Redskins vs Seahawks Bold Predictions

Redskins vs. Seahawks Bold Predictions

When the schedule first came out in the spring and Seattle at Washington at 1 PM EDT was on it, the instant, knee jerk reaction was to put down a “W” for the Redskins and move on. Such instant analysis was based on the following factors:

• Seattle can’t win on the road, especially games that start at 10 AM their time.


• The Redskins can stop the run and the Seahawk receivers can’t hold on to the ball, so how are the Seahawks going to score?


• Mike Holmgren couldn’t beat Spurrier (with George Edwards as Washington’s defensive coordinator), how is he going to beat Joe Gibbs/Gregg Williams?

As the game has drawn closer, however, thoughts of a potential easy victory have given way to some degree of trepidation. A great deal of it, as a matter of fact.

First of all, that road inferiority of Seattle’s is one of those lingering myths that has far outlived its basis in fact (Redskins fans are quite familiar with those). They went 4-4 on the road last year, a respectable mark. None of their wins was over a powerhouse team, but the Redskins certainly don’t fit into that category.

The inability of their receivers to get a grip on the ball is not as much of a problem as it used to be either. The King of the Dropsies, Koren Robinson, Seattle’s version of Michael Westbrook, was given his walking papers and by that subtraction it seems that the entire receiving corps has added considerable grip to its hands.

And, frankly, if Butch Davis and Mike Sherman were able to beat Gibbs and company last year, there’s no reason why Holmgren can’t do it this year.

So, with all of the myths stripped away, here is what we have on Sunday—2-1 vs. 2-0, a good Seattle offense against a very good Redskin defense and a shaky Washington offense against an average Seahawk defense.

At the risk of making a Master of the Obvious statement, we’ll know a lot more about how this game is going to go when we’re about 10 minutes into it. The Redskins need to establish some rhythm on offense. After their first couple of possessions, we’ll see if those two late bombs to Moss in Dallas have any effect on their ability to move the ball. Joe Gibbs, any offensive coach for that matter, is much more effective in calling plays when he has the defense guessing, when more than one aspect of the offense is working. If Seattle plays soft to prevent Moss from going deep, that can open up both Portis on the run and underneath passes to Chris Cooley.

That’s all Football 101 and most reading this already know that. The reason that it’s so important here is because football is a game of confidence, of momentum. Washington gained a big boost of both in the last five minutes of their last game. But that was a week ago Monday. If that is going to have any carryover effect, the Redskins have to have some offensive success in the early going. Otherwise they will struggle to score the 20 points that they may need to win.

So both strategically and emotionally, the first two possessions for the Redskins are critical. A couple of three and outs or even five or six and outs and they’re almost certainly in the doldrums the rest of the day. A couple of double-digit gains by Portis, a medium to long completion to Moss or to David Patten and Seattle will have a very hard time keeping up with them.

If I’m Joe Gibbs, I go play action and deep on the very first play I have the ball. Send a message, both to Seattle and to your own team, that the last time out was no fluke and that you’re willing to go deep at any time.

So how will all of this work out? The Redskins will contain Shaun Alexander, as they do every opposing running back, but he will get some yardage. Holmgren will try the “death by a thousand paper cuts” approach with West Coast offense, and, especially if Walt Harris is out with his calf injury, that may be reasonably effective. It’s not hard to envision Seattle scoring in the 13-17 point range.

That leaves it up to the Washington offense and, no disrespect to the Seattle defense, but the success there is largely up that unit. If they’re aggressive and take what they want to take rather than what the defense gives them they will move the ball and score points. If the attitude is to play it safe and take a nibble here and a probe there, they will have a problem scoring 13 points.

There is a chance that the Washington offense will explode and ring up 35 points, but it’s a slim one. We’ll probably see some modest but noticeable improvement. If that happens, Seattle doesn’t have much of a chance.

Redskins 20, Seahawks 13

Skins Seahawks Stuck on Stupid

Skins, Seahawks Stuck on Stupid

You can reach me by email at rtandler@comcast.net
 
When one thinks of similar NFL teams, one rarely thinks of the Washington Redskins and Seattle Seahawks. One is East Coast smash-mouth, the other is West Coast, well, West Coast. For most of the past 30 years Seattle was AFC indoors on turf in the slick, new Kingdome, Washington was NFC, outside on grass and mud in ancient and rickety RFK Stadium.
 
In the past five years, however, the teams have grown more and more similar. Seattle moved to the NFC. They both now play on grass in new stadiums that are named for companies (Qwest and FedEx) that did not exist when the Seahawks were formed in 1976. They both have deep-pockets owners who seem to be willing to do anything to win. And they both, by vastly different methods, are stuck on stupid.
 
Since 2000 the Seahawks have had one coach, Mike Holmgren. The following year, Homgren inserted quarterback Mike Hasselbeck, running back Shaun Alexander and wide receiver Darrell Jackson into the regular lineup and since then that trio as started the lion’s share of games at their respective positions. They have built their roster largely thorough the draft. The result of such stability at key positions has been staggering mediocrity. Since 2000 they are 43-40 with an 0-2 playoff record.
 
At least they have a winning record. The Redskins have been worse by about a game and a half a year, going 36-46 with nary a whiff of the playoffs. Since 2000 they have been through four head coaches (no, Robiskie doesn’t count), seven different starting quarterbacks (with numerous shuffles among them), three primary running backs and four primary wide receivers. They have gone after free agents and they have made some major trades
 
To be sure, the Seahawks have taken a flyer in free agency from time to time with players such as defensive end Grant Wistrom. Hasselbeck came in a trade, albeit one that wasn’t noticed much at the time. And Washington has had some draftees such as Jon Jansen and Chris Samuels around since the turn of the century.
 
Two different paths, one result where most NFL teams measure success—not a single playoff win. What we have is one extreme, excessive stability and another, excessive instability. Neither has worked out very well.
 
Looking at the coaches, perhaps Seattle should have taken a closer look at Holmgrem’s Super Bowl ring and seen Bret Favre smiling back at them in one of the stones and let the coach go. A change of direction at the top might have gotten this talented team deep into the playoffs. Had the Redskins stuck with Marty Schottenheimer, they may have a few playoff appearances under their belts. Maybe Spurrier would have figured the pro game out by now. Maybe Norv would have. . .uh, nope, forget it, and the one about the Ballcoach as well. But Marty may have gotten it done.
 
At the running back spot, Washington had a choice to make a few years ago—either take a huge cap hit to keep Stephen Davis, one of the best running backs in the game, or let him go. They chose to let him go figuring, perhaps, what’s one more change in a sea of them.  This year, Seattle chose to take a big cap hit to keep Alexander, one of the best backs in the game, rather than let him go. Their knee jerk reaction towards stability dictated that they keep him. Through three games it seems like that was a good move. We’ll see in another 13 games and next offseason, when Alexander will be an unrestricted free agent, how such a commitment to stability works out in the long term.
 
The turmoil has continued for the Redskins even after the hiring of Joe Gibbs, who will coach this team for as long as he wants to, with the team firing both of its 2004 starting wide receivers and making a quarterback change 18 minutes into the season.
 
On Sunday, this clash of the wannabe titans will take place. Continuity vs. chaos, order vs. turmoil.
 
