Are You Ready For…Next Year? It’s a Virtual Redskins G.M. Moment

It’s done, Virginia.

There is no Santa Claus.

If you’re rooting for a professional team in the nation’s capital, then one more bleak season looks to close unceremoniously in a few weeks after Santa drops coal in Dan Snyder’s proverbial stocking.

Heaven forbid that the front office find some way to forfeit most of its picks for a few wash-up free agents in February, March or April.

Or the team find lightning in a bottle and go at another mad-dash scramble to finish 7-9.

Really, the best (and only) consolation prize that Redskin Nation must look forward to under the Christmas tree are positive signs in the offseason and the 2010 NFL Draft.

I try my best not to be a doubting Thomas, but I doubt that things will go peachy keen for us Washingtonians this winter into fall.

I expect things instead to go awry, with the possibility of major shake-ups on the roster and staff, including coaching and quarterbacking changes.

Despite of three consecutive close games from Weeks 11 to 13, as my friend and B/R colleague Keith Smooth has put it, the Redskins’ goose has been cooked since Snyder and his henchmen decided to sue unfortunate, delinquent ticketholders, including unemployed grandmothers, earlier this year.

By ignoring the outcome of the next four games, I ask all interested Redskin, NFC East and NFL fans this simple question: If you were the Redskins general manager (come on, you know Vinny’s never been in charge of anything; you’re the next best thing), and with your high, first-round selection, which would you choose: a defensive tackle, cornerback, offensive tackle, offensive guard, or running back?

Follow-up questions (gimmes, really): What would you spend the majority of picks on in this upcoming draft? What coaching and roster moves would you make this offseason? Who would you retain, release, trade for, with the possibility of 2010 being (or not being) an uncapped season?

Would you hire Charlie Weis? Select Jimmy “Blackeye” Clausen from Notre Dame? Toby Gerhart, a modern-day Riggo, from Stanford? Florida’s Tim Tebow or Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh?

The team has been playing a lot better in this second half of the 2009 NFL season, even with a lot of its star players now on the IR (Clinton Portis, Chris Cooley, Chris Samuels). But they’re still 3-9 and need some serious help.

Hopefully, 2010 looks like the year when the Washington Redskins front office will get it right, but it will need to do more in drastically improving the team’s constant bottom-dweller status in the tough NFC East.

They will have to do more than just having the loyal fans cheer every summer and fall for the NFL’s perennial offseason “paper” champions. 

We deserve more than that, and the best moves that the owner and his staff could make is by taking baby steps; by abstaining from bone-head acquisitions like picking up Deion Sanders past his prime, as they did back in the 2000 season; and by addressing one of the team’s deepest flaws: an anemic offensive line.

Your thoughts, interested readers and devoted fans?

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In Washington: No Portis, No Problem; No Betts, Big Problem

Here is what embattled Washington Redskins head coach Jim Zorn said during the press conference at Redskins Park on Monday, when he told the local media who will be the team’s starting running back for the rest of the season:

 

“I don’t want a guy to…lose his job because he got a concussion. [Clinton Portis is] our running back…I don’t want to take anything away from what Rock [Cartwright] did and what Ladell [Betts] did either. Our offensive line did a great job of creating lanes. I think we’re all excited about that.”

 

Wrong move, Jim.

 

If Zorn wants to hold on to the very slim chance of keeping his job after 2009-2010, then he should stop being Mr. Nice Guy and let Betts be the primary ball carrier for the remainder of the season instead of Portis.

 

Portis has been a great asset to the team since the 2004 trade, although he’s still regarded as one of owner Daniel Snyder’s pets.

 

He also seems like the type of athlete who decides when to take himself out of games, rather than when the head coach decides to do that.

 

Plus, Portis relies on his God-given talent, and not on practicing most weeks in between games when he’s too nicked up, before lacing ’em up for the next Sunday or Monday game.

 

Coupled with playing an instrumental role during the team’s last two playoff runs under former head coach Joe Gibbs and breaking the franchise rushing record with 1,516 yards in the 2005-2006 season, Portis has been quite valuable to the team.

 

Through strong will, determination and football smarts, he’s been an excellent pass-protection back, also, providing timely blocks and knocking bigger defenders off the ground, in order to save quarterback Jason Campbell from getting knocked around more than Campbell already has.

 

At this point in time, Portis is possible trade bait, or not worth starting anymore. He’s a relentless ball hawk, but possibly damaged goods, too. More importantly, according to the Redskins medical staff, No. 26 is still suffering from dizzy spells and blurred vision, side effects from his concussion in Atlanta. So, he should be out for another week. Stay tuned.

 

Betts and fullback Mike Sellers will be fine on their own. They’ll be a good tandem in the backfield.

 

No, I am not fooled by that one game last Sunday, where the stars aligned and the current, makeshift offensive line solidified all worries and held up throughout the home game against Denver, allowing Betts, Cartwright, and Quinton Ganther to collectively amass 174 rushing yards on 40 carries.

 

All teams in the NFL are suspect to the ebb and flow of fortune and misfortune: A star wide receiver may catch three touchdowns and have 160 yards passing one week, then get doubled-teamed and become a non-factor the next; or an ox of a left guard could start all 16 games for four straight years, only to be upended by a defensive end, have his tibia broken and be placed on injured reserve after a Monday Night Football game.

 

These things do happen, as we saw Portis go down in the first quarter at the Georgia Dome, suffering that earlier mentioned concussion when two Falcons knocked him out cold. Although the Redskins lost that game 31-17, Betts came in and stepped up ably with 70 yards.

 

Even when Portis was healthy and played behind one, constant offensive line in a full season, you noticed that how he operates and how the huge men in front of him operate have been two, completely different styles of play from the time he came from Denver, where the linemen there gave him tons of room to scamper in the AFC West. 

 

Portis’s style (zone-formation back, looking for big holes to dash for 20, 30, 40 yards) is not the same as Betts’s downhill style (slobber-knocker, Mid-West/Big Ten play of moving the chains on little but important five-yard gains, no more than 10), which complements the line better.

 

No sole running back can thrive on his own without an able-bodied back-up, a fullback and a dependable line to bail him out in times of need, true. This has been the case for the Redskins, who relied on Betts to run for 1,000-plus yards when an injured Portis was sidelined a few years back.

 

On the negative side (to offer a fair analysis), in situations where Betts was used as either a starter, back-up, or check-down receiver, he can be careless with the ball, having a case of fumble-itis ever so often.

 

It’s natural for a secondary running back like Betts to not always have his A-game, or not be efficient all the time, when he gets only a few reps per game when subbing in for Portis as he’s done several times in the past.

 

This switcheroo scenario could eventually lead to an uneven rhythm for both backs, a situation that can often turn into chaos at any point on the field.

 

Yet Betts has been solid when he’s been the first-team halfback so far, and he should remain behind Campbell (and sometimes Sellers) if this team wants to beat Dallas and make up for an already sloppy season.

 

The very good teams in the league find ways to win the crucial games in November and December to make the playoffs. At 3-6, the Redskins are far off from being considered contenders right now.

 

But the Redskins can save Snyder (from the scrutiny he deserves) and Zorn (from losing his job this offseason) by staying with the always reliable Betts to lead the team back to a respectable record and a promising outlook for 2010.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

You Gotta Have Heart: Washington Redskins Shock Denver at Home

The ’Skins got off the schneid! For now.

 

I’ll be honest and admit that I’ve been very critical of the performance of the Washington Redskins this season. I and many others in the Bleacher Report and Washington, D.C., communities, including my colleagues J.W. Nix and Keith Smooth, have seen better days from this franchise.

 

For ten-plus years, under the poor control of majority owner Dan Snyder, the ’Skins have stunk up the joint, only to be granted some relief in former head coach Joe Gibbs’s second stint here.

 

Despite my constant misgivings, I am PROUD (please let that be shown in all caps) to see Washington win—and win convincingly!—over the Denver Broncos, 27-17, at FedEx Field Sunday afternoon.

 

In doing so, the Redskins were able to snap a four-game losing streak, and, in what seemed an eternity, scored more than 17 points since last season.

 

I must say that for the first time the Washington Redskins played a decent, very decent, game with tons of heart, resilience and, yes, luck.

 

The Broncos, though, seem a bit shakier after their third consecutive loss. At one point, with new head coach Josh McDaniels at the helm, the team was off to an auspicious start at 6-0, especially with wins over Dallas and New England. After losing to the Ravens, Steelers and Redskins, Denver will face San Diego in an expectedly tough AFC West match-up next week.

 

Even with some high, inaccurate throws by Washington’s Jason Campbell and a few, mishaps in the secondary that allowed two, big bombs from Denver quarterback Kyle Orton to star wide receiver Brandon Marshall, the ’Skins kept the game close throughout, and they should be applauded for their efforts.

 

After groaning when Marshall ran a nice slant route en route to a 40-yard touchdown pass from Orton, with 12:47 left in the first quarter, I thought that this would be a long day for the Redskins at home.

 

My hopeful-thinking, good conscience tapped me on the shoulder at that point and said to me (like commentator Lee Corso), “Not so fast, my friend!”

 

Lo and behold, the Redskins charged right back in the first quarter with aplomb, ending the drive on a Campbell two-yard touchdown pass to tight end Todd Yoder.

 

Interesting!

 

The Redskins defense seemed to give the offense even more hope than expected early in the afternoon with a forced fumble that was recovered by strong safety Reed Doughty.

 

However, not long after Denver got back the ball with time remaining in the first quarter, miscommunication and poor coverage in the secondary allowed Orton, who had great protection at the time, to strike another bomb to a wide-open Marshall, who was streaking long and hard on the right side of the field for a 75-yard touchdown.

 

According to ESPN, Marshall’s two, first-quarter touchdown passes of forty-plus yards made him only the eleventh player in the NFL to reach that record since 1940.

 

Even though the Broncos could have stretched the lead to 21-7 (if Orton didn’t overthrow the ball to the Broncos’ other fast wide receiver, Eddie Royal) in the second quarter, the defense and its anxious defensive staff did not allow Denver to pass at will for the rest of the game.

 

In fact, it’s possible that the Redskins could have had a closer contest in the second half, if Kyle Orton were not hurt on that necessary tackle made by Redskins defensive tackle Andre Carter late in the second quarter.

 

Deep in the red zone (within the five-yard line perimeter), with good coverage on all Denver receivers and possibly no one open, Orton scrambled and hurt his ankle as Carter rushed close behind to clip the Broncos quarterback on that decisive third-down play.

 

Orton left game with a sprained ankle, never able to return in the second half.

 

If Orton had been able to score, or had he left that play unhurt, who knows how the game would have ended. But minutes after the fake field-goal pass by Washington’s punter Hunter Smith to Mike Sellers, all the Broncos could do was close the first half on a chip shot of a 24-yard field goal. Broncos 17, Redskins 14.

 

As the game resumed after halftime, the Redskins defense remained solid, forcing Denver’s back-up quarterback Chris Simms to throw faster than anticipated almost every time he had the ball. Also, with the rookie running back Knowshon Moreno running and getting timely first downs on a few occasions, the Broncos were never able to sustain the pace and attack mode after that frenetic first quarter.

 

Given that Moreno rushed for 97, tough yards rushing was commendable; but Ladell Betts, Washington’s long-time, dependable number two halfback, was even better.

 

Betts, who started in place of Clinton Portis (concussion last week in the Atlanta game) bore through holes that the offensive line provided for him, got a handful of first downs when he needed to, and finished with 114 yards on 26 carries, including the game-winning, one-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter with 2:44 to go.

 

The defense should be congratulated for wising up and not breaking down after the two, early gifts to Marshall. It clamped down, applied pressure on Orton and Simms, forced a key fumble and covered better, with Washington’s DeAngelo Hall intercepting an ill-advised Simms’ pass, which led to Betts’ score.

