Hail To The Redskins!!!

Vikings Outplay Redskins 33-26

2011-12-27T17:56:00.000-05:00

The Minnesota Vikings caught two bad breaks on Saturday losing both starting QB Christian Ponder and starting RB Adrian Peterson to a devastating knee injury, yet they still had enough in the gas tank to beat a, recently, surging Redskins at FedEx Field, 33-26. Washington was just flat out, outplayed by the lowly Vikings who got their 3rd victory to improve their record 3-12. The Vikings would more than likely have one of the top 3 NFL Draft Picks in the 1st Round of the 2012 NFL Draft. If you haven’t figured it out by now, if you have a high draft pick it usually means that you had a bad season. Don’t worry though, Washington will be right behind them hovering somewhere around the 5th-8th overall pick. At 5-10 right now, 6-10 or 5-11 really isn’t going to make much of a difference. But I will keep this posting very short seeing as though the season is winding down, and I am frustrated with Washington. I am only going to focus on Minnesota since, they did for all intents and purposes, win the game.

Joe Webb, the 3rd string QB for the Minnesota Vikings played his ass off last season. How was he thanked for his efforts? By having a QB drafted to be ahead of him on the depth chart and then watched the Vikings trade for a very non-existent Donovan McNabb. At one point, Webb was thought of as QB that should be converted to WR because of his athleticism. HERE WE GO AGAIN!!! Why is it that athleticism benefits you everywhere else on the football field but QB? And if you haven’t noticed, Webb is one of the few Black QBs in the NFL. I won’t go there again, but it is kind of obvious what’s going on here. Well Webb proved his doubters wrong, yet again, by completing 4 of his 5 passing attempts, for only 84 Passing Yards, but he had 2 TD passes, and rushed for a 3rd as he willed the Vikings to a win. No, he didn’t look like Peyton Manning. But, he does have a skill set that can, and will make him a star in the NFL. And that is my final say regardless of what team Webb ends up playing for. But if Minnesota is as smart as I hope they are, especially with Adrian Peterson being down for most of training camp as he recovers from his ACL injury, I’d keep Mr. Webb and keep him happy by giving him an opportunity to compete for the starting QB spot. He may not get Minnesota to the playoffs this year, but he is good enough to get them to the playoffs next year.

This week’s game ball goes to Joe Webb, QB, of the Minnesota Vikings. Good job Joe.

Redskins Chop Giants Down To Size Again, 23-10

2011-12-20T11:20:00.000-05:00

Who was that Burgundy and Gold team??!!! Not only did the Redskins prove me wrong (I picked them to lose), but they embarrassed the Giants. It got so bad, at one point, that the Giants fans were booing their own team. I’ve never seen that before. It was weird. Giants Stadium was eerily quiet for most of the game in between boos. As that’s happening, Rex Grossman is slinging it all over the place. Hell he even threw 2 INTs early in the game. One INT came on the very first play from scrimmage for the game. With nothing on the line and coming into the game after being mathematically eliminated from the Playoffs, the Redskins get their 5^th win of the season, and a series sweep this year of the Giants on the strength of a 23-10 win. Washington improves to 5-9 and the Giants drop to 7-7. The only bad thing about the win is that it moves the Dallas Cowboys into sole possession of 1^st place in the NFC East.

The Giants looked like they never came out of the locker to start the game. Hakeem Nicks, a normally sure-handed WR, dropped two TD passes. On one play, Nicks was wide open. It was almost as if the God’s thought that it was time for things to go Washington’s way. Eli Manning didn’t even throw a TD pass Sunday. That is rare. Manning finished the game completing 23 of 40 passing attempts for 257 Passing Yards, no TD passes, but 3 INTs. Manning was under constant pressure the entire game. Although Manning was still able to move the Giants, most of their drives ended with no points. And although the N.Y. Giants were able to force turnovers, they were not able to capitalize on them. Brandon Jacobs was able to get going later in the game, but the Giants weren’t able to put together a 100-Yard Rushing effort. And, although the Giants have one of the best Defensive Lines in the NFL, so much so that they rarely have to Blitz to create a Pass Rush, they were only able to tally one QB Sack, and it came on what looked like a blown assignment. As crazy as it sounds, the Redskins shut down the Giants on Sunday. How many times have we heard that this season?

I have one thing to say about the Redskins’ performance on Sunday. It’s about damn time. This is the first time that I have seen Washington punch a team in the mouth and follow it up with a knockout. Washington had games won against Dallas both times this year, had the Patriots beaten, let the 49ers and Eagles games slip away, and never showed up for the game against the Bills. Washington should be 10-4 heading into these final two games. Washington has had key injuries. Otogwe has been hurt all season, LaRon Landry, Tim Hightower, Kory Lichtensteiger, Jarvis Jenkins, Chris Cooley, Fred Davis, Trent Williams and Leonard Hankerson are all out for the season and all are key starters. Santana Moss even missed extended playing time this season. This was an NFL Playoff team. Hell I’ll take it a step further and say that Washington should be in the running for the NFC East crown. Washington is just in need of a Franchise QB. No disrespect to Grossman who finished the game Sunday with 15 completions on 24 passing attempts, 185 Passing Yards and 1 TD. But he threw 2 INTs that could have been crucial mistakes, but the Defense bailed him out. Rex takes way too many chances and the difference between he and a Tom Brady is that Brady will not put his team in those situations. Brady is conscious of his decision-making at crucial times. To put it plainly, you’d trust Brady in crunch time and expect him to make the plays to win the game. With Grossman, you are hoping that he makes the plays to win the game and more importantly, you are hoping that he doesn’t turn the ball over doing something crazy. But Grossman will do for the next two weeks.

This week’s gameball goes to the entire Redskins Defense for one of their best performances of the entire season.

Pat’s Edge Redskins, 34-27

2011-12-13T14:01:00.000-05:00

Who would have thought that the Patriots-Redskins game would have been a shootout that would have come down to the Redskins driving in the final 5 minutes with a chance to tie the game and send it to Overtime? It was a loss, but Washington proved once again that they can compete with any team in the league, but closing has been a problem. Washington has worked hard to create opportunities to win, but they have worked just as hard at giving them away. I don’t want to take anything away from Tom Brady’s performance because, unless you’ve been living under a rock, he’s been nothing short of amazing. He’s still tearing it up without a legit #1 WR. Chad Ochocinco is up there in New England with him, but as Chad’s girlfriend states it… “He’s been a non (mother$%^&^&) factor!!!” And as I see it, Washington has nothing to hang their heads about.

Time and time again this season Washington has had their games decided in the final few minutes, which tells me that they are doing enough to be in the game in the final minutes. Sunday it was a nip and tuck battle with one of the best teams in the NFL. I had no doubt in my mind that Washington was going to win. I know my team. The better the competition the better that they play. So why wouldn’t I think that they were going to give New England hell? Rex Grossman, for the fourth straight week, has played extremely well. I have been impressed with how he’s handled the pressure of playing in a big game. Not only did Grossman lead 5 scoring drives, but he actually threw a TD pass on the final drive of the game, but an Offensive Pass Interference call nullified what would have been a game-tying TD. Hell, even the INT that ended the game wasn’t his fault. I can’t believe I am actually typing that by the way. Grossman had help with his WRs coming up with big plays, especially his college teammate Jabar Gaffney who had 6 catches for 92 yards and 1 TD. Gaffney has been on my radar since his days of playing for the Houston Texans as their #2 WR next to André Johnson. Roy Helu put up another 100-Yd effort with 126 Rushing Yards on 26 carries. Even little Brandon Banks threw a TD pass today to Santana Moss. But the star of the game was on the other team today, and boy did he put on a performance.

I get a little pissed off when the “experts” and I used that term lightly, says that teams shouldn’t use high draft picks on Tight Ends (TE). When you have a guy who is a physical freak like Vernon Davis, you might want to take that chance. New England has a guy that is along those lines as far as size and speed. At 6’6” tall and 265 lbs, “Gronk” as his teammates call him, is a freak. Not only did this dude run a 4.65 in the 40 Yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, but he broad jumped 9’11”. That may not mean anything to you, but that tells me that he is a very explosive runner and has great acceleration. That spells doom for Linebackers (LB) and Safties ([SS = Strong Safety] and [FS = Free Safety]). I think the signature play of the game was “Gronk” making a diving catch, getting up and then dragging two Redskins players a few yards before breaking the tackle and running up field for a few more yards. Amazingly this is only his 2^nd year and he has broken the NFL Record for Most TD Receptions For a TE In One Season (15). And although Tom “Terrific” Brady completed 23 of 37 passes for 357 Yards and 3 TD passes, he did throw a crucial INT in the end zone that almost cost New England the game. I know that was the only blemish on his record Sunday, but I have to give the game ball to Rob Gronkowski today. If you take away his numbers, New England doesn’t have a chance in hell. That matchup killed the Redskins Sunday. And for a 4-9 team, you need all the matchups to go your way every week.

Congrats to Rob for winning this weeks game ball with 6 catches for 160 Recieveing Yards and 2 TD’s. Keep an eye out for this kid. He is the real deal.

Jets Soar Past Redskins, 34-19

2011-12-05T17:29:00.000-05:00

For about 55 minutes, this game was back and forth. No one had established a position of dominance. Then the Redskins got soft. Mark Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes for a go-ahead TD and made the score 20-16. Then on the ensuing possession Rex Grossman was sacked and fumbled the ball. The Jets would eventually score on a Wildcat Formation Run, to essentially put the game out of reach. Washington actually came out with guns ablaze, but they ran out of bullets when they needed them the most, down the stretch. The Jets have finally established themselves as a Playoff Contender and are poised to make a run in the Playoffs. Washington hasn’t smelled the Playoffs since 2007 and that drought will continue.

Rex Grossman took control of the Washington offense the way that we’ve all wanted him to. Grossman took the Redskins straight down the field and scored on the very first possession and led them to a FG on the 2^nd possession. Unfortunately, they hit a wall later on in the game and could only muster up 2 more FGs before the Jets put the final nail in the coffin. Washington had great drives, but could not get timely 3^rd down conversions when they needed them. That is the things that Playoff teams do. Grossman completed 19 of 46 passes for 221 Yards, and didn’t throw his weekly INT until the last possession of the game. Good for you Rex. Roy Helu was a bright spot running for 100 Yards on 23 Carries and 1 TD that came on the first possession of the game. Fred Davis had 99 Receiving Yards on 6 catches, but, unfortunately, didn’t score a TD. Washington falls to 4-8 bailing out the Philadelphia Eagles who laid an egg against the same team that Washington beat last Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks. This is another loss for a team that showed so much promise early on. But, the Jets have other plans going forward.

Mark Sanchez has taken a lot of heat this year. Almost as much heat as Tim Tebow. Most people don’t think that either QB can lead a team to the Playoffs or a championship. I’d beg to differ. Mark Sanchez, although shaky at times, looked like a 10 year vet in the past few games that I’ve watched of his. Sanchez is able to put together timely drives when the Jets need them and, time and time again, pulled out victories. This week Sanchez completed 19 of 32 passes for 165 Yards, and 1 TD pass that was ultimately the game-winner. He got some help in the run game from Shonn Greene who had 22 carries for 88 Yards and 3 Rushing TDs. Nothing that the Jets did was pretty. But they got the job done. Now at 7-5 they can actually start to talk about the Playoffs as a possible Wild Card Team. And if you have had a chance to watch them before, the Jets can do some damage as a Wild Card team. The last 2 times that the Jets have made the Playoffs, they’ve ended up in AFC Championship Games. Although they didn’t win them, no one expected them to even be there. Now I am going out on a limb and saying that if they make the Playoffs this year, they will be in the Super Bowl. They have the team and they have the fight. I’d love to see it.

This weeks game ball goes to Mark Sanchez. Good job Mark.

