***Official*** 2009 Washington Redskins Thread (1 Viewer)

[dgreen]

You can tell this season really sucks. It's Sunday afternoon after beating a 6-2 team and none of us are talking about this weekend's game. We know what's coming.

Fixed.

I watched Levi Jones a lot, just for the fun of it. He's definitely an improvement and, for one week, helped this OL look respectable.You know, during pregame warmups, I was wondering why Hunter the Punter and Suisham were playing catch for a while. And, I even thought to myself, "He's got a pretty good arm." I'm absolutely shocked that play worked even after showing Denver they were going to do something different and then calling a timeout.

 

[fatness]

I didn't see the game, but the game tracker shows this:

4th Quarter FG Shaun Suisham 30 Yd, 10:40. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards in 7:15. TD Ladell Betts, 1 Yd run (Shaun Suisham kick is good), 2:44. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards in 6:13. FG Shaun Suisham 35 Yd, 1:10. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards in 1:04.

That sounds like they had the ball for the whole 4th quarter. Did Denver turn it over or was the defense just stopping them?

 

[Sebowski]

After watching Landry turn into a scrub after a promising rookie year I am trying not to get to excited about Orakpo, but it is getting harder. 7 sacks on the year so far. On pace for 12.5

Not bad for a guy playing out of position.

Love his attitude too.

 

[Sebowski]

I didn't see the game, but the game tracker shows this:

4th Quarter FG Shaun Suisham 30 Yd, 10:40. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards in 7:15. TD Ladell Betts, 1 Yd run (Shaun Suisham kick is good), 2:44. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards in 6:13. FG Shaun Suisham 35 Yd, 1:10. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards in 1:04.

That sounds like they had the ball for the whole 4th quarter. Did Denver turn it over or was the defense just stopping them?

After the first FG Simms underthrew Marshall in the endzone and Hall picked it off. He took it to the 30 and then tried to lateral it to Landry who I am pretty sure dropped it then picked it up and run through some people for 10 more yards. After the Betts TD they went 4 and out on 4 straight incomplete passes.

 

[fatness]

But it was fourth-and-20 at the 35, and the Redskins had already showed fake by splitting tight end Todd Yoder wide as a receiver in field goal formation. The attempt was initially aborted when coach Jim Zorn had to call timeout because Washington had only 10 men on the field.

Then, even though the Broncos were on notice, even though there were 20 yards to go, the Redskins still ran the fake.

Yoder split out and went in motion. Smith took the snap, rolled right and lobbed the ball deep -- and back across the field -- to Sellers for the touchdown that tied the score at 14.

Two hours later, the Broncos were still trying to figure out what happened.

"They were setting up something -- we knew it," defensive lineman Vonnie Holliday said. "They came back, and I think they may have even yelled out on their sideline, 'Let's just punt it. Let's just punt it.' And I guess we just bought into it, because we didn't lock in on the play and what was going on. It seems like it took forever to unfold. You've got to know coming into a game like this, with a team like this, to expect it."

Awesome.

 

[fatness]

After the first FG Simms underthrew Marshall in the endzone and Hall picked it off. He took it to the 30 and then tried to lateral it to Landry who I am pretty sure dropped it then picked it up and run through some people for 10 more yards. After the Betts TD they went 4 and out on 4 straight incomplete passes.

Thanks. Hall just seems to be around the ball, even if he tackles poorly. Stats show 3 sacks given up, and Betts with over 100 yards. There's no way that happened without better O-line play, or Denver having a ####ty D-line, or both. How did the line look?

 

[fatness]

After watching Landry turn into a scrub after a promising rookie year I am trying not to get to excited about Orakpo, but it is getting harder. 7 sacks on the year so far. On pace for 12.5

Not bad for a guy playing out of position.

Love his attitude too.

Me too, especially the bolded part. I hope he plays for them for a long time.

 

[Sebowski]

After the first FG Simms underthrew Marshall in the endzone and Hall picked it off. He took it to the 30 and then tried to lateral it to Landry who I am pretty sure dropped it then picked it up and run through some people for 10 more yards. After the Betts TD they went 4 and out on 4 straight incomplete passes.

Thanks. Hall just seems to be around the ball, even if he tackles poorly. Stats show 3 sacks given up, and Betts with over 100 yards. There's no way that happened without better O-line play, or Denver having a ####ty D-line, or both. How did the line look?

