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 jason campbell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jason campbell. 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, 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, 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.
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