What optimism looks like now

A season that’s gone from the ridiculous to the sublime continued this morning as Vinny Cerrato said on the radio that Jim Zorn will be the head coach until the end of this season. I’m wondering if Bowles actually got through to ask Cerrato his many questions from a previous post.

I think this was the right move. The Redskins couldn’t simply ignore what has become an overwhelming firestorm of negative publicity this week that has seen people go as far as comparing Daniel Snyder to Al Davis (within the realm of possibility) and Bernard Madoff (wtf?).

As for the national media scrutiny, it’s gotten a bit out of hand. The Redskins are terrible and their management is awful, but few in the national media have actually watched a game this season.

Every week there’s a story in the NFL that makes the rounds of the gazillions of television, radio and print media outlets and this week it’s been Snyder’s tyrannical reign and the once proud franchise’s fall from grace. Fine. But at this point it’s gotten ridiculous.

Mark Schlereth, apparently, compared the Redskins to a rash, and I know this because the Internet has become a repository for transcriptions of radio and television show segments. There is a feedback loop going on here, more radio and TV segments, which lead to more transcriptions, and so on.

The only way to stop it is to beat the Eagles on Monday night.

Now, while I’m not optimistic that this will happen, I am curious to watch the game for a couple of reasons. First, division games and especially NFC East games are their own animals. Records don’t matter. We all remember games that work on either side of this equation (Jason Buck anyone?).

Also, the Eagles have problems. I mean, they lost against the Raiders last week, and they have shown in the last couple of years that they can spiral into mediocrity or worse. That said, they can turn it on too, and last week’s Raiders game could be a wake up call.

Finally, the Redskins have a knack for hanging tough against any opponent regardless of how meager or formidable they may seem. I still feel like this game will be tight and go down to one or two plays in the fourth quarter. That is just what the team does.

Listen, the Redskins aren’t going 2-14 and I doubt they’re going 0-6 against the NFC East, so I for one will not be averting my eyes from the TV Monday night, at least at first.

Finally, there’s the Sherman Lewis play calling issue. I think the way it was handled was absolutely and appallingly bad. But I have to say, Zorn does have too much on his plate and something had to change.

I’ve been kind of grossed out and disturbed by how all the language used to describe the move has involved testicular removal: castration, emasculation, etc. There are plenty of coaches who don’t call their own plays and one of the main criticisms of the front office has been that they gave an inexperienced coach too many hats to wear anyway.

This idea that Zorn will just be pacing the sidelines with nothing to do is ridiculous. And the idea that calling the plays somehow makes him manlier is just stupid and shallow.

While we will most likely be mourning another loss on Tuesday, I feel like this game might be more interesting than a lot of people think. How’s that for optimism?

Read Full Post »

Secondary scorers rule the night; Gibbs coming back?

So, the Caps beat the Atlanta Thrasers 5-4 tonight. Nothing remarkable about that.

What is remarkable is that the goals came from 5 different goal scores and none of them were named Alex. We got two goals from the 3rd line – Giroux and Clark, 1 goal from the 4th line – Bradley, 1 from the 2nd line – Eric Fehr ( on a beautiful pass from Schultz) and one fluke goal from Schultz himself. This bodes well for the Caps.

Now in order for us to make this a truly great season, guys named Alex, Mike, Brooks and Nicklas will have to score. But, over the course of the season, estabishing confidence among our role players will carry us far especially during those dry spells that inevitably will crop up during the 82 game season. Atlanta is better than last year and if they get consistent goal-tending, I wouldn’t be surprised if they contend for a playoff spot. So winning 5-4 on the road tonight should get chalked up as a quality win.

Now back to the ongoing saga of the Redskins: rumors are rampant that Gibbs could return to head the organization and select a general manager and head coach. Now of course it goes without saying that Gibbs is the most revered sports figure in my eyes, but something about this doesn’t feel right.

Maybe, as has been stated by our readers earlier this week, the glory years are gone and hanging on to them is not doing us any good. Sure, I’ll continue to pop in my DVDs depicting our dominance from years past on a quiet summer afternoon and reminisce on times when life was simpler and the Redskins dominated the NFL, but it seems like now we are at a crossroads in this organization’s life. Now, something new has to come in.

Mike Wise’s interesting article with John Kent Cooke earlier this week made it clear that the right people that wil carry us into the future need to be found. The story by Wise recounts how Jack Kent Cooke almost fired Gibbs after he started 0-5 in 1981 and was going to bring back George Allen to coach the Redskins. We’ve done this already. Gibbs came back and gave us very good years (2005 in particuar) and some not so good years (2006) in particular.

Now is the time that we have to find the new Redskins coaching legend and the new blood to carry us forever. Besides, does anyone really think Gibbs is going to come back? The pressure this time around, no matter what his capacity, will be even more intense than in 2004. Gibbs would become once again the face of the organization no matter who the coach and general manager are.

My hope is that Gibbs tells Snyder to cut out all this crap and get out of the way and maybe he could even give Snyder some real, valuable suggestions about who should lead this team and hopefully help convince some capable people to come here and lead us in 2010.

Triple vision: The Wiz crew wrap up the pre-season tomorrow night and a countdown to a huge night of sports Tuesday night where the Wiz open up against the Mavericks and the Caps play the Flyers. This will come after the Monday night game against the Eagles. I will definitely be emotionally drained Wednesday morning win or lose. Any chances D.C. goes 3-0 in those three games? We would all be happy campers if that were to happen.

Stay tuned for our Wiz preview coming up soon…..

Read Full Post »

NFL Power Rankings Week 7, 2009

The fairweather fanny provides his week 7 power rankings. It’s hard to argue with any of his positioning. The only problem for him is that with 4 undefeated teams remaining, he has not yet figured out who his favorite team is.

His views on sports, as I have stated many times before, are contemptible. All the same, as I continue to lose sleep and lose weight on top of already having lost much of my sanity all becuase of my hometown burgundy and gold heroes, I can’t help but wonder to myself how many winters will all of us D.C. sports fans live through until our spring arrives.

1. New Orleans Saints (1): Clearly the class of the league.

2. Indianapolis Colts (4): Leapfrog Vikings after bye week given Vikings marginal win over Ravens.

3. Minnesota Vikings (3): Will be tested again by Steelers this week. 

4. Denver Broncos (5): Legitimately excellent team, believe it or not. 

5. New York Giants (2): Will be favored at home over Cardinals. Need to win to remain in top 5.

6. New England Patriots (9): Rise to #6 due to losses by Jets & Cincy and head-to-head victory over Atlanta. Unimpressed by running up the score over woeful Titans.

7. Atlanta Falcons (7): Ryan outdueled Cutler. Faces off against Romo this week.

8. Cincinnati Bengals (6): Need to arrest 2-game losing streak against Bears this week.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (HM): Polamalu returns. Could return to top echelon of league with victory over Vikings.

10. Arizona Cardinals ( ): Returning to Super Bowl form. Giants need to take them seriously.

Honorable Mention: Baltimore, Chicago, Green Bay, San Francisco & NY Jets.

Read Full Post »

What’s there to be happy about?

Some of my co-workers began wearing their Redskins gear once again to work today.  A couple of baseball caps and a sweatshirt made appearances at our all-day meetings.  I wore my vintage Bullets jacket, my prized possession given to me by Walton 16 yrs. ago.  These same co-workers asked me whether the appearance of the Bullets jacket meant that my I was giving up on wearing my Redskins jacket to which I replied that today’s unusually warm, spring-like weather prompted me to pull out the light warmup Bullets jacket as opposed to the heavier fall Redskins jacket which I normally wear. 

Anyway, along with some light chat about the crazy ending to last night’s Wizards game. and some heavy sighs and groans about the Redskins, a couple folks started saying things like: “well you never know, we may just be able to pull it out on Monday night”.  It’s as if three days after the bitterness, dissapointment and disgust of last Sunday, people just resumed what they normally start doing around here – building up their hopes and dreams on yet another big game for the Redskins.  It’s almost as if we had been transplanted to week 1 when none of us knoew who the hell Sherm Lewis was.

When I got back in the car to come home though, reality hit. The news is out that Chris Samuels is on his way to California to meet yet another doctor and it’s beginning to seem more and more likely not only that he is out for the season, (which seemed a foregone conclusion even yesterday), but that his retirement from the Redskins and football all together is forthcoming. 

(Ah, I can’t help but think back to that fair day when the Redskins drafted Samuels and Lavar the same day. owo You could not have told me that day that we would not have won a super bowl by now.  I would have said you truly were crazy.) 

So on top of this news, Clinton Portis’ leg, from the way he descibes it, is about to fall off.  He has was Eli Manning has in addition to a messed up MCL, damaged ankles and a calf problem.  Say what you want about Portis, but there is no doubt that he is a tough SOB and that he will undoubtedly play against the Eagles. 

According to Portis, guys are not really talking in the locker room either.  I don’t know how seriously we can really take anything Portis says in general, but you never want to hear that two old buddies like him and Santana Moss have nothing to say to each other.

(By the way, no one talks about this anymore, but is the memorial locker that had been created for Sean Taylor still up in the locker room?   Just curious if anyone knows).

I heard Rock Cartwright interveiwed tonight on the radio and he was very diplomatic in everything he said.  I wonder if there is any yelling and hell raising coming from the veterans on this team.  I wonder if Haynesworth’s passionate speech in the locker room after we lost to the Chiefs had any effect.  I wonder if any of this will matter with our depleted offensive line.

Not much to comfort me tonight as I try to stay warm thinking about the cold chills that will be running down my spine if, next Monday night, I hear even one letter of that evil, malevolent chant that the Redskins have quieted so profoundy 3 of the last 4 times we have played our hated rivals from the north. 

Read Full Post »

A head-scratcher & some more double vision

I think I’m gonna take the day off work on Friday so I can call Vinny Cerrato during his weekly two-hour radio talk show and ask him what the hell is going on. (By the way, I would like to go one record saying that Morocco Brown, the head of Redskins pro personnel is my choice for our next GM. I think he has done a very good job in selecting some of the role players on our team and seems to be a front office star in the making).

Becuase I don’t follow college football or really much of the NFL outside of the NFC East, I had no idea who Levi Jones is. His signing makes sense to me. It seems like he will be back-up this Monday night against the Eagles however by the time we play Atlanta, in three weeks time, he could possibly start at left tackle and the Skins could move Heyer back over to right tackle.

Ok, I kinda get that move.

Who the hell is Quinton Ganther? I have heard he is a fullback. Is he here because Mike Sellers screwed up that block on Portis’ 70+ yard run on Sunday? Is he here to run the ball? Does he pass block better than Mason and Betts? That could be possible.

If so, I guess maybe it’s worth a try. But then, why do you get rid of Mason who has potential and could be someone we count on down the road, next year? Why do you get rid of Alridge when he has something few other Redskins on offense seem to have – speed? They should have not re-signed Renaldo Wynn and not gotten rid of both running backs.

In other news, I watched the Wizards beat the 76ers last night in a pre-season game. We only won by one, but in truth, we were without three of our top scorers in Arenas, Jamison and Miller. Our 1st team of Butler, Haywood, Foye, Young and Oberto handled their starting unit. Now I don’t think the 76ers are that good, but all the same, the ease with which we took control of the game by the end of the 3rd quarter and into the beginning of the 4th quarter bodes well for us. I’m not making my official prediction until the start of the season next week, but I am seeing big things for this team.

I guess I better figure out a nicer way to ask Cerrato some of these questions between now and Friday because I am sure he would love to answer them for me.

Read Full Post »

Tidbits from section 449

While the nausea and disillusion that has spread across Redskins nation is still palpable, the events of the last 24 hours have served as a knock out blow, rendering most of us speechless.    I don’t have much to add about what I saw from section 449, but I what I do have to add goes against some reports of this game, which will retain in my mind, and perhaps the minds of others, a special quaity exemplifying the power sports has to inspire and, as in this case, to disillusion people.

There were a lot of empty seats; my guess was at its fullest, the stadium had about 12,000 – 15,000 empty seats.  Certain parking lots were sparsely filled meaning that many season ticket holders did not show up for the game.  My green lot was fairly full, but rather subdued at around 11am where usually tailgating is at its peak.  

Throughout the game the fans did cheer, especially on defense and for the 1st 3.5 quarters there was life, hope and general fan support.  Section 449 got loud when it was time to get loud.  But after the blocked punt, there was a hush that fell over the crowd and we never regained our spirit. 

The fans booed a lot at halftime and like I said before,  people cheered really loud when Collins entered, which  made me feel bad for Campbell.  

