Sons of Washington

An open letter to fans of the Washington Capitals

2011-12-02T12:33:00.002-05:00

To whom it may concern:

Do you care? I mean, do you really care? If you go to a Capitals game and they lose to, say, their biggest rival, does it matter to you at all? Because it matters to me, and unfortunately, I think I’m in the minority.

Let me explain.

The Caps are experiencing some turbulence right now, there’s no doubt about that. It’s been a bumpy few weeks, and the team’s fortunes will continue to ebb and flow as they adjust to the management style of their new bench boss. If you expected Hunter to return to Washington and the team would immediately start putting together 4, 5, 6-goal games, you obviously haven’t been paying attention. It’s a work-in-progress, and patience is key.

For what it’s worth, I think last night’s game was a good one, with the team showing marked improvement in their defensive end, especially with regards to back-checking. They played smart, extremely physical hockey and were done in by a weak shot that somehow made its way by (through?) Tomas Vokoun. A game like that is to be expected against Pittsburgh, however, and if the team came out flat, we’d have a much bigger problem on our hands.

My issue does not lie with the team itself, but rather you, John Q. Ticketholder. Getting back to my original query, do you really give two shits whether the Caps win or lose? Or do you go to games, rock the red, unleash the fury, etc. because it’s the cool, trendy thing to do in Washington these days?

Things have changed dramatically over the past 4 years, since the miraculous season-ending run to make the playoffs after Boudreau’s Thanksgiving weekend hiring. You all have come out to the Verizon Center in droves, and while it’s evident the fan base has become increasingly more passionate and knowledgeable since that 2007-2008 season, it seems pretty clear that most people don’t actually care.

Sitting in Section 114 last night, I witnessed a really disheartening lack of passion from the majority of those around me.

Imagine the scenario: the Caps are down a goal to their biggest rival (part of arguably the best rivalry in the sport), the fury has already been unleashed (a few minutes prior) and there is a defensive-zone faceoff coming after a lengthy TV timeout. There are about 3 minutes left in the game and players from both teams are milling about to stay loose.

Sensing an uninterested and unenthusiastic crowd, I stand up and, from the depths of my throat, encourage others to do the same. To get pumped up for a huge draw, for the final minutes of an intense, passionate game, for their damn team. The response? Lackluster at best.

A few people stood and cheered, and I was happy about that, but the majority looked at me as though I was asking them to stand in front of class for that presentation they didn’t prepare enough for. It was, in my opinion, an absolutely pathetic display of fandom and one that irked me to no end, until the end of the game and well on my way home.

Look, I know Caps games are fun. They’re the place to be (and be seen) in DC sports right now, and for good reason. But think about what you’re doing. You’re there to support the guys on the ice, and during lengths of poor play, don’t you think they’d be appreciative -- and maybe even dig deeper within themselves for the final minutes -- if people got out of their seats and cheered without being provoked?

Unleashing the fury, while a solid tradition, is relatively worthless in retrospect. What happens the second after the fury is unleashed, even when it’s a tie game and there are fewer than, say, 2 minutes in the game? That’s right, everyone sits back down and the decibel level drops.

Is it that hard to get pumped up without having the PA tell you to be pumped up? Or do you simply think that it’s not worth it? Trust me, it is.

Players respond, and while it’s unfair to expect people to go ape-shit the entire game, I think the lack of passion shown in the final minutes of a tight game, against the best team in the conference -- the team’s biggest rival -- is very telling.

It bothers me, frankly, and it should bother you too.

Why? Because I care.

A classic weekend in enemy territory

2011-01-04T17:35:00.015-05:00

Just before the official Winter Classic announcement was made and it became a realization that the Washington Capitals would visit Heinz Field on New Years Day, my brother had the brilliant idea to book hotel rooms in the Steel City to increase our odds of actually attending the game and, you know, having a place to lay our heads. 7 months, countless hours scouring the internet and numerous e-mails pestering friends with hey, know anyone looking to get rid of tickets?, it finally came to be...

On Friday morning, we left downtown DC and were on our way through Central Pennsylvania for the mother of all weekends. Caps vs. Pens, Ovie vs. Sid, Boudreau vs. Bylsma. 24/7. Bad blood, the rivalry, etc. There's no way it wouldn't be glorious, is there?

So the weather stuck a little wrench in the spokes? Really, it made the whole experience that much more memorable. Nevermind the fact that a night game would make for a bigger spectacle and provide a primetime showcase for two of the NHL's best teams. It also meant a better viewing experience for fans in attendance and a more gradual (i.e. intense) build-up from Saturday morning until the puck dropped.

A few rain drops never killed anyone -- and thankfully, all ACLs remain intact for both teams -- so the weather was a mere footnote.

As for the overall experience, let's take it from the top...

At the end of the last episode of HBO's 24/7, a camera dollies down one of the concourse tunnels and the view opens up to Heinz Field and all its hockey-transformed greatness, creating both an incredible setting and a giddiness for anyone lucky enough to be attending the game. Chills ran down my spine as the day had nearly arrived -- less than 3 days after the final credits rolled, we'd be sitting in the stands for a tradition unlike any other (with apologies to The Masters).

Leaving Chinatown at about 10am on Friday, and after a quick stop in Bethesda to drop off the dog, we headed up 270 for what ended up being an unbelievably easy drive. Perhaps the highlight of the trip, which most on the road that day will tell you, was the astonishing number of Capitals fans spotted along the way. I knew that it was inevitable we'd see cars with Virginia, Maryland and DC tags, but the amount of Caps flags, jersey-wearing drivers and high-school-like painted rear windows was pretty awesome. Breezewood, the mother of all Pennsylvania rest stops, was littered with Backstrom, Semin and Ovechkin jerseys, a great and reassuring sign that those making the trek would have plenty of company at the big game.

Arriving in the Steel City just after 3pm, we drove through the Winter Classic banner-lined streets and arrived at the Wyndham Grand downtown, a quick walk across the river from the stadium and a hotel mobbed with fans of both teams. Crosby and Malkin jerseys hung in some windows, while Caps gear adorned others. We had to expect that the city would be buzzing for the weekend's festivities, but it still was an unbelievable site, as essentially everything going on had something to do with the NHL. It was, in short, a hockey fan's paradise.

Let's Go (Little) Caps!

After checking in to our room, a few of us made our way to a rink adjacent to the stadium to watch the Little Caps play the Mario Lemieux-coached Little Pens. Watching a bunch of 14 year-olds who have more skills now than I ever did -- or will -- was both depressing and awesome, and while the team from Washington falling to their rivals from the Keystone State was a bummer, it was also a pretty cool way to kick off the weekend.

Back to the hotel, it was nearly time to get ready for New Year's Eve. I wish I had a better story to tell from this night, as those that were able to get into the Hofbrauhaus surely do, but it was a great evening nonetheless. We dined at Nakama, a killer Japanese steakhouse on the Southside, and more than a few times during the meal the ridiculously packed restaurant echoed with chants of "Let's Go Pens!" and "Let's Go Caps!", each one louder than the last.

Dinner ended, and while we worked on a game-plan as to where we'd ring in 2011, we were informed by someone on the inside that the Hofbrauhaus was one-in / one-out, meaning our group of 30+ people would have no chance at gaining access to what I've heard was a red-filled great time.

With little time to dilly-dally, we made an executive decision to begin walking and simply jump in to a bar that would accommodate us all. That bar would end up being Finn McCool's, a rather generic pub, but one that served its purpose; we did some shots, slammed our beverages of choice for the evening -- in my case, Captain & Coke -- and greeted the New Year with much merriment.

As closing time approached, we poured out into the Pittsburgh night and began looking for transportation, which, as it turns out, was harder to find than Sidney Crosby's moustache. So we walked, and walked, and ended up walking some more until we convinced one taxi driver to take a few of the girls in our group back to the hotel. A friend and I continued our journey on foot, ducking down barren streets and under gigantic overpasses before making it back to the Wyndham about 30 minutes later. Not the greatest accommodations for the amount of people the city had to expect, but all in all, it could've been much worse.

Saturday morning brought a new day, one in which severely cloudy skies could not dampen the excitement surrounding the lead-up to the game. As my wife and I were dehydrated and hungry, we decided to walk a few blocks to Market Square, which, according to my iPhone, would have plenty of healthy and nutritious options. I've heard great things about Primanti Bros. sandwiches, and while roast beef topped with fries would've been a most splendid treat, the amount of people waiting was too much to bear.

After much deliberation, we headed across the plaza to Breugger's Bagels, which had only 3 people in line -- one in a sweet Langway jersey! -- and prepared our stomachs for the long day ahead. Walking out of Bruegger's into a nearly empty square, a rather pretty blonde woman in her mid-30s approached and asked where the closest Macy's was. I said we were from out of town, to which she replied "me too... I'm married to one of the Capitals." Really. Do tell.

"My husband is John Erskine."

Nice. Erskine, he of the Rupp-beating, handlebar-toting variety, was married to a woman who appeared to be just as cool as he is. After explaining that "the wives went out for New Year's Eve and all those bitches are still asleep," all she wanted do was shop because "the rest of [her] family was at practice and she didn't want to watch that shit." Oh, and she also said her husband "looked like an asshole" with that handlebar moustache.

See, HBO audience? Not only do the coaches and players have foul mouths, but their wives do too!

At the risk of digressing -- and becoming entirely too long-winded -- it was getting dangerously close to go-time and we had to head back to rest up for what would prove to be a very exhausting -- yet unbelievably fulfilling -- evening.

Crossing over to the dark side.

Shortly before 4pm, the troops from the Wyndham gathered their gear and headed out into enemy territory. While there were certainly plenty of Penguins fans that were fine with the site of red-clad legions entering the Heinz Field parking lots, there also existed much good-natured animosity.

As we snaked behind the Hyatt and into Gold Lot 4, we were greeted with a thunderous round of boos and more than a few people telling us what they thought of everyone's favorite Russian-born Washingtonian. Most of it was in good fun, and I personally didn't see one fist thrown or serious confrontation, so kudos to everyone involved for remaining civilized.

I can only imagine what a scene like this would've been like in Philly.

Settling in to the tailgate nearly 3-1/2 hours before the game meant plenty of time to relish in the scene and observe some great moments. A few of my favorites (from both sides of the fence):

-- While our particular group of Caps fans was totally surrounded, we still had probably 100+ red-rockin' faithful making sure we wouldn't go quietly into the night. Plenty of insults were hurled our way, but the responses were always equally as boisterous.

-- The Pens tailgate next to us had two awesome additions: 1) a street hockey goal set up with three pictures (targets) dangling from the crossbar, two of Sid and Ovie shaking hands and one of Ovechkin's toothless grin; and 2) a hockey stick with 4 shot glasses attached a la the skis you used to see in movies like Hot Dog. Before the puck dropped, a group of fans stood in the back of a pick-up and must've done 10 shots a piece. Hey, whatever it takes to erase the memory of losing the Winter Classic at home, boys... I hope it worked.

-- The group of Pens fans next to us also had one thing that was interesting, sure, but I just can't see the point. Much like Caps jerseys that say "Crosby Sucks," I think spending money on a customized jersey only to ridicule someone or their team is lame. These particular fans had a red Caps sweater with the number 8 and DOUCHEBAG on the nameplate. Really? Don't you have better ways to spend that money you've earned by working so hard at Sheetz?

Just a small portion of our group.

-- OK, I'll admit… while I love Bruce Boudreau, the guy is a pretty damn easy target for ridicule. The footage of him with BBQ sauce on his face alone is priceless (and was mocked pretty aggressively at the game), but perhaps the best sign I saw at the tailgate was one of Boudreau's mug next to a Haagen-Dazs logo and the words "I SMELL FOOD" in big, bold letters. If there was any reason to make fun of Bylsma, I'm not sure anyone could come up with something that would top BB's obvious love of all things consumable.

After a great tailgate that featured lots of laughs, plenty of cheers and good-natured ribbing, it was time to start walking. Heading towards the lights of Heinz Field and knowing that we were about to watch the Washington Capitals play hockey outdoors was pretty amazing. So much so that I must've said "this is so frikking awesome" 20 or 30 times, but hey, I had enjoyed a few cold ones... can you blame me for being excited?

As we entered the gates and made our way to the club level, wiping the smile off my face would've taken a Herculean effort. Nothing anyone could say or do would've taken away the high of getting to our seats and seeing what had been 7 months in the making.

When both teams made their way out of the tunnel below us, watching the boys in the crisp white sweaters and beautiful red pants strut out to a crowd of nearly 70,000 was a site and sound to behold.

Just after this was taken, our camera was dunked into a 20 oz. cup of beer. Seriously, full submersion. We saved the memory card, but the camera was put to rest.

It was officially time to get the Winter Classic underway and play some damn hockey, and play some damn hockey they did. After a scoreless first period that featured plenty of drama, the stage had been set for a final two frames that would surely be as intense as any these two teams have played. Neither was as sharp as it usually is, but that almost added to the atmosphere. It was good old-fashioned, rough-and-tumble, body-banging hockey at its finest.

Behind Knuble's poke-in, Fehr's pair and Varlamov's stellar play between the pipes, the Washington Capitals emerged victorious. The boys from DC won the Winter Classic at the hands of their biggest rivals in front of a primetime audience on New Years Day.

If anyone honestly thinks that the winner of this game wouldn't be insanely pumped, they simply don't have much common sense.

Was it the prettiest game the NHL has seen? Of course not. Will it erase the 6-2 drubbing in Game 7 two years ago and the years and years of heartache the Pens have caused the Caps dating back to the early 90s? No. Hell, it wasn't even the best Caps / Pens game I've been to (that belongs to the Super Bowl Sunday thriller in DC).

It was, however -- and pardon my Boudreau-isms here -- a fucking blast. It was the fucking best experience I've ever fucking had at a fucking hockey game in my life. The guys in white shrugged off a 1-goal deficit, played with fucking courage and had fucking fun out there.

After the game was over, an eerie silence fell over the Pittsburgh faithful, and I'll be honest, it was one of the greatest non-sounds I've ever heard. The walk out of the stadium was full of C-A-P-S CAPS CAPS CAPS chants. Sure, more than a few Pens fans asked, to nobody in particular, how many Cups the Caps have won, but at that moment it didn’t matter. The Caps owned this day and nothing will ever change that.

Joining tens of thousands of other Capitals fans as we took over whole sections of Heinz Field was an experience I can't imagine will ever be replicated. Between the 2nd and 3rd periods, with the Caps clinging to a 2-1 lead, I made my way up and down our empty row and high-fived as many Washington fans as I could reach. The game wasn't over yet and I probably looked like a bit of a dick, but it was a risk I was willing to take. The camaraderie was too strong to pass up an opportunity to bond with people I'll never know.

I was told to "sit the fuck down" and "shut the fuck up" by some middle-aged guy that probably hated the fact that he sat in the rain to watch his team lose, but hey, them's the breaks. I stood my ground, got plenty of support from the surrounding Caps fans and the visiting team prevailed, so all is right with the world.

The season series is now tied at one apiece, with two epic battles already in the books. The Caps and Pens meet twice more in the regular season and could, potentially, meet in the playoffs for a rematch of the 2009 Eastern Conference semifinals. Regardless of whether or not that comes to pass, the decision to have these two face for the marquee match-up and a chance to show the world what the NHL has to offer was a no-brainer.

It was a brilliant experience and one I'd do over a thousand times if I could.

--

A few more random notes from the weekend:

1. I drove right by the Fairmont on the way to Market Square on Sunday morning, and the Caps just happened to be leaving their hotel and loading up the team bus. As we approached, I rolled my window down as Mike Knuble walked by about 2 feet from my driver's side. I tried my damndest to yell out "K-NOOOOOOOBLE!", but with all the cheering and jeering I'd done the night before, it barely came out. He looked at me, said "hey" and kept walking (probably fearing for his life).

2. I also saw a few guys waiting to load the bus and Boudreau waddling around in his sweet red throwback varsity-style jacket. Again, I love the guy... but he could clearly stand to lose a few pounds.

3. Downtown Pittsburgh is an absolute ghost town on Sunday mornings, which is actually kind of sad. Market Square, which was understandably pretty dead on New Years Day, was much worse on the 2nd. The only place open was Starbucks -- no Bruegger's, no Dunkin' Donuts, no Einstein Bagel. Do people not go out to eat on Sunday mornings in the Steel City?

4. About the whole "rivalry" thing...

While I've only read one Pittsburgh-based reaction to the game -- and it was a blog, so take it for what it's worth -- it's amazing how idiotically some people react to scenarios like this weekend's. There is no doubt that the Capitals and Penguins are the best rivalry in the NHL right now, and any Penguins fan making fun of the Caps for celebrating the way they did is bitter, plain and simple.

Obviously a win like Saturday's will never get "Ovechkin," "Green or "Laich" engraved on the Stanley Cup, but who cares? It was the biggest game of the regular season on the biggest stage, and the Capitals reacted as any of the Penguins would -- with unbridled joy and enthusiasm.

If the Pens had come back and emerged victorious, you better believe they would've gone on and on about how the Caps can't win under pressure, how much Ovechkin sucks, etc. It certainly wouldn't have been "just two points" to any of the Penguins faithful, that's for sure.

I may be naïve in saying this, but I think Caps fans that made the journey to Pittsburgh would've left the weekend feeling as though they were part of something great, regardless of the outcome (assuming it wasn't a blowout). I know that's the way I feel, and no Pens fan trying to rain on the Caps parade is going to change that.

A fresh start does not always equal a good opportunity

2010-09-24T12:01:00.006-04:00

There has been a lot of talk this week about the short leash quarterbacks are now being given in the NFL, what with multiple "starters" being benched just one or two games into the new season. Many teams that missed out on the playoffs last year -- and even some that reached the postseason -- put a new set of hands under center to spark the franchise, create more offensive opportunities and, ultimately, increase their win totals from a year ago.

One such team, the Oakland Raiders, brought in veteran quarterback (and former Redskin) Jason Campbell, essentially promising fans that things were heading in a more consistent and stable direction (but let's be honest... after drafting JaMarcus Russell, more stability isn't exactly difficult to accomplish). Unfortunately, Campbell played poorly through the first 6 quarters of the 2010 season and has been benched in favor of the quarterback who finished the season last year, Bruce Gradkowski.

New scene, same result. (Jed Jacobsohn / Getty)

I'm not sure why I've been a Campbell apologist for the past however-many years, but really, has any other quarterback in the NFL been treated more poorly than him? The former Auburn standout learned 8 different offensive schemes in a span of 8 years (dating back to college), sat patiently while the Redskins wined and dined Mark Sanchez in 2009 and Sam Bradford earlier this year, and was told this spring that he'd have a chance to remain the starter, only to learn that a blockbuster deal to bring in Donovan McNabb was in the works (all while playing in front of one of the worst offensive lines in football).

Campbell was hurried, hit, sacked and thrown around so often during his tenure in Washington that it's a minor miracle that he's even still playing. He was knocked out of a game against the Bears 3 seasons ago not once but twice, the second time for good (making way for Todd Collins to finish the season).

Does Campbell have the skill-set to be a good quarterback in the NFL, assuming he has a decent offensive line and more than a split-second to make decisions? Sure. He may not be a franchise-savior, as he still lacks that certain confidence and ability to adapt that all great quarterbacks have, but he's absolutely worthy of being given a shot.

Unfortunately, it looks like Al Davis disagrees, and it turns out that not only is Campbell relegated to back-up duty, but he's now being told that he can't speak to the media. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I think JC has been dealt a really bad hand since entering the NFL, and being such a nice guy, it's hard not to feel just a little bit sorry for him.

On the flip side, it's nice to know that for all the criticism the Redskins deal with, there's an owner in the league who is more impatient and about ten times more bat-shit crazy than Dan Snyder.

Catching Up: On beating one Texas team and losing to another

2010-09-21T12:25:00.012-04:00

It's been a while since I've written anything Redskins-related, but with a new season and a number of new faces in Washington, it's time to offer some thoughts on the current state of the Burgundy and Gold.

