SB Nation - Carlos Rogers

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?

The Linc - McNabb's a dad again

JasonB — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:00:15 -0000

Some Things I'm Thankful For - Yardbarker
Donovan McNabb and his wife Raquel welcomed their 4th child into the world last Friday night.

Interesting Debate: Is it the O-Line or Campbell? - Hogs Haven
A more detailed discussion about if Campbell or the Oline is to blame. What's disconcerting is the Redskins NFC East foes have the 3 best defensive lines in the league and Dan Snyder personally went to recruit McCoy and Clausen last week.

Eagles Notes: Eagles' Andrews seeks second opinion | Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/28/2009
Shawn Andrews is scheduled to receive a second opinion on his back from a Dallas doctor, coach Andy Reid said yesterday. The Eagles offensive lineman, though, is still scheduled to undergo surgery Thursday, according to a league source.

Redskins Insider - Eagles defense thrives under McDermott
The Eagles' defense has continued to thrive under McDermott, who has held many assistant positions since joining the organization in 1998. McDermott has retained many of the attacking, blitzing principles Johnson utilized in his scheme that helped to elevate Philadelphia among the league's elite defensively during his nine-year tenure.

More after the jump

Redskins Insider - Eagles' defense presents a challenge for Redskins
The Philadelphia Eagles are tied for third (with Pittsburgh) in the NFL in sacks and rank fourth in interceptions. That means that, obviously, pass protection and ball security will be two important keys Sunday when the Redskins face the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Redskins' offense, and its offensive line in particular, face another challenging situation.

Redskins Insider - Hall will miss Sunday's game; Rogers to start
Top cornerback DeAngelo Hall (knee) has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles and the recently benched Carlos Rogers will start for Hall at Lincoln Financial Field, Coach Jim Zorn said after practice today at Redskins Park.

Trotter another worry for Eagles | Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/28/2009
It probably wasn't the turkey. Thursday night, after he had his Thanksgiving feast, Jeremiah Trotter awoke with a sting that shot down his left leg. Joe Mays split time at middle linebacker with Trotter in the last game, but he may get his first start. 1 of 5 View images Eagles 24, Bears 20 Chargers 31, Eagles 23 Cowboys 20, Eagles 16 "I never felt that before in my life," the Eagles linebacker said yesterday. "It scared me a little bit. . . . I couldn't sleep."

The Future of Matt Hasselbeck is the Future of the Seattle Seahawks, Pt. 1

John Morgan — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:47:55 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Wheeler - AP

Every plan has risk. Investing in Matt Hasselbeck is the quickest path towards competing again. It also risks the longest, most painful path towards competing again.

Browse more photos »

Last post for a few days. Enjoy the holiday if you celebrate. I know I can't count my blessings with every bone in a newborn baby's body.

This is the first in a multipart series examining how Seattle can determine its future by determining its quarterback of the future. The second part should be up on black Friday.

The Matt Hasselbeck Plan

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Matt Hasselbeck started the season 25 of 36 for 279 yards. He wasn't well ahead or living on RAC. He wasn't Admiral Checkdown commanding the Y-wings to martyr themselves against the turrets of the opposing defense's Death Star. Hasselbeck was a capable quarterback, leading his team back from his own blunders to a shutout slaying of the St. Louis Rams.

Then Hasselbeck dropped his deflector shields and threw himself bodily down the 49ers exhaust shaft and towards the team's reactor core. He was stopped short by Patrick Willis' superlaser elbow smash.

Everything that has followed has sucked. Broken down Hasselbeck is not much more valuable than General Sack-Himself, Seneca Wallace. Hasselbeck has had broken ribs, and still suffers from a throwing-shoulder injury of unknown origin. The injuries, we must conclude, have taken their toll.

When Shaun Alexander slowed, his decline was inexorable. The smartest, most skilled back in the world can not overcome zero burst and swampfooted cutting ability. Hasselbeck and his fans are enduring a more complicated but no less painful decline. Unlike Alexander, Hasselbeck is not cooked, done, debilitated and embarrassing himself.

Matt Hasselbeck could recover and be a good quarterback again. His marginal arm strength is likely to decline, but not so badly he can no longer make his bread and butter mid-range throws. Hasselbeck can not do that today, but when he's healthy, he can.

In this plan, Seattle accepts what it has and does not have at quarterback. It sticks with Hasselbeck and attempts to build itself around what he can do. It improves the line and run game to keep Hasselbeck healthy and keep Hasselbeck viable when he is inevitably injured. Tim Ruskell continues to build the defense towards elite.

The plan might be enacted thus:

Rework and extend Hasselbeck's contract in the offseason. This will free immediate cap dollars and preempt a quarterback controversy.

Cut Patrick Kerney and Walter Jones.

Be players in free agency and in the trade market. Target undervalued backs from teams with depth, and attempt to buy elite free agents like Julius Peppers, Elvis Dumervil, Carlos Rogers and Richard Seymour. Seattle is no longer an attractive destination for players that want to win, but Paul Allen's money is no less green.

Approach the draft from a best talent available standpoint, but understand the need for talent at offensive line, running back and potentially wide receiver.

Tap Mike Teel as the long term replacement, or acquire young talent to contest him for the position.

How it works: Hasselbeck regains arm strength as his health improves, but, more importantly, Hasselbeck the signal caller comes to fore as Hasselbeck the quarterback recedes. The team builds around Hasselbeck's intelligence at the position and compensates for his deteriorating tools.

The Seahawks continue to redefine themselves as a defense-minded team. It doesn't panic and pour resources into the offense, attempting to remake an elite offense around a quarterback not capable of helming such an attack, but buttresses the offense and improves and stabilizes the offensive line. The Seahawks young talent gels, perhaps pushed over the top by a Peppers, Berry or Dunlap, and begins a run of dominance over a still very weak NFC West. If things break right, one February night in the coming decade, Robert dies of joy. We spread his ashes accross Qwest hiding our barely stifled smiles.

How it fails: Hasselbeck is never fully free of routine football abuse and therefore never free of debilitating injuries. The team invests in Matt Hasselbeck's skills and leadership and get Trent Green, Jake Delhomme, Mark Brunell, etc: A once very good quarterback at his body's end. The discord on offense prevents major gains by a talented defense, or, what gains are made, are wasted because of the Seahawks untenably bad offense.

Having invested in Hasselbeck and otherwise ignored the quarterback position, the team is stuck between stations, improving on defense as the offense crumbles--seasons away from any chance of renewal. Seattle spends its coming seasons betwixt good and bad, often settling into mediocre, but never a true contender. The upshot: The Seahawks can't collapse enough to rebuild.

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

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

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

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

Browse more photos »

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

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

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

Team Stat Comparison

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

Continue reading this post »

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Poll

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

Yes

521 votes

No

88 votes

609 votes | Poll has closed

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.

Eagles win over Redskins - What they're saying

JasonB — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:01:00 -0000

The Redskins' $100 million man Albert Haynesworth sounded despondent

You can say but so much. You've got to actually want to.Once we get to that point where we want to do something, then we'll be something. If we keep going our separate ways, we just keep getting slaughtered like we have..

There's some more sad stuff from Haynesworth after the jump.

Redskins' CB DeAngelo Hall sounded critical of the teams' management.

"We're not built to come from behind," Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall admitted.

Desean Jackson talked about his huge performance.

"On the first one, on the first drive – it was really a blessing to be able to be put in certain positions to take advantage of the defense with my speed. I looked up the field and saw nothing but green grass. Jeremy [Maclin] did a great job 50 yards down the field blocking. I just did what I could to get to the end zone. On the second touchdown it was a third and long versus a pretty good corner in Carlos Rogers. It was a double-move and I went one step in on the in and he bit. I just went up the field and Donovan [McNabb] put it out there."

Newest Eagle Will Witherspoon talked about his pick 6 in the first quarter.

"It's a great feeling any time you get a chance to put your hands on the ball, especially if you get a chance to score. For the first game, with a new team, for me it puts the stamp on it by saying, 'Hey, this is exactly what I want to bring to this team, and this is exactly who I want to be.'

Albert Haynesworth's words after the game were just sad to read. Not the most inspirational guy in the NFL...

"I mean, this is one of the most talented teams I've been on, and just not to get it done is ... I dunno, shocking. And whatever happened, you go out there and play hard and then nothing really happens, you don't get a spark. I mean, the fans are losing interest -- the more games we play, the fewer the fans come. It's just gettin' ... it's gettin' bad. This bye week [is] comin' at a good time right now. Maybe we can come back and come back as a new team."

"I'm feelin' lost, like I don't know which way to turn right now. Maybe this time off and go back to Tennnesee and hang out with my kids that I haven't seen for a while and ... just kinda figure out what we gotta do."

He is right though...

Andy Reid talked about the offensive line.

"I think it was good to get everybody back in there – to get Todd (Herremans) back in there and (Jason) Peters back in there. They made it through the game. That's a good thing. We won't get any worse. We will keep getting better as we go. Stacey (Andrews) had some good downs in there so I'm optimistic about that crew. It comes at a good time as we hit the NFC East here."

LeSean McCoy on his reaction to Brian Westbrook's injury

"It was scary. Any player who is down for that long, you are kind of worried. Especially, with the relationship I have with him. I was more worried about his condition and how he is feeling then getting out there and playing. Hopefully we get him back. He looked fine when he came back in here. We hope he is ready to roll."

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.

Redskins vs. Panthers: Blogger Q&A

Jaxon — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:28:12 -0000

This is our next installment of Blogger Q&A with Redskins blogger KevinE from Hogs Haven. Kevin was kind enough to answer five of my questions without holding back about how he really feels! Be sure to look for my answers to his questions on his site later tomorrow.

Also, if you should have some questions of your own feel free to put them in the comments and then maybe we can get Kevin or his members to answer them over the next couple days.

So here we go:

Question 1: I imagine after the loss to the Lions there were many people calling for Jim Zorn's head. Has the victory over the Bucs tempered that? Does the fan base still have confidence in Zorn and this team to make a playoff push this year?

KevinE: People aren't really calling for his head. The real problem probably goes all the way to the top in that the Redskins are a team built via free agency that has CONTINUALLY avoided drafting Offensive linemen. The Skins most recent OL first round draft pick is Chris Samuels back in 2000. The offense has sputtered for so many years due to the inability to create running lanes and protect the QB. The real reason the Skins ended the year 2-6 last year is that the OL starters got injured and there was no quality depth to step in. Guess how many offensive lineman the Skins drafted last year? Zero.

So maybe the Panther run defense gets out of the ditch this week.

Question 2: It seems is wasn't too long ago QB Jason Campbell was looking much improved and the clear leader at QB for this team. I see he has a QB rating of 85 with 5 TD's and 5 INT's. Is Campbell still the QB of the future for this team? What is he doing right or wrong this season?

KevinE: It's obvious now that Jason Campbell is not the QB of the future. He is however a decent QB that doesn't make a lot of mistakes (save for last game). When your team has a shoddy OLine, you need a QB that can make plays out of nothing, ala Ben Roethlisberger. Jason Campbell is not that guy, but he has proven he can be an efficient passer. The Redskins fan base is still behind him for the most part.

I know many Panther fans have expressed a desire to go after Campbell if he becomes a free agent. Still feel that way?

Question 3: What's the latest with Clinton Portis? I see the Redskins are looking at Chris Henry. Is the running back situation that dire?

KevinE: It is dire. Clinton Portis is not the back he used to be. He is still a great runner that plays through injuries, but he no longer has the home-run threat every team needs. If he hits a hole with wide open space, the run won't go past 20 yards. In addition, he can't take the 30+ carries per game pounding like he used to, so the Skins are scrambling to find someone that can take some of the load off and effectively.

The Panthers should expect to see plenty of Ladell Betts on Sunday who can still take it to the house.

Question 4: Who has been the biggest surprise on the team so far this season good or bad? Was the Albert Haynesworth deal still a good one in your view? (Okay that was 2 questions)

KevinE: Albert Haynesworth has been great so far. What's discouraging is the DE's that are drawing the 1-1's on the ends are not getting to the QB (Andre Carter and Phillip Daniels). Jeremy Jarmon, who we picked up in the supplemental draft (for a 3rd round pick next year), has been playing at a very high level. He's getting more and more snaps each week and he forced the game winning fumble last week.

Might we see more runs to the edge with Haynesworth in the middle? This should be a good test for C Ryan Kalil and the interior of the Panthers o-line.

Question 5: What do the Panthers need to do most effectively on both sides of the ball to get their first win on Sunday?

KevinE: Benching Delhomme should guarantee you a win, but realistically, not turning the ball over is the key. The Redskins are not an effective team in the red zone, so if you can limit your turnovers, and the number of chances the Redskins have in your zone, it will be a close game late. DeAngelo Hall has not been impressive so far, and our other corner, Carlos Rogers, is great at defending, but not catching, so getting the ball to Steve Smith as much as possible would be my game plan. Defensively, we are an easy team to game plan against. The right side of the Redskins oline can't run block, so the Panthers will take away the run left. Pressure on Campbell will win this game for you, and of course have all of Redskins Nation PLEADING for the front office to draft an offensive lineman.

Oh the negative Delhomme perception is so widespread. I guess if we win with Delhomme at QB the Redskins demoralization will be complete huh? First the Lions, then Delhomme. It bet they would want Zorn's head then!

I big thanks to KevinE who runs a wildly popular site, one the best at SBN. Feel free to add your questions and comments.

Go Panthers!

Is the Redskins Cornerbacks Situation a Serious Cause for Concern?

KevinE — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:26:46 -0000

A new friend to Hogs Haven, Jon, who uses the author name 'Marion's Crackpipe', of the blog DC Landing Strip, recently posted an entry citing the Football Outsiders statistics for Smoot, Carlos Rogers, and DeAngelo Hall last year....and the results are not promising for the Redskins CB future. Statistically, DeAngelo Hall is not a true #1 CB despite being paid as one.

After two games, it's easy to target DeAngelo since he misplayed that corner end-zone touchdown pass versus the Rams and missed tackles against the Giants. It is only week 2, so I'm not going to throw any of the players under the bus yet, but some things do stand out.

Some highlights:

First, it is very easy to forget that [Carlos] is 28 this season, and is 2 years older than Hall.

Indeed, that is easy to forget. Carlos is statistically a better corner than Hall across the board, but he is never considered "elite" due to the few numbers of turnovers he pulls in. One thing is clear though...'Los takes elite WRs out of the game.

One thing we can evaluate is DeAngelo Hall's career statistics and whether Dan Sndyer over-paid. Not shockingly, yes. Asante Samuel's age and contract cost is very similar to Hall's, yet Asante ranks MUCH higher in his ability to defend the pass and create turnovers. If the Redskins had decided not to sign Hall, I can't imagine any other of the teams paying $55 mil. Again, I love DeAngelo and he will give the offense some desperately needed turnovers, it's just clear he got paid more than he should have based on what the proven elite CBs get paid.

		vs Pass				vs Run
Asante Samuel	Age	Tgts	Succ % Rk	Adj Yd Rk	PD+Int	Yds Rk	St% Rk
2008	28	73	22	29	28	76	81

In 2008, Asante broke up or picked off 38% of the balls thrown to him.
In 2008, Hall broke up or picked off 26% of the balls thrown to him.

Fans commonly would defend with the argument,

"Yea, but Oakland doesn't count. With Washington last year he stepped up!"

Not really. Hall's numbers were consistent to his career. In his 6 games with WAS last year, Hall defended or picked 27% of balls thrown his way. So common math implies the Redskins overpaid by approximately 12%.

THis year, Hall's stats lines are: 3 passes defended, 1 INT, and 10 tackles, which puts him in the middle of the pack of corners so far. For people that say he's not living up to his contract, he actually is. He's playing to his career averages. Moral of the story: Don't pay a player what you're hoping they'll perform at, pay them for what they are and build in incentives for what you hope.

If 2010 turns out to be a salary cap year, the Redskins could be in big trouble, which Jon pointed out:

As long their health holds-up though, our group is pretty good; the problem is that football is a contact sport, and DeAngelo Hall's contract may prevent us from keeping the real #1 CB on our roster.

Quick read: Rams receivers vs. Washington cornerbacks

VanRam — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 16:17:06 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

St. Louis Rams wide receiver Donnie Avery will be looking for another big game against Washington.

Browse more photos »

Earlier today I said to count me among those who think that Washington CB DeAngelo Hall is overrated. Which isn't to say he's bad, but nobody should confuse him Champ Bailey. He might be good match up for the St. Louis Rams receivers to get their reputation out of the mud when the team takes on the Redskins this tomorrow. His coverage numbers from last week, were less than impressive.

According to ProFootballFocus.com (hat tip to Will at Rams Herd for turning me on to that site), Hall had a very so-so outing against the Giants. New York targeted Washington's pricey CB eight times, completing six of those attempts for a total of 73 yards and an average gain of 9.1 yards per catch.

The Giants stayed away from Washington's other starting CB, Carlos Rogers, targeting him twice for no completions.

Fred Smoot, their third CB, was Manning's friend, targeted three times and allowing two completions for 37 yards. Of course, one of those completions was Mario Manningham's 30-yard TD catch in the second quarter.

All of this info comes with one huge caveat: cornerback play rises and falls with the quality of opponent. The Rams have the ability to do better than they did last week, and the receivers will have to work better into their routes and getting separation from defensive backs. Then, and only then, can they take advantage of a mediocre CB.

One more interesting note. Last week, the Seahawks had default #1 CB Ken Lucas covering Rams WR Laurent Robinson and Josh Wilson on Donnie Avery. Hmmm. Is the report out of the bag that Bulger and Robinson have established a connection? Has Robinson become the Rams #1 WR by default? Watch the matchups this week. It should be Hall covering Avery and Rogers on Robinson, which could set Avery up for a nice game IF he plays like the WR we expect him to be. Of course, if Washington follows the Seahawks, then it could be a real breakout day for Robinson...if they can keep the pass rush from disrupting the game...and if they can establish the run. So many ifs...