Over the course of an NFL Sunday, despite the fact that there are at most 16 games there are seemingly hundreds of angles. This is never more obvious than in the final weeks, when playoff possibilities, tiebreaker scenarios and clinching situations take center stage. In December, the game behind the games is just as intriguing-- or sometimes just as frustrating. Unlike recent seasons (last year the Skins held off a late Eagles rally but were eliminated when Atlanta won) the playoff intrigue has been replaced by palace intrigue in Ashburn.
Stale of the Century-- the 100th meeting between the Redskins and Cowboys felt little like the NFL's greatest rivalry it claims to be (it's clearly in the top ten-- top five if both teams are good)... a 17-0 whitewash wrapped up a postseason berth for the suddenly good in December Cowboys and pushed the Jim Zorn era one game closer to matching the Steve Spurrier error's record (JZ is 12-19; Spurrier was 12-20).
Top rivalries today: Pats-Colts, Steelers-Ravens,Packers-Vikes (Favre factor puts this one into consideration... Classic rivalries: Steelers-Raiders in the 70's, Redskins-Cowboys from 1971 to 87, Broncos-Browns in the late 80's, Cowboys-Niners before the Switzer factor took full effect, Raiders-Chiefs before Al Davis lost his mind.
Cold as ice-- despite the recent warming there was plenty of frost on the field... from the Redskins offense. The running game netted 43 yards on 18 carries. Jason Campbell completed over 60% of his passes but they were mostly of the short-stuff style...just over 8 yards per completion. The inability to convert third downs (4 of 14...29%) once again hurt this team (Skins rank 23rd in the league for the season). Not once did the Redskins reach the red zone (they reached the Cowboys 31 on their final possession).
They might be Giants? not really-- six days after blasting the Redskins by 33 points, the New York Giants closed Giants Stadium with a 32 point loss to Carolina... allowing 206 yards rushing to Jonathan Stewart. So much for a 5-0 start... and so much for any NFC intrigue (wins by Dallas and Green Bay wrapped up wildcard berths for both).
Good on paper not good enough-- the defense held the high-scoring Cowboys to 17 points and kept Tony Romo & company out of the end zone after halftime... but Dallas was more than content to play keepaway. After passing the ball 12 more times than they ran over the first two quarters, the Cowboys ran the ball 10 more times in the final two quarters.
Can anyone make sense of the AFC? Five 8-7 and two 7-8 teams are in the mix for a pair of wildcard spots...the Jets and Ravens merely need victories to clinch... Houston and Pittsburgh need victories plus help while the Jaguars and Dolphins need wins plus more than a few natural disasters. The Broncos are the fulcrum team in the mix-- there are ten scenarios that get Denver into the postseason, each of which involves other teams. Good luck figuring that one out.
What's a Haynesworth?-- after getting kicked out of practice on Christmas Day (bah humbug!) and complaining about how he's been used (basically saying the Skins purchased a high-end model train and are playing with it in the bathtub) Saturday... the Skins million dollar man tallied a tackle and two assists. Unfortunately his presence on the line only led to one sack by the pass rush (Philip Daniels).
Pursuit of Perfection prevented by putting in Painter; or Gelded Colts-- Coach Jim Caldwell, thanks for taking the air out of what was one of the best stories to follow this fall. For two months Monday's lead story has been how New Orleans and Indianapolis have remained unbeaten; one week after the Saints lost their first game (despite battling back against Dallas) coach Caldwell lifted Peyton Manning and more than a few starters midway through the third quarter-- resulting in a 29-15 fold that saw backup quarterback Curtis Painter completed just 4 of 11 passes with an interception and a fumble that was picked up for the Jets go-ahead touchdown. The engineered loss win not only places a team on the precipice of playoff elimination into the driver's seat for a wildcard berth, it takes the Colts out of their rhythm. Remember 2005? Coach Tony Dungy took his foot off the gas in December and the Colts played horribly in a 21-18 loss to Pittsburgh in the Divisional Playoffs. Remember 2007? The Colts played nobody in a season-ending loss to Tennessee (which eliminated 10-6 Cleveland)... and went on to play poorly in a 28-24 loss to San Diego in the Divisional Playoffs. Especially with a first round bye, do you really want your team to be that refreshed for the playoffs?
Tracking the Triumvirate-- the firm of Thomas, Davis & Kelly wasn't immune from Sunday's shutout... a bad ankle sidelining Thomas, Davis limited to 2 catches for 29 yards and Kelly held to under 7 yards a reception (4 for 25). Season total: 87 catches for 1,026 yards and 9 touchdowns. Last year the trio combined for 21 catches... this year the least productive of the three (Kelly) is one catch shy of 21...and it looked for a big part of the early season as though the Skins were holding three bust cards.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Redskins rehash-- fools burgundy and gold...
Things were going too well over the last month. Even in their losses, the previously inept Skins gave the impression that they were playing well--and getting much better as a football team. The offense was finally opening up with back to back 30-point efforts as well. And now with a new General Manager on hand-- this emerging power only needed minor tweaking to cement its status...
Yeah, right. That's why the Skins 45-12 loss to the Giants was the best thing that could happen to this team long-term. No illusions... no more reading into the late-season mirage. Coach Jim Zorn's team is much closer to the bunch that went 2-6 and played poorly in just about every game than the team that went 2-3 on the back of five strong efforts.
D earns an F-- the Skins coughed up 232 yards in the first half and allowed the Giants to score on their first four possessions. The first drive set the tone for the night--a 16 play march over 9:13 that saw balance (9 runs and 7 passes) and power... and then after Redskins punt they
Offensive offense-- three straight three and outs to start the game. Fifty-one first half yards. Five sacks allowed. The near decapitation of Jason Campbell, Todd Collins and even Hunter Smith-- more on the punters most recent memorable play later.
Element of Surprise? Overrated! Twice this fall the Redskins have scored off of the fake field goal--the first time coming against the Giants in the season opener. Thus, with time winding down in the first half they were in position to get on the scoreboard with a 31 yard field goal- and who would think they'd try to put the ball in the hands of their punter once again? Certainly not the team they burned in week one! After the Giants called timeout, they ran the same exact play with three men rushing Hunter Smith. Why would the Giants think to defend against a fake field goal? Talk about bad luck. I'm surprised-- surprised the Giants didn't return the INT back for a touchdown.
What's a Haynesworth?-- the Skins 100 million dollar man recorded his first sack in almost two months (increasing his total to four) while adding six tackles... after the game the defensive tackle let his frustration with the Redskins record and his role in the defensive scheme show. Oh, and his wallet was made lighter by 10-grand after he was fined by the league regarding a scuffle he got into with the Giants Brandon Jacobs.
Tracking the triumvirate-- Devin Thomas was shut out... so the combination of Fred Davis and Malcolm Kelly notched 6 catches for 74 yards and a touchdown... bringing the season-long total to 81-1,072-9...and no mentions of the offensive linemen available in both rounds who went on to become starters in the league. Oops...
Yeah, right. That's why the Skins 45-12 loss to the Giants was the best thing that could happen to this team long-term. No illusions... no more reading into the late-season mirage. Coach Jim Zorn's team is much closer to the bunch that went 2-6 and played poorly in just about every game than the team that went 2-3 on the back of five strong efforts.
D earns an F-- the Skins coughed up 232 yards in the first half and allowed the Giants to score on their first four possessions. The first drive set the tone for the night--a 16 play march over 9:13 that saw balance (9 runs and 7 passes) and power... and then after Redskins punt they
Offensive offense-- three straight three and outs to start the game. Fifty-one first half yards. Five sacks allowed. The near decapitation of Jason Campbell, Todd Collins and even Hunter Smith-- more on the punters most recent memorable play later.
Element of Surprise? Overrated! Twice this fall the Redskins have scored off of the fake field goal--the first time coming against the Giants in the season opener. Thus, with time winding down in the first half they were in position to get on the scoreboard with a 31 yard field goal- and who would think they'd try to put the ball in the hands of their punter once again? Certainly not the team they burned in week one! After the Giants called timeout, they ran the same exact play with three men rushing Hunter Smith. Why would the Giants think to defend against a fake field goal? Talk about bad luck. I'm surprised-- surprised the Giants didn't return the INT back for a touchdown.
What's a Haynesworth?-- the Skins 100 million dollar man recorded his first sack in almost two months (increasing his total to four) while adding six tackles... after the game the defensive tackle let his frustration with the Redskins record and his role in the defensive scheme show. Oh, and his wallet was made lighter by 10-grand after he was fined by the league regarding a scuffle he got into with the Giants Brandon Jacobs.
Tracking the triumvirate-- Devin Thomas was shut out... so the combination of Fred Davis and Malcolm Kelly notched 6 catches for 74 yards and a touchdown... bringing the season-long total to 81-1,072-9...and no mentions of the offensive linemen available in both rounds who went on to become starters in the league. Oops...
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Redskins Rasputin laid to rest... right?
Say what you will about the Redskins-- good or bad, they're entertaining. Even when they're not entertaining, they're entertaining precisely because they're not entertaining. So with the Wizards and Capitals out west, the Nationals making minimal noise on the hot stove league, college hoops dormant with examtime and college football done until signing day-- the Skins moved papers off the shelves once again.
The Vinny Cerrato era came to an end Thursday morning when it was announced the Skins Executive of Football Operations would be resigning...followed by a day-long deluge on both DC sportsradio stations and super-duper pullout sections in both Washington area papers the next day (TV tempers Skinsationalism with Blizzard Watch 2009--this time it's seasonal!).
What amazed many was that it took this long for Cerrato to meet his demise... this is a guy who has been massively unpopular and disrespected for quite some time (you could trace it to Marty Schottenheimer firing Vinny in his first move as coach/czar in 2001... only to have VC return when Marty-seen by many as the best coach/director of ops with the current owner-was fired).
The book Catch-22 features a character named Major Major (played by Bob Newhart in the highly underrated film of the same name) and reads "Some men are born mediocre. Some achieve mediocrity in life. Others have mediocrity thrust upon them. Major Major was all three." The Skins have tried several different approaches over the last decade...and there's been little sustained success. For whatever reason, things just didn't seem to work with Vinny at the helm (or sharing the helm with owner Dan Snyder)...
They tried to outspend teams-- and the gorging at the free agent buffet table resulted in a roster of indigestion... an 8-8 campaign and a swift end to the Norv Turner era (to be fair, the Snyder/Turner tandem wasn't going to work longterm).
They tailored the roster to resemble a Gator Alumni event-- and the signing of anyone with a Florida connection save Erin Andrews transformed a blue collar offense to one that was incredible in Osaka... but not so in this hemisphere. Even more depressing was the fact that the Gibbs Skins of 2004 would have been much better off had he inherited Marty's bunch than Spurrier's material.
They invented the phrase "Jetskins"-- remember the frenzy to bring in former New York Jets as free agents or through trades? What was with that? It wasn't like Herman Edwards' crew was tearing things up (although they did go 9-7)... the Jetskins crashed to a 5-11 thud that included a faxed resignation.
Subtraction by addition-- after making the playoffs the trade for San Francisco WR Brandon Lloyd and signing of DB Adam Archeletta were supposed to put this team over the top... instead both went down as huge disappointments on the field and in the locker room.
Finally the Draft-- in 2008 the Skins had a wealth of picks... and although they ignored the need on offensive line their 3 second rounders appear to be contributors a year later...in fact every player remained with the team last year. But neglecting the OL over the years finally caught up with the burgundy and gold.
