Today was a lousy day of football for me. I was looking forward to the Redskins on Fox and Ravens on CBS. The matchups weren't really favorable, but I was hoping one of them would be able to pull off a win. Instead, both teams lost, and lost ugly.
The Redskins were expected to lose, but they let a winnable game get away from them. The mistakes started early and continued most of the game. Haynesworth jumping offsides on a 4th and 1, on a play in which the Falcons were obviously trying to draw Washington offsides was absolutely horrible. That was the first drive of the game, but already big Albert's second offsides call. It was also early in the game when Reed Doughty was WAY offsides on a punt return, which of course led to another Falcons first down.
Another issue with the defense that pissed me off was watching Laron Landry. He is a great athlete, but I hate how he plays the game. He is undisciplined and plays like he was never taught how to tackle. Sometimes this makes him look great. There was a 3rd and short play in which he made an amazing open field tackle to end a Falcons' drive. However, Landry was also highlighted during the broadcast for making mistakes on both of Michael Turner's touchdown runs. He took an awful angle on the first score, and then put his head down and dove at Turner's ankles during the rth quarter score that opened up the game for Atlanta. Oh yeah...there was also the stupid late hit he put on Matt Ryan which cost the Redskins 15 yards and appeared to fire up the Falcons.
Landry isn't the root of the defenses problems today, but his play was awful against Atlanta. One of the greatest traits of a safety is a guy who plays smart, and I just don't see that with Landry.
Offensively the Redskins looked about the same as they have all year. The offensive line was horrid in the first half, both run and pass blocking. Its bad when the broadcasters are openly feeling sorry for a player like they were for Campbell today. However, I was impressed with Campbell for staying tough and making some decent plays throughout the game. His final numbers weren't bad, and I'm sure his stats and the score would have looked a lot better for the Redskins if there weren't so many drops.
Another thing that we saw today is that Ladell Betts is currently a better running option than Clinton Portis. He looked a lot more explosive today than Portis has all season, and I just think that if given the same amount of touches that Betts would outperform Portis. If you take away Portis' 78 yard run this season, he is only averaging less than 3.4 yards per carry. Portis has been a great Redskin and he is a great personality. However, I think this year should be his last as a Redskin.
Things for the Redskins are looking awful. I want them to win every weekend, but I just don't see too many W's coming this year with that offensive line. The good news to take out of this is that the Redskins could be in a good spot to draft the best offensive tackle in the draft come April. Hopefully, whoever is calling the shots at Redskins Park at that time won't blow that decision.
As for the Ravens...Cincinnati is their kryptonite. They have seemed to play great against Baltimore ever since Carson Palmer arrived in Ohio. Cedric Benson has been a great addition for the Bengals, and he ran for over a hundred for the second time this year against Baltimore. That is unheard of for anybody who follows the Ravens. Having Haloti Ngata inactive certainly didn't help, but halfway through the 2009 season I think its time to admit that this isn't the same defense that Baltimore is used to. I don't know how much of it to blame on personnel and how much should be attributed to the departure of Rex Ryan. However, Baltimore's defense while still good, is no longer dominant.
Offensively the Ravens have looked great this season, but they came with nothing today. The Bengals pass rush was excellent, sacking Flacco four times and hitting him eight. They also seemed to make Flacco uncomfortable, which he doesn't act like often. He completed a decent amount of his passes, but not very many downfield. He also threw two interceptions, and basically had one of his worst professional games.
Ray Rice looked great as usual, but I think the offense was taken out of its comfort zone by getting down early. He only rushed twelve times throughout the game, but he had a decent average. He was the Ravens leading pass receiver, although much of that came on the meaningless final play of the game. Baltimore made too many mistakes and found themselves in bad situations all game. They didn't respond well, and they definitely deserved to lose this game. Baltimore is a lot better than 4-4, but losing both games against one of your division rivals certainly isn't helpful when looking towards the playoffs. The Ravens will have a lot better of a chance if they can sweep the Steelers, but Cincy is already looking like the team to beat in the AFC North.
Showing posts with label NFL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NFL. Show all posts
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Where Can I Purchase a D'Anthony Baptiste Jersey?
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/12/dan-daly-problems-with-redskins-o-line-start-at-to/?feat=home_themes_tab2_list
Dan Daly's column in the Washington Times fits my sentiments exactly. I'm upset after watching the Redskins lose yesterday's game to the previously winless Panthers, but I'm not putting it on the players. Jason Campbell is the quarterback and usually gets the blame when the offense struggles, but he probably isn't the cause of the loss when his quarterback rating is 104.4. Yes...he passed for less than 200 yards, but did you see what happened when he took anything greater than a three step drop yesterday. The man got killed every single time.
I don't know D'Anthony Baptiste. I have no problems with the dude...he was probably giving it his best yesterday. However, he shouldn't be playing left tackle in the NFL. In college Baptiste was a second team All-Sunbelt selection at guard. Hmmm...must have been some real talent in front of him in the Sunbelt that he didn't make first team. After that he signed with the Arena Football 2...The DEVELOPMENTAL LEAGUE for the Arena League. Ok...this isn't his first NFL team though. He was a practice squad guy for the Cowboys, made the roster but never saw the field for the Panthers, and did start a few games at GUARD for the 4-12 Falcons in 2007. Throw in a stint for the Edmonton Eskimos, and Baptiste has seen a lot of football. However, he has hardly proven a thing as an NFL player, and certainly nothing as a left tackle.
How can the Redskins go into a game like this with him as their replacement for Chris Samuels. Wouldn't it have made more sense to put Stephon Heyer or Fat Mike Williams over on the left side, and move Baptiste over to right guard? That seems so simple. Instead they decide to put Baptiste out there by himself and watch him get Campbell smacked a few times. After that they appeared to keep Chris Cooley in to block the rest of the game. IDIOTS! Cooley is a hard worker who does a serviceable job blocking. However, the guy is an asset to this team because of his pass catching abilities. I don't see how your leading receiver at over 5 catches a game so far this year, doesn't even have a ball thrown his way. If your line can't get the job done, aren't Mike Sellers and Todd Yoder getting paid to throw blocks? These are the types of adjustments that could have been handled at halftime by the coaching staff. Did anybody on the staff speak up and say, "Hey...we haven't had an open look at Cooley all game...what are we going to do?"
The bottom line is that neglecting the offensive line for years has finally caught up to the Redskins. It was a decade ago during the 99 and 2000 drafts that they selected Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen. Those guys served the team well, but you need to address the offensive line every year, not every decade. In the nine drafts since Samuels was taken, the Redskins have drafted just six offensive lineman, none higher than the third round. During that same period of time they have drafted the same amount of quarterbacks, including two first rounders. The math isn't very hard to do here. Quarterback is one spot on the football field, and offensive line is five spots. Yes...quarterback might be the single most important position on the field, but its not more important than a complete offensive line.
More recently the Redskins lost Randy Thomas for the season to injury. With an offensive line that is already short on depth, what did the Redskins do? They signed running back Anthony Alridge! The Redskins decided it was more important to have a 5th string running back than to solidify their offensive line. At some point this season the Redskins will sign another offensive lineman. That guy may very well be called upon to play meaningful snaps. Wouldn't it have been more important to have that guy on the roster and learning the playbook since September, than it has been to carry another player who has yet to contribute, and won't for the foreseeable future? Meanwhile teams who do have offensive line needs as well, have likely been signing up the best available options, leaving the 'Skins with more players off of the trash heap to choose from.
I like Brian Orakpo. I think he'll be a good player for this team, despite the fact that they are currently misusing him. (It was Orakpo "covering" Jeff King on his touchdown reception yesterday.) However, with an already successful defense, a DE/LB was not the Redskins most pressing need last April. The Redskins knew Jon Jansen wouldn't be back, and that Chris Samuels doesn't have much time left. Stephon Heyer has been a great signing for an undrafted free agent, but he shouldn't be expected to be a dominant starter. Chad Rinehart has been a disappointment for a third round pick. However, thats the nature of the NFL, and why you have to draft lineman each and every year. Its just not that easy to predict how a player will turn out, especially after the first round of the draft.
The logical part of me thinks there is no way the Redskins don't use their first round pick on an offensive tackle this April. However, I've seen enough crap from the Redskins over the years that part of me thinks there is no way they do. I can see Danny and the front office pushing Campbell out the door and going with whatever hot rookie QB they can get their hands on. All of humanity knows Snyder and crew are drooling to have the next Flacco, Ryan, or Sanchez. I could also see them thinking Portis' time is done, and picking some stud running back early on. These would be mistakes. Unfortunately thats what we've come to expect from the Redskins management.
Dan Daly's column in the Washington Times fits my sentiments exactly. I'm upset after watching the Redskins lose yesterday's game to the previously winless Panthers, but I'm not putting it on the players. Jason Campbell is the quarterback and usually gets the blame when the offense struggles, but he probably isn't the cause of the loss when his quarterback rating is 104.4. Yes...he passed for less than 200 yards, but did you see what happened when he took anything greater than a three step drop yesterday. The man got killed every single time.
I don't know D'Anthony Baptiste. I have no problems with the dude...he was probably giving it his best yesterday. However, he shouldn't be playing left tackle in the NFL. In college Baptiste was a second team All-Sunbelt selection at guard. Hmmm...must have been some real talent in front of him in the Sunbelt that he didn't make first team. After that he signed with the Arena Football 2...The DEVELOPMENTAL LEAGUE for the Arena League. Ok...this isn't his first NFL team though. He was a practice squad guy for the Cowboys, made the roster but never saw the field for the Panthers, and did start a few games at GUARD for the 4-12 Falcons in 2007. Throw in a stint for the Edmonton Eskimos, and Baptiste has seen a lot of football. However, he has hardly proven a thing as an NFL player, and certainly nothing as a left tackle.
