SB Nation - Justin Tryon

New Orleans Saints @ Washington Redskins: Chat with the Enemy

Saintsational — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:00:15 -0000

Hard to believe it's already time for another one of my interviews with an SB Nation colleague in preparation for the Saints next opponent. The Saints travel to our nation's capitol this weekend so I'm talking with KevinE from Hogs Haven. They've got a decent sized community over there, similar to us I believe so go check them out when you get a chance.

If you've been paying attention to the Redskins this season, you'll know that fans aren't too happy with their team right now. I think it shows in my conversation with KevinE and after reading what he has to say, I also think you'll feel pretty confident about the Saints chances on Sunday.

CSC: After an exciting and active off-season, the Reskins season thus far has been pretty disappointing. Where did it all go wrong?

HH: Week one. Skins lost their starting Randy Thomas for the year. The problem is, he had double season-ending injuries last year and the Skins did nothing via the draft or free agency to fix that right side. Then they lost Chris Samuels for the year, and likely forever, with a neck injury. Again, we saw this one coming but the front office did not. Zero draft picks on offensive linemen. The Skins have been using players from practice squads as replacements and Campbell is getting murdered. With the complex blitz schemes Gregg Williams runs against these unskilled linemen, Campbell might end up in the ER Sunday afternoon.

CSC: I'm reading this funny post about the Redskins playcalling.It looks like a complete flustercuck. What's going on?

HH: Well, Zorn was not getting the job done and was making very predictable and sometimes bizarre play calls. Vinny Cerrato had enough and stripped the duties from him.

CSC: Give me an example of bizarre.

HH: Third and one near the goal line and Zorn calls a half-back pass from Portis...it failed miserably. It was clear then Zorn has no faith in Campbell to get the job done. Or maybe he thinks the NFL is like Madden.

CSC: Wow.

HH: The thing is, Zorn's offensive coordinator who he brought with him from Seattle, Sherman Smith, never had prior experience play-calling either. So Cerrato decided to bring in someone who did have experience...enter Sherman Lewis. The 2-minute drills have been laughable too. When the Skins go to the 2-minute drill, Zorn takes over the play-calling (even now). Yeah, it's bizarre. Either way, the point production has gone up since this "coaching carousel," as Cooley called it, started.

CSC: That is too funny.

HH: Yeah, Vinny Cerrato is not well liked down here.

CSC: He seems to be a huge focus on Hogs Haven. Is this like an Al Davis type of situation?

HH: Exactly. Oh man, Hogs Haven is gonna love that quote.

CSC: Should Cerrato stay in the background more? Or leave the country alltogether?

HH: When's the next space launch?

CSC: I'm guessing not soon enough.

HH: The Skins won their three Super Bowls behind an amazing offensive line. Arguably the best of all time. And he refuses to use draft picks on them. Not only that., he hired a West Coast Offense coach to run the team Joe Gibbs left, which was a power, run-first offense. Makes no sense. Plus, who hires an offensive coordinator before hiring a head coach? For that reason, no one wanted the job and they promoted Zorn, who had never held a position higher than quarterback coach before. And it clearly shows. No one hates Zorn here, he's just in over his head.

CSC: So Albert Haynesworth will be returning to action this Sunday. Should the Saints stick to passing the ball?

HH: Well, the Saints success is running on the outside anyway, so stick with that. The Skins tackling is atrocious in their secondary. But yes, you will not gain a single yard up the middle the plays he is in.

CSC: With all the injuries the Redskins have suffered this season, you said the team has had to find a lot of unknown talent to replace players. One of two of these new players must have pleasantly surprised fans. No?

HH: That's tough when you're still losing. Rock Cartwright has been great. He's been a staple leader and special teams hero this decade and now that he's finally got his chance to start at running back, he's really making plays.

Justin Tryon is one of the Skins young corners we're hoping can be great, and he had an interception last week.

CSC: Is there anyone left on the Redskins staff that would know a little something about Williams' scheme and might have an answer for it?

HH: Oh man...everyone. All the players were talking about it the other day after practice. London Fletcher has been with Gregg Williams most of his career in Buffalo and Washington. Jason Campbell went against it everyday in practice all those years. Smoot said he owed his whole career to Gregg.

CSC: Should this be cause for concern for Saints fans?

HH: I don't think so. The offensive line is horrible. Campbell is getting sacked on 3-foot drops. Seriously.

