Washington Redskins: By The Numbers
December 31, 2007
The members of the Washington Redskins would have us believe that Sunday’s 27-6 victory over the Dallas Cowboys was supernaturally influenced by a power greater than that on the field. While mysticism may surround the 21-point victory, there’s greater power in the number of healthy and purposeful players contributing to the Redskins’ unlikely run to the NFL playoffs.
With a story line more suited for a New Line Cinema production than an NFC Wild Card berth, the Redskins played their most balanced ball against their most hated of rivals in their most important regular season finale in a long time. Winners of all their ‘must-win’ games in this final quarter of the season, the only effect injuries have had on the team is in newspaper copy, as the stellar play of reserve quarterback Todd Collins has called into question if he or the injured Jason Campbell should be the starter going into the playoffs and beyond.
The injury bug that seemed to infect the team throughout the year seems to have been cured, as wide receivers Antwaan Randle El and Santana Moss have come on in the last four games to complement the reliable production of running back Clinton Portis and tight end Chris Cooley. Offensive line play that was decimated by injuries has been solid of late, and the defensive unit has not allowed a victory less than eight points during this four-game stretch.
It does fans justice to invoke the name of Sean Taylor as a motivator for this team’s resilience, and players will tell you that the proof is in the margin of victory against the Cowboys. But through all of the tragedy, coaching missteps and personnel changes, the Washington Redskins have played to earn the only number that counts: one Wild Card game against the Seattle Seahawks next Saturday.
Where Have You Gone, Mel Kiper Jr.?
December 28, 2007
If you happen to be watching SportsCenter and information about college football happens across the screen, chances are you are getting your stats and insight from Todd McShay of Scouts Inc.
If you are an Internets junkie for your college football fix, Scouts Inc. plasters ESPN.com’s NFL Draft section with their top 32 prospects, Draft tracker, and ESPN Insider info from, who else, Todd McShay.
But chances are you didn’t turn on your TV or fire up your laptop for Todd F’n McShay and what he thinks about anything. You wanted the hairdo. The pride of Essex Community College outside of Baltimore. The Big Board. The voice of New York Jets draft acrimony for as long as any of us can remember.
You wanted Mel Kiper Jr. And he’s nowhere to be found.
Somethings just can’t be replaced or denied, and it looks like that’s what the four-letters is trying to do with our boy Mel. Well, there’s two things that we know to be true in life. No one puts Baby in a corner, and the force that is MKJ is far too powerful for the constraints of ESPN Insider access.
Sure, MKJ has been wrong before. Tell me YOU knew that USC’s Mike Williams would become addicted to love handles. Who didn’t hope that Akili Smith would be a star for the Bengals? And that whole Ryan Leaf thing? Dead on, baby.
Besides, MKJ single-handedly revolutionized the way the football viewing public thinks about the NFL Draft. If it wasn’t for him, you would know your team sucks, but you would have no clue that the answer to its problem might be a 6-2 cornerback out of Tennessee State.
No disrespect to Todd McShay and his hustle with Scouts Inc., but MKJ is to NFL Draft coverage what Eightball & MJG is to southern hip-hop: irreplaceable. MKJ can’t and won’t be sent to Worldwide Leader purgatory for some new kid on the block. Football and crabcakes - that’s what Maryland does.
And the NFL Draft is what Mel Kiper Jr. will always do.
47Kaos ‘ Redskins Report
December 26, 2007
Adrian Who??
Collins or Campbell? The Great Debate
December 26, 2007
With all that has transpired with the Washington Redskins this season, who would’ve thought that the team’s biggest problem heading into a do or die showdown with their archest of rivals to make the playoffs would be a decision regarding their quarterback?
The Dallas Cowboys will roll into FedEx with the top seed in the NFC firmly in hand, and looking to rest starters. The Redskins will enter the game with Redskins Nation desperately needing a victory to ease the memories of a slain teammate, timeout malfunctions, and other miscues that plagued the team for the better part of this season. Oh yeah, and three straight victories with a journeyman back-up QB in Todd Collins.
But there’s so much more juicy copy out there to be digested, so let’s talk about the quarterbacking future of the franchise for a second.
A story in yesterday’s Washington Post ponders the likelihood of Jason Campbell returning for a potential wild-card playoff push, but has head coach Joe Gibbs on record saying that Collins will finish out the season. It would be an interesting premise if this were the early-to-mid portion of the season, but it’s pretty much set in stone who the quarterback should be for any present and future hope for the Washington Redskins:
Jason Campbell.
Sure, Todd Collins has been named the NFL Player of the Week since stepping in for the injured Campbell, who dislocated his kneecap a couple of weeks ago. Sure, he hasn’t thrown an interception, and sure, the team looks much more fluid on offense with him under center. But it’s critical to note that Collins is 36 years old, and has one less career start than Campbell over his 12-year NFL career with three different franchises.
Potential for longevity aside, Campbell will grasp the nuances that Collins has amassed over his career. Besides, Gibbs has never been one to rely heavily on the play of any quarterback, as he’s the only coach in NFL history to win three Super Bowls with three different guys at the position. And more than that, the same praise that’s being heaped upon Collins now, was the same praise being heaped upon Campbell late last season, and early this season.
I know pro sports is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business, but for the Redskins, and those who love the team, what’s been done lately shouldn’t equate to what should be done next year. Injuries, personnel issues and coaching all went into the Redskins’ deficiencies as much as Campbell’s poor decision making late in games, but his decision making was only a factor after he kept the team close enough to win. And there’s a few second, third and fourth-year quarterbacks that don’t have that distinction.
The Redskins happen to have one of the 12th year variety that happens to be on a well-timed hot streak.
Former Washington Wizards All Star Team
December 21, 2007
Just as prestigious as any all star team, here’s my all former Wizards team. You may ask why do this when the Wizards look so good this season? One look at this team and you’ll see that the Wiz could’ve looked good for a number of seasons, had the right tools been in place at the right times.
That, and it’s a pretty slow Washington sports news day.
First Team
G- Steve Blake - Former feel good pick out of Maryland for the Wiz, Steve Blake was a huge sign for the now upstart Portland Trail Blazers. Is averaging 7.2 and 5 assists per game and has started 23 of 26 for the league’s hottest team.
G - Richard Hamilton - One of several former Bullets/Wizards on the Eastern Conference titan Detroit Pistons, Rip is second on the team in scoring this season at 17.8 and is one of the league’s best perimeter defenders.
F - Jerry Stackhouse - A key reserve player for the Dallas Mavericks, was their prime time shooter in the Mavericks NBA Finals appearance two years ago.
F - Rasheed Wallace - Although he still has the same lame personality that got kicked out of DC, is the heart and soul of the Pistons team. When he’s not getting kicked out of the game.
C - Ben Wallace - Glimpses of dominance were apparent when Big Ben was in Washington, but then and now, the Wiz firmly believe that defense doesn’t win championships.
Second Team-
G- Larry Hughes - Although often injured, Hughes was a presence on D and could get to the basket.
G - Juan Dixon - Proved to be a firestarter off the bench; was another Maryland championship team transplant.
F - Juwan Howard - Taught DC the true meaning of shin splints.
F - Chris Webber - Did help take Washington to the playoffs and a sweeping by Michael Jordan and the Bulls, but if it wasn’t for that, Jordan might not ever have come to Washington.
C - Kwame Brown - Might be the biggest draft bust in NBA history, but Kwame will always have a place in DC’s heart.
Scott Van Pelt - Commencement Speaker
December 19, 2007
Here’s something from Deadspin, regarding this blog’s namesake and his commencement address to the University of Wisconsin - Madison. The speech was funny, insightful and inspirational; everything you’d expect from a SportsCenter anchor.
While I doubt Maryland has the balls to get him to be their commencement speaker, from the looks of this speech, SVP will have a decent career in comedy writing or motivational speaking when he’s finished with ESPN.
LaRon Landry’s “Journal”
December 19, 2007
Look out, Yardbarker! Here comes the NFL Player’s Association! All up in your office space with official “journals.” The list of players with recent updates reads like the Mitchell Report; a couple of big names but nothing spectacular. Fortunately for Redskins fans, LaRon Landry felt compelled enough to let the world know about his recent personal foul and playing physical. A sample:
It feels good to win. That is our mindset. We talk about it each and every day, week in and week out of playing physical, getting after them, tackling well and communicating. That is what we need to do. There is no question about it. We need to tackle, we need to be physical and we need to be mentally smart.
Riveting. All you need is a solid “hard fought” line in there and you’ve got yourself of winner. Since this is his only entry, maybe the Redskins are like the Ravens in that they only update their blogs or “journals” when they win. No one’s heard from Bart Scott, Ray Lewis or Mark Clayton since that pesky losing streak went into high gear.
If I only had one Christmas wish, it would be to read the personal musings of Joe Bugel. And to know how jealous Brandon Lloyd is of this development.
Orioles’ Brian Roberts Admits Steroid Use
December 18, 2007
A day after I gave my take on Brian Roberts’ silence regarding his place in the Mitchell Report, the second baseman admitted using performance enhancing drugs ‘once’ in 2003.
I would usually be compelled to toot my own horn, but by the looks of his statement, I wouldn’t want to take part in anyone’s failings, particularly when they are played out on an international stage. A sample:
In 2003, when I took one shot of steroids, I immediately realized that this was not what I stood for or anything that I wanted to continue doing. I never used steroids, human growth hormone or any other performance-enhancing drugs prior to or since that single incident. I can honestly say before God, myself, my family and all of my fans that steroids or any performance-enhancing drugs have never had any effect on what I have worked so hard to accomplish in the game of baseball. I am very sorry and I deeply regret ever making that terrible decision. My only hope and prayer is that the Orioles, my family, friends and fans that have supported me so faithfully will forgive me.”
No horns here, just hope that everyone involved in this fiasco can find a way to forgiveness and honesty.
Washington Wizards Get Served By Assistant Coaches
December 18, 2007
It’s bad when your team’s best player is out for several months with a knee injury, and worse when your other two stars are sent home for illness. But when the remaining players lined up to scrimmage Washington Wizards assistant coaches in yesterday’s practice, things went from bad to worse.
Here’s Washington Post reporter Ivan Carter’s story on Nick “The City/Bean Burrito” Young preparing to make his second start of his career against the Chicago Bulls tomorrow night. But what sticks out more in this story than Young’s effectiveness as a starter is how practice finished yesterday afternoon. An excerpt:
At the end of the hour-and-a-half long workout, Jordan chose five players and had them defend assistant coaches Mike O’Koren, Phil Hubbard, Randy Ayers, Dave Hopla and Wes Unseld Jr. for two possessions.
On the second possession, O’Koren, who last played in the NBA in 1987, drove and passed out to an open Hubbard, who last played in 1989, and Hubbard made a long jump shot over the outstretched arm of Brendan Haywood.
And Haywood was playing so well this season, too.
Tournament Snub for the SVPSteezy
December 17, 2007
So BustedCoverage.com has come out with a bracket-styled tournament to determine the best sports blog of 2007. A December Madness if you will, with the top 64 sports blogs on the Internet competing for the prize of your clicks.
Problem is, the SVPSteezy didn’t get a seed. Not even close to making the play-in game, which is especially upsetting for me because as a graduate of a MEAC school, we try damn hard just to make that play-in game.
The rankings for this tournament were created using Ballhype.com rankings, which factors in amount of links other pages have to your page, number of articles uploaded, hype that you get from other readers, etc. I’m currently ranked 97 on the list, and out of the thousands and thousands of bloggers in the world, that ain’t too bad.
Fair is fair and there’s really no solid way to qualify bloggers for this kind of thing other than a quantitative system of pre-existing rankings. To that end, I will be sticking with the hometown blog squads of Steinz and the Mottrams to survive and advance. I will be tracking their progress throughout the tournament, much like the Gus Johnson of DC-Baltimore sports blogging.
Rise and fire, baby.