Dumb vs. dumber. We’ll see which is which

Turn the Page

Turn the Page

In the mainstream media, the story of a Redskins game has a shelf life of about 36 hours after the game is over. That would mean that for a Sunday day game, you want to say all you have to say about it by Tuesday morning and then move on. Coverage of a Monday night game could linger into Wednesday afternoon, but that’s about it. Here, given that the level of interest is higher than it is in the “normal” world, you can add about 24 hours to that cycle.

This week with the perfect storm of a stunning, exciting win on Monday night over a hated rival who has owned the Redskins, followed up by a bye week, the cycle stretched into the weekend. As we’ve watched the final five minutes on their Tivo’s over and over again, we haven’t been able to get enough of reading different perspectives on the game. We’ve soaked up stories about and interviews with Santana Moss, Mark Brunell, Joe Gibbs, the various defenders involved in the late defensive stands, the assistant coaches, Joe Gibbs’ wife’s reaction and so on. While the sheer giddiness has faded, the desire to hold on to the good feeling remains.

Not to be a wet blanket or anything but it’s time to turn the page here. By sunset today Dallas will have played another game and we won’t be dealing with current events when we talk about last Monday night any more, we’ll be talking about history. Not ancient history, to be sure, like the Cowboys fans who are talking about how they’ll take 14 of the last 16 vs. Washington, but history nonetheless.

No more rehashing who else might have been open on the second TD pass to Moss. No more trying to figure out who the kid was that Gibbs embraced right after getting doused with the Gatorade bucket. No more running Sean Taylor’s hit on Crayton back in super slow motion to see if it really should have been called a fumble. No more replaying Moss’ second TD catch to hear the Redskins fans in Texas Stadium cheering loudly. OK, another peek on the Tivo is fine, but beyond that it’s time to move on despite the temptation to linger. It’s time to stop thinking about what it was like to move to 2-0 and start looking at the prospects for going 3-0.

Seattle, like Dallas and the Redskins, is another team in the muddled middle of the NFL. They’re not elite but they’re not horrible either. Washington should be favored based on the home field advantage with perhaps a bit more of an edge granted since Gibbs and company have had extra time to prepare and game plan for the Seahawks, who host Arizona on Sunday. They’re not a good road team and they’ll be making a long trip. The prospects are good, let’s start focusing on them.

The Best Part. . .

The best part about it was that there were so many best parts about it. It was Dallas, in Dallas, on a Monday night. All Redskins fans have had to put up with so much from the Dallas fans who always seemed to crawl out from everywhere after yet another loss to the Cowboys. It was the stunning, unexpected nature of it after such a listless offensive effort for 55 minutes. It all combined together to make for a day that provided more spontaneous smiling by Redskins fans than any since the few giddy days after Joe Gibbs came back as coach.

And that was one other great part about it--Gibbs’ reaction. The mild-mannered coach’s most demonstrative expression of emotion generally is to break into a broad smile and to look for others to congratulate as he did after each of the Redskins’ Super Bowl wins. Not this time; after this game ended, it was party time:



That’s Gibbs on the left, after the Gatorade bucket bath and after he jumped up into the air and brought his knees to his chest. He celebrated with everyone he could find to celebrate with and then went in and called the win one of his greatest moments in sports, this from a man who has lifted the aforementioned three Lombardi Trophies and a couple of Winston Cups.

Gibbs had stuck his neck out in making one of the quickest quarterback changes in history. Well before that, in March, he had stuck his neck out even more by trading away Laveranues Coles for Santana Moss, taking a huge salary cap hit in the process. After the game, John Madden revealed that Gibbs had said that he felt like the Cowboys were treating the Redskins like a homecoming opponent, what with the scheduling of the Ring of Whatever ceremonies for the night of the game. His offense, his specialty, was, at its better moments, sputtering.

You can agree or disagree about the QB move and the long-term effectiveness of the offense, but you have to agree that nobody in sports has earned a moment of sheer joy more than Joe Jackson Gibbs.

Predictions Recap

Not bad, not bad at all in the end. I did say that the team employing the running back between Julius Jones and Clinton Portis that had the better night would prevail. Jones did outgain Portis on the ground 81 yards to 52 but Portis picked up another 25 in receptions so their output was pretty even. As was the score and the bottom line here was:

Last year the policy in this space was that there would never again be a prediction that the Redskins would beat the Cowboys until such time that the Redskins actually did beat them. But, keeping with the theme here that what’s in the past is irrelevant, the final will be:
Washington 17, Dallas 16

After I posted this prediction, I received a number of emails from some who evidently were Dallas fans who were questioning my football knowledge, my sanity and/or possible intake of banned substances. The following was typical:

In accordance to your final score prediction to monday nights game........don't count your chickens before they hatch bubba.

In reply, I didn’t bother telling him that examining things that haven’t hatched yet is the very nature of a prediction. Some concepts are way to difficult for room-temperature IQ Dallas fans to grasp. As I did with the other emailers of his ilk, I just told him to enjoy the game and come back around and share his razor-sharp insights after the game. I have yet to hear from him or any of them.

GameBlog Third Quarter

You can reach me by email at rtandler@comcast.net

Fourth Quarter

What was the point of a pass to Robert Royal just past the line of scrimmage on second and 11? He’s not going anywhere if he catches it. Ditto to the pass to Portis on the next play. Junk offense—no power, no finesse, no nothing.

It’s now 13-0. Feel free to make a play, Washington offense. For that matter, feel free to show up. They’re making an ordinary team look great. They’re playing scared on offense. Not conservative, not safe, but scared.

Again, some good offense completely by accident. A good scramble by Brunell on third and 27 and then a pass to Thrash, who the Cowboys neglected to cover at all got the first.

It may be too late, but the Redskins finally score. I find it hard to believe that this is the first opportunity to get Moss open for a touchdown. Good pass, on the money by Brunell. He can throw the deeper ball. They finally play to win, but it’s too late.

I’ll say it may be too late, it’s probably too late. They need another TD to win and they have two timeouts with a shade under 4 minutes to play. If they make a play, just one or two, they can pull it out. Jones has gotten nowhere on the ground, but Dallas’ OC Payton seems to be a step ahead of Williams when it comes to the key moments. We will see.

A holding call bails out the Redskins. Again, we will see.

We saw, big time. Aggressive offense. A bomb to Moss on first down from the 30. Wow.

Not to complain, but where was that earlier?

Defense comes through again. There’s nothing else to say besides, again, wow!

For a finishing touch, they get Gibbs with the Gatorade bucket, a celebratory gesture invented by Parcells’ Giants teams. Son of a gun.

No, one more finishing touch. As I’m about to put this blog to bed, a spam email comes in: YOU ARE A WINNER!!! Appropriate, very appropriate.

Third Quarter

Whichever team gets a running game going will win the game.

With his third catch, Robert Royal has two more catches than Moss and three more than Patten. Another three and out.

Dallas shows some guts in play calling and it pays off with the flea-flicker for a touchdown. The Redskins bit hard. At some point, the Cowboys might, too. We’ll see if the Redskins get a little more aggressive when trailing by 10. But right now, though, 10 points looks like an insurmountable lead for Dallas.

Field position is killing the Redskins. You might think that they gave Dallas just one first down so it was a successful defensive stand, but they were past midfield when they had to punt and they down the ball inside the 10. The way the Washington offense is playing there’s about a 1% chance they’ll score a touchdown from there.