Coaching carousel-- Vinny's procured players for a hot college coach (Spurrier)... an underrated pro assistant (Zorn)... plus a living legend (Gibbs). Their records : 12-20, 12-17 and 31-36.
Vinny was fired when Marty came on board in 2001, leading many to think he was gone forever... and after the Spurrier error/era he survived Gibbs' return... and dodged any and all bullets after the disastrous 2006 offseason that almost sunk the Skins--and would have pink-slipped almost any other front office type around the league.
So is this it for Vinny? Some reports have him remaining with the team in another capacity... in theory it's to keep him from talking about his time with the Skins, but if we've learned anything from Czarist Russia and the Redskins-- stranger things have happened.
The Vinny Cerrato era came to an end Thursday morning when it was announced the Skins Executive of Football Operations would be resigning...followed by a day-long deluge on both DC sportsradio stations and super-duper pullout sections in both Washington area papers the next day (TV tempers Skinsationalism with Blizzard Watch 2009--this time it's seasonal!).
What amazed many was that it took this long for Cerrato to meet his demise... this is a guy who has been massively unpopular and disrespected for quite some time (you could trace it to Marty Schottenheimer firing Vinny in his first move as coach/czar in 2001... only to have VC return when Marty-seen by many as the best coach/director of ops with the current owner-was fired).
The book Catch-22 features a character named Major Major (played by Bob Newhart in the highly underrated film of the same name) and reads "Some men are born mediocre. Some achieve mediocrity in life. Others have mediocrity thrust upon them. Major Major was all three." The Skins have tried several different approaches over the last decade...and there's been little sustained success. For whatever reason, things just didn't seem to work with Vinny at the helm (or sharing the helm with owner Dan Snyder)...
They tried to outspend teams-- and the gorging at the free agent buffet table resulted in a roster of indigestion... an 8-8 campaign and a swift end to the Norv Turner era (to be fair, the Snyder/Turner tandem wasn't going to work longterm).
They tailored the roster to resemble a Gator Alumni event-- and the signing of anyone with a Florida connection save Erin Andrews transformed a blue collar offense to one that was incredible in Osaka... but not so in this hemisphere. Even more depressing was the fact that the Gibbs Skins of 2004 would have been much better off had he inherited Marty's bunch than Spurrier's material.
They invented the phrase "Jetskins"-- remember the frenzy to bring in former New York Jets as free agents or through trades? What was with that? It wasn't like Herman Edwards' crew was tearing things up (although they did go 9-7)... the Jetskins crashed to a 5-11 thud that included a faxed resignation.
Subtraction by addition-- after making the playoffs the trade for San Francisco WR Brandon Lloyd and signing of DB Adam Archeletta were supposed to put this team over the top... instead both went down as huge disappointments on the field and in the locker room.
Finally the Draft-- in 2008 the Skins had a wealth of picks... and although they ignored the need on offensive line their 3 second rounders appear to be contributors a year later...in fact every player remained with the team last year. But neglecting the OL over the years finally caught up with the burgundy and gold.
Coaching carousel-- Vinny's procured players for a hot college coach (Spurrier)... an underrated pro assistant (Zorn)... plus a living legend (Gibbs). Their records : 12-20, 12-17 and 31-36.
Vinny was fired when Marty came on board in 2001, leading many to think he was gone forever... and after the Spurrier error/era he survived Gibbs' return... and dodged any and all bullets after the disastrous 2006 offseason that almost sunk the Skins--and would have pink-slipped almost any other front office type around the league.
So is this it for Vinny? Some reports have him remaining with the team in another capacity... in theory it's to keep him from talking about his time with the Skins, but if we've learned anything from Czarist Russia and the Redskins-- stranger things have happened.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Merry Snickers? A gift like no other...
We all get an odd assortment of presents during the holiday season... some we like (DVD, new shirt, jewelry) and some we wonder about (belt, bathrobe, thesaurus)-- but no gift received anywhere was as strange as one present I'll never forget.
I was living in NH and working weekend mornings at a radio station... I often worked at another job Friday nights; so I would drive right over and take a nap on the station couch for a few hours. There was always a board operator for the AM (news-talk-sports) and a DJ on the FM (classic rock) in the building... and before I settled in for a quick nap I chatted with the AM board-op.
This man was not all there. He regularly wore yellow pants and a black baseball cap with no logo whatsoever while bringing his gun and porn collection to work. Jack had a voice that would inexplicably rise an octave during normal conversation. He drove his trans-am once a year because he wanted to keep it clean. He engaged in an affair with a truck driver's wife and married a woman half his age-- when he was 32 (it's one thing to have parental permission, another for it to be state-mandated). Jack O'Brien (his air-name at the time) was capable of anything.
That night he asked me if I liked Snickers bars... and who doesn't? I said I did and he told me there were some in the FM studio with Sean (the FM DJ-- who was quite a bit more sane than Jack). Simple enough.
Sean handed me a huge ziploc bag filled with wrapperless candy bars... and that's when things became surreal. I asked what the deal was and he told me "Jack will fill you in"... did he ever. He told me that although he didn't like Snickers bars he wanted to collect the wrappers. Was there some contest where he received a hat for sending in proofs of purchase? Was he on a mission to find a golden ticket?
Jack showed me a photo album... but inside there were white pictures of Christmas scenes. He explained "there's this girl at work I have a crush on... she likes Snickers bars and I'm making her a Christmas Card with the wrappers". Okay, things can't get any stranger, can they?
I looked at the pictures. Santa instead of sliding down a chimney was sliding down a Snickers bar. Santa instead of riding a sleigh--riding a snickers bar. Instead of the usual holiday greetings, the captions were "Merry SNICKERS" and "Have a SNICKERS New Year".
This would have been enough, but he felt the need to explain every page...: "Don't you get it, Dave?--Santa's sliding down a SNICKERS bar!"..."Look- it's a SNICKERS tree!" (nothing sounds stranger than a high-pitched "SNICKERS"...
He gave her the card. It didn't have the desired effect as she got engaged to another man within the month (no word whether or not he was a truck driver)... and the legend of Merry Snickers lives on.
I was living in NH and working weekend mornings at a radio station... I often worked at another job Friday nights; so I would drive right over and take a nap on the station couch for a few hours. There was always a board operator for the AM (news-talk-sports) and a DJ on the FM (classic rock) in the building... and before I settled in for a quick nap I chatted with the AM board-op.
This man was not all there. He regularly wore yellow pants and a black baseball cap with no logo whatsoever while bringing his gun and porn collection to work. Jack had a voice that would inexplicably rise an octave during normal conversation. He drove his trans-am once a year because he wanted to keep it clean. He engaged in an affair with a truck driver's wife and married a woman half his age-- when he was 32 (it's one thing to have parental permission, another for it to be state-mandated). Jack O'Brien (his air-name at the time) was capable of anything.
That night he asked me if I liked Snickers bars... and who doesn't? I said I did and he told me there were some in the FM studio with Sean (the FM DJ-- who was quite a bit more sane than Jack). Simple enough.
Sean handed me a huge ziploc bag filled with wrapperless candy bars... and that's when things became surreal. I asked what the deal was and he told me "Jack will fill you in"... did he ever. He told me that although he didn't like Snickers bars he wanted to collect the wrappers. Was there some contest where he received a hat for sending in proofs of purchase? Was he on a mission to find a golden ticket?
Jack showed me a photo album... but inside there were white pictures of Christmas scenes. He explained "there's this girl at work I have a crush on... she likes Snickers bars and I'm making her a Christmas Card with the wrappers". Okay, things can't get any stranger, can they?
I looked at the pictures. Santa instead of sliding down a chimney was sliding down a Snickers bar. Santa instead of riding a sleigh--riding a snickers bar. Instead of the usual holiday greetings, the captions were "Merry SNICKERS" and "Have a SNICKERS New Year".
This would have been enough, but he felt the need to explain every page...: "Don't you get it, Dave?--Santa's sliding down a SNICKERS bar!"..."Look- it's a SNICKERS tree!" (nothing sounds stranger than a high-pitched "SNICKERS"...
He gave her the card. It didn't have the desired effect as she got engaged to another man within the month (no word whether or not he was a truck driver)... and the legend of Merry Snickers lives on.
Redskins Rehash-- December miracle or mirage?
WOW! Break up the Redskins! After a 2-6 start they evidently have been showing their true selves (2-3... but outscoring opponents 121-97!) and have a multitude of contributions from every backup who's had a chance to contribute (Fred Davis to Reed Doughty)... they are going to be SO MUCH better next year-- right?
Step back... this 4-9 team has beaten bad backup quarterbacks (Chris Simms and Jamarcus Russell) to avoid a double-digit season-- if Kyle Orton or Bruce Gradkowski play a full 60, chances are things are quite different. The Raiders are an absolute mess (the worst franchise in football hands-down, if only because Al Davis should know better)-- and the Broncos were in the middle of a major slide (from 6-0 to 6-4). The three games the Skins needed to win to stay in contention? All close losses where they gave good efforts but weren't good enough to win. Is this situation hopeless? Hardly, but let's not turn a competitive stretch into something it's not.
Throw away the thermometer-- for the first time under coach Zorn, the Skins played way above their opposition...and maintained it for the entire game. This is the effort and execution everyone was looking for in games against Tampa Bay and St. Louis. Well done, lads.
Ask no quarter-- nice fourth period push...outscoring the Raiders 17-0 to lock up a victory. After allowing three straight opponents to get back into games, it was good to see the Skins not just shut but slam the door with authority-- outgaining Oakland 91-11 in the final period of play.
Bad Backups-- here's another place Jason Campbell could wind up if he's not wanted around here... can you believe how awful Jamarcus Russell is? I'm not trying to turn Bruce Gradkowski into Ken Stabler or even Darryl Lamonica, but Oakland gained 188 yards with BG as their QB before halftime--and was held to 39 after intermission with the former #1 draft pick at the helm.
Return to Sender-- someone please stop Antwan Randle El before he lines up again! Two returns, no yards... and guess what? a muffed kick that the Raiders recovered! Why is he still back there? Does anyone know? #82 averages 3.9 yards per return...why is he still there? He also has 3 more fair catches than actual returns...why? Why? Like interest on a credit card that's not taken care of... yards are seeping away from the Skins-- and when they lose 6 games by less than a touchdown, these seemingly tiny yards loom large.
What's a Haynesworth?-- the 100 million dollar man missed his third game in four weeks... good thing the team isn't in a playoff race, because then they'd really be missing his presence inside.
The Joy of Sacks-- the pass rush didn't miss a beat minus Haynesworth; they actually were on fire, posting a season-high 8 sacks...including six after halftime when the Raiders where in obvious passing situations. Andre Carter added a pair to increase his total to 11... but he didn't have the most dominant day...
B.O. smells great!-- Brian Orakpo moved into a tie with Carter for the team lead at 11 thanks to four sacks against the Raiders... and the Texas product also forced a fumble. Great pick, gentlemen.
Tracking the Triumvirate-- the firm of Davis, Kelly & Thomas tallied 6 catches for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns...bringing their season's total to 75 (almost 4 times last year) for 898 yards and 8 scores. Nice to see all three get into the act this season after quiet 2008's.
Davis deserves his own entry-- oh yeah... 35 grabs for 369 yards and 5 TD's... I hope they keep Cooley and use a lot of twin-tight end sets next year... much like the Skins in the 80's... Cooley's the more natural "flex-TE/H-back" while Davis belongs on the line.
