The other two times the Redskins went to the postseason in recent memory, they closed out the regular season with a win. In 2007, the year Sean Taylor died, it was at home against the Cowboys. But this one is for the division and a home playoff game the following weekend. The fact that the league moved the game from 1 p.m. to prime time is all that you need to see to know how big of a game this really is. The Cowboys can only get in with a win. The Redskins can get in via the wild card if they lose and the Bears and Vikings also lose earlier in the day. But even if they know they are in beforehand, there is something to be said for winning the first division title since 1999 and playing a game at home in the playoffs.
For RGIII, this is the stage that many expected him to perform on. I'm sure he is aware that the other two highly touted rookie quarterbacks from his draft class, Andrew Luck of Indianapolis and Russell Wilson of Seattle, are already in the postseason and ready to build their legacies. Hopefully, the competitor in him will carry this team and Redskins Nation into the postseason.
What a fun time to be a sports fan in this region. Both the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals made Major League Baseball's postseason just a couple months back. The Ravens are in for the NFL playoffs and now we wait to see if the Redskins will join the party.
A month ago, with a 3-6 record, who would have thought that this group (that was going under evaluation by the head coach) would not only be in position to get into the postseason, but host a playoff game. That is where they are. Win and they're in.
The eighth win of the year, the most since 2008, was a statement game for two of the coaches. I mentioned at the beginning of the year that I would not be looking at the players as much as I will be looking at the coordinators. I have criticized with good reason, but now it is time to praise. The game against Cleveland was probably the best-called game from start to finish for both Kyle Shanahan and Jim Haslett.
How offensive coordinator Shanahan spread things around in Kirk Cousins' first professional start is worthy of much praise and should be something that is commonplace, not a fluke. This is the seventh time this season the offense has reached the 30-point plateau. As far as Jim Haslett and the defense, The way they stymied the Cleveland running game (allowing only 58 yards) and turned the Browns over twice was fun to watch. That's now 26 interceptions for the season. Who knew? I'm sure more is to come with Eagles rookie Nick Foles up next and the Cowboys' Tony Romo to end the regular season.
Back in April, many people questioned head coach Mike Shanahan's decision to get a QB in the fourth round to back up Robert Griffin III. Here in December, not many are complaining that he did. Cousins was as good as advertised, but let's not get carried away. This is RGIII's team and moment to shine, and the most popular jersey in the NFL is the reason why this team is in this position.
This Redskins team reminds me a lot of the Nationals. Many saw they had talent, but the way that baseball team gelled was a pleasant surprise and came a year ahead of schedule. The same can be said with the burgundy and gold. A franchise QB, a valuable back-up, a pure NFC East-caliber running back, a clutch field goal kicker, a go-to wideout who is making the entire receiving corps better and a number of players hurt on defense that will finally give this area something to smile about.
I only have one concern now. Many of you who know me can guess what it is. This team has dodged a major bullet, having its offensive line intact the entire season. Now some injuries and a suspension have come up. If you ask me, this unit is in the discussion for co-team MVP. I just hope that they can survive two more regular-season games and a playoff run.
The next few days should be a lot of fun and the song is right: It's the most wonderful time of the year.
This wild ride story for the burgundy and gold continued with Sunday's win over the Ravens, proving to be the most bizarre chapter yet - and all thanks to guys who were not on the roster last season.
Down eight points with minutes left, franchise quarterback Robert Griffin III sprained his right knee trying to make a play. The courage he displayed by coming back into the game to lead half of the final drive on one leg is further confirmation that the Redskins got it right by giving away all those draft picks to pick Griffin No. 2 overall. This kid is a changing the culture around here every time he steps on to the field and up to a microphone.
In came Kirk Cousins, who many bristled as to why the Redskins wasted a fourth-round pick on another quarterback, and finished off the drive and converted a season-saving two-point conversion to send the game into overtime. I was one of those who bristled at the selection and part of me still wishes they got offensive line help back then, but the line is doing OK right now and I definitely did not mind seeing Cousins do what we all know Rex Grossman could not.
Then, in the extra frame, came an outstanding 64-yard punt return by seventh-round pick Richard Crawford. I love this move by Mike Shanahan. So many times, we hear the coach talk about hard work and how it will be rewarded and then we don't see that manifestation. This is a time that you saw it play itself out. Brandon Banks was not getting the job done. Crawford was inactive for weeks, but practicing hard. Shanahan needed some depth at cornerback and to try some new faces in the return game. Mission accomplished. My only beef is that this move should have been made weeks ago, as the entire fan base already saw that Banks was not getting it done.
The fabulous return set up a 34-yard game-winning field goal by Kai Forbath, who has put himself in the discussion for team co-Most Valuable Player. Yes, that's right. I said it. You can hate on kickers all you want, but he is saving this team's backside. That is now a perfect 14-for-14 in the field goal department and nine of the 14 have been from 40 yards or more. His efforts are so crucial that Shanahan rewarded Forbath with the game ball after the win against the Ravens. Enough said.
All this is on top of the efforts by Alfred Morris, who despite his troubling second fumble in six days, racked up 122 yard rushing; Josh Morgan, who at one point was a villain for his unsportsmanlike conduct outburst in St. Louis, but now has two touchdowns in six days; Pierre Garcon, whose injured toe has been one of the biggest stories of the season, nit now has a touchdown in three straight games and the team is 6-1 with him in the lineup.
I think it is safe to say that all of the above are a breath of fresh air to a franchise that desperately needed it.
This run reminds me so much of the playoff run in 2005, when I witnessed the Joe Gibbs-led team win in St. Louis, in Arizona, at home against Dallas and the Giants, and then the New Year's Day game in Philadelphia that produced that iconic Sean Taylor diving-into-the-end-zone moment. I sure do hope 2012 has the same outcome.
What stood out to you most about the win against the Ravens. Was is Griffin's courage, Cousins' late heroics, Forbath's clutch kicking or something else?
Off the field, Taylor was a boy who turned into a man before our very eyes. The birth of his daughter gave him purpose and what is forgotten in all the madness is that he died protecting his family. It angers me that justice still has not been served in this case, but that is a rant for another time.
Seeing his daughter, his girlfriend Jackie and his father Pedro at the recent alumni weekend was one of the joys of my football season. Redskins owner Daniel Snyder may get criticized for a lot of his football moves, but the way he has treated and taken care of the Taylor family deserves the utmost praise.
On the field, the Redskins have never recovered fully from his untimely death. Laron Laundry played out of position trying to fill the void and, honestly, no one will come close to the skill set Taylor possessed. He was on his way to redefining the safety position. It was pretty cool seeing opposing wide receivers afraid to go over the middle as Taylor would be waiting there to inflict pain and harm.
Many have asked me what my favorite Taylor play was, and it has been so hard to come up with just one, but I will say that any defender who takes out a punter in the Pro Bowl is my kind of football player.
The Redskins have not had a game-changing talent like Taylor until now. Robert Griffin III is on offense what Sean was on defense. I'm running out of adjectives for RGIII and opposing defenses are running out of ways to try to stop him. Eight touchdowns passes in the last two games and, because of him, the Redskins are in playoff discussion.
All any NFL fan wants is for their team to be relevant and have meaningful games in December. Well, Redskins Nation you've got it. No matter what happens in the rematch with the Giants on "Monday Night Football," the burgundy and gold have a shot at the postseason.
There have been 69 points scored and six turnovers forced by Mike Shanahan's team since the loss to Carolina before the bye week. Maybe Shanahan should have talked evaluation a long time ago.
What is your favorite Taylor moment and what do you realistically think the Redskins' record will now be at the end of the season?
There was no baseball. The Capitals were in the beginning stages of a rebuild due largely in part to the underachievement of Jaromir Jagr. The Wizards had some guy wearing a No. 23 jersey, but it wasn't really Michael Jordan and the kid he drafted No. 1 overall in Kwame Brown never grew up to be a man in D.C. The Redskins were starting the Steve Spurrier and Patrick Ramsey eras, and we all know how that turned out.
There have been some bright spots here and there during the past 10 years, but there has never been more to be collectively thankful for in our nation's capital then right now in 2012. In the spirit of the season, here is a partial list of the things I'm thankful for when it comes to the D.C. sporting landscape.
