SB Nation - Ladell Betts

Keeping an Eye on the Other Beasts in the East

Aaron Novinger — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:47:59 -0000

A Giant collapse? Eli Manning will watch the Giants' playoff hopes slip away if they don't defeat the Redskins on MNF.

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With the Eagles atop the division, they've got a leg up on the rest of the Beasts in the current playoff picture.

Eagles clinch playoff berth with 1) PHI win + NYG loss, or 2) PHI win + DAL win.

Obviously, of the top three Beasts, the Giants need the most help. Having been swept by the Eagles, along with having a poor 5-4 conference record, New York's best chances are highly dependent upon Dallas losses.

The Cowboys sit in the middle. Being swept by the Giants keeps a fire lit under their behinds; yet, they still have a chance to sweep the division leading Eagles. Week 17 will be of utmost importance.

The Redskins, who have been playing well lately, are in danger of being swept by the division. Perhaps their 0-4 NFC East record will spurn them towards upsetting the Giants on Monday night at FedEx Field.

More Beasts in the East after the jump.

Washington Redskins (4-9)

Last game: 34-14 Win @ Oakland

Next up: Home vs. New York Giants

Big news in Washington. After VP/GM Vinny Cerrato's resignation, owner Daniel Snyder has hired Bruce Allen as his replacement.

Snyder, the owner of the Washington Redskins, has announced that proven long-time NFL executive Bruce Allen has been tapped to be the Executive Vice President/General Manager of the franchise. Daniel Snyder made the announcement just hours after accepting the resignation of Vinny Cerrato. Cerrato served in many capacities for the franchise over the last ten years, most recently as executive vice president of football operations.

"Bruce Allen is the personification of an NFL winner," Snyder said. "Our fans know his heritage; we know his abilities. He is the right person to lead our club."

Although the Redskins are not contending for a playoff position, they will still strive for a win against the rival Giants.

"I don’t want to look at it as a spoiler role for our football team. What I want to do is just win because we’ve earned it," Redskins coach Jim Zorn said on a conference call with New Jersey/New York media Wednesday.

"If we can earn the win, I want it to be more for us than winning it for somebody else. "What’s exciting about this game is it is a division opponent, it has a lot of meaning just because it is a division opponent, and it’s a Monday night game. We hope we can stay on track. That’s what we are looking forward to, anyway."

It does not sound as if Clinton Portis expects to be wearing the same jersey colors in 2010.

"I can't sit and tell you I want my career to be over here, but at the same time, you got to understand the business side of things," Portis said in a nearly 10-minute interview with a small group of reporters Tuesday at FedEx Field.

"I've been here for six years, and we went to the playoffs twice. I think Mr. [Daniel] Snyder [the team's owner], with the pressure that's on him with the organization, [is] probably going to have to make changes. For everything that [goes] on, I'm to blame, so why wouldn't I be the change?"

Rookie Brian Orakpo has been named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance (six tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble) against the Raiders.

New York Giants (7-6)

Last game: 45-38 Home Loss vs Philadelphia

Next up:@ Washington

The Giants are depending upon a Cowboys' collapse to get in the playoffs. Eli said so himself.

Eli Manning nearly snickered when asked about the Giants salvaging the season and not having a chance to control their own postseason destiny.

"We all know who Dallas plays and they've got a tough schedule," he said. "We are in the mind-set that if we win these three games, we think we will make the playoffs."

The Giants' troubles on defense have some pointing fingers at first-year coordinator, Bill Sheridan.

New York's defense, which was the NFL's best during the team's 5-0 start, has been uncharacteristically soft since, although coach Tom Coughlin gave first-year defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan a vote of confidence this week.

"I let him know my support for him and I also let him know it has to be better," Coughlin said. "We've got to do a better job. We're here for one reason. The inconsistency part of it is disturbing, let's face it. Six big play passes and three big play runs (against Philadelphia). You're not going to beat anybody like that."

The Redskins, on the other hand, have been a resurgent team of late.

"I'd love to be the Grinch on their Christmas," rookie linebacker Brian Orakpo said Monday. "That's what we're aiming for. Obviously we're not going to make the playoffs, but we would ruin some other people's seasons."

The Cowboys and Eagles each needed winning scores in the final three minutes to beat Washington, and the Saints only stayed unbeaten after a dramatic comeback in a 33-30 overtime victory two weeks ago.

The Redskins responded by blowing out lowly Oakland 34-13 on Sunday, as Jason Campbell threw two touchdown passes to emerging tight end Fred Davis while Quinton Ganther filled in for injured running backs Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts by rushing for two scores.

Here is the NFL Game Center for MNF's Giants @ Redskins matchup.

Philadelphia Eagles (9-4)

Last game: 45-38 Win @ New York Giants

Next up:Home vs San Francisco

Said simply, DeSean Jackson is a playmaker. Here's what he said about his electrifying punt return against the Giants.

What started as a return up the middle ended with his streaking up the left sideline.

"I caught the ball, went to the right a couple of steps and I didn't see nothing was going on that way, so I turned around and came left with it," he says of a decision that had to be made instantly. "They did a great job of sealing the sideline off for me."

His feel for open space, and his tremendous acceleration, served him well. He was left with only punter Jeff Feagles to beat.

"It's just a rule to me, I try not to get tackled by the kicker," he says.

Jackson was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

Donovan McNabb compares and contrasts the T.O. days with this season's offense.

"With T.O. brought a lot of attention to our offense," McNabb said, when comparing the two offenses. "I think for rolling the coverages and being able to move (Owens) around because of his size, it still created mismatches which led now to (Brian) Westbrook having so many catches and so many yards; L.J. Smith, so many catches and so many yards; and then even Correll Buckhalter, I mean, coming in an spelling for Westbrook and picking up big yards ... Todd Pinkston I believe at that time led the league in catches over 20 yards."

"I think the difference for this year, obviously there's a different height situation with DeSean and T.O., but still the same explosiveness. We have Maclin, who is a bigger receiver, still being able to make plays on the other side. Brent Celek, who I think is having a Pro Bowl year. Leonard Weaver, having a Pro Bowl year. Our offensive line, the chemistry is where we need it to be. They seem to be getting that experience and they're playing well. So, there are some comparisons but there are also some differences."

I found this interesting tidbit of information when researching what losing Brian Westbrook has meant to the Eagles. To sum up the author's words, Westbrook was indeed important, but RBs are replaceable.

Aaron Schatz, president of Football Outsiders and the point man for this type of statistical analysis, calls it the "Mike Shanahan corollary," after the former Broncos head coach who produced five different 1,000-yard rushers in one eight-year stretch. The corollary isn't about just one coach, though; it's the whole league.