Step back... this 4-9 team has beaten bad backup quarterbacks (Chris Simms and Jamarcus Russell) to avoid a double-digit season-- if Kyle Orton or Bruce Gradkowski play a full 60, chances are things are quite different. The Raiders are an absolute mess (the worst franchise in football hands-down, if only because Al Davis should know better)-- and the Broncos were in the middle of a major slide (from 6-0 to 6-4). The three games the Skins needed to win to stay in contention? All close losses where they gave good efforts but weren't good enough to win. Is this situation hopeless? Hardly, but let's not turn a competitive stretch into something it's not.
Throw away the thermometer-- for the first time under coach Zorn, the Skins played way above their opposition...and maintained it for the entire game. This is the effort and execution everyone was looking for in games against Tampa Bay and St. Louis. Well done, lads.
Ask no quarter-- nice fourth period push...outscoring the Raiders 17-0 to lock up a victory. After allowing three straight opponents to get back into games, it was good to see the Skins not just shut but slam the door with authority-- outgaining Oakland 91-11 in the final period of play.
Bad Backups-- here's another place Jason Campbell could wind up if he's not wanted around here... can you believe how awful Jamarcus Russell is? I'm not trying to turn Bruce Gradkowski into Ken Stabler or even Darryl Lamonica, but Oakland gained 188 yards with BG as their QB before halftime--and was held to 39 after intermission with the former #1 draft pick at the helm.
Return to Sender-- someone please stop Antwan Randle El before he lines up again! Two returns, no yards... and guess what? a muffed kick that the Raiders recovered! Why is he still back there? Does anyone know? #82 averages 3.9 yards per return...why is he still there? He also has 3 more fair catches than actual returns...why? Why? Like interest on a credit card that's not taken care of... yards are seeping away from the Skins-- and when they lose 6 games by less than a touchdown, these seemingly tiny yards loom large.
What's a Haynesworth?-- the 100 million dollar man missed his third game in four weeks... good thing the team isn't in a playoff race, because then they'd really be missing his presence inside.
The Joy of Sacks-- the pass rush didn't miss a beat minus Haynesworth; they actually were on fire, posting a season-high 8 sacks...including six after halftime when the Raiders where in obvious passing situations. Andre Carter added a pair to increase his total to 11... but he didn't have the most dominant day...
B.O. smells great!-- Brian Orakpo moved into a tie with Carter for the team lead at 11 thanks to four sacks against the Raiders... and the Texas product also forced a fumble. Great pick, gentlemen.
Tracking the Triumvirate-- the firm of Davis, Kelly & Thomas tallied 6 catches for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns...bringing their season's total to 75 (almost 4 times last year) for 898 yards and 8 scores. Nice to see all three get into the act this season after quiet 2008's.
Davis deserves his own entry-- oh yeah... 35 grabs for 369 yards and 5 TD's... I hope they keep Cooley and use a lot of twin-tight end sets next year... much like the Skins in the 80's... Cooley's the more natural "flex-TE/H-back" while Davis belongs on the line.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
College Football Corner: Break out the brackets !
College football should have a playoff. Enough said. Any questions? What sort of justification can there be that there isn't one for Division I-A (Bowl Subdivision for those scoring at home)? It is the only sport that isn't decided on the field. The BCS formula turns the ultimate sport into gymnastics or figure skating (with no East German judge to provide humor)... and it's definitely time for the sport to move into the current century.
That said... what should the alternative be? Much like the NCAA basketball tournament went from 8 schools in 1939 to 64 in 1985... we can't expect pure perfection at first. I'm fine with a 4 or 8 team bracket... although to do it right we'd need a sweet sixteen.
Each conference gets an automatic bid-- yes... the Sun Belt, MAC and Conference USA get representation-- and why not? They're playing D-I FBS just like the others... since members of the WAC and MWC operate as guaranteed wins for the big boys of the SEC and Pac-Ten... the best of their lot deserves something.
Eleven conference champs mean five wildcard slots are open. This allows a very good team (Florida this year, Texas last year) that came up just short of a conference crown to still have a shot at the national title. And there would be few complaints of the sixth wildcard that didn't get in-- if you can't win your league or finish in the top five, better luck next time.
Balance the bracket with regional ties-- Alabama to the South, Texas to the Midwest, Boise State to the West... this isn't brain surgery. MAC in the Midwest...Sun Belt to the South... the bracket almost writes itself.
Home field for the first round-- rewards teams who've had excellent seasons... and keeps costs down (I'd subsidize the lower seeded schools travel costs within reason). Games would be played the second or third Saturday of December.
Regional Finals on New Years Day-- neutral sites would give fans the Rose, Sugar, Cotton, Fiesta, Holiday, Citrus and Peach as warm-weather destinations... plus give these bowls some juice for the first time in a while. You can even add in some dome locations (St Louis' "Gateway" and Detroit's "Motor City" bowls) to spread the wealth.
National Semis a week and a half after New Years Day... Championship game eight days before the Super Bowl-- just a thought...
So... without further ado here's this year's bracket that wasn't...
South--
#1 Alabama vs Troy
#8 Ohio vs #9 Georgia Tech
East--
#4 Cincinnati vs #13 LSU
#5 Florida vs #12 Virginia Tech
Midwest--
#2 Texas vs Central Michigan
#7 Oregon vs #10 Iowa
West--
#3 TCU vs East Carolina
#6 Boise State vs #11 Penn State
ABC and ESPN could partner up and be able to show all the games...could you imagine a Friday night prime-time affair with the top seed? Followed by a quadrupleheader on ESPN and a tripleheader on ABC?
Yeah, an overblown bowl system that actually costs more money at the lower levels and means little except to a pair of schools is much better.
That said... what should the alternative be? Much like the NCAA basketball tournament went from 8 schools in 1939 to 64 in 1985... we can't expect pure perfection at first. I'm fine with a 4 or 8 team bracket... although to do it right we'd need a sweet sixteen.
Each conference gets an automatic bid-- yes... the Sun Belt, MAC and Conference USA get representation-- and why not? They're playing D-I FBS just like the others... since members of the WAC and MWC operate as guaranteed wins for the big boys of the SEC and Pac-Ten... the best of their lot deserves something.
Eleven conference champs mean five wildcard slots are open. This allows a very good team (Florida this year, Texas last year) that came up just short of a conference crown to still have a shot at the national title. And there would be few complaints of the sixth wildcard that didn't get in-- if you can't win your league or finish in the top five, better luck next time.
Balance the bracket with regional ties-- Alabama to the South, Texas to the Midwest, Boise State to the West... this isn't brain surgery. MAC in the Midwest...Sun Belt to the South... the bracket almost writes itself.
Home field for the first round-- rewards teams who've had excellent seasons... and keeps costs down (I'd subsidize the lower seeded schools travel costs within reason). Games would be played the second or third Saturday of December.
Regional Finals on New Years Day-- neutral sites would give fans the Rose, Sugar, Cotton, Fiesta, Holiday, Citrus and Peach as warm-weather destinations... plus give these bowls some juice for the first time in a while. You can even add in some dome locations (St Louis' "Gateway" and Detroit's "Motor City" bowls) to spread the wealth.
National Semis a week and a half after New Years Day... Championship game eight days before the Super Bowl-- just a thought...
So... without further ado here's this year's bracket that wasn't...
South--
#1 Alabama vs Troy
#8 Ohio vs #9 Georgia Tech
East--
#4 Cincinnati vs #13 LSU
#5 Florida vs #12 Virginia Tech
Midwest--
#2 Texas vs Central Michigan
#7 Oregon vs #10 Iowa
West--
#3 TCU vs East Carolina
#6 Boise State vs #11 Penn State
ABC and ESPN could partner up and be able to show all the games...could you imagine a Friday night prime-time affair with the top seed? Followed by a quadrupleheader on ESPN and a tripleheader on ABC?
Yeah, an overblown bowl system that actually costs more money at the lower levels and means little except to a pair of schools is much better.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Redskins Rehash-- Hail to the Thermometer?
What amazes me about this current Redskins season has been how closely this team has played up to as well as down to its opponents. Looking at the entire Jim Zorn era, I can only point to the first half of last year's season opener against the Giants where they didn't play directly to the level of their opponent. That means good showings against good teams with bad showings against bad teams... the overall ledger standing at 11-17.
I think coach Zorn and the Skins are providing an excellent service to the NFL: fans of other teams, do you often wonder how good or bad your team might be? By playing the Redskins you find out the exact level of your team's competence! I had a teacher who always advised, "be a thermostat-- not a thermometer". The Skins are the ultimate football thermometer-- providing a direct reading of their surroundings without having the ability to affect their surroundings one bit.
Other weak thirteen thoughts...:
Kicking themselves silly-- a missed 23-yarder could have clinched Sunday's game with the Saints (providing the defense didn't cough up two scores, which...)... meaning the Skins are seven points away from a four game winning streak, a 6-6 mark and a legitimate shot at the postseason. Shaun Suisham missed three field goals this fall... any of those three could have wrapped up a victory against a favored foe. Goodbye Shaun, hello Graham Gano (not to be confused with Gary Gnu of the Great Space Coaster) from the Las Vegas Locomotives of the UFL (how can the UFL NOT have a team in Rosewell, NM?).
Campbell comes up competent-- Jason Campbell played well again, throwing for 367 yards and three touchdowns... but tossed a late interception that almost resulted in a Saints regulation time win. He might not have a longterm home in the DC metro area... but #17 has proved he belongs in the league with some team in some capacity (at the least, he can be a backup in Denver).
Fantasy Fallout-- the Dread Pirate Roberts took on more water last weekend... losing for the third time in four weeks (and I don't even have a Mike Tomlin unleash the fury speech in me)... I started the Steelers defense/special teams instead of the Giants, and Matt Schaub instead of Tony Romo. No shot at the title...AS YOU WISH.
The Firm is Radioactive! (aka tracking the triumvirate)-- the 2008 second rounders are making Vinny Cerrato look better each game... Devin Thomas had his breakout game with 7 catches for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns... Fred Davis added 5 for 53 with a score and Malcolm Kelly notched a pair of receptions. Last year they combined for 21 catches-- this season Davis and Thomas have surpassed that mark with Kelly on pace for 19 receptions of his own.
The committee continues-- Clinton Portis' month in limbo ends with a trip to Injured Reserve... a disappointing season that never got in gear (remember how much practice time he missed in July and August)... another year with more mileage... how much left does #26 have in the tank?
That's why they call them surprises-- I'm shocked Pittsburgh's dropped four straight to fall from the elite... losing to Cincinnati and at Baltimore is understandable-- but Kansas City and Oakland?
I think coach Zorn and the Skins are providing an excellent service to the NFL: fans of other teams, do you often wonder how good or bad your team might be? By playing the Redskins you find out the exact level of your team's competence! I had a teacher who always advised, "be a thermostat-- not a thermometer". The Skins are the ultimate football thermometer-- providing a direct reading of their surroundings without having the ability to affect their surroundings one bit.
Other weak thirteen thoughts...:
Kicking themselves silly-- a missed 23-yarder could have clinched Sunday's game with the Saints (providing the defense didn't cough up two scores, which...)... meaning the Skins are seven points away from a four game winning streak, a 6-6 mark and a legitimate shot at the postseason. Shaun Suisham missed three field goals this fall... any of those three could have wrapped up a victory against a favored foe. Goodbye Shaun, hello Graham Gano (not to be confused with Gary Gnu of the Great Space Coaster) from the Las Vegas Locomotives of the UFL (how can the UFL NOT have a team in Rosewell, NM?).
Campbell comes up competent-- Jason Campbell played well again, throwing for 367 yards and three touchdowns... but tossed a late interception that almost resulted in a Saints regulation time win. He might not have a longterm home in the DC metro area... but #17 has proved he belongs in the league with some team in some capacity (at the least, he can be a backup in Denver).
