cartwright.

What to expect tonight against Patriots

2009-08-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

It's preseason, week 3, which usually signifies a longer stay on the field for Jason Campbell, and he needs it. The starting quarterback has played, probably, 15ish snaps. I could go add it up, but I won't.

Look for Campbell to play a half. And perhaps the Redskins starting offense can score a touchdown. For a change.

Five other things to look for against New England:

1. How much time will Todd Collins get?
After his performance last week, rookie Chase Daniel has been getting a lot of good press. Coach Jim Zorn probably won't play a lot of Collins, if at all. The team knows what Collins can do. He's not going to surprise anyone. He's solid, but aged. The Redskins want to see what Daniel can do, and they want to see what Colt Brennan can do. Brennan has had two bad games in a row, making ginormous mistakes at bad times.

2. Who's the No. 2 receiver?
OK, Santana Moss is No. 1. No doubt about that for now. But the team seems desperate to get Antwaan Randle El out of that second receiver spot and into the slot receiver/third receiving spot that he performed so well in when he was with Pittsburgh. It looks like Malcolm Kelly might be getting a shot at No. 2, if he can stay injury free. Devin Thomas has been slipping, and looks like he's at No. 4.

3. How well will the first-team defense stand up against Tom Brady and the Patriots?
All through camp, this defense, with its pass-rushing additions, has been talked about as being fantastic. I, myself, have said the defense has looked pretty dang good in preseason games. Tonight, the defense will get a strong challenge from Brady and the Patriots, who did a pretty good job of dismantling the Redskins the last time the two teams met. In that 52-7 bombing, the Patriots did a good job of attacking the Redskins' flats. We'll see if Pats coach Bill Belichick goes for the same thing (though, it being just a preseason game, Belichick probably won't bother game-planning).

4. Will anyone on the defense below the first team stand out?
Maybe I haven't been paying too close attention, but has there been a standout on defense, who isn't a starter? Chris Wilson might be the closest thing, delivering a bone-jarring sack in the Pittsburgh game. Kareem Moore has showed something, it's just a little hard to figure out what, right now. Haven't seen much in the secondary.

5. What becometh of Dominique Dorsey and Anthony Alridge?
The two running back speedsters haven't shown much so far, though they haven't been given too many chances. Dorsey has looked explosive on punt returns, but he hasn't been given too much shots. Alridge has been hurt all camp, and has shown absolutely nothing. The Redskins don't have too much in pure speed, so Dorsey and Alridge were brought in to help in that department. Alridge will get his first playing time of the season tonight.

The game is on nationally on CBS. Enjoy the show.

What we learned, Vol 1, Chapter 2.

2009-08-23T20:04:00.000-07:00

Redskins 17, Steelers 14.

What we learned:

Chase Daniel can play. The rookie threw two touchdown passes in his first action of his professional career. He looked poised and smart. He might put some pressure on Todd Collins and Colt Brennan, if he can keep up his play. Speaking of Brennan ...

Colt Brennan has lost his mojo. Whatever he did last preseason, when he was nearly unstoppable, his luck has run out. Brennan has thrown zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. He's been the most disappointing QB on the Redskins' roster, and that's saying something. If he doesn't pick his play up, Daniel might steal his roster spot.

The Redskins starting unit still can't pass the ball. Jason Campbell completes just 1 pass in 7 attempts. For just 10 yards. Clinton Portis can still run. The offensive line looks like it can still do its thing, running and pass blocking. Campbell's performance was troubling, though. He hasn't looked in sync with his offense this year, but he hasn't exactly been given extended playing time.

Look for Campbell to play a half this week against the Patriots.

Brian Orakpo is still awesome. The rookie didn't get much for stats, but stood out on the field. Should be interesting to see him on the field for an entire game.

Dominique Dorsey should make the team, but probably won't. He has looked like an exciting return man on punt and kick returns, and looked decent as a running back. Coach Jim Zorn won't keep four running backs on the roster. Clinton Portis will make the team, as will Ladell Betts. Rock Cartwright is the third running back, and plays on all special teams.

Rock is a solid return man, and is excellent on coverage teams. Dorsey could provide more spark in the return game, but will need to stand out the last two preseason games to make the squad.

Backups at the forefront against Steelers

2009-08-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

Yeah, Clinton Portis is going to play, and yes, Albert Haynesworth will be suiting up. But this weekend's game is still all about backups.

It's the preseason, and that means it's Colt Brennan's time.

With that in mind, here are five backups to watch come Saturday.

1. Colt Brennan.
The exciting rookie has turned into a so-so sophomore. His performance last week against Baltimore (4-of-12) was putrid, and reports out of camp say that he hasn't looked his best recently. He's battling for the backup job behind Jason Campbell, but Todd Collins has looked solid if not spectacular, and could make the job his with another poor showing out of Colt.

2. Chase Daniel.
The rookie out of Missouri set records in college, but he didn't get on the field last week. He's probably fighting for a spot on the Redskins' practice squad (or a spot elsewhere in the league), but Daniel reportedly has looked good in practice. The knock on Daniel coming out of college was his height, but guys like Jeff Garcia and Doug Flutie can play in the NFL.

3. Marko Mitchell.
The rookie wide receiver was invisible last week. He's had a good week in practice, and the Skins need someone at the position to step up and grab the 5-6 positions.

4. Brian Orakpo.
OK, he's not a backup, but the rookie defensive end/linebacker is exciting. Look for him to play sparingly but provide some defensive highlights. I have a feeling this pass rusher will be a great one.

5. Justin Tryon.
The second-year cornerback had a strong training camp, but he hit a huge speedbump against the Ravens, giving up play after play, especially inside slants. After the game, he sounded like he had learned much from his shaming. We'll see come Saturday.

What to look forward to in Game 2

2009-08-19T16:24:00.001-07:00

The Redskins will try for a second time to score some points when the team takes on Pittsburgh Steelers Saturday.

Here are five things I'm looking to see out of the team on game day.

Tomorrow, look for a breakdown on individual players.

1. Score some points.
The Baltimore Ravens, yes, are a good defensive team, but it was still very disappointing to come away without at least a field goal in four quarters. The Redskins gained just 196 total yards. The first team offense did the best against the Ravens, which is a small comfort. Jason Campbell and Co. will get a longer look Saturday, and some points would be nice. The offense needs to get some drives and stay on the field longer. The Ravens had almost 30 more plays on offense than the Redskins did (80-51).

2. Portis and Haynesworth in and out.
Having Clinton Portis play in the preseason is good. Getting used to the pounding is good. Getting injured is NOT good. 4-5 touches would be fine by me. Similarly with Albert Haynesworth, it'll be good to see him in some live situations, but having him get injured could be disastrous.

3. Throw the ball downfield ...
Last Thursday against the Ravens, the Redskins barely tested the Ravens' deep coverage. Maybe that was by design, maybe not. But the Steelers have also have a tough defense that will challenge the Redskins' ability to get down the field.

4. ... and also show the ability to run the ball.
Washington ran 19 times for 56 yards, a net average of 2.9 yards per carry. That isn't going to cut it. A good passing game usually will open up a rushing game, but the same could be said of a good rushing game opening up the passing game. The team did neither against the Ravens, and that's why they were shut out.

5. Backup defense needs to be better.
In the second half, the defense needs to show the ability to stop Pittsburgh QB Dennis Dixon. The Skins couldn't stop Troy Smith from throwing for 200 yards in limited work, and Baltimore ran up most of their 500 yards against the Redskins' backup defense. These backups are playing for jobs, and the second half is where the jobs could be won - or lost.

Redskins links

A listing of Redskins on Twitter, if that's your sort of thing. Also, find me on Twitter. The Redskin I want to see start tweeting? Fred Smoot.
Backup receiver Marques Hagans trying to bounce back from a disappointing game against Ravens. Also, he can still chuck that football.
Backup defensive linemen J.D. Skolnitsky and Antonio Dixon are trying to win roster spots.

My favorite Greg Blache quote of the week

I might have to start quoting the Redskins defensive coordinator every week ...

