Hogs Haven

Redskins vs Cowboys Red Zone Preview

2009-11-21T13:15:09Z

I think it's about time to dish out are apologies to Sherman Lewis. The volunteer bingo caller is 6-9 in the red zone in the 3 games he's called. Sherm Smith certainly gets the assist with his effective play-calling on the ground. It's still hard to say exactly what went wrong those first 6 weeks, but it's obvious that the Joe Gibbs' style of running the ball is working. Did you know the Skins ran the ball FORTY times against the Broncos (with only 27 passing attempts)? Does that sound like a West Coast offense to you? Whatever it is, the Redskins offense is a lot less predictable and it's paying off.

Redskins Red Zone Statistics 2009
	*Redskins Offense*	*Opponent's Offense*
*@Giants*	2-3	0-3
*Rams*	0-5	1-3
*@Lions*	1-2	1-3
*Buccaneers*	1-3	1-1
*@Panthers*	2-3	2-3
*Chiefs*	0-1	0-2
*Eagles*	2-3	0-0
BYE	-	-
@Falcons	2-2	1-2
Broncos	2-4	0-1
Total	12-26	6-18

The Cowboys on the other hand are a mystery. How does one of the best offenses in the NFL have statistically one of the lower red zone percentages? What's ironic is that week 2 when the Boys hosted the Giants, the Cowboys went a perfect 4-4 in the red zone, the Giants went 0-5, and the Giants won 33-31! (Eli had several TD passes in the 22-30 yard range).

Cowboys' Red Zone chart and analysis after the jump...

Going back to the Cowboys red zone woes, it's clear Jason Witten has not been a factor. He only has ONE total touchdown all year, which came way back at week 2. His weekly receptions average are still on his par from last year at 5, but his yards per reception are noticeably down. Either way, he's someone that needs to be accounted for at all times. I'm looking forward to see who Blache has defending him.

Cowboys Red Zone Statistics 2009
	*Cowboys Offense*	*Opponent's Offense*
*@Buccaneers*	1-2	3-3
*GIANTS*	4-4	0-5
*PANTHERS*	1-4	0-0
*@Broncos*	1-3	1-2
*@Chiefs*	0-2	2-2
BYE
*FALCONS*	1-3	2-2
*SEAHAWKS*	3-3	1-1
*@Eagles*	1-3	1-2
*@Packers*	1-3	2-2
Total	13-27 (48%)	12-19 (63%)

This post is sponsored by Comcast's NFL RedZone Channel, which allows you to see all the action from inside the 20 for every NFL game.

Hogs Haven Answers Blogging the Boys' Redskins Questions

2009-11-20T16:12:31Z

Hogs Haven Answers Blogging the Boys' Redskins Questions

The Revolution - Hogs Haven Interview with Joe Theismann, Legendary Redskins Quarterback (Video)

2009-11-20T01:40:28Z

Joe Theismann rolls to his right as well as his left in our interview at FedEx Field. Image via www.tristarproductions.com

View full size photo »

As I said earlier this week, we can't simply reserve our complaints about the current debacle surrounding our team for weeks when we lose. However, during Dallas Week, we can tone it down slightly so that the focus of the week remains firmly where it should be--on the reviled Cowgirls.

I had a great opportunity to interview Joe Theismann at a recent event at Fed Ex Field. The event was a Health Awareness program for veterans, sponsored in part by GlaxoSmithKline. In the beginning of the interview, I gave Joe a chance to speak about both the event itself as well as how he came to be a part of it. I had the opportunity to mingle around with some of the veterans' groups that had set up booths, and I have to tell you it was great to talk to so many folks who are doing so much to help both our current troops as well as former members of the military. I'd like to say a special thank you to the folks at Cohn & Wolfe for coordinating this interview with Hogs Haven and Joe Theismann. Video after the jump...

Now, before you watch the video, keep in mind, I barely call myself a writer, much less a TV personality. I threw myself on the proverbial grenade of public scrutiny to get some answers out of Joe. So for all of you aspiring TV folks, feel free to use this video and its many flaws as a lesson on what not to do when conducting an interview. That said, it was a ton of fun, and I think I ultimately did get a few good thoughts out of the very polished, and very careful quarterback.

Since I was standing in the Redskins locker room, the last thing I wanted to do was pointedly ask Joe a question that would rile him or be considered tactless. I mean, I didn't expect the guy to stand there and bash the team. But I still had to address the biggest issue on all of our minds--was Vinny at fault and should he be fired. Joe let me off the hook big-time by sifting through what he called my "political correctness". I must say I am a little shocked that he doesn't think Vinny is completely to blame.

I was also a bit discouraged to hear that he had no name to give me as a guy on this roster who is a potential candidate to step up and be the leader on this team that Chris Samuels has always been. His answer was very honest though, and extremely telling of the uncertainty surrounding the future of this team. When I asked him about offensive philosophy, I was actually trying to get Joe to break down a scheme or a system that he thought would work. What I got though was pretty clear: Theismann does not appear to think Cerrato and Snyder hired a guy who brought a system that fit the players already on the roster. Isn't it interesting that we are saying things like, "Zorn didn't pan out?" I mean, they brought a guy in who is a West Coast offense guy and hand him a team that is built on the power running game. And it is Zorn's fault? (I know...I already took a beating last week for suggesting Zorn should be given more time, but at least on this point we could possibly have some agreement.)

I'll let it go at that today. I am getting very fired up for the upcoming game against the loathsome Cowgirls. A win over that team goes a very long way in this town. It would ease a lot of the pain associated with the treatment of the greatest fans in the world. We intend to continue to hold these guys responsible and will do our best to continue to put questions to the folks who can help us get answers. As Joe said at the end, patience is the key. Not just in terms of waiting for the players to click and play well, but also in terms of our efforts to get through to the team to try and get this thing turned around.

Hogs Haven Chats with Cowboys' blog, Blogging The Boys

2009-11-19T20:15:08Z

Hopefully we'll be seeing a lot of this on Sunday (via blogs.tampabay.com)

View full size photo »

David Halprin, who is the lead blogger for the Cowboys' SB Nation website, Blogging the Boys, and I had a brief gmail chat talking about the big game.

We talked about what their 2 major injuries mean (Colombo and Hamlin), why they refuse to run the ball, and if the DAL/WAS rivalry is still big in DAL (it's not). I tried throwing in some jabs to rile him up, but he didn't bite:

Kevin: What are your thoughts this Sunday? You have a lot of big injuries. Lets start with Doug Free replacing RT Marc Columbo...is he going to be able to handle [Andre Carter]? He's never started a game before

David: That's the question we all want answered. We've had Free for a few years now but never had the need to start him. Now we do. Free actually played well against the Packers and wasn't one of the problems our offense had in Green Bay. He's got great athleticism and did well in pass protection, we'll just have to see how he measures up this week.

Kevin: Did Witten have to stay in more to help pass block? That would help the Skins out a lot.

David: Not at all, Free was left on his own for most of the game in pass protection and only had a few bad plays in that area. They would probably use a different TE (Bennett or Phillips) or one of the backs if they give him help.

Kevin: What about Hamlin's replacement? I know he's one of the verbal leaders on that D.

David: That's a tough one, Alan Ball will replace him, he was originally a cornerback but he worked at safety most of training camp this season. He's not the biggest guy and not having Hamlin QB'ing the secondary will hurt some. Our safety play has improved a lot this season, but without Hamlin it's a little worrying.

Kevin: What's to worry about? Santana Moss never does any damage in Big D!