The best play of the night for the Redskins comes purely by accident as Brunell scrambled for time and found Moss for 41 yards. An aggressive play, but not an aggressive play call. The outer limit of this offense, by design, is the first down marker. It’s three and out after that, though, and Groom might as well have punted into the end zone as Crayton made the fair catch at the 19.

Dallas isn’t that much better than the Redskins, but they’re just a little better when it counts. The Cowboy punter outdid Groom with a 58-yard punt that died inside the 10. Washington is getting the ball with a long way to go and they just can’t get it going enough offensively to put any points on the board.

GameBlog Third Quarter

Whichever team gets a running game going will win the game.

With his third catch, Robert Royal has two more catches than Moss and three more than Patten. Another three and out.

Dallas shows some guts in play calling and it pays off with the flea-flicker for a touchdown. The Redskins bit hard. At some point, the Cowboys might, too. We’ll see if the Redskins get a little more aggressive when trailing by 10. But right now, though, 10 points looks like an insurmountable lead for Dallas.

Field position is killing the Redskins. You might think that they gave Dallas just one first down so it was a successful defensive stand, but they were past midfield when they had to punt and they down the ball inside the 10. The way the Washington offense is playing there’s about a 1% chance they’ll score a touchdown from there.

The best play of the night for the Redskins comes purely by accident as Brunell scrambled for time and found Moss for 41 yards. An aggressive play, but not an aggressive play call. The outer limit of this offense, by design, is the first down marker. It’s three and out after that, though, and Groom might as well have punted into the end zone as Crayton made the fair catch at the 19.

Dallas isn’t that much better than the Redskins, but they’re just a little better when it counts. The Cowboy punter outdid Groom with a 58-yard punt that died inside the 10. Washington is getting the ball with a long way to go and they just can’t get it going enough offensively to put any points on the board.

GameBlog 09.19.05 Halftime

The Redskins’ blitz just can’t seem to get to Bledsoe. He’s doing a good job of getting rid of the ball and Dallas is doing well picking it up in its blocking schemes.

They turn the turnover into a field goal. 3-0 Dallas.

The Redskins have to keep it on the ground more. They got down into Dallas territory with a first down at the 30 and it was pass, pass, sack. Then the INT on the second drive. See if you can get something going with Portis/Betts.

I’d like to think that the Redskins are setting up some misdirection since the Cowboys are pursing hard to the ball. But Gibbs rarely does that, so I doubt we’ll see it.

First important possession of the game coming up. Dallas is up and has the momentum after a three and out by Washington. The Skins need to return the favor if they’re going to score before halftime.

Great tackle by Lamar Marshall returns the three and out favor. J. Jones has done nothing so far, and neither has C. Portis. Bledsoe has clearly outplayed Brunell and there’s your edge for Dallas.

Portis showed some power in picking up a second and four when it looked like there was nothing there. He didn’t really drive the pile back, but he just kept going and bounced off of a few potential tacklers. A holding call on the next play, however, kills the drive and the Redskins have to punt.

A bad, bad call of an incompletion on the third-down pass to Glenn. He caught the ball, the only question should have been whether or not he fumbled before his knee hit the ground. If it was a fumble, it cost the Redskins possession. If it was caught and down, the Redskins would either have had to burn a timeout or lose some 45 second off the clock. Bad call

Speaking of bad, how about the Redskins offense? No aggressiveness whatsoever. Short screens, Portis up the middle, a screen here and there. Six quarters without a touchdown. Ugh.

GameBlog First Quarter

Dallas is doing a good job of passing in running situations. The third and one conversion to the tight end was a good call. They’re trying to keep Gregg Williams guessing and they’re doing a good job so far.

Dallas’ Jones hasn’t been able to build up a head of steam. He’s taking the handoff and is being forced to stop and try to cut almost immediately. The Skins are controlling the line in the early going.

No sooner is that typed than Sean Payton calls a run in a passing situation and Jones is able to burst off the ball and get a first down. So far the physical part of the game belongs to the Redskins but Dallas is winning the strategy chess match.

The Dallas drive fizzles when ex-Redskin Jose Cortez, one of their 2002 parade of futility, is wide right on a field goal.

A good field position drive by the Redskins on their first possession, but, obviously, it could have been better. Dallas continues to win the chess match by giving Brunell nobody to throw to on second down and sacking him out of field goal range on third. At least Groom got the punt in semi-decent field position at the 14.

Redskins playing with a two-man DL on third and eight, blitzing a couple of linemen. Bledsoe seemed to panic just a bit, throwing to TE Whitten a couple of yards short of the first down. The Redskins are tackling well and did so again, dropping Whitten in his tracks short of the first. The chess game continues and the Redskins are playing it a bit better.

Wow, what a bad throw by Brunell to end the quarter, not sure who he was trying to hit. Good break for Dallas, the Redskins D needs to step up now.

Tandlers Redskins GameBlog 09.19.05--Pre Game

Tandler’s Redskins GameBlog 09.19.05—Pre Game
 

Can the Cowboys be overconfident? The quick answer is no, but I wouldn’t be so sure. I mean 14 out of 15 is some serious domination. It can’t help but creep into their minds at some level. That level is probably extremely low, but it’s there. If it does make a difference, it will be in the game’s early going. Once the things starting rolling, they’ll just play and the past won’t matter.
 
It will be pretty warm with no breeze in Texas Stadium at kickoff and I have to think of all of the near 100-degree days with no breeze during training camp in Ashburn this summer. Maybe that will help.
 
Tony K, who is clueless about just about everything these days, says on WTEM that the Redskins have no chance. He wondered how Sonny Jurgensen could predict a Redskins win. One of them will turn out right and the other wrong but if Tony K is right, it will be for all the wrong reasons.
 
The color of the jerseys that the teams are wearing will have absolutely no effect on the outcome of the game. I trust that most of you can see the logic in that statement.
 
 Although I made it on Wednesday, I’m sticking with my Redskins 17, Cowboys 16 prediction. Nothing has happened in the interim to make me think that Clinton Portis won’t best Julius Jones and provide the edge the Skins need to pull this one out.
 
 

Misunderestimating

Misunderestimating

This just in: Many members of the media are lazy. They establish a template based on what has happened in the past. Everything that fits into the template is embraced and “reported”. Whatever doesn’t fit is rejected and goes untold. This takes the place of having to take the time to actually watch the teams they are “covering”.

The template for the Redskins was established in 2004. Actually, it goes back a bit further than that with the “Dan Snyder is a meddling, clueless owner” element. That started in 2000 when he was a meddling, clueless owner. But even though he has handed the keys over to Joe Gibbs, everything the Redskins do has Snyder’s fingerprints on it, according to the template.

The rest of it consists of the game having passed Gibbs by, Mark Brunell being totally washed up, Clinton Portis being unable to handle the load as back in a Gibbs offense, the offensive line being weak and, as a corollary to that last one, they can’t pick up the blitz. There are other elements thrown in here and there, most of them negative, but those are the main ones.

A quick point-by-point refutation here. If the game ever did pass Gibbs by, he made up for lost time by working about 27 hours a day during the offseason to get back up to speed. Brunell is not threat to Peyton Manning as the NFL’s premiere QB, but he has shown that whatever ailed him last year is healed. Nobody at all paid any attention to the Portis’ press conference after Sunday’s game. He said that he and Ladell Betts will share the load at running back. Portis will not get worn down. Last year, the offensive line was mediocre at best. Nobody noticed the Jon Jansen was back and that Casey Rabach replaces the weakest link the line.