'Skins Edge 'Hawks, 23-17

2011-11-28T20:35:00.000-05:00

Washington finally made enough plays to win a close ballgame. This snaps a 6-game losing streak, the longest of Coach Shanahan’s career. But it sure was an adventure. I was sure Washington was determined to give this game away. Untimely INTs, blocked/missed FGs and penalty’s kept the game close enough for me to gnaw my fingernails down to the knuckle. It’s a good thing that they won. The natives were restless and their prayers have been answered with a 23-17 win by the Redskins.

Seattle is a tough place to play with the noise level reaching decibels that equal a 747 during takeoff. The weather is usually miserable as it usually rains like it did Sunday. And for a team from the East Coast, the long 6 hour flight usually drains them physically. The Seahawks are a tough team. Even when they’ve had their struggles, no one looks forward to playing them. Tavaris Jackson earned the praises of the commentators Sunday playing injured with that torn pectoral muscle on his throwing arms (right) side. Jackson was in a lot of pain, but if you were at the game just watching and didn’t hear the commentators, but, you would have never known. Jackson completed 14 of 30 passes for 144 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT that came at the end of the game when he was forced to throw the ball. Jackson’s had his struggles in Minnesota and was never really given a fair shake to be the man. Although he was the starting QB, Coach Brad Childress had him handcuffed. Namely give giving Jackson a safe and conservative gameplan. Pete Carroll has turned him loose. Jackson looks very comfortable in the Seahawks’ Offense and he has talent around him. Zach Miller at TE, Mike Williams at WR and “Beast Mode” Marshawn Lynch at RB (who had 111 Rushing Yards on 24 carries) are all Jackson needs along with the support of his head coach. But the Seahawks have a lot of talent on Defense starting with those big CBs who both go 6’3”. But the guy that stole the show was DT Red Bryant who blocked a FG attempt and a PAT attempt. If you ask me, had the Seahawks pulled out a win, he would have been Player of the Game. But, alas, the Seahawks lose falling to 4-7 on the year. The funny thing is, with Washington’s win, they improve to 4-7.

Rex was Rex. He can make a great play and then turn around and make a dumb one right behind it. You get what you get with him. But he’s still going to sling it. He is never gunshy. Thank goodness he isn’t, because that 50-Yd. TD pass that he threw to Anthony Armstrong came on a 3^rd and 19 call that could have easily been a checkdown pass followed by a punt. Grossman completed 26 of 35 pass attempts, for 314 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs. If Grossman could ever get out of his own way, he’d be considered one of the best in the league. He can make every throw. He’s fearless in the pocket. He can complete a high percentage of his passes and he can lead a comeback. He has all of the tools, but his mistakes are killing him. Grossman had extra help as Santana Moss returned from his injury but wasn’t out on the field for a lot of snaps. Anthony Armstrong only had one catch, but it was a 50 yard catch for the go-ahead TD. Jabar Gaffney led the way with 5 catches for 72 yards, but he didn’t find the endzone this week. DeAngelo Hall had a good game considering all of the stir that he caused by saying Washington should cut him following his performance against the Cowboys last Sunday. And it was fitting that Hall got the INT to end the game and seal the Redskins win. I just hope he can continue to play as well has he has this season and stop worrying about his numbers. And finally Kyle Shanahan gets the nod of approval this week for following up the Cowboys game with another solid gameplan. I will admit I was his biggest critic, but he showed that he is worthy of being on this level as an Offensive Coordinator. Now all he needs is his new André Johnson and he will have the potent Offense that he had in Houston. Maybe we need to get Matt Schaub too. No offense to Rex.

This weeks gameball goes to the man that I have given the blues all season Rex Grossman. Good job Rex. Now keep it up next week against the Jets.

‘Boys Edge ‘Skins In OT, Sweep Season Series

2011-11-21T09:58:00.000-05:00

You can take Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys two ways. One way would be to say Washington played a great game, but came up short. Or the other way would be to say Dallas made just enough plays to win. Either way, Dallas won 27-24 in OT. Tony Romo made plays at critical times during the game to secure the win. Never mind the fact that their best WR, Miles Austin, didn’t even play. If Romo can continue to play the way that he played Sunday, Dallas can make a run deep into the Playoffs. As for Rex Grossman, he played well, but he just came up short. Washington falls to 3-7 and all but eliminated from Playoff contention, if it weren’t already obvious.

Washington could barely muster up 60 Rushing yards through 6 different ball carriers. Roy Helu led the way with 35 Rushing Yards. Graham Gano, who 2 weeks ago booted a 59 yard-FG, missed two FG of 50+ yards. One FG could have won the game in Regulation and the other could have won it in OT. Washington had their chances to win this game, but just could get it done when the opportunities presented themselves. Dallas was 8 of 17 (47%) on 3^rd down. That is too high of a percentage if you want to be considered one of the best Defenses in football. You have to get the other team off of the field on 3^rd down. You also have to win the Turnover battle. Dallas won that 1-0. Sure Washington would have had to play perfect, but with one turnover, 2 missed FGs and a 3^rd down efficiency of 53% on Defense (Dallas converted 43% of their 3^rd down opportunities), they had to a chance. That’s all I am saying.

Dallas started off looking like a dominant team, then they hit a wall. But, time and time again, when they needed a timely 3^rd down conversion, they got it. Tony Romo extended a few plays to buy himself time and hit open WRs. The one play that sticks out he long TD catch and run by Jason Witten. That was the signature play for the Cowboys. They just found a way to break the Redskins Defense’s back. You’d think 3^rd and Long means drop back don’t give up anything long, try to tackle them short of the 1^st Down marker and force them to punt. Unless, of course, Dallas opts to go for it and run it right down their throats like the Cowboys did on one 4^th Down conversion. Dallas is playing the way everyone expected at the start of the season. The sad thing is… so is Washington.

Mike Shanahan, no matter how well he prepared the Redskins for Sunday’s game, should be on the hot seat. The problem is, Washington still owes him $21M of guaranteed money. Dan Snyder has already had his fill of paying retired players and coaches. So in the best interest of his pockets and the organization, they will give Shanny at least another year, maybe two. So Redskins fans, we may have to live through another abysmal (a Brotha had to break out the big word for this one) season.

This weeks game ball goes to Tony Romo for this clutch performance completing 23 of 37 passes for 292 yards and 3 TDs. Good job Tony.

Dolphins Overpower Redskins, 20-9

2011-11-13T17:37:00.001-05:00

I remember in 2007 the Dolphins were 1-15. Most people remember their record. I remember thinking that they dropped six games by 3 points. They could have easily been 7-9. But people only see the record and not the games. Fast forward to this past Sunday. Miami came into the game against the Redskins at 1-7 coming off of their first win against the Chiefs the week before. The Dolphins had lost three of their eight games by 3 points. Again, people only look at their record and not their games. With guys like Yeremiah Bell, Carlos Dansby (one of my favorite players from the Cardinals), Jason Taylor, Anthony Fasano, Reggie Bush, Davone Bess and Brandon Marshall, I couldn’t figure out for the life of me, how they were 1-7. Well I don’t have to worry about that now, because the Dolphins improve to 2-7 and look like they are a Playoff team. Washington, on the other hand, looks like the same ol’ Redskins of the past six weeks. And that, my friends, is not good.

Washington made the switch back to Rex Grossman, who, for all intents and purposes, was going to sling all around the field, unfortunately two key passes went to the other team. But hey, what else is new? One wasn’t his fault, but the other was. John Beck either doesn’t have the arm strength or the “testicular fortitude” to throw the ball down field, and Rex has the “testicular fortitude” but he throws the ball to the other team so much I am starting to think poor Rexy is color blind. I will give Grossman one thing, he made some throws in that game that made me think I was watching Tom Brady. Rex has the physical tools to be a good NFL QB, but his dreams of being Brett Favre are killing Redskins Nation right now. So where do you go from here?

Mike Shanahan flip flops almost as much as he changes QBs and RBs. Now at 3-6 Washington is in the running for Andrew Luck. If I am Luck I am hoping that the Redskins will win a few more games so he doesn’t come to DC. Poor thing!! His career would be over as fast as the commissioner could call his name. Shanny doesn’t know how to handle QBs nor pick the talent. Luck is talented, but would get lost here. Please fire Shanahan. I usually don’t call for firing the head coach. I wanted Zorn for one more year and I wished that Coach Gibbs could have stayed longer. But in this situation, Shanahan (both Mike and Kyle) needs to go. If it sets us back a few more years, so be it. This man said he picked the best players, character guys if you will, to be on this team. I wonder if some talent went out the door too.

I was pissed off about how the Redskins lost, but I got a kick out of watching Beltsville, MD native and DeMatha High School graduate, Cameron Wake doing the “Dougie” dance on the Miami Dolphins' sidelines. Miami is going to party a little bit tonight. Washington is going to hang their heads for a bit, but will quickly turn their attention to the Rivalry Game coming up next week against Dallas. That should be fun.

Had the Redskins won this game, I would have given the game ball to Leonard Hankerson for his performance in his return home to Miami. Hankerson had 106 yds on 8 catches. But since Miami won I am actually going to give the game ball to Matt Moore. Moore completed 20 of 29 passes for 209 Yards. But Moore did a good job of sticking throws when the Dolphins needed it, and doing a great job of managing the game against a stiff Redskins Defense.

49ers 86 Redskins, 19-11

2011-11-09T11:30:00.000-05:00

Don’t let the scoreboard fool you. San Francisco thoroughly whipped Washington’s ass. It got so bad, at one point Washington just started putting the ball on the ground. Be it dropped passes or fumbles, the Redskins were serving it up. The one good thing about this game was to finally get a look at Frank Gore. I’ve been excited to see him come back from a myriad of injuries to be a very productive RB in the NFL. I’m so proud of him. Heck even Clinton Portis made a comment about how he wasn’t surprised that Gore was tearing it up. Gore is just another player from the "U" doing their thing. But the guy that I was so proud of and happy to see finally getting some props was Alex Smith.

It is amazing what a coach can do for a player. Alex Smith was a running joke in the NFL. Smith is in his 7th Season from Utah and was the #1 Overall Draft Pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. He has struggled mightily over the past few years. Smith has had a few coaches come and go in San Franciso. From Mike Nolan, to "Samauri" Mike Singletary and now Jim Harbaugh, Smith has gone through his fair share of chiefs. But his Offensive Coordinators have changed more than his coaches. Smith has had Mike McCarthy, Norv Turner, Jim Hostler, Mike Martz and now Greg Roman calling plays for him. I’ve always wondered what would happen if Alex Smith actually got some coaching, you know from a Quarterback, and vote of confidence from his head coach. He’s had guys like Tim Rattay, Trent Dilfer, Shaun Hill and even Troy Smith, taking the reigns during his tenure. But with a Head Coach who has actually played in the NFL and played the position that Alex Smith is playing, it make his job easier for him to pick up. And Harbaugh has given Smith the vote of confidence missing over the past 6 years. Sure Smith is only managing the game right now, but he is doing one heck of a job and is making me look like a genius. I’ve always thought that he was a starting QB in the NFL. And now he has the San Francisco 49ers at 7-1 and poised to win the NFC West, which is long over due if you ask me. But as there is separation in the NFC West because of the wins by San Francisco, Washington is separating themselves from the pack in the NFC East by stinking it up on the field.

Now at 3-5 what do you do? Do you go back to Rex Grossman? Do you stick with John Beck? Do you bring in another veteran QB to finish the season and compete for a job next year? Or do you play out the season with Grossman or Beck and hope to draft a QB in the 1st Round next year? Does it make sense to start scouting Offensive Linemen? Does Terrell Owens help bolster a WR corp that is struggling right now? With how bad Washington looks now, T.O. might actually help. Is Mike Shanahan on the hot seat? Is Kyle Shanahan on the hot seat? Was it a smart move to let Jason Campbell get away? Is playing musical RBs helping right now? Can Washington salvage this season and finish at .500 (8-8)? One thing is for sure as the losses mount and the temperature continues to drop, you will see more and more of the opposing team’s fans at FedEx Field. There’s nothing I hate more than having the visitors outcheering us at home. But hey, at least Mr. Snyder will make money either way. Washington is staring down the barrel of a 3-13 season, and that is sad seeing as though they started 3-1.

