Hogs Haven

Congratulations to Greg Williams and the New Orlean Saints!

2010-02-08T02:47:55Z

Wow, that was pretty impressive. Greg Williams figured out a game plan to keep Peyton Manning off balance and Sean Peyton with a masterfully called game to become World Champions.

Manning's coronation as the greatest QB ever will not take place this year, as the 'other Peyton' shines brighter. This is a big loss for Manning, that 2nd ring is the great seperator.

My question is: What would have happened if Greg Williams was made the Redskin HC after Gibbs left? Would we be a playoff team? Would the nightmare and back sliding have happened with Williams?

Of course we would not have Shanahan and Allen and the #4 pick in the upcoming draft, but who knows how that will all turn out. I do know that we lost a heck of a good football coach, and the Saints are not Champions without him.

Congratulation again to Greg Williams, Sean Peyton and the New Orlean Saints! World Champions!

Congratulations to the city of NEW ORLEANS

Washington Redskins All-Decade Team - Time To Talk Running Backs

2010-02-05T17:51:45Z

The first flakes of this snowstorm are falling, and I am already tired of talking about this snowstorm. So I am pulling out one of the bigger guns in this debate. We have established the quarterbacks, cornerbacks, offensive linemen and punter. Today we put someone behind that O-line.

We love our running backs in this town. And we have had a few very good ones over the last decade. This position speaks to the "continuity" that this team has had in certain places over the last 10 years. Stephen Davis was the starter from 1999-2002, Trung Canidate won the job in 2003, and Clinton Portis has been the #1 guy ever since. These, of course, are the opening day starters - other guys have started games in that time period. Before we figure out who to hand the rock to, let's see where we stand - 17 roster spots have been handed out. (up-to-date All-Decade roster and RB discussion after the jump)

Washington Redskins All-Decade Team (so far)

Offense

QB: Brad Johnson, Jason Campbell, Mark Brunell

OL: Chris Samuels, Jon Jansen, Tre Johnson, Randy Thomas, Casey Rabach, Derrick Dockery, Ray Brown, Ethan Albright

Note: I am extremely pleased that Ray Brown beat out Cory Raymer in the recent vote. There is simply no denying Ethan Albright's right to be on this team. When we get to the end, we can decide if Cory Raymer should be added as a 9th OL, or if we need to beef up the team at another position.

Defense

CB: Champ Bailey, Darrell Green, Shawn Springs, Fred Smoot, DeAngelo Hall

Special Teams

P: Hunter Smith

via www.washingtonpost.com

I get the easy job of putting Stephen Davis and Clinton Portis on this team. Coming out of Auburn, Stephen Davis was a 4th round draft pick for the Redskins. That bears repeating: 4TH ROUND DRAFT PICK. They plugged him in at fullback and put him in the backfield in front of Terry Allen until finally giving him a chance in 1999. He took advantage of the opportunity, leading the NFC with 1,405 rushing yards, and leading the league in yards per carry (4.8) and scoring by a non-kicker. He had a great start to the 2000's with the Skins, but was deemed "expendable" by a certain Ball Coach who shan't be named (on an unrelated note, my 6-month old just took a Spurrier in her diaper...it stunk.) The following season (2003), Davis helped lead the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl. Serenity Now!

As for C.P., everyone here knows how happy I have generally been to have him as our primary back since 2004. His first carry as a Redskin was a long-distance touchdown run. His combination of speed, power, and personality made him a lot of fun to watch - admittedly more so when we were winning. Although I had my doubts that he would come back next season (and uncertainty still remains), I will be happy to see #26 on the field next season in burgundy and gold. (That said, I still think it would be irresponsible to fail to bring in a young back to platoon with Betts and Portis...Stephen Davis...cough cough...4th rounder.)

With Davis and Portis in the fold, our running game should be POTENT. In today's poll, we will take the 2 highest vote-getters and add them to our roster. I am very open to carrying 5 running backs, so if there is a big sentiment for the 5th guy, I won't argue.

I will throw some support behind Larry Centers (who I loved as Redskin.) He and Brad Johnson work well together, both in real life as well as on paper for this team we are building. He is one of the greatest 3rd down backs in history, and in 2000, I believe he caught 81 balls. Not too shabby, since we are going to need a guy out of the backfield to catch for us.

Other than that, some of the other players to consider are Ladell Betts, Rock Cartwright, Mike Sellers and Kenny Watson. As always, write-in votes are encouraged in the comments section. (I see Sellers pulling in Ethan Albright-esque numbers on this poll.)

What I really want to talk about with you all is who is our #1 back: Davis or CP? I think that should be a good discussion.

Poll

Please select your first choice to join Stephen Davis and Clinton Portis on the All-Decade team.

The Business of Happiness

2010-02-04T20:55:28Z

The Business of Happiness

Want to read about the man behind the resurgence of the Washington Capitals? His "6 Secrets to Extraordinary Success in Life and Work" offer a compelling look at what has driven the outrageously positive results in both his personal life as welll as as his professional life.

**We all love Ted here at Hogs Haven. Not just because of the amazing interview he gave us last year, but also because he is a minority owner in our parent company, SB Nation.

Super Bowl 44 Practice Updates; February 3, 2010

2010-02-04T19:00:28Z

Via a NFL press release, here are the updates from the Colts and Saints Wednesday practices for those ~~gamblers~~ readers who like as much info as possible with injuries and action.

