Week 11 vs. Dallas Cowboys

Washington - Well, this game made me sick to my ghostly stomach. Team Evil prevailed and our hopes for the playoffs just decreased dramatically. This was the most nauseating fourth quarter performances I have seen in quite some time.

The Cowboys, Marion Barber specifically, simply ran over the Redskins offensive line all game long. The Redskins were fortunate enough to get 2 interceptions deep in their own end against a rusty Tony Romo to stall 2 scoring drives otherwise this game would not have been close. "Butter Hands" Barber did his part coughing up another fumble, but the Redskins could not recover it. When the 4th quarter rolled around, the Cowboys simply stopped throwing the ball and plowed right through the Redskins defensive line. The Cowboys had 2 drives in the 4th quarter totaling over 10 minutes. The Cowboys showed they were going to run the ball, the Redskins knew it was coming, and they just got manhandled and could not stop it. It was flat out painful to watch.

The Redskins offense was inconsistent at best all game long and Clinton Portis struggled with a sprained knee, but toughed it out and gave a good effort. With Clinton not 100%, the Redskins needed their receivers to step up and make some plays and it did not happen. Chris Cooley did his part with 7 catches, but Santana Moss had 5 catches for only 29 yards and Antwaan Randle El simply disappeared with only 1 catch.

On a positive not, DeAngelo Hall made his presence felt in his Redskins debut with his first interception and newcomer Ryan Plackemeier had a solid game with 4 punts averaging 47 yards.

This is the problem when a team over achieves in the early part of the season. When they come back down to Earth, it's just that much more painful. The Redskins were a team in transition at the beginning of the season and they still are now. They caught a lot of breaks early in the season and a lot of people began to think they were better than they really were and now they have come crashing back down to Earth. The Redskins do have an easier schedule down the home stretch of the season including next week against a happless Seattle team that is 2-8. If the Redskins lose to Seattle, their season is officially over. We can only hope for another end of the season run like they have had the last few seasons, but I would not count on it this time unfortunately.

Washington 10, Dallas 14

Highlights of the Redskins' Week 11 Loss to the Dallas Cowboys

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

LaVar Wins the Just Shut Up Award

I have always felt terrible for LaVar Arrington. He came in to the NFL with unbelievable talent and dreams of becoming one of the all-time greats. Unfortunately, LaVar's career was single handedly ruined by one man, Daniel Snyder, who seemingly hired and fired defensive coordinators every season. When the Snyder regime took over the team, "The Snyde" was determined to make big splash after big splash signing over the hill and overrated big name players and coaches until his team finally won the title and his face was plastered all over the ESPN web site.

In doing so, the team had no chemistry, no consistency, and no chance. Year after year, LaVar had greater and greater aspirations and year after agonizing year, he was thrown into yet another new defensive scheme with yet another defensive coordinator and/or head coach. For the first 5 years under "The Snyde", it was flat out embarrassing to be a Redskins fan. LaVar never had a chance to mature as a player. He never had a chance to get used to a defensive scheme. He never had a chance to play with his teammates long enough to know where they would be and what they would be doing on the field. This was just a flat out waste of talent and has to go down as one of the biggest dissappointments in not only Redskins, but NFL history. Overall, LaVar is one of the biggest busts in Redskins' history. The terrible part is that it wasn't him that was the bust, it was Daniel Snyder. LaVar did have a few shining moments and a few glimpses of greatness, but they were too few and far between. He was constantly forced to take chances and play out of position on the field and he could never get his feet on solid ground. Now, all we are left with is a bunch of what could have beens. Oh yeah, and Daniel Snyder.

Be that as it may, LaVar needs to sit back and shut up. It is one thing to spout off at Daniel Snyder, the madman that ruined his career, but it is entirely another thing to call Joe Gibbs a "coward" for retiring from coaching last season. Joe Gibbs is and always will be a legend among Redskins fans, but this goes far beyond calling a hall of fame coach names.

As much as I love Joe Gibbs as a coach, the fact is he is a business man and he owns a very successful business in NASCAR. He doesn't need the grief of Daniel Snyder or his band of "fly by night" players.

Beyond that, the most difficult issue to swallow is that it is well known that Joe Gibbs has an infant grandchild who has been sick since the day he was born and has struggled just to stay alive. This poor innocent child and his mother were forced to live in the quarantined basement of their own house for an entire year where he could not go outside or even play with his own siblings. I can't even imagine the immense heartache his mother must have felt going through that. Besides making "The Snyde" a distant memory, Joe naturally wanted more time with his family as any good father or grandfather would.

It doesn't matter what differences LaVar may have had with Joe when he was still playing. To call a man a coward for wanting to be with his family and his sick grandson is a flat out disgrace. LaVar deserves a big fat slap in the face for that and I hope someone gives it to him. I would gladly do it myself, but I'm only a ghost so I can only spook him. I hope someone close to him does have the guts to stand up to him and say he was way out of line. I feel terrible about how is career went, but calling the hall of fame coach and Redskins icon, Joe Gibbs, a coward lowers LaVar's level down into the nether regions. An immediate apology to Joe is the only way LaVar stands a chance at getting a die hard Redskins fan's respect back.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

More De for the Defense

Welcome home DeAngelo!