Over the last three seasons, eight featured running backs have gone down to injury, and in each case their understudies have actually outperformed them. If anything, you should be surprised Weaver and McCoy have been so unproductive.

In a lot of ways, this makes sense. Most carries are much more about the offensive line than they are the RBs. If your offensive line gets a 5-yard push, the back gets 5 yards. If the line gets you 2, he'll get 2. Lest you think I'm cherry-picking data, consider this: Adrian Peterson, the consensus best tailback in football, averages 4.5 yards per carry. The combined average of every other Viking to take a handoff? 4.4.

You see? Flozell Adams isn't the only Beast in the East who fights with the Giants. Eagles' DE Trent Cole got into a huge brawl Sunday night, but will not be suspended for his involvement.

Cole apologized for his actions and said that he will accept whatever repercussions are placed upon him by the league. After Darren Howard forced a fumble on a sack of Eli Manning with less than 30 seconds to go in the game, Trent Cole was called for an unnecessary roughness penalty and disqualified from the game for throwing two punches at Giants' offensive lineman Shaun O' Hara.

Cole was fined $15,000.

The team moved TE Martin Rucker up from its practice squad. The move may or may not have something to do with Brent Celek's back injury.

Rucker is an accomplished receiver, as evidenced by his 203 career receptions at the University of Missouri, most ever by a Big 12 tight end. But Reid said that because Rucker worked in the spread offense in college, his blocking needed work when he reached the NFL – and still does, the coach added.

Some injury notes:

Maclin (foot) and Celek (sore back) were the only two players to miss Wednesday's practice. According to head coach Andy Reid, Celek is expected to play Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers (6-7). Westbrook (concussion) ran with the scout team. He hasn't been ruled out of Sunday's game, but may not play.

You saw how hard the 49ers fought on Monday night. By beating the division leading Cardinals, they've got some hope for the playoffs. Hopefully, they'll play just as tough against Philly.

The 6-7 Niners don't even have to win out, nor do they need for the 8-5 Cardinals to lose out. They just need to win two of their last three if the Cardinals lose all three, or to win out and hope for the Cardinals to lose at least two of three. If the two finish with the same record, the 49ers win the division outright based on beating Arizona twice.

Yes, the Niners can still win the division with an 8-8 record. But they cannot win the division if the Cardinals win all three remaining games.

If you missed the Monday night game, this is what the 49ers did to the Cardinals' offense.

The 49ers forced the Cardinals into seven turnovers, sacked Kurt Warner four times and allowed only 245 yards in total offense. Along with that, free safety Dashon Goldson played the best game of his professional life and could be a star in the making while outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks, with three sacks, showed the kind of edge pass-rushing ability that all coaches crave. San Francisco is now tied for seventh in sacks with 34.

NFC Offensive Player of the Week, Frank Gore, gashed the Cards' defense. Do it again, Gore!

His 167 rushing yards helped propel the 49ers to a 24-9 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Gore totaled 104 yards on the ground in the first half on 13 carries and scored the team's last touchdown to seal the victory.

Here's the NFL Game Center for the 49ers @ Eagles matchup.

Previewing the Enemy: Washington Redskins

Rated-R Superstar — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:39:28 -0000

It's a Super Bowl XVIII rematch! [via prod.static.raiders.clubs.nfl.com]

Alright, it's not quite a rematch from Super Bowl XVIII when the Raiders smashed the Redskins en route to their third Super Bowl title in franchise history. Nonetheless, this Sunday, the Oakland Raiders (4-8) will look to put together a winning streak as the Washington Redskins (3-9) will be coming to town. Don't let that 3-9 record fool you. This Washington team is better than their record and it clearly showed after taking Dallas, Philadelphia and New Orleans to the wire. They don't lay down and will play hard. With the team 2-1 with Bruce Gradkowski starting, the Raiders look to come away with another hard-earned victory as they did last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers as 15-point underdogs.

Let's take a look at their schedule and see how they've fared so far.

Week 1: @ New York Giants -- L, 17-23
Week 2: St. Louis Rams -- W, 9-7
Week 3: @ Detroit Lions -- L, 14-19
Week 4: Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- W, 16-13
Week 5: @ Carolina Panthers -- L, 17-20
Week 6: Kansas City Chiefs -- L, 6-14
Week 7: Philadelphia Eagles -- L, 17-27
Week 8: Bye Week
Week 9: @ Atlanta Falcons -- L, 17-31
Week 10: Denver Broncos -- W, 27-17
Week 11: @ Dallas Cowboys -- L, 6-7
Week 12: @ Philadelphia Eagles -- L, 24-27
Week 13: New Orleans Saints -- L, 30-33 (F/OT)

Well, this team is certainly interesting. Sitting at 3-9, this team could easily be 6-6 or even better. We will have to bring our "A" game, of course, if we want to secure a victory on our home field this Sunday.

Let's check out the Redskin offense first.

Pass Offense Rank: 220.2 yards/game; 18th in NFL
Rush Offense Rank: 101.0 yards/game; 22nd in NFL
Total Offense Rank: 321.2 yards/game; 21st in NFL
Scoring Offense Rank: 16.7 points/game; 26th in NFL

With stars Chris Cooley and Clinton Portis out, others must step up for the Redskins. [via cache.daylife.com]

If you recall, the Redskins offense was the subject of some controversy or what not concerning head coach Jim Zorn. Well, he gave up his play-calling duties to assistant Sherman Lewis. Since then, the offense has performed better. Who is the leader of this Redskins offense? I really don't know to be honest with you. Let's look a little bit into their personnel.

Jason Campbell, QB: Many people questioned Campbell's status as the quarterback this season. He was even benched in favor of veteran Todd Collins earlier. To me, Campbell is actually a pretty solid quarterback. He isn't going to set the world on fire or anything, but he can still hurt you. Campbell is completing 66 percent of his passes this season even if they are "dinks and dunks" most of the time. With 15 turnovers and 15 touchdown passes, Campbell's ratio isn't all that great. He has been sacked three or more times in five games. Obviously, getting some pressure on him would be nice.

Rock Cartwright, HB: Rock is solid, just like a rock. (Ha, get it?) If you want him to be the running back, he can. If you want him to be the fullback, he can. He'll even run back kicks and run down there on punt returns. He is a threat out of the backfield to catch passes. A somewhat physical runner, Cartwright doesn't really stand out in terms of either his speed or his strength. Cartwright has stepped up for the injured Clinton Portis (concussion), who just put on injured reserve. Also on injured reserve is Portis' backup Ladell Betts, so the Redskins are thin at running back.

Quinton Ganther, HB: Ganther, just in his second year out of Utah, is someone I just don't know too much about. Essentially moving up from fourth on the depth chart to splitting time with Cartwright, Ganther was mildly successful against the Saints last Sunday with 46 yards on just 8 carries. The week before that against the Eagles, Ganther had 32 yards on just 5 carries. We may see more of him against the Raiders with him averaging 5.8 yards per carry over the past few weeks.

Santana Moss, WR: The pint-sized and speedy Moss is Washington's leader in receptions (49), yards (642) and touchdowns (3). He is what you would call the team's go-to-guy, but really the Redskins have a lot of guys they go to. Still, Moss provides that veteran presence and can't be overlooked. Maybe this would be one of the few times where I wouldn't mind Nnamdi Asomugha moving around from receiver to receiver, which he will at least a little bit.

Wide receiver Devin Thomas had two touchdowns last week against the Saints. [via a.espncdn.com]

Devin Thomas, WR: The second-year receiver out of Michigan State, Thomas is a young man seemingly improving with each game of late. He has even been prominent in the kick return game of the past two weeks. Still, he has shined brightly in the passing game over the course of those two same weeks. After a decent game against the Eagles, he broke out for 7 receptions, 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns last week against the Saints.

Antwaan Randle El, WR: The ex-Steeler is still in Washington. Randle El, who is very durable having missed only one game in his eight-year career, he is a dependable target for Campbell despite only averaging 3.3 receptions per game. I believe this is more in part to the number of targets the Redskins like to use. The team isn't confined to both Moss and Rande El as you will see here in a minute in this preview.

Fred Davis, TE: After Campbell's favorite target Chris Cooley went down for the year, someone had to step up. Unknown at the time to Washington, it'd be his replacement. Fred Davis. Since October 26, Davis is averaging 7.5 catches and 45.7 yards with finding the end zone three times, including two times in his last three games. As most tight ends are, he is a threat in the red zone and Campbell has no problem looking his way.

Let's shift gears to the Redskin defense now.

Pass Defense Rank: 190.2 yards/game; 5th in NFL
Rush Defense Rank: 121.8 yards/game; 24th in NFL
Total Defense Rank: 312.0 yards/game; 9th in NFL
Scoring Defense Rank: 19.8 points/game; 14th in NFL

Linebacker London Fletcher leads Washington's better-than-you-think defense. [via cdn.bleacherreport.com]

Defensive coordinator Greg Blache and his Washington Redskins actually have a pretty solid group defensively operating out of the 4-3. You may not think so because of their 3-9 record, but I'm sure people don't think highly of our defense since we're just 4-8. Anyway, the Redskins are particularly strong against the pass. Safety Reed Doughty has quietly had a good year and young LaRon Landry is solid at his spot as well. A pretty solid group of cornerbacks are headed by veteran Fred Smoot, who is in his ninth year out of Mississippi State. The leader of the defense is the man in the middle, London Fletcher, who leads the team with 109 tackles. Brian Orakpo, the 13th overall pick in the 2009 draft, plays on the outside along with veteran Rocky McIntosh. Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth has been in and out of the lineup with injuries this season. He signed a monster contract in the offseason, but the Redskins' defense is only ranked 24th against the rush. His presence is desperately needed for Washington. Haynesworth is listed as questionable as of right now. At right defensive end, Andre Carter has nine sacks and deserves some Pro Bowl recognition for his great play. Again, this is a very solid defense and will do everything it can to keep their offense in this game late on the road.

Conclusion: The thing that sticks out defensively about the Redskins is their 24th-ranked rush defense. With Haynesworth questionable, he probably won't be playing on every down. Justin Fargas, Michael Bush and Darren McFadden should have success as long as head coach Tom Cable keeps giving them the rock. I believe of the first 28 plays against the Steelers, 18 of them were rushes. That is a similar ratio that I hope to see this week considering how strong Washington's pass defense is. Speaking of the pass, the breakout of Louis Murphy was something else, especially with Darrius Heyward-Bey out. It's nice to see someone step up at the receiver spot. Chaz Schilens even found the end zone for the first time in 2009 and Todd Watkins caught a key pass in the final drive. Johnnie Lee Higgins came through for us as well. Wide receivers against Pittsburgh caught 12 balls for 248 yards, both of which I'm sure were season-highs for our club. We're definitely going to need that against the Redskins' formidable pass defense against the previously mentioned Smoot and also Carlos Rogers and ex-Raider DeAngelo Hall. This may be a good test for Bruce Gradkowski as well, even though he did perform well against two really good defenses already in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. I think we're ready for this.

Feel free to leave your predictions or even your own thoughts and ideas about the Pittsburgh Steelers and how we can earn a win our fourth win of the season on Sunday.

*-All stats are through Tuesday, December 8, 2009.

Poll

Do you feel more confident in a win, less confident in a win or about the same in a win after reading this preview?

More confident

161 votes

Less confident

81 votes

About the same

128 votes

370 votes | Poll has closed

Pour Some Sugar On Me - The 10 Most Irreplaceable Washington Redskins Revisited

Sugar — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:00:14 -0000

At the beginning of the season, I made a list of the ten players (click here to check out original post as well as any comments you or others may have made) I named the Most Irreplaceable Redskins. I attempted to take into account depth at each position, and identify those players who were most central to the success of this year's team. I thought that with the season on ice, it would be a good time to break out the list and see what we (I) thought, and how it worked out. I asked the question, "Who can we least afford to lose to injury?" The list goes from #10 to #1 (as ranked in the preseason):

Ten Yard Fight - 10 Chances To Make One Good Point

10) Hunter Smith - Well, I think I nailed this one. Not only has he been a decent punter for us, he has chipped in on offense, accounting for two touchdowns this season. We might have lost the opener against the Giants, but when Hunter scored his touchdown, we were very much alive. And when he threw the touchdown pass to Mike Sellers against the Broncos a few weeks ago, it was the turning point in the game. Yes, I think his performance this season has been very much worthy of a spot on this list. Coincidentally, when he was out, we did not score any touchdowns from the punter position.

9) Derrick Dockery- Hmmmm...has he been spectacular? No. But he has been in the lineup every week. In fact, you rarely hear his name called, for good or bad. I struggle with what that should mean. You can say he has been our best lineman, but on this offensive line, that is hardly a compliment. And that is only true due to injuries. Coming into the season, here is what I said about Dockery: "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." Given the relative nightmare our line has been all season long, it is just too hard to consider anyone currently in uniform on that line to be irreplaceable. That said, Dockery has probably been our most solid player there.

8) Fred Davis- This preseason, all I envisioned was a stretch of games where Fred Davis took defenses by surprise and single-handedly saved our red zone offense. I always thought it would be in conjunction with Cooley, Portis and Moss though. I think Davis has turned out to be irreplaceable. His talent is undeniable and there is nobody else on the roster who could have stepped in to Cooley's shoes and done as well (Yoder included.) If he continues to progress the rest of this season and into next season, we should have two pretty solid receiving targets working the field from the tight end spot.

7) Brian Orakpo- I took some heat for putting the rookie in here. I mentioned that if he failed to dominate, we would get a steady diet of Michael Oher chants. Well, he leads all rookies in sacks and he has played hard all season. It is very refreshing to see a draft pick of ours come in and contribute at such a high level actually. Certainly irreplaceable for us.

6) Santana Moss- Well...not so irreplaceable this year, eh? We seem to lose him every year don't we? Either to injury or to invisibility. JC can't seem to get the ball to him over the course of a game in ways that change the outcome of the game. HE is by far our best receiver, but at this point in the season, we are finding ourselves all of a sudden capable of moving the ball through the air with any of our receiving options (to the extent we are at all capable on any given week.) The good news is that it would seem we are past the years when our passing game was a one-trick pony with Santana Moss dominating opposing secondaries. The bad news is that we may have wasted some of Santana's abilities by being unable to stretch the field with him successfully this year.

5) Jason Campbell - I said at the time that I felt he was easily our #1 most irreplaceable guy. But with both Todd Collins and Colt Brennan healthy at that point, I moved him down the list a little bit. JC has been a fighter for us this year. He has hung tough week in and week out. You could argue that we have gotten every scrap of ability and effort out of this player. While it is true that an upgrade at this position might have netted us an extra win or two, I doubt it is fair to say it would have meant playoffs. Our offense has too many other problems. Regardless of what happens next season, JC was irreplaceable for us this season.

4) Mike Sellers - I goofed on this one it would seem. On the strength of his lead blocking, I had him as an indispensable member of this offense. Then came the safety in Detroit, and the inability to punch in a few goal line carries early in the season when he just did not seem to get any kind of push into the end zone. Sellers has been a fan favorite in D.C. for a number of years so I am ready to chalk up this season as just a down year for Big Mike. But he has been far from irreplaceable this season.

3) Clinton Portis- We have had the chance to see this one put to the test. Ladell Betts proved to be up to the tack of replacing CP as it turns out. Maybe Ladell should have been the more irreplaceable guy? I think Portis was hurt right away this season and tried to work his way through it even though our rushing attack suffered. It is possible he will never be 100% healthy again in this league. But at that 100% level, I do think he is irreplaceable. Now, I find it hard to fathom we can get through this next draft without using a mid-round selection on a running back.

2) Chris Samuels- This was the most accurate pick on my list. Even when he was playing with a few nagging injuries, he was by far the best we had. Without him, we have shuffled old guys and new guys all over the place trying to find a mix that would somehow get us through the rest of the season. Levi Jones has played admirably well, but to say we have a replacement for Samuels is laughable. The only way we can replace #60 is at the top of the 1st round in an upcoming draft. And then it will still be a battle for the blue-chipper to fill those shoes.

1) Albert Haynesworth- At the end of last season, teams decided to run against us all day long. Remember that? It was awful. Enter Albert Haynesworth. His presence on our defensive line has made a huge impact. Andre Carter and Brian Orakpo are getting sacks. Linebackers are getting to the ball-carrier with more freedom. Our #1 ranked pass defense has a LOT to do with the push Haynesworth gets up front. The added pressure on the quarterback has been noticeable from day one. Without him on the field against the Cowgirls, our pass rush faded big-time in the 4th quarter. The debate about Haynesworth will always include his salary, but on the field, he is priceless and certainly irreplaceable.

I'll say I was right on with Hunter Smith, Brian Orakpo, Jason Campbell (only kill me on this one if you think Todd Collins could have done better), Chris Samuels and Albert Haynesworth. That is 50% and is not so good. Fred Davis and Derrick Dockery are close but because the offense has been so bad this year, it is too difficult to say that they are in fact irreplaceable.

Poll

Who has been the most irreplaceable Redskin this season?

Brian Orakpo

119 votes

Albert Haynesworth

136 votes

Hunter Smith

50 votes

Chris Samuels

115 votes

Jason Campbell

70 votes

490 votes | Poll has closed

Philadelphia Eagles Opponents previews - Washington Redskins

JasonB — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:49:58 -0000

More photos » by Manuel Balce Ceneta - AP

Browse more photos »

This is the next part in our series of previews of the Eagles 2009 opponents. Joining us for this feature is Dave Schwab, who writes about the Eagles at his site Eagles Lincs.

Another week and another "must win" game. In what will likely be a close fight for a division title or playoff spot, every in conference win is important and that goes double for division games. The Redskins stand i the way of the Eagles going to 7-4 with a very strong in conference record which would put them in the driver's seat for a playoff berth.

Dave's full analysis of the game is after the jump.

After a big 24-20 win over Chicago on Sunday night the 6-4 Eagles return home this Sunday, November 30th to host the Washington Redskins in 1:00 P.M. start at Lincoln Financial Field. The Redskins fell to 3-7 on the year after a tough 7-6 loss to Dallas last week in a game that they had numerous opportunities to put the Cowboys away, but costly mistakes including two missed field goals by Shaun Suisham proved to be the difference. The loss basically ended any hope for Washington to turn their season around as they are now left to play out the string of their remaining six games. Head coach Jim Zorn will most likely be fired at the end of the season as owner Dan Snyder will once again look to hire someone who can come in and change the fortunes of a franchise that has fallen on hard times.

In their first meeting back in week seven, the Eagles used big plays and solid defense to pound out a 27-17 win. The Redskins turned the ball over four times including a Jason Campbell interception that was returned nine yards for a touchdown by LB Will Witherspoon. On offense, WR DeSean Jackson scored on a 67 yard run and a 57 yard pass play to give the Eagles an early lead that they never relinquished. The ability to jump on Washington early and often was the key to this first win. In this Sunday’s game, the Eagles will need to concentrate on once again getting to Campbell and causing him to make some bad decisions with the ball. With the status of RB Clinton Portis still uncertain and Ladell Betts out for the season with a knee injury, Washington’s running attack will be severely limited so Campbell may be forced to try and beat the Eagles with his arm which should play into the strength of the Bird’s defense.

Through eleven games the Redskins rank 29^th in points per game, 25^th in total yards, 21^st in passing offense and 19^th in rushing offense. While those numbers paint a pretty ugly picture for their offense, defensively they are much better. They rank 6^th in points allowed, 4^th in total yards allowed, and 1^st against the pass. Their only weakness is against the run where they rank 25^th. If the Eagles can incorporate the same offensive mix they used last week against the Bears, effectively using the run to set up the pass they should be able to move the ball against this team. The availability of DT Albert Haynesworth, who sat out last week’s game against Dallas with a sprained left ankle, could make a difference how well Philadelphia will be able to run against this team.

The Redskins are still a dangerous team, but I think last week’s loss to the Cowboys took whatever motivation they had left and pretty much crushed it. We all remember the game toward the end of last year when the Eagles were faced with a must win situation to make the playoffs and Washington shut them down 10-3. I’m sure Andy Reid will make his team painfully aware of this as to keep them from looking past this game. Washington on the other hand has nothing to look forward to but the future as I’m sure it will include a new head coach and possibly a whole bunch of new faces in the lineup.

The Linc - Injured Redskins, NFC East catfight, Runyan returns

JasonB — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:24:34 -0000

More photos » by Sharon Ellman - AP

about 1 month ago: Washington Redskins running back Ladell Betts (46) sits on the trainers table after having his left knee wrapped following an injury during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009 in Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys won 7-6. (AP Photo/Sharon Ellman)

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Redskins Sign Guard Paul Fanaika from Eagles' Practice Squad - Hogs Haven
Next stop... Superbowl.

Jon Runyan Signs Contract With Chargers
The San Diego Chargers have placed right tackle Jeromey Clary on injured reserve and signed free agent Jon Runyan.

Cowboys' Williams gives Landry free pass - NFC East Blog - ESPN
Redskins safety LaRon Landry accused Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams of playing "scared" Sunday. Landry said he could tell it by the way Williams was running his routes. In fact, the Skins safety even said he told Williams that he was playing scared and he said that Williams didn't respond.

Gonzo: For Vick, Southern hospitality | Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/24/2009
On Dec. 4, two days before the Eagles play the Falcons in Georgia, an outfit called New Order - which bills itself as a national human-rights organization - plans to hold a "welcome home" rally for Vick in Atlanta. According to a team spokesman, Vick didn't know about the rally and won't attend since the Birds don't fly South until Dec. 5.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: NFL/Football
Washington Redskins running back Ladell Betts will likely miss the remainder of the season due to a left knee injury, head coach Jim Zorn said during Monday's press conference.

Man Up: Veterans step up for Eagles | Philly | 11/24/2009
A player-by-player look at the Eagles' defensive performance against the Bears Sunday night

The VRR: Cowboys Must Get Back in Saddle after Pulling off Squeaker over 'Skins

Aaron Novinger — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:48:58 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Tony Romo has to take his bumps and bruises from Redskins to Raiders in just a few days.

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The 7-6 victory over the rival Redskins did little to boost fans' confidence in the Cowboys' struggling offense. Running the ball 33 times - including six straight called in the first quarter - may have made the playcalling seem more "balanced", yet it produced no points.

However intriguing it is to see Felix Jones break the double-digit carry barrier for the first time in his career, or to see Marion Barber come up a yard shy from hitting the century mark, the scoreboard is still dependent on Tony Romo to pull that big, fat "0" down.

Heck, even Nick Folk failed (again) to get the team on the scoreboard prior to the end of the fourth quarter. Fortunately, the defense again refused to let that other side of the scoreboard be lit up.

Unfortunately, the Cowboys will be a bit more banged up heading into the shortened Thanksgiving week. Nothing major, but there are some bumps and bruises that must be played through as the team hosts the Raiders on Thursday. Making it through this week unscathed can be a real asset, as the team will get a few extra days to rest up before the Week 13 road game against the Giants.

More VRR after the jump.

Here's the latest on who's hurting:

QB Tony Romo - back (11/22) The quarterback injured his back in the first quarter when he was kneed in the backside while making a tackle. Romo never missed a snap against Washington, but he was limited in practice on Monday. Romo received a pain-relieving shot after the game Sunday, but told reporters he expects to play. Wade Phillips told the media Monday the quarterback was feeling better, but hinted that backup Jon Kitna might have to take some precautionary reps in practice.

TE Jason Witten - foot (11/22) Despite playing the entire game Sunday, Witten didn't practice Monday because of a foot injury. The All-Pro tight end caught two passes on the Cowboys' game-winning touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.

LB Keith Brooking - ankle (11/22) The veteran linebacker was limited in Monday's light practice with an ankle injury he suffered near the end of Sunday's win over the Redskins. Brooking said on Monday he expects to play this week.

CB Mike Jenkins - elbow/head (11/22) Jenkins got "banged up" in the Redskins game, according to head coach Wade Phillips. The cornerback was already battling the elbow injury from the Packers game but suffered the head injury late in the game when making a tackle. He did not practice with the team on Monday in the light workout.

Despite the blow to the back, Romo impressed in the end and sounds good-to-go for Thursday's game.

"That's Romo being Romo," Redskins linebacker London Fletcher said. "We had guys wrapped around him, and he still escaped. He's a tough sack."

And a tough guy. Romo bruised his back in the first quarter tackling cornerback DeAngelo Hall after he picked up a Marion Barber fumble in the red zone.

"I must have asked Tony 10 times, ‘Are you OK?'" Cowboys linebacker Keith Brooking said. "You could tell he was hurting, but he kept grinding."

Romo said he never considered leaving the game.

"I've always felt you can play as long as it's not something like a broken bone," Romo said. "With the adrenaline of the game, you can always do it. It only hurts right before the snap and right after."

The Redskins' injuries were much more severe. RB Ladell Betts and OL Chad Rinehart will be placed on IR and miss the rest of the season.

Along with Coach Phillips' aggressive blitzes, Keith Brooking credits DeMarcus Ware for his career-high four sacks.

Brooking has taken advantage of all the attention opponents pay the NFL’s reigning sacks leader in pass protection. He said his sacks often come on "hug blitzes," when he’s in man coverage against a running back and rushes when the back stays into block. When the back goes to chip Ware, that often leaves a lane for Brooking.

"The majority of my sacks, just to be dead honest with you, come from I'm just running scot-free and a lot of times the backs are sliding toward No. 94," Brooking said. "As I said yesterday, I'd do the same thing if I was in the backfield trying to block that guy. I'm just taking advantage."

Anthony Spencer was almost credited with a sack, but getting the game-winning INT proved much more rewarding.

It was Spencer's first career interception. The theft made up for a review taking away what he thought was his first sack of the season.

Late in the first half, Spencer chased Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell out of bounds for an apparent 5-yard loss. But a replay showed Campbell had released the ball just before stepping out.

"I gave the ref a little mouth about it," Spencer said. "But I'd much rather have the interception. It's a relief for the simple fact I've been around so many opportunities to make plays. It's good to see it come to fruition."

Bradie James on winning ugly:

"We have been sexy," linebacker Bradie James said. "We have been trying to be glamorous. And teams have come in and beat us. They have us ugly. What’s wrong with ugly? We won. That’s all that matters. Now we’ve got Oakland. We are concentrating on winning and getting ready for the stretch drive in December."

Coach Phillips squashed the media's attempt to get more info on the Campo-Newman argument.

If you haven't read it by now, LaRon Landry called Roy Williams "scared". Landry didn't get all Xs-andOs about it, but did imply that Williams' play was "scared".

"Certain pass concepts they had," Landry continued, by way of explaining how he knew Williams was scared. "Certain routes he ran, you could tell he didn't want any part of it."

A good area of focus on both offense and defense will be third-down conversions.

With the short week, Cowboys coach Wade Phillips might not have an opportunity to address the team's struggles with their third-down offense and defense.

"We just haven't played well enough on third downs, and we need to take a look at it."

Nick Folk knows he's in a "funk", and will stay patient.

"A little funk," Folk said Monday. "I got to work my way out of it right now."

Folk said he's not too concerned because he's hitting the ball well. On the 46-yarder he missed on Sunday, Folk said he hit it well, but it just stayed right. The last kick he missed, a 38-yarder in Green Bay the previous week, Folk said he just missed it.

"I feel good, I hit the ball really well, it stayed a little to the right," Folk said. "I dont know I got to go look at it. it felt good coming off my foot had a good week of practice."

Patrick Crayton has worn many hats in his football career. Did you know he can kick? Well, sort of.

Patrick Crayton was once the emergency kicker on his college team.

"Make that the emergency-emergency kicker," he said, smiling. "If it had ever come down to me, we probably would have gone for two."

Even then, at Northwestern Oklahoma State, Crayton had a strong leg. Once, on a bet, Crayton surprised himself.

"I made a 50-yarder," he said, again smiling. "You never know when it comes to kicking."

After waiving KR/PR Allen Rossum, the Cowboys re-signed CB Cletis Gordon to the active roster.

The Buccaneers sure like the Cowboys' practice squad players. They've already plucked rookie CB Mike Mickens off there, now they've signed QB Rudy Carpenter as well.

Matt Mosely is shopping Shanahan. If the Cowboys were to part ways with Wade Phillips after this season, he thinks Mike Shanahan could be a good fit.

I think Jones would do just about anything to win another Super Bowl but you have to question his decision to stick with Wade Phillips after a disastrous ending to the '08 season. The fact that it was partly a financial decision makes you wonder if Jones would be willing to outbid his little buddy Snyder.

It Was Not a Splendid Week for Former Hawkeyes Drafted in 2002

Oops Pow Surprise — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:27:50 -0000

Ladell Betts had a very, very bad weekend. With Clinton Portis sidelined with his usual minor injuries, Betts had racked up an average of 92 yards in two games of full-time duty, and was four carries into his third start when Cowboys defender Unamerican P. Krushchev brought Betts down awkwardly.

Bad news ensued, and Ladell's vacation begins now:

Although the Redskins have not yet reviewed the results of Ladell Betts's MRI that was scheduled this morning, they believe he has suffered torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments and will undergo season-ending surgery, a league source said.

The source, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to comment on the team's medical dealings, stressed that the severity of Betts's knee injury -- suffered in the first quarter of Sunday's 7-6 loss to the Dallas Cowboys -- could not accurately be determined until medical personnel reviewed the MRI exam. But the Redskins suspected Betts had multiple torn ligaments after he was removed from the game, and Coach Jim Zorn after the game revealed that Betts, at the very least, tore his MCL.

Strange as it may seem, Betts' injury may be even worse than reported. According to our sources at the AP, Betts sustained more than ligament injuries; his leg was actually blown off at the knee. Proof? We got proof, bitches:

What? That's his left leg. It's on our left, isn't it?

In related Holy Crap That Sucks About Your Knee News, Aaron Kampman was also felled last week. While engaged with a Niner blocker - the video isn't clear, but we're pretty sure it was a guy named G. D. Bastard - Kampman's left knee buckled, and he's very obviously done for the season:

Cornerback Al Harris and outside linebacker Aaron Kampman [...] sustained serious left knee injuries in the second half of Sunday’s 30-24 win over the San Francisco 49ers and appear lost for the season.

Harris’ agent, Jack Bechta, said Packers physician Dr. Patrick McKenzie’s initial diagnosis was a torn anterior cruciate ligament. An NFL source said Kampman appeared to have the same injury.

Kampman, 29, is in the final year of his contract, and his future with the Packers was in doubt even before the injury because he hasn’t been the best fit for Capers’ 3-4 defense. The chances that the Packers could tag him and trade him to a 4-3 team in the offseason might have diminished.

Indeed, Kampman's injury will likely cost him tens of millions of dollars; the 4-year, $21 million contract he signed in 2006 turned out to be a bargain, and someone with his body of work and two healthy legs would likely command at least as much per year with another contract--if not a good deal more, even if it's something like a 2-year, $13 milly deal. With his knee in rehab, however, Kampman may be looking at little more than the minimum; though a torn ACL isn't nearly the death sentence it used to be, it's still a super-effective bargaining chip by management to push salary down. "Why should we pay more than $2 million for a guy whose knee just got ripped up last November?"

And then there's Kahlil Hill, who was also drafted in 2002. No knee injury is necessary here.

The VRR: Redskins (3-6) @ Cowboys (6-3)

Aaron Novinger — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:29:58 -0000

More photos » by Gerald Herbert - AP

Dallas defenders must try to limit Ladell Betts and the Washington offense.

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The Cowboys can accomplish quite alot in beating the Redskins. Most importantly, they can regain the momentum they lost up in Lambeau. They can also increase their division record to 2-1 and their conference record to 6-2, which could come in handly for tie-breaking purposes down the road.

And, by handing the Redskins their seventh loss on the season, they could pretty much force them to begin waving bye-bye to their playoff chances.

Much of the talk this week at Valley Ranch has centered on Big D's offensive lack of production last week. On the flip side, Washington's offense seemed to show some signs of life for one of the first times this season. At home against Denver, RB Ladell Betts and QB Jason Campbell each scored, WR Devin Thomas showed some play-making potential, and the special teams found success on a fake field goal.

More VRR after the jump.

Perhaps it's the Cowboys' defenders that need to come up big. Beating the Broncos 27-17 last week boosted the Redskins' confidence. Deflating it early could be key.

"Coming off last week's victory, we've definitely got confidence. It was a big confidence-builder for us," Rock Cartwright said.

"You've got to keep it rolling. That's the whole objective," receiver Devin Thomas said. "You can never give up on a season just because things have gone bad. We knew we were just one click away from hitting on all cylinders."

With a win in Dallas, the Redskins would be only two games out of the NFC East lead with six games to play, three against the other division teams - including the Cowboys at home two nights after Christmas. Dallas, whose 57 wins against Washington are more than against any other team, doesn't want things to get that close. The dismal day in Green Bay likely got the Cowboys' attention.

The Cowboys should expect to see a heavy dose of RB Ladell Betts with Clinton Portis (concussion) out.

Betts rushed for a season-high 114 yards on 26 carries in last Sunday’s 27-17 win over the Denver Broncos.

Asked how Portis's status impacts him, Betts replied: "You get to be the man on first, second and third down, because before that, it was pretty much only on third down. Now I know that I get to play a full game, so it’s a little bit different mindset."

And it won't change the offensive game plan vs. Dallas, Zorn added. "We didn't change the run game necessarily to accommodate Ladell," Zorn said. "We ran our stuff, and what he did was push up into the hole and fight for yardage."

The Dallas secondary may be a bit banged up, but Mike Jenkins and Alan Ball sound ready to go. Ball should also receive help from Gerald Sensabaugh.

Cowboys CB Mike Jenkins injured his bicep in the Packers contest. Coach Wade Phillips said Jenkins has looked well and even had a couple of interceptions off QB Jon Kitna in scout team practice.

With S Ken Hamlin (ankle) out of the lineup for the Cowboys the next several weeks, look for safeties Alan Ball and Gerald Sensabaugh to split the duties of lining up the defense. Coach Wade Phillips had high praise for the smarts of Sensabaugh and his ability to handle the job.

Ball talks about the difference between playing free safety and cornerback. Also, it looks as if rookie SS Mike Hamlin will see his first action this week since the preseason.

"At cornerback, you don’t have to talk a lot," Ball said. "At safety, you have to know a lot. You have to make a lot of adjustments, a lot of checks. So you have to know a lot more going in. That’s about what it is."

Ball has five tackles and a pass breakup on defense this season. He has 12 special teams tackles, but is expected to have his special-teams workload lightened this week.

Phillips said rookie safety Mike Hamlin and cornerback Orlando Scandrick will fill in on special teams. Mike Hamlin has not been active this season.

Ball and Doug Free will be replaced on special teams.

With Alan Ball starting at free safety, reserve cornerback Orlando Scandrick will likely become the ``gunner,'' with outside coverage on punt-coverage teams. In addition, offensive tackle Pat McQuistan is scheduled to be active for the first time this season and replace Doug Free as a wall blocker on kickoff returns.

DeMarcus Ware talks about how Washington's blocking schemes and Jason Campbell's mobility in the pocket make it difficult to get to him.

"To be honest, it’s really hard to get to him because they keep in extra guys," Ware said. "They might have some guys on the front line so they do a lot of split backs and a lot of protection schemes to keep the guys off Campbell to make sure he’s effective in the pass."

[snip]

"He’s a great pocket passer," said Ware, who has seven sacks, tied for 10th in the NFL. "He makes sure he has confidence in his line and the guys around him so he can step up in the pocket to make plays."

"When he extends, when he moves around, when he flinches the ball, it causes the secondary, the linebackers, to hesitate, to go, to move," Zorn said. "And then if he can pull it down and have time to hit somebody else, it is very hard. It is the most difficult thing in football because you got the coverage, and if you throw on rhythm, you think you can handle it. When that rhythm's broke and you have to cover long through the coverage that you had, it's hard. It's what makes those quarterbacks very difficult to defend and he's been good at it for a few years."

Brian Orakpo thinks the Packers mapped out a way to get to Romo.

"Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah," Orakpo told ESPN 103.3’s Galloway and Co. "They gave us a lot of good tips the way Green Bay was able to get after it with a lot of different looks. Best believe we’re going to go out there and try to perform some of those things and try to change it up a little bit and give Dallas a little different look."

[snip]

"It seemed like they didn’t know who to block," Orakpo said. "You see guys flying out of nowhere and hitting Romo from behind and forcing fumbles. I mean, they were all over the place. I guess what we’ve got to do is switch it up ourselves. We’ll see how the game plan is and what the calls will be called, but obviously, we got a lot of tips from that game."

Yes, they have Albert Haynesworth and London Fletcher, but the Redskins' run defense isn't all that.

The Redskins continue to struggle in run defense this season. The unit has yielded 100+ rushing yards in eight of nine games this season, including 120 yards in last Sunday’s win over Denver. Overall, the Redskins have allowed an average of 125.7 rushing yards per game, ranked 24th in the league. They have allowed 4.3 yards per carry, which is ranked 17th in the league.

Felix Jones pre-strained knee ligament, and Felix Jones post-strained knee ligament.

Before the injury, Jones had 21 carries for 212 yards (10.1 yards a carry). Since coming back after the bye week and wearing a knee brace, he has 23 carries for 92 yards.

The DallasNews guys talk to Bradie James and Roy Williams about the game.

The Redskins are looking forward to playing in Cowboys Stadium for the first time.

"That’s the first thing I thought about going to Dallas, ‘Man, I get a chance to play in the new stadium,’ Santana Moss said. "Just to see it--I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s all about. It looks nice on TV. You get mesmerized. "I remember seeing the first game there [on TV]--you had cheerleaders dancing on platforms. I was like, ‘Wow.’"

Rock Cartwright admits he plans to check out the video screen, hopefully after he makes a big play. "I’m really looking forward to seeing that screen," Rock Cartwright said. "I guess every seat in the house is a good seat. I’m sure I’ll take a look at it after I make a nice run, or so. But I won’t be focused on it too much. I’ll be focused on what’s happening on the field."

The series history between the two teams:

The Cowboys lead the all-time regular season series with Washington, 57-37-2, including an unconventional split of last year's home-and-home. The Redskins were 26-24 winners in their trip to Texas Stadium in Week 4, but dropped a 14-10 decision when the clubs met at FedEx Field in Week 11. The teams engaged in conventional home-and-home splits in both 2006 and 2007. Washington is 2-0 against Dallas in the postseason, winning in the 1972 and 1982 NFC Championship games.

Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips is 3-2 all-time against Washington, with one of those wins coming for his Bills team in 1999 at FedEx Field. The Redskins' Jim Zorn is 1-1 against both Phillips and the Cowboys as a head man.

Here is the NFL Game Center for the Redskins at Cowboys.

DeMarcus Ware had the privelege of meeting President Obama as they worked together on a PSA to promote the NFL's Play 60 campaign.

"I was like ‘Ohhhh my God,"’ when Obama came out in a Bears pullover, Ware said in a telephone interview. "It was me, Polamalu and Drew Brees there, so you know how we feel about the Chicago Bears. But he’s a big Chicago Bears fan. He greeted each one of us, and he knew everything about our teams."

Ware is Dallas’ representative for the Play 60 program, which began in 2007. The NFL estimates it has committed $200 million worth of programming, grants, and time for PSAs to the initiative.

