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.

Black And Yellow??!!! Nope.. Green and Gold!!!

Wiz Khalifa made a song "Black And Yellow" paying tribute to his hometown teams, Steelers, Pirates and Penguins.  I was preparing myself to hear it being played on the loud speaker at the conclusion of what was supposed to be a Super Bowl win by the Steelers.  But was supposed to be a dream, turned into a nightmare and a win for the Packers.  As the confetti started to drop after Super Bowl XLV, I couldn’t help but to wonder, "What if??!!" What if Pittsburgh had won the game Sunday over the Green Bay Packers? What if Ben Roethlisberger would have capped off his story of redemption with a Super Bowl win? I mean it was just 10 years ago a similar situation played out for one Ray Lewis. But Ray Lewis not only played and won the Super Bowl that year, but he won Super Bowl MVP. We almost had a situation where Michael Vick would have been able to do the same thing. I mean how crazy would that have been to have had an all Pennsylvania Super Bowl? All of these thoughts ran through my head as I watched one of my favorite coaches in the NFL walk off the field after losing a heartbreaking game. Mike Tomlin is the blueprint now. Young, fiery, intelligent, articulate, hungry and oh yeah, successful. Now you have Leslie Frazier and Raheem Morris, joining Jack Del Rio and Todd Haley as the new crop of younger coaches make their way into the NFL ranks as Head Coaches. But just as the new guys are going to have a long time to dominate, one Mike McCarthy, a throwback of sorts, reminded us that having a few years of experience under your belt doesn’t hurt either.

I think I have made it extremely clear. I am a Redskins fan first, a Steelers fan second and a “good football organization fan” third. When I see organizations doing things the right way, I will tip my hat to them and wish them the best. Green Bay is one of those organizations. They draft and develop players and sign big name Free Agents only as a necessity. Charles Woodson was probably their best Free Agent signee in the past 10 years. And over the past few years, the Packers have drafted Aaron Rodgers, Ryan Grant, Greg Jennings, A.J. Hawk, Clay Matthews III, Donald Lee, B.J. Raji and Jordy Nelson. And to add to the mix, guys like Sam Shields and Tramon Williams were picked up as Free Agents. Then you have old guys like Donald Driver who were drafted in the 7th Round in 1998 from Alcorn State. Who the hell drafts players from HBCU’s (Historically Black Colleges/Universities)? Most of those players end up in the Free Agent pool. Do you think Donald Driver was a good draft pick? Do you think that Green Bay has a clue as to how to build a championship franchise? I think that they answered that question last night. And the old guy had something to do with it.

See Mike McCarthy, love him or hate him, had to stand firm against a Green Bay legend. Brett Favre held the Packers hostage for about three seasons. Aaron Rodgers was ready to take over by at least his second season. McCarthy had to let Brett know that he was welcomed to come back, but the young stud at QB was going to be taking over the reigns. Favre didn’t like it, and neither did some of the Packer fans. Favre departed in a trade to the Jets, and Rodgers was given the starting QB job. But Rodgers had to endure ribbing and heckling from fans at training camp. Now up until this point, Rodgers hadn’t spoken a word to the major media. So why was he being treated this way? People are afraid of change. The Packer fans thought that a change at QB would be the beginning of a long rebuilding phase. But Coach McCarthy saw it as a reloading phase. And with guys like Ryan Grant and Nick Barnett not even in the fold for most of the season this year, we might be looking at the beginning of a dynasty. I just hope people don’t start hating them like they are starting to hate the Steelers.

Pittsburgh suffered though the 80’s and part of the 90’s with losing and underachieving teams. So now that Pittsburgh has gotten things going in their favor, please respect their organization. In the 80’s San Francisco, N.Y. Giants, Denver and Washington were the teams that made multiple Super Bowl appearances. It was fashionable to hate on them. In the 90’s it was Dallas, Denver, Green Bay and Buffalo who made multiple Super Bowl appearances, and guess what?!! People were hating on them. Buffalo really became the darling of the NFL because a lot of people wanted to see them win, but then they became a punchline to many jokes. Why make fun of a dynasty? So what the Bills lost 4 Super Bowl. There were 28 teams (the NFL didn’t expand until the mid 90’s and then the realignment didn’t happen until 2002) that would have traded places with them in a second. In the 2000’s it was the New England Patriots who made multiple Super Bowl appearances. Now people can’t stand the New England Patriots. Why??!! If you don’t want to see teams make multiple appearances, tell the other teams to do something about it. No one gave them anything, they earned the right to play in a Super Bowl. So now it is the Pittsburgh Steelers. You don’t have to like them, but you should respect them. Their organization does things the right way and this is what happens when you know what the hell you are doing. Green Bay has been doing the right things for years, so Sunday’s win does not surprise me. I just hope that that average fan can see that. 

I can honestly say that teams like Cleveland, N.Y. Giants, N.Y. Jets, New England, Miami, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Seattle, St. Louis, Indianapolis, New Orleans and Tampa Bay know what they are doing. They are the blueprint to how to build a winning franchise. Don’t let the records fool you. There is a lot that goes on before the teams even take the field. Some of it takes years to unfold, but when it does everyone says stuff like “unexpected contender” or “surprise team.” There was nothing surprising about Cleveland knocking of teams like New England, or the Giants “upsetting” the Patriots in the Super Bowl, or even teams like Baltimore and Indianapolis or New Orleans making the playoffs frequently. Their organizations don’t make big splashes in Free Agency or even in the draft, but their teams are always competitive. Have you ever asked yourself how do they manage to do that? The Colts never have a top draft pick yet their Rookies are always prepared to play, especially their Offensive Linemen. The same goes for New England. How did the Jets all of a sudden become a contender? What about Tampa Bay having a winning record this season? What about Miami? Miami has been floating under the radar for some time now. Don’t be surprised to see them make the Playoffs and really make a push for a Championship. My team to watch next season is the Detroit Lions. For years they made mistakes, but with moves to acquire Matt Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Bryant Johnson (who I have had the pleasure of meeting, he is really cool), Kyle Van Den Bosch, and drafting the manbeast Ndamakong Suh, they are about 2-3 seasons from winning the NFC North. It sounds crazy now, but remember you heard it from me first.

See people can make fun of my boys from Pittsburgh for losing the Super Bowl, but I remember in the 80’s when Pittsburgh was irrelevant. I remember when Bubby Brister, Dermonti Dawson and Louis Lipps were playing with guys like Kevin Greene and Greg Lloyd, and even Rod Woodson and carrying an underachieveing team. Now they are reaping the benefits of paying the price for years to build a winning organization. The same can be said about the New England Patriots. For years they were the team that was known for getting blown out by the Chicago in Super Bowl XX. And it took 11 years for New England to make another Super Bowl and they lost that one as well to the Green Bay Packers. So when you see teams like Baltimore, New England, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Green Bay, Atlanta and Miami dominating now, just remember it didn’t happen overnight. They did all the grunt work months, even years ago. They may have had a few sub .500 seasons, but the foundation was being laid. Now you see the fruits of their labor. So please celebrate the Green Bay Packers and their unbelievable Super Bowl run, but just remember Pittsburgh did the exact same thing 5 years ago and have made two more appearances since then. Now Pittsburgh is being hated on. I just wonder if the same thing is going to happen to Green Bay in the next 5 years

Second Annual NFL Dezzy Awards!!

As we approach the end of, yet another exciting NFL season, we can take look back at the players that made waves this season. Some were surprising, and other were routine, but all are worthy of being mentioned. But first things first, we will take a look at the Conference Championship games.

AFC Championship Game
N.Y. Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

See I am very biased. Aside from being a diehard Redskins fan, I also grew up being a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I can remember days of Mark Malone, Bubby Brister, Dermonti Dawson, Kevin Green, Louis Lipps, Eric Greene, Bam Morris and Neil O’Donnell (I have since forgiven him for blowing the 1995 Super Bowl to the Dallas Cowboys). I can remember people making fun of me for liking the lowly Pittsbugh Steelers in the late 80’s. But as the decade turned, so did the fortune of the Steelers. When players like Kordell Stewart, Greg Lloyd and Rod Woodson became cornerstones, the Steelers started to pick it up. Then I was being accused of being a bandwagon hopper. Well folks since 1984 I have been following the Redskins and the Steelers. And unless the Steelers are playing the Redskins, I am going to pick them. So guess who I am picking to win the AFC Championship Game between the Jets and the Steelers??!!! I love what Rex Ryan has done with the Jets’ Defense. Most people didn’t give him credit because he had a player in Ray Lewis who is a lock at being a Hall of Famer. So Rex was overshadowed in his brilliance. What do you think of Rex Ryan now? Yeah he can be a little over the top, but Rex is good, PERIOD!!! I just don’t think it is their time yet. The Jets will be a powerhouse, but they’ll have to wait until next year.

Pittsburgh 24, N.Y. Jets 13


NFC Championship Game

Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears
Jay Cutler has shown me enough this year to actually consider him a Top 20, maybe even a Top 15 NFL QB. It wasn’t for lack of talent. I just never saw him rise to the occasion when the stage got big. Last week, I saw it. I saw the Jay Cutler that I wanted to see in Denver. I saw the Jay Cutler that could easily win a Super Bowl. I think Cutler is underrated. I think Jay Cutler could be an elite QB. But up until last weekend, I really couldn’t voice my opinion. I used to put him on blast because I thought that he was underachieving. I think Cutler could be better than Tom Brady. With all of that said, I still think the Bears are not going to beat that nasty 3-4 Defense of the Green Bay Packers. I think that Aaron Rodgers IS an elite NFL QB. I think that Aaron Rogers can, and has, been proven to step up in big games. And none was bigger than knocking off the #1 seeded Atlanta Falcons last week in blowout fashion. No disrespect to the Bears. I think that they will be right back in the NFL Playoffs next year. It reminds of the Saints of a few years ago when they met the Bears in the NFC Championship game. You knew they were good enough to win the game, and that they would be back in the playoffs, but it was just the Bears’ time that year. I think that it is just the Packers’ time this year, and they will be one of the very few Wild Card teams to make a Super Bowl appearance. Sorry Bears fans.

Green Bay Packers 24, Chicago Bears 20



ON TO THE DEZZY AWARD WINNERS!!!!

It will be brief this year, I handed out too many awards last year and it took to long to type.  I will go backwards.


BEST DEFENSIVE BACK
This was a bit more difficult than I thought. There was one guy that play all 16 games and was a Rookie to boot. The other guy only played 10 games, but his impact was unmatched. And I love watching him play. There was yet another guy who played only 10 games, but missed the last 6 with an injury. If you haven’t figured it out. My picks came down to Rookie Devin McCourty, Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu. But the winner is….

Ed Reed (Free Safety, Baltimore Ravens) (8 INT’s in 10 games). Nuff said.

BEST LINEBACKER
I had a tie. Some people are not going to like this, but when you start looking at the trend of the Defensive scheme’s in the NFL, you’ll notice that a lot of teams are switching to the 3-4 Defense. Most of the Rush End’s in the 3-4 are converted Defensive Ends who are now playing a hybrid Defensive End/Outside Linebacker. Although Brian Orakpo should have won this award, especially seeing as though he was being held about 80% of the time…… The winners of this award are…..

DeMarcus Ware (Outside Linebacker, Dallas Cowboys [led the NFL with 15.5 sacks]) and the game changer, Clay Matthews (Outside Linebacker, Green Bay Packers). And Matthews is a baby. Wait until he learns how to play.

BEST DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
The big fellas deserve to get some love too. Right?!! I took into consideration that these guys only get press when they are NOT doing their job. But if they are doing their job, someone else gets the attention. But not me!! I know when you have a guy doing his job up front. And this young man has done a lot to help his team transition to the 3-4 Defense. And he too is a baby. The winner of this award is…..

B.J. Raji (Defensive Tackle, Green Bay Packers)

BEST DEFENSIVE LINE
I will continue to give this award to this team until someone tops them. No need to drag it out. They can do whatever, whenever and however they want. And they don’t even need to blitz to create pressure. This award goes to…..

The New York (football) Giants’ Defensive Line

BEST WIDE RECEIVER
It kinda pisses me off that this guy got it together after Michael left Atlanta. There were days it seemed as though he had left his hands in locker room on game day. I don’t if it was him, but one of the Falcons receivers used to complain that Vick threw the ball too hard. Hmmm! Anyway, he got it together and is not considered one of the best WR’s in the NFL. And with 10 TD catches to go along with 115 receptions and 1,389 yards, this guy deserves the praises now. The winner of this award goes to…….

Roddy White (Wide Reciever, Atlanta Falcons)

BEST OFFENSIVE LINE
As usual, they protected the Golden Boy of the NFL even though they had a few key injuries later on. This was routine, but I still have a lot of respect for the coaching staff. Not all of their Offensive Linemen are 1st Round picks, so what are they teaching these guys? LOL… This award goes to……

The Indianapolis Colts’ Offensive Line


BEST RUNNING BACK
Here is where the controversy starts. I think that this guy only floated under the radar because he plays in, what I believe, is a small market. His team also took a step backwards this year in terms of wins. But this young man caught my eye in the Preseason and played well enough to win the Rushing Title this year. Now if his team can get it together, he will be a household name. And to think he was on the practice squad for 12 of the 16 games last year. Good job scouting. This award goes to…..

Arian Foster (Running Back, Houston Texans)


BEST QUARTERBACK
This could have gone to two or three people, but I had to give it to the guy that is usually on top and has been doing it for 10 years straight. And when I say doing it, I mean winning. And I still say, this guy is the best QB in the NFL until someone can dethrone him. Imagine he played all 16 games this season and only threw 4 INT’s to 36 TD passes. WOW!!! I will shout if from the roof tops. This is the best QB in the NFL hands down. He doesn’t need any big name WR’s. He’s been doing it for 10 years without any real help. Hell the one year he had two top tier WR’s he went undefeated during the regular season. The Golden Boy can’t touch him. This award goes to….

Tom Brady (Quarterback, New England Patriots).


COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
I am literally smiling. I wish I could shake this young mans hands. His name conjures up discussions that cross race lines. His punishment sparks so much debate that it probably ruffled more feathers than President Barack Obama’s Inauguration. To a man, I grew up in the hood too. I grew up on 14th and Clifton Street, right here in Washington, D.C. I saw it too. I didn’t like it, but what was I going to do? I was 8 years old. The older cats would have whipped my ass had I snitched. Dogfighting is probably one of the worse things that I have ever experienced. Up until the first moment I was able to witness a dog fight. I hated dogs. I thought that they were bullies. Remember I grew up in the hood. A stray dog was common place. I spent most of my adolescence running from them. But on this day, I wanted to run to them to help. I literally hated it. And the guys doing it were just like me and every other Brotha in the hood. Mistakes are nothing to be ashamed about. And this young man took everything society threw at him. Hell he even went to jail with “real killers.” Who the hell else is going to Leavenworth, KS for dogfighting. This was an attempt at a legalized form of lynching in America. But just like the cream of the crop. This man rose from the ashes. Everyone criticized him for being lazy. Said that he was never a QB in the NFL, and would never play again. Some even suggested that he change positions to prolong his career. But just like his skin color, no matter where you play him, you can't change him. He is a QB. He led the Philadelphia Eagle to a 10-6 record and a playoff berth. More than that, he captured the imagination of all of the Brotha’s in the hood. When he succeeded, as a Black man, we felt like we all succeeded. His masterful performances this season was the period at end of the most overuse catch phrases. But it stuck when he said it. And he said it with his performance(s) not his mouth. I’M BACK!!!! Congrats bro. His 62.6% Completion percentage, 3,018 Passing Yards, 21 Passing TD’s and only 6 INT’s were very impressive considering he wasn’t even supposed to start the season. But he also had 100 carries for 676 Rushing Yards and 9 Rushing TD’s. Who else in the NFL can come close? This award goes to….

Michael Vick (Quarterback, Philadelphia Eagles)

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Anyone that knows me, knows that I am very biased when it comes to Defensive Backs. I think that they are underappreciated and overlooked unless they are making a ton of Interceptions or scoring a lot of Defensive TD’s. Guys like Darrelle Revis will not get a lot of Interceptions, but they sure as hell can throw off the other teams passing game. There is a young guy that caught my eye during the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine last year. And he only came in and tied for 2nd place in the NFL for Interceptions this year. I think in 5 years, he will be mentioned with Revis and few others as one of the top Cornerbacks in the NFL. I am pretty sure Martin Rooney of the Parisi Speed School in New Jersey would love to get his hands on him. This award goes to…..

Devin McCourty (Cornerback, New England Patriots).

COACH OF THE YEAR
This guy started the year on the hot seat and now finds himself in the NFC Championship Game. His team finished 12-4 and the #1 seed. His QB had been written off as a failure, but he believed in this young man and it has paid off. He was one of two Black coaches to be the first to cross the race barrier and make an appearance in the Super Bowl. Although he lost, his statement was made. I am worthy of this job. This award goes to….

Lovie Smith (Head Coach, Chicago Bears)

NFL MVP AWARD
And the final award. The Award for which you’ve all been waiting. Really, it was easy this year. Unfortunately although his team went 14-2, they got bounced in the Divisional Round by a team that was just better on that day. No need to drag it out. I’ve already made a statement for this guy. The NFL MVP Award goes to….

Tom Brady (Quarterback, New England Patriots).

Leave your comments/thoughts/concerns. I will be glad to hear them.

‘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.

Late FG Just Lifts Cowboys Past Redskins 33-30

So I was really pissed off about the Redskins benching Donovan McNabb. That was the ultimate disrespect for a guy who has been nothing but a class act in the NFL for the past 11 years. Manning, Brady nor Favre would have been done like that. At least the Packers told Brett ahead of time that he was being phased out by Aaron Rodgers. Favre was still offered a starting job in two other places after Green Bay. But McNabb is at the point of his career where he needs to put his foot down and tell someone to kiss his ass. And after all that, the Redskins had a game to play. Not just any game though. It was a game against Dallas. You know the D.C. natives get up for the Cowboys every time we play them. This particular week was very weird. The Cowboys were an afterthought. More was being made of the McNabb benching. And it showed in the first half of the game as Dallas mounted a 20-7 lead.

Santana Moss' 8 catches, 72 yards and 2 TD catches were not enough to help the Redskins Sunday.

I am just as shocked as anyone that team with so much talent is only 5-9. Everyone had Dallas slated to go to the Super Bowl and play the game at home. That sounded great but someone forgot to tell the Cowboys that they have to play at least 18 games to get a shot at playing for an NFL Championship. A team that boasts talents such as Bradie James, Michael Jenkins, DeMarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff, Miles Austin, Roy Williams, Felix Jones, Dez Bryant and Mr. Hollywood himself, Tony Romo should be 12-2 at this point of the season. But when you have coaching problems and injuries you will find yourself in a similar situation. And Jon Kitna is the perfect backup QB. There is no surprise that Kitna played the way he did Sunday. The Cowboys narrowly escaped with a win, 33-30. But considering that Marion Barber, Roy Williams and Tony Romo were all out Sunday, Dallas played well enough to come away with a win. But as much as the Cowboys were happy to come away with a win, Washington was just happy to be competitive.

Rex Grossman has developed into a viable backup QB. Grossman is the ultimate pro and is a good locker room guy for any NFL squad. The problem is, Grossman is starting for Washington. That alone should explain the trouble that Washington is in, and the trouble ahead for GM Bruce Allen. Now where do you go next year? Does McNabb come back? Do you draft a QB in the 2011 NFL Draft? Do you bring Grossman back as a starter? Does Albert Haynesworth come back? Do you trade Haynesworth? Do you bring back Kyle Shanahan? Hell, do you bring back Mike Shanahan? With all of this going on in D.C., it is amazing that Washington was able to play a game and be competitive Sunday. To be honest with you, I really didn’t care if we won the game or not. I was more interested in how Grossman would play. And in the first half, it was gross man!!! There were blown assignments, bad reads by both Grossman and a couple of Wide Receivers, and INT’s. But in the second half Grossman did a great job of moving the ball and putting up points. So much so that Washington had a chance actually win the game, but as usual, Washington couldn’t come up with the big stop when they needed it and Dallas marched right down the field and kicked what would prove to be the game-winning FG. Now at 5-9, the Redskins have to gear up to play the Jaguars next week.

In case you haven’t noticed, David Garard has the Jaguars playing well this year. And with young talents like Marcedes Lewis and Mike Sims-Walker on the same team with guys like Maurice Jones-Drew and Rashean Mathis, the Jags are a very tough outing. Now how do you concentrate on the Jaguars when you have so much turmoil going on in your backyard. McNabb gets moved to the #3 QB on the depth chart. Haynesworth is suspended, Safeties LaRon Landry and Chris Horton are on the IR list. And the fans in D.C. are turned off by the latest happenings. If I am a Redskins player, I am already planning my vacation. I want to get as far away from Ashburn, VA as I can. I don’t want to talk to a reporter until training camp opens next year. As a matter of fact, I may not even do an interview until training camp next year. What do I have to talk about? If I have to answer on more Albert Haynesworth, Kyle Shanahan or Donovan McNabb questions, I just may punch someone in the head. And after the way this season has gone for the Redskins, could you blame me? Next stop Jacksonville.

Redskins Lose To Bucs; Lose Shot at Playoffs

It was almost as if fate was toying with the emotions of the fans. Ryan Torain in his first game back from injury, was running roughshod through the Buccaneers Defense. Torain posted 158 yards in the first half. He was clearly on his way to a 300-yard record-setting performance, right? WRONG!!!! Instead the Buccaneers Defense clamps down and shuts down the Redskins running game. And to add insult to injury, the young QB for the Buccaneers looked like a seasoned veteran in the Second Half as he engineered, albeit ugly, a comeback that was noteworthy. This is Josh Freeman’s 2nd year as an NFL Qarterback. This young man has a bright future. The Bucs fans have a lot to which to look forward. But what about the Redskins fans?

Donovan McNabb couldn’t have played a better game. McNabb completed 22 of 25 passes for 228 yards and 2 TD passes, and more importantly, no interceptions. Ryan Torain finished the game with 173 Rushing Yards, in a stellar performance. Santana Moss redeemed himself Sunday after dropping a game-changing pass last week that resulted in an Interception. Moss had 7 catches for 82 yards and a Touchdown catch on 5th down. Yes, that’s right. That’s not a typo. The Redskins were awarded an extra down on that final drive. And even when they were given an early Christmas gift, they gave it right back, botching the PAT try in the closing seconds. Just when the Redskins fans were about to grip on to the fading NFL Playoff hopes, it slipped right through their fingers quicker than the PAT snap going through Hunter Smith’s hands Sunday. But on the other sideline there was something going on that I can’t ignore.

Raheem Morris has done a good job of turning around the lowly Bucs. What is impressive to me is the fact that, as young as he is, the players respect him. It is nice to see another young Black coach doing well in the NFL. It wasn’t long ago that Black men coaching on the NFL was a rarity. On top of that, there is a young Black QB playing for Morris who caught my eye during the 2009 NFL Combine in Josh Freeman. Freeman only attempted 25 passes Sunday, but he was very efficient and did a good job of managing the game. It wasn’t pretty, but at seasons end, Freeman and Bucs will be in the NFL Playoffs. At this point who really cares how pretty or ugly a win is? Morris has engineered an impressive turnaround of a team that was just 3-13 last year and had to start Josh Johnson, another Rookie (at the time) last year. The best part about this team is that they are extremely talented and very young. Give Morris a few years and the Bucs could be challenging the Falcons and the Saints for the NFC South Divisional title. That is more than we can say for Washington.

Washington is just looking for their first winning season and NFL Playoff appearance since 2007. What can be done? What is/are the next move(s)? Is LaRon Landry going to be o.k. for next season? Is Albert Haynesworth going to be traded? Are we going to stick with the 3-4 Defense? Which Linebackers are going to be cut/traded? Are the Redskins going to go after another Wide Receiver? Are the Redskins going to Draft/sign any Offensive Linemen during the Offseason? Is Donovan McNabb going to still be in Washington next year? All of these questions will be answered by July 2011 when the Pre-Season kicks off. But for right now, at 5-8, Washington can only hope to finish at .500 and not lose their fans yet again. But after watching Washington lose to the Texans, Viking, Buccaneers, Lions and Rams, can you really blame our fans for turning on us?  There would have to be a huge turnaround next season for the fans to show any hope.  Because at this point, most people are selling their season tickets.  That would have never happened during the Joe Gibbs era.  It might be time for Snyder to re-evaluatae his coaching decision yet again.  Don't surprised to see another coaching change in 2011.

Giants Embarrass Redskins, Haynesworth Suspended

It wasn’t much of a game from the start. The Giants and that New Jersey wind blew Washington away, 31-7. So many little things happened in that game that bothered me and should bother any other Redskin fan. The Giants had a basic game plan and executed it to perfection. Run the ball down the Redskins’ throat and dare them to stop it. Well the Redskins stopped it alright. They stopped it in the Second Half when the score was already 21-0. Kinda late at that point don’t you think? But maybe there was more going on with the Redskins than we knew about.

You can’t have internal issues going on and wonder why you are not putting out a good product. The Redskins have a big issue to take care right now, maybe two by seasons end. For all we know, there might be a third. Issue number is Albert Haynesworth. Is Albert really the problem? Here we have a talented player who is unhappy. Is this another case of Terrell Owens or is this a Josh McDaniel-type issue? Whose ego is really out of control? It may surprise you, but I actually think that both are to blame. Coach Shanahan is trying to impose his will and Albert wants to be successful doing the exact same things that he was doing in Tennessee. Haynesworth has somewhat closed himself off to learning anything new. Some of that has to do with him feeling like he tried it “their way” and it didn’t work and the fans were booing him. Now he is reluctant to try any other new thing because he has lost trust for the Redskins and the organization. If you have played sports on any level, you know first hand, sometimes coaches can be assholes. And to a man, we all wish that we could have told one of our bosses to kiss our asses. It just so happens that Haynesworth’s feud is being televised. But he is not entirely to blame.

Coach Shanahan has to come in and establish authority. There is nothing wrong with that. But when does it becomes an issue of ruling with an iron fist, and just being disrespectful, then all bets are off. I don’t care what anyone says, the “Conditioning Test” was a form of torture. How many times is someone going to run 300 yards on one play? If he made Albert do the conditioning test one time before practice then I would have understood. But Haynesworth had to run it numerous times. I don’t care what kind of shape that you think you are in, that is one hard ass test. Secondly, Shanahan brought in Joey Galloway and penciled him in as a starter. But Galloway was rarely, if ever, used. And to add insult to injury, Galloway gets released in the middle of the season. We wasted that man’s time. Third, and most disturbing to me, is we made the move for Donovan McNabb and have yet to take care of McNabb like the Hall Of Fame QB that he is. Our Offensive Line is bruised and battered again. No surprise there. Who doesn’t have injury issues on their team? But don’t deactivate one of our best Offensive Linemen (Derrick Dockery) and wonder why the guy that is playing out of position in Dockery’s place is struggling. Donovan, statistically is having one of, if not, the worst season of his career. McNabb has never thrown more INT’s than TD’s in any season in his career. He is on pace to do it for the first time in his career this year. And to make matters worse, we have been having the case of the drops lately. That is why the Shanahan regime looks like a hot mess right now. No wonder the Giants steam rolled the Redskins.

I am not going to take anything from the Giants. The were down like 3 Wide Receiver’s and a couple of starters on their Offensive Line, namely Dave Diehl and Shaun O’Hare. Their only option was to run the ball. They did that and then some. Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks were both hurt. Mario Manningham was the No. 1 WR and did very little Sunday. Yet, the Giants were able to put up 31 points. Now you tell me, is that talent or coaching? The Giants, over the past 6 season have just done a good job of taking care of business when the need too. That is a direct result of coaching. Yes, Tom Coughlin is a rock solid asshole, but his players respect him. Right now, Shanahan is on the verge of losing his entire team. He has to do something to turn it around or his head will be on the chopping block. Has he forgotten who his boss is? Look up impatient in the dictionary and Daniel Snyder’s face will be right next to it. But if the plug is pulled on Shanahan, would this be a bad move by Snyder?

Shanahan was 24-24 over the last three season in Denver. That is hardly impressive if you ask me. Coach Zorn went .500 in his first year in Washington. Am I missing something here? Right now the Redskins could realistically be staring down the barrel of a 6-10 season. With games against Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Dallas and the N.Y. Giants remaining, this could be a very ugly finish. I think the ironic thing is everyone was quick to blame Jason Campbell last year. Do you still think Campbell was the problem? He looks like a completely different QB in Oakland right now. I wonder why that is. I’ll use the example that I always use when discussing QB’s. QB’s are like children. Children are a direct reflection of what is going on at home. If things are bad at home, the child will be completely lost and not know where to turn for support. Even if their siblings have it together, the chaos starts from the top and will affect everyone to some degree. But even if you are in a dysfunctional house, if there is even an attempt at normalcy and there is an inkling of support from the parents, the kids just might be o.k. The former describes Donovan McNabb. As good as he is, he is not in a good situation, again, and it is a direct reflection of what is going on with Washington right now. It wasn’t Campbell’s fault last year and it is not McNabb’s fault this year. The later describes Jason Campbell and the Oakland organization. As bad as Oakland is, and even though their QB situation isn’t settled. The coaches like all of their QB’s so whether it is Gradkowski or Campbell, the Raiders are just getting it done. And the games that I saw Campbell playing, Campbell looked liked a very confident QB. Just ask the Chiefs, the Chargers and the Broncos if they think that Washington made a mistake in letting Campbell go. This is not the Raiders of old. Campbell has a very bright future in Oakland.

At 5-7 Washington, and the Shanahan’s are in trouble. Only finishing 9-7 could make this a respectable season. Otherwise, the Shanahans and McNabb could be looking for a job by seasons end. There is no reason why Washington shouldn’t be 7-5 and fighting for a division title. But as it has been 12 of the last 15 seasons, we just didn’t quite get it right. I guess we’ll have to wait for next year, right? Wait just a second. Maybe not. As long as we have #5, we still have a chance. This is the same guy that took an 8-7-1 team to the NFC Championship game just a couple of years ago. But in order for that to happen, some adjustments have to be made. And adjustment number one has to be an attitude adjustment by the Head Coach. Start their and the rest will fall into place. Just ask Josh McDaniel. He ran Brandon Marshall and Jay Cutler out of town traded Peyton Hillis away to Cleveland. McDaniels is in the unemployment line right now. Who will be next?