Fantasy Fallout-- the Dread Pirate Roberts took on more water last weekend... losing for the third time in four weeks (and I don't even have a Mike Tomlin unleash the fury speech in me)... I started the Steelers defense/special teams instead of the Giants, and Matt Schaub instead of Tony Romo. No shot at the title...AS YOU WISH.
The Firm is Radioactive! (aka tracking the triumvirate)-- the 2008 second rounders are making Vinny Cerrato look better each game... Devin Thomas had his breakout game with 7 catches for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns... Fred Davis added 5 for 53 with a score and Malcolm Kelly notched a pair of receptions. Last year they combined for 21 catches-- this season Davis and Thomas have surpassed that mark with Kelly on pace for 19 receptions of his own.
The committee continues-- Clinton Portis' month in limbo ends with a trip to Injured Reserve... a disappointing season that never got in gear (remember how much practice time he missed in July and August)... another year with more mileage... how much left does #26 have in the tank?
That's why they call them surprises-- I'm shocked Pittsburgh's dropped four straight to fall from the elite... losing to Cincinnati and at Baltimore is understandable-- but Kansas City and Oakland?
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Redskins Rehash-- phantom zone residence continues...
Move over, General Zod-- the Redskins are taking residence in the Phantom Zone with you, Ursa and Non. Early December is a time for playoff possibilities-and although the Skins are technically one of 28 teams in contention, they are on the precipice of postseason elimination: a loss or wins by Philadelphia and Green Bay effectively ends the season. Until then, the dreamers hope...
Break out the Brooms-- the Skins 27-24 loss...a second straight aggravating loss at a division opponent further sealed their fate. Just think...two wins puts them at 5-6 and one game out of the wildcard with a 2-2 division mark. Instead...two weeks in the Phantom Zone.
Turnovers telling the tale-- two interceptions led to a pair of Eagles field goals in the second quarter...and proved to be the eventual difference between victory and defeat.
Campbell's comeback-- despite the interceptions, Jason Campbell played well again-- passing for 231 yards and two touchdowns...plus a touchdown run. With five games remaining-- #17 is playing for his future in Washington or elsewhere.
No return policy-- once again the punt return situation is aggravating to some and a mystery to others. Antwan Randle-El's one return for one yard is not going to help a team that needs every little thing to win. But they continue to send him back there. Again and again.
What's a Haynesworth? Injuries kept the 100 million dollar man on the bench- and his presence was missed... especially against the run (123 yards by the Eagles).
Tracking the Triumvirate-- the firm of Kelly, Thomas & Davis combined for 10 catches and 139 yards... bringing their total to 82 receptions and 937 yards for the season.
Break out the Brooms-- the Skins 27-24 loss...a second straight aggravating loss at a division opponent further sealed their fate. Just think...two wins puts them at 5-6 and one game out of the wildcard with a 2-2 division mark. Instead...two weeks in the Phantom Zone.
Turnovers telling the tale-- two interceptions led to a pair of Eagles field goals in the second quarter...and proved to be the eventual difference between victory and defeat.
Campbell's comeback-- despite the interceptions, Jason Campbell played well again-- passing for 231 yards and two touchdowns...plus a touchdown run. With five games remaining-- #17 is playing for his future in Washington or elsewhere.
No return policy-- once again the punt return situation is aggravating to some and a mystery to others. Antwan Randle-El's one return for one yard is not going to help a team that needs every little thing to win. But they continue to send him back there. Again and again.
What's a Haynesworth? Injuries kept the 100 million dollar man on the bench- and his presence was missed... especially against the run (123 yards by the Eagles).
Tracking the Triumvirate-- the firm of Kelly, Thomas & Davis combined for 10 catches and 139 yards... bringing their total to 82 receptions and 937 yards for the season.
College Football Corner-- one departure and one retention...
The 2009 regular season ends with quite a bit of interest in Charlottesville and College Park-- both schools had to decide if they wanted a tenth year with an alum who had led their team with class but not to recent success...more on the move and non-move later.
Way to represent-- with the Atlantic and Coastal Divisions clinched, Clemson and Georgia Tech went bellyup in rivalry games... the Tigers getting trounced by South Carolina and the Yellowjackets getting outscored by Georgia. Can't wait for the ACC title game...in primetime!
Coaching Carousel-- Notre Dame and Florida State dominated the 90's (Irish reign actually from 88 to 93)... and find themselves at the crossroads after essentially waving bye to their coaches. While Charlie Weis leaves with a 35-27 mark and only a few close losses to USC as feathers in his cap, Bobby Bowden built Florida State from a revenue-sieve that scheduled payday games at major programs into a GIANT...one that dominated the ACC for ten years. Bowden deserved much better than this ignominious finish-- but the program he built deserved better than what's become of it since the conference expanded. Weis, meanwhile, deserves much less than the mondo buyout he's getting because of how impressive his first seven games at the helm were.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse wrapped up the Greg Paulus era with a 56-31 loss at Connecticut... concluding the first season under Doug Marrone at 4-8 (equalling Greg Robinson's best season at SU). Paulus set the school's single-season completion record--and prevented any of the Orange's true freshmen from burning their redshirt seasons. The Corner can't wait for 2010...
MARYLAND in its 19-17 loss to Boston College gave fans hope for the future... as Jamarr Robinson in limited minutes led the Terps to both of their touchdown drives. Unfortunately they couldn't escape their present, which is a 2-10 season. Terrapin Triumphs-- no turnovers on offense, while the defense held the Eagle offense in check all afternoon--limiting BC to four field goals. Terrapin Troubles-- converting just three of fourteen third downs... eight penalties... not the kind of things that help propel you past the opponent.
State of the Program: I thought the Terps would keep Ralph Friedgen for at least one more season-- he's built up enough goodwilll over his tenure... the buyout with two years remaining would be rather egregious...and this team should be much more experienced and quite a bit better in 2010. What remains to be seen is if there will be a shakeup of his staff-- the team had new offensive and defensive coordinators after back to back 5-6 seasons...and it would figure there would have to be something done this winter.
VIRGINIA TECH and VIRGINIA played their annual intra-state game...and for both sides it was more of the same... a close game for a half followed by the Hokies scoring 28 points in the final three and a half quarters-- VT's 42-13 rout an exclamation point on their season-- and a period on Al Groh's tenure with UVa. Hokie Highlights-- Ryan Williams led the 298 yard effort on the ground with 183 yards rushing and four touchdowns, wrapping up ACC rookie of the year honors. Hokie Humblings-- they let an inferior team stick around for more than half the game; here it didn't hurt them-- but against North Carolina it did. Cavalier Congrats-- Jameel Sewell ran for 104 yards and a touchdown, concluding a nice comeback year for somebody who didn't play a down in 2008. Cavalier Catastrophes-- two lost fumbles set up the Hokies for their second half run...and outside of Sewell, there wasn't much offensively.
State of the Cavalier Program: Al Groh was fired with two years and 4.33 million dollars remaining on his contract, making him the third high-profile revenue coach UVa has decided to go in a different direction from this decade--with basketball's Pete Gillen and Dave Leitao being kicked to the curb after supbar tenures. It'll be interesting who exactly they'll pursue... for a school that is more than happy to thump its chest about how great it is academically (and complains about how hard it is to recruit football and basketball athletes who can get by admissions), they're certainly pouring a lot of money into making sure they compete athletically.
Way to represent-- with the Atlantic and Coastal Divisions clinched, Clemson and Georgia Tech went bellyup in rivalry games... the Tigers getting trounced by South Carolina and the Yellowjackets getting outscored by Georgia. Can't wait for the ACC title game...in primetime!
Coaching Carousel-- Notre Dame and Florida State dominated the 90's (Irish reign actually from 88 to 93)... and find themselves at the crossroads after essentially waving bye to their coaches. While Charlie Weis leaves with a 35-27 mark and only a few close losses to USC as feathers in his cap, Bobby Bowden built Florida State from a revenue-sieve that scheduled payday games at major programs into a GIANT...one that dominated the ACC for ten years. Bowden deserved much better than this ignominious finish-- but the program he built deserved better than what's become of it since the conference expanded. Weis, meanwhile, deserves much less than the mondo buyout he's getting because of how impressive his first seven games at the helm were.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse wrapped up the Greg Paulus era with a 56-31 loss at Connecticut... concluding the first season under Doug Marrone at 4-8 (equalling Greg Robinson's best season at SU). Paulus set the school's single-season completion record--and prevented any of the Orange's true freshmen from burning their redshirt seasons. The Corner can't wait for 2010...
MARYLAND in its 19-17 loss to Boston College gave fans hope for the future... as Jamarr Robinson in limited minutes led the Terps to both of their touchdown drives. Unfortunately they couldn't escape their present, which is a 2-10 season. Terrapin Triumphs-- no turnovers on offense, while the defense held the Eagle offense in check all afternoon--limiting BC to four field goals. Terrapin Troubles-- converting just three of fourteen third downs... eight penalties... not the kind of things that help propel you past the opponent.
State of the Program: I thought the Terps would keep Ralph Friedgen for at least one more season-- he's built up enough goodwilll over his tenure... the buyout with two years remaining would be rather egregious...and this team should be much more experienced and quite a bit better in 2010. What remains to be seen is if there will be a shakeup of his staff-- the team had new offensive and defensive coordinators after back to back 5-6 seasons...and it would figure there would have to be something done this winter.
VIRGINIA TECH and VIRGINIA played their annual intra-state game...and for both sides it was more of the same... a close game for a half followed by the Hokies scoring 28 points in the final three and a half quarters-- VT's 42-13 rout an exclamation point on their season-- and a period on Al Groh's tenure with UVa. Hokie Highlights-- Ryan Williams led the 298 yard effort on the ground with 183 yards rushing and four touchdowns, wrapping up ACC rookie of the year honors. Hokie Humblings-- they let an inferior team stick around for more than half the game; here it didn't hurt them-- but against North Carolina it did. Cavalier Congrats-- Jameel Sewell ran for 104 yards and a touchdown, concluding a nice comeback year for somebody who didn't play a down in 2008. Cavalier Catastrophes-- two lost fumbles set up the Hokies for their second half run...and outside of Sewell, there wasn't much offensively.
State of the Cavalier Program: Al Groh was fired with two years and 4.33 million dollars remaining on his contract, making him the third high-profile revenue coach UVa has decided to go in a different direction from this decade--with basketball's Pete Gillen and Dave Leitao being kicked to the curb after supbar tenures. It'll be interesting who exactly they'll pursue... for a school that is more than happy to thump its chest about how great it is academically (and complains about how hard it is to recruit football and basketball athletes who can get by admissions), they're certainly pouring a lot of money into making sure they compete athletically.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Presto's Picks-- final go-around...
Hope everyone enjopyed their extra helpings of turkey and pumpkin pie... sadly the season ends- with the Hokies wondering how the Coastal Division slipped through their hands...the Cavaliers wishing for every month to be October and the Terrapins hoping their youth will be served next fall...
MARYLAND vs Boston College-- the Eagles boast one of the league's top runningbacks in Montel Harris... while the Terps haven't been able to stop anyone with any consistency this year. Terps tumble, 39-24.
VIRGINIA TECH vs VIRGINIA-- the Commonwealth clash pits the Hokies (headed to another bowl) against the Cavaliers- who have won just one game outside October the past two seasons. Hokies in a ho-hum affair, 33-16.
Elsewhere:
Navy over Hawaii.
