SB Nation - Pete Kendall

Redskins Stripped of Ball, Dignity In Staggering OT Loss

Sugar — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:30:37 -0000

I don't believe in curses, but I am starting to wonder if Mr. Burns and Dan Snyder have more in common than previously thought.

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I am reminded of an all-time great Simpsons episode, "Homer at the Bat." The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant softball team, led by Homer, dominates the regular season and makes the championship. Prior to the big game, Mr. Burns decides to stock his roster full of big league ringers to insure the massive wager he has placed on his team. His confidence is overwhelming, and he gloats about his certain win:

Mr. Burns: "Unless, of course, my nine all-stars fall victim to nine separate misfortunes and are unable to play tomorrow. But that will never happen. Three misfortunes, that's possible. Seven misfortunes, there's an outside chance. But nine misfortunes!??!? I'd like to see that!!"

Then Steve Sax is arrested and jailed since he is from New York City and there is an unsolved murder in New York City. Mike Sciosia develops acute radiation poisoning. Jose Canseco gets wrapped up in helping a woman empty her burning house. Wade Boggs gets the crap beaten out of him by Barney after an argument about who England's greatest Prime Minister was (Pitt the Elder vs. Lord Palmerston.) Ozzie Smith falls into Springfield's "Mystery Spot." Ken Griffey, Jr. overdoses on nerve tonic and his head swells to gargantuan proportions. Don Mattingly is dismissed by Burns due to a disagreement over Mattingly's hairdo. Roger Clemens thinks he's a chicken after a hypnosis-gone-bad.

via 1.bp.blogspot.com

I think you know where I am headed with this one.

I remember last season sitting in my seat at FedEx watching Pete Kendall pick up a fumble and try to run with it, leading to his own fumble and subsequent touchdown by the Rams. As the Rams defender crossed the goal line with no time remaining in the 1st half, I immediately knew that was the kind of play that beats you. We lost 19-17 to a bad Rams team, and you would be hard-pressed to not point your finger to that fluky play.

I even think back to a game in the 2000 Washington Redskins season where we hosted the Tennessee Titans on a Monday Night and Samari Rolle took back an INT at the end of the first half for a touchdown with no time left on the clock. We lost that game 27-21. I can still see Samari Rolle barely having the energy to get all the way to the end zone.

The Kareem Moore interception-strip-touchdown play was as magnificent as it was devastating. Those kinds of plays are so rare, fans of some teams could go a lifetime without enduring the pain of watching it happen to their boys...at their home stadium...3 times in less than a decade.

The series of misfortunes that transpired to effect the result of yesterday's game rivaled the events that knocked out Mr. Burns' team of destiny. The deadly challenge reviews, the shanked Saints punt that hit Kevin Barnes in the back ("The ball just wanted to hit me. It found me," Barnes said after the game), the unbelievably poor-timed, late interception thrown by Jason Campbell, the missed chip shot by Shaun Suisham...SERENITY NOW!!

Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs	25	28
Passing 1st downs	21	19
Rushing 1st downs	4	5
1st downs from Penalties	0	4
3rd down efficiency	6-14	7-12
4th down efficiency	0-1	0-0
Total Plays	74	67
Total Yards	463	455
Passing	408	367
Comp-Att	35-49	30-42
Yards per pass	8.3	8.7
Rushing	55	88
Rushing Attempts	24	25
Yards per rush	2.3	3.5
Red Zone (Made-Att)	0-4	3-7
Penalties	7-102	2-15
Turnovers	1	4
Fumbles lost	0	3
Interceptions thrown	1	1
Defensive / Special Teams TDs	1	0
Possession	35:06	31:23

As always, I include the stat recap, but the story of this game is simply not in the numbers. Instead, the mysticism surrounding this team over the last decade grows. The ongoing series of unexplainable, improbable occurrences that are individually inexplicable are starting to combine forces to form a strangely coherent image. And I am not talking about a "seeing Jesus in your grilled cheese sandwich" kind of image. Ours is a portrait of gloom, despair, and anguish. That which is inconceivable in almost every other stadium is commonplace in ours.

I think our first free agent signing this offseason should be a priest.

Poll

Trying to have one positive aspect of this recap.... What Redskin impressed you the most in the loss to the Saints?

Jason Campbell

389 votes

Devin Thomas

409 votes

Albert Haynesworth

39 votes

Sherman Lewis

53 votes

890 votes | Poll has closed

Prospective Seahawks General Managers: Randy Mueller

John Morgan — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:13:53 -0000

by Don Wright - AP

Randy Mueller traded Chris Chambers to San Diego for a second round pick. Chambers was recently released by the Chargers.

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I am saving Sunday's tape analysis for the offseason. Just like last offseason and the two that preceded it, I will scout every important player on the Seahawks roster, cite specific plays from the season that exemplified that player's strengths and weaknesses and project their future within the organization.

Yesterday was filled with so much defeat, complete, non-competitive, Brett Favre benched in the second half, defeat, Seahawks fans deserve a respite. Let us escape from our escape through our escape.

The Tim Ruskell-Mike Holmgren dichotomy is media created foolishness. Holmgren wants back in football. A smaller team, a team that needs the recycled hype and distraction, that is mired in failure and needs anyone, anything to steal the headline from griping and finger pointing, will hire Holmgren.

Paul Allen is a progressive and invested owner. That doesn't put him beyond hiring a general manager he is comfortable with. That is why I start this series with a former Seahawk, Randy Mueller.

Randy Mueller

Mueller cut his teeth with Seattle, working his way up from pro personnel assistant, 1983, to player personnel director, 1990, and finally Vice President of Football Operation in 1995. The signing of Holmgren signaled the departure of Mueller. The two worked together on the disastrous 1999 draft before Mueller became the general manager of the New Orleans Saints.

Mueller drafted Joey Galloway, Shawn Springs, Pete Kendall, Phillip Daniels, Walter Jones, Anthony Simmons and Ahman Green for the Seahawks. He was integral in Seattle escaping Rick Mirer. Mueller traded Mirer to Chicago for a first round pick in 1997.

He went on to work for the Saints starting in 2000. There he helped clean up another coach-executed disaster, flipping Ricky Williams to the Miami Dolphins for two first round picks in 2002. In three season with the Saints, Mueller drafted Marc Bulger, Darren Howard, Kevin Houser, Deuce McAllister, Moran Norris, Donte Stallworth, Charles Grant and LeCharles Bentley.

From 2002 to 2005, Mueller worked for ESPN as an analyst. He signed with the Dolphins in 2005, but then-coach Nick Saban was in charge of personnel decisions. Mueller was in charge for the short period between Saban's resignation January 3, 2007 and Bill Parcells appointment December 19, 2007. The 2007 Dolphins finished 1-15 and Mueller was fired December 31, 2007.

His larger record speaks better of him than his recent work. Mueller might best be described as a fixer. He helps teams escape bad situations and has succeeded at turning high round picks into successful players. He traded Chris Chambers for a second round pick, Wes Welker for a second and seventh round pick (when Welker was a return specialist and part time receiver) and, as mentioned, freed the Seahawks from Mirer and the Saints from Williams. Mueller does not have much experience picking quarterbacks. He did find Marc Bulger in the sixth, and acquired Trent Green for a fifth round pick. Before a brain scrambling hit essentially ended his career, Green was a serviceable quarterback in 2007.

If Seattle is looking to blow up the roster and exchange some of its more valuable players for picks, Mueller is the right guy to dismantle and liquidate. He isn't young, but he is connected. He isn't fresh or sexy, but his record is pretty strong. Mueller is a bridge, and I would think, appeals most to fans that think the Seahawks are not close, not rebuilding, but collapsing; years from contention.

Rodney Hudson Majors in Recreation, Leisure and Putting a Hole in Somebody

John Morgan — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:02:42 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

When your line is this bad, you'll argue anything to stay out from under center.

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It's the bye week and that has inspired laziness in me. I have three plans for this weekend: sit in my underwear, watch football and drink. I love the Seahawks, but the up and down can be tiring. I go into the bye week happy to have a week off and exit ravenous for Seahawks football. Nothing inspires like a hollow, but nevertheless piquant Monday after the bye hangover. God bless ritual.

So I am sitting here eying a copy of 'Confessions' I just found again and thinking about the lineup for Saturday and Sunday. In the spirit of taking it easy, here is the first in an annotated viewer's guide for a weekend off, starting today, not coincidentally.

The Guard that Completes the Seahawks: Tim Ruskell has become too easy. His process is so transparent that Doug and I both accidentally arrived at Seattle signing Jason Campbell without ever discussing it. Campbell doesn't get a chance to checkdown until Monday, but today, this very day, a player will play that Seattle will target if he declares.

Given the dire state of Florida State football, Rodney Hudson should and I assume will declare. Why should you care about Hudson? Because he is to the Alex Gibbs system what Steve Hutchinson was to the Mike Holmgren system. Ok, that's a stretch, but not as much as you might think. 6'2", 285 pound guards have not qualified as first round talent in over 10 years. The last slight mauler to attract first round attention was Pete Kendall in 1996.

The Dennis Erickson era is not remembered fondly by Seahawks fans and rightly. Erickson was neither exciting, new nor successful, has since coached a division rival, and a few Pac-10 foes (depending on your allegiance). Kendall was something he did right. Late first round picks sometimes produce Ray Lewis or Randy Moss, but with their talent you get the person, and it's a trade off that makes even the best case scenario a bit of a headache. More frequently, a late first round talent is a nine-tenths players. A player that looks like an NFL player and plays like an NFL players but has some nagging weakness that pushes him down.

Hudson is a converted left tackle that moves like a running back. I dare say I am as excited for Hudson as am I for any guard I have seen in the last three years. I had my thing for Justin Blalock, but I liked Blalock as a project. I had my thing for Sam Baker, but I liked Baker as a plug and play left tackle. I had my thing for Duke Robinson, but I say, if anyone has ever completely failed the pre-draft process worse than Robinson, his name is Maurice Clarett.

Hudson isn't about potential or pipe dreams or why the crap not use your fifth round pick to select him, he is about starting next year and completing Seattle's offensive line.

Here's why:

My preliminary scouting sees a short, but wide-framed guard-tackle tweener that will fill out gradually as he ages but never be big. He isn't shaped like a can like Mansfield Wrotto, but like a tight end. What excited me though, aside from the fact that he is a legitimate Ruskell target and was born by Alex Gibbbs in a laboratory, is this relatively little dude has judo strength. It's all quick unassuming movements and flying defenders. He moves, cuts, finishes and has the foot speed to lead a screen halfway down the field. He is nasty, not Incognito nasty, but Aaron Curry nasty. He drops foes and breaks bones and apologizes and offers a hand afterward.

You'll read a lot about Hudson needing to add weight, but what he needs is the right system. His weight and the league's perception of guards should push him into the second round. That has me excited. Maybe you will be too after watching him tonight. And if you do watch for Hudson, watch NC outside linebacker Bruce Carter. It is unlikely Carter declares this year, but he provides something as a cover linebacker that is deeply underappreciated in this league. He did this to our beloved quarterback of the future.

Nice throw, Mike.

The game starts at 4:30 Pacific on ESPN. I think Tim Ruskell does for the offensive line this offseason what he did for the wide receiver, tight end, running back and linebacker positions in offseasons past.

Are You Ready For Some Football? Redskins vs Ravens Tonight!

Ken Meringolo — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:08:51 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

First step: Show us that we have a reason to believe this team is better than last year's team. Show us improvement and show us growth.

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We made it! When the final whistle blew on December 28th last year in San Francisco, the dreaded off-season was upon us, and with it the depressing reality of our team. After starting 6-2, the playoffs were assumed to be in our grasp. In fact, you would have been hard-pressed to find many people who would have predicted the 2-6 finish we hauled into the clubhouse. The early loss to St. Louis was hard to bear at the time, especially in light of the now infamous Pete Kendall fumble that led to a touchdown by the Rams with no time left in the first half. The second half of the season saw us fall to two more teams that had no business beating us, or so we thought. Cincinnati and San Francisco showed up to a couple games that our team might have taken a little for granted. On top of that, our offensive line was a patchwork quilt and our passing game became almost completely nonexistent. And so as usual, we were left with more questions than answers as we began our hibernation for the winter.

The off-season did have its positives though, as we brought in the best player on the free agent market in Albert Haynesworth, and we added an immensely talented defensive player in Brian Orakpo to help beef up our pass rush. Philip Daniels got healthy and came back, and DeAngelo Hall made D.C. his long-term home. No need to beat down the dead horse that was our off-season though.

As for Jim Zorn, the only way he could look more comfortable out there these days is if he was wearing a red velvet smoking jacket with two Playboy Playmates on each arm. His offense has had time to digest in the bellies of our offensive weapons and the young players last year who seemed lost and rudderless have shown signs of "getting it".

What I want to see tonight:

--minimal penalties from starters

--NO offensive pass interference on Devin Thomas

--one solid hit on a running back at the line of scrimmage by Orakpo

--no INT's from JC, and at least 1 touchdown in the red zone (gotta raise expectations)

The proof will come between the whistles of course.

And the first whistle is at 7:30 pm this evening. Is anyone else fired up out there? What is the one thing you want to see more than anything else?

Poll

It is only the first pre-season game, but which player needs a strong performance the MOST?

Devin Thomas

115 votes

Malcolm Kelly

40 votes

Jason Campbell

166 votes

Colt Brennan

33 votes

Brian Orakpo

19 votes

Stephon Heyer

70 votes

Derrick Dockery

3 votes

446 votes | Poll has closed

Alan Faneca Breaks Finger

John B — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:45:08 -0000

More photos » by Rich Schultz - AP

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Alan Faneca will sit out the preseason opener with St. Louis after breaking his finger.

Faneca didn't practice with the team at Hofstra on Wednesday night because he injured the middle finger on his left hand earlier in the week. He said he broke it a few days ago and then aggravated it near the end of practice Tuesday at SUNY Cortland.

"One of the last couple of plays of practice, I really caught it," Faneca said.

...

Stanley Daniels will likely get the start in Faneca's place, with Robert Turner starting at center and Wayne Hunter in for Woody at right tackle.