But apparently it’s too much work for those who write for ESPN, for CBS Sportsline, for papers around the country and the like to actually observe what’s going on with the team and shape their stories accordingly. The Redskins aren’t among the NFL’s elite, they’re not even among the league’s very good. But they’re better than the template has them make out to be.

The members of the mass media pack have taken the opportunity, however, to reshape the Dallas Cowboy template. All that they had to know is that Jerry and Bill dropped some $50 million in signing bonuses to upgrade their team, particularly defensively. Of course, when Snyder and the Redskins did something like this it was called folly (and rightfully so, for the most part). According to the “experts”, throwing money after their problem (16th-ranked defense in 2004, same 6-10 record as the Skins) has made them into a reincarnation of the ’85 Bears. Their front seven is fierce and impenetrable and that “fact” makes up for some minor shortcomings in their secondary, like safeties that can’t cover.

And then there’s Julius Jones. The guy is out half the season injured, gains a shade over 800 and now all of a sudden he’s Jim Brown.

Of course, in predicting the outcome of the game, it’s that monster defense that’s going to lay waste to that girly O-line of the Redskins and destroy to that shell of his former self Brunell, stuff the overworked Portis and Dallas will cruise to an easy win. Dallas will win in a walk.

In reality, the game is a tossup. The Cowboys have the edge in that it’s a home game, but that’s about it. Both teams are in the middle of the NFL pack, a large bunch that includes about 20 teams. Also among them are the Chargers, Dallas’ “quality” opponent last week who fell to 0-2 with a loss to a Broncos team that was routed by Miami last week. And the Redskins’ 9-7 win over Chicago became more impressive after the Bears hung 38 on Detroit on Sunday.

So we will see what happens on Monday night. On the record here is a prediction of a close Redskins win. But Dallas could well win and the “experts” would be right, but, more than likely, it will be for all the wrong reasons.

Skins Can Win, But Will They?

Can they do it? Yes. Will they do it? Read on.

You can reach me by email at rtandler@comcast.net

There is really no point in recounting and rehashing the futility that the Redskins have experienced against the Dallas Cowboys in the course of their domination—there’s no other word for it—of the Redskins over the past 15 games. Some games have been close, some have been routs. In some, the Cowboys’ star players have come through in the clutch, in others it’s been obscure players shining in key moments. Sometimes the Redskins have had better talent and/or a better record, sometimes the other guys have. Barry Switzer, Steve Spurrier, Bill Parcells, Marty Schottenheimer, Joe Gibbs, Dave Campo, it hasn’t mattered.

The Dallas Cowboys have been the Washington Redskins’ daddy.

The Dallas Cowboys have owned the Redskins like a rented mule (or something like that).

All that, however, has nothing to do with Monday night’s matchup. It’s not 1999, it’s not 2001, it’s 2005. The game will come down to offense vs. defense, blocking and tackling, strategy, game plans and the like. The past will not matter a whit.

It doesn’t matter they will have the induction ceremony for Dallas Hall of Rings or whatever it is for Aikman, Smith, and Irvin at halftime. That’s something for the fans and the press. If the Dallas players are paying any attention to it whatsoever Parcells will rip them a new one. They’re not going to try to win one for the Triplets, they’re going to try to win one so as not to have to face the Tuna the rest of the week if they lose a division home game.

And, speaking of the Tuna, his eight-game winning streak against Joe Gibbs will buy a gallon of gas if it’s accompanied by about three bucks. It means zilch.

Both teams are adjusting to new schemes and new players. Dallas spent $50 million in bonus money to buy some upgraded defensive talent and have switched to a 3-4 scheme. It was modestly successful in San Diego last week as they allowed almost 300 yards and three touchdowns to the Chargers, who were playing without star tight end Antonio Gates.

For their part, the Redskins have made the seemingly-contradictory moves of installing a big-play passing offense while reinstalling Mark Brunell as the starting quarterback. They racked up a respectable 325 yards but no touchdowns in their season-opening 9-7 win over Chicago.

Neither is an elite team, neither is awful. Overall, these two teams are a lot like the others in the muddled middle of the NFL. They both have some strong points and some weaknesses. The two quarterbacks both are past their primes. Brunell vs. Drew Bledsoe would have been a marquee matchup in 1998; in 2005 it’s misplaced in prime time. Dallas has some older, slower but accomplished receivers, some suspect spots on the offensive line and a questionable secondary with the exception of safety Roy Williams, while their defensive front seven could be very strong. Washington counters with a very good offensive line, some small, speedy receivers whose effectiveness with Brunell throwing the ball is questionable, and a defense that is greater than the sum of its parts although the parts include a stud DT in Cornelius Griffin, a Pro Bowl linebacker in Marcus Washington, a revived Shawn Springs at cornerback and a potential superstar in safety Sean Taylor.

The game is a coin flip and it could well come down to which running back performs better. Clinton Portis is more the proven commodity, with over 4,000 rushing yards to his credit in three NFL seasons. And, after holding Chicago’s Thomas Jones to 31 yards on 15 carries last week, the Redskins will try their luck against his younger brother Julius. Last year their luck was pretty good.

Jones’ 57 yards rushing (in 22 attempts) in the teams’ second meeting last year was by far his lowest output of the nine games he participated in. In the other eight games he played in during his injury-shortened rookie campaign he never gained fewer than 80 yards. And don’t try to say that he was wearing down after a long NFL season—he hung 149 yards on the Giants in the season finale the next week.

If Jones gains 57 yards on Monday, the Cowboys will lose. Should Portis put up just 2like he did in Dallas last year before he left with an injury, Washington will have a very tough road to a win.

So who will it be? Which back will lead his team to a win and a 2-0 start to the season?

Last year the policy in this space was that there would never again be a prediction that the Redskins would beat the Cowboys until such time that the Redskins actually did beat them. But, keeping with the theme here that what’s in the past is irrelevant, the final will be:

Washington 17, Dallas 16

QB Situation: Wait and See

Joe Gibbs’ announcement that Patrick Ramsey would be benched and that Mark Brunell would start at quarterback has created quite a stir among Redskins fans, a development about as predictable as the sun rising. Around the message boards, the water coolers, in barroom debates and in the talk shows and the like, there have been two distinct camps that are bickering with each other and are easily identified. They each have a motto:

In Gibbs We Trust: Whatever Joe Gibbs does is OK with this bunch. Argue with Gibbs and he can punch you in the mouth with his three Super Bowl rings. If he thinks that Mark Brunell is best for the team and gives it be best chance of winning that’s good enough for them. Of course as late a week ago, many of these same people were wondering if Gibbs had lost his mind because he hadn’t yanked Ramsey based on his preseason performance.

Gibbs II is a Bust: This crowd says, “Thanks for the memories, Joe, but you’ve lost it.” According to them, you have to give the guy that you said was your starter for eight months during the offseason more than 20 minutes of playing time before you yank him. Ramsey is the up and comer, Brunell is the has-been and if Gibbs can’t see that, well, maybe it’s time to promote Gregg Williams into Gibbs’ job and put Joe out to pasture.

Here, the position is to keep one foot firmly planted in each camp. Call it Gibbs, Wait and See We Must. This may disappoint some of you who come here looking for a firm stand to tell you what to think about it. Sorry, that’s not going to happen. While I don’t like the move, I have to give Gibbs the benefit of the doubt.

