SB Nation - Antwaan Randle El

New York Giants News & Notes: Playoff odds, offense

cjmulrain — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:00:52 -0000

As bleak as things might look, the Giants still have a pretty good chance of making the playoffs this year, according to NFL-forecast.com. They have a 48.7% chance of finishing 2nd in the East, which would all but guarantee them a spot in the playoffs. Nothing's a gimme in the NFL, but the Giants schedule the next three weeks is a lot easier than the Cowboys. It should also be noted that as bad as the Giants have looked for most of the past 8 weeks, they haven't lost to a team with a record worse than 8-5 all season. The 2009 Giants aren't a great team, but they've taken care of business against the teams they are supposed to take care of business against. Hopefully that won't let up against the Redskins and the Panthers.
Apparently Eli Manning still sees Super Bowl potential in this team. The Giants haven't done much of anything since shellacking the Raiders to suggest that there's a Super Bowl run in them, but then neither had the Cardinals last year, the Giants two years ago, or the Steelers back in 2006. The NFL is a funny league, and a truly dominant regular season team hasn't won the Super Bowl since the 2004 Patriots won their second in a row. I'm not ready to write this team off until the nail is officially in the coffin.
There's been a lot of talk about how bad the defense has been, but the Giants offense has actually been very good lately. Take away the Denver game and they're averaging just about 28 points a game. Even with the Broncos game they're on pace for their third highest scoring season ever. Whoever you choose to blame for this mess, don't put it on Eli Manning - at the end of this season he will have led 3 of the 4 highest scoring offenses in franchise history. With the talented group of young receivers he has around him, this offense should be very good for a long time. Now it's up to Jerry Reese to sort out the defense.
Steve Serby takes the Giants defense to task for the "brainlock" they exhibited on the near interception/fumble that was blown dead. I argued after the game that it was a tough play for Boley to make (a near shoe-string INT on a ball that was knocked out of McNabb's hands), and I stand by that. You can't get on a guy too much for not making what would have been a fantastic play. That said, I agree with Serby that there's no excuse for nobody on the Giants defense (or the Eagles offense, for that matter) to not at least try to jump on the ball.
The NY Times Fifth Down blog remembers happier days, as it continues its countdown of the top 10 Giants moments at Giants Stadium with Jim Burt's crushing blow on Joe Montana and the Giants blowout victory over the 49ers in the 1986 playoffs.
Finally, this isn't Giants related but it is about our upcoming opponent and is hilarious, so I felt I had to share. Apparently Antwaan Randle El hasn't been doing a very good job returning punts, so some Redskins legends have been calling him out, including Joe Theismann with one of the best jabs I've heard in a long time: "He averages 3.9 yards a punt return. I will say this in all humility: I could do that. OK? As a matter of fact, I have done it. And I've done it better. I catch the football." Remember, this is a 60-year-old former quarterback who hasn't played football since LT snapped his knee in half 25 years ago. Gotta love the Redskins.

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?

Washington Redskins Front Office - Step 1: Admit You Have a Problem

Sugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:25:01 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

Washington Redskins coach Jim Zorn leads a team of law enforcement officials and members of the press towards one of the end zones at Fedex Field. Immediately after putting his left foot in, he quickly retreated and kicked a field goal.

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You'd think rock bottom would be a feeling you would just know and recognize. I thought we were there. I was wrong. Being at rock bottom means you can only go UP from here. Losing to the Chiefs was a new low, and with our eyes a little more wide open now, we should all recognize this elevator has a few more floors to hit on its way to "rock bottom."

We have officially concluded the "easy portion of our schedule." Awesome. Has it occurred to anyone yet that we are the "easy portion" of EVERYONE'S schedule? I am betting it has occurred to all of you. We are 2-4 against six teams that had not won a game prior to playing us. I know, I know...throw out the Giants but still, this might be the lowest point in franchise history. How many times has an NFL team played six straight teams without a win? ZERO. NEVER. The Redskins have sponsored more sideline water jug baths than Gatorade this season. And that was before we started playing teams that really know how to stick it to a struggling team like the Redskins.

I sat in my seat and watched every play. The one thing that kept popping through my head: The Chiefs are a really bad team. They made mistakes all over the place. They missed plays on offense and defense. AND THEY SHUT US DOWN. It was a very sobering reminder that we aren't just a player or two away from winning meaningful games in December and January. We are not even a player or two away from beating teams that have no business winning games.

I'm dying to know what the announcers said during the telecast after the 10th or 11th time Cassel threw an out pattern to the sidelines to a receiver that had yet to make his break. I'll tell you what I said from my seat, "Someone on the Chiefs coaching staff figured out a way to beat our corners for guaranteed yards whenever they want it." The worst part of that was that it wasn't even a crazy diagrammed play with various intricacies and complexity. It was a freaking 10-yard turn-around!! The receiver ran to the spot and by the time he turned around, the ball was hitting him in the numbers. And it wasn't just thrown once or twice--it was their primary means of moving the ball. Hell, on one play, the receiver forgot to turn around and Cassel hit him (wide open of course) in the back. Can anyone please tell me I have that wrong? Was there a point later in the game where DeAngelo Hall or Carlos Rogers made an adjustment? It looked to me like they were simply incapable of defending that play. You think Donovan McNabb won't be able to throw that pass--25 times?

Once again, our defense played well enough to be on the winning side. Notice I didn't say the defense played well enough for the Redskins to win. Because they did not. For our defense to play well enough for the Redskins to win, they would have to score points and hold the other team to single digits.

I will not be breaking down our offense in this column. The Chiefs did that for us yesterday. And the Panthers and the Lions and the Buccaneers, too. I will say this though, and this goes against every Clinton Portis-loving bone in my body: How did he not score on that run? It was as if he ran 75 yards like he was running for his life in the open field and then at the end he ran 3 yards like he runs every other carry he gets--straight at the ground. And when the referee spotted the ball at the 10 yard line, leaving us with only 3 chances to get the ball into the end zone, well...we have all seen that movie before.

Back to the issue at hand: we are not built to win it all...we are not built to win much. Key words: we are not built. The sad truth is that these are organizational losses. The offensive line was old and battered at the end of last season. The owner and Vinny decided that our offensive line was in good enough shape to go forward. They were wrong. Our secondary lacked coverage skills. DeAngelo Hall was signed to fix that. They were wrong. Our young wide receivers lacked opportunities to develop on the field and so they kept/re-signed Antwaan Randle El to occupy space we needed to use for that purpose. They were wrong.

A little bit of credit goes to Snyder for opening his wallet to bring guys in the way he does. I will never overlook this or discount it. I don't believe for a second Snyder wouldn't do whatever it took to get a quality player in the door to help the club. But he continues to rely on an average to below-average football mind in Vinny Cerrato to help him identify players and to guide the direction of this team. And he continues to hold on to and cling to players for reasons that escape me. For example, has ANYONE ever seen a team be more loyal to a kick returner than the Skins are to Randle-El? Here's a guy who seems to be out there these days purely based on his ability to not fumble the ball on punts. Yesterday, he fumbled/bobbled/muffed a catch. I grant you this rarely happens, but when he is not giving you ANYTHING else, isn't it time to move on? And not just for a punt here and a punt there to Santana Moss. We need a new punt returner. Don't any coaches/team officials in this organization have the guts to live up to the legacy of guys like Mike Nelms and Brian Mitchell? Punt returners are not just for fair catching and playing it conservatively. They are supposed to be finely tuned, dangerous weapons. We're not even throwing rocks back there.

So Cerrato and Snyder took away Zorn's play-calling status. Big deal. That is not admitting you have a problem. Firing Zorn would not be admitting you have a problem (though if I was Zorn, I would not take much more of this before resigning). Terminating Vinny Cerrato and deciding that the franchise is now going to go in another direction with a proven, credentialed football mind would be both admitting you have a problem and honestly working to correct it.

Only then will we know we have reached rock bottom. And only then can we all be confident that we will indeed go up from there.

Breaking Down the Key Plays in the Panthers' First Win

Ryan Basen — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:31:37 -0000

More photos » by Chuck Burton - AP

Washington Redskins' Clinton Portis (26) is tackled by Carolina Panthers' Thomas Davis (58) and Julius Peppers (90) for a safety in the first half Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

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This was ugly. The Panthers' first win of the 2009 season was so unsightly that ESPN did not air a single highlight from the game for the first THREE hours of SportsCenter Sunday night.

(Even the Browns-Bills game got a little ESPN love, although that may have been because that game was not just ugly but historically inept).

Sunday's win over Washington was a test of the Panthers' character, however, and probably one of their most fulfilling victories in the John Fox era. While the Redskins were self-destructing, Carolina's special teams and its beleaguered defense made a handful of big plays to secure the victory -- including four that spurred the second-half rally from a 15-point deficit. Here is an in-depth look at those key plays:

The situation: Washington ball, 2nd-and-8 at its own 3. 8:30 to play in the second quarter. 7-0 Washington.

Formations: Washington came out in an I-formation with a tight end on each side and a wideout split left. Carolina stacked nine players in the box, with a corner in press coverage.

What happened: Redskins tailback Cliinton Portis ran a stretch play right and was tackled in the end zone for a safety.

How it happened: Portis took the handoff and followed fullback Mike Sellers towards the edge. Defensive end Julius Peppers shed Washington tackle Stephon Heyer and closed in on Portis. Linebacker Thomas Davis lined up in the middle and shot a gap in the Washington line untouched, coming quickly behind Portis. Sellers continued to run wide, right past Peppers, likely expecting Heyer to block Peppers. Peppers appeared to miss Portis, but slowed him, and Davis cleaned him up.

Analysis: It's hard to understand why the Redskins ran wide this close to their goal line, especially with two backups on the offensive line. But give the Panthers credit for taking advantage and pulling within 7-2 just two plays after a deflating goal-line stand by Washington.

The situation: Washington kicking off from its own 30. 10 minutes left in the third quarter. 17-2 Washington.

Formations: Both teams lined up in ordinary kickoff formations.

What happened: Kenneth Moore returned the kickoff 55 yards to the Washington 40.

How it happened: Moore caught the kick in the right corner at his own 5, ran straight and then took steps to his left. When he got to the 14, he quickly veered right and sprinted through a hole near the sideline. Moore juked kicker Shaun Suisham at the 35 and sprinted down the sideline until Washington's Devin Thomas forced him to step out of bounds.

Analysis: A great play by Moore and two holds that were not called. When he got to the 14, Moore likely saw Sellers flying down the field unblocked to his left. He smartly veered to his right and flew through a hole that was created in part when a teammate tackled a Redskins at the 24. After Moore juked the kicker, another teammate appeared to hold Thomas for several yards as the Redskins receiver gave chase, allowing Moore to run for at least another 10 yards until Thomas knocked him out.

The old adage, of course, is you could call holding on every play in the NFL. So credit Moore and the Panthers for seizing the opportunity that jump started a comeback. Four plays later quarterback Jake Delhomme hit tight end Jeff King for a 17-yard touchdown. The extra point drew Carolina within 17-9 only 90 seconds after Porits had scored on a 1-yard run -- and maybe 89 seconds after thousands of Panthers fans had pondered heading for the exit (THIS time, I would not have blamed them).

As FOX analyst Brian Billick pointed out, "This (kickoff return) is what Carolina had to have."

The situation: 4th-and-3, Washington, at the Carolina 37. 2:30 to play in the third. 17-9 Washington.

Formations: Washington lined up with three receivers, including two on the right side and a tight end on the right. The Panthers stacked seven in the box, with the corners in press coverage.

What happened: Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell threw a slant pass for receiver Santana Moss, but a Panthers lineman knocked it down.

How it happened: After a quick dropback, Campbell fired to his left for Moss, who was split left and fired inside of the Panthers' corner. Center Casey Rabach blocked a Panthers tackle well, but the tackle (whom I could not identify from replays) jumped when Campbell threw and got a hand on the pass. The ball harmlessly fell incomplete.

Analysis: Davis got credit for batting this pass on the telecast, but the blitzing linebacker did not appear to touch it. Credit whichever Panther made this pay, because Moss was in good position to make the catch for the first down.

This play was huge, but just as their was a hero, there was also a goat -- or multiple goats. Washington had countered the King touchdown by moving 36 yards in seven plays for a first down at the Carolina 44. Then tight end Chris Cooley missed a block, leading to a 1-yard loss on a Ladell Betts run. Two players later Cambell hit receiver Antwaan Randle El for 12 yards on third-and-11, moving the ball to the Carolina 33. But the play was negated because left tackled D'Anthony Batiste lined up off the line of scrimmage.

A completion to tight end Fred Davis moved Washington to the 37, setting up the fourth-down play. With an 8-point lead, a defense playing well and a sputtering offense, Zorn could have tried to pin the Panthers deep on a punt. Instead he chose to go for it -- and then burned a timeout to call a play the Redskins had already used multiple times on the drive. You think the Panthers did not expect a slant pass? Check the replay. If Washington had called for Campbell to pump fake, Moss would likely have run wide open down the left sideline.

It's plays like these that make me think Zorn will get fired well before John Fox.

The situation: 4th-and-15, Carolina, at the Carolina 46. 10 minutes to play. 17-12 Washington.

Formations: The teams lined up in ordinary punt and punt return formations.

What happened: Panthers safety Quinton Teal pushed Washington's Byron Westbrook into punt returner Randle El, the ball struck Westbrook's foot and the Panthers recovered it at the Washington 13.

How it happened: Randle El had signalled for a fair catch, meaning no Panther could get too close to him. But the rulebook allows for the punt team to push opponents into the return man, as long as the opponent is engaged in a block. Westbrook and Teal were engaged when Teal shoved him into RandleEl, knocking both Redskins onto the ground. The ball struck Westbrook's heel and caromed towards the end zone, where Carolina recovered it.

Analysis: A great play by Teal and an alert play by his teammates who chased the loose ball. Two plays later the Panthers took the lead on a Jonathan Stewart run and added a 2-point conversion.

On the other side, Zorn burned a second timeout challenging the call because he thought what Teal did was against the rules. He did not challenge the the fumble, because it was clear the ball hit Westbrook.

The situation: Third-and-7, Washington, on the Washington 47. 6 minutes to play. 20-17 Carolina.

Formations: Washington lined up in the shotgun with three receivers (two to the right side), one back and a tight end on the left. The Panthers were in a 4-3 with their corners a couple yards off and safeties deep.

What happened: Campbell scrambled up the middle, but was tackled by defensive ends Tyler Brayton and Everette Brown for a 1-yard gain. Washington then punted.

How it happened: A Panthers tackle beat Washington guard Mike Williams with a quick rush up the middle, flushing Campbell up in the pocket. As Campbell ran, the tackle dove and got just enough of Campbell to make him stagger. Brayton and Brown were able to converge on Campbell and tackle him at the Washington 48.

Analysis: A great play by the tackle, whose identity was skewed by the lack of a good FOX replay. Campbell had a lot of space. Had the tackle not hit him, he likely would have scrambled for the first down and more.

The Panthers also caught a break when the Redskins made another mistake two players earlier. Thomas got open deep and Campbell hit him in stride with a bomb inside the Panthers 20. But Thomas dropped the ball for an incompletion. Even earlier in the drive, Washington burned its last timeout when Campbell could not engineer an audible and beat the play clock.

The Redskins punted after the Campbell scramble and the Panthers burned the final five-plus minutes of the game. They earned the victory. It was ugly, but give them credit. While the Redskins blew several chances in the second half, the Panthers were smart and opportunistic.

PSSOM: Special Abbreviated Version - Washington Redskins Hope to be Worst 4-2 Team...Ever

Sugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:00:22 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

A Redskins fan does her best KevinE impression after the Skins move to 2-2 against the Bucs.

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On the same week when Starbuck's releases its VIA instant coffee, we bring you a condensed version of Pour Some Sugar On Me. I am on the road this week but I still have ten thoughts from the previous weekend of football. Let's get to it:

1) Jeremy Jarmon and Brian Orakpo looked good rushing from the opposite ends. I respect you Philip Daniels. I respect you Andre Carter, Give me Jarmon/Orakpo earlier and often.

2) In an upcoming episode of PSSOM we are going to bring out some of my predictions and analysis from the preseason to see where I may have been right and where I may have been drunk. Here's a hint: I was on to something when I told you that Patrick Willis and Mike Singletary had something going on in San Francisco.

3) P.S. I TOLD you Darren Sharper was a huge addition in New Orleans.

4) When did Major Dad start coaching the Vikings?

5) THANK YOU DALLAS! Your 2-2 start is going to draw some serious attention in the national media. Appreciate it.

6) Is it irony if a defensive end who has been arrested/charged with DUI three times is a guy you would kill to do some boozing with at some point? Jared Allen looks like someone who would be a LOT of fun to share a 30-pack with while watching a slate of games.

7) Steaming Pile of Manure award goes to the Cleveland Browns...again...uhhhh...why don't you guys just hold onto the trophy and we'll let you know when we need it back?

8) Kansas City is getting better. In two weeks they will either be the best 1-4 or 0-5 team we have ever played against.

9) Antwaan Randle El is a good player. I am not telling you anything you don't know. Whenever I see him though, I see a guy who is keeping guys off the field--guys we need to start learning some things about. His decision-making in the return game continues to baffle me.

10) KevinE reports that Snyder kept the brown bags out of the stadium. I was at the stadium and I did not see them, so I kind of just thought that nobody decided to wear them with the game on the line. As much as I hated the idea of people putting bags on their heads, Snyder's censorship is also very troubling.

That said...

Welcome to Day 7 of The Revolution. We continue to put it together. Our goal will never be to embarrass the players or the team. But we will be heard. Thanks for all of the kind responses and support for our new endeavor. We will be rolling it out more in depth in the coming days and weeks.

Week 4 Preview: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Washington Redskins

Buc Wild — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:27 -0000

by David Duprey - AP

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We're about to hit the quarterpole of the regular season, and it's not pretty. We know the Bucs had a late four game slide last year, and couple with the first three games this year, we haven't seen a real win in our last seven regular season games. Ugh. This week, the Bucs go on their second road trip of the year to the nation's capital to face off against the Washington Redskins. The Redskins are coming off an embarrassing defeat that saw them hand the Lions their first win in 19 games. Can they hand us our first win in 7 games? Let's take a look inside at some of the key points.

I generally write this preview mid-week, before I have all of the injury data. Last week I had Kenny Phillips playing a big part in the game, and he ended up being out for the year. Just realize that this is written ahead of time.

When Washington has the ball

I don't think Washington is a world beater this year. That being said, they have the type of team that scares me when faced off against the Bucs. They have a quarterback with a strong arm who needs time to operate. They have two receviers who can stretch the field and a tight end who is equally comfortable patrolling the middle or heading downfield. Their running game has stalled a bit, but Clinton Portis can still move the ball.

Moss and Randle El might give us fits if we don't get pressure on the quarterback. They both are the small, quick receivers. They also can throw Devin Thomas or Malcolm Kelly, two big bodied receivers at us. The issue has been Campbell having time to throw, which against the Bucs, hasn't proven to be an issue.

If the Bucs double Moss or Randle El, that leaves Cooley open. He's already matched his TD total from last year, and could up it against the Bucs. He should draw Quincy Black in coverage, and Black will have to position himself well, not rely on athletic talent.

I expect against our beaten down defense to see Washington go to a balanced attack. They have to get Portis on track and after seeing how the Giantsdid with a balanced attack, look for Washington to mimic that.

I've watched Campbell for 6 years now, including college. He's an athletic guy with a big arm, but he needs time to throw. The best thing the Bucs can do to shut the Redskins down is to pressure him. Get in his face. Don't allow him to step up, make him throw on the move. At some point Bates will have to pick his poison. Either you sit back, rush 3-4 guys and let them dink and dunk down the field with the hopes you can stop them or you pressure them and trust your secondary to cover. I don't advocate blitzing every play, but i watched the Giants manhandle Campbell in Week 1 with pressure. We have to do the same.

Assuming we bring pressure, our safeties will either be asked to be part of the blitz or to single up on a receiving target. This is a huge responsibility for them, given the lapses we've seen in the past. I'd be more comfortable if Bates threw a few zone blitzes at them, as long as everyone maintains their assignment. In fact, Here's a pretty standard zone blitz. (Note: The circles aren't big enough, but they should represent the areas covered by respective players. There shouldn't be a gap between the Free Safety's zone and the two cornerback's zones. Blame it on my art skills)

It isn't exactly to scale, but here is what's going on. The two cornerbacks and the free safety are responsible for the deep thirds and thus, they drop off. The right end starts pushes on the inside shoulder of the tackle, with the defensive tackles stunting. The goal is to create confusion with two linebackers coming. The WLB should end up singled on the left tackle with the SLB hopefully coming free on the outside. The defensive end (Gaines Adams in my scenario) starts up field and then drops off to cover the underneath route. The middle linebacker slides out into the short flat vacated by the corner with the strong safety coming down into the middle.