First things first:

Beginning the season with a win, especially when it comes at the expense of the beloved Dallas Cowboys, is certainly a good thing. No NFL team wants to start digging itself out of a hole fresh out of the gate, so regardless of whether or not Week One's triumph was an attractive one is irrelevant.

Sitting atop the NFC East at any point during the season is a plus, so let's look beyond the questionable Wade Phillips decisions and the lack of offensive production of the Redskins and simply enjoy a division win, something that never occurred during the 2009-2010 campaign.

Chances these guys have any ties to Dallas? I'd say 1-2%. (Larry French / Getty)

Sure, the new regime could've made a better impression, but for all the so-called weapons Dallas has in its arsenal, I'd say Washington did a pretty good job considering the circumstances. Donovan McNabb, the newest in a long line of DC saviors, did little to prepare for the Week One challenge (what with his tweaked ankle in the preseason), so there was sure to be plenty of rust early on.

On the defensive side of the ball, Washington -- despite a new coordinator and even newer scheme -- did what it's done pretty consistently over the last few seasons, which is fly all over the field and wreak havoc on the opposition. A lot of emphasis has been put on creating more turnovers, and while the DeAngelo Hall strip-6 was perhaps more the fault of a bone-headed play by Tashard Choice, it nevertheless put much-needed points on the board.

Despite the win, two major concerns were brought to the forefront: 1) the lack of offensive production and 2) the propensity to leave gaping holes down the middle of the field, allowing speedy receivers space to make catches and keep drives alive. These things must be worked on, or the Redskins will continue to be in close games throughout the season (unfortunately, something they've been used to for years)...

...which brings us to Week Two:

After watching highlights of Arian Foster absolutely shredding the Colts defense, I will admit to being extremely nervous heading into the second game of the season, this one against the Houston Texans. We all knew that Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson made beautiful music together, so for Gary Kubiak's team to add a powerful running dimension could only mean big things for the former AFC South also-rans (pun intended).

Alas, Indy's run defense will never be mistaken for a serious asset, while Washington has always fared relatively well in terms of containing powerful downhill threats. Jim Haslett's boys did contain Foster, but once again, the liability of allowing receivers like Johnson and Kevin Walter space ended up being quite the sore subject.

Let's rewind a bit, though, shall we?

The Washington Redskins, for all the ups and downs they've had over the last decade-plus, have rarely put on a passing display like they did on Sunday against the Texans. Donovan McNabb was firing on all cylinders, hitting receiver after receiver for the first three quarters and scrambling to make plays when necessary. I like Jason Campbell and think he was dealt a really shitty hand, but the decisiveness of McNabb is a very, very comforting sight after years of watching JC throw the ball out of bounds at the slightest hint of pressure.

Original image borrowed from the Washington Post

After building a 27-10 lead, it was impossible to not have visions of sugarplums dancing in my head, thoughts of a beautiful 2-0 start and a chorus of media types pronouncing the Redskins back from the dead. After all, a 2-0 start would've put the team halfway to its win total from last year, which is both incredibly awesome and seriously depressing.

And then it happened. The offense sputtered, the defense drifted off into an afternoon snooze and the Texans began utilizing the weapons that gave them the most potent passing attack from a season ago. Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter began catching the ball seemingly at will, while Larry Johnson used his breathtaking speed to run 10 yards in the opposite direction. Things were not looking good.

27-10 became 27-17. 27-17 became 27-20. The incredible buzz that was surging through the stands of FedEx Field was fading. Blown 4th quarter leads happened too often in the past, but this team was different, wasn't it? The Redskins are now led by Mike Shanahan, a man notorious in Denver for running the football. The clock was begging to be killed.

While the running game remained suspiciously absent, the Redskins did find their groove again, and it seemed to happen just when they needed it most. A late drive down the field led to what should've been a put-this-game-just-out-of-reach field goal. No way Houston makes up a 10-point deficit with 6 minutes to play.

And then it happened… again. Why do the Redskins always seem to be on the wrong end of these types of plays? A botched hold last week and a blocked field goal this week? Fred Davis, you magnificent bastard -- if you're put in that situation again, you hold Bernard Pollard and you hold him good. Whatever you do, don’t let him get by you.

But let him get by Davis did, and all of a sudden the Texans were right where they wanted to be. Down by 7 with just over 6 minutes to play, they essentially controlled their own destiny, at least in terms of being able to tie the game...

... and then they went 3-and-out and the Skins got the ball back. And then THEY went 3-and-out and gave the Texans the ball back. With 5 minutes to play and up by 7 points, Kyle Shanahan drew up 3 consecutive pass plays and killed just over 1 minute and 30 seconds. Unbelievable.

We all know what happened next, so there's really no need to talk about it. What I will talk about instead is what went wrong.

1. On 4th and 10 from the Washington 34, with just over 2 minutes to play, someone other than Reed Doughty needs to be on Andre Johnson like white on rice. Or someone in addition to Doughty. Whatever it takes for that guy not to catch the ball.

2. Why, why, a thousand times why are these guys getting so much space in the middle of the field? Joel Dreessen, who had approximately zero catches before the overtime play, wasn't given a ton of room, but enough for a 28-yard gain that set up the game-winning field goal. I love LaRon Landry's renewed position and the opportunities he's been given to go after quarterbacks, but in a situation like that, can't the Redskins maintain a stronger presence in the secondary?

3. Seriously, what happened to the running game? I realize Clinton Portis had a boo-boo, but why not give the ball to Mike Sellers and let him pound the ball to get some time off the clock late in the game? Sure, LJ had a whopping negative 7 yards on 2 carries, but he's still an option, after all (or the Skins shouldn't have kept him on the roster) -- part of me thinks he'd at least be able to get a few yards when they needed little more than to keep things moving.

4. Bless Joey Galloway's heart, but a 38 year-old receiver isn't going to be able to continue making plays like he did on Sunday. He would've been a superhero had he caught that bomb in the endzone, but I have a hard time believing he'll burn a ton of secondaries in this league. Devin Thomas, it's time for you to step up and be the receiver the Skins drafted you to be.

--

Time to move on and focus on St. Louis. Enough talk, DeAngelo -- just go out and beat people. Don't allow big plays on the other side of the ball, stop making excuses and just win games. This one is ripe for the picking, but if history is any indication, it's certainly no gimme.

The Redskins need to come out focused, fierce and ready to take names. I believe the offense is ready, and for the first time in a long time, it's the defense that may be the liability. It's time to put up or shut up, and fortunately, I think the 2010 Washington Redskins finally have what it takes to put up.

Hail.

Redskins 14, Lions 19

2009-09-28T23:00:00.008-04:00

Let's see... where to begin?

Should I start with the horrendous play-calling? The inability to punch the ball in from the 1-yard line? The defense -- you know, the one that was ranked 4th in the league last year and that was "upgraded" in the offseason -- allowing the lowly Detroit Lions to drive the field at will?

No, forget all that. Let's start with the end result and work our way backwards, shall we?

Yesterday at about 4:15pm, the final whistle blew in the Motor City and the Washington Redskins -- after a week of intense scrutiny that you think would've offered some motivation to step it up -- became the ultimate punchline.

I can see the answer on Jeopardy! now:

On September 27, 2009, they became the first team to lose to the Detroit Lions in over 21 months.

Yes, the Detroit Lions. The only team in the history of the league to lose all 16 games in a regular season. The team led by a rookie quarterback who threw 5 interceptions in his first 2 starts. The team whose estimated attendance yesterday was barely over 40,000, which meant local TV wouldn't even be offering the game to its viewers.

For the majority of teams in the NFL, a trip to Michigan has meant, for the better part of the last decade, an all-but-guaranteed W. For Washington -- and the fans of the Burgundy & Gold -- yesterday's contest meant a chance to right the ship, to prove to everyone that last week's disastrous performance was an anomaly, that there's no way the team was that bad. Most importantly, perhaps, it meant a chance to quiet the media shit-storm that erupted after barely squeaking by an abysmal St. Louis team at home.

Image courtesy The Washington Post

Unfortunately -- for Jim Zorn, Dan Snyder, Jason Campbell, Clinton Portis and the rest of those "on the hot seat" -- those chances are all gone now. The aforementioned media shit-storm has just been upgraded from a we-can-ride-this-thing-out Category 3 to a full-blown, board-up-the-windows-we're-getting-the-hell-outta-here Category 5.

Nobody is safe, or at least they shouldn't be.

Maybe there's a reason Jim Zorn hadn't reached the position of head coach -- or even offensive coordinator -- anywhere else in the league yet. Don't get me wrong -- heading into this season, I was willing to give Synder the benefit of the doubt, and I was also willing to give Zorn at least a second campaign to prove that Dan's decision was a wise one.

Three games into the second year of his headset-wearing career, however, and I'm afraid we've all seen what Jim Zorn is capable of. Never mind the fact that some guys are missing their blocks, that Campbell isn't getting enough time in certain situations, that veteran players are acting as though the pressure of the NFL is a new, tingly sensation.

No, this falls on Zorn. We've all heard the audio -- or read the transcript -- of Sonny calling out the head coach after last week's questionable option pass on 3rd and goal. We know that Zorn would've (apparently) taken his quarterback off the field had he defied orders, and we know that he stuck to his guns on whether or not he thought that was the right call for the situation.

And therein lies the problem.

Jim Zorn does not adapt. He thinks every play he calls is the right one, regardless of whether or not it works. He is confident -- hey, I'll give him that -- that if executed well, each time he dials something up, Shaun Suisham should be getting ready to trot onto the field for an extra point try.

Very rarely -- if at all -- does Zorn accept blame and say "you know what? I probably shouldn't have done that."

Take the final play of yesterday's loss, for example: after the Lions called timeout (essentially giving the Redskins the gift of being able to draw up a play for one last shot), Jason Campbell threw a short pass and left it up to the rest of the offense to try and lateral their way 40 yards down the field and into the endzone.

Why not throw the ball deeper down the field? Did Zorn really think, after not being able to move the ball all that well throughout the game, that they'd be able to miraculously weave in and out of a defense that was as desperate to stop them as they were to score?

It simply doesn't make sense, and, unfortunately, that's just the tip of the play-calling iceberg.

Going for it on 4th and goal from the 1-yard line on the team's opening possession? I'm fine with it. (No, really... I understand the need to get the proverbial monkey off your back, so for some reason I can accept that decision.)

Why not give the ball to Mike Sellers, though? Did everyone inside the organization forget that The Caveman is pretty good at running people over? If there's one thing that Joe Gibbs learned early in his second stint, it's that Sellers is pretty good in short-yardage situations.

Watching these first few games, it's as though Jim Zorn writes a script before each game and, despite the circumstances, never strays even a hair from that script. When you coach a good team and you're working with a clean slate -- i.e. the game scoreless or tied early -- you can afford to be proactive. When the opposing team successfully defends 3 downs deep in their own territory, however, the ability to react is much more valuable.

Zorn needs to take a deep breath, see what is and isn't working and plan accordingly. He can't simply sit there and say "this play was a beauty in practice, so it's certainly going to get us 6 now."

--

Ok, so now that we've established -- or rather, I've established -- that "Coach" Zorn's ability to adjust on the fly is suspect at best, let's discuss a couple of other things:

First, it's hard to fathom a Redskins defense allowing 381 yards to an offense that, leading up to yesterday's game, could've been labeled "work-in-progress" at best. Missed tackles, blown coverage, not nearly enough pressure on the quarterback; these things were supposed to be points of emphasis in the off-season for Greg Blache & Co. They were exposed early and often yesterday, however, and it appears as though gaping holes exist throughout what once was considered the team's biggest strength.

Second, it's hard to really argue against Jason Campbell's production so far this season, statistics-wise, but unfortunately, passing yards don't always equal success. While he's done a semi-decent job of marching down the field, that certain something is seriously lacking when it comes to finishing what he and his supporting cast start.

Very rarely does Campbell seem comfortable, and it's pretty clear that Zorn does not trust him enough to open up the passing game. Now, more than ever, I'd like to see deep balls thrown in the first few plays. Santana Moss proved yesterday that he still has a step on a lot of defensive backs, so why not try and take advantage of that? It's time for the training wheels to come off, I say.

It’s been hard enough to root for the Redskins over the past 15+ seasons, what with the revolving door of coaches, quarterbacks, high-priced free agents, etc. Now, after yet another big off-season in which Washington supposedly improved, it appears as though the team is headed for another lengthy, disappointing campaign.

Is firing Jim Zorn the answer? Probably not, but I’ll tell you what, I wouldn’t lose an ounce of sleep if that’s what Dan Snyder chose to do. Something -- anything -- to light a spark in that locker room.

Sure, the season is still very young, but it’s not like those wearing the Burgundy & Gold are showing any indication that they’ll be competitive this year. Until they do, the benefit of the doubt is gone. Fans in Detroit used to regularly show their disgust by wearing paper bags over their heads during games. Sadly, I think it’s time for the FedEx faithful to consider doing the same.

A quick word on the man under center

2009-08-26T17:51:00.006-04:00

Before I go any further, a disclaimer:

I pay very little attention to the NFL preseason. It's just what I do. Watching highlights to get updated on injuries and subsequent roster moves -- that's fine. Dissecting every play and analyzing performances post-game, however, is a waste of time.

With that out of the way, it's time to get ready for another NFL season in our nation's capital, one that will undoubtedly come with the freak-outs and head-hunting that has become standard during the Dan Snyder era. Unless you live outside the Beltway or don't pay any attention to professional football (or both), you've already witnessed public overreaction number one.

Jason Campbell, the incumbent starting quarterback for the burgundy and gold, went 1 for 7 on Saturday and there already exist writers calling for back-up Todd Collins to be the starter. Personally, I think that's bat-shit crazy.

First of all, like I mentioned in the disclaimer above, it's only preseason. I'm not a client of Elias Sports Bureau or rely heavily on any of these so-called historical trends, but how many teams have stunk up the joint in preseason and done well when the games actually matter? Quite a few, I'm sure.

During Joe Gibbs's second tenure in Washington, when the team went 0-4 in the preseason after winning a playoff game the year before, people kept saying "don't worry... the last time the Redskins won the Super Bowl, they went 1-3 in the preseason and looked awful."

You know what happened next? The Skins sucked. Went 5-11.

So yeah, I guess that's not a good example.

Point is, preseason games hardly matter. Starting units get very little playing time, players take chances they wouldn't normally take, and everyone walks away happy if they do so without the help of a team of trainers.

Jason Campbell will undoubtedly be the Redskins' starting quarterback this season, so he may try some different looks and techniques when he has the opportunity to do so at game-speed but without the pressure of a potential regular-season loss. I know that sentence is a bit confusing to read -- it was to write -- but the bottom line is that he'll be fine.

The good ol' boy from Mississippi -- the one with the support of an entire locker room -- still has some serious potential. I keep backing him and, frankly, will do so until further notice. Believe me, you'll know it when I jump the U.S.S. JC -- I'm going to do a jackknife from the lookout tower and make quite the splash.

Campbell may not be great this year -- only time will tell -- but he certainly won't stink like he did for a very brief spell against the Steelers. The former Auburn standout will be a slightly-above-average quarterback with a better supporting cast than he had last year, which will make the Redskins a better team than they were a year ago.

Like the always-eloquent Ron Burgundy says, "it's science."

Redskins 10, Ravens 24

2008-12-09T17:36:00.007-05:00

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, and for that I apologize. November was a crazy busy month for me, and, well, the Redskins have been sucking it up lately. It’s easy to rant about what goes wrong, but it’s much more fun to write about a team when they’re doing well.

Anyway, there have been a lot of things floating through my head since Sunday night’s debacle near Dundalk, so I figured it was time to put those things on the interweb. Below are some of my thoughts on the current state of the Burgundy & Gold -- take them for what they’re worth (not much, I’m sure)...

01. At the risk of beating a dead horse, I think Mike Wilbon is exactly right in his assessment of the Redskins’ offensive production. To put it bluntly, the offensive line stinks. Watching the game against Baltimore, the difference between the time that Jason Campbell was getting and the time that Joe Flacco was getting was astounding. My doubt of Campbell’s ability to make smart decisions is growing stronger by the week, but part of me feels that a huge part of that has to do with the pressure he faces whenever the Skins are up against a semi-decent defense.

Sure, JC’s accuracy has been questionable and his targeting of receivers before the marker on big 3rd time plays is infuriating, but how confident and relaxed can you be when it’s almost as common to get sacked as it is to have good protection? Take one look at Campbell during the last 5 games and you will see someone completely flustered -- with no time to view his options and the inability to make a few completions and get into a rhythm, a quarterback is essentially useless.

Original image borrowed from the Washington Post

02. People keep praising the Redskins defense for keeping the team in games, but let’s be honest: they still haven’t quite held their own against even mediocre offenses. As much as Baltimore has improved their point production this season, they still have a rookie QB under center. If a defense can put any kind of pressure on a rookie QB, they should be able to force him into some poor decisions. Unfortunately, that rarely happened on Sunday. Flacco threw an interception, but it was more LaRon Landry jumping on the pass than poor execution.

On the ground, the Redskins run defense did a pretty good job putting the kaibosh on McGahee, McClain and Rice. On the biggest plays of the game, however -- the McClain TD, the bomb to Mason -- the flaws of Greg Blache’s troops were painfully exposed.

03. Speaking of that long touchdown pass from Flacco to Derrick Mason, am I the only one that thinks Carlos Rogers could’ve had a better shot at breaking up that play? It looked to me like, after he realized where the ball was, he went after Mason’s body instead of trying to break up the pass. If he focused on playing defense instead of putting a lick on Mason (more on that in a minute), I honestly believe he could’ve prevented the biggest play of the game.

Rogers has had a pretty decent season, all things considered, but he is still insanely far from being a reliable cornerback. A few great plays every other game do not a solid defender make -- sorry.

04. Back to the “putting a lick on Mason” comment...

I love LaRon Landry, I really do. I think he has the potential to be a great safety in the NFL, and the thought of him and Sean Taylor in the backfield nearly brings tears to my eyes.

I have an issue with the way Landry plays sometimes, however, and that issue is this: I think he goes after the hit far too often. I like a good bone-rattling tackle as much as the next guy, but fundamentals should absolutely always take precedence over a chance to make the highlight reels. Watch Baltimore’s defense (and Pittsburgh’s a few weeks ago) and you’ll see guys like Ed Reed and Ray Lewis break up beautiful passes by lunging hands-first, not helmet-first. I hate giving the Cowboys any credit if at all possible, but watching Terrance Newman make a great play on Sunday by doing exactly that was sweet (even if it did make me puke in my mouth). Focus on the ball first and foremost -- if you can’t break up the pass, go for the jugular.

05. I hated seeing Clinton Portis on the sidelines for almost the entire second half, especially after hearing that he thought he felt good enough to continue getting 20+ carries. If Jim Zorn is trying to make an example of CP, he needs to take a step back, put the coaching hat on the rack for a minute and think about what’s best for the team. You don’t bench one of the leading rushers in the league in a must-win situation, regardless of whether or not he’s able to practice.

There is a fine line between discipline and smarts, and if Portis was healthy enough to be out there, I think he deserved that shot (especially considering the beating he’s taken this year by putting his entire body into every play).

06. Speaking of Zorn, is it unfair to start questioning whether or not he’s the man for the job? Please note that I said “start questioning” and not “question” -- there’s a big difference. Before you go and get snippy, please allow me to explain...

First of all, Zorn is not a very good playcaller. The man who was lauded early in the season for taking chances and getting creative does neither of those things anymore, even though they could potentially cause a spark and get this reeling team back on track. When you’re on a 4-game shnide (let’s just include the Seattle win for the sake of argument), you need to start becoming more aggressive. Throwing downfield once or twice a game is absolutely pathetic, especially when there is all this talk about increasing point production being a huge priority. West Coast Shmest Coast -- you aren’t going to win many games by dinking and dunking the ball 4 yards at a time.

