The world upside down

Going into the season, I projected the NFC East ranking to be:

1. Washington
2. New York
3. Dallas
4. Philadelphia

Reality is the reverse of expectations. Who knew?

At the end of this most forgettable year, The Redskins and Giants inhabit the bottom of the division. The Redskins were never a factor in the playoff race. The Giants have dropped six of their last seven and look to a tumultuous offseason. They can make the playoff whether or not they beat the Skins Saturday, but won't get far the way they are playing.

NFL.com has a video preview of the game. It may be found on the home page titled "Ready for better days" with Plaxico Burress pictured. (You may have to use the "next cover story" hot key to advance to the "better days" story.) Look for the NYG-WAS Preview link among the story offerings.

Smoot
Redskin alumnus Fred Smoot suffered a broken jaw in five places as a result of a one car accident during the Christmas break. Smoot was a passenger in the car and the only one with a serious injury.

Fred has not done well since leaving the Redskins after 2004. He lost the starting position for the Vikings and the love boat incident damaged his reputation. What a lousy way to end the year.

Not to make light of it, but I like the way the blogger at The Sports Dirt put it: Broken jaw which the universe probably meant for Terrell Owens sidelines Fred Smoot.

Arch Speaks
An interview of Adam Archuleta, whom the Redskins made the wealthiest safety in the league, then buried deep in the roster, is shown on redskins.com. He was subdued and did not speculate on what may happen in the offseason. Extremeskins.com posted a link to an ESPN article that quoted Archuleta stating the Skins have not been upfront with him in reference to his benching. "I don't like getting lied to," he says. This can only end badly.

So was Archuleta wrong for taking a potload of Mr. Snyder's money, or was it Gre-double G for bringing him on board? What's certain is that circumstances forced the team to use Archuleta differently than intended.

When signed, the Skins cited Archuleta's run stopping ability. He was to be a linebacker lite and bring pressure in the pass rush. Rocky McIntosh was drafted as an every down backer who could cover. With Archuleta threatening to blitz and McIntosh fading to coverage where Arch was, momentary confusion by the offense would allow just enough of a slip to let Arch or another defender blow up a play. Classic Gregg Williams! Clever, if it worked.

That scheme was shelved when Shawn Springs and Pierson Prioleau went down. Mcintosh was slow to catch on. Suddenly, the Redskins needed safeties who could cover deep. Archuleta and Sean Taylor are big hitters. Their role is to intimidate, not smother, receivers. The shock and awe secondary delivered aw shit performance.

The coaching staff's treatment of Archuleta has a whiff of LaVar Arrington. Better people skills may have redeemed the Arrington situation and for a contract similar to LaVar's New York deal. The Redskins miss his playmaking ability. Better people skills may have preserved a positive relationship with Archuleta. He too has valuable skills and his career is not done. It's just done here.

Huh?
"We have wide receivers that have not been given the opportunity to be as productive as we know that they can be." ~~ Al Saunders from redskins.com Coaches Corner, December 28, 2006.

Fred Smoot photo from The Minnesota Vikings. Archuleta-Gibbs photo from The Washington Redskins.

Washington Redskins
Fred Smoot
Adam Archuleta

A safe and non-controversial Christmas, er, Holiday Greeting

Best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non addictive, gender neutral, winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most joyous traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, but with respect for the religious persuasion of others who choose to practice their own religion as well as those who choose not to practice an organized religion at all; and a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the generally accepted calendar year 2007, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions have helped make our society great, without regard to the race, creed, color, or religious or sexual preferences of the wishers or wishees.

Disclaimers:

• This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal.
• It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for themselves or others and no responsibility for any unintended emotional stress these greetings may bring.
• No warranties express or implied.
• Void where prohibited by law.
  

Please recycle. No animals were harmed in the drafting of this notice. Only recycled bits, bytes, and electrons were used.

I wish I were clever enough to have created this, but it came to me in a email. I am Christian and this is Christmas, so I wish all of you the joy and happiness of the season in the spirit it was intended. Where ever you go and what ever you do, may God bless!

Master4caster

Hopes that were high

And hopes that were high in the heat of September,
Wilt and die in the chill of November.
November can be cold.
November can be surly;
With bitter rain upon the world
And winter coming early.
~~ NFL Films

Second-guessing is all that’s left of this Deadskin season, with fingers pointed at the coach-in-chief. To his credit, Joe Gibbs has always said “it all starts with me.” AP reporter Joseph White penned a story about Gibbs’ assessment of the year, broadly laying out his approach to the off-season. The biggest story is Gibbs’ intent to return in 2007, along with the deputy coaches. That’s a good thing. Frequent change hurts the Redskins. Stability helps the team (meaning Jason Campbell) be more effective next year. In this case, familiarity breeds rewards. What’s worrisome is the coach’s contention that their process of assessing talent won’t change. Humph!

