SB Nation - Chris Horton

Keeping an Eye on the Other Beasts in the East

Aaron Novinger — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:00:33 -0000

by Carolyn Kaster - AP

The Giants get a much needed bye this week, while the Eagles hope to stand tall against the Chargers.

While the Cowboys visit the Packers, the other two Beasts that play this week will take on AFC West opponents. The Redskins will host the 6-2 Broncos. Meanwhile, the Eagles will face a Chargers team that just dropped the Giants for their fourth consecutive loss. The Giants are on a bye this week and are looking to regroup.

If Dallas can manage to defeat Green Bay, Philadelphia could ill-afford to drop to 5-4. Both teams play the late game tomorrow. After this week, they both have favorable matchups over the next two weeks: Dallas has two home games against Washington and then Oakland, while Philly will fly to Chicago and then return home to face Washington.

Should Washington lose to Denver tomorrow, its playoff hopes will more than likely be over.

More Beasts in the East after the jump.

Washington Redskins (2-6)

Last game: 17-31 Loss @ Atlanta

Next up: Home vs. Denver

Because of a concussion that Clinton Portis suffered last week, Ladell Betts will get the start against the Broncos. Betts, though, has been limited in practice by a foot sprain.

"It feels . . . it's a little sore when I was in there," Betts said. "I tried not to do anything too drastic because I didn't want to have any setbacks, but I was able to move around and I actually ran a couple of plays today, so that's a good start for me. I think I'll be able to go Sunday."

In last week's 31-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, Betts provided a spark in the running game rarely seen in the Redskins' past 16 games.

The 'Skins lost S Chris Horton for the season.

Starting strong safety Chris Horton underwent surgery on an injured toe on Wednesday and he was placed on season-ending injured reserve. Reed Doughty will take his place as the starter.

Champ Bailey looks forward to playing against his old team.

On Sunday, when the Broncos play at the Washington Redskins, Bailey will revisit his former life for the first time since the megatrade 5 1/2 years ago that ended with Bailey (and a second-round draft pick) here and star running back Clinton Portis in Washington.

"It seems like a long time ago, honestly," Bailey said this week. "I've spent more time here than I spent there."

[snip]

Yet in all that time, Bailey has never suited up against the Redskins, the team that drafted him at No. 7 overall in 1999. The one time the two teams have played since, in 2005 in Denver, Bailey sat out with a hamstring injury.

Brian Dawkins knows all about playing the Redskins.

"I just know what to expect when I play these teams I have played them so long," he said. "I know this is going to be a ... every time that I have played the Redskins, it has been a physical battle. I come out of the game a lot sorer, if that is a word, because of those big bodies that they have.

"They pound [Clinton] Portis at you [and Ladell] Betts at you; take shots up top with these quick receivers they have. This has just been something that has been bred in me to anticipate certain things when I play the Redskins."

Lately, Denver has been giving up a ton of yardage in the second half.

For the first six games, the Broncos surpassed almost all expectations with how good they were on defense. The past two weeks, the stunner has been how quickly that magic disappeared. Denver has allowed 149 rushing yards per game after not allowing 100 to any of its first six opponents.

The Broncos allowed 321 total yards in the second half against Pittsburgh. They hadn't allowed more than 315 over an entire game before playing the Steelers.

Here's the NFL Game Center for the Broncos at Redskins.

New York Giants (5-4)

Last game: 20-21 Home Loss vs. San Diego

Next up: Bye

Yes, the Giants have lost four in a row, but they will be counting on a late season surge upon their return.

So is it time to put a fork in the Giants (5-4) with seven games remaining after their bye week? Not yet. Sure, the path to the playoffs is going to be hard with five of the remaining seven games coming against teams at least two games over .500, including three with division leaders and one against the Eagles, who crushed the Giants a couple of weeks ago.

What’s important to remember is that coach Tom Coughlin’s teams usually play their best when everybody has written them off.

Don Banks agrees that the Giants are not to be counted out. Tom Coughlin has dug his team out of this hole before and is looking to do it again.

None of it works right now, and this week, head coach Tom Coughlin, with his team's downward spiral paused but not stopped by its bye, came out and attempted to draw the bull's-eye on his own back. It's too soon to know if the attempt at deflection was successful, but it was admirable and set a nice example in terms of accountability.

"I thought it was perfectly clear, but let me express it so no longer does anyone else receive any type of blame,'' Coughlin said on Monday. "Let me start out by saying that I'm responsible for all of the decisions that are made with our football team. "The [red] zone decisions are my responsibility. They are nobody else's. No one else made a mistake. The quarterback did not make a mistake. The decision was mine.''

The Big Blue View rounds up the news out of New York. Most notably is their health watch: CB Aaron Ross and RB Danny Ware could make their return after the bye.

A healthy Ross should make a huge difference in their secondary.

"He's worked his tail off in rehab," said secondary coach Peter Giunta. "We're looking forward to having him back."

Upon his return, Ross will remain at cornerback. There has been some speculation that the Giants might move one of their corners - possibly Terrell Thomas - to safety once Ross returns to help out that beleaguered unit.

"We'll see," Tom Coughlin said. "I think that we do have to see Aaron practice a few days in a row before we make any kind of decisions."

LB Gerris Wilkinson was placed on IR this week.

Wilkinson leads the Giants in special teams tackles with 12 (seven solo), but will miss the rest of the season after suffering the injury in Sunday's loss to San Diego.

