The Redskins have no shot against Giants

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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.