David: ha

Kevin: Flozell and Kosier going to be OK or gimpy? Haynesworth was still in a boot yesterday but expected to play.

David: I don't expect any problems with Flozell or Kosier, unless you've heard something I haven't?

Kevin: DallasNews.com said they're nursing ankle sprains but should play. Gurode made any comments about Haynesworth this week? I can't imagine he's looking forward to dealing with him again

David: I don't think Gurode has any problem going against Haynesworth, the reason he stomped his head in the first place is because Gurode was getting the better of him. Gurode kind of let that incident pass really quickly, he never said too much about it after it was over.

Kevin: So Dallas has a 2nd best 5.1 yards per carry in the NFL but a 24th ranked rushing attempts...any reason the Cowboys keep abandoning the run?

David: Over the years, OC Jason Garrett sometimes falls in love with the pass. If the run games breaks down even a little bit, or if the Cowboys are moving the ball through the air, he has no problem continuing airing it out. Sometimes it's the flow of the game, like in Green Bay, where the offense just wasn't clicking and they got desperate to pass. It's a constant subject of contention in Dallas and was brought up a lot this week. It's hard to diagnose, but my personal feeling is that Garrett, a former QB, loves to put the ball in the air.

Kevin: how much do you guys miss Roy WIlliams the Safety? I know us Redskins fans miss him dearly there.

David: Gerald Sensabaugh has been a great addition. He's athletic enough to cover TE's and even WR's occasionally, but is tough enough to stick his nose into the running game. He's shown good instincts for finding the ball and making a play. We're thrilled with his performance so far.

Kevin: wow. Cowboys are -13 faves. what's your prediction?

David: I think that's a ridiculous line, considering it's a rivalry game in the NFC East. I do think that Dallas will come out on top, but I would guess more like a FG or TD separation, not 13 points.

Kevin: actually, the line has moved to -11

David: It's getting closer

Kevin: when do you think the Cowboys will win a playoff game? ha

David: really, that's the best you got?

Kevin: I don't need to say anything, when December comes, Romo's play will do all my talking for me I've always questioned if Wade Phillips' head set is even plugged in...he seems to have no clue what's going on.

David: well this is veering off track...anyway, can we do my questions for you tomorrow, i got no more time right now

(several hours later...)

Kevin: The DAL/WAS rivalry is still as big as ever in DC. It's all people talk about the week before and the week after, and there is a hatred there for Dallas fans. Does Dallas still have that reciprocal passion against Washington? Is there a big buildup in D anytime you guys face us?

David: The Dal/Was rivalry is not as big in Dallas anymore. I don't think there is that reciprocal hatred for the Redskins like there was before. Don't get me wrong, we still hate the Skins, but it's not the same for us anymore. It seems like the Eagles are the team the Cowboys fanbase really gets up for now. That's where the real passionate hatred is directed. So no, it's not at all like what you're seeing on your end.

Kevin: it doesn't help when the Skins have had a decade of mediocrity

David: I think that's part of the problem, but for whatever reason, probably becasue they've been winning big over the last decade, the Eagles win the most-hated NFC opponent on polls I run on my blog, with the Giants usually second

I answered about a dozen of his questions, so I'll post a link to that when it comes up.

Another key to the game for the Skins. STARTING STRONG:

The Redskins have been outscored 59-17 in the 1st quarter and 120-50 in the 1st half of games this year.

Redskins vs Cowboys: Haynesworth & Corner Blitzing are the Keys to Victory

2009-11-19T15:19:16Z

Well, it's Cowboys week and if there's ever a time to stay medium, this is the week. Vegas opened the line with Cowboys as 13 point favorites, which America bold-heartedly disagrees with as the line has moved down to -11. In my weekly routine of combing over the opponent's offensive stats, the Cowboys are damn impressive. They average a 2^nd best rushing yards per carry (5.1), but only rank 24^th in the league in rushing attempts. Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett has been catching a LOT of heat this week in Big D for abandoning the run, so I expect the Skins D to face a lot of rushes early.

Their passing game is equally as scary with a league leading 11 passing plays that have gone for 40+ yards, while Romo has only given up a measly 6 INTs so far. November is Romo's month, 15-2 for his career, but alas....one of those losses was against the burgundy & gold.

Whichever team runs the ball well is going to win, and looking at the rushing statistics, it's clear Albert Hanyesworth is without doubt the key to this game. He was wearing a protective boot for his sprained ankle yesterday, but is expected to play. Special thanks to HH member PommyLee for putting the following graphs together.

This chart visualizes the power runs, which is the % success rate rushing the ball on 3^rd or 4^th down with under 2 yards to get the 1^st down. Dallas has a 100% success rate running right in short yardage situations while Stephon Heyer and the Redskins have a 0% success rate running the same way:

Even though the Cowboys have a lot of success running right in short yardage situations, their success is running the ball left and up the middle. This next chart shows the number of rushes for each team left, right, and up the middle. Just under half of the Cowgirls' big play rushes are to the left. Phillip Daniels has his work cut out for him as this chart shows:

PommyLee: Dallas has 5 negative yard plays running right which I assume must all be sweeps on early downs considering their 100% success in short yardage. Even though we have 0% success running right in short yardage we get some success with long runs running right and left

Moving over to the passing game, pressure is IMPERATIVE. The Cowgirls have allowed a 19^th worst 22 sacks. Green Bay deserves a lot of credit since they notched 5 sacks last week. Don Capers used a 3-4 scheme and blitzed relentlessly to major success:

"They have a good scheme, they throw a lot of guys around and they have good players who know how to (blitz) and it just made for confusion from time to time," Romo said

Romo has actually struggled against all the 3-4 defenses he's faced. In regards to pressure, Defensive Coordinator Greg Blache prefers to blitz the safeties, but he has changed that up this year. In the squeaker win over Tampa, Blache blitzed all the corners at least once with Tryon drawing the most praise:

"[Tryon] brings that mentality of special teams to defense," [Secondary Coach Jerry] Gray said. "[Now] you've brought in a guy who has reckless abandon to go and make plays. Justin could have blitzed and when the quarterback scrambled away, but he accelerated and didn't slow down until he got his hands on him. That's the mentality they teach on special teams. It carries over."

The Cowboys O-line is banged up, which the Redskins welcome, especially Andre Carter. Right Tackle Marc Columbo is likely gone for the year, and Doug Free will step in, who has never started a game before.

If the Skins show a 3-4 at times, it's imperative they get pressure with Haynesworth in the middle. The big man also takes away the rush the middle...if he can make it through this game without injury, that $100 million contract might just be worth it.

Getting to Know GM Chris Polian, Who Will Never Be the Redskins GM

2009-11-19T04:10:32Z

Getting to Know GM Chris Polian, Who Will Never Be the Redskins GM

I just came across this fantastic write-up from fellow SB Nation blog, Arrowhead Pride, from when they were searching for a GM. A couple of the points that stand out, which make me realize Mr. Snyder has 0% chance of acquiring him:

- How well would Polian draft without his team of scouts?
- Colts are fully (and publicly) committed to keeping him
- If he passed on the 49ers, Chiefs and ATL, why would he come to this mess?

It's a shame because that draft resume is outstanding.

Redskins' Coach Watch: Mike Shanahan in D.C. Likely Means Cerrato Would Stay

2009-11-18T12:15:19Z

via nbcsportsmedia1.msnbc.com

View full size photo »

In the previous Redskins Coach watch posts, we discovered that Mike Holmgren would not be a good fit in D.C., and Russ Grimm is worth at least a hard look.

