(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “What a Strange Day,” by Dr. Dog

Yes, I know that Donovan McNabb and Mike Shanahan have been with the Washington Redskins for a few months now. And yes, I’ve seen them both at countless practices and camps since their respective arrivals. But I’ve still got to admit, it was surreal seeing them both rocking the burgundy and gold Friday night against the Buffalo Bills.

Apparently I wasn’t the only one who needed an extra second to adjust to it all either.

“When I came out of the tunnel it really hit me that, obviously, it is a new uniform, new scenery, and a new team,” McNabb said. “The exciting thing about it is that guys came in here just excited. Everybody wanted to see everybody get out there and make plays in game situations and I think we were able to show that. The most exciting part is putting up points, eating up yards, getting Redskins turnovers and special teams scoring points. I think you are seeing a whole new different ball club than you are used to seeing in the previous seasons. We don’t want to get too overly excited.”

In his preseason debut, McNabb completed five of eight passes for 58 yards with one touchdown. In limited action, he finished with a passer rating of 124, and even at 33-years-old, managed to outrace a Bills defender or two during a third-down scramble during the team’s second drive.

‘Skins fans still aren’t completely sure what the team has in terms of depth at receiver, but it didn’t hinder McNabb against the Bills. He just dropped back, picked his target and fired passes without hesitation. Whether it was Roydell Williams, Chris Cooley or Anthony Armstrong, if they were open, the ball came their way.

If this is a sign or things to come in 2010, then now might be a good time for you to start working on getting tickets. This Redskins offense might finally be capable of keeping up with the defense.

2. “Almost Easy” by Avenged Sevenfold

The Redskins moved the ball on offense. They created pressure and forced turnovers on defense. Hell, even the special teams unit managed to recover from receiver Devin Thomas’ opening kickoff gaffe to tilt the field in Washington’s favor.

Regardless of whether they played a mediocre Buffalo squad or some junior college from South Dakota, the Redskins looked sharp for long stretches of the game and dictated play in all three phases of the game.

“They keep score to see who wins,” said Redskins defensive end Phillip Daniels.

Well, the final score was 42-17.

It was 35-3 before the Bills backups made the score a little more respectable against the Redskins backups. The 42 points were the most a Redskins team has scored in the preseason since 1988. There was a lot to like and plenty of preventable mistakes the coaches can focus on this week in practice to keep the players humble and hungry.

“We played with lots of effort today,” Shanahan said. “I thought, overall, we got a chance to evaluate a lot of people – first, second, third and even fifth stringers. I thought we gave some good effort. I thought we played well and other times not so well, but it was a good first game and hopefully we can build from here.”

3. “Sexy Back,” by Justin Timberlake

Sexy Rexy. The Sex Cannon. Money in the bank.

It doesn’t matter what name you call Rex Grossman, as long as you call him the Redskins’ backup. Seriously, the coaching staff can cut John Beck and “Tricky” Dick Bartel now. Shanahan typically only keeps two quarterbacks and it’s clear that Grossman, with an extra year in the Kyle Shanahan offense, is light years ahead of the other guys.

Grossman’s first touchdown pass, a bullet to tight end Fred Davis, was a throw I didn’t even know the guy could still make. His second touchdown pass, a 44-yard bomb that hit Thomas in stride to effectively end the competitive portion of the game, was even better.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

The second week of training camp has come and gone and the Washington Redskins are a little more than 24 hours away from their first preseason game of the season.

With that in mind, here is the second edition of the Redskins power rankings. In case you missed last week’s offering, the concept is simple – 10 Redskins players who have risen to the challenge and made a strong impression during Week 2 of training camp, along with five guys who need to step it up.

And my disclaimer: these rankings are completely subjective, biased and, ultimately, meaningless. They simply represent one person’s take from the sidelines. If you see things differently and/or feel like I’m forgetting someone, that’s okay. Feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts on the subject.

1. Donovan McNabb, quarterback – Ask anyone from Philadelphia capable of having a coherent conversation (which admittedly, doesn’t leave many options to choose from) – McLovin’ is a notoriously poor practice player. The guy has been a consistent winner throughout his NFL career, but that success rarely carries over to practice situations. And honestly, that’s fine.

Nothing against Taylor Jacobs, but I’d much rather have a top 10 talent who is a so-so practice player, than the opposite. But McNabb earns the top spot this week because he’s managed to put together a string of solid performances over the last seven days, which hopefully means he’s getting more comfortable in this new offense.

Either way, McNabb is making enough noise these days that the mere sight of his Redskins jersey is enough to make Andy Reid call for security.