It was nothing huge. Without looking I don't think there were any carries over 10-15 yards. A lot of runs for nothing and then a bunch for 8 yards or so. Campbell was under pressure most of the time. Sometimes by his own fault. He didn't see Yoder wide open in the endzone (no one with in 15 yards of him) because he was bouncing himself off the collapsing pocket and frantically looking right and left instead of straight at Yoder. He ended up throwing the ball 5 yards and getting an intentional grounding call. Speaking of missed throws, Campbell also missed Moss streaking down the sidelines with his guy beat by 5 yards. Would have been a huge play. Overthrown. What else...Davis had another opne bounce off his hands. Thomas made a great play after the catch on a 3rd down to get 20 extra yards. Threw off a player and then made a few more miss. Kelly had a nice grab.Betts and Cartwright looked equally slightly above average.Swish is now 12 for 12 on the year, but kicked 2-3 kickoffs out of bounds. I don't like reading into reactions or facial expressions, but Zorn did not look very happy when the fake FG/Punt worked. Kind of weird.

 

[ChrisCooleyFan]

This is a win that I wish we lost, I know we would call them quittes, but I just want a high pick

 

[dgreen]

Swish is now 12 for 12 on the year, but kicked 2-3 kickoffs out of bounds.

Saw him hit a 59-yarder with about five yards to spare during warm-ups. It was quite impressive.

 

[Maroney=Sped]

This is a win that I wish we lost, I know we would call them quittes, but I just want a high pick

High, but not too high. Very high draft picks that bust are why the perennially bad teams are perennially bad.

 

[fatness]

I don't care where they draft. I just want to see progress on the field, especially among younger players and backup players. The whole coaching staff will be gone, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a big roster turnover. I want to see who's up-and-coming, and good.

 

[buster c]

so often, it's not who you play but when you play them. I think we caught Denver at a good time. They started off 6-0, but they're not that good. but these things even out over 16 games.

much as I love the Portis warrior mentality, Betts clearly is the superior back at this point. And those who were trashing Rock were trashing the wrong guy. He always runs hard and knows how to follow blockers.

I thought the OL played as well as they could. Levi should have been signed long ago and -dare I say- Rinehart did ok in his run blocking responsibilities. He needs help in pass pro. Rabach may be the weak link, at this point.

I'm dumfounded by the play of the DB's in the 1st half. Orton looked like Daryl Lamonica - the mad bomber. Thank God we faced Simms in the 2nd half. He's worse than JC.

 

[Sebowski]

so often, it's not who you play but when you play them. I think we caught Denver at a good time. They started off 6-0, but they're not that good. but these things even out over 16 games.

much as I love the Portis warrior mentality, Betts clearly is the superior back at this point. And those who were trashing Rock were trashing the wrong guy. He always runs hard and knows how to follow blockers.

I thought the OL played as well as they could. Levi should have been signed long ago and -dare I say- Rinehart did ok in his run blocking responsibilities. He needs help in pass pro. Rabach may be the weak link, at this point.

I'm dumfounded by the play of the DB's in the 1st half. Orton looked like Daryl Lamonica - the mad bomber. Thank God we faced Simms in the 2nd half. He's worse than JC.

This is why Betts and Rock looked better than Portis. This and Denver not playing well.

 

[Marvelous]

My observations of the game:

1. The OL looked much better. There are still issues in pass blocking, but it was not as glaring as it had been in past weeks.

2. Betts and Cartwright looked good running the ball. They are not great, but looked good compared the Redskin's running game in past weeks.

3. The pass D was just terrible on the two (really 3, but #3 was overthrown) pass plays. Per the Washington Post, Rogers was benched after his poor coverage and never got back into the game. On the 2nd one, they showed on tv that Hall was clearly expecting deep help from the free safety, but he bit on a pump fake. Not sure if that was Landry or Moore at the time.

4. I always thought Chris Simms was a pretty good qb, but he did not look good at all yesterday.

5. Zorn going for it on 4th and 1 rather than going for a 45 yard field goal makes no sense at all. Suisham has been very good. The field goal would tie the game. Take the points.

6. On the fake field goal, I think they probably should have tried the 52 yard field goal. Your kicker is in a groove, let him score.

7. Thomas had 2 catches. We don't see a mult-catch game from the wr#2 very often here.

8. Ganther got a few plays at RB. He had a great block on one play,. I was a bit surprised they wanted to work Ganther into the RB rotation.

 

[dgreen]

3. The pass D was just terrible on the two (really 3, but #3 was overthrown) pass plays. Per the Washington Post, Rogers was benched after his poor coverage and never got back into the game. On the 2nd one, they showed on tv that Hall was clearly expecting deep help from the free safety, but he bit on a pump fake. Not sure if that was Landry or Moore at the time.

It was Smoot.

5. Zorn going for it on 4th and 1 rather than going for a 45 yard field goal makes no sense at all. Suisham has been very good. The field goal would tie the game. Take the points.