I didn’t like the move because, while Ramsey was struggling some with interceptions and fumbles, he was also making enough plays on the positive side to warrant giving him a chance to work through his problems. And even though many, present company included, think that Mark Brunell has been throwing and playing much better than he did last year you can’t overlook the fact that he could be vastly improved from 2004 and just move from being a horrible QB to one who is sub-mediocre. On top of that, it seemed to me that the Redskins have a defense that could minimize the damage from a higher than average number of turnovers.

On the proverbial other hand, you have to think that Gibbs had had enough of Ramsey. While I remarked here yesterday that Ramsey got only 18:52 to prove himself; in fact he has had much longer than that. He had the last seven games of 2004 plus this year’s OTA’s, minicamp, training camp, and the preseason games to prove himself. In Gibbs’ eyes, he hasn’t done that. This was not a snap judgment by Gibbs but one based on his observations of Ramsey ever since his return as coach of the Redskins.

This is speculation—everyone else is trying to get inside Gibbs’ head, why not me—but I have to think that Gibbs’ patience with Ramsey grew thin over the past eight months because, although Gibbs and Bill Musgrave and a number of other coaches have been telling Ramsey the same things over and over again and they just aren’t sinking in. Implicit in the “you’re the starting QB” deal is that you listen to what the coaches say and adjust what you do accordingly.

It’s one thing for a fourth-year quarterback to make mistakes. It’s another him to repeat the same mistakes. The end zone interception Ramsey threw against Cincinnati in the preseason wasn’t just eerily reminiscent of the game-killing pick that Ramsey threw against the Eagles last year; it was its twin brother down to it being at the same spot on the FedEx Field turf. In 2005 he has twice looked up to find a linebacker who had come through on a blitz in his face. Against the Steelers he threw an interception for a touchdown. Certainly, one would think, the coaches repeatedly went over with Ramsey what he needs to do in that situation and practiced it over and over. But the next time it happened, in the second quarter last Sunday, the result was another turnover (albeit on what appeared to be a dirty hit).

Gibbs probably looked at Ramsey and his gut told him that it wasn’t going to get any better that the turnovers would continue at the rate of one or two a quarter because Ramsey was either unwilling or unable to learn from his mistakes and adjust. He may be right in that assessment and he may be wrong.

One other thing—please don’t talk to me about Ramsey’s psyche or say that Gibbs lied to him. He has not demanded a trade according to Jon Jansen and numerous other sources. Sure, it hurts to be demoted, but he’s a big boy and he’ll get over it. His best bet it to keep his mouth shut, play when the opportunity comes along (few NFL quarterbacks make it through 16 games unscathed) and audition for a shot at a starting job here or elsewhere.

All that being said, I still don’t like the move. The Redskins offense would be more effective and versatile with Ramsey at the helm and, again, the defense is good enough to minimize the effect of mistakes. With Brunell, we’re reduced to “Portis left, Betts right, Pass, Punt, Fight, Fight, Fight!” and waiting for the other team to lose the game.

It’s a strategy that has landed a playoff spot for many teams. We’ll see if it works for this one.

Ramsey Healthy but Brunell to Start

You can reach me by email at rtandler@comcast.net

Well, there goes one myth out the window.

You know, the “rule” that says that you’re not supposed to lose your starting job because of an injury. It’s one of those time-honored traditions of the game. If you’re injured, not matter how well your replacement plays, you start when you’re healthy enough to do so. Usually when we talk about this, we’re talking about a player who missed at least an entire game, usually a few weeks or more.

Patrick Ramsey lost his job because of an injury that prevented him from playing for about 15 minutes of real time, not game time. He took a dirty hit that should have drawn a flag and almost certainly will draw a stiff fine. After that he stood up, started to wobble a bit and then had to be helped to the sidelines. Soon after it happened he was warming up behind the bench apparently none the worse for wear.

Mark Brunell, however, remained in the game and led the Redskins to a win, albeit one that came without the benefit of a touchdown being scored by the winners. And Joe Gibbs announced today that Brunell would remain in the lineup and that Ramsey, although physically able to play, would sit. From Redskins.com:

"I made the decision to start Mark," Gibbs said in his opening remarks of his Monday press conference at Redskins Park. "I know a lot of people will disagree with this and I understand that. For me, I felt like it was a decision that I had to make."

Added Gibbs: "I'm looking for someone to establish himself as our quarterback."

Asked about what he has seen in Brunell during the offseason and the preseason, Gibbs said: "He's been confident and sure."

Ramsey started the last seven games of 2004 and Gibbs announced just after the season that Ramsey would be the #1 quarterback in 2005. All through OTA’s, minicamp, training camp and the preseason games Ramsey worked with the first unit. That unit included a pair of speedy new receivers in Santana Moss and David Patten, receivers that were supposed to help take advantage of Ramsey’s strong arm and open up the deep passing game. There seemed to be a commitment to Ramsey, but it lasted about as long as Brittney Spears’ first marriage.

What should be painfully obvious now is that Gibbs doesn’t like Ramsey as a player. If the trade for Brunell, Gibbs hesitance to make a move to Ramsey when Brunell was struggling mightily and the king’s ransom of picks that Gibbs gave up to draft Jason Campbell didn’t already make it obvious enough, this, an 18 minute, 52 second run by Ramsey as the unquestioned starting quarterback makes it perfectly clear.

The turnovers have to be the reason why. In his 18:52 Ramsey threw one interception—a wretched throw right to the defender--and put the ball on the ground twice. Gibbs couldn’t write off Ramsey’s early problems on Sunday as a rocky start; rather, they were the continuation of a pattern. During the preseason Ramsey would make some great passes and throw some killer interceptions

Something else is obvious. Joe Gibbs has looked at this team and has decided that he can sacrifice big plays for safer plays. Brunell threw the ball about as far as he could on Sunday on that play that ended up with the interception being nullified by a pass interference call and it went less than 50 yards in the air. In Gibbs’ view, the Redskins can win with defense, a one-two rushing punch with Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts running behind an improved offensive line, and by playing it close to the vest with a veteran quarterback who makes a minimum of mistakes. Time will tell if this is a formula for success.

How the Redskins Will Make the Playoffs

Tandler’s Redskins Blog Ver. 09.09.05

You can reach me by email at rtandler@comcast.net
The 2005 Washington Redskins will make the playoff and anything less than that will be a disappointment.
The team has good, talented football players, a lot of them. One quick way to assess the level of a team’s talent is to see how many of its players would start for most other NFL teams. With the definition being that a player could start for at least half of the other teams in the league, the Redskins have quality players at all five positions on the offensive line, one at wide receiver with Santana Moss, one at tight end with Chris Cooley, and one at running back with Clinton Portis. On the other side of the ball they have defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin, linebackers LaVar Arrington and Marcus Washington, cornerback Shawn Springs and safety Sean Taylor. A few others such as safety Matt Bowen and defensive end Renaldo Wynn are on the borderline, but even discounting them that makes 13 players who are above average at their positions. That’s enough to win with.

There was some truth to what people were saying about Joe Gibbs last year, that he was trying to win in 2004 with plays that worked in 1990. Certainly it didn’t work like the typical Joe Gibbs offense, one that took best advantage of the talents of its players and always had a surprise or two in store for the opposing defense. It’s surprising to learn that some still think that the game has passed him by. He didn’t spend 15-20 hours a day at Redskins Park during the offseason trying to convince people that what he did last year works, he spent it revamping the Washington offense. Gibbs has always said the he would change about 40% of his offense from year to year. From ’04 to ’05 the numbers will probably be flip-flopped, with the coaches putting 60% or more of last year’s schemes in the trashcan. The shotgun, which we have seen used effectively during the preseason and zone blocking for Portis to allow him to bust some long gainers, plays that were missing from his 1,300-yard season in 2004.

Even with all of the problems with the offense last year, the Redskins still won three of their last five games. One of the losses was to the Eagles and the Redskins’ strong bid for an upset in that game was derailed by a late interception of a Patrick Ramsey pass in the end zone. The other defeat came in the dying minutes at Texas Stadium when a late Dallas touchdown pass pulled out the win for the Cowboys.
That’s the framework. So how do the Redskins take these quality players running an effective offensive scheme and a Gregg Williams defensive scheme and win the nine or 10 games that will be needed to make the playoffs?

• Win three in the division: The Redskins have favorable matchups in their four meetings with the Giants and Cowboys in regards to the quarterbacks they will be facing. Williams’ aggressive, blitzing packages are designed to terrorize young quarterbacks such as New York’s Eli Manning and immobile quarterbacks like Dallas’ Drew Bledsoe. Even if they can’t steal a win from the Eagles, something they almost did in Week 14 last year, they should be able to muster a 3-3 division record.


• Beat the teams they should beat: The home games against the Bears and 49ers are games that the Redskins should be favored in by a touchdown or more. Seattle comes to FedEx Field and they’re a terrible road team. The Oakland Raiders also visit FedEx and even with the addition of Randy Moss they’re still a team that will post a double-digit loss total. Tampa Bay is just a few years removed from a Super Bowl win but they seem to be a lost franchise now. The Redskins travel to Arizona and the Cardinals are supposed to be an up and coming team but I’ll believe it when I see it. Washington will win five of those six games.


• Pull an upset or two: The three division wins and the five against the lesser teams mean that the Redskins need to find another win, maybe two, to get a ticket to the playoffs. Among the more winnable road games is the one in Denver. The Broncos just aren’t very good this year and, like Manning and Bledsoe, the mistake-prone Jake Plummer is the kind of quarterback that plays right into Williams’ hand. The Chargers, who play at FedEx Field in late November and if the Redskins are playing well then that will be a very tough game for the Chargers to win. A win in a December trip to St. Louis may be a tall order, but the Rams are nothing if not erratic and a win there is not out of the realm of possibility.

Of course, the usual caveats are in place here. The Redskins, like virtually every other NFL team not named the Patriots, won’t be successful if they are hit with an extraordinary number of injuries or get more than their share of unfortunate breaks. Given an equality of luck, however, the Redskins will be extending their season into the playoffs in 2005.

Bold Predictions: Redskins Will Trash Bears

Bold Predictions: Redskins Will Trash Bears

You can reach me by email at rtandler@comcast.net

It’s a little early in the week, perhaps, to be making bold predictions, especially since I will answer to them next week (for those of you who didn’t read this space last year, I will always go back and review my predictions gone wrong and ‘fess up). However, this week there really isn’t much purpose in waiting, in examining the moods of the teams during practice, checking out any last-minute shifts in the injury report, seeing what the weather will be like at FedEx Field on Sunday afternoon.

I’ve been known to agonize for thousands of words before coming up with a tentative prediction. Not this time. This one is easy. The Redskins will trash the Chicago Bears.

There is only one matchup that I need to know about—Kyle Orton vs. Gregg Williams. The Bears’ rookie QB may have potential to be a good pro quarterback, but this is the first NFL game he has ever participated in in any way, shape, or form except perhaps as a spectator when he was in high school. Williams, on the other hand, has coached in a couple of hundred NFL games. Whether his team is matched up against the likes of Orton or against a 10-year veteran with Hall of Fame credentials, his goal is always the same—rattle the opposing quarterback.

Orton will have the opportunity to meet, up close and personal, nearly every member of the Redskins’ defense. He’ll get introduced to Cornelius Griffin when the Redskins’ defensive tackle puts his facemask into Orton’s sternum. He’ll only get a quick glance at Shawn Springs before the cornerback plants his back into the FedEx Field turf. It’s unlikely that he’ll see LaVar Arrington before he helps him off of the grass since the linebacker will be coming from Orton’s blind side. Finally, when Sean Taylor comes after him from who knows where, Orton will want the license number of the truck that hit him. Note to Kyle, it will be # 21.

In all, Orton will have to consider himself fortunate if he can drop back and be comfortable in the pocket more than five or six times. The rest of the time he will either be running for his life or accumulating grass stains from having been slammed to the ground so often.

With Orton being slapped silly, who on the Bears is going to generate any offense? Muhsin Muhammad can’t make a catch if his quarterback more time on his back than a hooker at a convention in Vegas. Thomas Jones might sneak through for a few yards here and there, perhaps he could break one for 30 yards or so, but he can’t carry the team against the Redskins’ defense. So who else is there? Justin Gage? Desmond Clark? Very, very unlikely.

Not so fast, my friend, you might say. The Redskins’ offense isn’t exactly a juggernaut either and the Bears defense can’t exactly be described as soft. True those. Chicago’s cover two defense isn’t a good matchup for a team that wants to establish a deep passing game as the Redskins do. True that.

There are a couple of flaws in the scenario that says that neither team will score much and that the game will come down to a late break. One of them is that the Redskins’ offensive line is one of the elite units in the game. Note the lack of qualifiers such as they “might” be or they have the “potential” to be elite. They are right now. All five of them, Samuels, Dockery, Rabach, Thomas, and Jansen, could start for most of the teams in the NFL. They’re good blocking for the run and they’re good against the pass rush. Every member of the line won’t make the Pro Bowl but every one of them has a shot at it. They won’t allow the Chicago front four to generate the pass rush that they need.

The other factor is Clinton Portis. He ran for 171 yards the last time the two teams met in Chicago in 2004, averaging 4.8 yards a carry. It was too bad that the Redskins really hadn’t figured out how to use Portis in the offense as they have by now or he really could have done some damage. On Sunday, he’ll follow the zone blocking from the Redskins’ elite offensive line and put up over 150 yards and score a pair of touchdowns.

Despite the prowess of the line and the productivity of Portis, the Redskins won’t put up a lot of points. Patrick Ramsey will make some plays for both teams. Thomas Jones’ running could set up a score or two for the Bears, but they will only be three pointers. Perhaps those who only see the score in the paper on Monday will think it was a fairly competitive game.

But those who watch the game will know otherwise. The Redskins will dominate on defense from start to finish, they will get their offense in control by halftime and will trash the Bears by a score of:

Washington 17, Chicago 6

The Ins and the Outs--Who Made it and Why

The Ins and the Outs: Who Made it and Why

There was perhaps more than the usual number of surprises as the Redskins reduced their roster to 53 players. Yesterday, we looked at the final cuts; today, here are those who made it:

Offense:

QB’s (3) – Patrick Ramsey, Mark Brunell, Jason Campbell
This makeup of this trio was preordained when on draft day when the Redskins took Campbell in the first round. Ramsey starts, Brunell will back up and Campbell will be the emergency quarterback.

