Week 3 vs. Detroit Lions

Honestly, what Redskins fan didn't see this horror show coming?

The Detroit Lions are an average offensive team that, at least, does have some young potential with young QB Matthew Stafford, WR Calvin Johnson and RB Kevin Jones. Remember, like I mentioned at the end of last season, the 2008 0-16 Detroit Lions offense outscored the Redskins offense. The Lions' offense also outscored the Redskins' offense in the first two games of this season with a rookie QB at the helm so this game really should have been expected. It's Detroit's defense that has always been a mess and caused them to lose game after game, year after year.

On the Redskins side, the offense is far below average and the young potential they thought they had in WR Malcolm Kelly, WR Devin Thomas, and TE Fred Davis is fading fast. The team's defense has overachieved the last few seasons and has kept the team in the wild card chase, but time has finally caught up to them this season. They just have too many holes in the front seven to be a strong defense anymore.

Cornerstones of the defense like Cornelius Griffin, Philip Daniels have faded and should no longer be starting. Even Andre Carter at age 30 seems to be closer to retirement these days and arguably their most valuable player, London Fletcher, is 34 years old now so who knows how long he will hold up. The offensive line is in no better shape with aging and injury-prone veteran players like Randy Thomas, Casey Rabach and Chris Samuels.

So far, this season appears to have about a 4-12 record in store for us so sit back and relax, try to be patient for one more season, and enjoy the baseball playoffs as long as possible. At least, we can take solace in the fact that we know the major overhaul is coming at the end of this season.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Week 1 vs. New York Giants

New York - Well, Jim Zorn and company picked up right where they left off last season. The first game of the 2009 season featured the same old lackluster offense that Redskins' fans have come to know so well over the last decade combined with an average defense that cannot put pressure on the opponents quarterback.

On offense, the offensive line could not get the running game going. Clinton Portis managed only 62 total yards, including a 34 yard run. Minus his one long run, Portis ran 15 times for a measly 28 yards. Those are the kinds of numbers you would expect to see for the Cincinnati Bengals or Detroit Lions, but not the Redskins and not Clinton Portis. Granted, the Giants do have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. Still, the team must be able to put up at least 80 yards a game against tough defenses in order to have a chance to win.

Of course, the team added their patented end of the game touchdown against the Giants' "prevent defense" to make the game look closer than what it really was. This game was just ugly and was a sad preview for what the 2009 season holds for Hogs fans everywhere. This could easily be a 5-11 team waiting to happen.

The defense looked mediocre overall. Albert Haynesworth did look good and the squad did manage one sack, which is sadly an accomplishment for this team. DeAngelo Hall did also chip in with an interception. While there were glimpses of a solid defense, they just could not get to Eli Manning and create any consistent pressure. The offense could not stay on the field and the Redskins defensive unit simply wore down in the second half and could not stop the run.

So what can be done to salvage this flat out ugly looking season? On offense, not much at all. The quarterback, wide receivers and offensive lineman are entrenched for the season. Hopefully, we can get to see one or two of the few young guys (see: Chad Rinehart) play and find out if they have any legitimate starting potential. We can only hope that the offensive line plays better and Jason Campbell follows suit. The offensive line is aging and injury prone. If they do manage to stay healthy, they have the ability to play at least a little better than they did against the Giants.

One move the team should make is moving Brian Orakpo to the defensive line full-time. Phillip Daniels is a nice veteran team guy to have on the roster, but he is a role player at best now and should not be starting. The team should do what they should have done in the offseason and sign a free agent strongside linebacker to fill Orakpo's spot and more him to defensive end. At least, Orakpo would get to hone his pass rush skills and the team could creat some havoc in the opponents backfield. That would give the team a better chance for turnovers and sacks and make it more fun for us fans to watch. The idea of moving Orakpo to part-time linebacker was dumb to begin with and the decision to move backup DE Chris Wilson to backup SLB behind Orakpo was even worse. Honestly, who else does this in the NFL?

Aside from that, here are the next big headlines Redskins' fans have to look forward to:

1) February 2010: ESPN reports that Vinny Cerato and Jim Zorn have been fired by the Washington Redskins.

2) March 2010: "The Redskins have agreed to terms with head coach ... on a five year contract worth $6 million per year."

3) April 2010: "With the sixth pick in the NFL draft, the Washington Redskins select quarterback...".

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Do Not Sign Michael Vick

Despite recent reports that the Redskins have officially removed themselves from the Michael Vick sweepstakes, you never know what is really floating around in that little peanut shell sitting on Daniel Snyder's shoulders. So, for Danny's sake, let's be clear. Do not sign Michael Vick! He is the last thing this team needs.

There is no denying that Vick is, or at least was, a great athlete. However, he is not, and was not, a great quarterback. He was not a great quarterback 2 years ago when he was still playing regularly for the Falcons and he definitely will not be a great quarterback now after playing catch with inmates for the last 2 years in prison.

The best case scenario for Vick is that he signs with a team that already has a starting quarterback, he gets into playing shape and is allowed to actually begin playing somewhere around mid-season. If his team has a creative offensive play caller, he might be able to get him involved in a few trick plays here and there and maybe by the end of the season, they figure out a way to utilize his running skills for 10 plays a game. Supposing Vick does get back into good shape and shows some positive signs, any significant or regular contribution will not come until next year.

Vick's agent, Joel Segal, found in the Sports Agent Directory, states Vick will sign with a team soon. If he does sign, please let that be the end of this seemingly never ending storyline. Honestly, the whole Vick saga has been just as nauseating as the whole Brett Favre saga was earlier this preseason. Can't the media find something else to focus on for a day or two. If you look at the ESPN NFL Rumors web page, "These teams now interested in M. Vick..." has been in the top 3 rumors for a month now. Give it a rest!