Last Week: 3-0.
Overall: 54-19.
MARYLAND vs Boston College-- the Eagles boast one of the league's top runningbacks in Montel Harris... while the Terps haven't been able to stop anyone with any consistency this year. Terps tumble, 39-24.
VIRGINIA TECH vs VIRGINIA-- the Commonwealth clash pits the Hokies (headed to another bowl) against the Cavaliers- who have won just one game outside October the past two seasons. Hokies in a ho-hum affair, 33-16.
Elsewhere:
Navy over Hawaii.
Last Week: 3-0.
Overall: 54-19.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Redskins Rehash-- plenty of helpings of Turkey...
You didn't think the Skins would actually hold on and win Sunday... did you? In the history of their rivalry with Dallas they hadn't shut out the Cowboys even once. George Allen's Over the Hill Gang couldn't do it... Gibbs and the Hogs never accomplished that feat... what made one think the Maroon and Black could turn the trick? Instead of being 4-6 and on the fringe of the playoff mix the Skins are in the phantom zone-- not technically out of contention but needing quite a few miracles to make the postseason.
Belated checkdowns of the loss in Irving...
Points well taken-- I guess it's only fitting after putting 27 (27!) on the board against Denver the offense would revert to the form that is 25th in yards gained and 29th in points. Sunday they actually outgained the Cowboys-- and converted 7 of 15 of their third downs... yet each drive bogged down before they even reached the redzone (just one drive got inside the Dallas 20-yard line).
Missed it by that much...twice-- the Skins had two opportunities to make the game a two-touchdown affair...but Shaun Suisham (after making his first 14 attempts of the season) missed a 39-yarder just before halftime and a 50-yarder immediately preceding the Cowboys' gamewinning drive.
Defense: everything but the girl-- the Redskins D performed with Duckie-like ability in trying to lock down a shutout... shining for three and a half quarters before coughing up a 9 play 60 yard touchdown drive... Tony Romo up to that point?: 9-20 for 103 yards and an interception...on the drive?: 6-7 for 55 yards and a score... Romo is Blaine (winning despite himself) while the Skins D plays the role of Philip F. Dale-- dominating the landscape yet somehow nowhere near Andie in the end.
Solid as a Rock-- with Ladell Betts leaving after injuring knee ligaments, Rock Cartwright rushed for 67 yards while catching 7 passes for 73 more yards... it's too bad injuries are the primary reason Cartwright's seeing any action-- because if used correctly he could be a good change of pace back (ala Joe Washington) providing lightning to Portis's thunder.
Tracking the Triumvirate-- the firm of Kelly, Davis & Thomas responded with another strong outing-- combining for 6 catches and 93 yards (over 15 yards per catch? are you serious?!?)... season projections now jump to 72 grabs for 798 yards (with Davis projected to reach 37)... and this entry's on the verge of being titled "Give it a rest, Dave".
What's a Haynesworth-- the 100 million dollar man did not play against the Cowboys-- and his ankle sprain keeps him a question mark for Philadelphia.
London Calling-- if anyone on this defense merits a nine-figure contract, it's the middle linebacker... Mr. Fletcher notched 8 tackles and 5 assists while intercepting a pass and forcing a fumble against the Cowboys.
Belated checkdowns of the loss in Irving...
Points well taken-- I guess it's only fitting after putting 27 (27!) on the board against Denver the offense would revert to the form that is 25th in yards gained and 29th in points. Sunday they actually outgained the Cowboys-- and converted 7 of 15 of their third downs... yet each drive bogged down before they even reached the redzone (just one drive got inside the Dallas 20-yard line).
Missed it by that much...twice-- the Skins had two opportunities to make the game a two-touchdown affair...but Shaun Suisham (after making his first 14 attempts of the season) missed a 39-yarder just before halftime and a 50-yarder immediately preceding the Cowboys' gamewinning drive.
Defense: everything but the girl-- the Redskins D performed with Duckie-like ability in trying to lock down a shutout... shining for three and a half quarters before coughing up a 9 play 60 yard touchdown drive... Tony Romo up to that point?: 9-20 for 103 yards and an interception...on the drive?: 6-7 for 55 yards and a score... Romo is Blaine (winning despite himself) while the Skins D plays the role of Philip F. Dale-- dominating the landscape yet somehow nowhere near Andie in the end.
Solid as a Rock-- with Ladell Betts leaving after injuring knee ligaments, Rock Cartwright rushed for 67 yards while catching 7 passes for 73 more yards... it's too bad injuries are the primary reason Cartwright's seeing any action-- because if used correctly he could be a good change of pace back (ala Joe Washington) providing lightning to Portis's thunder.
Tracking the Triumvirate-- the firm of Kelly, Davis & Thomas responded with another strong outing-- combining for 6 catches and 93 yards (over 15 yards per catch? are you serious?!?)... season projections now jump to 72 grabs for 798 yards (with Davis projected to reach 37)... and this entry's on the verge of being titled "Give it a rest, Dave".
What's a Haynesworth-- the 100 million dollar man did not play against the Cowboys-- and his ankle sprain keeps him a question mark for Philadelphia.
London Calling-- if anyone on this defense merits a nine-figure contract, it's the middle linebacker... Mr. Fletcher notched 8 tackles and 5 assists while intercepting a pass and forcing a fumble against the Cowboys.
Monday, November 23, 2009
College Football Corner... dirty laundry...
Sports, as Jerry Seinfeld once said, is merely rooting for laundry. It pains me this fall to see a wide variety of alternate, special, turn back the clock as well as turn your head and cough unis early and often. This isn't baseball where if you wear an alternate home jersey 12 times fans get to see your actual home uni 69 times. In theory a school has 12 chances to establish and build on its brand each year-- and this fall there have been more than a few strayings and violations:
1--Fade to black. I had no idea that Tennessee also boasted black as a primary color... or that Georgia's black helmets were possible. Did schools not learn anything from Happy Days when Fonzie started wearing black t-shirts? We know wearing black is slimming as well as trendy-- but when everybody does it it's not cool.
2--Contrasting Opinion-- nothing says uniform laziness more than wearing the same color pants and jersey (white on white an exception)... while nothing is sharper than color contrast done well.
3--Special Situations?-- Ohio State wore vintage uniforms for its game at Michigan... granted, these Wolverines finished last in the Big Ten--but should a school wear secondary (turn back the clock) unis for its primary rival?
4--Horsefeathers! I saw feathers on the shoulders of Florida State last weekend (along with maroon on maroon) and my stomach turned-- although it's not as trendy as the horned frog on TCU's "alternate" jerseys.
5--Oregon's dilemna-- it's nice to be outfitted by NIKE, but at what price do you sell dignity... at last calculation the Ducks have 1,187 different potential uniform combinations... 1,184 of which are ridiculous. I can only imagine Eugene is a dumping ground for other school's rejects.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse upset #25 Rutgers 31-13 for the Orange's first Big East win of the season...notching nine sacks and giving the Carrier Dome faithful reason to celebrate-- especially off the heels of basketball's 87-71 thumping of #6 North Carolina.
MARYLAND saw the autumn of its discontent continue with a 29-26 come from ahead loss to Florida State. Allowing a game-winning drive with 90 seconds left was the latest twist and turn of 2009... the only thing that could still happen to this team would be if the new press box collapsed Saturday. Terrapin Triumphs-- the one-two backfield tandem of DaRell Scott and Davin Meggett combined for 142 yards on 32 carries... showing a flash of what could have been had Scott remained healthy. Terrapin Troubles-- the defense gave up not one but two desperation drives for fourth quarter touchdowns. A lot was made about the new-look defense at the start of the season-- and a lot will be made about a new defense in 2010.
VIRGINIA TECH continued its November tour through the league's bottom-feeders... ripping North Carolina State 38-10. While an ACC title is out of reach, a ten win season isn't-- and it's a testament to what Frank Beamer's built that double digit victories get "yes, but" status. Hokie Highlights-- holding the Wolfpack to 14 yards rushing... while notching four takeaways and committing just a pair of penalties... Hokie Humblings-- I'm still burned up at VT for wearing those maroon jerseys with one orange shoulder... what was that for? Hunting?
1--Fade to black. I had no idea that Tennessee also boasted black as a primary color... or that Georgia's black helmets were possible. Did schools not learn anything from Happy Days when Fonzie started wearing black t-shirts? We know wearing black is slimming as well as trendy-- but when everybody does it it's not cool.
2--Contrasting Opinion-- nothing says uniform laziness more than wearing the same color pants and jersey (white on white an exception)... while nothing is sharper than color contrast done well.
3--Special Situations?-- Ohio State wore vintage uniforms for its game at Michigan... granted, these Wolverines finished last in the Big Ten--but should a school wear secondary (turn back the clock) unis for its primary rival?
4--Horsefeathers! I saw feathers on the shoulders of Florida State last weekend (along with maroon on maroon) and my stomach turned-- although it's not as trendy as the horned frog on TCU's "alternate" jerseys.
5--Oregon's dilemna-- it's nice to be outfitted by NIKE, but at what price do you sell dignity... at last calculation the Ducks have 1,187 different potential uniform combinations... 1,184 of which are ridiculous. I can only imagine Eugene is a dumping ground for other school's rejects.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse upset #25 Rutgers 31-13 for the Orange's first Big East win of the season...notching nine sacks and giving the Carrier Dome faithful reason to celebrate-- especially off the heels of basketball's 87-71 thumping of #6 North Carolina.
MARYLAND saw the autumn of its discontent continue with a 29-26 come from ahead loss to Florida State. Allowing a game-winning drive with 90 seconds left was the latest twist and turn of 2009... the only thing that could still happen to this team would be if the new press box collapsed Saturday. Terrapin Triumphs-- the one-two backfield tandem of DaRell Scott and Davin Meggett combined for 142 yards on 32 carries... showing a flash of what could have been had Scott remained healthy. Terrapin Troubles-- the defense gave up not one but two desperation drives for fourth quarter touchdowns. A lot was made about the new-look defense at the start of the season-- and a lot will be made about a new defense in 2010.
VIRGINIA was unable to keep up with Clemson after putting 21 points on the board in the first half; the 34-21 defeat assured the Cavaliers of a last-place finish in the Coastal Division. Cavalier Congrats-- the defense held Tiger tailback CJ Spiller to just over three yards a carry... Cavalier Catastrophes-- 40 yards after halftime... 7 sacks allowed and 2 fumbles diminished what could have been a heck of an afternoon.
VIRGINIA TECH continued its November tour through the league's bottom-feeders... ripping North Carolina State 38-10. While an ACC title is out of reach, a ten win season isn't-- and it's a testament to what Frank Beamer's built that double digit victories get "yes, but" status. Hokie Highlights-- holding the Wolfpack to 14 yards rushing... while notching four takeaways and committing just a pair of penalties... Hokie Humblings-- I'm still burned up at VT for wearing those maroon jerseys with one orange shoulder... what was that for? Hunting?
Friday, November 20, 2009
Presto's Picks-- Thankful?... are you serious?
Thanksgiving traditionally marks the end of college football's regular season, and it can't come soon enough for the area's ACC schools...
MARYLAND at Florida State-- Jamarr Robinson starts again at quarterback for coach Ralph Friedgen-- providing a little more of a running option. Okay, how about a lot of running options? The sophomore gained more yards rushing (129) than passing (104)-- shades of Bobby Douglass! These aren't your father's Seminoles... not even your big brother's FSU. Still, coach Bobby Bowden's bunch own Maryland when the two teams tangle in Tallahassee. Terrapins tumble, 34-12.