Secondly, the communication and game management of this team in the past 6 weeks has been nothing short of embarrassing. Calling a timeout after a delay of game penalty? Absurd. Punting on 4th and 2 or 3, in the opposition’s territory, with a little over a minute to go in the half (when you’re down by 14)? Un-fucking-believable. It’s time for Mr. Zorn to start shocking people, and I don’t mean by benching the star running back.

Lastly, one of the comments I made after Zorn’s debut against the Giants in Week One was that he looked completely terrified on the sideline. Unfortunately, it saddens me to say that he may’ve looked worse against the Ravens. Nearly every time the camera showed the coach, he was standing there silent, staring onto the field as though he had no idea what to do next. He wasn’t talking into his headset, wasn’t conversing with other coaches or with any of his players – he was simply standing there. With about 30 seconds on the clock before halftime, he couldn’t wait to get off the field and put on that nice, comfy wool hat.

Just before the Randle El touchdown, I’m pretty sure I saw Zorn say “what do we do now?” What do you do now? Your team is down by 14 points in the fourth quarter and you’re playing in a game that you absolutely must win. In other words, Einstein, you go for it.

Who knows -- maybe the pressure of being a head coach is getting to him, and he’s finding that he isn’t mentally tough enough to lead an organization. I have no doubt in my mind that Jim Zorn is a good motivator. Early in the season, when the Redskins were doing well, Zorn seemed to have all the right things to say in both good situations and bad. Now, though, it seems as though he’s keeping things “medium” just a bit too much. The last thing this team needs is another passive authority figure, one who deflects blame and doesn’t light a fire under his team’s collective ass.

07. If it’s 4th and 5, it’s cold as balls and the wind is howling, the ball is on your opponent’s 30 yard line and you have an unreliable kicker, do you go for the first down or attempt a 48-yarder?

08. Ryan Plackemeier is clearly nuggnuts. Looks like the guy is stashing a 20-piece in his cheeks, for crying out loud. Maybe if he laid off the barbecue sauce, he’d be able to get punts off quicker. Just a thought.

09. One of the few bright spots on Sunday, I think, was the play of Mike Sellers. Not only is Sellers looking like he could be a legitimate Number 2 back in this league, he also showed more passion than the rest of the offense combined. He fought his guts out -- excuse the Gibbsism -- and wanted everyone else to do the same, regardless of how low morale was. Sellers doesn’t have the physique or stamina to be a starting back in this league, but I’d love to see what he could do with more than 10 carries in a game.

10. The Redskins, after starting the season 6-2 and sitting very comfortably in second place in the toughest division in the league, are now 7-6 and staring at a brutally-long offseason. They’d have to run the table from here on out and get help from a slew of other teams to make the playoffs, and I just don’t think it’s going to happen. There are too many questions and too few answers on both sides of the ball.

So what do we do now? Do we watch the remaining few games in the off chance that our beloved team will provide a third holiday-season miracle in 4 years? Or do we reduce the stress in our lives by focusing our attention elsewhere? One of the first little tidbits I wrote about the Redskins last season was their amazing ability to toy with my emotions. Never has it been more evident than this year. It’s one thing to be a fan of a team like the Bengals or Lions, both perennial losers who very rarely show any signs of progress. It’s another to be sucked in year after year, only to have your hopes dashed midway through the season by a lack of effort and some serious underachieving.

If the Washington Redskins lose the last 3 games and end up 7-9, so be it. But if they do it without taking chances, without playing smart football and without displaying an outrageous amount of passion, it’ll leave a really bitter taste in my mouth, one that might be a little too hard to rinse out before the 2009 campaign.

Redskins 6, Steelers 23

2008-11-04T12:15:00.007-05:00

INT DOCTOR'S OFFICE IN ASHBURN, VIRGINIA -- MORNING

Jim Zorn enters after sitting in the waiting room for two hours.

JIM: Hi, doctor.

DR. JULIUS HIBBERT: Hello, Mr. Zorn. What seems to be the problem?

JIM: Please, call me Jim. Makes me feel better. Better yet, call me Zorn. Actually, call me Zorny. Yeah.

DR. HIBBERT: Umm, OK... Zorny. How can I help you?

ZORNY: Well, doc, it’s like this -- I’ve felt pretty good for the past couple of months. Real good, actually. There’ve been a few ups and downs, but for the most part, I’ve felt better than I have in years.

DR. HIBBERT: Good to hear. So why are you here?

ZORNY: Well, something happened last night. I can’t really explain it, but all of a sudden I feel like I could pass out. It’s like someone snuck into my room while I was sleeping and sucker-punched me.

DR. HIBBERT (scribbling furiously on his notepad): Interesting. Go on...

ZORNY: ...has anything like that ever happened to you?

DR. HIBBERT: Yeah, once... in 1967. I’m pretty sure it was some bad acid, though. Have you done any drugs lately?

ZORNY: No, sir. I’m a straight-shooter. Nothing extracurricular for me, unless reading a few pages of a mystery novel between drills counts.

DR. HIBBERT (laughing): No, that wouldn’t do it... although it could be somewhat distracting.

ZORNY: Yeah, it could be. Can we get back to the subject at hand?

DR. HIBBERT: Certainly.

ZORNY: So like I was saying, I feel like something happened last night. My stomach is upset today, my head hurts -- come to think of it, my whole body hurts. It’s like someone came along and just took the wind out of my sails. Do you know what I mean?

DR. HIBBERT: Sure do. What did you do last night that may have caused these feelings?

ZORNY: I coached a football game. It was kind of a big deal.

DR. HIBBERT: Now we’re getting somewhere! Tell me more about this football game.

ZORNY: Well I coach a local team, and we’ve been pretty good this year. Exceeded expectations, actually. But last night’s game didn’t go so well. We played this other team from a few hours away and they pretty much destroyed us.

DR. HIBBERT: I’m sorry to hear that.

ZORNY: Thanks. So anyway, there was a lot of hype heading into this contest. I kept telling my team to keep it medium, though, and to focus on the task at hand and not get caught up in all the hoopla.

DR. HIBBERT: I take it they didn’t listen?

ZORNY: I told them to keep doing what they’ve been doing for the past couple months. Stay strong on pass coverage, protect the quarterback, run it up the gut. You know, the usual.

DR. HIBBERT: And I take it they didn’t listen?

ZORNY: Did I not answer your question?! Are you OK?!

DR. HIBBERT: Take it easy, Mr. Zorn. I’m just trying to help.

ZORNY: I’m sorry... I get a little excited sometimes. My apologies.

DR. HIBBERT: It’s quite alright. Keep going.

ZORNY: No, they didn’t listen. I’m afraid I didn’t listen, either. I didn’t take my own advice, which may be why I feel the way I do.

DR. HIBBERT: How do you mean, you didn’t take your own advice?

ZORNY: Well I strayed from what’s been working, I’m afraid. I got caught up in the hoopla. I even busted out some old jerseys that I thought would work to our advantage and get the crowd pumped up.

DR. HIBBERT: Oh, you had a crowd gathered for this match, did you?

ZORNY: Yeah, there were a few people there. The other team’s supporters came out with a vengeance, though. Kind of felt like an away game.

DR. HIBBERT: That’s never good.

ZORNY: Tell me about it. I guess those visiting fans didn’t pay attention to our “Quiet! Offense at work” signs.

DR. HIBBERT: Ok, we’re getting distracted. More about the game, please.

ZORNY: Well a few guys in particular just didn’t get it done, which is really frustrating.

DR. HIBBERT: I can imagine. You never want to see anyone underperform.

ZORNY: Exactly. One guy named Carlos -- wait, this is all confidential, right?

DR. HIBBERT: Always is. Patient-doctor something-or-other. I think I signed a waiver back in medical school.

ZORNY: So Carlos -- he pretty much shit the bed. Pardon my language... I’m not a swearing man, I promise.

DR. HIBBERT: It’s OK.

ZORNY: Carlos didn’t get the job done. He’s been playing really well this season, but last night was a disaster. He dropped an interception that could’ve been a potential pick-six.

DR. HIBBERT: A pick-what-now?

ZORNY: Pick-six. It’s when a guy returns an interception for a touchdown. Pretty stupid expression, I know, but it’s what the kids are saying these days. Anyway, he dropped an interception that was right in his frigging hands! And he committed a really stupid 43-yard penalty that gave the other team possession in our end of the field for the first time all night. And then he practically escorted some marijuana-smoking receiver into the endzone late in the game. His effort was weak at best, doc.

DR. HIBBERT: That doesn’t sound good.

ZORNY (getting noticeably aggravated): Oh, it’s not. And another guy -- a veteran named Chris -- last night he committed a bunch of stupid penalties, didn’t block worth a damn and let our bread-and-butter quarterback get pummeled. I’m so mad I could spit!

DR. HIBBERT (interrupting): Don’t do that.

ZORNY: I’m sorry. It’s just—

DR. HIBBERT: ...frustrating, I’m sure. Whenever someone is under a lot of pressure, a negative result can do a lot of damage to the psyche. Was there a lot of pressure last night?

ZORNY: Is that a serious question? First of all, yes. You know today’s election day, right?

DR. HIBBERT: I’m not stupid, Mr. Zorn.

ZORNY: So today’s election day, and the two major candidates were interviewed at halftime and apparently the results of the game would directly affect the outcome of the election and -- oh gosh, nothing like this ever happened while I was coaching quarterbacks in Seattle...

DR. HIBBERT: Oh, you’re a transplant, are you?

ZORNY: Of course. Who in this frikking town isn’t? I mean, there are a ton of people from here, but you wouldn’t have known that last night. It seemed like half the crowd was waving these little yellow towels above their heads.

DR. HIBBERT: That’s cute.

ZORNY: No, it’s not cute! Our team colors aren’t yellow! They’re maroon and black!

DR. HIBBERT: Please, Mr. Zorn, take a deep breath.

ZORNY: I’m sorry. Can you at least begin to understand why I’m so upset, doc? Nothing seemed to go right last night. I mean, the defense played pretty well for the most part, I guess, but our offense couldn’t move the ball for squat. We went into the game with the league’s best running back and he was pretty much a non-factor. Our best receiver was hobbled with a thigh injury and -- and I don’t really want to talk about it anymore, to be honest. I knew this job wasn’t going to be easy, but man, I feel like the entire region is standing on my shoulders and the weight is becoming unbearable.

DR. HIBBERT: I understand, I really do. I coached my son’s little league team a few years ago and—

ZORNY (interrupting): Seriously? You’re trying to equate a professional football team to little league?

DR. HIBBERT: You’re right, that was the beginning of a terrible analogy. I don’t know what you’re going through, and to be honest, I don’t know if I can really help you. Are there any positives that came out of last night’s game?

ZORNY: Well we have a pretty good punter.

DR. HIBBERT: HA! Hey, I like to be as optimistic as the next guy, but having a good punter is like having a good waterboy.

ZORNY: Doc, we must've punted 38 times last night.

DR. HIBBERT: Oh.

ZORNY: Yeah. Anyway, besides the decent punting, I guess our special teams played pretty well. Our kicker is pretty good, too. And our kickoff return guy has a lot of heart. But we didn’t capitalize when we had the chance, you know? It’s like... it’s like borrowing your dad’s car to take this real special girl on a date, and then when you pick her up and she looks all nice and you scratched the car and all you can think about is getting yelled at instead of trying to kiss the girl that you’ve been ogling for months...

DR. HIBBERT: I have no idea what you’re talking about.

ZORNY: The bottom line is this, doc -- we need to do something. We play our biggest rival in two weeks. They have some major issues right now, but they are going to be fired up. We need to be fired up, too, or else we’re going to blow it and be right back where we started. If that happens... well, I don’t even want to think about it. The division that we play in is super tough, and we need to keep up the momentum or our hot start is going to be all for naught. Help me, doc. Please.

DR. HIBBERT: OK, I think I know what to do. Can you take a week off?

ZORNY: Hold on, let me check my calendar. Yeah, we can, actually. My luck is staring to turn!

DR. HIBBERT: Take a week off. Let your players rest. Don’t dwell too much on this devastating loss, because it’s not going to do you or anyone else any good. I’m sure the guys in that locker room are just as fired up as you are, so just take a few days to relax and before you start to think about the game in two weeks. Do you like bike rides?

ZORNY: Indeed.

DR. HIBBERT: Good. Take a bike ride. Be one with your thoughts. If you’re exceeding expectations, don’t let this one loss get you down too much. It sounds like you’ve got a good group of guys, so just be patient.

ZORNY: You know what, doc? You’re right. Our team is 6-3 and in second place. Everyone thought we’d be at the bottom of the standings, so what we’re doing is pretty good, I guess. Heck, this is my first time calling plays full-time. I’m bound to have a few ups and downs here and there, right?

DR. HIBBERT: Well, I think you need to st—

ZORNY: I mean, seriously... I was promoted to head coach of one of the most storied franchises in professional sports, I was basically an unknown before I came here, but now we’re sitting pretty comfortably heading into our bye week. Life is pretty good, I must admit.

DR. HIBBERT: But what about feeling like someone sucker-punched you? What happened to that?

ZORNY: Are you trying to bring me down, doc? Because if you are, I’ll take you down faster than O’Halloran.

DR. HIBBERT: No, I’m just trying to bring you back to rea—

ZORNY (running out the door): Enough with the small talk, doc! I'm cured! Zorny for president! Hip hip...

END SCENE

An open letter to Peter King

2008-10-27T16:44:00.005-04:00

Dear Peter,

I’ve known your body of work, in some capacity, for about 15 years. A former subscriber to Sports Illustrated, I actually enjoyed your commentary on various subjects while watching SI’s “Year In Sports” in both 1993 and 1994. Watching “Inside The NFL” off and on for a few years, it was clear that you have a rather extensive knowledge of the game of football, which is one of the reasons I read your Monday Morning Quarterback column each week.

For the past year or so, however, I’ve found your opinion rather predictable. You flock to certain teams -- Cowboys, Patriots, Steelers -- and certain players -- Romo, Favre, both Mannings -- with such consistency that it’s more surprising not to read about them than it is to read about someone else. As a professional writer for a national publication, your views should be, for the most part, unbiased.

With that having been said, I’d like to mention two things that have bothered me recently.

First, with regards to your “Fine Fifteen,” it’s beginning to seem as though your rankings have little to do with the outcome of games but rather how you feel about teams in general (which, admittedly, should factor into it).

For example, after the Redskins beat the Cowboys in Week 3, you immediately ranked them higher, which is completely understandable. The following week, however, the Redskins beat the Eagles (on the road) and Dallas barely beat Cincinnati (at home), yet you somehow decided that the Cowboys were once again the better team. You explained your position after receiving a ton of e-mails (which, let’s be honest, you had to expect), but only by saying something along the lines of -- and I’m paraphrasing here -- “I am more comfortable with Dallas in general than I am with Washington.”

Now fast forward four weeks. Dallas is out of the picture in terms of comparisons, having dropped 3 of their last 4. However, you have teams like Buffalo (who just lost, at home, to Miami) catapulting a few spots to number 5, while the Redskins (who just won in Detroit) drop once again despite winning for the sixth time in 7 weeks. Cleveland has some issues, but they beat the Giants and the Jaguars on either side of losing to the Skins, so it took some work for Washington to get the W at home last week.

Carolina got completely embarrassed two weeks ago by Tampa, bounced back against New Orleans and Arizona (both teams the Redskins beat), but somehow sit at Number 4 overall, despite having the same record as Washington. Pittsburgh is resting comfortably in the third spot, despite losing to the Giants and despite being led by a shaky quarterback who just threw 4 interceptions and has been sacked a billion times so far this season.

It just doesn’t make sense.

Second, I’d like to address a point you made in today’s column. In your “Ten Things I Think I Think” -- which is the dumbest header in history, by the way -- you said the following:

I know you love Clinton Portis, Jim Zorn. And you should. But that little tete-a-tete on the sidelines in Detroit with Mr. Portis should tell you that you're dealing with what Tom Coughlin has dealt with over the last three years with Plaxico Burress. High-maintenance guys. But great players. You've got to make peace and move on.

Wait... back up a minute. Did you seriously just compare Clinton Portis to Plaxico Burress? Let’s look at these two players from a “high-maintenance” perspective:

Plaxico Burress has been fined “40 or 50 times” by the Giants organization since being traded from Pittsburgh in 2005, mostly for skipping team meetings and essentially ignoring some of the higher-up personnel in New York. Police in New Jersey have reportedly been called to his house on more than one occasion in response to domestic abuse charges. He came out after being suspended by the team a couple of weeks ago and basically told the media that he didn’t care what the team thought and that, basically, he moved on and so should they.

Burress, though an incredible receiver, is a serious locker room issue. He has been for years and continues to be. When teammates were asked about his suspension earlier this year, a few came right out and said that they didn’t really care when he came back.

Clinton Portis, on the other hand, has only been fined by the NFL for not wearing league-issued socks. He has been vocal in the past, but I think most would agree that his speech has often been out of frustration with himself and with injuries than out of disrespect to the Redskins organization. He likes to have fun and is very emotional, but to equate those two traits to being “high-maintenance” makes me think that you aren’t quite sure what that phrase means exactly.

Sure, Portis has publicly acknowledged in the past that he does not like to practice. Given his production this year, however, I think his case is a pretty valid one. When healthy, he is one of the premiere backs in the NFL, an irreplaceable component in any offense and one of the biggest -- if not the biggest -- reasons the Redskins are 6-2.

Comparing an emotional player after one outburst to someone who has had “me first” written on his sleeve for years is not only absurd, it’s also unfair to Number 26.

After yesterday’s game, it was revealed that the “tete-a-tete” between Portis and Zorn was little more than miscommunication. That’s a far cry from admitting that his team comes second, wouldn’t you say?

Please, Mr. King, know all the facts before you write something so scathing, and please, start to factor in more than your loyalties when giving the public your opinion.

Sincerely,

MWP

Redskins 17, Rams 19

2008-10-13T12:12:00.004-04:00

This wasn’t supposed to happen. The Washington Redskins were not supposed to lose to a previously-winless team from an inferior division, especially not in front of 90,000 burgundy-and-gold-clad fans.

The St. Louis Rams -- not only cellar-dwellers this year, but since the beginning of last season -- were not supposed to come to FedEx Field and beat up on arguably the hottest team in the league. Despite having a Pro Bowl running back, a potential Hall of Fame receiver and a quarterback who signed a gigantic contract in the offseason, the Rams simply haven’t been able to assemble their weapons effectively enough to generate victories.

Until yesterday, of course.

For those placing the blame on Pete Kendall -- including himself -- I say shame on you. Sure, that was a costly turnover, but there were plenty of other things that went wrong yesterday. Examples and more -- in what I will cleverly call my “Likes and Dislikes” -- from yesterday’s disappointing debacle in Landover...

I like that Clinton Portis is doing everything on the field and nothing off of it. Aside from calling out the offensive line at the beginning of the season, Dolemite Jenkins has been a consummate professional in street clothes and an absolute menace on the gridiron. If there is anyone on this team that has shown more signs of maturity both in his game and in his demeanor, I’d like to know who that person is. CP, for all intents and purposes, is having an MVP-like season so far.

I DON’T like the fact that the Skins defense dropped two easy interceptions. LaRon Landry and London Fletcher were both given incredible opportunities, with Marc Bulger throwing the ball directly into their hands, but neither of them capitalized. If Carlos Rogers got heat for missing a few interception chances against the Giants, I think Landry and Fletcher should spend Tuesday morning on a bed of hot coals.

I like Shaun Suisham’s ability to kick 35-plus yard field goals on a regular basis. He was a stud last week against the Eagles and did what he had to do yesterday. The Skins haven’t had a more consistent field goal kicker since the great Chip Lohmiller.

I DON’T like that Shazaam booted the ensuing kickoff out of bounds. The Skins repeatedly gave the Rams great field position yesterday, as if to say “hey, you guys are winless and we’re on a hot streak... we might as well make this interesting.” Cutting the field short, no matter who you’re facing, is never going to end well.

