Snatching Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory

Well the Redskins kicked the kicker right out of the door. Shaun Suisham was released today by the Redskins. Keep your head up man. It will be o.k.


I was so close to being right last Sunday. But in a season where the Redskins have had a string of bad luck, they have dropped another game. And this time it was to arguably the best team in football, the New Orleans Saints. Final score in overtime, New Orleans 33, Washington 30. Personal feelings aside, how big would that win have been for the Redskins? It may not have erased the close, and sometimes stunning, losses from earlier in the season, but it would have showed the heart and determination that our team possesses. I have never seen a season like this before in my life. I have never seen one team endure so much misfortune in a 4 month period. From the injuries, to the unfortunate plays, to untimely mistakes and sometimes, calls not going their way, this team could have packed it in, but again, I didn't see that in them. I can't speak for anyone else, but I am proud to be a Redskins fan.

Chris Cooley, Chris Samuels, Randy Thomas, Ladell Betts, Chad Rinehart, and now Clinton Portis are all done for the season. We may not ever know what could have been, but the Saints know in their heart that they dodged a HUGE bullet. I am not going to spend time rambling on about this past Sunday. We lost, end of discussion. This coming Sunday, we have the Raiders. I would have been apt to believe that the Raiders were an awful football team, until I saw them play the Eagles. Talk about an eye opener. It wasn't pretty, but they beat the Eagles. And now the Redskins are going to take the trip out west play Oakland. This game has the potential to be a shootout. All of a sudden Bruce Gradkowski looks like Jeff Garcia when he was with the 49ers. I knew the potential that Oakland possessed, but it is scary to think about what these players are going to be like in 2-4 years.

Louis Murphy, Darius Heyward-Bey, Chaz Schilens, Zach Miller, Darren McFadden, Michael Bush and Justin Fargas (whose father is Huggy Bear by the way, Mr. Antonio Fargas) are all studs. Don't get it twisted. The Raiders are stacked with talent, and this is only on the Offensive side. On Defense Tyvon Branch, Kirk Morrison, Michael Huff and even a blast from the past Greg Ellis are all on that Defense. But the guy that strikes fear in my heart is their Cornerback Nnamdi Asamougha. Talk about your playmakers. This guy can change the complexion of the game in the blink of an eye. There are a lot of players who can come up with timely turnovers, but when that player can turn that turnover into points, you need to account for them. Asamougha is one of those guys. I do feel that if we play ball control, like we've been doing over the past few weeks, we are going to win hands down. But if the Redskins get behind and we are forced to pass the ball, advantage Raiders. This teams Defense is bad news. They are extremely dangerous and create pressure with their front seven. And although our line has been protecting better, I don't think we can protect against these guys if they decide to start blitzing.

See lost in the game Sunday was Jason Campbell's best performance of his career. Regardless of what anyone thinks, this is our guy. He showed what he can do when you give him time. And please don't repeat the dumbest line that I have ever heard, "He doesn't do well when he's pressured!!!" WHO THE HELL DOES??!! Jason Campbell can't block, read, throw and catch all in one play. Give the man a break. I hope wherever he is next season, he does well. I am glad that no one has questioned his intelligence. That seems to be common theme these days. Either the QB is stupid or lazy. He's neither. People want him to be fiery, he's a cool customer. People want him to complain, but even after taking a pounding, he remains even keeled. I love the guy. I met him right after he got drafted, and the guy I met that night is the same guy that I see to this day. Very down to earth, and humble. I am hoping that he can finish this campaign with a 4-game win streak. It's the least that could go right in a season that's gone all wrong. And this Sunday, I predict that if the Redskins win, Jason Campbell will get the game ball. I see another good performance in his future. I'll go out on a limb:

Washington 24, Oakland 13.