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If you’re a fan of the Washington Redskins, then chances are you’ve seen very little of the very big nose tackle Maake Kemoeatu.
That’s because Kemoeatu has been sidelined since he signed with the team as a free agent back in March, thanks to an Achillies’ injury he suffered last August while playing with the Carolina Panthers. That means the Tonga native hasn’t played a meaningful game since Jan. 10, 2009, when his Panthers were thumped by the underdog Arizona Cardinals in the playoffs 33-13.
While the massive lineman, whose playing weight hovers around 340 lbs., has yet to be able to take the field with his new teammates, he’s already made a positive impact on his head coach.
“He is a prototypical nose tackle,” said Mike Shanahan of Kemoeatu this week. “He’s working extremely hard. I think next week, he’ll get more reps. The key is getting ready for summer camp. And there’s not a question he’s full speed, ready to go.”
We caught up with the nine-year veteran to see just how close he is to returning to action and to get his take on why the Redskins have struggled to find success recently.
Simply put – how are you feeling these days?
“I’m feeling good,” he said. “Rehab is going well and I’m slowly making a comeback. I’m at about 90 percent right now. Hopefully by training camp I’ll be in some pads and ready to go, but so far, so good.”
How tough is it to be sidelined for so long?
“It’s been really tough, man,” Kemoeatu said. “I missed a whole year and it just drains you sitting on the sideline watching all the other kids play. I really can’t wait to get back into a groove and into the mix of things. I just want to get back to doing what I love to do.”
Since Redskins fans haven’t had a chance to get to know you yet, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
“I’m a fun guy,” he said. “I mean, when it’s time to go to work, it’s time to go to work. But when it’s time to have fun, I have lots of fun. And when it’s time to eat, I get my eat on. It’ll be nice to meet the fans of the Redskins because I’ve heard, even back when I was in Baltimore, you always heard that Redskins fans were some of the toughest. Baltimore used to have the Colts, but when the Ravens got there they were a new team. Even up there, there’s always been a lot of Redskins fans up there. I know they’re gonna have our back.”
[Editor’s note: that’s one big back.]
What kind of game do you bring to the table?
“I’m more of a run stuffer,” Kemoeatu said. “You won’t see too many sacks out of me, but if I can, I’ll get them. But most of the time I try to help my linebackers get to the ball. If my linebackers get a tackle for a loss, that’s a tackle for a loss for me too. It might not show up on the stats that way, but that’s how I see it. I’m there to help the team win.”
It appears as if the Redskins front office has made a concerted effort to bring in every possible selfless, team-oriented type of defensive linemen available. Does it seem that way to you?
Our parents told us a long, long time ago that we should never judge a book by its proverbial cover.
And yet, there we were, criticizing the Washington Redskins for bringing in running back Larry Johnson before even taking the time to try and get to know the young man.
Well, we decided to try and rectify the situation by chatting with Johnson this week, if for no other reason than to get a better feel for someone who could very well be a central figure on our favorite football team this season.
While we didn’t necessarily have any expectations heading into the interview, we clearly walked away with a different opinion after spending some time with the 30-year-old. The same guy who came across as childish and immature when he called out his head coach on Twitter seems much more humble and hungry these days. If this is the Larry Johnson that the Redskins will see day in and day out, then it’s not impossible to believe he could be around a while. See for yourself.
How is the transition coming along as you adjust to your new team?
“It’s going really good,” Johnson said. “Everything, as far as moving and getting all my stuff here and learning a new city, a new town, it’s actually been easier than any other place I’ve been in. Everywhere I go, even when I’m out eating dinner, people are all telling me how happy there are to have me here. I really take that to heart because I’ve been in some cities where they didn’t want me there.”
On a personal level, this place holds a special meaning because your father played here, right?
“Definitely. And having family members all throughout Virginia, Maryland and the D.C. area makes it even more special,” he said. “It makes everything that much more fun because I didn’t have that kind of support in Kansas City. I was pretty much all by myself there, so it’s been really good to have all kinds of nephews and uncles and stuff around here.”
That’s one of the most overlooked aspects of professional sports. Young men are pulled away from college, where they’ve typically got their family and a certain level of comfort, and they can end up on the other side of the country in a place they’d never even think to visit if the circumstances were different. Are we wrong in thinking that there can be a pretty drastic adjustment period as a kid is asked to grow up essentially overnight?
“Absolutely, that’s true,” he said. “There’s a lot that you have to adjust to being by yourself, like the first time you have to pay a mortgage. It’s not like in college, where you just have to pay for meals, so it was definitely an adjustment. But coming here, it’s been easy. Just show me where to live and let’s go get started. It’s been that easy and it’s been fun, and knowing Coach [Mike] Shanahan’s history and reputation makes it even more exciting to be here.”
You mentioned Kansas City, but we’re curious how you look back on your time last season in Cincinnati.
“It was fun, but it was very brief,” Johnson said. “I wish I could have stayed with those guys a little bit longer and actually gotten to know them a little bit better than I did in those six or seven games. The entire experience was enjoyable and being in a playoff game and seeing those guys finally take it to the new level was very cool.”
As an outsider, it looked like you went there and kind of got your mojo back. It seems you were able to put all the off-field stuff to the side and turn your focus to simply playing football. Is that how you see it?
It’s been a while since anyone has heard from Washington Redskins safety Chris “The Predator” Horton.
After a surprisingly solid rookie campaign put Horton on the map, his sophomore season was less than desirable for the UCLA Bruin. Thanks largely to a toe injury, Horton saw action in just eight games in 2009.
While he’s still not 100 percent, Horton is working himself back into action slowly but surely. And like many of his teammates, Horton’s encouraged by what he’s seen so far this offseason. The addition of general manager Bruce Allen, head coach Mike Shanahan and defensive coordinator Jim Haslett has given players like Horton a reason for optimism heading into next season.
“Just look at what guys in this scheme have been able to accomplish,” he said.
But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, Horton simply wants to get back onto the field full time and do his best to help the Redskins win football games.
“When I come back, I might be the fifth safety,” Horton said. “I might start there, but I know one thing – I ain’t gonna finish there.”
Which is exactly the kind of mentality these coaches want to see from their players. With that mindset and plenty of hard work and determination, Horton could be back on the field sooner rather than later for the burgundy and gold.
As was the case with many folks around town, the Washington Capitals’ early exit hit us like a stomach punch.
Just when we were getting used to one of our local franchises going from pretender to contender, they suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the 16th-best team to make the playoffs.
We’ve never been accused at looking past an opponent, but blowing a three-games-to-one lead against the Montreal Canadiens caught us off guard, to say the least.
Like Ron Burgundy, we resigned ourselves to growing a mountain man beard and drinking copious amounts of milk from the carton to drown away our sorrows.
But a funny thing happened this past weekend. A forgotten friend showed up, fittingly, at our doorstep and swept us away.
The Washington Nationals, who after back-to-back 100-loss seasons have been viewed locally as little more than a doormat, are suddenly interesting again.
On the surface, taking two out of three games from a 14-31 Baltimore Orioles team that is currently dead-last in baseball, isn’t something to write home about. But it’s the manner in which the Nats won those games that is our reason for being suckered back in.
After dropping the series opener to Baltimore 5-3, the Nats were back to an all-too-familiar place – below .500. The following day things went from bad to worse when veteran catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez was forced out of the game with a back injury and center fielder Nyjer Morgan allowed an inside-the-park home run after throwing a hissy fit rather than field a ball that bounced off his glove.
And yet, the Nationals somehow managed to rally back and earn a 7-6 victory, thanks to a two-run single by first baseman Adam Dunn. Yesterday, the Nationals gutted out a 4-3 victory over the Orioles when outfielder Josh Willingham delivered a walk-off homer in the 10th inning.
This game was equally noteworthy because closer Matt Capps, who has been an indestructible force all season long, blew his first save of the year.
That’s the thing about these last two wins: for the first time this season (and possibly dating back even longer), the Washington Nationals have an identity. A team that has rarely been able to overcome any adversity has suddenly shown that there is enough depth and desire to battle back if something doesn’t go right.
When’s the last time the Nats could survive a momentary lapse in judgment by Morgan or an off day from their closer and still somehow battle back for a victory? Let’s just say it hasn’t happened very often with this bunch.
This team now heads west for a 10-game road trip, but there is an undeniable truth about these Nats: even without highly-touted rookie Stephen Strasburg on the big-league roster yet, they are now worth the price of admission.
After years (and years and years) of slipping on the proverbial banana peel, the downtrodden Wizards have finally stumbled their way into a small sliver of good luck. Call it the Ted Leonsis Factor. Everything that guy touches turns to gold. Yes, this team was 26-56 last season and they still have a long way to go before they can be invited back to the grown-ups table, but turning a 10 percent chance into the first pick in the NBA draft is a helluva good start.
It doesn’t matter that the last time the Wiz had the top pick they screwed it up by selecting Kwame Brown, a player so soft he wouldn’t have cut it in the WNBA. It doesn’t matter that most draft experts believe this draft doesn’t have a dominant, franchise-cornerstone kind of guy in the mold of Tim Duncan or LeBron James. No, this sudden turn of fortune, much like the arrival of Leonsis as the new owner, signals the dawn of a new day. There’s little reason to believe things will magically get better overnight, but for one day Wiz fans have reason for some of that cautious optimism we so often speak of.
Now, the question becomes, which player should the Wizards select with the number one pick? Do they go with John Wall, the talented point guard from Kentucky, or do they build the franchise around Evan Turner, the shooting guard from the Ohio State University? Both players are immensely talented and are automatically better than anyone already on the roster, but it’s never that simple with this team, is it?
As with everything else involving the Wizards, this decision ultimately revolves around Gilbert Arenas. Sure, he hasn’t been relevant on the court in three seasons, but the man continues to put a stranglehold on this franchise.
“Gilbert is still with us. He’s been down at our gym, working out and getting ready,” Grunfeld said during a conference call last night. “The more good players you have, the better.”
Not exactly the words you’re hoping to hear when dreaming of a fresh start for one of the most cursed franchises in the history of professional sports. Thankfully, Grunfeld stopped talking long enough to let the voice of reason make it all better.
“We have a lot of work to do with the franchise,” Leonsis said. “The players, the culture, the expectations, the discipline around the team, but I do think it is a breath of fresh air and does revive the franchise and gives us a shot to be an exciting team with a lot of expectations.
“I know how hard it is to rebuild a team,” he continued. “I am going to be patient but I have a strong belief that our management team and ownership team is very focused.”
Forget, for a moment, that Arenas was such a moron that he had to serve time in prison for bringing firearms to his workplace. If the Wizards hold true to Grunfeld’s words and keep Arenas, his impact on either Wall or Turner has everything to do with on the court.
Here’s what we know about Wall:
For starters, Wall’s Wildcats went 35-3 last year, meaning they won nine games more than the Wizards while playing 44 less times. And honestly, some folks might suggest that Kentucky had more NBA-caliber players than the Wiz did last season, but we digress.
Wall is a 6-4 point guard who excels with the ball in his hand (he averaged 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game last season). He’s got more than enough speed and athleticism to continue to be a stand-out player whenever he takes the court and by all accounts he’s a hard working and coachable player. His 3.5 grade point average his second semester shows Wall is bright, especially when compared to the 2.0 that his Kentucky team reportedly averaged.
The weakest area of Wall’s game would have to be his three-point shooting, which hovered around 32 percent. If you’re looking for an NBA player to compare Wall to, you could probably go with Chicago’s Derrick Rose.
We’ve never understood how a parent could say they love their children differently. Since we don’t have kids of our own, it always seemed odd to hear a parent admit they love their children on different level. We always thought that was code for “I love this kid less.”
Until now.
We still don’t have any kids (that we know of), but our favorite sports teams have been kind enough to shed some light on the subject for us.
Take the Washington Redskins, for example. They’re definitely the older, more stubborn child. There’s little doubt that they’ve got some sort of attention deficit disorder, as evident by their new master plan seemingly each and every year. Oh, and they’ve been known to turn some folks off with their brash demeanor as they walk around like they own the place. Basically, they mean well, but the majority of their issues are self inflicted.
And then there’s the Washington Capitals. They’re the younger, quieter sibling. They haven’t been around nearly as long as the ‘Skins, which works to their advantage because they don’t pretend to have all the answers. They’ve taken a few missteps along the way (see: Jagr, Jaromir), but they’re more likely to learn from those mistakes than their older brother.
There’s no doubt that we love both of these teams, as evident by the staggering amount of time, energy and money we’ve dedicated to both of them. But it’s impossible to love both franchises the same when they’re so dramatically different.
The Redskins have spent this entire offseason acquiring every aging veteran you’ve ever heard of. Take one look at players like Donovan McNabb (33), Rex Grossman (29), Larry Johnson (30), Willie Parker (29), Joey Galloway (38), Bobby Wade (29), Vonnie Holliday (34), Adam Carriker (26), Howard Green (31), Maake Kemoeatu (31), Chris Draft (34) or Phillip Buchanon (29) and it’s easy to see that this year’s makeover did little to decrease the team’s average age.
The one aspect of this aggressive offseason we can give the ‘Skins credit for is that none of these players received a lucrative signing bonus or long-term contract extension, as was standard in the past. Outside of McNabb, any of the dozen players listed above could be let go tomorrow and it wouldn’t have a huge impact on the team. It’s not earth shattering by any stretch of the imagination, but it counts as progress.
Conversely, we have the Capitals, who yesterday announced the signing of center Nicklas Backstrom to a 10-year, $67-million contract. During his three seasons in Washington, the 22-year-old Swede has continually improved in every offensive category and ranks among the league’s elite.
Backstrom is now signed through 2019-20 and his linemate, forward Alex Ovechkin, is locked up through 2020-21. The dynamic duo scored a combined 210 points last season, easily the best in the NHL and they were two of only four players to crack the 100-point barrier (Backstrom set career-highs with 33 goals and 68 assists for 101 points this season).
Any conversation about the NHL’s best duos has to include the following (with their average annual salary cap hit in parenthesis):
Last season was a quiet one for Washington Redskins cornerback Kevin Barnes. As a rookie, he only saw limited action – appearing in only four games while playing primarily on special teams.
Unfortunately, the most memorable play from his inaugural season was when a shanked punt by New Orleans punter Thomas Morstead bounced off of Barnes allowing the Saints to recover the ball and regain possession in a game the Redskins blew 33-30.
One might think that spending the bulk of the season riding the bench would have jaded Barnes, but that’s not the case. Instead, it simply motivated the 23-year-old to spend even more time and energy in pursuit of becoming the cornerback the Redskins envisioned when they drafted Barnes in the third round of the 2009 draft.
We caught up with the second-year cornerback during the team’s most recent minicamp to see how things are coming along.
Welcome back, man. It’s good to see you again.
“Appreciate it, man,” Barnes said. “Appreciate it. A lot of people are gone, but I’m still here … so far.”
You mentioned how much has changed within the organization this offseason. What’s the biggest difference with you since last season?
“I’d say added responsibility,” he said. “Last year, I felt like a lot of guys and coaches were playing for their jobs, so I wouldn’t expect them to play me a lot as a rookie when their jobs were on the line. I understood and respected that. Now, I’m in a defense that I’m very familiar with, because it’s like what we ran in college. I’m ready to go out there and start making plays, man.”
The most consistent message we’re hearing from the new regime is that they want a competition at every position. If you play well, then they’re going to reward you. Is that what they’ve said to you?