I like Chris Cooley’s hands. Despite turning the ball over in the first quarter, the catch he made in double-coverage in the 2nd quarter was borderline incredible. The fact that he held onto the ball after being clobbered was even more impressive.

Original image borrowed from the Washington Post

I DON’T like Durant Brooks. I hate to be so blunt about it, because I know he’s going to receive a ton of criticism this week, but he’s just not a very good punter. Again -- field position is huge in a game like yesterday’s, and giving St. Louis the ball on the 32 (or whatever it was) is unbelievably unacceptable. Derrick Frost seems like a damn Hall of Famer compared to this kid.

I like Randle El’s ability to step up when Santana is being double-covered. Antwaan is having a pretty solid season so far, and despite dropping a few passes here and there, he’s really showing that when a play needs to be made in crunch time, he can be counted on to get it done.

I DON’T like Santana being double-covered. Coach Zorn said after the game that Moss’s number was called numerous times and the plays just weren’t there. Somehow I just don’t believe it. It’s no secret that the Redskins are now in a West Coast scheme and prefer short routes rather than long bombs, but everybody knows what 89 can do. He’s still faster than most secondaries, so unless he’s getting up-ended at the line of scrimmage, I want to see one or two shots downfield. First and 10 from midfield, early in the game... take a chance. For me.

I like that the Redskins are 4-2.

I DON’T like Brian Mitchell calling yesterday’s opponent, in all seriousness, the Los Angeles Rams. The team left Tinseltown 14 years ago, B. Mitch.

I like Jim Zorn’s post-game press conferences. Equating the team’s fortunes heading into halftime to a teenager coming home after scratching his dad’s car, while a rather random anecdote, does make a bit of sense. There’s a time to light a fire under your team’s collective ass, but there’s also a time to let them dwell on their mistakes. I’m pretty sure the men in that locker room knew how poorly they were playing, so kicking them when they were down could’ve potentially done more harm than good.

I DON’T like the New York Giants in tonight’s game. When’s the last time Cleveland hosted a Monday nighter? 15 years ago? There are few fan bases that have stuck with their team through thick and thin better than the Browns’, and I’d imagine tonight’s atmosphere will be electric. Does that mean the 1-3 team will prevail over the 4-0 team? Certainly not. If the Rams can beat the Skins and the Cardinals can beat the Cowboys, however, who’s to say the Browns can’t beat the Giants?

I like the fact that the Redskins continue to pound the football and dominate the stats. 22 first downs, close to 400 total yards, better time of possession. This isn’t something they did very often last year, so it’s a sign of things moving in the right direction.

I DON’T like the fact that the Burgundy and Gold turned the ball over 3 times. Against the 31st rank defense in the league, the Redskins’ offense put the ball on the ground at the most inopportune times. Fortunately, all three responsible -- Cooley, Rabach, Kendall -- know what they did wrong, and all three have been in the league long enough to be able to put it past them. Expecting an offense to hold onto the ball for more than 5 games is unrealistic, so it was only a matter of time before someone slipped up. We can only hope that yesterday’s performance didn’t start a trend in the opposite direction.

I like that the Redskins continue to fight late into games. In previous seasons under He Who Shall Not Be Named, this team was notorious for blowing halftime leads, for allowing teams to get back into games and for folding when they were down heading into the final quarter. If there’s a positive in all of this, it’s that the Skins are certainly not without heart.

I DON’T like to see Carlos Rogers laughing it up on the sidelines mere seconds after committing a special teams holding penalty. Rogers has been playing pretty well this season, so it’s hard to get too down on him, but Trevor Matich was right in his postgame assessment -- aside from a few players, this team didn’t seem to have the focus yesterday that they’ve had for the past few weeks.

I like the fact that the Redskins play at home again next Sunday. It’s rather cliché to consider a loss like yesterday’s a “wake-up call,” but at the end of the day, it really should be. Everyone in the league knows what this team is capable of, but with a 4-game winning streak came a premature ride on cloud nine for the Burgundy and Gold. They started to take their good fortune for granted, excusing a team like the Rams as a second-rate opponent, and it came back to bite them in the ass.

The good thing, if there is one, is that the Washington Redskins are back to reality. They should practice hard this week, approach the Browns game as though they are the underdog and focus on the task at hand, not at the prospect of being a 6-3 or 7-2 team heading into the Week 10 bye. This team thrives on being “disrespected,” and after a shocking loss to the previously 0-4 Rams, they should be right back to where they want to be.

It’s time to stop acting like a playoff-ready team and get back to playing like one.

Redskins 23, Eagles 17

2008-10-06T17:08:00.010-04:00

I’ve been a Skins fan since the day I was born, but there have been few Sundays (if any) in the past 15 years as glorious as yesterday.

Riding the Metro from downtown DC to suburban Maryland to watch the game, I noticed some graffiti by the Brookland / CUA platform. Catholic University received a lot of media attention in the NFL last week for hosting the Arizona Cardinals between their losses to the Skins and Jets, and being my alma mater, I thought this was a rather fitting place to see the following tag:

That's some damn fine work.

Getting excited for the game, as if it wasn’t easy enough, was just made easier. Another Sunday... another huge NFC East matchup... another game with so much at stake.

When the Eagles took their first possession, drove down the field and scored seemingly at will, the high hopes I had heading into the game were quickly brought back down to Earth. Desean Jackson’s punt return minutes later -- making the score 14-0 less than halfway through the opening quarter -- was like a knock-down sucker punch to the face. Add to that the fact that the Skins would be playing in front of a hostile Lincoln Financial Field crowd, without 3 defensive starters, and it appeared as though the men on the field and the fans watching at home were in for a very long and painful day.

For the past 10+ years, the Washington Redskins would be at a certain disadvantage in situations like this, both physically and psychologically. Climbing out of a two-touchdown hole, regardless of the circumstances, was as likely as signing a free agent Pro Bowler and having him return to Hawaii the following year (it could happen, sure, but I wouldn’t bet on it).

The Zorn Era, however, is clearly different.

Down but not out, the Burgundy and Gold showed yesterday that they are absolutely a team on the rise, one that is on a 4-game winning streak not because of a fluke play here or there, but because they possess the complete package. The offense is playing well, the defense is suffocating, the special teams is doing just enough to get by, the playcalling is sound and the desire to win, most importantly, has yet to fade.

While a certain former coach always praised his players for “fighting their guts out,” at times it seemed as if his assessment couldn’t be more off. Too often fans would witness a complete collapse, watch their beloved team play a game not to lose -- rather than maintaining an aggressive approach and finishing opponents off -- and simply get out-coached by sometimes-inferior opponents.

Not any more.

Yesterday’s win in Philadelphia, under mostly sunny skies yet in a rain-storm of penalty flags, was certainly not the prettiest in Redskins history. There were more than a few mistakes -- too many men on the field, worse-than-average punting, blown coverage but plenty of dropped balls -- but at the end of the day, Washington left the City of Brotherly Love with another crucial victory in the insanely-competitive NFC East.

Now they sit comfortably in second place, with arguably the toughest 3 road games on the schedule behind them. They still have yet to commit a turnover -- quite possibly the most unbelievable stat throughout this electrifying start -- and are mixing it up enough on offense to keep opposing coaches honest and on their toes. Couple those facts with the ability of the defense to limit some of the most productive offensive units in the game -- New Orleans, Arizona, Dallas, Westbrook -- and all of a sudden these Redskins are looking quite fierce.

Having said all of that, it’s easy to look ahead at the next 3 games and envision a 7-1 start. Unlike years past, when close wins like those over Dallas and Philadelphia were more right-place-at-the-right-time than anything, the current roster is playing with so much poise and confidence that it’s hard to imagine them losing at home to teams that, to put it bluntly, are not very good.

Am I going to be nervous hosting a team like St. Louis? Of course; this is the NFL, after all, and when you see a team like Miami blow out New England and then San Diego, you know that anything is possibly (with apologies to Kevin Garnett).

The Skins are on a roll, however, and until they start to show some major flaws, being optimistic is what it’s all about.

Danny Boy and Coach Z can act like kids all they want, because while many people doubted the Burgundy and Gold after their Week One loss, it’s becoming quite obvious that they are most definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Hail.

Redskins 26, Cowboys 24

2008-09-29T16:32:00.011-04:00

There are so many potential things to talk about today, it’s hard to narrow them down and focus on just a few. I will try and do just that, however, because that’s what I want to do and, frankly, I think Redskins fans should be able to do whatever they want today.

Thinking about showing up to work wearing nothing but a burgundy and gold Speedo? Do it. Considering starting a Hail to the Redskins sing-along on a crowded Metro train? Rock it. Trying to decide whether or not it would be appropriate to ask that Cowboys fan in your office if he had a good weekend? Hey, you’re only being polite...

Below are my thoughts on the glorious victory at Texas Stadium, and also a few general notes on the current state of the Burgundy and Gold.

01. Yesterday’s game seemed like a bit of an enigma. Unlike the MNF comeback that stunned the Cowboys in 2005, the Redskins’ most recent triumph in Dallas was so complete that it quickly began to feel expected and almost natural. I was nervous heading into the game, sure, but I never felt like the Skins were on the verge of a breakdown. As a fan for so many years and a witness to many second-half collapses, this was an unbelievable relief.

When the last few seconds ticked off and that final whistle blew, I simply stood there and thought “Wow, that was ridiculous... I can’t remember the last time the Skins looked so dominant against what was supposed to be the better team.” I didn’t jump up and down like I did when Santana shocked the world 3 years ago -- I just crossed my arms, thought about how huge the victory was and let it all soak in.

Original image borrowed from the Washington Post

02. Needless to say, the lack of turnovers the Redskins have produced on offense is perhaps the biggest reason the team is 3-1 and has a ton of momentum heading into Week 5. They are the first team since 1995 to enter their fifth game without an offensive turnover, which the statistics show is no easy feat.

The receivers and backs are doing a great job of holding on to the ball, but more importantly, Jason Campbell is learning how to protect himself, take sacks and throw it away when he has no other options. Even though accepting a loss of yardage is tough to watch, it’s a necessary evil at times and much better than seeing an errant pass or stupid mistake give the other team possession.

03. The Redskins are showing great depth on both sides of the football, something they have not been able to do in the past few seasons. Injuries are inevitable in the NFL, and while the Redskins’ secondary struggled last year after Rogers went down and Smoot rotated in and out, the overall strength of the reserves has been impressive in these last 3 games. Shawn Springs was having a career day against Terrell Owens before he left with a strained calf, but Rogers, Smoot, Reed Doughty and Chris Horton contained the Dallas passing attack as well as anyone could’ve hoped.

04. Speaking of Chris Horton, if he continues playing as well as he has been, I think fans and media alike will have to give Vinny Cerrato and Dan Snyder a ton of credit for selecting him so deep in the draft. Choosing him when they did could turn out to be one of the better out-of-the-blue picks in the recent history of the franchise, which is something Snyder isn’t exactly known for.

While the replay of Horton’s pick of Romo in the third quarter showed just how pretty and textbook-driven that play was, I think he is beginning to show that he has more than great hands -- his open-field tackling of Jason Witten and Marion Barber was very impressive, especially for a seventh-round rookie.

05. When Jason Taylor went down against Arizona and it was revealed on Monday that he’d need a few weeks to recover, people all across the country were quick to say that his absence could be the deciding factor against the Cowboys. That it was not a major issue is yet another testament to the depth of experience on the defensive side of the ball.

06. Seeing Washington’s Big 3 -- Campbell, Portis and Moss -- play more efficiently than their Dallas counterparts was obviously sweet. What was even sweeter, though, was seeing them do it so swiftly and soundly. Campbell is looking more confident than a quarterback has in the Burgundy & Gold in years; Portis is running the ball comfortably and with purpose; Moss has returned to 2005 form and is showing secondaries that his quad injuries from the past are not only a non-issue, but that his speed is more than most of them can handle.

07. Hey, Terrence Newman, I think that’s a piece of your jockstrap on the 30 yard line. Oh, and there’s another piece just outside the end zone.

08. I know I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but aside from the clock management and play-calling issues in the Meadowlands, Jim Zorn has looked like an extremely good fit for the Redskins. One hire does not a reputation make, of course, but let’s assume for the sake of argument that Zorn continues to do well this season and eventually leads this team back to the playoffs (at the risk of getting too far ahead of myself, perhaps even as NFC East champs)...

Do Snyder and Cerrato get the respect they deserve, or will people chalk it up as simply a lucky guess?

Think back to February of this year, when most people thought Gregg Williams should be promoted after Gibbs’s retirement. Fast forward a couple of weeks, when it was decided that Gregg Williams would no longer be with the organization in any capacity. Jim Fassel, Brian Billick, Al Saunders -- all with head coaching experience, all considered, none selected. Snyder and Cerrato chose to promote a relative unknown in Zorn and, so far, that move has turned out to be golden.

When Bobby Beathard and Jack Kent Cooke introduced Joe Gibbs in 1981, it was not without its share of skepticism. With the latest head coach, the same unknowns existed -- with Zorn, however, has come an astonishingly-quick level of success. Yes, he inherited a playoff team, and yes, it’s early, but to produce as well as he has in his first stint as a head coach is nothing short of remarkable.

09. One thing that is impressing me more and more with Jason Campbell each week is his improvisation. His footwork and ability to escape pressure have improved significantly since last year, and against Dallas, he seemed to find second and third options with relative ease, making plays on the run and scrambling out of the pocket rather comfortably.

--

The Burgundy and Gold showed the NFL yesterday that they not only belong in the ultra-competitive NFC East, but that they have the potential and the overall combination of skill, quality play-calling and game management to take the division and the conference by storm.

A Philadelphia loss to Chicago last night means the Eagles will be entering next Sunday’s game with their heads a little low -- especially if Westbrook is unable to play again -- while the Redskins will be heading up 95 with a confidence that could ultimately prove to be the difference.

If JC & Co. are able to continue making smart decisions on the field, win the turnover battle once again and provide enough spark with their numerous offensive weapons, the Burgundy and Gold should be able to return to Washington in a position few people thought possible -- in the driver’s seat.

It's official: Bill Simmons hates the Redskins

2008-09-26T16:31:00.007-04:00

I’m not sure when or why Bill Simmons -- known in the writing world as "The Sports Guy" -- came to hate the Washington Redskins, but it’s become pretty obvious over the last few years of reading his columns that he most definitely does. In fact, I think he’s made it rather clear that he isn’t too fond of any other of DC's sports teams, either.

Simmons continuously rips on the Wizards, despite the fact that they’ve made the playoffs for the past 4 seasons and have had a broader range of success in that span than his beloved Celtics (pre-Garnett, of course).

He’d blast the Capitals if he had the chance, I’m sure, but aside from the Bruins, he admittedly knows very little about hockey. (Besides, given the fact that the Caps have one of the most promising young teams in the NHL and the game’s most exciting player, he’d be spewing nothing but nonsense if he trashed George McPhee or Ted Leonsis.)

Major League Baseball is a different story, as the Nationals are irrelevant and it’s hard to argue with the recent success of the Sox. I don’t think I’d bat an eye or get remotely upset if he chose to rip their situation apart, as he wouldn’t be the first to do so.

So where does this hatred of our Nation’s capital come from?

Maybe little Billy took a class trip to DC when he was in middle school -- which, growing up on the East Coast, I’m sure he did -- and got separated from the group at the Washington Monument. Maybe he had a relationship with a girl who went to GW, Georgetown or Catholic and she dumped him after realizing a) he was slightly weasel-like, b) he didn’t have a whole lot to offer and c) he cared about nothing but Boston-area sports.

Regardless of the reason, The Sports Guy simply doesn’t like our franchises (or, as far as I’m concerned, our city). He especially doesn’t like the Burgundy and Gold, as he rarely, if ever, spends more than a sentence or two discussing the games in which they play when he does his “weekly picks” column for ESPN.com.

This isn’t the first time I’ve thought this, so before you think that I’m basing everything on today’s column, allow me to explain...

Even when the Redskins have found themselves with a little bit of confidence and respect from other teams in the league -- which hasn’t been often, as they’ve teetered on the brink of mediocrity since 1993 -- the Sports Guy has never given them credit. In fact, more often than not, he’ll simply start by saying something random about their opponent and then go off on a completely unrelated tangent (like he so often does in his increasingly similar columns).

There’s nothing that says “I don’t give two shits about your franchise” than completely ignoring them, as far as I’m concerned. Take this snippet from a column before last year’s Week 2 games, for example:

EAGLES (-7) over Redskins

Big game for Donovan McNabb, even bigger game for Andy Reid. And since I can’t think of anything else to say, do you think Andy Roddick has ever thought about having Roger Federer killed? He’s definitely thought about it a few times, right? Maybe after about 10 drinks, but he’s definitely thought about it. You can’t convince me otherwise.

This little gem is from a "professional sportswriter," mind you, one who gets front-page treatment on ESPN.com when his weekly picks come out. Yes, I know he doesn’t claim to offer an analyst’s opinion, and that most readers probably read his columns more for his humor than his knowledge, but at some point it gets ridiculous.

In today’s column, Simmons had this to say about the Redskins (who he ranked 17th in his "weekly power poll"):

They just beat the Saints and Cardinals, so, um ... yeah. You know what scares me about the Redskins other than the fact Dan Snyder is a stubbier, less successful Mark Cuban? Poor Jim Zorn looks like he's wound tighter than a substitute teacher at Watts High. And it's not like a Mike Shanahan thing in which it looks like he's trying to melt a referee's brain; it's more of a "Don Draper running into an old friend from the Korean war back when everyone called him Dicky" type of nervous intensity, like he's battling a complex about never having been a head coach before. If Dallas beats the Skins by 25 this Sunday, I could see Zorn screaming, "I'm in charge here! OK? All right? I am the one in charge!!!!!!" and losing the locker room for good. He should start drinking red wine during games. I don't see this ending well.

Never mind the fact that a lot of sportswriters are quick to criticize the Burgundy and Gold -- that’s fine. There are always going to be skeptics, people who may know a little something that the fans don’t or people that look more at the past than the present.

What Simmons is saying, however, is not true. Yes, Jim Zorn looked terrified against the Giants in the Meadowlands in Week One -- I even said so myself on this very site, and I can imagine that most first-time coaches would have butterflies the size of pterodactyls if their first game was nationally-televised, in New York and against the defending Super Bowl champions.

For the past two games, however, he has looked as comfortable as anyone could in just his second and third games as The Man. His play-calling has improved tremendously, his demeanor has been calm when necessary; fired-up and overly passionate when required. But the most important fact of all -- which Simmons is hinting at but clearly has no idea what he’s talking about -- is the potential for Zorn to lose the faith of his players. Barring the most knuckleheaded coaching decisions -- calling all 3 timeouts in the first 30 seconds, putting Shaun Suisham under center, keeping Durant Brooks -- that potential simply doesn’t exist.

Even if the Redskins come out on Sunday and completely lay an egg against Dallas (which they won’t), I don’t see anyone’s attitude changing. Since the man who invented the “Z-shades” entered training camp, there has been nothing but talk of complete respect and admiration for one of the few people who has ever succeeded a coach whose bust is already in Canton. Players seem to go out of their way to praise Zorn’s attitude, work ethic, reliability, tenacity, smarts and overall character. They think he has what it takes to be a great coach in this league, and if his development through 3 weeks is any indication, it’s hard to argue with them.

Simmons is a decent writer, I will give him that. His act has gotten extremely stale and his head increasingly large over the past few years, but that may be more ESPN’s fault than his -- after all, they are the ones that are treating him like an Oscar-winning director when his body of work consists of Porky’s and the American Pie Trilogy. What he does with the position he’s in, however, is on him.

You can insert humor into nearly any topic of conversation, as far as I’m concerned, but there’s a definite line between which is the more important objective. Are you trying to be funny and just a little bit analytical, or are you trying to offer some serious insight and show that you have a good sense of humor?

