ALL HAIL DIRTY 30!!!

Aside from Aaron Rodgers being beaten to pulp yesterday, he looked good.  But, Donovan McNabb should be given props for sticking to it and pulling out an ugly win against the Green Bay Packers this Sunday. I am not happy with him having to throw the ball 49 times, but if I want someone to throw the ball that much, he is one of very few I would trust. But I want to talk about a player who everyone had something negative to say about last year. I heard people call him worthless and a waste. Some comments walked a fine line of criticism and racism. Those I wont acknowledge in my space. But I am one of very few who knew that LaRon Landry was being played out of position for the past 3 years and always said, move him back to Strong Safety and let’s see what happens. Um, are you seeing what’s happening? Landry is tops in the league for tackles. So much for him taking bad angles and/or being a poor tackler.

Sean Taylor, for one season, had to play Strong Safety and looked like a fish out of water. You are closer to the line to the line and lot of things happen so fast that you can’t really react the way that you’d like. That is, if you have never played that close to the line before. The next season, although shortened by his untimely death, was arguably the best of his career. Why? He was moved back the position that he is best at playing, Free Safety. Now we can utilize his intelligence, range and speed. All of which are his strengths. Enter LaRon Landry, STRONG SAFETY!!! It is true that Landry has all of the physical tools to play Free Safety. But if you have ever listened to this man in an interview, he couldn’t care less about an interception. Landry wants to hit. Find ways to utilize is talents. Thank goodness for Jim Haslett, otherwise Landry would have probably gotten away from us in Free Agency or a trade and that would have gone down as one of the top 5 Boneheaded moves in NFL history.

Where are all of the people who claimed that Landry was a bust? Where are all of the people who said that Landry was worthless? Where all of the people who claimed that Landry was a bad tackler? Show your faces and claim your madness. Landry through Week 3 of this season was Top 5 in tackles. Through two weeks of football he led the league in tackles. Am I a genius or is it that I pay attention to details. In one of my earlier posts I had a player spotlight on LaRon Landry go read it here (Player Spotlight: LaRon Landry). This was from last season. And just so you know, I wrote that blog on December 10, 2009. Tell me what you think about that article. But I digress. Landry currently has 52 tackles after five games, which currently ranks him #2. No, that is not a typo people!! And Landry came up with a timely Interception to give the Redskins a chance to win against the Green Bay Packers. This brings me to a point that I stressed last season and I will continue to stress until I am blue in the face. Good Defensive Backs don’t grow on trees. You’d better have a staff in place that knows how to coach them up or you can have a stud and not know what to do with them.  I mean Charles Woodson got away Oakland and looks fantastic playing for the Packers.  Same player, different coaching staff, different results.

People are still going to have a problem with Landry, but stats don't lie.  The man is a beast.  He's always been a beast and soon enough he'll be a Pro Bowler.  If he keeps playing the way that he has this season, it will be this year.  I really don't like acknowledging stupid comments, but when those comments are as harsh as what I heard about Landry, it is very hard to ignore.  Most of the people who made those comments never played organized sports let alone football, at a high level so I should have just taken it with a grain of salt.  I hope now people will pay more attention to deails as it relates to the ins and outs of football.  But, I guess that 's a pipedream, huh?  In any event, LaRon Landry is making a case for himself to be considered the best Safety in the NFL.  I am sure Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu will have something to say about that, but they will be the only two.  Hey if Landry is considered third that's not bad considering there are 64 starting Safties in the league.  That would make Landry pretty good.

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.

Do We Panic Now??!!

Last weeks game against the Houston Texans was hard enough to watch. After blowing a 17-point lead and losing in Overtime, I couldn’t find the words to write a blog last week. But this Sunday’s loss to the Rams hurt just a bit more. I think everyone bought into the hype that the Rams were not good. What game(s) were you people watching? I saw all sorts of trouble from the Rams and some of them manifested themselves this Sunday. I can’t understand for the life of me how anyone can assume any NFL is not good. Even the worse teams in the NFL have great players on them. And I saw one this Sunday that impressed me again. One Sam Bradford is better than Matt Stafford like I thought last year and he proved it this Sunday. But it only magnified an issue that the Redskins have to deal with. A lack of a pass rush from the Defensive line.

Never mind the fact that the Redskins found themselves in a 14-point hole within 5 minutes of play. They fought back, but left points on the field. There were 2 drives that ended inside the Rams 10-yard line that the Redskins only came away with 6 points. This has happened every game this season. Sure one game resulted in a win, but even that game it almost cost them in the end. We all have to remember that the new scheme does take time to pick up. You don’t just switch to a 3-4 Defense and expect to take over the world. If it were that easy, everyone would switch to the 3-4 Defense. You have to have the right personnel to run that scheme. There are only a handful of teams that run it, and fewer run it well. Maybe the Redskins will be one of those teams, but right now, the Defense is average at best. Not for lack of talent, but for lack of chemistry. This is the pressing issue on both sides of the ball, but Defense concerns me a bit more. If we can’t stop the other team, it is pointless to have a potent offense. The problem can be solved up front.

Albert Haynesworth was given spot duty. Why is our best pass rusher not being given more snaps? I really hope that it has something to do with Haynesworth not being up to speed. Because, without a pass rush, Mardy Gilyard and Brandon Gibson are the least of the Redskins problems. The Rams played most of the game without their top Running Back Steven Jackson, so there was almost no threat of a running game. The Redskins challenged the Rookie Sam Bradford to beat them throwing and that is exactly what he did. It was reminiscent of last weeks loss to the Houston Texans. The Redskins actually worked to take Arian Foster out of the game, and the Man Beast Andre Johnson went bananas. I expect Andre Johnson to do that, I don’t expect Mardy Gilyard and Brandon Gibson to give us problems at this stage of their careers. To add insult to injury, Donnie Avery, the Rams top receiver is out for the season with a knee injury. Imagine if Avery had played Sunday. You can cure a lot of the problems on Defense by swallowing your pride and putting Albert Haynesworth in the starting lineup. Hello!!! Are you listening Coach Shanahan?!!

The problems continue on Offense as the ground attack started well, but the Redskins got away from it. Clinton Portis is due for a break out game and I expect it to come next week against Philadelphia. McNabb cannot get rolling like he wants to if we don’t establish a ground game. PERIOD!! It should be apparent as Donovan McNabb threw for over 400 yards last week and in a losing effort. In that exact same game, Clinton Portis had 33 yards rushing. What is wrong with this picture? Your ground game eats up some clock and wears down the other team. The Redskins are not a pure West Coast Offensive team. We do not have the personnel for it. They have to find a middle ground that will allow for running game to be worked and take some of the pressure off of McNabb. Otherwise, they will be 1-3 in a flash.

Is it too early to press the panic button? Yes. Should your finger be on the button in the ready position… YES. I didn’t imagine a scenario where the Redskins would be 1-2 and that win would be against Dallas. Some weird things have been going on. Philadelphia has a young guy at Quaterback that reminds me of a guy I once saw in Atlanta. They are both left handed, very athletic and have a cannon for an arm. The difference in the two QB’s is the guy in Philadelphia has all of the same physical abilities, but is becoming a good (and dare I say, great) pocket passer. If he plays the same way next Sunday against the Redskins, like he did against the Jaguars, the Redskins will get blown out. Next Sunday is a winnable game, but we are going to have to play a lot better than this past Sunday. Oh by the way, the young man playing Quarterback for Philadelphia is named Michael Vick. I think he going to be good. What do you think?

Big "D"..... Big Deal!!

What a way to start off the 2010 NFL season for the Redskins. You have to play your biggest rival in prime time at home. Talk about pressure!! Although it was a low scoring game, it was quite entertaining. Amazingly, had Dallas not run that dumb ass play right before Halftime, the score would have been the exact same as the first meeting last year, when the Redskins loss 7-6 after shutting out the Cowboys for 58 minutes of that game. A good win, but hold the presses fellow Redskins fans. There is no way we can beat the Houston Texans playing like we just did Sunday night.

Some positives that came out of the Cowboys-Redskins game were the play of the Defense. particularly our Linebackers. They did a good job of not giving up big runs once the Cowboys Running Backs got to the second level of our Defense and they pretty much took one of the best Tight Ends in the NFL, out of the game. Our Linebackers also did a good job of getting pressure on Tony Romo. We still had to deal with my man Miles Austin torching us for 146 yards on 10 catches, and one TD. But his performance aside, Dallas’ offense did much of nothing. They may have bigger problems than previously thought. I still say that they are the favorites to win the NFC East, but they wont be for long if they continue to play the way that they did Sunday. You could not really expect to Pass Protect when you have an all new Offensive Line. It just doesn’t happen overnight like everyone thinks. But, if I know one thing, Dallas’ GM will address that problem by any means necessary.

Another positive that came out of the game was the fact that Donovan McNabb looked like he was getting comfortable within the Redskins’ offense. It is going to take a while. Sure it is still the “West Coast Offense,” but our version is slightly different than the version McNabb ran in Philadelphia. Santana Moss and Chris Cooley both had 6 catches apiece. Something that I don’t think I have seen in a Redskins game in a while. Anthony Armstrong got early playing time, which tells me that the coaching staff has confidence in him. Trent Williams did a good job of slowing down DeMarcus Ware, who is probably the best DE/LB in the NFL. Ware still had his moments, but the Rookie handled himself admirably. DeAngelo Hall the ballhawk is playing better. It is amazing that people will say that he is not a good cover corner. Maybe not, but if you have a guy like that on your Defense that is always around the ball, does it matter? Brian Orakpo looks good so far. He may not have gotten a lot of sacks, but his pass rushing still caused Pass Protection problems for the Cowboys. LaRon Landry is back at his natural position and looks good. You have Safeties who like collisions. You have Safeties who like to play the pass, and you Safeties who likes to do both, and some do neither. Landry likes collisions. So put him in a situation where you can use his skills. Carlos Rogers did a good job of covering this past Sunday. Know how??!! You did not hear his name mentioned. That’s why!! When you ask your players to play their strengths, amazing things can happen. Hey, he still can’t catch a cold, but I rather have him defense a pass than give up a TD.

Some negatives were Haynesworth not being used on passing downs enough. He has a right to be pissed. I would have been mad at Haynesworth if he was not mad. Casey Rabach was getting his ass handed to him by Jay Ratliff. It is not a surprise since Rabach is kinda small so we have to call pass protections to help him out. Oh wait… That’s his job. I hope we correct that problem soon, because the 3-4 Defense is something that the Redskins are going to face a few times this season. Dez Bryant’s only issues was that Romo did not get enough time. That kids is the truth. Great pick up for Dallas. Clinton Portis had no running lanes. A problem that needs to be corrected and quick. There were too many dropped passes. I’ll let this one go since it was the first game of the season, but this had better not happen next week. And McNabb looked a little jumpy. Maybe it was Dallas. Maybe it was the prime time game. Maybe it was him wanting to play well. If he does not settle down, he is going to have issues next week.

I know I should be happy that we won. Yes, we beat Dallas. We needed it for a morale boost, and it was good to get a division win, something that did not happen last year. But let’s be real people. That game really came down to about 5 plays that if one or two of them were different, Dallas would have won. So please keep things in perspective. This does not mean that Washington is going to Super Bowl this year, but it is a step in the right direction.

Player Spotlight: Carlos Rogers

It is my pleasure to write about my favorite group on the football field. The Defensive Backs. This is the group who, in my estimation, has the second hardest job on the football field. The hardest position is, by far, Quarterback. These are the only two positions where you are naked. Your mistakes are the most obvious. You cannot blame too much on anyone else. These are also the positions that you must have a short memory. A lot of things are going to go wrong, you had just better get over them quicker. You do not have time to sulk. Defensive Backs are responsible for defending the other teams pass catchers, the Wide Receivers. Make no mistake about it. The Wide Receivers in the NFL are world class athletes. And as a Defensive Back, you responsible for keeping them in check. Anyone who has ever played Cornerback or Safety knows that this is a tall task, as even the slowest Wide Receiver can give you fits. And you must except the fact that part of your day will be spent running backwards. But if you have a good athlete and great coaching, you do not need a lot of speed a Cornerback or Safety. Fortunately for the Redskins, Carlos Rogers does not have that problem.



Look at Carlos Rogers’ measurables coming out of college:

Weight: 199 lbs.
40-Yard Dash: 4.31
20-Yard Shuttle: 3.84
3-cone drill: 6.49 sec
Vertical Jump: 40.5 in.
Bench Press: 15 reps
Wonderlic: 14

In the 2005 NFL Draft, with the 9th pick in the First Round, the Redskins selected, Carlos Rogers, Jim Thorpe Award winning Cornerback from Auburn University. If you do not know, a college player that wins the Jim Thorpe Award is the best player at Defensive Back. So right off of the bat, Roger should be respected. There have been some solid Cornerbacks/Safetys in football who did not win the Jim Thorpe Award. Guys like Darelle Revis from the N.Y. Jets, Asante Samuel of the Philadelphia Eagles, Nate Clements of the San Francisco 49ers, Rhonde Barber of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ike Taylor of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ed Reed of the Baltimore Ravens and a host of other players never won the Jim Thorpe Award. They do not just hand it out people, this award has some merit. And it speaks volumes about Rogers who played in one of the toughest conferences in college football, the SEC (Southeastern Conference). So I can see why the Redskins would draft him. But if you know a bit about football, it is not always about talent. You have to have the right personnel and the right coaches using the right scheme. And in my estimation, the death of Sean Taylor and the early dismissal of Greg Williams did nothing to help Rogers in his development.

