SB Nation - Fred Smoot

Oakland Raiders Postgame Recap: Redskins 34, Raiders 13

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Poll

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

Previewing the Enemy: Washington Redskins

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let's check out the Redskin offense first.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let's shift gears to the Redskin defense now.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Poll

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

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.

Rams at Washington: Injury report

VanRam — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:36:20 -0000

It's game day, baby. And the St. Louis Rams have a second chance to get their season on track. We'll have a game thread up for kickoff. For now, here's a round-up of the morning yack yack...in link form.

WR Donnie Avery makes an allusion that there some more plays in the playbook that we'll see this week.
Why can't the Redskins play smarter football? And will the Rams use that to their advantage?
At some point, you've got to think Bulger, Jackson, and the guys who were there last year will get tired of losing games. They say they're ready today.

It's a pretty light injury list for the Rams and Redskins this week, eliminating that excuse. Here's the full list:

St. Louis Rams

Craig Dahl, S, Out (hamstring)

John Greco, T, Out (wrist)

Washington Redskins

Anthony Montgomery, DT, Questionable (knee)

Robert Henson, LB, Probable (illness)

Chris Samuels, T, Probable (knee)

Fred Smoot, CB, Questionable (rib)

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...

Denver Broncos Season Storyline - Week 2 Vs Cleveland

Jeremy Bolander — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:22:13 -0000

Grading Out Broncos (1-0) vs. Bengals (0-1)

Before moving on to Week Two, a quick review of the Cincinnati game, and a report card for both teams will help us to put the Win in the rearview mirror, after which we will look at the season's storyline as it continues to develop.

Denver

Cincinnati

Rushing Offense

C+

Correll Buckhalter showed great burst and acceleration, while Knowshon Moreno looked like a favored choice to get key reps in his development. This is a trend that will likely continue, with Cleveland's defensive front being quite similar to Cincinnati's. The line is still working on perfecting some of the new techniques, and the cutback lanes haven't been totally clean, but against a defensive front featuring Tank Johnson they still managed a healthy yards-per-carry and protected the ball well. The offense featured two-back sets with Peyton Hillis leading the way as a fullback. Hillis actually got more plays than he has in the past, but fewer individual looks, seeing only one carry and two targets.

C+

Cedric Benson continued to struggle with consistency, and this game marked the first time he had over 20 carries in a losing effort. 10 of his carries were for 2 or fewer yards and he was far too tentative to the hole. He started picking up steam late in the game, a signature of Benson's. The Bengals' short-yardage game looked good, however, and could be a strength for their inexperienced line going forward, and a great source of confidence.

Denver

Cincinnati

Rushing Defense

B+

Just missed making the A grade in this category due to late-game mental mistakes that allowed cutback lanes to open a few times, including Benson's longest run of the night. Overall the timely run support from the safeties was topnotch, and the defensive line looked terrific, stacking and shedding consistently and allowing the Broncos to keep one and even two players in coverage. Despite entering Denver territory on every drive, Cincinnati's inability to rush the ball led to most of the mistakes that earned Denver's D the stops.

A-

Great hitting and fast linebackers set the tone early, and despite a number of quick gashes, the D-line was very effective and the run support was excellent. Rey Maualuga and Keith Rivers both looked terrific, while the D-line got good penetration to break up many of the plays.

Passing Offense

C+

Several receivers had drops and Kyle Orton had a number of poor and late reads, but the performance edges towards the positive when the morning's scheme is considered, where the Broncos effectively protected the ball and avoided turnovers. Cincinnati's DBs played very well, which they are more than capable of doing, and even Roy Williams was tackling well. The maturation of the offense was expected to take time, and with Cincinnati's particular matchup problems, unfortunately the passing game was asked to take a backseat to ball protection in this game. The brunt of the negative in this grade comes from inconsistent execution, as many plays were left out on the field in the passing game.

C+

The overall scheme seemed to suffer from a lack of vision, with far too many third downs thrown short of the 1st-down markers. With the long ball effectively taken away, the Bengals didn't look prepared to work underneath and Carson Palmer was mostly ineffective at threatening in the short passing game. He did, however, move well in the pocket, and the line was adequate in protecting Palmer, a critical area for this game. A few bad passes from Palmer and a few drops by his receivers left many plays on the field for the Bengals as well.

Passing Defense

Denver played this according to plan, leaving deep safeties deep and giving the underneath coverage a chance to shine. The pass rush wasn't as consistent as the preseason promise it showed, but flashes were there, and from unexpected sources, including Andra Davis, Mario Haggan and Darrell Reid. Cincinnati's talent was a good test, but with doubts about how well the Cincy team has gelled to date, greater tests loom, especially the Dallas matchup in three weeks.

The weakest area of a strong defense didn't fail catastrophically in any way, except for failing to play the whole field on Denver's final play; but they had numerous short area breakdowns that allowed Denver to twice press into FG range and convert for points. In most games that would be enough to keep Cincy in it, but they needed to clamp down with more consistency in Sunday's unexpected field position battle.

Special Teams

C+

Matt Prater continued his regular-season kicking streak to 12 straight FGs, in addition to his perfect record for the preseason. He has yet to kick a de facto game winner for the Broncos, though; so his toughest challenges are still yet to come. Brett Kern outkicked his coverage a number of times and didn't force any fair catches. In a game that was quickly and completely turned into a battle for field position he was less than perfect, and the Broncos know they have other options if they need them; and they are looking at them. Eddie Royal did as well as he could against an above-average punting and coverage team, but the Broncos' coaches will keep looking for more help to take some of the load off of Eddie. Failure to recognize a fake punt early is a downgrade, but is also a factor of coaching as well.

Long snapper Brad St. Louis is the sole source of downgrade on this unit, though the unit as a whole played mostly average. The ineffective snap to the holder was terrible on many levels, and ruined an otherwise decent day for the STs unit where they converted a long fake punt for a first down, and where punter Frank Huber posted an expectedly-good showing.

Coaching

B-

Not all will agree with the gameplan going in, but based on Cincy's strengths and weaknesses, the Broncos made a great choice for how to combat them. There are a lot of ways to skin a cat, and the Broncos chose ball control and time of possession on offense. With no real true weakness on the Bengals' defense, the Broncos chose instead to try to wear them down and force weakness upon them, to mixed results. Unable to consistently execute in the return game, the offense was usually starting from square one, with no clear advantage. On defense, the choice to prevent quick strikes was a perfect complement to the ball-control offense, and with the Bengals needing 59 minutes to score their first points, it was executed nearly flawlessly. The choice to protect the cornerbacks earned a couple of plays from Alphonso Smith and Champ Bailey, which will work out more times than it fails for the Broncos. Cincinnati was able to refocus and drive on this defense late in the game, something they are eminently capable of doing, and it would have been nice to see the defense earn a couple more shots at the ball on that drive; but overall, it was a terrific scheme that put the team in a position to compete for 60 minutes.

C-

The Bengals stated before the game that they were expecting a finesse, pass-happy team in the Broncos. While the defense adjusted accordingly to Denver's ball-control rushing offense, with only a few minor setbacks, the offense failed almost completely to adjust to the Broncos' choice to take away the big play. The further decision to abandon the run in the second half was also questionable. It wasn't until the Bengals moved to a more-spread-out offense that they started having success finding open men underneath, but by then it was nearly too late, and when they did score, the Broncos were looking at having a decent amount of time on the clock to set up a winning FG.

Week 1, Win at (0-1) Cincinnati: Nothing wrong with a miracle to help get that first win of the season, especially when it comes in a way that teaches so much, and on the heels of a team effort and coaching gameplan that was admirable in its quality. But as far as the Bengals are concerned, Denver earned nothing.

"We played pretty well, regardless of that play," Bengals safety Chris Crocker said. "That play was a miracle. I'm not going to give them any credit and they didn't do anything to deserve that play. We played our butts off."

Crocker may or may not give Denver any credit for how the game ended, but he is certainly within his rights to point out how well the Bengals played. The closest their defense allowed Denver to get was the 24-yard line, and they didn't allow a single passing first down until Denver ran their 2-minute drill late in the first half. What they need to recognize is just how in situ Denver's current offense is, and how limited it was by design. They will need to play much better to have a chance at Lambeau Field, where they have never won, and where the 1-0 Pack brings a much more mature and cultivated offense to the table.

Their offense will also need to do a much better job of limiting mistakes, such as Chad Ochocinco's two fouls, an offensive pass interference and a holding call, both on plays that resulted in negated third-down conversions. And while they managed 4.5 yards per first-down carry, that tapered off dramatically to 2.6 yards on second and third downs. The offensive line still needs time to gel, but the skill players need to start holding up their end of the bargain as well.

Going Forward:

Laveranues Coles needs to get over the drops. He showed #2 potential to get open on Sunday, but he contributed next to nothing to the bottom line.
DE Antwan Odom had an unlikely day, recording 2 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, and one pass deflection. If the Bengals keep rotating him with DE Michael Johnson, he may keep getting the looks he needs to stay fresh and be successful
Roy Williams continues to be a double-edged sword. His 9 tackles were a key part of the defensive effort that held Denver short multiple times, but his boneheaded choice to lay out Marshall instead of play safety at the end of the game was costly. Too costly. He may never change his stripes, but the Bengals would like to see something different, and they won't get it.
The O-line could be in even more trouble, and if Cincinnati struggles more post-Denver, this could be the biggest reason why. Their LG Nate Livings hurt his knee in the second quarter and may need to be replaced. The only upside is that he didn't have any more time to gel than anyone else at this point...

Week 2, Home Opener Against (0-1) Cleveland: QB Brady Quinn looks like he is going to challenge Trent Edwards for the "Captain Checkdown" label, as his first-half numbers (7-of-11 for 47 yards, 2 sacks for 10 total yards lost, and a net production of 37 yards) should tell you. He was quickly reduced to a game manager in a game where the Vikings pulled away with accelerating boredom.

Blame it on the Vikings defense, a tough card to draw in your first regular-season opener.

