The Washington Redskins - The Essence of Football

Redskins' WRs rank 7th

2006-05-31T23:14:00.000-04:00

True, this doesn't take into account that Mark Brunell is tossing them the ball but it is a nice offseason pick me up.

7. Washington Redskins
Santana Moss teamed with the Washington tight ends to put up huge numbers for the Redskins last year. He was a veritable one man wrecking crew last season as the next leading receiver for the Redskins was David Patten with 22 receptions. The Redskins addressed this issue in the off-season by opening the wallet to bring aboard Brandon Lloyd and Super Bowl hero Antwaan Randle El. This trio may be smallish, but they'll win out on speed and athleticism to let Mark Brunell throw quick routes and allow the receivers to make plays.

The aforementioned Patten is expected to be released before training camp, which will leave Taylor Jacobs and James Thrash to battle for reps behind the talented trio up front.

Draft

2006-05-01T10:29:00.000-04:00

Did we take part in the draft????

Good Luck P-Ram!

2006-03-17T16:08:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - NFL - Jets acquire Ramsey from Redskins for 6th-round pick

Finally completing a trade that had been rumored for weeks, the New York Jets on Friday afternoon acquired quarterback Patrick Ramsey from the Washington Redskins for a sixth-round choice in the 2006 draft, ESPN.com has learned.

I still feel Ramsey wasn't getting shafted in Washington. I still feel he never received a proper chance. I wish him the best and lots of success in the rest of his career.

Good Riddance

2006-03-06T09:14:00.000-05:00

The three-time Pro Bowl linebacker and the Redskins parted ways late Sunday night in a deal that allowed Arrington to become a free agent while giving the team a needed break in its effort to get under the salary cap. An official with knowledge of the transaction, speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said Arrington agreed to a buyout that relinquished more than $4 million rather than restructure his contract in a way that would allow him to remain in Washington.

Nothing but a distraction the last season and a half. Take that show on the road.....

Brunell to restructure contract pending CBA negotiations

2006-03-02T16:03:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - NFL - Brunell to restructure contract pending CBA negotiations

Like all NFL teams, the Redskins are in flux with their free agency plans because of the last-minute collective bargaining talks. If no agreement is reached, Washington will have to make some $20 million in cuts Thursday to get below the 2006 salary cap.

Thanks Danny!

2006-02-20T13:11:00.000-05:00

Washington Redskins, National Football League - CBS SportsLine.com

According to NFLPA figures, the Redskins have $115.4 million committed in salary for their top 51 players in 2006. The cap is expected to be $92 to $95 million. That means they have to trim $20 million or so. And that's not counting the $2 million or so the team will need to sign its rookies (thankfully, they don't have a first-round pick to pay, or that would be higher).

Wah!

2006-02-10T14:03:00.000-05:00

FOXSports.com - NFL- Gay Ex-Giant: NFL discriminated against me
Gay Ex-Giant: NFL discriminated against me

What a crock! My wife (if she reads this) is going to think I think that this is a crock because of his sexuality. Though I do have my share of issues with homosexuality, this rant has other origins. Or maybe not. We'll see....

The reason I think this is a crock is two-fold. This ex-Giant of homosexual tendencies has found his way into the news often in the past couple of weeks. Personally, I think he's run into some financial issues, though I've no proof. But hear me out:
1) He came out of the closet 10 years ago. So his homosexuality is not new.
2) He wasn't a particularly great player so his name wasn't known until his sex pref was.
3) If he only wished to get media access to express views on HIV, why did he request a party media access badge as well?
4) If he truly feels so slighted, why did he go with a celebrity lawyer (especially since he's not a celebrity) who could grab the media's attention much easier than his name alone could?
5) Now that he has the media attention, why hasn't he spread his message about the dangers of HIV?

I'll tell you why. Because his mission was never to spread a message about HIV; it was to get back at the NFL. This Roy fella is bitter. Bitter that his sexuality has barred him from a fraternity that was once so dear to him. I'm not saying that that is right, I'm just calling it like I see it. His sole plan is to tarnish the NFL in any way possible. Just my xpinion.....

