Osakpo going to Pro Bowl - Fletcher snubbed (again)

Congrats to Orakpo for making it to the Pro Bowl in his rookie season. He had a good year and I think could have had an even better year if he played his natural DE position. Hopefully the new administration figures it out.

Still, feel bad for London Fletcher. The guy is the consummate professional. He is a great player, good leader, and upstanding person in the community. Still, he isn't the flashy type of player and he is undersized and came from a small college. He has never gotten the recognition he so duly deserves. As everyone says, he is the Susan Lucci of football. He handled the news well this year. Seemed like he was more upset about it last year but I think he saw how many people talked about him deserving the selection and that probably helped him to some degree. I'm sure he would love the chance to go at least once in his career and hopefully he gets the chance.

Mike Leach

Pretty ridiculous report out of Texas where TX Tech coach Leach is accused of keeping Adam James (son of former NFL player and current ESPN analyst Craig James) holed up in a shed standing by himself for several hours. Apparently he did this because James did not want to practice because he suffered a concussion the previous day in practice.

Reports are that Leach felt that Adam James was a prima donna and lazy and wasn't happy because of his lack of catches and playing time. Also, that Craig was like a little leaguer's father and calling and complaining about the lack of PT for his son.

It's interesting because it pits a top flight college coach against a Texas football star and high profile analyst for ESPN. Should be interesting.

If it turns out that Leach did anything remotely close to what he is being accused of, he should be fired immediately.

It will be interesting too to see if there are other players on the team that will come forward as witnesses or claim of being "punished" for their "indiscretions." Football is a tough sport and coaches in the high school, college, and even professional ranks demand toughness at the expense of players health/well being. There is also a culture of don't ask, don't tell and being a labeled a snitch and crybaby. Will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Skins pack it in

I didn't even bother to post anything on last week's Giant debacle.

Hoped to redeem ourselves yesterday against Dallas but it was another lackluster performance. It's tough because we had been playing so well for several weeks and then we just reverted to how we played at the beginning of the year. Offense is anemic and can't muster anything. Here are some general thoughts:

1. O line was terrible. No protection for JC and no running lanes.

2. Coaching seems to have packed it in. JZ has lost the team and there isn't any way around it.

3. Team has folded. Can't entirely blame them for all of the distractions they have had to put with this year. They know there will be major changes in the offseason and it's hard to play under those conditions.

4. JC looks beaten. The guy has taken a physical and emotional pounding this year. Feel bad for the guy. Will be interesting to see what happens to him in the offseason. He is restricted so it will be interesting to see what kind of interest he garners from other teams in the off season.

5. Defense was okay but safeties were playing way off the ball.

6. Coaching again. Seems like the Cowboys knew what we were going to do and when they didn't, they audibled into a more successful play easily. We didn't disguise much.

7. Looking forward to ending this season and getting started with changes for next season. Hopefully with Bruce Allen we have a guy with a plan and an opportunity to implement the plan.

Redskins talking to Shanahan

The Denver Post is reporting that the Redskins are negotiating with Shannie to be the new head coach. There is no question in my mind that the Redskins are/have been looking/negotiating with head coaches out there. Especially, now that they got rid of Cerrato and brought in a new GM, they want to start moving before other jobs become open (potentially Dallas, Chicago, Buffalo, Carolina, Oakland, TB, etc.).

Shannie seems like a good guy and he certainly has made it clear that he wants to get back into coaching. Not sure how I would feel about him coming. Yesterday, with the hiring of Allen, it seemed like Gruden was the logical choice. I actually like that choice for the reasons I laid out on the previous post. Interesting to see how this all unfolds.

The circle is complete -- Bruce Allen hired as GM

Solid move. Frankly, just getting Cerrato out of there was a tremendous move.

Allen is a proven personnel guy that has built a Super Bowl winner in TB and a Super Bowl team in Oakland. He has strong ties to both the area and the Redskins. He grew up in McLean, and his father is still considered a legend in the area. George Allen coached the Redskins from 1971-77. Bruce Allen went to the University of Richmond, and his brother, George, is a former U.S. Senator from Virginia.

Having worked in Oakland, he knows how to deal with a hands on owner.

What's interesting is that Allen worked well together with Gruden in both Oakland and TB. Gruden just signed an extension to continue his run on MNF ending discussions of him coaching next season. However, we all know that he can change his mind. He was signed by NFL Network and jumped ship to go to MNF upsetting many at NFL Network. Will be interesting to see if he would be willing to jump MNF for the Redskins. I'm sure he wants to get back into coaching and he knows Allen well so will be interesting to see if he is lured back to the sidenlines in D.C.

HALLELUJAH!!!! Cerrato is OUT!

It's a Xmas miracle. I literally feel like it's a Merry Xmas, Happy Chanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa all rolled up into one being celebrated on my birthday as I lay on a beach in Hawaii chugging beer!!!! I could not be happier.

Good riddance to that guy. I hear about him being the eternal optimist and a good guy, blah, blah, blah. Bottom line is that he was terrible at his job and had the better part of 10 years to get it right. Not many people can do a shat job and stay on that long. Still, it happened and I'm elated.

Love Cerrato's statement. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with some great coaches such as Joe Gibbs, Greg Blache and Sherman Lewis, great people on the Redskins staff, and, most especially, some of the best professional football players in the world. I wish them all the best. I’ve also had the privilege of working for a franchise supported by the most loyal fans in the NFL.”

Love how he mentions Bingo but not JZ. It's a final jab as he walks out the door. Goodbye, crazy looking man!

The Redskins just corrected their biggest problem by 50%. Now we have to see who they hire. A clone of Cerrato acting as Snyder's yes man puppet is not what we need. It will be interesting to see who steps in. Still, we are 50% there Redskin fans!!!!

Bears Woes

Good article from the Trib.

Their 21-14 loss Sunday to the Packers not only mathematically eliminated them from the postseason and ensured their 10th non-winning season in 14 years, it was another come-from-ahead loss. The defeat marked the third time Smith's team has led entering the fourth quarter this season and wound up losing. The Bears blew a lead at Green Bay in the opener, squandered a lead to Philadelphia and also lost at Atlanta after being tied in the fourth quarter. Add in the failed last-minute drive at San Francisco last month and, yeah, this Bears' team is finished.

Smith is now 14-8 since the Super Bowl when the Bears enter the fourth quarter with the lead. And you thought the Cubs had issues with their closer. Things weren't always successful in his first three seasons, but in that stretch the Bears were 26-1 with a lead after three quarters. See a problem here? It was just one of the issues as the Bears were swept by the Packers for the first time since 2003.

Here are 10 more issues coming out of the game, ones that there will not necessarily be answers for in the final three weeks.

1. Penalties. The Bears were called for 13 of them for 109 yards, the most yards a Smith team has been penalized in his tenure. The 13 penalties is tied for the second-most in his six seasons. The Bears have not been very disciplined with nine penalties or more in five games. Smith says the penalties have not been an issue, but he's missing the mark here. Chris Williams' facemask penalty wiped out a pass to Matt Forte that would have moved the offense into Green Bay territory late in the fourth quarter. A holding penalty by Frank Omiyale negated a 21-yard scramble by Jay Cutler on third-and-11 in the first quarter. What's worse? The Packers entered as the most penalized team in the league, and they had four penalties for 30 yards.

2. Slow starts. It has been fashionable to beat up the offense for the slow starts and the big holes the Bears have found themselves in this season, but Ryan Grant's 62-yard touchdown run on the Packers' first play from scrimmage marked the sixth time an opponent has scored on its first possession. The defense isn't coming out ready. Sometimes the offense has a wrinkle the Bears were not expecting. Whatever the case, Smith's team isn't ready to play.

3. Two timeouts, one challenge, no excuse. Smith called the two timeouts lost late in the fourth quarter two different situations, but it was one big mess for the challenged in-game manager. He said the first timeout was needed because the Bears weren't ready. Then, the coaches in the booth must have seen the replays of Greg Olsen's non-catch and decided challenging the play was a good idea, exposing the Bears to lose a second timeout. Here's the biggest problem with that ill-conceived challenge: the principle the Bears were challenging on the Olsen play was the same one used when referee Mike Carey ruled a pass in the end zone to Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings was incomplete because he didn't control the ball to the ground.

4. Decisions, decisions. The play that turned the game came early in the fourth quarter when Cutler faced a corner blitz from Tramon Williams and floated up a pass toward Johnny Knox along the sideline. The ball never got close to Knox and safety Nick Collins intercepted to set up the Packers' go-ahead touchdown. There were other instances when Cutler didn't look to be on the same page as his receivers. Eventually, he's got to make plays in crunch time for his team.

5. Wale World. Remember last week when Adewale Ogunleye said it didn't look like Packers right tackle Mark Tauscher was in shape yet? Tommie Harris got a coverage sack and Lance Briggs had a sack and Ogunleye missed playing against Allen Barbre.

6. Safety dance. What are the chances the Bears change starting safeties this week? Strong safety Kevin Payne took a bad angle on Grant's long touchdown run, putting himself completely out of position to make a play. When Payne erred in the opener at Green Bay on Jennings' game-winning, 50-yard touchdown pass, he lost his job. Smith has changed starting free safeties 19 times since taking over. He has swapped out starting strong safeties 17 times.

7. It's about the carries. Offensive coordinator Ron Turner preached last week that it's about the carries. If the numbers add up by the end of the game, usually it's a good thing. Cutler threw 36 times and Matt Forte carried 12 times. He gained 51 yards, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. Seems that maybe he could have called for more carries. Or is it not about the carries?