CSC: Want to make a prediction for the game?

HH: Sure... 27-19 Saints.

Washington Redskins Offense Backs Into Hydrant, Then Tree, Found Bloodied and Unconscious On I-95

Sugar — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:04:38 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

Jason Campbell walks off the field after yet another close game against an NFC East opponent.

Browse more photos »

We actually didn't do that bad. Making Philly pay for the opening onside kick was amazing, especially considering it was the first opening drive touchdown we had scored since Week 3 in 2008 (Cardinals...thanks to Matt Terl for that nugget.)

The ability of this offense to convert 3rd downs in long yardage situations is simply intoxicating, but the sheer absurdity of how often we find ourselves in 3rd and long is beyond sobering. Despite the fact that this team actually sustained a few drives yesterday, the calling card of this offense continues to be inconsistency. From the play-calling down to the execution, the lack of an even-keeled smoothness is nowhere to be found. The last couple weeks we have been in games at the end against good teams, but have been unable to close them out. It makes for exciting football to watch, but the repeated heartbreak I feel each week is just miserable. We have proven over the last two seasons that we are incapable of overcoming errors. I understand and tend to agree with the argument that games are not won or lost on one or two plays. But then again, those two early interceptions thrown by JC proved to be too costly to overcome. Maybe the rule should be: "Good teams don't get beat by one bad play."

Throughout the game, I found myself falling head over heels for our defense over and over again. They succeeded yet again in shutting down a pretty good offense for most of the game. Our defensive line got pressure on McNabb and their ability to block and deflect balls at the line and during Donovan's throwing motion resulted in frustration as well as Justin Tryon's first interception. The one knock I guess that remains is...how do you REGULARLY let Desean Jackson go free down the field? How frustrating is it that when the camera shows McNabb loading up a big one, you just KNOW that Desean Jackson is all by himself somewhere, running to the end zone. Doesn't LaRon Landry line up like 30 yards off the ball? How does Jackson get deep on that? It just seems insane that we would say, "Let's make them beat us with the deep ball to Desean!" Because that's what they are good at! It's like leaving a bottle of booze, a camera and Lindsay Lohan alone in a room with...well, with anyone--100% chance of sex tape. London Fletcher put an end to Jackson's day thankfully, but the damage was done.

What was the best play you saw all day? I thought Campbell's scramble and throw to Devin Thomas for a clutch first down in the second half was very strong. I liked it probably just a hair more than his scramble and subsequent TD toss to Fred Davis. What stood out to you?

Even though we are proving ourselves incapable of beating good teams in close games, you don't see the team giving up down the stretch. (You won't hear me extolling the virtues of a moral victory though.) The season is a bust since the playoffs are out of the picture. But we have enough guys with plenty to play for in the weeks ahead. Campbell is playing for a career. Mason and Ganther are playing to get reps on film. Thomas, Kelly, and Davis are playing to secure their roles for next season. Our offensive line is playing...well at least some of them are playing to try and make the team next year. On defense, guys like Jarmon, Orakpo, Barnes and Tryon will continue to learn on the job in the hopes that we won't lose a step next season on defense. The disconnect here is that on the sidelines, I have no feel for what, if anything, coaches and play-callers are doing or even could do to save their jobs or build momentum to next season. The play-calling setup continues to be a mockery as well as fodder for every analyst discussing our team.

I can't let this recap go without a mention of the "settling for a field goal" decision we made late in the game. It was obvious to everyone that we were going for 3 on those last 3 downs before the field goal right? To me, watching Sherm Lewis pussyfoot in the red zone there was 10 times worse than not taking a shot last week against the Cowgirls at the end of the first half on 3rd down with 15 seconds left.

Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs	15	17
Passing 1st downs	11	9
Rushing 1st downs	4	8
1st downs from Penalties	0	0
3rd down efficiency	8-17	5-15
4th down efficiency	0-1	1-1
Total Plays	63	67
Total Yards	303	381
Passing	221	258
Comp-Att	22-37	21-36
Yards per pass	6.0	7.2
Rushing	82	123
Rushing Attempts	25	29
Yards per rush	3.3	4.2
Red Zone (Made-Att)	3-4	1-4
Penalties	7-39	7-60
Turnovers	2	1
Fumbles lost	0	0
Interceptions thrown	2	1
Defensive / Special Teams TDs	0	0
Possession	29:42	30:18

Is the Redskins Cornerbacks Situation a Serious Cause for Concern?

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

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

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

Some highlights:

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

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

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

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

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

Fans commonly would defend with the argument,

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

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

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

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

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

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

Game Preview: Washington Redskins vs New England Patriots - Preseason

KevinE — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:51:49 -0000

TV:

TV Announcers: Jim Nantz & Phil Simms

Radio: 980 AM, 730 AM (Spanish), 94.3 FM and 92.7 FM

New England Patriots @ Washington Redskins

Friday, August 28nd, 8PM, Fedex Field

Weather:

Tailgate: 2PM-8PM (70% chance rain - 81 degrees)

Game time: 8PM-11PM (64% chance rain - 74 degrees)

Not expected to play: Rock Cartwright, Carlos Rogers, Shawn SpringsQuestionable: Mike Williams, Richard Seymour, Wes Welker, Kevin Faulk, Sammy Morris

What I am watching for:

1.) ANYONE on offense to make a play (1st unit). Three weeks in a row with no TDs is inexcuasble. I don't care if we're playing the '85 Bears tonight. Campbell is expected to play the entire first half. He should be able to find SOME sort of rhythm. As for Colt and Chase. To echo Rick Snider, there is no QB controversy. Just like Colt last year, Daniel was running the limited plays he knows against 15th stringers. Against the Steelers, Colt was running more complex schemes against better players. He's still a work in progress, so let that develop. I'd be shocked if Colt did not win the 3rd spot. I mean, Zorn has to say Daniel "is in the mix" to keep the players motivated.

2.) Justin Tryon vs Super Bowl QB (Part II). With Carlos Rogers out, Tryon will see some action against Brady and the first unit. I think the words of Harry Dunne (Dumb & Dumber) apply here after Tryon's abysmal game against the Steelers: "Just when I thought you couldn't possibly be any dumber, you go and do something like this... and totally redeem yourself!"

3.) 3 and outs. I want to see the Redskins start to out-number teams in this statistic, which they have failed to do so far.

4.) Special Teams. They were atrocious last week, but at the same time, Danny Smith is throwing rookie and journeymen out there to test them out. This coming Tuesday, Sept. 1, the Redskins have to cut 5 players to get down to 75. I will be playing close attention to the young guys like Robert Henson, Cody Glenn, Eddie Williams, and Anthony Alridge. The second half of tonight's game means everything for 5 players. Another interesting tidbit is that for Marko Mitchell to lock up the 5th WR spot, he HAS to contribute on special teams. This means he'll have to play a gunner on punts. Marko has never done this before and said that he is trying to get used to it. Keep an eye on the gunners tonight. I expect Dorsey, Eloi, Tryon, and Alridge will see some action at this position too. It could be the make or break for a couple players.

What will you be watching for?

Pour Some Sugar On Me - Pilot Episode - Matthew Stafford, Pat McAfee, Justin Tryon Stand Out In Week 1 of Preseason

Ken Meringolo — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 06:00:11 -0000

We here at Hogs Haven are in preseason mode ourselves. For the upcoming season, every Tuesday will feature my attempt to cover the world of the NFL (with a unique focus on our favorite team in burgundy and gold of course) in the way I see fit to cover it. Hopefully there will be an occasional nugget of information that you can use to your advantage in fantasy football, or even a friendly wager. Hopefully you will be entertained. But above all else, I hope you will turn Tuesdays here into your own place to vent about all things NFL and add your own flavor to create a unique home for league analysis (with an emphasis on how it all pertains to us as Redskins fans of course.)

We Talkin' Bout Practice?!?
They dress it up to look like a game, but these preseason affairs are nothing more than practice sessions. When Spurrier was running up the score in Osaka, it was still just practice. And when Zorn was staring down the business end of a 500 yard performance by the Ravens, it was still just practice. Sure, it makes me feel better to call a preseason shutout practice, but these games don't count and as long as they don't count, there is no reason to get hung up on the score.

That said, it was still a gigantic kick to the nads. I was so fired up to see the team in action. Even the no-namer wannabes who will be out of the league in a few weeks were capable of making a play that I had waited all summer to see. Yet we did not even manage a measly field goal attempt. I get that players were being asked to do things they probably will not have to do come September (like play cornerback if you're talking about Justin Tryon). Big Al and Carlos Rogers were spectators and that had some effect. So attribute whatever amount of the 300+ yard differential to them, Santana Moss, Clinton Portis, and anyone else you think might have played more or at all in a regular game. But not even a field goal attempt. Come on. And to the Baltimore Ravens? Jeez, you'd have thought they won the Super Bowl based on the trash talking I have had to listen to in the last 4 days.