How can the Redskins go into a game like this with him as their replacement for Chris Samuels. Wouldn't it have made more sense to put Stephon Heyer or Fat Mike Williams over on the left side, and move Baptiste over to right guard? That seems so simple. Instead they decide to put Baptiste out there by himself and watch him get Campbell smacked a few times. After that they appeared to keep Chris Cooley in to block the rest of the game. IDIOTS! Cooley is a hard worker who does a serviceable job blocking. However, the guy is an asset to this team because of his pass catching abilities. I don't see how your leading receiver at over 5 catches a game so far this year, doesn't even have a ball thrown his way. If your line can't get the job done, aren't Mike Sellers and Todd Yoder getting paid to throw blocks? These are the types of adjustments that could have been handled at halftime by the coaching staff. Did anybody on the staff speak up and say, "Hey...we haven't had an open look at Cooley all game...what are we going to do?"
The bottom line is that neglecting the offensive line for years has finally caught up to the Redskins. It was a decade ago during the 99 and 2000 drafts that they selected Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen. Those guys served the team well, but you need to address the offensive line every year, not every decade. In the nine drafts since Samuels was taken, the Redskins have drafted just six offensive lineman, none higher than the third round. During that same period of time they have drafted the same amount of quarterbacks, including two first rounders. The math isn't very hard to do here. Quarterback is one spot on the football field, and offensive line is five spots. Yes...quarterback might be the single most important position on the field, but its not more important than a complete offensive line.
More recently the Redskins lost Randy Thomas for the season to injury. With an offensive line that is already short on depth, what did the Redskins do? They signed running back Anthony Alridge! The Redskins decided it was more important to have a 5th string running back than to solidify their offensive line. At some point this season the Redskins will sign another offensive lineman. That guy may very well be called upon to play meaningful snaps. Wouldn't it have been more important to have that guy on the roster and learning the playbook since September, than it has been to carry another player who has yet to contribute, and won't for the foreseeable future? Meanwhile teams who do have offensive line needs as well, have likely been signing up the best available options, leaving the 'Skins with more players off of the trash heap to choose from.
I like Brian Orakpo. I think he'll be a good player for this team, despite the fact that they are currently misusing him. (It was Orakpo "covering" Jeff King on his touchdown reception yesterday.) However, with an already successful defense, a DE/LB was not the Redskins most pressing need last April. The Redskins knew Jon Jansen wouldn't be back, and that Chris Samuels doesn't have much time left. Stephon Heyer has been a great signing for an undrafted free agent, but he shouldn't be expected to be a dominant starter. Chad Rinehart has been a disappointment for a third round pick. However, thats the nature of the NFL, and why you have to draft lineman each and every year. Its just not that easy to predict how a player will turn out, especially after the first round of the draft.
The logical part of me thinks there is no way the Redskins don't use their first round pick on an offensive tackle this April. However, I've seen enough crap from the Redskins over the years that part of me thinks there is no way they do. I can see Danny and the front office pushing Campbell out the door and going with whatever hot rookie QB they can get their hands on. All of humanity knows Snyder and crew are drooling to have the next Flacco, Ryan, or Sanchez. I could also see them thinking Portis' time is done, and picking some stud running back early on. These would be mistakes. Unfortunately thats what we've come to expect from the Redskins management.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Redskins Head to 0-1
Its a few days later but I wanted to get my thoughts about the Redskins' opening night loss recorded on the blog. It was a frustrating game for Washington fans, and it definitely appears that the final two preseason games were more of a sign of things to come than they were an aberration. Part of judging the Redskins is also judging the Giants. I thought the Giants played fairly well, despite only winnings by 9. Their defense held the Skins down all night, and the offense moved the ball pretty well. They have two big offensive stars in Brandon Jacobs and Plaxico Burress. They both made the Redskins defense look bad in the 1st half, but couldn't capitalize with appearances in the endzone. I've never thought Eli Manning was that great, despite his impressive performance in the playoffs last season. His passer rating was worse than Campbell's, and he has a huge advantage heading into each game that Plax is playing in.
On the positive side for the Skins.
Clinton Portis - CP had a pretty solid game. I've got no problem with him missing pre-season, because I'm a believer in the idea that running backs have a finite number of carries in their career. So keeping him fresh for the regular season is fine by me, and he showed up in week 1. His line was 23 carries for 84 yards. Thats just 3.7 yards per carry, but I rate him high based on HOW he ran the ball. He was moving forward all night and getting the most out of his carries. Unfortunately the line wasn't great and there were several times when he had no place to go.
Rock Cartwright - He had too many kick return opportunities, but a 29 yard average is great. The Redskins don't get on the scoreboard without his 50 yard return in the 2nd quarter. He also had a great open field tackle on a punt, and is just a great special teams guy like Brian Mitchell and James Thrash.
London Fletcher - I can't praise the Redskins' secondary, and the line allowed 154 yards on the ground. However, London Fletcher is and always has been a beast. He came to play with 17 total tackles.
On to the things that disappointed me.
Jim Zorn - I understand its his first regular season game, but there are some things that I thought I wouldn't see. The first one was the conservative nature of the offense. As a former quarterback and a west coast offense type of guy, I thought the Skins would be tossing the ball around some. However, with all of the runs on 1st and 2nd downs, I thought Joe Gibbs was making the calls from somewhere in NASCAR country. I heard from John Madden all night that Jason Campbell didn't look comfortable. That may be true, but it didn't look like his coach was helping him out. One way he could have done that would have been getting #47 some more touches. Chris Cooley is a pro bowl tight end, and its not because of his blocking ability. He had just one catch on the night in the 4th quarter, after a screen pass run for him earlier was called back because of holding. Getting him more involved in the passing game is necessary. I was also disappointed to see him highlighted twice getting beat in the running game by the Giants ends. Put Cooley in motion, split him out wide, and give Todd Yoder a little more time in the running game.
The second thing that bothered me aboout Zorn was the lack of urgency towards the end of the game. Needing at least two scores to win the game, the offense was huddling and taking their time at the line during the last 5 or so minutes. Shots of Zorn on the sideline with his play sheet in front of his mouth made me think that he saw no urgency in the situation. As a QB coach and former NFL quarterback, I thought Zorn would have a better sense of the situation than what appeared on the field. Its almost as if the Redskins forgot to practice the two minute drill before this game.
The Secondary - Having Laron Landry back was a good sign, but this unit was extremely disappointing. The cornerbacks were awful in the first half. Plaxico Burress is a star, and will get his catches. However, the Skins didn't even look like they were challenging him early on. I doubted Carlos Rogers' health and/or heart on one play when he was seen jogging after Plax after being embarassed by a double move. Smoot was slightly better, but again the Giants made the plays they needed early on in the passing game.
The safeties were better, and it was nice to see Laron Landry covering a lot of ground back there. Reed Doughty was a decent support in the run game, but he and LL got embarassed by Brandon Jacobs and his abundance of mass. However, Landry did drop a potential interception. His was the last of three on the night that should have been caught. Each one of those was on different drives, and if the Redskins pick those off, they give their offense a lot more opportunities. Eli Manning should definitely have had more than just one INT on Thursday night.
And finally I have some neutral feelings on things as well.
Jason Campbell - As the team goes, so goes the quarterback. Since the Redskins' offense struggled, its only natural that JC has to shoulder some of the blame. However, I can't think about many plays where he really hurt the Skins. The first drop back when he was sacked is the one time I remember yelling at him. Following that though he got the ball off quickly like a West Coast QB is supposed to do. He wasn't sacked from that point on, and there is no doubt the Giants were coming hard. I think people could argue that he didn't go downfield enough, but I'm not sure how much of that is on him and how much is on the play calling. He went to his checkdowns a lot, but I don't remember seeing receivers running open down field. The biggest problem with Campbell so far in his career has been ball protection. His interception numbers are decent...not great. However, he really struggled last year putting the ball on the turf with 13 fumbles, 8 of which were lost. He didn't fumble or throw an interception. I don't even remember a pass that could have been picked off. So I give him credit for taking care of the ball.
I've read that despite Zorn's insistence that Campbell is athletic enough to run the West Coast offense, that Campbell is better suited to a traditional 5 and 7 step drop offense. Campbell is going to give things his best, so I expect Zorn to put him in situations where he can suceed. In Thursday's game I saw more problems with how the offense was run by the play calling than I did with Campbell's performance.
Jason Taylor - Taylor didn't have a good game, but this isn't a good situation to judge him by. He wasn't 100%, so its not like we saw him at his best. He was a liability in the running game, and a big reason for Brandon Jacobs' great game. Taylor was unable to hold his ground on the line, and Jacobs was able to turn his shoulders up field early on off-tackle runs. Facing a physical back like Jacobs with his knee in its current condition was not a good start for Taylor. He probably would have fared better against a team showing more of a zone rush or pass first look. Despite his weak game against the Giants, all it will take is a couple of sacks for the Redskins fans to be jumping up and down about number 55.
On the positive side for the Skins.