Dan Snyder has quite the conundrum now doesn't he? Zorn is building some momentum, and at the same time two premier coaches, Shanahan and Cowher, have publicly rejected their desire to be the ringleader of this circus. We all know Snyder is the ultimate salesman using his wallet to do the talking. As we learned with Joe Gibbs return, there's nothing Snyder can't do in regards to acquiring personnel.

What's disconcerning is that Shanahan and Vinny Cerrato are still really close. Vinny was the Director of College Scouting in San Francisco during Shanahan's three-year stint (1992 to 1994) as the 49ers' offensive coordinator. They still keep in touch with Shanahan recommending RB Anthony Alridge. So, if Shanahan does come aboard, he more likely than not would be OK with Vinny retaining his title and the two working together. EESH!!!

I spoke in length with former Denver Bronco, Karl Mecklenburg, about Shanahan:

Hogs Haven: What are your thoughts on Mike Shanahan as the next coach in D.C.? I know things ended badly in Denver with three straight years of failing to make the playoffs.

Karl: I've known Mike forever. Mike was the Offensive Coordinator with the Broncos for years while I was playing. Mike ran into an issue at the end of his career where he was both the General Manager and the Coach. It was a problem about 3 years ago. They just drafted Jay Cutler and they replaced Plummer with Cutler. Rod Smith, a great leader, got hurt, Al Wilson, the heart & soul of the defense, got hurt, and Keith Burns, Special Teams captain, got hurt. Plummer was a great leader, not necessarily a great player, but everyone loved him in the locker room, gave unbelievable effort, he was all about the team. So, all 4 of these guys all go down at once.

The way I describe a team in my speeches and book is a see-saw or teeter-totter. On one side you have the leaders. They think long-term. They put team passion and team mission first. On the other side you have the egos. How can I get my touches, my statistics. How can I do as little as possible and keep this job? Where's my money? Then in the middle you got rest of the team that can go either way. And that's usually the biggest group. So, on the see-saw you add or subtract a leader/ego, you tip that teeter-top one way or the other, and the middle group starts sliding that way. So then you have momentum towards success or momentum towards failure.

So what happened to Mike all 4 leaders went down at once. You ever been on a teeter-totter when everyone gets off? BAM! That's what it was like and the egos took over. The middle group went that way, and it was really tough to negate that type of influence. It fell apart after that.

Hogs Haven: He couldn't fix that over 1 or 2 years?

That's a challenge. I'm not sure he knew if it was a problem. They brought in some talented guys. They tried to win in that offense. The defense side of the ball there wasn't great talent brought in. There was a new coordinator brought in every year so whatever talent they had they didn't understand the system. It takes awhile to learn the new language. Offensively, their leader was more concerned about himself then the team it appeared to me. When that happens it's very difficult to win, and I'm talking about Cutler.

Hogs Haven: So if Mike came to D.C. he shouldn't take on both roles?

Karl: That would be tough. He hasn't shown he has good at that. There are very few people that are, and there is nothing wrong with that. Mike is a great coach. Anybody that's had the success he's had is going to be a good coach. The challenge is, is he willing to delegate authority. Is he willing to turn the defense over and live with it. Is he willing to work with the GM and coach the players the other guy brings in. He was successful in the past, but once you've been the King, it's tough going back to being the Prince or Duke. I don't know if he'd be willing to do that.

I still can't get over Cerrato and Shanahan were close. My first thought was: How many offensive linemen did the 49ers draft in the Cerrato era? Answer: Two over the 3 years. One in the 3rd round and one in the 6th round. Vinny was only the Director of Scouting, so I'll pull the dogs back.

Mecklenburg makes some solid points though. It's just too much to have a Coach do all the GM work as well. Hopefully this is a lesson that the Skins need to bring in a competent GM that has a vision and set plan. From there, let the moves begin. I pinged the SB Nation Broncos' community regarding Shanahan and they added some insight as well:

I think that Shanahan is still a good coach and is an excellent strategist. He is even a good play caller. He just needs to ease up on the control issues and stick to coaching because he has a bad history with personnel decisions. If his ego can handle having a GM partner, he will do wonders for any team he decides to go to...Rumor has it, that Shanahan is trying to bring [Defensive Coordinator] Bob Slowik with him. Bad Move.

Shanahan's resume certainly passes the grades, but can this many egos co-exist in Ashburn? I don't want to find out until there is one person in full control that is not named Snyder.

Devin Thomas' Brazilian Birthday Party

2009-11-18T00:13:20Z

via Shy Nightlife and dcfab.thefabempire.com/

View full size photo »

Via the Queen on the Scene, Miss DC Fab posted her recap in pictures form of Devin Thomas' b-day party at Club Lima after the big win over the Broncos. Lima had to be bumping at another notch given the Skins first win in over a month. If we beat Dallas, I will not be looking NEARLY as sober, in fact, I won't be making it to work (crap, I hope my employer doesn't read this site). Happy Birthday Dev and keep up the good work.

More pics after the jump, including CP, Fred Davis, and future defensive Rookie of the Year, Brian Orakpo.

Images via thefabempire.com

Pour Some Sugar On Me - Roger Goodell Establishes What the Fine Will Be If Dan Snyder Does Not Fire Vinny Cerrato

2009-11-17T17:45:10Z

In case you missed it, the Tennessee Titans owner was filmed giving Buffalo Bills fans the ol' bird from his perch on Sunday. If you aren't a Bills player, fan or employee--or Roger Goodell--you probably laughed your ass off. Goodell dropped a $250,000 fine on Bud Adams today...which leads me to my headline...because if Snyder does not fire Cerrato, he will be essentially flipping the entire Redskins fanbase the middle finger, and should be fined at least the same $250,000 amount.

Ten Yard Fight - 10 Chances To Make One Good Point

It's Dallas Week, so this week, instead of covering the league, I got 10 great memories of involving the hated Cowgirls. This is not an exhaustive list, nor is it any particular order. Feel free to add to this collection in the comments section below.

1) Darryl Grant's catch of a Dexter Manley tipped ball and subsequent touchdown in the NFC Championship game in 1982. It is one of my earliest memories of watching the Redskins period. I was barely 5 years old. The win over the despicable Cowgirls put us in the Super Bowl and the television images of RFK rocking are burned into my brain. Box score here.

2) Lavar Arrington tracking down Troy Aikman and sending him to the broadcasting booth. I admit this is kind of a macabre memory to love, but this one is great for multiple reasons. First, after so many Sundays of getting burned by Aikman over the years, it was satisfying (and fitting) that it be the Redskins that ended his career. Guys like him would and could play forever but they usually get knocked out of the league. Troy made the right decision to retire and as it turns out, he is one hell of a television broadcaster. He is generally fair and even-handed when he calls Redskins games, though since he is on the "A" team for Fox, we have rarely gotten him over the years.

3) Darrell Green's last game as a Redskin. The miserable Cowgirls were in complete disarray that week. Dave Campo's job was in question and the players on his sideline had completely phoned it in. We probably had no business beating that team but they were so obviously out of sorts it was hardly a contest. Both teams finished with losing records that year, but the going away present everyone wanted to give Darrell was a home victory over the pitiful Cowgirls. Box score here.

4) Brunell to Moss twice in the 4th quarter on Monday Night Football. I sat in stunned silence as the seconds ticked away in a loss that most likely was going to cost us the season. I was at a bar in Bethesda and as some of my buddies were ready to roll, I told them I kind of had to watch the end of this one. I had to witness the final whistle on my hopes for the season. The first touchdown to Moss was fun, but that feeling in my stomach that it was too little, too late was impossible to ignore. Then...no way...a seconddeep ball to Moss? With the lead in hand now, I was left to ponder the sick joke being played on us all that night: we come all the way back in the last minute only to lose to a field goal at the last second. The ensuing defensive stop was awesome, and everyone went crazy. Every car on the street was honking and every passerby was high-fiving. Box score here.

5) I would like to take this moment to remember a few moments from the pathetic Cowgirls' history that did not involve the Skins. Both were playoff games, and both put BIG smiles on my face. The first was back in 1998, in a playoff game against the Cardinals. Jake "The Snake" Plummer led the Cards to a huge win over Dallas. I might be mistaken, but it could have been their first playoff victory. Have the Cowgirls won a playoff game since then? Maybe they have, but I am not so sure. The second moment was more recent. When the Cowgirls had the game in hand against the Seahawks in the 2006-2007 playoffs, Romo was set to hold for a game-winning field goal. The rest is not only history, it created a whole new vocabulary. In prison, they now say, "Don't 'Romo' the soap!" I tell my two year old not to "Romo" his bottle. Cell phone users hate it when their calls are "Romo'ed".

6) The blocked field goal/Sean Taylor return a few years ago. It was a pretty classic slugfest but with the score tied 19-19, we found ourselves on defense with the low-life Cowgirls driving to put it away on the leg of Mike Vanderjagt. I remember it all too well...Jason Witten absolutely abusing Adam Archuleta for a huge gainer to set up the last-second kick. Once again, I found myself sitting in my seat awaiting the inevitable. I did not have the best angle to see the block, and once that ball was loose, it was tough to tell who had the ball. But then there was #21, making his way for the game-winner. Everyone was going nuts...but even within the moment, I knew it was overtime, since the clock was ticking down to zero during the play. Sean Taylor's head-whip was visible from my seat. It was an obvious call. When the referee announced we were going to have one more play from the end of the penalty, it was as if he actually announced, "Everyone is going to get laid." Nick Novak...47 yards...ball game. Box score here.

7) Darrell Green chasing down Tony Dorsett on Monday Night Football. This one I did not see live. I have seen it a million times though and it always makes me gawk. Forget the game itself...in one moment, one of the greatest running backs in the league was shown to be very mortal, and an unknown, undersized cornerback put himself on the map forever.

8) Jason Buck pushing the center into Troy Aikman, forcing the fumble and the ensuing Emmitt Smith gaffe that led to the Danny Copeland touchdown. I believe it was the season opener, on Monday Night Football with Mark Rypien under center for the Skins. I was a hot pretzel vendor at RFKstadium in high school and I had a knack for making sure I was selling pretzels in a section with the best view of the action on the field. On this play, I was actually behind the end zone that the Cowgirls were playing out of, and I saw the whole thing unfold. Jason Buck lined up over the Dallas center and on the snap, he bullrushed the dude right into Troy Aikman who never had a chance. Emmitt Smith made a huge bonehead error by not covering the ball (did he try and throw it or just muff it?) and we recovered for the touchdown. Only thing is, the refs never saw any of it. Danny Copeland, who had recovered the ball for the touchdown, had run almost to midfield celebrating. The refs were still looking in the pile of linemen for the ball. Everyone was yelling and pointing at Copeland, who then ran back and showed the refs the ball. I remember thinking, "Are they just going to take his word in this?" We beat the sad-sack Cowgirls handily, but that was pretty much the end of the "good old days" era. I think that was Richie Petitbon's debut? Box score here.

9) Cooley's 3 TD performance in 2005 to propel us to the playoffs. Mark Brunell threw four total touchdown passes in a game where we absolutely dominated the detestable Cowgirls. It was one of the best games I have ever been to at FedEx. Drew Bledsoe threw three interceptions and Clinton Portis ran for 112 yards to go along with the studly performance from Cooley. Box score here.

10) I'll make this one last since I know that the wretched Cowgirls were barely trying, but in November of 2007, we grabbed the final NFC playoff spot by holding Marion Barber to -1 rushing yards and the entire team to only 1 yard rushing. They actually brought Tony Romo back out for a series in the second half but quickly removed him to prevent a certain injury. Our defense was incredibly nasty that day. Box score here.

On these, I certainly stand to be corrected on any facts I may have misstated. I am very aware of some of the older games played between the two teams that featured such greats as Ken Houston, Sonny Jurgensen, Charley Taylor...I am hopeful that those of you out there who saw these games firsthand will share your memories.

Give Me The Numbers, STAT!

PSSOM Notes...Well last week I pulled for Jim Zorn to be given another year and we had quite the lengthy discussion about it. Nothing quite as controversial about this week's edition I'm afraid. It seems though that some of my article titles are not getting through to folks. Seriously, the fact that even one person "corrected" the Animal House reference yesterday is embarrassing. Last week, one poor soul didn't get the Def Leppard reference in the title of this weekly piece (this marks the 14th edition of the PSSOM series.) We need to do better. Finally, we have to stay positive after the big win and prior to the showdown in Dallas, but we can't just forget altogether the joke of a front office we have. If we reserve all commentary on that subject for losing weeks we not only come off as whiners, we become no better than mindless kittens, distracted by the ball of yarn that is each win. I'll keep it simple and I'll keep the message on point. The following list represents a possible example of a good front office--do your own compare and contrast with Vinny Cerrato's reign of terror:

Notable First Round Draft Picks

1996 - T Jonathan Ogden
LB Ray Lewis
1997 - LB Peter Boulware
1999 - CB Chris McAllister
2000 - RB Jamal Lewis
2001 - TE Todd Heap
2002 - S Ed Reed
2003 - LB Terrell Suggs
QB Kyle Boller
2005 - WR Mark Clayton
2006 - DT Haloti Ngata
2007 - G Ben Grubbs
2008 - QB Joe Flacco
2009 - T Michael Oher

By the way, I counted and these men have combined for 39 Pro Bowls. That does not include any from Haloti Ngata, who will get his fair share I am sure. I don't particularly care for the Ravens, but Ozzie Newsome is simply a class act. Every pick may not be a Hall of Famer, but only one of these guys didn't pan out (Boller). You want to hear the worst part? They have a stated rule that every year they draft at least one offensive lineman. Now, I don't know how that has worked out each year, but holy crap is that a refreshing philosophy.

Image via www.shwiggie.com

Interview with Broncos' Legend Karl Mecklenburg About Leadership and the Redskins

2009-11-17T13:45:14Z

Book available via Amazon.com

View full size photo »

I had the fortune last week to speak with former Broncos great, Karl Mecklenburg, after his literary publicist contacted me regarding his debut book, Heart of a Student Athlete: All Pro Advice for Competitors and their Families. Per Karl's website, the former Denver Broncos' captain and All-Pro, Karl Mecklenburg rose from being a college walk-on and a 12th round draft pick to a pro career that included six Pro Bowl and three Super Bowl appearances. Considered the NFL's most versatile player, Karl played all seven defensive front positions. Karl divides his time between his ongoing charity involvements and his motivational speaking for student athletes, parents, and corporate team-building.