8. Lost season. Greg Olsen now has 51 receptions, but for the sixth time this season he had three catches or less. He was supposed to have a breakout season with Cutler and now he might not have 600 receiving yards as he sits at 51 catches for 463 yards with three games to play. Olsen was a first-round draft pick, but he's not doing anything Desmond Clark couldn't have done earlier in his career if he was utilized a little more.

9. Look on the bright side. The Vikings are talking about potentially securing the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs before their Dec. 28 game at Soldier Field. It's a Monday night matchup, so all of the week's action will be complete. If Minnesota is locked into that spot, maybe the Vikings rest some key players in the final game of the season at Soldier Field.

10. Numbers game. The Baltimore Ravens opened as a 10-point favorite for Sunday's game at M&T Bank Stadium. That's if you care about such stuff.

Time for purge and replacement. Bears offense is a mess. The D is getting older. The coaches are lost. They don't have early draft picks.

Good luck, Bear fan.

Redskins coach

Seeing how the team is playing completely different than it did at the beginning of the year, the thought creeps in whether we should actually keep this coaching staff intact.

Zorn appeared like a lame duck coach a few weeks ago but we have been making good progress each week and finally seem to be playing like the team I thought they would be. At this point, I still think he will get fired. However, if we finish strong, I would like to see him back. I feel like we are finally starting to build something positive here and would hate to fire him/his system and take steps back in hopes of taking a step forward.

The other thought that comes into my head is that should Zorn get fired, would it make sense to hire Bingo as coach? Bingo is a long time coordinator and was once thought of highly as head coaching material but never got his chance. The offense has certainly been MUCH better under his playcalling. We wouldn't have to change systems and he would have some familiarity with the players, surroundings, and routines so there wouldn't be too much new to learn.

I think the rest of the season will help determine what happens in the offseason but it should be interesting.

Skins roll up on the Raiders!

Great performance yesterday. I know it is the Raiders but we have had our own struggles this year and to beat the Raiders who had beaten the Eagles, Steelers, and Bengals at their place is still big.

The Skins have played much better over the last 5 and half weeks (starting with the second half of the Falcon game). Honestly, we look like a different team. What's even better is that we have nothing really to play for but the fact that these guys come out there and play hard is a testament to these players and coaches.

Here are my thoughts on the game:

1. Defense was MUCH more aggressive. I suppose the plan was to apply heavy pressure because we were stacking the line early and often. That led to 8 sacks with Orakpo in on 4 of them. He had a monster game. Still, the pressure resulted in them getting some bigger plays because the secondary had to be thinned out. Still, we made adjustments at halftime and pretty much shut them out.

2. I liked Landry playing closer to the line. Have to give credit to Scott and Deepie who I think both have said previously that Landry should be the SS. It's apparent this is where he is best suited. He isn't so much a ball hawk or open field tackler (both of these skills needed in the FS position). He is more of a guy that can provide the safety blitz and serve as almost another LB that can shed through blocks and make tackles with the occasional dropping back into pass coverage.

3. JC had another very good game. Another 100+ rating. He continues to impress not just with his passing but his ability to avoid pressure and then make the play. I have always been a JC supporter and would love to see him get rewarded. I certainly think he is deserving of it and definitely believe he is an NFL starting QB.

4. Once again, like that the young WRs are making plays. Fred Davis had another good game catching 2 TD passes. He seems to have really buckled down and is maturing and his play on the field is supporting that. Also, like that Thomas seems to be firming his role up as the #2 WR. He seems like a guy that can certainly spark the offense and make some big plays. Kelly chipped in with a catch or two. JC said that there are plays now designed for those guys so it's good to see that we are actually letting them play and utilizing them.

5. Randle El is useless as the punt returner. I have no idea what the fascination is with him back there but enough already. He can't run and now he can't even catch the punts. Please replace him!

6. New kicker seemed solid. His kickoffs were high and deep and he made a couple of FGs so good for him.

7. Coaching - have to hand it to JZ for keeping this team motivated. It would be very easy for them to lay down and quit given all that has taken place this year but they seem more prepared and focused than at any point during the year. Glad to see they still have fight in them.

8. Playcalling - very good. Again, nice mix of run and pass and very good job of distribution. Everyone is getting their hands on the ball. Over the last several weeks, the offense is now averaging around 350 yards/game and 24+ points/game. I suppose Bingo can call more than just numbers.

All in all, a very solid performance and entertaining game. Sure, we aren't playing for anything but with home games against the Giants and the Cowboys in the next two weeks we can play spoiler to two divisional rivals trying hard to get into the playoffs. Should be fun.

Osakpo is a Beast!

Great game by Osakpo yesterday. Skins D had sacks with Orakpo in on 4 of them. He is certainly making a case for rookie of the year. He has 11 on the year tying him with fellow Redskin Andre Carter as fourth overall in the league.

Would love to see him as a DE as opposed to LB.

Oh Tigger!

So there are reports of 12 women having affairs with Tigger. They are all coming out of the woodwork and who knows how many are legit.

Grubbs has also released some of the text messages and they are out there in all of their steaminess.

Gatorade dropped the Tiger drink but they said that they were going to do this even before all of this happened.

It's pretty terrible. Again, I agree that Tiger should be allowed to handle all of this privately but that isn't the world we live in. Right or wrong, fair or not, this has continued to be a big story. Society loves scandals and the bigger they are the harder they fall and the more the public enjoys.

I also agree that Elin should just divorce him. Get as much money as possible and Tiger should try and be the best father he can and just move on with his life as the best golfer in the world and continue his trysts more openly and comfortable knowing that he doesn't have a wife anymore to cheat on.

Portis sent to IR

CP is done for the year with his continued effects of the concussion he suffered weeks ago. CP said yesterday that he is even thinking about his future and possible retirement.

The guy is only 28 but has had a lot of work over the last few years. Still, he is still a solid back and has a couple of years left in him assuming he is healthy.

The bigger issue is does the team want him. He is overpriced and he thinks he is a superstar. I believe the Redskins are tired of his thinking he is above the team and seeing how they have been more successful running the ball without him may be the reason for not wanting to bring him back.

I'm sure many players do not like that he doesn't practice and don't like that he has direct channels to Snyderatto. I also think that CP's ego is hurt that the players/team do not miss him that much since he has been out. I'm sure those are some reasons for him saying what he said.

Still, I would welcome a healthy and dedicated CP back as I think he is still a quality back in this league.

Suisham cut

Suisham had been fairly reliable on other field goals, but he missed a 39-yarder that could have helped win the game against the Cowboys and a 23-yarder against the Saints on Sunday. Two very costly and very makeable misses. It isn't a big surprise.

I like Suisham and was having a pretty good year until recently but you have got to that 23 yarder.

Skins signed former Florida State standout Graham Gano to replace him, according to a league source. Gano, who spent last summer in training camp with the Baltimore Ravens and this season in the UFL, beat out kickers such as Mike Nugent, Nick Novak and Shane Andrus for the Redskins kicking job.

Hopefully Gano proves to be the answer but kickers are a dime a dozen and there are plenty of others out there.

What now Tiger?

10 days ago, Tiger's public life was so squeaky clean it was ridiculous.

We all know about his "transgressions" and his accident and the bashed in windows and how he has holed himself up at his Orlando compound. Still more women are coming out of the woodwork and claiming affairs with him. Yesterday reports that a Florida trooper who suspected Woods was driving under the influence sought a subpoena for the golfer's blood results from the hospital he was taken to after crashing his SUV, but prosecutors rejected the petition for insufficient information, according to a police report released Monday.

A witness, who wasn't identified in the report, told trooper Joshua Evans that Woods had been drinking alcohol earlier. The same witness also said Woods had been prescribed two drugs, Ambien and Vicodin. The report did not say who the witness was but added it was the same person who pulled Woods from the vehicle after the accident outside his home (Elin).

Now this morning, an adult woman was taken to the hospital on "advanced life support."

Oh Tiger, what have you done now? Pretty shocking at how quickly this guy's life has changed in the public eye.

Good luck, Eldrick!

Jimmy Clausen going pro

The only reason why I mention this is that in the ESPN report on their website it mentions the Skins as being a team interested in this guy.

Fine, Clausen worked in a pro style offense, had a good year, and was away from home in a high profile position, and also worked behind a poor O line in his career. I still don't want him unless he is around in the 3rd/4th round.

The Redskins need to focus on O line in the first two rounds at least. If we take Clausen, I will be ticked.

HEARTBREAKING!!!!!

I have no aspirations of the Skins going to the playoffs and it has largely been a disasterous year but the last month the Skins have really started playing the best football of their season. Yesterday, they had an opportunity to be the first team to beat the very powerful Saints. Going into the game, I thought we would put up a decent fight but didn't expect to win the game. However, the Skins came out aggressive and physical and never really looked back and we found ourselves with a very good chance to win the game only to blow it at the end. It was devastating. Still, that's what happens. Good teams find ways to win and bad teams find ways to lose. All that said, here are a few thoughts:

1. JC had a great game. A large part of this was due to the O line playing very well. Still, it appeared the game plan was sound, the play calling was good, the protection was solid, and his decision making was on point. The guy spread the ball around and it was good to see what this offense could be.

2. O line was good. I know I already mentioned this but felt that their play deserved it's own point. They didn't allow a sack and gave JC adequate time to make the play and opened up good running lanes for the backs.