The Redskins struck gold this week when they signed 2 time pro-bowler CB DeAngelo Hall. Hall is a tremendous athlete with great skills and is a perfect fit with the Redskins. The team already has 3 excellent starting CB's on the roster, but Sean Springs just cannot stop getting injured and Fred Smoot has unfortunately followed in his footsteps. Hall will only be 25 years old after his birthday next week and brings some much needed youth and a consistently healthy body to the secondary.

Hall has had a poor season overall so far this year after signing a whopping $70 million contract with the Raiders, but he has been showing signs of turning things around the last few games. Maybe he celebrated his contract signing a little too much in the offseason and was not prepared for the early part of the season. Maybe he struggled because he was playing for the laughing stock of the AFC Oakland Raiders. It's amazing. Three weeks ago, I hated Al Davis for how he handled the firing and disgracing of his former head coach Lane Kiffin. Now, I absolutely love that mental patient of a man! Who in their right mind would sign a perrenial pro-bowl caliber player to a $70 million contract and then simply release him outright after a mere 8 games? Insert the bewildered Al Davis picture here.

Hall went to college at Virginia Tech and after getting phone calls and interest from virtually every team in the NFL, he decided to come home to the Redskins where he is comfortable and where the team has a chance of winning. Adding his healthy and highly skilled body to the secondary is a huge boost for us now and later. Not only do we get desperately needed healthy young talent, but we also get the heir apparent to Sean Springs' job next year. Assuming Hall's play the rest of the season goes smoothly and he mixes well with his new teammates, the Redskins can sign him to a long-term deal and save themselves a much needed draft pick in next year's draft where they need every pick possible for the defensive and offensive lines.

It's a WIN-WIN baby...Thanks again Al!

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Week 9 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington - In a word, "awful". No..."disgusting". No..."humiliating". No, wait...awww "crap".

Well it was bound to happen sooner or later. Our weary warriors showed a big chink in their armor this past Monday night. The offense looked like a high school team playing against a Division 1 college defense. Jason Campbell had an awful day and the offensive line was worse. Besides throwing his first 2 interceptions of the season, Campbell got decked a whopping 7 times(with the ball that is). You simply cannot give up 7 sacks, that is just plain atrocious. Outside of Clinton Portis' one 22 yard scamper, he finished the day with 12 carries for 29 yards.

Granted, the Steelers probably have the best defense in the league, but this was embarrassing. The only way to make it any worse would be to let Pittsburgh fans take over our home stadium. This wreaks of Daniel Snyder. "The Snyde" has done so much damage to our fan base since he descended upon us in 1999 that a lot of fans have simply given up or lost their dedication to our team because of him.

On defense, go figure. The pass rush finally woke up from its dormant state and got some pressure on the opposing QB and then the secondary, insert Carlos Rogers' picture here, turns around and falls apart. The Redskins racked up an astounding 5 sacks in one game after getting only 10 sacks in the first 8 games of the season. You can only hope to contain Demetric Evans! However, while Carlos Rogers has been more consistent this year, he reverted back to his old ways from the past few seasons and simply got smoked in every direction.

We have to take something positive away from this so here is what we have. The defensive line finally woke up and got some pressure on the QB, Sean Suisham has remained consistent and knocked in 2 more 40+ yard field goals, and Ryan Plackemeier averaged a decent 43.7 yards on 6 punts. It's not good when you have to look to your kickers for positives.

Final Score: Washington 6, Pittsburgh 23

Highlights of the Redskins' Week 9 Loss over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Why The Redskins Have Been Successful in 2008

In the offseason, most NFL "experts" picked the Redskins to finish last in the NFC East and predicted the Cowboys would win the division as well as the Super Bowl. While the season is far from over, the Redskins keep plugging away mounting up wins and the Cowboys continue to be the NFL weekly drama headline. So what has made the difference for the Redskins?

The difference is that the Redskins team is just that, a team. They simply have a great core of coaches and players that play hard and genuinely want to win. They do not have greedy ball hogs hell bent on racking up stats, immature adolescents throwing tantrums on and off the field, and they do not have guys getting into strip club brawls at 2:00am. The Redskins simply have a team full of quality individuals that are good people on and off the field.

Another big difference for the Redskins this year is the team's chemistry. For the first time since Dan Snyder bought the Redskins, the team did not sign an onslaught of free agents in the offseason that have never played together. With the exception of our new draft picks, the team largely consists of the same players from 2007 and you just can't beat experience. Players know each other's moves, they know where their teammates are on the field at all times and they are all willing to step up and help one another.

So maybe it is the quality of players on the Redskins that have lead to their new found success. Maybe, it is the team's chemistry and their experience from playing together. Undoubtedly, there is also one other X factor for this team. The loss of Sean Taylor. Sean was a tremendous talent and a huge loss on the field and his loss still weighs on the hearts and minds of Redskins' players and fans alike. But while Sean may no longer be here physically, he is still contributing to our team in a way that cannot be measured. Maybe, "team" is not the right word for the Redskins. Maybe, a better word is "family". Sean has helped bring this team closer together than any other team in the NFL. He has brought them together as a family and they are a family that sticks together through good times and bad. Sean was a leader on the field, and now, he is a leader off of it.

Thank you for everything you gave us Sean and for everything you are still giving us. We miss you.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Next Two Games Critical to Season

Our team is flat out tired, injuries are mounting, mainly on the defense, and players are being forced to play out of position. The next two games against Pittsburgh and Dallas, both at home, will most likely determine the direction the team takes for the remainder of the season. If they win both of these games, the Redskins will have become major contenders for the playoffs. If they split the games going 1-1, it will still be undecided if they are a serious threat. If they lose both games, their season that started off so brightly will end in mediocrity.

