SB Nation - Malcolm Kelly

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

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

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

B) talk about Brian Orakpo and Jason Campbell.

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

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

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

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

Team Stat Comparison

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

Oakland Raiders Postgame Recap: Redskins 34, Raiders 13

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Poll

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

Friday Night "Mights" - Washington Redskins vs. Denver Broncos

Sugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:53:22 -0000

More photos » by Pablo Martinez Monsivais - AP

Ladell Betts is poised to repeat his successful stretch run as starting running back for the Skins.

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It was pointed out last week that I should make the disclaimer about this article very clear on the front side. These predictions assume a Redskins victory. They are meant to provide at least some relief from the serious issues we have with our team. That said, I can honestly tell you that, "Yes, I do think we will win this Sunday." And here's how:

1) Ladell Betts will run for 150+ yards and 2 touchdowns. Inside the red zone, the bulk of our plays are going to be running plays. Rock Cartwright is going to get his share of carries this week (5-10 I am guessing) and we will lean on the new guy, Levi Jones, for better or worse. One thing that has seemed to work for this team in the past is having Ladell Betts take over as the starter down the stretch. I worry about our right guard situation, and find it laughable that we are calling it a "Battle" to see whether Chad Rinehart or Will Montgomery will start. But I think Mike Sellers and Todd Yoder will log some healthy blocking downs and enable Betts to move the chains.

2) Brian Orakpo, in addition to yet another sack, will also log an interception. I am tempted to say he runs it back for a score, but I think he outruns his blockers early in the run-back and gets tackled. I am extremely excited to see what he looks like with the ball in his hands. He is the kind of player you wish you could play at running back in Madden. Big, strong, fast...no way the first tackler brings him down.

3) Jason Campbell will have zero turnovers. This is going to be huge for us this weekend. The game is going to be a close one throughout, so ball protection is key. I don't see JC testing Champ Bailey regularly, which does not bode well for Santana Moss' stats, but I am hopeful that Fred Davis can be responsible for moving the chains in the passing game. He killed us last week with the botched tip that turned into a Falcons defensive touchdown (I know, it wasn't a great throw, but you don't initiate a tip drill like that.)

4) We will score on a trick play. Since I have the ability to see the future, I can tell you that it will be a double reverse handoff to Devin Thomas who will race into the end zone for a touchdown. The key to the play will be two amazing blocks. The first will be Jason Campbell giving up his body to give Thomas the edge. The second block will be Malcolm Kelly down field.

5) Shaun Suisham kicks the game-winning field goal. What a difference a year makes I guess. From the worst kicker (statistically) last season, to the one guy on offense we have been able to count on. He is one of only 5 kickers to have not missed yet this season, and among those kickers, he has the second most attempts--including a 48-yarder. I am putting the game on him this week.

I hate predicting the final score, but I'll go ahead and call it 24-23. No passing touchdowns by JC, but otherwise a solid day for the beleagured quarterback.

Here is what I am really hoping for: The Broncos travel cross-country on a short week this week and have next week's opponent--the San Diego Chargers--squarely in their sights. The lack of respect they probably have for our team will lead to a sloppy performance and leave just a big enough opening for our offense to score their season-high point total. Also, Kevin and I have both talked this week about the prospect of using the no-huddle to prevent the Broncos from shuffling their defensive personnel in the manner they prefer. If Sherm Lewis and Jim Zorn trust JC with the keys to the no-huddle, it might prove to be a huge factor.

Your bold predictions and cracks at me are now welcome.

Panthers Receiving Tandem - Less than Good So Far

Ryan Basen — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:54:26 -0000

More photos » by Chuck Burton - AP

Panthers receivers Steve Smith, left, and Muhsin Muhammad, shown here in training camp in August, combined have caught only half the balls thrown to them this season. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

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The Panthers and observers have blamed a lot of factors for the team's stagnant offense this season: The line is not playing well, Jake Delhomme is declining, Jonathan Stewart was injured. But another reason for the unit's struggles has been the lack of productivity from Carolina's starting wide receivers, Mushin Muhammad and Steve Smith.

In fact, when you look at how much the Panthers' passing game has depended on Smith and Muhammad, and how much they have produced, they rate as one of the least efficient wide receiver tandems in the NFL.

CSR examined the top two wide receivers on each NFL team -- studying how often they were targeted for passes, how many balls they caught, and for how many yards and scores. Adjustments were made to averages in some cases to account for the Panthers' bye week because not every NFL team had had its bye yet. Here is how Smith and Muhammad stack up:

Smith and Muhammad have been the targets of a combined 77 passes from Panthers quarterbacks, and have caught only 39 of those passes. That's roughly one-half. Neither has scored a touchdown in four games and they have accounted for a combined 433 yards, or 108.3 yards per game, even though they have been the targets for a staggering 57.9 percent of all Carolina passes. Here are their individual numbers:

Smith has caught 20 of the 42 passes thrown his way, for 255 yards. He has been the target for 31.6 percent of Carolina passes.

Muhammad has caught 19 of 35 passes for 178 yards. He has been the target 26.3 percent of the time.

You don't need to be Jeff Davidson to know that's not efficient. Compare their production to other top NFL receiving tandems, and the numbers look worse. Only one other duo has been the target for as many of its team's passes (57.9 percent) when they are healthy: Randy Moss and Wes Welker of the Patriots. But Welker and Moss have been far more productive.

Moss has caught 30 of 48 passes for 367 yards and a score -- albeit in five games, to four for the Panthers' tandem. Welker, however, is 26-of-41 for 227 yards and a score in only three games.

Between them they have played a combined eight games -- the same as Smith and Muhammad -- and accounted for many more yards (594-433) on only 12 more passes (89-77). They have also caught 63 percent of passes thrown their way, to 51 percent for Smith-Muhammad.

Some other figures to chew on:

Despite their limited production, Smith and Muhammad are both in the top 10 of all NFL receivers in percentage of their team's passes thrown to them. No other team has a pair of receivers in the top 10. This suggests that the Panthers are relying too much on Smith and Muhammad at the wide receiver position.

The other Steve Smith, of the Giants, by himself has accounted for more receiving yards (481-433) and touchdowns (4-0) than Smith-Muhammad despite being targeted far less often (49-77).

Smith 20-42 receptions-targeted ratio is the second-lowest among the 25 NFL receivers who are their teams' most popular targets. The only one who's worse: The Raiders' Louis Murphy (12-33). And he plays with Jamarcus "I miss the whole table when I play beerpong" Russell.

Despite playing opposite a veteran receiver, Smith has been far less productive than the NFL receiver he is most often compared to: Washington's Santana Moss. Moss is similar in stature, speed and experience to Smith. He plays in an offense worse than Carolina's, lining up opposite the unestablished Devin Thomas or Malcolm Kelly. Yet Moss is 21-of-35 for 337 yards and two scores.

Besides Welker-Moss and Smith-Muhammad, six other healthy tandems of NFL receivers have been targeted for at least 43 percent of their team's passes: The Giants' Smith-Mario Manningham (55), Seattle's T.J. Houshmandzadeh-Nate Burleson (48), Pittsburgh's Hines Ward-Santonio Holmes (47), Jacksonville's Torry Holt-Mike Sims-Walker (45), Denver's Brandon Marshall-Eddie Royal (45) and Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald-Anquan Boldin (43).

All six tandems, like Welker-Moss, have been more efficient and productive than Smith-Muhammad.

Smith and Muhammad are well off their pace of last season. In the 2008 regular season combined they were targeted for an even higher percentage of Panther passes (62.3) than thus far in 2009. But they corralled 60.3 percent of the 237 passes thrown their way, accounted for an average of 146.3 yards per game and caught 11 touchdown passes.

This report is not meant as a referendum against Smith and Muhammad. A passing game depends of course on the quarterback, linemen and offensive coordinator, as well. They are all responsible for the lack of production from the wide receiver position; the numbers don't tell us how many times Smith got open but Delhomme was sacked or misread the play, for example. I'm not a coach or a scout; I have no idea how much of a factor Smith and Muhammad alone have been in their lack of production.

But here's what the numbers do tell us: The Panthers vertical passing game has been anemic through four games. Until something changes -- Delhomme's play, the development of Kenny Moore or Dwayne Jarrett, more playing time for Dante Rosario, whatever -- defenses will likely continue to stack the box and attack the running game. They will dare the Panthers' passing game to move the ball and score, because so far it has not done much of either efficiently.

Fantasy Watch: Washington Redskins vs Kansas City Chiefs

Sugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:34:01 -0000

More photos » by Evan Vucci - AP

Jim Zorn and Jason Campbell have their backs against the wall and one more chance against a weak team to prove they have a passing game to write home about. That makes Jason Campbell a must-start in all fantasy formats.

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Wow...talk about a game that not very many other people in the country are talking about. To suggest that this game has a lot of fantasy appeal would also be a little insulting to the average fantasy player's intelligence. But there are a few things worth considering in this game that could help with your fantasy lineups this weekend.

Jason Campbell - A "hot seat" coach has to fight and claw to prove to management he belongs. Zorn was brought here to mentor and groom Campbell and install an innovative offense (hold comments on this for another post.) If he is going to get fired, I see him going down swinging for the fences. Jason Campbell will once again be throwing early and often. He has thrown a few more interceptions this season than you would like to see, but the Chiefs did just give up a 250-yard performance to Miles Austin. You have to think that before we hit the meat of our schedule, Zorn is going to go balls to the wall with his passing game to rev it up. To me, that makes Jason Campbell a must-start.

Santana Moss - Well, Miles Austin did just have a 250-yard day against this weak pass defense. There aren't many fantasy players out there as off and on or streaky as Santana Moss. His 4 catch, 44 yard day last week is as sure a sign that he will blow up this week as any. If you own Moss, and you leave him on your bench this week, you will most likely hate yourself on Monday. Even more so than normal.

Chris Cooley- He went without a catch for the first time since 2004...that has to be killing him. After Samuels went down, he was asked to stay in and block, with mixed results. The line continues to be a debacle this week, so I worry that he will have more blocking assignments again. Barring last week's performance, Cooley has been a must-start fantasy player in all formats. But with this offense looking sluggish and the line looking banged up, I wonder about the use of the tight end this week. I am not recommending sitting him, because chances are if you have Cooley, you don't have a better tight end. But this might be a week to see how he does--if things are going away from him like last week, you should look into adding another tight end.

Clinton Portis- He continues to run hard for the most part. I have no idea how healthy he is, but the Chiefs excel at giving up yards. If Zorn wasn't so hell-bent on passing the ball, and if the line was a little healthier, CP could be at the top of the league in rushing easily. Back to reality: our line is a patchwork quilt--AGAIN--and Zorn desperately needs to validate his passing game. While conventional wisdom tells you that CP is a slam dunk in fantasy against this defense, recent history suggests that if he is going to get you a big chunk of fantasy points, he will have to break a few long runs to get the most from his touches.

Devin Thomas/Malcolm Kelly/Fred Davis- The "red shirts" were noticeably more involved in last week's game plan (Thomas and Davis more so it seemed.) Thomas impressed me. CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THOMAS IS NOT RUNNING BACK KICKOFFS!? Sorry for that. Until they are consistently productive, you simply can't start them as anything more than a bye week replacement.

Washington Redskins Defense- Oh Jebus...where do I begin? This is it right? If you drafted them, you were banking on this 6 game stretch. This is game 6 of that stretch. From here on out, this defense could be a very risky start. Against the Chiefs' offense, you would figure we should get turnovers and sacks. The name of this game (and the theme of tonight's Friday Night "Mights") is 3rd down. This defense simply has to find a way to get off the field on 3rd down. Period. End of story. If they can do 50% better on 3rd down, they go from a marginal fantasy start to a absolute stud must-start unit.

Friday Night "Mights" - Washington Redskins vs. Carolina Panthers

Sugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:57:25 -0000

Holy crap...does anyone else feel like their nads are getting pummeled like a heavy bag by a professional boxer? (For Kevin, more like the little mini-bag that hangs from the ceiling.) Just when you thought this franchise was in enough disarray with a 2-2 record, a beleaguered coach, a mediocre quarterback, a lackluster running game, an unproven batch of second-year receivers, an underachieving defense, a pissed off defensive coordinator, a clueless owner, and a no-account, sad-sack, miserable SOB for a "GM"...Snyder and Cerrato show the world their ass by proving that there is no lesson they can't forget (by hiring Sherman Lewis to consult.)

Let me be clear: this move has all kinds of "right" to it. This team needs help. Zorn could use a hand. This offense is stuck in idle. The way that Cerrato and Snyder went about this could not have been more stupid if they had done it while dancing naked in front of the White House. How do you bring in a guy to consult on the offense without first consulting your offensive staff? You know as well as I do that Snyder could have done this in a way that maybe put Zorn in the driver's seat on the decision. A statement by Zorn that went something like, "Nobody is more qualified to watch some tape and offer some constructive criticism than my dear friend Sherman Lewis" would have worked just fine. There may have still been some heat, but it would not be like it is now.

I honestly believe Snyder wants Zorn to succeed. After all, he made the call to hire him. To me, this move is Snyder giving Zorn as much possible help as he can find--just in the most asinine way. If it wasn't Snyder and Cerrato, nobody would even believe that our next coach could be promoted from Head Bingo Caller at the senior center. But because of their stellar reputation, people actually believe Sherman Lewis is a threat to succeed Zorn--possibly by season's end. I don't, but jeez...is it possible? Absolutely. Every day seems like Snyder's first day on the job.

All this said, we still get a chance to go to 3-2 on the year and take out our frustration on another weak team. With this week's turmoil, the "Mights" are a little different.

1) Stay focused on the game.Between the whistles, everyone is capable of beating everyone in the NFL (look at the Lions...hahaha...oh wait...damn it.)

2) Adopt the old "us-against-the-world" attitude...and fast. Because it is quickly turning into that. It is time to do it for your teammates.

3) Play 4 quarters. Get your foot on their neck early, and don't let up until the final whistle. Punch them in the mouth.

4) No sideline bickering.This week's news of Malcolm Kelly complaining, and CP and Sellers getting into it are troubling. At 3-2, we would still be VERY much in play (assuming some momentum starts forming.)

5) Remember that us fans are rooting for the players in pads and helmets, not the idiots wearing suits in the owner's box. We have not given up on this team. Please don't give up on yourselves.

Big win this week...gotta go and get it. Players win games...not owners and not "GMs".

Recap: Redskins vs Rams: Redskins Need a New Play-Caller

KevinE — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:06:20 -0000

Another one of those games where a win feels like a loss. Redskins Nation seems to be split into two camps "a win is a win" and "this team can't blow out the Rams...time to call Shanahan." I'm in the middle. I do think it is time to strip Zorn of his play-calling. Am I the only one that thinks Zorn would be a great flag-football play-caller? Third and 5 in the red zone and you have Clinton Portis throwing the ball? When that play came into Jason Campbell, I can't imagine what his first reaction must have been. Do you think Zorn has a play in his playbook where the TE does a post over the middle...stops...does five jumping jacks (to freeze the safeties)...then goes deep?

I just don't get it. We drafted all these WRs to be our red zone guys, and we have Clinton Portis throwing the ball. At least TRY a fade. Pump fakes are a great tool to freeze a corner....didn't see any of those. I also question going for it on 4^th up TWO points with two minutes to go in the game. How about kick the field goal and force the Rams to score a TD...something they're not very good at! At this point, the Redskins are 2^nd to last in most points scored in the season...last place being St. Louis of course. Watching the game I feel as if Zorn is calling the plays to save his job.

Zorn thinking to himself: "Crap. I need to score a TD. Let's wow Mr. Snyder with this one...."

Washington Drive Summaries
START	QTR	POSS.	YARD	PLAYS	YARDS	RESULT
15:00	1	01:18	WAS 25	3	9	Punt
11:16	1	06:19	WAS 14	13	83	Field Goal
13:55	2	05:57	WAS 26	13	64	Field Goal
03:56	2	02:44	WAS 22	9	48	Fumble
13:55	3	07:28	WAS 21	14	74	Field Goal
12:55	4	02:04	WAS 6	3	-3	Punt
09:15	4	07:20	WAS 20	15	76	Downs
01:32	4	01:32	WAS 4	3	-9	End of Game

The Redskins offense is not going to blow any teams out, and we need to come to grips with that. The players took offense to the post-game booing, but what they need to realize is that false expectations have been set. All the interviews out of training camp were that the red shirts were going to step up this year, yet for a second straight game, they were playing hide and seek.

Continue reading this post >>

The defense was also suppose to be a turnover powerhouse with the additions of DeAngelo Hall and Albert Haynesworth, yet they are playing to their competition. The defense certainly is better, but we've been brain-washed to believe QBs will be leaving on stretchers and our defense will be scoring 2 touchdowns a game. Let's be real, the Redskins were not the best 4^th defense last year. How can you be the fourth best defense and rank almost last in the league in both turnovers and sacks? The Skins defense is currently ranked tied for 22nd with 2.0 sacks. What we need to remember is that we came into this season with a lot of hopes:

- Laron Landry would have a break out season
- Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, and Fred Davis will make huge contributions
- Defense would be getting loads of sacks and multiple turnovers per game
- Campbell would step up being his his 2^nd year in the system
- Zorn will be more comfortable in his 2^nd year

All these were suppose to happen, and so far none of them have. We expected them to, but they're not, and of course Redskins fans are impatient as the best of them, which is going to result in a rain of boos. I've always made fun of Snyder for his knee-jerk decisions, so I want to be careful that I'm not doing the same when saying "Zorn needs to be stripped of play-calling." However, we need to remember that this is year two and major mistakes are being made. The coach should never be the one to cost a game, but I certainly feel like this is the case each week with several plays or poor clock management.

Zorn and Campbell did do some things right. If Mike Sellers and Devin Thomas catch those touchdown passes, we're all high-fiving and beer-bonging the Redskins kool-aid. Dropped passes happen though, and it's over-coming mistakes that make the difference. Sherman Smith, a former teammate of Zorn in Seattle, does not have a lot of experience as a play-caller either. Before joining the Redskins, Smith was a running backs coach with the Titans for twelve years. The Redskins need someone with experience either calling the plays or mentoring Zorn.

Looking at all these long, extended drives and time of possession statistics, it's baffling there were zero touchdowns scored. Everyone here on Hogs Haven, myself included, bashed all the outside power rankings where the Skins were ranked in the bottom ten. Looks like they might just be right. They're certainly closer. The fact the Skins can have lots of extended drives is encouraging. And one last point, I think by the end of the season we are going to look back at this game and say the Rams are a much better team than we thought. Spagnuolo made adjustments after the Seattle game, and the Rams played noticeably better.

Team Statistics
	STL	WAS
First Downs	14	21
Passing	9	14
Rushing	3	7
Penalty	2	0
Third Down Efficiency	6-12	7-15
Fourth Down Efficiency	0-1	1-2
TOTAL NET YARDS	245	362
Total Plays	50	70
Average Gain Per Play	4.9	5.2
NET YARDS RUSHING	126	125
Rushes	21	33
Average Per Rush	6.0	3.8
NET YARDS PASSING	119	237
Completions-Attempts	15-28	23-36
Yards Per Pass Play	4.1	6.4
Times Sacked	1	1
Yards Lost to Sacks	6	5
Had Intercepted	0	0
PUNTS	4	2
Average Punt	43.3	48.0
PENALTIES	6	5
Penalty Yards	45	35
FUMBLES	2	2
Fumbles Lost	1	1
TIME OF POSSESSION	25:07	34:53

Poll

Should Zorn be stripped of play-calling?

Yes, but let Sherman Smith handle the play calling

140 votes

Yes, but we need to bring in an experienced Offenisve Coordinator

750 votes

No, he'll learn and will be fine

227 votes

1117 votes | Poll has closed

Interview with a Rams' Fan About Redskins Game this Sunday

KevinE — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:48:51 -0000

We've beaten the Week 1 loss to death, so we're ready to move on to the Rams game. A good friend of mine, and former roommate, John Dickerman, is a Missourian native and knows everything St. Louis there is when it comes to sports. Since so many NFC East fans could give a rat's ass know so little about the Rams, I thought it'd be worth picking his brain for a quick update on the state of the 2-14 squad from last season.

Ken and I will be doing an interview with the SB Nation Rams blog in the next day, so we'll be able to get a good feel of what to expect. I appeared on their blog last night, and one thing is very clear: The Rams current WRs are about as valuable as Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly were to the Redskins last year, specificaly with the timing and accuracy of their routes.

Hogs Haven: What is the current state of the Rams? Are they re-building or do they think they're a legit contender? I noticed they brought in some high-priced free agents on the OLine (Jacob Bell and Jason Brown) the past 2 years.

The Rams are a total disaster as a result of at least 6 years of poor drafting. (The Rams currently have two players on their roster from the 2006 Draft - two players picked in the 4th and 7th rounds.) There is no question that they are rebuilding. This year, in particular, they are in flux because they have two high-priced veterans on O who are past their prime (Marc Bulger), or nearing their prime and are ineffective because of a poor surrounding cast (S Jax). They have added money to the O line with Bell, Brown and Jason Smith, but their O line is inefficient and undisciplined. (The big story this week was Incognito again taking personal foul penalties - two of them, there's no question that guy has a load of talent, but he has a rep for being a dirty player now. He's on a short leash with the league, and everyone in St. Louis is frustrated with his immaturity on the field.) I don't think anyone in St. Louis expects them to win more than 4 games. 6 wins would have to be considered a success.

Hogs Haven: Marc Bulger seems to really have lost a step. Are the fans and Spagnuolo still behind him? Zero points for the Rams last week despite being the beneficiary of 3 turnovers.

Even though Bulger clearly isn't the QB he was 4 or 5 years ago, he still has the support of the coaching staff. I don't think Kyle Boller is much of a step up. The fans aren't behind Bulger at all, because fans are stupid and fickle and tend to blame the QB for all of the team's mistakes on Offense. Keep in mind, though, that the Rams have no effective weapons for Bulger to take advantage of, aside from S Jax. Their receiver corps must be the thinnest and youngest in the league. All of that being said...if Bulger can't put together a decent seasons, stat-wise, his career in St. Louis might be over.

Hogs Haven: The Redskins were mostly successful at stopping the run against an incredible Giants backfield. What do you think St. Louis needs to accomplish to beat the Redskins defense, who are highlighted by their stout D-line with Hayensworth? Will Stephen Jackson see more than 16 touches this week?

The Rams have to rush the football consistently and make no mistakes on the O Line. Last week the Rams averaged about 4.2 yards per carry...not terrible. But they threw the football an inordinate amount of time, even before falling behind 21-0. I know the 'Skin's have a great D line, but S Jax is punishing. If the hits the hole 25 or 30 times, I'm confident the Rams could actually make headway on Offense. That being said...the Skins could easily stack the box and play the Rams receivers man-to-man and not worry too much about getting burned downfield. No false starts and no personal foul penalties would be a great start for the Rams O line.

Hogs Haven: The Redskins haven't show-cased a high powered offense yet, but there are still many weapons they can beat you with. What needs to happen for the Rams D to be successful (especially since they had zero sacks last week)? Have you seen any changes in the defense with Spagnuolo that made him so successful with the Giants and under Jim Johnson in PHI?

The Rams need a pass rush in order to be successful, no question. By all accounts, they didn't even cause MH [Hasselbeck] to sweat last week. Their Secondary played okay, considering their inexperience, and their linebackers tackled well...but, as one writer in St. Lou said yesterday, even long runs end with a tackle if they don't end up in the end zone. The Rams need to show some ability to stop the run, or at least challenge it.

One thing is clear, the Rams are still in disarray, but a couple things DO stand out. There defense is pretty good. They forced three turnovers from the Seahawks, and they still have Leonard Little.

Hogs Haven: If the Rams were playing the D.C. Divas without Stephen Jackson and Leonard Little, who would you take?

DC Divas might debacle the Rams without S Jax and LL, but only if Rosie O'Donnell starts at RB.

Thanks again J-Dick for the time.

Pour Some Sugar On Me - Week One Edition: Time to Stay Positive

Sugar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:00:16 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Hunter Smith proves his worth in the first half of the first game.

Browse more photos »

Unlike my colleague Kevin, I am not ready to throw in the towel on this season. What kind of fan does that anyway after one week? (Answer at the bottom of the post.)

Did I think the Redskins could beat the Giants going into that game Sunday? Of course I did.

Do I think the Giants are the better team after Week One? I am compelled to believe that today after the Redskins' loss.

Ah, but there is this--it is Week One. The Giants are the better team right now. Right now. The difference between these two teams might be more than the 6 points the score indicated, but the Giants are considered the class of the NFC. If the Redskins can improve in areas that they clearly need to work on as the season progresses, it is possible that we aren't as bad off as we feel today. I am not just trying to blow smoke up your 5-hole either. It is a long season and a lot can happen. Or not happen. Like these two plays which, to me, rank right up there as the two plays that you would think we could eliminate from future contests, given the Redskin players involved.

1) 2nd and 8, ball on NYG 42, 8:30 left in 1st half - Jason Campbell throws up the right sideline for Santana Moss and is intercepted by Webster. First of all, the obvious: did anyone else think JC might have been able to get the 1st down by running? I did. Tough to say for sure of course. Secondly, he wasn't just over the line of scrimmage...he was WAY over, right? Like at least a yard and a half, maybe 2 yards? The penalty would have been five yards and loss of down, meaning 3rd and 13 from the NYG 47. Instead, Santana Moss gets beaten to the ball by Webster, who makes an incredible play to come down with the INT. Did anyone else think Santana Moss had something to do with that pickle? I thought he could have done more at the end of the play, either by doing a better job of coming back for the ball or by keeping Webster from coming down with the ball. To be fair, Webster came from behind him to make the play, but it just seemed like Moss slowed up at the last second and that was enough for Webster to be able to get in and make the play.

2) 1st and 10, ball on WASH 48, 2:29 left in the first half - Osi Umenyiora beats Chris Samuels for the sack, forced fumble, and fumble recovery that leads to Osi running in the touchdown that put the Giants up 17-0.

Ugh. Despite the fact that we were down 10-0 when this drive began, you got the feeling that if the Skins could score before the half, momentum could start shifting. The previous play was a 3rd and 8 that we converted when JC found Randle El for 9 yards in the middle of the field. I know I was watching and thinking that JC was looking a bit more comfortable on this drive. i would love to hear some of your opinions of this play by Samuels. He got beaten badly. I know it was just one play, but it was a HUGE play. The sack was bad enough. The fumble was that much worse. The fact that Osi then took it the other way for 6 was simply nad-pummeling.

These two first half plays killed us in my opinion. We outscored the Giants 10-6 in the second half. In the first half, the outcomes of either one of these drives (both at or near midfield) could have netted the Redskins points that very well could have re-shaped the final result. There were more pivotal plays in the game than these two, but to me, these are the two stuck in my brain.

Ten Yard Fight-10 Chances to Make One Good Point

Unlike the preseason, I won't be doing wrap-ups of every game. You can get that by watching any one of the seven billion re-runs of Sportscenter between now and Friday. Besides, most of you watched the games anyway, unlike the preseason, when I was one of the few retards who decided to watch all of the games. In this week's ten observations, I will man up where I was wrong going into the season opener, and then I will tout the preseason analysis I made that was right on the money. First, where I was wrong (after the jump):

1) Okay, so Jermichael Finley wasn't the world-beater in week one that I promised you. He had one catch for 6 yards. In a game where every yard came at a premium, I would have thought he would be targeted more than once. I was wrong.

2) Over at SBNation.com, the brand new sports website that was launched last Thursday, a certain writer for their Fantasy Football front page compared the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense to "a turd wrapped in a dirty tissue stuffed inside a bag of vomit." Well, I may have been a bit harsh. Maybe leave out the dirty tissue. You can see my Weekly Mailbag column every Wednesday and my Start 'Em/Sit 'Em column every Friday, written under the pen name of 'Ken Meringolo'.

3) Speaking of my awful fantasy advice, I implored fantasy owners to consider starting Malcolm Kelly as a gamble pick in a game where the Giants would eliminate Santana Moss. Holy crap! I have to do better. Though to be fair, I got the part about Santana Moss being eliminated right.

4) I thought Reggie Bush would be a far bigger factor on the ground than his 2.0 yards per carry. With Pierre Thomas out, Reggie Bush was a guy I figured would explode. I was wrong.

5) All of my Friday Night "Mights" proved to be off, I guess. For all of you out there raining on me for bad "predictions", keep in mind that first and foremost, these "mights" pre-suppose a victory. And they will be a mainstay for the season. (I hope I won't go 0-5 very often!)

Now, for the last five, I get to say,

"I've been telling you all preseason that..."

6) ...Mark Sanchez is ready to play and win now. He did not look like a rookie against the Texans.

7) ...The Packers' defense is for real. Jay Cutler is no slouch. Matt Forte is no slouch. The Packers got after them on Sunday night. Those linebackers were everywhere, and the secondary made Jay Cutler pay for overestimating his ability to put the ball in a tight spot with double-, triple-, and even quadruple-coverage.

8a) ...Kurt Warner has been lacking something this summer. He certainly has not found his rhythm in the offense yet for the 2009 season. He did not look horrible but completing less than 60% of his passes for less than 300 yards and two interceptions that left him with a 67.2 passer rating is not what we have come to expect from Warner. I bet a lot of folks in knockout/suicide pools were out after one week yesterday, thanks to the Cards dropping that game to the 49ers.

8b) ...Jake Delhomme looks like he is done. He didn't look good in August, and he looked even worse in the opener. Reminded me A LOT of the guy who had a horrendous playoff performance last year.

9) ...Drew Brees is in a universe all to himself. OK, so this was no great prediction. Of course, the Lions are the Lions, but Brees looks like he is on a Hall of Fame case-making kind of year. That team needs to find the playoffs for him to really get on the road to Canton, but his numbers are going to be off the charts again this year.

10) ...Mike Singletary was going to get the most out of this team. Shaun Hill had about 200 yards passing. Frank Gore had 30 yards rushing. The defense held when it had to and Shaun Hill came through in the 4th quarter. Singletary was working his sideline in the 4th quarter--did you see that? Either the Cardinals are a lot worse than we thought they were, or the 49ers have a real shot at making noise in the NFC West this year. Remember last year when there were THREE 2-7 teams in the NFC West? That won't happen again this year.

MNF) Can someone please tell me how Leodis McKelvin thought it was a good idea to bring out the kickoff with 2 minutes remaining in their game against the Patriots? With three minutes to go in the 1st quarter, the Oakland Raiders look like they are punching Norv Turner in the balls. So great.

Give Me the Numbers, STAT!

In this space each week we will look at stats for both the Redskins as well as team and player stat rankings around the league. By tracking these throughout the season, we hope to offer explanations and analysis as to how our team is doing as well as other trends in the league.

Last season, the Giants averaged 5.0 yards per carry. Brandon Jacobs averaged 5.0 yards per carry. Yesterday, the Giants averaged 3.3 yards per carry, and Jacobs 2.9 yards per carry. Consider also that the Giants led the league in rushing yards per carry (all stats from nfl.com.) A new season, a new look, a new slate for all teams--I get it. To properly measure that performance, we will need to see how the Giants run on their next couple of opponents. I am pretty sure they will fare better against other opponents.

Of the 28 teams that had completed their games by Monday morning, the Redskins ranked 19th in total defense (19th against the run and 18th against the pass.) One sack and one interception also put is in the bottom quarter of defenses. So let's set some expectations. We have some opponents coming up that are not in the same class as the New York Giants. Based on this, I am looking for our defense to put itself squarely on the map. If we don't see our ranking rise in the next two weeks, we will know that something is dreadfully wrong.

Finally, can we stop already with the negativity after one game? It would have been great to win on the road in the first week against the Giants. But nobody had that game circled as a certain win. As far as losses go, it was ugly at points, yet there were plenty of moments to cheer about, as noted by most of you yesterday in the recap comments section. What will define this team in the short-term is its ability to win the games it "should" win. Between now and when we hit the murderous portion of our schedule--if this team fancies itself a playoff team--they will have to do what every playoff team does: improve each week in team defense, overall offensive efficiency, and establish an identity that instills some fear in your opponents. It makes no sense to jump off the deep end calling for Zorn's ouster, or calling for Campbell to be benched. Come on. What kind of fan does that make you if you tuck tail and run after one loss? Answer: an Eagles fan.

You're better than that Redskins Nation.

Friday Night "Mights" - 5 Predictions for Redskins vs. Giants Game

Sugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:02:05 -0000

by Alex Brandon - AP

It says here that Brian Orakpo will begin his Reign of Terror this Sunday night against the Giants.

View full size photo »

First thing is first. Earlier this week, Ben Roethlisberger and his legal team fielded a request from his accuser's legal team to provide them with a list of partners Ben has had sexual relations with to probe for possible previous sexual misconduct. After watching last night's 4th quarter and overtime performance, I fully expect that list to now include the Titans' defense.

Moving on to the game that matters, here are 5 bold predictions for Sunday's game. Bragging rights are on the line come Monday. I ask that you not only include your bold predictions in the comments section, but also note where you agree and disagree with mine. And don't come with anything less than a bold prediction.

1) Jason Campbell will go over 250 yards passing.- I will go with 282 yards passing for JC. I expect Zorn to come out throwing and I expect Campbell to connect on at least 3 big pass plays. Maybe the number will look better than it really is if Moss or Cooley rack up yards after the catch, but I can live with that.

2) Malcolm Kelly will have over 5 catches for over 70 yards. - I believe that the Giants secondary will be content to let Kelly get his while they pay special attention to Cooley and Moss. I also believe that Campbell and Zorn will force the ball to Kelly to prove to the league that they do in fact have a wide receiver not named Santana Moss. I haven't decided how integral Kelly's performance will be to winning, but the closer he gets to 100 yds receiving, the more I believe that translates into a win for Washington.

3) Orakpo will get his first TWO sacks.- I didn't want to predict just one sack, as that would be the weeny thing to do. With our full defensive complement on the field, I am ready to believe Orakpo will be able to wreak havoc in the Giants' offensive backfield. This will put him on pace for 32 sacks, and we will all say 32 would be a disappointment since he clearly is capable of 40 (VA_Skin, looking in your direction)

4) Clinton Portis will have a TD run of longer than 30 yards.- By far the boldest prediction of the lot. He has not broken one for a while. It might be his last one of the season, but on Sunday he will will his way into the end zone from outside of the red zone. Come on, CP...the HOF awaits!

5) LaRon Landry will tally an INT, a FF, and will NOT get steamrolled by Brandon Jacobs.- We all want him to show up around the ball a little more often than he seemed to last year. If Eli puts the ball in or around his hands, he MUST come down with it this time (see last year's whiff). I am hoping that our defensive line can prevent Jacobs from simply running free into the second level on Sunday. If that is the case, LaRon should not have to worry about getting crumpled again on national television.

We'll be posting a preview and will be doing a chat during the game. Is anyone else getting fired up out there?

Poll

Which is most likely to happen?

Campbell passes for over 250 yds

416 votes

Kelly has over 5 catches for over 70 yds

217 votes

Orakpo has at least 2 sacks

156 votes

Portis breaks a 30+ yard TD

92 votes

LaRon Landry notches an INT, FF, and stays from underneath Jacobs' cleats

39 votes

920 votes | Poll has closed