For better or worse, the Redskins are already set at quarterback for 2009. Jason Campbell will most likely have a decent season and keep the job, but overall, the offense will struggle again. If he does not play well, the Redskins have a choice to make. They can turn it over to Todd Collins and simply ride out the rest of the season and wait for the offseason to make one of Dan Snyder's infamous splashes at quarterback. Or, they can turn it over to the young gun, Colt Brennan, and see if he has a legitimate future in the NFL. Brennan could be a sleeper for the Redskins, but only time will time how much progress he makes.

Either way, odds are this season will probably be a bust for the quarterback position on the Redskins. 2009 will most likely be Jason Campbell's farewell tour to Redskins' fans and he will most likely be gone after this season. Todd Collins is nearing the end of the road for his NFL career so the Redskins will undoubtedly make a move through free agency or the draft next offseason. Of course, a breakout season by Campbell could change all of this, but for now, we can only hope.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Jeremy Jarmon Selected in Third Round of NFL Supplemental Draft

Fresh off the 2009 NFL draft, the Redskins went ahead and began their 2010 draft early by selecting Jeremy Jarmon in the third round of the supplemental draft. Jarmon is a big boy at 6-3 and 277 pounds. He played defensive end at Kentucky for three years and he will play on the left side behind Phillip Daniels and Renaldo Wynn.

Jarmon will be a project for this year and probably will see most of his playing time on special teams. He is only 21 years old so he is still a little raw and reportedly needs to get significantly stronger in order to hold up against NFL pros. The good news is that he will spend all year with Phillip Daniels and Renaldo Wynn who are consummate professionals and should be excellent mentors for him.

This was a good move for the Redskins. The team could not make it through a full season with only Phillip Daniels and Renaldo Wynn. Both players are past their prime and Daniels missed all of last season due to injury. Selecting a young defensive end with good long-term potential is a better option than signing an older veteran stop gap for one year or during midseason. Vinny Cerato believes Jarmon was projected to be a second round pick in 2010, which of course means he would have actually been a third round pick. Nevertheless, several teams had placed fourth round claims on Jarmon in the supplemental draft so he was a wanted player. Had the Redskins not used their third round pick on him, they would have lost him to another team in the fourth round.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

2009 Roster Moves - What's Left To Do?

It has been another interesting and over-spending offseason for the Redskins. So let's sort things out, review what we have and see what left for the team to do before we begin the 2009-10 campaign.

The Good

• Adding Albert Haynesworth and Brian Orakpo obviously provides a badly needed upgrade for the defensive line. Signing Renaldo Wynn was a solid move to add much needed depth. He is a good character guy with a solid work ethic who will help Brian Orakpo develop.
• Resigning DeAngelo Hall was a must or the secondary would have been a complete mess. Shawn Springs was a great player, but really only played part-time due to his various injuries. Hopefully, Carlos Rogers and Fred Smoot can combine for a complete season on the other side despite their inevitable injuries.
• Bringing back Derrick Dockery was a great move. After getting lulled to sleep in Buffalo, hopefully, Derrick will be reinvigerated returning back to DC. Signing OT/G Jeremy Bridges also adds some much needed depth to the offensive line. He has started at OT, but many think he is a better fit at G. Either way, it is great to have a quality player that can play both spots when needed. As for Mike Wiliams, why not? We took a longshot on DE Erasmus James. This year it's Williams. It doesn't hurt to try. Okay, some times it does.
  

Altogether, the Redskins were very lucky. DeAngelo Hall and Derick Dockery, especially Hall, were both suprising cuts for their previous teams. Without these two players, the Redskins would have some more very big holes to fill.

The Bad

• Drafting DE Brian Orakpo and suddenly teaching him to play Strongside LB for the first time is utterly rediculous. It is hard enough for a rookie player to come in and make an impact at one position. Naturally, Snyder Inc. want him to play two positions part-time. This is no disrespect to Brian, but he will spend the entire season trying to figure out whether or not he is in the right spot on the field rather than letting his insticts take over at his natural position. Instead of being an explosive player at his DE, he will be be all over the field, frequently behind plays trying to catch up and it will cause him to lose focus when he does play DE.
• This whole scenario reeks of Lavar Arrington. Lavar had the potential to be one of the best and most feared LB's in the league and Dan Snyder personally ruined his career by hiring new coaches and implementing new defensive systems year after year. Lavar was never used properly and obviously never fulfilled his great potential.
• OT is still not a good situation. We are one injury away from a disasterous season. If the Redskins lose Chris Samuels to injury, the running game and the Redskins offense will go nowhere. Somehow, someway, we need to find another reliable backup.
  

So What's Left To Do?

With our annual lack of draft picks and Dan Snyder's "spend all our money on one player" approach to free agency, it was obvious that we were going to be shorthanded at either Defensive Line or at Linebacker for the 2009-10 season. At least now we know the answer is Linebacker.

At this point, there are no more "big splashes" to be made. There are no more elite free agents or big name available via trade. Instead, we need to take a play out of the Patriots book and find that proverbial diamond in the rough. We need to sign a quality veteran for a minimal salary that fits our exact need. When the Redskins hopefully finish experiementing with H.B. Blades, Robert Thomas, and Chris Wilson, there are a few players to watch. Here is one of the more intriguing players to think about.

• Travis Laboy - IF , that is a big IF, he is healthy, Travis would be an ideal fit. He played DE alongside Albert Haynesworth in Tenessee and played Strongside LB for Arizona last season. His problem has long been his health. He is not big or strong enough to hold up at DE and getting beat up by much bigger OT's has taken a toll on him. He could still be a good spot rusher for passing downs and a fill in at SLB. If he is healthy, he would be definitely be worth bringing in to look at.
  

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog