Results tagged “nfl”

On offense, the Redskins have -- or had -- a small handful of players that other teams might be interested in, at least before this debacle of a season unfolded. They are -- or were -- as follows: Chris Samuels, Chris Cooley, Randy Thomas, Santana Moss, and perhaps Clinton Portis. Of those five, only Moss will play today, cementing an already depleted and inept d'oh!-ffense as a complete non-threat. And, oh yeah, the league's third-best scoring defense in the Denver Broncos comes to town today, feeling a little desperate as they try to break a two-game slide. Denver 26, Washington 10.

Noted graphic designer Ken Carbone used his space at Fast Company earlier this week to address the National Football League's ugliest helmets, of which there are plenty. (Helloooooo, Tampa Bay!) As someone with an amateur hobby of monitoring professional and major collegiate sports uniforms -- for instance: have you seen these new Nike college football unis, apparently left to us from a race of super-intelligent hypergalactic beings? -- this editor believes Carbone hit a lot of the right notes. The best helmets in the NFL do belong to teams which have a natural symmetry in the logo (Eagles, Rams, Vikings), or teams who stick with classic, clean insignias and color schemes (Cowboys, Bengals, Browns -- and although Carbone forgot them, the Packers).

This time last year, the Washington Redskins were fresh off an election-eve home beatdown by the Super Bowl champs–elect, the Pittsburgh Steelers, in a game noted for the stunning prevalence of Steelers fans at FedEx Field. A little past the halfway mark of the season, that game officially kicked off the team's late-season demise, where they'd go 2-6 and labor to put up points in virtually every game. The offensive line looked slow, tired, and hurting, and so did Clinton Portis -- whom we all hoped only looked like that because he was behind that slow, tired, and hurting o-line. The defense, for the most part, manfully willed the team into games before the offensive ineptitude just became too great a burden to bear.

I don't know about you, but I enjoyed a Sunday devoid of heartbreak, frustration, incomprehension, incompetence, and the ungodly combination of the four. It was a restful day, one which got my week off to a nice start. Of course, that will all change tonight -- when the Redskins new play-calling system proves to be the glorious failure we all knew it would be in a 24-9 loss to the visiting Eagles -- but at least we're one day closer to the following weekend after it does.

It may be dark, dark days for those loyal to the Washington Redskins, but those with glass half-full attitudes will recognize this as an opening for a golden age of 'Skins-related self-deprecating humor. The product on the field might be downright unwatchable, but at least we've stumbled upon: a) the subsequent parade of funny homemade T-shirts, b) the quintessential Zorn-face, and of course c) one of the most ridiculously hilarious stories in NFL history: the "consultant" who hadn't coached a down in the league for four-plus years and whose previous job was volunteering as a bingo number caller, who this week was given a promotion to the role of offensive playcaller after only two weeks on the job.

In a week when virtually every major writer in the area has taken their crack at the 'Skins (for me, the best was Tracee Hamilton's), the frustration and boos seemed to have reached a tipping point with the fans, too. A raft of, shall we say, revolutionary organizations are calling for a) a "blackout" at Sunday's game, b) true fans to not buy beer in the stadium, and, the biggie, c) owner Dan Snyder to relinquish complete control and to quit worrying about who his employees are and how they perform and go back to simply worrying about turning a profit. Call it the least Marxist revolution imaginable, but it would still constitute some kind of shocking upheaval for this team. At any rate, everyone's heard the gripes about management and coaching and Sherman Lewis' "fresh set of eyes", but there's still football to be played. Played badly, perhaps, but played nonetheless.

No one knows what to make of this team. If I sound more confounded, week to week, it’s because I am, and I imagine I’m not alone. I think we all know that if they’re going to win, they’re going to win ugly. The Redskins will labor over every win they get this year, because the chance for potentially easy ones just passed with successive games against the Rams, Lions, and Bucs. The great stat of the year so far is that the Skins have yet to face a team with a win in 2009 (counting the Giants who came into Week 1 at 0-0, natch). The Carolina Panthers are similarly winless, but ultimately more talented than any of our last three opponents, and certainly more talented than our boys. I have to take Carolina over the ‘Skins, 24-13.

The NFL's second most reviled quarterback is in D.C. today, the Associated Press is reporting, in order to speak to local youngsters about how dogfighting is bad. Michael Vick has been making appearances like this in cities around the country since he was released from prison after being convicted of running a dogfighting ring in Smithfield, Va., as part of a Humane Society campaign against the sport. His talk will take place at Covenant Baptist Church in Southwest this afternoon, where a group of area students have been invited to listen. Hopefully any hardcore Redskins fans in the audience have already had their spirits crushed to the point that Vick, now a member of the rival Philadelphia Eagles, won't get booed.

The Detroit Lions have lost 19 straight games. Rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford, the first overall pick in last year's NFL draft, is on pace to throw 40 interceptions this season. They are the worst overall defense in the league after two games, allowing an average of 36 points per contest and nearly 400 yards. Yet, I believe they will very nearly end these dismal streaks before succumbing to a last second field goal: Washington Redskins 23, Detroit Lions 21.

Breaking news, football fans: Albert Haynesworth had a big lunch yesterday and then took a nap. He was both hungry and, then, tired.

• Giants 23, Redskins 17: So did anyone happen to read the Post's ombudsman's thoughts on the paper's overwhelming amount of Redskins coverage? Don't get me wrong, it was a decent read; but perhaps the people weren't complaining about the amount of coverage, so much as having early visions of having to read a whole lot of reporting about the stinker that the Skins laid in the swamps of Jersey yesterday. Don't let the score fool you -- the Giants owned this game from start to finish. If it wasn't for a late Chris Cooley touchdown after Washington went hurry-up late on and the Giants' utterly shocking inability to finish inside the red zone, the scoreline would have been much more lopsided. On a bright note, the defense -- led by London Fletcher's 18 tackles -- played fairly well. But on a day when Jason Campbell (the fact that he had a 93.6 rating in this game just proves that the rating equation is nearly beyond fixing) couldn't manage the clock, couldn't locate receivers downfield, and turned over the ball twice, including a fumble returned for a touchdown, anything other than a perfect game from the D was going to lead to a loss.
  
  You know, when the best offensive play until quasi-garbage time comes from your punter on a fake field goal, well, it's probably time to revisit a few things on the practice field.
  
  It's hardly anything to jump off a cliff about -- after all, winning on the road in the NFC East is always a struggle and Washington gets the just terrible Rams at home next week -- but based on the reactions that the team's having (DeAngelo Hall's post-game reaction, which one can probably apply to the whole team: "I feel like the guy that just couldn't make a play to save my life....I just didn't execute and play to my ability at all"), you can tell that they know that plenty of improvement is needed. And hey, on the plus side, we now know what Jim Zorn's face looks like before he vomits.
  
• Nationals 7, Marlins 2: What's that? They're still playing baseball? Oh, yes, right. Well, the Nationals won, so that's good. John Lannan (9-11) got off a bit of a slide and tossed five good innings for the win, and the bats were in gear. Christian Guzman had three hits after Ryan Zimmerman was given the day off, and callup Pete Orr capped a memorable series for young Nationals with a double and a homer. With 19 games left, the real question is for how long the Nats can stave off 100 losses -- or if you're being optimistic, how quickly they can get to 62 wins.
• Liberty 86, Mystics 65: So, a completely meaningless game against the last-place team in the conference, with the playoffs right around the corner? Enough said.

We may have all warmed up Thursday night with an overtime win by Danny Boy's favorite cash cow, The Pittsburgh Steelers, but our local professional football club kicks off today against the hated New York Giants. Jim Zorn's bunch travels to the Meadowlands today -- not just a place, but a state of mind -- for the late 4:15 kickoff against the reigning division champs.

Mike Tunison made a minor blogosphere -- and mainstream media -- storm last year when the Washington Post fired him after he posted a photo which revealed his real identity on his infamous NFL blog, Kissing Suzy Kolber. (His posts there, and on other sites, had been written under a pseudonym.) Seemingly unfazed -- maybe even liberated -- Tunison's since taken KSK to new, often hilarious, occasionally offensive, and surprisingly insightful heights. He's also just published his first book, The Football Fan's Manifesto, which is part rallying cry, part vicious skewering of the real America's game, professional football. In the Manifesto, no one is safe: not the slimeball owners (cough cough), not baseball fans, not even your beloved star running back. From birth to death, it's a detailed guide to becoming an insane, unbalanced, possibly even sociopathic football fan.

Jaguars 24, Redskins 17: Now, we can move on to the important stuff. The Redskins finished out their preseason schedule with a loss to the Jags, who decided to play their first-team for most of the first half, while Washington didn't bother risking anyone important -- Clinton Portis, Santana Moss, Albert Haynesworth -- so close to the season opener. Jacksonville hopped out to a 21-0 lead, but since the Redskins were basically just holding auditions for the final few roster spots, the score really doesn't matter.

It's day two of the Washington Post raking the Redskins and their ticket office over the coals. When the paper ran a front page feature on “The Toughest Ticket in Town” yesterday, there was no indication that readers were being treated to an investigative series. We got the story, we got the Redskins' lawyer responding by saying that the Post needs "to sell newspapers, and God love 'em, circulation is down," and we were ready to move on, still loving—or loathing—the burgundy and gold as we see fit.

Those of you most interested in the Post's Redskins ticketing exposé have no doubt already read the article and vented your bile, but it's probably worth taking a moment to explain to everyone else just why this is so irritating. The short version: the team's much-vaunted waiting list for season tickets may be recognized as a sham, but to preserve the illusion, *someone* in the 'Skins sales office entered into quiet arrangements to unload hard-to-sell premium tickets in bundles with more sought-after lower bowl seats, bypassing the long line of fans who'd be happy to buy those seats. The counterparties to these deals? Your friends and mine: the men and women of the secondary ticket market, aka scalpers-with-websites, aka the goddamn scum of the earth.

According to a Yahoo! Sports report, the Tennesee Titans are claiming that the Redskins tampered with free agent Albert Haynesworth before the official opening of the free agency period. The 'Skins outbid several other teams to sign the hefty defensive tackle to a nine-figure deal mere hours after he was eligible to be inked to a new contract; the Titans are claiming that due to the illegal Redskins negotiations with Haynesworth, they were unable to fairly tender an offer to their former star defender while he was still with the team. It's an incredibly difficult accusation to prove, but if Tennesee succeeds, Washington would forfeit a draft pick -- likely in the later rounds. The last proven tampering case cost the San Francisco 49ers a fifth-round pick in 2007.

On paper, the Redskins’ 2009 schedule looks a lot like their record last season: average. The ‘Skins get three primetime games in 2009, all at home: Week 7 and Week 15 against the Eagles and Giants on Monday Night Football, and Week 16 against Dallas on Sunday Night Football (after playing Philadelphia in Week 15).

It wasn’t a football field, but freshly minted Buffalo Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens was comfortable and confident in the spotlight at the Sixth Annual National Alzheimer’s Gala, hosted by the Alzheimer's Association Wednesday at the National Building Museum.

The Redskins may have been eliminated from the playoffs with a Falcons win yesterday afternoon, but a 10-3 win against division-rival Philadelphia Eagles gave fans who are still paying attention an excuse to smile.

The Redskins’ Success Formula: The last time these two teams met, the ‘Skins seemed to have it all figured out. Washington won 23-17, and they did it by beating Philadelphia on the ground. The Redskins ran the ball 44 times, while the Eagles had only 18 carries. The 'Skins finished with 203 rushing yards to the Eagles’ 58. Neither team had turnovers, and the Eagles actually posted a slightly better passing game –- Donovan McNabb and Jason Campbell’s numbers were almost identical, with McNabb completing 17 of 29 passes for 20 more yards than Campbell had on 16 of 29 passes. And, of course, there was that Antwaan Randle El-Chris Cooley touchdown.

Remember six and two? Nearly two months ago, the Redskins were on fire: winning big games on the road, commanding the line of scrimmage and finishing games. With big wins in both Dallas and Philadelphia, this team was a force to be reckoned with, and the league had taken notice. Fast forward six weeks. Losers of four of five and bickering among themselves, the crumbling Redskins arrived in Cincinnati looking for a bit of salvation against one of the worst teams in the NFL—the 1-11-1 Bengals.

Desperate teams are supposed to be dangerous. So who’s more desperate, the 1-11-1 Bengals or the 7-6 Redskins clawing for a Wild Card spot? We think the 'Skins.

Redskins fans who watched the Dallas-Pittsburgh game yesterday afternoon knew the Redskins had been given a gift. Suddenly faced with a great opportunity, the 'Skins could make a quick trip up I-95, get a win, and land themselves in prime position for a Wild Card playoff slot. With new meaning and fire in their eyes, Washington opened the game with their typical three and out—handing the ball to the Ravens, who marched downfield for a quick touchdown. So much for that.

After a multi-week hiatus, DCist Predicts has returned; only to make the bold call that the Redskins will lose to Baltimore on Sunday night and find themselves sitting at 7-6, fading behind the pack of playoff hopefuls.

That’s What He Said: Last week, the Ravens creamed the Bengals as expected, while the Giants creamed the Redskins, which everyone should have expected. Defense, as usual, is the backbone of the Ravens’ organization – not good news for a ‘Skins team that managed only one touchdown Sunday against the Giants. The Ravens rank even higher than the Giants defensively (Baltimore is second overall). Meanwhile, Jason Campbell has been sacked more than any quarterback this year save 3, and running back Clinton Portis is still questionable for Sunday’s game against the Ravens because of a sore neck, a sprained knee, and various other injuries -- though he says he’s going to play. Should Portis not play, Campbell showed himself capable of picking up the slack Sunday – he had 34 rushing yards to Portis’ 22 Sunday and actually led the 'Skins on the ground. We’re pretty sure that wasn’t in the game plan.

Yet again, the Redskins were faced with a monster game—one with emotion, playoff implications, and against a fierce division rival. Yet again, they blew it—losing yesterday 23-7 without making it remotely interesting.

When the Giants beat the Skins in Week 1, it looked like it would be a long season for Campbell & Co. But Week 13 shows the teams’ stats much closer than you’d guess from their respective records.

Unimpressive wins still count. Coming off of two painful losses at home, a win away from home feels even better. Yesterday, against a Seahawks squad that is a shell of what it was just one season ago, the Redskins played down to the competition. Driving fans crazy yet again, the Redskins took another game to the wire—and came out with a 20-17 win.

Starbucks' stock won’t be the only thing falling in Seattle this weekend.