Week 12: The Wild, Wild West

What a game. What a win. Wait, a win?! Heck yes! Something about the Seahawks gets us fired up. Weird, I know, but it was evident even before the first whistle that this game was being played with extra sparks. 

Gunslinging Start
For the first time in more weeks than I care to count, I am not having to write about starting a game with a 3 and out. We had an incredible first drive, minus some penalties (15 yards on Fred Davis alone), dominating the clock and starting big with seven points (courtesy of Fred Davis who made up for the penalty with both the catch and push to get to 1st and goal and, finally, with the TD). The play calling was even, logical and successful. Made me question if Kyle even made the trip to Seattle.

Moss is Boss
There was something about just knowing that Moss was back on the field that calmed me, that made me feel a little safer. Turns out the team felt the same way - Kyle Shanahan said this week that Grossman and other felt more confident have 89 back. It was not his best game, there were at least two passes he really should've had, but he was also hit helmet to helmet by Chancellor with no flag. What are you going to do? Having him back opened options and noticeably changed the tone of the offensive. Welcome back, Tana.

Hurdling Helu
Once again, Helu shined bright. This week he was our shooting star, literally leaping defensemen with a single bound. He had a fantastic day running the ball, finding holes and consistently getting the edge on the D. Even more noteworthy than his total yards are his yards after contact, ability to break tackles and his powerful blocks. It is spellbinding to watch him progress each week and assume more and more carries. He is our own Energizer bunny, seemingly get more powerful as the game goes on. And that hurdle! For a TD! Someone get this kid on the ProBowl roster.

High Fives
I give both Gaffney and Armstrong high fives. I'm a big Gaffney fan. That out of bounds step on the TD was a rookie move, but he rarely makes those and more frequently proves a steadfastly reliable  receiver no matter where he lines up. Armstrong has been quiet this year and I was starting to think we had seen the last of him. And then he saved they day with a skillful 50-yard TD catch that queued up the win.

Through Clenched Teeth
I hate to admit this... but the play calling was pretty darn good. We had a good game plan in place and Lil' Shanny called an even, efficient game. I hope this becomes the rule and not the exception.

Seeing the Future
I continue to love watching the young members of this team find their way and become playmakers for this team. Darrel Young is one tough cookie. I hated seeing him go out and hope he recovers well. Perry Riley has dominated since becoming a starter. He is a difference maker who is truly coming into his own and becoming exciting to watch. And how can I ever forget my favorite rookie of them all, the new team leader in sacks, Ryan Kerrigan. I love watching him play. He is a great compliment to Orakpo and may well prove the more electric of the two. Get your votes in now, Redskins faithful, let's send this kid to Hawaii.

INTs
The haunt us on both sides of the ball. After getting us out of a sticking situation when we started our drive on our own 5 yard line, Rex through an INT that was returned for a TD. It wouldn't be a Sunday without at least one INT courtesy of Rex. But our defense also struggles get the INTs - Josh Wilson had some balls thrown right to him and couldn't come away with the ball. DHall, however, after a bad press week, showed up in a major way, playing a great game and capping it off with an INT in the final minute. I do still think he should have more though...

Not-So-Special Teams
Special teams performance was the real downer of this game. We consistently started with bad field position. Banks gave good runs, but an illegal block took his best one back. On the other hand, we seemed happy to give them great field postion by kicking the ball out of bounds and blowing coverage on the returns. And for a little more kicking frustration, Gano had a field goal and an extra point blocked thanks to break downs on the line.

Contemptible Commentary 
My word, Fox, get some new talking heads. Once again, the Fox announcers failed miserably. I know this wasn't a prime game Sunday, but where did you find those hacks? "Hey, is that your boat out there?" "He has an 8-pack, just like you, right(while showing TJack injury.)?" "The entire Redskins bitch just exhaled." Pretty sure you meant bench. Yes, they really did call the coach's son Kyle Schottenheimer. Trust me that I have called him many names in his tenure here, but at least I do actually know his real one. Perhaps my favorite, however, was the solid two minutes they dedicated to talking about the size of Rex's hands. Speechless.

This certainly was not a perfect game on our part, but I only feel good about it. The penalties were crushing at times, but we overcame them. Rex played above average which made up for the Special Teams failures. All in all, it was a win that we needed badly, but it was also a win that looked pretty good. If the Eagles fall to the Seahawks Thursday, it is going to feel even better. 

Week 11: The Crusher

Oh, the pain. The agony. It was right there. A W was within our grasp. And then... Nobody likes a tease. We've all known them and, sure, they're fun for a little while, they get you all riled up with the anticipation of a score, of victory, of finally getting what you've been longing for... And then, burn. Crushed again.

Another Anemic Start
This week our opponent started with a 3 and out. So did we. But we capped ours off with a nice fumble. The first quarter continued down a pretty ugly path with Rex leading us 0-5 on 3rd down conversions well into the 2nd quarter. And where was Helu? The Shanny's really need to figure out the run system and stick with it.

Followed by the Unexpected
And then it happened. Not once, but twice! We scored in the first half of a game. Grossman ran. That alone is an accomplishment. It was only four yards, but those four yards were worth seven points. Rex then combined with my star of the day, Jabar Gaffney, for another seven and the lead going in to halftime.  Gaffney had a great day, with over 100 yards and some crucial catches. He wins my Week 11 Gold Star. And I still want that sideline catch in overtime, ruled out, reviewed. Donte Stallworth had quite a triumphant return to FedEx this weekend, winning hearts with the game-tying touchdown catch with 14 seconds left in the game. Logan Paulsen and Gaffney proved the stars in overtime, bringing us within field goal range to seal the victory. But we all know the familiar scene that unfolded thereafter...

Cement Galoshes
I think that is what Gano must be wearing during the game. For the second week in a row, he let us down. This week, however, it was against Dallas and he did it twice. The second miss, for the win in overtime, might now have some calling for him to wear cement galoshes off the field, near water.

No One is Perfect
It is almost as though we have two different defenses playing on the field at the same time. Our secondary had a bad, bad day yesterday while the D-line and middle linebackers held the defense together. D. Hall took enough of a beating on radio and Twitter that I'll mostly give him a pass, just not on the deja vu blown coverage against Bryant that put Dallas in position for the winning field goal. For that he should hang his head a little lower this week. Atogwe also had a very disappointing game. He should've had at least two INTs yesterday, if not more. And he totally blew the coverage on the third Dallas TD. He has yet to prove his worth to this team and he is running out of time.

But Some of Them Tried
Wow - the rest of our D put on a show. Rookie Chris Neild plowed over one of the Dallas O-linemen and hit Romo hard. That always feels good. Kerrigan became the second rookie to lay a hit on Romo. And then he did it again. I can't say enough about Kerrigan. He just makes me smile. The hits on Romo kept coming (let's face it, can there ever be enough?), with Bowen and Fletcher combing for back-to-back sacks. Electric. And the break out performance by rookie Gomes has me feeling better about the future of our secondary. I look forward to watching him develop. All in all, the run D was on point, containing Jones and Murray for most of the game, and they had incredible 3rd down stops. They did fail on 4th and 1, which was painful, but... no one is perfect.

Saving Banks
For ten weeks now we have been asking - What happened to Banks? Is it the knee? Did he lose his mojo? On Sunday, there were no questions, only cheers. He consistently gave us good field position and showed the fight and fortitude that made us all swoon last year. Let's hope he keeps up this new look.

Once again, Fox gets special recognition - for one of the worst plays on words ever: Romo-vember. Really!? Before the game was even over. Wretch.

It was a positively crushing day, yet, oddly, I wasn't nearly as crushed as I had been the last few games. I wanted that win. I wanted it badly. It was our Super Bowl. Somehow, despite the loss, just putting up a good fight made the sting less harsh. There was plenty not to like - Armstrong's misses, Freddy D's dropsies, an INT, run call on 2nd and 25, Gano, Gano, Gano - but there was a lot more to like than we'd seen in a long time. And for that, at least, I am grateful. In week that is about giving thanks, I'll give thanks for not getting blown out, and hope that, come Sunday, I can give further thanks for a win in Seattle. 

Week 10: Devastation Continues

This week was another heartbreaker. Somehow I knew going into it that the Dolphins would find a way to top our crumbling offense. There truly are times I hate being right. 

Rex. Oy.
I recognize that our QB situation is tenuous at best, but I didn't see that one coming. The Sunday morning announcement that Rex was back in as starter had me in fits. And the rest of the day didn't get much better. He had two INTs in the game, one of which may or may not have been his fault. He did absolutely zilch in the red zone. And I can't stand looking at him. At least his muffin top is shrinking.

Just Plain Offensive
How many weeks in a row is it now that we have started with a 3 and out? Too many to be worth counting. And to top it all off, on 3rd and 2, Kyle called a 5-step drop. You can guess how that turned out. And what exactly does Kyle have against the run game? Was he bad at it in high school and teased for it? Did he ask it on a date and get stood up? Whatever it is, Kyle, get over it. Run the damn ball. We don't have a QB. You don't have another option. For yet another week, we couldn't put points on the board. Yes, Torain scored a touchdown on an outside run. But that came back thanks to the Paulsen hold. I like Paulsen, but that was a big mistake and it cannot happen again.

Week 9 Gold Star Rescinded: Gano x2
Deja-vu?

Hail Helu
Our boy Helu had another stellar showing this week. Yes, he had decent runs, but the real beauty of his game was in the blocking and the blitz pickups. Some out there won't like this comparison, but I do (after all, my first custom Redskins tee, the ones I wear on game day, was "Clinton is my Homeboy"). Helu is reminds me of a young, healthy Portis. He has the legs, and he also knows when he is needed to protect the QB/ballcarrier and help secure the execution of the play.