Now, this is just one variation. The strong safety can attack the flat with the MLB staying put, you can bring corners, drop DT's etc. The goal is to make the opposing QB think blitz from the LB's but not account for the dropping DE's or DT's, who slide into passing lanes. With Campbell using Cooley as a dump off, the hopes are that you confuse him to a quick release and it's right into the hands of a sliding Ruud or dropping Hayes/Black.

When Tampa Bay has the ball

Run the ball. This is key. The Bucs have to run the ball, run it consistently and run it well to have an opportunity to win. This is the strength of the team. They need to get everyone involved. I'm not a big fan of the rotation, but you have to get each guy on the field and let them do their thing. Running the ball 10-15 times won't work. We went through that with Gruden. This is supposed to be a different team, let's see it. Being down 7-14 points early is not cause to give up. The line has to provide some lanes for the backs to get through.

With a new and young QB, the focus needs to be on easy throws to get going. Don't overwhelm him. Johnson can escape if there's pressure, but he can't be Garcia. Our line is having enough trouble blocking now, let alone when they don't know where the quarterback will be. I look for a lot of Winslow and quick passes, slants, to set Johnson up. The deep ball will be there, but let's not confuse the young man.

On a similar note, I'm somewhat confident that Johnson can run the playbook as is, but the playcalling needs to be tailored to his game. That means rollouts, sprint outs, passes and plays that utilize his talent. He can move the ball with his legs, and while we want him to throw first, a timely quarterback draw can be another issue the defense has to worry about. This isn't immobile Leftwich, let's adapt accordingly.

The Redskins should focus on shutting down the run game. You take away the legs and force Johnson to go through the air all day, it could be an issue. If Haynesworth plays (as of this writing, he is assumed to be in the game), he can cause all kinds of havoc being matched up over top of Mahan. This could be an issue all day, and it's a matchup I expect the Redskins to exploit.

A young quarterback usually favors the dump off and the tight end. With Bryant hurting, Clayton not demanding attention, and the running backs staying in to block, if I'm the Redskins, I'm taking away Winslow and Stevens. Make the young quarterback throw downfield, through outside. Don't let him use his security blankets. If the Redskins can get pressure with just a 4 man rush (something Buffalo and New York did), this will allow them to drop 7 into coverage and limit Johnson's reads.

Statistics

Bucs	Stat	Redskins
13.7	Points/Game	13.3
30.3	Points All/Game	16.3
296.3	Yards/Game	341.3
86.3	Rush Yards/Game	91.7
210	Pass Yards/Game	249.7
432.3	Yards All/Game	325.7
187.3	Rush Yards All/Game	127.7
245	Pass Yards All/Game	198
26:47	T.O.P.	27:19
-1	Turnover	-1
3	Sacks	4
2	Sacks Allowed	6

Key matchups

Albert Haynesworthagainst Offensive Line - Mahan will be matched up with Haynesworth and will need help. If Fat Albert is healthy, he will look to collapse the pocket and cause chaos from the center of the line. This could cause more plays to bounce outside and it might not be a bad idea to move JJ off a spot. As with any game, the trench battle is key.

Black vs Cooley - Campbell's favorite target will draw Black in coverage on most plays. Black showed decent coverage skills last week, but will have to be on his game to take out the security blanket

Redskins WR vs Bucs secondary - The deep ball has been our nemesis this year and when Campbell has time, Moss and Randle El can get down field. The Bucs will have to be disciplined in their coverage and finish plays. No free-lancing.

Things to watch

The biggest thing to watch is how Josh Johnson handles his first start in the early going. Instant pressure or a few bad throws could make this a long day. He needs to get the team moving right away as we have a tendency to fall behind early.

UNFNole did a good analysis of the Bucs and how they performed against the Giants. He pointed to our average 3rd down as 3rd and 7.1 yards to go. To combat that figure, the Bucs will have to make sure they are moving forward on first down. Runs for no gain, incomplete passes, sacks, penalties; these things can not be part of the first down game plan.

I'm gonna keep harping on this point until something changes. We have to get pressure. We watched pressure decimate us last week while Manning had all day to sit and throw. We need to flip the picture on this one. Pressure Campbell, make him move around, punish him. In turn we need to protect Johnson, allow him time to make his reads.

Players to watch

Josh Johnson - For reasons we all know. First start, on the road. Bring us a win.

Antwaan Randle El & Santana Moss - Pick one. Both are small, fast receivers. We can't allow them to get deep on us. When they catch it, hit them hard.

Sean Mahan - The whipping boy on the offensive line. He must make the right reads at the line and then give Johnson time. The center has to do it all and right now he isn't doing much.

