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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Malcolm Kelly is Mr. Glass

This guy bruises like a grape. He just can't seem to stay healthy. He has not played in any preseason games and has hardly participated in training camp because of a pulled hammy. He healed up and took his first practice in weeks yesterday and was looking forward to playing in the last preseason game on Thursday but he pulled the hammy again. This guy is Mr. Glass.

Will be interesting what the Skins do with him. Seems like the options are to either cut him outright or put him on IR for the year. My guess is that since he was a second round pick they will put him on IR.

Monday, August 30, 2010

What was this guy thinking?!!!



Pretty funny but not sure what this dude was thinking.

Skins beat the Jets

Good game. As always, there were good points and things needing improvement. Here are my thoughts in random order.

1. McNabb was out so Rexy was the starter. Solid performance. Again, the thing about Rexy is that he makes some quality throws but then does some really dumb things. His fumble where there was pressure and plenty of time to tuck the ball away that occurred around midfield and I believe right before the half sucked. Also, his muffing of the shotgun snap that led to a Jet safety was inexcusable. I like that Rexy is on the team as Kyle Shanahan seems to think highly of him and he understands the offense better than anyone else on the team so those are good things. Also, as mentioned, he had a number of quality throws. The thing that is troublesome and that has ALWAYS bothered me about him is that you can count on one or two just dumb mistakes. I can take bad plays but dumb plays really bother me and can cost you the game. If he were to eliminate those, I would feel much better about him.

2. Anthony Armstrong is fantastic. This guy isn't the most athletic guy but he continues to make plays whether it is on offense or special teams, he seems to always make a big play when he is on the field. If he doesn't get a spot on this team, I will have to wonder if Cerrato is still pulling some strings.

3. Defense is interesting. We had four turnovers which I can't remember the last time happening. The defense seems to be flying around the ball and the unit seems much more aggressive and almost seems to have a swagger about them which is very exciting. The downside is that we seem to be having some difficulty against the run. The last couple of years we were solid against the run but were not dynamic, couldn't get a pass rush or turnovers. The opposite seems true now. I do expect much more pressure on QBs and a whole lot more turnovers but I am not ready to tout this defense too highly. While I like a lot of what I see, the word is still out on them.

4. The O line was MUCH better. Actually, the protection was a lot better and this is a result of better game planning this week. We struggled against the Ravens but I thought the protection was very good especially considering it was against what many believe is the league's best defense. I also like that the O line seems to have some swagger to them. Trent Williams has been very good and I like that he mixed it up with some of the Jets players. He is showing that he is talented but also not willing to back down to anyone. Jamal Brown was also solid in his first opportunity at extended playing time. Brown said after the game that there was a lot of jawing in the trenches and that they loved it. He genuinely sounded excited about playing and playing along side Williams. As long as we don't have any injuries up front, this will be a much improved line.

5. Haynesworth was decent. The guy had a chance to play with the first unit and was pretty disruptive. I am confident that he will have a good year.

6. Moss has got to catch better. I am tired of Theismann always talking about how great Santana's hands are and comparing him to Cris Carter. Moss's hands suck. He has dropped critical passes in each preseason game and has dropped a number of them every year. I still like him but he has to do better.

7. WR in general is a concern. Galloway is old. Moss drops ball. Armstrong is dedicated but not the most talented guy. Who knows if Thomas and/or Kelly will even make the team. We need better production from these guys.

8. Coaching is outstanding. I really feel like there is much better organization with this staff. They have done a tremendous job of taking the talent that we have and maximizing it by playing up to each player's strength and putting them in a positions to win. They have also managed to create an excitement and business like attitude amongst the players where guys seem like they want to get out there and play and expect to win where as last year there was nothing of the sort. This is a true credit to Shanny and his staff.

All in all, was pleased with the performance. I like that we are converting many of our third downs. Right now, I still am not expecting miracles this season but I certainly feel like we will be a competitive team. Nobody is going to feel like they can walk over the Redskins which we couldn't really say the last couple of years.

Less than two weeks until the regular season. Can't wait.

HAIL TO THE REDSKINS!!!

Congrats to Matar Aloo!!!

Matar Aloo got married...to a girl. At least that dispels the gay rumors.

Seriously, congrats to him and his new bride. Great reception the other night.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Favre is back

Does this come as a surprise to anyone?

I am fine with the return but instead of holding the team hostage and making the public/media wait, why not just say early on that I am not coming to OTAs, training camp, or anything else. I will suit up on Sundays and I want to be the highest paid player in the NFL. Take it or leave it.

He's an arse.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Sly is BACK!!!!

The Expendables pulled in a staggering $35 million over the weekend easily winning the box office competition this weekend. I know at least a portion of that $35 million came from Matar Aloo who was standing in line with a raging boner waiting to watch this epic movie.

Congrats Sly!

Skins thrash the Bills

Sure it is only the first preseason game but for what it was, it was a great performance. For me, what you want to see if good effort and a sense of organization. I saw both out there. Here are the my general thoughts, as always, in no particular order:

1. McNabb was solid. He had one pass short hop and he missed on the deep ball to Galloway but he engineered a TD scoring drive and had nice passes to Cooley and Roydell Anthony along the way. He seemed to have decent command and solid decision making.

2. Trent Williams was good and the O line in general was solid. Obviously, this was a HUGE issue for us last year but they performed well and gave the QBs an opportunity to make plays.

3. Running game was good. Shanahan teams are known for the strong running game. You could tell the difference in schemes b/t this team and last year's team. We have been running a power running attack for the last several years. Typically, it's 50 gut or 46 chip or whatever it's called and people just stack up in the line. You can see how the O linemen have to be more athletic and there are running lanes opening up and the backs have to hit the holes quickly. I expect to see several longer runs this year.

4. Special teams were excellent. Good punt/kickoff coverage and Banks as a punt returner was a welcomed sign. The guy seems fearless and small and fast and ready to run upfield which is a huge upgrade to ARE who would hop around a few times and then fall before even getting hit.

5. Torain and the other RB had very good games so good for them.

6. Grossman's numbers were good but as is typical of Rexy, the guy had some very nice throws but he had two VERY dangerous throws that could have easily been picked off for TDs. Still, I like having him around as I trust the coaching staff and they wanted him and he does have a good understanding of the offense. Should be a capable back up.

7. New defense looked solid. Outside of Buffalo's opening drive, they were pretty stingy. If I had a problem it was with the opening drive and how the defense was overly aggressive and over pursued the play a few times. By doing that, they left the backside open and the Bills capitalized a few times. You have to be aggressive in football but you have to be disciplined and recognize your role and stay home. Still, a good performance by the defense.

8. Coaching was outstanding. Shanny seems to have the attention of these guys and they seem to like the old school discipline he has enforced and I'm sure they are more willing to listen as the guy has a solid track record.

Again, it is only the first preseason game but it was a good performance. We face the Ravens this coming week which is a much more difficult challenge. It should serve as a good test as I think the Ravens are certainly a playoff team and should be a potential Super Bowl contender.

HAIL SKINS!!!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

God Bless our troops!



Pretty moving video of soldiers coming home to their families. Thank God these soldiers were able to come home.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Haynesworth passes test and is practicing

Who knows if he actually passed it but I don't really care. At least that saga is over and now he is on the field. By all accounts, he is warming up to the idea of playing on this defense and if that is true I am happy to have him as he is still one of the dominant D lineman in this league when healthy and willing to perform.

Brian Cushing - Overtrained Athlete Syndrome

Brian Cushing was suspended for the first four games this season after testing positive last year for HCG, a drug on the league's banned substance list. Cushing says he never took the drug, which can be used to restart testosterone production after a steroid cycle, and has no idea how it got into his body.

Cushing is claiming he suffers from something called Overtrained Athlete Syndrome. That's a good one.

Cushing said months of tests show that he had a "unique" medical condition that led to the positive test.

"Every individual is genetically different," he said. "I had a unique situation where something like this occurred and we have the science to back it up. It's taken months. It's really beyond what we ever thought and it's beyond the regular medical doctor.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Shaq signs with the Celtics

Shaq is still serviceable but he is basically a hired gun at this point in the twilight of his career. It strengthens the Celtics who lost Rasheed Wallace to retirement and have that other big dude coming off of a torn ACL in the finals so they needed a big man. Shaq will also free up KG to play the forward position. Frankly, I'm happy because I am just looking for teams in the East that can beat the Heat as nothing would make me happier than to see LeBron never win a championship.

Haynesworth still not practicing

Curious if Haynesworth is truly hurt and the team feels like it is best to hold him out or if it Haynesworth pouting about feeling like he is being made a scapegoat and protesting. It will be interesting to watch how this thing unfolds. At some point, we need this guy to suit up and get on the field and practice. When healthy and willing, he is a tremendous force. Still, he is a divisive character and his pouting and personality can turn off teammates and coaches and you have to weigh the benefits of his playing versus his personality and driving the team apart. We'll see how this unfolds. The story continues.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Favre retiring?

Reports are that he is retiring...again. Enough already. Just go and be done with it. Either that or don't make an announcement until you are sure. Or just say that you don't want to go to training camp, you don't want to practice, you will only suit up on Sundays and play the games and still want $7+M/year.

It's funny because amidst the reports, many players in the NFC North are still skeptical and won't believe it until the season starts and Favre isn't there.

The guy is an egomaniacal arse. We'll see if he actually goes this time or plays more mind games.

Mike Golic passes the Albert Haynesworth (Redskin) fitness test

So what I thought to be a very difficult test turned out to be not as difficult as I had thought as Mike Golic, former NFL player and more recently from Mike and Mike in the morning, attempted the test. He got 71 seconds on the first test, took the 3.5 minute rest, and completed the second test in 73 seconds.

Watching the video of him doing the test. He seemed to have a pretty good pace but nothing crazy. Golic is 47 years old and like 10 years out of the league. Granted he has lost significant weight and I'm sure is on an exercise/diet regiment so is probably in semi decent shape. Still, Haynesworth is a professional athlete and if he was conditioning himself in the offseason certainly seems like he should be able to pass the test.

I would actually like to attempt such a test to truly see how difficult it is. Robs claims that he could pass the test. Scott said that he tried and failed miserably. Deepie would probably run about 12 yards pass out in his own vomit and urine and lay crumpled like a bag of old chicken bones in a sack.

Should I take such a test, I will report my results. Stay tuned.