SB Nation - Quinton Ganther

Keeping an Eye on the Other Beasts in the East

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More Beasts in the East after the jump.

Washington Redskins (4-9)

Last game: 34-14 Win @ Oakland

Next up: Home vs. New York Giants

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New York Giants (7-6)

Last game: 45-38 Home Loss vs Philadelphia

Next up:@ Washington

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Philadelphia Eagles (9-4)

Last game: 45-38 Win @ New York Giants

Next up:Home vs San Francisco

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

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

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

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

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

Jackson was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cole was fined $15,000.

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

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

Some injury notes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

B) talk about Brian Orakpo and Jason Campbell.

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

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

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

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

Team Stat Comparison

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

Oakland Raiders Postgame Recap: Redskins 34, Raiders 13

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Poll

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

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: We All Knew It Should Have Been Ganther > Henry Edition

August West — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:00:12 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

How has Kevin Mawae's career lasted so long? He trains with CJ's dreads!

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Justin Gage is expected to play Sunday, though I seriously doubt you'll see him getting his normal amount of reps. He should begin to ease himself back in the line-up though, forcing the staff to make a decision soon on who will be starting opposite Kenny Britt.

The game against the Rams will pit two of the best running backs in the NFL against each other, with neither looking likely to make it to the post season by most accounts.

Kevin Mawae says he is dead-set on playing next year, even if it's not with the Titans (Mawae's contract expires at the end of the season). He says he'd love to stay, but it'll be interesting to see which way the front office goes since Leroy Harris has been the replacement in waiting for two years now.

Follow us through the jump for updates on free agency and what a former Titan is up to...

Beyond Mawae, there are several key veterans who have contracts coming up this off-season. It's impossible to predict what's going to happen since the salary cap and CBA are up in the air, but many of them are almost certainly playing their last few games in the two-toned blue.

If Chris Johnson is going to chase greatness this year, he really needs to feast on the Rams' defense this week, and as likely as that looks to happen, CJ's still not taking anything with this squad for granted.

H/T to T Coleman who made a fan shot of this link to a Sports Illustrated article on CJ, and how he defies the stereotypes surrounding small, speedy running backs.

As the Rams take the field Sunday, they'll do so without their second leading tackler, safety Oshiomogho Atogwe, who will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. Also in doubt is first round tackle Jason Smith, who has been struggling with the lingering effects of a concussion for three weeks.

Congratulations to former Titan and current Redskin's RB Quinton Ganther for taking over the starting position in Washington. The RB position has been in flux there since Portis and Betts went on IR, and Ganther's good play has unseated Rock Cartwright.

Have love, need links: mcmaugustwest@gmail.com!

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?

Packers News: Game Times, DeShawn Wynn, and Mark Tauscher

Brandon — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:00:43 -0000

More photos » by John Russell - AP

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I wasn't going to write a post about the change of the Green Bay Packers' November 1st game against the Vikings, from noon to 3:15p.m., because I don't have a preference when it's played. But then I read Greg Bedard's great tweet:

Let's see, 3 hours of additional tailgating time for Favre's return. Yeah, that's going to help things.

Mitchell just pointed out that RB DeShawn Wynn isn't having a good season. Then it's reported that the Packers tried out a couple running backs, RB Ryan Torian and RB Quinton Ganther. Maybe it's a sign GM Ted Thompson has lost faith in in Wynn too. But then Greg Bedard again sets me straight. From JSOnline.com, discussing the news last month that LT Levi Jones came in for a workout:

That the Packers worked out so many offensive lineman does not mean anything. NFL teams, during the first four to six weeks of the season, routinely work out several players at the same position. Two weeks ago, the Packers worked out quarterbacks and receivers. Next Tuesday it could very well be running backs and linebackers.

Final word on the signing of RT Mark Tauscher: Bob McGinn says Tauscher will receive $700,000 in base salary, another $400,000 potential incentives, and comes with a $1.3 million cap charge.

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Peter King = Thought Leadership Edition

August West — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:46:26 -0000

More photos » by John Russell - AP

Lost in the shuffle last week was the tremendous performance of William Hayes.

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Donnie Nickey is having a little fun simulating Troy Polamalu in practices this week as the Titans prepare for the Steelers... which for some reason involves a rather large wig.

LenDale White is pumped for info about the towel stomp yet again, and he's still singing the same tune of unrepentant pride. Of course, you gotta love how NBC is showing footage of it in their promos. (Also note that in the Tennessean link Fisher sounds pretty confident that we may end up signing return man Mark Jones again this season.)

Peter King is a friggin thought innovator, whose tremendous mental faculties leave his mad-hater theories and wild ruminations somewhere in the ether beyond the perceptions of us mere mortal football fans. Prepare to have thine mine blown again:

It was never much in doubt, but Vince Young won the backup job over Patrick Ramsey. Know what I wonder? Why not let Young take five Wildcat snaps a game?

Follow us through the jump to find out more in-depth information about last weeks' cuts...

So Chris Henry is still on this roster only because Quinton Ganther would have been out 4-6 weeks after the calf injury he suffered against the Packers. That's a little more understandable, but Q had done so much better than Henry since day one, I'd almost still contend that he'd be worth putting on the PUP list for a while.

Shortly after we cut him, the Steelers signed Tuff Harris to their practice squad... I wouldn't really be too worried about the Steelers pumping him for information since, as Paul K noted here as well, there probably isn't much he can tell a guy like Dick LeBeau about some else's defense that LeBeau doesn't already know just from the film room.

The Sporting News ranked all of the position units around the league, and the Titans got lots of love: 2nd in running backs, 2nd in offensive line and the best secondary in the league.

R. J. White at the Fanhouse delivers one of the best season preview pieces you're liable to see on the interwebs.

Mark Jones = Not healthy. Maybe that had more to do with him getting cut than his see-saw performances.

This is just confusing, to me...

If there's anything you would like to share with the MCM community, please take advantage of the comments, fanshots and fanposts to do so! Or, you can always email me at mcmaugustwest@gmail.com.

State of the Tennessee Titans Roster: Running Back

Jimmy — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:02:01 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Big Mac....Big contract....Big Mac....Big contract....(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

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Unlike the quarterback position, there isn't a lot to debate when it comes to the running backs. This is easily the most talented and deepest position on the roster.

Chris Johnson is coming of a rookie season where he set the league on fire, and believe it or not, there is still a lot more he can do in this offense. You can probably count on one hand the amount of times he motioned out of the backfield and lined up in the slot. I am sure the reason they didn't let him do that much last season was because of the load that he was already carrying on the offense, but now with a full season under his belt, there is a good chance we will see him do that more. Also, he is really fast.

I think we all expect for LenDale White to have the best season of his career in this his contract season. While there is a part of me that gets really mad when guys do that, it will be just fine with me because the Titans will get the benefit of that in 2009, and then some team will give him a boatload of money in free agency. Then we won't have to worry about him anymore. (Although I will miss his interviews because there are very few guys out there who can come up with a term like swaggerjacked!)

Chris Henry is also fast, and there is a very good shot that he will be running into offensive lineman's backs in another city in 2009. The kid has a deadly combination of size and speed, but if you don't have vision it just doesn't matter.

I can't wait to see what they get from Rafael Little. He was a game changing running back before tearing up his knee, and it would be great if the Titans could plug him in there to give Crazy Legs some plays off next season.

Javon Ringer is another guy that I am pretty excited about. He proved in college that he is capable of carrying the load, and he is also very solid catching the ball out of the backfield. His best shot to be active on game day in 2009 will be to make an impact on special teams, but he could be a guy that could make an impact if CJ or The Round Mound go down with an injury.

And of course there is The Sarge, Ahmard Hall. Hall brings a lot to this offense that doesn't show up on the stat sheet, and he proved last season that he can make some plays when Dinger calls his number.

A lot of you didn't agree with me when I said quarterback was a strength of the Titans' roster, but I dare you to argue with me when I call running back the strength of the roster. These running backs combined with the offensive line that will be in front of them and a head coach that LOVES to run the football should bring good things to Nashville in 2009.

[UPDATE]- My apologies to the Bowling Ball, Quinton Ganther. He is a guy that got us all excited and does have some talent, but I just don't see anyway he can make the 2009 roster.

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: One Of These Probably Cost Us The Game... Choose Wisely Edition

August West — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:46:16 -0000

Titans players feel like underachievers because... well, they underachieved. This was a great season and we still have the pieces to get back here next year (regardless of what happens with Albert, IMO) but this was definitely the most disappointing end possible. I do feel some comfort in knowing that our disappointment is felt 50 fold by these players and coaches.

I know this isn't the most popular opinion, but I'd have rather had Chris Henry (who was inactive) than LenDale getting the majority of the carries in that second half... or even Ganther. Yeah I said, and I believe it. LenDale is a nice short yardage option, but you know what those guys are called on almost every other team? The fullback.

Jeff Fisher on the blown delay of game call on the crucial 3rd down:

"I've always maintained that there's a human element in the game as far as officiating is concerned. There are going to make mistakes; it is part of our game,'' Fisher said. "But this particular mistake was unacceptable. There is no excuse for it, it was a mistake, and it was a costly mistake.

"It was not the reason we lost the game, but it was a mistake, an error.''

Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwatz got another interview with the Lions. I hope for his sake they both this hire like they have all the other ones in the last... how many years have the Lions been around?

Why look ahead so quickly? Because we're in the now now. We can't go back to then because we passed it. When? Just now. (site note: this particular Spaceballs quote will never get old. ever!)

Peter King gives some inside scuttle-butt about the D.O.G. and what rules may change in reaction to what happened Saturday [emphasis is mine because I agree]:

The consensus is it's unlikely anything will be done to add another electronics layer to the game, like a buzzer signifying the clock has expired. It's more likely the official in charge of making the call, the back judge, is going to be told he should anticipate the clock expiring and be ready to make the call as soon as it hits zero. It's absurd that Robert Lawing wasn't in position to blow his whistle sometime during the full second (at least) between the time of the expiration and the time Baltimore snapped the ball.

We have a lot of key free agents this off-season, so the changes that are made need to be the right ones if we're going to repeat as AFC South champs. Make sure you check MCM as much as you can for updates and analysis throughout this pivotal off-season.

Every time you email me a link the football gods smile upon you, so if you have a link you'd like to submit for tomorrow's Morning Links email me at mcmaugustwest@gmail.com! (Be sure to include your commenting handle so I can give you semi-anonymous credit.)

Tennessee Titans Midseason Report Cards: Running Backs

August West — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:51:22 -0000

		Rushing						Receiving
	G	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	Lng	TD
2008 - Chris Johnson	8	146	715	89.4	4.9	66	5	24	164	20.5	6.8	25	1

		Rushing						Receiving
	G	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	Lng	TD
2008 - LenDale White	8	98	404	50.5	4.1	80	10	3	8	1.0	2.7	7	0

This may be the easiest position grouping to grade on this team, and they're almost certainly the most fun to watch on Sundays. Chris 'Crazy Legs' Johnson was drafted to give our stagnant offense some life. National pundits mocked the pick, and local nutbar-fans like myself wondered why we would spend another high pick on a running back.

Now we know why.

Rather than use him as a change-of-pace back and 3rd down specialist, Crazy Legs was thrust into the limelight and quickly began eating away LenDale's carries. Johnson's success has come quickly, and his momentum changing plays have helped wake-up an offense that still seems too content to punt sometimes. Here at the halfway point in the season he's leading the AFC in rushing. He isn't afraid to take a hit, can run inside and outside, falls forward for extra yards and has yet to lose a fumble this year. Crazy Legs has also chipped in 164 receiving yards.

While LenDale may be carrying the ball less, he's gotten a whole lot more opportunities to audition for celebrity dance shows from end zones across the country. Until the past few games Lendale's yards per carry was hovering below 3, but a few big runs against the Chiefs and Packers have helped raise that average back above 4. A shoulder injury slowed down his wrecking ball ways for a few weeks, but LenDale has been one of the most consistent short-yardage backs in the NFL, and he's still broken of an 80 yard run.

Quinton Gainther, Chris Henry and the newly available Rafael Little have had next to no contribution so far this year, but that's more a testament to the health and effectiveness of Smash and Dash than a knock on their abilities.

So in summation, we have the AFC's leading rusher setting-up the NFL's leading TD machine. It just doesn't get much better than that folks.

Grade A+