Prediction

Washington is playing for their season and their head coach. Both are about to be lost. The Bucs are playing for their new quarterback and some pride. Both teams have been ridiculed and put through the public ringer. Washington lost to Detroit and returns home. Another loss and they are sitting 3-4 games behind the NFC East leaders. The Bucs need a win. The schedule doesn't have a must win. I think Johnson and the offense come up and can put up some points and I'm hoping that Bates and the defense can just hold on. I could go either way on this, but I'm taking the Bucs, for maybe the last time this year. Bucs 17 - Redskins 16

Washington Redskins Have Some Actual Depth

Ken Meringolo — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:59:48 -0000

More photos » by Evan Vucci - AP

Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly have shown well this preseason and have bolstered a passing attack that has sorely missed viable options.

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I have pointed to the ages of a large contingent of the Redskins' roster as a sign that we are in fact getting younger. That much has been unmistakable. What has remained in question is whether or not the youth on our team could actually play. There still remains some question marks, but as we head into the season, we have some answers on some of the players that simply must be able to get it done on the field, either as a starter or as a backup.

Devin Thomas - He really shined against the Patriots. I have only my tailgate-soaked memories of the game, so I will have to watch the replay on NFL Network but he looked like he belonged on the field instead of just taking up space. He made moves on both the ball and the defenders that made me feel a lot better about his role in our offense.

Malcolm Kelly - You get the feeling that he builds up a lot of confidence in his coaches and teammates all week in practice. To a man, they all talk about Malcolm getting on the field in games and making plays. He might not be a world-beater yet, but he has flashed an ability to play the ball in the air that we can only hope translates into touchdowns for us this season.

Marko Mitchell- We have yet to see him square off against the other team's starting cornerbacks for a whole game, but the word on the street is that he gets it done in practice against our starters. In the last two preseason games, he has hauled in touchdown catches from the reserve quarterback--both of which required him to catch the ball in traffic and get both feet down in bounds.

More after the jump...

Fred Davis- Sleepy has been on the field a ton this preseason. He has contributed on special teams, and he has hauled in a touchdown pass. All offseason, I have been singing his praises along with almost everyone else. He is a beast. But he still needed to get a few things clicking before he was able to be a factor on this roster. Is that a clicking sound I hear coming from #86?

I get the feeling that Coach Zorn would love nothing better than for Kelly and Thomas to push Antwaan Randle El off the field. I am not sure we are there exactly, but my gut tells me if you are listening to the radio call this season, you are going to hear Larry Michael say, "Look at this! Kelly wide to the left, Thomas wide to the right, and Fred Davis in the slot. Here we go." That formation would get Cooley and Portis on the field as well. That would be exciting.

Brian Orakpo- Another rookie who has shown he belongs on the field. His bust potential is at an all-time low following his performance this preseason thus far. He can rush the passer to be sure, and when he bones up on his linebacking skills he will be an even bigger force on this unit. So far he has been more than a few offensive linemen could handle.

Chris Horton- His impact last season waned as the year wore on, but his commitment this offseason to studying film and learning his position leads me to believe he is not a one-year wonder.

Kareem Moore - With Reed Doughty back and looking pretty strong for us at backup safety, it is less important that Moore is ready to step in right away. To be sure, he has not done anything that would push either Horton or Doughty off of the field, but he got some valuable experience this preseason. I would love to see him start standing out on special teams. Either way, we know a lot more about him this year.

Kevin Barnes - As a 3rd round draft pick, there are expectations that you are capable of coming into the league and contributing right away. For some reason though, this franchise has a way of not finding out about those expectations. Last year Chad Rinehart (a 3rd rounder) did not see enough reps even in practice for anyone to know much about him, and that is unacceptable. Barnes got burned early in the preseason and then against New England, he made a play. I won't say that he is ready to play most downs right this second, but the coaches have some tape of this guy now and I am confident that Blache can use it to bring him along. We are fortunate that we do not need to force him into the fire right away, but if we had to, it would seem we could do worse.

If you look at nothing other than just getting some reps, you can throw in Justin Tryon, Jeremy Jarmon and maybe even Chad Rinehart as guys who got some much-needed looks in August.

Because of the way the team spends its money, the roster has been top-heavy for a while now. On "paper", you would have said our starters were capable of causing damage in the league every year going back a ways. But one or two injuries forced us to rely on guys we knew literally nothing about. Or even worse, it forced us to rely on guys everyone else in the league knew enough about--like they weren't any good.

Look, this team has some major areas that need to be bolstered by quality young talent. AHEM....offensive line...cough, cough. But isn't it refreshing to know that our bench has a few players capable of stepping up and contributing right now at positions (like wide receiver) that have for so long been bare? I am encouraged. I am still not ready to sing the praises of Vinny Cerrato, but if he comes back next season and hauls in a few offensive linemen in the draft, I will be a lot closer.

In the last preseason game, we will get a healthy dose of young players. But the real work has been done. This week, guys like Cody Glenn and Robert Henson will be making their case to be a factor in the team's long-term plans. I can only guess that the team likes something from at least one of these guys, or Alfred Fincher would still be here. If you recall, it was the 4th preseason game last year where Fincher really made a name for himself. My guess is they are going to give one of the guys that Vinny drafted a chance to make the team and, at the same time, make Vinny look good.

What do you guys think?

Poll

Are you feeling warm and fuzzy about the young depth we have on this roster?