VIRGINIA TECH vs North Carolina State-- Hokies continue their mop-up month with a date against the lone team to beat nationally ranked Pitt this fall; NC State can move the ball very well... but the Hokies are the league's best at closing out in closing month. VT's victorious, 37-26.
VIRGINIA at Clemson-- finally a game that has a bearing in the ACC Championship... the Tigers have a chance to win the Atlantic Division...and look to send CJ Spiller out in style. Cavaliers come up short, 31-7.
Last Week: 7-0.
Overall: 51-19.
MARYLAND at Florida State-- Jamarr Robinson starts again at quarterback for coach Ralph Friedgen-- providing a little more of a running option. Okay, how about a lot of running options? The sophomore gained more yards rushing (129) than passing (104)-- shades of Bobby Douglass! These aren't your father's Seminoles... not even your big brother's FSU. Still, coach Bobby Bowden's bunch own Maryland when the two teams tangle in Tallahassee. Terrapins tumble, 34-12.
VIRGINIA TECH vs North Carolina State-- Hokies continue their mop-up month with a date against the lone team to beat nationally ranked Pitt this fall; NC State can move the ball very well... but the Hokies are the league's best at closing out in closing month. VT's victorious, 37-26.
VIRGINIA at Clemson-- finally a game that has a bearing in the ACC Championship... the Tigers have a chance to win the Atlantic Division...and look to send CJ Spiller out in style. Cavaliers come up short, 31-7.
Last Week: 7-0.
Overall: 51-19.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Redskins Rehash-- bucking the Broncos...
In retrospect the Redskins win over Denver is explainable-- the Broncos were coming off of a short week by playing on Monday Night Football... they were playing at 11am Denver time... the Skins gave them no reason to think they would play well... but Washington's 27-17 victory keeps the angry masses at bay-- and it was the team's best 60 minute effort of the season.
Impact player? You Betts-- with Clinton Portis on the sidelines, Ladell Betts ran for 114 yards and a touchdown. When Portis eventually returns to the field, here's for the Skins using the duo more as a tandem...with Ladell getting a few more carries.
Quarterback? Simms owes a lot more... the game turned on a dime when Broncos starter Kyle Orton went down to injury just before halftime--he had thrown for 193 first half yards and touchdowns of 40 and 75 yards, while Chris Simms went 3-13 with an interception. Let's hope he's saved his pay wisely over the years.
What's a Haynesworth?-- the 100 million dollar man notched a tackle and an assist... bringing his total to 21 with 6 assists- plus three sacks and a fumble recovery. Stealing the DLine spotlight? Rookie Brian Orakpo... the hybrid pass-rusher tallied a sack and a half to bring his rookie-best total to seven.
Tracking the Triumvirate-- the firm of Davis, Kelly & Thomas broke out with 7 catches for 105 yards... bringing the total to 39 catches for the season...for 402 yards and two touchdowns. Season projection: 69 receptions, 714 yards and 4 touchdowns...with Fred Davis already at 21 catches (the trio combined for 21 last year).
Two more props: only two penalties? only three sacks allowed? At 3-6 one wonders if perhaps the season was called too soon.
Impact player? You Betts-- with Clinton Portis on the sidelines, Ladell Betts ran for 114 yards and a touchdown. When Portis eventually returns to the field, here's for the Skins using the duo more as a tandem...with Ladell getting a few more carries.
Quarterback? Simms owes a lot more... the game turned on a dime when Broncos starter Kyle Orton went down to injury just before halftime--he had thrown for 193 first half yards and touchdowns of 40 and 75 yards, while Chris Simms went 3-13 with an interception. Let's hope he's saved his pay wisely over the years.
What's a Haynesworth?-- the 100 million dollar man notched a tackle and an assist... bringing his total to 21 with 6 assists- plus three sacks and a fumble recovery. Stealing the DLine spotlight? Rookie Brian Orakpo... the hybrid pass-rusher tallied a sack and a half to bring his rookie-best total to seven.
Tracking the Triumvirate-- the firm of Davis, Kelly & Thomas broke out with 7 catches for 105 yards... bringing the total to 39 catches for the season...for 402 yards and two touchdowns. Season projection: 69 receptions, 714 yards and 4 touchdowns...with Fred Davis already at 21 catches (the trio combined for 21 last year).
Two more props: only two penalties? only three sacks allowed? At 3-6 one wonders if perhaps the season was called too soon.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
College Football Corner-- a hot seat that isn't...
Let the record show this has not been an ideal season for Maryland. Granted, Virginia Tech saw it's hopes go from national title to second-tier ACC-- and Virginia's "October Surprise II" ended a few weeks early-- but for the first time in a decade the Terps are clearly out of the mix. Most had this team slated for a second-tier finish in the ACC Atlantic, but few had things going this bad... and around the beltway there are the expected "Fridge on the hot seat" columns. I think he survives this year even if they lose their last two to finish 2-10 ( a first ever double-digit loss season, although teams played a maximum of ten games until the early 70's).
First, this fall can be viewed as an aberration-- Ralph has been successful for the bulk of his tenure in College Park. Second, this program is much better now than it was when Friedgen took over-- coming off a decade plus of losing. Finally, Friedgen has two years remaining on his current contract and offensive coordinator James Franklin will be owed a million dollars if he isn't coaching the team by 2012. This is a school that is more fiscally restrained than others-- hey, they charge the media $15 to use the press box taco bar...and I can't imagine them paying Fridge off.
#20 VIRGINIA TECH routed MARYLAND 36-9 in a game that wasn't that close. The seats at Byrd Stadium had a fall foliage feel-- plenty of red yet plenty of orange and even some purple.
Hokie Highlights-- taking care of business with an inferior opponent...Tyrod Taylor ran for 81 yards while tossing three touchdown passes... Ryan Williams rumbled for 126 yards (it will be interesting to see how the backfield reshuffles next year with the return of Darren Evans to the lineup)... Hokie Humblings-- minimal...they controlled the game for 60 minutes-- there was never any doubt about the outcome.
Terrapin Triumphs-- Jamarr Robinson ran for 129 yards in his debut (and that includes the yardage lost on sacks) while throwing for 104 yards...with no interceptions. Just one penalty and no turnovers... reversing a season-long trend. Terrapin Troubles-- the offensive line allowed six sacks- four in the first half... the running backs gained a combined 3 yards on 6 carries. The defense couldn't get off the field in the first half (VT was 5 of 7 on 3rd down).
VIRGINIA continued its November descent with a 14-10 loss to Boston College. Cavalier Congrats-- Chris Cook put the Cavs on the board with a 58-yard interception return for a touchdown...and the defense held BC to just a pair of touchdowns after allowing 52 the week before to Miami. Cavalier Catastrophes-- the offense gained just 77 yards rushing and was unable to get into the end zone...UVa hasn't reached the 20 point plateau since their win at Maryland.
First, this fall can be viewed as an aberration-- Ralph has been successful for the bulk of his tenure in College Park. Second, this program is much better now than it was when Friedgen took over-- coming off a decade plus of losing. Finally, Friedgen has two years remaining on his current contract and offensive coordinator James Franklin will be owed a million dollars if he isn't coaching the team by 2012. This is a school that is more fiscally restrained than others-- hey, they charge the media $15 to use the press box taco bar...and I can't imagine them paying Fridge off.
#20 VIRGINIA TECH routed MARYLAND 36-9 in a game that wasn't that close. The seats at Byrd Stadium had a fall foliage feel-- plenty of red yet plenty of orange and even some purple.
Hokie Highlights-- taking care of business with an inferior opponent...Tyrod Taylor ran for 81 yards while tossing three touchdown passes... Ryan Williams rumbled for 126 yards (it will be interesting to see how the backfield reshuffles next year with the return of Darren Evans to the lineup)... Hokie Humblings-- minimal...they controlled the game for 60 minutes-- there was never any doubt about the outcome.
Terrapin Triumphs-- Jamarr Robinson ran for 129 yards in his debut (and that includes the yardage lost on sacks) while throwing for 104 yards...with no interceptions. Just one penalty and no turnovers... reversing a season-long trend. Terrapin Troubles-- the offensive line allowed six sacks- four in the first half... the running backs gained a combined 3 yards on 6 carries. The defense couldn't get off the field in the first half (VT was 5 of 7 on 3rd down).
VIRGINIA continued its November descent with a 14-10 loss to Boston College. Cavalier Congrats-- Chris Cook put the Cavs on the board with a 58-yard interception return for a touchdown...and the defense held BC to just a pair of touchdowns after allowing 52 the week before to Miami. Cavalier Catastrophes-- the offense gained just 77 yards rushing and was unable to get into the end zone...UVa hasn't reached the 20 point plateau since their win at Maryland.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Presto's Picks-- Big Eastern Occupation continues...
Six seasons into the double-digit member ACC, the trend continues: the three schools taken from the Big East are a combined 19-8 and on track to leave the rest of the conference in the dust. Even with Georgia Tech the likely Coastal Division winner-- the power trio of Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech are assured of combining for half of the ACC title game participants. And that doesn't include 2004--when Miami and Virginia Tech battled on the final Saturday of the season in a defacto championship game. The three schools have also boasted more than their share of first team ACC all stars and postseason honors in their brief tenure-- last year BC had the league's defensive player of the year while Miami had the ACC's top defensive rookie. Good news for the league as a whole, as the Boston and Miami markets (plus VT's defacto DC market presence)... while the biggest loser may be Florida State-- no longer able to use the ACC as it's little playpen.
Alma Mater Update-- saw Syracuse's 37-10 loss at then #13 Pitt last weekend... a few ruminations: Heinz Field is a beautiful place to watch a game... and the weather was perfect. The Orange kept things close before Greg Paulus tossed a pick six to wrap up the first half-- and then the SU defense allowed the Panthers to reach the end zone on their first second half drive. The Orange touchdown? Aided and abetted by four defensive pass interference penalties. Let's move to hoops, please.
#20 Virginia Tech at Maryland-- during this week's conference call, coach Ralph Friedgen said his team was basically a handful of plays away from a 7-2 record. While that might be somewhat accurate the Terps are a six points away from 0-9. Can a Maryland defense that's allowed 30+ points in six of nine games slow down a Hokie attack that sometimes acts as its own regulator (19ppg since October 15th)? Will a Terrapin offense that hasn't been able to get out of its own way this fall (most turnovers in the ACC) be able to dent a Virginia Tech defense that's more than held its own this fall? Wait for the TV timeouts to leave your seat-- as both special teams have shown a propensity for big plays this year. Hokies more than a few plays better than the Terps...24-13.
Virginia vs Boston College-- the November of the Cavaliers discontent continues with the Atlantic Division contending Eagles stopping by Charlottesville... although the rhythm of the season would suggest a UVa triumph-- coach Al Groh's team lost three straight before winning three in a row before dropping their last three. Cavaliers come up short, 20-15.
Navy defeats Delaware, Georgetown falls to Richmond, Howard slips to Bethune-Cookman, James Madison slips to UMass and William & Mary tops New Hampshire.
Last Week: 2-1.
Overall: 44-19.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Pro File... shouts in the Wilderness... bye to the byes...
Week ten of the NFL regular season wraps up the period where teams are "getting in position to be in position"... after this weekend there are no more byes--and only Houston plus the New York Giants are idle... making this seem like a full weekend.
Everybody playing at the same time (with the Monday/Thursday/Saturday exceptions) over a ten-hour period is one of the many things that makes pro football riveting. The entire context of a division, wildcard or homefield race can change within the span of a Sunday afternoon or evening. Another reason why I'm not excited about Thursday Night Football.