Clinton Portis - CP had a pretty solid game. I've got no problem with him missing pre-season, because I'm a believer in the idea that running backs have a finite number of carries in their career. So keeping him fresh for the regular season is fine by me, and he showed up in week 1. His line was 23 carries for 84 yards. Thats just 3.7 yards per carry, but I rate him high based on HOW he ran the ball. He was moving forward all night and getting the most out of his carries. Unfortunately the line wasn't great and there were several times when he had no place to go.
Rock Cartwright - He had too many kick return opportunities, but a 29 yard average is great. The Redskins don't get on the scoreboard without his 50 yard return in the 2nd quarter. He also had a great open field tackle on a punt, and is just a great special teams guy like Brian Mitchell and James Thrash.
London Fletcher - I can't praise the Redskins' secondary, and the line allowed 154 yards on the ground. However, London Fletcher is and always has been a beast. He came to play with 17 total tackles.
On to the things that disappointed me.
Jim Zorn - I understand its his first regular season game, but there are some things that I thought I wouldn't see. The first one was the conservative nature of the offense. As a former quarterback and a west coast offense type of guy, I thought the Skins would be tossing the ball around some. However, with all of the runs on 1st and 2nd downs, I thought Joe Gibbs was making the calls from somewhere in NASCAR country. I heard from John Madden all night that Jason Campbell didn't look comfortable. That may be true, but it didn't look like his coach was helping him out. One way he could have done that would have been getting #47 some more touches. Chris Cooley is a pro bowl tight end, and its not because of his blocking ability. He had just one catch on the night in the 4th quarter, after a screen pass run for him earlier was called back because of holding. Getting him more involved in the passing game is necessary. I was also disappointed to see him highlighted twice getting beat in the running game by the Giants ends. Put Cooley in motion, split him out wide, and give Todd Yoder a little more time in the running game.
The second thing that bothered me aboout Zorn was the lack of urgency towards the end of the game. Needing at least two scores to win the game, the offense was huddling and taking their time at the line during the last 5 or so minutes. Shots of Zorn on the sideline with his play sheet in front of his mouth made me think that he saw no urgency in the situation. As a QB coach and former NFL quarterback, I thought Zorn would have a better sense of the situation than what appeared on the field. Its almost as if the Redskins forgot to practice the two minute drill before this game.
The Secondary - Having Laron Landry back was a good sign, but this unit was extremely disappointing. The cornerbacks were awful in the first half. Plaxico Burress is a star, and will get his catches. However, the Skins didn't even look like they were challenging him early on. I doubted Carlos Rogers' health and/or heart on one play when he was seen jogging after Plax after being embarassed by a double move. Smoot was slightly better, but again the Giants made the plays they needed early on in the passing game.
The safeties were better, and it was nice to see Laron Landry covering a lot of ground back there. Reed Doughty was a decent support in the run game, but he and LL got embarassed by Brandon Jacobs and his abundance of mass. However, Landry did drop a potential interception. His was the last of three on the night that should have been caught. Each one of those was on different drives, and if the Redskins pick those off, they give their offense a lot more opportunities. Eli Manning should definitely have had more than just one INT on Thursday night.
And finally I have some neutral feelings on things as well.
Jason Campbell - As the team goes, so goes the quarterback. Since the Redskins' offense struggled, its only natural that JC has to shoulder some of the blame. However, I can't think about many plays where he really hurt the Skins. The first drop back when he was sacked is the one time I remember yelling at him. Following that though he got the ball off quickly like a West Coast QB is supposed to do. He wasn't sacked from that point on, and there is no doubt the Giants were coming hard. I think people could argue that he didn't go downfield enough, but I'm not sure how much of that is on him and how much is on the play calling. He went to his checkdowns a lot, but I don't remember seeing receivers running open down field. The biggest problem with Campbell so far in his career has been ball protection. His interception numbers are decent...not great. However, he really struggled last year putting the ball on the turf with 13 fumbles, 8 of which were lost. He didn't fumble or throw an interception. I don't even remember a pass that could have been picked off. So I give him credit for taking care of the ball.
I've read that despite Zorn's insistence that Campbell is athletic enough to run the West Coast offense, that Campbell is better suited to a traditional 5 and 7 step drop offense. Campbell is going to give things his best, so I expect Zorn to put him in situations where he can suceed. In Thursday's game I saw more problems with how the offense was run by the play calling than I did with Campbell's performance.
Jason Taylor - Taylor didn't have a good game, but this isn't a good situation to judge him by. He wasn't 100%, so its not like we saw him at his best. He was a liability in the running game, and a big reason for Brandon Jacobs' great game. Taylor was unable to hold his ground on the line, and Jacobs was able to turn his shoulders up field early on off-tackle runs. Facing a physical back like Jacobs with his knee in its current condition was not a good start for Taylor. He probably would have fared better against a team showing more of a zone rush or pass first look. Despite his weak game against the Giants, all it will take is a couple of sacks for the Redskins fans to be jumping up and down about number 55.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Jason Taylor
Damn, I'm a crappy blogger. I haven't touched this site in months, but felt inspired by the Redskins trade of 2 draft picks to Miami for Jason Taylor. I think this is a great move even if Taylor might not be around for more than a year. There will be a lot of question marks with the Redskins this year with the Jim Zorn era starting. However, if he does a decent job handling the team, they have the talent here already to make the playoffs. Hell...they did it last season despite losing some games that they never should have.
Now that Taylor is in the fold the Redskins have a chance to become an elite NFC team. A great defensive end can immensely improve the play of the other 10 guys on the defense. Look at the current Super Bowl champs. Would the Giants have won with all of Eli Manning's blunders if Michael Strahan had not come back for another year of football? I would argue against that.
So will Jason Taylor have a Strahan-esque influence on the Redskins D? The guy he is replacing, Phillip Daniels, had just 2.5 sacks last season. I have no doubt that Taylor will far exceed that number if he stays healthy. And staying healthy doesn't appear to be an "if." Just looking at Taylor you can tell that he keeps himself in amazing shape. However, he has started all 16 games each season since 2000. He has had single digit sacks for the season just twice in that stretch, and both years he wasn't far off from 10.
For the last few seasons Redskins fans have complained during draft time that the 'Skins needed a pass rushing defensive lineman. They never acquired that guy during the draft, but they have done so now. Their defense should be a lot better this season, assuming it doesn't fall to pieces without Gregg Williams. A legitimate pass rush from the D-line will mean more turnovers and 3rd and longs. I feel the defense will provide Jason Campbell and the offense with a lot more easy scoring opportunities this season. Welcome Jason...and that #55 looks damn good for the Burgundy and Gold.
Now that Taylor is in the fold the Redskins have a chance to become an elite NFC team. A great defensive end can immensely improve the play of the other 10 guys on the defense. Look at the current Super Bowl champs. Would the Giants have won with all of Eli Manning's blunders if Michael Strahan had not come back for another year of football? I would argue against that.
So will Jason Taylor have a Strahan-esque influence on the Redskins D? The guy he is replacing, Phillip Daniels, had just 2.5 sacks last season. I have no doubt that Taylor will far exceed that number if he stays healthy. And staying healthy doesn't appear to be an "if." Just looking at Taylor you can tell that he keeps himself in amazing shape. However, he has started all 16 games each season since 2000. He has had single digit sacks for the season just twice in that stretch, and both years he wasn't far off from 10.
For the last few seasons Redskins fans have complained during draft time that the 'Skins needed a pass rushing defensive lineman. They never acquired that guy during the draft, but they have done so now. Their defense should be a lot better this season, assuming it doesn't fall to pieces without Gregg Williams. A legitimate pass rush from the D-line will mean more turnovers and 3rd and longs. I feel the defense will provide Jason Campbell and the offense with a lot more easy scoring opportunities this season. Welcome Jason...and that #55 looks damn good for the Burgundy and Gold.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Controlling Your Own Destiny
With all of the close losses the Redskins have suffered through this season, it feels like this year has been a disappointment. Aside from the debacle against the Patriots, the 'Skins have lost every game by a touchdown or less. Despite so many close calls going the way of their opponents, the Redskins are still in control of whether or not they make the playoffs. They are only a game back of the Vikings right now for the final Wild Card, but they match up with Minnesota in 2 weeks. A win in that game is necessary for the Redskins to make the playoffs, because they would need at least 8 wins and a tiebreaker over the Vikes. That game truly is a playoff for the Redskins.
In addition to a win in week 16, the Redskins need either a 3-0 finish to their season, or a split with New York and Dallas combined with a Vikings loss to either Chicago or Denver. The other contenders besides Minnesota are Detroit, Arizona, and New Orleans. The Lions and Cardinals would have to go undefeated the rest of the way to beat out an 8-8 'Skins team, while I don't know what the tiebreaker would be with the Saints, who are extreme longshots.
The most important game in this whole NFC Wild Card picture for every team will be the Redskins and Vikings. Before that game is decided, the Redskins can't be knocked out of the playoffs. However, a win against the Giants this week would sure make things a lot easier for the 'Skins. Since there isn't an NFC team that has dominated the Redskins, there is potential for this season to still be successful. However, a lot of things need to go right, and I'm hoping that there is something magical about Todd Collins.
In addition to a win in week 16, the Redskins need either a 3-0 finish to their season, or a split with New York and Dallas combined with a Vikings loss to either Chicago or Denver. The other contenders besides Minnesota are Detroit, Arizona, and New Orleans. The Lions and Cardinals would have to go undefeated the rest of the way to beat out an 8-8 'Skins team, while I don't know what the tiebreaker would be with the Saints, who are extreme longshots.