3. Devin Thomas and the young WRs stepped up. Thomas had a career day with 100 yards receiving and 2 TDs. I also liked him back as the kick returner. The young WRs accounted for 14 receptions for 166 yards and 3 TDs. We just need to give them the opportunity and they can perform. Looks like they are finally coming around.

4. Playcalling was fantastic. We were aggressive from the get go. Before we would run stretch plays for nothing on first and second downs followed by a third and long where the receiver would go a yard or two short of the first down marker and then get tackled. Yesterday we attacked. We threw short passes on first/second downs close to or over the first down markers and were able to consistently move the chains. What was even better was that all through the second half we stayed aggressive and tried to put up more points.

5. Defensively we played pretty well in the first half but again we get beaten with the big play. Landry got burned twice on double moves. The second one was the most egregious because it came with about a minute left and the Saints needing a TD to tie. As a safety, you have to know not to let anyone behind you. His overaggressiveness caused the breakdown.

In a nutshell, yesterday came down to three critical/key plays:

1. Kareem Moore intercepting the ball right before the first half on a 3rd and 26. If he just stays down, we go into the half 17-10. Instead he tried to run and make a play and was easily stripped of the ball allowing the Saints to recover and run in for a 40+ yard TD making the score 17-17 going into the half. That was a huge momentum shifter.

2. Suisham missing the 23 yard chip shot with less than 2 minutes in the game that would have made it a 2 possession game and the Saints not having a timeout. No words can describe the shock I felt when he missed that. I literally went from thinking we had this game in the bag to utter shock in a matter of seconds. The broadcasters were essentially handing the game to the Redskins before that miss. They showed Brees and Payton on the Saint sideline and they both had a look of resignation before the kick. Once he missed, the Saints were exuberant and just like the last few weeks, you knew that bad things were coming.

3. Sellers fumble in OT. Frankly, I don't think there was enough evidence to overturn the call but it is what it is and we gave them the ball with great field position. It's tough because again, we won the coin flip and were moving the ball and had an opportunity to win the game again but we squandered it.

It's a painful and disappointing loss and I don't like to take consolation in a close loss. Still, no one would have given us a chance to be in that position. Also, again, the last several weeks, I feel like we are a very different team than we were early in the year. We look more like the team I thought we would be going into the season.

It will be an interesting off season. JC is really making a case to be the starter for the team. I have always liked him and felt like he is a NFL starting QB. It's interesting though because he has his share of haters and even yesterday a friend got on him for his INT. For goodness sake, the guy threw for nearly 370 yards, 3 TDs and had a QB rating of like 111. Still, people will focus on the INT. People expect perfection from him. Seriously, yesterday was the first day in a long time where I can remember he had ample time in the pocket and you really got a chance to see what he can do.

The other interesting issue is Levi Jones and if he is playing well enough to earn the starting LT job next year. This has been an interview for him and he is shining. Will be interesting to see what becomes of him.

Also, with the dramatic increase in performance over the last 5 weeks, would it even make sense to bring back the entire staff and continue on? I don't think this will happen and expect Zorn to be fired but in some ways that may be taking another step back. Zorn has said that it takes a full 3 years for his system to be fully understood and it seems just now it is starting to click. Sherm Lewis is the playcaller but it is still the same system. It would be tough to move to a different system and start over again, especially for JC (assuming he is back) and the young WRs.

Moving to Lewis, the playcalling has been dramatically better over this stretch compared to Zorn. In fact, if you look at the one thing that has changed from the beginning of the year to the last few weeks, it was the change in playcalling. Clearly, it was an issue. Will be interesting to see if Lewis is retained next year. Will be interesting to see if Lewis gets the head coaching nod. If someone else is brought in, will they want to keep the WC offense? Will they want to keep Lewis?

The one thing is at least we are playing with pride and I like the fight our guys are showing. The mistakes happening now are correctable where as the issues we were facing at the beginning of the year were more fundamental in nature. Assuming we continue to play the rest of the year the way we have played the last few weeks, will be interesting to see what moves are made in the offseason.

Mike London to be named UVA football coach

Apparently there is a Monday 1 pm press conference to introduce London as the new football coach at UVA. Interesting choice to stay in state. The guy is young and has had great success at FCS Richmond. We'll see if that translates to the ACC.

Interesting developments

The 2:30 pm press conference scheduled by Gloria Allred for Rachel Uchitel was cancelled due to "unforeseen circumstances."

Yeah, RIIIIIIIGGGHHT. I'm sure Camp Eldrick frantically tried to get in touch with Allred and said we will give you XX amount of money but just do not have this press conference.

Eldrick is on the run and reacting to everything he can. The cancellation just makes the story that much more juicy.

Good luck, Eldrick!

Post article on Tiger

Good article by Howard Kurtz in today's Post on Eldrick.

It starts out with the following:

"All those who said Tiger should keep his head down and his lips zipped and the tabloid circus would quiet down, raise your hands.

You hit it into the rough.

That was never, ever going to work.

If this was just a matter of a spat with his wife and the damage to his Cadillac Escalade, maybe he could have gone the strong-and-silent route.

But come on: from the moment he rammed into that tree, Tiger has acted like he's got something to hide.

There's a reason that generations of PR professionals have advised all manner of miscreants to get the bad news out early and put the embarrassment behind you. If you're a big-deal public figure, it's going to come out anyway, especially in this age of blogs and gossip sites, of voice mail and texting.

So you get what Tiger's got right now: an image as a stonewaller, followed by an apology for unspecified "transgressions." Worst of both worlds. A bigger handicap."


Again, the guy should have just come out early on.

Rest of the article is at the following link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/03/AR2009120301007.html?hpid=topnews

Jaimee Grubbs

I suppose Eldrick could have done worse.

Eldrick's next move

So far Eldrick has stayed in seclusion and offered a couple of well crafted written statements that have been reactive in nature to things that have come up against him.

His statement was an apology, but not an admission. In response to Grubbs statement and issuance of the voicemail allegedly of Tiger, Woods issued a carefully worded apology that admits nothing, only his regret that he "let [his] family down." Indeed, most of the statement is devoted to excoriating the media for creating the firestorm that now surrounds him and his family. "Personal sins should not require press releases, and problems within a family shouldn't have to mean public confessions," Woods said. An admirable sentiment, but Woods' apology is likely only fuel for the fire.

I pulled excerpts from a CNN article on what Eldrick should do.

Tiger Woods really needs his wife. And his A-game. That's the advice of experts in the art of getting people through media crises such as the one the golf champ faces after his single car crash led to multi-woman pileup of infidelity allegations. If Woods can persuade his wife Elin Nordegren not only to stick by him, but to opine in the presence of a large media outlet or two that she has forgiven her imperfect husband and that everyone else should feel free to do likewise, then resurrecting his image is easier than nine holes of putt-putt.

Being in the room while he makes a statement of contrition (see playbooks by Spitzer, Silda or Bryant, Vanessa) is a close second.
(See the top 10 apologies.)

"What Tiger and his advisers have managed to do so far is make this a much bigger story," says Michael Sitrick, CEO of crisis management firm Sitrick and Co. "There's this mindset that if you hunker down and take the 'high road,' it will go away." The publicist points to Bill and Hillary Clinton as exemplars of the "wife-first" approach; once Hillary said it was between Bill and her, the heat lowered. "If he can get his wife to support him, I'd pick one print and one broadcast outlet and then never talk about it again."

Again, as I have been saying, he should have just come out and made a brief apology and statement early on. No need to field questions and try and move on. His approach so far has not worked. The story has snowballed and become SO MUCH bigger than it ever should have.

Good luck, Eldrick!

Couple of Tiger Jokes

What's the difference between a golf ball and a Cadillac Escalade? Tiger can drive a golf ball more than 300 yards.

What did Tiger and wife Elin do on Thanksgiving night? They went clubbing.

This is about what you can expect for quite some time.

Again, if Tiger had just come out and attacked these issues head on early on, it would have been much better. The "story" has taken off and snowballed into something MUCH bigger than it had to be. Golf.com printed a good story about Tiger. Here are a few excerpts:

The wave crested when he refused to be interviewed by the Florida Highway Patrol. That made him look like he had something to hide or, even worse, like he thought he was above the law. Then he announced he wouldn't play in his own tournament, the Chevron World Challenge, an off-season event that supports the charitable works of the Tiger Woods Foundation, or even show up to serve as host and glad-hand. In a release, he claimed he was under a doctor's orders not to travel. Let's see, he could win a U.S. Open at Torrey Pines with multiple microfractures in his leg but couldn't fly in a comfy private jet to California because of a cut lip and some bruises?

On Wednesday, Woods issued a statement apologizing for his "transgressions," but he didn't get into specifics. After saying he had let his family down, he went on to criticize the tabloid press for invading his privacy and printing erroneous rumors. (He never supplied the police, the public or the media with any facts to avoid all the speculation.) Yes, being the most famous person on the planet can be a terrible burden, but in his apology he sounded more sorry for getting caught than for his actions. Maybe that's harsh. Maybe that's unfair. But that's the way the public is going to view this.

Perception rules over facts in the court of public opinion, and this verdict is going to go against Tiger, no matter what is ultimately revealed. Forget those seven wins he had on the golf course this year. What we're going to remember about Tiger's 2009 is a crashed Cadillac, a $164 citation for careless driving and a betrayed wife.

Tiger's image will never be the same. Neither will his life. All we really know for sure is, this was all his fault.

Additionally, USA Today's Christine Brennan, a well respected sports journalist for years, said the golfer's apology falls short. "The first paragraph is an apology," Brennan said on CNN's Larry King Live. "The second two paragraphs, he attacks everybody else, when of course, this is a self-induced scandal."

Again, Tiger doesn't have to tell us anything. Again, in a perfect world he would be able to deal with this the way an average joe would deal with it and that is in the privacy of his own home. The problem is that he is TIGER FREAKING WOODS -- arguably the most recognizable athlete in the world. The reality is that the general public feels owed and entitled an explanation and an answer. Holing up and hiding doesn't help. If he had come out early on, he could have appeared more human and less of an icon and even garnered some sympathy. It is MUCH worse now.

Good luck, Eldrick!

Most recent Woods family photo

This is pretty much the kind of stuff that will be popping up on the world wide interweb.

You can forget any hopes of Tiger getting privacy. Reporters have been trying to contact any and all of Tiger's family and friends. His father in law has already been contacted in Sweden and does not want to discuss this.

Now Jaimee Grubbs, a waitress in Vegas, is claiming a 3 year on and off again relationship with Eldrick. AP reporters have been sent to contact her. Media is all over this and is doing anything but respecting his privacy. This will continue. Good luck, Edrick!

Ovie day to day

Whew! Ovie went crashing into a Carolina Hurricane in last night's game and there was a knee to knee collision. Ovie was given a 5:00 major and a game misconduct and may face additional suspensions from the league but the larger concern was that Ovie was on the ice for several minutes and then needed to be helped off of the ice. It looked bad but reports this morning was that he was able to walk on the bus under his own power after the game and then he took part briefly in the morning skate.

Apparently he is day to day and barring any suspension could be made available for the Caps next game.

Losing the reigning 2 time NHL MVP would be a devastating blow to the Caps who are looking to go to the Cup. Right now, they have one of the best teams in hockey and look to be hitting their stride. The best part is that others are contributing and both Theo and Varly are solid in the net.

Charlie Weis fired

About time.

Bowden resigns

About time.

Tiger, what have you done?

By now, we have all heard of the Tiger incident. What we don't know is what is the real story. Tiger has dodged the police interviews several times now most likely to get his story straight but there are a few questions that are critical including:

— Where he was going at that time of the night?

— How did he lose control of his SUV at such a speed that the air bags didn’t deploy?

— Why were both rear windows of the Cadillac Escalade smashed?

— If it was a careless mistake, why not speak to state troopers trying to wrap the investigation?

Tiger has requested privacy but by his not coming forward it only magnifies the story and perpetuates more rumors.

Tiger has had a stellar career thus far and has been the model athlete/role model. This incident puts a black mark on his otherwise flawless image. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds.

Skins fall to the Eagles

I don't really expect to win any more games and frankly it doesn't really matter if we win any more given that we have no chance of playoff aspirations.

Still, the last few games have been probably the best football we have played all year so I end up finding myself hoping to pull them out. Just like last week, we had the lead late into the game but fell short. The Skins just don't know how to close games out. We find ways to lose. Still, there are a number of things to feel good about.

1. I like Jason Campbell. I know I am in the minority on this one but the guy looks like he can play. Sure, he's not perfect. I didn't like his two INTs yesterday but the guy is playing some pretty good football given the circumstances. Every time he drops back for a pass, he has to feel like he is going to get nailed and that's pretty tough conditions to play under. Also, I don't think he is the elite NFL QB like Brady, Brees, or Manning but he certainly is a starter in the league and I would love to see him play with a solid O line in front of him. The tough part will be if he is with the Skins next year. I don't think that there is anyone really available out there so hopefully Snyderatto does the right thing for once and bring JC back.

2. Good to see the young guys step up. Kelly, Thomas, and Davis accounted for 10 catches and nearly 150 yards yesterday. It's the second week in a row that these guys have contributed. They just need to be given the opportunity. It's also good to see Thomas returning kicks. He gives a level of speed and elusiveness that Cartwright just can't bring.

3. Defense is solid. We have a playoff caliber defense. Was disappointed they let Philly walk down the field to score the game tying TD but all in all they have been a solid unit. You can also see the difference that Haynesworth brings when he is in there. The guy makes everyone on that line better and helps everyone else bring pressure. We just haven't had the same amount of pressure the last two weeks with him being out. The one thing I would like to see more of on the defense though is more of an attitude. The Bears have attitude but no substance. We have a strong enough defense but need to play with more of an anger. Landry showed some emotion recently and that is good but a good example of what I am talking about is in that incident during the Falcon game when D. Hall was surrounded by 10 Falcons and not one Redskin was in sight. It's like if you are at a bar with your family or friends and one of your friends gets into it with another group of guys. You got to step in and help out. Even if your friend was wrong, you don't leave him out to dry by himself. We need to show more emotion and attitude.

4. O line has been better. This is all relative. The O line still sucks but it is better than it was a few weeks ago. Still, this needs a complete overhaul. We need 4 new linemen. We need a new LT, RT, RG, and bring in a C to compete with Rabach. Dockery is the only guy that is legit out there. For goodness sake, we started our fifth guy at RG yesterday and it was an undrafted rookie. Literally, our line is made up of the following:

LT - a guy off the scrap heap that couldn't make the Packer squad and was out of football until we called and asked him to start at the most important position on the line.

LG - Dockery who is solid.

C - Rabach who is smart and anchors the line but getting a little long in the tooth.

RG - Williams, the undrafted rookie who is a LG but was the fifth player to start at RG for us.

RT - Heyer, who was an undrafted rookie and converted LT.

It's like the JV squad against the Varsity. We are just overmatched at line.

I have to say that I love the heart that we show. We could easily give up since we aren't really playing for anything but these guys are coming out and competing and again, probably playing their best football of the year.

It's tough because Zorn is most likely gone after this year and that means starting over with a new system and new routines and stuff and I could probably accept that since I think our offense sputtered under him. The playcalling and production has been better under Lewis. Still, I hope that we retain JC and then revamp the O line and see what we can do. We should have a top pick in the draft and have to go O line and then draft another O lineman with our next pick and pick up two solid ones via FA. If we do that, I do feel like we can be a playoff team.

Skins fall

It was the worst of all possible situations. I could have been happy with a victory or an embarrassing loss but to lose in a competitive game only means that the front office thinks that we are close and it just means more of the same.

It was a tough game. I feel badly for our defense. We have a 10-11 win defense but a poor offense. Our O line is improved from a few weeks ago but still weak. I do like that we are starting to mix the young receivers into the mix. I like JC. Too bad Betts tore his ACL and MCL but Cartwright came in and gave us a boost. The guy runs and works hard and should get a good opportunity this week against the Eagles with Portis and Betts both out. The O line suffered another injury with Rinehart going down with a broken leg. I imagine either Mike Williams or Will Montgomery will step in. Just another patch in a makeshift line.

Suisham, who didn't miss a FG all year, missed on two (a 38 and 50 yarder). Those were tough because they both came at critical moments. The first one was missed right before the halftime in which we saw a 10 minute delay because of some poor officiating and where the ball should be spotted. Because of the delay, I think the miss was even more critical. Each coach was arguing for field position and after such a delay to come up empty was even more deflating.

The second miss was even more critical. We had just come up with a London Fletcher INT and the FG would have made it a two possession game with 7 minutes and change left. When he missed, you kind of knew that Dallas was going to come down and score which they did. There was still time for the Skins to get a FG and we started moving the ball and I felt pretty good but then JC threw a ball that was tipped and intercepted sealing the loss.

In some ways, I feel like we are playing our best football of the season the last couple of weeks. I feel like guys are playing with a little more heart. I liked to see Landry and other defensive guys out there showing a little more energy and emotion. I would like to see more of that. I like that the younger receivers are stepping up a little. Again, I like JC. I would love to see how the offense would run with a strong O line. I am only assuming whether Cerrato is fired or not, we draft a couple of O linemen and then get a couple more in FA. If we can shore that up and get some consistency on offense, I really feel like we could be a good team because this defense is sound.

Anyway, on to Philly. Looks like we will be playing the role of spoiler and be playing for pride the rest of the way. I hope to get more looks at some of the younger guys.

Redskins vs. Cowboys

The rivalry has become kind of a token rivalry at this point. It certainly doesn't have the same feeling that it did in the '70s and '80s when these teams truly didn't like each other.

Still, the game brings about a little extra attention. It should be an interesting game since it appears no one really wants to step out and win the NFC East.

The Cowboys suffered a significant loss to the Packers last week and the Skins are coming off of their best game of the year against the Broncos. The Skins have looked rejuvenated over the last 6 quarters of football and put up some very good numbers.

As I have mentioned, I do not think the Skins are going to run the table and would almost prefer a solid defeat so that we can pray for needed change in the offseason. However, I actually think the team has a shot in this game. Dallas has given up 22 sacks this year and their O line is beat up so I expect us to get to Romo. Our O line played much better last game. The addition of Levi Jones was a big surprise but he did a number on Dumervil. What does he get as his reward? A good helping of Demarcus Ware. Samuels would always have a problem with Ware so it will be an interesting matchup to watch.

I like that Betts will get the nod again and hopefully he and Cartwright can continue their strong running attack. I like JC and I like that we are mixing in some of the younger guys finally.

Defensively we are solid. The big question will be can we finally stop the big play. Also, who will be lining up at right CB? Rogers consistently bites on the double move and if he is out there, no question the Cowboys run that on him.

The funny thing is that even after all the shenanigans of this season, if the Skins were somehow able to pull out the win, they would find themselves right back in the playoff picture.

Should be fun.

