After helping lead the Washington Redskins to an unprobable playoff run after the untimely death of safety Sean Taylor, coach Joe Gibbs resigned as coach early today. With a 5-7 record, many wondered if the Redskins would be interested in keeping Gibbs for the final year of his contract. After the inspired four game winning streak to close the season gave the Redskins an improbable NFC Wild Card berth, most thought that retaining Gibbs would a top priority of team owner Dan Snyder. As it turns out though (as with the first time he retired) Gibbs chose his family ahead of football. This past February, Gibbs' 2-year-old grandson Taylor was diagnosed with Leukemia and he stated during a news conference today that it is "time for me to be with them."
As for replacements, the list would appear to include current Redskins coaches Gregg Williams and Al Saunders along with former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher.
Personally, I just want to wish coach Gibbs the best of luck with his family and prayers for his grandson. Joe Gibbs is as classy a man as there is, and all of us that are fans of the Redskins are very happy that he will continue with the organization in as an advisor to Snyder.
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Showing posts with label Redskins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Redskins. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Redskins Lose 35-14. :(
For a very short time today, it looked like the Washington Redskins were going to pull off an amazing comeback in today's NFC Wild Card game against the Seattle Seahawks. Trailing 13-0, the Redskins scored twice early in the fourth quarter to take a 14-13 lead. The Redskins then recovered a kickoff at the Seattle 12 yard-line to give them a golden opportunity to score again. But alas, the Skins went 3-and-out and had to settle for a 30 yard field-goal attempt which the usually reliable Shaun Suisham pulled to the left for a rare miss.
From there, the tide of the game turned. The Seahawks took the lead on a scoring pass with a little less than 8 minutes to go, and then converted a 2-point conversion to make it a 21-14 game. Two Redskins drives were then ended on interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns. The final score may have been 35-14, but the result was definitely a lot closer to that.
For the Redskins, it marks the end of a remarkable run... and it does give the team some great momentum and hope for the 2008 season.
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From there, the tide of the game turned. The Seahawks took the lead on a scoring pass with a little less than 8 minutes to go, and then converted a 2-point conversion to make it a 21-14 game. Two Redskins drives were then ended on interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns. The final score may have been 35-14, but the result was definitely a lot closer to that.
For the Redskins, it marks the end of a remarkable run... and it does give the team some great momentum and hope for the 2008 season.
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Sunday, December 30, 2007
Hail To The Redskins!
Four weeks ago, did anyone really give the Washington Redskins a chance at making the playoffs? After the tragic loss of Sean Taylor and a tough 17-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills the following Sunday, the Redskins were left with a 5-7 record and with little hope of making the playoffs. A hard fought 24-16 Thursday night win against the Chicago Bears got them to 6-7 and still with faint hopes of playing into 2008... A week later, a very convicing 22-10 win in New Jersey against Eli Manning and the Giants got them to .500. Then came a dominating 32-21 effort last weekend in Minnesota against a Viking team that had won five straight games... At 8-7 and going into the final week of the regular season, the Redskins suddenly controlled their own playoff destiny. All that was needed to secure the #2 NFC Wild Card spot was a win against the Dallas Cowboys at home on Sunday.
The Redskins not only rose to the occasion they simply CONTROLLED every phase of the game, holding QB Tony Romo in check and rendered the Cowboys ground game useless as they could only manage a franchise record low of one yard rushing as a team in a 27-6 Redskins rout.
On the offensive side, Clinton Portis contined to carry the memory of his slain friend with him, wearing a Sean Taylor shirt under his jersey. Portis rumbled for 104 yards and two scores on 25 carries. Santana Moss also had a huge game receiving, catching eight passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. Todd Collins was again a steadying force at quarterback, completing 22 of 31 passes for 244 yards. In four games now, Collins has completed 67 of 105 passes for 888 yards and five touchdowns, most importantly without throwing an interception.
Inspired and unified. I think those two words probably best describe this Redskins team. After making that huge mistake by calling back to back timeouts to ice the Bills kicker and turning a 51 yard field goal attempt into a the game-winning 36 yarder, coach Joe Gibbs has proven to be a resilient and steadying voice and force.
Ironically, the Redskins will now face the team that I've probably picked on more than any other in this blog in 2007: the Seattle Seahawks. Since winning their week one matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Seahawks failed to defeat another team with a winning record this season. More than anything, the Seahawks are a team in search of an identity. Coming into the season, people took them as a "run first, pass second" team with a good defense... With running back Shawn Alexander suffering through an injury plagued season, the Seahawk running game has been virtually non-existant. QB Matt Hasselback has ignited the offense at times, but more often than not, that offense has sputtered. Yes, the Seahawks are 10-6 and have the home field advantage for the Saturday afternoon game, but the Redskins are the team with all of the momentum, and right now there is not a team playing better football in the NFC... Are you excited, well I certainly am! Go Skins!
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The Redskins not only rose to the occasion they simply CONTROLLED every phase of the game, holding QB Tony Romo in check and rendered the Cowboys ground game useless as they could only manage a franchise record low of one yard rushing as a team in a 27-6 Redskins rout.
On the offensive side, Clinton Portis contined to carry the memory of his slain friend with him, wearing a Sean Taylor shirt under his jersey. Portis rumbled for 104 yards and two scores on 25 carries. Santana Moss also had a huge game receiving, catching eight passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. Todd Collins was again a steadying force at quarterback, completing 22 of 31 passes for 244 yards. In four games now, Collins has completed 67 of 105 passes for 888 yards and five touchdowns, most importantly without throwing an interception.
Inspired and unified. I think those two words probably best describe this Redskins team. After making that huge mistake by calling back to back timeouts to ice the Bills kicker and turning a 51 yard field goal attempt into a the game-winning 36 yarder, coach Joe Gibbs has proven to be a resilient and steadying voice and force.
