Redskins Chop Giants Down To Size Again, 23-10

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

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

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

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

Pat’s Edge Redskins, 34-27

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

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

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

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

Dolphins Overpower Redskins, 20-9

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

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

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

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

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

49ers 86 Redskins, 19-11

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

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

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

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

Bills Shut Down, Shut Out Redskins 23-0

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

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

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

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

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

EAGLES FLY HIGH EARLY, TOP REDSKINS

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

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

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

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

Redskins Ram St. Louis

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

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

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

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

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

Cowboys Edge Redskins

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

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

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

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

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

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

Redskins Squeak By Cardinal

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

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

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

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

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

Redskins Chop Giants Down To Size

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

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

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

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

Player Spotlight: Malcolm Kelly

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

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

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

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

‘Skins Win In OT vs. Jags, 20-17

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

 

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

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

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

IT WASN’T PRETTY…. BUT THE REDSKINS WON!!!

Donovan McNabb has a knack of attracting attention even when he tries to drift off into the background. This Sunday was unavoidable. In his return to Philadelphia, McNabb didn’t have the best passing game, but when you score more points than the other team, do you really care? In the first two possessions of the game, the Redskins scored. The best play between those two drives might have been Ryan Torain’s monster Touchdown. Poor Quinton Mikell took the brunt of that collision. But Donovan McNabb had a pretty floating Touchdown pass to Chris Cooley that put the Redskins up 14-0 early in the game. But things got really interesting after that.

If you ask me, had Michael Vick not gotten hurt, the Eagles may have sneaked away with a win Sunday. Kevin Kolb is a good QB, but doesn’t present the same problems that Michael Vick does. And Vick was making most of his plays from the pocket. That is something that we haven’t seen in all his years in the NFL. The Redskins Defense, who we have seen struggle in the past 2 weeks, came up huge in shutting down the very explosive DeSean Jackson. Jackson was a non-factor, but LeSean McKoy took over with 12 catches for 110 yards. How is that for McKoy who is a Running Back? Jeremy Macklin was also nonexistent. Brent Celek, Philadelphia’s stud at Tight End, was completely taken out of the game as well Sunday. This is where Michael Vick’s legs would have made the difference. Some of the play that Kolb ran for First Down’s, were good, it’s just that Vick would have gotten more yards on those plays. That may have been the difference. But for the Redskins the difference was made in the Offensive Backfield, by a virtual unknown, Ryan Torain.

I love finding guys like this. Ryan Torain is a guy that was brought in with no fanfare. This offseason Torain was brought in because Coach Shanahan signed him in the Denver before taking a break from coaching. Torain has been a hard worker. Torain is consistent. Torain is dependable. And when Clinton Portis was unable to go, Ryan Torain came in and not only finished runs, but finished the game. Torain only had 70 yards on 18 carries and one Touchdown, but the way Torain was running was something that has been missing. Portis runs hard, but in the past, there was a drop off when he came out the game. Now you have a guy behind Portis who runs just as hard, maybe harder, now you don’t have the drop off in the running game. Now Donovan McNabb doesn’t have to throw 50 times like the genius Eagles used to have him do. How big is it to give McNabb a running game? How big is it to have a talent like McNabb not feel like he has to do it all by himself. Slowly but surely, the pieces are falling in place. Washington might have the type of team to make a Playoff run.

At 2-2 this early in the season, there is a glimmer of hope. I am cool with a 9-7 season. It will mean that the Redskins have finished with a winning record for the fist time in 3 seasons. It will give the organization something to build on going into the 2011 season. Anything after 9 wins is huge. Anything after 9 wins may mean a Playoff birth. And the Post Season is something for which Donovan McNabb has a nose. Dare I say that Washington could sneak into the Playoffs this year and steal a win or two? We will see. They have a tough test this Sunday against the very good Green Bay Packers. Which Redskins team will show up? I would like the Defense from this past Sunday, to join the Offense from two weeks ago. If that happens, the Green Bay Packers are in trouble. But I think this game will be a close one. Who will win is anyone’s guess. But for the Redskins sake, this is a must win, because you need some momentum going into your showdown with the great Peyton Manning in two weeks.

Running On E vs. Big "D"

I am not a fan of quitting. Nor am I implying that the Redskins quit. But if they did who can blame them? I have never seen my team so worn down and frustrated in all of my years of following them. Dallas is peaking at the right time, while Washington just can't wait until January 4, 2010. A lot of what happened to Washington had to do with organizational turmoil. Not to take anything away from Dallas. They've been playing well over the past few weeks. But let's keep it real. If the Redskins were able to play to the level of their own talent, Dallas would have been blown out of the water. But the Redskins didn't and the Cowboys did. The Cowboys won and they deserved to win. Bottom line. No excuses. But what caused Washington to perform the way that they did last night?

I have watched the Redskins-Cowboys rivalry for about 25 years now. I have seen some lopsided affairs. But last night was only the second time that I have seen the Redskins playing like they just wanted the season to end. The first time was December 14, 2003. Tim Hasselback came in, in relief, for Patrick Ramsey who played poorly, but was he really the blame? The Redskins could move the ball, we just could not score. Sound familiar people? Final score of that game Dallas 27, Washington 0. Some of the exact same issues that plagued the Redskins that day in 2003 reared it's ugly head again this season. The wrong combination of coaches, players and system(s). Jason Campbell took another beating. Players looked frustrated and were acting out. Dallas was, by no means, completely dominating Washington. But, they did come up with timely plays. The Cowboys even opted to go for it on 4th Down twice, and were stopped both times. But it went for naught. Final score Sunday night, Dallas 17, Washington 0. Dallas goes to the playoffs, Washington goes home to lick their wounds and prepare themselves for, what is shaping up to be, a very interesting offseason.

The Redskins have a lot of soul searching to do from the owners all the way down to the last man on the roster. Dallas, on the other hand, is in unfamiliar territory. Tony Romo has taken the brunt of a great deal of criticism over the past 3 seasons. Everything has been said about him from him being out of shape, to him just not being good enough to win the big one. He sure as hell looked like he was in shape and ready for big stage Sunday night. I still get a kick out of watching Miles Austin play well. Here is a guy who was a virtual unknown, undrafted and unheralded. And now, he may be unavailable to other teams when his contract is up. If Dallas is smart, Austin gets locked up in a long term deal, in season. Dallas has no soul searching to do. If the Cowboys win their game against the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday, they will lock up the NFC East. And if the Vikings drop their next two games, the Cowboys lock up the #2 seed in the NFC Playoffs. No soul searching their. The Redskins on the other hand are preparing for the NFL Draft. When you are preparing to pick #1-#10 in the draft, you didn't have a good season.

Most people say that the one word to describe the Redskins season would be disappointing. My word for this season would be inconsistant. Overall I am bit disappointed, but at certain points during this campaign, I have seen the team that I thought we had when the season started. Many believe that blowing up the team would be the answer. Well folks, how many teams have you seen blown up, and then go and win the Super Bowl the very next season? Take your time, I have all day. It just doesn't happen. So if the organization decides to blow up the team, don't expect anything good for at least 2 seasons. Bill Cowher, John Gruden and Mike Shanahan are all at the top of the wish list for coaches. Will that mean a new Offensive and/or Defensive system? Will that mean a new Quarterback, Running Back(s), and a new group of Wide Receivers? Will that mean a group of new Linebackers, Cornerbacks or Safeties? What's going to be different? If Jason Campbell comes back, but Coach Zorn is fired, will that mean Jason Campbell will have to learn yet a new system? Are they expecting Jason Campbell to learn that new system in one year? Thank goodness Campbell is smart, but, I feel like he is being set up to fail.

Here is a solution. How about we fix all of the problems surrounding Jason Campbell and let's see what happens. Don't fix all of the problems for someone else. Jason Campbell, for the umpteenth time, is not the problem folks. Are we going to go draft a Free Safety? LaRon Landry is one hell of an athlete, but is NOT a Free Safety. LaRon is playing that position by default. Landry is a Strong Safety, get it right. Are we going to fix the Offensive line for another running back? How about we fix the line for Clinton Portis and see what happens. I'll admit the situation surrounding Clinton Portis not practicing bothers me. But let's not get amnesia folks. Portis racked up 1,487 yards in 2008. People want to bury him, but I seem to remember people saying the same things about Kurt Warner, Brett Favre, Randy Moss, Issac Bruce and Terrell Owens. The last I checked, all of those guys are still productive. Clinton Portis still has a few good years left in him. But I think the problem with the Redskins starts in training camp.

See here is where my training back background, although limited, comes into play. With the rash of hamstring injuries that we have had, two things come to mind. Either we are running these guys to death in training camp, or we are not training the hamstrings correctly. Do we stess the importance of proper nutrition, including hydration? Are we focused on their flexibility and mobility? Why do we have to run them to death if they are involved in OTA's (Organized Team Activities) just about all damn year? Should we not be able to tell who is in shape and who isn't before training camp starts? Why is it that people want our Cornerbacks to play physical, but they have not gotten any bigger or stronger. I mean LaRon Landry, for all of the criticism that he endures, is ALWAYS in shape. And here is a piece of information for you to chew on. Landry does not work out at Redskins Park during the offseason. Hmmmmm!!! I wonder what he does during the offseason. How many times is Randy Thomas going to tear his tricep? Why does Malcolm Kelly look slower this season? Why does Antwaan Randel El look slower here in Washington, as opposed to when he was in Pittsburgh? Why are Chris Samuels, Santana Moss, Mike Sellars and Derrick Dockery among the better conditioned players, but everyone else looks like they are struggling each and every season? These are some of the questions that I think need to be answered to move forward. I will tell you one thing. Most of the Redskins problems are not even visible, so just imagine the kind of work that the organization has to put in this offseason. Good luck Danny.

The Safety

I have been a Redskins fan for over 25 years. I have watched a lot of games and I have liked a lot of players. I can remember wanting to be Joe Washington, or Charlie Brown. I can even remember thinking I was going to be the next Art Monk, Darrell Green, or Gary Clark. But, when I went to college in the mid 1990’s, especially after Art Monk left, I lost a bit of interested in the Redskins. I loved football and I loved the home team, but past Michael Westbrook, there was no player on the Redskins that could catch and hold my attention. And that all changed in the Spring of 2004, when one Sean Michael Maurice Taylor of the University of Miami was drafted #5 overall. I had not seen him play in college, but just watching his highlights at the NFL Draft that year caught my attention enough for me to look forward to the 2004 NFL Season.

The “experts” had Sean Taylor as possibly the best player in the draft. Keep in mind, that same year, players like Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning and even Phillip Rivers were available in that draft. This just further illustrates the kind of talent Sean Taylor possessed. Taylor’s 2003 season in college was a very decorated one in which he garnered All-American honors, Big East Conference Defensive Player of The Year, and was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. At the NFL Combine, Taylor was clocked running a 4.51 40 Yard Dash, which is good for a Defensive Back, especially a Safety. He also weighed an astounding 231 lbs., which is almost the size of a Linebacker. But the most impressive thing about him was his unheared of Vertical leaping ability (39”) and the range he had in coverage. So needless to say, I was a bit upset that I never saw him play college ball, but I got to see enough of him in pro’s, and he did not disappoint.

One of the things that I liked about Sean Taylor, was his team approach. I know he never really participated in voluntary workouts (if it is voluntary, there should not be a big stink about him not participating), but when he did show, I never once heard or saw him take any plays off. His teammates loved him and more importantly, the Redskins fans adored him. He was never one to do things to thrust himself into the spotlight. He always let his play do his talking for him. From his bone crushing hits, to his timely interceptions, to his willingness to lay a lick on a defender from the other team on Special Teams, this guy showed people how you should approach the game of football. You would be hard pressed to find too many Redskins fans that do not miss Sean Taylor. We all knew that he was going to bring it every game, every play, every year.

I knew he was a special talent when he would take time out to talk to children. He was so gentle and compassionate when it came to kids. It surprised me that someone so ferocious could have such a soft spot for the little people. But, of all the things that I have seen him do, one particular play of his stands out to me the most. In a game in 2007 against the Detroit Lions, the Redskins were thoroughly dominating. There was a 4th down in which the Lions were punting the ball. James Thrash was back to return. As Thrash caught the punt and started to make his way up the field, he was doing his best to avoid defenders. Thrash catches the sidelines and has a defender from the Lions in hot pursuit of him. In a split second, I saw the defender from the Lions disappear as I heard a loud pop. It happened so fast that I had to wait for the replay to be shown so I could see who had just delivered this timely, but vicious block. When the replay was shown, it was not that much of a surprise that Sean Taylor was the man. And when the cameras caught him on the sidelines, a guy that never smiles during a game had a smile on his face from ear to ear. He was just as happy to block on Special Teams as he was to run down and smash a Running Back or Wide Receiver on Offense, or to intercept a pass. Trust me, this guy could have play numerous positions on the football field, but he chose Safety. This was the icing on the cake for me.

Sean Taylor, could have played Wide Receiver, Running Back (which he did in High School), Tight End, Cornerback, or Linebacker (trust me at 230 lbs. he wasn’t too far off). But he chose to play Safety, Free Safety at that. If you don’t know there is a fair amount of intelligence that a player needs to posses to play Free Safety. You have to have a feel for the game and anticipate, before the ball is snapped, what the other team is going to do. I know the fashionable thing to say is he has good instincts, or he is such a good athlete with natural ability, but let’s be honest people. At his position you have to be smart. This is an attribute that is not mentioned when people discuss Sean Taylor and it is bit disturbing, but I’ll save that for another post. It says a lot to me for a guy with that kind of ability chose to do an unselfish thing and play a position that doesn’t necessarily attract a lot of attention for the benefit of the team. This is the real reason why I liked Taylor.

I thought I was alone in my grief and sorrow to receive the news that Sean Taylor had passed away. But, as I made my way around Washington, D.C. I saw t-shirts, hats, jerseys, even cars, sporting Sean Taylor paraphernalia. At the next home game at FedEx Field, there was an inordinate amount of #21 jerseys, and hand towels, pictures and signs honoring the life of Sean Taylor. But nothing stuck out more to me than a train ride home one day on the Red Line here in D.C. in between Brookland and Fort Totten train stations. A concrete wall displayed how deep our cities grief went. Someone took the time to spray paint Sean Taylor’s name on the wall. To me this is a sign of respect. Sean Taylor had respect in the ‘hood. Everyone old enough to watch football loved him, and we still miss him. I don’t ever think we will see another player like him in a long time. I think it’s only fitting that he was inducted into the Ring of Honor at FedEx Field, because we all know, he would have been taking a trip to Canton, OH had he had the chance to play out his career. But as much as I, the fans, his family and his teammates miss him, the real loser in this situation was his precious little girl, who will never know her daddy. This to me is the real tragedy. And for all of us, he is irreplaceable.

R.I.P. Sean!!! God made you for us, but he needed you for much bigger things.

Is This The End?

Is this the end? Is it over? It can't be. I don't want to hear it. I mean, it’s not everyday that you hear someone talking about an Offensive Lineman, but I had to say something about a very important piece on the Washington Redskins’ Offensive Line. The reality is we may have seen him take his last snap in the NFL, but what a career did this man put together. I am talking about Chris Samuels. Next to your Center, your Left Tackle is probably the most important position to fill on the Offensive Line, and did we fill it in the 2000 NFL Draft with our 3^rd overall pick. Samuels played in 141 games, played in 6 Pro Bowls, was 2^nd team All Pro (All NFL) 2001, and was the 1999 Outland Award winner in college for being one of the best Lineman in the country. So when we talk about cornerstones of a franchise, or a Franchise player, Chris Samuels is/was the very definition.

The fact of the matter is at his position of Left Tackle, in about 90% of the cases, you are protecting your Quarterback blindside. That’s because most Quarterbacks are right-handed. And most teams put their best Defensive Ends on the right side of their line, which is the left side of the Offensive Line, so guess who has the honors of facing the best pass rushers in the league on a weekly basis? Not only did Chris Samuels face them, but in many cases, he made them pull a Whodini and disappear. His job is thankless. Block to keep your Quarterback clean, and to open holes for your Running Back. Boring, right??!! Not so much when you are the Quarterback of a football team. Your Left Tackle is the equivalent of a Body Guard. He should be every Quarterbacks best friend. The other team’s goal is to get your Quarterback and knock him out of the game. It sounds brutal, but it is the very nature of the game. You have to have a mean streak. You almost have to be borderline nasty. Trust me, when you are staring down pass rushers like Julius Peppers, Mathias Kiwanuka, Osi Umenyiora, Jared Allen and Trent Cole, that nice guy stuff goes out the window. But Chris was a different person. He was a monster on the football field, but a compassionate person off of it.

Chris Samuels started the Chris Samuels Foundation in 2006. Their mission is to strive for community stabilization through home ownership education, economic development and youth initiatives. The youth initiative is something that stands out to me because of one particular situation. A young lady from Washington, D.C. wanted to attend the Alvin Ailey School for dancing in New York City. With the cost of attending being out of her reach Chris Samuels and his Organization stepped in to help this young lady fulfill her dream. Here we have this NFL player who plays a position in which you have to be nasty, and he takes time out for a young lady whose dream is attend a dancing school. But, it doesn’t stop there. Samuels is also currently active in the lives of teenagers who attended two Washington, D.C. inner city schools in Ballou and Anacostia. If you are a D.C. native and you attended either one of these school in the 80’s and 90’s, you know that a lot of people didn’t want to deal with the children there. Again, here we have a man that doesn’t need to take time out of his busy schedule to make time for inner city kids. But Chris Samuels is more than a football player. He is very definition of what is means to be a real man. Doing what needs to be done, when it needs to be done.

I remember walking into a club here in Washington, D.C. and seeing two massive human beings standing by the bar. As I walked closer, I immediately recognized one guy as a young man with whom I attended High School. He motioned for me to come over. Now I am not a little guy by any means, but he and the other guy dwarfed me. I was very hesitant to walk over to greet him, because this other guy looked like he was ready to strangle someone. As I got closer, I started planning my escape route if this other guy didn’t like me for some reason. My old High School friend says, “Hey Desmond what’s up? I want you to meet Chris.” Now at this point I have not made eye contact. So I slowly turn around to shake hands, it’s none other than Chris Samuels. If you don’t know, Samuels is about 6’5” 310 lbs. and is only carrying around about 6% bodyfat. I am thinking to myself, I don’t need this drama. I reached out to shake his hand. Why did I do that? His entire hand covered mine. And with a smile he says, “What’s up?” So I am feeling a bit more at ease. Well we talked shop for about 5 minutes. I thanked him for his time, said goodbye to my friend and walked away. I have meet a lot of people, but he left a favorable impression on me and forever changed the way I view Offensive Lineman in football. I see why a lot of people like him. He is very well mannered, well spoken, and friendly, but you have to get him to talk to you. For some reason he does not strike me as a person who opens up to a lot of people. I don’t really blame him because when you are a star, everyone wants to be your friend.

When you are watching a football game, remember that the guy whose names that you don’t hear have the most important jobs on the field. We tend to forget, that if you are not hearing their names, they are having a good day. The have to push against another human being on almost every play. Their legs are always in the line of fire. The heads take an inordinate amount of punishment. They have to be very intelligent and make quick decisions. They have to be big, powerful and strong, as well as agile. They have to endure criticism as a group even if four of them are doing well and one isn’t. They are Offensive Lineman. They are the guards, the gatekeepers. They are always key to the outcome of any game. Chris Samuels is one of these guys. He is the most recent in long line of Lineman that played for the Washington Redskins. Now we can hear his name mentioned with the likes of Jeff Bostic, Joe Jacoby, Russ Grimm, George Starke, Mark May, Jim Lachey, and even Mark Schlereth. We may not see him in a football uniform again so I wanted to take this time to say this.

Thanks for the years you gave to Washington Redskins. I have no doubt that, even if we never see you in the burgundy and goal again, we will see you in Canton, OH someday.