Horrible Way to Lose

2006-02-06T12:20:00.000-05:00

How frustrating it must be to lose the Super Bowl the way the Seahawks did? To know that you completely outplayed the opposition, even with your mistakes, and still aren't the champion simply because the referees had it in for your team. The number of phantom calls made against the Seahawks was unbelievable. The referees looked to simply have decided that there was no way they were going to let the Super Bowl be decided without their input.

It's sickening to think that right now in Pittsburgh, they are 'fans' walking around with pride about the Stealers' Lombardi trophy. Hopefully, if they are truly fans, in the back of their minds, they acknowledge the fact that if the media, refs, and the NFL hadn't fallen in love with the storylines of the Stealers, there's a better than good chance this game would have turned out otherwise. My hat goes off to the Seahawks for playing the better game against the world....and the refs.

ESPN.com - NFL - More assault charges filed against Redskins' Taylor

2006-01-27T13:24:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - NFL - More assault charges filed against Redskins' Taylor: "up to 46 years in jail"

Of course, when I buy a player's jersey, not only does he change his number making my jersey an instant throwback, he now may be in jail altogether...

ESPN.com - NFL - Gibbs to give up play-calling duties for first time

2006-01-23T09:49:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - NFL - Gibbs to give up play-calling duties for first time: "While Gibbs will remain actively involved in game planning and offensive strategy, team sources say Gibbs will embrace more of a CEO/GM mentality and turn his attention even more to the personnel side -- such as the big decisions as to whether to trade backup quarterback Patrick Ramsey and keep linebacker Lavar Arrington."

ESPN.com - NFL - Redskins hire Saunders as offensive coordinator

2006-01-19T16:37:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - NFL - Redskins hire Saunders as offensive coordinator: "Redskins coach Joe Gibbs upgraded his offense Thursday by adding one of the brightest offensive minds to his sidelines.

Gibbs hired Chiefs offensive coordinator Al Saunders as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator, convincing him to sign a three-year contract worth more than $2 million a year. Saunders was considered the leading candidate for the Raiders head coaching job after their first set of three interviews but he had not been offered the job."

ESPN.com - NFL - Redskins hire Saunders as offensive coordinator

2006-01-19T16:35:00.001-05:00

ESPN.com - NFL - Redskins hire Saunders as offensive coordinator

2006-01-19T16:35:00.000-05:00

Heading to Seattle

2006-01-13T12:08:00.000-05:00

Well,the situation is now reversed from last week. Last week, we had a chip on our soldiers stemming from the cheap win given to the Bucs during the regular season, and I intentionally say 'given'. That chip led us to a quick lead and defense did the rest. Now we waltz into Seattle knowing fully that we beat them in the regular season in overtime.

Both teams are completely different from that first matchup however. The Redskins are a little beat up on defense and offense. However, they are riding a 6 game win streak and the kind of heart and determination that can keep an underdog in the playoffs. Not to mention not a soul is giving them a chance.

Seattle comes to this game well rested, if not a bit rusty. They come into the playoffs as the number 1 seed, and consensus favorite at least in this game if not to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

What needs to happen. Our offense needs to control the ball. Portis needs to keep running like he has and Chris Cooley needs to be 'first-down' huge on third down passing situations. Brunell must settle down early which means the o-line can't let him take a hit or two early in the game. Tends to make him antsy in the pocket.

Defensively, we have got to stop them on first and second down. They are near the bottom of the league in third down conversion attempts meaning they usually only need two plays to get a first down. Plugging up Shawn Alexander will go along way in controlling the tempo of this game....

I say that like it's easy.....;)

Playoff history

2006-01-09T11:15:00.000-05:00

From Espn.com
Washington Redskins playoff history

ESPN.com - NFL - Williams to get $1 million bonus if he's not successor

2006-01-08T14:29:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - NFL - Williams to get $1 million bonus if he's not successor: "Still, he's not going anywhere and Mortensen has confirmed that if and when Joe Gibbs retires, Williams will get a $1 million bonus if he is still on staff and is not named as Gibbs' successor."

Excitement mounting

2006-01-06T12:30:00.000-05:00

So we're back in the playoffs, facing a team that was given a victory against us earlier in the season, on their home field, with a 5 game win streak.

