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