Since the increased presence of blogging, writers like Matt Mosley of ESPN.com often incorporate wisecracks into their analysis, as it keeps readers interested and breaks up the monotony of answering technical questions and breaking down X’s and O’s.

Bill Simmons, it’s quite obvious, is trying to be the funny man, so my plea to him is this:

Stay away from anything related to predictions or rankings, Sports Guy. In fact, stay away from anything that involves serious insight into the games we love. It’s painfully obvious that your knowledge exists in a bubble, so do us all a favor and stick to writing about pop culture and stop hating on our teams. I’d like to take your columns for what they’re worth, but when you insult my beloved Burgundy and Gold, you make it increasingly hard to do so.

Redskins 24, Cardinals 17

2008-09-22T17:33:00.007-04:00

In theory, going to a Redskins game to cap off your bachelor party weekend is an incredible idea. A few beers, friends, nothing but blue skies and not-completely-hot-as-balls temperatures -- a recipe for certain good times, right? Well, yes. Unless, of course, you’re more hungover than you’ve ever been and fighting off puke scares all afternoon.

Don’t get me wrong... yesterday’s game was great. The Skins looked very solid and the outcome was certainly favorable -- it’s just hard to really enjoy a game when you feel like your head is going to explode midway through the first quarter. Am I right?

My impressions of yesterday’s game at the Stadium Formerly Known As Raljon (from what I remember)...

01. It was hot. Definitely hotter than it should’ve been (and hotter than those damn meteorologists said it was going to be). Maybe it was the fact that we were 3,800 feet above the field and therefore that much closer to the sun -- who knows. Regardless, it was brutal. (And yes, I know it was about 15 degrees hotter last week against the Saints, but I wasn’t there, so I can’t compare.)

02. I’m more likely to buy something from a vendor who makes an effort and / or makes people laugh. “Ice cold lemonade! Tastes better than my ex-wife!” That’s what one of the guys said as he was soliciting the fine patrons of Sections 412 and 413. He looked kind of young to have an ex-wife, sure, but he gets bonus points for that brilliance.

Taken by the author's sherpa.

03. The Redskins looked good. Not Super Bowl good, but much better than I thought they would just 3 weeks into a new offensive package. Jason Campbell’s confidence, after being essentially shattered in the first game, has to be higher than it’s ever been. Heading into Week Four and not having thrown an interception is impressive -- I don’t care who you are.

04. Certainly helping the confidence situation is the man I like to call Santiggity. Why I call Santana that, I have no idea -- all I know is that I love that dude. He’s got better hands than he had last year -- remember that game in Green Bay? -- and he’s getting some nice yards after the catch, which is where he can be potentially explosive. I do think that the Skins need to take more shots down the field, but I’m very content with the current situation, so I’ll be patient.

05. Speaking of Santana, I wish he had a chance to actually do something as a punt returner rather than let the ball bounce into the endzone. Let’s hope that wasn’t a one-time gig and he gets another shot in Dallas next week.

06. Speaking of Dallas, I spotted quite a few irrelevant jerseys at the game yesterday. A Romo jersey here, a T.O. jersey there, a Brian Westbrook jersey there. What gives with these people? Why would you possibly wear the jersey of a team that’s not playing at the game you’re at? Are you trying to prove a point? I don’t get it. Help me understand this.

07. Speaking of Chris Horton -- I didn’t actually mention him... just seeing if you’re paying attention -- it looks like he may have snuck past Reed Doughty on the depth chart. After Doughty got burned by Fitzgerald on that deep bomb from Warner, I knew we weren’t going to see much more of him (at least not in this game). It sucks that he may have lost his starting job due to getting sick before last week’s game, but this is the NFL, and sometimes these things happen. Horton has been a stud so far, so I think the Skins need to ride that train until it runs out of steam.

08. Nice INT by Carlos Rogers. I know everyone and their mothers have been talking about he saved himself after being ridiculed for having bad hands, but that was sweet. Good for him for having the sense to get up and take off, too -- that was the biggest play of the game.

09. ~~Malcolm Kelly~~ Devin Thomas, you knucklehead. Two offensive pass interference calls in one game? Seriously? You’ve got potential, bromaldehyde, but you’ve got to get your head out of your arse if you want to make some noise in this league.

10. How about Clinton Portis? Just a long week after he made the comments heard ‘round the Beltway, I’d say Dolemite Jenkins is doing pretty well, wouldn’t you? Sure, his yardage hasn’t been earth-shattering, but he’s found some holes that he wasn’t finding last year and has been great where it matters most -- in the red zone.

11. Speaking of the red zone -- is it me, or are the Skins capitalizing way more efficiently than they were under Gibbs? Just something to think about.

12. Walked right past Mike Sellers after the game. Good gracious, that guy is a monster.

13. Good to see Zorn mixing up the playcalling a bit. Randle El is an aerial threat on both sides of the ball, and the laser that he fired to Cooley in the second half was sweet. I’d love to see more of that down the road.

14. All things considered -- it’s only Week 4, it's their first meeting of the year -- is next Sunday’s game in Dallas one of the biggest between these two bitter rivals? The NFC East is a collective 10-2, with both of those losses coming within the division (the Skins to the G-men and the Eagles to the Cowboys). If the Burgundy and Gold can take the swagger that they’ve shown in the past 2 games into Texas Stadium, do the unthinkable and walk out of there 3-1, the best division in football would potentially turn into one of the best division races in league history. Sure, the season is very young, but it’s been pretty damn exciting so far, hasn’t it?

15. Hail.

Redskins 29, Saints 24

2008-09-16T09:12:00.003-04:00

I was hoping to provide a full re-cap of Sunday's game by now, but this week is going to be crazy busy and I just don't think I'll have time to put my thoughts into coherent sentences. With that said, below are the notes I made during the impressive comeback win over N'Awlins.

As always, feel free to comment (or share your own thoughts).

Hail.

--

First Half

01. Carlos Rogers personal foul call (throwing out of bounds) -- absolutely, 100% unacceptable

02. Timeouts (burning all 3 in the first 12 minutes?!)

03. Turnovers -- good work by Rocky McIntosh

04. Lack of capitalizing on turnovers... throwing to Portis with his back turned on the 4 when they need to at least get to the 2?!

05. Randle El -- you gotta hold on to the ball on punt returns!

06. Loss of Jason Taylor? Ouch.

07. Missed field goal -- nothing to show for the nice Portis-led drive... 4th and 1 from the Saints’ 11 yard line -- taking a chance by going for it? Will chances ever be taken?

08. Three drives inside the Saints’ 20 resulting in 2 field goals. Two missed FG by Suisham -- one from 49, one from 30? Bad hold by Durant Brooks... was cutting Derrick Frost a mistake?!

09. Great overall playing by the defense -- Rocky McIntosh playing very well

10. No urgency at all! Do they work on a 2-minute drill? You’ve got momentum -- use it!

11. Third and 9 from the Saints’ 20, Campbell rolls out, fakes a handoff (to nobody!) and overthrows the endzone by 10 yards

12. Confusion on the line -- even after a timeout! What is being discussed during timeouts? Are plays being called, or are guys just catching their breath?

13. Letting them roll right down the field and get a field goal just before half -- weak

14. Controlled the entire first half on defense -- failed to capitalize on offense, but held them strong... lost all momentum by letting them drive in the final 60 seconds

Second Half

01. Came out real flat on defense... weak coverage... no pressure... open on the outsides on 3rd downs... letting the Saints drive the field with ease

02. Good overall play by Jason Taylor

03. What happens to this team at halftime?!?! They just got completely burned to open the second half on all accounts

04. Offense is moving the ball well but can’t finish!

05. Campbell gets very fixated on certain parts of the field, has trouble rolling out and seeing more options than the initial receiver that the play was called for

06. Great plugging away by Portis -- finding holes well and making room when there is none

07. Good TD run when it looked like he could’ve been stopped shortly past the line of scrimmage

08. Going for 2 -- good move or bad?

09. Suisham doing well kicking the ball out of the endzone

10. Why the fuck did the Skins cut Derrick Frost?!

11. Terrible punt by Brooks, terrible hold -- not a good game

12. LaRon Landry repeatedly talking shit to Reggie Bush... I understand it’s part of the game, but that may have just sparked that punt return for a TD

13. Santana Moss is having a pretty decent game -- why not take chances and go deep? Rather than throwing directly down the sidelines, can’t he cut back in 15-20 yards down the field and get hit in stride? Does Campbell not have the accuracy or confidence to hit those plays?

14. The Saints’ secondary is very depleted -- Brian Baldinger has been talking about it all day... why not try and take advantage of that?

15. Lack of smart play-calling? Again?

16. Third and 12 -- throwing it 6 yards... what is that going to accomplish?

17. 28 yard punt! Who decided to keep this guy?

18. Randle El pretty ineffective on punt returns... hasn’t been able to get a good first step... always tries to cut back and often loses yardage

19. Great sequence of throws to Randle El, Cooley and Moss with +/- 8 minutes to play... good escape by Campbell on the throw to Randle El

20. 7:02 to go, first down throw to Randle El... he got out of bounds, so why didn’t the clock stop?

21. Another great run by Portis for a TD -- very solid overall game

22. Unbelievable throw by Campbell to Santana Moss!

23. Great great great two drives by the B&G

24. Who is Chris Horton?! Two interceptions in place of Reed Doughty! Great game

25. Awesome games for Moss and Portis

Hijacking the Brennan Bandwagon

2008-09-10T11:57:00.003-04:00

It’s amazing how quickly people point fingers when a team opens a new season with a loss.

Don’t get me wrong -- I’m as guilty as the next guy when it comes to criticizing a coach’s game plan, a player’s lack of smart decision-making, etc., but I also like to think that I’m constructive in the way I analyze games. I like to break down what went wrong and can sometimes come across as accusatory, but I also try to be patient with the current situation, not jump to conclusions and suggest a complete overhaul.

A slew of Redskins fans, however, have a different attitude.

Over on The Official Redskins Blog, comments are flying left and right to replace Jason Campbell with Colt Brennan, the 3rd string rookie quarterback from Hawaii who impressed in the preseason and who, evidently, has an extensive fan club. After one game.

Says "chaddyboy808":

Couldn’t be much worse. How long will the Redskins nation suffer behind poor performance after poor performance with JC? He will never lead the Skins anywhere but the cellar. Colt is the key.

Says "Roland":

I am sorry, but I am not sure that Jason Campbell will be a successful quarterback in the NFL.

Says "redskinsman":

Time to trade JC to Baltimore or Minnesota and get something while he still has some value.

Let’s take a step back and look at the circumstances, shall we?

First off, I think Campbell could’ve played a better game against the Giants, there’s no doubt about that. He never seemed to find a rhythm, was stuck fleeing linemen too often and appeared flustered from the opening snap.

What fans need to realize, however, is that these things were not necessarily Campbell’s fault. The Burgundy and Gold played rather poorly in the Meadowlands, and as I pointed out in my previous post, I think there could’ve been some much better choices made by the personnel on the sidelines as well.

More importantly, though, the play of the offensive line needs to improve dramatically. A quarterback is only as good as the men blocking for him, and with an extra second or two in the pocket, I think we’d see a significant increase in JC’s performance (and, more importantly, confidence).

A new offensive scheme has come to town, whether we like it or not. With the limited number of preseason snaps for starters, it would take any young quarterback a regular-season outing or two to get things right. The window of opportunity is small in a 16-game season, sure, but history has shown that an 0-1 team has absolutely no need to panic.

For the past however-many years, fans of the Washington Redskins have been very vocal about the direction in which Dan Snyder has taken this organization. They jump on his back when he tries for the quick fix and rip on him when he goes out and grabs a high-profile player with the hope that said player will turn things around overnight.

One poorly-constructed game into the 2008 season -- in New York, against the reigning Super Bowl champions -- and some fans are calling for the exact thing they so quickly criticize. While there are plenty of supporters that have stayed sane during the past 6 days, it's tough to ignore the naysayers that think the world is coming to an end.

If Jason Campbell's supporting cast can step up and give him the chance to get into a groove, I sincerely believe that he can produce as well as we need him to. Games before the Week 10 bye include homestands against Arizona, St. Louis and Cleveland and a road trip against Detroit. If the Skins are looking at 3-6 or worse -- let's be honest, 4-5 would be damn near miraculous -- I think it's fair to question whether or not he's the man for the job.

Until then, however, I think we need to be patient and give #17 the shot he deserves.

Redskins 7, Giants 16

2008-09-05T11:45:00.019-04:00

In yesterday's Washington Post, there was an article by Mike Wise that asked Redskins fans to be patient with the team's new head coach, pleading for them to remember that the first game against the Giants would not dictate the rest of his days in Washington.

I realize that Coach Zorn has an unbelievably tough road ahead of him and agree with Mike, but after watching last night's opener, I have to admit that I'm just a little scared.

"Baptism-by-fire" is how Wise described the situation, and while it's obviously just an expression, it really did look like Zorn was feeling the heat on the sidelines. Every time the camera showed the head coach, he appeared confused, at times emotionless and often alone. Not a good sign, considering the position he's in.

Original image borrowed from the Washington Post

So the Redskins started the season with a big fat L and showed very few -- if any -- signs of the cohesion and chemistry that I said were necessary to get this train moving in the right direction.

Instead, fans were treated to the following:

01. 3 False Start penalties, two of them on Antwaan Randle El. Yes, Giants Stadium is loud, so I can imagine it's next to impossible to hear the quarterback (especially as a receiver), but these guys are professionals. I'm not sure if Campbell isn't projecting his voice enough, the players are distracted or there's something else going on, but false starts are such a devastating waste of yardage. Every time it happens, the drive becomes that much harder to survive and getting in a rhythm becomes that much more difficult.

02. Poor coverage. Something I mentioned the other day as a major point of concern is the Redskins' secondary, and last night, Carlos Rogers and Fred Smoot simply got abused. Plaxico is a great receiver -- I'm still not sure how he caught that bobbled ball in double-coverage -- but even third-stringers seemed to be running routes with ease.

Not having Shawn Springs on the field is always tough, but Smoot and Rogers have shown (occasionally, at least) that they are somewhat capable starters. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case last night. Giving receivers a 7- or 8-yard cushion is a problem with the scheme; biting on a pump-fake and leaving your man wide open for a 20-yard gain is a player issue. These guys need to step it up, or elite receivers like Plax (T.O., Fitzgerald, Edwards, etc.) are going to make this a very long and painful year.

03. Complete physical domination. When your team's biggest hit is by the starting running back on a block, that's not good. The hit that Portis laid on an unsuspecting Mathias Kiwanuka was thunderous indeed, but there was certainly no need to celebrate, considering the Skins were then faced with yet another 4th down.

On the other side of the ball, LaRon Landry -- one of the guys on the roster that can really put a lick on receivers -- was absolutely steamrolled by Brandon Jacobs and, on more than one occassion, looked like a child playing with men.

The Giants as a whole seemed to have no trouble wrapping guys up on defense, pressuring Campbell by handling the Skins' offensive line and simply out-manning (no pun intended) the Burgundy and Gold.

04. Terrible clock management. Does Jim Zorn not realize that he has the ability to stop the clock? Down by 9 with a little over 4 minutes to go, you would think that someone might suggest using one of Washington's 3 remaining timeouts. Instead, they let the clock roll, ran the ball just as often as they passed and showed no signs of urgency. None.

05. Questionable play-calling. This is something that has bothered me for years with this team, and given the fact that I've never stood on an NFL sideline -- or any football sideline for that matter -- there may be a reason for why things are done the way they are.

One thing that I can't quite figure out is why, in a 3rd and long situation, the Redskins choose to run the ball. Sure, defenses will obviously plan for a pass play, but handing off to Portis greatly reduces the chances of getting a much-needed 1st down. Punting the ball is a necessary evil, but making an effort to move the chains would be nice.

06. Suspect officiating (warning: severe bitterness ahead). The New York Giants play in one of the largest markets in the country, won the Super Bowl last year and hosted the league-opening game on national television. Of course they are going to get a few calls.

I'm not one to question Ed Hochuly -- seeing as he could probably rip my head clear off my shoulders -- but there were two situations on the first drive alone that should've been penalties in the Redskins' favor.

First, Marcus Washington getting slapped upside the head after the play, with the official standing right there, should've been a personal foul (even if Plax was just messing around).

Second, a receiver getting tangled up with the corner should, at the very least, be a non-call. When the flag was thrown, I assumed it was offensive pass interference, as it appeared that Amani Toomer clearly pushed off. After a short zebra conference, however, they decided to penalize Fred Smoot, giving the Giants the ball on the one yard line and setting up an Eli Manning touchdown.

Bogus, I say.

07. The lack of taking chances. At the risk of sounding like Gregg Easterbrook, I think teams need to start being more bold when it comes to going for it on 4th down. The Redskins, down by 9 early in the second half -- not a panic situation, by any means -- had the ball on their own 46 yard line in a series that saw Portis break a run for 23 yards.

4 yards away from Giants territory with a slight bit of momentum and only 1 yard to gain, I think it would've been the perfect opportunity for Coach Zorn to pull out all the stops. Whether he chose to go for it straight-up or get tricky and fake the punt, a little excitement would've gone a long way in a game that didn't feature a whole lot of it.

---

Opening a new campaign with a loss is certainly not the end of the world. The same New York Giants that won the Super Bowl last year were beaten by Dallas and, rather handily, by Green Bay to start the season.

To paraphrase what Wise said in the aforementioned article, "one game does not a team make," but if the Redskins have any intentions of putting together a successful season, they have some serious work to do.

The playcalling needs to be more varied -- where in the shit was Chris Cooley? -- and more chances need to be taken on first down. Getting Campbell more time in the pocket and the offense more opportunities in general (last night was 3-and-out city) would be a good start, but it's tough to make strides when your backs are continuously against the ropes.

I'm hoping the overall effort on display last night isn't indicative of what we're in for this season, because if it is, it's going to be a long one.

The Saints come marching to FedEx next Sunday, a team with no shortage of weapons and one that is looking to make some noise this year. The Burgundy and Gold have 10 days to put last night's debacle behind them... here's hoping they capitalize on the extended week and open things at home with a newfound purpose and intensity.

Hail.

Proper Attire Required

2008-09-04T13:39:00.010-04:00

Getting ready for work this morning, I was faced with a difficult decision. Do I a) dress as I normally would, b) wear one of my Redskins jerseys and risk being inappropriately-clad should a client drop by or c) wear something else Redskins-related and show my support in a somewhat more toned-down manner?

After much deliberation and a few female-like outfit changes, I finally decided to go with Option C. Walking to the Metro sporting a long-sleeved burgundy shirt with the script R on the front and the lyrics to "Hail to the Redskins" on the back, I was the recipient of quite a few nods and a couple of "like the shirt!" comments (all signs of a good decision).

But then, after lunch, came a gentleman wearing an Eli Manning jersey. As I was walking back into our office building, I passed the stout New Yorker and was greeted with what seemed to be a sincere "good luck tonight." My response, as I wasn't sure of his intentions, was "same to you."

See what just happened?

To get a pretty good indication of where the season stands, I think, all you have to do is look at how opposing fans treat each other. If today was, say, December 4th instead of September 4th -- and for the sake of argument, the Skins and Giants were tied atop the NFC East -- there's a pretty good chance I would've ignored his comment or, if I was feeeling frisky, stuffed him into the nearest trash can.

Since the season hasn't even begun yet, however, I remained civil. The way I see it is that there's no point in getting into an argument when both teams are undefeated, so I took the high road. Fans of the New York Giants have every right to celebrate their team's Super Bowl upset and, as far as I'm concerned, can enjoy the ring ceremony and all the subsequent shenanigans while they last (because let's be honest, they won't last long).

Now if you'll humor me, rewind a few paragraphs...

