****OFFICIAL 2008 Washington Redskins Thread**** (1 Viewer)

[Swing 51]

For the 'Skins fans in the DC TV market:

This is to inform you of a scheduling conflict WUSA-9 is currently having with the NFL.On Sunday, October 19th, WUSA-9 will air the Ravens and Dolphins game at 1:00PM, followed by the Redskins and Browns at 4:15pm.At this time, the NFL is blocking WUSA from showing the beginning of the Redskins game until the Ravens and Dolphins are completely finished or the outcome appears certain.Under those conditions, if the Ravens game goes past 4:15pm, you will miss the kickoff of the Redskins game.We will continue to argue our case with the NFL and update you on any new developments. In the meantime, voice your opinions in the comments below and we'll forward them to the powers that be.

 

[T Bell]

For the 'Skins fans in the DC TV market:

This is to inform you of a scheduling conflict WUSA-9 is currently having with the NFL.On Sunday, October 19th, WUSA-9 will air the Ravens and Dolphins game at 1:00PM, followed by the Redskins and Browns at 4:15pm.At this time, the NFL is blocking WUSA from showing the beginning of the Redskins game until the Ravens and Dolphins are completely finished or the outcome appears certain.Under those conditions, if the Ravens game goes past 4:15pm, you will miss the kickoff of the Redskins game.We will continue to argue our case with the NFL and update you on any new developments. In the meantime, voice your opinions in the comments below and we'll forward them to the powers that be.

If WUSA-9 had any balls at all, they'd show nothing but color bars during any part of the end of the Ravens game that was preempting the beginning of the Redskins game.

 

[Assani Fisher]

bump....hey its a win, so I'll take it. Don't really understand why our passing game isn't better though- seems like everyone individually is playing well and teams have to sell out to stop the run, so why aren't we more successful going downfield? Shaun Rogers seemed to own Casey Rabach though.

 

[dgreen]

bump....hey its a win, so I'll take it. Don't really understand why our passing game isn't better though- seems like everyone individually is playing well and teams have to sell out to stop the run, so why aren't we more successful going downfield? Shaun Rogers seemed to own Casey Rabach though.

Cleveland didn't play 8 in the box as much as I expected. In fact, on the Redskins last three plays (all Portis runs), Cleveland's safeties are 10 yards deep at the snap. They immediately came up, but they didn't start 8 in the box.Points come out of the passing game. Cleveland and the Rams showed that you can give up some rushing yards and as long as you limit the passing game, you have a chance to win.

 

[dgreen]

ETA: From the same link, I completely disagree with this:

The lack of a second safety really strong in coverage limits the Skins, because this was another game in which I thought Landry could have delivered the knock-out blow if playing near the line of scrimmage (and those huge hits have been too few and far between to this point).

Horton has been doing an outstanding job of being that in-the-box safety. Did JLC not watch yesterday's game? Horton had 9 tackles (led the team), 3 for a loss!I'd much rather keep Landry as that roving deep safety and have Horton create havoc near the line.

Horton is spending a lot of time in the box and has great instincts against the run. He's a solid tackler, too.

And now we(I) might need to reconsider his coverage abilities. He's been very good against the run all season and yesterday he did an great job on in coverage, particularly on Winslow. We were talking at the game how he seems to have Sean Taylor's instincts, but lacks his speed and hitting power. I know he likely wont' get any love around the country, but he just might deserve a PB selection by season's end.

 

[Ripleys]

Skins look like one of the two best team in the NFC right now.

 

[dgreen]

Skins look like one of the two best team in the NFC right now.

Facing the winless Lions this week, how could they possibly lose?

 

[T Bell]

bump....hey its a win, so I'll take it. Don't really understand why our passing game isn't better though- seems like everyone individually is playing well and teams have to sell out to stop the run, so why aren't we more successful going downfield? Shaun Rogers seemed to own Casey Rabach though.

Cleveland didn't play 8 in the box as much as I expected. In fact, on the Redskins last three plays (all Portis runs), Cleveland's safeties are 10 yards deep at the snap. They immediately came up, but they didn't start 8 in the box.Points come out of the passing game. Cleveland and the Rams showed that you can give up some rushing yards and as long as you limit the passing game, you have a chance to win.

What that sort of defense forces you to do is to be patient and move the ball diligently down the field rather than taking big chunks. That's how the Bears defended Manning and the Colts in the Super Bowl, but the Colts were so good that they simply took 6 yards here, 8 yards there in the passing game rather than getting impatient and trying to take a shot downfield into coverage. I think "we" - and I include Zorn in this - are still learning to be disciplined enough to take that for 60 minutes if that's what the defense is doing. It is a higher degree of difficulty in one sense because it forces you to be disciplined and execute on more plays, convert third downs, etc. But if you do it right you dominate the time of possession and you'll absolutely wear out their defense.

 

[Bankerguy]

Nice job of getting an ugly win. They all count though.

 

[dgreen]

Nice job of getting an ugly win. They all count though.

Looking back, I would have taken this same result against STL and be 6-1. Looking forward, I'm not sure how far they can go with an average offense and a defense that doesn't pressure the QB or force turnovers. One of those areas needs to improve.

 

[Bankerguy]

Nice job of getting an ugly win. They all count though.

Looking back, I would have taken this same result against STL and be 6-1. Looking forward, I'm not sure how far they can go with an average offense and a defense that doesn't pressure the QB or force turnovers. One of those areas needs to improve.

At least your record will allow you time to try and figure it out.

 

[dgreen]

Nice job of getting an ugly win. They all count though.

Looking back, I would have taken this same result against STL and be 6-1. Looking forward, I'm not sure how far they can go with an average offense and a defense that doesn't pressure the QB or force turnovers. One of those areas needs to improve.

At least your record will allow you time to try and figure it out.

True. But, at some point, you are what you are. It's not like these are new problems.

 

[T Bell]

Nice job of getting an ugly win. They all count though.

Looking back, I would have taken this same result against STL and be 6-1. Looking forward, I'm not sure how far they can go with an average offense and a defense that doesn't pressure the QB or force turnovers. One of those areas needs to improve.

At least your record will allow you time to try and figure it out.

True. But, at some point, you are what you are. It's not like these are new problems.

Read my last post. These really aren't problems giving rise to a crisis. If you're going to criticize, then you criticize the passing offense for not being elite, but it's still good. Campbell is a much better version of Trent Dilfer when he was with the Ravens, because in addition to "managing the offense" and avoiding turnovers, Campbell can also make plays. The good news is that this offense is still growing, and they've not even tapped into the talents that the rookies bring to the table. And all of this is happening while Portis and the line are steamrolling opponents in the running game.

Defensively I can't believe how well they've done with so little pass rush, but as the coaches point out too much is being made of the lack of sacks when you're still getting pressure and forcing QB's to move their feet and making them uncomfortable. As I said in the game thread, there's not a single opposing QB who's not had a below average game against the Redskins this year. That's pretty remarkable given that they're also stopping the run.

Overall I think it's little things that are holding them back from having double digit wins that would feel more convincing, but also keep in mind that good teams also know how to win close games, and this one has done that pretty much all year.

 

[dgreen]

Nice job of getting an ugly win. They all count though.

Looking back, I would have taken this same result against STL and be 6-1. Looking forward, I'm not sure how far they can go with an average offense and a defense that doesn't pressure the QB or force turnovers. One of those areas needs to improve.

At least your record will allow you time to try and figure it out.

True. But, at some point, you are what you are. It's not like these are new problems.

Read my last post. These really aren't problems giving rise to a crisis. If you're going to criticize, then you criticize the passing offense for not being elite, but it's still good. Campbell is a much better version of Trent Dilfer when he was with the Ravens, because in addition to "managing the offense" and avoiding turnovers, Campbell can also make plays. The good news is that this offense is still growing, and they've not even tapped into the talents that the rookies bring to the table. And all of this is happening while Portis and the line are steamrolling opponents in the running game.

Defensively I can't believe how well they've done with so little pass rush, but as the coaches point out too much is being made of the lack of sacks when you're still getting pressure and forcing QB's to move their feet and making them uncomfortable. As I said in the game thread, there's not a single opposing QB who's not had a below average game against the Redskins this year. That's pretty remarkable given that they're also stopping the run.

Overall I think it's little things that are holding them back from having double digit wins that would feel more convincing, but also keep in mind that good teams also know how to win close games, and this one has done that pretty much all year.

Don't get me wrong. I definitely see some good things about their current situation. But, the fact is this team is a bounce away each game from being anywhere from 0-7 to 7-0. When you win close games, you are also susceptible to losing close games. On one hand, these tough, close wins prepare a team for the playoffs. On the other hand, I don't think many close-win teams get through the playoffs. At some point, the ball will bounce against you. It happened against STL and it will happen again. Somewhere along the line, they need to be a team that can have the ball bounce against them and still win. I think a win over STL even with all those "bad bounces"/mistakes would have told us as much as a mistake-free blowout of the Rams.Like I said, they are what they are. That's probably good enough for a playoff spot. But, with some improvement in the areas I mentioned, this is a divsion-winning, home-field-advantage type team.

I'm just ready to see better. As I said, these aren't new problems. These problems have existed for years now and they have limited the team in the past.

 

[dgreen]

Jansen keeping his job, for now:

Apparently when your running back runs for more than 120 yards in four straight games just after you’ve swapped right tackles, the replacement guy gets to keep his job. “[Jon] Jansen’s gonna go right there. Our group’s working well together. It’s unfortunate for Stephon [Heyer], but….” Zorn did emphasize that the team expected to need Heyer later, in the same way he had been saying they would need Jansen later.

More stuff from Zorn's Monday presser in that link.

 

[Bizkiteer]

Nice job of getting an ugly win. They all count though.

Looking back, I would have taken this same result against STL and be 6-1. Looking forward, I'm not sure how far they can go with an average offense and a defense that doesn't pressure the QB or force turnovers. One of those areas needs to improve.

At least your record will allow you time to try and figure it out.

True. But, at some point, you are what you are. It's not like these are new problems.

Read my last post. These really aren't problems giving rise to a crisis. If you're going to criticize, then you criticize the passing offense for not being elite, but it's still good. Campbell is a much better version of Trent Dilfer when he was with the Ravens, because in addition to "managing the offense" and avoiding turnovers, Campbell can also make plays. The good news is that this offense is still growing, and they've not even tapped into the talents that the rookies bring to the table. And all of this is happening while Portis and the line are steamrolling opponents in the running game.

Defensively I can't believe how well they've done with so little pass rush, but as the coaches point out too much is being made of the lack of sacks when you're still getting pressure and forcing QB's to move their feet and making them uncomfortable. As I said in the game thread, there's not a single opposing QB who's not had a below average game against the Redskins this year. That's pretty remarkable given that they're also stopping the run.

Overall I think it's little things that are holding them back from having double digit wins that would feel more convincing, but also keep in mind that good teams also know how to win close games, and this one has done that pretty much all year.

Don't get me wrong. I definitely see some good things about their current situation. But, the fact is this team is a bounce away each game from being anywhere from 0-7 to 7-0. When you win close games, you are also susceptible to losing close games. On one hand, these tough, close wins prepare a team for the playoffs. On the other hand, I don't think many close-win teams get through the playoffs. At some point, the ball will bounce against you. It happened against STL and it will happen again. Somewhere along the line, they need to be a team that can have the ball bounce against them and still win. I think a win over STL even with all those "bad bounces"/mistakes would have told us as much as a mistake-free blowout of the Rams.Like I said, they are what they are. That's probably good enough for a playoff spot. But, with some improvement in the areas I mentioned, this is a divsion-winning, home-field-advantage type team.

I'm just ready to see better. As I said, these aren't new problems. These problems have existed for years now and they have limited the team in the past.

If it makes you feel any better, I agree w. you 100%.

 

[Dexter Manley]

Good win, although much closer than I would have liked.

Anyone here anything new on JC's groin injury? Was it just me or did it seem like we passed less often once the groin tweak occurred?

Also, Plackemeier looked worse punting the ball than the rookie. That needs to get fixed, ASAP>

 

[T Bell]

Good win, although much closer than I would have liked. Anyone here anything new on JC's groin injury? Was it just me or did it seem like we passed less often once the groin tweak occurred?Also, Plackemeier looked worse punting the ball than the rookie. That needs to get fixed, ASAP>

JC's groin injury just amounts to tightness and Zorn expects he'll be in practice on Wednesday and ready to play. It affected Campbell's accuracy, so Zorn did scale back the pass play calls to account for that, but also because the running game was obviously dominant anyway too.I haven't seen video of his punts, but it sounds like they were solid except for the last one. His average wasn't good but he was kicking with shorter fields after drives stalled apparently, so it was more directional, and he got four punts inside the 20. So it was actually an improvement overall even though the stats don't show that clearly.

 

[T Bell]

Also, Plackemeier looked worse punting the ball than the rookie. That needs to get fixed, ASAP>

Here's a compilation of all of his punts that I found.

 

[T Bell]

Holy crap- this is hilarious!

Jim Zorn

His twin?

 

[buster c]

random thought:

we saw them run the draw play to Portis 5-6 times a game against Dallas & Philly, with much success. Have we seen this in the past two games?

makes me wonder if Zorn is sandbagging for later.

how many inside handoffs/end arounds you see lately?

Just wondering how much of the playbook Zorn is showing so as not to be "read" by the league.

 

[fatness]

Jim Zorn

His real twin

 

[fatness]

Just wondering how much of the playbook Zorn is showing so as not to be "read" by the league.

I think gradually the league will see the whole playbook. But I'm beginning to doubt they'll improve on guessing what he's going to call next. I hope he never gets predictable.

 

[fatness]

I thought Plackemeier did pretty well. On the radio today they were saying he weighed 274 and his uniform was way too tight and he needed a new, bigger one. They were calling him PlackeSausage.

 

[T Bell]

Jim Zorn

His real twin

I never realized how good Zorn looked wearing the Farrah until just now, nor how much he aroused me. Zorny indeed.

 

[dgreen]

we saw them run the draw play to Portis 5-6 times a game against Dallas & Philly, with much success. Have we seen this in the past two games?

They've a few draws the last couple games, but not nearly as many as they were running.

how many inside handoffs/end arounds you see lately?

I saw an end around to a backup TE.

 

[DCThunder]

The difference between this years team and last years is that the games are fun to watch again. The lack of predictablility is a big reason, but even against the Browns, the punting contest of the first half didn't feel like some of the dreary halfs that Gibbs 2.0 featured. Against the Browns, there was usually at least one first down in all those drives before the punt, so it wasn't the standard run on first down, run on second down, pass incomplete, punt.

 

[dgreen]

So the Redskins are making a push to get fans to vote Redskins into to the Pro Bowl. They ran commercials on the big screen at the game Sunday, had signs all around the stadium, and even have a big banner at Fed Ex Field. While I'm willing to vote for fringe Pro Bowlers from my favorite team, I'm just not willing to pull the lever for a straight Redskins ticket. So, who on the Redskins is arguably Pro Bowl material?

Campbell, Portis, Moss, Cooley, and Samuels from the offense.

Fletcher, Rogers, Landry, and Horton from the defense.

Anyone else?

 

[T Bell]

So the Redskins are making a push to get fans to vote Redskins into to the Pro Bowl. They ran commercials on the big screen at the game Sunday, had signs all around the stadium, and even have a big banner at Fed Ex Field. While I'm willing to vote for fringe Pro Bowlers from my favorite team, I'm just not willing to pull the lever for a straight Redskins ticket. So, who on the Redskins is arguably Pro Bowl material?

Campbell, Portis, Moss, Cooley, and Samuels from the offense.

Fletcher, Rogers, Landry, and Horton from the defense.

Anyone else?

I'm with you on that. I thought 13 Cowboys on last year's Pro Bowl roster was a joke.Your list is good. You could add Springs if he stays healthy enough from here on out. I also think Kendall has played very well this year.

 

[dgreen]

I also think Kendall has played very well this year.

I think I'd be ok with just blindly voting Redskins on the OL. It's hard to know who to vote for there. But, there's no way I could bring myself to vote for someone like Jason Taylor or Randle El or Plackemeier.I thought Sellers deserved consideration last year and voted for him then. Even though he's not getting the carries and receptions, I think he still might be a decent vote.

 

[T Bell]

I also think Kendall has played very well this year.

I think I'd be ok with just blindly voting Redskins on the OL. It's hard to know who to vote for there. But, there's no way I could bring myself to vote for someone like Jason Taylor or Randle El or Plackemeier.I thought Sellers deserved consideration last year and voted for him then. Even though he's not getting the carries and receptions, I think he still might be a decent vote.

Sellers would be a good one actually, especially now that he's clearly a FB. There isn't a lead blocker who's better than he is, and he's also good on special teams.

 

[buster c]

we saw them run the draw play to Portis 5-6 times a game against Dallas & Philly, with much success. Have we seen this in the past two games?

They've a few draws the last couple games, but not nearly as many as they were running.

how many inside handoffs/end arounds you see lately?

I saw an end around to a backup TE.

just to be clear, regarding the draw play, I should have added that it's the play that starts with the QB faking a quick throw (the classic Favre-type play, and one they (over?)used in wins vs. Dal & Philly). we have not seen that lately.

 

[dgreen]

we saw them run the draw play to Portis 5-6 times a game against Dallas & Philly, with much success. Have we seen this in the past two games?

They've a few draws the last couple games, but not nearly as many as they were running.

how many inside handoffs/end arounds you see lately?

I saw an end around to a backup TE.

just to be clear, regarding the draw play, I should have added that it's the play that starts with the QB faking a quick throw (the classic Favre-type play, and one they (over?)used in wins vs. Dal & Philly). we have not seen that lately.

Oh, right, I haven't seen that one recently.Remember last year @ NYG when they ran it 3 times in a row and each one gained good yardage? That was awesome.

 

[Bizkiteer]

So the Redskins are making a push to get fans to vote Redskins into to the Pro Bowl. They ran commercials on the big screen at the game Sunday, had signs all around the stadium, and even have a big banner at Fed Ex Field. While I'm willing to vote for fringe Pro Bowlers from my favorite team, I'm just not willing to pull the lever for a straight Redskins ticket. So, who on the Redskins is arguably Pro Bowl material?

Campbell, Portis, Moss, Cooley, and Samuels from the offense.

Fletcher, Rogers, Landry, and Horton from the defense.

Anyone else?

Other than being a homer, I don't think Landry gets a vote. I think he's got ton of potential, but I haven't seen him perform at a level on a weekly basis that makes me think he's one of two best safeties in the NFC, let alone the NFL. One could argue that Horton is out playing him this season. Granted, some of what Landry is doing can't be measured as Tackles or INT's, but I've seen him come late to double teams a few times this season.

 

[fatness]

Campbell, Portis, Moss, Cooley, and Samuels from the offense.Fletcher, Rogers, Landry, and Horton from the defense.Anyone else?

Blache and Zorn

 

[thayman]

Campbell, Portis, Moss, Cooley, and Samuels from the offense.Fletcher, Rogers, Landry, and Horton from the defense.Anyone else?

Blache and Zorn

I've been so impressed with the coaches this year. I was ready for a crumby season this year with Zorn learning the ropes, but I must admit that Snyder seems to have found a gem in Zorn.

 

[Ripleys]

I'm horny for Zorny

 

[fatness]

Campbell, Portis, Moss, Cooley, and Samuels from the offense.Fletcher, Rogers, Landry, and Horton from the defense.Anyone else?

Blache and Zorn

Actually I don't think Landry deserves to go to the pro bowl.

 

[dgreen]

Campbell, Portis, Moss, Cooley, and Samuels from the offense.Fletcher, Rogers, Landry, and Horton from the defense.Anyone else?

Blache and Zorn

That would mean they lose in the NFC Championship. Not sure if that thought makes me happy or sad.

 

[dgreen]

So the Redskins are making a push to get fans to vote Redskins into to the Pro Bowl. They ran commercials on the big screen at the game Sunday, had signs all around the stadium, and even have a big banner at Fed Ex Field. While I'm willing to vote for fringe Pro Bowlers from my favorite team, I'm just not willing to pull the lever for a straight Redskins ticket. So, who on the Redskins is arguably Pro Bowl material?

Campbell, Portis, Moss, Cooley, and Samuels from the offense.

Fletcher, Rogers, Landry, and Horton from the defense.

Anyone else?

Other than being a homer, I don't think Landry gets a vote. I think he's got ton of potential, but I haven't seen him perform at a level on a weekly basis that makes me think he's one of two best safeties in the NFC, let alone the NFL. One could argue that Horton is out playing him this season. Granted, some of what Landry is doing can't be measured as Tackles or INT's, but I've seen him come late to double teams a few times this season.

How many deep balls have opponents even tried against Washington? I can remember the Fitz TD (Doughty had deep responsibility) and the Avery catch (no deep safety) at the end of the Rams game. Any others? Landry isn't piling up stats because nobody is even throwing anywhere near him. On the downside, he's dropped two INTs.

 

[T Bell]

So the Redskins are making a push to get fans to vote Redskins into to the Pro Bowl. They ran commercials on the big screen at the game Sunday, had signs all around the stadium, and even have a big banner at Fed Ex Field. While I'm willing to vote for fringe Pro Bowlers from my favorite team, I'm just not willing to pull the lever for a straight Redskins ticket. So, who on the Redskins is arguably Pro Bowl material?

Campbell, Portis, Moss, Cooley, and Samuels from the offense.

Fletcher, Rogers, Landry, and Horton from the defense.

Anyone else?

Other than being a homer, I don't think Landry gets a vote. I think he's got ton of potential, but I haven't seen him perform at a level on a weekly basis that makes me think he's one of two best safeties in the NFC, let alone the NFL. One could argue that Horton is out playing him this season. Granted, some of what Landry is doing can't be measured as Tackles or INT's, but I've seen him come late to double teams a few times this season.

How many deep balls have opponents even tried against Washington? I can remember the Fitz TD (Doughty had deep responsibility) and the Avery catch (no deep safety) at the end of the Rams game. Any others? Landry isn't piling up stats because nobody is even throwing anywhere near him. On the downside, he's dropped two INTs.

Let's also remember that the defense's success against the pass is primarily due to coverage rather than pressure, and they've maintained excellent pass coverage even though they've had CB's and S's in and out of that lineup all year. Landry and Rogers have been really the only constants, missing the fewest snaps. Landry has turned into the force in coverage that Taylor was, though Taylor was a lot better coming down with INT's than Landry has proven to be thus far.

 

[T Bell]

Campbell, Portis, Moss, Cooley, and Samuels from the offense.Fletcher, Rogers, Landry, and Horton from the defense.Anyone else?

Blache and Zorn

I've been so impressed with the coaches this year. I was ready for a crumby season this year with Zorn learning the ropes, but I must admit that Snyder seems to have found a gem in Zorn.

The game day coaching, along with the relative lack of turnovers, are the two biggest factors in their record right now. The coaches are on top of things and they're getting great performance out of the team.

 

[dgreen]

The Redskins' Lone Ranger

With Sean Taylor, LaRon Landry Once Formed a Cornerstone In the Secondary. Now He Must Become a Leader on His Own.

By the end of the season, Landry, who had two interceptions in a 35-14 playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks, was being compared favorably to Taylor.

Landry would rather not discuss comparisons. He still wonders about what could have been had Taylor not been killed. "That question, that one right there, it always sticks with me," he said. "I think about how great we could have been as a tandem. You hear all the hype around the league [from TV commentators] about, 'This is the best safety tandem, or that's the best.' We hadn't even started yet.

"We were on the path to greatness, I believe that, so I always think about it. I always try to bring that to Chris and Kareem, to just let them know what it was like with Sean. They couldn't throw a deep ball on Sean. They'd throw a deep ball, Sean [would] be back there for an interception. Or if he's not getting an interception, he's back there laying the guy out. It was crazy. Just crazy."

Still pisses me off, thinking about what could have been.

So I noticed last night that the Redskins-Dolphins NFL Replay from last year was on On Demand. I started watching it just for fun. When the announcers introduce the Redskins D, I see Taylor's picture there and I immediately get .

 

[dgreen]

Good blog post about Devin Thomas and his ST tackle Sunday.

I'm really liking Thomas so far:

Thomas needed no urging to recount the play. “I saw him get hit, and then someone comes around the pile the other way and I said, ‘Oh crap, that’s him!’ and took off. I had to throw Kareem [Moore] out of the way. You know, ‘Come on, Kareem, you’re too slow!’”

The link also includes a video of Thomas destroying Cribbs on a Redskins PR.

 

[Sidewinder16]

The link also includes a video of Thomas destroying Cribbs on a Redskins PR.

The best part is when Cribbs tries to get off the turf and falls back down again. Now that's Redskins football.

 

[Sidewinder16]

Good article on the maturing of Rogers since the injury.

It seems to me, one thing that sets the Redskins locker room apart from a lot of other NFL locker rooms is the importance veteran players put on being mature, professional and focused. We've heard a lot about players maturing and making changes in their lives so they can improve on the field, especially since Sean Taylor's death.

I certainly don't keep up with other teams like I do the 'Skins, but my feeling is there are a lot of locker rooms around the NFL where the vets take care of themselves and don't do much to be role models and mentors to other players. Screw ups, and guys who don't take their jobs as seriously as they should, get written off as something the coaches should deal with. And if the coaches don't deal with them then "Oh well, not my problem". This certainly does not seem to be the case at Redskins Park.

I think the core of veteran leaders in the 'Skins locker room is at least as responsible for the current success as any new coaches are, if not more. Not taking anything away from Zorn. I think he has the makings of an outstanding head coach. More saying that he really came in to a great situation personnel-wise.

 

[dgreen]

More saying that he really came in to a great situation personnel-wise.

Not true. You're forgetting that Gibbs was a horrible personnel man. Pretty sure I read that somewhere...many times. Remember how much Gibbs talked about "character"? What a loser! Oh, and don't forget we're probably going to be in cap hell next year...or the next year...or the next year.

 

[Sidewinder16]

Here's some more from JLC on how the defensive leaders aren't letting anyone slack off and are pushing each other to improve.

 

[dgreen]

This is just horrible.

 

[Sidewinder16]

Dan Steinberg gets the low down on the vomiting habits of the Redskins.

But, I was told, that the locker room's ultimate vomit guy was the heart, soul and guts of the defense, London Fletcher.

"I'm a vomit guy," Fletcher admitted. "I'm SUCH a vomit guy."

This is probably common knowledge, and it's definitely been written about before, but Fletcher vomits on the sidelines just before games start. Like, every week. Like, more than once.

"Two, three [times], if I'm lucky," he told me. "Four, five if I'm not."

He never did it in college, but has been doing it for 11 years in the NFL. He's not sure why he didn't do it in college, or why he started doing it in the pros. Mostly, he attributes it to anxiety and nerves.

"By the time it's game day," he said, "my stomach's just so queasy, so to speak, that I have to get out some things before the start of the game."

He's also done it on the field. And even during huddles.

"That's probably why when he's in the huddle and he's calling plays he's always got spit hanging from his facemask," Montgomery said. "You want to be serious, you're in the middle of the game, but I be looking like, 'Man, get that spit off your face.' "

"I've seen London Fletcher throw up a couple times," Smoot said. "He'll probably play with a piece of corn right there on his mouth. That's just London."