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(last year the Skins held off a late Eagles rally but were eliminated when Atlanta won) the playoff intrigue has been replaced by palace intrigue in Ashburn.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.
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