"Rookies are coming to a new world, and so they play like aliens. We have to get them into the system."

Get real

2009-08-17T10:17:00.001-07:00

Sunday, the Redskins joined a growing list of team who really have no idea how to use the internet.

The team banned the use of "electronic updates" from practice. This means no twitter, facebooking, etc., unless you're an "approved" source. The approved sources? The twitter feeds of Redskins team blogger Matt Terl, Redskins.com and the official radio station of the Redskins.

What's the point? So you, the Redskins, can control the flow of information? Get real. Wake up and join the 21st century.

Teams shouldn't be banning social media, they should be opening up and embracing it.

My twitter feed, by the way, is @seandkennedy.

UPDATE: Oh, by the way, the Southeastern Conference looks like it's trying to do the same thing. It's ludicrous.

I really do want Ladell Bettis on the team

2009-08-14T23:10:00.000-07:00

Halfway through the NFL's first week of preseason games, the Redskins are the only team which has yet to score a single point.

Even Denver, which got some downright craptastic play from starting QB Kyle Orton, managed to get 16 points out of Chris Simms.

But, on the plus side, at least the Redskins don't have anyone named "Kyle Orton" on their roster.

I don't expect the Redskins to go another game without scoring a point (heaven help Jim Zorn if they do, even in preseason), but Zorn - as an offensive coach - probably is pretty frustrated right now.

So Ladell Betts was wearing a "Bettis" jersey for part of Thursday night. Too bad Betts didn't turn into Jerome Bettis -- on the field. That would have made Thursday night's game much more entertaining. As such, it was mostly a snoozer, sadly.

Here's what Betts had to say after the game:

"Actually, I do like Jerome Bettis, but I don't prefer to have his name on my back," he said. "I wasn't upset or anything. I think the equipment people felt bad, but I wasn't mad at them."

Nice to take the high road.

I really don't want to see Brian Orakpo out in coverage. I think he's a tremendous pass rusher, but he looks stiff to me. And that's OK. He played a strict defensive end in college, and here he's being asked to do something different, and he's learning. I think, and sincerely hope, the team is looking at how Baltimore has used "linebacker" Terrell Suggs, which is to say, the basically call him a linebacker but use him as a pass rusher 90 percent of the time.

I didn't mention Malcolm Kelly in Thursday's update, but it was really great to see the second-year receiver on the field and contributing. I'm still not sure if Malcolm is sure about his knee, but he didn't seem too unsure about it. He made one spectacular catch over the middle from Todd Collins that showed off why the team drafted him.

I really hope kickers Shaun Suisham and Dave Rayner get more work next week. Like, really hope. I, yes, I, need to find out of Rayner can play. Not sure why the team is even considering keeping Suisham, as he finished dead last in field goal percentage last season. But I digress.

Some Redskins links

Mark "Om" Steven breaks down Jason Campbell's six pass plays. Great writeup. Highly recommend.
Six former team employees file suit over unpaid overtime wages.
Team historian (I think it's fair to call him that?) Rich Tandler: There's no cause for alarm. If he says it, it must be true.
Redskins blogger Matt Terl gets all excited about Thursday's game ... then remembers it's preseason.

Well, that was disappointing

2009-08-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

The Redskins opened the 2009 preseason with a dud of a game, falling 23-0 to Baltimore.

Not too many good points. The Skins were outgained 500-196. Defensive coordinator Greg Blache said he wanted to figure out who could cover? I'm pretty sure he found out that the team's backups well ... can't.

I'll make this short and sweet.

IMPRESSED:
Hunter Smith: The new punter might have set a record for punts in a game. Well, if this was the regular season. Seriously, what? 10 punts? Hunter the Punter was busy, and that's never good.

Brian Orakpo: Reports from training camp were than Orakpo, the Skins' top draft pick, was outstanding, and he didn't disappoint. Disruptive and came close several times for sacks. Didn't see him much at linebacker. Not too sad about that.

Jeremy Jarmon: The rookie defensive end performed well, getting close to sacks and he had a batted ball. Young pass rushers are good.

Antonio Dixon: Unheralded, but the defensive tackle from Miami had a great game. Made several physical stops.

Yeah, that's it.

Starting QB Jason Campbell looked decent in the short amount of time he played. Finished 3-for-6 for 36 yards.

LOOKED LIKE CRAP
Justin Tryon: The second-year defensive back gave up completion after completion. Not good. The team gave up almost 400 passing yards.

Colt Brennan: The "most popular" Redskin's magic finally ran out. He just couldn't get it together. While he was almost flawless last preseason, this year hasn't started out well for the former Hawaii record-setter. He finished 4-of-12 for 43 yards and his first interception. Ick.

Backup offensive line: Didn't give Brennan much time to throw the ball, which didn't help the Redskins put up points. The first team, such as it was, wasn't much better when the team tried to run the ball, but there you go.

QUESTIONABLE

Jim Zorn: What the heck, man? I thought you were suppose to be an offensive coach? Goose eggs don't help. Preseason only lasts so long. And what's with not even giving Chase Daniel some playing time? Need to see what the young man can do in a live situation. Waiting for the Church of Chase to rise.

Fred Davis: Two fumbles, one lost, for the second-year tight end. I like his athleticism, and so I'll give him a pass for the fumbles. But he can't make those types of mistakes again.

Overall, a pretty horrendous start.

Redskins take on the Steelers next Saturday.

Crowded receivers

2009-06-19T07:13:00.000-07:00

I was going to do a roundup of what's been going on in Redskins-land lately, but decided that the wide receiver situation was a bit too beefy to gloss over. So ..

After two long stints with the Redskins, receiver James Thrash is cut by the team after failing a physical.

I suppose this was the only way Thrash was going to get out of the picture. He's been dealing with a bad neck injury. But Joe Gibbs praised him year after year because of his work ethic. So has Jim Zorn. So it goes. Word is, he'll get some sort of job perhaps as a coach with the team.

This makes the receiver situation a little more clear. Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El, Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly will make the team, no questions asked. Behind them, Keith Eloi, Marques Hagans, Marko Mitchell, Trent Shelton, Jaison Williams and Roydell Williams are contending for one or two roster spots.

There are a lot of talented people there, and I'd love to keep all of them. Moss and Randle El will probably start again, for better or for worse. I'd like to see more out of Thomas and Kelly. Kelly especially needs to step up, if he ever gets over his knee injury. It's not promising for the receiver out of Oklahoma. And because of that, I think it's fairly important to keep an extra body or two to be ready in case Kelly is never ready.

As for the others, I'd suppose that Mitchell has a leg up on the others since the team drafted him. I actually really like Eloi, but I don't see him making it. If you haven't seen this Eloi video, it's pretty funny.

Hagans is a lot like Randle El, and that's probably not good for him. Hagans was a quarterback at Virginia, but is trying to make it in the NFL as a receiver. Talented, but pretty sure the team isn't looking for someone with his particular skill set since they already has Randle El.

Jaison Williams and Roydell Williams are similar - big, tall, fast. They both have a lot more experience than the others, so that might give them an advantage.

I still say that it'll be Mitchell making the team, and if they keep a 6th (I think they should), it'll probably be Roydell Williams.

Adios for now.

Adios, Rock

2009-05-30T06:35:00.001-07:00

It's always sad to see a Redskin go, especially when it is a potential starter.
But Jon Jansen, the longested tenured dude around, ... I didn't expect him to depart quite so suddenly.

I guess the thing with Jansen has to do with his age, and the fact that he was making too much for his quality of play. I've always liked him - he seemed to exude confidence - so it's sad to see him go. Plus yeah, I did think he could recover from his recent injuries and play to a Pro Bowl level. Call me crazy.

Mistake or not, the Redskins are now heavily banking on either Stephon Heyor or Mike Williams stepping up and starting (and performing well) at right tackle.

And yes, that's Mike "I weight 400 pounds" Williams. You know, the guy who hasn't practiced in two years and is currently eating nothing but salads (seriously) in an attempt to lose 40 pounds by training camp.

And while Heyor played alright over a short period, it'll be interesting - and potentially key - for him to keep it up. He had to sit out for an injury last season, and Jansen came in as a replacement and never gave up the spot last season because he was playing so well.

Anyway, Jansen, good luck to ye. You signed with the Lions. Hope Matthew Stafford works out, or else it could be another long year in Detroit.

Haynesworth tampering

2009-05-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the time away -- the offseason is a slow time.

But I thought I'd bring this up. The NFL is supposedly trying to figure out if the Redskins tampered with Haynesworth when they were attempting to sign him.

If it's proven that the Redskins did indeed tamper -- which I think will be hard to prove -- the team could lose a draft pick.

I had heard awhile back about these rumors, but didn't think anything of them since most teams do this to an extent. So to actually bring on tampering charges, the Redskins must have done some really shady backroom stuff. It'll be interesting to see what happens, and how much the Redskins lose.

Five things that have to be decided before Training Camp

2009-05-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

The first official Redskins training sessions starts today, so I'm a little late (things have been busy), but as such, some decisions need to be made by the time the team heads to training camp in July.

1. The offensive line needs to discover itself. The Redskins used no draft picks on the offensive line, and they released Pete Kendall, a starter at guard last season. The team also still has Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen/ Stephon Heyer at the tackle spots, all of whom were replaced at one point last season because of either injury or performance issues. So who the heck is starting? Former No. 4 overall pick at tackle Mike Williams was signed, but he weighs a ton (almost literally) and might not ever be in "playing shape." (Although in this recent picture, he looks pretty good.) Randy Thomas will definitely be holding down one tackle spot, and a lack of options puts Casey Rabach back at center. Samuels was injured late last season, but he'll almost definitely keep his job at left tackle. I suppose that leaves the right tackle position up for grabs. Jansen says it's his. Williams says he wants it. Haven't heard anything from Heyor yet about it.

2. So where does Brian Orakpo fit? The Redskins have to find someplace to put Orakpo, who was considered by some to be the best defensive player in the draft. He played -- and excelled -- at defensive end at Texas. But some draft "experts" said that they thought he could play some linebacker in a 3-4 defensive set (which basically means that there are three line players and four linebackers). Unfortunately the Redskins run a 4-3 defense (four line players and three linebackers). Apparently the team started him at linebacker in today's minicamp. I'd kind of like to see him more at DE, personally. Not sure if he has the range to play linebacker.

No. 2 leads into No. 3 ...

3. Who the heck replaces Marcus Washington. The team dumped Washington back in February and hasn't exactly signed anyone to replace him. The Skins seem to think that H.B. Blades can contribute as an outside linebacker, and I just don't see it. Today, apparently, the team lined up Blades, London Fletcher and Orakpo as the linebackers for the first-team offense. Rocky McIntosh was excused from practice today. Apparently the team wants to use Orakpo to replace Washington (ookkayy) on first and second downs, and then use Orakpo as a pass-rusher on third downs. I suppose then Blades would replace Orakpo at OLB on third downs (cringe). One of the younger OLBs needs to step it up. I'm looking at you, Robert Thomas.

4. So, how about the punt returns? The Redskins ranked in the bottom third of the league in punt returns last season. Even worse if you take out the returns by Santana Moss (remember thatn 80-yard goodness against Detroit?) It was no secret that the team needed to find fresh legs and replace ineffective Antwaan Randle El, and they brought in a few guys who might not survive the minicamp (Anthony Alridge, Dominique Dorsey).

I doubt either or those guys make the team (unless they show that they also can play running back decently), but I would love for one of them to unseat Randle El.

5. Of course, we have the quarterbacks too. The Redskins now have half of the 2007 Heisman Trophy candidates on their roster (newly signed rookie Chase Daniel and Colt Brennan). Does last year's backup Todd Collins keep his job, or has Brennan unseated him? My guess is that Brennan will be fighting Daniel for the No. 3 spot behind Jason Campbell and Collins.

I should have seen it coming

2009-04-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

photo courtesy of ap!

I should have seen it coming. I should have known who the Redskins were picking.

Pre-draft talk about So. Cal. quarterback Mark Sanchez dominated the airwaves. Most people figured the Redskins were trying desperately to trade up and pick the smooth QB. Huge smokescreen! Well, maybe. Who knows.

Then the choosing time came around, and nothing happened. Everything happened as it should have. I found myself hoping the Rams would pick Sanchez, just to get it over with. But no. OT Jason Smith off the board.

The Chiefs up next. Would they trade down? Nope. DE Tyson Jackson to KC. Seattle goes with Curry.

And then finally Cleveland trades down, the J-E-T-S move up and take Sanchez. Brett Favre for one year and then Sanchez time. Good move for them, no doubt.

Better move for the Redskins by not trading up. I told you all last week that trading up would be a bad idea. I still believe that.

But the Redskins stayed put and chose Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo with their first draft pick.

If you haven't see anything on Orakpo, check out some highlights:

I should have seen it coming. Maybe. Think about it. Who was the last free agent the Redskins signed? I'll let you think about it.

The team signed offensive lineman Mike Williams just a day before the draft. Still don't get it? Where did Mike Williams play college football? Texas. ... Orakpo is from Texas! Boom!

So, yeah. I should have seen it coming.

Combining with new Redskin Albert Haynesworth should help Orakpo. And the addition of both of these guys should help defensive end Andre Carter. One thing is for sure, it's pretty obvious that the team's front office recognized that the opposing quarterbacks had FOR-EV-ER to throw the ball.

Other picks

One thing I noticed about four of the Redskins' six draft picks: injury problems. As good as Orakpo is, he's had a few knee sprain problems in his college career. As for the other picks, we now have a guy who has a broken shoulder, another who has knee problems, etc. It'll be interesting to see whether these injuries hamper the rookies. Anyway, onto the picks.

In the third round, the Skins picked Maryland CB Kevin Barnes. A YouTube star:

Seems decent. Broke his shoulder blade last year that required surgery. Not sure that I think he's better than Macho Harris, who went to Philly later in the draft. Very sad about that. But scouts think Barnes is worthy of the pick.

In the fifth round, the Skins picked Nebraska linebacker Cody Glenn. He started his career as a running back. He's another guy with injury issues. Missed a lot of time in college with various injuries. In all, I suppose I'm pretty "Meh" about this pick. Maybe he's good at special teams.

In the sixth round, the team picked TCU inside backer Robert Henson, who seems very average. Ran a slow 40-yard dash time. Here is a highlight video. He was a four-year starter though.

With the first seventh-round pick, the team picked Idaho tight end/fullback Eddie Williams. Williams is yet another guy with big injury problems. Not sure what it means for current Redskins fullback Mike Sellers. According to Williams' agent, he think he'll be playing fullback.

With the team's second seventh-round and final pick, the Redskins drafted Nevado receiver Marko Mitchell. Dude is big and tall, but his speed isn't great. Seems slow, but that's just his running style. Looks like a solid pick, which is rare when the Redskins draft (sad to say). Here is a highlight reel.

Overall, if Orakpo works out, then this draft will be a success. I think WR Mitchell is a good pick. I'm not sure about the rest of the picks. Just not sure we'll get anything out of them. Too many injury problems.

I'll give it a C.

Who I would have picked
The team had six draft picks. Only picked one I really agree with. Here are the selections I would have made.

First round
Brian Orakpo. I got nothing against this selection. Good pick. I hope he works out.

Second round
No pick. Traded to Miami for the rights to Jason Taylor. Who lasted one year before getting released. Good job Redskins.

Third round
Victory "Macho" Harris, CB, Virginia Tech. I don't care if he fell all the way down to the fifth round. He's a great corner. He fell because he ran a slow time at the NFL Combine, but the guy can play. Not saying that Kevin Barnes, whom the Redskins drafted, isn't great. Just got a great feeling about Macho. Too bad whatever happens will be with the Eagles.

Fourth round
No pick. Traded for Pete Kendall, whom the Redskins released after last season. Another good job Redskins from me.

Fifth round
Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma. The best guard in the entire draft fell all the way to the fifth round. Apparently he has "slow feet." The Redskins need offensive lineman, especially inside guys. But the team did not draft an offensive lineman. Not a one. I would have changed that one. Robinson is absolutely huge. Carolina nabbed him just after the Redskins picked.

Sixth round
Aaron Kelly, WR, Clemson. Kelly was on his way to being a first-day draft pick last year. But Clemson had a horrible year offensively and Kelly dropped like a rock.

Seventh round
Willie Williams, LB, Union College. This guy has had way too many problems. But he's a solid prospect. Seriously, he was the No. 1 high school prospect at one point, and then he bombed out of Miami, and he bombed out of like 3 other schools, including Louisville. Green Bay signed him to an free-agent contract, so we'll see how that works out. Head problems with this one, but sometimes you have to take a chance.

needed hunter

2009-04-23T22:22:00.000-07:00

The story may by only three paragraphs, but the Redskins signing an actual NFL punter is big news in my book.

The team will sign Hunter Smith to a one-year deal. Praise the Lord.

I seriously don't remember the last time the Redskins had a real NFL punter. Anyone wanna help me out?

Anyway, I am happy about this.

In other news, Draft Watch 2009 continues.

Dan Snyder, Mark Sanchez and the 09 draft

2009-04-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

One thing that I know can not, and will not, happen this Saturday on draft day: The Redskins will not draft Mark Sanchez. It will not happen. It's either a giant "smokescreen," or a giant media fabrication.

Sanchez will not drop to No. 13, where the Redskins pick. Trade up? More on that later.

No way in hell he drops to No. 13. The Lions could draft him No. 1 overall (unlikely -- probably will pick Georgia QB Matthew Stafford); The Seahawks could draft him at No. 4 (my bet is he's gone here, though some think Seattle will select Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree).

If he makes it past the Seahawks, the Browns, Jags and 49ers could all be interested in a potential franchise QB.

So no way does he fall that far.

I am quite sure that Redskins owner Dan Snyder is indeed "in love" with Sanchez, the super-smooth Southern Cal quarterback.

But the cost to trade up (likely to K.C.'s spot at No. 3) would be way too high. We're talking multiple first-round picks. Mortgaging the future, Ricky Williams style.

Snyder isn't that damned crazy*. Some have said he is.

I'm remaining calm and betting on the Redskins picking up either a offensive tackle or defensive end with their first selection. Or trading down for more picks.

Sanchez, though? No way.

*I hope.

Other Redskins news

Early rumor: Former Denver boss Mike Shanahan comes in next year to be the Redskins' coach. Of course he could also go to Dallas. Silly rumors, tricks are for kids.

Prime time is NOT a good time

2009-04-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

Why do Redskins fans look forward to prime-time games? Because you can watch it on ESPN?

Remember your history! And start being afraid.

Since 2004, the Redskins are 3-8 in prime-time games (those games on Sunday or Monday nights). Here's a breakdown:

2008: 0-3
2007: 1-0
2006: 0-2
2005: 2-0
2004: 0-3

So, when the NFL's schedule was announced Tuesday, it was not with great joy that I saw the team was playing three prime-time games. And divisional games at that. Whoopee.

First off, for those that use this site as their NFL news haven, here is the Redskins' 2009 schedule:

Sept. 13 @N.Y. Giants, 4:15
Sept. 20 vs. St. Louis Rams, 1
Sept. 27 @Detroit Lions, 1
Oct. 4 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1
Oct. 11 @Carolina Panthers, 1
Oct. 18 vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 1
Oct. 26 vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 8:30 (Monday night)
Nov. 8 @Atlanta Falcons, 1
Nov. 15 vs. Denver Broncos, 1
Nov. 22 @Dallas Cowboys, 1
Nov. 29 @Philadelphia Eagles, 1
Dec. 6 vs. New Orleans Saints, 1
Dec. 13 @Oakland Raiders, 4:05
Dec. 21 vs. New York Giants, 8:30 (Monday night)
Dec. 27 vs. Dallas Cowboys, 8:20 (Sunday night)
Jan. 3 @San Diego Chargers, 4:15

If the Redskins get interesting in the last half of the season, there is always flex scheduling to deal with, too. Maybe more games will go prime time. Yay?

Given the Redskins' horrendous nature in prime-time games, I suppose it's a saving grace that at least all of the games are at home. Not that FedEx Field has been great to the Redskins lately - the team was a mediocre 4-4 last season.

The rest of the games
Overall, the schedule isn't that bad.

The good news is, since the Redskins finished dead last in the NFC East, they get to play the K.C. Chiefs, the Lions and the rest of the bad teams in the NFL.

The crucial stretch is Nov. 22-Dec. 27. Out of those six games, four are against divisional rivals (@Dallas, @Philly, vs. Giants, vs. Dallas), plus you add in a tough road game against Oakland (they were terribad last year, yes, but the team is still traveling across the county), and that's a tough month of football.

If I've learned anything, it's that just because a team was bad one year does not mean that it'll be bad the next. Except maybe the Lions. And the Chiefs. And the Raiders. ... Maybe I do feel better about the Redskins schedule.

The opener against the Giants will be tough. Last year, if you'll recall, the team basically got stomped in New York in the season-opener. Well the Skins get to travel to N.Y. again this season for the season-opener. Hopefully it'll turn out better.

I think hoping for a 10-6 record with that schedule isn't crazy. I said hoping, because anything is possible.

Until next time.

schedule out tonight, and Maualuga visiting

2009-04-14T11:07:00.000-07:00

The team brought in Southern Cal linebacker/macho man Rey Maualuga, right, for a visit. Wonderful hitter. Not sure if the team needs a linebacker this badly, though.

(I kind of wish they did, just because of how terribly awesome he is).

Also, check back tomorrow for my take on the Redskins' schedule, which will be announced tonight.

The opponents are already known:
Home: New Orleans, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, Denver, Kansas City, Philly, Dallas and NY Giants;

Road: Carolina, Atlanta, Detroit, San Diego, Oakland, Philly, Dallas and the NY Giants.

Redskins miss out on Leftwich

2009-04-12T16:53:00.000-07:00

Back from a wedding. Sorry for the lack of updates.

Anyway ...

If the Redskins ever really wanted Pittsburgh backup quarterback Byron Leftwich (and I don't think they ever did), apparently he'll sign with the Buccaneers soon. Leftwich is promised a shot at a starting spot in Tampa, something the Redskins weren't about to give him.

If Jason Campbell isn't a good fit in coach Jim Zorn's system, with Campbell's slow delivery and such, Leftwich is even worse. Leftwich has a slower delivery. The Redskins are better off without him.

If the team wants a good backup, former Tampa QB Jeff Garcia would have been an excellent backup. Too bad he signed with the Raiders last week.

What does this all mean? Are the Redskins really looking for a backup quarterback? To be honest, I'm not sure. My feeling is that the team is probably looking to add someone. But why the team seems to be giving up so early on second-year QB Colt Brennan is beyond me.

Rumors have gone a little wild lately after the Redskins worked out Southern Cal signal-caller Mark Sanchez, right. ESPN draft guru says that the Redskins will draft Sanchez in his latest mock draft.

I think there is little chance that 1:) Sanchez will be left on the board when the team is "on the clock," and 2:) the team will select him. Just don't see the Redskins not only dropping Campbell, but also giving up on Brennan so quickly.

To me, it looks more like the Redskins were trying to make teams think about the possibility of them drafting Sanchez, maybe getting some draft-day trades in order. Should be interesting.

Other Redskins news

Defensive tackle Kedrick Golston signs an offer sheet, essentially keeping him a Redskin. Solid worker. Should improve with the signing of Haynesworth.
The team signed oft-injured linebacker Robert Thomas. I really like this signing. Hopefully this will keep H.B. Blades from starting as an outside linebacker, which would be a mistake.

All quiet on the Redskins front

2009-04-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

The offseason is terrible.

Seems like it's pretty quiet right now over in RedskinsLand.

Probably scheming up draft scenarios.

As for the actual Redskins draft pick itself, most seem to suggest the team will draft offensive tackle Andre Smith, out of Alabama.

At this point, I don't think anyone knows anything about what the Redskins will do.

But I don't think they'll draft Andre Smith.

Anyway, that's all for now.

More Redskins news

Feel sorry for Devin Thomas, but congrats to the Red Snapper, a giant North Carolina fan.
Linebacker H.B Blades apparently could emerge as a starter. Uh. Doubtful.

Why aren't you all dancing in the streets?

2009-04-02T20:34:00.000-07:00

Say it with me now, folks. And wipe that sweat off your brow.

PHEW!

It's (apparently) finally over. Jay Cutler is no longer a Bronco. And the best of all news? He is NOT a Redskin.

Oh yes, that is good news, my friends. Don't let anyone tell it it's not good news. On ESPN's PTI, the big headline was "Redskins miss out on Cutler" or something like that. No. It's a good thing the team "missed out" on Cutler. A very good thing.

Look, just take a gander at what Chicago gave up to get him. They got rid of quarterback Kyle Orton ... and then gave away two first-round draft picks and a third-round choice. For Cutler and a fifth-round draft choice.

Talk about a fleecing.

The Redskins need every draft pick they can get. So if the Broncos were asking for Campbell and all those draft picks I'd be saying no, no, no, no.

Not that I think that Campbell is the "quarterback of the future." I'm pretty sure I don't think that. Pretty sure. But I do know that Cutler cost way too much. And people in Chicago aren't even happy.

Good luck to the Bears. But I, for one, am glad the Redskins didn't pull the trigger on this trade.

Other Redskins news

The team will apparently meet with Campbell, now that the Redskins have done to him what the Broncos did to Cutler.
Lucky strikeout: Wilbon says the Redskins are lucky to have Campbell. I disagree. But here you go.

Cutler, AGAIN!?!

2009-04-02T02:16:00.000-07:00

From the "Why won't this story die again?" file:

Apparently, the Redskins are STILL looking to trade for Denver QB Jay Cutler.

I've already written much about this story. So I'm not going to talk much more about it.

But suffice to say that I think, in the end, it'll cost way too much for the Redskins if they trade for Cutler.

While I'm not too worried about losing Jason Campbell (Cutler would be an improvement, no doubt), losing draft picks and/or multiple players could be very, very costly. And I don't think mortgaging your future on a single player is a good idea.

The team needs to learn to live (and die) with its home-grown talent.

Oh, and that's ~~offseason-king~~ Redskins owner Dan Snyder over there on the right. In case you know nothing. And in that case, how did you get down to the bottom of this post?

Preseason 09. Feel the pressure.

2009-03-31T11:24:00.001-07:00

So, better late than never.

Still moving, and I didn't have any internet yesterday.

The Redskins announced their preseason schedule on Monday, and woah. Talk about a punishing schedule. Think about the hardest hitting teams in the league. Go ahead, I'll wait.

Now look at this schedule.

Dates	Opponent	Time
August 13	@ Baltimore Ravens	7:30 p.m. ET
August 20-24	Pittsburgh Steelers	TBD
August 28	New England Patriots	8 p.m. ET (CBS)
September 3-4	@ Jacksonville Jaguars	TBD

Ravens, Steelers, Patriots and Jaguars. At this point, I'm just hoping for no serious injuries.

Anyway, here's a quick breakdown.

@Ravens - The most interesting Redskins storyline in this game (other than the rookies) might just be backup quarterback Colt Brennan, who will no doubt play quite a bit (starters usually play a few series and then sit).

vs. Steelers - Super Bowl champs head to FedEx again. Hey maybe this time actual Redskins fans will buy tickets, and not be embarrassed by Terrible-Towel flinging Pittsburgh fans.

vs. Patriots - Tom Brady will get extended action (as most starters play at least a half in the third preseason game). I don't see this ending well.

@Jags - I really could care less about this game. Might be interesting for Jags fans since the Redskins were "the team of the South" not too long ago. Starters won't play long. Another Colt Brennan special.

Good to think about actual football again.

zorn: campbell our dude. seriously?

2009-03-25T11:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I've been in the midst of moving and haven't been able to get into all of this, but Jim Zorn not only recently said that the team was not interested in Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler, but Zorn has now committed himself to Redskins QB Jason Campbell.

If Zorn can get Campbell playing like he should be playing, everything will be all good. But my feeling is that Zorn has now attached himself to a sinking ship. Sadly.

I don't have great confidence in Campbell to do what he needs to do.

I hope I'm surprised this season. Because if Campbell doesn't play well, some fans will be calling for him to be replaced. And soon.

you can not win if you do not try

2009-03-19T23:24:00.000-07:00

Since I need a break from the 24-hour "Will Cutler be traded" watch ...

The Redskins have been holding some offseason workouts this week, and it was reported this week that every single receiver was missing from the workouts.

Seriously, what the frak. Seriously.

I don't really care about Santana Moss and Randle El. Those guys probably don't need to be there. And James Thrash was off in Hawaii picking the new Players Association rep.

But guys like Malcolm Kelly, right, and Devin Thomas?

You both pretty much sucked it up last year, and now you're skipping practices?

Yeah, real nice, fellas. Real nice.

the (Cutler) story that will not die

2009-03-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

So I wrote yesterday that there was no way in heck that the Redskins would go after Denver quarterback Jay Cutler. Absolutely no way.

Today, the Redskins seemingly want to prove me wrong.

It started as a rumor Tuesday afternoon on the rumor-crazy Bleacher Report. (For those that don't know, BR is sort of like Wikipedia, where anyone can post anything, so it can be a little untrustworthy). The BR headline:

Jay Cutler to DC: Three Way Trade Has Five Players Moving and Two Draft Picks

That got my internet ears perked up, no doubt. But the story involved such crazy trade speculation, there was no way it was true. I mean, Chris Cooley to Cleveland? Laron Landry to Denver? Redskins sending Jason Campbell to the Browns? No way, right?

Later in the day, Redskins defacto GM Vinny Cerrato said on the Washington Times' blog that "Jason is our quarterback" seemingly ending the rumors.

Except ...

DCExaminer posted late Tuesday that Redskins owner Dan Snyder definitely wants to get rid of Campbell and is trying to work out a deal to bring Cutler to D.C. In a three-way trade. DCEx isn't the Washington Post, or the Times even, but the article is written by John Keim and Rick Snider, two veteran Redskins writers. Keim, I believe, was at the Richmond Times-Dispatch for quite a while, and Snider is an ex-WashTimes columnist.

These rumors just won't end!

Both the BleacherReport rumors and the DCExaminer rumors involve 3-team trades. BR says it's with Denver and Cleveland, DCEx says it's with Denver and Kansas City.

Not sure that either BR or DCEx are very trustworthy. The Washington Times is usually a bit more reliable, and it's the only one with a real person quoted (Cerrato).

ESR take: Stay tuned. Something smells fishy.

Cutler wants out of Denver. Would you want him?

2009-03-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

unhappy in denver

So Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler wants to get out of Dodge (Denver).

There has been some discussion about whether or not the Redskins would be interested in the Pro Bowl QB.

While the Redskins have Jason Campbell, and Campbell performed adequately last season, some Redskins fans have been fairly vocal in wanting to upgrade the position.

You can check out the stats for Cutler and for Campbell. Here's a breakdown:

Cutler
Years: 3
Yards: 9,024
Pct: 62.5
TDs: 54
INTs: 37

Campbell
Years: 4
Yards: 7,242
Pct: 59.7
TDs: 35
INTs: 23

Cutler has more of everything in one year less than Campbell (though Campbell didn't play at all his rookie year). The only thing that Campbell seems better about is not throwing as many interceptions as Cutler.

Statistics, however, can often be misleading. For instance, Campbell has played in mostly run-oriented offenses. Cutler, in Denver, played in offenses that threw the ball a lot, especially last season.

ESR take: While I do think that Cutler has way more potential in coach Jim Zorn's system than Campbell does, I don't think the price the Broncos would charge for Cutler would be worth it.

The Broncos would want either some serious draft picks or some serious players. The Redskins can afford to give up neither.

If the Redskins really want a new quarterback (and I'm not sure they do -- yet), they should first look at Colt Brennan, who they already possess. He's raw, but I thought he looked pretty excellent last preseason.

The Cutler-to-the-Redskins talk should end. It's not going to happen.

Other Redskins news

Clinton Portis, who was not expected to work out with the team this offseason, is working out with the team.
A few restricted free agents have signed or are about to sign offers from the Redskins.

UPDATE: Renaldo Wynn, former Skin defensive end, agreed to terms. I have to say, I don't really like this signing much. The team had been talking with Phillip Daniels, another aging defensive end, and I had no problem with that. But two aging defensive ends? Not sure about that.

From the "OF COURSE!" file:

2009-03-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

Albert Haynesworth has been indicted on traffic charges in Nashville.

Not sure what this really could mean quite yet, but suffice to say that it's fairly embarrassing for the Redskins.

I wonder if the team knew this was coming down the pipe?

UPDATE: Doesn't look great for Haynesworth. Here's a copy of the police report about it. Props to Hogs Haven.

3rd party witness says that Haynesworth was basically driving recklessly.

Owens a BILL?!

2009-03-07T20:39:00.000-08:00

While not strictly Redskins oriented:

I can not imagine what possessed Terrell Owens to sign with Buffalo.

I don't care. I do know that the Skins don't play Buffalo next season, and that makes me glad to not have to face Owens.

Not that I think that Owens will be successful with the Bills. In fact, I think it might be one of the worst pairings ever.

But Owens seems to have good games against the Skins (remember that 38-yard run Owens had as a 49er in 2003, or that game in 2007 where Owens had four touchdowns? Yeah.)

But seriously.

If Owens couldn't get along with Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo, can you imagine what he will do with one Trent Edwards? Should make for some good laughs, at least.

By the way, here's what Owens said after he signed with the Bills:

"I'm leaving America's team [for] North America's team."

Don't ask me what that means. If he's referring to Canada, I think Canadians like the CFL more than the NFL. (I think.)

Other Redskins news

The team has offered a contract to free-agent defensive end Phillip Daniels. As I've said, I'm all in favor of bringing him back. Good, solid player.
This video below involved Chris Cooley and Antwaan Randle El. And Washington Capital (that's hockey) Alex Ovechkin. Pretty funny commercial in the making:

Destruction on Set from Tanner Cooley on Vimeo.

"no interest," you say?

2009-03-05T19:16:00.000-08:00

Eating popcorn, teams' souls

The Redskins say they have no interest in recently released Terrell "Team Cancer" Owens.

Darn, and Redskins' fans were going crazy to sign him.

It's good that Redskins owner Dan Snyder knows that just because he's a big name doesn't mean that he should be signed.

But, do the Redskins need help at receiver? Santana Moss is excellent, but is he truly a No. 1 guy? What about Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly? Are they ready to be NFL receivers? Not last year.

My prediction is that the team will take a look at a veteran receiver, but it probably won't be a well-known guy.

Other Redskins news

The team signed punter Dirk (yes, Dirk) Johnson, who ranked near the bottom of the league in punting last season. Woo-freaking-hoo.
Seattle OT Ray Willis visited Redskins Park Thursday.

Evans is outta here

2009-03-04T20:57:00.000-08:00

Gone, baby, gone

Demetric Evans signed with the 49ers. Since the link goes to ProFootballTalk, it's probably wise to take the news as a "probably" signs.

But, anyway, that leaves the team with just four defensive ends on the roster:

Andre Carter
Alex Buzbee
Rob Jackson
Chris Wilson

Uhh. So ... is Jason Taylor available?

Just sayin'.

Other Redskins stuff

Phillip Daniels wants to be back, and says he's ready to go. I say bring him back.
Brian Dawkins is no longer an Eagle. I'm dancing in the streets.
Terrell Owens is apparently cut by Dallas. Where does he go? Giants might be a good fit, them missing Burress and all. Tired of him.

A free-agent look

2009-03-03T21:20:00.001-08:00

The release of Jason Taylor got me thinking about defensive ends. The Redskins now need one.

And, if the Redskins were smart, they'd take a long, hard look at free agent Kalimba Edwards.

He's still young (29), tall (6-6) and hungry (He's played for Oakland and Detroit - anyone who wins looks good).

Don't know anything about Edwards?

Think about Dwight Freeney. Edwards is similar. Speed rusher. Situational, maybe. But the Redskins were 28th in the league last season in sacks and can use all the help they can get.

Taylor exits, stage right.

2009-03-03T16:05:00.000-08:00

Another year, another second-round draft pick thrown to waste.

Jason Taylor was released by the team Monday. Should anyone be surprised? I'll be honest and admit I was.

At the start of the offseason, I figured he was a goner, but the team said they wanted to keep him, and he said he wanted to stay, and then everything seemed hunky-dory. Then came Monday.

It's disappointing.

I'm disappointed in the Redskins for showing their usual brashness in signing him seemingly without thought as to whether or not he fit in their defensive scheme (20/20 hindsight, eh?).

Disappointing in Taylor for not living up to his potential. Injuries, yes, but even when on the field, Taylor never looked comfortable.

Disappointing in the Redskins again for not working with Taylor to be able keep him. Expensive, yes, but dude has game. No doubt. Gotta figure out how to make it work with a player like that.

The reason the team finally gave up on Taylor, they said, is because he didn't want to work out with the team in the offseason because he lives in Miami. Taylor also didn't want to take a pay cut.

The decision leaves the team with yet another hole to fill.

Draft implication

The signings of Haynesworth, Dockery and Hall kind of had me feeling like a "best possible athlete" type of pick at No. 13. Now, though, there is a big hole at defensive end to fill. And offensive line. And linebacker.

Feels like the Redskins kind of took one step forward and two steps back.

Until next time.

winner or loser?

2009-03-01T21:13:00.000-08:00

The first few days of free agency brought the Redskins a needed defensive tackle and a needed guard (a back-in-B&G Derrick Dockery). The team also brought back DeAngelo Hall.

What's not to like?

Let's take a look. USA Today makes us winners, but Yahoo.com makes us losers on two counts. But Yahoo also has Haynesworth and Hall as winners.

What's your opinion?

I think it would be nice to go back a year later and see how a team did in free agency. Sure, the Redskins spent a heck of a lot of money on Haynesworth, but if the team wins some playoff games, is it worth it? If they win the Superbowl?

The Dolphins, for instance, were a huge winner last season in free agency with Chad Pennington.

Now, if the Redskins are worse off next year at this time, Yahoo may just be right.

redskins blog: Haynesworth presser

2009-02-27T13:55:00.000-08:00

The Redskins blog has an interesting piece about how the team is prepping for the Haynesworth press conference.

Seems like a waste of time and money, to me. But it's interesting.

Haynesworth, Hall craziness

2009-02-27T11:56:00.000-08:00

Free agency opened today, and wouldn't you know it, the Redskins led the way again.

The team signed Tennessee defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and re-signed DeAngelo Hall.

ESR take: I think it's a little too early to say whether or not these are wise signings. I do think $100 million might be a bit much to give to Haynesworth, a guy who has played just one complete season and has had motivation issues.

Hall played well for the team last season, no doubt. But now that he got paid, who knows.

As others have said, both of these contracts are huge gambles. Especially Haynesworth.

So far, the team has made a lot of effort to shore up the defense, when it was the offense that was the team's weakness last season.

I think it's pretty obvious now that the team will be looking hard at an offensive lineman with its first-round draft pick.

Other news: The team released Shawn Springs.

I'm sure they'll be more free agent news soon, so check back later.

Redskins apparently like Suisham?

2009-02-25T17:35:00.001-08:00

The team tendered a contract with the kicker. Which basically means that they can match any offer they get for him.

Suisham, if you'll recall, was ranked dead last for regular kickers in field-goal percentage last season.

So, that pretty much tells you anything you need to know about him. The team seems to think he has potential. I'm not convinced.

The team needs to bring in someone new. And I'm not sure Dave Rayner is that someone.

Other news and notes (other than possible Haynesworth signing)

2009-02-24T15:38:00.001-08:00

Check below for the possiblity of the Redskins ~~breaking the bank for~~ signing Albert Haynesworth.

Catching up on the news that was (the Washington Post's Jason La Canfora is doing a remarkable job this week):

Reed Doughty (right) will become a free agent, marking yet another failed Redskins draft pick. The only thing I'll remember him for was making a crap-ton of money off jerseys. He sold No. 37 to Shaun Alexander when he signed. Then sold No. 23 to DeAngelo Hall when he signed. I believe he was on injured reserve all of that time, as well. Happy trails.
Chris Samuels and Cornelius Griffin will restructure their deals, giving the Redskins more cap room. I'm assume this will help the team give inordinate amounts of money to Haynesworth and/or Hall.
Redskins might be interested in former U.Va. and Dallas Cowboys defensive end Chris Canty. To be honest, I don't know a whole lot about Canty as a player. But he was a Cowboy. So that's ... something.

The Redskins WILL sign Albert Haynesworth ...?

2009-02-24T12:27:00.001-08:00

Listening to that cash money

According to the Houston Chronicle, the Redskins will sign Albert Haynesworth to a mammoth contract.

"My source tells me to look for a contract that could break $100 million with an average of $15 million to $16 million per."

Too much. It's too much. He can't possibly be worth it.

If those numbers are true, it's a bad move. Horrible move.

You can quote me on that.

adios, mr. washington

2009-02-20T17:20:00.000-08:00

Always smiling

The Redskins parted ways with Marcus Washington today, opening the door for another starting outside linebacker next season.

As far as Washington goes, I can't say I'm surprised. As I mentioned in my 08 linebackers lookback, Washington hasn't quite been himself recently. Hopefully his injuries have nothing to do with the steroid suspicions that were made known a few years ago. (Wouldn't surprise me though)

One thing I will always remember about Marcus Washington that he was always dancing. He made a good play, he danced. The team made a good play, he danced.

Observe:

ESR take: As much as I liked him, I don't think it hurts the team too much. There was a time when he was the best linebacker in D.C. Not anymore. The team can't keep using roster spots on older, injury prone veterans. (See: Entire offensive line).

The question now is: How do the Redskins replace Washington?

Some think that the team will bring back Jason Taylor as an outside linebacker. First off, who knows if Taylor can even play linebacker? I'm no expect by any means, but has he done it much? Maybe someone can fill me in there. Second off, that'll cost a pretty penny for a guy who the team doesn't even know can play OLB.

H.B. Blades has started a few games at outside linebacker, but I don't think he'd be a wise plug there. He failed several times late last year trying to cover NFL tight ends and (god help me) slot receivers. What Blades does well is stop the run. He's not a coverage guy. Keep him a backup at middle linebacker.

There are a few guys the team could draft. Refer to my linebacker rundown for some considerations.

Either way, it'll do good to get a younger, less always-injured-all-the-time guy there.

Some other Redskins links from the past few days:

Phillip Daniels' contract has been voided ... and he's now a free agent? What? Well ... he is 36, and coming off major surgery. Do the Redskins re-sign him? Dun dun dun!
Zorn is at the combine. Alert the police. I'll have more on this soon, but he says the team will be "active" in free agency. Question to ponder: does his mean active Redskins-style, or active regular NFL-style. Because those are two different things. Zorn also said that he expected both DeAngelo Hall and Pete Kendall to go to free agency.

Quick update: Demetric Evans wants a raise, and more PT .. and a NEW CAR!

2009-02-18T14:43:00.000-08:00

Dance, dance, revolution

Up until now, Demetric Evans has been a dependable backup (and sometimes starter). He's been paid as such.

Well, NOW, as free agency approaches, Evans wants to be a starter. And perhaps rightfully so. He's been very dependable. He's had his moments of awesomeness. No doubt.

ESR take: The Redskins are looking like they'll either take an offensive tackle or defensive end in the first round of the draft. They'll want that player to become a starter very quickly.

The Redskins have Jason Taylor (for the moment) and Andre Carter. They also have Phillip Daniels, who is coming back from an ACL tear. They also have Rob Jackson, who they drafted last season, and who looked pretty good in limited action. Let's also mention Chris Wilson here. Wilson has always looked decent, but he may be little more than a speed pass rusher.

Evans is a decent fellow, but if he wants to be starter, Washington may not be the place for that. And if he wants money, well, he won't find it in D.C.

08 Lookback (Linebackers edition)

2009-02-16T11:20:00.000-08:00

We've got a little less than six months to go until any NFL football. Since I can't wait that long, and because I'm interested in evaluating the team (as best as I'm able), I'm going to take a look at each unit and see how the Redskins stand, depth wise and talent-wise.

I'm going to start with the defense, and I'll take a look at the linebackers firstly.

LINEBACKERS
If there was one player on last year's team which really stood out, London Fletcher was that player.

Remember that goal-line stand against Cleveland?

Fletcher was, perhaps, the biggest contributor on the 2008 Redskins team. The heart of the defense, no doubt.

He was all over the field in the first half of the season. Towards the end, admittedly, he seemed to wear down, but he still made big plays.

The other two linebackers, Marcus Washington and Rocky McIntosh, I'm not too sure about. There was a time when I'd have said that Washington was the best linebacker in Washington, but now, truthfully, I feel like he's a shell of his former self. His injuries have taken their toll. He's been slowed.

Likewise, McIntosh has seen his fair share of knee injuries. He didn't play quite a bit in the last few games. It's especially sad about McIntosh because Rocky was just drafted a few years ago, and he had a great future ahead of him, if not for his knees.

To have one linebacker with chronic injuries is one thing. A team might be able to plug some depth in there and be okay. But when two starting linebackers are missing significant time, it'll hurt.

That's why I see the Redskins making at least one change with the linebacking corps. this offseason, whether it's to draft someone like this guy:

Rey Maualuga hits hard. It's a shame he's an inside linebacker. Though sad to say, Fletcher won't be around forever.

Brian Cushing (also at USC) is a possibility. Obligitory highlights package:

Or to sign a free-agent linebacker. A guy like Darryl Blackstock might be interesting. He's semi-local (went to U.Va.). Karlos Dansby will be a FA (if the Cards don't re-sign him soon). Bart Scott of the Ravens might be available.

The guy who looks like the eventual successor to Fletcher is H.B. Blades. Blades is the son of former Pro Bowler Bennie Blades.

To be honest, H.B. (short for Horatio Benedict) hasn't impressed me too much. He started a few games last season and got burned pretty much every time I saw him. But he started in an outside linebacking spot, and he was horribly out of place. He looks like a good MLB (5-foot-10, 250 lbs.), but is definitely lacking in speed. Troubling.

In their search for a replacement at OLB, the Redskins could turn to a backup. Perhaps Alfred Fincher (who's also an upcoming FA). Fincher impressed me in the preseason. He looked solid. Though I'd like to see a lot more of him in the future. Hopefully the Redskins re-sign the guy.

Khary Campbell (another FA-to-be) has been decent on special teams. He's survived on the team because of his usefulness there. It doesn't seem like the team has Campbell in their long-term plans, especially as a full-time linebacker.

Either way, I think it's a pretty safe bet that Marcus Washington, London Fletcher and Rocky McIntosh will not be your three starting linebackers next season.

Since this ISN'T just a Redskins blog (Julius Peppers edition)

2009-02-14T20:36:00.001-08:00

So, if you didn't hear about it, four-time Pro Bowler Julius Peppers wants out of Carolina. He's had enough, and he's definitely not going to take it anymore.

The thing about it is that not only does Peppers want to leave Carolina, he wants to go to a team that runs a 3-4 defense. Let's count the teams that run 3-4 defenses:

Pittsburgh
New England
New York Jets
Miami
EDIT: Dallas also runs a 3-4. Doh.

Pittsburgh needs no new LB-DE combo guys. They're solid and deep there. And even if they did, they wouldn't pay the much-dinero that a guy like Peppers would cost.