Ironically, the Redskins will now face the team that I've probably picked on more than any other in this blog in 2007: the Seattle Seahawks. Since winning their week one matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Seahawks failed to defeat another team with a winning record this season. More than anything, the Seahawks are a team in search of an identity. Coming into the season, people took them as a "run first, pass second" team with a good defense... With running back Shawn Alexander suffering through an injury plagued season, the Seahawk running game has been virtually non-existant. QB Matt Hasselback has ignited the offense at times, but more often than not, that offense has sputtered. Yes, the Seahawks are 10-6 and have the home field advantage for the Saturday afternoon game, but the Redskins are the team with all of the momentum, and right now there is not a team playing better football in the NFC... Are you excited, well I certainly am! Go Skins!
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Sunday, December 23, 2007
Redskins Rout Vikings!
At 5-7 and with thoughts of Sean Taylor in their hearts and minds with every play, it wouldn't have been hard to see Joe Gibbs and the Washington Redskins just fold up shop and call it a season. Such as not been the case as the Redskins have played the past three weeks with a renewed vigor and purpose - almost as if the spirit of Sean is in them... In a must win game to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Redskins rose to the occasion again, jumping to a 22-0 halftime lead over the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, and then cruising in the second half to a 32-21 victory. Coming into the week, the Vikings had been one of the hottest teams in football, winning five straight games.
The Redskins defense opened the scoring in the first quarter, tacking Viking running back Tony Richardson in the end zone for a safety. Todd Collins threw touchdown passes to Chris Cooley and Santana Moss to make it 16-0 midway through the first half. Cliton Portis then threw a touchdown pass on an option play to Antawn Randle El late in the first half to make it a 22-0 Redskins margin.
Shane Suisham kicked a 26 yard field-goal just past midway through the third quarter to make it a 25-0 Redskins lead. A Tavaris Jackson two yard pass to tight-end Jim Kleinsasser gave the Vikings their first score of the game late in the third quarter to make it a 25-7 game. Jackson would score again with 10:18 to go in the fourth quarter on a six yard touchdown run to trim the margin to 25-14. The Redskins answered right back, driving the length of the field and closing the deal with a 13 yard Portis run to make it 32-14. Jackson scored again for the Vikings on a one year run just after the two minute warning to tally the final points of the game.
The Redskins now control their own destiny. A win over Dallas next week at RFK Stadium would give the Redskins second wild card spot in the NFC. The Cowboys figure to rest a lot of their regulars in the game as they locked up the #1 NFC seed today. Green Bay lost their chance to be the #1 seed in NFC as they were stunned by the Chicago Bears by a 35-7 score today at a snowy and windy Soldier Field. Even if the Redskins lose next week, they would still get in the playoffs if both the Vikings and Saints lose. For a team that was in mourning and seemingly out of the playoff race three weeks ago, it's certainly been an amazing turnaround for the Redskins.
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The Redskins defense opened the scoring in the first quarter, tacking Viking running back Tony Richardson in the end zone for a safety. Todd Collins threw touchdown passes to Chris Cooley and Santana Moss to make it 16-0 midway through the first half. Cliton Portis then threw a touchdown pass on an option play to Antawn Randle El late in the first half to make it a 22-0 Redskins margin.
Shane Suisham kicked a 26 yard field-goal just past midway through the third quarter to make it a 25-0 Redskins lead. A Tavaris Jackson two yard pass to tight-end Jim Kleinsasser gave the Vikings their first score of the game late in the third quarter to make it a 25-7 game. Jackson would score again with 10:18 to go in the fourth quarter on a six yard touchdown run to trim the margin to 25-14. The Redskins answered right back, driving the length of the field and closing the deal with a 13 yard Portis run to make it 32-14. Jackson scored again for the Vikings on a one year run just after the two minute warning to tally the final points of the game.
The Redskins now control their own destiny. A win over Dallas next week at RFK Stadium would give the Redskins second wild card spot in the NFC. The Cowboys figure to rest a lot of their regulars in the game as they locked up the #1 NFC seed today. Green Bay lost their chance to be the #1 seed in NFC as they were stunned by the Chicago Bears by a 35-7 score today at a snowy and windy Soldier Field. Even if the Redskins lose next week, they would still get in the playoffs if both the Vikings and Saints lose. For a team that was in mourning and seemingly out of the playoff race three weeks ago, it's certainly been an amazing turnaround for the Redskins.
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Monday, December 17, 2007
Chargers Cruise, Redskins Roll!
Yesterday was certainly an interesting day in the NFL... the Dolphins finally got off the snide and scored their first win of the year, by a 22-16 margin against the Baltimore Ravens on a dramatic overtime touchdown pass - the same Ravens who were 20 seconds from beating the now 14-0 New England Patriots two weeks ago. As for the most interesting game of the day, that one had to be the Cleveland-Buffalo game which was played in a driving snowstorm. I sat pretty much glued to the TV for that one as both the Browns and Bills struggled to move the ball in the horrible conditions. You could barely see the yard markers, and at times, you could hardly see the players when the blizzard was at it's hardest. The Browns managed two Phil Dawson field goals, including a 49 yarder in the second quarter that barely seemed to get more than 10 feet off the ground. As with his game-tying kick a couple of weeks ago, the ball nailed the center post supporting the crossbar. This time, however, the ball went through (while knocking off a nice little clump of snow from the support). The Bills also gave up a safety after a bad snap over the head of punter Brian Moorman deep in their own territory. Moorman had the presence to kick the ball through the end zone, rather than try to recover it and/or give the Browns a chance at an easy score. The 8-0 final score was more than appropriate - an 8 is known as a "snowman" to those who play golf (it's never a good thing there though!)