 Here are some few notes from the game.  Laron Landry again appeared close to the line of scrimmage and had a lot of nice plays in the running game.  The defensive line dominated the Chiefs in the 1st half, particularly Haynesworth.  (The criticism of Haynesworth on sports radio continues to baffle me.  I guess people just can’t over his contract.  He dominated the line of scrimmage, played every series except for one and frankly the personal foul against him was questionable at best).   That being said, the Cheifs adjusted their game plan in the 2nd half and for the most part, Cassel only took 3 step drops and got the ball out quickly negating our d-line’s dominance of their offensive line.  Rogers could not cover Dwayne Bo at all one- on- one which really surprised me and I don’t know why they didn’t swing a safety either underneath or on top to help Rogers out.

The one thing that I will say about Haynesworth is that since it seems likely that this team will go into rebuilding next year, the money spent on him seems misguided.  He of course is an excellent building block, but if we have 35 new players on our team next year, will the money spent on him have been worth it?  It’s too hard to tell now.

I had a couple of intersting conversations while at the game on Sunday. My buddy Ryan decided to sign up for season tickets and as such I had an opportunity to speak with a sales representative for the Redskins who assured me that the season ticket waiting list is catalogued electronically, not in a large safe as was reported during the summer.  While he did not mention how long the season ticket waiting list was, he told my buddy Ryan to expect a call in five years (which makes it hard to imagine that the number of people on the list is truly 150,000), but that it could be sooner if the Redskins play worse. 

Ryan may be getting that call pretty soon.

I met another guy that told me he and his wife purchased Caps season tickets for this season and that after this year, they would be carrying both Caps and ‘Skins season tickets.  He did not mention that he was going to get rid of his ‘Skins season tickets, but  did intimate as we discussed Arenas’ return to the Wizards this year,  that they may invest in the Wiz instead of the ‘Skins if things continue at their current trajectory. 

It makes you wonder about all those folks who follow all the local sports teams, but who only have so much money to spend on tickets.  Will they keep coming to Landover to see the ‘Skins?  The Caps and possibly the Wiz (if everyone stays healthy- cross your fingers and hold your breath)  could have big seasons this year. 

D.C. loves the Redskins. We all know that, but if this kind of nonsense continues and the two teams who play downtown continue to improve, will there be a point when the ‘Skins begin to play 2nd or 3rd fiddle?  When my daughter starts school in a few years, will she be wearing a ‘Skins Super Bowl t-shirt like I did when I was 8 yrs. old or will it be a Caps t-shirt?  If the Redskins continue to serve as a national punch-line,  our next generation of ‘Skins fans may look at their parents as bunch of old geezers who love a team that won championships so long ago that our glory days will appear to be more like a fairty tale rather than a bastion upon which to continue to support our beloved team. 

As one of our bloggers said yesteday, it’s time to accept that there are no #81, #28, #40, #84, #68, #71 on this team anymore.

Read Full Post »

This is why this team is disfunctional

Props to my partner Alwalton for his post.  So I just put the final touches on my post-mortem on yesterday’s game and was beginning to get my imagination working as I tried to figure out scenarios where the Redskins beat the Eagles one week from tonight.. ….

Then, I skip to the Redskins Insider to find out Sherm Lewis will be calling plays.

What the hell?  How can someone who was not prepared to even contribute to the game plans as of Friday now be calling plays?  Sherman Smith should be calling plays or the QB coach Chris Meidt.  Sherman Lewis does not even know everyone’s name.

This is a joke.   The reasonable thing for all Redskins players to be thinking when they woke up this morning is this:  “OK, we sucked yesterday, but there are still 10 games left in the season and if we beat the Eagles, things will be looking a lot brighter”.  This may be unrealistic, but players are by nature confident individuals.

Now they are thinking, “How the hell are we expected to go out and perform if the man calling plays has only seen me play for about 10 practices?”

This question in fact sounds too reasonable.  The more realistic question they are asking themselves is ” what the hell is going on?”

This is becoming unbelievable, truly unbelievable…..

Read Full Post »

No “blackout” – just a dark spot on our soul

I felt really bad for Jason Campbell when Todd Collins entered the game and people cheered so loudly.  It was a cheer that was filled with some parts desperation and some parts disgust and Jason Campbell the human being deserved better than that.

I’m not blaming the fans.  When Collins enterd and hit Moss with that 42 yard pass,  it represented the 1st time in the game that the fans had real life in the game.  Sure, we celebrated sacks and our defensive domination of the Chiefs.  But we all knew that as long as the offense continued to resemble a disfunctional, utterly broken machine, that eventually the defense would succumb.

That’s where the sadness kicks in.  That’s where the feelings of contempt, disgust, embarassment and deep-seated frustration end and sadness kicks in – the sadness that was written all over Casey Rabach as he held his head in his hands on the Redskins sideline while he sat by himself on a bench.

In addition to an unprecedent Redskins loss, yesterday  was unusual for another reason.  My section 449 buddy Ryan had come with his father who at the end of the game  on his way down the stairs hurt his knee so badly that he could not walk.  As such we had to push him in a wheelchair down to the ground level and wait there for a golf cart to take him to our car in the green lot.  While we waited, we were witness to thousands of fans as they poured out of the stadium.  There was a lot of anger, but more than that, I saw people crying and sad from disbelief as to what had happened to our team.

Today, I almost feel like crying like I did in 7th grade when we lost 17-0 to the Giants in the NFC Champoionship game.  Except then, I cried because we were so close to being great, but got beat by a better team.  Today, I’m not lamenting an opportunity for greatness missed, but rather the lack of anything other than the miserable, pitiful state of a franchise to whom I have attached so much of my identity.   Frankly, many of thsoe faces I saw yesterday, as my old man and I waited with Ryan and his old man for the golf  cart, seemed to reflect that same feeling – our pride had been stomped on, not by a truly superior team, but  our own team’s ineptitude.

None of these people were participating in a “blackout” our “burgundy revolution”. We all had our Redskins gear and came to cheer on our team, not because any of us really thought we could be champions this year, but because we loved our team.

Now today, what is there to hold on to?  Who is our team?  I didn’t wear my Redskins jacket for the first time I can remember.  I couldn’t.  I couldn’t wear it because this morning the symbol of the team fills me emptiness.  I’ll wear it tomorrow I’m sure because I will bounce back, but today me and whole lot of other people are out of sorts because we have a team that has lost everything there is to lose in a season  after only 6 games.
So honestly, I don’t have much analysis to offer today aside from this: how does Clinton Portis, who gained almost 1,500 yards last year, get tackled on the 10 yard line when all that separates him from the endzone is one Chiefs player who is being blocked by Mike Sellers, our all-pro fullback?  How did Danny Smith not see, what was obvious to us in section 449, that the Chiefs were getting awfuly close to blocking a punt on three or four successive occasions and that each time they were rushing players from the same position on the field?  How did Jason Campbell miss Santana Moss so open yesterday in the 2nd quarter? How did Zorn call three consectuive pass plays at the 10 yard line without a running back in the backfield? ( We are, after all, not the 2007 Patriots.) How come Blache did not call for Landry or some other safety to double cover Dwayne Bo on every play since he was just about the only receiver Cassel threw to all day?

At the end of the day, none of these things mean more than the fact that this is the darkest we have all felt since the end of the Spurrier days in December, 2003 when we got rolled at home by the Cowboys and Eagles in consecutive games. Something big has to change. Change is possible in the NFL more than any other professional sports league. A lot of teams have done it recently – (Atlanta, Baltimore, Miami). But today, for some sad, sad reason, it doesn’t seem likely that this kind of real, deep, deep change will come our way anytime soon.

Read Full Post »

Novocaine Blues

I watched the game yesterday at my usual Redskins watering hole in Brooklyn. Midway into the third quarter, the satellite feed went out with the Redskins losing to the Chiefs 6-3.

Collins had replaced Campbell to a loud ovation from most of the fans gathered. He had completed his long pass to Moss and Portis had run for 79 yards leading to a field goal that had given the team the lead.

People were actually vaguely/cautiously optimistic.

And then they switched to the Vikings/Ravens game. It had the first team TV announcers. The stadium seemed packed and vibrant. I watched Joe Flacco complete a pass to his tight end who was open in a seam in the zone defense. I watched Ray Rice run behind Michael Oher for a nice twenty yard touchdown run.

They showed highlights of some of the Vikings scoring drives from earlier in the game. Adrian Peterson running. Brett Favre passing, and so on.

It hit me then, “This is what it’s like to watch a real football game. These are teams that aren’t flawless and have their problems, but compete at a high level every week.”

I felt an extreme culture shock, like I had just been teleported into the middle of Tokyo. And then they switched the Redskins game back on.

How does a fan even write about the game that transpired yesterday and the shenanigans that followed?

Do you start with the pathetic showing on offense yet again? The dubious play calling? The tragicomic makeup of the offensive line?

Maybe you write a passionate screed against Vinny Cerrato and Dan Snyder recalling the franchise’s glory days? There are certainly a few of those on this blog. Or maybe you gamely start combing through the ever present Mel Kiper Jr. articles on espn.com about who is available in the draft next year.

I’m just at a total loss. The season at this point has left the critical condition part of the ICU in the hospital and has been moved to hospice care to find a peaceful end. The move to relieve Zorn of his play calling duties without firing him is embarrassing and reeks of incompetence.

The premature discussions about who to get to coach the team next year are tedious and just based on rumors.

The end of this phase of the team is coming. No more Campbell. No more Zorn. No more lots of the guys we’ve been following from the Gibbs era.

The big question still remains. No more Cerrato?

One thing is for sure. There are no more meaningful games to watch this year. After six games.

I’m numb.

Read Full Post »

Caps win ugly; hater re-appears; sleepless in takoma park

So the Caps played two periods of good hockey and beat a bad Nashville team tonight in the shootout.  I have to admit that shootouts are a little bit of a downer because I am not really an excitement motivated sports fan, but a results oriented sports fan, so winning in a shootout is kinda just like saying “well it’s tied so we got to do something”. I would prefer that they play at least 5 minutes more and then just call it a tie.  Anyway,  a win is a win and we will take the two points.

I can’t sleep thinking about tomorrow’s game.  Some local analysts are predicting we will get blown out tomorrow against the Chiefs, while some are just going with the safe bet that the Redskins will win in a squeaker.

People are calling tomorrow’s starting five offensive line for the Redskins the worst offensive line to ever be fielded in the history of the NFL.  Really, the worst?  Well if so, all offensive lines like to run block, so let’s just run block.

I think we need to run the ball about 65% of the time tomorrow.

Forget the young receivers ( which to this point has not been hard to do) and just run the ball. Use all four of our backs and run, run, run.

On quiet, dark nights like this when I watch a Caps game in silence as my wife and daughter sleep, I begin to re-kindle hope in the Redskins.  Tomorrow, as the rain falls, all my hope will rest in rekindling a running game that has lost all its fire.

Let’s hope Zorn calls the game right and the Redskins win leaving me to rest easy tomorrow night.

Now, I pass it to the hater with what has become his bi-weekly picks segment since he has established the pattern of showing up only after Redskin losses – rather cowardly if I say so myself.  He will give you some opinions about our team’s failings to this point, but fails to realize that Chad Rinehart will not be starting tomorrow. Rather it will be a locally born,  fan favorite Will Montgomery starting at right guard.  Do your homework hater, it gives you more credibility…….

GayforJay here…after a two week absence, I’m back with some picks.  There was an odd hint of Jay-hating on this board a couple of weeks ago, with some suggestion of being gift-wrapped a win by the Steelers in Week 2.  All I know is that Jay is 3-1, and we’re charging into Atlanta this week to avenge the worst loss of the season last year.

Texans +4.5 over BENGALS.  Are the Bengals for real?  All of these NFL Power polls seem to think so, but I still think there’s a little bit of smoke and mirrors going on here.  Houston can score and I like them to cover the number.

Lions +13.5 over PACKERS.  Green Bay isn’t good enough to be favored by 13.5 over anybody, especially the Lions, who have played some competitive games this year.  Lions showed some grit last weekend against the Steelers.

Ravens +2.5 over VIKINGS.  This is the week that everyone gets down on the Ravens and starts to froth at the mouth over Favre and the Vikes.  Like the Ravens here.  A good game for them to go in and re-establish their physical play.  Similar spot as the Chargers game earlier this season, when the Ravens won outright on the road.  Upset potential here.

Giants +3.5 over SAINTS.  Thought this line would be lower.  Like the Ravens, could see an outright winner here for the Giants.  Well-coached teams play well on the road, and Coughlin might be one of the two or three best coaches in the league.

BUCS +3.5 over Panthers.  I watched that Skins / panthers game last week.  What a disaster.  Two teams that couldn’t get out of their own way.  Panthers are pretty bad.  No juice at all on that team.  Tamps is terrible as well, but when in doubt, take the points.

Chiefs +6.5 over REDSKINS.  As a resident hater, I’ve refrained from posting for a while, since there’s enough hating going around in this town without me having to pile on.  But some extended thoughts on the Skins…first, how the hell are the Skins a 6-point favorite over any team in the league, even the winless Chiefs?  Skins 0-3 ATS this season as favorites.  Second, if it weren’t for the Raiders, the Skins would easily be the biggest debacle in the league right now.  The only thing the Skins have going for them is that Zorn hasn’t punched Danny Smith in the face yet.  Loved how the players came out this week and apparently requested that Snyder “endorse” Zorn for the rest of the season.  Hey fellas, wins over the Lions and Panthers might have helped the ‘ol coach’s chances at getting that vote of confidence.  From that lame request to the Portis/Sellers feud, to Hall’s comments following the Lions game, Skins players seem more concerned with off-the field nonsense than on the field results.  Don’t know why that is, but I do think it comes down somewhat on Zorn, who has shown that he has no control over this team either on or off the field.  “Over his head” doesn’t even begin to tell Zorn’s story.  What a mess.

I almost can’t see the Skins even winning this game outright.  The offensive line.  Holy God.  You’re two tackles are an undrafted free agent and a guy who has been out of the league for years because he weighed 400+ pounds.  The backup last week was also undrafted and last played in the CFL.  And Reinhart, who they benched last week in favor of playing Williams at guard (even though he’s a tackle) now has to get back in there because they’re so thin.  The Skins struggles on offense have been well-documented, but with this particular line for this week, it only looks worse.

And the real sad part for Skins fans – and it really is sad, no hater zings – is that this team is a directionless ship.  There’s no hope.  What possible plan is there for the next several years?  You have the oldest team in the league, and your last two drafts have produced MAYBE two starters in the league – Horton and Orakpo.  And Horton got benched already this year.  They have the worst player personnel guy in the league (non-Al Davis division).  What legitimate coach is going to want to inherit this debacle?  What are the building blocks?  I guess you could give a guy full control (coaching and GM), but that rarely works out and even then, it’s going to take years to develop a decent product.  Bowles and Walton – even as a hater, I feel for you.  This is painful.

JAGS – 9.5 over Rams.  The Jags got shutout last week and I’m taking them to win by ten against the Rams.  This says more about the Rams than the Jags, trust me.

Browns +14.5 over STEELERS.  This line seems a little high, right?  Can Anderson possibly be as bad as he was last week, when he went 2-17 ina  win over the Bills?  Impossible.  Browns are worthless, but the Steelers have not looked truly impressive in any game this year.  That opening week nail-biter against the Titans doesn’t look so good now.

SEAHAWKS -2.5 over Cardinals.  Two teams that are hard to figure out, and I’m not sure that anyone even wants to.

Eagles -14.5 over RAIDERS.  They could have put this line at 20 and I would still be going with the Eagles, who are starting to develop the look of a serious playoff contender.  Tough spot for the Skins in two weeks.  Monday night, and the Eagles essentially have had three straight “bye” weeks – one actual week off, and then games against the Bucs and the Raiders.  Look out.

JETS -9.5 over Bills.  Bills have officially given up, and the Jets need to get back on track.  Blowout potential.

PATS -9.5 over Titans.  Tennessee stinks.  Fisher looks like the kind of guy who might actually get donked off at the end of the season as the team maybe tries for a complete turnaround.  Could be an interesting option for the Skins.

Bears +3.5 over FALCONS.  Again, I take the Bears every week.  Don’t really feel that great about this game, though.  That said, doesn’t this line seem a little sneaky low?  Falcons destroyed San Fran last week, Bears have looked so-so all season, and Falcons only giving three at home?  Might be a spot where Vegas wants everyone to jump on the Falcons, and then the Bears come in and take care of business on the road (see last weeks Falcons / Niners game, where the Niners were 3 point home favorites, and the Falcons kicked butt).  As I wrote earlier, Bears need to avenge their terrible, playoff-killing loss in Atlanta last year, when they were up by two with ten seconds left, kicking off, and lost the game.  Awful.

Broncos +4.5 over CHARGERS.  Broncos win streak might even here, but what has San Diego done that should make them a 4.5-point favorite over an undefeated Denver?  Like the points.

Last Week: 7-7

Season: I left my sheet at work…let’s just say I’m under .500, but it’s not a travesty.

Read Full Post »