Redskins Squeak By Cardinal

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

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

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

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

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

London In The Middle

Most people wonder why I like football players who are virtual unknowns. The main reason why is because I have this theory that people like to take the safe road and draft “can’t miss” players. I am more of a person who will gamble on player if I see something that I like. It wouldn't matter to me what "they" say about him. By the way, who the hell is "THEY"? Take for instance Bill Walsh’s gamble in 1985 drafting on Jerry Rice out of Mississippi Valley State with his pick in the First Round (16th Overall). Most people thought that he had lost his mind. I mean this kid was going to a Historically Black College that was considered small for a Division I-AA (now the FCS [Football Championship Series]), and reportedly only ran a 4.71 40-Yard Dash. But Bill Walsh being the genius he was, said that he liked what he saw on film and wanted this kid no matter what. Well I think Bill Walsh’s gamble paid off just a little bit. Fast forward to 1998. Why didn’t anyone see the same thing in London Fletcher? Not only was he disrespected by not being drafted in 1998, but the disrespect continues to this day.

London Levi Fletcher-Baker was born in May 19, 1975 in Cleveland, Ohio. Standing at about 5’10” and 245 lbs., this guy, at least to me, is built like a football players, but the “experts” didn’t think so. Some said that he was too small. London played both basketball and football, lettering in both sports, in High School. This should have been clue #1 people. There are skills that carry over from basketball to football, and vice versa. London initially started at St. Francis University playing basketball, but then later transferred to John Carroll where he not only played basketball, but football. Now I understand that John Carroll is supposedly a Division III college. For those of you who don’t know, Division III is the lowest level of college sports. But, how was a player who is this productive, overlooked? How did the “experts” miss London Fletcher? I get testy because these people will criticize these young men to no end, but will never admit when they have made a mistake. One such player who immediately comes to mind is Dallas’ standout Wide Receiver, Miles Austin. This, to me, is pathetic. Austin is one of the most talented receivers in the NFL. And he actually attended the NFL Scouting Combine and he still didn’t get drafted. And guess what, London Fletcher didn’t get drafted either. But, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the “experts” missed Fletcher. He doesn’t “look the part” to them. What in the world were they looking at?

Right now, eventhough the Redskins are 2-5, Fletcher is on pace to have 162 tackles this year. This is ridiculous, but not a surprise. Since 2000 London Fletcher has not missed a game. That’s right, a Middle Linebacker in this day and age who has played in every game since 2000. And if you watch any game in which he plays, he always seems to be in on almost every play. He averages about 10 tackles a game. Still not impressed? This guy has finished in the top 10 for tackles almost every year. Right now, the only player that I can see doing that is Patrick Willis for the San Francisco 49ers. What is amazing to me is that Fletcher has NEVER been voted to a Pro Bowl. Now I know that the Pro Bowl is a popularity contest, but come on now people. We want the best players in the NFL represented at the NFL’s All Star game. Jon Beason, Patrick Willis and Brian Urlacher are VERY good players, but so is London Fletcher. We have to get together to help this future Hall Of Famer take a trip to Honolulu, HI (or Miami this year) to put the icing on the cake for a player who is not supposed to be in the NFL according the experts.

The fact of the matter is this guys position is very brutal. He has to ram his body into another players body on almost every play. As one trainer put it, his position requires him to use his body like a battering ram. And we all know that football is a collision sport, so when I hear the team “Injury Prone” it makes the hair on the back of neck stand up. Injuries are a part of the game and are pretty much the luck of the draw. Yes, you can train your body to minimize injuries or the impact of injuries, but you can’t completely avoid them. And well all know that just about everyone plays hurt. Fletcher is no exception. I am pretty sure he has little aches and pains all season long. But, the amazing thing is, here we have a player who has not missed a day of work in almost 10 years. How many people can say that. His job is one that is thankless, but if you are good people will take notice. There is no surprise that when Defensive Coordinator Greg Williams, left St. Louis to go to Buffalo and then Washington, that he made sure to bring London Fletcher with him. If you ask me, in a season of disappointments, Fletcher has been one of the bright spots. But then again it doesn’t surprise me. I have been watching/paying attention to the draft for about 4 years now, and I have seen players like Terrell Owens and Brandon Marshall get drafted in later rounds, but players like Tim Couch go #1 overall. No knock on Couch, you are worth what teams are willing to pay for you. But Tim Couch isn't even in the NFL anymore. So did the experts get that one right? By the wa, how much is London Fletcher worth? To me, he is worth a 1st Round draft pick, but if nothing else, at least one trip to the Pro Bowl. Get on it people.