On Thanksgiving Friday, Hog Heaven published It All Starts With Joe Gibbs looking at the breakdown in achievement of two of the coach’s main goals: build a winning organization and update the offense. The story contends that Gibbs made too many changes at once. In any other circumstance, we would have recognized all those moves as rebuilding steps. Instead we all (players, coaches, fans) worked ourselves to a such frenzy over the ’05 finish, that we saw all those changes as additive. Now, 2006 and 2007 are rebuilding years. Hog Heaven concludes that, while Gibbs’ choices were the issues, Gibbs is the answer.

Two of our team’s remaining opponents are playing for their playoff life, giving them the motivational advantage.

Bad as the season is, the record is liberating. The players can play for fun as well as to save their career butts. As long as they are not so loose that they make stupid mistakes, the games should be more enjoyable for them and for us.

The coaches can take risks that otherwise wouldn’t be prudent. Next time the Skins are in the Red Zone five yard line on fourth and short, don’t take the field goal. GO FOR IT!

And, lets not do it with Randle El gadget plays.

Washington Redskins
Joe Gibbs

Redskins were doomed by overconfidence

At least according to Redskins DE Phillip Daniels, overconfidence from last season's success contributed to the team's downfall this season.

Read AP reporter Joseph White's story here.

Phillip Daniels photo from redskins.com

Tags:
Washington Redskins

GO for it!

At points in the season, Running Redskins engaged in a low level, friendly debate with The Curly R on whether to take the points or go for it on fourth and short situations. Master4caster usually holds that you are better off taking the easy field goal rather than risk coming away pointless. The Redskins Sunday were in two situations when they should have taken their chances and gone for it.

When you have something to lose, you limit risks and play the percentages. The Redskins have nothing more to lose. There isn't much difference between a 7-9 and a 5-11 record, so they are free to take calculated risks.

In the third quarter on third and twelve, Jason Campbell scrambled for ten yards to the Eagles two. The way Ladell Betts was running, and no assurance the team would make it back to the Red Zone, a fourth down running play for a touchdown was the smart play; "smarter" meaning a better chance to win. The successful field goal still left the Skins down by two scores. A touchdown would have had them down by one score, 21-13. Assuming all subsequent scoring, the Skins would have won the game 23-21. If they missed, with all subsequent scoring, the team would have lost 21-16; no worse off than the actual outcome.

In the fourth quarter, with 5:37 to go, the Redskins held possession on the Eagles three yard line. A stupid illegal substitution penalty moved the ball back to third and eight on the Philly 8 (I believe this was too many men in the huddle. Someone got their packages mix-up) Now, I'm not as smart as million dollar coaches, but I know that's not the situation to run another Randle El gadget play. The Eagles gave up yards in chunks to Ladell Betts all day. It's the three yard line. It's four down territory. A touchdown puts you ahead. There's no assurance The Skins get that close again. You go for it! That was the smart play. The smart call was Betts.

Instead, the Skins called another trick play and 'Twaan Randle El was sacked for a nine yard loss to bring up fourth and 17 at the Philly 17. That presented more of a challenge. Situation analysis says field goal, but the team's situation still allowed them to go for broke. The Eagles' control of the last five minutes made the Skins' successful field goal irrelevant.

In fact, the coaches took the wrong risk at the wrong time. Few Randle El trick plays worked this season - that 40 yard pass to Brandon Lloyd earlier in the quarter was a beautiful thing! The high probability play on third and eight deep in the Red Zone was Betts. It was four down territory. If Betts gained six, or even four yards, it would have set up a manageable fourth and short with options involving Betts, Cooley or Sellers. Randle El trick plays are risky - more so than fourth and goal plays.

The season is gone. The playoffs are gone. Losing another game makes no difference. This year, the offense has to help the defense. On third/fourth and short, inside five yard line, go for it!

Twice inside the five yard line and no touchdowns!

Any more Randle El trick plays and I'm going to call him Randle El Gadget!

The way Betts is playing, TJ Duckett may never touch the ball again as a Redskin!

Tags:
Washington Redskins