Hail to the Redskins! (1 Viewer)

[redman]

Something that isn't understood by those who have not followed the Redskins for years is the level of performance of individual players and the team as a whole under Joe Gibbs. His Super Bowl teams are now thought of as having quite a few "stars", when in reality at the time they were modestly talented teams who, through collective effort and belief, and relentless coaching, raised their level of play on a weekly basis far above the level they should have competed on. They played better than they were, pure and simple, and did it long enough that the entire opinion of them as a team and as players was raised.

That's what is happening now, a collection of modestly-talented players who play better than they are. It's been inconsistent over the year, they've fallen off badly sometimes, but the last 6 games are one consistent effort over 24 quarters.

If you're gauging the results Saturday by "who is better" and "who should win", Seattle will walk away with the game. But if the game is decided on cohesive and relentless effort, and on coaching, do not bet against the nobodies called "Redskins". 

We Redskin fans have seen this movie before, and this is the part where it gets unexpectedly cool ----- when nobodies become somebody. Maybe it won't finish happening this year, but it has started.

Go Skins.

damn, reading this post makes me wish the game would just start right now!!!!!!!!

Great post, fatness. You're absolutely right on.

 

[redman]

An NFL quarterback who played against the Redskins this season told me that Taylor can be taken advantage of on certain kinds of plays, but otherwise he's often the baddest man on the field.

I used to do this. I used to see one play where a player makes a mistake and use that to lower my view of a player. But, I heard a very interesting interview with HOF safety Ken Houston. Houston said he made seven mistakes in his final NFL game. He said he averaged eight mistakes per game over his career. That's a HOF career; eight mistakes per game. So, an NFL quarterback said you can take advantage of Sean Taylor on certain plays? So what? That can be said about everyone to play the game, even the best of the best.

As long as he stays out of jail, he'll go down as the best safety of his era. I was thrilled when I started to watch him play last year and immediately noticed a nasty streak. It was refreshing to finally have someone on defense with an attitude.

I think they made the right pick by taking him over Winslow.

You don't know what you're talking about. Winslow's a warrior.

 

[BigTuna]

The only thing the Skins have going for them is portis, you saw how pathetic their offense is without him. 50 yards passing? Please! Do they hope to outscore the no. 1 offense with their defense?? They have a good defense. but I don't see them outscoring the Hawks. The biggest adversary the Seahawks have on the field this weekend is their own history. If they can play an "average" game for them, they'll walk away with a victory. The Skins will have to get really lucky to win.

 

[Kai's Hero]

I continually see people disrespecting this team. Nobody seems to think they are for real. Yet look at what they've done:

They've gone on the road and beaten a Cowboys team that is 2-0(with both of those victories coming on the road) in their other game.

They've beaten a Chicago team that is 1-1 in their other games with one great game(killing Detroit) and one poor game against a tough opponent.

People are underrating just how good this Redskins D is. Last year, I said multiple times that the Skins D was far and away the best in the league. The only reason that they weren't at the top of the league statistically was because the offense last year was incredibly mistake-prone and they left the D in terrible shape all the time. However, from watching them, I could tell that they were amazing.

If I had to compare this team to another, it would be the 2000 Ravens. Most people will say that the Skins D isn't as good, and I agree with that, but I think its a lot closer than many think. They've given up 20 points so far, which means they are on pace to give up 160 for the year, which btw would beat the Skins record for best defense of all time.

And I actually give the Redskins the advantage in offense. Don't forget just how bad that 2000 Ravens offense was to start the year. They went 5 straight games without an offensive TD!!! But then they switched their QB(just like the Skins) and played conservative and took a few shots downfield each game(just like the Skins). I think that Brunell is just like Dilfer except he has better mobility. Portis is every bit as good as Lewis. And their receiving corps are about even.

The Redskins will be in every game this year because they have a great(not good, but great) defense.Their offense and special teams will produce a few big plays here and there which will be sufficient. Otherwise, they will minimize their mistakes on offense.

The Skins are 2.5 point favorites this week. That means that they are likely to go 3-0. What will everyone say then? Will it still be a fluke then?

I predict that the Skins finish 10-6 and enter the playoffs as a wild card(just like the Ravens did). Then if they get hot at the right time, they could make a similar run.

Be Careful what you wish for ....... Seahawks 27 Washington 16

 

[jbz]

Portis isn't even listed on the injury report. What do you make of that? He's obviously banged up, but I guess this is a statement that he intends to play the entire game. Wonder if this is just wishful thinking.

Portis is going to get punked by the Seahawk D. The reason they didn't list his injury is they don't want anyone targeting his shoulders. Holmy wasn't born yesterday, you know hes gonna put some helmets on Portis' shoulders, early and often. Portis will be lucky to get 16 carries.

lol, yeah I'm sure the Redskins are thinking "hmm, if we dont list Portis, maybe no one will know his shoulders are hurting and they won't hit him there". C'mon man, everyone knows Portis hurt his shoulders. Seattle won't have to target his shoulders if they wanted to anyway. RBs lead with their shoulders when they run, they use it when they block.

 

[jbz]

Former Seattle great Dave Brown passed away this past week. He will be honored at the game with a moment of silence. The last time something like this happened before a Skins game, it was 36-0 for the Giants.

 

[redman]

Portis isn't even listed on the injury report. What do you make of that? He's obviously banged up, but I guess this is a statement that he intends to play the entire game. Wonder if this is just wishful thinking.

Portis is going to get punked by the Seahawk D. The reason they didn't list his injury is they don't want anyone targeting his shoulders. Holmy wasn't born yesterday, you know hes gonna put some helmets on Portis' shoulders, early and often. Portis will be lucky to get 16 carries.

lol, yeah I'm sure the Redskins are thinking "hmm, if we dont list Portis, maybe no one will know his shoulders are hurting and they won't hit him there". C'mon man, everyone knows Portis hurt his shoulders. Seattle won't have to target his shoulders if they wanted to anyway. RBs lead with their shoulders when they run, they use it when they block.

 

[avoiding injuries]

An NFL quarterback who played against the Redskins this season told me that Taylor can be taken advantage of on certain kinds of plays, but otherwise he's often the baddest man on the field.

I used to do this. I used to see one play where a player makes a mistake and use that to lower my view of a player. But, I heard a very interesting interview with HOF safety Ken Houston. Houston said he made seven mistakes in his final NFL game. He said he averaged eight mistakes per game over his career. That's a HOF career; eight mistakes per game. So, an NFL quarterback said you can take advantage of Sean Taylor on certain plays? So what? That can be said about everyone to play the game, even the best of the best.

As long as he stays out of jail, he'll go down as the best safety of his era. I was thrilled when I started to watch him play last year and immediately noticed a nasty streak. It was refreshing to finally have someone on defense with an attitude.

I think they made the right pick by taking him over Winslow.

You don't know what you're talking about. Winslow's a warrior.

I think you mean soilder.

 

[GreedoShotFirst]

The GloaterHow to savor a playoff victory.By Felix GillettePosted Friday, Jan. 13, 2006, at 5:50 AM ET HA ha! Last Saturday, my beloved Redskins survived a torturous fourth quarter to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17-10. I watched the game in New York City's unofficial Redskins bar. When the game ended, we went berserk, performing a celebratory Fun Bunch and singing "Hail to the Redskins!"After a few minutes of revelry, I remembered an oft-overlooked tenet of sportsmanship: It's not enough to celebrate your favorite team's victory in the company of your fellow fans. During times of conquest, I always remember to celebrate the other team's defeat in the company of their fans. During football season, my consumption of sports media is dictated in large part by the performance of the Redskins. A tough loss will chase me away from the sports pages for an entire week. After a big win, my need for Redskins reportage is insatiable. Daily newspapers, a handful of blogs, the Redskins home page, ESPN, Sports Illustrated—it's still not enough. When the Redskins humiliated the Cowboys on Monday Night Football earlier this year thanks to two late Santana Moss touchdowns, I went on a reconnaissance mission. The next morning, I ventured into the formerly hostile territory of the Dallas sports pages and savored every harsh word tossed at the hometown losers. "[T]he Cowboys came out on the wrong end, somehow blowing a late 13-point fourth-quarter lead, eventually blowing a game, and maybe even wrecking an entire season," Randy Galloway wrote in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Pathetic and disgraceful is being too kind to the Cowboys." This was fantastic!With that schadenfreude in mind, I raced back to my apartment a few minutes after the Redskins' first playoff victory in six years. I immediately started surfing through Bucs Web sites and cranked up Tampa sports radio WDAE—the "Sports Animal."Earlier in the day, I had tuned in to the pregame show on the same station. Until then, I hadn't harbored a strong impression of Bucs fans. As I quickly learned, they are a scurrilous and foul-mouthed bunch with a hearty appetite for good defense and liquor. Several of them predicted a Bucs blowout. One noted that he was going down to the stadium "to harass Redskins fans."By the post-game show, the Animal had transformed into a delightful dirge. Gone were the fight songs, the barbaric howling, and the idiotic kazoos. "It's going to take a while to get over this as a fan," moaned a caller who went by Timmy. Don: "The offense sucked." T.J.: "This is a tough one." A woman named, curiously, Aussie D: "We just didn't have enough fire on the barbie." Much of the bellyaching centered on a controversial play: a pass late in the fourth quarter that would have given the Bucs a chance to tie the game if only the refs hadn't ruled that the ball squirted loose at the last instant."There was a little bit of a conspiracy on the NFL side," explained a caller named Jeff. "They didn't want [bucs Coach Jon] Gruden in the playoffs." Host Scott Ledger agreed: "We got rooked. … How is it that you don't know, when you're an NFL referee, that the ground can't cause a fumble. … Killing me. Killing me." I knew this kind of pain. Earlier this year, the Bucs beat the Redskins 36-35 on a two-point conversion play in which Mike Alstott was clearly—clearly!—stopped short of the goal line. For days, I sounded just like these woebegone callers—bitter, angry, and calling for an official investigation. Against my will, I began to identity with the Tampa Bay fans. That just wouldn't do. Before I developed full-blown empathy, I turned off the Sports Animal and switched over to the Bucs' post-game interviews. Quarterback Chris Simms, who threw two interceptions, got sacked three times, and led his team to a measly 10 points, was still grappling with what went wrong. If the two intercepted passes hadn't been tipped, he pointed out, both "were going to be 20-yard completions." Elsewhere, coach Gruden noted that he'd like to go home and stick his head in a pool. Eventually even this brand of seppuku got a little boring. For one thing, I just can't bring myself to hate the Bucs like I hate the Cowboys. There was also plenty about this game that I couldn't wait to forget. Mark Brunell's fourth-quarter interception. The Redskins' historically inept offensive performance. Derrick Frost shanking a 14-yard punt late in the game. That's the kind of gruesomeness that tends to drive me into media quarantine. By midweek, I stopped reading the St. Petersburg Times sports page altogether. Now I find my mind drifting back to that early-season win over the Cowboys. When I think back on the 2005 football season, that's the game I'll savor. Thanks to my gloating radar, I know I'm not the only one still thinking about that Monday night."You just knew that loss was bad then," Mickey Spagnola wrote on dallascowboys.com on Monday. "You realized that loss was bad at season's end. But after watching what happened this weekend, that bad, bad loss grew even worse. Enough to make you sick." And enough to keep me coming back for more, dear Cowboys columnist. Keep up the good work!Felix Gillette is a reporter for the Columbia Journalism Review's CJR Daily.

 

[fatness]

Former Seattle great Dave Brown passed away this past week. He will be honored at the game with a moment of silence. The last time something like this happened before a Skins game, it was 36-0 for the Giants.

Sorry to hear that about Dave Brown.On a lighter note, Sonny Jurgensen has agreed to "take one for the team" and pass away before the game to motivate the Redskins. Of course, it will all be a hoax, and Sam Huff will "revive" him late in the broadcast of the game. Way to go, Sonny!

 

[fatness]

The Gloater

How to savor a playoff victory.

By Felix Gillette

Posted Friday, Jan. 13, 2006, at 5:50 AM ET

Until then, I hadn't harbored a strong impression of Bucs fans. As I quickly learned, they are a scurrilous and foul-mouthed bunch with a hearty appetite for good defense and liquor.

From what I've seen of them on this board, I'd say that's about right. They're pretty good people.

 

[jwvdcw]

More playoff analysis:

Snap Judgments Don Banks, SI.com Here's what Rematch Weekend in the NFL playoffs will teach us: It's tough to beat a good team more than once in the same season.Washington, Denver, Chicago and Indianapolis won their regular-season meetings with their divisional round opponent, but I see only the Colts being able to make it a two-game sweep.• In a matchup that features a team with a great running game and a team with great run defense, I'll take the run defense most every time. That's why I think the key component of the Patriots-Broncos chess match favors the two-time defending champions.Denver averaged 158.7 rushing yards per game this season, less than a half-yard behind first-place Atlanta (159.1). Against the Patriots in Week 6, the Broncos rolled up 178 yards rushing, the second-most New England allowed this season. But that was then, this is now. In their last eight games of the regular season, when their defense got both Tedy Bruschi and Richard Seymour back for the majority of the time, and found the best spot inside for linebacker Mike Vrabel, the Patriots gave up only 68.6 yards rushing per game, the best mark in the NFL during that span.Throw out the 148 yards that Miami rushed for in Week 17 against mostly Patriots scrubs, and New England gave up just 57.2 rushing yards per game when it really mattered in the second half.One more statistic: In their four December games, all of which were wins, the Patriots allowed just 31 yards rushing per week. Last week against Jacksonville, New England surrendered 47 yards on 12 carries by Jaguars running backs.• The more I look at the Carolina-Chicago matchup on Sunday, the more I get the feeling that the Panthers might wind up playing the role that Philadelphia did when it went into old Soldier Field and embarrassed the 13-3, division-champion Bears in 2001's divisional round. Chicago lost 33-19 to the Eagles, ending its magic carpet ride of a season in swift fashion.• More reason for concern in Chicago? The Bears defense ain't what it used to be. In their past four games, the Bears have allowed 75 points, or almost 19 per game. In the eight previous games, Chicago surrendered just 68 points, or 8.5 per game.• Even more reason to worry if you're a Bears fan? You already know that all four first-time playoff quarterbacks lost in last week's first round (Chris Simms, Byron Leftwich, Eli Manning and Carson Palmer). The only team starting a QB with no previous playoff experience this week? That would be the Bears and Rex Grossman.• You think of the Colts and you think offense, with all of those points and all of those weapons. You think of the Steelers, and you think defense and a power running game. But some stereotypes outlive reality.Since losing 26-7 at Indianapolis on Nov. 28, the Steelers have averaged 29.5 points in six games, topping 30 points four times in that span. In their most recent six games, the Colts have averaged just 22.3 points per game, scoring more than 30 just once.In each team's past three games, the contrast has been even starker. Pittsburgh has scored 107 points (35.7 average), while the Colts, resting many of their regulars, have tallied just 47 (15.7).Go figure.• Did Washington quarterback Mark Brunell really only complete four passes for eight yards in the second half at Tampa Bay last week? And he won? That's got to be a misprint.• It's been about 7,665 days since Seattle won a playoff game. That's why I'm picking the Seahawks this week at home against Washington. They're due.• So Mike McCarthy's in, Mike Mularkey's out, and Herm Edwards goes all Mark McGwire on us, because he's not here to talk about the past. Yep, call it another fun week on the NFL coaching carousel.Some other quick-hit observations:• Maybe time will bear out a success story, but at first glance, how is it that Green Bay can sell McCarthy as a big upgrade over the fired Mike Sherman? Nothing against the 42-year-old ex-49ers offensive coordinator, but his old job doesn't exactly hold the same cache as when Mike Holmgren, Mike Shanahan and Marty Mornhinweg were using it as a springboard to launch their NFL head coaching careers.McCarthy's offense in San Francisco failed to score a touchdown in half its games this season. He didn't exactly set the world on fire during his stint as the Saints offensive coordinator (2000-04), either, and his only link to Green Bay is having spent 1999 as quarterbacks coach for Ray Rhodes, who went 8-8 in his ill-fated one-year tenure in Titletown. Until this year's 4-12, '99 was the lowest point for the Packers in the Brett Favre era.One more point: It undoubtedly helped McCarthy's candidacy that as the 49ers offensive coordinator last spring he spent weeks analyzing the game of Cal quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whom Green Bay drafted in the first round after San Francisco opted for Utah's Alex Smith at No. 1. We don't know yet what that says about McCarthy's appraisal of Rodgers, but it's probably pertinent.• A year ago at this time, fresh off a 9-7 rookie-season performance in Buffalo, Mularkey looked like one of the NFL's brightest young coaching talents. I still say he is, but nothing went right for him or his Bills in '05, and he walked away from the job Thursday after apparently believing he had little chance to win with a new management structure in Buffalo that's curious at the very least.Mularkey could land somewhere as an offensive coordinator for a year or two, or with all the openings that still exist, another head coaching opportunity could be on the immediate horizon (are you paying attention, Jets?). But he will win again as an NFL head coach at some point, and the Bills might just rue the day he got away.• Mommas, don't let your babies grow up to be NFL head coaches. There's just no future in it. Case in point: The NFC North. Chicago's Lovie Smith, in his second season on the job, is now the dean of the division's head coaches. George Halas, Bud Grant and Vince Lombardi's legacies are apparently safe.• Note to Edwards: You got the job you wanted at the money you wanted, so good for you. But you didn't come out of the move from the Jets to the Chiefs with your reputation for integrity and straight-shooting untarnished. I can understand you not wanting to re-hash the immediate past, since nothing about your self-executed escape from New York looks particularly pretty in the rear-view mirror.• Even some of those who consider themselves big Eric Mangini fans question whether the soon-to-be 35-year-old Patriots defensive coordinator is ready to become a first-time NFL head coach -- let alone one making his debut in the shark-infested waters that come with coaching in New York.Mangini is expected to be interviewed shortly by the Jets, who apparently have him high on their wish list, if not atop it. Such is the rush to emulate the Patriots success -- especially in the AFC East -- that New York seems to be willing to overlook that Mangini doesn't even yet have one full season of experience as a coordinator in the NFL.• Although his name has surfaced in connection with both Detroit and St. Louis' vacancies, Bucs assistant head coach/defensive line coach Rod Marinelli may not land a head coaching job this offseason. But many within the league -- both players and fellow coaches -- say he'll be a success one day as someone's head coach.• The breathless coverage of Reggie Bush's selection of an agent and a marketing team encapsulates all that is nauseating about the money game in professional sports these days. I can hardly wait to find out if Bush really did make his agent agree to work for 1 percent, or stick with the standard 3 percent take. And I thought the buzz about Bush and the number one had to do with the NFL Draft.

 

[The_Man]

More playoff analysis:

Snap Judgments

Don Banks, SI.com

• Throw out the 148 yards that Miami rushed for in Week 17 against mostly Patriots scrubs, and New England gave up just 57.2 rushing yards per game when it really mattered in the second half.

• More reason for concern in Chicago? The Bears defense ain't what it used to be. In their past four games, the Bears have allowed 75 points, or almost 19 per game. In the eight previous games, Chicago surrendered just 68 points, or 8.5 per game.

So we're supposed to throw out the 148 rushing yards that New England allowed in a meaningless Week 17 game, but we're supposed to take very seriously the 34 points that Chicago allowed in a meaningless Week 17 game?Glad we got that straight.

 

[Capella]

The Gloater

How to savor a playoff victory.

By Felix Gillette

Posted Friday, Jan. 13, 2006, at 5:50 AM ET

Until then, I hadn't harbored a strong impression of Bucs fans. As I quickly learned, they are a scurrilous and foul-mouthed bunch with a hearty appetite for good defense and liquor.

From what I've seen of them on this board, I'd say that's about right. They're pretty good people.

good defense and liquor.

 

[fridayfrenzy]

I just read that Gibbs is thinking of benching Tayor for the first half of the game....has anyone heard this?

 

[redman]

I just read that Gibbs is thinking of benching Tayor for the first half of the game....has anyone heard this?

In a word, no. Not saying you're wrong, but I haven't heard it.

 

[jbz]

I haven't heard anything like that, but I wouldn't doubt it either.

 

[fatness]

I just read that Gibbs is thinking of benching Tayor for the first half of the game....has anyone heard this?

I heard it from a guy who was making things up on a message board, yep.

 

[jwvdcw]

I just read that Gibbs is thinking of benching Tayor for the first half of the game....has anyone heard this?

Care to say where you've heard it?

 

[fatness]

Not here.

 

[valhallan]

4pm can't come soon enough

 

[DoctorDetroit]

4pm can't come soon enough

I'm beside myself waiting for this damn game to start.Nice chatting with you Skins fans (most of you anyway) this week. U guys are even though you're rooting for the wrong team today.

 

[redman]

4pm can't come soon enough 

I'm beside myself waiting for this damn game to start.Nice chatting with you Skins fans (most of you anyway) this week. U guys are even though you're rooting for the wrong team today.

right back atcha! I can't wait for kickoff either.

 

[seahawk 17]

I appreciate Redskin fans excitement, but your lucky streak ends today.Seattle wins, and gets a huge monkey off of their backs.

 

[jwvdcw]

Gameday!!!! No matter what happens today, its been a great great season, and I'm thrilled to be a Skins fan. As long as they come out and play good solid football today, I"ll be happy....and a win would be nice too. Theres a lot of reasons to think that the Skins won't win this game, but thats been the case all year long, and I have total confidence in Gibbs to have them ready to play....can't wait!

 

[jwvdcw]

Washington's stingy, hard-hitting defense has the Seahawks' attention By GREGG BELL, AP Sports WriterJanuary 13, 2006AP - Jan 13, 5:32 pm ESTMore Photos SEATTLE (AP) -- Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck's eyes widened. His eyebrows raised. His head shook slightly. He seemed impressed. Not because Seattle is two wins from the Super Bowl. Or because the Seahawks are hosting a divisional playoff game at Qwest Field for the first time Saturday. It was the punishing Washington Redskins defense that had Hasselbeck's attention. "They're a physical defense," Hasselbeck said. "They're going to hit you. They're going to make you pay." Washington's defense knocked out both of Seattle's starting receivers in October. The Redskins were one of only five teams to hold league Most Valuable Player Shaun Alexander under 100 yards rushing. "That was a tough game," Hasselbeck said of an overtime loss at Washington on Oct. 2. And Hasselbeck has had enough tough games over previous years to know one -- and to thoroughly enjoy this year's emergence as the often-unflappable leader of the NFC's top seed. The cost of the October loss to Washington for Seattle was a pittance compared to what's at stake Saturday. A defeat would devastate a franchise that hasn't won a playoff game since 1984 but enjoys its best postseason position ever. It would also devastate a region that has seemingly invested three decades of hope, waiting for the Seahawks to play in their first Super Bowl. The Redskins want to smash those hopes -- and some ball carriers and receivers. "Being physical, that's going to be the key for us," Washington safety Ryan Clark said. "They are going to take those 2-yard and 5-yard passes ... But when a guy catches a 2-yard pass and they hit them in the mouth, they don't like that. "That will make a receiver go back to the quarterback and say, 'Hey, if you see 53 (linebacker Marcus Washington) or 21 (safety Sean Taylor) around me, you might not want to throw it right there."' Hasselbeck said the Redskins don't just hit. They also trick. He said Washington is great at disguising "exotic looks" such as blitzes, fake blitzes and combination coverages. Redskins defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, the brains behind the operations, recently received a three-year contract extension reported to be worth almost $8 million. But Alexander said the Seahawks should thank the Redskins for their bullying tricks. The loss to Washington helped change Seattle's offensive schemes, Alexander said. That, in turn, led Seattle to a team-record 11-game winning streak and the NFC's top playoff seed. "That was an eye-opener game for us," said Alexander, who finished the season as the league rushing champion with 1,880 yards and an NFL-record 28 touchdowns. The Seahawks defense may have had a hard time keeping its eyes open watching Washington's offense slog to just 120 yards of offense last week at Tampa Bay. That was the lowest output for a winning team in the playoffs. The Redskins won because their defense scored one touchdown and set up the other in a 17-10 victory. Clinton Portis is the man Seattle needs to stop. Seattle coach Mike Holmgren called the Redskins running back "a little package of dynamite." Portis set a franchise record with 1,516 yards rushing, fourth-most in the league. The last time Seattle faced a premier runner -- aside from a one-quarter cameo of Indianapolis' Edgerrin James in a meaningless game -- Tiki Barber of the New York Giants romped for 151 yards on Nov. 27. But Portis had just 53 yards, on 16 carries, against the top-ranked Buccaneers defense last week. He also pinched nerves in both shoulders. Yet he said he is fine now. He's even ready to go back to hitting opponents, just like his defense. "I'm going to hit them or they're going to hit me," Portis said. "I want to come out with the better end of that." The Redskins also have the potential to hit big plays with wideout Santana Moss, whom veteran quarterback Mark Brunell loves to find on deep routes. Marcus Trufant, the Seahawks' best cover cornerback, will likely cover Moss most of the day. Trufant, who is returning from a lower back bruise, expects to see "a whole lot of Portis." "Oh, yeah," Trufant said. "They've been doing that all year." Seahawks Pro Bowl left tackle Walter Jones will see plenty of his former teammate, Redskins defensive end Phillip Daniels. Daniels one of the best seasons of his 10-year career with eight sacks -- including four in one game last month against Dallas. Clark said Daniels has allowed the formerly blitz-dependent Redskins to keep more defenders in pass coverage. Jones was just named to his sixth Pro Bowl. Daniels has never been to one. But that didn't keep Daniels from semi-joking that he is Jones' mentor. "He knows me. I'm his teacher. I taught him everything he knows," Daniels said. Ultimately, the Seahawks must slow that punishing Redskins' defense. "They made us mature in some areas," Hasselbeck said. Saturday's game will prove how much they've grown up.

 

[Gopher State]

The skins season ends today, they will exposed for they really are :X

 

[jwvdcw]

4pm can't come soon enough

I'm beside myself waiting for this damn game to start.Nice chatting with you Skins fans (most of you anyway) this week. U guys are even though you're rooting for the wrong team today.

This is the type of post that garners respect, and no matter what happens in the game today, this poster and myself can congratulate the winner and analyze the game afterwards.

The skins season ends today, they will exposed for they really are :X

This is the type of post that will get bumped mercilessly should the Skins win and will result in severe bashing.

 

[fatness]

Nice chatting with you Skins fans (most of you anyway) this week. U guys are even though you're rooting for the wrong team today.

I've enjoyed it too. For those who want to listen to a real football broadcast, here is the local station that carries the Skins games broadcast by Sonny Jurgensen and Sam Huff: WFMD

 

[jwvdcw]

less than 2 hours!

 

[redman]

The skins season ends today, they will exposed for they really are :X

What's that? A team picked for a 6-10 or worse season that ended up winning a playoff game on the road? A team that would have been the #2 seed in the playoffs but for a lousy call on a Mike Alstott goalline run earlier in the year?

Bitter much?

 

[jwvdcw]

The skins season ends today, they will exposed for they really are :X

What's that? A team picked for a 6-10 or worse season that ended up winning a playoff game on the road? A team that would have been the #2 seed in the playoffs but for a lousy call on a Mike Alstott goalline run earlier in the year?

Bitter much?

Seriously, they could lose by 50 and they still wouldn't be "exposed". They would simply be a team that ran out of gas after playing the 2nd toughest schedule in the league and playing 6 must win games in a row.

 

[redman]

The skins season ends today, they will exposed for they really are :X

BTW, for more football insight from Gopher State, check here, here, and here.

 

[fatness]

BTW, for more football insight from Gopher State, check here,

Go Justin Fargas!

 

[jwvdcw]

less than one hour!

 

[redman]

less than one hour!

 

[fatness]

Seriously, they could lose by 50 and they still wouldn't be "exposed". They would simply be a team that ran out of gas after playing the 2nd toughest schedule in the league and playing 6 must win games in a row.

I can see them running out of gas. I can see them losing. I cannot see them failing to play hard. I cannot see them regressing next year. The force is strong with them.I can also see them winning.

Time passes sooooooooooooooooooooooooo slowly waiting for the game to start.

Go Skins.

 

[jwvdcw]

Seriously, they could lose by 50 and they still wouldn't be "exposed". They would simply be a team that ran out of gas after playing the 2nd toughest schedule in the league and playing 6 must win games in a row.

I can see them running out of gas. I can see them losing. I cannot see them failing to play hard. I cannot see them regressing next year. The force is strong with them.I can also see them winning.

Time passes sooooooooooooooooooooooooo slowly waiting for the game to start.

Go Skins.

The QB position worries me. Other than that, I'd agree. If Brunell is healthy, we're fine. If not, then we better hope either Ramsey wants to stay, Campbell is the second coming of Big Ben, or we get someone in FA- but theres not many QBs available and there will be heavy competition for those few.Also, their division isn't getting any easier, and thats always a concern.

 

[fatness]

Official Game Thread

 

[jwvdcw]

crackin' the first beer right now I'm the chip leader in a poker tourney right now...frusterating because I want to give the game my full attention.

 

[Capella]

A team that would have been the #2 seed in the playoffs but for a lousy call on a Mike Alstott goalline run earlier in the year?

 

[jwvdcw]

A team that would have been the #2 seed in the playoffs but for a lousy call on a Mike Alstott goalline run earlier in the year? 

Oh jeez....lets just drop this. We don't agree and we never will. TB won the game. Washington won the playoff game. Either way, it was probably the best game of the season, and it sucks that it came down to a ref's call. But even still Washington had a chance to win it after that and didn't.

 

[jwvdcw]

Why doesn't Seattle get credit for being the hottest team in the NFC?

They've won 11 straight meaningful games. Haven't lost a meaningful game since Oct. 2nd.

They were the hottest team. Then they went over a month without playing a meaningful game- that has a way of messing up one's momentum. Especially considering that they lost one of those meaningless games...its hard to stay on a roll throughout all of that.Edited to add: Why'd you delete your post??

 

[fatness]

TB won the game. Washington won the playoff game. Either way, it was probably the best game of the season

Agreed. Best game I've seen all year. There were breaks in each game.

 

[jwvdcw]

LETS GET IT ON!!!!!

 

[jwvdcw]

How many letters in the word B-L-O-W-O-U-T ??

Seattle, and they'll have it won by halftime.

From the gamethread.

 

[Mike Crimes]

yeah wow, good defense. Redskins are the luckiest team with turnovers I have ever seem. They are soooo overrated.

 

[jwvdcw]

yeah wow, good defense. Redskins are the luckiest team with turnovers I have ever seem. They are soooo overrated.

I love to hear people say this. I can't wait for the excuses this week should the Skins be fortunate enough to win.

 

[jwvdcw]

0-0 still. Big fumble by SA early on. Redskins rush D looking great. Seattle's D looking very good as well.

 

[jwvdcw]

Skins D hits harder than any team in recent memory imho.