Yes, I enjoy the pro game as much as anyone else...but do we really need another night? It's taken me this long to warm up to College Football on Thursday's-- and now you're going to take away it's spotlight? I'm fine with TNF-- after Thanksgiving. One residual effect with TNF and the flex scheduling is now there are potentially more dog games on Sundays... Detroit-Tampa Bay, anyone? Fantasy Leagues get the shaft as well. At this point of the season, most everybody's banged up a little. Is your fantasy running back that's listed as questionable going to be ready to play on Sunday? Thursday most questionable players are still...well...questionable.
Playoff Picture:
AFC-- Indianapolis takes the top seed... while Denver's #2...
San Diego at Cincinnati and Pittsburgh at New England are the first round matchups.
NFC-- New Orleans is the #1 seed followed by Minnesota...
Philadelphia at Dallas and Atlanta at Arizona are the first round games.
Kansas City-- 4 home/ 4 away... 35-29 mark...
Detroit-- 4 home/ 4 away... 34-30 record (plus the home Thanksgiving game & 10-day layoff).
St Louis-- 5 home/ 3 away... 33-32 record.
Cleveland-- 5 home/ 3 away... 30-34 record.
Even if they wear their orange creamsicle unis, this is Bucco Bruce's game to lose... keeping in mind TB owned this spot from 1976-78, 1984, and 1986-87 all when the flamboyant pirate was perched on their helmets. That's not just bad-- that's dynastically horrific. Now I know why they moved to the pewter and red.
Riggo's Rant-- Redskins Hall of Fame running back John Riggins has been in the news quite a bit lately with his opinions and analysis of the team and its owner. Having once been a co-worker with #44 at Red Zebra Broadcasting for two years, I know how entertaining and enlightening the Diesel can be. While I agree this team is not being run efficiently and perhaps a change upstairs would be good, I stop before declaring Dan Snyder has a "dark heart".
In making great copy, Riggo has obscured the story at hand while making himself look less legitimate.
The issue isn't whether or not Snyder is evil incarnate-- but that the current management model needs major tweaking. Instead of Greg Blache remaining silent and Joe Theismann focusing on whats wrong with the Skins team-building approach--both are defending the owner... I feel like Hal Holbrook in All the President's Men "Now you've got people feeling sorry for and defending them!"-- although I'd never meet Riggo in an Arlington parking garage.
Everybody playing at the same time (with the Monday/Thursday/Saturday exceptions) over a ten-hour period is one of the many things that makes pro football riveting. The entire context of a division, wildcard or homefield race can change within the span of a Sunday afternoon or evening. Another reason why I'm not excited about Thursday Night Football.
Yes, I enjoy the pro game as much as anyone else...but do we really need another night? It's taken me this long to warm up to College Football on Thursday's-- and now you're going to take away it's spotlight? I'm fine with TNF-- after Thanksgiving. One residual effect with TNF and the flex scheduling is now there are potentially more dog games on Sundays... Detroit-Tampa Bay, anyone? Fantasy Leagues get the shaft as well. At this point of the season, most everybody's banged up a little. Is your fantasy running back that's listed as questionable going to be ready to play on Sunday? Thursday most questionable players are still...well...questionable.
Playoff Picture:
AFC-- Indianapolis takes the top seed... while Denver's #2...
San Diego at Cincinnati and Pittsburgh at New England are the first round matchups.
NFC-- New Orleans is the #1 seed followed by Minnesota...
Philadelphia at Dallas and Atlanta at Arizona are the first round games.
On the fringe-- both 5-4 teams... while the New York Giants are crashing after a 5-0 start that had most punching their NFC East ticket, Houston could actually be good this year.
Best/Worst Division-- the AFC South (19-14) takes a one game lead over the NFC East-- thanks to the Giants and Redskins four game losing streaks. Meanwhile, the NFC West remains the division of depression (12-20, or 7-17 minus Arizona).
The chase for being on the clock:
There are five 1-7 teams... who's in the best shape to stay in last/first?
Tampa Bay-- 3 home/ 5 away... 39-25 record (including two with New Orleans).Kansas City-- 4 home/ 4 away... 35-29 mark...
Detroit-- 4 home/ 4 away... 34-30 record (plus the home Thanksgiving game & 10-day layoff).
St Louis-- 5 home/ 3 away... 33-32 record.
Cleveland-- 5 home/ 3 away... 30-34 record.
Even if they wear their orange creamsicle unis, this is Bucco Bruce's game to lose... keeping in mind TB owned this spot from 1976-78, 1984, and 1986-87 all when the flamboyant pirate was perched on their helmets. That's not just bad-- that's dynastically horrific. Now I know why they moved to the pewter and red.
Riggo's Rant-- Redskins Hall of Fame running back John Riggins has been in the news quite a bit lately with his opinions and analysis of the team and its owner. Having once been a co-worker with #44 at Red Zebra Broadcasting for two years, I know how entertaining and enlightening the Diesel can be. While I agree this team is not being run efficiently and perhaps a change upstairs would be good, I stop before declaring Dan Snyder has a "dark heart".
In making great copy, Riggo has obscured the story at hand while making himself look less legitimate.
The issue isn't whether or not Snyder is evil incarnate-- but that the current management model needs major tweaking. Instead of Greg Blache remaining silent and Joe Theismann focusing on whats wrong with the Skins team-building approach--both are defending the owner... I feel like Hal Holbrook in All the President's Men "Now you've got people feeling sorry for and defending them!"-- although I'd never meet Riggo in an Arlington parking garage.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Redskins Rehash-- how to lose a fanbase in 8 games...
Bring on the Capitals and Wizards... lets go Terps (men and women) and Hoyas-- what's the initial prognosis for GW and AU-- and please punch my passport for Mason Nation! (currently searching for Howard pun). Can you believe the season-ending march is underway with a campaign that's only halfway complete? It's quite like "Hey Jude"... a 3-minute song with a 4-minute coda. Only not as fun to witness. I've often maintained that the Skins-centric beltway region gives other teams a chance to operate under the radar until January... obviously a 1-10 start means curtains but the glare isn't traditionally there until the Skins are done. Well-- the curtain is officially drawn on the rest of the sports scene.
Thoughts from weak eight (with an occasional NFL note to keep you from going crazy)--
Not Half Bad, just half-horrible-- the worst 30 minutes of the regular season came after two weeks off against a team working on short rest... a 24-3 landfill made even worse when given the fact the Skins haven't scored 21 points in any full game-- let alone a half. Once again, the offense was encouraged with second-half scores... touchdowns that wound up meaning little.
Double Down!-- Once again, the Blackjack offense was in effect-- and for the fourth time this fall the Skins stayed at 17...unfortunately the Falcons didn't hold a bust card. Even Spurrier's season-in-the-mail 2003 had the Skins hitting the 20-point mark nine times. You'd have to go back to 1993 to find an Redskins team with as little output (Pettibon's posse tallied 230 points; the current unit is on pace for 226).
Good Humor Men a Uniform Foul-- RR notes that the Skins are 4-12 since donning Burgundy on Burgundy against Pittsburgh last year... did they think White on White would be much better? This team has a Tradition with a capital T... does the University of Michigan roll out Maize jerseys if the players "vote on it"? Say what you will about the Cowboys color schemes-- but for the most part they are consistent. By DC or Maryland ordinance the Skins should be legally obligated to wear white jerseys with burgundy pants at all times-- with burgundy jerseys/white pants the only other option (special exemption to wear gold pants in a turn back the clock to George Allen era).
*NFL Note--keep the creamsicle!-- Tampa Bay ended an eleven game losing streak by outscoring Green Bay 38-28... wearing their old-school Orange unis from the 70's and 80's-- they even had the ambiguous pirate Bucco Bruce adorning white helmets. We humbly ask that the Bucs view this as a major sign and wear these unis forever.
O Line = Oh no!-- Jason Campbell was sacked five times in the first half and had to leave the game twice with various bumps and bruises. The fragmented line featured Mike Williams, Will Montgomery, D'Anthony Batiste and Levi Jones... proving once again it's rather difficult to throw when one's lying flat on his back.
TO TD's-- Campbell threw a pick-six... the second straight game where a Redskin turnover led to opposing points (and if one looks at the Chiefs game, Todd Collins was tackled for a game-clinching safety). It's rough enough when the Skins can't outscore opposing offenses... but opposing defenses?
Fantasy Focus-- the Dread Pirate Roberts has all but kidnapped the Princess Buttercup Division with three straight wins (inconceivable!)... going with the Texas two-step at quarterback (Romo/Schaub) and two dominant defenses (Steelers and Giants have both contributed this fall)... with the playoffs only a few weeks away--have fun storming the castle!
What's a Haynesworth?-- the Skins $100 million man racked up four tackles against the Falcons... but his presence allows others to succeed. First round pick Brian Orakpo tallied two sacks--giving the rookie 5 and a half for the season.
Tracking the Triumvirate-- the firm of Thomas, Davis & Kelly notched three catches for 30 yards... as their combined total swells to 32 receptions for 324 yards and two touchdowns-- prorating to 64--648--4... triple last year's output!... until you realize they're three players and the offensive linemen available last year (Sam Baker, Duane Brown, Mike Pollak and Chilo Rachal) are all starters in the league.
Sending out an SOS!-- after handling a softserve pre-bye slate with not just losing teams-- but positively dreadful squads: the Chiefs, Bucs, Lions and Rams are all 1-7... Cleveland being the lone 1-7 squad not on the Skins slate this fall. Wrapping up the remainder of the season-- there's not only an unbeaten (New Orleans) plus three more games against division leaders (Dallas twice and Denver once). Oakland (2-6) is the only pushover-- and that one's out west.
Thoughts from weak eight (with an occasional NFL note to keep you from going crazy)--
Not Half Bad, just half-horrible-- the worst 30 minutes of the regular season came after two weeks off against a team working on short rest... a 24-3 landfill made even worse when given the fact the Skins haven't scored 21 points in any full game-- let alone a half. Once again, the offense was encouraged with second-half scores... touchdowns that wound up meaning little.
Double Down!-- Once again, the Blackjack offense was in effect-- and for the fourth time this fall the Skins stayed at 17...unfortunately the Falcons didn't hold a bust card. Even Spurrier's season-in-the-mail 2003 had the Skins hitting the 20-point mark nine times. You'd have to go back to 1993 to find an Redskins team with as little output (Pettibon's posse tallied 230 points; the current unit is on pace for 226).
Good Humor Men a Uniform Foul-- RR notes that the Skins are 4-12 since donning Burgundy on Burgundy against Pittsburgh last year... did they think White on White would be much better? This team has a Tradition with a capital T... does the University of Michigan roll out Maize jerseys if the players "vote on it"? Say what you will about the Cowboys color schemes-- but for the most part they are consistent. By DC or Maryland ordinance the Skins should be legally obligated to wear white jerseys with burgundy pants at all times-- with burgundy jerseys/white pants the only other option (special exemption to wear gold pants in a turn back the clock to George Allen era).
*NFL Note--keep the creamsicle!-- Tampa Bay ended an eleven game losing streak by outscoring Green Bay 38-28... wearing their old-school Orange unis from the 70's and 80's-- they even had the ambiguous pirate Bucco Bruce adorning white helmets. We humbly ask that the Bucs view this as a major sign and wear these unis forever.
O Line = Oh no!-- Jason Campbell was sacked five times in the first half and had to leave the game twice with various bumps and bruises. The fragmented line featured Mike Williams, Will Montgomery, D'Anthony Batiste and Levi Jones... proving once again it's rather difficult to throw when one's lying flat on his back.