This week’s game ball goes to Alex Smith, who completed 17 of 24 passes for 200 yards and 1 TD pass. Good job Alex. But keep in mind, Patrick Willis could have easily gotten a game ball as well.

Bills Shut Down, Shut Out Redskins 23-0

2011-10-31T13:58:00.000-04:00

I have seen and been around football for some years, and I have only seen one performance worse than the Redskins’ showing Sunday in Toronto. Ironically, it was the Redskins in 2004 against, you guessed it, the Buffalo Bills. A game in which the Redskins quit. Then Redskins starting Outside Linebacker, LaVar Arrington was literally ready to go upside Rob Johnson’s head for joking around after such a poor showing. I thought that I’d never see another game in which I was embarrassed to be a Redskins fan. Well I spoke too soon. This past Sunday was a very bad performance by the Redskins. Not only did they not score any points, at no point in this game did they look competitive. That is not good.

Let’s give Buffalo some credit. They’ve suffered some years as well with underachieving teams. They have had teams in which people expected them to make a run for the AFC East title. No one has ever showed any pitty for the Bills and they’ve never asked for it. Ralph Wilson, their owner, has never had a pitty party, and never intended to. This man has had four AFC Championship teams that ended up losing Super Bowls. Buffalo was the punchline in a lot of jokes in the 90’s. Jim Kelly, Andre Reed, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas along with others played extremely well in the late 80’s and early 90’s, they just couldn’t get over the hump. Now I am not saying that the team the Bills have now is comparable to the great Bills teams form 20 years ago, but you can’t argue with a surprising 5-2 start in the same division with the N.Y. Jets and the New England Patriots. Who guessed that we’d be having this conversation? With guys like Fred Jackson, who shouldn’t even be in the NFL, Leodis McKelvin, Ryan Fitzpatick, George Wilson and Rookie Man-Beast Marcel Dareus this team is going to make some noise in the AFC East this year and challenge New England for the that crown. But as on team is going up, another team is going down.

Washington looked pathetic. There was a blocked FG attempt, a few INTs, more than a handful of sacks and lot of knock downs. Poor John Beck was getting pummeled. There was absolutely no pass protection, no running game to speak of and NO POINTS!! Washington has 6 starters either out or on IR (Injured Reserve; essentially out of the season) and have guys in key positions that are playing with little experience. The Offensive line looked porous and confused. The WRs were getting manhandled by the Buffalo CBs. Hell I even saw one WR trip over the invisible man. That’s what happens when things are going bad. Washington mounted 26 Rushing Yards in 60 minutes of football. My alma mater Woodrow Wilson Senior High School in Washington, DC had RBs who could do that in one play with their eyes closed. Are you kidding me? Somebody call Coach Fleming from Wilson and ask him does he want to coach the Redskins. He could do a better job than Shanahan. Carlos Rogers my have had hands like feet, but he was one of the best Press Cover CBs in the NFL. Yes you read that right. Rogers is one of the best Press Cover CBs in the NFL. Derrick Dockery was the only man on the Offensive Line to start every game in 2009, yet the Mike Shanahan was deactivating him for no reason last year and finally released him a the end of the season. They disrespected an ultimately dismissed Jason Campbell and Donovan McNabb, for Rex Grossman. I’ll bet Jason Campbell and Donovan McNabb could have played better than Rex did this season. As a matter of fact the last time that the Redskins mounted 8 wins was when Campbell was the starter. Andre Carter looks really good playing Defensive End in a 3-4 Defense in New England. Why the hell did the Redskins try to make him and Outside Linebacker? If you ask me, one, if not, both Shanahan’s need to right this ship in the next few weeks or they need to get fired. Philadelphia at 1-4 was better than this team. When will the bleeding stop?

The good thing about this point of the season is that there are still nine games left. Washington could still finish 8-8, but I highly doubt it.

On a lighter note, this weeks game ball goes to Fred Jackson of the Buffalo Bills. Jackson had 120 Rushing Yards on 26 carries, and had 74 Receiving Yards on 3 Receptions. This man is the real deal.

Panthers Outplay Redskins, Win 33-20

2011-10-24T19:09:00.000-04:00

Of all of the issues the Redskins have had this season, one of them wasn’t the Defense. But if Sunday was the first time that you had a chance to watch the Redskins, you would not have know that the Redskins had one of the best Defense's in the league. Because, Cam Newton made their Defense look like the Kentucky Wildcats. Washington has lost two straight and now have to do damage control before the find themselves below .500 and looking for answers. But in the meantime, how about the Rookie from Auburn?

Cam Newton was a lightening rod of sorts when he was coming out of school. First the experts said that he was only a one year starter and was overhyped. Second, Newton didn’t show good Pocket Presence. Third, it was Newton only played in the Shotgun so he may not know how to do a 3-, 5- or a 7-step drop. Fourth, people said that he wasn’t accurate and “they” didn’t know if he could make all of the throws. And lastly, there was the entire NCAA scandal that he was eventually cleared of doing anything wrong. And that was before he was drafted. After Newton was drafted there were concerns of him adjusting to the speed of the NFL, picking up the play book and then establishing himself as a starter. Well seven weeks, and about four 300-yard passing games later, Newton has surpassed everyone’s expectation. And it wasn’t more evident than his performance against Washington Sunday, when he complete 18 of 23 passing attempts, 285 yards, and 1 TD pass. He also ran 10 times for 61 yards and a TD. Hell one time my man broke out the Option Run. He and Steve Smith put on a passing clinic in Charlotte. If you are a football fan, you loved what you saw from Newton. He is playing well beyond his years (or year for that matter). He has a solid running game and a good Offensive Line. If he can stay healthy, the Panther will make a push for the playoffs some time in the near future. Dare I say, next season even.

But as one teams prognosis looks good, the other teams, namely Washingtons, prognosis looks grim. The Redskins have already lost Trent Williams for a few weeks, Chris Cooley and Corey Lichtenstieger to either possible season-ending or season ending injuries respectively, but now London Fletcher, Santana Moss and Tim Hightower go down. And if you couple that with the fact that Washington just changed QBs, we might be staring down the barrel of high draft pick next year, again. I don’t think we are in the “Suck For Luck” race, but if we don’t get it together, we will be. And that will be bad for Andrew Luck because, I love my team, but we don’t handle QBs well. Just ask Jason Campbell, Patrick Ramsey, Chase Daniel and Donovan McNabb. Luck should probably be praying that he does not come to Washington. People say Dallas is America’s team, but the second most important person in DC is the starting QB for the Washington Redskins. And with our history of dropping the ball on QB development, that man will be run out of football before his Rookie contract expires.

As fate would have it, Washington is starting to play like the “experts” (and I use that term loosely) expected them to play. But with so many injuries, I can’t really say that I am surprised. Either way, the Redskins are 3-3 and have 10 games left to leave an indelible mark on this season.

This weeks game ball goes to the Rookie QB from Carolina, Cam Newton, the icon and role model. People made fun of him for saying it, but did he live up to the hype?

EAGLES FLY HIGH EARLY, TOP REDSKINS

2011-10-18T19:57:00.000-04:00

The Philadelphia Eagles came to Washington with a huge chip on their shoulders. Everyone had written them off, and pretty much mocked them for Vince Young’s “Dream Team” reference. And although at times they didn’t look good, the bottom line was they scored enough points to beat the Redskins 20-13. Washington never got started, and when they did Rex Grossman looked more like Rex Balsom from ‘One Life To Live.’ Now the Eagles are 2-4 heading into their Bye Week, while Washington drops to 3-2, and has a few questions to answer. Namely, who is the starting Quarterback going into Week 7 for the Washington Redskins.

I have a problem when the media wants to talk bad about the Redskins’ upcoming opponents. I almost like it better when the media downtalks the Redskins. I think the Redskins play better. For the past 7 days, the media was crucifying Michael Vick. And I remember having a conversation with a co-worker and saying that Mike Vick is going come down here and put on a performance. And for a guy that is not known for his Pocket Presence, he sure as hell looked good playing from the pocket against a very good Redskins Defense. Time and Time again, Washington came with pressure and Vick responded well. In the end Vick completed 18 of 30 passes for 237 yards, and 1 TD pass. He also had onE INT, but he’ll get a free pass on that one because he was facing pressure the entire game and was bound to throw one. But as well as he played, his counterpart on the Redskins played poorly.

Rex Grossman did nothing to help his cause Sunday. It was so bad that the fans started cheering “We Want Beck!” Rex, if you are not familiar with the Redskins fans, they usually get what they want. And got it they did. And John Beck, although not spectacular, made a case for himself and should be the starting QB going forward this season. Grossman thew 4 illadvised passes that were either picked or nearly picked. Had the Eagles not dropped a few of them, we could have seen Grossman set the NFL record for most passing INTs in one game (7). There were missed throws, under thrown passes, and overthrown passes. Rex looked like an NFL Rookie in his first game. I am a fan of Grossman’s, but I know when it is time to sit someone down. Sorry buddy, it is way past that stage. Take into consideration that Washington lost by 7 points, but Grossman threw 4 INT’s. If he could have driven down the field and gotten points out of one of those drives, the Redskins my have been able to pull out a win. Instead the Redskins come out of this game with more questions than answers. And if Shanny doesn’t get it together soon, we could be looking at a 4 game slide. The good thing is this is only the 5^th game of the season.

This weeks game ball goes to Michael Vick, for doing it through the air and one ground.

Redskins Ram St. Louis

2011-10-04T19:21:00.001-04:00

Washington looked dominant in the first half of the game Sunday leading 14-0 at the Half. But the Rams fought back to make the game interesting. Rex Grossman looked dicey and at times made me want to strangle him. Ryan Torain comes off of the bench and provided a steady running attack. In the end, the Rams drop to 0-4, while the Redskins go into the Bye Week 3-1. There are still a lot of questions to be answered, but the Redskins are in 1^st in the NFC East. Some experts had the Redskins finishing 3-13 this season. One more win and they are going to look foolish. But let’s not get too far ahead people. There are 12 games left and a lot can happen.

As I watched the game Sunday, my most dominant thought was, “Wow, who is the 2^nd year QB again, Rex Grossman or Sam Bradford?” Bradford could be excused for his numbers. Not only did Bradford have about 5 dropped passes, but he was sacked seven times. Between Lance Kendricks, Brandon Gibson and Mike Sims-Walker, poor Sam Bradford is going to be bald by the end of the season. The only thing that Bradford can do at this point is walk the ball down field and hand it to his WRs. I will give Lance Kendricks some slack as he is a Rookie and very talented. Brandon Gibson and Mike Sims-Walker both have no excuse. They are way too talented and have played better, for me to allow them to have games like they did Sunday and let it go. One of two things are going to happen. Either Sims-Walker is going to be traded/released or Sam Bradford is going to request a trade. Something tells me that Sims-Walker will be the first to go. But Washington doesn’t have that much room to talk.

Even at 3-1, Washington still has cause for concern. Rex Grossman almost gave the game away Sunday with two, almost costly, INTs. If Grossman doesn’t perform better, Washington will have big problems down the stretch. I try to lay off of him because I have been a fan of his since his days of playing ball in college at Florida. But at this point of his career, he needs to make better decisions. Listen, a ball that gets tipped in the air I may let slide, but trying to force passes into coverage makes me want to lodge my foot in his ass. Rex can play better than he has. And he needs to get it straight, because the games are going to get harder. Washington still has to play Philadelphia twice, the Giants, Cowboys, Patriots, Jets and Bills down the stretch. Even the game against the San Francisco 49ers scare me because their Defense is very good. But there was one bright spot Sunday and it was no surprise.