[snip]

To fill Wilkinson's roster spot, the Giants signed cornerback D.J. Johnson off Denver's practice squad. He was signed as a rookie free agent out of Jackson State in April but waived in September, then signed to the Broncos' practice squad two days later.

Lawrence Taylor was arrested.

Philadelphia Eagles (5-3)

Last game: 16-20 Home Loss vs. Dallas

Next up: @ San Diego

Matt Mosely thinks that Brian Westbrook could be heavily involved in the offense tomorrow.

I think the Eagles will ride Brian Westbrook in this game. Yes, I know this is a different team with DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, but the Chargers did a nice job taking away the deep ball against the Giants. Westbrook appears to be healthy heading into this game, and I think he could give the Chargers' linebackers trouble in space.

While Westbrook is listed as probable, OT Jason Peters is questionable. Here are some other injured Eagles:

Linebacker Akeem Jordan (knee) was ruled out of Sunday's game, while linebacker Chris Gocong (hamstring), who sat out last week, is listed as probable. Defensive end Victor Abiamiri (knee) and safety Quintin Demps (ankle) are both questionable.

The Eagles' LBs are shuffling around again this week.

Starting weakside linebacker Akeem Jordan missed his second straight day of practice Thursday with a hyperextended knee and bone bruise and is unlikely to play Sunday. As a result, McDermott has decided to do some shuffling.

Will Witherspoon, who started the last two games at middle linebacker, will take Jordan's spot. Strongside linebacker Chris Gocong, who missed last week's loss to Dallas with a strained quadriceps and hamstring, will move into the middle. Rookie Moise Fokou, who replaced Gocong against the Cowboys, will stay there.

In passing situations, Witherspoon will be joined by Tracy White in the nickel defense.

CB Joselio Hanson has been suspended for four games for testing positive for a banned substance.

From also having lost CB/KR Ellis Hobbs for the season because of a neck injury he suffered against the Cowboys, the Eagles' secondary is thinning out.

In addition, the Eagles made a number of moves Wednesday, including signing cornerback to Ramzee Robinson and promoting cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu to the 53-man roster.

They also signed cornerback Stoney Woodson to the practice squad.

Andy Reid will be playing a game of offensive wits against Norv Turner.

The Eagles know Norv Turner from his days in Washington. Reid knows how Turner thinks, and he knows how Turner is going to try to attack the Eagles defense. Reid has to win this battle on the sidelines. As much as an NFL game is players vs. players, it is also coaches vs. coaches. The teams that make the adjustments and recognize opportunities to make plays often win games.

So this one is Reid vs. Turner. And it's Mornhinweg against Ron Rivera, the San Diego defensive coordinator. The Eagles must start fast, play physical, emotional football and execute the game plan with a minimum of errors.

Could the Bills be a fit for Michael Vick in '10?

Here's the NNFL Game Center for Philly @ San Diego.

Horse Tracks 11/10/09 - Steelers thump Broncos, who lead Chargers by 1 game in AFC West

Douglas A. Lee — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:59:39 -0000

Good Morning, MHR Friends. Seems like deja vu all over again, huh? Keep your heads up! The Broncos are 6-2 and alone in first place this morning. Yes, it's only by a game, but you're reading it here first that they'll be up by 3 games again in two weeks' time. There is no shame in losing to the Ravens and Steelers in consecutive weeks; these two teams were the AFC finalists last year, and both get after the QB like most other teams cannot. Take a deep breath, look at the Broncos' schedule and then at that of the Dolts. Feeling better? Okay, now about last night - while there were some rough moments for them, the Broncos' D once again showed they can hang with anyone. The offense (especially the running game) and punting left a lot to be desired; but I think we'll see a dominant performance Sunday against a banged-up Redskins squad. It is NOT time to panic, Friends!

NFL - Pittsburgh Steelers 28 at Denver Broncos 10 - Box Score

NFL - Steelers 28, Broncos 10 - Video with radio calls

DB - Steelers Postgame: McDaniels - Broncos TV

DB - Turnovers Lead to Loss No. 2 - Gray Caldwell
"If you told us at the beginning of the season we'd be 6-2 at the halfway point, I think most of us would have been happy with it," Andre Goodman said. "The way the last two weeks have gone, losing to the same division, the same type of team -- playoff teams -- having a poor second half on the defensive side of the ball, it's a little disheartening, but we're not going to panic. We're just going to go back to work and do what we're used to doing."

DB - Losing the Game of Keep Away - Chris Gentilviso

DPP - Broncos lose second straight game - Mike Klis

DPP - Paige: Whose stadium is this, anyway?
"Sick effort, Denver. If you don't want your tickets, at least scalp them to people who bleed orange, blue, mustard and brown."

DPP - Krieger: Bullying tactics bother Broncos
"The team that outscored opponents 76-10 in the second half has been outscored 45-14 in the past two second halves."

SI - Steelers hard to beat when firing on all cylinders - Ross Tucker
"The Broncos may have lost the game, but they went toe-to-toe with the defending Super Bowl champs for 53 minutes before caving in the final minutes. The Broncos will be a factor for the rest of this season and likely in the playoffs, as well."

DB - Steelers Postgame: Orton - Broncos TV

NFLTA - Steelers vs. Broncos highlights - Video

DPP - Steelers in a rush to harass QB - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Armstrong: Broncos' offense stuck in neutral

DPP - Steelers' Carter shines at safety with Clark out

DPP - A few hurdles to jump - Lindsay Jones

DPP - Steelers 28, Broncos 10: Bests, worsts and breakdown - Lindsay Jones

DPP - Steelers offense enjoys second-half feast - Mike Chambers

DPP - NFL commissioner Goodell lauds Broncos' moves - Mike Klis

CSG - Steelers top Broncos 28-10 - Frank Schwab

CSG - Ramsey: Surprisingly, Broncos QB Orton doesn't hear a boo

CSG - Broncos notes: Orton pick proves costly - Frank Schwab

NFLPA - E. Royal Remains a Playmaker in Denver Despite Changes - Jim Flynn

CBS4 - Elway Remembers Monday Night Shootouts In Denver - Matthew Buettner

AP - Broncos Lose Second Straight, Fall To 6-2 - Arnie Stapleton

FH - Big Ben, Steelers Strike in Second Half - Nancy Gay

FH - No Ryan Clark, but Same Steel Curtain - Nancy Gay

USAT - Steelers pick on Orton, run away with 28-10 'MNF' win - Jarrett Bell

ESPN - Orton, Broncos allowing San Diego back in race - Bill Williamson

DB - Ask Matt Prater...

Steelers News

PPG - Steelers dominate Broncos, 28-10 - Ed Bouchette

PPG - Steelers' Roethlisberger changes game - Ron Cook

PPG - Gerry Dulac's Two-Minute Drill

PPG - Steelers notebook: Tomlin decides to sit Clark - Ed Bouchette

PPG - Steelers' defense leads way - Gene Collier

PTR - Big second half lifts Steelers to MNF victory - Scott Brown

PTR - Harris: In football vs. life decision, life wins

SN - Steelers aren't perfect, but they're getting closer - Dennis Dillon

SN - What We Learned: The Steelers Are Hitting Championship Form - Dennis Dillon

FOX - Steelers are regaining their Super Bowl swagger - Alex Marvez

NYT - Steelers’ Ward Helps Biracial South Korean Youths on Journey Toward Acceptance - John Branch

Redskins News

WP - Injuries compound Redskins' troubles - Rick Maese
"Running back Clinton Portis suffered a concussion in the first quarter, and Zorn said he's doubtful for this weekend's game against the Broncos. In addition, second-year safety Chris Horton is out for at least a month, and tackle Mike Williams will miss the next couple of games. "

WP - Redskins once again have trouble on the offensive line - Rick Maese

FH - Larry Johnson Released, Redskins Already Expressing Interest - Will Brinson

AFC West News

KCS - Chiefs decide to release Larry Johnson - Adam Teicher

KCS - Chiefs turn their back on LJ, who didn't carry team's respect - Joe Posnanski

KCS - Johnson’s legacy with Chiefs not the one he wanted - Kent Babb

KCS - Johnson’s release will cost Chiefs some money - Adam Teicher

KCS - Chiefs will probably use running-back committee to replace Johnson - Adam Teicher

KCS - Holmes left with mixed emotions after Johnson’s exit - Randy Covitz

KCS - Next stop for Johnson could be NFC East - Randy Covitz

PFW - Most likely landing spots for Larry Johnson

KCS - Here’s why one former Chief fears CTE - Pete Grathoff

SDUT - Bolts in better focus - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Phillips shrugs at piling up of sacks - Kevin Acee

SDUT - LT: ‘We finally came together’ - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Rivers scores seminal victory - Nick Canepa

OT - Oakland Raiders' Chaz Schilens eyes his 2009 debut vs. Kansas City Chiefs - Steve Corkran

NFL News

PFW - Week 10 matchup tidbits

NFL Opinion

NFP - Lovie, McCarthy are at a crossroads - Matt Bowen

NFP - The Monday tavern - Mike Lombardi

NFL - Separation among top contenders starts to crystallize - Mike Lombardi

FOX - The Day After: Biggest questions at midseason - John Czarnecki

SI - Heated rivals Patriots and Colts battle in Indianapolis Sunday - Dan Shaughnessy

NFP - Will teams copy the Yankees in 2010? - Andrew Brandt
"While most teams are looking to shed players who reach the wrong side of 30, especially at positions that require explosion and speed, the Broncos have been adding them."

CBS - Prisco Grades: Week 9

SN - NFL Power Poll: Jets move up by standing still - Clifton Brown

Poll

How many regular-season wins do you expect out of the 2009 Broncos? (Please check the schedule before you answer!)

9 or fewer

56 votes

10 or 11

330 votes

12 or more

92 votes

478 votes | Poll has closed

Ail Will the Redskins, Ail My Sprained Knee

KevinE — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:43:34 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

Injury Report for the Redskins vs Broncos will likely need 2-3 sheets of paper.

Browse more photos »

Injury Report is a doozy this week.

Redskins will be continuing their patch work as they face the Denver Broncos this weekend. Zorn stated the Redskins will be looking to sign a RB with Portis "doubtful." Any guesses on this one?

Larry Johnson, who was recently released by the Chiefs, is the likely option. Be the first to get your LJ Redskins jersey!! Or, will Anthony Alridge get the hat trick with his 3rd signing this year with the burgundy and gold? Never a dull moment folks! Cerrato must be loving all the fun work he has to bring in another offensive weapon. Hopefully the Redskins don't lose a draft pick out of all this.