Normally on a Sunday, when the San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts are playing, I'm pretty much going to flip back and forth between their respective games... the "snow bowl" though was just too much fun to turn away from. Also, the Chargers had pretty much complete control of their game against the reeling Detroit Lions from the start - LaDainian Tomlinson scored two touchdowns in the first quarter. Halfway into the second quarter it was 27-0, and it was in effect over. The Chargers managed to score on their first seven drives of the game, punting for the first time with 1:32 left in the third quarter. By that time, it was a 44-14 game. The Chargers would tack on another touchdown late in the fourth quarter to finish win a 51-14 win. For the Lions, it was their sixth straight loss after a 6-2 start. Remember that mirage? The Chargers clinched the AFC West title with the win, their fourth in a row and eighth in 10 games after their 1-3 start.
The Lions anticipated collapse has opened the door for many teams in the NFC who would like to sneak into the NFC playoffs as the final wild card. Going into last night, the New York Giants at 9-4 had all but sealed up one of the two wild card spots. The Washington Redskins at 6-7 were facing a must win to keep their slim hopes of nabbing the final playoff spot alive. Both teams came into the game with something to prove as well. The Giants had yet to defeat a team with a winning record this year, while the Redskins were looking to avenge a 24-17 loss to the Giants at RFK Stadium back in week three - a game the Skins led 17-3 at halftime. The conditions last night were horrible - freezing temperatures and a swirling wind that made passing and kicking an absolute nightmare. That said, Todd Collins managed to navigate the Redskins on five scoring drives (even though he only completed 8 passes on the night) in his first start in 10 years, and Shane Suisham judged the wind perfectly, hitting on field goals of 49, 31 and 28 yards. In conditions like yesterday's, moving the ball well on the ground was critical and Redskins RB Clinton Portis more than delivered the goods, churning out 126 yards on 25 carries including a 5 yard run early in the third quarter to give the Redskins a 22-3 lead. Brandon Jacobs moved the ball similarly well for the Giants, gaining 130 yards on 26 carries. The quarterbacks certainly struggled throughout as Collins was only 8-for-25 (32%) for 166 yards, while Giants QB Eli Manning was only 18-for-52 (35%) for 184 yards... When you consider that QB's typically complete about 2/3 of their passes, the stats on Collins and Manning certainly told the story yesterday night. Manning did manage to toss a touchdown pass late in the game to trim the margin to 22-10, but that was as close as they would get. With the win, the now 7-7 Redskins very much still have their playoff hopes alive!
Next Sunday is a critical game for the Redskins as they face the 7-6 Minnesota Vikings at home. The Vikings play the Chicago Bears tonight at home. If the Redskins could manage to beat the Vikings next week (regardless of what the Vikings do tonight), they would be the front-runner for that final NFC Wild Card spot. In their final game of the year, the Redskins take on the now suddenly mortal Dallas Cowboys, who lost at home 10-6 in a lackluster effort against the Philadelphia Eagles. Last weekend, the Cowboys had to rally to defeat the Lions by a 28-27 score in Detroit. Perhaps that victory against Brett Favre and the Packers the previous weekend made the Cowboys a little overconfident? I'm not sure what has happened since that game to them, but they certainly don't look like the same team as two weeks ago. Yes, Redskins fans, there is definitely hope!!! Speaking of Favre, some more congratulations to him as he broke Dan Marino's NFL record for passing yards yesterday with a five yard slant pass to Donald Driver.
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Normally on a Sunday, when the San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts are playing, I'm pretty much going to flip back and forth between their respective games... the "snow bowl" though was just too much fun to turn away from. Also, the Chargers had pretty much complete control of their game against the reeling Detroit Lions from the start - LaDainian Tomlinson scored two touchdowns in the first quarter. Halfway into the second quarter it was 27-0, and it was in effect over. The Chargers managed to score on their first seven drives of the game, punting for the first time with 1:32 left in the third quarter. By that time, it was a 44-14 game. The Chargers would tack on another touchdown late in the fourth quarter to finish win a 51-14 win. For the Lions, it was their sixth straight loss after a 6-2 start. Remember that mirage? The Chargers clinched the AFC West title with the win, their fourth in a row and eighth in 10 games after their 1-3 start.
The Lions anticipated collapse has opened the door for many teams in the NFC who would like to sneak into the NFC playoffs as the final wild card. Going into last night, the New York Giants at 9-4 had all but sealed up one of the two wild card spots. The Washington Redskins at 6-7 were facing a must win to keep their slim hopes of nabbing the final playoff spot alive. Both teams came into the game with something to prove as well. The Giants had yet to defeat a team with a winning record this year, while the Redskins were looking to avenge a 24-17 loss to the Giants at RFK Stadium back in week three - a game the Skins led 17-3 at halftime. The conditions last night were horrible - freezing temperatures and a swirling wind that made passing and kicking an absolute nightmare. That said, Todd Collins managed to navigate the Redskins on five scoring drives (even though he only completed 8 passes on the night) in his first start in 10 years, and Shane Suisham judged the wind perfectly, hitting on field goals of 49, 31 and 28 yards. In conditions like yesterday's, moving the ball well on the ground was critical and Redskins RB Clinton Portis more than delivered the goods, churning out 126 yards on 25 carries including a 5 yard run early in the third quarter to give the Redskins a 22-3 lead. Brandon Jacobs moved the ball similarly well for the Giants, gaining 130 yards on 26 carries. The quarterbacks certainly struggled throughout as Collins was only 8-for-25 (32%) for 166 yards, while Giants QB Eli Manning was only 18-for-52 (35%) for 184 yards... When you consider that QB's typically complete about 2/3 of their passes, the stats on Collins and Manning certainly told the story yesterday night. Manning did manage to toss a touchdown pass late in the game to trim the margin to 22-10, but that was as close as they would get. With the win, the now 7-7 Redskins very much still have their playoff hopes alive!