The most important game in this whole NFC Wild Card picture for every team will be the Redskins and Vikings. Before that game is decided, the Redskins can't be knocked out of the playoffs. However, a win against the Giants this week would sure make things a lot easier for the 'Skins. Since there isn't an NFC team that has dominated the Redskins, there is potential for this season to still be successful. However, a lot of things need to go right, and I'm hoping that there is something magical about Todd Collins.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Pats Still Undefeated
Health concerns kept me from attending the Ravens-Pats game from monday night. I was happy to watch it on TV though and know my father was freezing his ass off the whole night long. Going into that game I had visions of just a few thousand fans holding on until the last whistle after the majority of Baltimorons skipped out after a blowout. However, the Ravens made it one of the more entertaining games this season, and the Baltimore fans seemed to be out in full force.
The big news before the game was that Steve McNair has been put on IR. I respect Air McNair a lot for his great career, but it was apparent this season that his time had past. I thought Billick should have gone to Kyle Boller sooner in the season, but now Boller gets to compete down the stretch to prepare himself for what will likely be his job heading into next season.
Boller did a pretty decent job against the Patriots. His numbers were respectable, over 200 yards, 65.2% with 2 TDs and 1 INT. Those numbers will win the Ravens most games. However, a little bit more is probably needed against New England. The interception was the one mistake Boller made, which is impressive considering how much pressure he was under from the Patriots' rush all night long. Altogether it was a good showing for Boller, and I hope he can keep it up to finish up the season.
The big story on offense though was Willis McGahee. The dude ran hard all night long, and showed why the Ravens were smart to make a deal with Bufallo. He has already rushed for over 1000 yards this season, and has been a better receiving threat than how he was used by the Bills. This is a guy who is in his prime, and should provide several more great years for this team.
Defensively the Ravens played great. Holding the Patriots to 27 points is an accomplishment this season. Brady and the New England offense are just too good to be shut down, but the Ravens have done about as well as anybody else this season. The pass coverage was excellent all night, and Tom Brady was frustrated by that and a good pass rush. He certainly didn't have a Brady like game on the stat sheet. However, Tom Brady is clutch, which nobody can deny. Rex Ryan helped him out by calling the timeout before his failed QB sneak. However, Brady came right back and made plays to lead his team to the win.
I've heard from others, mostly Ravens fans about how the referrees ruined the end of that game. I think that is debatable. The biggest missed call I saw in the game was an obvious block in the back that went unflagged on Laurence Maroney's big 2nd half reception. The 4th down holding call in the end zone was the right decision to make, and the Ravens just had to deal with that. The catch to Gaffney in the endzone is extremely debatable, but the way the NFL replay rules are worded, I understand why it wasn't turned over.
My biggest problem at the end of the game was Bart Scott's terrible actions. I've heard from Ravens fans on message boards about how they were proud of him for standing up to the refs and showing some heart and emotion about wanting to win. Thats a bunch of BS. No doubt Bart Scott has heart...otherwise he wouldn't be nearly the type of player he is. However, he was the only player who picked up 30 yards of personal fouls on just one play. Ed Reed and Ray Lewis have unquestioned heart, but I didn't see them hurting their team's chances to score at the end of the game. I would have been much happier to see Yamon Figurs taking the ball upfield on a kick return than seeing a kickoff from Ravens territory.
Regardless of the loss, this was a great game to watch. As a Ravens fan...it sucked. As a football fan...it was a great game. With a team that has thrown their year away with too many losses, it would have been nice to come up with a signature win.
The big news before the game was that Steve McNair has been put on IR. I respect Air McNair a lot for his great career, but it was apparent this season that his time had past. I thought Billick should have gone to Kyle Boller sooner in the season, but now Boller gets to compete down the stretch to prepare himself for what will likely be his job heading into next season.
Boller did a pretty decent job against the Patriots. His numbers were respectable, over 200 yards, 65.2% with 2 TDs and 1 INT. Those numbers will win the Ravens most games. However, a little bit more is probably needed against New England. The interception was the one mistake Boller made, which is impressive considering how much pressure he was under from the Patriots' rush all night long. Altogether it was a good showing for Boller, and I hope he can keep it up to finish up the season.
The big story on offense though was Willis McGahee. The dude ran hard all night long, and showed why the Ravens were smart to make a deal with Bufallo. He has already rushed for over 1000 yards this season, and has been a better receiving threat than how he was used by the Bills. This is a guy who is in his prime, and should provide several more great years for this team.
Defensively the Ravens played great. Holding the Patriots to 27 points is an accomplishment this season. Brady and the New England offense are just too good to be shut down, but the Ravens have done about as well as anybody else this season. The pass coverage was excellent all night, and Tom Brady was frustrated by that and a good pass rush. He certainly didn't have a Brady like game on the stat sheet. However, Tom Brady is clutch, which nobody can deny. Rex Ryan helped him out by calling the timeout before his failed QB sneak. However, Brady came right back and made plays to lead his team to the win.
I've heard from others, mostly Ravens fans about how the referrees ruined the end of that game. I think that is debatable. The biggest missed call I saw in the game was an obvious block in the back that went unflagged on Laurence Maroney's big 2nd half reception. The 4th down holding call in the end zone was the right decision to make, and the Ravens just had to deal with that. The catch to Gaffney in the endzone is extremely debatable, but the way the NFL replay rules are worded, I understand why it wasn't turned over.
My biggest problem at the end of the game was Bart Scott's terrible actions. I've heard from Ravens fans on message boards about how they were proud of him for standing up to the refs and showing some heart and emotion about wanting to win. Thats a bunch of BS. No doubt Bart Scott has heart...otherwise he wouldn't be nearly the type of player he is. However, he was the only player who picked up 30 yards of personal fouls on just one play. Ed Reed and Ray Lewis have unquestioned heart, but I didn't see them hurting their team's chances to score at the end of the game. I would have been much happier to see Yamon Figurs taking the ball upfield on a kick return than seeing a kickoff from Ravens territory.
Regardless of the loss, this was a great game to watch. As a Ravens fan...it sucked. As a football fan...it was a great game. With a team that has thrown their year away with too many losses, it would have been nice to come up with a signature win.
Funeral for Sean Taylor
I work in a school in Washington DC, and one of my coworkers set up a program for some of the students to watch the media coverage of Sean Taylor's funeral. I'm not a big fan of funerals, and have only attended a few in my lifetime. I prefer those types of situations to be small and family focused, rather than elaborate events. However, as I watched the the funeral coverage with the students, I felt it was appropriate.
It made me proud to be a Redskins fan to see how the team represented itself on Monday. It is obvious that this is a tragic situation, but I think the team handled things in a great way. Everybody probably wanted a win on Sunday to honor Taylor, and its too bad the 'Skins couldn't pull it off. However, having the entire organization visit Miami for Taylor's funeral shows what a team and a family should be about. The Redskins went out of their way to show support to their teammate and his grieving family.
I give a lot of credit to Dan Snyder, a thing that Redskins fans rarely do. He is a great businessman, and has obviously been blessed with immense wealth. His generosity in terms of what he pledged for Taylor's daughter, and in shutting down Redskins operations for a day to fly the team to Miami were a sign of how much he cares for one of his players. The example that he and Joe Gibbs sent to the team an to the public was that their season and their game was not more important than Sean Taylor or any other individual that is part of the Redskins.
It certainly is a sobering time to be a Redskins fan right now, and I know it can't compare to what those who were truly close to Sean Taylor have to go through. However, I am proud of the organization that I have grown up cheering for dealing with this loss in such a classy way. The team appears to be handling things as best they can, and I look forward to the game on Thursday night. Although they had maybe the shortest week of preparation and practice in NFL history, I have a feeling that they will come out ready to play against the Bears this week.
It made me proud to be a Redskins fan to see how the team represented itself on Monday. It is obvious that this is a tragic situation, but I think the team handled things in a great way. Everybody probably wanted a win on Sunday to honor Taylor, and its too bad the 'Skins couldn't pull it off. However, having the entire organization visit Miami for Taylor's funeral shows what a team and a family should be about. The Redskins went out of their way to show support to their teammate and his grieving family.
I give a lot of credit to Dan Snyder, a thing that Redskins fans rarely do. He is a great businessman, and has obviously been blessed with immense wealth. His generosity in terms of what he pledged for Taylor's daughter, and in shutting down Redskins operations for a day to fly the team to Miami were a sign of how much he cares for one of his players. The example that he and Joe Gibbs sent to the team an to the public was that their season and their game was not more important than Sean Taylor or any other individual that is part of the Redskins.
It certainly is a sobering time to be a Redskins fan right now, and I know it can't compare to what those who were truly close to Sean Taylor have to go through. However, I am proud of the organization that I have grown up cheering for dealing with this loss in such a classy way. The team appears to be handling things as best they can, and I look forward to the game on Thursday night. Although they had maybe the shortest week of preparation and practice in NFL history, I have a feeling that they will come out ready to play against the Bears this week.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
RIP Sean Taylor
Its been 2 full days for me since I heard Sean Taylor was shot, and a full day since it was announced that he had passed away. This is truly a tragc incident to see a person near my own age, with a child about the same age as my own, shot and killed in his own home. Life changed for me when my wife and I had our son, and I understand the fear of an intruder coming into your home. While listening to some of the radio coverage in the area, it seems to me that a lot of emphasis is being put on Taylor's past and what he did or did not do leading up to his murder. This annoys me. People want to break down the situation, and find reasons for why this happened already. I'd rather wait and see what comes out after a real investigation is completed then people guessing what might have happened or what Sean Taylor should have done differently. I understand that he is a public figure and the public wants to have answers about what happened to him. However, there is too much gossip going on, and none of it is helping honor this man's life. I am eager to hear from official sources about what happened leading up to Taylor's death, but I am tired of fans and media personalities voicing their under-informed opinions on what he should have done and what might have happened.