Motivation and leadership has been a huge concern for me in regards to the Washington Redskins, and Karl delivered some great advice. The specific topics we covered include:

- Is it imperative to have vocal leaders in the locker room?
- What do high-priced free agents do to a team's chemistry? (Portis)
- Why Jay Cutler is not a leader and DEN wanted him out
- How does a leader fix motivation and focus problems (missed tackles and dropped balls)?
- How does a player stay motivated when the front office is mis-managed?
- Thoughts on Mike Shanahan as the next Skins Coach/GM (this post coming tomorrow)

Hogs Haven: Before getting into your book, I thought I'd start with a question Redskins' Nation would appreciate. Do you still see Timmy Smith and Doug Williams in your nightmares?

Karl: [laughing] Nah. I spoke about this in my section 'Super Bowl & Drugs.' One of our defensive players was basically not there. We were playing 10 on 11, and it got real ugly real fast. That was one of the most frustrating days of my life. One of our defensive players was just spaced out running around out there doing nothing. Unfortunately, the team staff didn't recognize it, and at the end of the year they fired him and fired his position coach. That was a tough deal.

The Redskins were a great team. Don't get me wrong, but Timmy Smith never really did anything else remarkable in his career. It was a great scheme. Your coaching staff put a little wrinkle in the counter-trey. We always played the counter-trey the same way...the Strong Safety would come up on the outside and the OLB would take out one or both of the point linemen...the inside Linebacker would scrape over the top and usually we had the SS free. Well, the Redskins brought the H-Back too, and you just had to block the SS knowing that no matter what defense we were in we played that the same way, and that was something they had never done before. The first series we were surprised by it. After that we made some adjustments and it should have worked, but because the one guy couldn't make the adjustment, we kept getting gashed over and over again.

Hogs Haven: Moving over to the motivational side of your book, what happens when the leaders (and by that I mean the captains) on the team are not vocal? When things do go bad, and you hit a string of losses, what is the leader's role? The Skins seem to be in a state of 'we're all professional athletes, we know what we need to do'. Does it imperative that there be a player that makes a verbal impact? It is it a bad sign if no one does?

Karl: The vocal thing is helpful. To me, what is more important is that there is the commitment. There is 4 C's to leadership I talk about. There is Community...that you're a relational person. You're concerned about your teammates. You get to know them...you understand their strengths and weaknesses.

Elway used to go from table to table at lunch each day during the Broncos facility and get to know his teammates and become one of their friends and someone involved with them. So that community piece is huge. Then there's the commitment to the team goal. Then there's the consistency of that commitment and the clarity of that commitment. That's where the communication piece comes in. It doesn't have to be verbal. If your leaders have those relationships with players and that it is consistent and clear, then they can function as a leader just fine.

If there's any inconsistency in that commitment or lack of clarity, then it's very difficult to get people to follow you, especially if they think you're more concerned about your own statistics or paycheck than the team goal/mission.

The Broncos had that problem with Cutler. He was more concerned with his statistics than the success of the team. That's why he's not here anymore. When you're in that leadership position you really have to be someone who can step forward and be a leader in the way I described.

Hogs Haven: That leads to my next question. The Redskins are known for all the high-priced free agents they bring in...how does that affect leadership?

Karl: Right. Free agency in many ways is basically a selfish position. If you're leaving, most of the time, it's because you feel like you're not getting enough money or enough playing time. It's about me, not the team. It's very difficult to bring in free agents who have a team attitude. It's more about where's my money. Who's the star RB for Wasington?

Hogs Haven: Clinton Portis.

Karl: Yea. Portis. Yea, it appeared that he was all about himself and about statistics. That he wasn't a guy that was going to play hurt or he took himself out of the game all the time and things like that. That didn't sit well here in Denver. That is why they traded him for Champ Bailey. Champ is one of those guys you talk about who is a quiet leader but very committed to the team passion...the team mission to win championships.

Hogs Haven: In your short, "Decisiveness in the Field," you cited your son's lack of focus in hunting as an example of distractions. The Skins clearly have a lack of focus with missed tackles, awful penalties, dropped passes...how would you correct this or prevent it from happening if you were in the Skins locker room?

Karl: That's a challenge because it's an internal thing. It can happen on a football team when there's confusion about what is your assignment. To be decisive, you have to know what you're supposed to do and have the capabilities/tools to do it. I think what happens a lot of times, especially when there is a lot of changes with coaches and coordinators like you guys have gone through, than the lack of decisiveness makes it so you make mistakes...it doesn't matter how big or fast or strong you are, if you don't know where you're going then you can't get there.

I'm convinced that's the problems the Broncos had [3] weeks ago against Baltimore. I saw indecisiveness across the board and my guess is the new, young coach put in way too much stuff and the guys didn't know exactly what to do. So, they were hesitant and their decisiveness was completely lost and you start making mistakes.

Hogs Haven: When a team is as injury-depleted and mismanaged as the Redskins, how do the players find motivation to continue battling when they are all but mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.

Karl: That's when the professional attitude takes over. If you have passion to be the best player that ever played the game like I did, that was my focus, it doesn't matter someone else wasn't living up to my standards. I had to live up to my standards. You do whatever you can to rally the guys. Point to all the positive things and sacrifices. Mentor the young guys and let them know what is important and why this is important to me and keep a long-term view.

Hogs Haven: So when things went bad in Denver, you never thought about going to a stable, successful team when your contract was up?

Karl: Not really. It was about the team here. I was not a guy who was a great athlete. That's why I was the 310th pick of the draft and a college walk on. I made it because I was all about effort and not just the game situation but preparation and understanding my assignments. It didn't matter if we were behind or ahead or what our record was.

We had a flag football game at Mile High before they tore it down. They had the alumni for the Broncos versus the alumni from the rest of the league.

Bubba Parris and I had a long history. I played against him at Michigan. Bubba is a giant - 6'8, 360 lbs Offensive Tackle for San Francisco. For some reason we always played San Fran in pre-season, once every 3 years in the regular season, and one year I played against him in the Pro-bowl. So, Bubba comes up to me before the game when no one else was listening, "Hey Karl, slow down...this is just for fun." The giant was afraid of me. He was afraid of me because he knew I gave full effort. It doesn't matter if it's pre-season, regular season, or the Super Bowl. He knew I was bringing it all the time. That was the nicest thing he could have ever said to me. You have to have that kind of attitude.

How many opportunities do you get in a life time to play a football game? If you time a football game from snap to whistle and leave out all the other stuff it's less than 10 minutes. And you play half the game...so that's 5 minutes of effort. If you can't give 5 minutes of effort, you don't belong here.

We then talked for 5 minutes about Coach Shanahan, which will be in tomorrow's post. Thanks again to Karl for his time. He clearly has a firm grasp on what makes a team successful, and he has excerpts from his motivational speeches on his website, which I highly recommend.

Well, it's very obvious that the Redskins are missing something in their recruiting. Leadership. A lot of us shared the sentiment that Cutler was a "whiner" and "baby," and that we didn't want a guy like that on the Redskins. It's clear now that was the right decision, but that's not what Snyder and Cerrato saw, and I'm sure they will continue to make these mistakes until a new personnel director is in command.

As for Clinton Portis, I've always considered him a work-horse, though Joe Theismann sides with Mecklenburg questioning Portis' work ethic and leadership, via Steinberg:

Theismann: "There's been this, I don't want to call it a subliminal feeling, but this feeling that he hasn't given everything that he could give to this team in terms of coming in in shape, in terms of practicing...Well, we heard that also from Clinton, 'Hey look, I don't really need to practice, I know where I have to be.'
I said it on this show after he made that comment, I thought your offensive line has to know where they need to be so that you can be where you need to be. He's coddled all through training camp. It's like, 'Oh, let's not [tick] Clinton off.' And it's one of the things that Jason has mentioned."