* A franchise quarterback in Robert Griffin III, who is just as amazing in the way he carries himself off the field as he is with football in his hands.
* A running back selected in the sixth round in Alfred Morris, who is the closest thing the Redskins have had to a pure bruising NFC East style running back since Stephen Davis.
* Ted Leonsis, who as owner of the Wizards and Capitals, has diligently tried to change the culture of both. The Capitals' rebuild is almost complete with Lord Stanley's Cup the last piece of the puzzle. The Wizards are a much different story, but I'm thankful to be rid of Andre Blatche and the other players that were part of the problem and not the solution.
* Capitals Forward Joel Ward for showing tremendous class in the face of some very tasteless comments by Boston Bruins fans.
* Kastles owner Mark Ein for attempting to revitalize the waterfront in Southwest D.C. and also for bringing in Venus and Serena Williams. My dad is smitten with Serena and can't wait to come down from New Jersey each summer to spent time watching his favorite athlete. He used to like coming down to see his only son, but I have been replaced.
* Redskins players Lorenzo Alexander, London Fletcher and Santana Moss for understanding what it means to be a professional.
* Redskins tight end Chris Cooley for the refreshingly honest way he has handled the sometimes brutal and unfair business of the NFL
* Ben Olsen for doing an outstanding job as D.C. United head coach and bringing the black and red back to the playoffs. I played against Ben in college so to see him do well as a professional player and now as a coach is pretty cool.
*Dan Snyder for staying in the background and for his willingness to spend money to make his Redskins better.
* The Leaner family and the rest of the Nationals organization for giving us a baseball season to remember.
* Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo for sticking to his guns with the whole Stephen Strasburg shutdown.
* All the folks over at Events D.C. who have done a fine job in keeping good ol' RFK stadium alive with great sporting events all year round.
* The public relations and community relations staff of each team and university who keep media folks informed and in check.
* All the ushers and hospitality personnel at each venue in the Washington, D.C., area that greet and seat thousands upon thousands of patrons with a smile while dealing with game day drama that would blow your mind.
Give me your thoughts on any of the things listed above and please feel free to add to this list about D.C. or your favorite sports market.
But what head coach Mike Shanahan said after the game was the most interesting:
"Obviously very disappointing. A must-win game is a game that gives you a chance to play for a playoff spot. At the midway point, when you're 3-5, it's going to be must-win to get in the hunt. When you lose a game like that, now you're playing to see who obviously is going to be on your football team for years to come. Now, we have a chance to evaluate players and see where we're at. Obviously, we're not out of it statistically. Now we find out what kind of character we have and how guys keep on fighting throughout the rest of the season."
I can see the emotions of a man who was disappointed in his team's effort after a challenge he laid down. but I have difficulty with using the word "evaluate" with seven games left in the season. That word is dangerous to use at this point. Evaluation should have happened in the preseason. This is the talent that Shanahan assembled so the evaluation in year No. 3 of a five-year plan should have already be done and you should know where you are.
I really don't think that when the Redskins play the Eagles on Nov. 18, the goal will be to evaluate players, so I think this is another moment where Shanahan was a little vague in his postgame comments. It has happened before after a game, with the most memorable incident being the game he benched Donovan McNabb. After two and a half years here, Shanahan should know how this media and this fan base respond to Redskins football.
It may be unlikely with this group, but teams do go on second-half runs. I mean, it happened twice when Joe Gibbs returned, so let's not use the word "evaluate" until maybe Christmastime and not right now, two weeks before Thanksgiving. Just a thought.
The effort by the Redskins in Pittsburgh was significantly more embarrassing than the Steelers' throwback uniforms. Going in, you know the Steelers defense is going to make you earn it and the Redskins just could not match their opponents' intensity.
Never have two loses been so night and day. When I left the Meadowlands, I was encouraged by what I saw in defeat. Not feeling that same way leaving Pittsburgh. Ten dropped passes, one blocked extra point, one shanked punt and - the icing on the cake - another meltdown by DeAngelo Hall. The sight of him taking off his helmet and screaming at an official just makes you want to scream. This is one of your captains who needed to be a leader and not a hothead.
Robert Griffin III would never say it out loud, because he is too polished and savvy at such an early age, but I'm sure he is thinking, "Wow, how is it that I am more mature than he is?"