>>> COLTS:

DAVIE, Fla.-With NFL Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning looking particularly sharp and hobbled defensive end Dwight Freeney unavailable, the AFC champion Indianapolis Colts opened their practice week for Super Bowl XLIV late Wednesday afternoon with a 1-hour, 48-minute workout at the Miami Dolphins training complex.

The Colts worked without pads-coach Jim Caldwell said the team practiced in pads only once last week, and would be in shorts and helmets for all four practices this week-under partly cloudy skies on a beautiful afternoon in south Florida. The temperature at the start of practice was 75 degrees, with 65 percent humidity a slight breeze from the northeast.

"Our Wednesday practices have been pretty sharp this year,'' said Caldwell, the rookie head coach, "and this one was right in line with that. It went well out there. The guys got acclimated well and got some good work in.''

Freeney, nursing an ankle injury that has his status in doubt for Sunday's game against New Orleans, was nowhere to be found at practice, continuing the rehabilitation of his grade-three ankle sprain. Also missing was starting cornerback Jerraud Powers, who missed the AFC Championship Game with a foot injury. Caldwell said he has underestimated Freeney's healing ability several times while with the Colts and couldn't make a prediction about his readiness for Sunday. Of Powers, the rookie cornerback from Auburn, Caldwell said: "Not certain yet. But I can tell you this: He is moving in the right direction [in his rehabilitation].''

The Colts listed 19 players on their first injury report of the week, but other than Freeney and Powers, all the rest participated fully in Wednesday's practice. Clearly, the only players in doubt for Sunday's game are Powers and Freeney.

Manning, who won his NFL-record fourth MVP earlier this month, led a crisp and effective nickel-offense passing period midway through practice. He completed nine of nine passes against defenders playing New Orleans' scout-team nickel, including a beautifully throw deep ball for a touchdown to backup tight end Jacob Tamme. He also hit Reggie Wayne earlier in practice in stride on another deep ball.

Caldwell said virtually all of the Colts gameplan was installed last week in Indianapolis, as if the game were to be played last Sunday instead of this Sunday. That's one of the reasons he said he didn't feel it was important to be in pads this week. "We've played 22 games this year,'' he said, counting preseason, regular-season and playoffs. "I want them to be nice and hungry come Sunday. If they need pads this time of year ... ‘' His voice trailed off, but the implication was clear-he'd feels nothing more can be accomplished by players hitting each for a day or two this week after six full months of an NFL season.

Visitors to practice included member of the CBS pregame crew (Bill Cowher, Boomer Esiason, Shannon Sharpe, Charley Casserly and Steve Tasker) and announcing team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms).

The Colts will resume preparations late Thursday afternoon with their second practice of the week at the Dolphins facility.

>>> SAINTS:

Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010

The Saints practiced for almost 2 ½ hours today at the U. of the Miami's football fields under ideal conditions and head coach Sean Payton said he was very pleased with the work. "I think we're ahead of schedule with just about everything we're trying to get done," said Payton, a first-time Super Bowl head coach. "Even the buses and everything are running on time or ahead of schedule."

The Saints worked on mostly base first-down and second-down situations on Wednesday. Payton, who wore a Hurricane visor and coaching shirt instead of his standard New Orleans' garb, said that he still has some offensive and defensive installation work to do, but that "two-thirds of it" was done last week in New Orleans.

Those unfamiliar with how the Saints' approach a practice would be interested to know that Payton conducts a 30-minute walk-through with every unit from special teams to specialized offensive formations before the team participates in stretching exercises. The team even worked for more than five minutes on turnover drills, something you generally witness in training camp.

"Well, we do that a lot during the season, too," Payton said. "But I'd like us to have a little of that training-camp mentality here. We even brought in the cool pools for the guys just in case."

All of the injured Saints, with the exception of running back Lynell Hamilton, who watched with a walking boot protecting his left ankle, participated fully in all team drills, although some on a limited basis. Tight end Jeremy Shockey (knee), safety Darren Sharper (knee) and linebacker Jonathan Vilma (knee) seemingly worked in every drill and all three looked good. Injured cornerback Randall Gay (foot) was running so well that he intercepted two passes against the scout team.

At the conclusion of practice, quarterback Drew Brees and four of his receivers stayed on the field to fine-tune a few specific routes for an extra 10 minutes.

Nice article on ESPN about Pennington and Cooley's unsuccessful fishing trip. [ESPN] Cooley & Tiki...

2010-02-04T12:55:00Z

Nice article on ESPN about Pennington and Cooley's unsuccessful fishing trip. [ESPN]
Cooley & Tiki Barber Interview (Video) [Yahoo/OCNN]

Colts RG Kyle DeVan; Another Former Redskin in Super Bowl

2010-02-04T12:53:31Z

Add Colts starting Right Guard Kyle DeVan to the list of former Redskins in the Super Bowl (Chase Daniel, Mark Brunell, Pierson Prioleau, Cody Glenn). The Colts are a bit similar in the Redskins in that they search for OL gems in the UDFA market. It's quick to see that the Polians are much better at this than former EVP, Vinny Cerrato. The Redskins signed DeVan three days after the 2008 draft and cut him later that July. He had later tryouts with the Jets that did not work out either. Via the Houston Chron:

This time last year, [Kyle] was living with his mom and stepfather and making $100 a day when he could find work as a substitute teacher in his hometown of Vacaville, Calif.

He taught math, history, English, whatever, at every level from fifth grade to high school. He was a 2003 state wrestling champ, so he helped out with that team, too.