The key to closing Tampa's season will be the overall health of Portis and Brunell. If Portis is 95% healthy and able to break off some early 5 or 6 yard runs, the field will open up for Santana Moss. If Brunell is 95%, Santana Moss and Chris Cooley should have big days. In fact, we need them to have big days. Our defense should be able to withstand the on again off again Bucs offense. It will be a matter of who can establish the run to open the pass.

Keeping it together

2006-01-03T15:56:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - NFL - Redskins give assistant Williams three-year, $8M deal

Gregg Williams, one of the league's most attractive candidates, and a man expected to have been courted by several teams seeking a new head coach, is off the market.

Predictions

2005-12-29T13:31:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com: Page 2 : Jason Whitlock
Scroll to the middle of the page to get past the Favre garbage. Once again, I rarely agree with Jason Whitlock but I do like what he's saying below:

ESPN.com: Page 2 : Trade Favre to the Raiders: "Of all the teams in the NFC, the Washington Redskins are the only team capable of winning the Super Bowl.

After being down on Joe Gibbs early in the season, I have to credit him for getting things together. If the Skins knock off the Eagles, they will enter the playoffs as the hottest team in the league -- hotter than the streaking Patriots, also winners of four straight.

Of course, we know the Redskins can play defense. What's been impressive is their offensive explosion the last two weeks -- 35 points in each victory, over the Cowboys and Giants.

The Skins have a good offensive line, three good running backs, a big-play receiver (Santana Moss), an effective tight end (Chris Cooley) and a QB who has thrown 22 touchdowns and just nine interceptions.

7. OK, while I'm on the subject, let me rank the NFC Super Bowl hopefuls.

1. Redskins: Outstanding defense and just enough offense to beat any team in the league.

2. Bears: Absolutely love the move to Rex Grossman. If Muhsin Muhammad holds on to the football, the Bears might score enough points to sneak into the Bowl.

3. Seahawks: Just feel like Matt Hasselbeck is going to do a couple of stupid things in Seattle's playoff opener and it's going to be curtains.

4. Buccaneers: Wouldn't be surprised if they were routed in their first playoff game. Wouldn't be surprised if they advanced to the NFC championship.

5. Panthers: You can rip Carolina's defense, but the problem with the Panthers is their running game. Lack of a consistent ground attack has exposed Jake Delhomme.

6. Giants: Eli Manning's happy feet and 52 percent completion rate will cost the Giants early.

7. Cowboys: You gotta make the playoffs to advance to the Super Bowl."

FOXSports.com - NFL- Gibbs fumes after latest Arrington rant

2005-12-28T21:00:00.000-05:00

FOXSports.com - NFL- Gibbs fumes after latest Arrington rant: "'Obviously, using me sparingly or not at all is a very clear message,' Arrington said. 'I'm not wanted here. I believe in my heart that the Redskins faithful love me as Ravens fans love Ray Lewis or Packers fans love Brett Favre. Some individuals hate it that there are more of my jerseys in the stands than anyone else's.'"

Great flippin' timing Lavar...we are on a four game win streak, last game of the season.....a win puts us in the playoffs and more importantly definitively knocks Dallas out....and you wanna go ranting and raving about stuff that isn't related to our last game.

Lavar, I've never been a fan of yours since you seemed pretty overrated to me. Nor did I like your contract negotiations when you've been injured....if you're hurt most of the time, which you seem to be, how are you going to ask for more money. More money for what? That free rehab you get in the Redskins training facilities....get over yourself dawg. Ask Rod Gardener about loving yourself more than your team!

Moss Celebrates In Style

2005-12-27T10:51:00.000-05:00

Moss Celebrates In Style: "For the season, Moss has caught 80 passes for 1,400 yards and nine touchdowns. The numbers proved deserving of a Pro Bowl nod last week. With 37 more receiving yards, Moss will have posted the most single-season receiving yards in franchise history, breaking Bobby Mitchell's record of 1,436 in 1963."

Washington Redskins, Mark Brunell, Patrick Ramsey, National Football League - CBS SportsLine.com

2005-12-27T10:39:00.000-05:00

Washington Redskins, Mark Brunell, Patrick Ramsey, National Football League - CBS SportsLine.com: "Brunell: Knee injury 'day-to-day' with playoffs on line"

Playoffs ya say?