TO TD's-- Campbell threw a pick-six... the second straight game where a Redskin turnover led to opposing points (and if one looks at the Chiefs game, Todd Collins was tackled for a game-clinching safety). It's rough enough when the Skins can't outscore opposing offenses... but opposing defenses?
Fantasy Focus-- the Dread Pirate Roberts has all but kidnapped the Princess Buttercup Division with three straight wins (inconceivable!)... going with the Texas two-step at quarterback (Romo/Schaub) and two dominant defenses (Steelers and Giants have both contributed this fall)... with the playoffs only a few weeks away--have fun storming the castle!
What's a Haynesworth?-- the Skins $100 million man racked up four tackles against the Falcons... but his presence allows others to succeed. First round pick Brian Orakpo tallied two sacks--giving the rookie 5 and a half for the season.
Tracking the Triumvirate-- the firm of Thomas, Davis & Kelly notched three catches for 30 yards... as their combined total swells to 32 receptions for 324 yards and two touchdowns-- prorating to 64--648--4... triple last year's output!... until you realize they're three players and the offensive linemen available last year (Sam Baker, Duane Brown, Mike Pollak and Chilo Rachal) are all starters in the league.
Sending out an SOS!-- after handling a softserve pre-bye slate with not just losing teams-- but positively dreadful squads: the Chiefs, Bucs, Lions and Rams are all 1-7... Cleveland being the lone 1-7 squad not on the Skins slate this fall. Wrapping up the remainder of the season-- there's not only an unbeaten (New Orleans) plus three more games against division leaders (Dallas twice and Denver once). Oakland (2-6) is the only pushover-- and that one's out west.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
College Football Corner-- a season in the wilderness...
Sometimes things don't come together... sometimes a team's weaknesses are exposed and its strengths are minimized...sometimes momentum gets snuffed out with turnovers and penalties and sometimes magical months end a few weeks early. Welcome to 2009-- where all expectations take a major downshift... from Virginia Tech dominating the ACC to Maryland and Virginia making postseason plays. Closing Month doesn't seem to have a lot of possibilities opening up.
MARYLAND in a 38-31 loss to North Carolina State saw it's quarterback go down with a knee injury... a defensive lineman go out for the season and a glimmer of postseason hope get snuffed out (although there is still a way they can qualify for the ACC title game-- if they win their last three and Clemson loses its next two while Boston College goes 1-2 and Wake and NC State both lose a league game)...Terrapin Triumphs-- big plays from Alex Wuijiack (70 yard INT return for a TD) and Torrey Smith (82 yard kickoff return for a score)... Terrapin Tragedies-- 482 total yards allowed...31 first downs...10 penalties for 91 yards. And did we mention their next three opponents are a combined 16-11?
VIRGINIA slipped to the precipice of bowl elimination with a 52-17 loss to Miami. A The Cavaliers were overwhelmed after halftime... getting roasted 28-0 after intermission. Cavalier Congrats-- scoring on a blocked punt is always huge, especially with an offense that was spinning all afternoon. Cavalier Catastrophes-- 2 for 12 on third down... while allowing the Hurricanes to convert on 8 of 14 tries... Mikkell Simpson's magic has disappeared (14 yards on 7 carries)... oh, and the defense allowed 515 yards. UVa's final three? a combined 18-9.
VIRGINIA TECH won its Thursday Night clash with East Carolina 16-3... but lost hope for a Coastal Division title when Georgia Tech topped Wake Forest 30-27 in overtime. This puts the Yellowjackets one win away from locking up the division outright; and GT wraps up ACC play against Duke (although these Blue Devils are potentially in title contention). Hokie Highlights-- Ryan Williams crossed the 1000-yard threshold by rushing for 179 yards... just one turnover while forcing three ECU giveaways... only five penalties. Hokie Humblings-- 4 for 14 on third down will cost a team against better competition... while Tyrod Taylor completed 17 of 30 passes, his completions were for just 137 yards (an average of just over eight yards-- when effective teams aim for 11 to 13 ypc). Final three opponents for the Hokies? Maryland (2-7), NC State (4-5) and UVa (3-6) for a grand total of 9-18! Christmas arrives early in Blacksburg.
MARYLAND in a 38-31 loss to North Carolina State saw it's quarterback go down with a knee injury... a defensive lineman go out for the season and a glimmer of postseason hope get snuffed out (although there is still a way they can qualify for the ACC title game-- if they win their last three and Clemson loses its next two while Boston College goes 1-2 and Wake and NC State both lose a league game)...Terrapin Triumphs-- big plays from Alex Wuijiack (70 yard INT return for a TD) and Torrey Smith (82 yard kickoff return for a score)... Terrapin Tragedies-- 482 total yards allowed...31 first downs...10 penalties for 91 yards. And did we mention their next three opponents are a combined 16-11?
VIRGINIA slipped to the precipice of bowl elimination with a 52-17 loss to Miami. A The Cavaliers were overwhelmed after halftime... getting roasted 28-0 after intermission. Cavalier Congrats-- scoring on a blocked punt is always huge, especially with an offense that was spinning all afternoon. Cavalier Catastrophes-- 2 for 12 on third down... while allowing the Hurricanes to convert on 8 of 14 tries... Mikkell Simpson's magic has disappeared (14 yards on 7 carries)... oh, and the defense allowed 515 yards. UVa's final three? a combined 18-9.
VIRGINIA TECH won its Thursday Night clash with East Carolina 16-3... but lost hope for a Coastal Division title when Georgia Tech topped Wake Forest 30-27 in overtime. This puts the Yellowjackets one win away from locking up the division outright; and GT wraps up ACC play against Duke (although these Blue Devils are potentially in title contention). Hokie Highlights-- Ryan Williams crossed the 1000-yard threshold by rushing for 179 yards... just one turnover while forcing three ECU giveaways... only five penalties. Hokie Humblings-- 4 for 14 on third down will cost a team against better competition... while Tyrod Taylor completed 17 of 30 passes, his completions were for just 137 yards (an average of just over eight yards-- when effective teams aim for 11 to 13 ypc). Final three opponents for the Hokies? Maryland (2-7), NC State (4-5) and UVa (3-6) for a grand total of 9-18! Christmas arrives early in Blacksburg.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
College Football Corner/Presto's Picks... Closing Month...
November brings the college football season to a crescendo... and with the World Series converging with the NBA's opening week and college hoops creeping into pre-Veteran's Day Territory... the Presto's Pick staff has its hands more than full--
VIRGINIA was heavy on tricks and light on treats in a 28-17 loss to Duke... Cavalier Congrats-- Rashawn Jackson gained 83 yards on 16 carries...while the defense held the high-flying Blue Devil offense in check for much of the afternoon. Cavalier Catastrophes-- Jameel Sewell and Mark Verica combined to complete 13 of 38 passes for 107 yards and an interception... setting the tone for an offense that converted just 4 of 16 third downs.
VIRGINIA TECH at East Carolina-- what was a season of promise has dissolved into chasing Georgia Tech... the team that leads the Coastal Division despite being the least talked-about. Seriously, the storylines have been "Why Can't the Hokies Score?"... "The Hurricanes are back!"... "Why aren't the Tar Heels back?"... "Duke's resurgence" and "UVa's October Surprise... this time it's Minimal!". East Carolina shocked the Hokies last season-- but if I've learned anything about ECU, it's that Halloween is CRAZY in Greenville... I'm thinking the Pirate faithful are still recovering. Hokies bounce back, 27-16.
VIRGINIA was heavy on tricks and light on treats in a 28-17 loss to Duke... Cavalier Congrats-- Rashawn Jackson gained 83 yards on 16 carries...while the defense held the high-flying Blue Devil offense in check for much of the afternoon. Cavalier Catastrophes-- Jameel Sewell and Mark Verica combined to complete 13 of 38 passes for 107 yards and an interception... setting the tone for an offense that converted just 4 of 16 third downs.
VIRGINIA TECH at East Carolina-- what was a season of promise has dissolved into chasing Georgia Tech... the team that leads the Coastal Division despite being the least talked-about. Seriously, the storylines have been "Why Can't the Hokies Score?"... "The Hurricanes are back!"... "Why aren't the Tar Heels back?"... "Duke's resurgence" and "UVa's October Surprise... this time it's Minimal!". East Carolina shocked the Hokies last season-- but if I've learned anything about ECU, it's that Halloween is CRAZY in Greenville... I'm thinking the Pirate faithful are still recovering. Hokies bounce back, 27-16.
Friday, October 30, 2009
College Football Corner + Presto's Picks-- Tricks and treats...
One wrinkle with the Thursday night football game: Friday's Picks column is morphed into a review/preview/don't really know what to do segment... Halloween gives area teams this fall mostly tricks and few treats... with an occasional laxative snuck in as a candy bar and razor blade laced apple. If the season continues the way it has, it will be a challenge to work a thankful angle into things a few weeks from now...
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse continues its Big East meatgrinder with a home date against #5 Cincinnati...
#14 VIRGINIA TECH watched its ACC Coastal hopes take a major setback with a 20-17 loss to North Carolina... weren't the Hokies supposed to rule Thursday Night Football with an Iron Fist(usually holding a smoked turkey leg)? HOKIE HIGHLIGHTS-- the defense held the Tar Heels to -13 yards the first three times they had the ball... Ryan Williams came close to hitting the century mark again-- rushing for 96 yards-- while Tyrod Taylor tallied a pair of touchdowns. HOKIE HUMBLINGS-- ten penalties and two turnovers...the second fumble resulting in UNC's game-winning field goal... the inability to move the chains (6 of 15 on third down) and get off the field (UNC was 10 of 19) was damaging.
VIRGINIA vs Duke...the Hokies loss further opens up the door for the Cavaliers in the Coastal Division. Coach Al Groh's defense will have its hands full with Blue Devils quarterback Thaddeus Lewis--with the exception of last week's loss to Georgia Tech, UVa's defense has been dominant in October...Cavaliers come through, 22-15.
Navy tops Temple... Howard slips to Norfolk State... Georgetown beats Old Dominion...James Madison falls to Delaware... Richmond tames Towson... William & Mary gets by Rhode Island.
Last Week: 4-1.
Overall: 37-15.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse continues its Big East meatgrinder with a home date against #5 Cincinnati...
#14 VIRGINIA TECH watched its ACC Coastal hopes take a major setback with a 20-17 loss to North Carolina... weren't the Hokies supposed to rule Thursday Night Football with an Iron Fist(usually holding a smoked turkey leg)? HOKIE HIGHLIGHTS-- the defense held the Tar Heels to -13 yards the first three times they had the ball... Ryan Williams came close to hitting the century mark again-- rushing for 96 yards-- while Tyrod Taylor tallied a pair of touchdowns. HOKIE HUMBLINGS-- ten penalties and two turnovers...the second fumble resulting in UNC's game-winning field goal... the inability to move the chains (6 of 15 on third down) and get off the field (UNC was 10 of 19) was damaging.
VIRGINIA vs Duke...the Hokies loss further opens up the door for the Cavaliers in the Coastal Division. Coach Al Groh's defense will have its hands full with Blue Devils quarterback Thaddeus Lewis--with the exception of last week's loss to Georgia Tech, UVa's defense has been dominant in October...Cavaliers come through, 22-15.
Navy tops Temple... Howard slips to Norfolk State... Georgetown beats Old Dominion...James Madison falls to Delaware... Richmond tames Towson... William & Mary gets by Rhode Island.
Last Week: 4-1.
Overall: 37-15.
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