This week's Monday night battle with Pittsburgh at home in Washington is a huge test. Jason Taylor and Sean Springs are already ruled out for the game. Fortunately, it looks like Cornelius Griffin and Chris Horton will be back on the field. This is the last game before the all important bye week and the Redskins need to make a statement.

Pittsburgh has a tough defense that will make it very difficult for Clinton Portis to find holes. On offense, the Steelers are down to their third string RB due to injuries and the Redskins defensive front should be able to stuff their rushing game. This may very well come down to a passing battle between Big Ben and Jason Campbell. Jason Campbell and Santana Moss must have a big day. Antwaan Randle El needs to get into the act and put up a few big plays against his old team for the Redskins to pull this out.

After the much needed bye week, the Redskins face the Dallas Evil and they have a chance at virtually ending Dallas' season with a victory over them. It looks like Tony Romo will make his return from his pinky booboo in this game and Team Evil will be fighting for their playoff lives. They also don't want to be labeled this year's biggest disappointment(again), which they will be with only a few more losses.

The Redskins are hoping to have Jason Taylor and Sean Springs back for the Dallas game. The defense desperately needs a healthy Jason Taylor and Andre Carter to start reeking havoc in the backfield. If they can't get to the QB in these two games, they could very well get picked apart.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Week 8 vs Detroit Lions

Detroit - Our beloved Redskins seemingly keep finding ways to win games this year. This week, they traveled to Detroit to face a Detroit Lions team that they should have beaten by a wide margin. However, the Lions must be given some credit because they played hard and looked better than an 0-7 team.

On offense, the Lions simply could not run the ball. The Redskins' defensive line stuffed RB's Rudi Johnson and Kevin Smith and allowed only 33 yards on 12 carries between so it was up to their QB to make something happen for them. In only his 4th NFL start, the 25 year old Orlovsky went a productive 21/35 for 223 yards with 1 touchdown pass to an improving Calvin Johnson.

Through most of the first half, the Lions defense played with a lot of energy and managed to hold the Redskins to only one field goal on their first drive. They caused a key turnover at mid field putting their offense in great position and they made the best of it driving the ball in for a touchdown. After taking the lead, the Lions defense again stepped up and held the Redskins to a 3 and out and gave their hot handed offense the ball right back again. The offense moved down the field on an 8 play 44 yard drive and capped it off with a field goal giving them a 10-3 and, worse than that, got them believing they could pull off the upset.

It wasn't until about midway through the 2nd quarter when the Redskins began to wake up on offense and they put together a 59 yard drive, which was ended by a face mask penalty on Jon Jansen and then Shaun Suisham missed a 50 yard field goal attempt. The Redskins did get the ball back one more time before the end of the half and they finally changed the momentum of the game in their favor. Facing a 3rd and 19 from their own 17 yard line, Jason Campbell completed a beautifully thrown ball to Mr. Everything (James Thrash) for 29 yards. Campbell mixed his targets hitting Chris Cooley and Santana Moss putting them in position for a last second field goal and, this time, Shaun Suisham delivered on a 47 yarder as time expired.

It would have been easy for Jim Zorn to play it conservatively and run the ball up the middle when the Redskins were backed up deep in their own end, but give the coach credit for mixing his play calls and airing it out before the end of the half. After an inconsistent, penalty and turnover filled first half, the Redskins needed something positive to happen. When Suisham connected on his last second field goal, it breathed new life into the Redskins the carried over to the second half of the game.

In the second half, the Redskins continued marching the ball down the field scoring 19 points, highlighted by a tremendous 50 yard pass play from Jason Campbell to Santana Moss. Campbell continues to show he is maturing into one of the better QB's in the league. Against an unblocked blitz, Campbell calmly stepped up in the pocket to avoid the initial rush and delivered the beautifully thrown ball to Moss without so much as a flinch with the defender breathing down his back. While on the receiving end, the perfectly placed ball landed right in Moss' hands in stride on the sideline where he turned on the jets and flew by two Lions defenders.

While a win is a win in and the Redskins have had a great first half of the season, there are two disturbing trends that Jim Zorn will have to find a way to correct if the Redskins are going to make a serious playoff run. Against a below average Detroit offensive line with a young and inexperienced QB, the Redskins could still only manage 1 sack for the game. They now have a meager 10 sacks through 8 games this season. If they are going to have success against the elite teams in the NFL, they will have to find a way to get to the QB. This simply MUST improve. Shawn Springs was out again against Detroit and simply cannot hold up over a full season. With the additional injuries to Reed Doughty and now Chris Horton, the Redskins' secondary is on very thin ice now. One more injury to the secondary could spell disaster for the Redskins' defense who completely rely on their outstanding coverage units.

The other trend is that while the Redskins have continued to move the ball on offense, they are having to settle for a lot of field goal attempts. With all of the yardage numbers they have been racking up, they need to find a way to convert some more of those field goals into touchdowns. They will have a very tough time keeping up with the NFL's elite teams kicking field goals at this rate.

Does anyone still have Dexter Manley's or Charles Mann's phone number?

Final Score: Washington 25, Detroit 17

Highlights of the Redskins' Week 8 Win over the Detroit Lions.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Week 7 vs Cleveland Browns

Washington - Ahhhh...What a glorious Monday and a beautiful beginning to the week. The sun is shining a little brighter, politicians are showing they really are somewhat like real people on Letterman and SNL, and even the dreadfully corrupt stock market is up (Check back next hour for an update on stocks). All is right in the world again. The Redskins emerged from the weekend victorious again while the Evil Cowpokers stumbled and bumbled their way into third place in the NFC East.

Against a talented and improving Cleveland Browns team that demolished the New York Giants only 6 days earlier, the Redskins again served notice to the NFL that they are a team to be reckoned with. In a good old fashioned slug fest, the two teams combined for only 28 completed passes and a whopping 16 punts.

The difference in this game was once again Clinton Portis who ran wild for 175 yards on 27 carries with his 7th touchdown of the season. Portis is playing his best football since becoming a Redskin and has now gone 4 straight games with at least 120 yards. Beyond his rushing totals, his selfless play as a blocker and as an occasional receiver, Portis has become the glue that keeps the entire offense together. As well as he played and as much credit as he deserves for his effort against Cleveland, it was Portis himself who almost coughed up the game when he fumbled deep in Redskins territory late in the game giving the Browns one last chance before Phil Dawson miss fired on a 54 yard field goal that would have tied the game.

Jason Campbell played another steady game going 14/23 and he has now thrown 202 passes this season without an interception, a great accomplishment. However, Campbell again only threw for 164 yards and this was the 4th time in 7 games this season that Campbell did not reach the 200 yard mark. Campbell did tweak his groin during the game, which naturally limited him, but the Redskins must find a way to get more out of the passing game as the season progresses.

On the defensive side of the ball, what can you say? The Redskins played stifling defense again. The strength of this team lies in its secondary, which continues to step up when called upon. The defensive line's strength is clearly against the run and they limited Jamal Lewis to 80 yards on 19 carries. If you take out Lewis' one big run of 22 yards, the Redskins held him to 3.2 yards per carry for the game. However, not all is roses for the Redskins defense. The Redskins again were not able to generate a consistent pass rush against the Browns. Andre Carter, who had an impressive 10.5 sacks last season, managed to record the teams lone sack of the game and now has the team lead with a measly 2 sacks. We can only hope that Jason Taylor makes a fast and furious comeback to help the situation and give the secondary some much needed relief.

Beyond Taylor, our only hope may lie in Erasmus James. The forgotten DE has not accumulated any stats yet this season and we have not heard any mention of him since he was acquired from the Vikings in the pre-season. Hopefully, James is building up and getting healthier from his past injuries and will be able to make some kind of contribution in the second half of the season. At age 25, James still has youth on his side, but he will more than likely never be the same player he was when he was drafted in the first round of the 2005 draft.

As all the stars and planets aligned themselves this past weekend, the Dallas Cowpokers lowered themselves to an entirely new level by not only losing to the St. Louis Rams, but by being shredded by the St. Louis Rams 34-14. How funny life can be. Last week, I hated the Rams more than more than a friction burn and this week I added Steven Jackson to my Christmas card list. Jackson ran over the Cowpokers like a monster just in time for Halloween. Brad Johnson pitched in and did a wonderful job spreading the ball around to 9 receivers including 2 of which were Rams players. Personally, I was hoping Tony Romo would have played so that Leonard Little could have knocked him into the middle of December. And then there was "Butter Hands" Barber letting his 5th fumble of the year slip right into the defenders arms. It's beautiful to watch when the Cowpokers work together as a team like this.

Speaking of Christmas, when Christmas does come this year and the ghost of Christmas Future shows Daniel Snyder that he eventually becomes the meddling Jerry Jones, we can only hope he will learn from his mistakes and stay out of player personnel decisions and stay in his overpriced luxury booth where he belongs.

On a final note, keep Jerry Jones away from the Steinbrenner family! Do not even let him in to Yankee stadium. We managed to overcome the buried David Ortiz's jersey, but not even the mighty Pinstripes can overcome the tainted ora of the Cowboys' owner. Someone call security and fast!

Final Score: Washington 14, Cleveland 11

Highlights of the Redskins' Week 7 Win over the Cleveland Browns

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Mid Season Additions

Today, the Redskins announced the signings of 3 new players:

RB - Sean Alexander
S - Mike Green
P - Ryan Plackemeier

All 3 players have previously played in Detroit with Jim Zorn. The signing of Sean Alexander is a good one. With backup RB Ladell Betts out for the next 3-4 weeks due to injury, Alexander will provide some much needed stable and experienced depth. He is a natural fit with the team and already knows the offense as well as Head Coach Jim Zorn and RB coach Stump Mitchell. At this point in his career, he does not care about numbers. He only wants to win. He is a consummate professional and a solid locker room presence. Plus, it doesn't hurt that he has a chip on his shoulder. Only 3 seasons ago, Alexander was the best player in Seattle and arguably the best RB in the NFL. This season, he could not even land a roster spot until there was an injury in week 6. NFL teams have written him off and he wants to prove he still has something left in his tank. Of course, Redskins officials state that Alexander had a phenomenal workout and he states this is the strongest he has been in 2 years. Time will tell how great a shape his body really is in and whether he can hold up to the wear and tear.

Mike Green adds much needed depth at safety for the team. Reed Doughty, who started at the beginning of the season at strong safety, has been battling a nerve issue that has been affecting his play. He recently lost his starting job to rookie 7th round draft pick, Chad Horton. Green will bring 8 years of valuable experience to share with Horton. He has also played under both Jim Zorn in Seattle and Defensive Coordinator Greg Blache in Chicago so it should be a smooth transition for him.