CP

So CP was on ESPN 980 yesterday and they were asking him about him possibly losing his starting job. He said that he liked Betts. That they were good friends and good teammates and that Betts is a solid runner and that he only helps the team and that was a good thing. He also said that he doesn't mind sharing the load because it can only make the team stronger. He seemed genuine in his comments and I believed him. However, he said that they have run well in the past with CP in there and that as far as him possibly losing his starting job that was a non issue. For what it is worth, JZ and Sherman Smith have both said that CP is the starter.

It all seems the right way to handle things. Frankly, one can only hope that all the Betts success and talk will light a little bit of a fire under CP and get him running with more purpose.

Is Jay Cutler the reincarnation of Jeff George?

There are a lot of comparisons between Jay Cutler and Jeff George. Both were highly touted coming out of college. Both have big arms. Both have an abundance of confidence. Despite those characteristics, both have pedestrian winning percentages.

Also of interest both were traded early on in their careers because of their gripes with their respective front offices. They were both traded for two first rounders a piece.

They both think that their there is no window too tiny to squeeze the ball through, no defensive back quick enough to break on one of his spirals in time to pick it off (e.g., 49ers safety Mark Roman, a 10-year veteran, noticed about Cutler's decision-making before Cutler's last INT, "I couldn't believe he was going to throw the ball because I was in prime position to make the play," Roman said).

Jake Plummer said of Jay Cutler, "He's a great quarterback, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying anything to disrespect him. I think he's a helluva player. But Jeff George was a helluva player."

Both players have had attitude issues and overconfidence issues. Cutler seems to gripe to officials in nearly every game. He was just fined $20K for his comments to an official. Coming off of that fine, he again argued with officials in the 49er game for a non pass interference call. In breaking down an entire game film with Marty Schottenheimer in a 37-3 drubbing when they were both with the Redskins, George came out of it saying that there was nothing more he could have done in the game. He also said that leadership was overrated.

It's interesting to see the similarities these two players share in both characteristics as well as their career at this point. Hopefully for Bear fans Cutler's career doesn't continue down the same path George's did.

Bench Jeff Cutler?

Good article from ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski where he brings up some good points regarding Jeff Cutler.

If he were any other quarterback, Jay Cutler would have been benched by now.

But when you've invested what the Chicago Bears have invested in him -- not much, just the franchise's future -- then you're stuck with the human interception machine.

And here's what the Bears have to show for it: a 4-5 record, 17 league-leading Cutler interceptions and almost zero chance of reaching the playoffs.

Cutler was 17-20 as a starter for the Denver Broncos before he whined his way to a trade. He's sub-.500 with the Bears. He never led the Broncos to the postseason, and it doesn't look like he'll get the Bears there this year. So maybe none of his win-loss numbers are a coincidence.

Yet Cutler will be the starting quarterback when the Bears face the Eagles at Soldier Field next Sunday night. Uh-oh. Cutler's worst games as a Bear have come at night: four interceptions against Green Bay, two against Atlanta, five against San Francisco. All losses, by the way.

Five of Cutler's 17 interceptions this season have come inside the 20-yard line. The Bears can't afford to have a quarterback who keeps giving away red zone points. The Bears have no margin of error left in their season. They can't afford to keep playing a quarterback who thinks arm strength can overcome triple coverage and who keeps giving away red zone points. Five of Cutler's 17 interceptions have come inside the 20. If you're keeping count -- and The Denver Post's Mike Klis has done exactly that -- Cutler has thrown a combined eight red zone interceptions in his past 14 games.

If Cutler struggles again, Smith needs to pull him. For a series. A quarter. A half. The rest of the game. Whatever. But he has to do something. Insanity? No -- it's a necessity.

Last month, Smith benched Pro Bowl defensive tackle Tommie Harris against Cincinnati. Cornerback Nathan Vasher lost his starting job earlier in the season. Linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer lost his starting job last season. Quarterback Rex Grossman lost his job early in the 2007 season. Why shouldn't Cutler be held to the same performance standards?

I know Cutler is the franchise quarterback. I know backup Caleb Hanie has a grand total of one NFL completion for 3 yards. But if Smith wants to send a message that everyone, including Cutler, is accountable for his play, he has to do more than blather on about it in his postgame monotone-athon.

Cutler has two four-plus-interception games this season. He has four games with two or more interceptions. He's been penalized and later fined for chirping at officials. And you don't need Rosetta Stone learning software to read his body language. Cutler has cornered the market on brooding.

If New York Yankees starter CC Sabathia stinks it up, he gets pulled. If Chicago Blackhawks goalie Cristobal Huet stinks it up, he gets pulled. If Cutler stinks it up, he gets a contract extension. And the Bears get another loss.

It's time for Cutler to quit imitating Brady Quinn. And if he doesn't, if he keeps throwing more game-killing interceptions, then it's time for Smith to quit acting like a company man.

Cutler isn't going anywhere. Neither is Smith, who has $11 million and two years left on his contract extension. The Bears could easily afford to fire him, but they won't. That's because team president Ted Phillips has a history of squeezing pennies so hard that Abe Lincoln needs a respirator.

So Smith has a decision to make. He can keep Cutler in the lineup, no matter how many times Cutler throws to the wrong team. Or he can risk angering Cutler by calling him out or pulling him out -- even for just one attention-getting play. And he risks angering team management, which is married to Cutler for better or worse.

You'll get your answer the next time Cutler ends another Bears drive with an interception. But I'm guessing nothing changes. Cutler will stay on the field.

Smith's double standard will stay there, too.

Chicago faces Philly in a nationally televised Sunday night game. Cutler has had his worst games on national tv at night. The game will be at home and the Eagles have an attacking defense that forces turnovers. It will be interesting to see what happens if Cutler throws a couple of early picks. The crowd will be on him and you can bet the Al and Cris will be talking about his performance. It will be a story line going into the game.

What was Belichik thinking?

It's hard to question a coach that has had the kind of success that Belichik has had over the last decade. However, for anyone that saw/read/heard what happened last night, what was he thinking?

The Pats faced a fourth-and-2 situation from their own 28-yard line with 2 minutes, 8 seconds to play. They were ahead of the Indianapolis Colts by six points.

Belichick called a timeout to shoo his punt unit off the field. He sent his offense back to the field. Surely, Belichick ordered Tom Brady to induce the Colts to jump offside with a hard count and some wild hand gesticulations.

There was no way the Patriots were going to snap it, right?

Then the ball soared between center Dan Koppen's knees. The play was live. This was it, do or die. Brady threw to his right to running back Kevin Faulk, who bobbled the ball but corralled it as he went to the turf -- short of the first down by six inches or so.

Anybody who watched the play unfold was stunned.

Manning got the short field and ended up throwing the game winning TD to Reggie Wayne with 13 ticks left on the clock.

Crazy call but the interesting thing is how closely knit this Patriot team is and how vocal players were in defending their coach. The Pats have been probably the best run NFL franchise over the last decade and they are like a family and they all stick together. It's not like they do that because they have to but because they want to. The players that defended their coach didn't just sound like it was PR spin but that they genuinely meant it and that they would do whatever the coach said because they believe in him. Again, with all of his success, Belichick does deserve credit and has built up a fair amount of trust.

I still don't like the call but by last count Belichick has won a lot more Super Bowls than I have and gets paid the big bucks to make those kinds of calls. I'm sure Belichick and the Pats will have their opportunity at revenge when they face the Colts in the playoffs.

Betts/Cartright vs. CP

For the second game in a row, Betts and Cartright have provided energy and much needed production to an anemic running game. These guys make their reads and hit their holes hard. They look like they are running at a different speed than CP.

Much of this can be attributed to the fact that Betts and Rock practice every day and understand the nuances of their O line that only comes when you practice with them. I feel that because CP doesn't practice, not only is he not aware of those small nuances but also the team doesn't get as energized with him back there because he doesn't practice and makes himself out to be better than the team. Ladell and Rock are just a couple of guys that fit in with everyone else.

Like the Rogers/Smoot situation, will be interesting who gets the nod as CP gets healthy. Not sure I like a platoon situation since you need to get guys into a rhythm and it's hard to do that when you are being pulled out and put back in all the time.

Carlos Rogers vs. Fred Smoot

So Rogers fell for the double move badly AGAIN. As long as he is in there, you can bet that teams will work him with the double move time and again. He deserved to be pulled and Smoot came in and did a good job as his replacement.

The interesting thing now is who starts against Dallas?

SKINS WIN!!!

Mixed thoughts on the victory. It's nice to see the Skins win and it was a pretty good game but I have said before that I would like to see us lose out as that is pretty much the only way we can hope to see change with the ass that is Cerrato in the offseason.

However, again, it was nice to see a win. It's been a while and you kind of forget how good it feels to pull one out.

Here are some thoughts on the game:

1. Levi Jones was a HUGE step up from Heyer at LT. He helped anchor a rejuvenated line that didn't allow a sack the entire first half and provided Betts and Cartright good running lanes that led to our best running game of the year.

2. JC was solid hitting 10 different receivers in the game. He hung in the pocket and again tucked and ran decisively which is want we all want to see. Disappointed he missed Moss on the wide open deep ball. He has done that a few times this year and we really need those since those opportunities are few and far between.

3. The 4th and 20 pass from Hunter the punter was ridiculous. I was shocked to see what the hell we were doing. I figured it would be a quick kick and then when he was looking to throw in front of him, I was thinking what the hell is this? We have no shot at getting a first down and then when he flung it across the field and I saw a wide open Sellers, it was amazing. It seemed like a really long and confusing play and I guess it was. It was pretty neat to see it work. If the Skins had a better record and playoffs seemed like more of a possibility, I would not have liked the call but given that we don't really have much to lose at this point, it was an exciting play.

