Dallas/Washington Primer

Brush up on your Cowboys and Redskins history:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowboys-Redskins_rivalry

DALLAS WEEK

After an impressive victory at home against the Cardinals, the Skins travel to the BIG D to take on the Cowboys! Everyone I hear has been talking blowout hear, but I see a game down to the wire with a chance to pull one out.

Jason Campbell has been nothing short of spectacular this year. If he continues to protect the ball and move the football, this could be a great game.

Brian Mitchell vs. Clinton Portis

In case you have not heard...

Basically Portis is calling out Brian Mitchell for being a hater.

I, on the other hand, am voting for Brian Mitchell to receive the "Emmitt Smith Sports Journalism Award." I can not stand listening to him. It least Emmitt is good for a few laughs (because he is so horrible). B-Mitch had his own show, but guess what, he was moved to be a sidekick on the John Thompson show. I by no means love John Thompson, but at least he usually has coherent thoughts and he is articulate enough to provoke thoughtful discussion.

VITALS:

Portis
Height: 5'11
Weight: 231
Age: 27
College: The U

Mitchell
Height: 5'11
Weight: 225 (playing weight...)
Age: 40
College: SW Louisiana

If they threw down, I think it would be a pretty good fight. B-Mitch is scrappy and Portis has the youthful step. Pay Per View anybody??

Out with the Tavaris, In with the Gus

Welp, today the Vikings did something somewhat surprising to me. They indefinetely benched young QB Tavaris Jackson in favor for vet Gus Frerotte. Yes, the same Gus Frerotte who brilliantly rammed his head into a wall after scoring a touchdown for the Redskins. I think this will shatter the confidence of Jackson, as they are basically saying he can not get the job done. They believe they have parts in place at every position except QB and that if they kept Jackson in the lineup they were doing the team a disservice. There is no other way Tavaris can take this. Luckily for him, nobody thinks Gus can make it through a full season, so he better work hard and work hard during practice until his chance comes again.

I think there is two ways to go about nurturing a QB:
1. Throw him in the fire and give him the fully vote of confidence unconditionally and let him learn on the job. This will take at least 2-3 years. (Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, etc.)
2. Sit him for those 2-3 years and make sure he is fully prepared for his first NFL start. (Romo, Rivers, etc.)

With all that said, I think the Vikings have an exceptional team and this switch gives them a better chance to make noise this year. The Vikings better make it worth it, because I truly believe Tavaris Jackson will never regain his confidence, and he will never be a quality starter in the league. He may not have anyway, but he is certainly a long shot now.

Week 3: Arizona Cardinals @ Washington Redskins

This Sunday's match-up between the Cardinals and the Redskins could determine the direction of the season for both squads involved. The Cards come in at 2-0, and are looking to keep the ball rolling with Kurt Warner at the helm. The Redskins, coming off of their home opening win, are 1-1 and look to go up a game before they reach their toughest portion of their schedule.

I think the key match-up this game will be the Arizona Cardinals wide receivers versus the Redskins secondary.

WR Larry Fitzgerald vs. Shawn Springs
WR Anquan Boldin vs. Carlos Rogers

It will be key for the CB's to get safety help when needed which calls for Landry, Horton, and Doughty to be in position at all times. Boldin is extremely physical and Rogers may have a difficult time staying with him. Larry Fitz is just an all around beast and it will take Springs best effort to keep him at bay. Also important is that the Redskins get pressure on the edges from Jason Taylor and Andre Carter. Hopefully Taylor is healing up and is getting closer to reaching his prime playing condition.

Other notes:

With Malcolm Kelly and James Thrash limited with ankle sprains, rookie Devin Thomas may see more action. I think this could be very good for the offense because I believe once Thomas is comfortable with the offense, he brings a lot to the table as a third wide receiver. He gives them a true split end who can go up and get the ball, unlike his smurfy counterparts.

Look for Campbell to maintain his confidence level and avoid making big mistakes. His progress will be the limiting factor for this offensive group. He needs to make proper reads and work the ball to all of his options. It is no coincidence that Cooley had a good game last week and the Redskins won. They need to get him the damn ball!

Computer simulation shows Redskins as a slight favorite...