Finally and sadly, the Durant Brooks era is over after only 6 weeks and Derrick Frost is smiling in Green Bay after being cut at the end of preseason in favor of the rookie. Frost is a mediocre punter in the NFL, but he is at least consistent.

During the first 6 weeks of the season, Brooks sprayed the football all over the field and his teammates and coaches never knew what they were going to get from him. After giving up 2 short line drive punts for touchdowns and after shanking a 26 yard punt deep in their own territory against the Rams, Zorn had to make the decision. Zorn wanted to stick it out with Brooks and I thought he would turn things around after some early rookie jitters. He did have some booming kicks, but overall there were just too many mistakes and he was too inconsistent.

It was worth a shot for the Redskins to make a move in the draft to try to improve their kicking game. Unfortunately, it did not work out for them. The team invested a 6th round pick in Brooks, which is not a huge loss. Albeit, starting SS Chad Horton was a 7th round pick and they could have used this 6th round pick on another much needed defensive lineman. You just don't know what you are going to get in the 5th, 6th and 7th rounds of the draft.

Ryan Plackemeier is similar to Derrick Frost, but Frost has slightly better numbers. So as we look back, it appears the Redskins have actually taken a slight step backwards in their kicking game this season despite their efforts. This will be a need that must be addressed in the next offseason, but not through the draft. Plackemeier should at least provide some consistency for the Redskins on special teams. There is also one extra bonus with Plackemeier. He is 6'3" and 247lbs and can probably fill in for FB Mike Sellers should he get injured or need a breather. Now, that's versatility!

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Week 6 vs. St. Louis Rams

Washington - Heading in to this season, the Redskins had three Must Wins on their schedule: St. Louis, Detroit and Cincinnati. We can now cross off the first one on this list in disgust. After impressively beating two of their bitter rivals on the road the past two weeks and getting off to a quick start in their 2008 campaign, the Redskins seemingly fell asleep at the wheel against one of the worst teams in professional football, the St. Louis Rams.

After getting an early turnover at the Rams' three yard line, RB Clinton Portis punched his way into the end zone and the rout was on, or so it seemed. After the Rams connected on a long 51 yard field goal, the Redskins opened up the passing attack and moved the down field quickly until an uncharacteristic fumble by TE Chris Cooley setting the tone for a long day.

The defense played strong again stifling the Rams' offense for most of the game, but the Redskins offense was determined to keep this a close and low scoring game. Two drives in a row, the Redskins drove down the field only to fumble the ball away in St. Louis territory. Finally, the Redskins drove the ball again to the Rams' 16 yard line right before the half when the play of the game occurred. QB Jason Campbell had a pass batted in the air and was caught by LG Pete Kendall. Not knowing how to run with a football, Kendall bumbled his way for a few steps before having the ball knocked out of his hands and returned 75 yards for a touchdown with 9 seconds left in the half giving the Rams the momentum, which they would carry through the rest of the game.

In the second half, the Redskins finally stopped turning the ball over and their offense was on the move again. Early in the 4th quarter, they marched down the field, but were stopped at the St. Louis 21 yard line and had to settle for a field goal. After the defense held once again, the Redskins finally got back to smash mouth Hog football and moved down field. With 3:53 left in the game, RB Clinton Portis ran it in from 2 yards out and it looked as if the Redskins would be able to pull out a victory despite multiple turnovers in the first half. But it was not to be.

At 3rd down and 13, QB Marc Bulger reached back and heaved a last ditch effort hail mary pass to WR Donnie Avery that connected for 43 yards putting the Rams in range for a field goal to win the game. Despite an absurd 15 yard Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty on Rams RG Richie Incognito that he has undoubtedly received multiple verbal lashings from his teammates and coaching staff, Rams' PK Josh Brown drilled a 49 yard field goal to end the game and send the Redskins their locker room utterly bewildered.

The Redskins were clearly the better football team on both offense and defense. QB Jason Campbell completed 18/26 passes, but yet again totaled only 208 yards and while he did not throw an interception, he also did not throw for a touchdown for the second game in a row. WR Santana Moss was also ineffective for the second game in a row catching only 2 passes for 22 yards.

The defense played strong and stifled the Rams for the majority of the game only giving up the one big pass play at the end of the game. They held RB Stephen Jackson to 79 yards for a 3.6 average and limited QB Marc Bulger to only 136 yards. However, the defense again struggled to get to the quarterback. They managed to end their sackless game streak and did sack Marc Bulger 2 times, but had to blitz CB Sean Springs to get one of them, which they clearly cannot depend on in the future.

Now, the Redskins have to get back on track and prepare for the rejuvinated Cleveland Browns that just hammered the New York Giants and suddenly look like the contender most people thought they would be. The Redskins must beat Cleveland at home in Washington. After Cleveland, they have games at Detroit and home against an always tough Pittsburgh Steelers. If the Redskins lose to the Browns, they could easily find themselves at disappointing 5-4 going into their week 10 bye week. After such a great start to the season, that would be a severe blow to the team's confidence going into the second half of the season.

Final Score: Washington 17, St. Louis 19

Highlights of the Redskins' Week 6 Loss to the St. Louis Rams

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Week 5 vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia - The Redskins are officially off to their hottest start in years after back to back division road wins. The Redskins went to Philadelphia to face the Eagles and try to prove that their win in Dallas last week was no fluke. At the end of Sunday's game, they did just that after emerging victoriously once again.