Defensive Exception
I've been begging and pleading for more turnovers on D and this week we managed a few. Kevin Barnes and the INT! My boy Kerrigan! Once again nominated for Rookie of the Week! Two forced fumbles and + sacks. Love it! I don't, however, love penalties. And I really don't love how he is being held like a baby and double-teamed by jersey-pulling O-linemen. Perry Riley was a rockstar. I love the development we are seeing from him this season and I look forward to seeing him continue to progress. I do have one gripe with our D this week though and it is with the secondary. We did not do nearly enough to shut down Brandon Marshall. He is the Dolphins only major threat which means the secondary had one job. They failed.

Hankerson Heartbreak
My wish came true, we saw more of him. A lot more. Man, oh, man. Other than the fall that contributed to one of the INTs, he had a great game. He was a shining star, one bright spot in an otherwise dark, dark day. He had his first 100+ game as a pro. He was showing the progress we'd hoped for. And then he went down. You could feel his pain. And I was hopeful when he limped off that it wasn't anything too serious. When the news came out Monday, I almost cried. That combined with Golston's injury made for a rough, rough Monday in Redskins Nation.

Hot for Flipper
What was with the announcers verbally humping the Dolphins?

It was brutal. Just brutal. And this week we get the Cowboys at home. Burgundy Blog may have said it best today on Twitter - @BurgundyBlog: Draft position now crucial but if there's one win left I still crave at all costs it's Dallas. This week is our Super Bowl

Week 9: Too Little Too Late

And so the frustration continues. That was a tough game to watch. The trend of the late-game-too-little-too-late-to-matter surge of efficiency rears its ugly head again.

The Young & the Restless
We saw Helu, Hankerson, Young and Austin on the field and making plays. They may not be rockstars yet, but I am thrilled they are getting the chance to play on Sundays. As I've said before, they need the opportunity to develop in situations that matter, to play against first team D's, and to help create plays when the one called falls apart. Hankerson is one of the rookies we have been waiting on to bloom. He had a great game, reliably pulling in the passes that came his way. I wish we'd seen more of him.

Hello Helu
Helu had a pretty decent game. Surpassing Art Monk's record for catches in a game is a statistic that I prefer not to taught, as it is in no way an accurate reflection of Helu's performance or the game and it invokes the name of an all-time great in a comparison that belittles his legendary career. Just one more reason I hate statistics. Helu had good, solid runs. He found the holes and proved a decent receiver when Beck couldn't seem to find others. He did, however, play receiver too much for my taste. And then there was that 3rd down drop.

Special Teams Need Special Help
Brandon Banks, once a bright spot in dark times, has been unable to produce this season. Sunday was his worst performance yet. First, Banks fumbled the return on the 3 yard line, giving us almost impossible field position. Then he dropped again, and this time it was almost recovered by the 49ers. All in all, we had pretty miserable field position for much of the game.

Special Teams Gold Star of the Week
I never, ever, ever thought I would say this, but Graham Gano was the hero of the game on Sunday. He made not only a career long, but a franchise record-setting 59-yard field goal. Those three points were our first of the day and our only until it was too late to matter. To top it off, he ended the game with a beautiful, textbook on-sides kick. If only we had been able to recover it...

Mixed Defense
They did not let Frank Gore run wild over FedEx Field. He had one long run at a tough time in the game, but for the most part we contained him and prevented explosive plays. Yes, I know, he still had an over 100 yard game, I'm just saying it could've been a lot worse. After a week when people were calling for Landry's cape, he stepped and recovered a fumble. I am nowhere close to giving up on him yet.

Mixed Offense
We started with a weak three and out that included two back to back bad run calls. But we did score a touchdown and convert for 2 points. That is progress. But, again, it was too late... And can someone please tell me where Fred Davis was? Rolling him out in the 4th quarter is... you guessed it... too darn late. When he is our primary offensive weapon, he needs to be on the field running routes from the start. At least the O-line showed up this week and protected their QB. But Trent Williams needs to control his temper. Period.

Lil' Shanny
I'll go easy on him this week, but I do have to call him out for a few pretty darn bad ideas. 3rd and 12 we threw well short of the 1st down marker. 3rd and 23 became a short shovel pass to Helu and a punt. And finally, on 4th and 2, Kyle called a pass play. I recognize that plays fall apart and what we see on the field isn't always what was intended, but week in and week out Kyle continues to give us reasons to question his play calling.

It was a sloppy game. No two ways about it. And what little we could produce was too little, too late. 

Week 8: Speechless

I'm going to keep this one short and sweet. Ok, maybe not sweet. But I'm too disappointed this week to muster much. 

Great Start
Two three and outs in a row. Awesome.

My Buddy Kyle
Continues to throw short of the down and on a day when our O-line is having a meltdown.

Major Meltdown
What the heck happened to our O-Line? Beck was sacked 10 darn times. 

Major Meltdown Dos
Defense, really? Where was the secondary on that first touchdown? Or for the rest of the game for that matter? I didn't like the Fletcher-Landry scuffle, but I do understand that people appreciate the players holding each other accountable.

One Brief Shining Moment
Hankerson and Paulsen got time. I like seeing the young guys on the field.

Ball Hog
Beck held the ball way too long. He just hung out in the pocket. And that was a terrible idea considering the O-line played like they were hanging out in a bar.

Miserable, just miserable.