Any thoughts about the Redskins game for me this week are gone. I know the players will have to head out on Sunday and take care of their business, because thats what the NFL is. It won't be easy for a lot of them, but they need to carry out their jobs just like everybody else. Thats how I feel after this tragedy. It seems the fun of playing a game is temporarily lost when you lose a teammate, and there won't be a lot of joy for the Redskins leading up to their game this week. They will get over this setback...maybe in a few weeks or maybe next season. But for now the Redskins' season takes a back seat. Dealing with the tragedy of losing a teammate to murder is a lot more pressing of an issue.
My prayers go out to Taylor's family, friends, and teammates. I pray that they find strength in themselves to deal with this horrible situation, and to make the best future for themselves and those they love.
Any thoughts about the Redskins game for me this week are gone. I know the players will have to head out on Sunday and take care of their business, because thats what the NFL is. It won't be easy for a lot of them, but they need to carry out their jobs just like everybody else. Thats how I feel after this tragedy. It seems the fun of playing a game is temporarily lost when you lose a teammate, and there won't be a lot of joy for the Redskins leading up to their game this week. They will get over this setback...maybe in a few weeks or maybe next season. But for now the Redskins' season takes a back seat. Dealing with the tragedy of losing a teammate to murder is a lot more pressing of an issue.
My prayers go out to Taylor's family, friends, and teammates. I pray that they find strength in themselves to deal with this horrible situation, and to make the best future for themselves and those they love.
Monday, November 19, 2007
T.O. 28 - Redskins 23
I missed the 1st half of this game because I was watching the Ravens up in Baltimore. I was pleased to see when I started watching during the 2nd half that the 'Skins were only down 14-13. From what I saw, the Redskins looked pretty good. Clinton Portis' back to back 100+ games were forgotten, and Washington went to the air. Jason Campbell had a career game in terms of yardage, and for the 2nd week in a row he threw a TD to a wide receiver. This seems like a new offense when compared to where they were a few weeks ago. Santana Moss' big game was great to see, especially considering his heel was supposed to be killing him. The offense had a chance to win the game late, and it was tough to see them come up short. However, it was definitely a moral victory after seeing the team lose a close one that should have been a win the week before.
Sean Taylor was definitely missed though. T.O is a great player, but he doesn't score 4 TDs if Sean Taylor is back there. He might get 2 or 3, but not 4. Even with a Detroit loss on Sunday, the Skins are still on the outside looking in for the Wild Card. The Giants will probably grab one spot, and the Lions are in the lead for the next one. However, the 'Skins now have the Eagles and Cardinals at 5-5 to worry about as well. Washington holds the tiebreaker with both Detroit and Arizona, and I'm not sure about the tiebreaker with Philly. So the Redskins might need to just match their competition in wins to get the Wild Card slot. However, there aren't any more acceptable losses for this team.
Sean Taylor was definitely missed though. T.O is a great player, but he doesn't score 4 TDs if Sean Taylor is back there. He might get 2 or 3, but not 4. Even with a Detroit loss on Sunday, the Skins are still on the outside looking in for the Wild Card. The Giants will probably grab one spot, and the Lions are in the lead for the next one. However, the 'Skins now have the Eagles and Cardinals at 5-5 to worry about as well. Washington holds the tiebreaker with both Detroit and Arizona, and I'm not sure about the tiebreaker with Philly. So the Redskins might need to just match their competition in wins to get the Wild Card slot. However, there aren't any more acceptable losses for this team.
OT is a Debacle
I attended the Ravens-Browns game yesterday, which will become infamous for Phil Dawson's game-tieing field goal that landed in the endzone. A lot of people had already left the stadium after Matt Stover hit the go-ahead field goal with less than a minute left. Those who were still there had already started filing out of the stadium before most realized that the game might not be over. It was obvious from where I was on the opposing 30 yard line and hundreds of feet up, that the ball landed in the endzone. However, I began to realize without the help of replay that the ball must have hit the support and not the horizontal goal post. Word came back as people waited in the aisles, that the FG was good and the game was going to OT. Most Baltimorons were incredulous at this point, but I wasn't upset. The kick was good and the refs got the call right in the end. It sucked...but Ravens fans would have wanted it that way if the situation was flipped.
I've always hated the way the NFL plays overtime games. The idea that a team can lose a game in overtime without ever running an offensive play is ridiculous. Sudden death works in hockey or soccer when there is most likely to be multiple change of possessions before the deciding score. However, with football it is a failure. I would much rather see the alternating possession system that the NCAA uses. Each team's offense and defense atleast has an impact in overtime. If the NFL doesn't want to go that route...then let the game end in a tie. That would have been a much more deserving result to yesterday's game.
The game itself was entertaining in the 2nd half. Baltimore's 37 yards of offense in the 1st half was pitiful. However, they looked like a great team at times in the 2nd half. How a team can go from looking that bad to that good is astounding. Kyle Boller looked good throwing the ball down the field in the 2nd half. Of course he still overthrew the soft passes over the middle, and gave up a pick-6 when he got rocked in the red zone. The offensive line was absolutely horrible in pass protection. Boller was sacked six times, and was pressured into a lot of bad throws. For some reason it took the coaching staff a whole half to realize that the offense could be successful when Boller took a three step drop instead of five or seven.
In regards to the coaching...where was it on special teams? Josh Cribbs has been an individual highlight reel for the Browns lately, yet the Ravens kicked the ball off to him SEVEN TIMES! Matt Stover was able to squib one kickoff threw the endzone, but otherwise they tried nothing different. Cribbs had 245 yards on kickoffs alone! Cribbs fielded each kick to his left, and Cleveland ran the same return each time. Since Stover has a weak leg, why not squib it more than once. How about a sky kick to a blocker, or kicking it to Cribbs' right. Of all the miscues in this game, the kickoff team was the worst. On Cleveland's tieing drive and game winning drive in OT, they got the ball on their 43 and 41 yard lines. It was impressive that they came back to win that game, but the Ravens certainly made it easy at times.
I've always hated the way the NFL plays overtime games. The idea that a team can lose a game in overtime without ever running an offensive play is ridiculous. Sudden death works in hockey or soccer when there is most likely to be multiple change of possessions before the deciding score. However, with football it is a failure. I would much rather see the alternating possession system that the NCAA uses. Each team's offense and defense atleast has an impact in overtime. If the NFL doesn't want to go that route...then let the game end in a tie. That would have been a much more deserving result to yesterday's game.
The game itself was entertaining in the 2nd half. Baltimore's 37 yards of offense in the 1st half was pitiful. However, they looked like a great team at times in the 2nd half. How a team can go from looking that bad to that good is astounding. Kyle Boller looked good throwing the ball down the field in the 2nd half. Of course he still overthrew the soft passes over the middle, and gave up a pick-6 when he got rocked in the red zone. The offensive line was absolutely horrible in pass protection. Boller was sacked six times, and was pressured into a lot of bad throws. For some reason it took the coaching staff a whole half to realize that the offense could be successful when Boller took a three step drop instead of five or seven.
In regards to the coaching...where was it on special teams? Josh Cribbs has been an individual highlight reel for the Browns lately, yet the Ravens kicked the ball off to him SEVEN TIMES! Matt Stover was able to squib one kickoff threw the endzone, but otherwise they tried nothing different. Cribbs had 245 yards on kickoffs alone! Cribbs fielded each kick to his left, and Cleveland ran the same return each time. Since Stover has a weak leg, why not squib it more than once. How about a sky kick to a blocker, or kicking it to Cribbs' right. Of all the miscues in this game, the kickoff team was the worst. On Cleveland's tieing drive and game winning drive in OT, they got the ball on their 43 and 41 yard lines. It was impressive that they came back to win that game, but the Ravens certainly made it easy at times.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Redskins Playoff Outlook
I feel decent about the Redskins because they have a winning record and still are barely on the outside of the playoffs. I hear the pessimists saying they should be 3-5, and the optimists saying they should be 7-2. Look! The reality is that they are slightly ahead of the middle in the NFC. 5-4 is perfectly reasonable for this team right now. They have had a fair amount of injuries to key guys, and are still keeping themselves in games. (Note...the Patriots game never actually happened). Injuries to Carlos Rogers and Sean Taylor will surely hurt the team's potential over the rest of the year, but that doesn't spell doom.
Currently the 'Skins are 7th in the NFC. That leaves them as the last team out of the playoffs. At 8-1, Green Bay and Dallas look to have spots wrapped up already. The Buccaneers and Seahawks, both at 5-4, are no better than the 'Skins on the field, but have the benefit of playing in crappy divisons. They or some other mediocre team will take those 2 divisonal slots. So that leaves the Lions and Giants, both 6-4, as the Redskins primary competition for one of the 2 Wild Card spots.
Detroit and NY play each other this week, which gives the Skins an opportunity to pick up a game on atleast one of them. However, the Burgundy and Gold also have to travel to Dallas for their first test against the Cowboys this year. A win in Big D would be huge for the 'Skins' playoff picture. However, even with a loss and a drop back to .500 they have a chance for the Wild Card.