Do you think if the Skins were opening up against the Cowboys and the gentleman was wearing a Romo jersey instead of an Eli jersey, I would've reacted the same way?

Of course not. I would've simply asked if he was from Texas and, when he responded no, I would've told him where to stick said jersey.

2008 Season Preview

2008-09-02T18:33:00.013-04:00

Behold, the inaugural online post of "My Thoughts On The Burgundy & Gold." What began as a series of e-mails last season -- that you can access in The Archives to the right, for the record -- will, if all goes according to plan, turn into a bit more now that I've decided to transfer my writing to the internets.

If this is your first time visiting and/or reading, welcome. If you received my e-mails last year or read them some other way, it's good to have you back.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, the eve of another Redskins season is nearly upon us and, in keeping with the past decade, it would be an exercise in futility to try and realistically predict just how our beloved team will fare.

While the core group of last year’s starters remains relatively intact, the 2008 off-season was not without the usual drama that has become all-too-standard during Dan Snyder’s tenure. A new head coach arrived in Jim Zorn, former Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks guru, all-around good guy and the man now responsible for taking this team back to the promised land.

So can he do it? Sure, he can, and I say that because whether we fans like it or not, nobody really knows what Jim Zorn is capable of.

He’s never been a head coach, let alone a coordinator, so we’ll just have to remain optimistic. We should give him the benefit of the doubt until he blows a plethora of halftime leads like his predecessors, until he mis-manages games like He Who Shall Not Be Named or until he simply cannot take it anymore and decides to follow Bobby Petrino back to the seemingly greener pastures of his comfort zone.

Or -- brace yourselves, as I’m about to get crazy -- until Coach Zorn leads this franchise to the Super Bowl.

I will be the first to admit that I do not pay much attention to the preseason, what with the minimal number of snaps being taken by the starters and the overall lack of giving two shits, so it’s tough for me to gauge exactly where the Redskins stand.

What I do know, however, is that they have some serious talent. Not one guy here or there, but a potential Pro Bowler at a number of the skill positions. At the risk of being a major homer, allow me...

Under center, the Skins have a solid starter in Jason Campbell, a quarterback who showed flashes of brilliance last year until Chicago’s defensive line decided to formally welcome him into the League. Assuming he can stay healthy and is quick to learn yet another new system -- two major assumptions, I know -- I think JC has the tools to make some serious strides this year.

In the backfield, Clinton Portis continues to fly relatively under the radar (personality notwithstanding) and, at least when it comes to talking to the media, has shown signs of maturity. With the exception of an injury-shortened 2005 season, he has rushed for at least 1,200 yards per year during his career and, barring another catastrophe, should be able to continue doing so.

The Redskins have a top-5 tight end in Chris Cooley, a player who has the strength to gain crucial yardage after the catch and the hands to make said catch in difficult situations (read: a poorly-thrown ball).

Santana Moss had a case of the brick-hands for a brief stretch of last year -- and let’s not forget about those sensitive hammies -- but it’s hard to argue #89’s explosive playmaking abilities. His size is a concern (as is Randle El’s), but I have faith that we’ll see good things from Santana this year.

Throw in Mike Sellers, Ladell Betts, James Thrash, a few promising rookies and the always-true-Redskin Rock Cartwright and I’d say you'd have a pretty decent offense, wouldn’t you?

On the other side of the ball, The Skins have solid guys in nearly every facet, just not enough of them. On the ends of the defensive line are reliable veterans Andre Carter and the newly-acquired Jason Taylor, behind them are two steady linebackers in Marcus Washington and London Fletcher and behind them is a devastating hitter in man-beast LaRon Landry.

So where are the problems? Where they’ve always been, unfortunately.

Washington’s cornerbacks have had trouble with the deep ball for as long as I care to remember, and while it looked like they were poised to turn things around last year, issues still remained nearly week in and week out (and especially after the loss of Sean Taylor’s presence). A new bump-and-run system could prove advantageous, but one of the biggest question marks on defense has to be in coverage.

The offensive line needs to be able to protect Campbell better than they have, the defensive line needs to be able to ratchet up the pressure on opposing quarterbacks and the special teams need to generate good field position every chance they get.

But perhaps the biggest concern, as always, is consistency. Consistency is key no matter who you are and what you play, and yet another new set of systems for the B&G will bring a new sense of confusion. Every game in an NFL season is important, and whether you start strong and finish weak or start weak and finish strong -- as the Skins have done twice in the past three years -- it’s nearly impossible to be successful without cohesion and chemistry from the first snap to the final whistle.

Playing in the NFC East means an absurdly minimal margin of error will be in play throughout the season, which does not bode well considering the recent history of the franchise and its inability to capitalize on breaks and pounce on reeling opponents.

Whether you’re a paid analyst, a lowly blogger or a casual fan, it’s nearly impossible to know just how things will play out at the start of each NFL season. Sure, it’s easy to predict a better-than-decent campaign from teams like the Patriots and Colts, but beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess.

Did Joe Expert think the Giants would win the Super Bowl last year? No, which is what makes the NFL so damn interesting.

If the Redskins' offense can find a way to gel and the defense can put fear in opponents' eyes by both punishing the quarterback and setting the tone early and often, they once again have the potential to surprise some people.

Football is back in a mere 48 hours, and with that means we’re able to spend another autumn with the Burgundy & Gold. It will certainly be an entertaining four months, and if they can somehow do the unthinkable and keep our interest well into January, remaining passionate through the ups and downs will have been worth every second.

Hail.

An open letter to Brett Favre

2008-07-15T10:31:00.004-04:00

Dear Mr. Favre,

As a fan of the Washington Redskins, I’ve never had much animosity towards you, if any. My beloved team only played your Green Bay Packers a handful of times over the years, and aside from those few contests, it was a joy watching you take the field each week with childlike enthusiasm.

Your consecutive starting streak is to be commended, your Super Bowl ring envied, your cameo in “There’s Something About Mary” applauded. You gave the people of Green Bay some wonderful memories over your 16-year career there, and it wasn’t surprising to see many of them saddened by your recent retirement.

I remember watching you play in the Monday Night Football game the day after your father died, in awe as you lit up the Oakland Raiders in a performance for the ages. Four touchdowns in one game is amazing -- unless you’re Tom Brady, of course, then it’s rather standard -- but beyond that, you showed the sporting world that night that you are as tough as they come.

Built Ford tough. A true Wrangler man. The epitome of American-born testosterone.

The f—ing Gunslinger.

So it was a bit hard to swallow, after coming off one of your greatest -- or at the very least, most unexpected -- seasons, you finally decided to hang it up. You gave the sporting world a heartfelt goodbye complete with tears shed, not ones of pain, but of pure, unadulterated passion. You may not have wanted to go, but you knew it was time.

That is, until you started acting like a 12 year-old girl.

Text messages to the owner? Talking behind people’s backs? Voicing your displeasure publicly -- on a news station, nonetheless! -- rather than settling your differences behind closed doors?

Weak, Brett. Very weak.

Yes, I do realize you aren’t the only player in this internationally-televised game of chess, and that the Packers organization is being a bit childish as well. You have to remember, however, that you are the one under contract for two more years, and that the team has your future in its frozen little mitts. Unfortunate, but indeed true.

So at the risk of crying over spilt milk, here’s what I think should’ve happened:

If you were upset with the organization after some poor decision-making -- i.e. not landing Randy Moss or re-signing some key linemen -- and had thoughts of playing somewhere else, maybe you should’ve shared those thoughts before you “retired.” Sure, the greater Green Bay area would’ve imploded had the team traded you for some draft picks, but it would’ve all been done under rather normal circumstances.

It’s not easy leaving behind a city that essentially raised and nurtured you and provided you with some great times -- just ask Wayne Gretzky about Edmonton or Kevin Garnett about Minneapolis. (Actually, nevermind asking KG. He may have a different opinion now.)

Regardless, I think you know what I’m getting at. Requesting a trade in March would’ve caused a lot of discomfort, but if it was done behind closed doors, it may have worked. Now that this episode is more fitting for the Oxygen Network than ESPN, however, your reputation as the macho-est of men is going down the tubes.

You sat down with Greta Van Susteren, for shit’s sake! Did you not realize that she has boobs? Not John Madden boobs, but real, live, lactating boobs? I know she’s a Packers shareholder, but come on, man, show some dignity. I’m sure Peter King would’ve given the right of prima nocte with his beloved daughter to land that interview.

The moral of the story here is that no matter how this situation ends, you are the bad guy. I hate to break it to you, Brett, but it’s true.

You’re the one that made the call to close that locker one final time, you’re the one that put your emotions on your sleeve in front of millions of people, and you’re the one that has treated Green Bay like your own personal diary for the past few offseasons. He loves me, he loves me not... I’ll retire, I’ll come back for one more year.

You made the ultimate decision, now you have to live with it. The team moved on, and it’s time for you to do the same.

Would it be a trip to see you play in another city for a year or two? Heck yeah it would, especially if it were in a place like Miami, the polar opposite of the Frozen Tundra. But the Green Bay personnel are doing exactly what they should be doing, and that is holding you to your word.

If I were Ted Thompson and could throw you out there as some serious trade bait, believe me, I would. There’s not a heatball’s chance in Lambeau I’d release you, though, as that would be bad business. This is the NFL, Brett, and them’s the breaks.

Good luck with your future endeavors, wherever they may take you. If you are able to finagle your way out of your contract and play for someone else this year, great. Just do us a favor and figure this shit out quietly. Training camps start this week around the league, and I’d rather the media focus on those guys that are putting in the time and the energy to make it on the gridiron, not those that can’t work up enough power to let it all go.

Sincerely,

MWP

A pre-playoff recap

2008-01-03T10:29:00.001-05:00

I just can’t quit you. It’s been a busy few weeks -- as you can tell by the lack of e-mails -- but I can’t hold out any longer. I must express how I feel about the glory that is a 2007-2008 playoff berth for our beloved Redskins, and I must do it now.

Let’s see... where to begin?

I suppose it all started back in Week 13. I was at that game against Buffalo -- an emotionally-charged, rainy Sunday in Landover -- and those within earshot can attest that I was not exactly a fun person to be around. When Joe Gibbs called a second consecutive timeout, I knew right away that it would cost them the game. I shouted and I cursed, and the guy in front of me looked up at me as if I had three heads and twelve eyes.

Pardon me for being overly passionate, as even I’ll admit that I can sometimes take it too far. It’s hard not to, though, when being a fan consists of more ups and downs than anyone should have to endure.

Nevertheless, as I descended the mountainous FedEx Upper Level, I slowly -- and rather reluctantly -- began to accept that 2007 would ultimately be another potential-filled season gone by the wayside. A 2-0 start and flashes of brilliance would be all for naught, as sitting at 5-7 with 4 games to play -- 3 against teams with winning records -- meant that the Redskins’ playoff chances were all but gone.

It was a tough pill to swallow, but not nearly as tough as what the players had to face the following day.

On Monday morning came the funeral, a harsh realization that, despite what had happened on the field less than 24 hours before, football didn’t really matter all that much. Sean Taylor, an immensely talented and physically-gifted young man, was laid to rest. The road ahead for his former teammates would be an extremely difficult one, and anyone expecting a miraculous playoff run would simply be asking too much.

But the Burgundy and Gold, united by tragedy and driven by a new purpose, marched on. Over the next month, they would play some of the best football Washington has seen since the early 90s. Three days after flying down to Miami, the Redskins faced a disappointing Bears team in a game that would produce yet another devastating blow (relatively speaking, of course). Starting quarterback Jason Campbell, putting together an impressive first season in the number one slot, was knocked out of the game on not one, but two occasions.

Midway through the second quarter, after Campbell’s knee took a big hit and he went down in obvious pain, the FedEx Field crowd had no choice but to welcome 36 year-old Todd Collins. The veteran -- seemingly destined to fade into the sunset on clipboard duty, yet unnerved by the lack of playing time -- stepped in and wrote the first chapter in what could eventually be a story-book season.

A long month and 3 extremely efficient wire-to-wire performances later, No. 15 has been crowned the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for December, a script any striking writer would be proud to call his own. Fresh off a 4-game winning streak, the Redskins are playing solid football on both sides of the ball and, in two days, walk into Qwest Field a tougher opponent than most teams will likely face in the Wild Card round.

Clinton Portis has his swagger back. Santana Moss is getting hot at just the right time, coming off a 115-yard, 1-touchdown game against a nearly full-strength Cowboys secondary. Chris Cooley continues to be a reliable target across the middle of the field, while veteran receivers Antwaan Randle El and Reche Caldwell provide more looks and choices for a crazy-accurate Todd Collins.

Gregg Williams’s defense is known for punishing opponents, but never has it been more evident than in the last 4 weeks. Off the line and through the air, the Burgundy & Gold have been damn near suffocating. Shawn Springs has had 4 interceptions in the past 4 games, the last being an incredibly-acrobatic, diving snag.

London Fletcher, Andre Carter, H.B. Blades, Marcus Washington, Fred Smoot, LaRon Landry, Reed Doughty – some young, some old, some inexperienced and some established – all playing with more intensity than anyone could possibly ask for.

And so here they are, staring down a huge date with the Seattle Seahawks in their house. It’s going to be tough, there’s no doubt about that, but I truly believe that the game on Saturday is ours for the taking.

I say “ours” because I think that the entire Washington Redskins organization -- now more than ever -- is built on unity. From the fans in the streets to Joe Gibbs on the sidelines to Chainsaw Dan in the owner’s box, the guys taking the field for these playoffs know that they have the support from an incredibly proud group of people.

I’m not going to get ahead of myself and declare our beloved franchise Arizona-bound, but I will say this: I think the Washington Redskins are going to make some noise. They’re a sentimental favorite, sure, but more importantly, they are a damn good football team that happens to be peaking at the most opportune time.

If the Redskins come out Saturday with the ferocity that they’ve shown for the past month, it will be hard for them to be denied a rematch with the Dallas Cowboys next weekend. If they come out fighting, build an early lead and silence the Qwest Field crowd, we may be witnessing the start of something really special.

And if Joe Gibbs does the unthinkable and leads this team -- excuse me, this city -- to the promised land, the victory parade down Constitution Avenue will be bigger and more dramatic than any Presidential inauguration.

Hail.

# 21

2007-11-26T10:28:00.001-05:00

Yesterday’s loss hurt. The previous losses to the Giants, Packers, Patriots, Eagles and Cowboys hurt. Joe Gibbs’s ill-timed timeouts hurt. Jason Campbell’s interceptions hurt, as do the fumbles by Clinton Portis and Santana Moss.

None of the above, however, hurt as much as what happened to Sean Taylor at 1:30 this morning at his home in Miami. I’m speechless, watery-eyed and can barely concentrate.

Reports are conflicting; some say he’s “stabilized,” others say he’s in a coma. Whatever the case may be, the Washington Redskins took a blow today that is way bigger than football.

Since word came out that our beloved #21 was shot, there has not been one mention of the Tampa Bay game, which is the way it should be. As fans of professional sports, we think we know how hard it is to play the games we love. We think we know why a certain play was or wasn’t made, and we think our advice is sometimes better than the advice that comes from the sidelines. We’re a nation of Monday morning quarterbacks, but only because we’re so passionate about our teams.

So when something happens that transcends the game, we are given a reality check as to just how human these million-dollar-earning, physical specimens are. They get in trouble and suffer tragedy like you and I, yet we somehow think that they are able to overcome it because of their position in the spotlight.

For the past 3+ seasons, Sean Taylor’s life has been a series of ups and downs. He’s made stupid decisions on the field (spitting in Michael Pittman’s face) and off (getting arrested for waving a firearm at a bunch of ATV-stealing idiots), but the future never looked brighter than it did a few weeks ago.

His contributions on the field were huge. He was becoming the dominant safety that everyone knew he could become, and his status as the best defensive player on the Redskins was all but established.

Clinton Portis said earlier today that his teammate was a changed man off the field as well. He had a child not long ago and began to distance himself from the thuggery that plagued his days at The U. He moved into a nicer neighborhood with his girlfriend and vowed to focus on his life as an elite NFL player.

His life, in short, was perfect.

And then someone tried to break into his house.

We can speculate all we want about what caused this or who was responsible for that, but the fact remains that Sean Taylor was shot this morning. His future as a football player is in jeopardy, but more importantly, so is his future as a father, boyfriend and son.

We ask a lot of our athletes and have to respect what they are able to do for us and move on. If Sean Taylor is never able to play football again, so be it. It’ll be a damn shame, but we need to keep the prayers going for him as a person before anything is said about him as a football player. After all, his family needs him a lot more than his fans do.

Get well, #21 and, as always, Hail.

Redskins 25, Eagles 33

2007-11-12T10:16:00.001-05:00

The Washington Redskins are giving me gray hairs.

Literally.

There is a gray hair just above my left ear that was not there before yesterday’s game, and there is no other explanation for why it is there today. Stress causes them, or so I hear, and nothing creates more stress in my life than the professional football team that plays its home games in Landover, Maryland.

My thoughts on yesterday’s loss...

THE GOOD

The Skins played arguably their best game offensively of the 2007 season. Jason Campbell was finally given the chance to spread the passing game around and he took advantage, throwing for 215 yards and 3 touchdowns (and getting me 24+ fantasy points in the process). His fumble late in the game was costly, sure, but better protection equals more comfort in the pocket, and the offensive-line injuries sustained earlier in the year continue to haunt this team.

02. Clinton Portis has run for over 330 yards in the past 2 games and is beginning to resemble the stud that ignited the Redskins’ playoff push in 2005. He’s doing exactly what this team is asking him to do, which is to carry the load of the running game, hold on to the ball and find holes in the defense. Well done, Choo Choo.

03. I thought, as far as the defense is concerned, that Shawn Springs played a pretty solid game. Aside from an illegal contact penalty in the 4th quarter -- which gave the Eagles a new set of downs but could’ve been a bogus call -- he did a great job all day at putting himself between the ball and the receiver.

04. James Thrash, needless to say, had a great game as well, both offensively and on special teams. It hurt to see him leave the game early, but when asked to step in for the injured Santana Moss, nobody could’ve predicted he’d have the day he did. Let’s hope that high ankle sprain isn’t as serious as it could be...

THE BAD

01. I cannot believe how poorly this organization manages the clock. Seriously, it is un-flipping-believable. Let’s take a look at the second half in regards to using timeouts...

Timeout #1: The Redskins are stopped on a 3rd and 1 on the Eagles 5 yard-line with 9+ minutes to go in the third quarter. Leading 12-7, there was no reason to consider going for the touchdown when a field goal would’ve made it an 8-point game. So what’s the problem? Why could there possibly be any confusion? Shaun Suisham eventually kicked the field goal, but only after the team decided to waste its first timeout. Tom Boswell of the Post made a great point this morning – a smart team would’ve taken the delay of game penalty, tried the field goal from 28 yards instead of 23 and be done with it. On a perfect day with little wind, it should be a chip shot either way.

Timeout #2: More confusion. An offense should never have to call a timeout on first down, as far as I’m concerned, and that is exactly what happened. Campbell threw to Randle El for a 14-yard gain, set up for a new set of downs and called a timeout. WHY?! Do these guys not understand how important these timeouts become towards the end of the game? Apparently Jason Campbell was given more freedom to run the offense in no-huddle situations, so this timeout could’ve been his fault, but it doesn’t change the fact that on a first-and-10 with plenty of time left in a game that you’re leading by 2, you need to make decisions. A veteran quarterback knows this, so I’m willing to forgive JC in this case -- but holding 1 timeout with nearly 10 minutes to play in a tight game has “disaster” written all over it.

Someone I will not forgive, however, is the knucklehead that decided to challenge the Ladell Betts fumble with 8 minutes to go (I’m looking at you, Coach). Completely, 100% unacceptable. First of all, there was no doubt that it was a fumble, and since it was called one on the field, it would take an insane amount of evidence to overrule it. Second of all, it was a turnover, which means in the time it took Philadelphia’s offense to come on the field and get set up, someone upstairs could’ve watched the replay 3 or 4 times, seen that it was clearly a fumble and told Gibbs that challenging it was a bad idea. And third of all...

02. It is quite obvious that Joe Gibbs does not have a firm grasp on the importance of replay challenges, as he continues to make poor decisions. Fast forward to just under 3 minutes remaining, with the Redskins now trailing by one in their own territory. A wide, semi-deep pass to Keenan McCardell is ruled incomplete, as the receiver “bobbled” the ball while falling out of bounds. It was a close call, I’ll admit, but it sure looked to me like McCardell caught the ball. Unfortunately, the Redskins had no timeouts left -- and no timeouts equals no challenges. So a play that could’ve given Washington a first down, created some momentum and potentially saved the game was gone -- just like that. Next play: incompletion... the following: fumble. Game over. (Just for the record, I am not 100% sure that this play is challengeable -- but this is more for the sake of argument.)

03. The false start penalty on Chris Cooley on 3rd and Goal with 4-1/2 minutes remaining was obviously a bad mistake, as were the other 10 penalties that plagued this team yesterday. You know what, though? That wasn’t the worst part of that drive. The Redskins had six chances -- yes, as in one two three four five six -- to score a touchdown after getting a first down on the Philadelphia 7 yard-line. SIX! Remember the Giants game? Same exact thing. Stupid, stupid, stupid... a thousand times stupid. But not as stupid as handing the ball to Clinton Portis on 3rd and Goal from the 7. Hey, Joe Saunders, remember those previous 5 plays that didn’t work? Yeah, 4 of them were runs. Maybe, just maybe, you should’ve tried to send Cooley, McCardell, Lloyd, Randle El and Art Monk out wide and given Campbell, who was having a pretty damn good day, a chance to put the ball in someone’s gut. Or maybe you should’ve called a timeout to put together something good. Wait... what’s that? You didn’t have any timeouts left? Sorry -- I forgot.

THE UGLY

01. Please, for the love of all that is right in this world, let Sean Taylor be OK. I knew the second that play was over that something was wrong, and I held my breath as the focus was on the facemask call and not on the player on the field. Taylor’s injury was huge -- catastrophic, even -- as his presence in the backfield alters gameplans. The bomb that McNabb threw and was miraculously caught by Reggie Brown for a touchdown? I don’t think that ball would’ve been thrown, or that play even called, if #21 was back there. That hurt -- it hurt real bad.

02. I’m not sure who was responsible for the miscommunication, but I believe that’s the second time this year that a snap has hit Jason Campbell in the chest on a crucial drive late in the game. If you’re running a no-huddle, hurry-up style offense, everyone needs to be on the same page. Again, a bad mistake that a veteran likely wouldn’t make, but a professional quarterback, regardless of their experience, needs to eliminate that nonsense. Wasting one of 4 downs on the last opportunity to score is completely careless.

03. Too many men on the field? Seriously?

At 5-4 and playing in a very middle-heavy NFC, the Redskins are certainly still alive in the playoff race. It’s going to take a lot for them to get their act together, though, and it all starts with the next game.

Do the Redskins have a chance at beating Dallas on Sunday? Yes, of course they do.

Will they? I hate to say this, but no.

(Believe me, I hope they prove me wrong -- I’m just not counting on it...)

Perhaps the most frustrating part about his team is the fact that there is absolutely no consistency in any facet of the game. The defense started the season strong and has been very suspect in the past few games. The offense has been in and out of sync -- they run the ball well one week, pass it well the next, but more often than not, they sputter out of the gate and fail to capitalize when the game is handed to them.

Yesterday’s loss makes it 13 in which they’ve blown a halftime lead since Gibbs returned in 2004. I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, and for that I apologize, but there seems to be no fire in the hearts of these players. Sure, they came together after the debacle in New England and ran all over the Jets, but the Jets stink.

The Washington Redskins, for all intents and purposes, could easily be 8-1 right now. Unfortunately, they could also be 2-7, as they’ve allowed even the most mediocre of teams -- i.e. Miami and Arizona -- to stay in games until the final whistle blows.

Until the entire organization -- especially those in uniform and those with headsets -- develops a killer instinct, fans of the Burgundy & Gold will have to suffer through one rollercoaster season after another, and few that will produce anything more than false hopes… false hopes that, more often than not, equate to extremely unrealistic Super Bowl expectations.

Hail.

Redskins 7, Patriots 52

2007-10-29T10:13:00.001-04:00

Wow... that was awful.

Entering the game with a top-5 defense is irrelevant, evidently, as the Patriots had no trouble -- literally -- dissecting everything that Gregg Williams threw at them. The running game couldn’t be stopped. The passing game couldn’t be stopped. Tom Brady was rarely, if ever, pressured. Plays were being called so methodically on the New England side of the ball that it make the Redskins look like an ill-prepared pee wee team.

Brandon Lloyd made a great statement on the Junkies this morning when he said it’s almost as if “Bill Belichick is playing chess and everyone else is playing checkers.”

Indeed.

Let’s be honest -- the Burgundy and Gold’s chances of leaving the Boston area with a win were lower than they were high. Anyone thinking they had a shot -- including myself -- was being overly optimistic. A fan has to think their team has a chance in every game, though, right?

I thought, if the Redskins played their absolute best, that they could make it interesting. I laughed at the fact that the point spread was somewhere around 16, as that’s what Miami (who was 0-7 entering the game) got when they hosted New England last week. There was no way in hell that the Redskins would be absolutely, historically destroyed.

But they were. From the opening drive, it was a lopsided affair. An embarrassment.

I couldn’t watch more than 5 plays in a row during the second half, because somewhere in those 5 plays, the ball would either be punted by the Redskins or taken into the endzone by the Patriots.

When asked if anyone in the locker room got fired up after yesterday’s loss, Brandon Lloyd said no. I’m not sure how to take that revelation. On one hand, I think it’s great that the Redskins view yesterday’s loss as one against a superior opponent; a game that simply wasn’t theirs for the taking.

On the other hand, though, I continue to think that the passion simply isn’t there. Not with regard to the players, mind you, but the coaching staff. If Mike Tomlin, Lane Kiffin or any of the other young coaches in the NFL were in that locker room, do you think they’d roll over and say “our guys fought their guts out and I’m not upset with the way things went today”?

Not a chance.

They’d be livid, and they’d be lighting a fire under their player’s asses to try and motivate them to play up to their potential. Numerous guys on this Redskins team have said repeatedly that the group they are surrounded by has the talent to get things done. So what’s the problem?

I think the playcalling sucks. I think the preparation for games is seriously lacking. I think the Head Coach, “Associate” Head Coaches and everyone else that doesn’t wear a numbered uniform is dragging this organization down.

You know what, though?

The Washington Redskins need to get over it. The players in that locker room need to look at themselves, completely disregard what anyone -- including their coaching staff -- says about the Patriots game and focus on the New York Jets. They need to unite as a football team and formulate a game plan. I will even go so far as to suggest a players-only meeting, one in which the guys who actually make the plays can talk about the fact that they are better than this.

It’s the only way things will change. The guys wearing the collared shirts with the script R on them obviously feel no need to panic, but I respectfully disagree. Getting your ass handed to you, when you could’ve at least tried to make it respectable, is panic city.

--

OK, with that out of the way...

I could go on and on about yesterday’s game, but it’s not going to do anyone any good. I could offer my two cents about how I think Bill Belichick is as classless as it gets, but all it’s going to do is make me sound unnecessarily bitter. I could comment on the lack of an offensive pass interference call in the endzone on Randy Moss, but it wouldn’t have made a difference. I could comment on Wes Welker celebrating his 4th quarter touchdown catch as if his score just clinched a Super Bowl title, but that would be childish.

I could do a lot of things, but the New England Patriots aren’t worth it.

Are they one of the best teams ever assembled? Yes. Are they destroying teams in a way that has never been seen before? Pretty much. Are they doing all of this while observing the unwritten rules of sportsmanship, class and dignity?

Absolutely not.

The way the Patriots are handling themselves this season, I think, is an embarrassment to professional sports. The NFL doesn’t owe them anything. The other 31 teams in the league don’t owe them anything. Bill Belichick got caught red-handed doing something he shouldn’t have been doing, and he’s acting as though the rest of the league is at fault. I don’t care if stealing signals has been going on since the days of Bill Walsh and Tom Landry, as they aren’t the ones who were forced to hand over illegally-obtained tapes.

A bigger man would’ve taken the high road. A team with so much talent and history -- in the past 6 seasons, at least -- could’ve taken the accusations, admitted that they made a colossal mistake and played the rest of the season as cleanly and controversy-free as possible.

That’s not what they chose to do, though. The New England Patriots approached the situation with a third-grade mentality and made it a point of telling everyone else in the school to suck it.

Of course I’m upset that the Redskins were on the receiving end of such a debacle, and I’d be lying if I said otherwise. I just wish the organization on the other side of the field treated the game with the respect it deserves.

Teams that win Super Bowls should be looked at as examples. If and when Tom Brady raises the Lombardi Trophy in February, I’m afraid that everyone outside of New England is going to view him and his organization as the most selfish and disrespectful “champion” the NFL has ever seen...

Redskins 21, Cardinals 19

2007-10-23T10:06:00.003-04:00

It certainly wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win, right? The Redskins are 4-2 and keeping pace with the Giants, which is necessary in what is becoming a very tough NFC East. A Dallas loss in the immediate future would be great, obviously, but I guess we’ll have to wait until after their bye week... unless, of course, we can figure out a way to make them lose when they aren’t playing. Any ideas?

The way I see it, the game on Sunday against the Cardinals can be divided into three parts -- the good, the bad and the ugly. So here goes...

THE GOOD

01. London Fletcher. Plain and simple, he had a ridiculous game, notching 13 tackles and coming up huge on an interception that he would ultimately return for a touchdown. If he doesn’t have that kind of day -- making key tackles on short-yardage situations, pumping up the rest of the defense -- there’s a good chance the Skins lose this game. I guess that’s why they brought him here, to which I say “good work” to you, Chainsaw Dan.

02. The crowd. FedEx Field is no RFK, that’s for damn sure, but I can’t imagine it’s a picnic for opposing offenses. I know that if I were trying to concentrate / prepare for blitzes to the noise of 90,000 people screaming, there’s a good chance I’d end up soiling my pantaloons while hiding under one of Gregg Williams’s man-boobs.

03. Rock Cartwright. Cartwright! Cartwright! I love that guy -- you know, the one that announcers always refer to as a “true” Redskin? What does that mean, anyway? Are the other players on the field not “true” Redskins? Is Sean Taylor receiving his paychecks from Gibbs Motorsports in some bizarre ownership scheme? I don’t get it. What I do get, though, is a great return from Rock that set up Clinton Portis’s second touchdown. If he didn’t tweak his quad, he would’ve taken it to the house himself...

04. The “icing” whistle. My hats off to Joe Gibbs for not calling a timeout just before the snap of Neil Rackers’s potential game-winning field goal. Of course, if he had called a timeout, the kick went through and he missed the re-kick -- or if he called it, Rackers missed and then made the re-kick -- I would feel completely differently. Someone mentioned after the game the psychological aspect of this new fad in coaching, and I thought it was an excellent point. Because kickers are now expecting the timeout, they may be approaching their first attempt without the usual confidence / concentration they would normally, knowing it might not be their only shot. So for a coach not to call the timeout acts as a sneaky little bit of reverse-psychology. A little confusing, I know, but it worked out in the Redskins’ favor this week, which is all that matters.

THE BAD

01. The offense. Let’s be honest -- 160 total yards of offense is not going to cut it against the majority of teams in this league. Statistically, Jason Campbell was due for somewhat of an off-day, and let’s just say that we’re lucky it happened against Arizona. Yes, the Cardinals played pretty solid defense and our offensive line is extremely bruised and battered, but JC is going to need to bounce back hard if the Redskins want any shot at beating New England.

02. The playcalling. In defense of Jason Campbell, I think a larger finger needs to be pointed at the gentlemen calling the offensive plays. At one point during the second half, I uttered the phrase “the Redskins are playing not to lose, when they should be playing to win the f—cking game.” Again, a second half problem. There is no excuse anymore, as far as I’m concerned. Someone on that sideline or in that booth needs to sack up, start becoming more aggressive and go after the damn game. No lead is safe with this team, and until they ditch the conservative crap -- going three-and-out on every other drive is pathetic -- the close games are eventually going to favor the other team. The breaks can only come so often.

03. The secondary on the final Arizona drive. First of all, the Cardinals never should’ve gotten the ball back... but I’ll get to that later. Second of all, how are you going to give one of the most explosive receiving tandems in the league cushions like that?! Carlos Rogers, you’re going to be the death of me. Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are major threats, so you need to be all over them like white on rice. When their only option is to get downfield in a two-minute drill and you give them 10 yards, you’re asking for trouble.

04. Arizona play-calling. This one is technically bad -- hence being in the “bad” section -- but it favored the Redskins. “Ken Whisenhunt is good for at least one gadget play per game,” said announcer Tim Ryan. Thankfully, he chose to pull it out on the most crucial play of the game, the two-point conversion attempt that would’ve tied it with less than two minutes to play. Why he’d line up Tim Rattay wide and give the ball to Larry Fitzgerald is beyond me, but thank you, Mr. Whisenhunt -- you’re a swell guy.

05. The iPhone commercial. This has nothing to do with the game, but I wanted to include it somewhere. So lemme get this straight… you’re a pilot on a major airline, sitting on the tarmac and cannot take off because of inclement weather? OK, that’s realistic enough. But wait... what? You checked the weather on your iPhone, called the tower and convinced them that you’d be able to take off because Google maps showed that the storm was getting weaker in the Midwest? What a load of bull-feces.

THE UGLY

01. The “taunting” call on London Fletcher. If someone makes a huge defensive stop and is playing at home, is he not allowed to pump up the crowd? The play happened on the Arizona side of the field -- it’s not like Fletcher made the tackle, ran to the opposite side, got in Ken Whisenhunt’s face and made the old nanny-nanny-boo-boo gesture. Here’s what I think happened: I think it was a make-up call. Flash back to the first quarter, when Darnell Dockett was flagged for “unnecessary roughness” on a play that would keep the Redskins first scoring drive alive. Looked to me like he fell on Clinton Portis about a nanosecond after the play ended. I liked the outcome of the call, obviously, but the call itself was weak.

02. Rogers vs. Rackers: Live at the MGM Grand. Is there a funnier site than a kicker getting aggressive? I don’t care how long you’ve been in the league -- if you wear a soccer cleat on an NFL field, don’t pick on anyone, as chances are you’re going to get pummeled. I’ll give Rackers some credit for taking down Carlos Rogers, but I am also going to give credit to Carlos Rogers for keeping his cool. If someone grabs your facemask, grab theirs back. I would imagine that Rogers could’ve taken Rackers out if he wanted to, but he knew it would be a bad idea. (As far as how it started, the play was still alive, was it not? Rogers taunted him, sure, but I don’t think he “went after the kicker” like the announcers kept saying.)

03. The on-sides kick. Did the ball travel 10 yards? Yes. Is that what should’ve been reviewed? No. The review process is still relatively young and certainly has its glitches -- and I don’t think anyone in the world has a total understanding of what can and can’t be reviewed -- but there is no way Arizona should’ve gotten the ball after that play. Until I see and hear film that clearly illustrates that the whistle blew and halted forward progress, I will be of the belief that Mike Sellers ended up with the ball.

04. The second-spitter. Chris Samuels got hit with one magic loogie during the game on Sunday, sending him into a frenzy that apparently almost got him ejected. Saying spitting is for pansies would be slightly hypocritical, seeing as Sean Taylor got kicked out against Tampa a few seasons ago for doing precisely that, but that nonsense has no place in sports. Between this incident and the Neil Rackers debacle, I’m getting the impression that he futility of the Phoenix / Arizona Cardinals is finally wearing thin. Having a promising young quarterback sidelined and being forced to play with a 35-year-old gray hair with a gimpy arm is tough. After all, we all know that feeling, don’t we? We survived the Brunell era.

And now -- with apologies to Jerry Springer -- my final thought...

The Washington Redskins have beaten the New England Patriots the last 6 times they’ve met. I am very aware that Tom Brady and his 5 layers of protection -- but I ain’t talking prophylactics, if you know what I mean (and I think you do) -- are playing some of the best football the league has ever seen, but things are bound to go wrong sooner or later. The Patriots are undefeated and look like they can’t be stopped, but instead of saying “oh well... at least the rest of the NFC East has to lose to them also,” let’s be positive.

Remember when the Patriots went on that 20-game winning streak a few years ago? I believe it was en route to their second Super Bowl title. Anyway, the last game they lost before that record-setting streak was against a certain team that plays in Landover, Maryland. I know because I was there, and it was quite possibly one of the greatest sports-going experiences I’ve ever had (perfect day, ridiculous seats, Popeye’s chicken and cooler-chilled Miller Lites during a long tailgate, throwing the pigskin in the shadow of the stadium, etc.).

How is this relevant, you ask? It’s not, actually, but it’s nice to think about. And while I’m not going to the game this Sunday (seeing as it’s about 500 miles away), it would be equally as glorious and memorable if the Redskins were to find a way to pull through. And with a defense that has the potential to shut down Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Dante Stallworth and an offense that can occasionally make big plays, it isn’t completely unrealistic.

Like I said before the Giants game, each team in this league is full of professional athletes, and to assume that any game is a “gimme” is both ridiculous and foolish. The Patriots are full of guys that can make mistakes just as well as anyone else, and the fact that it hasn’t happened much this season could mean that the time has come. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed and hope that JC & Co. can put together a solid effort to complement their defensive counterparts.

Hail.

Redskins 14, Packers 17

2007-10-16T09:55:00.002-04:00

I would imagine that most of us feel the same way about Sunday’s game, and I don’t think I was alone in needing a day or so to let everything simmer before I started putting my thoughts on paper. My emotions have calmed a bit now, though, so it’s time to get to some observations from the Loss at Lambeau.

01. I’m probably the 500th person to say it, but something is wrong with Santana Moss. I love the guy -- I have two jerseys... his and Doug Williams’s -- but he had one of the worst receiving performances I’ve ever seen on Sunday. The fumble was inexcusable, the deep ball that hit his face mask should have been caught and his play -- or lack thereof -- was a very big part of the Redskins losing.

I feel bad for Number 89, because I know he’s more upset than anyone at the way he played, and taking the blame for the loss has to be one of the hardest things an athlete can do. He has shown flashes of brilliance as a Redskin, and I absolutely believe he still has it in him, but he just plain stunk up Lambeau Field. I like the fact that he chose to take himself out (or so he says), as it was the right move to give Keenan McCardell and Brandon Lloyd their shots at making things happen.

02. Speaking of Brandon Lloyd, he was about 2 inches away from becoming the hero on Sunday after Campbell aired it out just a bit too far. If BL caught that pass, he would’ve gone from locker-room scapegoat to total stud faster than you can say “free agent bust.”

03. I know I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but where the fudge was Mike Sellers on 4th and short late in the game? Chris Cooley did everything he could to give the Redskins a decent shot at getting the first down -- that spot was horrific, by the way -- and the Redskins did what most teams would do and called a timeout. The FOX cameras even located Mike Sellers during the break, as if everyone in the entire stadium and those watching on TV knew what would happen: he’d get the ball, run someone over and the Skins would get a new set of downs.

So what does Al Gibbs, Associate Play Caller do? He calls a 1-yard pass to Ladell Betts, short of the first down. Why?! If it’s 4th and a short 2 and you opt to pass -- which is questionable to begin with, considering receivers had trouble catching all day -- wouldn’t you at least throw it further than the first down marker? Why put someone in position to have to make a play after the catch?

Bollocks.