In other news, with the Mike Williams injury (ligament damage in ankle 2-4 weeks), Stephon Heyer will move back to right tackle, and Levi Jones will start at left tackle.

Other Injuries: Chris Horton is out 4-6 weeks (toe). Reed Doughty and Jason Campbell will be OK.

It's maddening how many injuries the Redskins have. Brian Mitchell, as expected, went off in the post-game show stating all this, especially the bad tackling, is a result of the easy training camp the players had. BMitch went on to add that the Redskins did not do any tackling drills in camp, which is clearly evident in the games and lack of effort. Again, one can blame Zorn, but Blache to me seems to be the one that doesn't care. His players are continually committing inexcusable, dumb penalties. I can't possibly see him wanting to stay here another year.

The media outlets that went to multiple training camps said the Redskins camp was very light compared to the others. A lot of the retired players on the major networks have also vocalized their distaste for the music over the loud speakers at practice. They said it absolutely sends the wrong message. Since I haven't been to any other NFL camps but the Redskins, it's hard for me to say one way or the other. The week I was there, there definitely were not any tackling drills that I saw, but they did tackle during their scrimmage drills.

Either way, each week just gets more laughable. Anyone want to guess how many of our week 1 starters will be out week 17 due to injury? 50%?

Keeping an Eye on the Other Beasts in the East

Aaron Novinger — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:00:26 -0000

Only Washington's disappointing (disappointing for them-he, he) loss to Detroit spoiled a dominating week for the NFC East teams. The Eagles, Giants, and Cowboys all won their Week 3 games by two touchdowns or more.

This week the Eagles are on a bye, while the Giants and the Cowboys hit the road against AFC West opponents. The Redskins return home to try and regroup. At 1-2, they are two games behind the unbeaten Giants and a game behind both the Cowboys and Eagles - each with two wins a piece.

More Beasts in the East after the jump.

Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)

Last game: 34-14 Home Win vs. Kansas City

Next up: Bye

The bye week comes at a good time for the Eagles. Starting QB Donovan McNabb (ribs) and RB Brian Westbrook (ankle) both sat out of last week's game, while WR DeSean Jackson (groin) played through his injury.

Jackson still turned out a big game, catching six passes for 149 yards with a score. He also won the NFC's Special Teams Player of the Month award.

Jackson nabbed special teams honors thanks to a 22.2-yard punt-return average, including an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown, which helped the Eagles go 2-1 in the month. In addition, he had 12 catches for 259 yards and two scores, as well as five carries for 48 yards. Jackson recorded touchdowns of 85, 71 and 64 yards and became the first player in NFL history to record a 60-plus- yard touchdown in each of the first three games of the season. In his second year out of California, Jackson took his first monthly award.

In place of McNabb, QB Kevin Kolb grabbed himself the NFC's Offensive Player of the Week honors.

In last week's 34-14 win over Kansas City, Kolb became the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for 300 yards in each of his first two career starts. Against the Chiefs, he completed 24-of-34 passes for 327 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Here are the highlights of Philly's win over KC.

Washington Redskins (1-2)

Last game: 14-19 Loss @ Detroit

Next up: Home vs. Tampa Bay (0-3)

Washington will try to switch things up a little this week by replacing SS Chris Horton with Reed Doughty, says Redskins DC Greg Blache.

"Reed's actually played better the last couple of weeks," Blache said. "And Chris has struggled a little bit. He had a play last week with bad eyes; we got a big interference call. He had an incident the week before where it was not a good fit. And it's not that we're down on him, but the fact that you have a guy in Reed that's so close to him, gives him an opportunity, gives Chris a chance to catch his breath, refocus and come back strong."

Blache blames himself for the team's defensive struggles.

With a good deal of criticism heaped on the offense -- which has scored five touchdowns in three games and has been miserable inside the 10-yard line -- Blache said he felt like he has to take responsibility for the struggles of a unit that is supposed to be the Redskins' strength.

"Because I'm the leader, and quite honestly, if the calls aren't real good, that's my fault," Blache said. "If the players don't play with detail, that's my fault, because it all comes back to coaching. If we didn't have talent, then you'd say, 'Well, there's a talent issue.' We have talent. But in our league, the most talented teams don't always win. The teams that play the best win."

MLB London Fletcher says the players just aren't executing.

Earlier this week, Fletcher provided some perspective on the Redskins' performance in saying the organization hasn't a great season in a long, long time. As for this season and the problems on defense, "if a call is made defensively, let's go out and execute that call," Fletcher said. "You look at the film, we're not executing our calls. It's as simple as that."

"So I don't know about identity. If the call is made and you ain't executing, the identity is you ain't executing the call. Let's just get back to doing that."

On offense, Clinton Portis says he is due for a breakout game.

"It's only a matter of time before I have a 200-yard game," Portis said. "It's only a matter of time before I have a 150-yard game. It's only a matter of time before I get two or three touchdowns. It's just the fact, when's it coming? I know it's coming. But when?"

With an ineffective rushing attack through three games, the Redskins began installing their game plan for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday, taking the practice field without their starting backfield. Nursing a calf contusion, Portis was present but wasn't wearing pads and wasn't participating. Fullback Mike Sellers sat out with bruised quadriceps.

Against the Bucs this weekend, Portis should be able to bring back the Redskins' ground game.

Washington is averaging 91.7 rushing yards per game; Tampa Bay is allowing more than twice that. In fact, only one team in the NFL, Houston, has been worse than the Bucs against the run thus far. Last week against the Giants, Tampa Bay's defense allowed 226 rushing yards. Ahmad Bradshaw had 104 yards and Brandon Jacobs finished with 92. After the Cowboys ran for 118 yards in the season-opener against the Bucs, the Bills totaled 218 yards on the ground in Week 2, including 163 yards from Fred Jackson.

Aqib Talib vs. Santana Moss should be a key matchup to watch in this game.

Talib, the 20th overall choice of the 2008 NFL Draft, was the highest pick the Bucs have ever used on a cornerback. He starts at left corner and has very good ball skills. It's hard to throw over him because of his height. Talib had four interceptions in 2008. He likes to talk trash to opposing players. If Tampa is to win, Talib needs to back up the talk and hold Moss in check. Moss is coming off his best game of the season last week -- 10 catches for 178 yards and one TD vs. Detroit. He presents a tough matchup for teams because of his speed and ability to catch all types of passes.

Here is NFL.com's Bucs @ Redskins video preview.

New York Giants (3-0)

Last game: 24-0 Win @ Tampa Bay

Next up: @ Kansas City (0-3)

The Giants finish up their three-game road stretch this week against the winless Chiefs. Their offense will meet a K.C. defense that gives up an average of 362.3 yards and 28.3 points per game.

RB Brandon Jacobs will look to shutdown the recent criticism that he "tiptoes" to the line.

[A]fter Sunday’s win against the Buccaneers, during which the FOX broadcast team repeatedly critiqued Jacobs for "tiptoeing" and not running downhill, he’s heard about it all week. "I don’t care about analysts," Jacobs told reporters in the locker room Thursday. "They are analysts. They are going to say what they’ve got to say. I am here, we are 3-0, and that’s all I am focusing on."

Jacobs particularly did not want to focus on Tony Siragusa, who made the bulk of the tiptoeing comments throughout the broadcast. Later, he said if Siragusa approached him during pre-game warm-ups, Jacobs would "grab a hold of my ego and talk to him. It’s a mirage, but I’ll talk to him."

Ahmad Bradshaw (ankle) has missed practice time this week, but expects to play.

"I ran a toss play and ended up getting it fell on the wrong way," the Giants' running back said of the play that temporarily knocked him out of Sunday's victory over the Buccaneers. "It was a high ankle sprain ... and it just lingers." Bradshaw, who played through the pain of the injury on his way to 104 yards on the ground against Tampa, said he should be ready for the Chiefs this coming weekend.

"We fully expect that he'll be able to go, to play in the game," coach Tom Coughlin said. "But right now they are treating it with a boot and lots of extra time in the training room."

Also sitting out of practice this week were DT Justin Tuck (shoulder), DE Chris Canty, and RB Danny Ware. RT Kareem McKenzie (knee) should be ready to go against the Chiefs.

The only player listed as injured for the Chiefs is WR Dwayne Bowe (hamstring), who was limited in practice this week. Here is the rest of the injury report for the Giants.

For the Chiefs to even sniff at pulling off an upset, their offensive line has to play much, much better than it has.

In the debacle at Philadelphia, the Chiefs' line gave up three sacks and contributed heavily to the team's 10 penalties. Overall in three games, Chiefs quarterbacks have been sacked eight times, one of the biggest totals in the league. That's a scary stat considering the fast and physical defense the Giants will present on Sunday.

The problems have not been confined to the unsettled right side. Left tackle Branden Albert, after a terrific rookie year, has been inconsistent. He drew a holding call last week and has been beaten for two sacks.

Here is NFL.com's preview video for the Giants @ Chiefs.

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

Washington Redskins Have Some Actual Depth

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

More photos » by Evan Vucci - AP

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

Browse more photos »

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

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

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

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

More after the jump...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What do you guys think?

Poll

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

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

449 votes

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

147 votes

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

325 votes

921 votes | Poll has closed

Chat With Hog's Haven For Steelers Vs. Redskins Preseason Matchup

drinkyourmilkshake — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:11:34 -0000

Editors Note: Tomorrow night the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Fed-Ex field to take on the Washington Redskins. In an effort to get to know their palyers and organization a bit better and for the SBNation blog Hog's Haven to get to know our team better we decided to ask each other a couple of questions in preparation of tomorrow nights game. My Q&A with the Hog's Haven can be read here. [Frank aka DYM]

BTSC: Jason Campbell feels like he was treated like a "piece of tissue they are flushing down the toilet" by the Redskins front office after they attempted to trade for Jay Culter and trade up in the draft for Mark Sanchez. What type of year do you see Campbell having and do you ever think he will be a franchise quarterback in the NFL?

I see Jason Campbell having a great year. Last year, Campbell completed 62.3% of his passes, threw for 3,245 yards with 13 touchdowns, six interceptions and had a QB rating of 84.3. What people don't realize is he had VERY little help. The Redskins receivers led the league in dropped balls, Campbell was knocked down 16% of the time he dropped back to pass, yet he still was the 8th most accurate QB in the league. The offensive line was literally laughable in pass defense, which led to the cuts of Jon Jansen and Pete Kendall.

The 3 receivers the Redskins drafted in 2007 (Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, and Fred Davis) have all worked extremely hard this off-season and look very good in camp. Marko Mitchell, who the Redskins drafted with a late round pick this year, is drawing heavy praise from Clinton Portis and has been doing well against the veteran corners in camp. Sure, this all sounds great in practice, so fans are anxious to see how they do this week. The right side of the offensive line is still a major concern. The Redskins added Derrick Dockery to shore up the left side (next to Pro-Bowler Chris Samuels), but I expect all of your defenses to give them fits (as it is still a work in progress). The O-line performed decently against the Ravens last week, so we'll see. This is also the first year in Jason Campbell's career he's run the same offense two years in a row, so with Zorn entering year two in his offense, it's only logical things should run smoother.

BTSC: Recently there was a media storm about Albert Haynesworth and the injections in his knees. How big of a concern is this for the Redskins and do you think he will play a full 16 game season this year, which is something he hasn't been able to do in recent years?

Both Albert and the team have down-played it a lot. Albert said he has been getting these shots for a couple years now, and it is nothing new. He said he'd rather be 100% for 14 games then be cautious for 16 years. I am not concerned about his knee at this point, especially since they're not holding him out the next 3 pre-season games.

BTSC: Last year the Redskins appear to have found a diamond in the rough in rookie Chris Horton, how has he looked in training camp? And is their any buzz around their later round draft picks from this season?

Chris Horton truly is a diamond in the rough. He has been ALL over the field in training camp and in interviews he said the game has slowed down for him coming into this year. The 2nd half of the season LaRon Landry had last year, with Chris Horton coming into his own...the Redskins safeties have everyone in Washington smiling. Kareem Moore, LaRon's backup, has been laying vicious hits at practice and the last pre-season game. Keep an eye out for him on Saturday.

BTSC: Was Antwaan Randle-El worth 31 million dollars over seven years?

I think so. Antwaan is one of those guys that has so many intangibles. He is not the super-star punt returner the Skins need, but he does not turn the ball over. His presence in the locker room cannot be under-estimated. The problem has been the offense has been so inconsistent the last few years that the Redskins haven't been able to take full-advantage. Hopefully, one of the WRs mentioned above can step up and be a solid #2 the Skins so desperately need, and Randle-El can be the slot WR which he is so perfectly fitted for. The Redskins certainly gave him a ton of $$, but that goes for most of our roster.

BTSC: How much does [Offensive Tackle] Mike Williams weigh today?[Reports were he was over 400lbs]

We actually created a weight tracker for Mike to follow his weight. I don't know his exact weight but it is in 335lbs area. He sprained his ankle in practice and is questionable for Saturday. I've spoken with Mike a couple times at camp. A really great guy and someone you really want to cheer for. He's had an up and down camp, which is par for the course when you've been out of the league for 2 years.

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)

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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?

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:30:13 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

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Welcome to an eve-of-month-end-financial-close version of ST&NO, where I spent spent all day between a boat transiting Lake Erie, and Kelley's Island, which is a very nice place to visit. Exacerbating matters is the fact that the lady-friend has been out of town all weekend, and her plane lands at 10 PM. At that point, I expect to devote some time to talking to her, as I tried to lay off all weekend so she could hang out with her college roommate in peace. It is now 8:54 PM, and I will write until she calls. It's a lot like being down a couple touchdowns with 4 minutes to go, and no timeouts. Ready.... BEGIN!!!

1. I said I had an idea last week on the killer-vs.-filler front, and I do. As the around-the-league guy, I have decided to do some breakdowns on the offseasons and 2009 outlooks of the other 31 teams over the next 8 weeks. I must warn you, do not expect groupthink or regurgitation of other morons' ideas, as I am the only moron whose thoughts count here. Like I told the student from Penn State, I get my information from my eyes, you dig? (In the interest of full disclosure, I may have been unduly short with him at times during our conversation, because I used to work with a pretty loathsome woman who was a (much too) proud Penn State alum. I realize that it's not fair to automatically expect that he sucks at life, just because she did).

Anyway, I am going to start with the most relevant teams, and since the Broncos play the NFC East this season, I am going to discuss my (Shallow) Thoughts and (Nearsighted) Observations of those four teams after the jump.

a. New York Giants (2008 Record 12-4, lost in Divisional Round of Playoffs)

Smart Personnel Moves - Chris Canty was one the best additions of the offseason by any team, and Rocky Bernard will help their defensive line also, as both are expected to start. Canty, especially, can play inside as a DT, and really help the Giants run defense. It was a little outside the box to sign a 5-technique to play probably a 2-technique, but it has a high probability of working in this case. I also loved the selection of OLB Clint Sintim in the 2nd round of the draft. He played in one of the very few collegiate 3-4's at Virginia, but the Giants like to blitz their SLB a great deal, and Sintim fits that profile very well. Another departure from traditional thinking for the Giants, which generally makes me feel very warm and fuzzy inside. Other draftees whom I like include William Beatty, Ramses Barden, Travis Beckum, Andre Brown, and Rhett Bomar. Jerry Reese is a good picker of players.

Questionable Personnel Moves - The Giants needed to trade for Braylon Edwards, and I believe that they really messed up in not doing so. Hakeem Nicks is going to be an okay player, but he isn't anywhere near the talent that Edwards is. I think that GM Jerry Reese was too in love with having his first-round draft pick, and the team is going to suffer for it this season. For a top-of-the-league talent who is being offered for pennies on the dollar, you make the deal. (As a Mets fan, I would trade their top OF prospect Fernando Martinez for Jake Peavy in a nanosecond. Peavy and Johan Santana together makes you a favorite to win the World Series, just like Edwards would have made the Giants the favorite to win the Super Bowl. This is the same kind of situation, though I think Martinez is even a better prospect than Nicks).

ST&NO Outlook - This team can definitely win the Super Bowl with reasonable health. The key competitive advantage they have is their outstanding and remarkably deep defensive line of Canty, Bernard, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka, Jay Alford, and Fred Robbins. Corey Webster and Aaron Ross are both very good at CB also. I believe that the Giants will field the #1 defense in the NFL this season.

The offense is good overall, but flawed in a few ways. Their offensive line is excellent at run blocking, but below-average in pass protection, especially David Diehl, who is a LG pretending to be a LT. They also lack anybody at WR or TE who is remotely scary to a defense, which is going to force a lot of 8-man fronts, like the Giants saw at the end of 2008 once Plaxico Burress shot himself. The good news is that the Giants can really run the ball, and I expect Andre Brown to earn some carries as a replacement for Derrick Ward.

This is very probably a playoff team again in 2009, but the tough division they play in makes missing the postseason conceivable, especially with a key injury or two. If you can pass-protect and contain the run, you can beat the Giants though, and we know the Broncos can do one of those things, at least.

b. Philadelphia Eagles (2008 Record 9-6-1, lost in NFC Championship Game)

Smart Personnel Moves - There were many. The best thing the Eagles did was shore up their offensive line, with the trade for Jason Peters and the signing of Stacy Andrews. Peters can be one of the best in the league when his conditioning is right, and his technique stays solid. Andrews is above-average as a player, and is the brother of Shawn Andrews, who is the best RG in the NFL, when he isn't missing time due to clinical depression. The Eagles will have to hope that Stacy's presence can help Shawn, and that they can dominate together on the right side. In the draft, I really liked the value of Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy, and Cornelius Ingram. All three can make a few plays right away for an offense that needed a few more last season.

Questionable Personnel Moves - I don't see how the Eagles could let Brian Dawkins go. It benefited the Broncos, but he was Mr. Eagle, and he had a great 2008 season. I expect his loss to be of the same magnitude as the Broncos' loss of Al Wilson, where the effect will be felt throughout the whole defense, for years to come.

ST&NO Outlook - The Eagles are also a legitimate Super Bowl contender, but my expectation is that it will now be more because of their offense than their defense. I think the loss of Jim Johnson is likely to be felt in a big way, mostly because I have no way of gauging how Sean McDermott will do calling games in his stead. Johnson added tremendous value to the Eagles with his scheming and game day play-calling. (I do know that Josh McDaniels wanted to hire McDermott for the Broncos staff, and the Eagles denied the Broncos permission, so that may be a strong endorsement of his skills.)

I think the Eagles' offense will be in the NFL's top 5 this season, and that they'll win 10-11 games and make the playoffs. In a 6-team tournament, they could definitely come out on top, as they nearly did in 2008.

c. Dallas Cowboys - Ugh. As Drew Rosenhaus would say, next question.

d. Washington Redskins (2008 Record 8-8, missed playoffs)

Smart Personnel Moves - From a purely football standpoint, you have to like the signing of Albert Haynesworth, but he cost way too much, and the team will pay the piper down the line for that. It was sooooo Redskins, though, trying to make a big splash. Beyond that, there wasn't much to like, in my opinion.

Questionable Personnel Moves - I am not a Brian Orakpo fan, mostly because I believe the prevailing NFL thought that University of Texas players are soft because they are coddled in college. If you think about it, how many UT players have really been as advertised in the NFL? (Aaron Ross.... and ummm.... Shaun Rogers when he feels like it... and hmmmm.... Aaron Ross?) Orakpo, if he is good, would fill a major need, but I liked Robert Ayers a lot better. The rest of the draft class was tremendously underwhelming, to me. Cutting Jon Jansen this weekend was a little perplexing, as he is a lot better at RT than anybody else they have. I am not a DeAngelo Hall fan, and hopefully he draws a lot of man coverage against Eddie Royal when the Skins play the Broncos this season. I also think the Skins needed to get a legitimate kicker, and they missed that mark again, so enjoy another season of Shaun Suisham, Skins fans. It has been a problem for them since the early 90s. Also, publicly floating Jason Campbell's name, and chasing Mr. Unmentionable and Mark Sanchez was really strategically pretty stupid too. Not to be all dramatic, but I really hate just about everything about Washington's offseason.

ST&NO Outlook - I just can't find a lot of reason to get excited about this team's prospects, but I can make a case for improvement by them. I thought Jason Campbell was the best QB in the NFC in the early part of last season, but he faded late. If he returns to form, and is asked to do less West-Coast timing (Zorn) sort of stuff, he can be very good. Santana Moss is a playmaker, and Antwaan Randle El isn't (though he is widely believed to be). If Devin Thomas and/or Malcolm Kelly emerge as competent NFL starters, the Redskins can be successful in the passing game, to the extent that their below-average O-Line can keep Campbell on his feet. Clinton Portis is outstanding, as we all know, and if he can stay healthy, the running game will be pretty good.

The defense looks kind of meh. They have 4 good players, in Haynesworth, Rocky McIntosh, Chris Horton, and LaRon Landry. The rest of their defense consists of overrated, underachieving and/or declining players like London Fletcher, Andre Carter, Phillip Daniels, Carlos Rogers, MeAngelo Hall, and (Fred) Smoot Dogg. If Orakpo is good from the start, and a few of those guys have career seasons, the Redskins can be solid on defense.

Bottom line, I think this is an unbalanced and average football team. They have a great fan base, which I didn't know until I attended the HOF ceremony last season. I am sure their fans will vote their players to the Pro Bowl again, whether they deserve it or not, but this is a 6-10 win team, depending on health and luck. They have a puncher's chance against anybody on their good days, but they're not nearly as good as New York or Philadelphia.

e. Dallas Cowboys Ugh.... just, ugh!!! (2008 Record 9-7, missed playoffs)

Smart Personnel Moves - Getting rid of Terrell Owens was definitely the right thing to do, and I am actually surprised that Jerry Jones accepted the personal loss of face which was inherent to the move. I give him a lot of credit, as it was a "football-man" kind of decision. Igor Olshansky is a significant downgrade from Chris Canty at RDE, but he's better than getting castrated in a freak lawn-mower accident, I guess.

Questionable Personnel Moves - Here's the deal. When you score 362 points and give up 365, you're an average football team, and there's no other way to spin things. The Cowboys did nothing substantial this offseason, except get rid of T.O., and lose a very good player in Chris Canty. I think it was a miscalculation to think that this was a Super Bowl-caliber team last season, and it's an even bigger one now, given the measurable results of 2008. The Cowboys tend to believe their own hype, and they always think that just because their lousy players make Pro Bowls (Flozell Adams? (Safety) Roy Williams? Really!?!?!) that they are actually Pro Bowl-caliber players. This was not the offseason to stand pat, and the Cowboys did a little worse than that.

ST&NO Outlook - This is a talented, but seriously flawed team. They lack anybody very good at WR, (including Roy E. Williams) and their O-Line is really overrated, and is below average, if you want to get strictly reality-based about it. Tony Romo is a very good athlete, and he has some playmaker to him sometimes, but he makes as many bonehead throws as any QB in the NFL, and hurts the team when he does. Marion Barber is a good tandem back, but they believed the Marion-the-Barbarian foolishness, and they wore him out last season. I do like Felix Jones, but he's no workhorse either. He and Jason Witten are about the only two guys on their whole offense who I care for as players.

The defense will suffer some for the loss of Canty. He was one of the best 5-techniques in the NFL. They are about to send Greg Ellis packing, in favor of Anthony Spencer, and that's a mistake. Ellis is a good player, and Spencer is an athlete who doesn't seem to have much feel or knowledge for playing. The Cowboys will almost certainly struggle again to defend against the pass, especially in the middle of the field. Gerald Sensabaugh isn't even really an upgrade over the departed (Safety) Roy Williams, as lousy as he was.

Because there is some talent in Dallas, they can win any game they play, but they will frequently be out-executed, and beaten for that reason. I expect them to be on the same level as the Redskins, and nowhere near the class of New York and Philadelphia.

2. I'm going to wash my hands now, after writing about the Cowboys. Maybe I will brush my teeth too, as I think I may have read a few of the words aloud, to gauge how they sounded. Better safe than sorry.

3. OK, I am back. Thanks for your patience. My phone call came, and I talked for like an hour, but still I press on like I'm those craptastic Lee Nails. That's how much I want to get this up at 8:30am Monday, that I am still writing at 11:37pm on Sunday night, with close looming in the morning.

OK, quick; something shallow and nearsighted. Ummmm, OK, the Jets QB situation. Kellen Clemens is not going to beat out Mark Sanchez for the starting job, unless Sanchez misses a significant amount of camp time holding out. Take that to the bank. I don't think that Sanchez's agent, David Dunn, allows that to happen. While he is also Clemens' agent, you have to prioritize your higher-paid clients more highly.

4. I think it's very silly that Eric Steinbach's job might be in jeopardy in Cleveland. I understand that Eric Mangini values size in offensive linemen, and that Steinbach is small for the position, but he is one of the best technicians in the NFL, and he does a great job at LG for the Browns. I can think of about 20 teams who'd love to have him, if the Browns let him go.

5. I think that most of the substance of the 4-letter coverage of Brandon Marshall is a lot of rehashing of stuff that was already out there, so I am not sure what the real news value of it is. Unlike Bob Ley, I am not going to judge who is lying and who is telling the truth, but I think the letters requesting money may be telling as to the motivation of his ex-girlfriend. Brandon's appearance on OTL wasn't his best camera performance, which is probably understandable, but he was strongest when he was talking about her embellishing facts and injuries, and seeking money. Whatever the case, I hope he does a better job of controlling his emotions, and that ESPN's ratings-seeking/past-dredging/platform-granting doesn't force the NFL's hand in determining the outcome of his most recent incident with his fiancee, for which the charges were dismissed the next day.

6. As an old sailor (well, I am 31, so not that old), I love few things better than a good rooster-tail. It's indicative of a true course and steady forward progress. Check this one out, taken from my iPhone Sunday, which actually takes a pretty nice picture, unlike any other cellphone I have ever owned..

May the Broncos' course be as straight, and forward progress be as powerful as the MY Perfect Pear (lame name, I know) was Sunday. And then we can call Adam Schein and make him eat a nice helping of tasty crow. Bon appetit :)

7. Retired for John Elway.

Have a great week, and remember, optimism doesn't cost anything. Go Broncos!!