New Miss Fedex Field 2009 Candidate

2009-11-17T05:28:17Z

Miss Fedex challenger, Dannia, (on the right).

View full size photo »

Back by popular demand, it's time to meet our first challenger in the Miss Fedex 2009 competition, Dannia.This past Sunday's game at Fedex was a glorious day. I went 5-2 in tailgate beer pong (which is not that great), the Skins won, the Redskins band did their post-game jam (every win outside section 111), and of course the weather was warm, which means lots of Miss Fedex candidates. Let's meet Dannia (more pictures after the jump):

Hogs Haven: How long have you been a Redskins fan and what is your favorite Redskins moment?

Dannia: I'm pretty sure I was a Skins fan in my mother's womb. My favorite Redskins moment was last season when we beat the Cowboys IN Dallas for the first time in forever - Campbell threw two touchdown passes and Portis ran for 121 yards.

Hogs Haven: Who is your favorite Redskins player and why?

Dannia: Tough question! I love the way London Fletcher leads the team's defense, but Chris Cooley exerts the most effort and has a huge impact on the team's success.

Hogs Haven: If you could go on any date with a Redskin, who would it be and where would you go?

Dannia: Jason Campell is a hottie and seems like a sweetheart... completely my type. I am not sure how well the date would go seeing as how he does not take criticism very well. He complains in the papers about all the criticism he gets... would I be able to correct his table-manners? Could I correct his acts of chivalry... or lack-thereof? I am not high maintenance. An ideal date for me would be a chill sports bar where we can kick it, throw back some ice cold bruskees and eat some buffalo wings.
Maybe Campbell will read this and dump his current girlfriend, Miss DC 2007 for me. Can you see it now? REDSKINS QUARTERBACK JASON CAMPBELL DUMPS MISS DC 2007 for MISS FEDEX FIELD 2009!

Hogs Haven: What should happen to Coach Zorn at the end of the year?

Dannia: Well, they have already stripped him of some key duties and the chances of the Redskins continuing with the same situation next year is unlikely. He needs to get the boot. Call me crazy, but I'm all for bringing Joe Gibbs back for a trillionth time.

Hogs Haven: If you got to meet Dan Snyder, what would you say to him/want to talk about?

Dannia: How bout... "Your the worst thing that ever happened to Washington, DC". No but really, I'd want to talk to him about what career he plans on pursuing after he steps down next year (wishful thinking!!). I would also tell him he needs to hire a better publicist, i.e. myself - www.mokimedia.com.

Current reigning Miss Fedex: Sabrina [click for pics/profile]

More pictures of each candidate after the jump...

Dannia.....

Sabrina...

Stay classy Hogs Haven...obscene comments will not be tolerated.

Poll

Vote for who advances to the next home game Miss Fedex competition.

Cross Jon Gruden off the Redskins' Potential Coaches List

2009-11-16T20:18:12Z

Cross Jon Gruden off the Redskins' Potential Coaches List

ESPN announced this morning that it has reached a multiyear extension with Gruden.

This is good news for Redskins' fans in my opinion. I have heard all negative things regarding his coaching style (future post on that coming).

Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Redskins Name Case

2009-11-16T19:23:49Z

From CNN:

The justices without comment refused to intervene in the dispute, effectively ending the suit.

A lawsuit was first filed in 1992. Among the plaintiffs is Suzan Shown Harjo of Washington, a Cheyenne/Hodulgee Muscogee and a longtime advocate for Native American rights.

The Redskins name and logo was adopted in 1933 when the team was based in Boston, Massachusetts, and had been known as the Braves. In a legal brief filed with the court, the team said the name was changed to honor the Redskins coach at the time, William Henry "Lone Star" Dietz, a Native American.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted a formal trademark in 1967, and it has been renewed several times since. The team has said it has spent "millions of dollars ... promoting, advertising, and protecting its mark."

Update by KevinE: Redskins are not of the muck yet. Native Americans can still win the battle where Snyder loses the 'Redskins' trademark, which means he'd have to change the name if he ever wants to make a buck.

http://trueslant.com/KashmirHill/2009/11/16/washington-redskins-name-is-safe-for-now/

Was It Over When the Germans Bombed Pearl Harbor? Redskins Defeat Broncos To Keep Season Hopes Alive

2009-11-16T16:51:24Z

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

Hunter Smith and Shaun Suisham have been two of the brightest spots on this team this season. They led the way again against the Broncos.

Browse more photos »

Listen...at 3-6, I am not digging around for the keys to the bandwagon. In fact, as much as I want to talk about our strong finishes down the stretch in recent years, the sting of last season's 2-6 finish is still too painful. So I am going to do the best thing I can think of--enjoy the hell out of a home victory and lose myself a little in the euphoria.

There is certainly something to the fact that the Broncos are in a big-time rut right now. They brought in a raw, tentative Chris Simms in the second half and that was helpful to our defense ( to say the least). And for whatever reason, they decided not to throw it to Brandon Marshall on every play (huge mistake). For these reasons and others, I am going to refrain from overblowing the value of the win in NFL terms.

But for Washington fans and players alike, the value of this win is priceless. We have crammed a whole season's worth of drama, intrigue, and shenanigans into 9 weeks. The mounting losses this year have shifted attention to areas and topics away from the field. For better or worse, the win brings the focus of this city right back between the whistles. Despite any of those things I mentioned above with regard to this game, the Redskins actually played well enough to win the game. The game was not handed to them. The numbers don't lie--we dominated our opponent this week. Worthy of a second glance: two penalties, and zero turnovers.

Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs	14	22
Passing 1st downs	8	13
Rushing 1st downs	6	9
1st downs from Penalties	0	0
3rd down efficiency	5-12	8-16
4th down efficiency	0-2	1-2
Total Plays	56	70
Total Yards	305	388
Passing	185	214
Comp-Att	14-31	18-27
Yards per pass	6.0	7.9
Rushing	120	174
Rushing Attempts	22	40
Yards per rush	5.5	4.4
Red Zone (Made-Att)	0-1	2-4
Penalties	4-45	2-19
Turnovers	2	0
Fumbles lost	1	0
Interceptions thrown	1	0
Defensive / Special Teams TDs	0	0
Possession	24:17	35:43

Continue reading this post »

All week long, I kept saying, "I have a good feeling about this one." To most people who know me, that is like hearing Lindsay Lohan say, "I might have an STD." Of course I had a good feeling. But I found the more people I talked to, the more people I was hearing agree with me. Everyone bought into the "short week/cross country trip/struggling Broncos" argument. The Vegas line shifted towards the Redskins all week long. There was no place where the positive vibe was more apparent however, than FedEx Field. I was a little shocked to be honest. It was loud in there. I didn't think the place was particularly full, but the people who were in the seats came ready to yell and scream. (Though there was certainly some unrest after Brandon Marshall git his second TD of the day...seriously, how do you not just throw it to him on every play against us?)