One thing that sticks out is Matt Slauson failing to crack the starting lineup even with three starters on the line out. Move over, Jacob Bender and Nate Garner. It looks like we may have our next Tannenbaum late round miss attempting to build depth on the line.

A theme you've heard over and over from us is how scary the lack of offensive line depth is for this team. It plays out again here. Faneca should be healthy for the Houston game, but the Jets are one play away from having real problems. Considering how physical it gets up front, it's a minor miracle Gang Green didn't lose a single start to injury on the offensive line in 2008. Even a fluke play like what happened to Faneca can bring a disaster. Losing even one of the five could throw off the entire equilibrium. Lines function as a unit. Think back to how much losing Pete Kendall hurt in 2007.

I like Mike Tannenbaum. Overall I think he's been a good talent evaluator and cap worker who is not afraid to make the bold move to improve the team. The misses on Bender, Garner, and potentially Slauson sure could loom large this season. Line depth is key, and the Jets have none.

The Washington Redskins Ten Most Irreplaceable Players In 2009

Ken Meringolo — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 08:00:20 -0000

Everyone loves a good list. But all too often, these kinds of lists turn into a ranking of the team's best players. In today's Top Ten list, the criteria is simple: Who can we simply not afford to lose to injury this season? Better put, who are the top ten players that are central to the success of THIS YEAR'S team--taking into account depth at each position and potential contributions from each player? I have taken some creative liberties with the presentation of the list, and I have made a few judgement calls that I expect some of you will disagree with--I expect you all will not hold back in the comments section.

#10 - Hunter Smith - When I heard the news that Hunter Smith had been signed, I was just slightly less happy than when I heard the news Jessica Biel was doing a nude scene in an upcoming movie. Our punting situation has been a nightmare for a while now. Derrick Frost may have been a Hall of Famer during the week in practice, but he stunk out loud too many times on Sundays when it counted. Ryan Plackemeier was not the huge upgrade that blew up everyone's skirts either. Word on the street was that he was a liability as a holder. However, I heard his personal hygiene was beyond reproach (no need to bury the guy.) Hunter Smith is a pro's pro. While he has enjoyed the dome-life in Indy, his abilities are sure to be an upgrade in D.C. And with our team expected to be led by our defense, the field position battle will have to feature the skills of Hunter the Punter. He is known in the league to be a steady and rock-solid holder, having paired with Mike Vanderjagt to form one of the most accurate kicking batteries in NFL history (and again with Adam Vinatieri when they won the Super Bowl.) Finally, he brought down Deion Sanders in the following video that always brings a smile to my face.

#9 - Derrick Dockery - We are all aware of the less than stellar year the Redskins had on the offensive line last year. Pete Kendall was a band-aid the year before and performed well enough, but last year that band-aid fell off and got lost in the chicken salad, and Jason Campbell ended up eating that band-aid in his sandwich. Let's not mix words here--we brought in Dockery to be an upgrade, not to hold down the position until someone better comes along. He has to perform well, and he has to perform well right away. Early last season we ran left on some pretty important plays. With Right Tackle being up-for-grabs, and with Randy Thomas healing yet again from injuries, the left side is going to be relied upon heavily. Behind Dockery is Chad Rinehart, who we still know very little about. Samuels and Dockery are comfortable and confident playing next to each other. Losing Dockery would hurt us from a depth perspective and would disrupt the chemistry of the left side of the line.

#8 - Fred Davis - I kind of snuck this one in. I won't pretend to be an expert talent evaluator but when I watched him practice this off season at Redskins Park in Ashburn, he really got to me. Like Cammie from the 80's flick The Great Outdoors, played by Lucy Deakins. At first you're kind of like, "OK...I like this girl, but so far she's not central to the plot," and then as the movie goes on, every other storyline becomes meaningless to you and all you can think about is Cammie and how is Buck going to pull this off?!? That is my prediction for Fred Davis this season. At first it will be all about CP, JC, Cooley, the defense, Santana Clause. But by Week 6 (against Kansas City, where Sleepy's stat line will be 6 catches, 78 yards and 2 TDs), Davis will have asserted himself as a legitimate threat for us on offense. And I predict it will be him that becomes the key to our red zone attack.

#7 - Brian Orakpo - Well, I pretty much had to change my shorts when we drafted this guy. I spent all winter clamoring for an OLB/DE player to fill the Merriman/Ware hole in our roster. As a rookie, he will be expected to play like a vet. He will be expected to show up in the stats, and he will be expected to straight-up dominate. So it goes with high first round picks I suppose. Is it fair? Dan Snyder's $20 million bones say it is more than fair. There was an offensive lineman on the board when we picked Orakpo--Michael Oher--so this selection has all the makings of being second-guessed all season long. If he fails to be a force on our defense, it will be hard to hear anything above the fans shouting the f-word: failure. Further, for us to enjoy the kind of success we are hoping for, we need nothing less than a dominant performance from his position.