RB’s (4) – Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts, Nehemiah Broughton, Rock Cartwright
There was a lot of speculation that Broughton and Cartwright were fighting for one roster spot, but it became apparent a few weeks ago that both would make it. Cartwright is on because of his special teams prowess and Broughton because the team needs a power back to pick up those pesky third and one situations that have plagued the team last year.

WR’s (5) – Santana Moss, David Patten, Taylor Jacobs, James Thrash, Antonio Brown
As he so aptly demonstrated during the Ravens game, Brown is still a project at wide receiver. In releasing Kevin Dyson, the team is taking a gamble here that Jacobs can stay healthy and productive. He should be back at practice on Monday.

TE’s/H-backs (4) – Robert Royal, Chris Cooley, Mike Sellers, Brian Kozlowski
It appeared all along as if the Redskins would keep five players here, but Manuel White Jr.’s broken leg changed the plans. White probably would have been a game-day inactive for most of the season anyway as he was having a tough time with the transition from college running back to NFL H-back. Kozlowski beat out Robert Johnson, who has more physical talent but less experience, for the last spot here.

OL (9) – Chris Samuels, Derrick Dockery, Casey Rabach, Randy Thomas, Jon Jansen, Ray Brown, Jim Molinaro, Cory Raymer, Lennie Freidman
Before camp started, few would have bet much on the chances of both Raymer and Freidman making the final cut; the team didn’t need two backup centers, especially two somewhat pricey veterans. Freidman, however, saved both of their jobs by making himself valuable as a backup at both guard spots and as a tight end in “heavy jumbo” package situations. Molinaro is happy that players are judged on what they have done throughout OTA’s and camp, not just on their latest performances. On Thursday, he was hapless in pass protection.

Defense

DL (9) – Renaldo Wynn, Brandon Noble, Cornelius Griffin, Phillip Daniels, Joe Savale’a, Demetric Evans, Ryan Boschetti, Nic Clemons, Cedric Killings
Oddly, Killings was probably the main beneficiary of Manuel White’s injury. It appears that the slot freed up by the team carrying only four TE/H-backs went to the defensive line. He’s made the tour of the NFL with stops in San Francisco, Cleveland, Carolina, Minnesota, the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe and a coule of stints with the Redskins. Nic Clemons played better and better as camp progressed and he makes it after two years on the practice squad.

LB’s (7) – Lavar Arrington, Marcus Washington, Warrick Holdman, Lemar Marshall, Zach Keasey, Chris Clemons, Khary Campbell
The single biggest surprise was that Keasey, an undrafted rookie out of Princeton. In the season preview here, I said that, “It would be an interesting story if a Princeton product could make a cut or two, but it’s unlikely to happen. History has shown that winning the Poe-Kazmaier Trophy as Princeton’s best on the gridiron doesn’t do much for you in the NFL.” Maybe the coveted trophy did not help, but his hard hitting and great hustle certainly did. Keasey didn’t really “beat out” Robert McCune, the team’s fifth-round draft pick who was released as McCune is a middle linebacker whereas Keasey nominally plays the outside. Even though Gregg Williams says that every LB has to learn the Mike position, this probably means that the team is counting on Holdman to move to the inside and back up Marshall once Arrington is back in the starting lineup.

CB’s (4) – Shawn Springs, Walt Harris, Carlos Rogers, Ade Jimoh
In a conversation I had with Jimoh in training camp, he stated flatly that he hoped that he contributed more the team on special teams and not on defense. Most Redskins observers agree with that statement wholeheartedly. Truth be told, most gave him no shot at making the final roster. The fact that he’s there means that a). Gibbs is dead serious about his commitment to great special teams play and b). Gregg Williams believes that he can scheme to minimize the impact of a weak nickel back, at least for a game or two. All it would take is one corner being nicked up for “Uh-Oh” Jimoh to become the team’s nickel back.

S’s (5) – Sean Taylor, Matt Bowen, Ryan Clark, Pierson Prioleau, Omar Stoutmire
Bowen (knee, chest) and Clark (knee) have been in and out of the lineup for much of the preseason so Stoutmire’s nickname should be “Allstate” as he is on the roster as insurance. If and when the coaches decide that Bowen and Clark are fully healed, Stoutmire could be let go to make room for another cornerback or receiver.

Specialists

LS (1) – Ethan Albright
He had the most job security on the team; not a single challenger or backup was brought in.

K (1) – John Hall
He dusted off the surprisingly weak challenge of Jeff Chandler early. He appears healthy and ready for a good season.

P (1) – Andy Groom
It was apparent early in camp that Groom has an NFL leg, but the thinking was that the coaches’ comfort level with incumbent veteran Tom Tupa would mean that Groom would be displaying his talents elsewhere. However, Tupa hurt his back and the door opened for the younger kicker. His stock soared as he kicked well in two preseason games, displaying both power and good direction on his kicks. It dropped as the team brought in veteran Chris Mohr, who, after one unimpressive practice got a one-game tryout after Tupa was placed on injured reserve. The decision the coaches had to make was if they wanted to sacrifice a degree of comfort when it came to holding for Hall—Mohr has been doing it for years in difficult conditions in Buffalo—for the added distance on punts that Groom would bring. They went with the leg and will trust that Groom’s hands will get the job done as the holder.

The Ins and the Outs--The Redskins Make Their Moves

The Ins and the Outs—The Redskins Make Their Moves

Part One: A look at those who didn’t make it.

You can reach me by email at rtandler@comcast.net

During training camp and the preseason games, I never paid much attention to Robert McCune. The Redskins’ fifth-round draft pick was a great story, as he served in the military and was coming in as a 26-year-old rookie, and my assumption was that he would make the squad and contribute on special teams. While taking my final look at the roster, though, I tried to think of anything that McCune had actually done. Had he made a good hit in practice, had he fought through a blocker to make a stop, had he been anywhere in the vicinity of a pass receiver? No, no, and no. Apparently, to make this team you have to do something, not just look good not doing it. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on the field for at some point this season; he’ll be signed to the practice squad if nobody else is interested in him.

I’ll save most of the discussion of the decision on the punters for the part on who did make it, but I’ve got to say that I didn’t like Chris Mohr from the moment he hit town. He made that comment about being here because he didn’t want to have to compete for a job. He sounded like he’d just signed a guaranteed long-term deal or something. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Chris.

On the other hand, I was rooting for Kevin Dyson from get-go. He was both a good story and a good guy to talk to. Apparently, however, he was out of football last year for a reason. In camp, he started off slowly but he appeared to be shaking off the rust after a week or so. After that, he didn’t show much, however, and apparently the Redskins didn’t think that they needed a “big” receiver badly enough to keep the Music City Miracle man around.

Again, more on this when talking about those who made it, but Garnell Wilds and Rufus Brown were a pair of cornerbacks who didn’t really improve all that much from their rookie years to their second seasons. Granted, both had very little playing time last year but they had the entire offseason to get better at playing cornerback and/or special teams and neither of them did either.

He’s not talked about as a veteran who has been cut, but Brandon Barnes played in 12 games for the Redskins last season, mostly on special teams. The return to health of LaVar Arrington and others pushed him out the door.

On the other defensive players cut: Ron Warner was pushed out by the return to health of Phillip Daniels. Siddeeq Shabazz (nothing personal, but I’m glad I don’t have to try to type out that name on a regular basis) and Eric Joyce never had a chance. Aki Jones should be a practice squad addition, a great destination for a rookie free agent out of Fordham.