The Giants have the best road ahead of these 3 teams. After the Lions they have Minnesota, Chicago, Philly, Washington, Buffalo, and New England. I see them getting 4 0r 5 wins out of that stretch, which would put them at 10-6 or 11-5 to finish the season. Thats a solid Wild Card team.
Detroit has a much tougher finish to their season. After their matchup with the Giants, they still have to face Green Bay twice and Dallas.(Likely outcome, 1-2) Its hard to predict wins for Jon Kitna during those weeks. While KC and Minnesota look to be struggling now, San Diego is a team that is hard to judge. That game is a toss up to predict. (Likely outcome 2-1). So I see Detroit going 3-3 after this weeks matchup. Three or four more wins would have them looking at 9-7 or 10-6.
Now I'm not up to date on all of my playoff tiebreakers for the NFL, but I would assume the Redskins beat the Lions for a playoff spot because of the Redskins win over Detroit during the regular season. So the 'Skins should be realistically aiming for a 10-6 finish. The Redskins schedule finishing up looks like this.
Dal - W/L
TB - W/L
Buf - W
Chi - W
NYG - W/L
Min - W
Dal - W/L
The three games with the W next to them are must wins for Washington. A loss to Buffalo, Chicago, or Minnesota could be a nail in the Skins' coffin. However, even with those 3 wins the team would still have just 8 victories. To get to 10-6 and to feel comfortable with a playoff spot, the Redskins would have to split their 4 games with likely playoff opponents. All but one of those games will be on the road.
It looks like the Giants will likely get one of the two Wild Card spots. Detroit and Washington both have a shaky road towards the end, but have the best shots of any other NFC teams. DC fans really need to cheer hard for anybody coming up against the Lions this year, and the 2 Dallas games for the Skins take on even more of a meaning this year with where the standings are now.
Currently the 'Skins are 7th in the NFC. That leaves them as the last team out of the playoffs. At 8-1, Green Bay and Dallas look to have spots wrapped up already. The Buccaneers and Seahawks, both at 5-4, are no better than the 'Skins on the field, but have the benefit of playing in crappy divisons. They or some other mediocre team will take those 2 divisonal slots. So that leaves the Lions and Giants, both 6-4, as the Redskins primary competition for one of the 2 Wild Card spots.
Detroit and NY play each other this week, which gives the Skins an opportunity to pick up a game on atleast one of them. However, the Burgundy and Gold also have to travel to Dallas for their first test against the Cowboys this year. A win in Big D would be huge for the 'Skins' playoff picture. However, even with a loss and a drop back to .500 they have a chance for the Wild Card.
The Giants have the best road ahead of these 3 teams. After the Lions they have Minnesota, Chicago, Philly, Washington, Buffalo, and New England. I see them getting 4 0r 5 wins out of that stretch, which would put them at 10-6 or 11-5 to finish the season. Thats a solid Wild Card team.
Detroit has a much tougher finish to their season. After their matchup with the Giants, they still have to face Green Bay twice and Dallas.(Likely outcome, 1-2) Its hard to predict wins for Jon Kitna during those weeks. While KC and Minnesota look to be struggling now, San Diego is a team that is hard to judge. That game is a toss up to predict. (Likely outcome 2-1). So I see Detroit going 3-3 after this weeks matchup. Three or four more wins would have them looking at 9-7 or 10-6.
Now I'm not up to date on all of my playoff tiebreakers for the NFL, but I would assume the Redskins beat the Lions for a playoff spot because of the Redskins win over Detroit during the regular season. So the 'Skins should be realistically aiming for a 10-6 finish. The Redskins schedule finishing up looks like this.
Dal - W/L
TB - W/L
Buf - W
Chi - W
NYG - W/L
Min - W
Dal - W/L
The three games with the W next to them are must wins for Washington. A loss to Buffalo, Chicago, or Minnesota could be a nail in the Skins' coffin. However, even with those 3 wins the team would still have just 8 victories. To get to 10-6 and to feel comfortable with a playoff spot, the Redskins would have to split their 4 games with likely playoff opponents. All but one of those games will be on the road.
It looks like the Giants will likely get one of the two Wild Card spots. Detroit and Washington both have a shaky road towards the end, but have the best shots of any other NFC teams. DC fans really need to cheer hard for anybody coming up against the Lions this year, and the 2 Dallas games for the Skins take on even more of a meaning this year with where the standings are now.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Ravens 22 - Rams 3
My dad is a Ravens season ticket holder, and I was able to meet up with him for my first Ravens game of the year yesterday. Its always great to see a win, but it would have been nice if the Rams showed up to play yesterday. After yesterday's game, it is obvious why they are at 0-6. Their offense is absolutely horrible. Obviously the Ravens are a tough defense to play against. However, Gus Frerotte's 5 interceptions were laughable. One was a dropped ball by a St. Louis receiver, but the others looked like he was just throwing things up in a crowd. Ol' Gus also suffered 4 sacks from the Ravens D. So this is a chicken or the egg scenario. Did the Ravens defense play that well, or were the Rams just that bad. Considering Frerotte threw 3 TDs and 3 INTs last week against the Cardinals, I would have to say a bit of both.
Offensively the Ravens were only slightly better than the Rams. Although the game was never in doubt, the Ravens didn't do much with the ball, and were actually outgained by the Rams. I think the Ravens are struggling offensively because of the general inexperience of their offensive line. Jason Brown had three key penalties in the game, and Chris Chester was flagged for holding on the one yard line. Kyle Boller started the game in place of Steve McNair, and did a good job with the offense. He did have an interception after Chester's penalty put the Ravens back off the goal line, but that pick was the result of Jared Gaither getting beat with a speed rush from Boller's blind side. Its great to see Matt Stover hit 5 field goals, but it would be a lot sweeter for the Ravens if they could manage a few more TDs from those situations.
At the end of the day the only thing that matters is a win. However, the usual frustration with the Ravens offense remains. Atleast Kyle Boller continues to play decently backing up Steve McNair.
Offensively the Ravens were only slightly better than the Rams. Although the game was never in doubt, the Ravens didn't do much with the ball, and were actually outgained by the Rams. I think the Ravens are struggling offensively because of the general inexperience of their offensive line. Jason Brown had three key penalties in the game, and Chris Chester was flagged for holding on the one yard line. Kyle Boller started the game in place of Steve McNair, and did a good job with the offense. He did have an interception after Chester's penalty put the Ravens back off the goal line, but that pick was the result of Jared Gaither getting beat with a speed rush from Boller's blind side. Its great to see Matt Stover hit 5 field goals, but it would be a lot sweeter for the Ravens if they could manage a few more TDs from those situations.
At the end of the day the only thing that matters is a win. However, the usual frustration with the Ravens offense remains. Atleast Kyle Boller continues to play decently backing up Steve McNair.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
So Close!
Whats the only thing as good as a Redskins win?
Answer - A Cowboys loss.
For a good amount of time last night I thought I was going to witness both of those great things happen this weekend. However, the Tony "INT" Romo was able to pull things off in the last few minutes last night to give the Cowboys a victory they certainly shouldn't have had in Buffalo. How bad was that Bills loss? They were +5 in turnover ratio, with 3 returns for touchdowns and still lost the game. Even without scoring an offensive touchdown they could have won it, but the one mistake by Trent Edwards ended up costing them. The other thing that had me upset was Buffalo's effort on the onsides kick. They had 4 guys on the 40 yard line, and not one of them went for the ball. Behind those front line guys, there was only one player lined up to field the ball. Two other guys ran in from out of the picture to help him out, but that really didn't do any good. It looked like the Bills had never practiced for an onsides kick. That was embarassing.
So I'm disappointed that the Cowboys are still undefeated, but atleast the Redskins looked great on Sunday. Jason Campbell has impressed me all year, and he took another step forward with his 23-29, 2 TD performance against the Lions. He didn't make any mistakes all game, and he did that without probably his biggest weapon in Santana Moss. The whole Redskins team played great Sunday. Mike Sellers was an absolute beast. Cooley came through when needed. The Skins were able to rush the ball effectively. Now Clinton just needs to hold on to the ball better.
Defensively they were excellent. The D-line put a ton of pressure on Kitna. Hopefully this is a sign that they are coming around, and not a sign that Detroit is a pass happy team with no O-line. Carlos Rogers also stepped his game up after being criticized a lot early in the season. He and the rest of the secondary shut down all of Detroit's talented receivers. This was definitely one of the best Redskins' performances that I've seen in a while, and it gets me even more excited for the rest of the season.
Answer - A Cowboys loss.
For a good amount of time last night I thought I was going to witness both of those great things happen this weekend. However, the Tony "INT" Romo was able to pull things off in the last few minutes last night to give the Cowboys a victory they certainly shouldn't have had in Buffalo. How bad was that Bills loss? They were +5 in turnover ratio, with 3 returns for touchdowns and still lost the game. Even without scoring an offensive touchdown they could have won it, but the one mistake by Trent Edwards ended up costing them. The other thing that had me upset was Buffalo's effort on the onsides kick. They had 4 guys on the 40 yard line, and not one of them went for the ball. Behind those front line guys, there was only one player lined up to field the ball. Two other guys ran in from out of the picture to help him out, but that really didn't do any good. It looked like the Bills had never practiced for an onsides kick. That was embarassing.