#6 - Santana Moss - One could argue we have lost Santana Moss during the season every year for the last 3 years. Either by injury or by opposing defenses denying him the ball, Moss has been silenced late in the season. Still, he is one of those "magic" players that has the ability to make a play when he gets the ball in his hands. Whenever he touches the ball, there is a chance the play can end with him scoring a touchdown. We'd all like to think that with Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly in the fold, Moss might be somewhat replaceable. Not so fast. The dude is an elite NFL player and on our team, his value is as much about the comfort and confidence he gives both fans and teammates when he is on the field as it is about his skill set. Here is a highlight video of him ( a little grainy, but you get the idea.)

#5 - Jason Campbell - I fear I will be scolded for either putting him too high or for putting him on this list at all. Truth be told, I am shocked that I am not making him #1. Todd Collins has proven to be more than serviceable, with not only a stellar performance in relief of JC, but also a late-season playoff push under his belt. Colt Brennan is the apple of a lot of eyes, and Jason Campbell has yet to become the "franchise quarterback" you want from a 1st rounder. But he is absolutely central to our success this year. Despite the off season rumors and activity, the investment in JC has only grown greater. Both he and the coaching staff have put in a lot of hours in the months leading up to training camp. Jason has worked extensively with Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly, and he has quietly continued to act the part of "Starting Redskins QB" which as we all know is a position of high honor and visibility. He has the confidence of his teammates and coaching staff (currently), and let's face facts--you pretty much always have most of your eggs in the starting QB basket. If you think like me, and you think JC will in fact be second to the defense among the reasons we make the playoffs, you have to put him on this list, and you probably should put him higher.

#4 - Mike Sellers - This year might be the first year that I fully appreciate Sellers for exactly what he means to this team. I have both underestimated and overestimated his importance and role on this team in the last handful of years. There was a series in the pre-season a couple years back where Gibbs called for like 4 straight hand-offs to Sellers. He busted each carry for 7-8 yards a pop. I thought we were seeing the emergence of a Brandon Jacobs-type of role for Sellers. Then last season, the disappointment of him being (allegedly) unable to punch the ball in against Cincinnati on the goal line tempered that expectation. In 2005, he had 8 TDs (7 through the air, 1 on the ground), but last year just managed 1 score. So how does he land at #4 on this list? Special teams notwithstanding, he has become an invaluable lead blocker. Clinton Portis loves to get in behind Sellers and every time they both make it to the edge, you know a 1st down is a gimme. Players like Sellers seem to get marginalized by their organizations over time (see Lorenzo Neal from the San Diego Chargers a few years back.) Here's hoping the team figures out a responsible way to keep him with the team beyond this year. Sellers has become a destructive force in what has been at times an unstoppable running game. We can ill afford to lose him this year if we hope to keep Clinton Portis from taking on the first and second tacklers at the point of attack. And anything Sellers is able to add in the way of short-yardage situations for us is gravy.

via farm3.static.flickr.com

#3 - Clinton Portis - Thanks to fantasy football, I have finally learned the lesson that eludes so many fans and even league personnel men: running backs really do grow on trees. So what is CP doing this high on the list? Because there are exceptions to every rule. Like for example, to those that say "No means No", I say, "Sometimes No means Maybe." ("Reservation for 1 in hell please? Yes, I'll hold.") CP is a stud...a freak of nature athletically that has enjoyed a great deal of success at running back for 7 seasons. That is twice the average career for running backs (somebody call me out on this if I am wrong, but I think the average career of a running back is roughly 3 years.) From an odds perspective there is a better chance Leonardo DiCaprio will star in the Growing Pains movie than a running back becoming highly productive in his 8th year. Yet that is what we are banking on this season. Clinton is the man yet again this year, and without him, the ship loses a lot of direction and purpose. More than anything, the ship loses a lot of identity. For better or worse, the identity of this team and specifically the offense is tied to Clinton Portis.

#2 - Chris Samuels - We spoke to a retired former Redskin a few months ago (who shall remain nameless for now) and he said that there was only ONE player on the whole roster he would label "untouchable"--only one player on the entire roster that he would start all over with tomorrow: Chris Samuels. Whether you agree with it or not, it kind of takes your breath away...wait for it...like Nicole Eggert in Charles in Charge. She was only 15 when she started out as Jamie Powell but I was only 10, so the things I was thinking about doing to her were totally legal (as a 10-year old, this consisted mostly of picturing her in a bathing suit, but by the time she was 18, I was 13, so my dream date of me, her and Samantha Micelli (Alyssa Milano) from Who's The Boss was ON.) As we discussed above, the offensive line was a debacle last year. Samuels is the class of our line. If he goes down, our team's playoff chances disappear faster than a bag of blow left alone in a room with Corey Haim. (It's not fair to beat up on Corey Haim you say? Go back and watch Lucas again. All these years later, and both Charlie Sheen and Jeremy Piven are killing it. Corey Haim has only Corey Haim to blame.)

via p1.hotornot.com

#1 - Albert Haynesworth - If you go to a nice restaurant and order the most expensive thing on the menu, like the Filet Mignon plate, it ain't going to work for you if the steak is undercooked and gives you parasites. A good bowl of mashed potatoes or creamed spinach is not going to save the dish. We paid for the best cut of meat on the market. It had damn well better taste good and be cooked right. Haynesworth has to absolutely dominate this season for the Redskins to both save face and make some noise in the NFC. Is saving face really that important? I think so, because he represents yet another in a long line of high-priced talent brought in by Snyder to win now. This has yet to really pan out for Snyder and has left us coming up with some pretty lame one-liners over the years.

"Mark Carrier could really be the difference this season."

"Brandon Lloyd is poised to break out this season."

"Adam Archuleta should really solidify our secondary."

"Bruce Smith attacking the QB is going to get us to the next level this season."

"Chad Morton is the answer in the return game."

"Jeff George is the right guy for this offense."

OK, you get the idea. Redemption is absolutely chief among the goals for Haynesworth this year in my humble opinion. And the truth is it will come hand-in-hand with domination at the point of attack. If Blache can move him up and down the line of scrimmage effectively and keep the opposing offense guessing, Haynesworth is capable of providing the same kind of impact that Reggie White gave the Packers when he signed there and subsequently led them to a Super Bowl. Without Haynesworth, we lose twice really. We continue to get berated by everyone for trying and failing to "buy a championship" and we would be on the outside looking in yet again come December.

As I review the list, LaRon Landry jumps off the page as the one I wish I would have found a spot for, but I will have to live with leaving him off, despite my constant proclamations that Landry is an elite player. I guess I dig our safety group right now, and am hopeful that a Chris Horton/ Kareem Moore backfield would hold up (if you can't lie to yourself, who can you lie to?)

Other Honorable Mentions: Ladell Betts, London Fletcher, Carlos Rogers, and Ethan "The Red Snapper" Albright.

I expect that London will be the one I get the most grief for excluding, so let me seed my excuse for leaving him out: I love Alfred Fincher, and think that if it came down to it, he would be the feel-good story of the league stepping in and up to replace London. Think Mike Seaver-gets-Chelsea Noble...yeah, that kind of feel good.

Lange: Rex Loves the Line

John B — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 13:19:21 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

The Jets hope Matt Slauson doesn't have to see much of the field this year.

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Randy Lange tells us how excited Rex Ryan is about his offensive line.

"I think the strength of our football team is probably our offensive line," Ryan said, "and that's a great thing to begin right there — four former first-round picks in the line, two Pro Bowlers and a couple of near-misses. I think that's a great way to start."

Ryan also credited Bill Callahan, whom he has called "one of the premier offensive line coaches in the National Football League." And Callahan trickled down the praise to his starting five of D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Alan Faneca, Nick Mangold, Brandon Moore and Damien Woody.

"Just talking with them in the off-season about their own personal performances, I feel they want to get better," Callahan has said. "It's always a good sign when it comes from them. They’re all focused professionals who want to get better."

Where they were at was very high on some of the few measurables for O-linemen. As we’ve noted, the Jets’ 4.7 yards per carry was fifth in the NFL last season and the best season average in franchise history. The four touchdown runs of 40-plus yards combined by Thomas Jones and Leon Washington were also the best in franchise history.

The 30 sacks allowed of Brett Favre was middle of the pack in the NFL, yet the 1.88 sacks allowed per game was still in the top 15 (out of 49 seasons) in Jets and Titans annals.

Taking together, last season was only the fifth in team history that the Jets rushed for more than 4.0 yards per attempt and gave up fewer than 2.0 sacks a game.

One of the things I like most about Rex was the way he looked at competency when he put together his coaching staff. A lot of new coaches like to clear house, afraid holdover assistants loyal to the old coach could undermine him. The fact he was willing to keep guys like Callahan and Mike Westhoff shows he has the self-confidence every great coach needs.

The line is going to be one of the keys to the season. On paper, things should only get better. Five players become one on the line. These guys have a year of experience playing with each other. Familiarity with your partners makes it easier as time goes on.

The one thing that makes you a bit nervous is health. There probably isn't a more injury prone spot on the field than playing in the trenches. The Jets were remarkably lucky on this front a year ago. None of the five starters missed so much as one start because of injury. Maybe this was a sign of durability, but it will be tough to repeat that feat. There isn't much depth up front so even one injury could sink 2009. Just look at the effect losing one player, Pete Kendall, had in 2007.

5 Best and Worst Redskins Moments of the 2008 Season (Video)

KevinE — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:00:14 -0000

Only 14 days until training camp, so all of our analyzing of last year is ALMOST complete. I thought I'd spend some time putting together the best and worst of last year. We'll start on a good note.

5 Best Moments:

#5.) Jason Campbell's 67-yard bomb to Santana Moss to beat the Saints [Video]

#4.) Win at Dallas (Shaun Suisham's 3 FGs a big help)
(This victory led to my favorite video clip of the year...Dan Snyder amped shouting "When We Play Physical ... We Win!!!" in the locker room [Video])

#3.) Chris Horton winning NFC defensive player of the Week 2.
(This to me solidified a big part of our defense and knew we had something special)

#2.) Fred Smoot and Laron Landry's 4th quarter tackle on Reggie Brown to win the game week 16 against the Eagles [Video]

#1.) London Fletcher's hit on Calvin Johnson on 4th down to win the game [Video]
(Seriously. If London does not make this play, can you imagine our off-season having to hear ALL the talking heads talk about Washington being the only team that lost to Detroit?? (Mr. Fletcher, thank you IMMENSELY).

Honorable Mention: Santana Moss punt return for a touchdown vs DET (breaking 2 tackles including one from Devin Thomas)

Ugh...now for the bad news, the worst moments. There are quite a few to choose from, but five stand out . We'll do these after the jump....

5 Worst Moments:

#5.) Jim Zorn not using the hurry up offense against the Giants week 1 (trailing a score).
(I mean, this made no sense. The announcers were calling out our coaching staff. Even the dogs in my apartment were going nuts. This wasn't a game the Redskins were suppose to win, but it definitely made us question our new head coach's ability.)

#4.) Clinton Portis getting benched for the 2nd half against the Ravens after fumbling, which Ed Reed scooped up and returned for a TD
(We don't need to re-visit what happened during or after this event...next!)

#3.) Mike Sellers not getting in with 2 goal-line carries from the yard 1-yard line, and then having the ball stripped as he tried to extend the ball. [Video]
Tough loss. Real Tough loss.

#2.) Pete Kendall catching Campbell's deflected pass, then coughing it up while trying to run with it only to see it go the length of the field the other way for a TD. [Video]
(That walk out of Fedex losing to the Rams went from pure shock to anger pretty quick. It didn't help I had a Rams fan with me pointing and laughing the entire walk down the Fedex catwalk).

#1.) Steelers Monday Night Football game. The whole frickin day. [Video]
(This was one of the rare games I Metro'd in. I remember there wasn't a plethor aof Steelers fans on the trains or even my walk to Lot F, but that soon changed. As the sun went down, I recall seeing buses of Steelers fans unloading and we all joked it was going to be rough, but NO ONE dreamed of Fedex getting over-taken like that. Not to mention Byron Leftwich comes in the game and led TWO touchdown drives.) Terrible towel mania. Vomit.

OK...so which moments am I missing?

If I Could Turn Back Time

Ken Meringolo — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:00:09 -0000

Just try to knock the sound of Cher singing those words out of your head. I dare you. I can honestly say I would rather have that song stuck in my head though than the Toyota 'Saved By Zero' campaign that penetrated my soul at one point.

This list could go on forever of course, and most certainly will. Here are today's seven things I would go back in time and change if I had the power to do so. By the way, I should have that power.

1. Troy Aikman would not be drafted by the Cowgirls. He wasn't the only reason they had the kind of heyday they had. But he was a major reason. He was cool under pressure, he threw a great ball, and he was an intense on-field general. Which pretty much defines greatness at the QB spot. Really the main reason why I would move him to a different franchise is because he is such a great announcer. I like him but I can't love him. He is probably the best guy out there right now at his position in the booth. But he is, and always will be, a Cowgirl. And he ripped up on the Redskins for years. I guess I'll have the comfort of knowing it was Lavar that knocked him out of the league. Not to mention the fact that the Skins typically don't draw the network's 'A' team announcers that often anyway (don't get me started on that).

2. You got me started. I would go back and ensure the following guys never called Skins games in the 90's: Kenny Albert, Sam Rosen, Bill Maas, Bill Macatee, Gus Johnson, Curt Menefee, Tim Green. Curt is now a studio guy doing the network show and is a lot better. Gus Johnson is WAY better on TV doing college basketball. The problem is, they were like interns when they were assigned to call the Redskins games in the 90's. Picture it's 1997 and listen to hear the network execs deciding on who announces what:
Suit #1--"Hey we got a couple guys who are a little green and need some work before we decide to give them some real games."
Suit #2--"Perfect. Norv Turner and the Redskins are playing the Saints. We're up against a figure skating exhibition on the other network. We'll be lucky to beat it. Fly them out there." (Who did I miss?)

3. I would go back to just before the Redskins were sold and either A) redo Jack Kent Cooke's will so the team would stay in the family, or B) steal every camera Vinny Cerrato owned. If only Jack Kent Cooke loved his son more than...well, more than a steaming pile of heaping brown turd. But he didn't. So John Kent Cooke lost out. And we got Danny-boy. Keeping Vinny camera-free seems to me to be a slam-dunk. Because he absolutely has pictures of Snyder dipping his doodle in some dank and delicious donk-a-donk. I remain unconvinced otherwise until he is fired. Then again, those Jabar Gaffney-like bugeyes that Cerrato has may be bio-engineered cameras themselves, and we're just screwed. Either way, somehow erasing the possibility that these two could wreck our team the way they have is a no-brainer.

4. I would go back and convince Shelley Long to stay on the cast of Cheers. Her character was annoying but she was just tapping into her hotness (as evidenced by Hollywood coming calling). Diane and Sam were the best. Her uppity and holier-than-thou attitude was great because it was the perfect target for our favorite dog, Sam Malone. You know she got crazy between the sheets. You know it. And she took it on the road to do...Troop Beverly Hills? Kirstie Alley was sultry but Rebecca was as annoying as Diane, and not nearly as hot. The show did have Woody to fall on, but without Diane there for Sam to defile, the show really lost something. Compare for yourself:

versus

Unfair, I know...but ol' Sam knew what he was doing!

5. I would go back and remind Jeff van Gundy that he is a balding, 5-foot tall white dude with the frame of a violinist. So PLEASE do not try and break up a fight between Alonzo Mourning and Charles Oakley or you will be remembered for this:

I love Jeff on ESPN--he is a GREAT announcer. I would love to see him as the next coach of the Wizards. But are you going to ever get this out of your mind? Do you even want to--god it's great. But I would still try and help a brother out, you know, with my time travelling powers.

6. I would go back to the Wednesday before Week 6 of this past season and knock on Pete Kendall's door, and I would say to him, "Hello Pete, I just wanted to remind you that there is a very good reason you are an ineligible receiver. You're big and fat and the ball simply cannot fit between your arms and your gut without most of it hanging out for the world to poke at. Remember that to you, that ball is like a grenade, and your number one job if it comes loose is to jump on it and hold on for dear life. If you decide to try and be a hero and run with it, then stick your head between your legs and kiss your ass and our playoff chances goodbye. Good day sir."

7. Time to pay a visit to Ernie Grunfeld's house, oohhhhhh, around last June. Perhaps I could convince him that between Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison, he was looking at almost 2 good knees. I consider myself to be a huge Arenas fan. I love him. I would pay to watch him play any day. But before you go and hand over the keys to the whole franchise and all of our salary cap space to a player, maybe a little check under the hood might be in order. You know...a test drive. Jesus, bang the knee with the little rubber tomahawk for God's sake at the very least. I might remind him that most of the USA Olympic basketball team is hitting free agency in the next year or two. Sure would be nice to make sure that the money that could go to one of them isn't going to a pair of players that aren't producing playoff series' wins. (That hurt to write by the way.) Here is a picture from 2012 of Gil hoisting a shot on his prosthetic leg:

49ers-Redskins Final Injury Report

Fooch — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 00:38:54 -0000

And so we've got the final injury report of the season. The 49ers are planning on using tomorrow's practice as the equivalent of their Friday practice due to the Christmas day off. However, it appears as though the injury report is set barring any last minute disasters (knock on wood).

The best news is that all the injured folks are probable. Mike Singletary said that Gore looked good in practice and seemed to be cutting well. We've beaten the issue to death here, but in case you missed it, Gore is 22 yards shy of 1,000, which is always a solid accomplishment, particular given the offensive struggles of the last few years. Coach Singletary was asked whether that statistic would factor into his decision for Gore to play:

It will not. It will not. I think the bottom line is he needs to talk to me and let me know how he feels because I want him to be fair to himself. I don’t want him to re-injure anything trying to get 1,000 yards. When he’s healthy, he’ll get more than his share of yards. I just want him to be smart about it, but he looked good today. Obviously, I’d be very happy. The offensive line, I think, is more excited than he is about him getting that. Hopefully he can do it, but if he can’t, I really want him to be smart – look at the longevity of the decision.

Even though it's the last game of the year, re-aggravating an ankle injury is not something you want to see. However, I have a feeling the extra week off from last week to this week will be just enough to get Gore out there on Sunday.

San Francisco 49ers
Probable - RB Frank Gore (ankle), C Eric Heitmann (abdomen), SS Michael Lewis (abdomen), FS Mark Roman (knee), OT Adam Snyder (ankle), LB Ahmad Brooks (back)

Washington Redskins
Probable - G Pete Kendall (knee)

Questionable - OT Jon Jansen (knee), DT Kedric Golston (ankle), LB London Fletcher (foot)