Good news: the bar is set rather low for ways in which we can improve over that performance.

Bad news: we get another team that is extremely annoying to perform poorly against.

Solution: Don't get shut out and don't give up 300 yards more than you gain. Like I said...the bar is set very low. We will spend more time later this week on our preseason scrimmage against the Steelers.

I Can't Believe I Watched Every Game

The beauty of TiVo/DVR is that this was actually possible. Now, did I watch every tick of every game? God, no. I kept it in fast-forward for huge chunks at a time. I figured I could catch a whole game and get just about everything out of it I cared to learn in 30-45 minutes. The NFL Network put them all on the schedule, so I put them all on my schedule...for you. (OK, I admit, I loved every second of it. And my wife was ecstatic that at least I was watching a game that occurred in the last few days as opposed to games that occurred years and decades ago.) Some quickhitters from the rest of the slate of games last week:

Seattle Seahawks 20, San Diego Chargers 14 - Antonio Gates looks healthy and Norv Turner looks ready to turn a 13-win team into an 8-win team (again). I am going to root hard for Matt Hasselbeck this year. I think he will have a big year. As for Julius Jones, do I dare gamble on him in fantasy this year? He looked better than I ever remember seeing him when he was in Dallas.

Houston Texans 16, Kansas City Chiefs 10 - Could Matt Schaub challenge Tom Brady and Peyton Manning if he stays healthy for a full season? Will we EVER find out the answer to that question? I love Todd Haley as a coach of my fantasy players...a LOT. Dwayne Bowe needs to wake up and do whatever it takes to get on his good side, because he could blow up with Haley calling plays. He looked good off the bench to me.

via walterfootball.com

Tennessee Titans 27, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20 - All I really wanted to see here was Josh Freeman. I always like to see how the rookies look when they take the field for the first time. He is the biggest 12-year old looking dude I have ever seen. And I was not that impressed by him to be honest. His throws lacked a sense of purpose, like Paris Hilton. I suppose this game also had the potential for a Vince Young meltdown, but he actually looked okay. Maybe next week.

Green Bay Packers 17, Cleveland Browns 0 - Nice...we weren't the only team to get shut out in Week 1 of the preseason. Awesome. We are in the same boat as the Cleveland Browns. Something about Aaron Rodgers prevents me from seeing him as a perennial 4,000+ yard passer. His Pac-10ness just oozes out of him and drips slowly off of that incredibly creepy facial hair of his. I am sure he kills it with the ladies because, well, if you wear a jersey in "The League" you can kill it with the ladies. But I also wonder how close he is allowed to be to elementary schools...in feet...exactly.

Buffalo Bills 27, Chicago Bears 20 - Let me be very upfront on this one: I believe Trent Edwards is the real deal. Prior to the concussion last season, he was looking every bit good enough to lead that team to the playoffs. I LOVE the no-huddle offense from a fantasy perspective and think he is going to win some fantasy owners some serious cash this season. Since I am being honest, let me also say that while it would be petty to wish bodily harm to Jay Cutler, I have been known to visit Pettyville on occasion. He just pisses me off, and I hate it because I really want to like him. But I can't because he is a gigantic douche-bag.

via www.2010-super-bowl.com

San Francisco 49ers 17, Denver Broncos 16 - Nobody wants Kyle Orton to destroy it out in Denver more than me. And I mean like, Lindsay Lohan-style destroyed, which is of course the level of destroyed where it becomes barely recognizable. But the dude stunk out loud. It was hard to watch. On the flip side, are the 49ers going to run with their old-school jerseys all year? God, I hope so. More teams need to get back to their old jerseys. Including the Redskins. Based on what I saw, between Gore and Coffee, they have a running game to write home about.

Detroit Lions 27, Atlanta Falcons 26 -This game was about as alluring as watching church on TV. But I simply had to see Matthew Stafford get his reps. I spent a lot of time on fast forward waiting for him to enter the game. I can honestly say of all the Week 1 preseason action, watching Stafford was the most exciting. I am ready to say he will be a huge success. Unlike Freeman in Tampa Bay, his passes seemed ambitious and easy, like Paris Hilton. His throwing motion appeared effortless, and resulted in deliberate, purposeful throws. I simply can't imagine right now that he will bust out of this league. I almost had to change my shorts after watching his performance.

via alt.coxnewsweb.com

New Orleans Saints 17, Cincinnati Bengals 7 - Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco looked in sync, and the Bengal defense looks like it might finally execute Marvin Lewis' scheme. Drew Brees continues to look like the human video game out there, tossing it around to anyone he wants. I think I caught a pass from him at one point.

