SB Nation - Chris Cooley

Washington Redskins Defeat Oakland Raiders In Front of Hundreds Of Oakland Fans

Sugar — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:24:40 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

Jim Zorn laughs after hearing Sherman Lewis tell the one about a priest, a rabbi, and Vinny Cerrato walking into a bar over his headset.

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Okay, so it may have been more than a few hundred, but at one point on the national feed I could hear individual people clapping. Before the game you knew it was two teams playing for nothing. By the end of the game it was clear one team was acting like a group playing for nothing and the other was playing the part of a group trying to keep the party going. This Redskins team has found something to be sure. When I watch these guys I think, "Wow...this looks like an actual NFL team...this looks like teams around the league that know what they're doing."

We can spend all day kicking each other in the nuts wondering where this level of play has been all year. It is an exercise in futility, though. Here are a few thoughts on that subject:

1) We were still employing this new offensive system with players Zorn inherited from an old regime with a different philosophy.Is there really anything to this? I spent some time yesterday at Comcast Studios and kicked the idea around with those folks and one thing we talked about specifically was the fact that we are getting it done now with guys who were brought in since Zorn arrived and not prior to his arrival. (FYI--this means Vinny gets some credit which kills me.) This is not to suggest that Clinton Portis, Mike Sellers, Chris Cooley, Chris Samuels, Randy Thomas, Ladell Betts, or even Jon Jansen are or were guys incapable of thriving in Zorn's offense. I think what it means is that all these guys coming on and contributing now have been brought up in this new system over the last two years--Devin Thomas, Fred Davis, Malcolm Kelly....well, it would be hard/unfair to put guys like Mike Williams, Quinton Ganther, Levi Jones, and even Derrick Dockery in here, but the idea is that our lineup now is full of guys brought in to support the new ideology. Time for all of us to put on our cups, because Cerrato is most likely sticking around to work our nuts like a collective group of heavy bags.

2) Sherman Lewis is having a very positive impact.I am done with trying to read into what his level of involvement during the week means and whether or not he can be effective as a coach if he only speaks to Jason Campbell via candy-gram. The numbers tell us that since Sherman Lewis came on board, we have done better. Period. I still think you don't assume Zorn is useless in all of this. He is the quarterbacks guru and our quarterback is playing great, so he deserves credit. I don't believe for a second that he isn't partly responsible for this turn-around.

3) Hiring Zorn, implementing his offense and drafting players to fit it was sold to us as a 2-3 year investment. We are right in the meat of that investment and it appears we are getting some returns. I find it troubling to think that things are going according to (their) plan and they are considering starting over.

The game yesterday to me came down to two players. If you saw me on Comcast's Post Game Live (video to come), you would have seen me:

A) give it to Chick Hernandez a little about his earring; and

B) talk about Brian Orakpo and Jason Campbell.

Ganther, Davis, Carter, Landry...they all contributed, but I thought that it was fitting to highlight our best offensive player and our best defensive player and then underline the lunacy regarding the potential for JC to be somewhere else next season.

Orakpo was a beast. He personally accounted for somewhere in the neighborhood of 50-75 negative yards for the Raiders. Four sacks did not even tell the story of his day...how crazy is that?

Campbell was once again on fire. He threw the ball so accurately on the run yesterday (for the most part), I wondered aloud why they didn't purposely move him around more often (picture Mark Rypien rolling and throwing bombs.)

In the comments today, I thought we would try something a little different. I will start a few comment threads with some questions and everyone is encouraged to ask their own questions raising separate issues. Let's all pull together to gain some "public" opinion on these topics so we can determine the direction of the posts this week.

Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs	21	15
Passing 1st downs	11	11
Rushing 1st downs	7	3
1st downs from Penalties	3	1
3rd down efficiency	5-12	4-15
4th down efficiency	0-0	1-3
Total Plays	58	66
Total Yards	295	227
Passing	195	162
Comp-Att	16-28	20-34
Yards per pass	7.0	4.8
Rushing	100	65
Rushing Attempts	27	24
Yards per rush	3.7	2.7
Red Zone (Made-Att)	4-4	1-2
Penalties	7-45	14-118
Turnovers	1	1
Fumbles lost	1	0
Interceptions thrown	0	1
Defensive / Special Teams TDs	0	0
Possession	27:53	32:07

Oakland Raiders Postgame Recap: Redskins 34, Raiders 13

Rated-R Superstar — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:32:23 -0000

Bruce Gradkowski tried to get his third win as a starter in the silver and black. [via cdn2.sbnation.com]

Fresh off of a win on the road as 15-point underdogs, the Oakland Raiders (4-8) took on the Washington Redskins (3-9) as underdogs once again. Trying to stay hot behind quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, the Raiders entered today's game 2-1 when he starts with wins over the Bengals and Steelers. Unfortunately, the game was blacked out locally. Banged up, Chris Cooley and Clinton Portis were among the many Redskins out for today's game. Dive in to see how the Raiders fared with the Redskins on a gloomy day at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. A bit of rain was in the air for this one.

Darren McFadden had a nice first quarter catching the ball. [via cdn1.sbnation.com]

First Quarter: A pathetic return by Gary Russell of 11 huge yards gave us the ball first. He did, however, make the only key play of the series before a sack by LaRon Landry forced the Raiders to punt the ball to the Redskins. Darren McFadden carried it twice on the opening series and basically went nowhere. Anyway, a 68-yard boot by Shane Lechler set up Washington at their own 20 for their opening drive. A five-yard run by Quinton Ganther was the only real positive play on the series. A sack by Trevor Scott, who has been on fire, and an incomplete pass by Jason Campbell forced a Hunter Smith punt. Johnnie Lee Higgins, who had some room on the return, managed to return it to his own 39 yard line. After Bruce Gradkowski hit Higgins for a nine-yard pass, Justin Fargas fumbled; however, Redskins cornerback Fred Smoot had one foot out of bounds on the recovery. It remained Oakland ball. Gradkowski then hit Zach Miller on a big play, but an offensive pass interference on Chaz Schilens brought it back almost to the original line of scrimmage of the drive. A timeout followed it up. The Raiders couldn't really amount anything after that. Another sack doomed a second consecutive drive and it was Lechler time again. A fair catch was called by Antwaan Randle El and the Redskins had it at their own 22. The defense made some nice plays, specifically Kirk Morrison and Chris Johnson, and a three-and-out forced the Redskins to punt. A big play opened up the next drive for the Raiders, as Gradkowski hit Darren McFadden on a slant for 43 huge yards. Unable to muster anything after that, a field goal by Sebastian Janikowski gave the Raiders a 3-0 lead with just over four minutes still to play in the opening quarter. Faced with a third down, Jason Campbell swung it out to Quinton Ganther on the left side. Busting through, Ganther picked up huge yardage to put Washington into not only Oakland territory, but also field goal range. Once again, the Redskins converted on third down. On the very next play, Fred Davis was hit for a touchdown. After whistled for a 15-yard penalty, the Redskins had to kick from their own 15. A 41-yard return by Gary Russell gave Oakland the ball at midfield. An acrobatic grab by McFadden at the 24 yard line capped a seemingly long first quarter.

Fred Davis found the end zone twice and celebrates with a teammate. [via cdn3.sbnation.com]

Second Quarter: Starting the second quarter, a stupid play call (a give to Gary Russell) cost the Raiders a yard. Zach Miller and Chaz Schilens each made grabs and the Raiders had a goal-to-go from the nine. After a miscue on the give to Justin Fargas, the Raiders hit Zach Miller on third down. He was short, however, but Tom Cable remained aggressive from last week. A fourth down carry and dive by Fargas gave the Raiders a touchdown as they had regained a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter. The rain got progressively worse at this point in the game, as noted by commentator Dick Stockton. Fred Davis, open in the secondary, caught a pass and it was for a good gain into Oakland territory. Back-to-back plays by the Raider defense stuffed Quinton Ganther in the backfield. Richard Seymour and Trevor Scott stopped the run and Kirk Morrison and Tommy Kelly blew the next play up on a screen in the backfield. Needing 12 yards on third down, an offsides penalty by Greg Ellis gave the Redskins five free yards. So, another offsides penalty hurt; however, it didn't hurt as much. Hiram Eugene made a great tackle on Randle El and Washington had to settle for a field goal. Graham Gano, just signed out of the UFL, connected on a 46-yard field goal. We were tied, 10-10, in a pretty evenly matched game with 7:27 left to go in the first half. After a three-and-out, a great 58-yard punt from Lechler set the Redskins up at their own 21. The Redskins didn't get far at all, and some good pressure by defensive linemen Matt Shaughnessy and Gerard Warren forced a punt. Jason Campbell was shaken up after the hit. A couple of stupid calls -- runs up the middle by McFadden and Russell -- brought up a long third down. Nearly intercepted by Reed Doughty on a pass intended for Oakland's Zach Miller, Doughy was flagged for illegal contact. It give the Raiders an automatic first down. On the very next play, an open Miller flat out dropped the ball. It was a good pass by Gradkowski, too, but Miller just let it slip through his hands. Welcome to the show Louis Murphy, as he pulled the Raiders to within two yards of the first down marker at the two-minute warning; however, on the next play, a catch of his was correctly called back on the booth review. The Raiders were forced to punt from midfield. A stupid penalty on the punt called against Hiram Eugene -- not stupid on Eugene's part but rather the referee's -- as Eugene was called for interference when he didn't even interfere. The bench was called for an unsportsmanlike penalty and so the Redskins had it at their own 40. Santana Moss made a 14-yard catch and the Redskins were threatening before the half. Next, a big play to Devin Thomas had Washington really in business. Two plays later, Fred Davis scored his second touchdown of the game to give Washington a 17-10 lead. (Damn, he's on my bench in a fantasy football league.) A holding penalty on the kickoff return set the Raiders up in bad position, and there was just seconds to go before halftime. A couple of runs by Gradkowski picked up some yards, but Oakland needed more with just 16 seconds to go without any timeouts remaining. Almost getting sack, Gradkowski flipped it out to Fargas in the flat and he ran out of bounds with less than 10 seconds to go. An incomplete pass on the next play basically made it impossible for a field goal try; however, Tom Cable decided to go for a field goal without running another play. A 66-yard field goal fell short, and Redskins safety Reed Doughty grabbed it and took off from his own end zone. Mario Henderson grabbed him and slammed Doughty to the ground to end the half. The Redskins had a 17-10 lead. For those of you keeping track, a total of 16 penalty flags were thrown. Yes, this was an ugly game.

After filling in for Bruce Gradkowski, JaMarcus Russell spent a ton of time on the ground. [via cdn1.sbnation.com]

Third Quarter: The Redskins started out with the ball at their own 30, and more importantly the lead. A pass interference committed by Tyvon Branch gave the Redskins a fresh set of downs. Michael Huff, who suffered a stinger in the first half, is still out with that injury and being replaced by Hiram Eugene. A couple of incomplete passes had Washington in a third and long situation. A rare blitz by the defense had Campbell sacked back at his own 26 by rookie safety Mike Mitchell. A punt followed that big play. The return by Higgins set the Raiders up in good field position, at their own 44. After going down with a knee injury just before the first half concluded, Gradkowski was out and unable to return. Yes, that means JaMarcus Russell was in -- and playing quarterback, too. Raiders fans everywhere are holding their respective breaths. Needing three years on third down, Russell called a timeout as Oakland was nearing field goal range. Still, they needed a first down if they even wanted to think about a pretty good try being at Washington's 38. A big play conversion to Higgins was followed up by a 10-yard loss on the sack. Ugh, Russell didn't get rid of the ball. Rookie Brian Orakpo brought him down. More stupid play-calling from Tom Cable, the reverse went nowhere. You've already called that play once, Tom. You can't fool the defense like that. An incomplete pass to Darren McFadden set up a 53-yard field goal try for Janikowski. Missing earlier from 66 yards out, this one was much more manageable and Sebastian knocked it through for his second of the day. The Washington lead was trimmed to 17-13 with just under nine minutes to play in the third quarter. The Raiders brought the heat some more on Campbell on the Redskins' next drive, as Stanford Routt nearly got to Campbell. By the way, Routt replaced by the injured Nnamdi Asomugha. Then, on second down, Matt Shaughnessy brought down Campbell for Oakland's third sack of the game. With the third down play coming up short, a good return by Higgins set up Russell and company in good field position just shy of midfield. A second down play resulting in a first down to Zach Miller had the Raiders in Washington territory; however, on the next play, McFadden slips on a run. He still managed to pick up six yards. A pitch that went backwards forced the Raiders to make a play on third down in order to keep the drive alive. Russell found Murphy and the Raiders moved the chains. It's a step forward and then a step backwards for Russell, apparently, as Andre Carter brings him down for a loss. A false start, which didn't occur under Gradkowski, moved the Raiders back five more yards. Another penalty and then another sack totally demolished the drive for the Raiders, and it became third down with 35 yards to go. Is anyone ready for Charlie Frye yet? The punt by Lechler hopped into the end zone, and Washington began their drive at their own 20 with the third quarter almost over with. Almost off of the field, Rock Cartwright made a play on third down for the Redskins and Washington's drive continued. A couple of runs by Quinton Ganther ended the third quarter. The Redskins had a 17-13 lead over three quarters.

Santana Moss and the Redskins ran away in the fourth quarter. [via cdn0.sbnation.com]

Fourth Quarter: Kicking off the fourth quarter was Washington in Oakland territory looking to add onto their four-point lead. Not surprisingly, the quarter begins with two penalties on the Raiders. Routt was called for pass interference -- which was a bad call as Santana Moss had slipped -- and then Howard was flagged for holding. A couple of plays later, the Oakland defense tried to get off the field with Washington tryign to convert a third down needing three yards. Of course, the Redskins picked up the first down with ease on a pass from Campbell to Malcolm Kelly. A touchdown basically kills any chance the Raiders have of winning this game, especially with Gradkowski shelved. An effective screen to Moss set up a touchdown run by Ganther, a Richmond native scoring the first time in his career, and Washington had taken a 24-13 lead with over 11 minutes to play in regulation. It was clearly a great drive by the Redskins. Chewing six minutes up and going 80 yards on 13 plays, you couldn't have asked for more if you were Jim Zorn. The Raiders had the ball back needing two touchdowns and a two-point conversion. In a shocking turn of events, Russell threw a pass that was picked off by LaRon Landry. Why am I still watching the game at this point? I don't know. Campbell to Moss goes for 30 yards, and the Redskins are a touchdown away from blowout city. Some plays later, Ganther's second touchdown of the day put Washington ahead by 31-13 score. Oh, yes, it was all over by then. Russell marched back out there and was sacked. We were all so very surprised. Luckily for us, Carter totally missed the fumble and Henderson pounced on it to keep possession. Blah, blah, blah, the Raiders had to punt without a first down gained; however, Randle El screwed up the punt return and dropped it. Tony Stewart fell on it and Oakland had the ball at midfield. On the very next play, Russell was sacked yet again and this time it was Lorenzo Alexander. That was the seventh sack of the game with five of them coming against Russell compared to only two when Gradkowski was in the game. God, this game couldn't end any sooner. I'll save the dramatics: Russell was sacked on fourth down. Getting Marcus Mason involved some in the fourth quarter, Washington marched down and kicked a field goal to extend their lead to 34-13. Terribly bad went to even worse as Zach Miller went down with an injury. After another useless drive that went nowhere led by the great JaMarcus Russell, the Redskins got the ball back and ran out the clock. Improving to 4-9 are the Redskins and falling to that same record are the Raiders by a 34-13 score.

Little Billy has some explaining to do. [via cdn2.sbnation.com]

The Report Card: I'll give grades to the pass offense, rush offense, pass defense, rush defense and special teams. Of course, you're welcome to give your own grades in the comments.

Pass Offense: D -- Obviously, things were going a lot smoother with Bruce Gradkowski back there instead of the totally inept and awful JaMarcus Russell. Still, we have to grade them both. Gradkowski was a little below average and Russell was awful, so I tried to find the middle ground.
Rush Offense: F -- The rushing offense was absolutely dreadful. On 24 carries, a 2.7 average just isn't going to cut it. Justin Fargas led the way with 21 yards and a touchdown, but that stuff is something that should be achieved in just one quarter and not one whole game.
Pass Defense: D+ -- Jason Campbell had almost a field day going 16-for-28 with 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns. They brought some heat, so that was a good thing but just about the only good thing.
Rush Defense: C -- It was a very average performance by the rush defense with the Redskins averaging around four yards per carry with a couple of rushing touchdowns.
Special Teams: B- -- Janikowski's only miss came from 66 yards. Shane Lechler averaged almost 52 yards per punt. Johnnie Lee Higgins was okay returning punts while Gary Russell was nothing special returning kicks. Overall, it was pretty decent and I guess I couldn't complain about the way special teams played. The coverage wasn't all that bad itself.

My Thoughts and Tidbits: It's quite simple, really. Once JaMarcus Russell came in for the injured Bruce Gradkowski, it all went to hell. Trailing 17-10 at the half, this game was clearly within reach all the way. Charlie Frye should start next week should Gradkowski be unable to go. Next up, we have the Denver Broncos who are 8-5 and leading the Wild Card race in the AFC. This was really rough in the second half. Enjoy your Sunday evening, guys, and try to put this one behind us.

Poll

Weekly Recap Poll: Who was the Oakland Raiders player of the game?

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

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)

Denver Broncos @ Washington Redskins; Friday Injury Report

Tim Lynch — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:49:13 -0000

DENVER BRONCOS
Player	Injury	Wed. Participation	Thur. Participation	Fri. Participation	Friday Status
Josh Barrett (S)	Hamstring	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
Ryan Harris (RT)	Toe	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	OUT
Brandon Marshall (WR)	Back	Did Not Participate	Full Participation	Full Participation	Probable
Ryan McBean (DL)	Knee	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Player	Injury	Wed. Participation	Thur. Participation	Fri. Participation	Friday Status
Chris Cooley (TE)	Ankle	Out	Out	Out	OUT
Ladell Betts (RB)	Ankle	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Limited Participation	Questionable
Clinton Portis (RB)	Concussion	Did Not Participate	Out	Out	OUT
Mike Williams (T)	Ankle	Did Not Participate	Out	Out	OUT
Jason Campbell (QB)	Ankle	Limited Participation	Full Participation	Full Participation	Probable
Hunter Smith (P)	Right Groin	Limited Participation	Did Not Participate	Limited Participation	Questionable
Byron Westbrook (CB)	Knee	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable
Stephon Heyer (T)	Knee	Not Listed	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable

Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback Book Review

Sugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:00:42 -0000

View full size photo »

For years, Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback column has been a must-read for all NFL fans. For Redskins fans, it was a hard column to have to read, as King was a major obstacle for Art Monk's Hall of Fame chances for so long. But that all changed when he used his column a few years back to openly endorse Art's candidacy. The results speak for themselves. Few fans can appreciate the power of Peter King's perspective better than us. So when I was given an advance copy of Peter's book to review for Hogs Haven, I relished the opportunity to get a peak into whatever it was that King felt the need to write a whole book about.

Turns out almost 2 million people click onto his weekly MMQB column. That is a pretty ridiculous number. Especially when you consider almost a quarter of the content is dedicated to his daughters' softball and field hockey exploits, coffee talk, and television reviews (to name but a few of the more personal items Peter King includes regularly in his columns.)

I have taken my "swings" at Peter King through the years, riling up the literally tens of readers at Ahern Inquirer, where Kevin and I started. It is hard enough being a Redskins fan without having to hear a guy with King's voice remind me how bad a team we are, or why Art Monk is not deserving of the Hall of Fame. Yet each week, there I am, staring at my computer, taking in every word King writes.

Because of fantasy football, the Internet, satellite television, and office pools, we have all turned into fans of the whole NFL, not just our one hometown team. Peter King--despite his occasionally obvious bias--brings us behind the scenes each week with behind the curtain-type stories that feed our insatiable appetite. The Monday Morning Quarterbackbook is the same kind of read. There are classic articles, such as the one back from March 2003 when King attended an exhibition baseball game, retrieved a foul ball hit by Miguel Tejada, and infamously assured a young kid that the "True Ball" was the one that the kid had. The margins of the book are lined with short anecdotes, coffeenerdness bits, "Factoids That Only Interest Me", "10 Things I Think I Think", and travel notes. You could flip through this whole book just reading the margins and be thoroughly entertained.

Interspersed throughout the book are a few very interesting lists: Top 100 Players of All Time, Best and Worst of the NFL (featuring stadiums, traditions, bars, and pet peeves), and Hall of Fame Snubs. The highest ranking Redskin on the 100 greatest list comes in at #7! I won't steal too much of King's thunder here, but I will say that there are a few players that we signed late in their careers who make the list in the 30's. King also lists his 100 Greatest Players of Today. Suffice to say the current Redskins team is not exactly over-represented (Haynesworth checks in at #21, while Carlos Rogers, LaRon Landry, Clinton Portis, and Chris Cooley check in at #'s 65, 69, 87 and 94, respectively.)

This book is one of those books you can read a little here and there without worrying about losing the plot or storyline. It is jam-packed with the kind of insight and perspective that we have all come to expect from anything Peter King writes. If you have a close friend/family member that is a football fan or football junkie, this book is a must-read and great gift idea for the holidays.

Click here to purchase on amazon.

Gameday Lincs - Eagles vs Cowboys

JasonB — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:00:36 -0000

via cdn2.sbnation.com

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PhillyBurbs.com: Under Andy Reid, Eagles own Cowboys
Andy Reid has probably told the story a dozen times since he got here a decade ago. He was at McDonald's near the NovaCare Complex picking up breakfast soon after becoming the Eagles' head coach when an 80-something woman cornered him and said that nothing else mattered, "Just beat the (expletive) Cowboys." And he has. Reid has defeated the Cowboys more than any coach in NFL history.

NFL Preview - Dallas (5-2) at Philadelphia (5-2) - Football - MiamiHerald.com
Sole possession of first place in the NFC's East Division will be on the line when the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles renew their spirited rivalry with a Sunday night showdown at Lincoln Financial Field to highlight the Week 9 schedule.

Keys to winning: Dallas Cowboys must avoid Eagles' Sheldon Brown
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo hasn't thrown an interception in three games, the first time he has ever done this in his short starting career. To continue that streak, he'll have to throw away from Sheldon Brown, who has 21 tackles and 3 interceptions, while having the lowest completion rate against him of any other cornerback in the NFL.

Final Word: NFC East - NFC East - ESPN
The Cowboys believe they can attack the Eagles' defense in the middle of the field. I just returned from Valley Ranch, where two Cowboys offensive players said they thought the middle of the Eagles' defense would be vulnerable. In particular, the Cowboys believe Eagles safeties Sean Jones and Quintin Mikell could leave some holes in that area of the field.

More after the jump

S.A.'s Demps overcoming ‘growing pains' with Eagles
Eagles free safety Quintin Demps' first career interception couldn't have come at a better time for the Roosevelt graduate. In addition to sparking a scoring drive, his theft of an Eli Manning pass in last week's 40-17 thumping of the Giants restored Demps' confidence in himself. "It let me know that I still got it," Demps said.

Dallas Cowboys Blog - Cowboys-Eagles key matchups - ESPN Dallas
We'll look at one matchup from both sides of the ball:

Brent Celek earning status as an elite tight end in NFL -- latimes.com
For years, the Philadelphia Eagles didn't have to look far to find some of the best receiving tight ends in football. They just had to glance around the NFC East -- Chris Cooley in Washington, Jason Witten in Dallas and Kevin Boss with the New York Giants. Now, the Eagles have one of their own.

Steve Young: Cowboys/Eagles Preview - ESPN Video - ESPN
Steve Young: Cowboys/Eagles Preview

Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid knows how to beat the Dallas Cowboys
Of all the coaches throughout the history of the NFL -- from Hall of Famers Vince Lombardi and Joe Gibbs to Don Shula and Bill Parcells -- guess who has beaten the Dallas Cowboys more than anyone else? If you said Andy Reid, go get a glass of pickle juice and start the game with an onside kick.

Saturday News And Notes: Tackling The Washington Redskins

Dave the Falconer — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:30:23 -0000

by Bill Feig - AP

Don't expect Matt Ryan and the Falcons to overlook at the Redskins. (AP Photo/Bill Feig, File)

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There's a danger with a game like this.

The Washington Redskins have been no one's idea of a great or even good team this season. Their fans are dealing with tragic missteps at every level of the organization with the impassiveness of true stoics, but it's clear that this is a team that's a mess. In a lot of ways, they may seem like the perfect opponent for the Falcons, who are reeling a bit after two tough losses against quality teams the last couple of weeks. Though I wouldn't dare suggest that Mike Smith & Co. would bring an unprepared team against Washington, it's still a very real danger that this team, coming off a bye week and with a lot to prove, could come out of the gate strong against the Falcons.

It's often said that good teams win the games they're supposed to, and a punishing effort this weekend would put us at 5-3 and firmly in that warm and cozy bracket. This is a game we definitely should win, but desperate teams can do interesting things. Hopefully the Falcons swing the hammer early on Sunday.

How about some links, gang?

Despite being banged up, both Sam Baker and Roddy White are expected to play this weekend. With all the negative injury news we've gotten over the last couple of weeks, this is like a fresh breath of air carrying a $100 bill your way.
To absolutely no one's surprise, Jerious Norwood isn't playing. If he's listed as questionable again this week, I'm going to laugh out loud. Jason Snelling is still a bit of a question mark.
Oh, heavens to Betsy, Harvey Dahl and Tyson Clabo are physical players! I hope Albert Haynesworth doesn't get the vapors from their rudeness. That would be horrid!

Seriously, though, it's just before the game trash talk. Nobody likes the way Big Mean and Clabo play the game of football, but it sure as hell works. Haynesworth will be a guy to watch this weekend, because he's still a force to be reckoned with.
Here's kind of an unofficial keys to the game list for the Redskins, courtesy of Hogs Haven. The likeliest might be that Fred Davis, who is taking over for injured tight end Chris Cooley, will blow up. The Falcons will have to keep an eye on him.
This Matt Ryan thing is getting out of hand. He's been far from perfect this season and I'd like to see him make better throws, but I'm not exactly worried about his future in the league because of a middling half-season. It's really too bad that we've all gotten into the habit of expecting instant results and changing our minds on the fly (myself included), because we all end up yo-yoing on some of these guys.

Keeping an Eye on the Other Beasts in the East

Aaron Novinger — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:00:36 -0000

by Bill Kostroun - AP

"You're not gonna lose three in a row, are you little bro?"

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Two of the top Beasts go at it this week as the 5-2 Giants head to Lincoln Financial Field to take on the 4-2 Eagles. This matchup has slobberknocker written all over it. Unfortunately, it's one of the early games; so, Cowboys' fans will have to switch back and forth between commercials.

The Beast with the least - the Redskins - are on a bye. They can use it to either regroup or begin prepping their draft boards. Either way, dropping five out of their first seven games indicates that their playoff chances are but a dream. Realistically, they can afford maybe only one more loss. Running the table would require a lot less turmoil.

More Beasts in the East after the jump.

Washington Redskins (2-5)

Last game: 17-27 Home Loss vs. Philadelphia

Next up: Bye

The biggest news, personnel-wise, out of D.C. is that TE Chris Cooley had ankle surgery following an injury suffered Sunday night. Former second-rounder, Fred Davis, is set to take over.

With Chris Cooley on the mend for at least four weeks after undergoing ankle surgery on Wednesday morning, Davis moves into the starting lineup. Davis started two games as a rookie last year and two games this year, but only when the Redskins opened with two tight end sets.

"It’s definitely a different role for me," Davis said. "You get a lot of chances to get the ball in your hands. I got a lot of opportunities [on Monday night] and I tried to make the best of it."

Shortly after Cooley suffered his injury in the second quarter, Davis approached Campbell on the sidelines and asked him for trust.

Other than being a pass catcher, Davis has to work on other areas of his game to be considered a complete TE.

With his eight catches against the Eagles, Fred Davis proved he can get open, albeit not as far downfield as Chris Cooley. But what Davis isn't ready for is prime-time pass protection; he was beaten for two sacks in the second half.

Davis' deficiencies made him part of a pass protection group that was overwhelmed by Philadelphia's defense, whether it was on a blitz or a simple four-man rush.

Losing Cooley is just the tip of the iceberg that seems to be sinking the team's offensive ship.

Even with the potentially improved prognosis, Cooley's injury is coupled with season-ending ailments to Pro Bowl left tackle Chris Samuels and starting right guard Randy Thomas. That series of events puts an unproductive offense -- one that is tied for 28th in the league with 13.7 points per game and hasn't yet surpassed 17 points in a single outing -- in an even more precarious position. The offensive line is fragile, and quarterback Jason Campbell's favorite target -- Cooley leads the team with 29 catches -- will be out at least a month.

"The bottom line is to win," Zorn said. "And nobody really cares that guys get injured. They feel bad, but the team moves on."

Much of their 2-5 record can be attributed to the falling apart of the offensive line.

The lack of depth along the offensive line and a constant shuffling of personnel has created a difficult operating environment for quarterback Jason Campbell, who was sacked six times on Monday night in the 27-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Cerrato said the club believed it had addressed its issues sufficiently if not overwhelmingly by signing guard Derrick Dockery and backup tackle Mike Williams.

"When we were in the draft, there was no one at 13," Cerrato said, speaking of the 13th overall pick that was used on linebacker/defensive end Brian Orakpo. Cerrato added: "Look at the depth around the league. Nobody has a Pro Bowler to back up a Pro Bowler. Look at Philadelphia last week once Jason Peters went out and they had six sacks against the Raiders. There is a dropoff. I’m not making excuses."

The Redskins banked on Chad Rinehart, last year’s third-round pick, developing into a suitable successor for Thomas. He started two games but has been inactive since and replaced by Will Montgomery. Counting Thomas, the Redskins have started four players at right guard, two at left tackle and two at right tackle.

Hogs Haven takes a bye week look at the "tricks and treats" of all things Redskins.

Redskins' fans can no longer bring signs to FedEx Field.

According to a report in the Washington Post, the franchise has forbidden its home fans from bringing signs of any kind into FedEx Field — whether or not the signs are bashing the struggling team. A team spokesman told the Post that officially this is a new policy change done to avoid obstructed views or potential injury to other fans in the vicinity of signholders.

New York Giants (5-2)

Last game: 17-24 Home Loss vs. Arizona

Next up: @ Philadelphia (4-2)

Is it time to panic yet in the land of the Giants? History shows that these two teams go back and forth no matter who plays at home or on the road.

The Giants will attempt to break their two-game losing streak Sunday when they face the Philadelphia Eagles in Lincoln Financial Field. After opening the season with five consecutive victories, the Giants have lost back-to-back games to New Orleans and Arizona. Philadelphia defeated Washington Monday night, 27-17, to improve to 4-2. The Giants lead the regular season series, 79-67-2, and the postseason series is tied, 2-2. Last season, each team won on the other's home field, but the Eagles also defeated the Giants in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game. The Giants have won their last four regular season games in Philadelphia.

The Giants should be thinking revenge after Philly knocked them out of the playoffs last year...in insulting fashion.

The Giants were irked in last season's divisional playoff game when McNabb ran out of bounds, grabbed a telephone near New York's bench and pretended to make a call. The phone is the one players use to communicate with coaches in the press box. The move got a big belly laugh in Philly, though the Giants have stewed about the sideline show.

Mario Manningham (shoulder) is questionable.

Manningham hurt the shoulder on the final play of practice on Thursday. He was held out of the team's final workout for Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles as a precaution.

"They thought it was better if he just not work today," coach Tom Coughlin said. "So I'm going to list him as questionable, but hopefully he will make it."

Manningham expects to play. If not, Hakeem Nicks would get the start. Here's the news on some other injured Giants.

Middle linebacker Antonio Pierce (ankle) and offensive tackle Kareem McKenzie (groin) practiced fully and were listed as probable for the game. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who disclosed he has played with a cracked bone in his right foot all season, practiced on a limited basis and is listed as probable, while cornerback Aaron Ross (hamstring), defensive tackle Chris Canty (calf) and linebacker Michael Boley (knee) were ruled out.

Evidently, the Giants had quite the opportunity to get back in the game last week.

Arizona punted after its quick three-and-out, and New York got the ball back with 2:52 to go. The Giants still had all of its timeouts — plus the 2-minute warning — giving them four clock stoppages to work with. The Giants drove to Arizona’s 39-yard line with 1:15 remaining. That’s when Eli Manning — easily the most overrated player in the NFL — threw a deep-right pass that Cardinals free safety Antrel Rolle intercepted.

Game over. The Giants, who were favored by 4, lose by 7.

Ahmad Bradshaw was fined this week and has been getting a little trash-tweeting from Arizona's DT Darnell Dockett.

It all started on Sunday night, when Bradshaw hit Dockett in the facemask and was flagged for a personal foul. After the game, Dockett went on Twitter and compared Bradshaw to Glass Joe, the weakest character in the old Mike Tyson's Punch-Out video game. Today it was reported that Bradshaw was fined $5,000 for hitting Dockett, and now Dockett has taken to Twitter once again.

"Please NFL & Commisioner don't fine Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw $5,000 for throwing a pillow at me," Dockett tweeted today. "My 3yr old son hit harder, please REFUND."

Here is Matt Mosely's Final Word: NFC East for Week 8.

Philadelphia Eagles (4-2)

Last game: 27-17 Win @ Washington

Next up: Home vs. New York Giants (5-2)

The biggest question for the Eagles going in is the health of RB Brian Westbrook, who suffered a concussion against the Redskins.

"It's going to be a game-day decision," Reid said of Westbrook, who traditionally performs well against the Giants. "We're waiting to get more tests back and see how they look. So far the tests we have done this week have looked OK. But it comes down to a matter of time."

Westbrook has not practiced all week, but he was on the field Friday with his teammates and seemed in good spirits.

"I know he wants to play," Reid said. "As long as he cleared, he's OK'd, we just have to see. The experts are looking at this. We have to listen to the doctors."

If Westbrook can't go, rookie LeSean McCoy would make his second start. The second-round draft pick from Pitt started against Kansas City and gained 84 yards on 20 carries.

The Eagles signed RB P.J. Hill off Saints practice squad and placed LB Omar Gaither on IR.

Rookie WR Jeremy Maclin is quickly gaining the trust of Donovan McNabb.

Last week, against the Washington Redskins, Maclin was the receiver who McNabb targeted the most. McNabb threw the rookie's way seven times, completing five passes for 53 yards. Maclin was part of a group of players who worked out with McNabb in Arizona during the off-season, but he also missed most of training camp while working on finishing his rookie contract. So what has allowed the rookie and the franchise stalwart to get on the same page so quickly?

"I think he has trust in all his receivers," Maclin said. "I think if he didn't, then none of us would be out there. I think that's the relationship that you establish with him."

New LB Will Witherspoon had an extremely productive game against the 'Skins.

On just his sixth day with the Eagles, having been acquired in a trade with the St. Louis Rams, the eight-year veteran started at middle linebacker and had a stunning stat line: eight tackles, one sack, one quarterback hurry, a deflected pass, one forced fumble and an interception returned 9 yards for a touchdown.

"What? Who in their right mind would think that in their first game?" Witherspoon said. "But when it comes down to it, it happened. ... For the first game with a new team , for me, it put the stamp on it. Saying, 'Hey, this is exactly what I want to bring to this team. This is exactly who I want to be.'"

There just might be a bit of traffic in Philly tomorrow.

Not only are the hated NFC East-rival New York Giants in town seeking a measure of revenge against an Eagles team that pilfered their hopes of repeating as Super Bowl champions, but the legendary New York Yankees will be paying a visit to Citizens Bank Park to take on the Phillies in Game 4 of the World Series down the street.

The Giants get the first shot at ruining at least half of the day for Philly fans, before the Yankees and Phils square off under the lights across the street at 8:00 p.m. (ET).

Fantasy Watch: Washington Redskins vs Kansas City Chiefs

Sugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:34:01 -0000

More photos » by Evan Vucci - AP

Jim Zorn and Jason Campbell have their backs against the wall and one more chance against a weak team to prove they have a passing game to write home about. That makes Jason Campbell a must-start in all fantasy formats.

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Wow...talk about a game that not very many other people in the country are talking about. To suggest that this game has a lot of fantasy appeal would also be a little insulting to the average fantasy player's intelligence. But there are a few things worth considering in this game that could help with your fantasy lineups this weekend.

Jason Campbell - A "hot seat" coach has to fight and claw to prove to management he belongs. Zorn was brought here to mentor and groom Campbell and install an innovative offense (hold comments on this for another post.) If he is going to get fired, I see him going down swinging for the fences. Jason Campbell will once again be throwing early and often. He has thrown a few more interceptions this season than you would like to see, but the Chiefs did just give up a 250-yard performance to Miles Austin. You have to think that before we hit the meat of our schedule, Zorn is going to go balls to the wall with his passing game to rev it up. To me, that makes Jason Campbell a must-start.

Santana Moss - Well, Miles Austin did just have a 250-yard day against this weak pass defense. There aren't many fantasy players out there as off and on or streaky as Santana Moss. His 4 catch, 44 yard day last week is as sure a sign that he will blow up this week as any. If you own Moss, and you leave him on your bench this week, you will most likely hate yourself on Monday. Even more so than normal.

Chris Cooley- He went without a catch for the first time since 2004...that has to be killing him. After Samuels went down, he was asked to stay in and block, with mixed results. The line continues to be a debacle this week, so I worry that he will have more blocking assignments again. Barring last week's performance, Cooley has been a must-start fantasy player in all formats. But with this offense looking sluggish and the line looking banged up, I wonder about the use of the tight end this week. I am not recommending sitting him, because chances are if you have Cooley, you don't have a better tight end. But this might be a week to see how he does--if things are going away from him like last week, you should look into adding another tight end.

Clinton Portis- He continues to run hard for the most part. I have no idea how healthy he is, but the Chiefs excel at giving up yards. If Zorn wasn't so hell-bent on passing the ball, and if the line was a little healthier, CP could be at the top of the league in rushing easily. Back to reality: our line is a patchwork quilt--AGAIN--and Zorn desperately needs to validate his passing game. While conventional wisdom tells you that CP is a slam dunk in fantasy against this defense, recent history suggests that if he is going to get you a big chunk of fantasy points, he will have to break a few long runs to get the most from his touches.

Devin Thomas/Malcolm Kelly/Fred Davis- The "red shirts" were noticeably more involved in last week's game plan (Thomas and Davis more so it seemed.) Thomas impressed me. CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THOMAS IS NOT RUNNING BACK KICKOFFS!? Sorry for that. Until they are consistently productive, you simply can't start them as anything more than a bye week replacement.

Washington Redskins Defense- Oh Jebus...where do I begin? This is it right? If you drafted them, you were banking on this 6 game stretch. This is game 6 of that stretch. From here on out, this defense could be a very risky start. Against the Chiefs' offense, you would figure we should get turnovers and sacks. The name of this game (and the theme of tonight's Friday Night "Mights") is 3rd down. This defense simply has to find a way to get off the field on 3rd down. Period. End of story. If they can do 50% better on 3rd down, they go from a marginal fantasy start to a absolute stud must-start unit.