Regardless, until the Vikings' lead had increased to 14 points, Quinn found zero traction, and failed to find the end zone until there was only 30 seconds and a 21-point deficit left. Despite this, he has the blessing of his coach, Eric Mangini, and the spectre of the "Offseason of Doom" Denver Broncos to look forward to. How bad to you have to be playing for the media to declare that this is a "winnable" game for the Broncos??

Going Forward:

As Jamal Lewis goes, so will this offense go, at least as long as Quinn is starting. The good news is that that isn't such a bad thing. In limited carries he was excellent with a 5.7 yard average and 47 yards receiving, but the bad news is that with James Davis' shoulder injury, he may be asked to take on even more reps. He is confident that that won't hamper him. The history of RBs 30-and-over says otherwise.
Replace Quinn with Derek Anderson? Always a possibility, but in particular it becomes an issue if the team is in desperate need of a quick strike score, which DA brings to the table.
There doesn't appear to be any chemistry in the WR group with a miscommunication between Quinn and Braylon Edwards leading to an INT and Edwards catching only one of 6 passes thrown his way, and with Josh Cribbs running incredibly athletic, but wholly unsuccessful receiver routes. Robert Royal at the TE position is inconsistent and dropped two passes that the team really needed. Watch for Mike Furrey to replace Cribbs at #2 WR, and for the receiving to instantly begin to gel. Hopefully this is a decision that gets put off until Week Three at the earliest, as Denver's DBs could have some fun baiting Quinn...
Not that Cribbs is all bad... :) What is the best way to handle the league's best kick returner? Some say kick it away. Some say kick it smart and give your coverage the best chance for a stop. I don't know what to say. He is a bad dude, and in his own way, better than Hester was. They just need to stop forcing the issue of having him in the base formations. He is good enough to execute trickery even when teams suspect something. For the good of the team, the Browns should just leave it at that.
How are the Browns going to protect Quinn? They allowed 4 sacks and numerous hits on Quinn against Minnesota's 8-man fronts, and Denver brought pressure from 6- and 7-man fronts with their numerous disguises. At best, more sacks are on the menu; at worst, the INTs might start racking up...
With that said, Denver needs to choose their battles. LT Joe Thomas dominated Jared Allen, and Denver will be hard-pressed to face him with someone who can get around him. Elvis Dumervil (DOOM) may be our best choice, due to DOOM's unorthodox style, but it is one heck of a challenge.
Did anyone else see Shaun Rogers lined up at MLB last week?? How scary is that dude with a running start?
For the second time I'm bringing up Kamerion Wimbley. With 1 sack and multiple pressures he is making good on the option of moving him around. Denver needs to watch him before every snap and get the right calls out for him.
Eric Wright is an excellent cornerback, but he could be the source of a terrific offensive matchup for the Broncos offense. Runs to his side can see success, and any RB worth his salt can break an Eric Wright tackle.

@ (0-1) Oakland: "They're very hurt," Tom Cable said. "I've been a Raider since 2007 and it felt like that was the first time in the locker room after a loss where it really got us in the gut, and that's a good thing. That's the way you're supposed to feel about this game. So I'm proud of them. Very proud of them."

Gotta start somewhere, right? I described this as a culture of losing, and so I can kind of understand where Cable is coming from, but as far as addressing this culture, well, this isn't exactly what I had in mind... That said, they had a chance to win the Monday Night game against the Chargers, and the difference maker was Philip Rivers. (If we want to go through the agonizing process of defining a "franchise QB" we can make it even more agonizing by starting the discussion with a look at Rivers. He stacks up in a lot of ways, it pains me to say...)

Oh, and Al Davis needs to stop calling plays down to the field. That would help, too.

Richard Seymour makes a pretty good Raider. 2 sacks, 6 tackles and an unrelenting pressure on the pocket. Bastard.
The Raiders held the Chargers to 151 yards for three quarters... and then gave up 166 yards and two TDs on two drives. The difference between playing your heart out, and playing your heart out for 60 minutes. Glad Denver seems to have learned this lesson.
The Oakland running game is missing Justin Fargas for now, and even on returning he may not be 100% with a hamstring pull. He is the most gnat-like of the raider RBs: effectively annoying. His absence is a huge reason why the running game started hot but sputtered quickly.
TE Zach Miller was a legitimate threat as expected, but for now he is the ONLY threat. With Chaz Schilens battling an injury, Johnnie Lee Higgins leaving the game after taking a serious hit and Darrius Heyward-Bey dropping 2 and catching none of his 5 targets, there doesn't appear to be any help on the horizon. Javon Walker continues to be a healthy scratch.
The Raiders allowed 66-yard and 59-yard returns to Darren Sproles. Now we'll see how they do against the Kansas City return units, but it is shaping up to be an opportunity for Denver to establish or gain some momentum on special teams when they face them.

(1-0) Dallas at Home:

Despite the hubbub surrounding Romo's great start, the Cowboys still gave up 174 yards rushing. Next up is Brandon Jacobs. They also gave up 276 yards passing and recorded no sacks. There could be opportunity here...
The Cowboys appear to have officially upgraded one key area. I talked about how STs is devastated when team building is conducted in the manner that Dallas appears to be caught up in. Well, Dallas took the Shanny approach and fired the coordinator and hired a new one...and so far the dividends are positive. Outside of a blocked kick, multiple touchbacks and good FG kicking, the coverage units held Pro Bowler Clifton Smith in check all day.
The Cowboys are insisting on using TE Martellus Bennett to challenge defensive coverages by splitting him out wide. It's not the passes he catches that hurt you in this situation, it's the attention he forces his way, with the other weapons on the field. If Hillis is kept secret, the Cowboys may be in for a dose of their own medicine in Week Four.
The battle between Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins for the #2 CB position is still up in the air. They both played well, but they both failed to cash in on multiple opportunities. The longer this battle plays out, the more it benefits Denver.
I continue to see gratuitous similarities to the Denver of Shanny's final days. Lots of talking up the offensive brilliance while ignoring the defensive failures, though that isn't rooted in the personnel issues and is more an "option". Under this type of team building, units on the team suffer, while other units get saddled with increasing resources but increasing responsibilities - ones which exist in conflict with their primary responsibilities. For example, a stellar offense is charged with not only using its loads of talent to score quickly, but is also charged with keeping a weak defense off the field. But that is an either/or proposition, and contradictions will always come back to bite you. All units require the same amount of attention, or the whole thing becomes so unbalanced that it tips over. It just needs the right kind of push...

Quick Notes:

(1-0) New England @ Home:

Laurence Maroney is once again no lock to be the go-to guy. Fred Taylor on the other hand is a perfect fit...
Right now the Pats are exhibiting a weakness against the screen, a staple of Josh McDaniels' offense. We'll see how long it takes them to get the issue cleaned up.

Newly-acquired cornerback Leigh Bodden might've been the most excited player in the Patriots' locker room following Monday's win. Bodden played for the winless Lions last season and hadn't been on the winning side of a professional football game since 1997. "It feels good," he said. "It's just amazing to me the resilience that this team has, just because you're down it doesn't mean that we're going to go in the tank. Other teams that I've been on it's like, 'Here we go again.' But here I didn't hear any of that. I just heard, 'We're going to get this done,' and we got it done."

@ (1-0) San Diego:

RG Louis Vasquez and C Nick Hardwick both left the Monday Night game with injuries. Hardwick may be out for an extended period of time.
The Chargers are looking at the Ravens, Dolphins and Steelers in the next three games... they allowed 148 yards rushing to the Raiders, and you can bet that these three teams will make every effort to establish the run, and quickly. Unlike the Raiders, it is doubtful that these three teams will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory...
The secondary is showing some holes. Watching Antonio Cromartie and Clinton Hart screw up their coverage to allow a TD is like a symphony in motion to this Broncos fan. The McDaniels Offense is designed to take mistakes like that and make teams pay, so hopefully Orton has it down by then. Quentin Jammer is still the real deal though....
Say what you will about Norv Turner and the slow starts and playoff losses... the dude doesn't seem to ever lose patience. Maybe he should...

@ (1-0) Baltimore:

501 total offensive yards against KC...
Terrell Suggs doesn't look like the same player. No sacks, no pressures, no hits on the QB.
TE L.J. Smith may not be ready to go; but then, he may not have to, what with Todd Heap's reappearance after an injury-riddled 2008. He looked like a quality target and was able to go after the ball, and Joe Flacco seemed to gain a lot of confidence in him as the game went on. A blast from the past for the Ravens...

(1-0) Pittsburgh @ Home:

Expect Troy Polamalu to make the Denver game his first game back from injury for PIT. He could possibly be back sooner, and he is a competitor so that shouldn't be ruled out, but without setbacks, the expectation is 6 weeks to heal from the MCL sprain.
The running game from 2008 didn't look great, and so far, it isn't looking like anything special in 2009 either (and may have gotten even worse). And yet, the Steelers still managed to find a way to win. There is that franchise quarterback discussion that we all love so much...
The pass defense looks porous, but the run defense looks stout as ever. That is something that can be built on, at least.

@ (0-1) Washington:

Albert Haynseworth isn't racking up the stats, but that doesn't mean his impact isn't being felt. He played very stoutly against the run in limited playing time, and that is where the Redskins wanted to start with him. But they will need to get some wins under their belt or they may be facing a classic Haynesworth inversion, where he disappears completely on the field. It may not be a fair criticism, but it is always threatening, based on his past history.
DeAngelo Hall and Fred Smoot are incredibly weak links in the Redskins secondary. Whether those links hold long enough for Denver to get a turn taking advantage of it in Week 9 is anybody's guess though...
Jim Zorn needs to get the college ball out of his system. After opening with a very unlikely 34-yard rush from Clinton Portis, he followed with an embarrassing option pass from Antwan Randle-El. That is how you destroy healthy momentum in the NFL, and from that point forward (outside of an excellent fake FG that the Redskins had stored in the hopper for the Giants), the Giants had the Redskins right where they wanted them.

(1-0) New York Giants @ Home:

Giants WR Ramses Barden should see the field next week, and I will definitely be watching... I wasn't a big fan of his, but it will be interesting to see what a team like NYG can do with him.
So far, the running game isn't all that it has been touted as, with only 3.3 yards per. Part of it was going against Albert Haynseworth, but part of the blame rests firmly on the Giants' O-line. They get Dallas next, who are having trouble already with stopping the run, so the proof should be in the pudding after next week's game.
They got burned badly on a fake FG before the half that allowed the Redskins to gain new life. Don't expect it to happen again...

@ (0-1) Kansas City:

Against the Ravens, the Chiefs unveiled a new strategy: don't beat yourself. They committed zero turnovers and committed only three penalties. They did, however, consistently miss blocks and assignments on offense. So I guess it is more like, "Don't beat yourself...too badly."
The Chiefs' run blocking really struggled, but that is mostly a testament to the Raven's D-line which spent most of its time in the backfield. Still, this is something to watch for a (hopefully) lack of improvement.
If KC can get production out of its "odd man out" D-line prospects (notably Tamba Hali and Tank Tyler) then they can consider themselves ahead of the curve for their rebuild. Both Hali and Tyler were supposed to be casualties of the switch to the 3-4, but they are producing - Tank as a converted NT and Hali as a converted OLB (though to be fair, Hali's production comes when he is lined up as a DE).
CB Brandon Flowers is not back on the field yet, but will be soon. He is an excellent young corner who is hard to replace (though Maurice Leggett did a decent job against Baltimore).

@ (1-0) Indianapolis:

At this point, Denver can expect that WR Anthony Gonzalez will be back by the time they play Indianapolis. More weapons for Peyton Manning is never a good thing.
DT Antonio Johnson, acquired off of the Jacksonville practice squad by Bill Polian, earned a gameball in his first start. He stacked and shed like a vet and got 9 tackes (5 solo) for his efforts. Could be another solid find by the Colts... Also Rookie CB Jerraud Powers was impressive in his first start.

@ (1-0) Philadelphia:

The Philly defense hasn't lost its edge with the passing of its architect, the late Jim Johnson. With 7 turnovers and 5 sacks, it shows the kind of aggressive promise that it always has.
Despite the convincing win, the passing game was struggling, earning barely over 4 yards per attempt.
DeSean Jackson, who was widely regarded as a much better receiver than Eddie Royal before the draft, is starting to show some of that promise again. He isn't the pure receiver that Eddie is, but he is finding ways to be productive out of the Wildcat, on reverses, and in the return game (where he had one return for a TD against Carolina).

Hogs Haven Predicts Redskins Final 53

Ken Meringolo — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:32:30 -0000

More photos » by Pablo Martinez Monsivais - AP

Robert Henson and Cody Glenn may both benefit from being drafted by Vinny Cerrato. He HATES to cut players he drafts!

Browse more photos »

First, the obvious: Sugar has been shelved for the time being. I will be tackling a new writing assignment within SB Nation and I was asked to come up with a cooler name to write under. The best I could come up with was "Ken Meringolo". I know what you're thinking...sounds too much like an undercover secret agent of international intrigue. I guess you could say I followed the lead of one my heroes, Lt. Frank Drebin, and decided to use my maiden name.

Not that many tears (besides mine) will be shed over it, but Sugar will most assuredly be back. I will keep you guys posted on when and where my other writing assignments will end up. But on to the issues of the day.

Here is our crack at predicting the Redskins "Final 53". We have all been watching the preseason closely--there won't be many surprises. But we are picking a couple. Have at it (after the jump):

QB (3): Jason Campbell, Todd Collins, Colt Brennan

RB (5): Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts, Rock Cartwright, Mike Sellers, Anthony Alridge

WR (5): Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El, Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, Marko Mitchell

TE (3): Chris Cooley, Fred Davis, Todd Yoder

OL (9): Chris Samuels, Derrick Dockery, Casey Rabach, Randy Thomas, Stephon Heyer, Chad Rinehart, Mike Williams, Jeremy Bridges, Will Montgomery

DL (9): Phillip Daniels, Albert Haynesworth, Cornelius Griffin, Anthony Montgomery, Kedric Golston, Lorenzo Alexander, Andre Carter, Jeremy Jarmon, Rob Jackson

LB (7): London Fletcher, Rocky McIntosh, Brian Orakpo, H.B. Blades, Chris Wilson, Cody Glenn, Robert Henson

DB (9): Carlos Rogers, DeAngelo Hall, Fred Smoot, Kevin Barnes, Justin Tryon, LaRon Landry, Chris Horton, Reed Doughty, Kareem Moore

P: Hunter Smith

LS: Ethan Albright

K: Dave Rayner

I put Rob Jackson in over Renaldo Wynn, Robert Henson in over Robert Thomas, Rayner over Suisham, and Anthony Alridge in over whomever you want to call the 53rd man to make it.

Why do I continue to keep Renaldo Wynn off my final 53 list? If you think like me, then you think Wynn is not really a guy who is going to get a lot of snaps anyway unless there is an injury. Rob Jackson is still a little young and raw, and I have not heard his name a ton but if you are going to keep a guy around to caddy for the rest of the defensive linemen, why not keep a young guy who has a shot to develop into a serviceable backup instead of a guy at the end of his rope who has played all of his best football already? This is the pick I will most likely be wrong about, as Renaldo Wynn is a pro who knows how to play the game, and was brought in for his leadership and experience this offseason. But I had to stay true to what I have been saying this summer.

The Robert Henson/Cody Glenn/Robert Thomas decision at linebacker is a little more straight-forward. I think Cody Glenn is at the head of the 3-pack. The decision between Henson and Thomas is not so hard when you remember one thing: Vinny drafted Henson. He hates to be wrong about his draft picks. And lucky for him, he is in the position to pronounce his rightness! Henson has made a few mental blunders during games this preseason, and dropping that sure interception against the Ravens hurt him (coming out of TCU, he was actually graded as a sure-handed linebacker.) But in the end, the team will keep the guy they picked in the draft, and drop the guy they signed off the street. Regardless of who is better--though let's not make that out to be a huge deal. Neither Henson nor Thomas factors huge for us this season, and if Henson can figure out to stay on the field for special teams by mid-season, he will be worth the investment. Finally, it says here that Robert Henson will pull off an Alfred Fincher kind of performance against the Jags and earn the spot.

Anthony Alridge...really? Vinny brought him in this offseason and the word from the inside of the building is that Vinny loves him too much to let him go. What's not to love? He is one of those "yards-per-touch" guys. He is going to get the ball in the flat on screens, pitches, and dump-offs and he is going to get upfield in a hurry. I know Marcus Mason has been a fan favorite to make this squad multiple times, but the fact of the matter is he does not give us something we don't already have. Alridge gives us a scatback, speed option off the bench that will prove very useful this season.

I went with Rayner over Suisham even though there seems to be a resounding consensus that Suisham will retain his position. I FEEL LIKE I AM TAKING CRAZY PILLS! How do you hold any benefit of the doubt in a kicking competition when you were last in the league in field goal percentage? Rayner has had the better kickoff leg and neither has blown the roof off with their field goals. If anything, I would be tempted to keep Rayner and then bring in either Mike Nugent (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) or Brandon Coutu (Seattle Seahawks)--helps to watch every preseason game!--to compete with Rayner in the week leading up to the regular season. Coutu has a good chance to make the Seahawks' roster, but if he doesn't, we wouldn't be the only ones trying to sign him.

Practice Squad Predictions: Edwin Williams, Scott Burly, Keith Eloi, Robbie Agnone, Chase Daniel, Eddie Williams

WaTimes 53-man roster [Redskins 360]
WaPost 53-man roster [Redskins Insider]
Redskins Blog [Terl took his link down...I swore it was there?]

What do you guys think?

Poll

Which player that I put in do you think is most likely NOT to make the team?

Robert Henson

113 votes

Anthony Alridge

226 votes

Rob Jackson

263 votes

602 votes | Poll has closed

Ask a Redskin: 3 Random, Tough Questions and Their Replies

KevinE — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:33:29 -0000

August 8, 2009: Carlos Rogers with his daughter after practice Fan Appreciation Day.

View full size photo »

Fan Appreciation Day was this past weekend, and given the light mood after practice, I thought it'd be fun to ask the players non football related questions for a change. First things first, the offensive line did look better. The quarterbacks did not throw well, which was disappointing, but there was only a few number of sacks and the QBs did have time to throw the ball. Coach Zorn in his intro speech raved of Hunter Smith. I clocked his last 5 punts, which had the hang-times: 4.05, 4.39, 4.18, 4.81, and 5.?. (I received a text message as I was clocking the last punt, but it was a massive 60-yard punt that was well over 5 seconds). When asked in the post-practice interview about Hunter, Zorn said that when Hunter the Punter misses a kick, it's still in the 4+ seconds range versus last year where the punters mis-kicks were in the 3.1 and 3.2 seconds range. That certainly is a huge difference and should go a long way for field battle positions. Anthony Alridge and Byron Westbrook were getting time as the punt runners on my side of the field.

I spoke with Renaldo Wynn about the offensive line, and he had this to say:

The key is how they gel together. It's like the Giants' offensive line. They're not the most talented, but they work together. If we can get these guys to pull together and come together as a unit, I think they can be pretty great. Keep guys healthy number two. That was a huge problem last year. Chris Samuels, Randy Thomas, Jon Jansen were hurt. Most of the guys in there were battling some type of injury.

That seems fair enough to me. Let's see how they do Thursday before completely throwing them under the bus. I also asked several of the players who of the young guys are standing out most in camp. Jeremy Jarmon is in the huge lead (Orakpo is already a given at this point).

Wynn: "Jeremy Jarmon. Edwinn Williams, the center from MD. He's having a heck of a camp."
Portis: "[Marques ]Hagans at receiver. [Robert ] Agnone. Fred Davis...I think he's had the best camp out of anyone."
Randle-El: "Marko Mitchell, Trent Shelton, and that cat we got in the supplemental draft Jeremy Jarmon. He's nasty."
London Fletcher: "Reed Doughty looks good."
Todd Yoder: "Orakpo. He is strong as a bull and fast. I'm expecting big things out of him...he's got great strength for his size and a real quick first step.

As of right now it is looking like Jeremy Jarmon was a STEAL with next year's 3rd round pick...not to mention the added benefit that we get having Jarmon on the roster this year. I don't see how he doesn't make the 53-man roster.

So onto the fun questions. I asked the following questions to 17 players (and Dan Steinberg):

1.) If Hollywood was making a movie of your life, who would you want to play you?
2.) Who would you rather spend a weekend in Vegas with: Shaun Suisham or Ethan Albright?
3.) Who would win a QB accuracy contest today: Zorn or Brunell?

Can you guess for #1 who picked Johnny Drama and who Fred Smoot and Jim Zorn picked? Answers after the jump...

I think it'd be close. I honestly can't give away either one. They're both friends. Brunell is probably a little less rusty so I'll go with him."

	Actor to play their life story	Vegas	Zorn or Brunell Contest
Fred Smoot	"TI!"	"Albright!. He's my boy! He's Irish ... I'm Dutch, we're gonna roll together!"
Carlos Rogers	"Smoot!"	"Suisham."	"Zorn."
DeAngelo Hall	"Me"	"Neither."
Todd Yoder	"Me. Can I be in a movie? Or maybe I can get Cools and then maybe I can star in a movie playing him."	"Albright because he's the Red Snapper."
Antwaan Randle-El	"Cuba!"	"Suisham"	"Brunell" (with confidence)
Clinton Portis	"Jamie Foxx"	"Albright"	"I don't know, you're talking about 2 old arms that got it done at their time. Brunell at this point since he's still in the league."
Marko Mitchell	"hmm..Will Smith!!"	"Suisham. He's a funny, cool guy and down to Earth."
London Fletcher	"Me! [laughing]"	"Probably Albright. Ethan's old school so I'm sure we'll have a good time."
Cornelius Griffin	"Denzel Washington"	"Neither one."
Renaldo Wynn	"[laughing] Someone with some good looks. Probably have to say Denzel."	"Man...I have to go with Albright. I have to go with Albright. I'd just like to see what he does for fun. Suisham, he's a regular guy, but Albright, he'll be like Chevy Chase waering the plaid pants."
Chris Samuels	Chris: "I don't know, that's tough." Kevin: "Gary Coleman?" Chris: "No...haha, not at all. Samuel L...I need someone big. Oh! The guy that played Deebo...even though my eye is straight!"	"Ethan Albright. I like him..old wise veteran."	"Zorn because he's my coach...even though I love Brunell."
Chris Cooley	"That's a good question man. I'd go with Johnny Drama.He'd be good."	"Suisham"	"I think it'd be close. I honestly can't give away either one. They're both friends. Brunell is probably a little less rusty so I'll go with him."
Jason Campbell	"Denzel"	"Suisham"	"Brunell"
Shaun Suisham	"Matt Damon"	(I asked Shaun to make his case for players to choose him)" "Me. Because I'm lucky."
Mike Sellers	"The dude they call 'Tiny' in the movies."	"Albright. He's funny. That's my buddy."
Jim Zorn	"Hmm..that's a good question. You know who I like...Robert Duvall. . He's really good. I like Matt Damon. I like Tom Criuse. I like those guys. They make fun movies. They're good actors."	"Neither!!"
Dan Steinberg [Bog]	"I'd have to say Moby."	"Suisham...he loves me."	"I'll take Zorn."

August 1: Our Recap from Training Camp

KevinE — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 17:30:23 -0000

More photos » by Evan Vucci - AP

4 months ago: Washington Redskins head coach Jim Zorn, right, looks on as quarterback Jason Campbell throws a pass during NFL football training camp at Redskins Park on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009 in Ashburn, Va. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Browse more photos »

I made it over to a sweltering Redskins Park today to catch day three of Redskins practice. They were in pads and were tackling at times. Joe Jacoby and Joe Theismann were on-hand as well.

Did not practice: Carlos Rogers (soreness) and FB Eddie Williams (hamstring injury)

Here's my notes:

- Rookie mistakes stood out.
Marko Mitchell dropped an easy ball. Anthony Alridge also dropped an easy pass and fumbled on a hand-off exchange. On the 1-1 drills Kevin Barnes and Doug Dutch got worked over.

- Devin Thomas did not drop a ball all day.

- Santana Moss looks like he is in mid-season form.
(Made a diving catch in the center of the end zone)

The QBs were the only unit that were front and center the entire practice for the crowd. It is crystal clear that Campbell is the best Quarterback of the four out there. And this is not me saying this is a fan or personal preference...it's just a fact after watching them all throw.

- Jason Campbell looked good
(Had a lot of zip on the ball, but had a couple of bad tosses and a couple plays where he held the ball too long. He had a gorgeous 30-yard pass to Todd Yoder, threading the ball through a lunging Laron Landry)

- Todd Collins did not look good today.
(Overthrows and didn't see a blitzer on another play)

- Colt Brennan was up and down
(Had some nice throws but missed fired on a cross pattern to Moss and held the ball too long on other plays)

Offense spent 15 minutes doing red zone drills. One of which was a corner slant to Malcolm Kelly who was 1-1 with Fred Smoot. Campbell threw a perfect ball, which Kelly went up for but Smoot made an incredible play to break it up. Too bad I didn't hear the audio afterwards on that.