Ryan Torain came off of the bench Sunday and lit it up. It really isn’t a surprise as we have seen Torain do that time and time again when he is healthy. What was a surprise was why it took so long for Torain to get on the field. I understand that the Redskins spent money to get Tim Hightower so there is almost an obligation to play him. But when you have Torain come in the game and put up 135 yards Rushing on 19 carries and a TD, you have to go re-evaluate your RB situation. I predict that Tim Hightower will be the 3^rd RB on the Depth Chart by the end of season. Why? Torain had at least 3 rushes over 20 yards. Nuff said!!! Now we need some consistency in the passing game and Washington could make a push for the Playoffs. Because with that Defense, they are going to have a chance to win a lot of games this year. Now the only question is, which Rex Grossman show up. Will the real Rex Grossman please stand up.

This weeks game ball goes to Ryan Torain. Good game All-Torain!!!

Cowboys Edge Redskins

2011-09-28T19:54:00.001-04:00

Dallas had a few people hurt or injured (yes there is a difference, you can play hurt, you can’t play injured). Everything was set up for the Redskins to go to Dallas and blow out the Cowboys. The Cowboys didn’t have a chance to win that game Monday night. And then reality set in. Even with my man Miles Austin hurt and Romo playing with what was essentially a bulletproof vest on, Dallas managed to get six FGs and edge the Redskins 18-16. If am a Cowboys fans, I am happy with that win, because you did it with a few key injuries. If I am a Redskins fan, I am very disappointed in that performance because you had a very winnable game in your reach on National TV and you lay an egg. But hey, most people had the Redskins going 3-13, so being 2-1 right now ain’t too bad.

Washington’s Defense looked very good Monday night. And to be honest with you, I think that game was a Classic. I had to watch it twice. Tony Romo did what he had to do, when he had to do it. I’ve said it time and time again, Tony Romo is a good QB. But most people want him to be a great QB. Maybe greatness isn’t in him, but being good can win you a Super Bowl. Don’t believe me, just ask Drew Brees or Trent Dilfer. And the young WR in Dallas hasn’t even scratched the surface of his talent potential. Dez Bryant is a Prime Time Player. Just imagine what that young man is going to do once he figures out how to play his position. He’s going to look like Calvin Johnson. Bryant made a play when the Cowboys needed him to make one. On 3^rd and 20 with the game in the balance. I could make the argument that Jim Haslett is a jackass for going all out Blitz with no Safety help knowing that a long pass was coming. I mean the Redskins were hitting Romo, but they weren’t getting sacks. So why go for an all out Blitz in that position? Sorry Coach Haslett very bad call. I just hope that the Redskins can bounce back.

See this is a short work week. Washington has to go to St. Louis to take on the Rams, a team that has been a thorn in the Redskins’ ass for the past few years. Just like the Lions, the Rams have a way of exposing all of the good teams’ weaknesses. Washington’s glaring hole is at CB. Say what you will about Carlos Rogers, but I have not seen him get beat in Press Coverage. In my opinion, Rogers is one of the best Press Cover CBs in the NFL. With him on the Redskins, DeAngelo Hall can play the other team’s #1 and #2 WRs on and off the entire game. That in essence, frees up Hall to be the ball hawk that he is. Rogers gives you flexibility. I’ll bet that the Redskins are kicking themselves for letting Rogers get away. He definitely would have made a difference. But I am not going to take away from Dallas’ win. It is what it is.

Dallas has a nice young talented team that still has some growing to do. Imagine if Miles Austin, Brady James and Mike Jenkins were all healthy. The game may not have been that close. Even with the young WRs frustrating the hell out of Romo, he still got enough out of them to get the win. Romo earned more of my respect Monday night. People say that he’s not a leader. Sure as hell looked like he was Monday night, directing the young players and coaching all night. People say that he's not tough. Sure as hell looked like it Monday night playing with cracked ribs and a punctured, and possible, collapsed lung. Some people say that he chokes at clutch time. Sure as hell looked like he was clutch Monday night moving the ball on Dallas’ last two possessions and getting points when the Cowboys needed them. Tony Romo is the reason why Dallas won Monday night and his teammates and all of the Cowboys fans should be proud of him. Hell, to a man, I am and I have no shame admitting it.

I will give credit when credit is due. Romo won the game and might have just saved the Cowboys’ season. As for Washington, the will have their hands full against a very talented, but young Rams team. But when it’s all said and done In a very ugly contest I expect Washington to win but a FG. I just hope our Offense can put more points on the board.

This week’s game ball goes to Tony Romo for a gutty performance.

Redskins Squeak By Cardinal

2011-09-19T21:17:00.000-04:00

Washington narrowly escaped Sunday with a win over the Cardinal 22-21. The game could have gone the other way after a slow, and sloppy start. Grossman had two first half INTs that could have blown the game wide open. But, just like last week, the Redskins Defense turned it up a notch and almost completely shutdown the Cardinals’ Offense. Are we starting to see the beginning of a trend? Are the Redskins Defense better than advertised? I had them finishing in the top half of the NFL, but they look more like a Top 10 Defense. If they continue to play like this who knows…

Kevin Kolb, was anointed the second coming of Peyton Manning when he was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2^nd Round of the 2007 NFL Draft. This is the same year that it was apparent that the Eagles would finally use a high draft pick on a target for Donovan McNabb. Ask of Andy Reid why they took Kolb in the 2^nd Round, his response, “Kevin was the best player on the board.” My response was something like “Are you f—king serious!!” Kolb comes in and throws for 300 yards in two games and now Donovan must leave Philly. Kolb gets his opportunity last season, he then he gets hurt and Michael Vick comes in and takes his job. Kolb gets traded to Arizona and gets his opportunity to finally lead a franchise. And so far he looks like he fits in. I wasn’t a Kolb fan because of how, when and why he as drafted, but he is actually a decent QB. But like any other QB, if he gets not time in the pocket, he has no chance of success. And the Redskins Defense proved that again Sunday.

With the exception of Larry Fitzgerald straight cooking DeAngelo Hall, the Redskins did a good job of taking away the big plays from the Cardinals. Make no mistake about it, the Cardinals are stacked with talent on Offense. Kevin Kolb, Beanie Wells, Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston, Early Doucet and Todd Heap are all on Offense. There is a chance that I am only looking at names, but if you have never seen the Cardinals play you wouldn’t understand why they thought that Anquan Boldin was expendable. They haven’t missed a beat since losing Boldin to the Baltimore Ravens. And Washington had their hands full trying to slow down that Offense, but they did a wonderful job. Kolb still threw for 250 yards and 2 TDs, but they kept Beanie wells under 100 yards. Larry Fitzgerald had 100 yards, but is that really a surprise. The dude is just flat out good, and getting better. But with that said, the Redskins’ Defense forced two turnovers, one coming in the final 2 minutes of the game that sealed the victory for them. This is exactly what I expected when the Redskins switched to the 3-4 Defense with Jim Haslett at the Defensive Coordinator position. It is like the perfect marriage. Good Defensive coordinator with the correct personnel to run their system. How good can this team be?

Washington hasn’t had a dominant team in the NFL since the 1991 season, in which they went 14-2. No, I don’t think that the Redskins are going to finish the Regular Season with 14 wins, but I do expect them to win between 7 and 9 games. Maybe not Super Bowl, but definitely Playoffs. With games like this past Sunday you can’t help but to raise your expectation just a little bit. I am happy that the Redskins are 2-0, but they still have quite a few tough games coming up, starting with this coming Week 3 matchup with their most bitter rival, the Dallas Cowboys. Let the trash talking begin.

This week’s game ball goes to the Washington Redskins’ entire Defense for stops on the Cardinals’ last two drives.

Redskins Chop Giants Down To Size

2011-09-12T20:14:00.000-04:00

Who was that team in Burgundy and Gold on Sunday? I haven’t seen a team like that in about 20 years. The Redskins still couldn’t move the ball on the ground, but they sure as hell could move it through the air. The Giants had some injuries, but hey, who hasn’t??!! The Redskins got a big day from Rex Grossman, Fred Davis and Santana Moss as they hand the Giants an Opening Day loss, 28-14. I am guardedly optimistic, but truth be told, the Redskins looked really good against a fierce division opponent.

No matter how you slice it, the Redskins looked good against the Giants. For most people, the shocker would be how well the Redskins’ Offense played. But for me, the shocker was on Defense. There was a stat that came out a few years back that 76% of the teams that have an INT returned for a TD in a game, has won that game. That caught my eye as I am a huge fan of good Defenses, not matter who the team is. And I did predict that the Redskins will finish in the top half (top 16 or better) this season. But, if they continue to play like they did Sunday, they will finish in the top 10. The Redskins only gave up 75 yards on the ground and had an INT returned for a TD. I was happy that the 76% Rule held true Sunday as the Rookie Ryan Kerrigan, not only tipped, but picked of an errant Eli Manning pass and returned 9 yards for a TD. I don’t know if was winded from the long 9 yard run or from celebrating. (Just messing with you Ryan, great play.) Manning threw for 268 yards, but didn’t throw for a TD and was sacked 4 times. And on top of it all, the Redskins blocked a FG attempt. Now I know that the FG didn’t have a chance in hell, but hey, that’s not going to show up in the stats. Overall it was a great Defensive performance and I hope that it only gets better from here. And I hope that the same thing holds true on Offense.

Fred Davis, former Mackey Award Winner at USC, had the kind of day that I expected him to have when I used to watch him in college. I just didn’t think he’d ever have that day wearing a Redskins uniform while Chris Cooley was still on the roster. Davis had 105 receiving yards on 5 catches. No, he didn’t get into the endzone, but that will come. Santana Moss has 76 yards on 6 catches. He too didn’t get into the endzone, but he’ll have his day too. But the man of the hour was Rex Grossman. Grossman completed 21 of 34 passing attempts, passed for 305 yards and 2 TDs. I’ve been a fan of his since he was at Florida playing for the Ol’ Ball Coach (Steve Spurrier) and throwing to Jacquez Green and Jabar Gafney. Needless to say, I was disappointed in him when he decided to be the second coming of Brett Favre in Chicago. I knew that he could play better. Sunday was just a glimpse of what I thought Grossman was. No I am not saying that he is Super Bowl bound this year, but it is not out of the realm of possibilities. Right now the Redskins are 1-0 and I will enjoy it until Tuesday and so should Rex.

This weeks game ball goes to Ryan Kerrigan for that huge game-changing play.

Player Spotlight: Malcolm Kelly

2011-07-29T17:45:00.000-04:00

Malcolm Kelly was drafted with the 51^st Overall Pick (2nd Round) out of Oklahoma, in the 2008 NFL Draft. Standing at 6’4” and weighing in at 226 lbs, this is a beast of a Wide Receiver (WR), at least in stature. But not in production…. at least not yet. I believe the young man is poised for a breakout season. And when it happens, remember that you heard about Malcolm Kelly from me first. If you don't believe me just ask his college teammate, Sam Bradford.

So far, Kelly has appeared in 10 games and has 365 yards on 28 catches. So I guess there is no where to go, but up. But he is more than just a big body. We are talking about a WR that was an All-American, twice named all Conference (Big 12) and was name to the Big 12 All-Freshman team in college. Kelly finished his college career with 144 catches, 2,285 yards and 21 TD catches. What has been the issue with Kelly has been the same injury that's plagued him since his Senior year in college, and hampered him during the NFL Combine time. He tried to workout during Oklahoma’s Pro Day, but the same injury hampered him and allowed him to run a disappointing time in the 40-Yard Dash (4.75 and 4.68). Most categorized him as just a deep threat, but his route running has improved a bit since entering the NFL and so has his explosion.

The injury that Kelly has been hampered with is…. a hamstring injury. See this injury is not as tricky as people make it out to be. It is either a hamstring tendon strain, hamstring tendon tear, hamstring tendon rupture, hamstring strain (muscle) or hamstring tear (muscle). I am not a doctor, nor a professional trainer, but this injury, unless there are other underlying health issues like I have experienced, should have been healed within a few weeks his rookie season. But for some reason it lingered and carried over into last season. And with the turnover of the training staff and strength and conditioning team, Kelly was poised to take the field last year, but an early decision to put him IR (injured reserves), didn’t allow him to play a down last year. During that time Kelly healed and now he is set to take the field. So what can you expect from him this season?

Expect a big-bodied target that will be able to run the short and medium routes. Expect the production of a Possession Receiver (not a lot of down the field stuff, but a lot of catches 10-20 yards down the field.). Expect a WR that will be called on to catch the jumpball in the Red Zone (the last 20 yards of the field). When it is all said and done, I expect 50+ catches, 900+ yards, and 7-9 TD’s. Malcolm Kelly will be the #2 WR by the end of season. Who will be the #1 WR on the Redskins? Only time will tell, but if things hold to form, that will be Santana Moss. And the Moss-Kelly tandem isn’t all that shabby. I have seen worse.

Black And Yellow??!!! Nope.. Green and Gold!!!

2011-02-09T20:13:00.000-05:00

Wiz Khalifa made a song "Black And Yellow" paying tribute to his hometown teams, Steelers, Pirates and Penguins. I was preparing myself to hear it being played on the loud speaker at the conclusion of what was supposed to be a Super Bowl win by the Steelers. But was supposed to be a dream, turned into a nightmare and a win for the Packers. As the confetti started to drop after Super Bowl XLV, I couldn’t help but to wonder, "What if??!!" What if Pittsburgh had won the game Sunday over the Green Bay Packers? What if Ben Roethlisberger would have capped off his story of redemption with a Super Bowl win? I mean it was just 10 years ago a similar situation played out for one Ray Lewis. But Ray Lewis not only played and won the Super Bowl that year, but he won Super Bowl MVP. We almost had a situation where Michael Vick would have been able to do the same thing. I mean how crazy would that have been to have had an all Pennsylvania Super Bowl? All of these thoughts ran through my head as I watched one of my favorite coaches in the NFL walk off the field after losing a heartbreaking game. Mike Tomlin is the blueprint now. Young, fiery, intelligent, articulate, hungry and oh yeah, successful. Now you have Leslie Frazier and Raheem Morris, joining Jack Del Rio and Todd Haley as the new crop of younger coaches make their way into the NFL ranks as Head Coaches. But just as the new guys are going to have a long time to dominate, one Mike McCarthy, a throwback of sorts, reminded us that having a few years of experience under your belt doesn’t hurt either.

I think I have made it extremely clear. I am a Redskins fan first, a Steelers fan second and a “good football organization fan” third. When I see organizations doing things the right way, I will tip my hat to them and wish them the best. Green Bay is one of those organizations. They draft and develop players and sign big name Free Agents only as a necessity. Charles Woodson was probably their best Free Agent signee in the past 10 years. And over the past few years, the Packers have drafted Aaron Rodgers, Ryan Grant, Greg Jennings, A.J. Hawk, Clay Matthews III, Donald Lee, B.J. Raji and Jordy Nelson. And to add to the mix, guys like Sam Shields and Tramon Williams were picked up as Free Agents. Then you have old guys like Donald Driver who were drafted in the 7th Round in 1998 from Alcorn State. Who the hell drafts players from HBCU’s (Historically Black Colleges/Universities)? Most of those players end up in the Free Agent pool. Do you think Donald Driver was a good draft pick? Do you think that Green Bay has a clue as to how to build a championship franchise? I think that they answered that question last night. And the old guy had something to do with it.

See Mike McCarthy, love him or hate him, had to stand firm against a Green Bay legend. Brett Favre held the Packers hostage for about three seasons. Aaron Rodgers was ready to take over by at least his second season. McCarthy had to let Brett know that he was welcomed to come back, but the young stud at QB was going to be taking over the reigns. Favre didn’t like it, and neither did some of the Packer fans. Favre departed in a trade to the Jets, and Rodgers was given the starting QB job. But Rodgers had to endure ribbing and heckling from fans at training camp. Now up until this point, Rodgers hadn’t spoken a word to the major media. So why was he being treated this way? People are afraid of change. The Packer fans thought that a change at QB would be the beginning of a long rebuilding phase. But Coach McCarthy saw it as a reloading phase. And with guys like Ryan Grant and Nick Barnett not even in the fold for most of the season this year, we might be looking at the beginning of a dynasty. I just hope people don’t start hating them like they are starting to hate the Steelers.

Pittsburgh suffered though the 80’s and part of the 90’s with losing and underachieving teams. So now that Pittsburgh has gotten things going in their favor, please respect their organization. In the 80’s San Francisco, N.Y. Giants, Denver and Washington were the teams that made multiple Super Bowl appearances. It was fashionable to hate on them. In the 90’s it was Dallas, Denver, Green Bay and Buffalo who made multiple Super Bowl appearances, and guess what?!! People were hating on them. Buffalo really became the darling of the NFL because a lot of people wanted to see them win, but then they became a punchline to many jokes. Why make fun of a dynasty? So what the Bills lost 4 Super Bowl. There were 28 teams (the NFL didn’t expand until the mid 90’s and then the realignment didn’t happen until 2002) that would have traded places with them in a second. In the 2000’s it was the New England Patriots who made multiple Super Bowl appearances. Now people can’t stand the New England Patriots. Why??!! If you don’t want to see teams make multiple appearances, tell the other teams to do something about it. No one gave them anything, they earned the right to play in a Super Bowl. So now it is the Pittsburgh Steelers. You don’t have to like them, but you should respect them. Their organization does things the right way and this is what happens when you know what the hell you are doing. Green Bay has been doing the right things for years, so Sunday’s win does not surprise me. I just hope that that average fan can see that.

I can honestly say that teams like Cleveland, N.Y. Giants, N.Y. Jets, New England, Miami, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Seattle, St. Louis, Indianapolis, New Orleans and Tampa Bay know what they are doing. They are the blueprint to how to build a winning franchise. Don’t let the records fool you. There is a lot that goes on before the teams even take the field. Some of it takes years to unfold, but when it does everyone says stuff like “unexpected contender” or “surprise team.” There was nothing surprising about Cleveland knocking of teams like New England, or the Giants “upsetting” the Patriots in the Super Bowl, or even teams like Baltimore and Indianapolis or New Orleans making the playoffs frequently. Their organizations don’t make big splashes in Free Agency or even in the draft, but their teams are always competitive. Have you ever asked yourself how do they manage to do that? The Colts never have a top draft pick yet their Rookies are always prepared to play, especially their Offensive Linemen. The same goes for New England. How did the Jets all of a sudden become a contender? What about Tampa Bay having a winning record this season? What about Miami? Miami has been floating under the radar for some time now. Don’t be surprised to see them make the Playoffs and really make a push for a Championship. My team to watch next season is the Detroit Lions. For years they made mistakes, but with moves to acquire Matt Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Bryant Johnson (who I have had the pleasure of meeting, he is really cool), Kyle Van Den Bosch, and drafting the manbeast Ndamakong Suh, they are about 2-3 seasons from winning the NFC North. It sounds crazy now, but remember you heard it from me first.

See people can make fun of my boys from Pittsburgh for losing the Super Bowl, but I remember in the 80’s when Pittsburgh was irrelevant. I remember when Bubby Brister, Dermonti Dawson and Louis Lipps were playing with guys like Kevin Greene and Greg Lloyd, and even Rod Woodson and carrying an underachieveing team. Now they are reaping the benefits of paying the price for years to build a winning organization. The same can be said about the New England Patriots. For years they were the team that was known for getting blown out by the Chicago in Super Bowl XX. And it took 11 years for New England to make another Super Bowl and they lost that one as well to the Green Bay Packers. So when you see teams like Baltimore, New England, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Green Bay, Atlanta and Miami dominating now, just remember it didn’t happen overnight. They did all the grunt work months, even years ago. They may have had a few sub .500 seasons, but the foundation was being laid. Now you see the fruits of their labor. So please celebrate the Green Bay Packers and their unbelievable Super Bowl run, but just remember Pittsburgh did the exact same thing 5 years ago and have made two more appearances since then. Now Pittsburgh is being hated on. I just wonder if the same thing is going to happen to Green Bay in the next 5 years

Second Annual NFL Dezzy Awards!!

2011-01-22T18:34:00.000-05:00

As we approach the end of, yet another exciting NFL season, we can take look back at the players that made waves this season. Some were surprising, and other were routine, but all are worthy of being mentioned. But first things first, we will take a look at the Conference Championship games.

AFC Championship Game
N.Y. Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

See I am very biased. Aside from being a diehard Redskins fan, I also grew up being a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I can remember days of Mark Malone, Bubby Brister, Dermonti Dawson, Kevin Green, Louis Lipps, Eric Greene, Bam Morris and Neil O’Donnell (I have since forgiven him for blowing the 1995 Super Bowl to the Dallas Cowboys). I can remember people making fun of me for liking the lowly Pittsbugh Steelers in the late 80’s. But as the decade turned, so did the fortune of the Steelers. When players like Kordell Stewart, Greg Lloyd and Rod Woodson became cornerstones, the Steelers started to pick it up. Then I was being accused of being a bandwagon hopper. Well folks since 1984 I have been following the Redskins and the Steelers. And unless the Steelers are playing the Redskins, I am going to pick them. So guess who I am picking to win the AFC Championship Game between the Jets and the Steelers??!!! I love what Rex Ryan has done with the Jets’ Defense. Most people didn’t give him credit because he had a player in Ray Lewis who is a lock at being a Hall of Famer. So Rex was overshadowed in his brilliance. What do you think of Rex Ryan now? Yeah he can be a little over the top, but Rex is good, PERIOD!!! I just don’t think it is their time yet. The Jets will be a powerhouse, but they’ll have to wait until next year.

Pittsburgh 24, N.Y. Jets 13

NFC Championship Game

Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears
Jay Cutler has shown me enough this year to actually consider him a Top 20, maybe even a Top 15 NFL QB. It wasn’t for lack of talent. I just never saw him rise to the occasion when the stage got big. Last week, I saw it. I saw the Jay Cutler that I wanted to see in Denver. I saw the Jay Cutler that could easily win a Super Bowl. I think Cutler is underrated. I think Jay Cutler could be an elite QB. But up until last weekend, I really couldn’t voice my opinion. I used to put him on blast because I thought that he was underachieving. I think Cutler could be better than Tom Brady. With all of that said, I still think the Bears are not going to beat that nasty 3-4 Defense of the Green Bay Packers. I think that Aaron Rodgers IS an elite NFL QB. I think that Aaron Rogers can, and has, been proven to step up in big games. And none was bigger than knocking off the #1 seeded Atlanta Falcons last week in blowout fashion. No disrespect to the Bears. I think that they will be right back in the NFL Playoffs next year. It reminds of the Saints of a few years ago when they met the Bears in the NFC Championship game. You knew they were good enough to win the game, and that they would be back in the playoffs, but it was just the Bears’ time that year. I think that it is just the Packers’ time this year, and they will be one of the very few Wild Card teams to make a Super Bowl appearance. Sorry Bears fans.

Green Bay Packers 24, Chicago Bears 20

ON TO THE DEZZY AWARD WINNERS!!!!

It will be brief this year, I handed out too many awards last year and it took to long to type. I will go backwards.

BEST DEFENSIVE BACK
This was a bit more difficult than I thought. There was one guy that play all 16 games and was a Rookie to boot. The other guy only played 10 games, but his impact was unmatched. And I love watching him play. There was yet another guy who played only 10 games, but missed the last 6 with an injury. If you haven’t figured it out. My picks came down to Rookie Devin McCourty, Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu. But the winner is….

Ed Reed (Free Safety, Baltimore Ravens) (8 INT’s in 10 games). Nuff said.

BEST LINEBACKER
I had a tie. Some people are not going to like this, but when you start looking at the trend of the Defensive scheme’s in the NFL, you’ll notice that a lot of teams are switching to the 3-4 Defense. Most of the Rush End’s in the 3-4 are converted Defensive Ends who are now playing a hybrid Defensive End/Outside Linebacker. Although Brian Orakpo should have won this award, especially seeing as though he was being held about 80% of the time…… The winners of this award are…..

DeMarcus Ware (Outside Linebacker, Dallas Cowboys [led the NFL with 15.5 sacks]) and the game changer, Clay Matthews (Outside Linebacker, Green Bay Packers). And Matthews is a baby. Wait until he learns how to play.

BEST DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
The big fellas deserve to get some love too. Right?!! I took into consideration that these guys only get press when they are NOT doing their job. But if they are doing their job, someone else gets the attention. But not me!! I know when you have a guy doing his job up front. And this young man has done a lot to help his team transition to the 3-4 Defense. And he too is a baby. The winner of this award is…..

B.J. Raji (Defensive Tackle, Green Bay Packers)

BEST DEFENSIVE LINE
I will continue to give this award to this team until someone tops them. No need to drag it out. They can do whatever, whenever and however they want. And they don’t even need to blitz to create pressure. This award goes to…..

The New York (football) Giants’ Defensive Line

BEST WIDE RECEIVER
It kinda pisses me off that this guy got it together after Michael left Atlanta. There were days it seemed as though he had left his hands in locker room on game day. I don’t if it was him, but one of the Falcons receivers used to complain that Vick threw the ball too hard. Hmmm! Anyway, he got it together and is not considered one of the best WR’s in the NFL. And with 10 TD catches to go along with 115 receptions and 1,389 yards, this guy deserves the praises now. The winner of this award goes to…….

Roddy White (Wide Reciever, Atlanta Falcons)

BEST OFFENSIVE LINE
As usual, they protected the Golden Boy of the NFL even though they had a few key injuries later on. This was routine, but I still have a lot of respect for the coaching staff. Not all of their Offensive Linemen are 1st Round picks, so what are they teaching these guys? LOL… This award goes to……

The Indianapolis Colts’ Offensive Line

BEST RUNNING BACK
Here is where the controversy starts. I think that this guy only floated under the radar because he plays in, what I believe, is a small market. His team also took a step backwards this year in terms of wins. But this young man caught my eye in the Preseason and played well enough to win the Rushing Title this year. Now if his team can get it together, he will be a household name. And to think he was on the practice squad for 12 of the 16 games last year. Good job scouting. This award goes to…..

Arian Foster (Running Back, Houston Texans)

BEST QUARTERBACK
This could have gone to two or three people, but I had to give it to the guy that is usually on top and has been doing it for 10 years straight. And when I say doing it, I mean winning. And I still say, this guy is the best QB in the NFL until someone can dethrone him. Imagine he played all 16 games this season and only threw 4 INT’s to 36 TD passes. WOW!!! I will shout if from the roof tops. This is the best QB in the NFL hands down. He doesn’t need any big name WR’s. He’s been doing it for 10 years without any real help. Hell the one year he had two top tier WR’s he went undefeated during the regular season. The Golden Boy can’t touch him. This award goes to….

Tom Brady (Quarterback, New England Patriots).

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
I am literally smiling. I wish I could shake this young mans hands. His name conjures up discussions that cross race lines. His punishment sparks so much debate that it probably ruffled more feathers than President Barack Obama’s Inauguration. To a man, I grew up in the hood too. I grew up on 14th and Clifton Street, right here in Washington, D.C. I saw it too. I didn’t like it, but what was I going to do? I was 8 years old. The older cats would have whipped my ass had I snitched. Dogfighting is probably one of the worse things that I have ever experienced. Up until the first moment I was able to witness a dog fight. I hated dogs. I thought that they were bullies. Remember I grew up in the hood. A stray dog was common place. I spent most of my adolescence running from them. But on this day, I wanted to run to them to help. I literally hated it. And the guys doing it were just like me and every other Brotha in the hood. Mistakes are nothing to be ashamed about. And this young man took everything society threw at him. Hell he even went to jail with “real killers.” Who the hell else is going to Leavenworth, KS for dogfighting. This was an attempt at a legalized form of lynching in America. But just like the cream of the crop. This man rose from the ashes. Everyone criticized him for being lazy. Said that he was never a QB in the NFL, and would never play again. Some even suggested that he change positions to prolong his career. But just like his skin color, no matter where you play him, you can't change him. He is a QB. He led the Philadelphia Eagle to a 10-6 record and a playoff berth. More than that, he captured the imagination of all of the Brotha’s in the hood. When he succeeded, as a Black man, we felt like we all succeeded. His masterful performances this season was the period at end of the most overuse catch phrases. But it stuck when he said it. And he said it with his performance(s) not his mouth. I’M BACK!!!! Congrats bro. His 62.6% Completion percentage, 3,018 Passing Yards, 21 Passing TD’s and only 6 INT’s were very impressive considering he wasn’t even supposed to start the season. But he also had 100 carries for 676 Rushing Yards and 9 Rushing TD’s. Who else in the NFL can come close? This award goes to….

Michael Vick (Quarterback, Philadelphia Eagles)

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Anyone that knows me, knows that I am very biased when it comes to Defensive Backs. I think that they are underappreciated and overlooked unless they are making a ton of Interceptions or scoring a lot of Defensive TD’s. Guys like Darrelle Revis will not get a lot of Interceptions, but they sure as hell can throw off the other teams passing game. There is a young guy that caught my eye during the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine last year. And he only came in and tied for 2nd place in the NFL for Interceptions this year. I think in 5 years, he will be mentioned with Revis and few others as one of the top Cornerbacks in the NFL. I am pretty sure Martin Rooney of the Parisi Speed School in New Jersey would love to get his hands on him. This award goes to…..

Devin McCourty (Cornerback, New England Patriots).

COACH OF THE YEAR
This guy started the year on the hot seat and now finds himself in the NFC Championship Game. His team finished 12-4 and the #1 seed. His QB had been written off as a failure, but he believed in this young man and it has paid off. He was one of two Black coaches to be the first to cross the race barrier and make an appearance in the Super Bowl. Although he lost, his statement was made. I am worthy of this job. This award goes to….

Lovie Smith (Head Coach, Chicago Bears)

NFL MVP AWARD
And the final award. The Award for which you’ve all been waiting. Really, it was easy this year. Unfortunately although his team went 14-2, they got bounced in the Divisional Round by a team that was just better on that day. No need to drag it out. I’ve already made a statement for this guy. The NFL MVP Award goes to….

Tom Brady (Quarterback, New England Patriots).

Leave your comments/thoughts/concerns. I will be glad to hear them.

‘Skins Win In OT vs. Jags, 20-17

2010-12-29T15:53:00.000-05:00

Rex Grossman came though again this Sunday to lift Redskins past the Jaguars, sorta. Grossman did just enough to not hurt the Redskins this past Sunday against the Jaguars. In an efficient, yet, effective manner, Grossman systematically moved the Redskins up and down the field and provided just enough Offense to beat the depleted Jaguars. Now lets not forget that the Redskins themselves are depleted. A bit more than the Jaguars. But, the injuries never really seemed to affect the Redskins, but just a few injuries affected the Jaguars and made them look like an average team Sunday against the Redskins. Now with the Redskins improving to 6-9, what’s next?

This coming Sunday is the season finale for the Washington Redskins as they play host to the N.Y. Giants. The Giants (9-6) really need to win this game to keep their slim Playoff hopes alive. In their last meeting, that New Jersey wind and the N.Y. Giants whipped up on the Redskins something kind of fierce. It was an embarrassment of sorts. The Giants were playing with their #3 and #4 WR’s and the knew that their only chance of winning was running the ball against the Redskins. And wouldn’t you know it, the Giants ran early and often. In the end the Giants won 31-7. But if you ask me, the Giants have been nothing but mediocre since then. The Giants are a 1-2 over the last 3 games, which includes a 45-17 drubbing at the hands of the Packers this past Sunday. The Giants seemed poised for a Playoff run, but now we are not so sure. In the meantime Washington has a lot their plate as the NFL Scouting Combine, Free Agency and the NFL Draft are all right around the corner.

Well it really looks like Donovan McNabb and Albert Haynesworth will not be returning to the Redskins next season. At this junction, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Shanahan’s are right out the door behind them. McNabb, whom the Redskins gave up a 2010 2nd Round Draft Pick and a 2011 4th Round Draft Pick for, looks like he will be getting away for nothing in return. It seems to the common theme in the past 10 years. Jason Campbell and Jason Taylor come to mind immediately, as it relates to guys the Redskins brought in, did not groom, and let get away and are doing well for the Raiders and Jets respectively. So where do you think McNabb and Haynesworth will land? I think McNabb will be in Arizona or Minnesota, and I think Haynesworth will land in Tennessee, Oakland or Kansas City. What about Clinton Portis? Is Portis coming back? If am the Redskins, I would Franchise tag him and pray that I either get trade offers before Week 6 of next season, or he doesn’t get hurt. Otherwise, with Draft Picks in the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th and 7th Rounds, with multiple picks in the later Rounds. Can you see the Redskins drafting a QB and RB this April?

As the season winds down, there are a ton of question that need to be answered. There are holes in the Defense, specifically the fron 7 in the 3-4 Defense at Defensive Line and at one Outside Linebacker spot. There is going to be a huge void at QB and may set the Redskins back another few years. If Malcolm Kelly can't go next year, the Redskins will be back in the draft for a big bodied WR. The Redskins may need another Center, and there may be a hole at Running Back. It seems like with all of the Offseason moves that the Redskins have made over the past years, they just haven't quite got it right yet. We have nothing to build on again this Offseason. I have said it numerous times, anyone can sign big name Free Agents and look like a genius in the 1st, 2nd and even the 3rd Round of the NFL Draft. But, if you want to impress me, go find another guy like Anthony Armstrong in the Free Agent pool. Find another stud late in the Draft like Marko Mitchell, whom the Redskins never gave a real shot. Implement and Offense and Defense that is around for 8-10 years. We can't keep pissing in the wind and hoping things will go well. Because again, if we don't get it right, our fans may start sporting the brown paper bag to our games with the words "Fire Dan Snyder" enscribed on it.

Late FG Just Lifts Cowboys Past Redskins 33-30

2010-12-22T16:54:00.000-05:00

So I was really pissed off about the Redskins benching Donovan McNabb. That was the ultimate disrespect for a guy who has been nothing but a class act in the NFL for the past 11 years. Manning, Brady nor Favre would have been done like that. At least the Packers told Brett ahead of time that he was being phased out by Aaron Rodgers. Favre was still offered a starting job in two other places after Green Bay. But McNabb is at the point of his career where he needs to put his foot down and tell someone to kiss his ass. And after all that, the Redskins had a game to play. Not just any game though. It was a game against Dallas. You know the D.C. natives get up for the Cowboys every time we play them. This particular week was very weird. The Cowboys were an afterthought. More was being made of the McNabb benching. And it showed in the first half of the game as Dallas mounted a 20-7 lead.

Santana Moss' 8 catches, 72 yards and 2 TD catches were not enough to help the Redskins Sunday.

I am just as shocked as anyone that team with so much talent is only 5-9. Everyone had Dallas slated to go to the Super Bowl and play the game at home. That sounded great but someone forgot to tell the Cowboys that they have to play at least 18 games to get a shot at playing for an NFL Championship. A team that boasts talents such as Bradie James, Michael Jenkins, DeMarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff, Miles Austin, Roy Williams, Felix Jones, Dez Bryant and Mr. Hollywood himself, Tony Romo should be 12-2 at this point of the season. But when you have coaching problems and injuries you will find yourself in a similar situation. And Jon Kitna is the perfect backup QB. There is no surprise that Kitna played the way he did Sunday. The Cowboys narrowly escaped with a win, 33-30. But considering that Marion Barber, Roy Williams and Tony Romo were all out Sunday, Dallas played well enough to come away with a win. But as much as the Cowboys were happy to come away with a win, Washington was just happy to be competitive.

Rex Grossman has developed into a viable backup QB. Grossman is the ultimate pro and is a good locker room guy for any NFL squad. The problem is, Grossman is starting for Washington. That alone should explain the trouble that Washington is in, and the trouble ahead for GM Bruce Allen. Now where do you go next year? Does McNabb come back? Do you draft a QB in the 2011 NFL Draft? Do you bring Grossman back as a starter? Does Albert Haynesworth come back? Do you trade Haynesworth? Do you bring back Kyle Shanahan? Hell, do you bring back Mike Shanahan? With all of this going on in D.C., it is amazing that Washington was able to play a game and be competitive Sunday. To be honest with you, I really didn’t care if we won the game or not. I was more interested in how Grossman would play. And in the first half, it was gross man!!! There were blown assignments, bad reads by both Grossman and a couple of Wide Receivers, and INT’s. But in the second half Grossman did a great job of moving the ball and putting up points. So much so that Washington had a chance actually win the game, but as usual, Washington couldn’t come up with the big stop when they needed it and Dallas marched right down the field and kicked what would prove to be the game-winning FG. Now at 5-9, the Redskins have to gear up to play the Jaguars next week.

In case you haven’t noticed, David Garard has the Jaguars playing well this year. And with young talents like Marcedes Lewis and Mike Sims-Walker on the same team with guys like Maurice Jones-Drew and Rashean Mathis, the Jags are a very tough outing. Now how do you concentrate on the Jaguars when you have so much turmoil going on in your backyard. McNabb gets moved to the #3 QB on the depth chart. Haynesworth is suspended, Safeties LaRon Landry and Chris Horton are on the IR list. And the fans in D.C. are turned off by the latest happenings. If I am a Redskins player, I am already planning my vacation. I want to get as far away from Ashburn, VA as I can. I don’t want to talk to a reporter until training camp opens next year. As a matter of fact, I may not even do an interview until training camp next year. What do I have to talk about? If I have to answer on more Albert Haynesworth, Kyle Shanahan or Donovan McNabb questions, I just may punch someone in the head. And after the way this season has gone for the Redskins, could you blame me? Next stop Jacksonville.

Redskins Lose To Bucs; Lose Shot at Playoffs

2010-12-16T11:00:00.000-05:00

It was almost as if fate was toying with the emotions of the fans. Ryan Torain in his first game back from injury, was running roughshod through the Buccaneers Defense. Torain posted 158 yards in the first half. He was clearly on his way to a 300-yard record-setting performance, right? WRONG!!!! Instead the Buccaneers Defense clamps down and shuts down the Redskins running game. And to add insult to injury, the young QB for the Buccaneers looked like a seasoned veteran in the Second Half as he engineered, albeit ugly, a comeback that was noteworthy. This is Josh Freeman’s 2nd year as an NFL Qarterback. This young man has a bright future. The Bucs fans have a lot to which to look forward. But what about the Redskins fans?

Donovan McNabb couldn’t have played a better game. McNabb completed 22 of 25 passes for 228 yards and 2 TD passes, and more importantly, no interceptions. Ryan Torain finished the game with 173 Rushing Yards, in a stellar performance. Santana Moss redeemed himself Sunday after dropping a game-changing pass last week that resulted in an Interception. Moss had 7 catches for 82 yards and a Touchdown catch on 5th down. Yes, that’s right. That’s not a typo. The Redskins were awarded an extra down on that final drive. And even when they were given an early Christmas gift, they gave it right back, botching the PAT try in the closing seconds. Just when the Redskins fans were about to grip on to the fading NFL Playoff hopes, it slipped right through their fingers quicker than the PAT snap going through Hunter Smith’s hands Sunday. But on the other sideline there was something going on that I can’t ignore.

Raheem Morris has done a good job of turning around the lowly Bucs. What is impressive to me is the fact that, as young as he is, the players respect him. It is nice to see another young Black coach doing well in the NFL. It wasn’t long ago that Black men coaching on the NFL was a rarity. On top of that, there is a young Black QB playing for Morris who caught my eye during the 2009 NFL Combine in Josh Freeman. Freeman only attempted 25 passes Sunday, but he was very efficient and did a good job of managing the game. It wasn’t pretty, but at seasons end, Freeman and Bucs will be in the NFL Playoffs. At this point who really cares how pretty or ugly a win is? Morris has engineered an impressive turnaround of a team that was just 3-13 last year and had to start Josh Johnson, another Rookie (at the time) last year. The best part about this team is that they are extremely talented and very young. Give Morris a few years and the Bucs could be challenging the Falcons and the Saints for the NFC South Divisional title. That is more than we can say for Washington.

Washington is just looking for their first winning season and NFL Playoff appearance since 2007. What can be done? What is/are the next move(s)? Is LaRon Landry going to be o.k. for next season? Is Albert Haynesworth going to be traded? Are we going to stick with the 3-4 Defense? Which Linebackers are going to be cut/traded? Are the Redskins going to go after another Wide Receiver? Are the Redskins going to Draft/sign any Offensive Linemen during the Offseason? Is Donovan McNabb going to still be in Washington next year? All of these questions will be answered by July 2011 when the Pre-Season kicks off. But for right now, at 5-8, Washington can only hope to finish at .500 and not lose their fans yet again. But after watching Washington lose to the Texans, Viking, Buccaneers, Lions and Rams, can you really blame our fans for turning on us? There would have to be a huge turnaround next season for the fans to show any hope. Because at this point, most people are selling their season tickets. That would have never happened during the Joe Gibbs era. It might be time for Snyder to re-evaluatae his coaching decision yet again. Don't surprised to see another coaching change in 2011.

Giants Embarrass Redskins, Haynesworth Suspended

2010-12-10T11:35:00.000-05:00

It wasn’t much of a game from the start. The Giants and that New Jersey wind blew Washington away, 31-7. So many little things happened in that game that bothered me and should bother any other Redskin fan. The Giants had a basic game plan and executed it to perfection. Run the ball down the Redskins’ throat and dare them to stop it. Well the Redskins stopped it alright. They stopped it in the Second Half when the score was already 21-0. Kinda late at that point don’t you think? But maybe there was more going on with the Redskins than we knew about.

You can’t have internal issues going on and wonder why you are not putting out a good product. The Redskins have a big issue to take care right now, maybe two by seasons end. For all we know, there might be a third. Issue number is Albert Haynesworth. Is Albert really the problem? Here we have a talented player who is unhappy. Is this another case of Terrell Owens or is this a Josh McDaniel-type issue? Whose ego is really out of control? It may surprise you, but I actually think that both are to blame. Coach Shanahan is trying to impose his will and Albert wants to be successful doing the exact same things that he was doing in Tennessee. Haynesworth has somewhat closed himself off to learning anything new. Some of that has to do with him feeling like he tried it “their way” and it didn’t work and the fans were booing him. Now he is reluctant to try any other new thing because he has lost trust for the Redskins and the organization. If you have played sports on any level, you know first hand, sometimes coaches can be assholes. And to a man, we all wish that we could have told one of our bosses to kiss our asses. It just so happens that Haynesworth’s feud is being televised. But he is not entirely to blame.

Coach Shanahan has to come in and establish authority. There is nothing wrong with that. But when does it becomes an issue of ruling with an iron fist, and just being disrespectful, then all bets are off. I don’t care what anyone says, the “Conditioning Test” was a form of torture. How many times is someone going to run 300 yards on one play? If he made Albert do the conditioning test one time before practice then I would have understood. But Haynesworth had to run it numerous times. I don’t care what kind of shape that you think you are in, that is one hard ass test. Secondly, Shanahan brought in Joey Galloway and penciled him in as a starter. But Galloway was rarely, if ever, used. And to add insult to injury, Galloway gets released in the middle of the season. We wasted that man’s time. Third, and most disturbing to me, is we made the move for Donovan McNabb and have yet to take care of McNabb like the Hall Of Fame QB that he is. Our Offensive Line is bruised and battered again. No surprise there. Who doesn’t have injury issues on their team? But don’t deactivate one of our best Offensive Linemen (Derrick Dockery) and wonder why the guy that is playing out of position in Dockery’s place is struggling. Donovan, statistically is having one of, if not, the worst season of his career. McNabb has never thrown more INT’s than TD’s in any season in his career. He is on pace to do it for the first time in his career this year. And to make matters worse, we have been having the case of the drops lately. That is why the Shanahan regime looks like a hot mess right now. No wonder the Giants steam rolled the Redskins.

I am not going to take anything from the Giants. The were down like 3 Wide Receiver’s and a couple of starters on their Offensive Line, namely Dave Diehl and Shaun O’Hare. Their only option was to run the ball. They did that and then some. Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks were both hurt. Mario Manningham was the No. 1 WR and did very little Sunday. Yet, the Giants were able to put up 31 points. Now you tell me, is that talent or coaching? The Giants, over the past 6 season have just done a good job of taking care of business when the need too. That is a direct result of coaching. Yes, Tom Coughlin is a rock solid asshole, but his players respect him. Right now, Shanahan is on the verge of losing his entire team. He has to do something to turn it around or his head will be on the chopping block. Has he forgotten who his boss is? Look up impatient in the dictionary and Daniel Snyder’s face will be right next to it. But if the plug is pulled on Shanahan, would this be a bad move by Snyder?

Shanahan was 24-24 over the last three season in Denver. That is hardly impressive if you ask me. Coach Zorn went .500 in his first year in Washington. Am I missing something here? Right now the Redskins could realistically be staring down the barrel of a 6-10 season. With games against Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Dallas and the N.Y. Giants remaining, this could be a very ugly finish. I think the ironic thing is everyone was quick to blame Jason Campbell last year. Do you still think Campbell was the problem? He looks like a completely different QB in Oakland right now. I wonder why that is. I’ll use the example that I always use when discussing QB’s. QB’s are like children. Children are a direct reflection of what is going on at home. If things are bad at home, the child will be completely lost and not know where to turn for support. Even if their siblings have it together, the chaos starts from the top and will affect everyone to some degree. But even if you are in a dysfunctional house, if there is even an attempt at normalcy and there is an inkling of support from the parents, the kids just might be o.k. The former describes Donovan McNabb. As good as he is, he is not in a good situation, again, and it is a direct reflection of what is going on with Washington right now. It wasn’t Campbell’s fault last year and it is not McNabb’s fault this year. The later describes Jason Campbell and the Oakland organization. As bad as Oakland is, and even though their QB situation isn’t settled. The coaches like all of their QB’s so whether it is Gradkowski or Campbell, the Raiders are just getting it done. And the games that I saw Campbell playing, Campbell looked liked a very confident QB. Just ask the Chiefs, the Chargers and the Broncos if they think that Washington made a mistake in letting Campbell go. This is not the Raiders of old. Campbell has a very bright future in Oakland.

At 5-7 Washington, and the Shanahan’s are in trouble. Only finishing 9-7 could make this a respectable season. Otherwise, the Shanahans and McNabb could be looking for a job by seasons end. There is no reason why Washington shouldn’t be 7-5 and fighting for a division title. But as it has been 12 of the last 15 seasons, we just didn’t quite get it right. I guess we’ll have to wait for next year, right? Wait just a second. Maybe not. As long as we have #5, we still have a chance. This is the same guy that took an 8-7-1 team to the NFC Championship game just a couple of years ago. But in order for that to happen, some adjustments have to be made. And adjustment number one has to be an attitude adjustment by the Head Coach. Start their and the rest will fall into place. Just ask Josh McDaniel. He ran Brandon Marshall and Jay Cutler out of town traded Peyton Hillis away to Cleveland. McDaniels is in the unemployment line right now. Who will be next?

The Old Man’s Still Got It…..

2010-12-01T20:56:00.000-05:00

Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings came in to FedEx Field and stole a victory from the Washington Redskins on Sunday. Never mind the fact that the Redskins have had a ton of injuries. And never mind the fact that Adrian Peterson went out of Sunday’s game with an injury. Washington had plenty of opportunities to put this game away and just couldn’t quite do it. And the old man, Brett Favre, being the veteran player that he is, knew how to take advantage of the Redskins’ mistake and come away with a 17-13. Now what?

The Redskins are now 5-6. The last time that Washington was in this position, it was in 2007 where they won four straight games to sneak into the playoffs. At that particular time Washington was a dismal 5-7 and people were ready to bury Jason Campbell. Enter Todd Collins after a Campbell injury, and he gets the Redskins to the Playoffs. But Seattle quickly sent Washington home with a 35-14 loss. Well guess what people. Todd Collins is not in Washington anymore. Neither is Jason Campbell for that matter. So who’s to blame this time?

Let’s take a look at Sunday’s game. Minnesota wasn’t losing for lack of talent. It was a lot of stuff going on behind closed doors. I mean Vishante Shiancoe has been around for years and has always been a talented Tight End, but Brett Favre loves throwing to his Tight Ends and Shiancoe benefited from that last year. Now everyone knows who he is and trust me, the Redskins Linebackers were well aware of his whereabouts Sunday. Sidney Rice has always been a talented Wide Receiver but just never had a chance to show it on the big stage. He got his opportunity last year. Percy Harvin is just a stud. And trust me, if you think you’ve seen everything from that young man… you haven’t seen anything yet. Harvin is going to be a Top 10 Wide Receiver in the NFL in the future. And do I even need to say anything about Adrian Peterson? Minnesota also boasts one of the best Defensive Lines in the NFL. Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, Ray Edwards and Jared Allen provide a solid Pass Rush for the Vikings and allow them to do a lot on the back end of that Defense. Antoine Winfield is probably one of the best Cornerbacks in the NFL, but you don't hear anything about him. Nothing Minnesota did Sunday surprised me. A lot of what Washington did, did surprise me. And I see parallels between the Vikings and the Redskins.

Washington has just as much talent as Minnesota. But just like Minnesota, Washington is not playing up to their potential right now. Washington has the talent on Offense to be able to score points on anyone in the NFL. I have seen McNabb do more with less talent on Offense. There were years in Philadelphia where McNabb only had Brian Westbrook and he was still able to win 10 games a few times. Anthony Armstrong is a welcomed surprise this season. Santana Moss is still a talented Wide Receiver. Chris Cooley and Fred Davis are probably the best Tight End tandem in football. But, the injuries have killed the momentum. The Offensive Line is banged up yet again. And if that is not enough, the Redskins are not turning the ball over. Takeaways were the name of the game in the beginning of the season. But, Washington had five dropped passes Sunday, one of which resulted in an Interception within their own 20 Yard Line. Minnesota didn’t make those mistakes Sunday so that is why they were victorious. That is why they were a Playoff team a year ago. Is Washington a Playoff team? Right now, I’d have to say no. The are staring down the barrel of an 8-8 season yet again, but after finishing 4-12 last season, it would be an improvement.

Sunday shed light on a few things that have not really been addressed from last year. At this point of the season everyone has at least one or two key injuries. It is how you weather the storm that separates the Playoff teams from everyone else. Right now, it seems as though an ego or two is holding back the Redskins. So what we have Offensive Linemen out. So what we have Defensive Backs out. So what we have a couple of Linebackers out. So what we have two Running Backs out. Do what you have to do to win games. Even if it means scrapping some of the usual plays in your Offensive and Defensive Playbooks and calling plays to benefit your personnel. Otherwise, load the team with talent during the Offseason. But looking back at the Redskins’ track record, has stacking talent worked? Has it worked for any team? I think the Shanahan’s need to go back to the drawing board. Otherwise, if you think the fans at FedEx were ruthless last Sunday, you haven’t heard anything yet. We have some of the most passionate fans in the NFL and they will tell you about yourself. So Mike and Kyle, get it together. This is not the place where you’d want the fans turning against you. It ain’t Philly, but it ain't the Ice Capades either.

It Was Ugly But, A Win Is A Win

2010-11-23T20:45:00.000-05:00

The Washington Redskins have to be one of the luckiest teams in America. There is no way they should have left Tennessee Sunday with a win. But, some how, some way, they pulled it off and came away with a 19-16 Overtime win versus a very good Tennessee Titans team led by Vince Young and Chris Johnson. The AFC South has to be one of the toughest division in the NFL and the NFC East has been struggling against them. But Washington and Lady Luck showed up in Nashville Sunday to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, thanks in part to the Redskins Defense who has showed up more times than not and, they did it again this past Sunday.

Let’s get one thing straight, Tennessee is a very good team led by Vince Young who looked good for the most part Sunday, Chris Johnson who is a TD just waiting to happen on every play, Kenny Britt who was injured and couldn’t play and Randy Moss who the Redskins took away from the Titans Sunday. Give that team some time to gel and we could be easily looking at the AFC Conference Champions. With all of that being said, Washington did a great job of keeping that potent Offense off of the field, but sustaining drives and running the ball. Washington dominated the clock with Time of Possession (T.O.P.) 40:09 to 26:34. Usually when your opponents have the ball almost twice the amount of time that you’ve had it, the results are not good. And although Chris Johnson had 130 yards on 21 carries, he never once crossed the goal line. How many teams can say that? The Redskins fought like a team clinging to their Playoff hopes. But even though the Redskins won, they lost a lot of players.

In all seven players were either hurt or injured. Derrick Dockery, Casey Rabach, Clinton Portis, Rocky McIntosh, Kedrick Golston and Anderson Russell who started in place of the injured LaRon Landry were among the players who left the game with various injuries. There is a concern about the long term affects of Sunday's game. LaRon Landry, Ryan Torain and Carlos Rogers were already hurt going into Sunday's game and one can only hope to have them return by next week. The one thing that Washington has been able to do is avoid the injury bug. Well, it bit the hell out of them Sunday and they were still able to win. The sad thing is Vince Young seems to be trudging down the same winding road that Redskins’ QB Donovan McNabb had to go down. And it looks like his ride will be a bit more bumpy than Donovan McNabb’s.

Vince Young will never be appreciated for what he brings to the table in Tennessee. It was just last season in which the Titans started 0-6. Insert Vince Young, the Titans finish 8-8 and one game out of the Playoffs. Right now the Titans are in the thick of the AFC South divisional race and Young has played well for the most party. He struggled against the Redskins and was greeted with a course of boos from the home crowd. I guess people thought that the Redskins’ Defense wasn’t good. Well I don’t know what tape they were watching but this Redskins Defense, talent wise, can swing with any team in the NFL. And certainly one game should not be an indictment on the young man, but I’ve come to realize that there are a different set of rules as it relates to Black QB’s. Just ask Donovan McNabb.

It was just three weeks ago, the “experts” had Donovan on his way out of D.C. and suiting up for either the Minnesota Vikings or the Arizona Cardinals. The Chicago Bears were even thrown around for good measure. Then a funny thing happened on the way to the stadium for Donovan last week. He signs a 5-year, $78 Million contract. Now some speculate as to the terms of the contract and how the Redskins can get out of it with minimal risk(s). But with all of that being said, it says something about their plans for Donovan McNabb. A guy who was never really appreciated by the “experts,” and even some Eagles fans. But I’ll tell you one thing, McNabb finds ways to win games. He doesn’t get style points for pretty wins, but he does win. Brett Favre gets a free pass for a lot of things, but let’s not act like Brett has as many rings as Tom Brady. Brady, in my opinion, should be the standard for QB’s. He just wins games, and Super Bowls. Granted Brady is 3-1 in Super Bowls, but that is 4 Super Bowl appearances in 10 years. Peyton “the Great” has only 2 appearances in his 13 years, and one win, and Brett has 2 appearances but both were over 10 years. In a league that asks, “What have you done for me lately,” how is it that Favre gets a free pass? McNabb, with very little talent around him for the most part, has 5 NFC Championship appearances, one NFC Championship and Super Bowl appearance, just never seems to do enough. But after watching him in Tennessee this past Sunday, I’ll take a guy that wins games any day of the week over a guy with records. Because at the end of the day, and a career, people only remember Champions, and if McNabb can win one Super Bowl before he retires, should he not be mentioned with the Manning’s (both Eli And Peyton), the Favre’s, the Marino’s, the Kelly’s, and the Tarkenton’s?

Eagles, Rain, Storm D.C. as Vick Set Records

2010-11-17T15:52:00.000-05:00

Hurricane Michael touched down in D.C. Monday night. The damage was severe. This natural disaster was televised and was very ugly. As a lifelong Redskins fan, I have seen some ugly games, and lopsided wins. But last night was something out of Hollywood. I mean it was only two years ago that people thought that Michael Vick would never play QB in the NFL again. And now Vick is on the cusp of NFL history. There are seven games left in the regular season and Vick is positioning himself and the Eagles for a Playoff run. And even though the Eagles are in the Redskins’ division, as long as Vick is starting, I hope the Eagles go to, and win, the Super Bowl.

There were people, even Eagles fans, who were upset that Vick was signed to their team last season. Comments were made that were borderline offensive and racist. People made references to his intelligence, or lack there of, on a regular basis. But, it’s funny how all of the critics are on vacation while Vick is ripping through the NFL. And people wonder why Black people are still crying racism, in sports and America. The All-American boy, Peyton Manning, faced off against Vick last week and lost. The Golden Boy, Tom Brady (no disrespect to Brady, I love Tom, and I think he is still a Top 3 QB in the NFL), will get his opportunity at some point as well and my guess is the results will be the same. Vick is playing at a Super Bowl level right now and he took it out on my boys Monday night. I tried to get upset with the Redskins, but I was too happy for Vick. I had to put my loyalties for the Redskins aside and honor my loyalties as a Black man to Vick.

The NFL is on old organization. Many guys have played QB for teams in the NFL (and even the AFL), but Michael Vick became the first player in NFL history to have 300+ Passing Yards, 50+ Rushing Yards, 4+ TD Passes and 2+ Rushing TD’s in one game, which turned out to be the greatest performance by a QB on Monday Night Football, ever. Talk about winning the game all by yourself. Vick’s 80 Rushing Yards moved him to #2 All-Time behind Randall Cunningham for Most Rushing Yards by a QB. I really want to be upset about the Redskins losing the way that they did, but, if anyone deserved to have the spotlight on them and was due for that kind of performance, I am glad it was Vick. Say what you will about the man, but Vick deserved a second chance and I am glad he got it.

Donovan McNabb worked his ass off to be the most balanced QB that he could possibly be. And still, McNabb gets no respect. Carson Palmer is stinking up the joint in Cincinnati, but people blamed Chad Ochocinco, and are now blaming Terrell Owens. Jay Cutler has not won a playoff game yet, but Lovie Smith is on the hot seat. David Garrard was being blamed for Jacksonville’s woes, but can you name me one of Garrard’s Wide Receivers? I’ll give you one, Mike Sims-Walker. Do you know who that is? My point exactly. Michael Vick had Roddy White and Michael Jenkins in Atlanta, but at the time they were not producing. Now White is having a career year in Atlanta. Where was that when Vick was there? Vick carried that Falcons for years, yet he was being blamed for lack of wins, even though, he had very little talent around him. Vick wasn’t supposed to be able to come back to the NFL and play, let alone start. But with his second chance in football, but more importantly, life, Vick is taking full advantage of it and I can’t think of one person in the NFL who deserves it more.

Michael Vick’s action should have gotten him in trouble, but two years in Leavenworth was over the top. Just like my post last week, I can hear Bob Marley strumming his guitar singing his famous track “Redemption Song.” And Vick is getting his redemption now. I personally hope Vick wins the NFL MVP award this year, and the Super Bowl MVP. Can you imagine how pissed some people would be? I’ll bet the “N” word will be flying freely at that point. It doesn’t matter, Vick is doing his thing and has quieted his critics showing that he is and NFL QB, and quite possibly a Superstar. If you don’t like it, change the channel. The most electrifying player in the NFL is back. I am just glad that the Redskins don’t have another regular season game against Philadelphia. Otherwise we might be seeing a repeat performance.