DeSean the Dummy: Part 2

Well, well, well....take a look at this clip from a high school all-star game a few years back.

Looks like DeSean does not learn from his mistakes. What a clown.

DeSean the Dummy.....

If you did not catch the MNF game versus the Cowboys and Eagles, you have to check out this bonehead play by rookie WR DeSean Jackson. It is frickin' hilarious.

I am pretty sure DeSean loves him some DeSean.

Changes at Punt Returner?

There are reports coming from Jim Zorn that seem to say that the Redskins are going to make a change at punt returner. The names being floated around include James Thrash and Santana Moss. It was also reported that Randle El would stay in the mix. I personally think Moss gives them the best chance for big plays but it is always a risk sticking your best wide out at PR, because he will take some hits.

Speaking of punting, Durant Brooks still has the vote of confidence from the coaching staff as they expect him to improve. Brooks had a poor showing against the Saints as he botched a FG hold and only had an average of 33 yards over his two punts. Hopefully he will improve fast because they had a servicable punter in Derrick Frost that they let go.

I will have a preview of the Week 3 game up on Wednesday.

REDSKINS VS SAINTS: EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS

Check out a 4:35 version of this Sundays win.

WEEK 2 RECAP: REDSKINS 29, SAINTS 24

On a scorching hot Sunday afternoon, the Redskins kept on fighting and eventually overcame a two score 4th quater deficit to upend the New Orleans Saints. Jason Campbell looked spot on, the wide outs created separation and made plays, and Portis ran hard up the middle, all of which added to a strong defensive effort that gave the Skins a home opening win.

Some Key Points:

• Skins finally found Chris Cooley as he caught 5 passed for 72 yards including a key 22 yard catch on 2nd and long deep in their own territory.
• Jason Taylor had his first sack as a Redskin.
• Skins limited Reggie Bush in the running game, but allowed him to return a punt 55 yards for a TD.
• 2nd Rd pick Malcolm Kelly had his first receiption, a 6 yarder while Devin Thomas did not have a catch.
• Next week, Redskins host the Arizona Cardinals.
  

Offensive Player of the Game:

Jason Campbell, QB (24-36 321 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int) - Campbell played his best game as a Redskin. There is no debate about it. He threw the ball 36 time and had ZERO turnovers, which in itself shows progress. He stood in the pocket and made smart decisions throughout the game. While the offense stalled near the red zone many times, Campbell showed discipline not to force the ball and cost his team a chance to put points on the board.

Defensive Player of the Game:

Chris Horton, DB (2 Int, 1 FR) - The rookie filled in for Doughty (flu) and was in the right place at the right time throughout the game. Horton had two interceptions and a fumble recovery, all of which showed that he is capable of making a play when an opportunity presents itself. Although he may not start, he will get more and more defensive snaps.

Saints Lose Star WR for 4-6 Weeks

Well the Redskins caught a small break today as new came out that the Saints will be without starting WR Marques Colston for 4-6 weeks with a torn ligament in his thumb. That moves David Patten into the starting line-up along side of Devrey Henderson. Hopefully this makes the Skins defensive gameplan a little bit easier. My biggest concern however is still containing Jeremy Shockey. I think the Skins will bottle up Reggie Bush, but Shockey is just a beast.

Wednesday Notes

- Shawn Springs has been in practice this week and he should be a go for this Sunday against the Saints. He injured his calf on Sept. 1, was listed as probable for Week 1, but had to sit because it was too swollen still. Springs return to the starting lineup gives the Redskins a huge boost as it allows Smoot to step back as the 3rd CB. Springs is by far the best corner and he was sorely missed last week againast Plaxico & Co.


- Second round WR Malcolm Kelly was back at practice taking part in individual drills, but sat out 11-v-11 drills. He is nursing a knee problem that made him miss all of pre-season. He has always been an injury concern, so this is none too suprising.

Week 1 After-Thoughts

Well it has been nearly a week since the Redskins were defeated by the Giants in the NFL opener. At first it seemed like a tough loss to take, but it was a road division game that they were not expected to win. Although they looked ill prepared and outmatched in the first half, they played the defending Superbowl champs even in the second half. They made adjustments, and kept Eli and Plax from playing backyard football all over the field. This at least points to the fact that the new regime is capable of making needed adjustments on the fly and keeping the game competitive.