- Chris Horton made an incredible play to break up a pass to Santana.

- Albert Fincher was all over the field. Made multiple plays.

- Keith Eloi and Malcom Kelly both had spectacular catches

As for the lines:

One one play, Renaldo Wynn absolutely barrelled over Mike Williams putting him on his back. The next play Wynn tried a speed move around and Williams had excellent footwork to keep him outside the pocket. So, it's clear Mike is still has a lot of catchup to do regarding the physical part of the game. It was quite impressive however on a running play for Marcus Mason, Mike Williams pushed left and created a running lane the size of I-95.

Haynesworth wasn't in on that play. Speaking of Haynesworth, he was getting double-teamed all the times I saw. He was giving Derrick Dockery fits today.

Chris Wilson stood out multiple times playing left end. His first step off the line ia a blur. He got to the QB real quick.

Orakpo played a few snaps with his hands on the dirt. One play was a run right at him and he bear-hugged the RB immediately. No gain.

Coach Thrash helping in QB drills
via photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net

Here's the link to Redskins.com practice notes and quotes:

"The defensive line is wreaking havoc in our backfield right now. We have to block these guys. I'm excited on one hand, and then on the other I want to get going, too." - Coach Zorn

Zorn called the offensive line a "work in progress."

"I've seen some things I've wanted to see, but we're not done yet," he said. "Our guys are working hard and they're going to get better."

He said that while Stephon Heyer is working with the first team offensive line, he has not yet secured the starting job. He won't determine that until after preseason games.

The only real downer of the day is that a bottled water cost $4. In that heat, water is imperative and I was none too happy at those kind of prices. The burgers ($6) and bag of chips ($2) seemed fair, but for $4 a bottled water, I'd almost rather pass out and let the EMS hydrate me for free. There was a single, misting fan available but there was an army of kids hogging enjoying that.

5 Best and Worst Redskins Moments of the 2008 Season (Video)

KevinE — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:00:14 -0000

Only 14 days until training camp, so all of our analyzing of last year is ALMOST complete. I thought I'd spend some time putting together the best and worst of last year. We'll start on a good note.

5 Best Moments:

#5.) Jason Campbell's 67-yard bomb to Santana Moss to beat the Saints [Video]

#4.) Win at Dallas (Shaun Suisham's 3 FGs a big help)
(This victory led to my favorite video clip of the year...Dan Snyder amped shouting "When We Play Physical ... We Win!!!" in the locker room [Video])

#3.) Chris Horton winning NFC defensive player of the Week 2.
(This to me solidified a big part of our defense and knew we had something special)

#2.) Fred Smoot and Laron Landry's 4th quarter tackle on Reggie Brown to win the game week 16 against the Eagles [Video]

#1.) London Fletcher's hit on Calvin Johnson on 4th down to win the game [Video]
(Seriously. If London does not make this play, can you imagine our off-season having to hear ALL the talking heads talk about Washington being the only team that lost to Detroit?? (Mr. Fletcher, thank you IMMENSELY).

Honorable Mention: Santana Moss punt return for a touchdown vs DET (breaking 2 tackles including one from Devin Thomas)

Ugh...now for the bad news, the worst moments. There are quite a few to choose from, but five stand out . We'll do these after the jump....

5 Worst Moments:

#5.) Jim Zorn not using the hurry up offense against the Giants week 1 (trailing a score).
(I mean, this made no sense. The announcers were calling out our coaching staff. Even the dogs in my apartment were going nuts. This wasn't a game the Redskins were suppose to win, but it definitely made us question our new head coach's ability.)

#4.) Clinton Portis getting benched for the 2nd half against the Ravens after fumbling, which Ed Reed scooped up and returned for a TD
(We don't need to re-visit what happened during or after this event...next!)

#3.) Mike Sellers not getting in with 2 goal-line carries from the yard 1-yard line, and then having the ball stripped as he tried to extend the ball. [Video]
Tough loss. Real Tough loss.

#2.) Pete Kendall catching Campbell's deflected pass, then coughing it up while trying to run with it only to see it go the length of the field the other way for a TD. [Video]
(That walk out of Fedex losing to the Rams went from pure shock to anger pretty quick. It didn't help I had a Rams fan with me pointing and laughing the entire walk down the Fedex catwalk).

#1.) Steelers Monday Night Football game. The whole frickin day. [Video]
(This was one of the rare games I Metro'd in. I remember there wasn't a plethor aof Steelers fans on the trains or even my walk to Lot F, but that soon changed. As the sun went down, I recall seeing buses of Steelers fans unloading and we all joked it was going to be rough, but NO ONE dreamed of Fedex getting over-taken like that. Not to mention Byron Leftwich comes in the game and led TWO touchdown drives.) Terrible towel mania. Vomit.

OK...so which moments am I missing?