In April, the Boise Burn of ArenaFootball2 telephoned, told him there'd been some injuries, and asked if he would he like to play. Then he got a break when his agent, Leo Goeas, talked the Colts into giving DeVan a tryout.

In a crazy way, he fits...Jeff Saturday called him "the heart and soul" of the team.

I'm not going to blast the Redskins on this. Obviously, different players fit in different systems and gain success as they improve over time. However, it is fair to say that the Redskins were unable to have any success in the undrafted free agent market for as long as I can remember on the Oline. My point:

One of his offensive line teammates, [Jeff] Saturday, worked as an electrician during a year out of football. Left guard Ryan Lilja came to the Colts after being cut by the Chiefs.

Image via pfw.s3.amazonaws.com

Sam Bradford Might Have Problems Playing for the Redskins...Being a Native American

2010-02-03T20:59:25Z

via www.cbc.ca

View full size photo »

Sam Bradford did a radio interview with Kevin Sheehan's Sports Fix on ESPN 980 radio today.

On the shoulder:

Sam Bradford: Shoulder feels great. I throw several days a week. Dr. Andrews said I'm ahead of schedule. He said no doubt I'll be 100% by my pro-day."

OK great...now for the juicy stuff:

Kevin Sheehan: You are of Native American descent, correct?

Sam Bradford: Correct.

Kevin Sheehan: So, out of curiosity, do you have any sort of feelings about the Redskins name?

Sam Bradford: "You know,obviously in Oklahoma there's a large Native American population. There are a lot of opinions on that name....but...I really don't feel like, you know, I need to be, you know, voicing my opinion. You know. If it's something I have to do down the line, you know, then I will, but I just don't feel like I need to address that issue right now."

Uh oh. That doesn't sound good. Obviously the kid is being careful not to say the wrong thing for any question, but I can't help but think he'd say "Nah...it doesn't other me" if it actually didn't.

Update: A great comment below from juperee: "My guess is that Sam is hedging his bets here because he doesn’t feel offended himself, but he doesn’t want to offend people who think he should be offended."

You can listen to the clip here.

Washington Redskins All-Decade Team - Offensive Line

2010-02-03T20:59:48Z

More photos » Luis Alvarez - AP

The Washington Redskins All-Decade Offensive Line Coach: Joe Bugel...your work's cut out for you, Joe.

Browse more photos »

Wow...selecting the guys for this spot on our team has been quite the walk down Memory Lane...if Memory Lane was a dark, dark alley in the middle of Gotham City. The good news is I think is that we have a line that is made up of players who at one point or another contributed to solid running games here in D.C.

The bad news is that looking back over the last decade (in general) has led me to confront some painfully obvious truths. I was talking with a fellow Redskins fan about picking players for this position, and when we looked at the list of offensive lineman who suited up for at least 16 games in the last decade, it was shocking. Here is the list with the amount of games played in parentheses:

Ethan Albright (144)
Chris Samuels (141)
Jon Jansen (110)
Randy Thomas (82)
Derrick Dockery (80)
Casey Rabach (79)
Stephon Heyer (37)
Cory Raymer (33)
Pete Kendall (32)
Ray Brown (31)
Lennie Friedman (31)
Larry Moore (25)
Jason Fabini (23)
Mike Pucillo (23)
Mark Fischer (16)
Andy Heck (16)
Jay Leeuwenburg (16)
Will Montgomery (16)
Dave Szcott (16)

The real kicker is that based on the games played in parentheses, only TWO of these players had winning records: Pete Kendall and Jason Fabini. And they were BARELY winning records...like .531 and .525 winning percentages respectively. I understand that you can't pin wins and losses on an individual lineman, and I also understand that I should be less shocked since I have been a season ticket holder for the last decade and I don't recall any Super Bowl parades. But come on...this hurts.

Continue reading this post »

I asked my friend to help me land on a few guys to add to our All-Decade roster. His response, "Honestly, I'm at a loss - but I think the lesson from this little exercise is: people who complain about continuity on the Redskins really need to get a reality check. HUGE chunks of this team have been in place for, like, seven years."

Ouch.

This part of the All-Decade Team process was always staring me down...like an upcoming colonoscopy. You just hope the doctor will warm his hands up first while you try and find a happy place.

So far:

**Offense

QB: Brad Johnson, Jason Campbell, Mark Brunell

**Defense

CB: Champ Bailey, Darrell Green, Shawn Springs, Fred Smoot, DeAngelo Hall

**Special Teams

P: Hunter Smith

Note: We did not do a vote on the Punter. Sometimes when you know, you know. Hunter Smith is more than just a punter. He was our Offensive MVP for a while this season, and what other punter has so much swagger that a coach sends him out to execute a fake field goal AFTER the other team calls a time-out to prepare for it? Don't answer that. Having Hunter Smith on this roster makes me feel a lot better about the vote we are about to undertake.

Offensive Line

We have Chris Samuels, Jon Jansen, and Tre Johnson already in tow. Based on the discussion after our previous post, I am proud to announce that Randy Thomas, Casey Rabach and Derrick Dockery are in the fold as well. Based on the results of this vote, we will add either 2 or 3 more guys.

We have some fun positions coming up guys. Don't worry.

Poll

Which offensive linemen are we adding to our All-Decade Redskins roster?

Hogs Haven Has a Good Month; Bump up 8 spots in Wikio Rankings

2010-02-03T17:32:30Z

I was contacted by Wikio.com, who publishes the rankings on blogs each month. Currently (for January), Hogs Haven ranked 31st in all sports blogs, but the new stats that come out tomorrow have us at 23. That is some damn good company on this list, which I included after the jump. It's definitely appreciated on our side to see the site is having success not only via all your comments, but also in the metrics.

What should be our goal for 2010? Crack the top 15 maybe? Mile High Report is the SB Nation blog for the Broncos and is sitting pretty at 18. John Bena does a helluva job on that site. In fact, 20-23 are all SB Nation sites. I was very skeptical at first since these rankings don't have quality sites like blog.redskins.com in the top 30 either. I included their stat measurements after the jump as well.

So, my flight for Miami leaves tomorrow as I too am jumping into the Super Bowl festivities. I plan on taking pictures and giving a full recap when I return, so maybe some drunken pictures of Cowboys players can help boost the numbers up to the top 5. I'll be tweeting all weekend, so follow the HogsHaven twitter account if you wish. We definitely have ins to some of the big parties and of course the Super Bowl...stay tuned.

How are the stats compiled? Via Wikio website:

The position of a blog in the Wikio ranking depends on the number and weight of the incoming links from other blogs. Our algorithm accords a greater value to links from blogs placed higher up in the ranking.

A blog linking another blog is only counted once a month i.e. if blog A links to blog B 10 times in a given month, it is only counted as having linked to that blog once that month. The weight of any link decreases over time. Also, if a blog always links to the same blog, the weight of these links is decreased.

Only links found in RSS feeds are counted. Blogrolls are not taken into account.

February 2010 Wikio Rankings (to be published on 2/5/2010)

1	Deadspin
2	MLB Trade Rumors
3	TrueHoop
4	The Big Lead
5	The Sporting Blog
6	EDSBS
7	Beyond the Boxscore
8	Minor League Ball
9	The LoHud Yankees Blog
10	MetsBlog
11	Kissing Suzy Kolber
12	Blazers Edge
13	Baseball Analysts
14	Amazin' Avenue
15	U.S.S. Mariner
16	MGoBlog
17	River Ave. Blues
18	Mile High Report
19	AstrosDaily.com's Astrowire
20	Stampede Blue
21	Arrowhead Pride
22	Bullets Forever
23	Hogs Haven
24	Lookout Landing
25	Talking Points with Tim Kawakami
26	Larry Brown Sports
27	Rocky Top Talk
28	CelticsBlog
29	Daily Norseman
30	DawgSports

Ranking by Wikio

NFC East Weekly Recap: Second Arrest Goes To...

2010-02-03T13:02:27Z

Cowboys FB Dean Anderson arrested for traffic warrants; guns seized [espn]
(Chad Rinehart with the first NFC East one)

Cowboys consider putting franchise tag on Miles Austin [BTB]

Cutting Nick Folk was a stupid mistake [espn]

Eagles hire Dick Jauron as secondary coach [espn]
(How the mighty have fallen. He no doubt has great expertise though.)

Eagles sign Durant Brooks (and they seem happy about it) [BGN]
(This probably means he'll be a Pro-Bowler next year)

Eli Manning's mentor/QB coach, Palmer, leaves for UFL [Giant Blog]

Redskins after the jump...

Portis expects to play next year [Bog]
He still hasn't been cleared by doctors yet. I have some issue with his comments about only trying to have "fun." Cooley and Moss are able to have fun, but they don't publicly call out single players. Cooley was on the radio yesterday with Elliot and he said it's not hard to cover the Super Bowl this week since the Redskins never had a chance of being in it. Clinton, there is a way to be critical. You were not even practicing or playing with the team for half the season, so for you to go out and blast a team captain that was taking shot after shot is not "fun." Come on...see the line and learn to walk it.

Keenan McCardell has a SB ring with the 1991 Redskins [Skins Blog]

McCardell was selected in the 12th round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins, but he never took the field in a Redskins' uniform. He, however, got a Super Bowl ring with the Redskins while being on injured reserve. McCardell was cut after the 1991 season.

Groundhog Day: 5 Redskins Games I Don't Ever Want To Relive

2010-02-02T21:31:11Z

Being February 2nd, I couldn't help but think how much the Redskins 2009 season relates to the infamous movie, and one of my favorites, Groundhog Day. By far the best scene for me is the constant interjection of "PHIIL?!! PHIILL CONNORS??!" ... where Bill Murray immediately decks the guy.

This pretty much sums up my 2009 season as a Redskins fan. Devestating loss after devestating loss and each week opposing fans and my college friends who are NFC East foes fans come at me with the same crap "You lost to Detroit!!!"..."How did you lose that game? You f&ckin suck!"...and 2500 others I'm sure you've heard. If Groundhog Day happened to me, these are the 5 days from last year I'd least want to replay over and over for me:

1.) The loss to the DET Lions

What I did: Cursed, played more beer pong, and cursed more.
What I would do differently: Same thing but put $1500 on the Lions to cover. My friends and I wanted to bet the Lions but we

2.) Suisham missing the FG vs the Saints

What I did: Cursed profusely, walked to the Fedex Field bars and drank heavily
What I would do differently: Nothing.

3.) The botched swinging gate play on MNF vs the Giants

What I did: Leave the game in the middle of the 2nd quarter
What I would do differently: Nothing

4.) The stunned silence followed by booing with the Chiefs win at Fedex

What I did: Booed.
What I would do differently: I don't know. I am still shocked at that loss and the numbness I felt that day leaving the parking lot.

5.) Vinny Cerrato stating on ESPN Radio he gave Zorn a playoff-caliber roster

What I did: Wrote a post blasting Vinny Cerrato.
What I would do differently: Drive to his house and staple it to his front door

Honorable Mentions:

- Cooley breaks his foot,
- Romo throws a TD in the final moments at Dallas to win the game 7-6
- News Chris Samuels was out for the year and likely his career at week 5

What about you guys? Any other days stick out as worse?

Image via fundraisingcoach.com, Hat tip to holytaco.com for the post idea

The Revolution - Redskins Fans Should Consider TicketShare Program Before Renewing Season Tickets They May Not Use

2010-02-02T19:26:35Z

While today's Revolution piece won't be spent railing on any particular aspect of our beloved team, it does touch on a couple of sore subjects for a lot of fans: "The Wait List", and opposing team's fans at the games.

'Tis the season to re-up for tickets and fans are excited (and rightfully so) about the positive changes in the organization. Shanahan and Allen should give season ticket holders reason to believe that their investment is being looked after a little better than under previous management.

That said, I implore all Redskins fans to consider a few important factors before simply signing up to tickets that you may or may not intend to 100% use this season.

If you are like me, you have reached a point where you worry that the money you send out the door for these tickets is more than the value you get during the season. We all see tickets to some games go for far cheaper than we actually paid for them (especially in the club level), and we all see those tickets sometimes end up in the hands of opposing team's fans. Let's forget about the club level right now...it is its own beast.

Look Around

Talk to people you know have been going to games for years, or have wanted to go to games for years. Chances are they are either on the "Wait List" or are pondering a contract renewal themselves. See how many tickets they have and see if it makes more sense to join forces to ensure that:

A) Every ticket bought is one that will be used by a Redskins fan, as opposed to ending up on Ebay; and

B) Make the team go to the next Redskins fan on the "Wait List" now so that Redskin fans are the ones buying as many season tickets at the beginning of the season as possible.

Consolidation of season tickets among fans is an easy way to mitigate the problems we see each home game. It puts the burden of filling the stadium during the offseason on the ticket office, and in the wake of previous scandals, there is likely to be a greater commitment to getting ticket packages into the hands of ardent Redskins fans. Even though they are not raising prices, a consolidation effort on the part of existing season ticket holders would directly impact the supply and demand balance.

If you own season tickets, ask yourself, "Do I go to every single game no matter what?" Do you peek at the StubHub market? Do you throw your seats on Ebay a couple times a year? If you know you are not going to go to every game, and you buy your tickets with the intention of selling at least some of them in a secondary market (which is your right, of course), you are contributing to the eroding home field advantage at FedEx Field. I would argue you are better off finding someone to "TicketShare" with (is that an original term?)

I will use myself as an example: My club level contract is up this year. I have no intention of paying those prices again. My name came up on the "Wait List" (magically) so I can buy General Admission seats. But as a result of going to games for 10 years, I know of many, MANY folks who own tickets and do not go to every game. So I am pulling/pooling them together. Kevin and I will still go to every game, and we will sit in the same seats all season. But our attendance will not result in additional season ticket sales: I am merely picking up a pair of seats from some people who regularly put them on Ebay every season. If they decide to simply not renew their seats now, I will look for someone else, or I will sign up to my own season tickets and start my own TicketShare program (with fans who are themselves pondering not renewing.) In this way, we end up sitting in the very seats that end up being inhabited by fans of the opposing teams at FedEx (in theory.)

Let me be very clear: you must do what is best for you and what you think is right when it comes to buying and owning season tickets. But I think there is a very real opportunity for fans to band together on this one. We are at currently at a point (the beginning of the offseason) where this is actually an action we can take that would make a difference. It might be recieved as a weak argument from those inside Redskins Park, but I'll make it anyway: Isn't it better for the team if we at least try to ensure that tickets stay out of the hands of Eagles, Cowgirls, and Giants fans?

This will be Year One of The Revolution's TicketShare program. Maybe we have little effect this year. But we here have shown an ability to stick with stuff like this, so perhaps in subsequent years, our impact will be greater.

***Update: I just received calls from two fans (separate contracts) that are interested in our TicketShare idea. I don't think we are allowed to become a ticket brokering site, but I see no problem with matching Redskins fans up with each other to help them ensure that their seats are never occupied by opposing team's fans.

Long Live The Revolution!

Redskins QB Situation Clearing Up?

2010-02-02T16:33:56Z

Redskins QB Situation Clearing Up?

Jim Haslett on STL radio: "I think they’ll keep Jason and maybe bring in another veteran to compete with him."

Rich Tandler gives a great synopsis of how things will likely play out. It's looking like QB with the #4 is not likely.

Break It Down: Redskins 2009 Defensive Stats In Extremely Fine Detail

2010-02-02T15:51:03Z

Well, we’ve broken down the ProFootballFocus stats for Jason Campbell and the Offensive Line so far, now it's time to move over to the defense. The defense has always been an enigma to me since it's always been labeled a "top 5 defense," yet they're always bottom 5 in turnovers, which is what really makes a defense. Catching an interception and allowing the WR to strip it and run for a touchdown...not so much. Either way, with the overhaul in the coaching staff, it's time to look at players on an individual basis.

A quick look at the chart reveals what we already know. The best defensive players were on the line and the worst were in the secondary. A complete flip from the 2008 season. Anybody care to make the argument now that Albert Haynesworth was not the reason this D played as well as it did? He was a force on the line this year despite all the fans and major media that chose to rather focus on the 33% of plays he sat out. Fletcher, as expected, had another great season and I'll highlight him after the jump.