The offense though was a whole different story. Campbell never looked comfortable and the offense never got things rolling. The only score was set up by a long kickoff return by Cartwright into enemy territory. If they needed 8 yards, they got 7. If they needed 10 yards they got 8. Their lack of field awareness coupled with the lack of vision and decision making from Campbell lead to the ground game being stagnant as well.

My biggest concern however is the complete lack of involvement of Pro Bowl TE Chris Cooley. In my opinion he is your greatest weapon and you throw to him only a few times? I know I saw him open a few times and Campbell never even looked at him. This happened all preseason as well as his contributions were limited as it seemed the coaching staff did not know they had an All-World TE. Throw him the damn ball!

Week 2 will be better. The Skins are home and the Saints defense is not as good as the Giants. They have a rather porous run defense and I expect Clinton to run free. Hopefully Zorn will get this thing going, as DC will not be happy with this just being a rebuilding and learning year. They have the talent to win, and win soon.

I'm back.......

Well I will start to get things rolling again with daily updates now that the first pre-season game is in the books.

Redskins offense was impressive as I actually saw WR's catch TD's.

Zorny looked comfortable. This could be good.

5 Game Pre-Season?

C'mon. Thats just ridiculous. FIVE PRESEASON GAMES??? I think three is too many. Just another way to make more money. The Redskins will open August 3rd against the Colts in the Hall of Fame game. The Bills, Jets, Jags, and Panthers are the other four opponents with the last game being on August 28th against the Jags.

On another note...Chris Henry, anybody? Hah.

Skins Add Some Depth

Over the last few days, the Redskins have:

- Signed WR Jerome Mathis. He was a free agent WR/KR who played for the Texans.

- Re-Signed FB Nehamiah Broughton. He was a 2005 Draft Pick who was injured all last year. He will compete with Sellers for time at FB.


Check out this sweet ass Rock Cartwright Compliation!

Side Note

Just watched the Nationals lose to the Phillies in 10. Jesus Colome walked in the game winning run with 4 straight pitches that were not even close. How can you be a major league pitcher and you can not even throw a strike? Thats horrible. He was not even close. Way to let your teammates down...Jesus.

Sweet Deal

The Redskins were awarded three draft picks today. Most notably, they picked up a third rounder because Derrick Dockery left via free agency last off season. This helps fill their fourth round hole because it was used to aquire G Pete Kendall. In addition, the Redskins were awarded two 7th rounders.

I love having draft picks. So much better than NOT having draft picks. I also like NOT having not over the hill veterans who cant perform. Hooray for a youth movement?

NCAA TOURNEY UPDATE

My Final 8
UNC
TENN
KANSAS
DAVIDSON
MEMPHIS
TEXAS
UCLA
WEST VA

LOOKS LIKE I GOT 6 of 8...not too shabby!

Final 4:
UNC
KANSAS
TEXAS
UCLA

2 for 2 SO FAR

Not much going on around Redskins Park....

I just dont know....

I can not, for the life on me, make up my mind on how the upcoming (still too long away..) season will go. I know there is still a lot to do to shape the roster, but I am always worried with bringing in a new coaching staff. Is it going to be one of those things where it takes a season or two for the team to adjust and start to improve? Because, frankly, that is not acceptable to the DC fan base. We want to win, and we want to win now.

I really think the Redskins have a great deal of talent, it will just depend upon how fast they buy into what Zorn is doing. Coach Jim seems like a players coach who will be open to suggestions and keep everything positive. I think this team with characaters such as Portis, Moss, Randle El, Cooley, etc. will really benefit from that.

It is March 29th, and I am nervous. Nervous that when Justin Tuck and Umenyiora bust through the offensive line on September 4th, 2008. Nervous for when Campbell gets blind sided, loses the ball, and grasps his knee. Nervous for when Zorn looks like he is clueless. Only March...and I'm nervous.

About Schmitt?

I am so glad you asked. Today the Redskins resigned one year TE Pete Schmitt. That made your day too? Great. Well here are PSF's. Better known as Pete Schmitt Facts.

- 6'3 252 lbs.
- Spent the 2007 training camp with Skins.
- Suffered an injury in camp and was given an "inury settlement."
- He starred at Wisconsin-Whitewater in college. Their mascot is a whitewater rafting badger. No Lie. Ok, I lied. They are the Warhawks, which actually is pretty badass.
- His college teammate, Derek Stanley was drafted by the Rams last year.
- He will compete with Tyler Ecker, who was also injured all last year.

My next post will be on how to make a horrible looking graphic in paint in under a minute. Golden.

Redskins First Rounder

I really have convinced myself that the Redskins will draft a BIG WIDE OUT in the first round of this years draft. By big, I mean tall. Moss and Randle El are small burners. The Redskins need that tall WR to be able to go up and get the ball. Granted DeSean Jackson and Mario Manningham are both good players, but I do not think they are what the Skins are looking for. This leaves the following:

WR MALCOLM KELLY, OKLAHOMA 6'4" 217 lbs.
WR LIMAS SWEED, TEXAS 6'4" 212 lbs.
WR JAMES HARDY, INDIANA 6'5" 218 lbs.
WR DEVIN THOMAS, MICH ST. 6'2" 217 lbs.

These are listed in order of who I think they would take. As good as it would be to add a pass rushing DE in the first round, I think Campbell and the offense desperately need a big target.

Skins to Open Sept 4th Versus SB Champs!

It seems that the Redskins will open their 2008 season in the Meadowlands on Thursday September 4th against the New York Giants. This will be a huge game for Zorn, so he better have the gang ready to play by then.

GO SKINS!

Caldwell Spurns Skins, Gets Horny

WR Reche Caldwell has decided to reject the Redskins offer and sign with the St. Louis Rams. He joins back up with Al Saunders and his 700 page playbook. Caldwell was with the Redskins for one year where he made 15 catches.

Throughout his pro career with the Chargers, Patriots, and Redskins...he has still yet to blink. By far his greatest accomplishment!

Skins Keep Fabini

The Redskins have re-signed offensive lineman Jason Fabini. The 10 year vet is a valuable OL component because he is experienced at both guard and tackle.

Fabini has been with the Redskins since May of 2007. He was signed to be a backup but ended up playing 16 games to fill in for Randy Thomas and Jon Jansen. Orginally a 4th round pick in 1998, the Redskins hope he can give them depth and be plugged in the lineup when needed.

This is a solid re-signing as he proved his value last year. The terms of the deal were not announced but he will make at least 820k as that is the minimum for a 10 year vet. The only other team rumored to be interested in Fabini who is the Dolphins as he has ties to Parcells.

NCAA TOURNEY UPDATE....

Well....I think I should re-visit predictions posted before the start of the tourney...looks like my elite 8 is still all intact. Since my Terps are not in it...im rolling with Davidson as my team to root for. Stephen Curry is legit, even though he looks like a malnurished 13 year old.


My Final 8
UNC- ROLLING!
TENN- STILL ALIVE!

KANSAS- ROLLING!
DAVIDSON- STILL ALIVE AFTER BEATING GONZAGA AND GTOWN!

MEMPHIS- STILL ALIVE!
TEXAS- ROLLING ALONG!

UCLA- PLAYING SOME D!
WEST VA- BEAT ZONA AND DUKE!

Final 4:
UNC
KANSAS
TEXAS
UCLA

CHAMP:UNC OVER UCLA

BELTWAY BRAVES NFL MOCK DRAFT VERSION 1.0

Here is my take on the NFL Draft. I will keep updating over the next month. I think Jake Long at #1 will suprise people, but I believe it is the correct move for the Fins. I have WR Malcolm Kelly of Oklahomas going to the Skins in round 1. Lets MOCK!


Pick Team Selection
1 Miami Jake Long, OT MICH
2 St. Louis Chris Long, DE UVA
3 Atlanta Matt Ryan, QB BC
4 Oakland Glenn Dorsey, DT LSU
5 Kansas City Ryan Clady, OT BSU
6 NY Jets Darren McFadden, RB ARK
7 New England Vernon Goldston, DE OSU
8 Baltimore Leodis McKelvin, CB Troy
9 Cinncinati Sedrick Ellis, DT USC
10 New Orleans Keith Rivers, LB USC
11 Buffalo Dom Rodgers-Cromartie, CB Tenn St.
12 Denver Kentwan Balmer, DT UNC
13 Carolina Phillip Merling, DE Clem
14 Chicago Chris Williams, OT Vandy
15 Detriot Rashard Mendenhall, RB ill
16 Arizona Aqib Talib, CB KAN
17 Minnesota Derrick Harvey, DE FLA
18 Houston Jonathan Stewart, RB Ore
19 Philadelphia Jeff Otah, OT Pit
20 Tampa Bay Desean Jackson, WR Cal
21 Washington Malcolm Kelly, WR OKL
22 Dallas Felix Jones, RB ARK
23 Pittsburgh Braden Albert, OG UVA
24 Tennessee Limus Sweed, WR Tex
25 Seattle Dustin Keller, TE PUR
26 Jacksonville Calais Campbell, DE MIA
27 San Diego Gosder Cherilus, OT BC
28 Dallas Devin Thomas, WR MSU
29 San Francisco Lawrence Jackson, DE USC
30 Green Bay Mike Jenkins, CB USF
31 NE-SPYGATE FORFEIT
32 NY Giants Kenny Phillips, S MIA

sorry about the rookie format...the next version will be loaded as a easier to read graphic!!

Rams Mackin' on Macklin

Today the Rams signed former Redskins CB David Macklin to a one year contract. The vetern DB only had 6 tackles in 6 games last year. The moving on of Mr. Macklin will open up some room for the younger CBs, such as Eubanks and Westbrook, to compete for a roster spot this fall.

Ok, I lied....

I may throw in some updates during the NCAA tourney.

REDSKINS INK PUNTER DERRICK FROST. Get this, he will not only punt, but will be the teams holder on field goals AND extra points. Now how is that for multi-dimensional?

(UPDATE, 11:08 PM: League sources claim the contract is for one year at 605k)

No Redskins related updates til monday....

PUT ON YOUR DANCIN SHOES!!! ITS NCAA TOURNEY TIME!!!

My Final 8

UNC
TENN

KANSAS
DAVIDSON

MEMPHIS
TEXAS

UCLA
WEST VA

Final 4:

UNC
KANSAS
TEXAS
UCLA

CHAMP:
UNC OVER UCLA

Offseason Outlook

It looks like the Redskins and Zorny are content with the current roster.

"If something comes up [in free agency], we'll run it down. There isn't anyone that I'm hot after. There's nothing on the hot list", said HC Jim Zorn.

Although the Redskins have made a contract offer to WR Reche Caldwell, it looks like they are looking to the draft to fill their WR slot.

Oklahoma's Malcolm Kelly, Texas's Limas Sweed, California's DeSean Jackson, Florida's Andre Caldwell, Indiana's James Hardy, and Michigan State's Devin Thomas are on the top of their WR wishlist.

I for one, wouldnt mind seeing DeSean Jackson donning the burgandy and gold.....but he may not be the big WR they are looking for. He is more like a Santana Moss, Randle El speedster. The smarter choice may be a taller WR more like the 6'3 Limas Sweed or Malcolm Kelly...or even the 6'5 James Hardy.

PRE-DRAFT DEPTH CHART

Today we take a look at the rest of the depth chart.

Offensive Tackle
Jon Jansen
Chris Samuels
Stephon Heyer

Guard
Randy Thomas
Pete Kendall
Todd Wade
Kevin Sampson
Tavares Washington

Center:
Casay Rabach

Overall, I like the line. I think when healthy, it is clearly an above average NFL line, but injuries have exposed the lack of depth the past few years. When Randy Thomas and Jansen went down it forced some shuffling and some rookie starts. Stephon Heyer, a University of Maryland product, showed he is capable and improved as he got more playing time under his belt. There is no an immediate need on OL, but nothing bad can be said for building a deep offensive line.

DE:
Andre Carter
Phillip Daniels
Demetric Evans
Tommy Davis
Chris Wilson
Alex Buzbee
Kevin Huntley

Carter has shown signs of life the last two years after looking intially like a bust. This unit could definately be upgraded with an explosive pass rusher. Look what the Giants did last year, and it was largely due to their defensive ends getting no stop pressure.

DT:
Cornielius Griffin
Kedric Golston
Anthony Montgomery
Mattias Askew
Ryan Boschetti
Lorenzo Alexander

The young guys, Montgomery and Golston have improved nicely. It would be good if Griffin could stay healthy.


LB:
Marcus Washington
Rocky McIntosh
London Fletcher
HB Blades
Khary Campbell
Rian Wallace
Matt Sinclair
Danny Verdun-Wheeler

The biggest question mark of this unit is the return of Rocky McIntosh who is coming off reconstructive knee surgery. I really like what he brings to the field and it is good news that he is expected back in July. Hopefully he will be near 100% by the start of the 2008 campaign.

CB:
Shawn Springs
Fred Smoot
Carlos Rogers
Leigh Torrance
John Eubanks
Byron Westbrook
Cedrick Holt
Eddie Jackson

Looks like Carlos Rogers will miss the beginning of the season, leaving Old Man Springs and Smooty starting at CB. I was disappointed that Westbrook did not get a sniff on the active roster during the season, but he could be a sleeper in this years camp.

S:
Laron Landry
Reed Doughty
Vernon Fox

From a football standpoint, the passing of Sean Taylor has created a large void in the Redskins secondary. Reed Doughty stepped up to the challenge, but is he the guy?

Special Teams:
Suisham, K
Ethan Albright, LS
__________, P

Are we punterless? How can we go on without a punter under contract?...I am assuming the reach terms with Derrick Frost.

PRE-DRAFT DEPTH CHART QB/WR/RB/TE

Today we take a look at the "skilled" positions on offense.

QB:
JASON CAMPBELL
TODD COLLINS
SAM HOLLENBACH

I think the Skins are set here and I do not expect them to make any changes before the start of the season. Hopefully Campbell can come back strong, but if he does struggle, I think a Todd Collins sigting would be welcomed by the DC faithful. The problem is that you have to make it clear that it is Campbells job, or his confidence might waver.

RB:
CLINTON PORTIS
LADELL BETTS
ROCK CARTWRIGHT
MIKE SELLERS
ERIC SHELTON
MARCUS MASON

With the top 3, I think there is definately enough depth for an NFL backfield. Portis is the horse and Betts is the sideshow. I think everyone was expecting more from Ladell last year, but I am not sure of how much he will be able to accomplish with limited touches. Either way, the RB position is taken care of.

WR:
SANTANA MOSS
ANTWAN RANDLE EL
JAMES THRASH
BILLY MCMULLEN
ANTHONY MIX
BURL TOLER
MAURICE MANN

The Redskins desperately need to upgrade their receiving corp to allow the offense to grow with Campbell. Moss is a stud, but Randle El is better served as a 3rd WR, where you can get creative with him. The first round pick this year very well may be a WR. As you can see from the list above, there is no depth and if Moss or Randle El get hurt, you will see some major issues.

TE:
CHRIS COOLEY
TODD YODER
TYLER ECKER

Cooley is a stud, and Yoder is a servicable vet. TE is a strong area for the Skins.

Offseason Activity

Here is a recap of what has happened so far this offseason:

- JOE GIBBS RESIGNS. 1/8/08

- JIM ZORN ANNOUNCED HEAD COACH. He had previously served as QB coach for the Seahawks for the last seven years. 2/9/08

- RESKINS SIGN RB COACH STUMP MITCHELL 2/13/08. Shocker, he comes from the Seahawks. I guess if you cant beat them, just take their coaching staff.

- REDSKINS RESIGN PRO BOWL LONG SNAPPER ETHAN ALBRIGHT (Best know for having the lowest rating Madden 07...) 2/19/08

- REDSKINS RELEASE WR BRANDON LLYOD.

- REDSKINS RESIGN BACKUP QB TODD COLLINS 2/29/08

- REDSKINS RESIGN KR/RB/FB ROCK CARTWRIGHT. 3/6/08

- REDSKINS RESIGN DT RYAN BOSCHETTI. 3/12/08

Inaugural Post

While March is not prime football season, there is plenty of offseason activity. With free agency and the upcoming draft, look for some new content....