The Redskins began the game slowly, allowing the Eagles to march down the field on their opening drive in typical Eagles fashion handing off and throwing the football repeatedly to RB Brian Westbrook. After methodically moving the ball down the field, Westbrook ran it in from 9 yards out.

After a quick 3 and out, P Durant Brooks served up yet another low 37 yard punt and WR DeSean Jackson sped through the Redskins wave of special teamers and returned it for a touchdown. On a positive note, Jackson was polite and did say "Thank you" to Brooks as he flew passed him on his way to the end zone.

Even though it was early in the game, it looked as it it were already over. "Hah!" shouted head coach Jim Zorn. "Now, we have them right where we want them!" And he was right. The Redskins stuck together like white on rice and put an early end to the Eagles offense. Although they were down 14 points, the Redskins stuck with their game plan and began giving the Eagles #1 rated rushing defense a steady and overpowering dose of RB Clinton Portis. Over the next 3 1/2 quarters, Portis racked up 145 yards on 29 carries and even chipped in with 2 receptions for 13 yards.

QB Jason Campbell had another positive and turnover free game going 16/29 for 176 yards and completed passes to 6 different receivers. However, it was disappointing and concerning that WR Santana Moss, the team's #1 WR, did not catch a pass.

The Redskins played tremendous football from the middle of the first quarter on. The offense was steady and productive and the defense seems to be excelling at coverage and running down opponents' rushers. However, there are still many concerns for the Redskins and while many experts say the Redskins are for real and will not fade as the season progresses, it is difficult to believe.

For the second week in a row, the Redskins registered 0 sacks. That is a major problem that the Redskins must resolve if they are going to make a serious playoff push in 2008. They must find a way to get to the quarterback. They are relying far too much on their cornerbacks and safeties to play perfect coverage. On offense, the Redskins have been near perfect with turnovers and Jason Campbell has yet to throw an interception this season. Campbell's low numbers are still concerning though. Yes, he is still a young quarterback and, yes, he is learning yet another new offensive system, but Jim Zorm must find a way to get more production out of the passing game if the Redskins are going to put up a serious fight in the NFC East. Campbell typically only throws for 175-200 yards per game with a YPA of 6-7 yards.

Zorn will have to open up the offense in the second half of the year in order to take pressure off of Clinton Portis. Campbell cannot be expected to play all season without giving up an interception or Portis a fumble. Without a dominant defense, the Redskins will need to get Campbell up to the 250 yards per game average for them to pose a serious threat.

The Redskins are on the right track on offense and defense, but they are still 1-2 seasons away from being a legitimate power in the NFL and that is only if they address their needs in the draft and through free agency correctly. For now, it is great to see the Redskins having some early success, especially on the road against their bitter rivals. Enojy it, relish it and soak it all in because odds are, they can not keep it up all season.

Final Score: Washington 23 - Philadelphia 17

Highlights of the Redskins' week 5 Win over the Philadelphia Eagles

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Week 4 vs. Dallas Cowboys

Dallas - When the dust settled, the Redskins emerged from Week 4 with an impressive 3-1 record tied for second place in the tough NFC East. The Redskins took a surprising and significant step towards becoming a legitimate playoff caliber team by beating the Dallas Cowboys on the road. After starting very slow in Week 1 against the N.Y. Giants, the Redskins have reeled off 3 strong victories. What has been the difference between Week 1 and Weeks 2-4? Two words, Jason Campbell.

Campbell is suddenly flourishing under new Head Coach and Quarterbacks Coach, Jim Zorn. The change in Campbell's play was on display again this week in Dallas as Campbell continued to elude Dallas pass rushers with nifty footwork time and time again. He showed great poise stepping up in the pocket to make big plays when the Redskins needed them and he hung in there until the last possible second to launch the football with defenders in his face before taking some monster hits. He has established a solid connection with WR Santana Moss and continues to mix passes with Anwaan Randle El, Chris Cooley and, the ageless and consumate professional, James Thrash.

On the other side of the ball, the Redskins did an excellent job defending in the secondary and stuffing the Dallas rushing game. They limited perhaps the best offensive team in football to just 17 points before yielding a late touchdown in their prevent defense. Shawn Springs stepped up and did an outstanding job blanketing Terrell Owens and taking him out of the game early.

Despite their current winning streak and this week's impressive road win over the Cowboys, who many experts have picked to go to and win the Super Bowl, the Redskins still have plenty of room for improvement. They continue to struggle getting to the quarterback and managed 0 sacks on the day against Dallas. With Phillip Daniels out for the season and Jason Taylor now out of the lineup indefinitely, the Redskins may be forced to start taking more chances on defense to create pressure up front. Don't be surprised if Marcus Washington and LaRon Landry begin finding their way into the opponents backfield in blitz packages over the next few weeks.

Another area of constant concern is the injury prone secondary. Shawn Springs, Fred Smoot and Carlos Rogers are all Pro-Bowl caliber cornerbacks, but they also have more points on their frequent hospital member card than the rest of the team combined. While Springs typically started strong against Dallas, he again typically had to leave the game early in the third quarter because of a injury, which turned out to be a calf strain. If Springs is unable to start the next game, Carlos Rogers will need to finally step up and play like the dominating first round draft pick the Redskins thought he would be.

All in all, the Redskins must be happy with what they have accomplished so far and Washington fans would no doubt vote for Jim Zorn if he was added at the last minute to the presidential ticket. But can they keep it up with so many aging and injury prone players on both sides of the ball? I tend to doubt it, but I will enjoy it for now.

Final Score: Washington 26 - Dallas 24

Highlights of the Redskins' Week 4 Win over the Dallas Cowboys

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Week 3 vs. Arizona Cardinals

Washington - Another week and another solid, but far from dominating win. Against the steadily improving Arizona Cardinals, the Redskins had to earn every yard and the defense came up big again forcing two key turnovers.

The Redskins took the ball first and marched down the field with a nice mix of runs and short passes. They steadily moved down the field until RB Clinton Portis pounded it into the end zone from three yards out. After WLB Rocky McIntosh stripped the ball loose from RB Edgerrin James for his first fumble of the year and the Redskins recovered, the offense was stymied and forced to kick a field goal giving the Redskins an early 10-0 lead.

In the second quarter, however, the Cardinals were able to rip off multiple 10+ yard runs and QB Kurt Warner got himself into a rythm with his wide receiving core and lead his team down the field and connecting with WR Anquon Boldin for a 4 yard touchdown and the half ended.

With the help of 2 penalties by CB Fred Smoot and DE Jason Taylor, the Cardinals moved the ball down the field and began the second half with a field goal to tie the game and the shoot out was on.

Back came the Redskins on the very next possession with an 11 play 80 yard drive taking over 6 minutes wearing out the defense with another great mix of run and pass play calling by Jim Zorn leading to a 2 yard TE Todd Yoder touchdown catch.

But Kurt Warner came right back and did what Kurt Warner does best... throw the bomb. With Kurt Warner's arm and top WR Larry Fitzgerald on the opposite burning down the field, the Cardinals can explode for a touchdown at any given moment and that is exactly what happened. On the third play from scrimmage, Kurt Warner launched the ball down field to a wide open Larry Fitzgerald for a 62 yard pass play for a touchdown.

When the Cardinals took the ball again in the fourth quarter, they started deep in their own end at the 19 yard line. On the third play from scrimmage again, Kurt Warner launched another rocket down field, but this time the pass was deflected and CB Carlos Rogers made a great diving effort for the interception at the Washington 43 yard line. After laying out for the catch, Rogers sprung to his feet before being touched and hurdled his way all the way down to the Arizona 15. From there, Jason Campbell hit Santana Moss on a short wide receiver screen and Moss squirmed his way 17 yards into the end zone.

After holding the Cardinals to 4 plays on defense, the Redskins smelled blood and they aired it out to rookie WR Devin Thomas for a 68 yard touchdown that would have sealed the victory, but it was not to be. The play was called back after an inexcusible Unnecesary Roughness call on RT Stephon Heyer. The Redskins were still able to overcome the penalty and move the ball down the field taking precious time off the clock and giving PK Shaun Suisham a chance to seal the game again, but he was unable to hit a 52 yard field goal.

The defense came back on to the field needing one more stop and they is exactly what they got holding Arizona to a quick 3 and out. Needing only one first down to run out the clock, the Redskins pounded the ball with Clinton Portis and Jason Campbell connected with Chris Cooley on a game ending 26 yard pass play.

After losing badly to the Giants in week 1, the Redskins desperately needed to win the next 2 games against two slightly above average teams and that is exactly what they did. They have to be happy with the overall result of this game and they have to be pleased with their steadily improving run defense as well as their outstanding secondary coverage. However, despite getting 2 sacks against the Cardinals, the defense still was not able to generate any kind of consistent pass rush. Kurt Warner simply had too much time the throw the ball on many occasions and, fortunately, the Cardinals were only able to connect on one long touchdown pass play to Larry Fitzgerald. They must find a way to get to the quarterback more consistently. They cannot simply sit back and rely on their coverage units to defend passes. The secondary is too susceptible to injuries and cannot take on that much pressure for an extended period of time so Defensive Coordinator Greg Blache has some adjustments to make. We will see how he does in the coming weeks.

Final Score: Washington 24, Arizona 17

Highlights of the Redskins' Week 3 Win over the Arizona Cardinals

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Ricky Williams Signs Extension

Ricky Williams, the NFL's version of Steve Howe (Relief Pitcher who was suspended by the MLB for alcohol and drug abuse 7 times), somehow continues to linger with the Miami Dolphins like a bad case of athlete's foot. Not only has Williams upset and disgraced teammates, team management, fans and the entire NFL in his career, but now he has managed to alienate his own sports agent, Leigh Steinberg, Sports Agent Directory.

Williams, now 31 years old, was set to become a free agent at the end of the 2008 season. Despite his troubled past, teams desperate for help at running back apparently still view him as an effective option and still seem willing to tolerate his shenanigans. Lehigh Steinberg's plan was for Williams to have a productive 2008 season and then score one more multi-year contract before his career finally comes to a merciful end. However, Ricky decided that Ricky knows best once again and he negotiated a one year contract extension with the Miami Dolphins on his own without informing Steinberg.

Williams informed Steinberg about the contract extension after it had already been agreed upon and, no doubt, left his agent so steaming mad he simply could not make a comment to the media about the situation. Williams said the new contract means he's set for life financially, allowing him to support his three children and attend medical school when he retires from the NFL.

On a separate note, I have instructed my HMO to deny all services offered at any medical facility where Ricky plans to practice medicine or alternative herbal remedies in the future. I suggest you do the same.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Week 2 vs. New Orleans Saints

Washington - After being dismantled in week 1 by the New York Giants, skeptics were already dropping the axe on Head Coach Jim Zorn ranting about his inexperience and the absurd hiring process employed by good old "Danny Boy". Only in week 2, the Redskins desperately needed a victory over an improved New Orleans team in order to avoid falling behind in their division as they have done the past several seasons. With the defending Super Bowl champion Giants and the favored Dallas Cowpokers in their division, they could ill-afford to fall behind early.

While going through the transition of a new coach, new offensive system and still a young quarterback, it also helped the team a great deal that the Saints were missing several key starters on both sides of the ball. The Redskins started strong on offense with 3 solid drives and got on the board first with a pair of field goals. The defense stuffed the New Orleans rushing game forcing several punts early in the game, but a key punt return fumble by Antwaan Randle El in Washington's own end put the Saints in excellent position to change the momentum and that is exactly what they as RB Pierre Thomas ran in for a touchdown from 1 yard out.

With 8:36 left in the half, the Redskins moved their way down the field yet again and came up empty once more missing a second field goal, this time from only 30 yards away. The defense held strong, though and the teams traded field goals before the end of the half giving the Saints a 10-9 lead.

In the third quarter, QB Drew Brees showed again that he is one of the NFL's best quarterbacks. With the rushing game stifled, Brees completed pass after pass to his mish mash receiving core with the likes of TE Mark Campbell, WR David Patten and WR Robert Meachem leading them to a touchdown. Then P Durant Brooks pooched up a wounded duck of a punt 38 yards to Reggie Bush that never gave Redskins defenders a chance to get down field and Reggie proceeded to fly down field 55 yards for a touchdown return. Of course, being the bonehead that he is, Reggie that it was in his team's best interest to get flagged for a 15 yard taunting penalty aftwards, which seems to be becoming his signature move after touchdowns.

In the 4th quarter, it was a different story. The Redskins were down by 9 points and the Saints drove to the Redskins 49 yard line before the defense stiffened and forced the Saints to punt. Then, QB Jason Campbell put the ball in flight and spread the ball around the field to TE Chris Cooley, Antwaan Randle El, TE Fred Davis and WR Santana Moss before RB Clinton Portis punched it in to the end zone from 9 yards out.

The defense held the Saints 3 and out before the play of the game happened. With only 3:38 left in the game, the offense took the field. Jason Campbell took the first snap, avoided a sack and aired it out connecting with Santana Moss on a 67 yard pass play for a touchdown leading the Redskins to a late comeback victory.

While it was great to get Jim Zorn his first victory as a head coach and it was also great to see the Redskins show the fortitude to come from behind and win, there sill are some very real concerns. On offense, Drew Brees was a sharp 22/33 passing with 1 touchdown and he connected with 9 different receivers, which speaks volumes about his vision on the field. Even with all of that success, though, he did not have his #1 target, WR Marques Colston, who did not play. I would have hoped the Redskins could have limited Brees to a lower percentage than they did.

On offense, the Redskins ran the ball well and Clinton Portis finished the day with 21 carriers for 96 yards. Ladell Betts also tacked on another 6 carries for 25 yards. Jason Campbell did have a productive day and finished 24/36 for 321 yards and 1 touchdown. While those are good numbers, you need to look a little more closely. Their last play of the game accounted for 67 yards leaving him with 254 yards for the rest of the game. In addition to their #1 WR, the Saints were also without starting SLB Scott Fujita as well as their 2 leading CB's Mike McKenzie and Randall Gay. To compound their problems, they also lost DB Aaron Glenn early in the third quarter to injury and it would have been nice to see the Redskins take at least a few more chances down the field before the end of the game to take advantage of the mismatches. We can only hope that this will serve as a valuable learning experience for the coaches and players.

Final Score: Washington 29, New Orleans 24

Highlights of the Redskins' Week 2 Win over the New Orleans Saints

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Week 1 vs. New York Giants

New York - After all of the excitement from the Washington Redskins off season, which included a new head coach, new offensive scheme, and three new tall receiving targets for Jason Campbell via the draft, the Redskins began the 2008 season with the same look they have sported for the last several seasons, a slow, predictable and thoroughly underwhelming offense. The Redskins could not get any momentum going or develop any rhythm on offense throughout the game and only mustered a disheartening 7 points.

What did change in this game from the last few seasons was the play of the offensive and defensive lines, both of which were largely manhandled by the Giants. While the overall offense has struggled in recent seasons, the offensive and defensive lines have remained a fairly strong mainstay for the team. However, in the 2008 season opener, what we saw was an uninspired, lethargic and aging group that were pushed around on both sides of the ball. If the Redskins combine a below average offense with below average offensive and defensive lines this season, this could be a very long year for the Redskin faithful.

One bright spot for the team, was new starting RT Stephen Heyer who replaced Jon Jansen as starter. While the first-time starter was a little overwhelmed as the game began, he did settle down and seemed to play better as the game went along. Another bright spot was RB Clinton Portis, who only managed 84 rushing yards and a 3.7 yards per carry. However, he appeared strong and healthy and did well to gain 84 yards behind poor play from the offensive line.

Final Score: N.Y. Giants 16 - Washington 7

Highlights of the Week 1 Redskins' loss to the NY Giants

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog