Detroit is Coming

They ain't playin' and I ain't lion.

The Washington Redskins next opponent were down 7-3 at half time to the Bears, then put up 34 points in the second half to beat Chicago.

The Redskins couldn't put up seven points in the second half of the Giants game.

There's no reason to panic, but the team formerly known as patsies cannot be dismissed. When Gregg Williams looks at game film, he should pull out tapes of that Mike Martz St. Louis Rams offense since that's what the defense will face. The 3-1 Lions are less talented than the Greatest Show on Turf, but they will challenge our cornerbacks. Those guys better be healthy and ready.

Adding to the intrigue is the Arizona Cardinals who held off the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers 21-14 today. That's a small measure of vindication for Russ Grimm and Ken Whisenhunt, both passed over for the Steeler head coaching job.

Detroit and Arizona were the comfortable home games on the Redskins' October calendar. Away games in Green Bay and New England are sandwiched between them. Suddenly, that cushy early schedule doesn't look so soft.

Good thing the Skins got their break now.
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LaVar Arrington had some interesting things to say about the Redskins in a New York Daily News interview last week. He is still bitter at his treatment by the Redskins during the Gibbs II era. Those big contracts you hear about are a mirage, because they are back-end loaded. The Redskins will get rid (his words) of Clinton Portis and Chris Samuels before the Skins pay them the big bucks. That, or the players will agree to restructure their deals.

Most of what Arrington learned about business, he learned at the feet of former friend Daniel Snyder, he says, as he works on the December opening of Sidelines, his restaurant and sports bar at the Boulevard at Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland.

Yeah, I'm going when it opens. I still like LaVar.

That meek, mild-mannered guy who lives here has the story over at Hog Heaven.
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Redskins owner Daniel Snyder ranks as the 40th most powerful person in American sports, according to a panel assembled by BusinessWeek. Joe Gibbs, Redskins president and coach-in-chief, and owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, is ranked No. 93.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Tiger Wood and NBA Commissioner David Stern are ranked No. 1, 2 and 3 on the list.

Master4caster, Skin Patrol, Ben Folsom and Lee Gibbons are not on the list, so how credible is this information? I mean really?
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Wide receiver Keenan McCardell will be in Redskin Park Monday and, assuming he passes a physical and workout, will sign a contract to join the team.

Pay attention to what the Redskins say, or don't say, about the signing and who gets released to make room. The very fact that the Skins continue to look at wide receivers this late says something. The fact that they are looking at experienced receivers [Corey Bradford, Todd Pinkston] says something, more, although it's pure guesswork what it all means.

People will jump to the obvious conclusion that Brandon Lloyd isn't working out. Or, the real fear that Santana Moss is more hurt than they are letting on. It may be more than that.

Without checking the facts, it seems to me that the Skins are playing a lot more from the shotgun spread formation with three and four wide outs. That's the Al Saunders influence. Assuming that one of those wide outs will be TE Chris Cooley, the other three have to be wide receivers.

I think the coaches don't think they have three reliable wide receivers to run Saunders' passing game, especially in the middle distances [10 to 20 yards].

While we are focused on the return to hardnosed Gibbs ball, I think we will look back and see that Al Saunders was more influential in the passing game than now obvious.

"Buckle your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night." ~~ Bette Davis in ALL ABOUT EVE.