4. Betts and Cartright were solid. These guys seemed to both have a little extra hop in their step. What I liked was that they were running to the holes hard. These guys practice every day (unlike CP) so they know their linemen and know when/how to hit the holes. I also liked that we were running hard up the middle and doing less stretch runs which do not play to our O line strengths. Will be interesting to what happens as CP gets healthy. Really feel like Betts and Cartright deserve bigger roles in our offense.

5. Playcalling was sound. We had great balance between run and pass. I like that we worked in some pass plays with JC rolling out. We also seem to have better and more decisive short passes. I have noticed things being a little more aggressive and JC and other Skins have mentioned the same. Maybe Sherm Lewis knows what he's doing after all.

6. Devin Thomas. Liked that he was getting a little more involved. His screen that he turned into a 27 yard gain was tremendous individual effort. The guy made more guys miss in that one play then in his entire NFL career. He can be a playmaker but we just need to get him the ball. The guy is an exciting player that brings a lot of energy. He's a playmaker and you need to get the ball to your playmakers. He's the kind of guy that can make shorter passes into longer gains with his ability to run after the catch and we need to find ways to get him the ball.

7. Defense is becoming an issue. For the third game in a row, we have been giving up multiple big plays. This is unacceptable. Understand that we knocked Orton out of the game but if we take those two deep balls away from the Broncos, they pretty much had nothing. I don't understand how guys get SO wide open. Again, these big plays must stop.

8. Carlos Rogers once again falls for the double move. I like Rogers and think he could be a pretty good CB but he always falls for the double move. He has had issues with that his entire career. I was happy to see him get benched and thought Smoot did a good job stepping in. The tough part for Rogers is that he is in a contract year and playing the way he did and getting benched doesn't help his cause for a bigger contract. Still, he has to play better or else I say go with Smoot.

9. Orakpo is a monster. That guys along with Andre Carter are very disruptive and with the help of Haynesworth, we finally have a line that is able to get pressure on the QB.

10. Red zone offense has gotten MUCH better. All of a sudden the last couple of weeks we are finding ways to get TDs. That's great news.

All in all a good effort. Again, in some ways, I prefer losing out but then again, it was nice to see a victory. What's interesting is that with all these NFC teams losing, the Skins really aren't out of it. I know that is kind of crazy talk and I really don't want to entertain that idea right now. After all, it was only one game. However, a victory this week against Dallas would make things kind of interesting.

Jeff Cutler

It's happening. The guy is a malcontent and a crybaby. In the Card game And Jay George took a 15-yard penalty for arguing with officials and then questioned his team’s internal makeup afterward.

That’s right. Quarterback Cutler was asked if the Bears have a chemistry and leadership problem after their 41-21 loss to Arizona. Cutler response: “I don’t know. We’ll see.” Apparently he was heard muttering as he left the podium. This guy is a loser.

I can appreciate his desire to win but if things don't go his way or he doesn't get his way, he doesn't want to play ball.

The thing is I'm sure he will take heat for his penalty and comments this week in Chi Town. Talk radio will have a field day with him, Tommie Harris, and the Bears play in general. I'm sure that will only want him to say "F U!" even more. It's coming.

The worst thing that can happen today is if Orton comes out and has a stellar game against the Steelers. That will only add to the fire.

Grossman was broken because of these fans. He seemed to lose his charisma and confidence in his abilities. Cutler will make sure he goes out with a bang and challenge everyone in Chicago to a fight before he leaves.

Redskins lose to Falcons

I didn't expect to win this game and as I have mentioned, I prefer to lose the rest of our games so that it increases the likelihood for needed change. However, I just don't want to be embarrassed and I want to see guys compete and not just lay down. That said, here are my thoughts:

1. The first half was a complete embarrassment. In particular, I was disgusted with the penalties we took. A Falcon 4th and 1, we jump offsides for a first down. A Falcon 4th and 4 and they punt, we jump offsides resulting in a Falcon 1st down. A Falcon 3rd and I believe 15 they throw and incomplete pass but we are called for roughing the passer resulting in an automatic 1st down (I actually didn't agree with that call but that doesn't matter). Those are three drives that we allowed to continue because of undisciplined penalties.

The O line was worse than it ever has been. Allowed 5 sacks and I believe 4 in the first half. A couple of them were allowed when the Falcons were only rushing 3 guys. That's pathetic even for these guys. It's like these guys are just getting worse.

First half was just a complete and utter embarrassment. Again, I was not watching this game thinking we were going to win but the lack of effort was embarrassing to me as a fan.

2. Laron Landry - just a very disappointing effort on his part. I'm fine with Landry and think he has a ton of talent and can be a very good player but his effort yesterday was VERY poor. The hit out of bounds yesterday may have been frustration but it was just a dumb penalty. You have to know the QB is going out of bounds and he still tried to give him a shot. Just dumb. On multiple occasions, he took bad angles and put himself in poor position to make a play. His non hit on Turner that led to his long TD was ridiculous. When I watched the replay, I was thinking about how he tried to hit Jacobs last year and was bowled over. Maybe he was thinking of that and just decided to go for the ankles but any semi decent player will just sidestep or jump over him and he takes himself completely out of the play. There is a reason why you are called Safety and that is because you are the last line of defense and the safety net. You have to be able to make those tackles. Just a poor effort and poor technique. Landry has done that a couple of times throughout the year and I know he is a young guy that looks for that impact hit but he just needs to settle down and play within himself and the defense. I am confident that he will be a good player so I am not too down on the guy. He just needs to mature. Still, yesterday's effort was very poor. I will give him credit for the one great play on the Falcon RB on the 3rd and short where he came up, fought off the stiff arm, and made the tackle short of the first down. Outside of that play, he was pretty useless.

3. Another point on the lack of effort and Landry's unsportsman like play - after he did it, D. Hall came over and tried to get Landry out of there and ended up jawing with a lot of the Falcons and even their coach. I don't like Landry's play. It was dumb but he did it and when all the Falcons jumped all over D. Hall, I would have liked to have seen some of the Redskins get in there and mix it up. I'm not saying fight but defend your player. Show some heart. Show some toughness. Show some attitude. It's par for the course, we will just take it and not show any emotion.

Again, I don't condone that play and prefer it to not have taken place but it did and I know good teams when one of their own is in a scuffle, the rest of the team will get in there and defend that player. Didn't like that we just didn't do anythign about it.

4. Second half - completely different than the first half. We played well. We dominated that half, particularly the third quarter. Honestly, it was probably the best I had seen the Skins play all year. The line held up pretty well, the play calling was good, and the execution was good. We scored a TD when we were in the red zone and we did it on a 4th and short at the goal line and we just sent Betts up the middle on the run. Loved the call. Loved that we didn't get cute or do some kind of stretch run but just sent it up the gut. Loved that the defense stepped up on the ensuing Falcon drive and sent them 3 and out. Our offense came back and marched down the field again and we scored another TD in the red zone to start the 4th quarter. Again, it was pretty exciting football for a while. We looked like a different team. We had 10 penalties in the game 7 in the first half. I believe we gave up 5 sacks in the game and 4 in the first half. Apparently the coaches got in the players faces at halftime and let them have it. While it was great to see the total change in attitude and play, why did it have to take an entire first half and a yelling at halftime to get these guys going? It is bothersome that they couldn't come out and play that way from the get go.

5. Defense - was pretty happy with them. The Falcons had given up only 9 sacks all year but we were able to get Ryan 3 times and had good pressure on the guy. All in all it wasn't a bad performance by the defense. Where we really failed was on the stupid penalties that kept drives alive and then for the second consecutive game, we gave up a couple of big plays that proved to be the difference. That comes down to a couple of individuals totally blowing their assignments and allowing the big play to happen. It wasn't a great defensive performance but I feel pretty good about this group in general.

6. Playcalling. In the third quarter, I thought we were just hitting on all cylinders. I liked the playcalling. We did some misdirectional stuff and I like the playaction rolling out play to Davis. I like the WR screen to Moss. I like the end around to Moss (same play Desean Jackson ran for the long TD against us). I like them because we get the ball into our playmakers hands but also because we know we don't have an O line to buy JC much time so these plays get the ball out quickly and allow our playmakers to do something. I really didn't like the 4th and short call in the 4th quarter. Instead of just running up the gut. We got cute and had Sellars run all the way behind the line (ran from left to right) but got chipped as he was running and wasn't able to get separation. Don't mind a pass play but that play takes too long to develop and just didn't seem like a high probability for success. We didn't get the first down and the pretty much ended the game.

7. JC - I still like the guy. I think he can play. I feel badly for him because he has to feel like every play he is going to get hit. It makes it very hard to do your job when you don't have confidence in your line. I imagine it is like sitting at your office desk and every now and then somebody is going to blow an air horn from behind you. Even when he doesn't blow it, you will be on edge because you know it is coming. The other thing I REALLY liked about JC this week was he was decisive when he was going to run the ball. He had a few really nice runs where he got significant yardage. JZ and JC have both been saying much of the year that he needs to get better at that and he did a good job with that yesterday. His numbers were solid and I still would love to see JC play behind a decent line with a solid running game. I really feel like he could be a good player in this league.

There were some positives but again I was thoroughly embarrassed in the first half. I was disappointed with every part of our team in that first half. Players were executing, they were making dumb mistakes, and the coaches didn't seem to have them prepared or motivated to even come out and play. That is a HUGE issue. It took the first half and a yelling at halftime to get them going. That is unacceptable and that is where I have the bigger problems with yesterday's game.

Groh is gone

UVA is terrible. They were embarrassed by Miami on Saturday and it all but sealed Groh's fate. Last week, UVA's AD said that Groh would be evaluated at the end of the season and that pretty much is the PC way of saying that he will be fired. Groh did nothing to help his cause with the beating they took against the Canes.

UVA has lost 10 of 13 starting with an overtime defeat to Miami last season. The Cavaliers were outgained 515-149 on Saturday and looked completely overmatched.

If you are a UVA fan, it's probably exciting that change will be coming and hopefully they make a good pick to be their next coach. Still, whoever it is, can't be much worse than Groh.

JMU wins

It's been a disappointing season but the Dukes made it two in a row and improved to 4-5. The loss of Dudzik changed the complexion of the entire season but it looks like redshirt freshman Justin Thorpe is getting some good experience and finally showing what he will be capable of in a couple of years.

Thorpe (had 216 total yards of offense in the JMU victory. He completed nine of 13 pass attempts for 133 yards and a score while also rushing 17 times for a net of 83 yards and a score. I'm confident the guy will develop and given the state of the season, it's good that he gets a chance to learn.

Hopefully we can finish out the season strong.

Blache to the Rescue!

Breaking his media silence, Greg Blache spoke up and defended Danny Boy after hearing about Riggo's ranting.

"This is a man I've known for six years, since I've been here," Blache said. "And in the six years, I've never seen John Riggins here. I met him once at the Beach Blitz down in Virginia Beach -- never seen him in the building. So, to hear such a vicious criticism of somebody I consider not just my employer, but a good friend, bothered me."

Blache cited Snyder's charity work and his dealings with Blache and Blache's wife.

"We've had criticisms from people outside the building saying who Dan Snyder is and who he isn't," Blache said. "They don't know Dan Snyder and that's the problem. Trust me because he and I, we work together. I'm not going to tell you that this is a utopia. There are no utopias in football, and there are no utopias in life. At the same time, enough is enough. Every story, there is one person's side, another person's side, and then behind it all there is a third side and it's the truth.

"I just felt like it was time for somebody to come and throw a little truth out there," Blache said. "We keep hearing these other sides, these other factions, and to be quite candid, the third side -- the truth -- is that this person, all he wants to do is win. That's all he wants to do. He will spend his money, he will spend his time, he wants to win, he is here for the people, for the fans, for the Washington Redskins.

"Nobody pains more when we are unsuccessful than Dan Snyder. There is nobody that cares more about the fans than Dan Snyder. There is nobody that wants to win here, more than Dan Snyder. I just think that it's time to put out there, for you guys to understand, that everything that is wrong with this organization is not Dan Snyder."

Blache is a guy that stood by his players, his head coach, and now his owner. I don't doubt Snyder's commitment to wanting to win and feeling genuinely sick at our record. However, it really starts with Snyder and if he truly wants a winner, he has to change some of the fundamental ways he is conducting his business.

Riggins calls Snyder a "bad guy."

In an interview with JB that will air on Showtime's Inside the NFL, John Riggins says the following:

John Riggins: "...this is a bad guy (Snyder) that owns this team. I'll just tell you that upfront. Bad guy. And if the Commissioner is worried about potential new owners and saying some of these guys shouldn't apply, he might want to police his own inside guys...."

Brown: "Why is he a bad guy?"

Riggins: "Because his business practices, I think. I don't want to say they are unethical, but I don't think it's a place, a climate that is created there where people can be successful. It's driven all by his ego and everything has to come from him. And I just don't think you can be successful in those situations and when you are dealing with someone with the mindset of a child and yet owns a franchise in the NFL. I think you have some problems there."

Cris Collinsworth: "We are talking about Daniel Snyder . Are you saying in some way he is unethical? Because I have dealt with him in the past and I have never sensed anything close to that. Or are you saying he has made bad decisions on the football side as an owner? Or what is specifically the issue?"

Riggins: "I am saying that I don't think that this franchise can be successful where you have people saying, 'Oh, this person Dan Snyder wants to win. He wants to win.' It's all about priorities. 'What's my priorities? The priority is it's all about me. I have to have my needs met, then I want to make money, and those are one and two, and then I want to win. You can see by the decisions that are made....I don't know if you have agreed with anything I am saying so far, but at this point, I would think you would say, 'Yeah, I'll go along with that.' This person knows nothing about football, absolutely nothing. I don't think they have a clue how a football team comes together, how it works. And yet they are the ones that are basically calling all the shots through a puppet, which is Vinny Cerrato. That is my take on it....I speak for the fans because these are the people that paid my salary for all these years. They are the ones that need to know that this is a bad guy."

Collinsworth: "There is a fine line between being a bad guy and a bad GM, if you will. Are you saying a bad guy as in the NFL needs to take a look at this?"

Riggins: "Let me put it to you this way, Cris, this person's heart is dark."

Riggins is a legend in this town but he is a clown. I don't think Snyder is much of an owner. He meddles too much and has made a number of questionable football decisions but he has done a great amount of charitable work. I think it is a bit silly for Riggins to say Snyder has a dark heart and is just a bad person. I don't know either of them but Riggins never really gave any specifics when Collinsworth asked him. Again, Snyder seems to be a bad owner but seems to go a little overboard calling him a bad person. Riggo is just a clown.

I am more inclined to go with a guy like B-Mitch who is highly critical of Snyder and Cerrato for their football decisions but recognizes there is a line between a person's professional life and personal life. He thanked Snyder for being included in the Redskins Ring of Fame and when the crowd started booing Snyder when Mitchell said his name, Mitchell told them not to boo.

Fred Davis

So the guy had a rough early start to his career but in his first opportunity at extended playing time did very well against the Eagles. He had a very good day receiving but struggled blocking.

He has put good work in the weight room and strengthened his body but his technique is poor. Davis deserves credit for staying at Redskin Park during the bye week and working with coaches for a few hours each day on his blocking technique.

I will say that that says a lot about the guy who is a young player on a 2-5 team. We could only hope others would step up and work during the bye week. I'm not saying everyone. Certainly, taking time off when things are going bad can be a good thing both in terms of getting away from football and nursing injuries but staying and working is where leaders can be born. The Skins are certainly lacking some real leaders and this is the time when guys can take a stand on their own and show that they are committed to being better.

Hopefully Davis's work translates to the field.

Randle El still the primary punt returner

WHY?!!!!!!!!!

This year, Randle El has returned 11 punts for a 5.2-yard average, among the worst in the league. He also has 11 fair catches, second-most in the league.

He catches it, hops in place 3 or 4 times and then hits the deck before anyone touches him. That is not what a punt returner does. For goodness sake, just run upfield and get a few yards.

I don't even understand what the strategy is anymore. Apparently ARE is the punt returner but Moss and D. Hall will each get an opportunity or two per game. What is this? PR by committee? Just put a guy like Devin Thomas in there or Tryon or someone who is young and fast and looking to get on the field for the playing time.

Danny Boy speaks...

Earlier this week, Danny boy said the following regarding the disappointing Skins.

“I think, number one, I feel bad for the fans,” Snyder said. “I feel sorry for the fans. We’re very, very appreciative of our great, loyal fan base. And I'm understanding. I mean, we just feel terrible. We’re disappointed and we’re embarrassed. And we hope to get it going soon.”

Asked how the team’s struggles have impacted him personally, Snyder replied: “It hurts. I mean, it really hurts. We are really trying very, very hard. Everyone at Redskins Park--the coaches, the players, the organization--quite frankly has held up well. I think we have an opportunity the rest of the season to hopefully get it going.

“But to date we have let everyone down, including ourselves. We know that. We’re just apologetic. We've blown some games that obviously we think we should have won.”

Asked for his thoughts on the fans’ perspective of the team, Snyder replied: “I see disappointment. It’s the same way I feel and I share their frustration. It’s hard. We’re going to try to put it together and get it going.”

I do think he genuinely is hurt and frustrated and bothered by the team's performance. I don't doubt his commitment to wanting to win. The problem is his execution. It is poor. Also, the whole business of suing fans and not allowing signs in the stadium and that type of b.s. does not absolve him by any means.

On the flip side, the media is scrutinizing each and every one of his words and trying to find out what he is truly saying and how he truly feels and whether it is enough and this and that. I don't like that type of b.s. either. The guy said what he said and lets move on. That is why he doesn't speak because every one of his words is overanalyzed. Again, I don't excuse him for a lot of the shat that has gone on but I don't feel the need to overanalyze each one of his words. NEXT!

With the new baby, my home life.

Redskins coming off the bye week

So I know the bye week was supposed to take the Redskin players minds off of football and the dismal 2-5 record and they are supposed to come back refocused and recharged. They started the season against very soft teams and now go into a stretch in November with the toughest schedule in the NFL in terms of the oppositions win percentage.

For me, the worst possible thing would be for the Redskins to surprise a couple of teams and actually pull out a couple of victories and put up some decent numbers. At this point, I would rather continue losing and have a couple of embarrassing losses to help continue the charge for change. Hopefully the O line continues to stink it up. Things have to be SO obvious for Snyder that he will have no choice but to fire Cerrato. Snyder is a marketing guy and he is losing his fan base fast. Cerrato is Redskin fan enemy #1 so even if Snyder loves Cerrato it seems like he would have no choice but to fire that idiot if he wants to save some face. Literally, that move alone would bring smiles to many Skin fans faces.

Of course, than we would need to find a decent football guy to serve as GM and assume that that qualified guy would be willing to work with Snyder. We would then need for that GM to bring in a strong coach that could work with the GM and for the two of them to be on the same page in terms of direction and what type of team we are building and get the right players for that particular system. We can't just continue to get the big name free agent and try and continue to fit square pegs in round holes. It doesn't work.

We have got to draft a couple of O linemen and get a couple more in FA. I am literally hoping for continued sacks (don't want JC to get injured though -- sorry JC) and continued embarrassment and for the fans to continue this revolution that has really gained momentum so that change is forced.

I love the Skins and only say the above because it truly is time for change and it won't come about unless we really suck.

REDSKINS FANS -- JOIN THE CAUSE!

Thank God for the bye week

6 in a row!

Caps hang on to beat the Thrashers last night for their 6th win in a row. They are second in the East only behind the Penguins. For the second game in a row, Ovie netted 2 goals. The team is playing pretty well but still not hit their stride.

The PP attack is not nearly as effective as they were last season so that needs to improve. Also, last night was the second straight game we got called for a penalty shot. Fortunately, we stopped both but our defense needs to shore up. Thankfully, we have gotten good goalie play but if we expect to win the Cup those areas are going to need to be addressed. I imagine we might McPhee might try and pull the trigger on an experienced defenseman later in the season as the trade deadline approaches.

Still, this is a very good team that is starting to build confidence.

Islanders tonight. Good teams put away teams like the Islanders so we better win.

ROCK THE RED!

Singletary on V. Davis last year

Singletary coaches the way he plays. With passion and intensity and he demands discipline and execution. He expects to win and wants winners on his team. He took over midway through last season and finished up 5-2 and they have been respectable to start this season. It's a clear case of how a guy that demands excellence can have a positive change on an NFL team.

Caps win!

Good game last night against the Flyers. Two teams that are expected to make a run for the Cup this year. Flyers had a 1-0 lead in the second when the Caps got 1:41 of 5-3 hockey. We had a couple of good chances but missed out on a golden opportunity. Shortly thereafter, the Flyers scored again making it 2-0. At that point, I thought that might be it.

However, Ovie came back with a goal to make it 2-1. Ovie is the greatest player in the world right now. The guy is a goal scoring machine but even better is how physical the guy is. He is a big, strong tough guy with amazing skills. On top of that, he plays every game with extreme passion. I love his celebrations. I love the enthusiasm he brings to the game. He gets the players and fans really pumped. A couple of minutes after his goal, Caps went on a power play and Backstrom got a great feed in front of the net and one timed it past Emery. Game tied 2-2. I like Backstrom too. He is another young, core guy to this very talented Cap team but the one thing he REALLY needs to work on is shooting more. He is ALWAYS looking to pass so it was good to see him not hesitate and pull the trigger.

The game was well played from the onset so it was exciting to start the third period knotted at 2. The third member of the big three, Semin, ended up getting the game winner by pulling a patented Ovechkin move. He skated down the left side and used the defender as a screen and pulled a quick wrist shot top shelf past Emery. Ovie added an empty netter to seal the deal.

Theo put together another great game. The guy has been MUCH better this year and seems to be playing the way he did a couple of years ago when he was one of the best goalies in the league. He made a few tremendous stops including stopping a penalty shot. I think he ended up with 40+ saves.

It was the Caps 5th win in a row so looks like they have found a good groove and hopefully can keep this thing going.

SERENITY NOW!!!!!!!!!!

Redskins BLEW IT!!!! We gave the game away to the Eagles. We gave them turnovers. We gave them big plays. We had penalties. Just plain ugly. Here are where I have my biggest issues:

1. I thought the defense was very good for 99% of the game. However, they were REALLY bad for that other 1%. They gave up two HUGE plays that helped the Eagles win this game. Both of the plays were on the safeties. The Eagles first drive with the end around to Jackson, Landry bit on the handoff and then compounded his mistake by taking a bad angle at Jackson. Jackson's speed got him around the end and past Landry and into the end zone. Even more egregious was the freaking 3rd and 23 bomb to a wide open Jackson for a TD. WTF?!!! Given the way Rogers kind of released on the WR, looked like a zone coverage and Horton just blew it! Curious why Horton was playing so much rather than Doughty. The only thing I can think of is that the Eagles have fast WRs and Horton is faster than Doughty but he just blew that. That was one of a few killer plays. Still, outside of those two disasterous plays, the defense I thought was very good. Sad to see such a strong effort be wasted because of a couple of individuals on two plays. Honestly, you take those two plays away, the Eagles only managed to get something like 140 yards of total offense.

2. WTF is ARE doing returning punts?!!!! The guy can't run and now he can't even catch. The Skins are down 17-0 but mount a good drive leading to a Devin Thomas TD. The defense then steps up and forces the Eagles into a three and out which I think included tackles for losses and/or a sack. The crowd got back into it and you could feel the momentum start to shift a bit. They punt and it hits ARE right in the freaking face mask. There wasn't even anyone around the guy. Eagles recover deep in our territory and the defense has to get back on the field. That was a devastating play. Fortunately we held the Eagles to a FG making the score 20-7. I just don't understand why ARE is back there. Put D. Hall back there. Put Devin Thomas back there. Thomas said in the post game show that he wants to return punts/kicks. Let the guy contribute. He is a big, strong, fast guy and I'm sure he can't do any worse than ARE. I seriously don't understand what the fascination is with ARE back there.

3. O line sucks! Not much more needs to be said about that. If these guys were going up against no one, JC would still get sacked. They are a joke and we can't do anything with that group. Sad. Assuming we have a top 5 pick in the draft, we MUST get the best tackle available. Our next pick needs to again be an O lineman. We need to get another O lineman in FA. That group needs to be completely overhauled.

4. Playcalling seemed to be more aggressive. I actually liked the calls but execution was poor on a number of occasions. Devin Thomas said after the game that the calls were more aggressive and he liked it. Actually, that was one of the first times I had a chance to hear Thomas and he seems really anxious to get on the field and contribute. He made some nice plays yesterday and I'd just like to see more of him.

5. JC was okay. I understand he was under duress for much of the game but he had his share of issues. His muff of the snap on the Skins first drive was bad. I still want him to be more decisive on tucking and running when he is scrambling. This has been a big issue for him. The play where he stepped up in the pocket and scrambed towards the line of scrimmage and then was about to throw but got hit from behind and fumbled was on him. He should have just tucked and ran. I know he had a bum ankle but just get the safe 3-5 yards instead of risking something. Also, he missed wide open WRs on 3 or 4 plays which hurt. He still needs to anticipate the routes and throw before the WRs break and trust his arm, his WR, and the play call. I understand it is hard to concentrate when you are under constant duress and thinking that you are going to be under constant duress but he has to do better.

6. Attitude/intensity is a BIG issue. I was talking to a friend about this before the game and Scott has actually mentioned that we need a coach that can motivate. I think I had more of an attitude before that these are professionals and shouldn't need motivation at this level. I was wrong. There is no intensity or sense of urgency with this team. It was mentioned a number of times by Jaws yesterday and you can see it on the field. We don't have any real leaders on this team that can get this team going. Zorn isn't that guy. JC, Portis, Cooley, Moss aren't those guys. The closest thing we got is London Fletcher but he is all by himself. After every game, it is always the same thing. "We are improving." "We have to regroup and not panic and find a way to get a win." Blah, blah, blah. That's all JZ and JC have to say and they say it in such a monotone voice that it really doesn't mean anything. We need leaders that are going to get in people's faces and make things happen. When Sean Taylor died, the team really rallied. It was like the country bonding after 9/11. It was a special time. The team played with passion, inspiration, and motivation. Sad it took a player's death to create that type of feeling. I saw a clip recently of Tom Brady during the Buffalo Bill game this year where it looked like the Bills were going to win easily. After Brady threw a TD to bring them within a TD of winning, he was on the sideline marching up and down looking at his teammates telling them, "WE'RE NOT DONE YET!!!" The thing is you believe that guy when he says it. Brady is a killer. On gameday if he lines up against his entire family, he is going to find a way to kill them. As B-Mitch said in the post game, we need guys to put their feet on the opponents neck and then lift up the other foot. We don't have that. I was sickened seeing Portis with McIntosh and Rogers on the sideline with a few minutes left in the game laughing. UNACCEPTABLE. Robs mentioned recently how Jimmy Johnson during the Cowboys early struggles before they turned things around, there was a Cowboy laughing on the sideline late in a game when they were getting blown out. Johnson cut the guy the next day. We need that. There is absolutely no leadership or guys that can create that inspiration, intensity, motivation, etc. that this team needs.

All in all just a frustrating game because we had opportunities to win this game but we gave it to them. I'm not saying we are a good team because clearly we are not but we just find ways to shoot ourselves in the foot and beat ourselves. We also just look like we don't care. That is embarrassing.

Cooley out

Cooley suffers a broken foot in the game and will be out for an extended period of time. He's the third starter on offense (second Pro Bowler) to suffer a significant injury. Hurts but gives a chance for Fred Davis to show us what he has.

Davis had a good game yesterday receiving but his limitations in blocking only compound the issues we have in blocking. Davis was a WR coming to USC and became a TE but clearly his strength is catching the ball.

The thing I don't get about Davis is whenever he catches and turns upfield and is faced with a tackler, he always leaves his feet and tries to jump over the guy. What the heck is that all about?! Just lower the shoulder and give the guy a shot. Whatever. It will be good to see if Davis can show us something.