Let's start with the bottom three:

Laron Landry: His pass rush and rush defense ranked well, but he got a whopping -14.1 for his pass coverage. Not much to say here because it was obvious watching games he was a liability, and it was equally obvious teams targeted him (Raiders continually putting Darren McFadden out wide). The coaching staff never was able to get through to him to make the sure tackle versus the knockout punch. The ball is now in Haslett's court.

My unsubstantiated Evaluation: Move him back to SS full-time and take our chances with Kareem Moore or Chris Horton (assuming Eric Berry is not a Redskin). Chris has proven he has a nose for the ball. There were some growing pains with Sean Taylor at first getting burned, why not give Chris a shot there? It can't get worse than it already is.

DeAngelo Hall: Overall, I thought the Hokie had a good season, but his stats took a major hit week 1. That Mario Manningham play comes to mind where the Giants WR eluded Andre Carter, Fred Smoot, and Hall all on the same scoring play. Hall scored a -5.8 for rush defense and that was evident in the numerous missed tackles throughout the year. That missed tackle on Turner versus Atlanta game comes to mind for me.

My unsubstantiated Evaluation: Definite keeper. He's the only defender the Skins have that can squeeze a ball, so if the new defensive coaching staff can correct the tackling, I don't see why he couldn't compete for a Pro-Bowl spot again.

Carlos Rogers: Loso statistically was a good defender against the run at 1.5. The amount of double-moves he got burned on this year didn't hurt his stats as much as I thought they would. He played a total of 84% of the snaps this year, which is a lot more than I anticipated given his benchings. Either way, Carlos to me is a player that can still improve (off-season #3 I have said this).

My unsubstantiated Evaluation: Keep him. I don't think many teams think highly of Carlos, yet he does so many things well. The days of over-paying are over, so offer Carlos a modest salary. If he wants to leave, fine, but he is a steady CB that can run tackle and defend the pass. The Redskins have too many holes to fix. Carlos can be a holdover until they have time to fix CB. I think the entire OTAs Carlos should be off to the side working with the 5^th string QB who simply throws ball at Carlos as hard as he can from 15 yards out.

Reed Doughty: This is a tough situation. He was all over the field and was easily one of the Redskins best tacklers. I can't see Horton and Doughty both sharing the safety position again, so I'll be watching this one closely. He deserves to be a starter somewhere, especially with the great sportsmanship he showed when he gracefully accepted his backup role to Horton last year. In short, I'd be happy with Horton or Doughty as SS, but the Laron Landry situation complicates this even more.

Honorable Mentions: Lorenzo Alexander had a great season even without his special team heroics.

Side Note: Andre Carter. His run tackling is an obvious problem, which makes moving to a 3-4 a little more worrisome for me. If it ain't broken....

As for London Fletcher, I threw together how his overall stats (11.6) against some of the other Pro Bowlers:

Ray Lewis: 30.4
Jonathan Vilma: 1.6
Jon Beason: 7.2
Demarcus Ware: 37.3
Clay Matthews: 20.0

[Source: ProFootballFocus.com]

Washington Redskins All-Decade Team - Constructing An Offensive Line

2010-02-01T16:33:29Z

More photos » Rick Havner - AP

Chris Samuels is a lock for this offensive line. Who is going to line up with him?

Browse more photos »

We have knocked out two very important positions and I thought we would spend some time this week figuring out who we want on the offensive line. The good news is that we had some very capable blockers this decade. Better than that, we had some guys who were great Redskins--as in, we had some guys who cared a lot about this team and who played with a ton of heart and passion for the fans of this team. Since our site was named after the great offensive line ancestry of this franchise, we owe it to ourselves to build this line carefully and to make sure it is filled with the kind of attitude that will dictate the game to the opponent.

All-Decade Team So Far

Offense

QB:Brad Johnson, Jason Campbell, Mark Brunell

Defense

CB:Champ Bailey, Darrell Green, Shawn Springs, Fred Smoot, DeAngelo Hall

Note: DeAngelo beat out Carlos Rogers here and it is probably a good thing since he can return punts for us. Another huge shot to the loins as I go through this exercise is the constant reminder that Brian Mitchell left in 1999. Jeeeeez.

Today: Offensive Line

I am going to give three guys automatic bids today, and they are all tackles. The way I figure, all three of these guys could probably play any position, and at worst, they solidify the bookend spots on the line. Without further adieu, please welcome Chris Samuels, Jon Jansen, and Tre Johnson. Samuels and Jansen can't come as a surprise to anyone. Samuels is of course a perennial Pro Bowler and has been the anchor of the offensive line sine he arrived in 2000. He has gone to 6 Pro Bowls and has been one of the more respected players in the league for some time.

Jon Jansen...hmmm...by the end of his Redskins' career, he was a shell of his former self. Injuries had robbed him of the unflinching confidence every Washington fan had put in him over the years. But when healthy, Jansen was as good of a power run blocker as we have seen around here. In 2004, he teamed up with Randy Thomas to help pave the way for Clinton Portis to gain over 1,500 yards. He loved blocking for the run and since we intend to run the ball on this squad, we can't leave off a Redskin like Jon Jansen. Beyond that, Jansen relished being a Redskin. He had a great ongoing rivalry with Michael Strahan and whenever you would see him on TV, he was always talking about how good his Redskins could be, even getting feisty about it with other players (most notably Corey Chavous one year when they had Jansen on during the NFL draft providing opinion and perspective.)

Tre Johnson's best years were in the 90's, for sure. He only started 7 games for us in the decade, sandwiching his 2000 and 2002 campaigns around a year in Cleveland. But when I saw that he had suited up for the Skins in this decade, I was ecstatic. This dude loved being a Redskin. When he was healthy, he was a ferocious blocker. He made the Pro Bowl in 1999, so it wasn't like he was completely washed up by the time the 2000's rolled around. And when you were driving home from the game on Sundays, who would you have rather heard from in the locker room on the radio's post-game show? I can still see him sitting by his locker, unravelling the tape from his hands, his dreads flopping from one side of his head to the other as he poetically described the action of the day. He was a "Redskin". We loved him and he loved us. No way we do this team without him. You can argue whether I have given an auto-bid to a bench player or a guy who you would play at Guard if we asked him to, but his presence on the sideline, in the locker room, and on the field is going to help set the tone for this team.

It is hard to put up a list of offensive linemen at this point and have a vote. Since it is such an important part of this team and since I want this to be as interactive as possible, I will open up the discussion to everyone and then I will pull a list of names to vote on from the comments below. We will take three more guys automatically from the discussion and then we will put up a vote to determine the last two or three.

Great collection of Pro-Bowl pics - all Fletcher and Sackpo at blog.redskins.com

2010-02-01T16:44:01Z

Great collection of Pro-Bowl pics - all Fletcher and Sackpo at blog.redskins.com

Breaking Down the Senior Bowl (Redskins Positions of Interest)

2010-01-31T15:09:04Z

This is my early break-down of the players we could possibly target who were playing in the 2010 senior bowl played Saturday, Jan 30th. I was breaking down the OL, RB, and QB positions the most, with an eye on CB's and OLB/DE as well. I'll list the players based upon priority position, starting with the OL, and moving down the list. I will list players in order of how I felt they performed during the game, as well as practice reports from the week. The hights and weights were the ones that were taken during the week leading up to the game.

OT's:

Sam Young(ND) 6-8 320 - Easily the most impressive of all the OT's in the game. Young showed excellent footwork in both pass and run blocking. He does tend to get a bit high in run blocking, but this is something that can be refined in the NFL. Grade - A

Ciron Black(LSU) 6-5 331 - Ciron Started the game off well, showing good footwork, and the ability to get to the second level on backers. His performance changed drastically after the first quarter as he was repeadtily beaten off the edge. He performance only proves what I have said about him for the last 3 months; he is not a LT in the NFL. His best position may be RT or G. Grade - C-

Selvish Capers(WVU) 6-5 304 - I hate to say it but Capers looked terrible in this game. He was beaten badly in both the run and passing game. Brandon Graham form Mich made him look like a high school player. He really hurt his draft stock. Grade - D

Ed Wang(VTech) 6-5 309 - I didn't think it was possible to look much worse than Capers, but Black may have been just that. Grade - D

G's:

Jon Asamoah(Illinois) 6-5 315 - Played solid in run blocking. Struggled a little in pass protection. Has good strength, and punch off the ball. Plays a little high. Grade - B

Mike Johnson(Alabama) 6-5 306 - Looked poor playing against a stellar North D-line, but did show some potential later in the game as he settled down a bit. Showed good strenght in the run game, and playes low for a guy his size. Needs to work on his footwork at the next level. Grade - C

Mike Iupati(Idaho) 6-6 325 - Iupati was the most talked about linemen coming into the game. There was even talk about him playing T in the NFL. He was a hugh disapointment in this game. He was called multiple time for holding, and was consistantly beaten inside by both the speed rush and the bull rush. Needs to sit back in his stance and use his hands and feet better in pass protection. Tends to be a waist bender. Look better at LG than at RG. Looked ok, not stellar in run blocking. Will need a good combine and pro day to elevate his stock again. As of now, I wouldn't touch him in the 2nd rd. Grade - C-

RB's:

LeGarrette Blount(Oregon) 6-2 240 - Showed a great burst, and exceptional power running the ball both between the tackles, and outside. Lowered his head and delivered the blow to linebackers and safities. Will need to have a solid pro day and run a good 40 time to help elevate his draft stock. He really helped himself in this game. Grade - B+

Ben Tate(Auburn) 5-10 214 - Although his had limited carries, Tate flashed good speed and excellent cutting ability. Has a nice combination of size and speed. Is a mid round sleper. Grade - B

Staffon Johnson(USC) 6-0 214 - Johnson was the feel good storie of the Senior Bowl. Being able to return to football after his horrific weightlifting accident was amazing. Johnson didn't get a chance to truely showcase his talents, but he certainly showed NFL teams his determination and will power. He should come into the NFL with something to prove, and could be a great late Rd pickup. Grade - B

Dexter McCluster(Ole Miss) 5-8 165 - McCluster was one of the most exciting players in the country in the second half of the season. He can play multiple positions on offense, and is also very dangerous as a kick returner. His size and durability are definitly a concern, and this came to fruition in the 3rd qtr when he was popped and fumbled the football. He is great in space, and NFL teams will have to find creative ways to get the ball in his hands. Grade - C

QB's:

Dan LeFevor(Cent Mich) 6-3 238 - Lefevor really showed NFL scouts his potential. Once he settled down he showed great accuracy and touch on the deep ball, and a strong arm on the skinny post and comeback route. The TD he threw to Gilyard was a thing of beauty. He also showed good mobility both inside and outside the pocket. Needs to work on accuracy at the next level. Grade - B+