On the field, Jason Campbell protected the ball. The offensive line played well and Ladell Betts reminded everyone why he has been considered one of the better long relievers in the game in recent history (whether he gets to go for a few more innings or not discussed below.) On defense, Carlos Rogers played himself onto the bench and the defensive line really did a good job of applying pressure as the game progressed. I always get a little giddy when I see Jarmon and Orakpo in the game together, but you know who played a pretty good game yesterday? Andre Carter. He had 7 tackles (5 solo), 2 tackles for a loss, and 1.5 sacks. He had 4 QB hits. Orakpo's stat line is equally impressive (6 tackles, 3 for a loss, and 1.5 sacks), but I found myself watching Carter on more plays than Orakpo. I really respected what Andre did yesterday. I even watched him after the last whistle. He was spent. He couldn't move from his spot, on one knee, for a good 3-4 minutes. I appreciated that even more since I had noted in the second half how hard he seemed to be playing. Haynesworth deserves a lot of credit for the success of our defensive line, but Orakpo and Carter are still out there earning their stats. For those who watched the broadcast yesterday or listened to Sonny and Sam, I am interested in hearing any commentary regarding our defensive ends.

We can't talk about this game without talking about Hunter Smith can we? We showed the fake, called a timeout and then came back out and ran the fake! I was looking for the crane it was going to take to hoist Zorn's balls back to the locker room. At the outset of the season, we identified Hunter Smith as one of our "Irreplaceable Players." Two touchdowns later, he has exceeded my expectations. The pass to Mike Sellers seemed to take an eternity to land in his arms, but when it did, one thought occurred to me: "This is our Lavar play." You know the one...the interception return for a touchdown against the Panthers when we were 0-5 under Marty Schottenheimer.

I still don't know how all this plays out in the offseason, but after that Hunter Smith TD pass, things were different. Holding the Broncos to a field goal before the end of the first half sealed it for me. Closing out the Broncos in the second half seemed like a foregone conclusion--aided immensely by the insertion of Chris Simms into their lineup. Everyone was that confident too, not just me.

I just re-read this thing as I look to wrap it up and get it out. I am wondering to myself if this article is begging to end with some kind of preposterous, open-ended question like, "Is this the win that propels this team to a run at the wild card?" All I can hear is the voice of Chris Rock, after he recounts the story of a dude who gets a G.E.D. and thinks now he can to college. "Slow down! Not so fast!"

Here is what this win does...it gets us to 3-6. The best thing about 3-6 is that it is not 2-7. The difference between the two means little to many of the onlookers from outside our little world here. But to us, it is huge. Enjoy it. We deserve it.

But get it out of your system quickly...Dallas Week begins today.

Poll

If Clinton Portis is cleared by doctors to play against Dallas, should Ladell Betts remain the starter?

Redskins vs Broncos Red Zone Recap

2009-11-16T16:36:26Z

Strike up the Bandwagon! The Redskins offense is 6-9 in their last 3 red zone trips, which I certainly did not see coming given the porous start against all those cellar-dwelling, winless teams. The key thing is the Redskins need to stay Medium. The secret is definitely out on their trick plays, all of which have come at high stake moments. With the momentum from the win, the Redskins need to get their offense going early and consistently. to avoid situations where trick plays are needed to bail their offense out. Live by the sword, die by the sword. I'm sure McDaniels will be catching a lot of heat for botching that trick play even after the Skins showed their cards:

"They were setting up something -- we knew it," defensive lineman Vonnie Holliday said. "They came back, and I think they may have even yelled out on their sideline, 'Let's just punt it. Let's just punt it.' And I guess we just bought into it, because we didn't lock in on the play and what was going on. It seems like it took forever to unfold. You've got to know coming into a game like this, with a team like this, to expect it."

The Skins' red zone defense has been quite solid last year, although it is a bit misleading since they've given up 3 deep balls over the last 3 games.

I cannot imagine the heat Zorn and Fred Davis would be dealing with right now if that punt trick failed. Thank the Lord it worked out because I'm exhausted from covering poor play calls and missed opportunities.

Redskins Red Zone Statistics 2009
	*Redskins Offense*	*Opponent's Offense*
*@Giants*	2-3	0-3
*Rams*	0-5	1-3
*@Lions*	1-2	1-3
*Buccaneers*	1-3	1-1
*@Panthers*	2-3	2-3
*Chiefs*	0-1	0-2
*Eagles*	2-3	0-0
BYE	-	-
@Falcons	2-2	1-2
Broncos	2-4	0-1
Total	12-26	6-18

This post is sponsored by Comcast's NFL RedZone Channel, which allows you to see all the action from inside the 20 for every NFL game.

Redskins vs Broncos: Foreshadowing?

2009-11-13T21:04:35Z

More photos » by Ed Andrieski - AP

Browse more photos »

The obvious connection between the Redskins and Broncos is the Champ for Portis trade, but as one AP writer noted, Josh McDaniels is in the same past predicament as Coach Zorn last year, rookie coach at 6-2:

Which takes us to Josh McDaniels, this year's new kid on the block who could do no wrong. He has the Denver Broncos at 6-2, but the two losses have come in the last two games. Has the league started to figure him out? Are the Broncos' flaws greater than they appeared at 6-0? Will he meet the same fate as Zorn?

It's hard to say, but I didn't like the Broncos before the season and I don't like them now. Kyle Orton to me is a QB who has peaked, and that is not a good thing. I had a phone call with Karl Mecklenberg yesterday (that post coming early next week), and he said that he thought Josh tried to instill too much game plan last week, which led to some confusion. Hmm. Too much game plan? Must be nice to have that luxury. From what I recall last year, Zorn instilled too LITTLE game plan as to keep it simple for Campbell and the offense. Opposing teams figured that out real quick, which led to the disastrous tanking of 2008.

Some notes coming into this game:

QB JASON CAMPBELL, who passed for a career-high 3,245 yards last year, has 1,677 yards and is on pace for his second consecutive 3,000-yard season. Campbell would join Pro Football Hall of Famer SONNY JURGENSEN (1966-67), JOE THEISMANN (1983-84) and MARK RYPIEN (1991-92) as the only quarterbacks in team history with back-to-back 3,000 yard seasons

RB CLINTON PORTIS has rushed for 494 yards and aims for his fifth 1,000-yard season as a Redskin. Portis is tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer JOHN RIGGINS for the most 1,000-yard rushing seasons in club history with four. It's going to be a tough mark for CP to make this year.

DE ANDRE CARTER (6.5) and rookie LB BRIAN ORAKPO (5.5) are on target to become the first set of Redskins to each post at least 10 sacks in a season since....CAN YOU NAME THE LAST SKINS DUO TO ACCOMPLISH THIS FEAT?

Friday Night "Mights" - Washington Redskins vs. Denver Broncos

2009-11-13T20:53:22Z

More photos » by Pablo Martinez Monsivais - AP

Ladell Betts is poised to repeat his successful stretch run as starting running back for the Skins.

Browse more photos »

It was pointed out last week that I should make the disclaimer about this article very clear on the front side. These predictions assume a Redskins victory. They are meant to provide at least some relief from the serious issues we have with our team. That said, I can honestly tell you that, "Yes, I do think we will win this Sunday." And here's how:

1) Ladell Betts will run for 150+ yards and 2 touchdowns. Inside the red zone, the bulk of our plays are going to be running plays. Rock Cartwright is going to get his share of carries this week (5-10 I am guessing) and we will lean on the new guy, Levi Jones, for better or worse. One thing that has seemed to work for this team in the past is having Ladell Betts take over as the starter down the stretch. I worry about our right guard situation, and find it laughable that we are calling it a "Battle" to see whether Chad Rinehart or Will Montgomery will start. But I think Mike Sellers and Todd Yoder will log some healthy blocking downs and enable Betts to move the chains.