So I'm disappointed that the Cowboys are still undefeated, but atleast the Redskins looked great on Sunday. Jason Campbell has impressed me all year, and he took another step forward with his 23-29, 2 TD performance against the Lions. He didn't make any mistakes all game, and he did that without probably his biggest weapon in Santana Moss. The whole Redskins team played great Sunday. Mike Sellers was an absolute beast. Cooley came through when needed. The Skins were able to rush the ball effectively. Now Clinton just needs to hold on to the ball better.
Defensively they were excellent. The D-line put a ton of pressure on Kitna. Hopefully this is a sign that they are coming around, and not a sign that Detroit is a pass happy team with no O-line. Carlos Rogers also stepped his game up after being criticized a lot early in the season. He and the rest of the secondary shut down all of Detroit's talented receivers. This was definitely one of the best Redskins' performances that I've seen in a while, and it gets me even more excited for the rest of the season.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
NFL Kicks Off
So the Colts are already 1-0, but the season really kicks off this afternoon. The Redskins face the Dolphins which should result in a W for Washington. If Miami pulls something off with Trent Green, then I'll be worried for this upcoming season. I have Miami as one of the bottom feeders in the league this season. I have confidence that Jason Campbell will have a decent start. He looked pretty good in his limited work in pre-season, and I think Santana Moss was excellent. Hopefully Portis and Betts are ready to roll and will show us something with the running game as well.
The D-line will continue to be a question mark until they start getting pressure with 4 rushing the QB. With Laron Landry replacing Adam Archuletta, I feel very confident about our secondary improving. I also think London Fletcher will hold things down at the MLB spot as well. Well...the results will be there for us in just over 3 hours.
As for the Ravens, they get a tough divisional game against Cincy on Monday night. I would love to see Chad Johnson held out of the endzone, so he can save his antics for another week. I'm also wanting to see Willis McGahee break out, because it looks like he was held back during the pre-season.
The D-line will continue to be a question mark until they start getting pressure with 4 rushing the QB. With Laron Landry replacing Adam Archuletta, I feel very confident about our secondary improving. I also think London Fletcher will hold things down at the MLB spot as well. Well...the results will be there for us in just over 3 hours.
As for the Ravens, they get a tough divisional game against Cincy on Monday night. I would love to see Chad Johnson held out of the endzone, so he can save his antics for another week. I'm also wanting to see Willis McGahee break out, because it looks like he was held back during the pre-season.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
'Skins - Ravens Preseason
Well it looks like I took August off from blogging until now. A good amount of vacation can be credited for that. So I was excited to see last night's game between Maryland's 2 NFL teams. The lightning delay meant the O's and the football game were delayed, so my viewing started off with some NASCAR. When the game did finally come around, it was disappointing of course thast Jason Campbell wasn't playing. It would be nice to see him get some good reps since we still haven't seen much of him as a player. I'm not interested in Todd Collins or Mark Brunell in preseason. If the Redskins are forced to play either of them in the regular season, then I guess I'll have to come around. Washington also didn't have what will be their #1 O-line on the field. Chris Samuels is still taking the preseason off, and Pete Kendall didn't start. Clinton Portis is still enjoying his non-contact summer, so we really haven't seen the Redskins' top offense, and probably won't see it until Miami. Santana Moss did look great though on the first play of the game. I'm expecting a big year from him.
On defense the 'Skins are looking really impressive. I questioned after the draft about whether drafting a safety was a great idea for the Redskins. I don't doubt that any more after watching Laron Landry play. He is a stud athlete who seems to play smart, unlike the other safety for Washington. I've also always loved London Fletcher. He still has a lot in the tank apparently, because he is making plays and obviously is a leader on the field. The Redskins gave up their first TD of the preseason last night to the Ravens, which has to make any Redskins fan feel great about the defense when compared to last year.
The Ravens looked decent last night, even with the Redskins D playing well. Steve McNair was playing like an efficient vet with his 14-19 performance. There weren't really any big plays for the Ravens offense, but they kept things mistake free. I would like to have seen more from Willis McGahee this preseason, but I think the Ravens are probably holding back on what their offense will look like with him on the field.
The Ravens D looked like the same old dominating D that Baltimorons have come to expect. They were aggressive and made the Redskins work hard for yardage. They didn't allow a touchdown to the Skin's, which should probably be expected of them. They look prepared and ready for the season.
Its a shame the game was called early for those guys trying to make an impact on the coaches, but its probably not bad for each team to get their guys off of a wet field in a preseason game. Entering the season healthy should be the main concern, and I don't think the final preseason game for either team will show us much more about them. At this point I'm ready for the season to begin, so I have something to do at 1:00 on a Sunday afternoon besides finishing this blog.
On defense the 'Skins are looking really impressive. I questioned after the draft about whether drafting a safety was a great idea for the Redskins. I don't doubt that any more after watching Laron Landry play. He is a stud athlete who seems to play smart, unlike the other safety for Washington. I've also always loved London Fletcher. He still has a lot in the tank apparently, because he is making plays and obviously is a leader on the field. The Redskins gave up their first TD of the preseason last night to the Ravens, which has to make any Redskins fan feel great about the defense when compared to last year.
The Ravens looked decent last night, even with the Redskins D playing well. Steve McNair was playing like an efficient vet with his 14-19 performance. There weren't really any big plays for the Ravens offense, but they kept things mistake free. I would like to have seen more from Willis McGahee this preseason, but I think the Ravens are probably holding back on what their offense will look like with him on the field.
The Ravens D looked like the same old dominating D that Baltimorons have come to expect. They were aggressive and made the Redskins work hard for yardage. They didn't allow a touchdown to the Skin's, which should probably be expected of them. They look prepared and ready for the season.
Its a shame the game was called early for those guys trying to make an impact on the coaches, but its probably not bad for each team to get their guys off of a wet field in a preseason game. Entering the season healthy should be the main concern, and I don't think the final preseason game for either team will show us much more about them. At this point I'm ready for the season to begin, so I have something to do at 1:00 on a Sunday afternoon besides finishing this blog.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Training Camp Begins
Well the training camps have started, and football will only pick up steam from here. The Ravens and Redskins have both had mostly quiet offseasons, which I take as being a good thing.
The Ravens have made the switch from Jamal Lewis to Willis McGahee. While it is sad to see Jamal go, his best years are likely over. McGahee should be in his prime, and ready to show it now that he is out of the hell known as Buffalo. I am excited to see what McGahee does this season. I think the offense will do well with McNair in his second year, and with Clayton and Demetrius Williams having improved. One of the big questions is how much Jon Ogden has left in the tank. I think this will be his last year, so the Ravens need to get as much out of him while they can.
Defensively the Ravens lost Adalius Thomas, which is a huge blow. However, the Ravens have always been good at replacing defensive starters. They should still be very strong on D, and a top 10 defense seems likely. Like Ogden, Ray Lewis is winding down. However, his energy is great for this team, and I see him leading them to the playoffs again in 2007.
More surpisingly than the Ravens having a quiet offseason was the Redskins having one. Isn't it this time of year that Sean Taylor should be running over somebody in his car or drinking himself into an embarassing stupor? Not this time around! And much hasn't even been said about him having issues with the coaching staff. Thats a great sign.
The 'Skins also didn't have any stupid Archuleta-like signings this offseason. London Fletcher was brought in, and he is a great pro who should help the defense mentally as well as on the field. They made reasonable picks in the draft, and didn't kill themselves with any stupid trades. Is TJ Duckett available again? Of course I would have liked to have seen them address the D-line more, but can the production along the line truly get any worse than last year?
Offensively, 2007 will be an interesting year for the Skins. Under Al Saunders' offense for a second year, I expect to see a lot of growth. Jason Campell now has some experience as well, so I expect a lot out of him as well. Its great to have Portis and Betts back, and hopefully their health isn't an issue this year. I definitely expect the Redskins to improve this season. With a first year coach in Dallas, a Tiki-less Giants team, and a moody Donovan McNabb leading the Eagles, the Redskins should have a good chance to work their way towards a playoff spot this season.
The Ravens have made the switch from Jamal Lewis to Willis McGahee. While it is sad to see Jamal go, his best years are likely over. McGahee should be in his prime, and ready to show it now that he is out of the hell known as Buffalo. I am excited to see what McGahee does this season. I think the offense will do well with McNair in his second year, and with Clayton and Demetrius Williams having improved. One of the big questions is how much Jon Ogden has left in the tank. I think this will be his last year, so the Ravens need to get as much out of him while they can.
Defensively the Ravens lost Adalius Thomas, which is a huge blow. However, the Ravens have always been good at replacing defensive starters. They should still be very strong on D, and a top 10 defense seems likely. Like Ogden, Ray Lewis is winding down. However, his energy is great for this team, and I see him leading them to the playoffs again in 2007.
More surpisingly than the Ravens having a quiet offseason was the Redskins having one. Isn't it this time of year that Sean Taylor should be running over somebody in his car or drinking himself into an embarassing stupor? Not this time around! And much hasn't even been said about him having issues with the coaching staff. Thats a great sign.
The 'Skins also didn't have any stupid Archuleta-like signings this offseason. London Fletcher was brought in, and he is a great pro who should help the defense mentally as well as on the field. They made reasonable picks in the draft, and didn't kill themselves with any stupid trades. Is TJ Duckett available again? Of course I would have liked to have seen them address the D-line more, but can the production along the line truly get any worse than last year?
Offensively, 2007 will be an interesting year for the Skins. Under Al Saunders' offense for a second year, I expect to see a lot of growth. Jason Campell now has some experience as well, so I expect a lot out of him as well. Its great to have Portis and Betts back, and hopefully their health isn't an issue this year. I definitely expect the Redskins to improve this season. With a first year coach in Dallas, a Tiki-less Giants team, and a moody Donovan McNabb leading the Eagles, the Redskins should have a good chance to work their way towards a playoff spot this season.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Draft Recap
The NFL Draft is over and of course there is much to be said about the whole damn thing. As expected of the 2 local teams, the Ravens look to have done alright while the Redskins look like they just don't get it.
Redskins - LaRon Landry looks to be a great player. He seems to have a great attitude to go along with his physical skills. His brother is also Dawan Landry from the Ravens, so he will have a good idea of what to expect coming into the League. But this pick really wasn't necessary at all. The Skins already have 5 safeties on the roster after trading Adam Archuletta. Do you really need to go 3 deep at each safety spot? And although Landry has better athleticism than Archuletta does, especially comparing their ages, he seems to be in the same mold of a player as Taylor and Archuletta. He is a headhunter. He loves to hit. We saw what happened last season when you play 2 safeties who love to get up and make plays but can't seem to get back into coverage adequately. Maybe Landry can cover deep and make plays near the line, but he will be forced to do that with the Redskins defense as it is right now.
The rest of the 'Skins picks were on the second day. Not much high impact probability, but a great chance to add depth to a team that desperately needs it. With their 4 picks the team took 2 LBs, a QB, and a TE. I understand taking 2 LBs. It is a position with starters filled in, but injuries happen and you need depth as well as special teamers on a roster. The TE and QB choice just don't fit what this team needs. Gibbs loves his TEs. He can't get enough of the friggin' H-Back type of guys on his team, and this seems like a pick made to appease the offense after giving Gregg Williams his choice to get Landry. The QB choice is the worst though. This team already has 3 QBs on the roster. Jordan Palmer might be a decent late round pick, but not for this team.
The Skins biggest problem on their roster was the D-line. The team only had 19 sacks in 16 games last year. That is atrocious. How do they justify drafting a 4th quarterback who won't see any game time even if he makes the team, while not trying to find somebody to help their D-line. Maybe the 'Skins made all the right moves, but I don't see it that way right now. I'm frustrated as a fan, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Ravens - Now on to the draft kings. The Ravens seem to always draft contributors to their team. While their 2007 draft looks boring without any big names besides Troy Smith, it looks like they did a solid job of filling needs on an already talented team.
Ben Grubbs was supposedly the best guard in the draft. Although the Ravens drafted 29th, they got maybe one of the best players in the draft, because OG is such an underappreciated position. With Edwin Mulitalo cut by the team this offseason, drafting an impact guard seems to be a smart move. They also added more depth to the O-line with their 3rd round choice of Marshall Yanda.
Yamon Figurs was their other 3rd round choice. While I know nothing about him, I heard he had the fastest time at the draft, so that isn't that bad.
The Ravens other choice were a FB(a position needing depth), 2 OLBs(good choices to help counter the loss of Adalius Thomas), and Troy Smith at QB(good pick for Ravens with only 2 QBs on roster last season).
So the Ravens addressed their needs. With a talented roster coming back, the depth at critical positions will be great for this team. Although there aren't any highlight reel players like Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, or Todd Heap in this draft class, it looks like it can still be a great success.
Redskins - LaRon Landry looks to be a great player. He seems to have a great attitude to go along with his physical skills. His brother is also Dawan Landry from the Ravens, so he will have a good idea of what to expect coming into the League. But this pick really wasn't necessary at all. The Skins already have 5 safeties on the roster after trading Adam Archuletta. Do you really need to go 3 deep at each safety spot? And although Landry has better athleticism than Archuletta does, especially comparing their ages, he seems to be in the same mold of a player as Taylor and Archuletta. He is a headhunter. He loves to hit. We saw what happened last season when you play 2 safeties who love to get up and make plays but can't seem to get back into coverage adequately. Maybe Landry can cover deep and make plays near the line, but he will be forced to do that with the Redskins defense as it is right now.
The rest of the 'Skins picks were on the second day. Not much high impact probability, but a great chance to add depth to a team that desperately needs it. With their 4 picks the team took 2 LBs, a QB, and a TE. I understand taking 2 LBs. It is a position with starters filled in, but injuries happen and you need depth as well as special teamers on a roster. The TE and QB choice just don't fit what this team needs. Gibbs loves his TEs. He can't get enough of the friggin' H-Back type of guys on his team, and this seems like a pick made to appease the offense after giving Gregg Williams his choice to get Landry. The QB choice is the worst though. This team already has 3 QBs on the roster. Jordan Palmer might be a decent late round pick, but not for this team.
The Skins biggest problem on their roster was the D-line. The team only had 19 sacks in 16 games last year. That is atrocious. How do they justify drafting a 4th quarterback who won't see any game time even if he makes the team, while not trying to find somebody to help their D-line. Maybe the 'Skins made all the right moves, but I don't see it that way right now. I'm frustrated as a fan, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Ravens - Now on to the draft kings. The Ravens seem to always draft contributors to their team. While their 2007 draft looks boring without any big names besides Troy Smith, it looks like they did a solid job of filling needs on an already talented team.
Ben Grubbs was supposedly the best guard in the draft. Although the Ravens drafted 29th, they got maybe one of the best players in the draft, because OG is such an underappreciated position. With Edwin Mulitalo cut by the team this offseason, drafting an impact guard seems to be a smart move. They also added more depth to the O-line with their 3rd round choice of Marshall Yanda.
Yamon Figurs was their other 3rd round choice. While I know nothing about him, I heard he had the fastest time at the draft, so that isn't that bad.
The Ravens other choice were a FB(a position needing depth), 2 OLBs(good choices to help counter the loss of Adalius Thomas), and Troy Smith at QB(good pick for Ravens with only 2 QBs on roster last season).
So the Ravens addressed their needs. With a talented roster coming back, the depth at critical positions will be great for this team. Although there aren't any highlight reel players like Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, or Todd Heap in this draft class, it looks like it can still be a great success.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Losing Streak
Have the Orioles coming crashing down to Earth this early? It seems the Orioles are always raising hopes early in the spring, only to crumble as the season goes on. Just last Sunday the Orioles were 11-7. 4 games over .500 and even ESPN was praising the birds on Baseball Tonight. Well 4 days later the O's are back to 11-11 and 3.5 games out of 1st. What is the lesson from all of this? Baseball is too long of a season to pay any mind to the standings until after the All Star break. Remember how the O's led the AL East into June of 2004. Palmeiro was chasing 3,000 and the O's were winning. It felt like '97 again for a few months. Than the ship sank. The Orioles started losing...Palmeiro tested positive for an illegal supplement, Roberts got injured, and the Orioles lost a whole lot more. That will be remembered as an awful year for the O's, but early on it looked great.
Remember that year when you judge the current team at this point in the season. I still check the scores every day to see if the Orioles win or lose, but their record won't matter for another couple of months.
Quick Pros and Cons from the most recent game.
Pro - Adam Loewen has a 3.20 era. Other teams have a lot of difficulty scoring off of him.
Con - Loewen is walking a ton of guys. He isn't letting those guys score, but it knocks him out of the game way too early.
Pro - Ramon Hernandez - Dude had a good debut with 2 hits and a walk. The O's finally played a game with their full contingent of players tonight.
Con - Chris Ray - Only been scored on twice this year, but both times were Grand Slams that blew a save and lost a game for the O's. To AL East rivals no less.
Wizards Note...They can't hang with the Cavs. Should be a lot of seats available at the Phone Booth.
Nats Note...Tied for the worst record in the league with KC. Atleast the stadium project seems to be coming along nicely.
Draft Note...Mel Kiper and other experts predict the 'Skins will take LaRon Landry from LSU. I think the Redskins need more help on the D-line than in the secondary. Okoye from Louisville is amazing. Just 19 years old and already graduated college. Not only is he a sick player, but he seems to be an even more incredible person. The type of person you want on your team. Not much excitement for the Skins after that first pick.
I don't know where the Ravens will go with their picks, but Ozzie Newsome never screws up the draft. Baltimore always finds impact players on draft day...no worries there.
Remember that year when you judge the current team at this point in the season. I still check the scores every day to see if the Orioles win or lose, but their record won't matter for another couple of months.
Quick Pros and Cons from the most recent game.
Pro - Adam Loewen has a 3.20 era. Other teams have a lot of difficulty scoring off of him.
Con - Loewen is walking a ton of guys. He isn't letting those guys score, but it knocks him out of the game way too early.
Pro - Ramon Hernandez - Dude had a good debut with 2 hits and a walk. The O's finally played a game with their full contingent of players tonight.
Con - Chris Ray - Only been scored on twice this year, but both times were Grand Slams that blew a save and lost a game for the O's. To AL East rivals no less.
Wizards Note...They can't hang with the Cavs. Should be a lot of seats available at the Phone Booth.
Nats Note...Tied for the worst record in the league with KC. Atleast the stadium project seems to be coming along nicely.
Draft Note...Mel Kiper and other experts predict the 'Skins will take LaRon Landry from LSU. I think the Redskins need more help on the D-line than in the secondary. Okoye from Louisville is amazing. Just 19 years old and already graduated college. Not only is he a sick player, but he seems to be an even more incredible person. The type of person you want on your team. Not much excitement for the Skins after that first pick.
I don't know where the Ravens will go with their picks, but Ozzie Newsome never screws up the draft. Baltimore always finds impact players on draft day...no worries there.
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