Greg Williams, Defensive Coordinator for the Super Bowl winning New Orleans Saints, was here in Washington for four years. And in his four years the Redskins Defense finished with a ranking lower than 8th one time in a season in which nothing seemed to go right. Three of Williams’ four years the Redskins finished 8th or better. Why is that? I mean they had to piece together their Defense for four years until they got the correct personnel to fit the scheme. So is it safe to say that the coaching had something to do with it? I mean I have seen Quarterbacks who are the best in the nation in college go to the pros and struggle. Does this mean that the Quarterback is not good? Can we chalk it up to inexperience? Can we say it has something to do with coaching? Hell the Raiders could get the #1 pick in next years draft and draft the best Quarterback on the board (who will probably be Jake Locker or my personal favorite Tyrod Taylor), does that mean they will win the Super Bowl in 2011? There are so many factors that come into play as it relates to a players performance, and if you have stuff out of whack on Defense, guess which position reflects that the most. Yep!! Cornerback.

Let us just say that the Defensive call for this particular play is 2-Man Under. Do you know what is supposed to happen? Neither do I completely, but I get the basics of this play. From my understanding, the Defensive Lineman are supposed to get upfield and try to disrupt the Offenses play in the backfield. The Linebackers are supposed to play Man-to-Man Defense on the Running Back(s) and Tight End(s). And the Cornerbacks are playing Man-to-Man on the Wide Receivers. But the Cornerbacks are playing a unique technique if you will. They are actually supposed to let the Wide Receivers get behind them, and the Cornerback are asked to trail the Wide Receives in hopes that the Quarterbacks would try to lob a pass over the Cornerbacks. There is just one problem. The Safety’s are supposed to play over the top to take away the lob pass. (I loved face guarding when I played basketball. It is a beautiful thing when everyone is on the same page). Now if your Safety does not get into position quick enough to discourage the lob pass, it will “look like” the Cornerback is getting beat, when in reality it is the Safety getting beat. But you would have to be in the huddle and on the practice field to know exactly what was supposed to happen. My point? This is just one play. Most teams have hundreds of plays to learn, hundreds of personnel packages, audibles, coverages, techniques etc. So how is that people know when a player makes a mistake? By listening to the commentators? LOL.. Half of the commentators never played football. So who do you listen to now?

I personally loved Greg Williams because he maximized his talent on Defense. He never asked any of his players (well maybe Sean Taylor) to do anything outside of themselves. Carlos Rogers had his best years under Williams. Let us not forget, it was in the 2008 season where Rogers, coming off of an ACL, and MCL injury, came back from surgery 3 months early and had his best pro year. That to me shows that, given the right situation, Rogers can be a solid cornerback. If you are like me, and you are at home watching the game, you would have to know how to evaluate a player before you could make a comment on their performance. Do you know how to evaluate a Cornerback? If not, this is what you look for:

1. Man-to-man coverage: How flexible are their hips and smooth are their turns? Do they have a good backpedal? How fast can they accelerate?

2. Zone coverage: Do they show good range? Do they cover a lot of ground? How are they in the deep half? How is their overall awareness and instinct?

3. Closing quickness: Do they plant and drive well? Do they close and get to the ball in the air?

4. Key and diagnose: How well do they read the QB? Do they anticipate well? Do they seem to be in the right spot?

5. Lateral pursuit: Can they get over trash (a pile of players)? How is the movement in their hips? Can they chase sideline to sideline?

6. Tackling: Do they wrap up well? Do they tackle low or high? Are they able to drag down? Do they tackle with power and are they punishing?

7. Pass drop: How flexible are their hips and how smooth are their turns? Do they get adequate depth? Do they show awareness in zone coverage?

8. Pass coverage/hands: Can they cover man to man? Can they match up in the red zone? Do they have good ball skills?

Obviously, no one checks out 100%. The guy that I see in the NFL that comes really close is Darelle Revis. And last I checked, there is only one Darelle Revis in the NFL? So with that in mind, I ask you to re-evaluate what you think of Carlos Rogers.

How many times have you seen a deep ball completed on the Redskins in the last two seasons? What Defense were they in at the time? How many times were the Safety’s out of position? How many times were the Redskins in the wrong Defensive package? How many times were there blown coverages underneath? How much did the Redskins blitz over the past two seasons? How many backs ran for 100 yards on the Redskins’ Defense? I mean, let us not forget, Cornerbacks have to come up in support of the running game too. If you are getting killed on the ground, imagine what a perfectly timed play action fake could do (a team fakes a run, only to drop back and pass). I think you get my point. You can think that you see everything, when in reality, you might see nothing. Unless you are in the Defensive film room, or in the Defensive huddle, you cannot make a judgement call on someones performance. So to say that Carlos Rogers is a bum is a bit of stretch. Even the great Deion Sanders met his match a few times? There is no Cornerback in the history of the football who has not been beaten. As I stated before, the Wide Recievers in the NFL are World Class athletes. I think that they will beat a few Cornerbacks in their careers. There is not a Cornerback in the history of football who has caught every pass thrown to them. I mean if you could have your pick, what would you like from Carlos Rogers this season?

a. Catch more interceptions?
b. Not let a pass be completed on him?
c. Break up a few more pass plays?
d. Make more tackles?
e. All Of the Above

And be honest with yourself. Who in the NFL does all of this on a consistent basis? If you are real with yourself, you will know that to ask any Cornerback to do all of this is unrealistic. So now that you have something to think about tell me what you expect from Rogers this year. Please leave your comments.

In closing, here is my take on Carlos Rogers. Until the Redskins address their OBVIOUS hole at Free Safety, I would never ask Rogers, Hall, Buchanon or any other Cornerback to play Press Coverage. They would have to play 10 yards off of every, and any Wide Receiver. Until then I do not want Rogers trying to go for Interceptions. I want Rogers to play solid Defense and put himself in position to defense/deflect/break up pass plays. I also do not want Rogers trying to make too many tackles. That is not what he is getting paid for. He is getting paid to disrupt the other teams passing game. If he has to choose, I would much rather have him give up a short pass play as opposed to a long pass play. But, this all goes back to personnel. If you do not have the right personnel, you will be exposed. And no other position is a better measuring stick for this than Cornerback. I mean, Darelle Revis has always been a good Cornerback, but when did he have his best year? When Rex Ryan brought in the right personnel for the Jets’ Defense and brought his blue print from Baltimore for a great 3-4 Defense. Now Darelle Revis is a household name. I believe with the right personnel Carlos Rogers can play at a level close to Darelle Revis. But I am not crazy. Revis by far is the best Cornerback in the game, hands down. But, does this mean Rogers could not be one of the good ones too?

Is It All A Dream... Is D-Mac Really On My Team?

This must be dream.  I mean I have been watching football since 1983 faithfully.  My favorite team has been the Washington Redskins since I can remember.  I didn’t know teams other than the Redskins, Cowboys, Dolphins and Raiders existed until the next year when the 49ers faced off against the Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX (19).  From 1984 until now teams have done everything that they could to make sure that their Quarterback stayed with them for the duration of, or at least the majority of, their careers.  Guy’s like Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, and John Elway would not have looked good in other teams’ uniform.  Although we did see Joe Montana go to the Chiefs, and that was just wrong.  It was unheard of for a Franchise Quarterback to change teams, especially in their prime. But this past April I saw something that I never thought I would have seen.  A Franchise QB being traded to another team, not only in the same Conference, but within the same division.  That is why I keep asking myself, “Is this a dream?”  “Or is this a joke?”  Either way, it is the ultimate slap in the face.  And one that is not deserved, but if anyone can handle it in a classy way, Donovan McNabb is that guy.

I watched two starting Quarterback change teams this offseason.  Jason Campbell was traded away from the Redskins for damn near nothing.  Campbell went for a 4^th Round Draft pick in 2012.  That is 2 years from now.  Are you kidding me?  And a 4^th Round Draft Pick?  WOW!!!  With that said, Donovan McNabb’s situation was a bit better, but it was still a low blow.  Donovan was traded to the Washington Redskins for a 2^nd Round Draft Pick.  LOL…  I guess Brotha’s are still expendable.  I understand that a player’s value is what two teams agree upon, but give me a break here.  We are talking about a future Hall of Fame Quarterback.  We are talking about one of the best QB’s in NFL history.  We are talking about one of the best Winners of all time in the NFL.  And for the past five offseasons we were all waiting for the other shoe to drop.  We were waiting on the Eagles to cut ties with the best player in their Franchise’s history.  And that day came to pass on April 5, 2010. 

Maybe as Black people we are a bit too sensitive.  I mean for decades Black people have been slighted and underminded.  We see changes in society, but then we have constant reminders of what America’s ugly past was all about.  People do not want to admit it, but sports are a microcosm of society.  And although we have a Black President now, it does not mean, people’s discriminatory and sometimes, outright racist attitudes have changed.  And no where is this more apparent than in football at the Quarterback position.  Although the number of Black Quarterbacks have increased, the guidelines are still the same.  As a Black Quarterback, you have to be athletic, you must have a big arm and you have to be built a certain way (READ: muscular).  Notice, there is no reference to intelligence, just as long as you are not too smart.  God forbid you are intelligent as a Black QB, you will get Black-balled.  Just ask Duante Culpepper.  He is smart enough to understand NFL contract’s, and is still better then half of the Quarterback’s in the league and the only starting job that he was offered was with the lowly Detroit Lions.  But hey, it’s an NFL paycheck right?  As a Black Quarterback, you just need to be able to pick up the teams playbook and be able to run.  But even if you are intelligent, you will not get credit for it.

Jason Campbell has learned six to seven different Offensive Playbooks in the last nine years.  Do you think that he is intelligent/smart/heady or whatever bull---- term they are using today?  I think that Jason Campbell is very intelligent.  My proof, as a Black Quarterback, if he was not, that would be the FIRST thing in the way of criticism, that you would hear.  But it is not just Jason Campbell and it is not just about intelligence.  Can you imagine what would really happen if a Black Quarterback were really and truthfully groomed?  There is already a fear of the Black Quarterback in the NFL because every other position is dominated by Black players.  There is a note of athleticism, but couple that with intelligence and, “Houston we have a problem!!”  Maybe there is a fear that if Black Quarterbacks are given a fair shot, that the NFL will be completely Black in the next decade.  I mean, look at the NBA.  There is a conscious effort to slight Black Quarterbacks.  There is this subtle message to change positions, to avoid the "criticism."  Some are even told that they are “too athletic” to play Quarterback.  What kind of garbage is that?

How long do people expect Black Quarterbacks to endure criticism without lashing back?  Truth be told, Jake Delhomme would never get another starting job in the NFL if he were Black.  Carson Palmer would be getting death threats and would have been gone a few years ago.  People would be calling for Tony Romo’s backup.  Aaron Rodgers would be a bust.  Marc Bulger would have been gone two seasons ago. Jay Cutler would have been traded for a 4^th-7^th Round draft pick.  Alex Smith would have been released two seasons ago.  Matt Hasselback would have lasted 3 years.  Chad Pennington would have been long gone.  J.P. Losman would be bagging groceries.  Ben Roethlisberger would be staring down a year long suspension.  Phillip Rivers would have been on the hot seat coming into the 2009 season.  And, Matt Schaub would still be a backup in Atlanta.  A Quarterback’s value is in their production on the field and people’s perception of them.  The “it” factor, again, is the backing of an organization.  So when you hear the term, the “it” factor (i.e. … this kid has the “it” factor), know that “it” is a bunch of garbage.  It is a term that is made up just to separate two people when nothing to distinguish the difference is apparent.

This brings me back to Donovan McNabb.  Donovan is the perfect Quarterback.  He fits the description of most Black Quarterbacks, and even the stereotypical White Quarterback.  Here is my scouting report on Donovan:

-Big, strong, athletic kid

-Live arm; can make all of the throws

-Good at spreading the ball around

-Very mobile, especially within the pocket

-Can make plays with his feet

-Great deep ball thrower

-Very smart

-Great leader

Now a lot of people are going to have a problem with this blog.  I really could give a rat’s ass.  Anyone that knows me will tell you that I may be very opinionated and tough, but I am fair.  And the way Donovan McNabb has been unfairly scrutinized and overlooked for the duration of his career is very unfair.  The funny thing is, he is still going to be in Canton, OH in the future, so it makes no difference what anyone says. 

Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are great Quarterbacks and are going to be in the Hall of Fame.  Brett Favre is another great, and he too will be in Canton, OH in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  But you would be hard pressed to find anyone else from this era that is well on their way to the Hall of Fame other than Donovan McNabb.  You might be able to make a case for Ben Roethlisberger, but that is about it.  Maybe in a few years, I will entertain conversation about Drew Brees, but one Super Bowl win a Hall Famer it does not make.  Hell, Trent Dilfer and Mark Rypien both have Super Bowl rings, and I do not see Canton calling them anytime soon, if at all.  A Super Bowl ring, although nice to have, only says that you had one good season.  When you get two rings, you are doing something, when you have three like Tom Brady, you are the man.  Now if you can couple those rings with some good seasons then you are writing your own ticket to Canton.  I want you to be the judge of Donovan’s career to this point.  If you are going to get emotional and start spouting off dumbness, do not even bother writing me.  Please respond with some intelligence.  Take a look at this mans career and tell me if you think he has had a Hall Of Fame worthy career:

Year	Games	Games Started	Attempts	Completions	Completion %	Yards	Yards/Attempt	Touchdowns		Interceptions	Rating
1999	12	6	216	106	49.1	948	4.9		8	7	60.1
2000	16	16	569	330	58.0	3,365	5.91		21	13	77.8
2001	16	16	493	285	57.8	3,233	6.56		25	12	84.3
2002	10	10	361	211	58.4	2,289	6.34		17	6	86.0
2003	16	16	478	275	57.5	3,216	6.73		16	11	79.6
2004	15	15	469	300	64.0	3,875	8.26		31	8	104.7
2005	9	9	357	211	59.1	2,507	7.00		16	9	85.0
2006	10	10	316	180	57.0	2,647	8.36		18	6	95.5
2007	14	14	473	291	61.5	3,324	7.00		19	7	89.9
2008	16	16	571	345	60.4	3,916	6.90		23	11	86.4
2009	14	14	443	267	60.3	3,553	8.00		22	10	92.9
Totals	138	132	4,303	2,534	58.9	29,320	6.80		194	90	86.5
Playoffs	12	12	419	249	59.4	2,630	6.26		18	12	80.1

First of all, Donovan has NEVER, thrown more Interceptions than Touchdowns.  Take a look at the things that stick out, that are not on this chart.  McNabb has five NFC Championship appearances and one Super Bowl appearance.  And please take a look at the 2004 Season’s stats.  That is the one year that McNabb had a viable, respectable target at Wide Receiver in one Terrell Owens.  Next take a look at the 2008 season.  Please be advised that it was during this time that Donovan McNabb was benched for he first time in his career.  That season ended in one of Donovan’s five NFC Championship appearances. It was during that season that Philadelphia drafted a young speedster by the name of DeSean Jackson.  Finally, take a look at what Donovan has on his resume as of May 2010:

NFL Records

• Most consecutive pass completions, 24; vs New York Giants, Nov. 28, 2004; vs Green Bay Packers, Dec. 5, 2004
• Least-intercepted Quarterback per pass attempt of all time, (4588 attempts-96 interceptions, 2.09%)
• Second-best Touchdown-to-Interception ratio of all time, (209-96, 2.18) behind Tom Brady (217-92, 2.36)
• First NFL Quarterback ever to throw for more than 30 touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions (2004) [8]
• One of six Quarterbacks of all time to have over 25,000 Passing yards and 3,000 Rushing yards (alongside Randall Cunningham, Steve Young, Fran Tarkenton, Steve McNair, and John Elway)
• Currently the third-highest winning percentage among active quarterbacks (83-45-1, .647) behind Peyton Manning (119-59-0, .669) and Tom Brady (88-25-0, .779)

Eagles records

• Most Career Attempts (4,303)
• Most Pass Completions (2534)
• Most Passing Yards (29,320)
• Most Passing Touchdowns (203)
• Most Single-Season Completions (345, 2008 season)
• Most Single-Season Yards (3,916, 2008 season)
• Most NFC Championship Appearances (5)

I ask you one more time, why does this man not get respect?  Don’t give me garbage about him “not winning the big one.”  Dan Marino, Fran Tarkenton and Jim Kelly didn’t either.  Stop making excuses and start getting real.

Recapping the 2010 NFL Draft For The Washington Redskins

Well the 2010 NFL Draft has come and gone. In the last 10 NFL Drafts the Redskins have done well with the 1^st round draftees.  But everyone looks like a genius in the first three rounds so I don’t want to pat them on the back too much here.  You make your money in rounds 4-7.   Some names that come to mind for good 1^st Round picks are guys like Champ Bailey, Chris Samuels, Brian Orakpo, Sean Taylor, LaRon Landry, and Jason Campbell.  But one of the most successful late round picks for the Redskins that I have ever seen is Chris Horton.  It is rare to see a 7^th Round draft pick performing the way Horton did.  It kind of makes you think that the “experts” got it wrong.  I mean, even the great Tom Brady went late (6^th Round) in the NFL Draft.  In any event, this draft was a little intriguing and somewhat surprising.  But aren’t all of them like that?

In the 1^st Round the Redskins selected Trent Williams, Offensive Tackle from Oklahoma University.  Williams performed well enough at the NFL Scouting Combine to be rated an 8.6 out of a possible 10.  To me this was a good pick, but I wonder why we didn’t get Russell Okung.  I hear it was because Okung seemed to be too slow-footed for Coach Shanahan.  I hope that the Redskins do not live to regret this decision. We used our 2^nd Round pick to land Donovan McNabb in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, so I am not too upset about this one.  We used our 3^rd Round pick last year in the 2009 Supplemental Draft to get Jeremy Jarmon, Defensive End from Kentucky.  From what little I saw of Jarmon, he was worth the pick and he is going to be a major player on the Redskins’ Defense for years to come.  In the 4^th Round the Redskins selected Perry Riley from LSU Outside Linebacker from LSU.  A good pick up considering depth at the Linebacker positions are a priority now that the Redskins are planning on using the 3-4 a bit this upcoming season.  In the 6^th Round the Redskins selected Dennis Morris, Tight End from Louisiana Tech.  I am not really sure about this pick.  I mean depth at the Tight End position isn’t bad, but we had a bigger need at Cornerback considering that we just released Fred Smoot.  I know that Phillip Buchanon was signed to replace Smoot, but we still need one more Cornerback, unless the Redskins plan on using Justin Tryon and/or Kevin Barnes more this season.  To close out the draft, Terrance Austin, Wide Receiver from UCLA, Erik Cook, Center for New Mexico and Selvish Capers, Offensive Tackle from West Virginia were all selected in the 7^th Round.  These seem to be good draft picks, but we still need to fill a hole at Free Safety.  Hopefully the Redskins will address that need with an Undrafted Free Safety.  But the biggest surprise of the draft involved Jason Campbell.

Jason Campbell being traded to the Raiders was not that big of shock.  It was almost comical.  He is the poster child of how Black Quarterbacks are still being clowned in the NFL.  The Redskins NEVER had any intentions of taking care of Jason Campbell after coach Gibbs left.  Why draft this man in the 1^st Round just to waste his time?  I know all of the undercover racist football fans are going to say that my anger is misguided.  But how many non-Black QB’s have you seen mishandled the way Jason Campbell was?  Take your time. I have all day.  I have asked it before and I will ask it again, why is it with all of the Black QB’s in the NFL we cannot find one that people consider a Franchise Quarterback?  I’ll tell you why.  No one wants to admit that the requirements of the Quarterback position would change if Black QB’s are given a fair shot.  Amazing that Donovan McNabb, again, has accomplished all that he has with very little help, yet he is ridiculed for not “winning the big one.”  Yet, Fran Tarkenton, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly all played, and played well I might add, but they all, combined, have as many rings as Donovan McNabb.  Please stop making excuses.  Admit it people, the NFL has not gotten to the point where the Black QB is judged on a level playing field.  I just hope Al Davis takes care Jason Campbell the way he has taken care of JaMarcus Russell (and we all know, you cannot expect to groom a QB in that kind of circus environment that some refer to as a football franchise).  That is almost like giving a drug addict a newborn baby and then wonder why the hell the baby grew up to be a drug addict.  But any in any event I will always be a Jason Campbell fan.  Good luck Jay.

On a lighter note, although I was a bit pissed with the Redskins, I was happy to see some of my favorites get drafted. The other notable players that I actually took a liking to during the college season or during the NFL Combine were guys like Ndamokung Suh who is probably one of the most athletic Defensive Tackles I have ever seen, Gerald McKoy who is the other most athletic  Defensive Tackles that I have even seen, Eric Berry, Sam Bradford,  Tim Tebow, Joe Haden, Brandon Graham, Dez Brant and Aarelious Benn who I have had an eye on since he was right here in our backyard at Dunbar Senior High.  Benn was so good that he was featured on a show that replays on Fox 5 here in D.C., entitled Sports Stars of Tomorrow narrated by the great Pat Summerall.  This was, by far, the deepest draft that I have even seen and I have watched 6 NFL drafts.  There is usually a significant dropoff after the first 2 rounds, but not this year.  All the way through to the 6^th Round I was still seeing players that I liked and that I thought would do well.  This brings me to my analysis.

The QB that will have the best career in the draft will be, surprise, surprise….  Sam Bradford.  He has all of the tools to be a good QB and I think the Rams will surround him with enough talent to succeed.  I like his young receivers Keenan Burton and Donnie Avery.  And I like the running game with Stephen Jackson.  Message to St. Louis: GET THIS MAN A TIGHT END.  My surprise QB will be Tim Tebow.  For all of the criticism that this man endured, I still say the coaching failed to attempt to prepare him for the NFL. I cannot expect Tebow to do stuff that I have not taught him.  So coaches, get off of your lazy asses and teach the kid what you want him to know, then judge him.  The Terrell Owens of the draft will be Arrelious “Regis” Benn.  This kid is a sick talent that got lost in Illinois.  I think he will put the NFL on notice by the end of the season.  Bruce Campbell will be the steal of the draft.  I don’t care what the experts say.  If you have a complaint with a kid that has something to do with skill or strength development, YOU NEED TO TEACH/TRAIN HIM.  Stop making excuses.  Bruce Campbell has all of the physical tools to be the best Offensive Tackle in the NFL.  And guess what people, he will be.  The other steal of the draft will be Taylor Mays.  This is another case of a guy who was unfairly judge by numbers.  Turn on some film and you will think that you were watching another version of Sean Taylor.  He has all of the physical tools to be the best Free Safety in the NFL.  And in San Francisco, with coach Singletary, don’t be surprised if that happens within the next 3 years. 

All in all, the 2010 NFL Draft was a good one this year.  I love this part of the game.  This is where you have to groom the talent to fit your scheme.  But note to coaches: It is a fine line between grooming and changing.  You can’t change what made a player successful in college and then wonder why they are struggling in the NFL.  You have to groom the talent and fill holes in the talents game.  Get out of your egos and teach.  That is why guys like Coach Mike Singletary, Mike Tomlin, Bill Bellichek, Ton Dungy, and Jeff Fisher are so well respected.  They know how to handle talent.  And they will do it again this year.  I just hope Coach Mike Shanahan’s name is added to this list by the end of the 2010 season.  Barring injury I am expecting a 10-6 season from the Redskins and a playoff berth.  But I don’t think that the Redskins will make it past the Wild Card Game.  Sorry fans.  I still love them though.