Washington Redskins

Well, the Redskins found another way to lose a game yesterday, there were some good things, more bad ones and a few headscratchers.The only good thing about losing as many games as they have this year is that they still have their top draft picks next year (for now) and it's looking more and more like a top 5 pick...can't wait until April!

Continue reading "And with the 5th pick in the 2010 ..."

Well, after 4 straight weeks of looking like a minor league team the Washington Redskins went out and played a game in which they actually resembled a NFL-caliber team. The deficiencies are still there and very much noticeable but the improvement from the previous 3 games was evident. The defense played OK, they did give up 2 (should have been 3) long touchdown bombs and made Kyle Orton look like John Elway for the 1st part of the quarter but then did manage to get some more pressure on him and after a sack by Brian Orakpo (the best draft pick the Redskins have had since S. Taylor) he was out of the game and the Redskins defense was allowed to play against a quarterback that hadn't been on the field in 2 years, game over. While the defense did their job and shut out the quarterbackless Broncos, the offense actually showed some resolve and ran the ball down the throat of the 2nd-ranked defense in the NFL, not too shabby but hardly something to celebrate as these Broncos don't resemble what they looked like in the first 6 weeks of the season. The biggest difference from the Redskins on Sunday to the previous 8 games was the hitting. They were popping the Broncos all over the field on special teams, offense, and defense including a huge shot that Lorenzo Alexander gave LaMont Jordan on the punt return and another pop that Rocky McIntosh gave Moreno up the middle, that set the tone for the game and gave the Redskins the extra juice they needed to make the game a typical NFL East game with heavy doses of running and hitting them in the mouth on every snap, a welcome sign that has been missing all year long. 

Continue reading "A Shot in the Dark"

For what seems to be the 10th or 11th game in a row, the Washington Redskins came out of the gate in first gear while their opponents were in 4th or 5th. The defense, the strong suit of the team, allowed an opening touchdown drive, including 2 offsides penalties on 4th down that allowed the Falcons to go for the touchdown versus getting the gimme field goal that they were lined up for. The Falcons lined up on 4th & 1 with no intention of every snapping the ball, something that was apparent to everyone in the stadium and at home, but apparently not to Haynesworth and his teammates. That play summarized the entire season, game over!

Continue reading "The Washington Redskins - Offseason ..."

After a performance that including everything from a goal-line stance to a bizarre situation where Westbrook was pushed into Randle-El and had the ball hit off of his foot to create the turnover that gave Carolina their go-ahead touchdown, we are back to the same conclusion that we have been for over a decade, this is a mediocre team and we have to realize that, without any major changes to the upper management structure, it will continue to be one for a long time. Synder has a style of doing business that is clearly the reason that this team is going nowhere. There is no general manager for this team. I can't think of a single team that has any kind of success without a good general manager to be able to look at a roster, pick a player that fits the system and plug him in. How can you be a talent scout, look at an entire draft and not get at least 2 or 3 good players per draft? How can you draft 2 WR's and 1 TE and have them produce nothing in over a year and a half? There are plenty of rookies and 2nd year players that are producing on a weekly basis, why not get at least some of that production with all 3 of them? 

Continue reading "The Model of Mediocrity"

Yesterday the Washington Redskins were a half away from losing to 2 of the worst teams in the NFL in back-to-back weeks, only an inspired defensive game and a few timely plays prevented them from going to 1-3 and most likely ending Jim Zorn's reign in Washington. The good news was that they finally opened up the offense a bit and went downfield in the second half, the first resulting in a touchdown to Moss and the second was a forced passed by Campbell who seemed intent on making Talib look like Champ Bailey as he hauled in his 3rd, a very poorly-thrown ball, interception. Even though he did not look good at all and seemed to be the same Campbell we are used to seeing, he did come through in the 3rd quarter and helped turnaround the game for the squeaker, but none-the-less, a win.

Continue reading "Half bad, Half decent"

Well, after a few days of reflection, mostly to let off some steam after the anger that Sunday's game instilled in me, I am prepared to give an assessment of what is unfolding in Redskins park. Not only did the team lose to the sorry Lions, they were dominated on both sides of the ball, something that was not expected from almost anyone. While most people did actually pick the Lions to beat the Redskins (how sad is that?) nobody expected an ass-whipping like it was.

Continue reading "Groundhog Day"

Well, another example of the Redskins playing to the level of their competition, they played just good enough to squeak out a win against a horrible football team, not good at all. There were both good and bad signs about yesterday's game but mostly, there is a sense around the town that this team got a bit lucky to not lose the game and the offense is ridiculously conservative and predictable in the redzone, a combination that leads to more losses than wins.

Continue reading "The anger of winning"

Well, here we go again. This team looks just as mediocre as last year's team with a few differences. The Offense still has problems making first downs when they need them and their quarterback looks like he can't do anything at the crucial moments in the game. The defense was OK, they made a few big plays but could not get the Giants off of the field when they needed to and allowed them to take control of the game in the first quarter. The special teams were good with the fake field goal and no major mistakes but shows no signs of explosiveness in any way. The 2nd-year receivers were non-existent and were once again a non-factor in the game. The play-calling was good at times but too repetitive and run-heavy, even-though they could not run against the Giants, other than the first play of the game. Overall, the team looked like it did last year, a team without any explosiveness, aggressiveness and lacking the big play from the offense that could give us some hope.

Continue reading "Deja Vu: New year, same team.....for now."

Well,

Here we go again, the Redskins almost did this draft the right way, I say this because they got a good player but took him too quick, why not wait a few minutes to see if someone would give you an extra pick just to move up 1 or 2 spots? Why not be like every other team and take the full time alloted before taking the guy you want anyway. The Redskins have had a strange, but overall effective off-season. They have tried to get almost every QB available before settling on Jason Campbell because they had no other choice. I don't think that this is a bad thing, Campbell is not a bad quarterback but he has no fire or passion, maybe the fact that he has been dissed the entire offseason might light a fire under his ass and make him a bit more aggressive on the field. They did get Haynesworth and Hall and got back Dockery, so, overall, they should be better than last year.

Continue reading "Draft Day 2009"

When the season began most people thought that the Redskins were a mediocre team that might squeak into the playoffs but nothing more than that, well, after the piss-poor performance in Baltimore it is looking more and more like the truth. The fact that this team cannot do anything on offense is a tribute to the lack of a coherent strategy to build the team through the draft as their offensive line is like a giant bar of Swiss cheese with holes everywhere. The defense is playing extremely well despite the fact that I could sit back and have enough time to throw that even I could complete some passes against them. The pass that Mason caught is a perfect example; Carlos Rogers was sitting on a hook route because he thought, with an all-out blitz, the quarterback would not have time to complete a pass that required a double-move, he was dead wrong and that sealed the game. With any type of pass rush this secondary would be scary as they have played all year covering people for 4 or 5 seconds every snap, nobody can win like that. The bottom line on this season is that it shows that despite all the gadget plays, the big bombs, and explosive offensive outputs around the league, the game is still won at the line of scrimmage, period!

Continue reading "They Are Who We Thought They Were"

Here at http://allhailredskins.com, we eat, sleep, and BREATHE the Washington Redskins. We don’t just watch the games, we live for them.  We don’t just cheer for them, our days and moods revolve around them.  And above all, we BLEED burgundy and gold.

Continue reading "All Hail, Washington Redskins Fans!"

Well, another game that leaves you wondering how good or bad this team is. Is it that the Giants are that much better than us (very likely) or is it that they can't play up in the big games? It has been many years since the Redskins have shown that they can compete when the bright lights are on, the national stage is not their favorite as they seem to lose everytime they are on Monday Night Football, Sunday Night Football or any nationally-televised game that they are in, they choke like dogs and can't make a single play. One of the greatest examples of this was yesterday as DeAngelo Hall (the only Redskins corner who can actually catch) was sitting back waiting on the ball to hit him in the hands and Shawn Springs comes in to break it up...what the FUCK!!!! You can put that on the hustle play reel but the matter of the fact is that they need to make these turnovers to get things going. That play alone sums up the way that the Redskins played in this game...mediocre!

Continue reading "No Execution...No Results!"

First, I was a bit angered about the lack of any punch against the Cowboys and being the loser of one of the worst games this year. Neither team showed anything on offense and were almost as pitiful at everything but defense. Now that I got that off my chest we can move on.  

Continue reading "Back on Track?"

Well, here we go. The start of the real season is about to begin. The moment when the hopefulness can turn into the hopelessness and the real teams begin to separate from the pack. They do the little things to win; blocking as a team, playing hard every snap and make NO MENTAL Mistakes! The true mark of this team are penalties and turnovers. They are a good team as Zorn likes to say but they can't overcome dumb holding penalties that wipe out back-to-back touchdowns. They can't come back after they give up a first down on frouth and forever (Rams game - why Torrence was really cut) to set up a field goal. How many times has an offensive pass interference call stopped a drive short? How about a guy who drops a ball that hits him in the hands thus giving the entire momentum of the game back to his opponent and handing them the game? 

Continue reading "The Cowboys game...."

Well, the mid-point of the season has come and gone, now it's time to get ready for the playoff push and the fate of the season is on the line. The days of being patient with the rookies and waiting to see how the team develops are over. The importance of every win and loss are magnified to the extreme and the pressure is now on for them to not make any errors and lose a very winnable game (see St. Louis Rams game) as they have done in the past. This season has gone very well so far, with big wins over the Cowboys and Eagles back-to-back on the road and a steady "medium" approach to every game has made them fare well so far. The first 9 games have shown that they have an identity, a run-first team that can beat you deep if you creep up, and also a record to back that up. Now, after the bye week, all of that doesn't mean a thing, November and December separate the winners from the losers in this league.

Continue reading "Mid Season Review...Playoffs or Bust!"

Well, back to the routine of seeing our team blow a great chance of becoming the new leaders of the NFC East and they forgot to hold onto the ball and with that, gave away their chance to be at the top of the division after their first 6 games. The loss to the Rams was a bit of a downer in this great year but the overall picture is not as gloomy. With the losses by the Giants and Cowboys, the Redskins did not lose any ground and with the injury to Romo, are still in great shape to make this a 2-horse race between them and the Giants for the division.

Continue reading "TIME TO PANIC...Not Yet!"

Stop. Time to take a deep breath and make sure that what we are seeing is true. Is it true that ESPN now has them #3 on their power rankings? Not that this would ensure anything but the fact that they are being talked about with the likes of Dallas, the Giants and Tennessee is a good sign, right? Does this mean that they will win the Super Bowl this year as so many people who call into talk radio and proclaim them as the next team to rise to the top or will they burst our collective bubble and let us down once again. Time will tell but it's great to be in this position right now.

Continue reading "Reality Check"

Well, well, well...last game at Texas Stadium and the Cowboys are left scratching their heads wondering what happened to the "best" team in the NFL? Where was the explosive offense that could not be stopped? What about the terrifying defense that sacks and pesters every quarterback that comes in to face them? They got manhandled. It wasn't just a case of almost perfect execution by the players and coaches, but the fact that the offensive and defensive lines dominated the game and left the crying to the Cowboys who seem to be very good at it.

Continue reading "Hail to the Redskins!"

It has become apparent that the rivalry that once was in not the same as before. The media seems to try to harp on the past and relive the great battles that have occurred but it just doesn't feel the same as it used to. Part of the problem seems to be that they have owned us in the recent years and that the games are usually lopsided in their favor. Until the Redskins can beat the Cowboys several times in a row and establish a type of domination over them, nobody will ever look at this rivalry as they did in the past.

Continue reading "The Cowboys...."

Yesterday afternoon the Washington Redskins put us through some ups and downs, refusing to finish off the game until finally they woke up and put away an inferior team. The offense looked as if it could move the ball at will against the Cardinals but the defense tightened up and stopped the run almost entirely. They were able to regroup and put together a few good drives to win the game. Campbell showed more of what he did last week and the receivers were all over the field catching balls left and right, mesmerizing the defensive secondary and becoming almost unstoppable. The defense showed up again (minus the big play vs. Doughty) and Carlos Rogers caught the ball! After years of having the worst hands in the entire league, Rogers actually looked the ball into his hands and when he finally had it, got up and raced down the field for 40-plus yards. That play summed up the difference that a year makes (so far) between Gibbs II and the Zorn era.

Continue reading "The Z Swagger - Playing to win vs ..."

A big congratulations to Chris Cooley, who, along with his PR team, recently discovered that there's no such thing as bad publicity, even when it actually is bad publicity.

By now you've probably heard the story, how Chris "accidentally" took a picture of himself naked reading a quiz before last Sunday's Saints game.  The story spread like wildfire around the blogosphere and to the big media outlet, making Cooley even more of a household name, although not necessarily for something that he might be too happy about.  CNN even had it on their main page for a while.

Continue reading "Congratulations Chris Cooley!"

Which team is our team? Which one will show up week after week? Will it be the one that put on the kind of show (4th quarter mainly) that makes them look like a real good team with a strong defense and an explosive offense, or the one that stunk up the joint against the Giants?

Continue reading "The Jeckyll and Hide Show"

I had the chance a few weeks ago to meet Heath Shuler, now a Congressman from North Carolina, but who was once the next great Redskins quarterback.  I write about this because it was about 2 days after Trent Dilfer had announced his retirement after 14 years in the NFL, and I couldn't help but think about the irony of the situation.   It got me thinking about what the last 14 years could have been like for the Redskins had Shuler worked out.

Continue reading "The Heath Shuler experience"

Congratulations! You've stumbled upon my new blog. Since I'm a student and have very little credibility when it comes to sports (just a foaming-at-the-mouth passion), you're just going to have to trust me at first.

Continue reading "What I'm here to do"