"I think it’s really important," Ware said. "If the players are getting involved in it, Obama, a lot of important people getting involved in it, sometimes it encourages kids to get out and do those type of activities and show them just how important it is."

Cowboys Injury Update

Aaron Novinger — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:53:05 -0000

Here is the report on who practiced and who didn't yesterday for the Cowboys.

Marc Colombo, OT - No Practice (Ankle)
Ken Hamlin, S - No Practice (Ankle)
Allen Rossum, CB - No Practice (Hamstring)

David Buehler, K - Limited Practice (Toe)

Marion Barber, RB - Full Practice (Thumb)
Mike Jenkins, CB - Full Practice (Elbow)
Gerald Sensabaugh, S - Full Practice (Thumb)
DeMarcus Ware, LB - Full Practice (Foot)

Make the jump for the Redskins' injury report.

Chris Cooley, TE - No Practice (Ankle) - OUT
Clinton Portis, RB - No Practice (Concussion)
Albert Haynesworth, DT - No Practice (Ankle)
Mike Williams, OT - No Practice (Ankle)

Stephon Heyer, OT - Limited Practice (Knee)

Ladell Betts, RB - Full Practice (Ankle)

Was It Over When the Germans Bombed Pearl Harbor? Redskins Defeat Broncos To Keep Season Hopes Alive

Sugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:51:24 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

Hunter Smith and Shaun Suisham have been two of the brightest spots on this team this season. They led the way again against the Broncos.

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Listen...at 3-6, I am not digging around for the keys to the bandwagon. In fact, as much as I want to talk about our strong finishes down the stretch in recent years, the sting of last season's 2-6 finish is still too painful. So I am going to do the best thing I can think of--enjoy the hell out of a home victory and lose myself a little in the euphoria.

There is certainly something to the fact that the Broncos are in a big-time rut right now. They brought in a raw, tentative Chris Simms in the second half and that was helpful to our defense ( to say the least). And for whatever reason, they decided not to throw it to Brandon Marshall on every play (huge mistake). For these reasons and others, I am going to refrain from overblowing the value of the win in NFL terms.

But for Washington fans and players alike, the value of this win is priceless. We have crammed a whole season's worth of drama, intrigue, and shenanigans into 9 weeks. The mounting losses this year have shifted attention to areas and topics away from the field. For better or worse, the win brings the focus of this city right back between the whistles. Despite any of those things I mentioned above with regard to this game, the Redskins actually played well enough to win the game. The game was not handed to them. The numbers don't lie--we dominated our opponent this week. Worthy of a second glance: two penalties, and zero turnovers.

Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs	14	22
Passing 1st downs	8	13
Rushing 1st downs	6	9
1st downs from Penalties	0	0
3rd down efficiency	5-12	8-16
4th down efficiency	0-2	1-2
Total Plays	56	70
Total Yards	305	388
Passing	185	214
Comp-Att	14-31	18-27
Yards per pass	6.0	7.9
Rushing	120	174
Rushing Attempts	22	40
Yards per rush	5.5	4.4
Red Zone (Made-Att)	0-1	2-4
Penalties	4-45	2-19
Turnovers	2	0
Fumbles lost	1	0
Interceptions thrown	1	0
Defensive / Special Teams TDs	0	0
Possession	24:17	35:43

Continue reading this post »

All week long, I kept saying, "I have a good feeling about this one." To most people who know me, that is like hearing Lindsay Lohan say, "I might have an STD." Of course I had a good feeling. But I found the more people I talked to, the more people I was hearing agree with me. Everyone bought into the "short week/cross country trip/struggling Broncos" argument. The Vegas line shifted towards the Redskins all week long. There was no place where the positive vibe was more apparent however, than FedEx Field. I was a little shocked to be honest. It was loud in there. I didn't think the place was particularly full, but the people who were in the seats came ready to yell and scream. (Though there was certainly some unrest after Brandon Marshall git his second TD of the day...seriously, how do you not just throw it to him on every play against us?)

On the field, Jason Campbell protected the ball. The offensive line played well and Ladell Betts reminded everyone why he has been considered one of the better long relievers in the game in recent history (whether he gets to go for a few more innings or not discussed below.) On defense, Carlos Rogers played himself onto the bench and the defensive line really did a good job of applying pressure as the game progressed. I always get a little giddy when I see Jarmon and Orakpo in the game together, but you know who played a pretty good game yesterday? Andre Carter. He had 7 tackles (5 solo), 2 tackles for a loss, and 1.5 sacks. He had 4 QB hits. Orakpo's stat line is equally impressive (6 tackles, 3 for a loss, and 1.5 sacks), but I found myself watching Carter on more plays than Orakpo. I really respected what Andre did yesterday. I even watched him after the last whistle. He was spent. He couldn't move from his spot, on one knee, for a good 3-4 minutes. I appreciated that even more since I had noted in the second half how hard he seemed to be playing. Haynesworth deserves a lot of credit for the success of our defensive line, but Orakpo and Carter are still out there earning their stats. For those who watched the broadcast yesterday or listened to Sonny and Sam, I am interested in hearing any commentary regarding our defensive ends.

We can't talk about this game without talking about Hunter Smith can we? We showed the fake, called a timeout and then came back out and ran the fake! I was looking for the crane it was going to take to hoist Zorn's balls back to the locker room. At the outset of the season, we identified Hunter Smith as one of our "Irreplaceable Players." Two touchdowns later, he has exceeded my expectations. The pass to Mike Sellers seemed to take an eternity to land in his arms, but when it did, one thought occurred to me: "This is our Lavar play." You know the one...the interception return for a touchdown against the Panthers when we were 0-5 under Marty Schottenheimer.

I still don't know how all this plays out in the offseason, but after that Hunter Smith TD pass, things were different. Holding the Broncos to a field goal before the end of the first half sealed it for me. Closing out the Broncos in the second half seemed like a foregone conclusion--aided immensely by the insertion of Chris Simms into their lineup. Everyone was that confident too, not just me.

I just re-read this thing as I look to wrap it up and get it out. I am wondering to myself if this article is begging to end with some kind of preposterous, open-ended question like, "Is this the win that propels this team to a run at the wild card?" All I can hear is the voice of Chris Rock, after he recounts the story of a dude who gets a G.E.D. and thinks now he can to college. "Slow down! Not so fast!"

Here is what this win does...it gets us to 3-6. The best thing about 3-6 is that it is not 2-7. The difference between the two means little to many of the onlookers from outside our little world here. But to us, it is huge. Enjoy it. We deserve it.

But get it out of your system quickly...Dallas Week begins today.

Poll

If Clinton Portis is cleared by doctors to play against Dallas, should Ladell Betts remain the starter?

Yes

521 votes

No

88 votes

609 votes | Poll has closed