For the most part, I agree. But, it wasn't a full 4th and 1. They need maybe 6 inches. And, Campbell changed something at the line. A QB sneak probably would have been successful. During pregame warm-ups, Suisham was having some trouble kicking in that direction. He was short once from about 45 yards, but hit a 59-yarder the other direction. I found that to be very odd since there was very little wind.

7. Thomas had 2 catches. We don't see a mult-catch game from the wr#2 very often here.

For some reason, I can't remember his first catch. But, on his second catch, they did what they need to do with him more often (and earlier): just get the ball in his hands. That play was one of those that the rest of the league has been doing for a while, but the Redskins haven't done very often. It's an extended handoff where you just have to beat one guy to get 2 yards.Also, Campbell missed Thomas in the endzone just before Yoder's TD.

 

[dgreen]

I don't care where they draft. I just want to see progress on the field, especially among younger players and backup players. The whole coaching staff will be gone, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a big roster turnover. I want to see who's up-and-coming, and good.

There are good players all over the first round. Whether they draft 5, 10, or even 15, there are good players.

 

[MikeApf]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...9111503029.html

From the Washington Post:

"... the difference in the Redskins' offense with Betts in the backfield -- and an offensive line that refused to get pushed around -- was undeniable. Not only were Betts' s 114 yards more than anything Portis has posted this season, but the team's 174 rushing yards and 40 carries were also both season highs.

Asked after the game whether he'd consider a lineup change when Portis is healthy enough to return, Coach Jim Zorn said simply, "No."

Why, Jim? It sounds like he just basically dismissed the question, but if you've watched the Redskins all year, this is a very legitimate consideration? Is this a matter of Portis being "Snyder's boy" and therefore untouchable or if it just more of the rigidity that Zorn has shown at times this year (i.e. we just have to change some details, that's all).

Why not give Betts a chance. He actually has a proven track record of running very well when given the opportunity for extended periods of time (e.g. 5 straight 100 yard games in relief of Portis several years ago..."

M

 

[dgreen]

I believe this was the first week since the week leading up to the Rams that there wasn't some nonsense going on during the week. It was a nice, quiet week and it ended with the first game this year that resembled an actual NFL game.

 

[Marvelous]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...9111503029.html

From the Washington Post:

"... the difference in the Redskins' offense with Betts in the backfield -- and an offensive line that refused to get pushed around -- was undeniable. Not only were Betts' s 114 yards more than anything Portis has posted this season, but the team's 174 rushing yards and 40 carries were also both season highs.

Asked after the game whether he'd consider a lineup change when Portis is healthy enough to return, Coach Jim Zorn said simply, "No."

Why, Jim? It sounds like he just basically dismissed the question, but if you've watched the Redskins all year, this is a very legitimate consideration? Is this a matter of Portis being "Snyder's boy" and therefore untouchable or if it just more of the rigidity that Zorn has shown at times this year (i.e. we just have to change some details, that's all).

Why not give Betts a chance. He actually has a proven track record of running very well when given the opportunity for extended periods of time (e.g. 5 straight 100 yard games in relief of Portis several years ago..."

M

One thought: there was some talk that Portis may be out for quite a while with a concussion. Also, Westbrook returned yesterday after sitting out two weeks and got another concussion. This makes it more likely that the Redskins will play it really safe with Portis. Also, there is no reason for Zorn to upset anyone by declaring Betts is the starter. He could end up not even having to make a decision.

 

[DCThunder]

Kevin Sheehan on the Monday Morning QB show made this analogy regarding yesterday's game. Here it is:

You have a passionate relationship with a girl, and then you hit a kind of rough patch. Lots of fights and drama and issues. You vow never to see her again. Then she calls you up and says let's have dinner and a movie and what not, and you go out and have a great time. But deep down, you know that this is just a pleasant interlude, because the underlying craziness that made her a psycho beeyoutach haven't gone away.

The Denver game is the nice, pleasant date and today we all have the nice memories of the game. But we all know, that the O-line still stinks and isn't fixed long term, Portis WILL start even if Betts is better right now, Campbell still is a mediocre QB at best, the DBs bite on too many double moves, the coaching is suspect and the Executive VP of Football Operations is a total clueless idiot.

So enjoy the memories, and I hope we beat the Cowboys, but too many of these and Vinny will still be in charge out at Redskins Park.

 

[dgreen]

Also, there is no reason for Zorn to upset anyone by declaring Betts is the starter. He could end up not even having to make a decision.

I agree.Along with the OL playing better yesterday, the main factor with the running game was that they could actually stick with it the whole game. For once, they didn't have to spend the whole 4th quarter passing. They eventually wore down that Denver D and were able to pick up good chunks on the ground in the second half.

 

[Maroney=Sped]

Also, there is no reason for Zorn to upset anyone by declaring Betts is the starter. He could end up not even having to make a decision.

I agree.Along with the OL playing better yesterday, the main factor with the running game was that they could actually stick with it the whole game. For once, they didn't have to spend the whole 4th quarter passing. They eventually wore down that Denver D and were able to pick up good chunks on the ground in the second half.

I thought Boswell had some pretty good analysis on the Betts vs. Portis issue:

"That was old-school Redskin football. That was right out of Joe Gibbs's time," middle linebacker London Fletcher said. "That's the football I remember."

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"This is what I saw when I first came here [in '05] under Coach Gibbs. This is how it was early last year" when the Redskins started 6-2, center Casey Rabach said. "I hope we stick to it."

Right now, they don't have much choice. Betts has never broken a play for more than 27 yards in his career. He plows. On most plays, he actually totals more yardage than Portis. It's a career-long stat fact. The Redskins may actually be a more consistent efficient offense if built around Betts rather than Portis. But you give away any chance of a home run.

While Betts has never run for more than 27 yards on a play, Portis has ripped off 23 runs of 27 yards or longer -- worth 1,029 yards, an average of 44.7 yards per explosion. This season, he seems to have lost some of his burst, yet has a 78-yard run.

When Portis returns, the Redskins should consider balancing the carries between the backs to keep both healthier, take advantage of Betts's better consistency from run to run while keeping at least some semblance of a breakaway threat in Portis. Also, the less dominant an offensive line -- with less ability to maintain their blocks while a cutback runner like Portis looks for daylight -- the more effective a quick-hitter like Betts can be.

 

[Bankerguy]

I remember liking playing the Skins waaaaaay more when we were total underdogs. I hate having to play you when Dallas is "supposed to win. Should be an interesting game....nice win against the Bronco's.

 

[fatness]

A detailed look at the fake FG play, worth reading.

 

[dgreen]

I remember liking playing the Skins waaaaaay more when we were total underdogs. I hate having to play you when Dallas is "supposed to win. Should be an interesting game....nice win against the Bronco's.

There's absolutely no pressure on Washington. All we're really looking for is some progress, for them to actually look like an NFL team. Yeah, it'll suck to lose to Dallas no matter how they lose, but I just don't want to be blown out. I remember in 2007 having a not-so-crappy feeling after losing in Dallas. Sean Taylor was missing his first game after being injured and all Skins fans were expecting something ugly. They hung in there and were like 10 yards away from winning before Newman made a game-saving INT. It was a loss that gave me hope. That's the extremely high bar I'm setting for this week.

 

[fatness]

Another 'big name' may be out of the running for Redskin head coach next year.

Gruden signs extension with ESPN

 

[Maroney=Sped]

I remember liking playing the Skins waaaaaay more when we were total underdogs. I hate having to play you when Dallas is "supposed to win. Should be an interesting game....nice win against the Bronco's.

There's absolutely no pressure on Washington. All we're really looking for is some progress, for them to actually look like an NFL team. Yeah, it'll suck to lose to Dallas no matter how they lose, but I just don't want to be blown out. I remember in 2007 having a not-so-crappy feeling after losing in Dallas. Sean Taylor was missing his first game after being injured and all Skins fans were expecting something ugly. They hung in there and were like 10 yards away from winning before Newman made a game-saving INT. It was a loss that gave me hope. That's the extremely high bar I'm setting for this week.

Funny thing is that we can take no real joy in "progress" because we all know this team will get dismantled this coming offseason, from the coaching staff on down. I just want a win. Given this series, it's a lot more likely than most people will realize too, but I do hope this is at least a halfway decent game.

 

[Bankerguy]

I remember liking playing the Skins waaaaaay more when we were total underdogs. I hate having to play you when Dallas is "supposed to win. Should be an interesting game....nice win against the Bronco's.

There's absolutely no pressure on Washington. All we're really looking for is some progress, for them to actually look like an NFL team. Yeah, it'll suck to lose to Dallas no matter how they lose, but I just don't want to be blown out. I remember in 2007 having a not-so-crappy feeling after losing in Dallas. Sean Taylor was missing his first game after being injured and all Skins fans were expecting something ugly. They hung in there and were like 10 yards away from winning before Newman made a game-saving INT. It was a loss that gave me hope. That's the extremely high bar I'm setting for this week.

This might have been his last pick.

 

[dgreen]

I remember liking playing the Skins waaaaaay more when we were total underdogs. I hate having to play you when Dallas is "supposed to win. Should be an interesting game....nice win against the Bronco's.

There's absolutely no pressure on Washington. All we're really looking for is some progress, for them to actually look like an NFL team. Yeah, it'll suck to lose to Dallas no matter how they lose, but I just don't want to be blown out. I remember in 2007 having a not-so-crappy feeling after losing in Dallas. Sean Taylor was missing his first game after being injured and all Skins fans were expecting something ugly. They hung in there and were like 10 yards away from winning before Newman made a game-saving INT. It was a loss that gave me hope. That's the extremely high bar I'm setting for this week.

Funny thing is that we can take no real joy in "progress" because we all know this team will get dismantled this coming offseason, from the coaching staff on down. I just want a win. Given this series, it's a lot more likely than most people will realize too, but I do hope this is at least a halfway decent game.

Well, I guess I'm looking for progress from certain people. I want to see Orakpo continue to improve. I want to see Thomas/Kelly/Davis/Marko improve. I want to see some OL improvement from guys like Rinehart. I want to see some more from Tryon, Moore, and Landry. IOW, I want to see the guys who have a chance to be here 2 years from now show some improvement.Anyone notice London Fletcher being pretty invisible the last two weeks?

 

[Marvelous]

Another 'big name' may be out of the running for Redskin head coach next year.

Gruden signs extension with ESPN

Heard this on the radio. Kevin Sheehan was speculating that maybe Gruden found out he was not in the running for one of the two plum coaching jobs, Dallas and Washington. My reaction: Washington is not one of the plum coaching jobs. There is a proven front office fiasco. And if Snyder fires Cerrato, he still needs to convince any star head coach that he is not the problem or he can change/adapt so the team can win. It's a tall order.

 

[fatness]

Well, I guess I'm looking for progress from certain people. I want to see Orakpo continue to improve. I want to see Thomas/Kelly/Davis/Marko improve. I want to see some OL improvement from guys like Rinehart. I want to see some more from Tryon, Moore, and Landry. IOW, I want to see the guys who have a chance to be here 2 years from now show some improvement.

I'd like to see progress from those players, but what I want more than that is plenty of playing time for them. I want to see if they're good enough to be part of the future or not. If they are, good, they're building blocks. If not, move them out. It's time to know.

 

[Sebowski]

3. The pass D was just terrible on the two (really 3, but #3 was overthrown) pass plays. Per the Washington Post, Rogers was benched after his poor coverage and never got back into the game. On the 2nd one, they showed on tv that Hall was clearly expecting deep help from the free safety, but he bit on a pump fake. Not sure if that was Landry or Moore at the time.

It was Smoot.

5. Zorn going for it on 4th and 1 rather than going for a 45 yard field goal makes no sense at all. Suisham has been very good. The field goal would tie the game. Take the points.

For the most part, I agree. But, it wasn't a full 4th and 1. They need maybe 6 inches. And, Campbell changed something at the line. A QB sneak probably would have been successful. During pregame warm-ups, Suisham was having some trouble kicking in that direction. He was short once from about 45 yards, but hit a 59-yarder the other direction. I found that to be very odd since there was very little wind.

7. Thomas had 2 catches. We don't see a mult-catch game from the wr#2 very often here.

For some reason, I can't remember his first catch. But, on his second catch, they did what they need to do with him more often (and earlier): just get the ball in his hands. That play was one of those that the rest of the league has been doing for a while, but the Redskins haven't done very often. It's an extended handoff where you just have to beat one guy to get 2 yards.Also, Campbell missed Thomas in the endzone just before Yoder's TD.

Campbell was scrambling and Thomas came back and caught a first down from his knees and then fell out of bounds. Great play.

 

[NickyHatton]

Kevin Sheehan on the Monday Morning QB show made this analogy regarding yesterday's game. Here it is:

You have a passionate relationship with a girl, and then you hit a kind of rough patch. Lots of fights and drama and issues. You vow never to see her again. Then she calls you up and says let's have dinner and a movie and what not, and you go out and have a great time. But deep down, you know that this is just a pleasant interlude, because the underlying craziness that made her a psycho beeyoutach haven't gone away.

The Denver game is the nice, pleasant date and today we all have the nice memories of the game. But we all know, that the O-line still stinks and isn't fixed long term, Portis WILL start even if Betts is better right now, Campbell still is a mediocre QB at best, the DBs bite on too many double moves, the coaching is suspect and the Executive VP of Football Operations is a total clueless idiot.

So enjoy the memories, and I hope we beat the Cowboys, but too many of these and Vinny will still be in charge out at Redskins Park.

I agree with this. It was nice to see the first real decent football game played by the Skins this year, but the catch 22 is that too many games like this might have Danny boy thinking that there doesn't need to be a change in the front office.

 

[dgreen]

So enjoy the memories, and I hope we beat the Cowboys, but too many of these and Vinny will still be in charge out at Redskins Park.

I agree with this. It was nice to see the first real decent football game played by the Skins this year, but the catch 22 is that too many games like this might have Danny boy thinking that there doesn't need to be a change in the front office.

Well, I guess winning football games could legitimately mean there doesn't need to be a change in the front office. IF they somehow ripped off a bunch of wins, I think it's reasonable to say things worked and certain moves (Sherm Lewis, Levi Jones, etc.) contributed to that. IF they somehow ripped off a bunch of wins, someone deserves credit.Winning football games would be a direct reflection of the current team as a whole and how it was assembled. Winning and losing is the only metric in the NFL. However, it would say nothing about the future of the team. And, I think Snyder has already made up his mind about what he's going to do in the offseason. There's very little these guys can do to change their fate, IMO. Either Snyder has already determined he's returning or he's determined he's gone. If he's determined he's gone, it'll take a deep playoff run to change that...and, well, that's not happening. And, whatever their fate is and even if this team goes on a nice end-of-season run, I think Snyder will direct whoever is here next offseason to focus on the OL because that's been the focus of the media and fans (well, other than on Snyder himself). I believe Snyder's been embarrassed over all of this. He's going to react to that.

 

[buster c]

Court rejects appeal over Redskins trademark

The Redskins name and logo was adopted in 1933 when the team was based in Boston, Massachusetts, and had been known as the Braves. In a legal brief filed with the court, the team said the name was changed to honor the Redskins coach at the time, William Henry "Lone Star" Dietz, a Native American.

Professional sports teams with Native American names and imagery include the Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves baseball teams.

I am amazed at how little gets made over the Indian's ball cap, a pejorative stereotype that rivals the old southern chain of restaurants, Sambo's, and its portrayal of blacks. At least the Skins emblem is flattering to Indians, and not a mocking cartoon.

 

[Maroney=Sped]

So enjoy the memories, and I hope we beat the Cowboys, but too many of these and Vinny will still be in charge out at Redskins Park.

I agree with this. It was nice to see the first real decent football game played by the Skins this year, but the catch 22 is that too many games like this might have Danny boy thinking that there doesn't need to be a change in the front office.

Well, I guess winning football games could legitimately mean there doesn't need to be a change in the front office. IF they somehow ripped off a bunch of wins, I think it's reasonable to say things worked and certain moves (Sherm Lewis, Levi Jones, etc.) contributed to that. IF they somehow ripped off a bunch of wins, someone deserves credit.Winning football games would be a direct reflection of the current team as a whole and how it was assembled. Winning and losing is the only metric in the NFL. However, it would say nothing about the future of the team. And, I think Snyder has already made up his mind about what he's going to do in the offseason. There's very little these guys can do to change their fate, IMO. Either Snyder has already determined he's returning or he's determined he's gone. If he's determined he's gone, it'll take a deep playoff run to change that...and, well, that's not happening. And, whatever their fate is and even if this team goes on a nice end-of-season run, I think Snyder will direct whoever is here next offseason to focus on the OL because that's been the focus of the media and fans (well, other than on Snyder himself). I believe Snyder's been embarrassed over all of this. He's going to react to that.

Maybe. You could argue that lifting the ban on the stadium signs is an example of that. One can hope.

 

[Bizkiteer]

WE SCORED 27 POINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean 27 points!!!!!!!!!! Hell must have frozen over!

OL looked GREAT compared to what we had before. Now it's not great compared to the entire NFL, but far superior to the blocking we've had all season. We played a 3-4, which had Dummerville (sp?), but DEN really has nothing else impressive for a pass rush.

The 3 young boys (DT, Kelly, Sleepy) actually contributed and I doubt we would have won without them. WOW, I can't believe I just said that...feels good to say as it's nice to see the potential become a reality, if for only one game.

Orakpo is dream! This guy is easy to love, plays hard...head is on right and performs (productive) on the field.

DHall played GREAT! The one play he was supposedly burned was a release by him to the safety in a zone defense. DHall looked became a ball hawking threat. His almost INT, while jumping over BMarsh was a fantastic play!

We had almost as many yards in the first half as we usually do in entire games. Play calling was spot on!

The fake FG was crazy and a clear turning point in the game. The 'Skins never looked back and the Broncos staggering about waiting for the 8 count. Of course, it did help that Chris Simms was their QB.

-------

The secondary didn't play well and looked bad.

Campbell was off, throwing behind his WR's all day long...that catch by Kelly was really good. I'm off the mind that Campbell can't be even be a good QB behind a great OL. I think he's damaged goods...kind of like what happened to Ramsey.

As much as I want a high pick to try and help cure our illness...I found myself rootin' and not even thinking about it. I've been saying for a few weeks at work that the Redskins would win a game or two that they have no business winning just to ruin our draft slot. Well, here was one of them. It's ok in my book as there was some progression and a hint of looking like an actual NFL team...even if it was for just one game.

 

[TxBuckeye]

This weekend is going to be so painful. Married to a Cowboy's fan and married in to a family of Cowboy fans. Sunday I will go to lunch at my mother-in-laws, in to the Cowboy den. As the skins get crushed, it will be extremely hard to enjoy lunch. Not because the skins are losing, I'm used to that. But because I know that, though I don't REALLY care that much, they will never shut the hell up and let me enjoy my meal.

 

[Maroney=Sped]

This weekend is going to be so painful. Married to a Cowboy's fan and married in to a family of Cowboy fans. Sunday I will go to lunch at my mother-in-laws, in to the Cowboy den. As the skins get crushed, it will be extremely hard to enjoy lunch. Not because the skins are losing, I'm used to that. But because I know that, though I don't REALLY care that much, they will never shut the hell up and let me enjoy my meal.

Just enjoy the fact that their downside is much lower than yours. Play up the fact that Dallas should win this game and that the Redskins are in total disarray. If they lose, then everybody knew your position. But if they win, rub it in.

 

[duckhook]

Common people, put down the pipes. The Redskins won that game for one reason - Chris Simms played the second half. He hasn't played an NFL game in at least two years. He was mediocre before the injury, and he plain sucks now. Simms was 3-13 for for 13 yards and 1 INT and a QB rating of 7.5%. Orton threw for 193 yards and 2 TDs in a half, and should have had 1 more long one. If Orton was still in, the Broncos put up way more yards, and likely >34 points.

This whole game changed on that one injury. The Skins wouldn't have run the ball at all in the second half if Orton was playing because they couldn't score enough that way. By my count they ran 11 times in the first half, but 27 in the second half. Maybe that means they should just run it all the time, but that certainly wasn't their first half strategy when they knew Denver could put up points. But Simms sucking gave them the chance to run the ball.

My question is why we didn't just run it against the chump teams we played earlier this year? I think the answer comes down to Portis. Betts is just better behind this run blocking scheme. Betts plowing for >4 YPR and setting up some good 2nd and 3rd down situations is better than Portis getting runs of 0, 0, then 10. Becuase 2nd or 3rd and 10 yards just doesn't put the offense (or Campbell) in situations they can execute.

 

[dgreen]

Common people, put down the pipes. The Redskins won that game for one reason - Chris Simms played the second half. He hasn't played an NFL game in at least two years. He was mediocre before the injury, and he plain sucks now. Simms was 3-13 for for 13 yards and 1 INT and a QB rating of 7.5%. Orton threw for 193 yards and 2 TDs in a half, and should have had 1 more long one. If Orton was still in, the Broncos put up way more yards, and likely >34 points.This whole game changed on that one injury. The Skins wouldn't have run the ball at all in the second half if Orton was playing because they couldn't score enough that way. By my count they ran 11 times in the first half, but 27 in the second half. Maybe that means they should just run it all the time, but that certainly wasn't their first half strategy when they knew Denver could put up points. But Simms sucking gave them the chance to run the ball.

I'm tired of hearing this. When did Orton become Peyton Manning? What is with all the Orton love? Was Simms bad? Yes. But, is it a foregone conclusion that Denver would've won if The Great Kyle Orton hadn't been injured? I don't think so. He had a big half because he hit 2/3 of his super easy deep throws. He hit uncovered receivers 40 yards downfield. Bravo. Hall of Fame is in his future apparently. Seriously, Orton's first half success was more due to the Redskins secondary failure than anything else. They made one more mistake and Orton missed it. After that, nothing. The pressure from the front 4 picked up and the secondary was much better. The second half was just the perfect mix of strong D and poor QB play. That's why they got nothing in the second half. But, that doesn't mean they would have scored another 17 points had Orton played the second half because the Skins D simply wasn't giving them those deep balls they did in the first quarter.This was a legit win over a possible wild card team. It changes nothing about their horrible loses to bad teams. It means nothing for the future if they lay and egg next week. It was a nice win. It was a good week. No need to take that away from them because an average QB only played one half.

 

[dgreen]

After 9 games, the Redskins have matched their sack total from last year.

 

[TxBuckeye]

Just enjoy the fact that their downside is much lower than yours. Play up the fact that Dallas should win this game and that the Redskins are in total disarray. If they lose, then everybody knew your position. But if they win, rub it in.

I know what you're saying, but I don't really have to play up the fact that Dallas should win. They SHOULD, and I already told the wife this. I told her I expect a total blowout with Dallas coming in upset after last week. And it isn't schtick, I'm afraid the skins will get killed. But even if somehow, some way, they did win, I wouldn't rub it in. I'm just not the "Hey, we went 4-12, but at least we beat Dallas!!!" type. This season is shaping up to be a(nother) disaster. I don't think there's really anything to be rubbing in to any other team's fan's faces. The honest truth is, I just want to eat lunch and have the usual nice conversation we normally do. But due to this game, I don't think it's going to happen. :( p.s. Yes, this is how badly the skins have beat me down after the last several years. I've pretty much become numb to losing.

 

[fatness]

How many quarterbacks have the Redskins injured this year?

 

[buster c]

Common people, put down the pipes. The Redskins won that game for one reason - Chris Simms played the second half. He hasn't played an NFL game in at least two years. He was mediocre before the injury, and he plain sucks now. Simms was 3-13 for for 13 yards and 1 INT and a QB rating of 7.5%. Orton threw for 193 yards and 2 TDs in a half, and should have had 1 more long one. If Orton was still in, the Broncos put up way more yards, and likely >34 points.

This whole game changed on that one injury. The Skins wouldn't have run the ball at all in the second half if Orton was playing because they couldn't score enough that way. By my count they ran 11 times in the first half, but 27 in the second half. Maybe that means they should just run it all the time, but that certainly wasn't their first half strategy when they knew Denver could put up points. But Simms sucking gave them the chance to run the ball.

This was a legit win over a possible wild card team.

 

[TankRizzo]

This was a legit win over a possible wild card team.

He got one thing right...it was a LEGIT win...an actual win that felt like a win. The Bronco's legitimacy aside, the win actually felt good unlike the other wins. Granted, all of the problems that existed before still exist, it's just good to know that they can look like an actual professional football team.

 

[fatness]

Anyone who watched cornerback Carlos Rogers bite on Brandon Marshall's double move on Denver's first touchdown Sunday - a 40-yard pass - or saw Marshall follow up with a 75-yard scoring reception before the end of the first quarter would suspect that the Redskins have shoddy a pass defense. Indeed, Rogers was benched after that first score, and the secondary has had problems with big plays all year.

But the numbers are stunning: The Redskins rank first in the NFL in pass defense, allowing just 162.7 yards per game.

The reasons for this, of course, are varied, and it helps that five of the Redskins' nine opponents rank 21st or worse in the league in passing offense - Detroit, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Carolina and Kansas City. (Denver is tied for 17th with Atlanta.)

But a bigger reason might be a vastly improved pass rush. After racking up three more sacks against the Broncos, the Redskins have 24 sacks on the season, tied for seventh in the NFL.

Reid

"Last year I felt like we had some QBs feel very comfortable in the pocket," Coach Jim Zorn said. "And this year, we are making quarterbacks uncomfortable in the pocket. ... The pressure we're getting on the quarterback, creating just the sense of, for the quarterback, 'I've got to get rid of the ball sooner,' we've created some inaccurate throws. We've seen this with ourselves, so we kind of know what it does."

 

[Maroney=Sped]

Anyone who watched cornerback Carlos Rogers bite on Brandon Marshall's double move on Denver's first touchdown Sunday - a 40-yard pass - or saw Marshall follow up with a 75-yard scoring reception before the end of the first quarter would suspect that the Redskins have shoddy a pass defense. Indeed, Rogers was benched after that first score, and the secondary has had problems with big plays all year.

But the numbers are stunning: The Redskins rank first in the NFL in pass defense, allowing just 162.7 yards per game.

The reasons for this, of course, are varied, and it helps that five of the Redskins' nine opponents rank 21st or worse in the league in passing offense - Detroit, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Carolina and Kansas City. (Denver is tied for 17th with Atlanta.)

But a bigger reason might be a vastly improved pass rush. After racking up three more sacks against the Broncos, the Redskins have 24 sacks on the season, tied for seventh in the NFL.

Reid

"Last year I felt like we had some QBs feel very comfortable in the pocket," Coach Jim Zorn said. "And this year, we are making quarterbacks uncomfortable in the pocket. ... The pressure we're getting on the quarterback, creating just the sense of, for the quarterback, 'I've got to get rid of the ball sooner,' we've created some inaccurate throws. We've seen this with ourselves, so we kind of know what it does."

That's all well and good, and kudos to them for the improvement, but it also helps that statistical ranking of course that opposing teams tend to be leading and therefore running the ball more in the 2nd half. Just sayin'.

 

[fatness]

I guess 106.7 and ESPN980 are in a rating war. That's the only reason I can figure out for this slapfight between radio hosts whose shows are on opposite each other.

Tony Kornheiser

vs.

Mike Wise