St. Louis Rams 23, New York Jets 20 - I didn't care about this game when I watched it, and I don't care about it now. Sanchez looks like he should be the starter, but I fear he is the kind of player who everyone knows is good enough to play and win, but will always be sidelined with some fluky injury. Why do I think that? I don't know...it has to happen to someone, and Rex Ryan seems like as good a candidate as any. I guess I like Stephen Jackson as a fantasy runner, but the thought of having a Ram on my fantasy squad is just too depressing to think about right now.

Minnesota Vikings 13, Indianapolis Colts 3 - No signs of Brett Favre yet. Will it happen? I continue to think it will. Rosenfels started limping after one play and all I could think was, "Is someone paying Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels to take dives?" The real joy of this game for me was not watching Peyton Manning get sacked 3 times on his first 5 dropbacks or wondering whether Adrian Peterson was going to "accidentally" run over one of his quarterbacks to get one step closer to Favre. It was the punter. Good God...Pat McAfee was a beast. His first punt was 64 yards. His second punt was 62 yards. He averaged 50 yards on 7 punts! Sure it was indoors, but this kid is a rookie! This was his first chance to shine. The guy he is trying to replace is now in D.C. (Hunter Smith put up 9 punts for a 45.2 yard average. I know I kind of killed him a little in my post-game write-up, and maybe I shouldn't have, but his initial punts underwhelmed me.)

Oakland Raiders 31, Dallas Cowgirls 10 - I don't care about either of these teams, but I simply love the score.

Pittsburgh Steelers 20, Arizona Cardinals 10 - I wonder if Limas Sweed is going to get it right this year? Steve Breaston looks like he is going to have another big season. I was disappointed that Chris Wells did not play. Big Ben really forced himself on the defense while he was in there, briefly...I had to.

New England Patriots 27, Philadelphia Eagles 25 - Can't forget about Tom Brady and Donovan McNabb. Both looked happy and healthy. Is LeSean McCoy going to be one of the rookies that busts out this year? He looked good. I can't believe they let Vick wear Jaws' #7 jersey! The real question I want to know is which runningback is going to knock it out this year in New England. The good news is that by Week 17, I might have an answer.

Monday Night action:

New York Giants 24, Carolina Panthers 17 - I love John Fox going for two to tie up a preseason game with less than a minute to go. It is such a huge middle finger to the injury gods. But all was righted in the universe when one of the Giants' 5,000 defensive linemen (Tommie Hill) cleanly picked a fumbled ball out of the air and ran it in for a TD with zero time remaining. David Carr impressed me. I think he is worth owning in fantasy this year.

Miami Dolphins 12, Jacksonville Jaguars 9 - Thankfully the NFL Network threw this game up at 11 PM EST so I could flip right over to it after the Monday Night tilt on ESPN. Then I realized that the final score was 12-9. Let's just say it did not receive my full 100% attention. Ted Ginn Jr. looked legit, and Ricky Williams also showed well. Jacksonville looks like it will contend for most boring team in the league this season.

Give Me the Numbers, Stat!

In this spot in the weeks to come, we will track key league stats throughout the season and analyze what is happening and maybe even why. For example, the Redskins are 0-1 this preseason. One could argue that the 500 yards per game against and the zero points scored have contributed heavily to this disappointing record. I just blew your mind didn't I?

Looking forward to making my way through the season one Tuesday at a time. As the weeks unfold, the commentary from all of us will become more compelling. Right now, I have to clear out my DVR and get ready for Week 2 of the preseason.

Washington Redskins Have a BAD practice

Ken Meringolo — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:09:33 -0000

Calm down.

It was, after all, just a practice. Sure, it looked like Spurrier Part Deux, but in the end, there were a lot of guys on the field doing things they may or may not be asked to do in the regular season. And that is your special batch of pre-season Kool-Aid. (from here it gets less tasty and refreshing.)

First, what didn't work:

uhhhhh....well, we all watched right? I mean, there were a few plays where I noticed that JC got some time to make a decision, but the lack of timely pass protection (3rd downs and long yardage passing situations) was notable. Jason Campbell did not look terrible, but he failed to change many (or any) minds out there regarding his growth. Fred Davis really shocked me with his inability to hold the ball. SHOCKED. Considering I think we need him to contribute this year, I was rather discouraged by his performance last night.

Malcolm Kelly made a nice grab over the middle and Devin Thomas did not stand out as someone who fouled up like some of his defensive teammates, so all was not a total loss. On offense, we failed to break 200 yards. That is horrendous. We never even made it into a field goal attempt situation, which is rather pathetic.

On defense, I was a little relieved to listen to Greg Blache after the game talk about how they left guys like Justin Tryon and Kevin Barnes on an island on purpose to see how they could/would handle man-to-man coverage. Still, if they had been deserted on an actual island, their performance last night could be compared to resorting to eating your own arms and legs to survive. It was just brutal. Haynesworth and Rogers sat out, but I was a little startled at how easy it seemed for Flacoo to hit up Tryon's man for 10 yard gains.

On special teams, well, the kicker battle RAGES ON doesn't it? Not a single field goal attempt. Amazing. As for punting, well, Hunter Smith kind of scared the crap out of me. I know he will be fine, but was anyone having flashbacks to every punting situation for the last...oh...10 years? Jesus, not only was he not really booming the ball, but our coverage did not seem very solid either. Hunter gets a pass on this one. Mostly because our backup punter right now is Chris Cooley.

Bright spots for me included:

Brian Orakpo - the only thing Joe Theismann said all night that made much sense to me was that Orakpo had a lot of highlights but they pretty much all came with the pass rush. We did not see him doing things after dropping back into coverage that made the highlight reel. I am going to call that good. I mean, how many highlights does a guy have to make in the first game he suits up for without having to hear about how it wasn't enough? For my money, he did enough last night to make me very optimistic he will make an impact this season. He got into the Ravens' backfield a lot, and though he failed to register a sack, he pressured their quarterbacks and drew holding penalties. He is clearly able to get around the corner in this league and will hopefully reap some benefits from having Haynesworth draw attention on the defensive line. I was impressed with Orakpo last night.

Malcolm Kelly - well, he made a sweet catch across the middle...the kind where the ball was up for grabs and he made a play on it. That, plus the fact he made it through the game got me a lot warmer and fuzzier on #12.

Mini bright spot: Kareen Moore. I thought that he played with a lot of energy and spirit. I liked some of the hits he made and I enjoyed seeing him get after it for the whole game. I am simply unsure how well he played his position at this point, but I thought that he stood out a bit with a few hits.

I'll be honest. Those were my two bright spots. I won't insult your intelligence by drumming up positive B.S. about a play here or a play there. We were out-gained in yards 500-196. We failed to score. We continue to be unable to give the QB time. All in all, it was a miserable effort.

The good news is that these games don't count. Both Zorn and Blache afterward in their press conferences exhibited calming and reassuring tones. I doubt they were as cool with the individual players who got made fools of in certain situations, but at least you didn't hear either of them say something like, "You know what, have no idea what happened out there tonight."

While the results don't count in the standings, you still play these games to move the ball, score, and keep the other team out of the end zone. We failed to do all of these things. Therefore, the only grade we can really give here is a D- at best. I simply can't give an F for a first pre-season game. It is not fair. They have to have somewhere to go--up or down--in the second week. But come next week, if there is not significant improvement, the F is coming out.

Finally, like the rest of you, I am simply a couch critic, an armchair quarterback...but there is no mistaking the feeling after last night's affair. It felt like...the same. And that is the last thing we need right now. Here's hoping that they are able to learn some things from the debacle in B-more last night.

Poll

Who were you most disappointed in last night?

Justin Tryon

286 votes

Kevin Barnes

41 votes

Colt Brennan

179 votes

Hunter Smith

23 votes

Fred Davis

356 votes

885 votes | Poll has closed

Redskins' Offensive Line Not Impressing Out of the Gates

KevinE — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:42:20 -0000

via redskinsblog

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Here is a summary of all the reports from the reporters/bloggers that were at camp yesterday. I will be attending camp on Tuesday and possibly tomorrow (Saturday), so I should be able to add some concrete insight as well. Obviously things will not be perfect on day one.