2005-12-20T12:29:00.000-05:00

It's funny how football works sometimes....ya go into the weekend needing lots of help. Ya walk away with your playoff destiny in your own hands. . . . ehh for the most part anyway.

The 'skins can clinch this weekend with a win over the Giants AND losses by Minnesota (@Baltimore), Atlanta (@Tampa Bay), and Dallas (@Carolina).

Truth be told, I'm feeling pretty good about our chances. Now some of this could still be the beautiful afterglow of assaulting Dallas the way we did. And I know an upcoming game with the division leading Giants is gonna be a tough. But the way I see it, we have home field advantage and a 36 - 0 debacle to avenge. Tiki Barber is the only player I am concerned about. I know the hype about Plaxico and Eli but I think they still have a ways to go before they surpass Tiki as the Man of the Gameplan.

Unfortunately, I probably won't get to see this game Saturday which irks me a bit but we'll see...maybe Fox will make it the national broadcast.....

NFL.com - NFL Conference Standings

2005-12-13T09:45:00.000-05:00

NFL.com - NFL Conference Standings: "2005 NFC Seeding"

The AFC West has singlehandedly made this an uphill climb for the 'Skins. They are 7-6 overall, 7-2 against the NFC but losses to Oakland, KC, Denver, and San Diego have made playoff chances slim to none and we would still need some help.

The worst part is every loss this year except to the Giants (which as we all know when a member of a team's family passes away, it's almost inevitable that said team will put up an enormous performance), every game was winnable and\or suspect. Oakland - never should have lost to them. KC had something like 21 points off turnovers in 7 point victory. Denver held on for a 2 point victory. And the Chargers were dominated for most of the game until defensive collapses in the fourth and OT caused an 'L'. And let's not talk about the Tampa Bay fiasco....officiating cost us a victory there and unknowingly may change the face of the playoffs as Tampa now leads their division....

Ridiculous

2005-11-20T17:49:00.000-05:00

Fucking pitiful. No offensive touchdowns. Mark Brunell threw the ball out of bounds an inordinate amount of times. THere is no reason in hell we should be beat by Oakland, especially if it's Jerry Porter bustin' our ass....really? Jerry Porter....ashamed I am.

Now, I will admit this is the second straight week that the referees have blown calls that have costed us games. But when you're up 13-3 and can't find a way to win the game, the refs are the last ones you need to hound. Started off 3 - 0 and now we're 5-5...

Up and down

2005-11-09T13:41:00.000-05:00

Up and down you're turning me.....

Nice win over Philly, although watching the game I felt that we should definitely have won by more than a touchdown. I almost felt like we dominated but kept floundering just enough to make a game of it.

Chris Cooley is quickly becoming a favorite of mine.

Santana Moss has been quiet the past two weeks and it doesn't seem like we're as eager to go deep as we were the first couple of games after flagellating on Dallas. Wonder why?

Statements Recant?

2005-09-20T20:58:00.000-04:00

I guess my loyal readers are expecting something in reference to the last post and the results of last night's amazing game......wells, though I am excited as any Redskins fan in regards to the thrilling 14-13 victory over the Cowgirls, I am not quite ready to jump on the Brunell/Gibbs bandwagon.

In fact, I can only hope the success of the offense in the last 4 minutes will lead Gibbs conservative playcalling in another direction. Instead of the ineptitude of the WR Screen, perhaps speed down the middle will calm these blitzing defenses to back off a little bit...in turn opening the middle for Portis to do some damage.

No, friends, it's gonna take more than 4 minutes of true Redskins caliber football to pull Gibbs and Brunell out of the shithole section of my opinions.....

Tuesday Morning Recap

2005-09-13T09:45:00.000-04:00

The 'Skins came out on top of a defensive battle that either highlighted two really good defenses . . . .or lowlighted two really bad offenses. Oddly enough, some fellow skins fans and I predicted the score would be 9 -7 early in the first quarter. Sitting at the sports bar, we were discussing how fans of other teams were shouting and carrying on because they were scoring and how we were calmly watching our game reminiscing about the special feeling a touchdown gives you . . . .