Yes, some of these guys are going to impact our season right away

449 votes

No, the lack of a young stud or two on the offensive line is depressing

147 votes

My mind won't be made up until either Devin, Malcolm or Sleepy breaks a game wide open

325 votes

921 votes | Poll has closed

Vinny Cerrato: Punt Returner Position Wide Open

KevinE — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:43:11 -0000

Frank Hanrahan just dropped a tweet that Cerrato said the PR position is wide open. Looks like Randle-El's days are done, which he can't be that upset about. DeAngelo Hall was on the Sports Reporters yesterday:

When we go down to Atlanta, I've already made my request to touch the ball then. If they choose to put me out there any other time then that's on them. But I'm BEGGING to touch the ball November 8th.

I think Hall should be returning all punts except in the red zone, which Randle-El could continue to do given his good hands. As for the kickoff, if one of the scrappy guys such as Alridge or Dorsey makes the team, he should get it. Otherwise, continue with Rock. Thoughts?

Image via media3.washingtonpost.com

Poll

Who would you like to see be the regular punt returner for the Skins in 2009?

Antwaan Randle-El

46 votes

DeAngelo Hall

301 votes

Santana Moss

165 votes

Devin Thomas

110 votes

Other

173 votes

795 votes | Poll has closed

The Kris Dielman Story

Stephen (shaynes41) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:45:07 -0000

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We all probably know who Kris Dielman is. Even though he is an offensive lineman, any San Diego Chargers fan has heard of the team's perennial Pro Bowl Left Guard. Maybe you first heard of him when he earned his first of two consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl, or maybe you heard of him when he signed his big contract a few years back. He plays one of the most important positions on the offensive line for the running game. Left Guard is to the running game what Left Tackle is to the passing game. You may remember how Shaun Alexander's (the RB for the Seahawks) career seemed to come to an abrupt stop a few years ago. It was universally attributed to his age. Coincidentally, it also happened the same year Seattle's Pro Bowl Left Guard Steve Hutchinson left for Minnesota. Minnesota's rushing game quickly became one of the most dominant in the league. Left Guard is an important position and the Chargers have one of the best in the business.

I was listening to an interview of Kris on XX 1090 Sports (mp3) where Kris gave a rough overview of his career since High School. It was such an amazing story, I thought I should summarize it here. So click through to read the rest...

Kris was an all-state Linebacker and Tight End in high school in Troy, Ohio. Despite being all state in a big football state, Kris was only recruited by MAC schools and Indiana. Since Indiana was in the Big-10, he decided to go there. If you are familiar with Big-10 football and the history of IU football, you know IU is not really a prestigious football school.

;

At Indiana, Dielman was recruited to play LB, but was switched to TE in his first year at Indiana where he became a "budding star". By his sophomore year, Kris was playing both ways, playing tight end and defensive line. If playing both ways on a Big 10 team sounds a little strange, you have to remember that, as Kris says, "We weren't very good." Kris actually had a touchdown and sack in the same game, thrown by none other than Antwaan Randle El. (Kris: "And we still lost! My IU career in summary."). By his junior year, Kris was playing Defensive Tackle exclusively. He was team captain his junior and senior years.

Kris was not invited to the combine after his senior year. He had blown out his ankle in camp his senior year and tried to play through it. He ended up having surgery after his senior season. In fact, by this time he had re-thought college and decided to stick around and actually graduate, rather than work out and try to get ready for any tryouts he might get with NFL teams. Draft day rolls around and Kris is not drafted. After the draft is over the undrafted free agent frenzy sets in and the Chargers called and said they wanted to sign him to play defensive line. SD was the only team that called. Kris packed up his truck and headed out. He and his agent had cleverly negotiated a signing bonus of $7500 (this was 2003) which paid for his gas and lodging to get to camp. He still has a copy of the check.

Dielman shows up for camp and eventually gets cut in the third week of the pre-season. He is brought back on the practice squad, and on his way to a Defensive Line meeting is intercepted by Marty Schottenheimer. Marty takes his defensive playbook away and tells Kris he is now an offensive lineman and directs him to the offensive linemen meeting instead. Like always, Kris rolled with the punches, thinking "I'll make the most of it." It wasn't unusual, considering how often he had bounced around positions since high school.

Unfortunately, Kris had been developing bad blood with the OL all camp since he was on the other side of the line. Now, he is in the same room with them. They were not real friendly. Fortunately for him, they all stunk or were busy drinking themselves out of the league. The Chargers starting offensive line that year was Toniu Fonoti RG, Jason Ball C, Damion McIntosh LT, Kelvin Garmin LG, Courtney Van Buren RT, and Vaugh Parker was hurt. Give yourself a pat on the back if you remember more than one of those guys. Fonoti and McIntosh are the only guys who are still in the league. By Kris's second year Nick Hardwick was drafted and really taught Kris the intricacies of playing offensive line. Mike Goff and Shane Olivea came in that year and the offensive line as we know it started to take shape. By 2005 Kris was a fill-in starter for Fonoti and has be solid ever since. After the 2006 season, Kris was a free agent and could have signed with Seattle for a boat load of money but decided he wanted to stay in San Diego for a slightly smaller boat load of money. That was the same off-season that Marty was jettisoned. Think of how different the Chargers' story might have been the last few years if Kris had left for Seattle. He was a Pro Bowler in 2007 (and 2008) and an All-Pro last year. He has come a long way from being cut in the third week of the preseason.

This season, Kris and the rest of the Chargers O-Line are donating $100 each for every rushing TD to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation to support the families of fallen heroes. See here for more info, and look here to join Kris and the OL in donating a fixed amount of money for each rushing TD.

2009 Rams, meet the 2008 Redskins

VanRam — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:45:31 -0000

For team that's had an thorough makeover, dare I say extreme makeover, comparisons give you a nice idea of what to expect in the season ahead. So when I came across this piece, comparing the Rams to the Washington Redskins under first year head coach Jim Zorn, I felt like it was worth talking about.

Here's the crux of it:

This year's offensive change in St. Louis is eerily similar to last year's in Washington. Like Jim Zorn did in D.C., former Eagles QBs coach Pat Shurmur is installing a run-based West Coast offense. Clinton Portis had owners atop fantasy rankings at the halfway point last season with 944 yards on 187 carries and seven TDs. Steven Jackson is younger, has less tread on his tires, and plays in a much weaker division. Could Jackson work similar magic, and keep it going all season?

Zorn's a Holmgren guy, one of the fruits (so to speak) of that oft-discussed Andy Ried branch of the coaching tree that sprouted forth under Bill Walsh that's gone around the NFL with an upside down sauce pan on their heads sowing the seeds of the West Coast offense. So is new Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, as may have heard.

On the surface, I think it's a good comparison. The players are a little different, as is the situation with each team's roster, but overall it gives you an idea about what the Rams offense will look like this season.

And then I remembered the Rams, the Rams of 2008, beat the Redskins, foreshadowing that team's rapid descent from contender to also-ran. (First off, a note about that game: the Rams won because they got a few breaks, particularly Atogwe's second quarter fumble return that gave the Rams a lead they wouldn't surrender. The 'Skins decline actually started after that.)

Without going point-by-point for a thorugh comparison between the 2009 Rams and the 2008 Redskins, there are a couple items worth looking at, like what the Hell happened to the Redskins and what does that mean for the Rams?

First off, the Redskins dealt with lots of injury problems as the season went along, losing key players on both sides of the ball, like DE Jason Taylor and LT Chris Samuels. The Rams have suffered unusally high rates of injuries for the last two, really three, seasons, and with a younger team and fate's intervening hand, that's unlikely to happen again.They also brought in DeAngelo Hall and replaced Carlos Rogers with him, poisoning their well in more ways than one.

Clinton Portis, no stranger to the trainer's table, dealt with minor injuries as the season went on, thanks in part to a heavy workload that had him on pace at one time for more than 370 carries. Though he didn't miss any games, it did reduce his effectiveness. Injuries to the offensive line also hindered their run-first offense. There's no question that Steven Jackson's health is essential to the Rams success this season. Ideally, improvements made to the offensive line, particularly the additions of C Jason Brown and blocking FB Mike Karney, will take some of the burden off Jackson's legs. However, if Jackson misses time, the Rams fortunes will immediately reflect that loss.

Another problem dogging the Redskins last season, one that's particularly ominous for the Rams, was their lack of depth at wide receiver. Opponents locked down Santana Moss, and Antwaan Randle El saw his effectiveness as a WR drop. Behind those two, Redskins receivers contributed almost nothing. Second round picks WRs Malcom Kelly and Devin Thomas combined for a whopping 18 catches and 147 yards. That compromised Jason Campbell's effectiveness as he went into checkdown mode as the season moved into the second half.

Though I'm more optimistic than most, the Rams have to answer some big questions at wide receiver this season. If Jackson stays healthy, that should really help the receivers, forcing defenses to account for SJ39 first and foremost. Avery grew into a well-rounded recevier last year, but he'll be the guy opposing defensive backs swarm. That means, as we've said thousands of times before, WRs Keenan Burton, etc. will have to play up to their potential. If Burton can stay healthy, he's got the chops. Check out his write-up in the 2009 Football Outsiders Almanac:

Looking for a deep sleeper in your fantasy draft this year? Burton runs excellent routes, isn’t afraid to go across the middle, has great hops (he had the highest vertical leap at the 2007 NFL Combine), and loves to study film (he played quarterback in high school). With Donnie Avery occupying most (if not all) of the defensive backs' attention this year, the Rams will need someone to emerge as Bulger’s possession-receiver safety blanket, and Burton is the most likely candidate.

He's got to stay healthy though, and his spring hamstring troubles only up the concern about the Rams depth at WR. Laurent Robinson is another health question, but he can make a nice slot guy if he does stay in game shape all year.

Though it's annoying and has become the easy story for a national press that won't spend much time concentrating on the Rams, the concerns at receiver are very real. Should those guys behind Avery contribute at the level they're capable of, then we won't have to hear anymore about it. Fortunately, there are viable comparisons of teams succeeding with a group of relative unknowns at WR.

One last comparison between Washington and the Rams, is the role of the TE. Chris Cooley caught more passes, 83, than anyone else on his team last year. Cooley's a talented guy, but it points to the role the WR plays in this offensive system. It's another reminder that the Rams need Randy McMichael healthy and hope that the potential shown by Daniel Fells is for real.

The comparisons between the 2009 Rams and 2008 Redskins may not be even-steven across the board, but they carry some encouraging signs...and some warning signs too.