New England lists some guy named Gary Guyton as a starting OLB. Hmm ... maybe the Patriots would be interested there. They still have Colvin, but he isn't starting (according to said depth chart).

The Jets just drafted a defensive end that they moved to OLB (Vernon Gholston - who apparently uhh, sucked, last season). But the Jets have a guy named Marques Murrell (who went to Appy State and is the younger brother of Adrian Murrell, who was a running back for the Cardinals and the Redskins) on the right side. These guys might want Peppers, but again, can they pay for him?

Miami is fairly strong with Joey Porter and Akin Ayodele (I think? Damned Dolphins don't publish a depth chart in the offseason).

ESR take: Doesn't matter where Peppers goes. I don't understand why a guy who has racked up 70.5 sacks in seven season would want to leave. It's not like the Panthers are terribad or something. He had 14.5 sacks last year (a career high) and wants to leave? How does he know how he'll play at OLB. Yes, he's athletic. But it's a different position.

I'd kill for Peppers. The Redskins need the pass rush, but it sounds like he's not worth the headache. Oh, and the Redskins don't run a 3-4 defense. Silly me.

If he goes to a 3-4 defensive team, I'd bet him going to the Jets or New England. If he wants a winner, the Patriots will get him.

A note about last season ... and a secret mascot?

2009-02-13T22:09:00.000-08:00

I was going to do a wrap up of last season, but after giving it some thought, I've realized that last season was last season and it's been far too long since it ended to bring it up again.

In the meantime ... what the hell is this thing? He's from the 1995 Pro Bowl, I think.

I think he's hilariously racist. You can check out more "bizarre" mascots at Yahoo!'s blog.

Anquan Boldin - DO NOT WANT!

2009-02-13T14:49:00.000-08:00

Remember when Clinton Portis was telling us that Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin was going to be a Redskin next season? No? Luckly I do.

That's all well and good. Boldin is an excellent receiver. He's big, fast, and best of all, he knows it.

But say it with me: HE IS NOT WORTH IT:

From the NY Daily News:

"So, how much is going to take to pry Anquan Boldin away from the Arizona Cardinals? (Agent) Drew Rosenhaus thinks it’ll cost four draft picks, including ones in the first and third rounds."

Let him go to the Eagles. Let him go to Baltimore. If the Redskins are looking for a receiver (and I don't think they should be), they can get just as much production from someone much cheaper. Receivers and running backs are like that.

In other news:

Phillip Daniels wants to return to the team. The last time we saw Daniels, he was walking off the team's practice field with a torn ACL. Daniels is 36, but he still brings it. I like him.

The Pros and Cons of re-signing Ethan Albright

2009-02-13T10:02:00.000-08:00

The Redskins brought back Ethan Albright. He's been with the Redskins for nine years, which, if you convert that to the football-world years, is like 30 years.

What interested me was that Albright has snapped for 11 different Redskins punters in those nine years.

Quite sad indeed.

But anyway, here are the ESR pros and cons of re-signing Ethan Albright:

Pro: He's a Pro Bowl snapper. Gosh darn it, I don't think I've seen him miss a snap. He's probably one of the best Redskins snappers of all time.

Con: He's got red hair. Who knows what he's capable of. Who knows what he's thinking. Look at those eyes. They give me the willies.

Pro: He's technically an offensive lineman. Maybe he could play left guard? He's been to the Pro Bowl. We know that he has strong arms.

Con: Dude's like 37. Plus he has red hair.

If you like Chris Cooley ... (pro bowl 09 edition)

2009-02-13T01:31:00.001-08:00

... Apparently Larry Fitzgerald doesn't.

This is video from the Pro Bowl. This is the Hail-Mary-That-Works, somehow.

Anyway, Fitz catches the pass, then as he's celebrating, he heads right past Cooley (47) to go celebrate with his Cardinals teammate Boldin. I guess Cooley was kind of annoyed. Or something. He's kinda weird.

From his excellent blog:

I'm pretty damn excited and as he caught the ball I had made my way down into the end zone. I just ran a seam route on the other side of the ball from Larry and as he came stumbling along the goal line I would be the first one to get to him. I'm not very big on celebrating, but he was coming right for me and I was pumped, so something was going to have to happen. For some reason I think I was a little awkward because I'm not really a big fan of the jumping side bump and that is what seems to be the common buddy celebration, but I headed nonchalantly toward him waiting for him to initiate some kind of celebration. As he got within five yards I started to raise my hand and even got ready for a little jumping action, right before I left my feet he actually made a sort of juke move and quickly moves around me leaving me hanging. I'm sure on TV it appeared as if he avoided me like some kind of crazy fan in the end zone, not even looking towards me as he passed. Then before I even get fully turned around he is soaring into full chest jumping, loving action with Anquan Boldin. He left me stranded and alone with nothing to do but put my head down and feel like a total ass. I mean what do I do at that point? Go find some lineman running down the field and share an Icky Shuffle with him, I don't think so. At least it was in the end closest to the locker room and I was able to walk straight in.

To be, or not to be, D. Hall

2009-02-13T00:29:00.000-08:00

According to ESPN.com, the Redskins are apparently attempting to keep DeAngelo Hall, whom they signed midseason.

Before Hall was signed, the Redskins were 6-3.

After Hall was signed, the Redskins were 2-5.

The ESR take: I don't think they need spend a whole lot of money here. Hall wasn't the problem (more on that soon), but it's not like he's absolutely stunning. Apparently he wants to get Oprah-rich again. I liked him when he was cheap. And the Redskins have far more pressing matters (more on this soon, too).

Plus, Hall has been nicknamed "MeAngelo." Take that for what it's worth.

If the Redskins don't resign Hall, here are other free agent cornerbacks who I think the Redskins should look at (but probably won't):

Nnamdi Asomugha (UFA) - Oakland (would be a steal .. but only for the right price).
Domonique Foxworth (UFA) - Atlanta
Eric Green (UFA) - Arizona
Jabari Greer (UFA) - Buffalo
Ricky Manning Jr. (UFA) - St. Louis
Bryant McFadden (UFA) - Pittsburgh
R.W. McQuarters (UFA) - NY Giants
Deltha O'Neal (UFA) - New England
Keiwan Ratliff (UFA) - Indianapolis
Dunta Robinson (UFA) - Houston (what happened to this guy? Dropped off the face of the earth)
Allen Rossum (UFA) - San Francisco (return skills)

Minor moves

2009-02-12T23:13:00.000-08:00

The Redskins made some minor moves Thursday that will no doubt be talked about to extremes.

They signed Anthony Alridge, a running back, off the Broncos roster. I have no idea who the guy is and I doubt he'll make the team, but if he sticks around until the preseason it should be interesting. Apparently he is quick. Clinton Portis (not what he used to be) and Ladell Betts (never was) aren't terrible, but they've both taken a crap-ton (technical term) of hits and Betts still seemed to be getting over his injury last season.

Anyway, I have added some links below for his youtube stuff from Houston. He looks decent. Can return kicks. So does Dominique Dorsey, whom the Redskins signed a week ago out of the CFL.

I'm not sure that either Dorsey or Alridge will make the team, but they are both interesting backs who could make some noise.

It's the offseason. Whatchu gonna do.

Some Alridge highlights ahoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs7HUBL4Q5s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPW61dJaFi4

First

2009-02-12T22:39:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first posting of Eat Sleep Redskins (or ESR, for short). This will be updated fairly frequently (hopefully at least once a day).

By way of introduction, my name is Sean. I live in Newport News, Va. In this blog, I'm going to attempt to give my honest take on the Redskins. Who they are, what they do. What they don't do. And scream like hell when they don't do something.

Maybe I can also provide some thoughts on the rest of the NFL, and a little about society (TV, movies) and other frivolous stuff.

In the coming days, I will be trying to talk a little about my thoughts on last season (oh, the disappointment), what the Redskins should do in the draft (THE LINES! ...?), the offense, the defense and more.

I'm not sure that anyone will care about my thoughts, but hopefully I can provide a fun, thoughtful look at the team.