UVA gets distinct honor

 

Playboy has come out with their top 10 party schools and UVA ranked #1!!!  Playboy says its ratings are based on sex, sports and nightlife  Congrats to the Wahoos for this prestigious achievement as they beat the likes of USC, Georgia, and Florida.

The REAL refs are back

HALLELUJAH!!!

The NFL's regular officiating crews are back. Their return couldn't have come soon enough for many players, coaches and fans.

After two days of marathon negotiations -- and mounting frustration throughout the league -- the NFL and the officials' union announced at midnight Thursday that a tentative eight-year agreement had been reached to end a lockout that began in June.

Interesting as I think we have all taken these guys for granted until now.  Glad they are back.

ESPN Power Rankings - Week 4

Skins fall two spots to #22.  We've scored more points than any other team but the problem is that we've given up a gazillion points so that makes it a little difficult to win.

Pears rise one spot to #11.  Seems right.

Puckers drop three spots to #7.  Despite being robbed of the win on MNF they don't look like a dominant team.

Skins to sign Ryan Grant

The Washington Redskins plan to add Ryan Grant to their banged-up backfield. The team is expected to announce Wednesday that it has signed the former Green Bay Packers running back. Grant tweeted Tuesday night that he's looking forward to helping the Redskins win.

Evan Royster has a strained right patella tendon, and Roy Helu Jr. has a left foot injury, leaving no healthy backup behind rookie starter Alfred Morris.  Grant spent five seasons with the Packers. His best season was 2009, when he ran for 1,253 yards.

Grant worked out Tuesday for the Chicago Bears, according to a league source.

Grant, who will turn 30 in December, visited the Detroit Lions

last week and put forth an impressive workout, according to the source.

Adds some depth to a beaten up backfield.  Somewhat surprising we didn't turn to Tim Hightower who better understands our system and is more comfortable with the coaches/personnel.  I have to believe it's because either Hightower is not fully recovered or there may be some bad feelings there that he was cut.  Either way, Grant is a solid guy that can add some depth.

WOW!!!

Shocking ending to last night's Seattle/Green Bay game.  It was a tough battle throughout with Seattle's defense dominating the game in the first half sacking Rodgers 8 times!  The Packers clearly have some O line issues that unless resolved will most likely be their downfall this season. 

Still, in the second half the Packers realized their line was overmatched and began running the ball and adding more TEs to the line and running short passes that proved effective.  They ended up taking a 12-7 lead late into the fourth quarter and that is where the real drama began.

There were a few very bad calls in the final minutes that included:

1. On a first and like 30, Wilson threw a deep ball down the left sideline and it looked like clear pass interference on the WR yet the GB corner was called for the pass interference.  Terrible call but this sometimes happens so as bad as it was you sometimes have to live with that type of call.  The tough part was that it was a first and 30 and the call made it an automatic first down.  The call ultimately didn't hurt the Puckers as Seattle's drive stalled deep in GB territory and they turned it over on downs. 

2. The other call that everyone is talking about today was the final play of the game.  It was a fourth down with a few seconds remaining and Russel Wilson threw a hail mary into the end zone.  First, Golden Tate clearly shoved the GB DB out of the way to clear space.  This is not so egregious as it is common for players on both sides (but particularly offensive players) to do that on hail marys.  However, it seemed obvious that another GB DB came down with the ball.  The GB corner seemed to have it and fall with back on top of Golden Tate and Tate seemed to have at least one hand through the GB corner's arm on the ball and inexplicably it was ruled a TD. 

When I was watching live it seemed like an obvious INT so I was surprised by the ruling on the field.  Still, the play went to review and I figured it would be overturned.  Even more confounding was that after review the play was confirmed as a TD.  SHOCKING!!!

The call has led to number of people voicing their disgust on Twitter and other social media outlets.  It is all anyone is talking about on sports radio.  The replacement refs have been bad in most games throughout this season as they have misunderstood the rulebook, misunderstood penalties, lost control of games, and often times just look confused.  However, the height of the replacement ref issue was highlighted last night on MNF national tv on a last second play on a call that ultimately decided the outcome of a game.  I am not sure I have ever seen a more obvious play that was so critical called incorrectly.

I get that these refs are unqualified and are doing their best.  I don't believe for a second they have any bad intentions but honestly this is an embarrassment for the NFL and for Roger Goodell.  From my understanding, what the refs are asking for is not substantial so this almost seems like a battle of egos.  The dispute has to get resolved and last night's outcome/debacle only makes this more obvious.  If anything, last night's ruling only strengthens the case for the real refs so just get them back already.

Will be interesting to see what the fallout of last night's call will be in the coming days and in next week's games. 

Dukes start conference play with win at Rhode Island

After a bad performance against West VA last week at FedEx in which JMU was just overmatched, the Dukes comeback to dominate Rhode Island this weekend. 

Redshirt-senior quarterback Justin Thorpe had his first career 300-yard passing game to lead #6/7 James Madison football team to a 32-7 victory in their Colonial Athletic Association opener at Rhode Island, Sept. 22. The Dukes are now 11-3 in CAA openers under head coach Mickey Matthews and move to 3-1 and 1-0 in the CAA, while the Rams fall to 0-3 and 0-2 in league play

Thorpe had career highs in completions, attempts and yards, going 26-for-40 for 340 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Sophomore wide receiver De'Andre' Smith had a career-high eight receptions for 53 yards and one rushing score, while redshirt-junior receiver Renard Robinson had a career-high 87 yards and one touchdown on three catches.

Madison had 498 yards of total offense while limiting the Rams to just 183 yards, including 95 yards after URI's first two possessions of the game. JMU converted 11-of-20 third-down opportunities while holding URI to just 1-of-10. The Dukes were also 2-of-3 on fourth-down chances as compared to the Rams being unsuccessful on both of theirs.

The Dukes will be off next week and will return home for three of their next four, starting with defending CAA champion Towson, Sat., Oct. 6. Kickoff for the sold-out Family Weekend contest at Bridgeforth Stadium is set for 1 p.m., and will be nationally televised on NBC Sports Network.

In other relevant college football news, UVA takes its second straight beating losing to TCU 27-7.  After a promising 2-0 start, UVA finds itself at .500 and is scheduled to take on Louisiana Tech this weekend.  I like Coach London but he has got to right the ship and fast.  It may be time to replace the QB with that younger transfer guy.

Also, W&M takes a beat down against Delaware to fall to 0-4 on the year.

Skins fall to Bengals

I suppose it was an entertaining game and another solid performance by RG3 but the defensive secondary AND coaching is terrible.  To be specific, the Bengals first two TDs are perfect examples:

1. The very first play of the game is a Bengal wildcat formation.  Dalton is sent wide and D. Hall is covering him.  A.J. Green (one of the best WRs in the game) is in the slot and backup safety Dejeon Gomes is sent to cover him one on one.  D. Hall and Gomes looked at each other as if they thought about switching but didn't.  I get that this is a wildcat formation and you are not expecting a deep ball to be thrown but still just to be sure, why is Gomes one on one with no safety help covering Green?  It is a great job of the Bengals of creating and exploiting a mismatch.  I would much rather have Hall than Gomes on Green.  That needs to get fixed.

2. The Bengals second TD.  It's a second and 20 at midfield and Haslett decides to send the house.  I don't understand why he does this.  We sent in seven defensive players and granted we nearly got the sack but Dalton was able to complete a quick seven yard out and then to compound what I believe is a bad play call, Josh Wilson slips and misses a chance to push the WR out of bounds for a short gain and in turn leads to a 48 yard TD since there was no one back to support.  Last season, Haslett would call the zero blitz play and it is a high risk/high reward play.  If you don't get immediate pressure, it is a TD waiting to happen and it burned us in at least both Dallas games last year.  Again, he sends the house and it killed us yesterday.  I don't mind sending a safety blitz or a corner blitz or an extra LB but why send the house on a second and 20?  In my mind bad play call with a bad play by Wilson to compound the problem.

Those were the two plays that bothered me the most on defense.  Still, the secondary is proving to be a major liability and to me it is compounded by the defensive coaching.  What's worse is that Haslett just got an extension.  What was supposed to be the strong point of our team is showing that it can't stop anyone.  This has got to get fixed as we are the worst defense in the league giving up ridiculous number of points and yards.

On a positive note, Orakpo's replacement, Rob Jackson, played well.  He got the INT for a TD and he made a tremendous play stopping a run for a big loss.  The question I have is what happened to him the rest of the game?  It looked like I saw more of Chris Wilson and #55 as the game wore on.  Wilson is a decent pass rusher so I don't mind seeing him but it just seemed like Jackson was taken out of the game.

Also, our run defense is sound and has been in all three games.  The front seven is decent so I don't know why we don't give more help to our secondary.  Haslett is overly aggressive so to me, he is just as much to blame for the ridiculous number of big plays we are giving up as the players are.

Offensively, RG3 has been better than advertised.  He continues to impress with both is arm and feet and decision making.  Can't fault him at all. 

I also like our running game.  Morris is a gem as he runs hard and seems to understand the zone blocking scheme Shanny likes to run as he consistently hits the right hole and can run hard and has shown that it will take more than one guy to bring him down. 

It was good to see Fred Davis get involved as he had 7 catches for nearly 100 yards.

The BIG issue I had with the offense was what the F is Jordan Black doing as the backup LT?!!!!  The guy was out of football last season and basically retired.  He lost a lot of weight and then got the call from Shanny and had to put on a bunch of weight and get back into football shape.  HE SUCKED!!!! Yes, Williams is our best offensive lineman so it's going to hurt any time he goes down but WTF is Black doing as his backup?!!!  If you just watched him on every play, it looked like a big piece of S that Robs spit out trying to block.  He was a major reason that RG3 took 6 sacks on the day.  Seriously, there were several plays where he was just outclassed in an embarrassing performance by him.  I can only hope Williams injury is not severe otherwise, RG3 is in serious trouble.

After three games, I feel pretty good about the offense.  I am ticked off about the defensive secondary and defensive coaching.  That has to be corrected and Jordan Black scares me.  Will be interesting to watch these two story lines.

HTTR!!!

Josh Morgan gets death threats for mistake

Redskins wide receiver Josh Morgan revealed Wednesday that he received death threats after his costly gaffe late in Sunday’s 31-28 defeat at St. Louis.

“I heard everything, especially when they got you on Twitter and they’re sending you death threats,” Morgan said, “and wishing bad on your family, your first born. You see it all, hear it all. You don’t got no choice. But you never let it get to you, especially me being from DC.”

Indeed, a quick look at messages directed at Morgan on the social media website including name calling, racial epithets and at least three death threats, including ond that read, in part, “I will kill you in your sleep you [expletive]…”

This is pathetic.  Yes, it was a bad play and it was maddening for me being a Skins fan but do send him a death threat even if it is not meant is pathetic.  It's football.  It's a game.  The guy made a bad mistake but it's not worth threatening his life or his family's life.  Once again, just more proof that people are stupid. 

ESPN Power Rankings - Week 3

Skins fall five spots to #20.  This seems about right.

Pears fall fall four spots to #12.  I'm good with that.

Puckers climb one spot to #4.  Good with that as well.

We don't really know how good/bad teams are until around week five or six but for now these rankings make sense.

BTW - top three are SF, Houston, and Atlanta.  I can agree with that as well.

CEAFOD - Week 2

I lose another heart breaker to Scott.  I was down 31 points going into last night's game but I had Julio Jones, Tony Gonzalez, Eric Decker, and Matt Bryant.  The problem was Scott had Matt Ryan so it nullified gains I would get from Jones and Gonzalez.  I climbed back but just came up short losing by 7 points.

OrganizedKaos (2-0, 269 points) beat Clean out Ur-lacher! (0-2, 281 points) 136 - 129, led by Trent Richardson with 29 points and the Buffalo Bills Defense who scored 24. Heading into Sunday, OrganizedKaos was in front 11 - 5. That advantage slipped away after the early Sunday games and they trailed by 2. However, following the late Sunday games, OrganizedKaos regained the lead for good with the help of 18 points from Mike Wallace.

Despite scoring the second most total points in the league, I find myself at 0-2.  We'll regroup and come back next week and get this thing fixed.

Other games this week:

_I_AM_RG3 registered the second-highest point total this week to destroy BEARS UNITED 153 - 89. This was a grand beatdown, with the 64-point margin of victory being the highest recorded in the league this season. BEARS UNITED, coming off a 163 - 152 win against Clean out Ur-lacher!, saw their scoring drop off this week. _I_AM_RG3 (2-0, 290 points) shifts into first place and BEARS UNITED (1-1, 252 points) goes to sixth place.  The loss ends Robs year and a half win streak and he suddenly looks beatable.

Deepie's Thrizzle annihilated BX Warriors 139 - 93 behind Danny Amendola, whose 35 points were the highest point total of the week. It was an epic beating, and the 46-point margin of victory is the second-highest in the league this season. Rob Gronkowski led BX Warriors with 19 points while Marshawn Lynch brought in 18. Thrizzle (1-1, 248 points) shifts into seventh place and BX Warriors (0-2, 188 points) winds up in 11th place.

JSR's LambeauLeaper (2-0, 230 points) defeated Mark's Maniacs (0-2, 177 points) 106 - 80, led by the Green Bay Packers Defense with 21 points and Demaryius Thomas who also had 21. LambeauLeaper scored first and went into Sunday in front 35 - 0. They lost the handle after the early Sunday games and trailed 42 - 39. LambeauLeaper took the lead back during the late Sunday games, thanks to 17 points from Miles Austin. They would hold the lead until the end.  JSR was the beneficiary of playing against a weak team this week.  Still, a win is a win and he is at 2-0 on the season.

NOrakpo or Carriker

The Redskins’ reeling defense suffered a devastating blow Monday when it was announced that star linebacker Brian Orakpo will miss the remainder of the season with a torn left pectoral muscle.

Orakpo, two-time pro bowl selection, suffered the injury early in Sunday’s 31-28 defeat in St. Louis while wrapping up Rams’ quarterback Sam Bradford for his first sack of the season. It’s the same pectoral Orakpo tore in the 2011 regular season finale and aggravated in the preseason. This tear, though, in a different spot.

Tough losses; however, this is the one big difference of this year from previous years is that we have more depth.  Jarvis Jenkins will get more time at Carriker's spot.  Jenkins was competing for the starting job with Carriker so I don't think there will be much dropoff there.  In fact, I think Jenkins is the more talented player but Carriker is the more experienced so he understands how to play the position better but this will be a good opportunity for Jenkins to shine.

As far as the LB spot, Rob Jackson will become the starter but we'll probably see a good amount of Chris Wilson as well.  Both these guys played well in preseason and I think they will surprise us with their play.

Great opportunities come from adversity and it's time for these guys to show what they have. 

Shanahan also confirmed what most had suspected: Defensive end Adam Carriker will also miss the remainder of the season. He tore a ligament between the quadriceps and knee.

Skins fall to Rams

Skins fall to the Rams 31-28.  Tough loss.  Here are my grades for the team:

Offense:  A-  RG3 played well.  He ran for two TDs and threw for one.  He showed toughness hanging in the pocket and in his running ability on the designed runs.  It was another very good performance for him. The running game was solid led by Alfred Morris; however, I would have liked us to have run more often and control the clock better.  Hankerson had the bomb so it was good to see him get in the action.  Felt good about their play.  The obvious one major blemish was Morgan's ridiculous penalty he took for unsportsmanlike conduct (will talk about this more below).

Defense: D+  If not for the three turnovers including the fumble returned for a TD this grade would be an F.  For goodness sake, could someone stop Amendola?  Their WRs were frequently WIDE open in the soft part of the zone.  That was WAY too easy.  I was also disappointed with the coaching (Raheem Morris and Haslett) for not adjusting to this as it happened time and time again.  Inexcusable. 

Special Teams: D What the heck is going on with Danny Smith's punt unit?  For the second week in a row, we had a punt blocked.  The replay shows Perry Riley hardly getting a chip on his guy and basically doing an "Ole" and allowing the guy to come in unabated to block the Rocca punt.  Those kind of plays are devastating.  Banks never got many opportunities to return punts/kicks.  Cundiff was relegated to extra points outside the ridiculous 62 yard FG attempt. I disagreed with the call as I don't think he has the leg for it.

Coaching: C- The offensive coaching was solid but the defensive coaching was horrible so it evens out the grade.  Like that we can throw the deep ball.  Aldrick Robinson should have gotten the other deep ball in the second half but it bounced off his shoulder pad and looked like the DB grabbed/pulled his jersey just as he was going to jump but he still has to make that catch.  Looked like RG3 missed Robinson on another deep ball where Robinson looked to have his man beat.  However, it is hard to know what RG3 was seeing at that time. 

Defensively the coaching was poor.  Pass defense was poor as there was WAY too many opportunities for Ram WRs to get open in the soft zone.  What's worse is that we did not seem to adjust to this and it continued certainly for the entire first half. 

A couple of other thoughts:

1. Officiating was horrendous.  I don't understand this.  Aren't the replacement guys somewhat knowledgeable of the game?  All too often these guys look confused and can't seem to explain themselves.  Seems to me they should spend the week studying the rulebook.  I get that they are replacements and a mistake or two can happen but mistakes happen too often and they are mistakes about the general rules of football.  This can't happen and hopefully the real refs will return soon because these guys are having an impact on the outcomes of games. 

2. Josh Morgan:  WTF?!!!  I get that it was a chippy game from the get go but there is NO excuse for what he did.  Fletcher strips a ball allowing us the chance to tie or possibly win the game at the end.  First mistake for Morgan was when he caught the ball, he was behind the first down marker.  He has to know he has to get past the first down marker on a third down play.  Second, when he caught the pass, he ran two yards backwards.  If he just turned and went upfield he probably would have gotten the first down.  Even if he just took two steps backwards after making the catch, we would have gotten the first down.  Still, the worst part of his play was getting up and throwing the ball at the Ram DB.  There did not look to be anything that would warrant the throw and even if there was, he has to know the situation and control himself.  It was a stupid play that may very well have cost us the game.  That all said, what's done is done and we can't look back.  We have a young team and they have to learn from that mistake and the game as a whole. 

As bad as that mistake was, what is of equal disappointment for me is the play of our defense.  We need to be better.  As an outsider, it seemed like defensive coaching was more at fault than the defensive players.  I don't look at the game film and I don't know what all the assignments are so I am not sure if guys are just missing their assignments but it appeared that coaching was more at fault.  Whatever the reason, it was just difficult to see guys so wide open in the zone. 

In the end, it was a tough loss but I still like the direction of the team and I feel good that RG3 and the offense looks to be growing.  Have to put this one behind us and get ready for our home opener against a tough Cincy this week.

HTTR!!!

Skins vs. Rams preview

So RG3 and the Skins are all of a sudden the darling of the NFL.  I thought they had a great game last week but lets be clear, it was one game so you can't get too high on them.  This week it is the Rams who played the Lions surprisingly close last week.

The game is in St. Louis so it's another road game for RG3.  Here are my keys to the game:

1. Establish the run game.  Morris had a good game last week and he needs to have another one this week to take pressure off of Bob.  I expect good things from the run game this week.

2. RG3 and more RG3:  Let him do his thing.  The game plan was sound last week starting off with lots of screens just to get his feet wet and then they allowed him to open it up.  I expect to see several rollouts and allowing him the chance to run and pass.  I expect another good game from him.

3. Introduce Davis:  Fred Davis needs to get more active in the pass game and I think he will get his fair share of opportunities this week.

4. Pressure Bradford:  I really think we are going to get to Bradford a few times and make him uncomfortable all day.  I expect this will lead to at least 2 turnovers.

5. Stop Jackson:  We need to bottle up Steven Jackson.  He is a big, physical back so guys need to be ready to provide run support.  Carriker said the other day that guys need to bring their big boy pads to stop Jackson so it will be key for guys to maintain gap assignment and wrap up when they have the opportunity to make a tackle.

6. BB:  Banks can't fumble.  His hands have always been a little suspect but he needs to ensure he doesn't muff any punts and hopefully he can make a play or two to get us a short field.

7. Long snapper:  Sundberg broke his arm last week and is out so we brought in a new guy.  You really can't minimize the importance of this player's role.  We all saw the debacle of the long snapper in Oakland last week so hopefully the new guy has been able to get in some good practice this week and get a little more comfortable with his new teammates.

In the end, I expect the Skins to win this one handily by a final of 27-13.  I think Bob will have himself another nice game but it will be the defense that is the story as they put Bradford under steady pressure all game.

HTTR!!!

P.S. You can look at Robs blog for the Pucker/Pear game thoughts.

Pears vs. Puckers

Big early season matchup tonight as the Pears visit Green Bay to face the Puckers.  It's a divisional game against rivals so it only adds to the importance. 

For the Pears, it's a chance for them to land an early uppercut to Green Bay's NFC North hopes. The Brandon Marshall addition paid immediate dividends for Jay Cutler and the Bears, and the porous Packers secondary must look ripe for the picking as well. Jay George challenged the Pucker secondary this week wishing them good luck in trying to play man and get physical with the Pear WRs.  This game is also a chance to legitimize the Pears as a force in the NFC.

For the Puckers, it's not yet time to panic in Titletown, but it will be if the Packers fall to the visiting Bears in the opener of the league's Thursday night showcase. Green Bay would be 0-2 at home, two games behind Chicago, with four of its next five on the road. After starting last season 13-0, the Packers have dropped three of their past five games, including playoffs. The key will be for the Puckers to get better run production than in week 1 and to get pressure on George.  Pucker secondary is suspect so it's imperative that Matthews and Co. get pressure on George to get rid of the ball quickly and hope for mistakes.  The thing is George is pretty good at releasing quickly and moving to extend plays.

This should be a good one.

RG3 makes history

Robert Griffin III is the first rookie quarterback to win an offensive player of the week award after his debut game.

The NFL announced Wednesday that Griffin is the NFC offensive player of the week for his performance in the Washington Redskins' 40-32 win over the New Orleans Saints.

The No. 2 overall draft pick completed 19 of 26 passes for 320 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's victory -- making him the first player in league history to amass 300-plus yards passing, two or more passing touchdowns and no interceptions in an NFL debut.

Griffin is also the first rookie quarterback to throw for at least 300 yards and win a season opener.

BTW - he is on the cover of SI this week.  Not a bad week.

Griffining - what's wrong with people?

So there was planking than Tebowing and now apparently people are "Griffining" by posing in the position of RG3 after throwing his first TD pass to Garcon.  Seriously, don't people have better things to do in their lives than pull this stupid S?  I really don't understand the fascination with people wanting to pose and take pictures of themselves copying celebrities.  This type of nonsense just proves my point that people are stupid.

ESPN Power Rankings - Week 2

Skins #15 - up nine spots.

Pears #8 - up one spot.

Puckers #5 - down four spots.

WOW!  Skins took a tremendous leap jumping higher than any other team in the league.  Personally, I think it is too much as it was only one game granted it was a great game against a good opponent in a tough place to play.  However, still it seems like too much for me. 

Pears position makes sense.  Same too with the Puckers.

CEAFOD - Week 1

I f'ing LOST!!!  I was the high scorer in the league going into yesterday's game.  I was facing Robs Pears United team.  I racked up 152 points and had a 48 point lead going into last night's game.  Robs had Ray Rice, Benjarvus Green-Ellis, and Malcolm Floyd all playing last night so I knew it would be tough to hold on.

Rice scored twice in the Ravens blowout and Green-Ellis had a TD and my lead shrunk to 5 points going into the final game last night.  Floyd of course caught a TD and the comeback was complete.  Hate that S!!!  Hate scoring enough points to beat anyone else in the league except the opponent I am playing.  Still, in the end it was a good game and credit to Robs as he is picking up where he left off last season.  He finished last year as the undefeated, undisputed CEAFOD champ and he staged a huge comeback to keep his streak alive.  I felt good about my team but just came up short.  I will have to regroup my guys and get ready for Scott this week.

In other CEAFOD news, Scott beat Deepie handily and will be looking to make it two in a row against me this week.

JSR also won easily and will look to keep things going this week.

Congrats to the winners!

Skins beat Saints!

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GREAT game!  Obviously, the story was RG3.  He was fantastic!  Don Banks of SI summarized things well (see below).
Knowing what we know now, it turns out it was the Washington Redskins who got the steal in March when they shipped a mere three first-round picks and change to St. Louis for the rights to draft Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III.

I mean, if you could renegotiate the terms of that blockbuster deal today, in light of Griffin's spectacular regular season debut on Sunday in a solar-plexis-punched Superdome, the Rams might wind up demanding Washington's first-round picks in perpetuity, plus insist Daniel Snyder pick up the tab for all those costly improvements St. Louis is seeking for the Edward Jones Dome.

And the Redskins would pay it. Gladly. If Griffin keeps this up, no price would have been too high, no package too costly for a Washington franchise that has been searching for a savior at quarterback at least since Joe Theismann retired several decades ago. If you thought the RGIII honeymoon was going well in Washington so far, the Redskins' 40-32 upset of the chip-on-their-shoulder New Orleans Saints should send it raging to ridiculous levels.

Griffin wasn't just as good as advertised, he was better. He threw for 320 yards (the fourth-highest total for any rookie quarterback in their debut) and two touchdowns on 19 of 26 passing while dismantling the Saints defense with a performance in which both his arm and legs (10 rushes for 42 yards) did significant damage.
You like symmetry? The Redskins scored exactly 10 points in each quarter, the same number Griffin now wears on his back. The 40 points were easily a high for the three-year Mike Shanahan era in D.C., and Griffin's perfect passer rating in the first half (158.3, 11 of 13 for 182 yards and two touchdowns) included an 88-yard scoring throw to new Redskins receiver Pierre Garcon, who happens to wear No. 88.

Indeed it was No. 1, as in the first. But with Griffin, you get the feeling there's much more to come and even bigger, better days ahead. As happy realities go, that's one I imagine Washington wouldn't trade for anything.

Other thoughts on the game:

1. RG3!  Still can't say enough of that performance.  He showed poise by hanging in the pocket throughout the game particularly on the TD to Garcon.  Play action, blitz coming, RG3 saw it but held on to the ball just long enough for Garcon to make his cut and then released knowing he would take a good hit...TD.  Throughout the game he hung in there.  He ran when he needed to.  His throws were accurate.  He commanded the field.  It is one game but hopefully this is a sign of good things to come.  To Robs, I don't think anyone is talking QB controversy now.

2. Good coaching.  Thought the Shannys did a good job utilizing RG3.  Loved the rollouts as I know this is something Kyle wanted to do but never had the QB that could do it before.  The Saints obviously had to respect the run AND pass when Bob rolled out.  It's a great advantage for us.  I liked that we came out doing short passes.  Nothing too fancy and also kept New Orleans off balance. 

3. Cundiff.  He was 4 of 4 on his FGs including a 45 yarder.  Feel a whole lot more comfortable with him in there than Guano.

4. Strong running.  Morris took the lead but I felt like all the backs had solid games running hard and getting good yardage on the ground (a total of 153 yards). 

5. O line play was solid.  For the most part, RG3 was never under major pressure.  As mentioned, the run game was solid.  I'll take that O line play any day.

6. Defense was solid.  The game didn't feel as close as the score.  I thought we mounted good pressure on Brees.  We gave up two late TDs both on 4th downs which I didn't like but particularly in the first half, we shut Brees and Co. down.  Even on NO first TD (pass from Brees to Graham), I thought it was perfect coverage by Fletcher with help from Williams over the top.  It was just a perfect pass to the very tall and athletic Graham.  I felt good about the defensive effort.  We need to clamp down on those fourth downs but it was a good effort.

7. Special teams average.  I thought Banks was good in the return game.  Made me feel better about retaining him.  Already mentioned Cundiff's game.  The blocked punt was unacceptable.  Not sure who had the assignment (had to be either Young or Doughty) but they just plain missed the assignment allowing for an unimpeded lane towards Rocca for an easy block that led to a TD right before the half.  That was a momentum changer and could have proved to be a disaster for the Skins. 

All in all, to be able to go down to NO and beat a quality team particularly the way we did, I was VERY happy.  That's one of the tougher places to play so you have to feel good.  Again, RG3 was better than I could have ever hoped for and I love that all his teammates rallied behind him and that RG3 has quickly become a leader on this team.  Hopefully it is a sign of good things to come.  Makes that 2-14 prediction for the Skins look ridiculous. 

Again, it is one game so can't get too excited but there were a lot of positives and for the first time in a long time we look like a real team heading in the right direction. 

HTTR!!!

JMU beats Alcorn St. 42-3!

The Dukes destroyed Alcorn State by a final of 42-3 giving them a 2-0 record on the year as they head into a huge showdown with West VA at FedEx this Saturday.

Thus far, the Dukes, who have now outscored their two 2012 opponents by a total of 97-10.  Obviously West VA (a top 10 ranked football team) is a tough game for the Dukes but we are definitely a tough team to play.  We beat VA Tech a couple of years back so anything is possible.  The good thing is we have nothing to lose.  No one is expecting JMU to win so all the pressure is on the Mountaineers to beat us handily.  I believe it will be a tough game and I'm looking forward to it.

GO DUKES!!!

In other college football news, thanks to a ridiculously bad Penn St. kicker, UVA ekes out a slim win against Penn St.

W&M falls to Lafayette making them 0-2. 

The return of Captain Chaos?

When the Redskins released longtime tight end Chris Cooley on August 28, both the team and the player left the door open for a possible return.

Next week, the sides plan to discuss such a scenario, Coach Mike Shanahan said Friday afternoon.

General Manager Bruce Allen first broached the subject during a speaking engagement at the National Press Club, saying, “Yes, absolutely that door is still open. We have a meeting next week.” 

Asked to expand on Allen’s comments later, Shanahan said the team is weighing its options with regard to Cooley.

“Yeah, I’m not sure when that is,” Shanahan said of the meeting. “To be honest with you, I’ve been pretty busy this week getting ready for a game. [But] we’ve always left the door open for Chris.”

When Cooley gave his tear-filled goodbye 10 days ago in Ashburn, the Redskins said the move was made so that the loyal veteran of eight seasons could explore the possibility of starting for another team. The Redskins are committed to starting Fred Davis.

Cooley hired an agent, but as of Friday afternoon had not signed with another team. The 30-year-old Leesburg, Va. resident told The Washington Post Friday afternoon that he was unaware a meeting had been scheduled for next week but was open to discussing a possible return to the team that drafted him in the third round in 2004. Cooley's agent, David Dunn, did not immediately return a phone call.

“It gave him an opportunity to see if there’s anything where he’s got a chance to start,” Shanahan said. “That’s the main thing. He’s going to weigh his options. I’m sure he’s looking at his options with different teams right now. Who needs a tight end? What’s going to happen maybe after this week? Probably weigh all of his options, and we’ll look at our options as well. We have three tight ends, so it’s not like were very deep at the position. And with one fullback, it’s not very deep.”

The Redskins would have to move another player on the 53-man roster if they were to bring back Cooley, which at this point still seems like a long-shot. When Cooley was released, he counted $6.23 million against the Redskins’s salary cap. If he’s resigned, his salary would be more inline with an aging reserve player and it would not be guaranteed.

“There are a lot of possibilities,” Shanahan said. “I can’t tell you for sure what’s going to happen at this time. But we’d like to have as many options as possible. As you mentioned, we’ll get a chance to talk next week.”

Redskins vs. Saints preview

Very excited to see the RG3 era begin and the first regular season game.  It's a tough matchup going against a perennial power in the Saints particularly in New Orleans.  Drew Brees is one of the best to play the position.  However, the Saints will be without Sean Payton (serving his suspension) and I believe the Skins are underrated and looking to make a point. 

Here are my keys to the game:

1. First and foremost is stopping the Saints passing attack.  Our secondary is mediocre at best particularly at safety where Meriweather will be out for another 2-4 weeks and idiot Tanard Jackson has basically ruined his career by not being able to stay off the drugs.  Second year man, Dejean Gomes, will get the nod.  He was okay in limited time last year but he will have to step up big time on Sunday.  Wilson and Hall are okay but I'm not thrilled with Cedric Griffin so it will be a tall order for the secondary to stop the many weapons the Saints have.  Our best hope is for our front seven (the strength of our defense) to get pressure on Brees and force errant throws.  If Brees has time, he will pick us apart.

2. RG3.  It's his first NFL regular season game.  It's away.  It's against a strong team.  It's being played in his parent's home town.  There will definitely be nerves so it will be tantamount for him to settle down quickly and not get overly excited and play beyond himself.  The O line will need to give him protection and the WRs will need to get open.  He will need as much help as possible to get comfortable. 

3. Get running game going.  Towards the latter part of last season and in the preseason, Shanny's zone blocking run game started taking shape.  That needs to continue on Sunday.  Royster apparently is slotted as the starter on the depth chart but I expect to see a healthy dose of all the backs (Royster, Morris, and Helu).  Who ever is back there needs to get it done.  We need to establish that run game.

4. Be aggressive.  I firmly expect to see some deep throws.  I wouldn't be surprised one bit if RG3 takes a shot deep on the first play or on the first drive.  I just want to see him throw it deep a few times as we have the ability to do that now with his arm and speed at WRs.

5. Turnovers. Going back to defense, it will be critical for this team to create turnovers.  If we can win that battle, we may have a chance to steal a victory. On the flip side, we have to be very careful not to give the ball away.  RG3 will need to be careful in what he does and I will be particularly upset if a back/WR fumbles the ball away.

In the end, I think we will be competitive.  I think we will see a number of positives but I believe the Saints are too much of a talented, veteran bunch to lose at home.  Skins will fall 27-16.

HTTR!!!

New keg

Just replaced the keg yesterday and was deciding between Blue Moon pumpkin ale, Sam Adams Oktoberfest, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Lost Rhino Pale Ale. 

I ended up with the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.  I like pumpkin ale but not so much in a keg.  A bottle or two is fine but that's about it.  I like the Oktoberfest but I wanted something with a bit more bite and I enjoy Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale.  For me, it is the nice cross over beer going from late summer into early fall.  Might end up getting the Oktoberfest next time.

CHEERS!!!

JMU football - week 1

JMU rolled in its first game of the season against St. Francis winning by a final score of 55-7.  It was 41-0 at halftime.  It's a nice opening victory for the #5 nationally ranked Dukes.  Next up is Alcorn State on Saturday which should be another good primer for the Dukes as they will face #9 ranked West VA at FedEx field the following week. 

In other college football news, UVA beat Richmond handily by a score of 43-19.

W&M fell in the fourth quarter to Maryland by a score of 7-6.

I was looking for VCU's score but then I remembered they don't have a football team.

GO DUKES!!!

Jerry Jones wants him some "glory hole!"

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O's and Nats both in first place

Lost in the excitement of the football season is the fact that both the O's and Nats are in first place in their respective divisions.

The Nats came into the season considered an improved team but no one thought they would be arguably the best team in baseball.  They hold a large lead in their division and seem a lock to make the playoffs.  Strasburg has one more start in him before they shut him down.  I don't particularly agree with the move but then again, the Nats brass got them to this point so who am I to argue.  Assuming they make the playoffs, the Nats will be tough to beat as they have a tremendous rotation and we all know that pitching will beat hitting especially in the playoffs. 

On the other side, the O's have been playing great ball all season particularly as of late having taken two of three from the Yankees over the weekend and now the first two against Toronto.  They now find themselves sharing the AL East lead with the aforementioned Yankees with the Rays nipping at their heels.  The O's have been irrelevant for the last 15 years so it's good to see them in the thick of things again.  Like the Nats, they have a good, young core with quality guys in their system so there is some excitement with this team. 

I don't think the O's are quite the complete team the Nats are but I'm hoping they can keep it up and get a spot in the playoffs.

Again, it's interesting because despite the success of both these teams, they still seem to take a back seat to the Skins and the upcoming football season. 

Suddenly the Caps have some competition in town.

ESPN Power Rankings - Week 1

ESPN issued their first power rankings of the season and no real surprises.  The Puckers hold the top spot going into the season.  Seems deserving as the Puckers still have a young, talented core led by Aaron Rodgers.  This is a team that won the Super Bowl just two years ago so not a surprise that they should be one of the better teams in the NFL again this year.

The Pears land at number nine.  Also not much of a surprise.  They are a solid team and probably not as good on defense as in previous years but they have improved on offense with the addition of a bona fide #1 wideout in Brandon Marshall.  If he keeps his head on straight and if Jay George can stay healthy, they should be a pretty strong team.

The Skins find themselves at #24.  Not surprising.  We are starting a rookie in RG3.  There is talent on the defense particularly in the front seven.  The Skins are still in the rebuilding process but I like the direction of the team and if Bob can pull it together quickly and the defense plays as well as they should, it's a team that can surprise and be solid.

Whatever.  Rankings are just for fun but really I'm just glad that the NFL games start for real tomorrow night with the Cowboys at the Giants.  Seems I come to love football more with each passing year.