I know this analogy may have been used before but I will say it nonetheless. For all his improvisation in the pocket, for all his poise, passion and surreal production the first seven weeks, RGIII was finally revealed last Sunday to have his own Kryptonite: It's called Mike Shanahan's team.
Now the 1-6 Carolina Panthers come to town Sunday having lost five straight. Two of the league's top young quarterbacks in Cam Newton and RGIII will be trying to stop losing streaks but desperately need some help to do it.
Newton is where Griffin unfortunately might be next year - second season in and still not enough signs in sight that things are going to get better anytime soon. Just two more examples of being a top draft pick going to a bad team.
When the Redskins' first drive consumed 17 plays over nine minutes with everything thrown in, I was saying to myself how good it felt. Couple that with Eli Manning doing what he often does - throwing the ball to the other jersey -and I was feeling really optimistic. But as is always the case, crazy things happen in the Meadowlands, and what could have been first place in the NFC East is now under .500 going to a difficult Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
During Week 7, here is how I saw it:
The good: Robert Griffin III is good. Doesn't he know he is not supposed to be that calm and poised in his first division game? Even with an interception and a fumble, his poise and command of this offense is impressive. How cool was it to see Santana Moss with two touchdowns in the game? Because I have know him and Lorenzo Alexander the longest of any player on the current roster, I do have to say it brought me great joy seeing them have impact in back-to-back weeks. Let me also add in 248 yards rushing to just 64 for the Giants and a big chunk of that coming from Alfred Morris.
The bad: Four turnovers in the second half and how in the world could the defense give Manning any opening to let Victor "Salsa Man" Cruz do that garbage in the end zone? Didn't Jim Haslett see the last two Giants Super Bowls where Manning makes something happen at the last moments?
The ugly: Tight End Fred Davis is done for the year with a torn Achilles, but with that comes the news that fan favorite Chris Cooley is back on the roster, which is a good thing.
I think that about covers it. The Redskins are 3-4 overall and 0-1 in the division, but I am encouraged by what I see especially from No. 10. What are your thoughts?
The atmosphere at both Nationals Park and Camden Yards was so electric and brought me back to the days growing up in the Philadelphia area when the whole region went nuts for each Phillies postseason appearance starring Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, Tug McGraw, Pete Rose, Bake McBride and Gary Matthews.
I will never forget the rain delay of 2 hours, 26 minutes before the first playoff game in Baltimore in 15 years. I will also never forget the first postseason game in Nationals history. Absolutely perfect weather for that historical day! I saw a lot of kids for that game. I asked one parent why they took their kids out of school. The answer was classic: "History is a subject in school right? Well the very first Nationals home playoff game is definitely a history lesson."
As much as I have tried to block it out, I will also never forget the image of the image of champagne being transported from the Nationals clubhouse in the top of the ninth inning to the Cardinals clubhouse in the bottom of the ninth at Game 5 of the National League Division Series. Bizarre is the only adjective I can come up with to describe that moment.
At the end of the day, the Orioles lost to the team that is synonymous with postseason success, the Yankees, and the Nationals lost to the defending world champion Cardinals. Both teams took their opponents the distance before bowing out. I am encouraged by what I saw in both cities and with the young foundation both teams have mixed in with the veteran leadership both teams possess. I really do think that this is the start of something good.
What about the Nationals or the Orioles excites you the most for next season?
]]>Everyone in the media saw this coming from the day he was drafted. When the Cincinnati Bengals got to him a few games ago, I was convinced that he was going to get bounced out of game very soon. This franchise quarterback has a lot of positives, but of his very few negatives one is that he is not smart with his body - at least not yet anyway.
The play during which he suffered his concussion could have been avoided.
He needed to use his speed to get out of bounds instead of trying to get that extra yard. In golfing terms, he should have laid up instead of going for it. Griffin going for it is natural to him because that is what he did frequently at Baylor. The obvious problem is that this not Baylor. You are not going to outrun these grown men on defense who are trained to bring pain while dislodging the ball from the person who has it.
Seeing Griffin woozy on the sidelines - and not knowing what the score or quarter of the game was - had me thinking of that child who puts his hand on the hot stove. Knowing that the red means the surface is hot, the child still puts his hand on the stove just to see how hot. After the child burns himself, he tends not to put his hand on the hot stove again.
If Griffin is as smart as we all know he is, then the Atlanta game should serve as his hot stove experience. More heat is coming in the form of Jared Allen of Minnesota. Then, next week at the Meadowlands with the Giants, it's Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka and Jason Pierre-Paul, followed by the pain pit that is the Pittsburgh Steelers.
I really do hope RGIII learned his lesson because at this point, he is too valuable not to have on the field. When he left the game against the undefeated Falcons, the game was still very much up for grabs. No other quarterback on the roster can do what he does, so his value to the Redskins is not going after an extra yard. It is finishing each game running off the field under his own power.
Stay away from the hot stove, young man!
]]>The Kids: Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris are continuing to have rookie seasons to remember. RGIII just crossed off another item on the rookie year checklist and that is leading a late fourth quarter comeback. He threw for over 300 yards for the second time already this season and shares the league lead in rushing touchdowns with four. His backfield mate, Alfred Morris also has four and as a sixth round pick Morris may end up being the surprise of the entire draft. He rushed for a career-high 113 yards and joins Larry Brown, John Riggins, George Rogers, Earnest Byner and Terry Allen as the only backs in team history since the 1970 merger to open a season with at least 75 yards in each game in the first four weeks of a season
The Kicker: Billy Cundiff officially scares me. He did kick the game-winning 41-yard field goal exorcising the demons of last year when he missed a clutch chip shot that would have put Baltimore in the Super Bowl. But if he didn't miss 31 and 41-yard attempts earlier the team wouldn't have needed his heroics. He also missed a 57-yard try, which brings to light something obvious that we first saw at the end of the St. Louis Rams game. He just doesn't have the long range needed in the field goal game. The Baltimore Ravens don't make too many mistakes in the personnel department so you have to wonder why they let Cundiff go if all he did was miss a fluke kick at the end of the season. There is something there that just doesn't sit right with me.
The Coverage: Four pass plays of 20 yards or greater by Jim Haslett's group and it just doesn't look like this issue will ever get under control. Josh Wilson gambles too much for my liking and DeAngelo Hall, despite his interception, is just not as quick in the cover game as he once was. It's going to get really interesting as the next five opponents before the bye week (Atlanta, Minnesota, New York Giants, Pittsburgh and Carolina) have quarterbacks and wide receivers that can cause major problems.
Oh and one other side note. What kind of craziness was that before the game when Brandon Meriweather collided with Aldrick Robinson during warm ups knocking both of them out of the lineup? This season is too wacky already and we are only a quarter of the way through it.
This franchise has come along way from playing in RFK, the name spelled wrong on a jersey, the not paying taxes on the new park drama, the Jim Bowden regime and so on.
This is fall is going to be fun for so many reasons and for so many people, but I will be selfish and say that it is going to be the most fun for me and all my fellow media members who cover sports in the Washington, D.C., area. When you spend so much time at a ballpark or stadium, you always hope for a chance to cover a champion, a chance to report on a victory parade, a chance to see grown men act like little kids as they run around a clubhouse or lockerroom spraying each other with champagne
Here is hoping that the Nationals give that to us this fall. What excites you most about this team as they officially head into the postseason?
The ugly: Josh Morgan knew going in that St. Louis' Courtland Finnegan was a very accomplished instigator. Look at some of Finnegan's recent work.
Yet Morgan still took the bait and cost his team a chance to tie a very close game. The officiating also falls under the ugly category. These replacement referees are doing the best they can, but both the players and coaches have no respect for their authority and it showed in the game with 18 combined penalties and actions from both sides that scream out of control.
Commissioner Roger Goodell and the owners need to stop messing around, make the deal and get the real zebras in the game before someone gets seriously hurt. Speaking of hurt, the loss of Adam Carriker and Brian Orakpo for the season due to injury is going to put the depth of the Redskins defense to the test.
The bad: The defense in St. Louis was appalling. Jim Haslett's decision to stay with a zone scheme that wasn't working is a head-scratcher. The defense made Danny Amendola look like an All-Pro with 15 catches and more than 300 passing yards were surrendered. This unit has now given up 63 points in two games.
The special teams unit was also bad. Another blocked punt and there could have been more. Danny Smith's unit has had seven kicks or punts blocked in two seasons.
Finally, the coaching by Mike Shanahan on the final possession was very bad in my eyes. Why attempt a long field goal that is clearly out of your kicker's range instead of giving your rookie sensation at quarterback a chance to convert a fourth down? You have him, why not use him?
The good: Robert Griffin III can indeed play on this level, accounting for three touchdowns while going 20-for-29 and running for 82 yards. Going back to the defense, although the unit was porous it did get 3 takeaways for a second straight week and won the turnover battle. The last thing I saw that was good is that after two tough tests on the road, the Redskins come to FedEx Field for three of the next four games (Cincinnati visits Sunday) in hopes of improving on a dismal 2-6 home record last year.
I think that about covers it. Anything I'm missing here in any of the categories, folks?
Robert Griffin III was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 1. That's right - the entire NFC. He is the first Redskins player to win the award since Clinton Portis in Week 5 of the 2008 season and the first Redskins rookie to receive the honor since Rod Gardner in Week 6 of the 2001 season.
Griffin's 320 passing yards were the second-most by a rookie quarterback in Week 1 in NFL history, trailing only Carolina's Cam Newton's 422-yard performance last season. Of all the impressive stats complied by Griffin last Sunday, the one that excited me most about his first official NFL game was the zero times he turned the ball over. But let's throw out some verbal bouquets to some other folks for the big opening week win in New Orleans.
Alfred Morris: The sixth-round pick, maybe the find of the April NFL draft when it is all said and done, had 28 carries, 96 yards and two touchdowns. Those kind of numbers will translate well in late November and into December. This kid looks like an NFC East running back for sure.
Billy Cundiff: A perfect 4-for-4 on field goals and kickoffs into the end zone that kept the Saints X-factor Darren Sproles from becoming any factor.
Kyle Shanahan: Very good use of play calling. I loved going for it with a big pass play on fourth-and-inches in the first half. I appreciated how he set the Saints up with little pass after little pass and then unleashed Pierre Garcon for the team's first touchdown. How refreshing it was to see a wide receiver pick up yards after the catch. The offensive line was decent in pass protection and in the running game. The offense gets commendable marks for sustaining drives and managing the clock. The Redskins held the ball 19 more minutes than the Saints.
Jim Haslett: Defense set the tone for Week 1. Many knew the Saints would be out of sorts offensively without head coach Sean Payton, but Drew Brees looked uncomfortable an awful lot against the Redskins defense. The big guys up front held the Saints to a measly 32 yards rushing. Two interceptions for the secondary and the high-octane offense of the Saints only got into the red zone twice.
With that being said, it all changes now as the Redskins go on the road to another dome in St. Louis. As if they could before, the Redskins definitely can't fly under the radar and teams now have actual game tape of schemes from both coordinators. Here's hoping Shanahan and Haslett's play-calling stays imaginative throughout the entire season.
What player or coach besides RGIII impressed you the most in the opening week win against the Saints?
They had five wins last year for a reason. I know the burgundy and gold has this fantastic talent at quarterback and, by all indications, Robert Griffin III will not embarrass himself on the professional level. But I am still really concerned about his protection over a 16-game regular season. The defensive secondary is also a concern. Will they be able to consistently stop the passing games of more that half of the opponents on their schedule?
I have been covering this team for more than a decade and I refuse to get sucked in to the hype. But I will become cautiously optimistic if two individuals step their games up. You see while many of you will be looking at the flashy new quarterback, the new toy at wide receiver in Pierre Garcon or the defensive front seven, which is the best it has been in years. I will be looking at the play calling of the coordinators Kyle Shanahan and Jim Haslett. This team now has talent and depth at almost every position on the field and if they are not competitive in every game this season I will blame them.
The schedule this year is brutal. The St. Louis, Tampa Bay and Cleveland games are the only contests I see right now that the Redskins should be favored in. The good news is that every year the NFL has a team that was dreadful the prior season and then turned it around big time. Could this be the year of the burgundy and gold?
What are your predictions for the season and who do you think will emerge as the most valuable player on this team?