2) Brian Orakpo, in addition to yet another sack, will also log an interception. I am tempted to say he runs it back for a score, but I think he outruns his blockers early in the run-back and gets tackled. I am extremely excited to see what he looks like with the ball in his hands. He is the kind of player you wish you could play at running back in Madden. Big, strong, fast...no way the first tackler brings him down.

3) Jason Campbell will have zero turnovers. This is going to be huge for us this weekend. The game is going to be a close one throughout, so ball protection is key. I don't see JC testing Champ Bailey regularly, which does not bode well for Santana Moss' stats, but I am hopeful that Fred Davis can be responsible for moving the chains in the passing game. He killed us last week with the botched tip that turned into a Falcons defensive touchdown (I know, it wasn't a great throw, but you don't initiate a tip drill like that.)

4) We will score on a trick play. Since I have the ability to see the future, I can tell you that it will be a double reverse handoff to Devin Thomas who will race into the end zone for a touchdown. The key to the play will be two amazing blocks. The first will be Jason Campbell giving up his body to give Thomas the edge. The second block will be Malcolm Kelly down field.

5) Shaun Suisham kicks the game-winning field goal. What a difference a year makes I guess. From the worst kicker (statistically) last season, to the one guy on offense we have been able to count on. He is one of only 5 kickers to have not missed yet this season, and among those kickers, he has the second most attempts--including a 48-yarder. I am putting the game on him this week.

I hate predicting the final score, but I'll go ahead and call it 24-23. No passing touchdowns by JC, but otherwise a solid day for the beleagured quarterback.

Here is what I am really hoping for: The Broncos travel cross-country on a short week this week and have next week's opponent--the San Diego Chargers--squarely in their sights. The lack of respect they probably have for our team will lead to a sloppy performance and leave just a big enough opening for our offense to score their season-high point total. Also, Kevin and I have both talked this week about the prospect of using the no-huddle to prevent the Broncos from shuffling their defensive personnel in the manner they prefer. If Sherm Lewis and Jim Zorn trust JC with the keys to the no-huddle, it might prove to be a huge factor.

Your bold predictions and cracks at me are now welcome.

Cerrato Owes Campbell an Apology...And I Have Written It

2009-11-12T14:55:50Z

Was I the only fan that cringed every time Campbell got hit? There was a ton of cringing being done against the Falcons. I can't believe the ineptitude of this offensive line. It is astounding how the Falcons T'd up on us. I watched, as Mike Williams got beat by the same spin move over and over and over again. I watched as Heyer got pushed backwards most plays. I say most plays, because the other plays, he just held the dude so he didn't get pushed back. If Rabach holds that d-lineman one more time, they will officially be married in the state of Georgia. It's amazing that every play, something stupid happened. I wasn't even looking for the indicator in the score line on the screen when I penalty was being called. I could tell there was a penalty when Campbell was still upright after the play. That was as good an indication as any.

This got me thinking (another reason I'm pissed at Cerrato, thinking on Monday). If I cringe every time Campbell gets hit; if I actually feel bad for Campbell every time he struggles to get up; if I can't stand seeing him spend more time on his back than John Mayer in Ken's bedroom; then how should Cerrato feel? This is the same guy who looked the media in the eyes and said that he still believes he gave Zorn a playoff caliber team. Then answered the follow up question about the offensive line and reiterated that this was a playoff caliber team. Look, its been talked to death. If Cerrato believes that, then he is obviously not very smart in this role. Why is that so hard to understand? Anyway, that's been discussed more than enough.

Cerrato owes Jason Campbell an apology in front of all the media and for the fans to see. I think it should go something like this:

"Jason, I am sorry for ruining you as a quarterback. I know that I gave you a good quarterbacks coach. And I admit that I put a completely inept offensive line in front of you. I know that I told everybody that we did the best we could, but that was a lie. In fact, we took bets in the offseason to see what it would take to piss you off. Quite frankly, nobody had anything past the Sanchez thing. So we held a whole new meeting where I guessed that getting sacked 5 times in one half would do it. You are a fighter out there but I did sandbag one idea. I won't tell you what it is, but you'll appreciate its creativity (rumor has it that Cerrato will actually put an alligator in the backfield of every play). Anyway, I owe you a great apology since I never humanized the effect this would have on you. I can't believe how many times you are getting creamed back there! Even I didn't think it would get this bad. I promise that as I am packing my desk and belongings on the way out there door, I'll offer a piece of advice to the new guy. I'll make sure to drop him a hint that he may want to have a second look at the offensive line if he has time. So I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me. I really do feel pretty bad. But I feel even worse that Todd has no desire to come into the game and we don't have a #3. Do you have Jeff George's number?"

Redskins vs Broncos: Upset of the Week?

2009-11-12T18:58:56Z

Kyle Orton expected to take a lot of shots this Sunday at Fedex. Image via cdn.faniq.com

View full size photo »

The bucking Broncos are losers of their last two straight games, at home, and now have to fly cross-country on a short week to play the battered Redskins. Granted, the Mile High Club's losses were against two of the best teams in the league (BAL and PIT); however, former Broncos LB/D lineman Karl Mecklenberg details their major flaw:

During the bye, teams evaluate other teams to see what weaknesses can be exposed. Baltimore had the same bye week as Denver and used their time to notice Denver's defensive tendencies. They saw that the Broncos were rotating guys into their defensive scheme very quickly. That's why Joe Flacco ran the no huddle offense, even though it's uncharacteristic of the Ravens. The Steelers saw the Ravens were successful with this, so Ben Roethlisberger went to the no huddle as well. They also found some weaknesses in the Broncos offensive line. The season is so long that it's all about making adjustments as you go along. The teams that can do that successfully make it far into the playoffs.

After two weeks, it's obvious Josh McDaniels will be making adjustments to fix this hole. The funny thing is, he may not have to given the sorry state of the OLine, that will now see Chad Rinehart starting at RG over Will Montgomery. Zorn addressed his distaste for the sacks on the 3-foot drops. All that aside, the Redskins played a great second half against Atlanta. The oline created holes and Betts found them. Who's to say they can't accomplish this again?

To get back on track this week against the Redskins, Mecklenburg offers advice for the Broncos:

"They've got to protect Orton. He's gun shy. He got so beat up in Chicago that when he starts to feel some pressure, that throws his game out of whack."

A second way to get back on track according to Mecklenburg is to "Run the ball more effectively. Peyton Hillis needs to get involved more and a shift in the blocking scheme could be effective, so we're not so one dimensional."

This is where Blache needs to bring the house almost every snap. We've see Orton in Chicago and now in Denver, he does not handle pressure well at all.

Some Josh McDaniels quotes from MHR...

On why the Broncos have had difficulty running the ball the past two weeks:

"We've played against two good defenses, and that's not an excuse that we are going to use. We have got to do better than what we have done, whether it be execution, whether it be mistakes (or) whether it be just somebody made a nice play on defense. We are playing against physical teams, and that's what we play against every week. We've got to do better at the point of attack. We've got to do better with the ball in our hands. We've got to do better in terms of scheming something if we can do that to help ourselves, but we haven't lost faith in our ability to run the football or play good offense here. We've just got to go back to work and do better."

Seems simple enough. Take the run away, pressure Orton by all means, and play physical on both sides of the ball.

Poll

Will the Redskins upset the Broncos this week?

Falcons Coach Mike Smith fined 15 Large

2009-11-12T17:54:39Z

Falcons Coach Mike Smith fined 15 Large

Well played coach. Calm the F down next time.