Zach Robinson(Ok St) 6-2 210 - Robinson was the most productive of all the QB's but much of his production came when the South was well behind. Showed above-average arm strength on throws across the middle. Accuracy was descent admist a fierce North pass rush. Grade - B

Sean Canfield(Ore St) 6-4 214 - Had a descent 2nd qtr showing good accutracy and touch. Doesn't have the srtongest arm, so he will need to make up for that with good footwork, mechanics and accuracy in the NFL. Worthy of late Rd consideration. Grade - C

Tim Tebow(Florida) 6-2 236 - Tebow was the most scrutinized QB coming into the game. He struggled early on in practice, and really didn't show much in the game. He was under constant pressure form the North D-line so that didn't help his cause. He showed some zip on the deep comeback, but his overall accuracy needs work. He also fumbled twice. He will be a project, but if he gets with the right team, it may be one worth the time. Grade - C-

Tony Pike(Cinn) 6-6 225 - Pike never settled down and got into a rhythm. He was inaccurate on both short and intermediate throws, and did not seem comfortable stepping up into the pocket to deliver the football. Tends to throw off his back foot too often. Is going to be a major project. Will need a good combine and pro day to get into the top 3 rounds. Grade - C-

C's:

Eric Olsen(ND) 6-5 305 - Overall Olsen looked good. He show some problems with his reach block, and was overpowered by Alabama's Terrance Cody and Dan Williams from Tennessee, but he showed the ability and punch to knock him man off the ball, then peel off to the second level. Grade - B-

Matt Tennant(BC) 6-4 294 - Looked solid. Had a problem against the bull rush, but otherwise showed good athleticism and tenasity. Grade - B-

Jeff Byers(USC) 6-3 299 - Had a good first quarter, showing great mobility on reach blocks, and the ability to pull and lead block around the corner. Struggled with the bull rush. Can play either C or G in the NFL. Could be a good late round steal. Grade - C+

Others of Interest:

Brandon Graham(Mich) DE 6-2 263 - Graham was the most dominate player on either roster, garnering him player of the game honors. He made Black and Capers look very bad. He was a constant disruptive force, and was in the South backfield all day long. Could project as a 3-4 OLB in the mold of fellow wolverine LaMar Woodley. Grade - A+

Dan Williams(Tenn) DT 6-2 329 - Showed excellent speed and power from his DT position. Is a space eater who can also get penetration. May have played his way into the first rd with his performance. Grade - A

Patrick Robinson(Fl St) CB 5-11 19- - Was the most impressive of the DB in this game. Showed excellent cove skills and very fluid hips to be able to turn and run with recievers. Was constantly in the recievers hip pocket. I'll be interested to see how he tests at the combine and his pro day. Could be a late first, early second rd pick. Grade - B+

Mardy Gillyard(Cinn) WR 6-1 187 - Easily the most impressive WR in the game. Gillyard showed good speed, and the ability to seperate from defenders. He made a great catch in his touchdown from LeFevor, and showed good adjustment on a few other catches. Finished the game with 5 catches for over 100yds and a TD. Also showed good return skills. Announcers compared him to DeShawn Jackson. Grade - B+

Seven Round Draft from Mocking the Draft

2010-01-31T14:13:20Z

Over on Mocking the Draft, we just finished up a seven round draft that members of all 32 SB Nation NFL teams participated in. I was representing the Redskins & these are the picks that I made for our team. It was an interesting experience & I felt like I learned a lot. The draft was seven rounds plus three UDFAs at the end. Let me know what you think about the picks I made & where I screwed it up.lol

1st rd. Russell Okung LT Oklahoma State

2nd rd. Jonathan Dwyer RB Georgia Tech.

4th rd. Sergio Render Guard Va. Tech

5th rd. Kam Chancellor FS Va. Tech

7th rd. Josh Hull ILB Penn State

UDFAs

Kion Wilson ILB USF

Curtis Steele RB Memphis

Doug Palmer Guard East Carolina

Zorn to Baltimore as QB coach

2010-01-31T00:23:19Z

Like the headline says, Zorn will be the QB coach for the Ravens in 2010. I believe this is a good fit for him as he gets to work with a young, talented QB behind a strong Oline, run game and defense. So good luck to him in the 2010 season and hopefully he can rebuild is resume for the future.

The real point to this article is that it seems much less likely that JC will be traded (in a sign and trade deal). Players follow coaches and coaches make strong plays for players that know their system, especially for a position as complicated as QB. So the idea of JC going to another team is highly unlikely, as his 2 year mentor has been hired.

Shanahan's Coaching Staff Complete

2010-01-29T18:15:42Z

Shanahan's Coaching Staff Complete

Coaches that have worked together recently are noted as such.

Head Coach: Mike Shanahan (DEN)
Offensive Coordinator: Kyle Shanahan (HOU)
Defensive coordinator: Jim Haslett (UFL)
Special teams: Danny Smith (WAS)

Running backs: Bobby Turner (DEN)
Quarterbacks: Matt LaFleur (HOU)
Offensive line: Chris Foerster
Wide Receivers: Keenan McCardell
Tight Ends: Jon Embree
Offensive assistant: Sean McVay (UFL)

Defensive line: Jacob Burney (DEN)
Linebackers: Lou Spanos
Defensive assistant: Kirk Olivadotti (WAS)
Secondary: Bob Slowik (DEN)
Safeties: Steve Jackson (WAS)