04. Speaking of that time-out, did anyone notice how many people were huddled around the coaches trying to offer their two cents? Holy jebus. “Too many cooks in the kitchen,” I say. Let Gibbs and Saunders talk it out, as that’s what they’re paid to do. Even if they don’t come up with the right play for the circumstances, it’s best to minimize any and all confusion on the sidelines. Having multiple receivers, backs, offensive linemen and Joe Ball-dryer standing there in the most crucial of situations is asking for trouble.

05. Was I seeing things, or was one of Green Bay’s defensive lineman ridiculously offsides on 3rd or 4th down late in the game? What the hell was that about? A replay showed it pretty clearly, I thought, but not a mention was made by Troy Aikman, Joe Buck or any of the other 38 people FOX had working the game.

06. Sean Taylor (and the rest of the defense, for that matter) continues to step it up. Sure, he should’ve had more than two interceptions, but you really can’t ask for a whole lot more from those guys. It’s a shame both sides of the ball can’t gel at the same time -- if that were the case, this team would be a lot more intimidating than it has been so far this season (with the exception of the Detroit game).

07. In the past year, the Redskins have lost games 6 of the 9 times they’ve had the lead at halftime. What does this say about the personnel? Are guys becoming complacent in the locker room? Is it the play calling? Injuries definitely do not help the situation, but the fire that this team has during the first half of games needs to carry over for the remaining 30 minutes... period.

08. Packers coach Mike McCarthy said the Redskins “were the best team Green Bay has played so far,” but at the end of the day, a loss is still a loss. I realize that, as a Redskins fan, I pay more attention to what goes on here than in other cities, but is there a more painful team to watch?

When the opening game against Miami went down to the wire, I said that if all the games were that close, I don’t think I’d survive the season. Sunday’s game did not help the situation. There were more blown chances in the second half than any fan should have to endure, and until some consistency is shown, sitting in front of the TV on Sundays will continue to be a heart-wrenching experience.

09. At 3-2, the Redskins are still very much alive in the relatively-open NFC. If holes can be patched on the offensive line and guys can get their heads out of their asses when the ball is thrown their way, this team still has the potential, I think, to be a playoff contender.

Tim Rattay and the Cardinals come to FedEx on Sunday, which is a great opportunity to get the train back on track. I strongly believe that the pieces of the puzzle are here. Whether or not they can capitalize on every opportunity they’re given is a different story, and ultimately, that will determine if this group is heading in the right direction or due for another disappointing season...

10. Is it wrong that I sat watching the Patriots / Cowboys game on Sunday and secretly wished the stadium would implode? Just curious.Hail.

Redskins 34, Lions 3

2007-10-08T10:02:00.002-04:00

10 things I learned while watching yesterday’s game:

01. With Santana Moss out for the game and Randle El injured after an explosive first half, the Redskins needed to rely on depth that most people weren’t sure existed. One of the most impressive aspects of yesterday’s game, I think, is how well the offense spread the ball.

Recent pick-ups Reche Caldwell and Keenan McCardell both contributed, James Thrash made his presence known in the second half and Chris Cooley continued to provide a quality threat at Tight End. Even doghouse-dweller Brandon Lloyd made a catch late in the game, an option that the Redskins had yet to utilize this season.

At the beginning of the year, the Burgundy and Gold had a questionable receiving corps -- now it looks like they have a surplus of talent that can keep opposing defenses on their toes.

02. The second half of the New York game aside, Jason Campbell has looked like a very solid, consistent NFL quarterback. I think he was more accurate and made smarter decisions in yesterday’s win than in the first few games, and if he continues down the road he’s on, the Redskins have found a quarterback that can stick around for a while (which, needless to say, is a welcome change).

03. I bashed the secondary -- specifically Carlos Rogers -- after Week One’s game, but I have to give credit where credit is due. They had a major hand in limiting Detroit’s big-time offense to 144 total yards and 3 points, an impressive feat to say the least. While the cornerbacks provided some big plays, however, I think the bigger kudos have to go to the defensive line...

04. Jon Kitna, leading an offense that was averaging 28 points a game entering yesterday’s matchup, could do next-to-nothing at FedEx Field. He saw pressure from all sides, rarely had a chance to take a solid look at his receivers and was essentially shackled from the start. Hurried throws led to two Redskins interceptions, one that produced a touchdown and another that gave JC and Co. excellent field position.

05. Sean Taylor is a freak of nature. The block that he laid on the Thrash return was one of the biggest -- if not the biggest -- I’ve seen this year. My friends and I always joke that if one of us were to take a hit from even a mediocre NFL defender, we’d probably be hospitalized for weeks. I think that if I took a hit like that from #21, my head would pop off my shoulders like a Rock’em Sock’em Robot.

06. Mike Sellers is borderline unstoppable. When he ran over Detroit’s safety in the second quarter, you could practically see steam coming out of his ears. He’s a freight train, and anyone who gets in his way is going to pay the price...

...which leads to what I think is an appropriate question: why the hell didn’t Sellers get the ball at the end of the Giants game? Yesterday wasn’t the first time he proved that, for the most part, he’s a man among boys.

Big ass fullbacks like him are on the roster for short-yardage (i.e. goal-line) situations, so not giving him the ball was not taking advantage of one of the strongest weapons in the arsenal. I firmly believe that if Sellers got the call at the Giants’ 1 yard line two weeks ago, the Redskins would be unbeaten and sitting pretty with Dallas atop the NFC East.

07. I love Rock Cartwright, another guy who was used yesterday in a more diverse role than we’ve seen this year. He was handed the ball a few times late in the game, presumably to give Portis and Betts a breather, and did a great job at doing what needed to be done. His fumble recovery during the Thrash return was crucial as well, saving what could have been a tough break on a huge special teams play.

Also, as an avid Seinfeld fan, I just like to yell ‘Cartwright! Cartwright!’ enthusiastically when he’s in the game, a la the maitre-d in the infamous The Chinese Restaurant episode.

08. Watching football on a 60” HDTV is pretty frikking awesome.

09. One thing that has become more prevalent in sports over the years, given the increased media coverage and the emergence of the Elias Sports Bureau, is the mention of useless stats that have little-to-no bearing on the game at hand. Before yesterday’s kickoff, it was brought up multiple times that the Detroit Lions were 0-20 when visiting RFK and FedEx Field.

Fortunately for the Redskins, they played brilliantly and increased the streak to 21-straight, but what is gained from bringing up stats like that?

I’m a big believer in superstition, jinxing and the like, and it would’ve been typical for the Lions to come in and end their futility streak. Sure, the Redskins were favored yesterday and yes, they ended up winning, but Detroit was 3-1 and just came off scoring 34 points in the 4th quarter to beat Chicago. The team who visited Landover this weekend was not the pathetic Lions team who played at RFK in the early 90s, so as far as I’m concerned, streaks / stats like that are ridiculously irrelevant.

10. To quote one of my brothers, today’s thoughts could’ve been summed up with one sentence: “one game at a time.” The Redskins travel to Lambeau next Sunday to face a Packers team that will surely be fired up after blowing a lead against the Bears.

Continue to develop offensively and focus on shutting down the Green Bay passing game -- considering their ground game is almost non-existent -- and a victory is not only attainable, it’s inevitable.

Hail.

Redskins 17, Giants 24

2007-09-24T09:51:00.001-04:00

After last-night's loss, maybe it’s best that I don’t type exactly what’s going through my head. Let’s just say the TV I was watching last night hasn’t heard that many F-bombs since the last time The Big Lebowski was on HBO.

Without further Adu, here’s my take on what transpired yesterday in front of the biggest crowd ever at The Stadium Formerly Known as RalJohn.

The first half went exactly how the Redskins wanted it to go. It was borderline perfect. The defense stopped the Giants on key third downs, the offense clicked and capitalized on turnovers and the playcalling seemed to be a solid balance between hard-nosed running and well-timed passing.

So what the hell happened? Giants coach Tom Coughlin claims to have figured out the Redskins game plan during the break. He said that they made the necessary adjustments and came out for the second half with a better understanding of how to stop the bleeding and get back in it.

I don’t buy it.

The New York Giants are not known for huge comebacks. They started this season 0-2, allowing 80 points in their first two games. To do a complete 180 and dominate the second half on both sides of the ball takes more than just figuring out the opposition’s game plan. The opposition has to fold, and fold they did.

I am fairly certain that the Redskins headed into the locker room, joked around, considered the game all but locked-up and approached the second half as if they were playing a Division III opponent.

They didn’t take my advice, the idiots, and they got cocky. They walked through the tunnel, heard the roar of a very approving crowd and thought the second half would be a cake-walk.

And what happened next can only be summed up with one word: pathetic. I’m still in shock. Honestly.

I don’t think I have ever seen a bigger difference in play between first and second halves in my life. The Redskins went from dominant to doormat in a matter of 20 minutes. They couldn’t do squat in the second half, and they allowed the Giants to do everything. I understand that running the ball eats up more of the clock, but whose decision was it to essentially abandon the passing game? Going three-and-out -- or fumbling the ball -- on 5 straight possessions, considering the circumstances, is absolutely unacceptable.

A team that was Top-4 in the league in both offensive and defensive third downs was nowhere to be found. The Giants converted more than 75% of their second-half third downs, while the Redskins failed to gain a first down until the final minutes of the game, when it was way too late.

How does this happen? And more importantly, who is responsible? Clinton Portis, a guy who has scored exactly 60% of the team’s touchdowns, was used sparingly in the final minutes... and I have yet to hear why. Is he hurt? Did he not feel like he could produce? What’s the deal?

We keep hearing about how he takes himself out of games when he’s tired -- which is bizarre to begin with -- but I’d bet my next paycheck that if it was up to him, he would’ve been in there on those final few plays.

I love Ladell Betts, but if you were to ask every Skins fan in the stadium who they wanted to see handle the ball on a 3rd and 1 and 4th and 1 with less than a minute to play, do you think he’d get the majority of the calls? I don’t think so, either.

There are too many weapons on this team to blow a chance like that. Mike Sellers is roughly the size of a Mack Truck, but instead of handing him the ball and giving him an opportunity to bowl over the defensive line, they threw it to him.

The Redskins ran the exact same play twice in a row to end the game, even though the first time was about as unsuccessful as a play can get. You would think that a 700-page playbook would produce a little more variety than that. You would also think that there might be something in there for exactly these circumstances.

Joe Gibbs said that they called their “three best plays” to end the game.

Rushing the final play and leaving 20 seconds on the clock -- was that part of the plan? Is that the third play that he was referring to? I don’t get it. Are there answers to any of these questions, or will the coaching staff continue to blame themselves without offering a whole lot of explanations?

“It was hard fought,” Gibbs said afterwards. Maybe he said “for the first 30 minutes” under his breath -- I don’t know. What I do know is that this team needs to learn a few things before Detroit shows up in 13 days.

They need to learn how to handle themselves as winners. They need to know how to manage the clock better than they have. They need to learn how to fire themselves up when they aren’t doing well, not just be exultant when things are going their way.

They need to learn how to finish.

The Redskins were two exits away from 3-0, saw that they were ahead of schedule and decided to hit the Chesapeake House for a Starbucks. So they head into the bye week 2-1, a game behind the rolling Cowboys and a game ahead of Philadelphia and New York, both teams that now have the momentum the Redskins had heading into yesterday’s game.

The Burgundy and Gold get a week without a game to examine what they’re worth, where they are as a team and to rest their bruised and battered bodies. I don’t think panicking is completely necessary, as being 2-1 is a lot better than being 0-3. If anyone in that locker room feels as though the team did everything it could in yesterday’s game, however, something is terribly wrong.

Joe Gibbs, whether he’s in charge of the play-calling or not, is still the head of this team. What we need from him is more emotion, more fire and more heart than he’s ever shown before. It’s time to start pointing the finger, and pointing it at yourself isn’t going to do anyone any good.

Hail.

Redskins 20, Eagles 12

2007-09-20T09:48:00.003-04:00

Every article that I’ve read about Jason Campbell in the past three days has stated the same things.

He’s confident... He doesn’t get rattled... He bounces back well from mistakes... He shows poise in the pocket... He scrambles well... He’s “Mmm mmm good...”

That last one, believe it or not, was on the front page of ESPN.com on Tuesday morning. A little cheesy, sure, but on the front page nonetheless.

Merely 12 hours after the Redskins traveled up 95 and stuck it to McNabb & Co. at Lincoln Financial -- a stadium notorious for getting in the head of opposing quarterbacks and where objects get thrown at opposing running back’s mothers – the biggest network in sports gave headline-worthy praise to a team they’ve shat on for the past 10 seasons.

Len Pasquarelli -- a guy who enjoys doubting the Redskins with every opportunity -- praised Campbell for a solid performance, essentially calling Monday night his coming-of-age game. The reaction from the media has been unanimous: his numbers weren’t outrageous, but Jason Campbell was damn impressive in the national spotlight.

Most writers point to the pre-halftime touchdown to Chris Cooley as JC’s defining moment. What did it for me, however, was not the touchdown but another pass to Captain Chaos.

On a third down in the middle of the fourth quarter -- I believe those were the circumstances -- the Skins needed about 8 yards to continue driving and put the game away. Campbell took the snap, the defense quickly applied pressure and he was forced to roll right. As linebackers charged towards him, assuming he was going to run for the first down, Campbell calmly hit #47 perfectly in stride for a seemingly effortless 12 or 13-yard gain.

A few plays later, Sheriff Gonna Getcha found a gap to the outside, did a borderline-dangerous, Frerotte-esque somersault into the end zone and the rest is history.

The Redskins are 2-0. The greater Washington area is in a collective frenzy. People are talking about a “return to glory” and how the Burgundy and Gold are back.

Needless to say, I love it.

But I think it’s a little early to start firing up the Bandwagon, don’t you?

Believe me -- I think this is the best the Skins have looked since Mark Rypien took them to Minnesota and cold-cocked the Buffalo Bills back in January of 1992. As I said last week, I think they will continue to get better, which means even greater things to come for the team that we love. But to sit here and say that they don’t have their problems would be naïve.

Joe Gibbs has led this team to consecutive victories over two rather mediocre opponents. Miami’s defense was pretty strong, but their offense was far from great. The Eagles were playing relatively well against Portis, Betts and Sellers, but when it came time for McNabb to step up, he kept his composure about as well as OJ in a Vegas suite.

There is something clearly wrong with McNabb. I almost feel bad for the guy, because he’s been treated like crap the entire time he’s been in Philadelphia. Their fans are ruthless, and he’s taken the brunt of the criticism since he came out of ‘Cuse, despite leading the Eagles to 4 consecutive NFC Championship games.

He didn’t look good on Monday, though, and the Redskins capitalized.

Not to say they didn’t earn the win, because they absolutely did. But in order to continue winning and building on a great foundation, Jason Campbell is going to need to play even better than he has. His stats so far have been average -- 431 total passing yards, 68 rushing yards, a touchdown and 3 interceptions. His accuracy, at times, is unbelievable (see the first quarter bomb to Santana). His accuracy, at other times, is not (see the fourth quarter bomb to Santana that would’ve put the game away).

A young team like the Redskins will need more than two games to find a rhythm that could ultimately prove championship-worthy, but the pieces of the puzzle are beginning to fall in to place. If they continue to play like they have been so far, there may be something very special occurring in the nation’s capital.

It’s not going to be easy, though.

The New York Giants roll into FedEx Field this Sunday, and it appears to be the perfect opportunity for Washington to go 2-0 in the NFC East. If the past few seasons have taught us anything, however, it’s that these are the types of games that are looked back on as the ones that got away.

I love confidence, and I think Campbell & Co. have every right to arrive at Landover on Sunday morning with their heads held very high. What I don’t want is for them to assume anything. The Giants have their share of issues, without a doubt, but they are still a professional football team and want nothing more than to get back on track with a huge division win on the road. And if the Redskins take this or any game on their schedule lightly, they may find themselves with quite the reality check.

Let’s just hope they prove me wrong and steamroll the G-men.

Hail.

--

3 thoughts on Monday’s game:

01. The hit that Sean Taylor laid on the Eagles receiver (not sure who it was) in the first quarter was ridiculous. He rolled him over, kept running and never even flinched. The fact that ESPN didn’t show a replay of it was infuriating, because you know that if Urlacher made that hit, they would’ve been all over it...

02. The second quarter interception that JC threw was a dagger, but the hit that Clinton Portis put on the Eagles’ cornerback was out of control. That guy loves to lay guys out whenever he gets the chance, and you have to love him for that. On the flipside, though, it also has to make you nervous whenever there’s a turnover...

03. The only word I can think of to describe the end of the first half is “whatthehellwasthat?” If Andy Reid didn’t call timeout in an attempt to ice Shaun Suisham, the Redskins would’ve gone into the locker room tied 6-6, their confidence shot by an embarrassingly-executed, poorly-managed final seconds. I’m not sure where the confusion lied, but situations like that define a team – and if Suisham indeed kicked the field goal, it could’ve been the difference between being 2-0 and 1-1...

Redskins 16, Dolphins 13

2007-09-11T09:46:00.003-04:00

The Redskins starting the 2007 season with a win is huge (obviously). It was a bit more close, physical and nerve-racking than I hoped for, but a check in the W column is always a good thing. I am confident that Jason Campbell will continue to mature, Clinton Portis will be at least a shadow of his 2005 self and the rest of the offense will eventually gel as well as they have since the second Gibbs era began.

I am also confident that the defense will continue to get better, but for now, I have one major concern. The following passage is from today’s Post, and it piqued my interest because it deals with a guy that, I think, is 100% necessary to the success of this team. The addition of Fred Smoot is nice – even if he did blow a gimme interception to win the game in regulation – but a healthy Shawn Springs is huge.

Anyway, here’s what the article said:

Cornerback Shawn Springs has the highest base salary of any Redskin (nearly $5 million), said he feels as healthy as he has in years and is the most accomplished of Washington's defensive backs, yet with the game in the balance Sunday, he stood on the sidelines watching. Springs was the third defensive back in the season-opening victory, with Fred Smoot and Carlos Rogers playing in the base package, a move that surprised some veteran players.

Coach Joe Gibbs said that during practice last week the coaches thought that Springs was not as explosive as normal, not quite 100 percent, but said the team's "concern"
with Springs was not related to his sports hernia from last year or any particular injury. Springs said he feels great, and he was not listed on an injury report.

"We were kind of worried a little bit the week before about him from a health standpoint," Gibbs said. "Certainly, I am sure he will start this year but we feel like we're real solid at corner and we've got three guys there who have started a bunch.

“Real solid at corner,” Coach? Yeah, maybe when Springs and Smoot are on the field.

Argue with me all you want – seriously, I wish you would – but Carlos Rogers, as far as I’m concerned, has to be one of the worst cover-corners in the league. He can tackle very well every once in a while, but his man-to-man coverage, especially when the game is on the line, is suspect at absolute best. So with two healthy guys in front of him on the depth chart, why did Joe Gibbs (and / or Gregg Williams) feel the need to rely on a guy that, basically, has yet to dominate an opposing receiver? Am I missing something?

Who was behind his man on an and-goal situation – allowing a touchdown just before halftime – when he should’ve been smothering him like gravy on French fries or at least been between him and the quarterback? Carlos Rogers. Who consistently gives his receivers 6- and 7-yard cushions on short situations, allowing seemingly effortless first down catches? Carlos Rogers. Who got burned late in the game and held on to his receiver’s jersey, creating a nearly devastating pass interference call? That’s right…Carlos Rogers (although I’ll admit, he could’ve easily gotten away with that one).

So what’s the deal? If Shawn Springs continues to be healthy, yet remains on the sidelines, can we really rely on Carlos Rogers to get the job done?

I say no, and I will be skeptical of Mr. Gibbs’s (and Williams’s) decision-making if he continues to be put to the test, as more often than not, I believe he’ll fail. My heart can’t take 15 more games like Sunday’s, and my stomach certainly can’t take Carlos Rogers dancing over his man after making a routine tackle. That nonsense used to be standard procedure for Fred Smoot, but thankfully, it appears that he’s all growns-up. Let’s hope Rogers, eventually, can follow suit.