From the warpathconfidential:

Stephon Heyer was badly beaten by rookie Jeremy Jarmon on one snap and had to resort to grabbing Jarmon's jersey to prevent a complete whiff on the block. Nor was it limited to the tackles, with Albert Haynesworth displaying deceptive quickness against Derrick Dockery in getting penetration on a few plays.

At one point the line had back-to-back false starts.

Probably the most spectacular play of this drill was a double-move by Malcolm Kelly on Justin Tryon. Kelly was running a crossing pattern when he cut once towards the post, and then cut again to run towards the middle, leaving Tryon 10-15 yards out of position. Kelly caught the pass all alone in the middle of the field.

From the Redskins Insider:

[Mike Williams and Jeremy Bridges] encountered problems against ends Renaldo Wynn and Rob Jackson, but Coach Jim Zorn said he was not discouraged. The Skins have a long way to go before things need to be set along the offensive line, and Zorn preaches patience.

"It's hard to block that second move" of the ends, Zorn said. "You think you got 'em, then you start to punch, and then the guy comes back underneath. That's what we're working on. That's why we're out here. There's a lot of practice time that has to take place before these guys can get enough experiences to feel like we can block all the moves that our defense is going to show us."

"There's going to be a learning curve," Zorn said. "It's going to take some time, [but] he's got a great attitude for it."

As for Bridges, "we're looking for a guy who can play multiple positions," Zorn said. "I'm looking for him to keep going. He wants to earn a starting spot. So, playing him in different spots, we're going to find that right spot for him. And whether he starts or becomes a swing guy, that's down the road a ways."

It's only day one, so obviously there's no need to throw up the red flags. However, it takes some kool-aid drinking and a few prayers to assume that offensive linemen that have been out of the league a couple years can contribute at a high-level when pre-season begins in 2 weeks. Can they be ready in a month? Time will tell, but they are practicing against one of the best DL's in the league. That certainly counts for something.

Minicamp Coverage: Observations and Interviews from Redskins Park

KevinE — Sun, 03 May 2009 13:26:53 -0000

Well, Sugar and I have arrived at Redskins Park. It is wet as can be but practice is still on. We're blogging from the media room now adjacent to the main complex. Jason LaCanfora and David Elfin are here. We're about to head out to the field now so we'll keep you posted on the action with this thread.

Update 11:43am - So the day just ended and we got to talk to several players after practice including Heyer, Randy Thomas, Mike Williams, Brian Orakpo, and Renaldo Wynn. Zorn spoke to the media for 5 minutes afterwards. We'll post the full details with audio and pictures tonight. I am still soaking wet at this point and have yet to eat.

Sugar:

Seen and heard on the sidelines in our waterlogged media group: I spoke to Homer McFanboy's Brian Murphy about who has been standing out among the non-roster guys invited to participate in this session. Kelley Washington was mentioned by all as a guy who has been standing out, perhaps even as a guy who could finally unseat James Thrash on this roster. We shall see. JLC and I spoke about James Thrash also, as I wondered aloud if Justin Tryon would make this team, and if his spot would come down to a choice between him and Thrash. Matt Terl (Redskins blogger) is the man by the way. He doesn't big-time anyone, and he was one of the more soaked individuals on the sidelines this morning.

As for the actual practice, who did I see that stood out: No doubt...it was Fred Davis. I swear it seemed like he was a man among boys out there on some plays. He caught everything I saw thrown his way, and he worked with the first-teamers in 11-on-11 drills. If we can get him and Cooley on the field together in the red zone, I just don't know who is built to stop that kind of firepower. Kevin Barnes, our new rookie corner, did not look that great in a few one-on-one matchups. He seemed to be getting burned by some no-name guys too. Ultimately, you would expect a guy in his spot to open rough I guess, but it was probably not one of his finer days in cleats.

I was looking for Colt and in 11-on-11 drills he delivered two sidearmed throws in a row, to the ground. He made some other good throws underneath, but I wonder what the coaches think about his delivery. When Zorn was asked about Colt later, he said he had a "MUCH stronger arm already than last year," and indicated that last year at this time, he was still dealing with the labrum injury, so he is much farther now than he was last season.

Coach Zorn also said that he liked the flash that Robert Henson showed today and this weekend (Henson is an early Hogs Haven favorite). Otherwise, he said the veterans are much farther along in general this time around in his second year and that the coaches seemed a little more comfortable, too.

We had a chance to get some facetime with a few players, and here are some of the things we got from them:

Andre Carter, on playing linebacker: "Been there, done that..." Didn't sound like he was going to be volunteering for any snaps at LB anytime soon.

Chris Samuels, on how healthy he is: "Almost 100%, not there yet."

Randy Thomas, on Jason Campbell's offseason saga and how he has handled it: "Stayed poised. You would never know anything was going on. Not one time was I thinking someone else was the quarterback. That's all media talk. "

Randy Thomas on free-agent and draft speculation: "Well, we're always involved in everything right?"

Randy Thomas, on the age of the offensive line: "They say we're old. They will keep saying it until we win a ring. We've been together for a while...we were old when we were 28. We gonna stay old until we win a championship."

Mike Williams, on what he missed most about being out of football. "Competition. I'm a competitive guy." He did not look 400 lbs...I'll be honest, he was working hard and he looked like a tank.

Brian Orakpo, on playing linebacker vs defensive end: "Space. You play in more space as a linebacker." He talked about playing linebacker at Texas and he was practicing with the linebacker group today.

I think the other real notable event of the day was a play in which Fred Smoot, in NO pads, laid out Marques Hagans. They were both going for the ball and I think Hagans even caught it, but Smoot knocked him down pretty hard. From the other side of the field, we could all hear Smoot hooting and howling, as he made his way back to the defensive huddle.

Kevin:

Coach Zorn said Devin Thomas' hamstring injury is nothing to worry about, and he'll be fine.

Just to continue on the Colt topic, Zorn added that he still has a decent amount of learning to do with the playbook/system. JC was definitely the most accurate passer out there today, which without doubt quells any "start Colt now" feelings.

Fred Davis did stand out, and Coach Zorn was all giddy about him in the post-practice interviews. I asked Zorn about Jansen, and he said positive things mentioning how they worked him out as Center today, which David Elfin covered. I have the impression that Heyer will win the competition; however, I asked Zorn this direct question and he humbled me replying that the competition does not begin until they get into pads and can really compete. Makes sense.

We talked to Stephon Heyer after practice, and he was confident he would be a major contributor this year. I asked him specifically how is the offensive line going to improve when the Redskins are basically fielding the same guys as last year (who gave up the 10th most sacks)? He replied that they need to focus on their technique and running plays that benefit their strengths.

Multiple people were talking about how great shape Phillip Daniels is in. You can tell by this picture (next to Andre Carter) he is the biggest guy out there. The roster we received has him listed as 6'4" 276 lbs, which is definitely not accurate since Albert is listed as 6'6" 320 lbs. (Phillip is clearly taller than Albert). If I had to guess now, the Skins' starting front four will be Phillip, Andre, Hanyesworth, and Griffin. Very impressive. Orakpo when we talked to him said he's already learning a lot from London. He's worked all minicamp with the LB crew so his role is becoming clearer. Orakpo is listed on the roster as 6'4 which isn't accurate either. I'm 6'2 and he was the same height as me at most. His build isn't suited for a full-time DE, so the Skins are going about this the best way I feel.

Another player that stood out was Domnique Dorsey, the RB the Redskins signed from the CFL. He showed great hands and in multiple plays showed a stellar burst through the secondary. Sellers and Rock also were showing good hands in the bad weather.

Mike Williams is absolutely a guy you want to root for. I tried to get out of him what his exact diet is, but he wouldn't go into specifics. The most important thing was eating at the right times (ie - no late night snacks). Kelli Johnson asked about Mike Williams, and Coach Zorn replied that he was working by himself today on the sleds. Zorn drew a laugh stating, "We were doing our things on the field when we heard this really loud noise coming from his area...he was crushing the sled." A handful of players hit the weight room after practice, and Mike Williams was one of them.

Randy Thomas is another great personality. I asked him multiple questions on how much JC audibles, and I did not get much of a direct answer. From what I gathered, for the most part, the play comes in and they run it.

The kickers did not work out at all really given the pourous conditions. When I looked over to their side of the field, this is what I saw:

I could not stop laughing at this view. I was like, "Who is this midget coach?" Turns out it is Coach Danny Smith's kid, who got some field time today. Look how all the players are so focused on whatever he's saying! Good times.

As Sugar mentioned, the media folks that have been in camp all weekend were impressed with Kelly Washington. The Skins offered him a contract, but he is going to wait until after the Ravens camp hoping to get a better offer. The Washington Times found this fantastic TD celebration he did as a Bungle.