ON a side note, Gibbs has really fallen very far from my most popular list. He shows this fake faith in Patrick Ramsey saying he's the starter etc, the kid gets a minor injury and I swear I think I saw Gibbs smile. The kid says he's ready to get back in the game and Gibbs holds him out. Now P-Ram is 6/11 for 102 yards. Ol' Brunell? He finished with 70 yards passing.....Then after the game Gibbs, being the honest upfront man he is, says he'll wait a couple of days to determine his starter based on how folks heal up.....so a couple of hours later he names Brunell the starter.

Gibbs should be ashamed of the way he's treated P-Ram. He should be upfront with the kid and say I'm going to do my best to not play you. YOu may want to look elsewhere. Gibbs has been through two offseasons and managed to pick qb's both seasons....no support for the incumbent. I wish P-Ram the best and sincerely hope he leaves the Redskins high and dry as soon as he gets a chance. And then I want him to go on and have a phenomenal career to spite Gibbs.....

I never thought I'd say it but I'm really not feeling this Gibbs guy.......

Updates From Camp:

2005-08-11T08:50:00.000-04:00

From Fanball.com:
Redskins: Arrington close to returning
Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington passed a conditioning test on Tuesday and is close to returning to practice. Arrington is recovering from multiple right knee surgeries, and Tuesday's test involved him running 14 40-yard dashes. "He passed it with flying colors," director of sports medicine Bubba Tyer told the Washington Post. "We're real proud of him. He did great. We're getting close." Arrington could practice on a limited basis starting next week.

Redskins running back Clinton Portis told reporters on Tuesday that he added roughly 20 pounds over the offseason. He was listed at 205 last season but claims to be at 225 right now. "I picked up 20 pounds getting in the weight room," he informed the Washington Post. "Pretty much it was just working [out]. I knew what it was going to take. I knew I needed to pick up weight for the type of offense that we're running. In the two-yard gains, I probably need this weight to turn 'em into four or five."

Arrington? Who is this Arrington of which you speak? I seem to remember signing someone of that name that had amazing (as the 'experts' love to say) upside but he vanished. Could this be the same Arrington? Lavar has maybe one more season in Washington to prove his worth before it's time to start calling for a trade in my opinion. I also remember reading recently that he is involved in a contract dispute for 17 months. How can you dispute your pay when you haven't worked?

Washington Redskins - 5 things from CBS Sportsline

2005-08-09T08:52:00.000-04:00

Washington Redskins, National Football League - CBS SportsLine.com

Everything said here I agree with. As such, I provide it to you for your analysis.....

Ramsey's Turn

2005-08-03T09:58:00.000-04:00

Clipped from: AP article by Joseph White posted at Washington Times, 8/2/05

Patrick Ramsey opened training camp as the starting quarterback of the Washington Redskins, but not necessarily as the quarterback of the future.

Ramsey looked at ease - much more comfortable than last year - as he tossed passes Monday to newcomers Santana Moss and David Patten and the rest of the receivers. Always the optimist, he spoke of making the best of his opportunity, even though his status has been muddled yet again by the team's decision to select a quarterback in the first round of the draft.

Of this year's quarterback threesome - Ramsey, Brunell and Campbell - Ramsey is the only one not hand-picked by Gibbs. In essence, Ramsey has been given the job with a one-year lease, knowing that Brunell's career is on the wane and that Campbell - came to terms with the team late Monday - will probably need a season of grooming.

"Patrick's been up here a while now," Gibbs said. "He's been through some stuff a lot of young guys go through, to be truthful. He's established himself as the lead quarterback, and I would say he needs to take this thing and go with it now. Our opportunities in life - this is one where he's perfectly situated."

If Ramsey succeeds, he'll bring stability to a position in flux more or less since the days of Mark Rypien in the early 1990s.

Physically and mentally, Ramsey is miles ahead of where he was 12 months ago, when he was coming off the foot injury and shaking off two seasons of unorthodox coaching from Steve Spurrier. Just the fact that he gets to go first in the practice drills helps his rhythm and confidence - and affects how he is viewed by teammates.

"Where you stand with the guys is what's different," Ramsey said. "But it's not something I'm going to assume. I want to produce early. ... I want to play well in the preseason and show that I deserve the distinction I have as a starter."