Next Sunday is a critical game for the Redskins as they face the 7-6 Minnesota Vikings at home. The Vikings play the Chicago Bears tonight at home. If the Redskins could manage to beat the Vikings next week (regardless of what the Vikings do tonight), they would be the front-runner for that final NFC Wild Card spot. In their final game of the year, the Redskins take on the now suddenly mortal Dallas Cowboys, who lost at home 10-6 in a lackluster effort against the Philadelphia Eagles. Last weekend, the Cowboys had to rally to defeat the Lions by a 28-27 score in Detroit. Perhaps that victory against Brett Favre and the Packers the previous weekend made the Cowboys a little overconfident? I'm not sure what has happened since that game to them, but they certainly don't look like the same team as two weeks ago. Yes, Redskins fans, there is definitely hope!!! Speaking of Favre, some more congratulations to him as he broke Dan Marino's NFL record for passing yards yesterday with a five yard slant pass to Donald Driver.
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Sunday, December 2, 2007
NFL Remembers Sean Taylor
In a tribute to Redskins safety Sean Taylor, each of the NFL teams observed a moment of silence in memory of the slain player prior to the kickoff of each of today's games. Additionally, every NFL player has added a #21 logo onto their helmets in tribute to him.
In Washington, there was still a football game to be played today as the Redkins took on the Buffalo Bills this afternoon. The Redskins played inspired ball early, controlling the battle most of today against the Bills to take a 16-5 lead late in the third quarter. The Bills though would score four more field goals late, including a 36-yard one in the final seconds to give the Bills a 17-16 victory. Given how emotionally spent the entire Redskins team and coaching staff was, they put out a very valient effort, their defense managing to keep the Bills out of the end zone the entire day...
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In Washington, there was still a football game to be played today as the Redkins took on the Buffalo Bills this afternoon. The Redskins played inspired ball early, controlling the battle most of today against the Bills to take a 16-5 lead late in the third quarter. The Bills though would score four more field goals late, including a 36-yard one in the final seconds to give the Bills a 17-16 victory. Given how emotionally spent the entire Redskins team and coaching staff was, they put out a very valient effort, their defense managing to keep the Bills out of the end zone the entire day...
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Sunday, November 4, 2007
At Least The Redskins Won...
... but barely against a horrible New York Jets team. Hey, a win is a win. And after what happened last Sunday in New England, us Redskins fans will gladly take it!
As for the other two NFL teams I really care about, well they both lost today... My San Diego Chargers got blown out 35-17 to the Minnesota Vikings in a game where not one, but TWO NFL records were set... the other was the marquee matchup of the season, and it looked really good for my team about 3 1/3 quarters as my Colts led the Patriots 20-10... those last nine minutes though just hurt to watch - A LOT!!! Final score: Patriots 24, Colts 20. :(
OK... so, I'll just talk about the good game. I want to get those other two out of mind as quickly as possible! The Washington Redskins faced a 1-7 Jets team in one of the early games... It got off to a very rough start for the good guys... Leon Washington returned the game-opening kickoff 86 yards to give the Jets a quick 7-0 lead. The teams exchanged field goals and the Jets took a 10-3 lead after one period.
The Jets then drove 80 yards in 10 plays with their first possession of the second quarter, culiminating in a 1-yard touchdown pass from Kellen Clemens to Joe Kowalewski to give the underdogs a 17-3 lead. The Redskins were able to run to ball effectively pretty much the entire game, but had to settle for field goal attempts a lot. Shane Suisham added field goals of 40 and 22 yards to draw the Redskins to within 17-9 at halftime.
Suisham added another 40 yard field goal early in the third quarter to cut the Jets lead to just five points. The quarter ended with the Jets still up 17-12, but driving toward a score.
The Jets faced a third and 15 from the Redskins 25 with 14:13 to play in the fourth quarter. Clemens completed a short pass to Jerricho Cotchery who was immediately hit by Pierson Prioleau and Shawn Springs, forcing a fumble. LaRon Landry recovered the ball for the Redskins at the 21 and took it 15 yards to their own 36 yard line.
Finally, in a very short six play sequence, the Redskins were able to string together an actual drive which ended in a touchdown. Jason Campbell hit Santana Moss with a nine yard pass. Clinton Portis then broke off a huge 32 yard run to take the ball to the Jets 23. LaDell Betts then gave Portis a rest, and took full advantage, rushing the ball 22 yards on the next three plays. Portis then came in and scored on a 1-yard touchdown plunge to give the Redskins their first lead of the day with 11:06 to play. Campbell hit Antwaan Randle El with a pass for a 2-point conversion. The Redskins now led 20-17.
With a little more than five minutes to play, the Jets took over at their own 25. The Redskins defense could not stop them as they drove the ball 64 yards to their 11 yard line. With 10 seconds to play, Mike Nugent made a 30-yard field goal to tie the game 20-20. With that we were headed to overtime...
The Jets won the overtime coin-toss, and Clemens promptly hit Cotchery with a 39-yard pass to take the ball to the Redskin 42 yard line to open it. The Redskins defense would buckle down after that though, allowing Thomas Jones to rush for three yards and then forcing two incomplete passes from Clemens. A 57-yard field goal was outside of Nugent's range, so the Jets punted the ball away and the Redskins would take over at their own 10.
The Redskins decided to give the Jets a big dosage of Portis and smaller ones of Betts and Campbell with their overtime possession. Portis rushed twice for six yards, before Campbell hit Chris Cooley with a huge 17 yard gain on third down. After a Campbell incompletion, Portis rushed the ball the next three plays, gaining 29 yards and two first downs to take the ball to the Jets 38 yard line - almost inside Suisham's range for a game-winning field goal. Betts gave Portis a breather and gained seven crucial yards on the next two plays to take it to the Jets 31. Portis then ran left, and appeared to get the three yards needed for the first down, but a horrible spot left the Redskins about a foot short. Suisham was brought in to attempt the 46-yard field goal, and it was true, splitting the uprights, but clearing the crossbar by only a few yards. If it had been a 50-yard field-goal it would have been short! But it wasn't... and with it the Redskins had a hard-fought 23-20 road win.
You could definitely call Portis and Suisham the co-MVP's of the day. All Portis did was carry the ball 36 times for 196 yards and a touchdown. What a day!! Suisham was a perfect 5-for-5 in his field goal attempts... At 5-3, the Redskins are now a game behind the New York Giants and the Detroit Lions for the two NFC wild-card spots, and more than likely two games behind the Dallas Cowboys for the NFC East lead (the Cowboys lead the Philadelphia Eagles 35-10 in the third quarter as I type this and will likely go to 7-1 with a victory.)
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As I mentioned earlier, a couple of NFL records were set in the Vikings-Chargers game today. San Diego cornerback Antonio Cromartie returned a missed 57-yard field goal attempt by Ryan Longwell 109 yards for a touchdown as the first half ended - the longest play in NFL history. The previous record was 108 yards, and was shared by three players: Chicago Bears teammates Devin Hester and Nathan Vasher on missed field goal attempts and a kickoff return by New England's Ellis Hobbs.
As for the other record set in that game, one Adrian Peterson of the Vikings took care of that honor. All Peterson did in his 30 rushes was run the ball for 296 yards, breaking the 5-year old record of Jamal Lewis (who ran for 295 yards as a Baltimore Raven). Peterson broke the record with a three yard run with 1:04 to play in the Vikings win.
Kudos to both Cromartie and Peterson on setting these new standards!
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As for the other two NFL teams I really care about, well they both lost today... My San Diego Chargers got blown out 35-17 to the Minnesota Vikings in a game where not one, but TWO NFL records were set... the other was the marquee matchup of the season, and it looked really good for my team about 3 1/3 quarters as my Colts led the Patriots 20-10... those last nine minutes though just hurt to watch - A LOT!!! Final score: Patriots 24, Colts 20. :(
OK... so, I'll just talk about the good game. I want to get those other two out of mind as quickly as possible! The Washington Redskins faced a 1-7 Jets team in one of the early games... It got off to a very rough start for the good guys... Leon Washington returned the game-opening kickoff 86 yards to give the Jets a quick 7-0 lead. The teams exchanged field goals and the Jets took a 10-3 lead after one period.
The Jets then drove 80 yards in 10 plays with their first possession of the second quarter, culiminating in a 1-yard touchdown pass from Kellen Clemens to Joe Kowalewski to give the underdogs a 17-3 lead. The Redskins were able to run to ball effectively pretty much the entire game, but had to settle for field goal attempts a lot. Shane Suisham added field goals of 40 and 22 yards to draw the Redskins to within 17-9 at halftime.
Suisham added another 40 yard field goal early in the third quarter to cut the Jets lead to just five points. The quarter ended with the Jets still up 17-12, but driving toward a score.
The Jets faced a third and 15 from the Redskins 25 with 14:13 to play in the fourth quarter. Clemens completed a short pass to Jerricho Cotchery who was immediately hit by Pierson Prioleau and Shawn Springs, forcing a fumble. LaRon Landry recovered the ball for the Redskins at the 21 and took it 15 yards to their own 36 yard line.
Finally, in a very short six play sequence, the Redskins were able to string together an actual drive which ended in a touchdown. Jason Campbell hit Santana Moss with a nine yard pass. Clinton Portis then broke off a huge 32 yard run to take the ball to the Jets 23. LaDell Betts then gave Portis a rest, and took full advantage, rushing the ball 22 yards on the next three plays. Portis then came in and scored on a 1-yard touchdown plunge to give the Redskins their first lead of the day with 11:06 to play. Campbell hit Antwaan Randle El with a pass for a 2-point conversion. The Redskins now led 20-17.
With a little more than five minutes to play, the Jets took over at their own 25. The Redskins defense could not stop them as they drove the ball 64 yards to their 11 yard line. With 10 seconds to play, Mike Nugent made a 30-yard field goal to tie the game 20-20. With that we were headed to overtime...
The Jets won the overtime coin-toss, and Clemens promptly hit Cotchery with a 39-yard pass to take the ball to the Redskin 42 yard line to open it. The Redskins defense would buckle down after that though, allowing Thomas Jones to rush for three yards and then forcing two incomplete passes from Clemens. A 57-yard field goal was outside of Nugent's range, so the Jets punted the ball away and the Redskins would take over at their own 10.
The Redskins decided to give the Jets a big dosage of Portis and smaller ones of Betts and Campbell with their overtime possession. Portis rushed twice for six yards, before Campbell hit Chris Cooley with a huge 17 yard gain on third down. After a Campbell incompletion, Portis rushed the ball the next three plays, gaining 29 yards and two first downs to take the ball to the Jets 38 yard line - almost inside Suisham's range for a game-winning field goal. Betts gave Portis a breather and gained seven crucial yards on the next two plays to take it to the Jets 31. Portis then ran left, and appeared to get the three yards needed for the first down, but a horrible spot left the Redskins about a foot short. Suisham was brought in to attempt the 46-yard field goal, and it was true, splitting the uprights, but clearing the crossbar by only a few yards. If it had been a 50-yard field-goal it would have been short! But it wasn't... and with it the Redskins had a hard-fought 23-20 road win.
You could definitely call Portis and Suisham the co-MVP's of the day. All Portis did was carry the ball 36 times for 196 yards and a touchdown. What a day!! Suisham was a perfect 5-for-5 in his field goal attempts... At 5-3, the Redskins are now a game behind the New York Giants and the Detroit Lions for the two NFC wild-card spots, and more than likely two games behind the Dallas Cowboys for the NFC East lead (the Cowboys lead the Philadelphia Eagles 35-10 in the third quarter as I type this and will likely go to 7-1 with a victory.)
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As I mentioned earlier, a couple of NFL records were set in the Vikings-Chargers game today. San Diego cornerback Antonio Cromartie returned a missed 57-yard field goal attempt by Ryan Longwell 109 yards for a touchdown as the first half ended - the longest play in NFL history. The previous record was 108 yards, and was shared by three players: Chicago Bears teammates Devin Hester and Nathan Vasher on missed field goal attempts and a kickoff return by New England's Ellis Hobbs.
As for the other record set in that game, one Adrian Peterson of the Vikings took care of that honor. All Peterson did in his 30 rushes was run the ball for 296 yards, breaking the 5-year old record of Jamal Lewis (who ran for 295 yards as a Baltimore Raven). Peterson broke the record with a three yard run with 1:04 to play in the Vikings win.
Kudos to both Cromartie and Peterson on setting these new standards!
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Sunday, October 28, 2007
Colts, Pats Make a Date...
On a day when I won all seven of my ESPN fantasy football league games, the two most dominant teams in the NFL certainly made it very clear that they are head and shoulders above the rest.
In the early morning games, the Indianapolis Colts got down early as the Carolina Panthers took over 11 minutes of the first quarter in driving the ball 80 yards in 18 plays. The time-consuming drive culminated in a 3-yard touchdown run by former UCLA Bruin DeShaun Foster. The Colts quickly drove down to the Panther two yard line on their first possession of the game, but had to settle for a 20-yard Adam Vinatieri field goal. The first quarter ended with the Panthers leading 7-3.
The Colts offense sputtered early, going three-and-out and then fumbling the ball away deep inside their own territory on their next two possessions. Vinny Testaverde drove the Panthers inside the Colts 10 yard line, but couldn't convert the opportunity as Antoine Bethea intercepted a poor pass from Testaverde in the end zone on a third down play with 6:37 to play.
Late in the first half, Peyton Manning and the vaunted Colts offense began to come to life. The Colts engineered an eight play, 86 yard drive in just under two minutes, culminating in a two yard Joseph Addai run. The Colts took a 10-7 lead into halftime.
The second half started the same way the first half ended - with the Colts in complete control of the momentum. Manning drove the Colts 60 yards in just eight plays, finishing things with a four yard pass to Addai to make it 17-7. Two possessions later, the Colts struck again, as Manning hit wide receiver Reggie Wayne pefectly in stride with a 59 yard pass to make it a 24-7 Colt lead heading into the fourth quarter.
In that final frame, the Colts would score again, as Addai would finish off a 12 play, 55 yard drive with a 12 yard run. At 31-7, this one was over. With the win, the Colts moved their unblemihsed record to 7-0...
The only question left was whether the New England Patriots would be able to take care of business this afternoon against the Washington Redskins so that next week's battle between the Patriots and Colts in Indianapolis would pit two undefeated teams. Unfortunately, the answer to that one was a resounding YES! :(
In the interest of time, space, and wanting to put this one out of my mind as quickly as possible, I will make this a short (and not so sweet) summary... I'll just say it was a massacre! Pats 52, Skins 7. Tom Brady had his standard 29-for-38 day with 306 yards and three more touchdown passes to give him an even 30 for the year. Brady also scored twice on rushing plays for five more total TD's. That would be 42 fantasy points in your standard Yahoo league and 36 in the ESPN one. Thankfully, I didn't face Brady in any of my leagues this week!
On the bright side, the Redskins are still 4-3, and are still looking like a team that could make the NFC playoffs... of course since the Colts and Patriots are so much better than all of the NFC teams, it seems that whomever happens to get to the Super Bowl out of the NFC this year is going to have their work cut out for them BIG TIME!!! The New York Giants did happen to win their sixth straight game today 13-10 (in Wembley, England against the hapless Dolphins), so maybe they will emerge as good competition for the two AFC juggernauts over the season's final two months.
While the Colts and Patriots continued to show why they're incredible teams, the San Diego Chargers were just happy to be safe and sound and playing at their home field today. Just two days after Quallcomm Stadium stopped being used as an evacuation facility for those affected by the California wildfires, the Chargers took on the Houston Texans in an afternoon game... and much like New Orleans after hurricane Katrina, the game provided a sense of calm, relief, and normalcy to the community. The Chargers struck early and often as the Chargers dismantled the visitors 35-10. Tight end Antonio Gates only caught three balls on the day, but two of them went for scores, making his fantasy owners like me very happy! Although the Chargers were outgained on offense by a 367-237 yard margin, the key to them winning was simply holding onto the ball. The Texans had five turnovers, while the Chargers had none. At 4-3, the Chargers moved into a tie with the idle Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC Western division lead.
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In the early morning games, the Indianapolis Colts got down early as the Carolina Panthers took over 11 minutes of the first quarter in driving the ball 80 yards in 18 plays. The time-consuming drive culminated in a 3-yard touchdown run by former UCLA Bruin DeShaun Foster. The Colts quickly drove down to the Panther two yard line on their first possession of the game, but had to settle for a 20-yard Adam Vinatieri field goal. The first quarter ended with the Panthers leading 7-3.
The Colts offense sputtered early, going three-and-out and then fumbling the ball away deep inside their own territory on their next two possessions. Vinny Testaverde drove the Panthers inside the Colts 10 yard line, but couldn't convert the opportunity as Antoine Bethea intercepted a poor pass from Testaverde in the end zone on a third down play with 6:37 to play.
Late in the first half, Peyton Manning and the vaunted Colts offense began to come to life. The Colts engineered an eight play, 86 yard drive in just under two minutes, culminating in a two yard Joseph Addai run. The Colts took a 10-7 lead into halftime.
The second half started the same way the first half ended - with the Colts in complete control of the momentum. Manning drove the Colts 60 yards in just eight plays, finishing things with a four yard pass to Addai to make it 17-7. Two possessions later, the Colts struck again, as Manning hit wide receiver Reggie Wayne pefectly in stride with a 59 yard pass to make it a 24-7 Colt lead heading into the fourth quarter.
In that final frame, the Colts would score again, as Addai would finish off a 12 play, 55 yard drive with a 12 yard run. At 31-7, this one was over. With the win, the Colts moved their unblemihsed record to 7-0...
The only question left was whether the New England Patriots would be able to take care of business this afternoon against the Washington Redskins so that next week's battle between the Patriots and Colts in Indianapolis would pit two undefeated teams. Unfortunately, the answer to that one was a resounding YES! :(
In the interest of time, space, and wanting to put this one out of my mind as quickly as possible, I will make this a short (and not so sweet) summary... I'll just say it was a massacre! Pats 52, Skins 7. Tom Brady had his standard 29-for-38 day with 306 yards and three more touchdown passes to give him an even 30 for the year. Brady also scored twice on rushing plays for five more total TD's. That would be 42 fantasy points in your standard Yahoo league and 36 in the ESPN one. Thankfully, I didn't face Brady in any of my leagues this week!
On the bright side, the Redskins are still 4-3, and are still looking like a team that could make the NFC playoffs... of course since the Colts and Patriots are so much better than all of the NFC teams, it seems that whomever happens to get to the Super Bowl out of the NFC this year is going to have their work cut out for them BIG TIME!!! The New York Giants did happen to win their sixth straight game today 13-10 (in Wembley, England against the hapless Dolphins), so maybe they will emerge as good competition for the two AFC juggernauts over the season's final two months.
While the Colts and Patriots continued to show why they're incredible teams, the San Diego Chargers were just happy to be safe and sound and playing at their home field today. Just two days after Quallcomm Stadium stopped being used as an evacuation facility for those affected by the California wildfires, the Chargers took on the Houston Texans in an afternoon game... and much like New Orleans after hurricane Katrina, the game provided a sense of calm, relief, and normalcy to the community. The Chargers struck early and often as the Chargers dismantled the visitors 35-10. Tight end Antonio Gates only caught three balls on the day, but two of them went for scores, making his fantasy owners like me very happy! Although the Chargers were outgained on offense by a 367-237 yard margin, the key to them winning was simply holding onto the ball. The Texans had five turnovers, while the Chargers had none. At 4-3, the Chargers moved into a tie with the idle Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC Western division lead.
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Monday, October 8, 2007
Skins, Bolts Turn Up the D!
There are statement games, and then there are STATEMENT games. Yesterday the Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers both decided to let everyone know that they were alive and well, both completely controlling their opponents.
In the Skins game against the Detroit Lions at RFK Stadium, Jason Campbell was very efficient in manning the ship, completing 23 of 29 passes for 248 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. The Skins also ran the ball effectively as Clinton Portis, Mike Sellars and Ladell Betts combined for 118 yards on 31 carries and a touchdown.
The big story for the Skins on the day though was their defense. Jon Kitna could do no right all day long, completing 16 of 29 passes for only 106 yards. Kitna was sacked five times by the Redskins including once in the end zone by Andre Carter for a rare safety early in the third quarter. Kitna was also intercepted twice, the last of which was returned 61 yards by Carlos Rogers for the final score of the game. Interestingly, the game featured nine fumbles, but only Clinton Portis' 4th quarter fumble with the game well in hand was the only one not recovered by the fumbling team.
The 34-3 win was the Redskins' largest margin of victory since a 52-17 demolishing of the San Francisco 49ers at RFK back on October 23, 2005. The 4-1 Redskins will take on the Green Bay Packers next Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field. The Pack lost a tough 27-20 game last night against the Chicago Bears to drop to a 4-1 mark on the season.
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While the Redskins may be one of the NFL's most pleasant surprises this year, up until this weekend the Chargers had been one of the biggest disappointments. Yesterday, the Bolts played the Broncos in Denver in a contest which was almost over before it began. The Chargers scored on their first drive of the game, courtesy of a rare touchdown run by quarterback Philip Rivers. The Chargers would score again just 11 seconds later as Brandon Siler recovered a fumble by the Broncos' Brian Clark on the ensuing kickoff, taking it 23 yards to the end zone. At 14-0 with 6:15 to go in the quarter and this one was all but over. The Broncos could never get things going offensively as their only points came on a Jason Elam 30-yard field goal in the second quarter. By halftime the Chargers margin was 20-3.
A steady dose of Rivers to Antonio Gates along with some Ladainian Tomlinson and Michael Turner keep the Chargers offense in high gear the rest of the game. Rivers was a very efficient 13 for 18 and 270 yards with two touchdown passes, including one to Gates for 9 yards to make it a 27-3 game early in the third quarter. Gates tallied 113 yards for the second time in three weeks and now has 489 on the season - yes, he's on pace for 1,500 yards, nice if you happen to own him on a bunch of fantasy teams like me!. L.T. had 140 combined yards, while Turner rushed for a season-high 147 yards on just 10 carries including a 74 yard run with 9:42 to go in the fourth quarter to make the rout 41-3 - it would be the final score of the game.
Although both teams are now 2-3, the Chargers clearly are the team going the right direction. Ironically, the idle Oakland Raiders at 2-2 now own the AFC Western Division Lead. Don't expect that to last long - the Chargers seem to finally be firing on all cylinders!
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In the Skins game against the Detroit Lions at RFK Stadium, Jason Campbell was very efficient in manning the ship, completing 23 of 29 passes for 248 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. The Skins also ran the ball effectively as Clinton Portis, Mike Sellars and Ladell Betts combined for 118 yards on 31 carries and a touchdown.
The big story for the Skins on the day though was their defense. Jon Kitna could do no right all day long, completing 16 of 29 passes for only 106 yards. Kitna was sacked five times by the Redskins including once in the end zone by Andre Carter for a rare safety early in the third quarter. Kitna was also intercepted twice, the last of which was returned 61 yards by Carlos Rogers for the final score of the game. Interestingly, the game featured nine fumbles, but only Clinton Portis' 4th quarter fumble with the game well in hand was the only one not recovered by the fumbling team.
The 34-3 win was the Redskins' largest margin of victory since a 52-17 demolishing of the San Francisco 49ers at RFK back on October 23, 2005. The 4-1 Redskins will take on the Green Bay Packers next Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field. The Pack lost a tough 27-20 game last night against the Chicago Bears to drop to a 4-1 mark on the season.
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While the Redskins may be one of the NFL's most pleasant surprises this year, up until this weekend the Chargers had been one of the biggest disappointments. Yesterday, the Bolts played the Broncos in Denver in a contest which was almost over before it began. The Chargers scored on their first drive of the game, courtesy of a rare touchdown run by quarterback Philip Rivers. The Chargers would score again just 11 seconds later as Brandon Siler recovered a fumble by the Broncos' Brian Clark on the ensuing kickoff, taking it 23 yards to the end zone. At 14-0 with 6:15 to go in the quarter and this one was all but over. The Broncos could never get things going offensively as their only points came on a Jason Elam 30-yard field goal in the second quarter. By halftime the Chargers margin was 20-3.
A steady dose of Rivers to Antonio Gates along with some Ladainian Tomlinson and Michael Turner keep the Chargers offense in high gear the rest of the game. Rivers was a very efficient 13 for 18 and 270 yards with two touchdown passes, including one to Gates for 9 yards to make it a 27-3 game early in the third quarter. Gates tallied 113 yards for the second time in three weeks and now has 489 on the season - yes, he's on pace for 1,500 yards, nice if you happen to own him on a bunch of fantasy teams like me!. L.T. had 140 combined yards, while Turner rushed for a season-high 147 yards on just 10 carries including a 74 yard run with 9:42 to go in the fourth quarter to make the rout 41-3 - it would be the final score of the game.
Although both teams are now 2-3, the Chargers clearly are the team going the right direction. Ironically, the idle Oakland Raiders at 2-2 now own the AFC Western Division Lead. Don't expect that to last long - the Chargers seem to finally be firing on all cylinders!
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Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Redskins Stun Eagles!
Do you ever get a "gut" feeling about something? Deep down you know that even if it doesn't sound logical or right that the feeling is just overwhelming. It happens to me a lot when deciding on picking players in my fantasy baseball and football leagues, and it also happens to me sometimes in the real games. Such was the case with last night's game pitting the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles were 6 1/2 point favorites, but something inside me just told me that the Redskins were going to win...
The game started out as a defensive struggle, with the Eagles leading 6-3 on two David Akers field goals late in the first half. On the final drive of the half, the Redskins scored with just nine seconds to play as Jason Campbell hit Chris Cooley with a 16 yard pass. Shane Suisham's PAT made it a 10-6 Redskins' halftime lead.
The teams would exchange field goals again in the third quarter to make it a 13-9 Redskins lead heading into the final frame. The Redskins began the fourth quarter with the ball and would find paydirt again as Clinton Portis would score on a six yard touchdown run to the left corner of the end zone with 12:02 to play. With a 20-9 lead, it would now be up to Joe Gibbs' defense to seal the victory for the Redskins.
The Eagles would drive the ball on their next possession, but would have to settle for a 22-yard Akers field goal with 6:30 to play. The Redskins would then go three and out and give the Eagles one last chance to score. As with the previous drive, the Eagles effectively moved the ball against the Redskin defense, but once again when they got to the red zone, the defense stiffened. Donovan McNabb had a wide open Kevin Curtis at the end zone on third down from the Redskin nine yard line with 1:13 to play, but he missed him... A fourth down incompletion sealed the game and gave the Redskins an improbable 2-0 start to the 2007 season!
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The game started out as a defensive struggle, with the Eagles leading 6-3 on two David Akers field goals late in the first half. On the final drive of the half, the Redskins scored with just nine seconds to play as Jason Campbell hit Chris Cooley with a 16 yard pass. Shane Suisham's PAT made it a 10-6 Redskins' halftime lead.
The teams would exchange field goals again in the third quarter to make it a 13-9 Redskins lead heading into the final frame. The Redskins began the fourth quarter with the ball and would find paydirt again as Clinton Portis would score on a six yard touchdown run to the left corner of the end zone with 12:02 to play. With a 20-9 lead, it would now be up to Joe Gibbs' defense to seal the victory for the Redskins.
The Eagles would drive the ball on their next possession, but would have to settle for a 22-yard Akers field goal with 6:30 to play. The Redskins would then go three and out and give the Eagles one last chance to score. As with the previous drive, the Eagles effectively moved the ball against the Redskin defense, but once again when they got to the red zone, the defense stiffened. Donovan McNabb had a wide open Kevin Curtis at the end zone on third down from the Redskin nine yard line with 1:13 to play, but he missed him... A fourth down incompletion sealed the game and gave the Redskins an improbable 2-0 start to the 2007 season!
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