On the other side of the ball, tight end Robert Johnson has great size and speed, but at this point he can’t put the two together to become a productive player. Jimmy Farris’ two TD receptions against Baltimore were too little, too late for his chances. Jon Alston and Tyler Lenda were up against very stiff veteran competition. Mark Wilson, a 2004 draft pick, impressed to coaches just enough to appear in two games last year and didn’t impress them enough for him to make it this year. Rich Parson may have a shot as a returner somewhere down the road, but Jamin Elliott may be at the end of the road.

Tomorrow—The “Ins”, the ones who made it

GameBlog Redskins vs. Ravens

You can reach me by email at rtandler@comcast.net

Cornelius Griffin is a monster. He completely blew up a running play by shaking off his blocker as though he was a statue and nailing Jamal Lewis in the backfield. At age 28, he should just be hitting his prime.

On the first play from scrimmage, the entire line blocked down to the right and Clinton Portis took the handoff and slid that way, looking for a hole and he found one for three yards. On the next snap, they ran a similar play to the other side. A bigger space opened up and Portis zipped through it and picked his way for 13. That was Portis’ last play

The second-team defense is in the game for the Redskins on the second series. That unit still includes #56 LaVar Arrington, who is still getting his game legs under him. He made a nice play knifing in from the right side and dropping Lewis for a loss on third and one.

I think I’ve said this every week, but the execution on the screen pass has been excellent. The line and the quarterback are selling it well and it appears that the defense has to guard against the speed at receiver, giving the linemen and the pass catcher a chance to do something with the ball.

The special teams have been sloppy, but they did get their second field goal block of the preseason. It would be a major improvement if they could get a couple this season. According to the press guide, the Redskins blocked a field goal last September in New York against the Giants. That was their first since October 10, 1993, when Lamont Hollinquest blocked one, also against the Giants.

Patrick Ramsey’s day is done with 3:36 left in the first quarter and although you don’t want to read too much into a few series, his performance was certainly not what he wanted. He took a couple of sacks, never took a shot downfield and generally looked jittery and unsure.

Mark Brunell led a three and out on his first series, but it wasn’t his fault. He zipped two passes to Antonio Brown, who clearly dropped the first one and had a chance at the second one but it flew through his hands. All of a sudden, he’s not looking so good as an option as the third receiver should it take Taylor Jacobs a game or two to recover from his toe injury.

Second Quarter

On the next series, Brown made a nice double move to get wide open but he flat-out dropped Brunell’s perfect pass at the five. Is Brown’s grip on a roster spot not quite as firm as we thought a week or so ago?

Rufus Brown is fighting for a roster spot and so far, early in the second quarter, the results are mixed. On the play before the blocked field goal, he made a nice strip of the receiver to prevent what might have been a first down (actually, it looked as though the receiver had the ball and Brown should have received credit for a forced fumble that the Redskins recovered). Later he was flagged for holding on a punt, but he got a nice tackle on a kickoff return later on. He’s still on the bubble.

Back to the other Brown, Antonio, yet another drop, this time on a third down pass over the middle. Perhaps he heard footsteps but, as he knows full well, you’re going to get hit anyway so you might as well catch the ball

LaVar Arrington is showing some of the discipline in his play that he has lacked at times over the course of his career. He blitzed on a third-down play and Ravens QB Anthony Wright was rushed up the middle. The old LaVar would have kept blowing in towards the quarterback, getting either a killer sack or drawing air as the quarterback eluded him or knocking a teammate out of a sack. This time, when he saw the pressure up the middle he held his ground, making sure that Wright could not get outside of the pocket and getting into Wright’s line of vision to his receiver. Of course, the player who deserves the most credit for the incompletion was the linebacker on the other side, Brandon Barnes, who scored the knockdown on Wright as he released the ball. Still, a good sign by LaVar, letting someone else make the play.

Great throw on the run by Brunell. Where was this guy last year? He zipped it in to Mike Sellers about 12 yards downfield. The tight end left some bodies strewn on the field as he fought for some additional yardage. Two plays later Brunell converted a third down by rolling left and then, under pressure, reversing his field and throwing on the run to Brian Kozlowski, who made a nice catch for the first down.

Great throw by Brunell on a fade to Jimmy Farris, who made a great catch over his shoulder for the touchdown.

With five seconds left and the Ravens on their own 43, the Redskins blitzed Wright rather than drop everyone back in deep zone coverage. You have to like that philosophy, rather than the one that rushes three and gives the quarterback all the time he needs to throw up a Hail Mary.

Third Quarter

Two people aren’t going to want to look at the film of the interception that ended the Redskins’ first possession of the second half. One is Jason Campbell, who threw late and poorly. The other is Ray Brown, who stood there unaware that the ball was dancing on the ground just a few feet away from him after the interceptor fumbled. The only one who will get some satisfaction from reviewing the play is tight end Robert Johnson, who hustled over and forced the fumble.

Back to my favorite subject, the screen. Campbell doesn’t execute it as well as Brunell and Ramsey do. You can read “screen” from the moment that he starts to drop back and the defense doesn’t bite to create any room.

It’s not often that you see a triple dose of penalties on the same team on one play, but that’s what happened to the Ravens. The Redskins couldn’t get pressure up the middle on one side because a Ravens lineman had Aki Jones in a bear hug for one flag. Ryan Boeschetti broke through and got to Wright, who intentionally grounded the ball into the back of his center. The Redskins declined the holding and the illegal touch and accepted the intentional grounding. It’s stuff like this that makes second-half preseason football almost unwatchable at times.

I think that Nic Clemons has this team made. He nearly had an interception as he got within a couple of feet of Wright and batted the ball, nearly catching it in the process. He’s not eligible for the practice squad, having spent the last two seasons there and I think that he’s one that the coaches do not want to let go.

Rich Parson, a rookie free agent out of Maryland, made a nice return to set up a touchdown drive. Actually, the whole unit deserved credit as the blockers in the wedge were patient and timed their blocks right, leaving Parson with just one tackler to beat at the 20. He bounced off of that attempt and had nothing but green grass in front of him when he got tripped up just before reaching midfield. Perhaps the best thing about the play was that there was no laundry on the field after it was over.

Campbell proves that he can hit players in the same-colored jersey as his, throwing a beautiful arching spiral to Farris for a 37-yard touchdown. Great accuracy and touch by Campbell, who is playing like the talented rookie QB that he is.

Fourth Quarter

R. Brown’s primary competition for a roster spot is with Garnell Wilds. On consecutive passes, Wilds outshined Brown. On third and goal at the two, Wright threw a fade that Wilds defended perfectly, getting up to get a hand on the ball to nudge the receiver’s second foot out of bounds. On fourth down, they ran virtually the same play to the other side, Brown’s side. Brown was called for interference and the Ravens scored on the next play. Not a good side-by-side comparison for Brown there.

A few series later, Brown forced a fumble that took a good bounce for the Ravens and they wound up getting a few more yards into Redskins territory. Zak Keasey also deserves some ownership of the forced fumble as he slammed into Patrick Johnson after the reception, bouncing him into Brown, who did a nice job with the strip.

Later on, Brown turned the wrong way and got toasted for the Ravens’ go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. His stock keeps rising and falling as the game goes on.

It was Wilds who was beaten on the game-winning touchdown pass, but the fault for the score lies with Siddeeq Shabazz, who missed the tackle allowing Hymes to run free into the end zone.