 

The offensive line should also be given a standing ovation, for adding in a solid replacement for left tackle Chris Samuels in Levi Jones, and staying steady throughout most of the game with guards Derrick Dockery and Will Montgomery, center Casey Rabach and right tackle Stephon Heyer.

 

The line still allowed a few sacks, although Campbell caused some of them himself. I really think, even with confusing pass rushes and blitz packages from Denver defensive coordinator Mike Nolan coming his way, Campbell, when his line collapsed, could have thrown the ball out of bounds on some downs.

 

I’m trying hard not to knock Campbell in those situations, but I feel that he should throw the ball away, instead of repositioning and trying to wait for something positive to happen after plays break down, routes are not run correctly, or receivers are heavily covered. Campbell played hard, did not throw an interception or fumble the ball, and like the rest of the squad, did a more than serviceable job.

 

Overall, though, the offensive line did above average, creating lots of room and spaces for three running backs—Betts, special-teams stalwart Rock Cartwright and newcomer Quinton Ganther.

 

And they should be awarded game balls, along with Betts and Sherman Lewis.

 

Yes, Lewis. Here’s a guy who weeks ago was enjoying retirement and doing Meals on Wheels in Detroit. Now as the main offensive play-caller, the team has looked more comfortable under him.

Moreover, they’re scoring not only field goals but touchdowns as well in the red zone, resembling more of a team that used to drive far and get lots of points in the area, 20 yards or fewer, under the second Gibbs era.

 

Although still wet behind the ears, receivers other than Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle-El came through for embattled Campbell, too.

 

It was pleasing to see second-year guys Malcolm Kelly, Devin Thomas and Fred Davis to not only catch but gain first downs when the team had to maintain its momentum. I’m especially happy for Davis and Thomas.

 

Thomas caught a key pass deep in Broncos territory that eventually led to Betts’ one-yard touchdown, with his running past the first-down marker, juking on a slipping defender, breaking a tackle, slipping through and spinning on another Bronco before being brought down by he five- or six-yard line. Go for three and end up with more than 25 yards on a screen pass? Nice work, Devin!

 

The sky’s the limit on Davis’ potential. If he can consistently play at the level he played at when he was a USC Trojan in college, then I only foresee a productive, Cooley-Davis, two tight-end combo only causing headaches for opposing defenses.

 

My sole concern of the Washington Redskins’ win is that it’s both bad and rewarding at the same time for Redskins head coach Jim Zorn, who has finally won since the narrow win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 4. Unfortunately for Zorn, he cannot call plays anymore and often resembles a magazine model (or a mannequin) with Redskins gear on at a Dick’s Sporting Goods store.

 

But it was good for the team, who desperately and badly wanted to win in order to give their long-starving fans something good to look at.

 

The Redskins, thanks to special teams (placekicker Shaun Suisham is 12/12 on field goals, and Smith has scored on two, fake field-goal plays so far!), offense and defense, played like a cohesive unit for the first time in long while, and because of that, they won a good, good game.

 

I don’t know what to expect of the Redskins after such a stunning win, but they obviously have tremendous upside when facing their ultra-nemesis Cowboys at Dallas next week, at 1 p.m. on Fox November 22.

 

Even if the final outcome for Washington’s professional football team remains murky, how it played Sunday was a great start, with the Redskins looking hopefully to go nowhere but up.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Washington Loses Again: Don’t Call It a Comeback—Yet

You know it’s bad when so far in the season I’ve been watching most of the Redskins games after halftime. Sadly, it’s either been unbearable for me to watch a Redskins game at all or it’s just been tough to stomach an entire 60 minutes of the once-proud franchise.

It’s been years since the household used to scream at the top of its lungs and yell at players with jersey numbers like 44, 81, 28 or 72. Ah, those were the days.

Yet I watched most of Sunday’s game, a bit after kick-off to kneel-down.

In the game against the Atlanta Falcons on the road, I saw a spark. A little bit of a fight that didn’t last long, but showed that the Redskins are still trying hard to prove that they’re not a bunch of roll-over-and-play-dead cream puffs.

Nevertheless, at the end, I saw a team that still didn’t really know what to expect of itself or know its identity.

They had a bye week, which to me meant that, despite the loss of their Pro Bowl tight end Chris Cooley (broken ankle), and a couple of offensive linemen before Week Nine, their latest top play-caller, Sherman Lewis, would have more time to tinker with the personnel at hand.

That, and the defense would rest up and provide more sustenance for an unbalanced squad in Atlanta.

I expected Washington to come out fightin’, but not really look like the Greatest Show on Turf à la the St. Louis Rams of old either. But I did expect to see some points up on the board (one or two touchdowns, maybe?); if not in the first definitely in the second quarter.

As the minutes wound down to halftime, I noticed something sharp and slick. It hadn’t come from head coach Jim Zorn’s playbook; it came out of Lewis’s, whom I’ve noticed has displayed fewer gadget plays yet more seductive (and productive) ones.

Lewis certainly must have caught the Falcons sleeping when quarterback Jason Campbell noticed a wide-open fullback Mike Sellers on a sweet slant pass for 47 yards in Atlanta territory before the first half.

The only time that Sellers had been that successful in a Skins passing play harks back to Joe Gibbs’ second stint.

Not too long after that, the ‘Skins seemed to get out of their doldrums and score a measly field goal to make the score 24-3 at halftime. (Hey, it could’ve been a 24-0 or 28-0 blowout, so I was thankful for the team to cut down the lead before the second quarter ended).

After an apparently colorful and animated halftime speech given by longtime offensive line coach Joe Bugel, along with a late-hit scuffle involving all the Falcons, the ‘Skins seemed to get their groove back.

On a few long drives, Campbell and back-up quarterback Todd Collins (subbing in during periods of time when Campbell couldn’t play after a chest contusion and several, other hard hits from the Atlanta defense) were able to muster enough grit, despite a porous offensive line, scoring twice in the red zone on a Ladell Betts run and a Todd Yoder catch.

Once 24-3; then behind 24-10. 

Now 24-17, with some time remaining in the fourth quarter.

New life? Could this be…?

The defense though, as solid and dependable as it has been to not turn most of these games into blowouts, could not stop their opposition’s running game, as Atlanta’s Michael Turner, all 5-foot-8 of him, blew past feeble missed tackles to the end zone, on a 58-yard dagger of a run.

Nope. Ball game: 31-17.

What this game showed me is that yes, there’s still an owner of the Redskins who belatedly says he’s sorry for the state of the Redskins. You hear his words, and regardless of the several rants of former running back John Riggins, to you, Daniel Snyder’s words remain hollow.

His state of disunion address did not occur at Redskins Park, mind you. He did it at some Prince George’s County high school event in Maryland, during the team’s bye week.

Snyder still even didn’t answer the pertinent issues the media had for him, such as the status of Zorn after 2009, or if Lewis or his own yes-man, Vice President of football operations, Vinny Cerrato would be retained once Washington’s season ends in early January.

And yes, as shattered as Jason Campbell and Jim Zorn seem to be, after one was temporarily benched and the other was permanently stripped of his play-calling duties, both showed great resolve and fight Sunday.

If the first half could’ve been as good as the second, who knows? Probably the ‘Skins could’ve made it closer than it was.

Also, I may seem foolish to the rest of Redskin Nation, but because of Portis’s unfortunate concussion, I think that Ladell Betts can be the starting running back after this season. As much as a workhorse and the face of the franchise that Portis has been, I think that one possible way for the team to get back on its winning ways would be to trade Portis at the end of the season.

Are you nuts?! No.

I know that Portis is playing hurt and has been one of the toughest players on the team to ignore and/or play through injury; play productively.

But Portis has a few years left in the tank, and for Washington to get better five to 15 years from now, we may need to swap him for some draft picks (I could care less about the fortunes of the team now than what could develop nicely in the future).

Lastly, I think that the Redskins defense is still pretty good, but I’m concerned about whether safety LaRon Landry is disciplined enough to rein in his emotions; his brash style of play.

Eerily enough, I remember that the late Sean Taylor played this same way until maturing to All-Pro level later in his career before his untimely death two Novembers ago.

I like Landry and what he brings to the team. In addition, I think that the reason the ‘Skins selected him is because of how he played when he was an LSU Tiger—fierce, tough, and with reckless abandon.

But whenever the team has been down in a game or looking for any sort of momentum from the D, you think about a crucial third-down play, where a three-and-out is negated due to a Landry miscue.

You think back to the scrum involving Landry and the prized possession of the Falcons, quarterback Matt Ryan. Ryan scrambled and got the first down on a late second-quarter play. As he was slowing down to the sideline after passing the first-down marker, Landry came a bit late and hit Ryan, who was just about to go out of bounds.

Yes, again, Landry’s a phenomenal player and that same late hit perhaps provided a spark that the offense sorely needed in order to strike back.

Also, these annoying, preferential rules for offensive players, particularly the quarterbacks, make it hard for defensive players, who seem to get a yellow hanky thrown at them (even for nothing more than sneezing on or tapping the shoulders of a Tom Brady or a Drew Brees).

However, I just wish that Washington’s defensive coordinator Greg Blache, assistant defensive coordinator Jerry Gray or safety coach Steve Jackson could calm Landry down. They could help in preparing him prior to when he goes crazy and tries to help out in ways that ends up hurting the entire team.

Instead of having him hit Ryan late, maybe those coaches can show him how to tackle properly, instead of rolling and trying to clip the legs of Turner on that last, game-winning drive for Atlanta.

I am convinced that one day that the rest of the Washington, D.C. area will all sip the same Kool-Aid and take “…LaRon over Troy (Polamalu) any day,” as Jackson put it in August.

Yeah, well, the Skins are not on the same level as any Steelers or any other elite team in the NFL this year.

The team played hard against the Falcons, but not nearly hard enough in erasing silly mistakes on offense, defense and special teams to shock the Falcons and the league. They need to be taught the fundamentals, like how to play 60, full minutes of a game, and not attempt to be great before or after a half.

But let’s hope that the front office and the rest of the franchise don’t take too long to wait for that “any day”.

Some pieces are in place, true. But there are lots more gaps in between in order to solve the last and ultimate puzzle. 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Redskins-Rams: Five Likes and Dislikes from Washington’s Week Two Win

It’s a “W.” Yes, it’s a flippin’ “W.”

But what a stinker of a win for this squad, squeezing past the woebegone St. Louis Rams like a tube of toothpaste, 9-7, at home (a 7-1 record in home openers for the past eight seasons).

There were a lot of positives, yet so many more negatives, most notably on the offensive side.

I’m happy that the team won, and the crowd was into the game (it booed during the end of the game AND even in between the commercial breaks!). But I could not let the team slide without comment.

Here are five positives:

1. They won. I cannot stress that enough: The Washington Redskins won. Hip. Hip. Hooray.

Could they have won by the Las Vegas 10-point spread? Of course! They didn’t, unfortunately, but they got a much-needed ‘W’ when it counted. (Thank God that the team doesn’t have the New England Patriots next week after Tom Brady’s weak game vs. the New York Jets!)

 

2. Jason Campbell’s stats were solid, if not outstanding. 23-of-35 passes for over 225 yards is really good, seeing that he played better than he did last week (one INT, two fumbles). Good, but not great.

 

3. The (multiple, throaty) boos from the oft-perturbed crowd. There’s no protocol as to when to boo, how (loudly) to boo, whom to boo (heck, the Philadelphia Eagle fans have jeered Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, AND Michael Irvin, who lay motionless and ended his career on a bad neck injury in Philly) during any sporting event for a home crowd.

However, I think that patrons are tired of this team losing or winning by the skin of their teeth, no pun intended, against less than mediocre teams.

They have the right: They pay for some of the priciest tickets in the league (close to $80, according to the 2009 NFL Team Marketing Report), spend extra on concessions ($7-8 for beer, 10 bucks for a cheeseburger? Seriously?), and cheer for a .500 team that has averaged a meager 16.2 points a game since 2008.

Additionally, as seen last Sunday, if I have 12 plays near the opponent’s 10-yard line but can only manage three field goals in the home opener, then I’m booing, too!

These are not your parents’ Redskins of the 1980s, ladies and gentlemen—and we, as fans and observers, must let them know that they must play better in order to reach that consistent pinnacle.

 

4. Chris Cooley, Captain Chaos. Washington’s tight end got Campbell going early and got his QB in a nice rhythm. Nothing to talk about ad nauseam, but seven catches for 83 yards was one reason why Campbell played a decent game and found a safety valve when the offensive line received pressure up the middle.

 

5. Antwaan Randle El in the slot. That has been the best move for the team, as the veteran wide receiver seems to play better and is more open with taller receivers like Malcolm Kelly or Devin Thomas at the flanker position. He had 98 yards receiving against the Giants and an awesome catch inside the 10-yard line in the Rams’ territory.

 

Five negatives:

1. Those stupid clichés that a “win is a win,” and how it’s “sooo hard to win in the NFL.” Yes, we know how brutal the sport is, how tough the NFC East division is, and how parity/free agency/salary cap pretty much make different teams competitive enough to go to the Super Bowl every year.

But I swear I wanted to throw my remote control through the TV during the post-game interviews, talking about “W’s” and “hard wins.”

And yes, while it’s a tough sports league, there’s a definitive sign of teams that go to the playoffs more consistently (see Giants, New York) than others (see, Redskins, Washington).

Case in point No. 1 (’08 season): New York played those same sorry Rams in Week Two and whupped them 41-13 on the road. Case in point No. 2: Last year Washington struggled mercilessly and never could escape the inevitable loss (at home, mind you) to those same two-win, 14-loss Rams, 19-17.

When you trounce teams like the Rams and lose very close ones to the Giants, then you show promise. But if you have to limbo through the spokes of a wheel to beat the Rams and lose by halftime to the Giants, then you don’t deserve any “W’s”—or “X’s,” “Y’s,” and “Z’s.”

 

2. The questionable play-calling of James Arthur Zorn, head coach, main offensive signal caller, and quarterbacks coach. Fourth down and one, deep in Rams territory in the fourth quarter, and you decide to run it instead of kicking a field goal?

Hmmm…you’re lucky that strong safety Chris Horton was in the right place at the right time to knock away that Hail Mary pass from Rams quarterback Marc Bulger.

You also decide earlier in the game to use a trick play—running back Clinton Portis passes to Cooley, which goes nowhere? Hmmm…

And in the red zone, why are you running more than passing? I’m not an expert, but I think that there should be a fair share of both rush and pass plays when you’re inside the 20 so that you don’t look so predictable. Mix it up, Z-man! Or hire a REAL offensive coordinator.

 

3. I am still not convinced that starting cornerback DeAngelo Hall is worth his lucrative, six-year, $55 mil. contract. (Which is why I feel Oakland was eager to cut him and keep Nnamdi Asomugha at the other corner position.)

He may indeed get up to five or more picks during the season, but he was beaten by OK receivers in New York, cannot tackle all that well, and made Rams wideout Laurent Robinson look like Jerry Rice on that second quarter touchdown pass.

He’s still questionable as a quality CB (to me) so far. I’d have Carlos Rogers a smidge higher on the depth chart…

 

4. “Dimwit” Tweeter rookie linebacker Robert Henson. After the game, Henson berated disgruntled ‘Skins fans on his Twitter page. Awww. Mad at some fans for not liking a narrow victory after being tortured by ineptitude for a solid decade and a half, huh?

Mad because you’re sitting on a bench, with at least a five- to six-figure salary, and have the nerve to assume that those same booing fans “work 9-5 at McDonald’s?” Ouch.

Your father-in-law Bishop T.D. Jakes would not approve of that, and neither will I. Greg Blache should give you a pillow (or Krazy Glue) to stay nice and comfy where you are, buddy.

 

5. The loss of stalwart right guard Randy Thomas. This is bad, real bad—Michael Jackson.

The team’s front office has neglected the need to upgrade an aging offensive line. Yet against the Rams, the 11-year veteran tore his right triceps muscle in his arm after damaging his left one in 2007. When healthy, he has anchored a formidable line and assisted in Portis’ setting the franchise record for most rushing yards in a season in 2005.

He will be sorely missed, with the task of Campbell’s staying upright more paramount. Furthermore, there’s a strong chance that No. 77 might not be seen in a Redskins uniform again. Best of luck, Randy.

 

So, here we go: Can the Redskins finally show some life in their West Coast offense and win big against the winless, sorry Detroit Lions? Or will this As the World Turns soap opera drama keep on unfolding, with the Redskins underestimating a desperate Lions team and losing in an unnecessarily close match?

To be continued…

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Washington Redskins: First-Game Woes and Blows

Ugh. To paraphrase 32nd U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s somber words from his speech to Congress on Dec. 7, 1941, but Sept. 13, 2009, should be the day that the Washington Redskins shall live in infamy.

The first game of the season at the Meadowlands was ugly from beginning to start for Washington, losing 23-17 to the New York Giants.

The first drive seemed promising on a big run by Redskins running back Clinton Portis, as he ran past defenders into the Giants’ territory early in the first quarter. Then, as those of us in the Washington, D.C., area saw it, that gadget play on a reverse pass to Antwaan Randle El was the game-defining moment.

It caused the Redskins to lose whatever momentum it had at the start, and sapped the excitement and energy of Redskins fans all around, although there were still over 45-50 more minutes to play.

Randle El’s jittery legs continue to have failed him as a Redskin, and I don’t know why he didn’t throw that pass away, instead of losing yardage to an always-hungry New York D.

In fact, after witnessing such a deflating and uninspiring loss, here are five things I noticed (and you may have, too) about the Daniel Snyder-owned team:

• Quarterback Jason Campbell, even if he’s successful after the first game, may be a goner at the end of the season. He holds onto the football too long and winds back his arm for the ball to be stripped—which is what Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora did to Campbell, resulting in a 37-yard fumble return for a touchdown. He showed some strides, and his stats were pretty much comparable to Eli Manning’s. But my gut does not believe that he’s got franchise QB material. There’s no apparent fire in his eyes, no excitement to rally the troops behind him and pull out a convincing, come-from-behind fourth quarter victory.
• Cornerback DeAngelo Hall may not be worth more than defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth’s contract. Haynesworth made some strides, and was a factor every once and then, including making some crucial stops on the G-men’s rushing attack tandem of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. But back to Hall: In the preseason game against New England, he was beat twice by WR Randy Moss for long passes that went for touchdowns. And in the first regular game? Pretty much the same: beaten by decent but not great Giants wideouts and poor tackling. The only thing that saved him was that late, second quarter interception off a deflection that led to the Hunter Smith field goal fake run. But for over $50 mil., Hall seems like a nickel cornerback. A No. 2 CB at best.
• The Redskin defensive ends look old, small, and generally ineffective, compared to the Giant ends. Ends Andre Carter and Philip Daniels hardly pressured the quarterback, and were only able to manage two sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery throughout the game. Yes, the Skins’ putrid offense made the defense stay on the field longer than preferred, but help is sorely needed at both left and right ends.
• WR Santana Moss is as tradeable as Campbell. The chemistry between Campbell and Moss is off and on. Moss is a dynamic player, yes. But when you can only catch fewer than five passes throughout the game, and your most noteworthy moment is a donnybrook with Giants CB Martell Webster, then something is wrong. The team has a big, 6’5″ QB. They need bigger targets for Campbell besides tight end Chris Cooley and wide receiver Malcolm Kelly.
• No one can say that the offensive line did not give Campbell enough time to throw the ball, survey the field, and avoid the constantly aggressive pass rush of the Giants. Yes, the pass rush did make Campbell uncomfortable and unable to get in rhythm. But the O-line, the target of assault last season so far has stood its ground. Grade: B+. The man behind the pocket just has to be better and always aware of his surroundings.

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