Ramsey's career quarterback rating is a modest 74.4, but he played well at the end of last season, completing at least 64 percent of his passes in five straight games. He has always had a strong arm, but he's worked to improve his touch passes this year. He's excited to have speedsters Moss and Patten, who should help him get the ball downfield more often and improve an offense that ranked 30th last year.

"I see potential," said Patten, who spent the last four years working with one of the game's best, Tom Brady, in New England. "I see the way he's running the huddle. He's just gotten more and more confident. He's really starting to take control of the offense."

"I have an opportunity," Ramsey said. "I need to continue to earn the opportunity. You can't ask for more than that."

I personally have been a fan of P-Ram since the Spurrier days. I was captivated by his perseverance through the fiasco known as Spurrier Pass Protection. Let's hope he can take full advantage of this opportunity.

Hopelessness

2005-06-07T14:58:00.000-04:00

So let's recap:

Our first round pick from last year is looking at doing a three year bid.
Our starting runningback, who makes millions, is being a dead beat about 20 grand.
Our coach has yet to show a single nugget of testerone since his return.
And we continue to sign folks such as Kevin Dyson who hasn't played since. . . . .2002?!?!?!

And ya wonder why I'm looking forward to college football season a little bit more....

WHAT?!?!

2005-04-25T10:58:00.000-04:00

Joe Gibbs. Joe Gibbs.

I am at a loss for words. I thought being a Lakers fan during this past season hurt. And it did. But to add to insult to injury, I have endured probably one of the most, dysfunctional, illogical, stupid offseason mockeries in recent memory. Your defense is ranked #2 and basically made it possible for you to win the six measly games you managed to pull off. To reward their efforts, you let the starting middle linebacker go, the starting cornerback go, and with these departures give leverage to a second year safety to start making contract demands.

Meanwhile, you sign no one.

Your offense is ranked 30th. To improve this, you trade one of your starting receivers with a likely probability that you'll be trading the other starter as well and pick up two, not just one, but two second tier receivers in their place. Oh and you sign a 40 + year old offensive lineman to do what????

Draft time comes. Let's bet the future!!! Mediocre draft class in 2005 so let's give up our first round pick for 2006 (which in all likelihood will be a much better class, and our pick will be just as high if not higher given our offseason so far) so we can pick up . . . . . a quarterback.....a quarterback that every team but the Redskins saw as a second rounder at best!.

I have never before considered switching alliances in sports because it's something that I have always been proud of. Undying devotion. But stupidity has a way of crippling a man. Gibbs is looking for 'character'. This isn't the flippin' apprentice.....find players, fill needs, get skills. Nascar is your little pet project, not the flippin' Redskins!!

The Playoffs - Not out of the question . . . yet

2004-12-21T13:00:00.000-05:00

It is a shame that I can even say this, but mathematically, the Redskins are still in the playoff hunt. With wins in our final two games and LOADS of help, the Redskins could actually be in the post-season. I would love to try to display the various scenarios necessary for the 'Skins to get there but the season would be over by the time that happened so here's a snapshot of the playoff race:

Seed	Team	Record	Week 16 Opp	Week 17 Opp
1	Philadelphia	13-1	@St Louis	Cincinatti
2	Atlanta	11-3	@New Orleans	@Seattle
3	Green Bay	8-6	@Minnesota	@Chicago
4	Seattle	7-7	Arizona	Atlanta
5	Minnesota	8-6	Green Bay	@Washington
6	Carolina	6-8	@Tampa Bay	New Orleans
Alive	New Orleans	6-8	Atlanta	@Carolina
Alive	St. Louis	6-8	Philadelphia	New York Jets
Alive	Tampa Bay	5-9	Carolina	@Arizona
Alive	Detroit	5-9	Chicago	@Tennessee
Alive	Chicago	5-9	@Detroit	Green Bay
Alive	New York Giants	5-9	@Cincinnati	Dallas
Alive	Dallas	5-9	Washington	@NY Giants
Alive	Washington	5-9	@Dallas	Minnesota

Maybe I will try to produce what needs to happen for the 'Skins to get in tonite...but not likely....

Is that 2 out of 3???

2004-12-20T15:44:00.000-05:00

I guess better late than never. With San Fran and Miami guaranteed to be in the race for the worst team in the league, at least it's nice to know we are finishing on a positive note. Granted there are two games left but I am encouraged with the way we've played in the past three weeks.

Depressing

2004-11-29T14:53:00.000-05:00

I'll admit. I thought our offensive impotence would wane once Brunell was taken out of the game. And in some aspects, it has. But still....

We have not scored 20 points in a game yet. Cincinnati scored 58 yesterday alone in beating Cleveland 58 - 48. That's 106 points in a single game. The Redskins have only scored 138 points all season long!

First, the running game in the first half looked awful. In fact the only thing that looked worse than the running game was the special teams play. Keep in mind that Pittsburgh only had 59 yards of total offense late in the second quarter though they had a 10 - 0 lead. Why? Because their drives kept starting inside the Redskins 35 - 40 yard line.

Second, how many passes can two wide receivers drop? If they would stop worrying about trying get a pass interference call from the ref and just catch the damn ball, things could have gotten a little more interesting yesterday.

Third, playcalling is a science. And within that science is the use of the element of surprise. But does anyone care to explain what exactly a 5 yard pass on 4th and 15 down 9 points gets you? They intentionally threw a pass that had less than a 2% (my own stat that I just made up) chance of succeeding. I hate to say it but I'm starting to have second thoughts concerning this coaching staff.

Philly Game

2004-11-22T13:03:00.000-05:00

The 'Skins played pretty damn well through 2 and a half quarters. The turning point was coming up empty after having 1st and goal with a chance to take the lead and ending up with 3rd an goal from the flippin' 30 yard line. After that, the defense seems like it just went limp....and for good reason.

Brunell Benched

2004-11-15T11:05:00.000-05:00

Hallelujah!!! It only took the first 10 weeks of the season for Mr. Gibbs to realize he had made a mistake. Now, I can look forward to Redskins games again, though the playoffs are a long shot, at least I can see what Patrick Ramsey can do in an offense designed to keep the QB healthy. This move should really be good for the entire Redksins team; the offense will have more than one option to moving the ball, the defense will spend less time on the field hopefully keeping them fresher (if they aren't already spent from the time spent on the field with Brunell's inadequacies), and the games should be a little more exciting.

I am a little worried that P-Ram's first matchup is against a strong Philly team. But they will be playing on a short week so we'll see......

Win and Go to the SuperBowl

2004-11-12T10:16:00.000-05:00

Apparently, the last two times the Redskins have played the Bengals, the winner of the game has gone on to make an appearance in the Super Bowl. In 1991, Redskins beat the bengals and went on to beat the Bills in the Super Bowl. In 1988, the Bengals laid it on the 'Skins and made an appearance in Super Bowl 23 (Roman numerals bother me). With both teams at 3 -5, it's not out of the question! Bu then again, the Redskins lost the game before the election and bush is still president so there goes any chances of that.....and the Red Sox won the Series

Cincy coming to DC

2004-11-11T14:09:00.000-05:00

For most of my NFL life, a game against Cincinnati was a guaranteed victory, no need to watch, wow that was easy kind of affair. To quote Poe, nevermore. Cincy walloped Dallas last week and looks to continue in that fashion at Washington this week. I don't know a lot about Cincy except they have a talented Chad Johnson catching the balls and a serviceable Rudi Johnson (it's so hard to respect anyone name Rudy) running the rock. Once again, I think this will be a low scoring affair due to the Redskins Defensive success and the Redskins Offensive ineptitude. Hell why not, Redskins 17 - Cincy 10.

Brunell

2004-11-10T13:47:00.000-05:00

I still don't understand Gibbs right now. From a CBS Sportsline article:
PLAYER NOTES

--QB Mark Brunell continues to get coach Joe Gibbs' backing despite hitting 51.1 percent of his passes and averaging just 5.2 yards per attempt. Brunell attempted just two passes in the second half of Sunday's win because Gibbs wanted to ensure the Redskins didn't make a mistake.

What has to happen before Gibbs moves on. Two passes in the second half??? You know what's going to happen with this style of playcalling, Portis gets hurt due to overwork, Brunell's incompetence shows even further. Gibbs finally pulls him and puts Ramsey in. Unfortunately, Ramsey is now put into an offensive scheme in which the defense knows the offense will pass, leading to an all out assault on the quarterback. Ramsey will get battered like he was a protege in a Spurrier offense and the pundits will start saying Ramsey's not ready for the pros.....

Redskins Victorious

2004-11-07T20:25:00.001-05:00

I didn't see the game and I haven't done my in depth analysis yet but a victory is a victory! Hopefully this 17 - 10 victory over the Lions will be the first in a nice run to finishing this season.

Detroit Game

2004-11-05T16:35:00.000-05:00

Mystifying irony of the week: Detroit ranks 32nd in offense and 28th in defense....yes their offense is worse than ours! Yet they are 5 - 2 whereas we are 2 - 5. To our credit that 80% of our losses have been by a touchdown or less.

I actually saw Detroit play Atlanta here in the Georgia Dome. I can't say they were particularly impressive though they did manage to come away with a victory. I think this game will probably turn out to be a mildly interesting matchup if not for the pitiful offenses involved. Redskins 21 -13

Just one break

2004-10-28T16:07:00.000-04:00

Yahoo! Sports - NFL - Redskins rookie Taylor arrested on drunken driving charge

Is that too much to ask for? I mean, stop the madness. Dude has an 18 million dollar contract.....get a damn driver....and what are you doing drunk on a Tuesday night????

Why we need another quarterback!

2004-10-27T12:54:00.000-04:00

Why a QB change is necessary

2004-10-27T10:48:00.000-04:00

QB Mark Brunell is looking to climb out of his season-long slump this week when Washington plays the Packers. Brunell ranks dead last in the conference in completion percentage (51.2) and average gain (5.43 yards). (Quoted from CBS Sportsline)

A quarterback change should be at the forefront of the coach's mind when your qb is having 'a season-long slump'. It is almost a necessity when you see the stats behind the slump!

Arrington Hurt Again

2004-10-25T21:53:00.000-04:00

Some players in professional sports are just not meant to be healthy. Grant Hill, Ken Griffey Jr., and apparently Lavar Arrington.

Up Next: The Packers

2004-10-25T14:11:00.000-04:00

Great...leave it to Dallas to bend over the Redskins again!!! I didn't want Dallas to win, but putting up some kind of challenge could have kept the damaged confidence of the Green Bay Packers at a low. But instead, the Cowboys roll over, let Green Bay embarass them and at the same time provide momentum for a team that was desperately seeking some kind of season altering performance.

Good News though, Mr Arrington is expected back after missing the past four games with a knee injury. How effective he will be is yet to be determined but it's good to have him back nonetheless.

Right now, I have two questions going into this game and the rest of the season. 1) How long before Coach Gibbs benches Mark Brunell especially if he plays anything like he has so far this year? 2) Can our defense keep up this pace that it has set so far...particularly with regards to third down percentage where they have stopped the opponent almost 77% of the time?

Chicago Victory

2004-10-18T00:15:00.000-04:00

Okay, so it took like a month, but we have won another game. With a 13-10 victory of the Chicago Bears, the Washington Redskins improved their record to 2-4.

What's good about this victory? We beat a pretty bad team in a pretty lackluster fashion. We did dominate the first half, but per our modus operandi, a lackluster second half offensive and defensive effort left the game undecided until Chicago's final drive.

Clinton Portis had a beautiful first half with 103 yards off 21 carries. I can only imagine the noise that Redskins would be making if Mark Brunell was tutoring Patrick Ramsey instead of being a role model....put Brunell On The Bench. His prime playing days are long gone. Patrick Ramsey is our future as far as the Redskins faithful can tell right now. Unless our intent is to pickup a big time qb in the next year or two, and Brunell is no longer a big time qb despite his contract, then we need to put Ramsey in the games. Last year, Ramsey picked invaluable experience with Spurrier. We now know that he can take a helluva ass whippin and keep playing. So why not put him in the game with some protection, let him learn the new offensive scheme, give the experience to match his talents?

But we did win and we have a bye next week so maybe Lavar can get healthy and we can make something off this season of hope that has turned so negatively.