Lets make the right move!!

Rafael Lopez D.C sports fan — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:13:21 -0000

[Note by TexSkins, 10/22/08 2:33 PM CDT ] Bumped, with some editing. Make a good fan post, make the front page. It's like a carrot. Only not at all.
Oh, and check out the tags. Look at the good I do.

First thing first great game sunday!!

You got to admit except you die hart Redskins fans that expect to go 16-0 or 14-2 every year, when looking at the schedule in the beginning of the season 5-2 didn't look so good. But here we are!!!!

Defense stepped up like they have been all season. The offense started to find it's rhythm in the second half largely because of CP (Clinton Portis) my vote so far for league M.V.P! The punts weren't that bad, I've seen better but I can live with what I saw Sunday. Even Randle EL and Moss manage to get some kind of positive yards on punt returns!

Now that im on that subject, one thing that has been burning inside of me for a while is the punting game!

Now for a couple of weeks the big deal was how poorly our 'ROOKIE" punter has been playing. And I emphasize on the fact that he is a rookie because had Durant Brooks played QB or WR we would be using the wait and see approach that the Redskins always like to do! We don't see everyone getting bent out of shape because Colt Brennan and Devin Thomas aren't racking up the stats! ( Now I know that's a stretch but you'll see my point)

Now why we wasted a draft pick on a punter and got rid of a better punter for this rookie in the first place is a totally different story ( You dont draft punters you find them on someone else team or on the free agent pool like our punter now!!!!!)

Now while everyone was ragging on the punter and deservingly so, we all forgot about the punt returner!

Now Randle El is a great player. Early in his career and back in college and im sure also a lot in high school he was a dangerous returner, but he hasn't had a decent run back in a couple of years . Well at least not since joining the Redskins. Now i"m not knocking him because when he's not moving the chains with big 3rd down conversions, he's catching the tough balls across the middle. He is a BIG part of our offense and at times he's the leading receiver in the game.

Now i'm not big on letting key players or starters take their licks on punt returns unless he's getting the job done!!

Now I know what you are thinking Deion Sanders played a key role on defense for many teams even our team and also was a big time returner. Reggie Bush is another star player that takes on that double role for the Saints. But they were getting the job done .

When I mean getting the job done I mean getting some yards for the offense. It's like where ever the ball lands or is caught that's where the play ends!

Now I know every team can't have a punt returner like the Bears, but your talking to someone that was spoiled enough to enjoy watching the guy that Devin Hester is chasing in becoming the best punt/kick returner in NFL history Brain Mitchell!!

Brain Mitchell was a man on a mission. He was going to get every yard that he could get and when it look like there wasn't anymore yards he got a couple more yards. Now I know its unfair of me to compare the two, but it's like having a Joe Montana for so long, your always looking for your Steve Young. In this case its been over 5-6 years since we had our Montana.

Deion Sanders was one of my examples of guys who are playmakers who at any given time he can change the game with a run back or putting his team in great field position. But even the great "Neon Deion" while on the burgundy and gold didn't run one back, if you recall the only punt return for six points was ran by .. you guessed it B. Mitch.

Randle El came to D.C with the same type of fear from the rest of the league, that at any given moment he can take it to the house for six!!

But lets face it he isn't getting it done. Good news for him he can still catch and unlike Durant Brooks he still has a job!

So how did they try and fix the problem.....Santana Moss.....what?!?!?!?

When I first heard that the Redskins were considering a change at the punt returner position I thought wow finally the coaching staff and I were on the same wave length! So when said that it would be between Santana Moss or Devin Thomas I said okay the ideal choice would be Thomas. Big, Fast, not the teams #1 franchise wide out etc.... ( not yet at least) Let's face it the kid got flash! He could turn into that game changer in time.Every time he gets the ball (not enough times) he is making people miss in open space, on a catch or a reverse.

I don't know why he doesn't get the ball enough? Maybe its his two or three penalties he's had so far this season? But you need that kind of aggressiveness to be crazy enough to take on flying bodies running down the field to take your head off all a while you wait for the ball to fall into your hands. The last thing on your mind is getting up field for some yards, but you have to!

I realy don't know why he doesn't get more involved in the offense? Maybe its because he's not Santana Moss or Randle El status ? (yet) Even more reason why you wouldn't want either Randle El or Moss back there exposed to an injury.

Why not take a chance with the rookie? Look at Phily with DeSean Jackson, we all know what he can do! I see the same kind of spunk and flash in Thomas. I mean if we can't get him the ball on offense why not on punt returns? It's not like there will be any drop off in yards due to the change.

You probably thought I was next going to say to bring back B Mitch to run back kicks like the good old days, the way I was talking about him. Now as much as I would love to bring him back (La Varr Airrington too!) I can't. But one guy that kinda fits the mold of B Mitch and almost has the same number.. yes you called it #31 Rock Cartwright!!! Another guy who won't see the time of day during the offense series. Do you blame him with CP, Betts, Moss, Randle El and Cooley all on the field. Even a league MVP former Td recored holder can't get on the field.

So why not put Rock back there? He is already running the Skins into good field position on kickoffs why not on punts? B Mitch did them both and Rock has the same body frame as B Micth and he really loves to play the game of football. He loves to be a Redskin and it shows when he plays special teams.

It always puzzles me when a team puts different players on kickoffs and punt returns. If one guy is doing a good job on one its almost a given he will do the same at the other spot.

So when I saw Moss back returning punts in the game on sunday I almost lost my mind! I was swearing left and right because thats the type of Skins fan I am, I give a crap about what happens in the long run and not about that one play. I don't want to mortgage the franchise top wideout and cowboy killer Santana Moss with a possible injury.

Once again I know that Moss was deadly in college at "The U " returning kicks. I grew up watching him, Randle El and Portis in college and at one time or another said the same thing about them "I wish they would one day play for the Washington Redskins" but never really thought it would happen BUT IT DID!!! So I know what he can do back there, but I also know what he can do on offense. So lets leave it at that!!Please tell me I'm not the only one that thinks this way?

Either way you go Thomas or Rock you can't lose. You got the blue collar hard nose special teamer in Cartwright or you go with the flashy cocky rookie with speed that will burn you for six. They both share the same, they can produce more then we are already getting and more importantly the are not Santana Moss!

Now after all that we all know whats going to happen next, Randle El or Moss are going to take one back 80 yards and I'll be the first to say that I was wrong!

Go Redskins!

SB Nation User Blog: Rafael Lopez D.C sports fan

Lets make the right move!!