2. Carlos Rogers, cornerback – I keep saying it and skeptics keep mocking me. This is going to be a career year for Rogers. With his good pal Fred Smoot no longer around to distract him, Rogers is spending more time focusing on the subtle nuances of playing one of football’s most challenging positions and less time smoking and joking.

3. Trent Williams, offensive lineman – He’s already solidified his place as the starting left tackle and his coaches continue to sing his praises. As soon as his head catches up with his natural athletic ability, this guy is going to be a stud for a long, long time.

4. Adam Carriker, defensive end – Carriker is starting to look very comfortable in Jim Haslett’s defense. Oh, and he’s got a healthy chip on his shoulder because he wants to prove St. Louis was foolish for giving up on him. Feel free to start getting excited over what a healthy and motivated Carriker can provide for this aggressive defense.

5. Andre Carter, linebacker – Folks kept telling me throughout the offseason that there wasn’t a place for Carter in a 3-4 defense, and that it was only a matter of time before he was either traded or let go. And I kept telling those people that they didn’t know what they were talking about and that not all 3-4 defenses are created equally. Once Carter fully recovered from offseason surgery to repair his torn bicep muscle [Editor's note: ouch.], he found himself below Lorenzo Alexander on the depth chart as he worked back to speed with the second teamers.

Carter never said a word. He simply kept a positive attitude and continued to do whatever was asked of him. In related news, Carter has leapfrogged Alexander and has spent the last week running with the starters.

6. Chris Cooley, tight end – He’s not fast. He’s not flashy. But dammit, you know what you’re getting with Chris Cooley. And for that reason alone, you’ve got to respect him. Cooley looked off the first week of training camp, with more than a few passes hitting him in the hands that he failed to secure. This past week though, Cooley has seemingly started to develop some chemistry with McNabb and looks much more like the Pro Bowler fans love to love. Let’s put it this way – it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Cooley was the team leader in receptions this season.

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(courtesy photo)

Back in September of 2008, rookie safety Chris Horton made a lasting impression in his first career start with the Washington Redskins.

In a Week 2 matchup, the New Orleans Saints committed three turnovers. All three ended up in the hands of Horton, who was thrust into the starting lineup only after an illness forced Reed Doughty out of the lineup.

The seventh-round draft pick was all over the field – recovering a fumble and intercepting Saints quarterback Drew Brees twice during Washington’s 29-24 victory. The effort was impressive enough that Redskins defensive coordinator Greg Blache borrowed a phrase from hockey, dubbing Horton’s feat a “hat trick.”

That week, Horton was given the nickname “The Predator” by a high schooler who happens to be my next-door neighbor. I posted something here on the website and, from that moment on, the nickname stuck.

Everywhere you look, whether in Sports Illustrated articles or on Horton’s personal website, his nickname of “The Predator” can be found.

Now, here’s where things get interesting.

Last month, nearly two full years later, Redskins receiver Devin Thomas took time out of his busy offseason schedule of modeling, appearing in music videos and hanging out with former Dancin’ with the Stars contestants to go see the new “Predators” remake, starring Adrien Brody.

Apparently the third-year receiver liked the movie, because he went on Twitter as soon as the movie and began referring to himself of “The Predator.” When fans pointed out that one of his teammates already had that nickname, Thomas posted the following:

“im the real predator chris just has the dreads!”

With that in mind, I caught up with Thomas to address the situation and to see why he felt, after two years, he should take over rights to the nickname. I mean, it was my website that got this whole thing started anyway.

“You shouldn’t have given him that nickname,” Thomas said. “The man never watches the movies. I have ‘The Predator’ on my ribs. The ribs!?! Who gets ‘The Predator’ tattooed on their ribs unless they’re really about ‘The Predator?’

“I’m about ‘The Predator,’” he continued. “I don’t have the dreads. He has the dreads, yes. So he might look like ‘The Predator.’ But when it comes to the real name, the movie, the concept of Dutch, Dillon, Billy, Poncho, Hawkins and all of the characters from the first movie – that’s me. I’m ‘The Predator.’ I ain’t got time to bleed.”

Have you talked to Horton about this? Do we need to set up something so you two can talk this out?

“If you want to,” Thomas said. “We talked about it a year or two ago when ‘The Predator’ stuff first popped up, and he didn’t really know about the movies. So I was already a little upset back then. He got the nickname ‘The Predator’ because of the dreads, but he doesn’t really know about ‘The Predator.’”

Apparently this beef has escalated to the point that teammates are being asked to pick sides.

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(courtesy photo)

[Editor's note: For those who still haven't heard the news, I've started writing a weekly sports column for SB Nation DC. So every Tuesday, my contribution to society (or at least the D.C. sports scene) is located over there.]

If you were asked back in January to predict the two players who would benefit the most after Mike Shanahan took over as the new head coach of the Washington Redskins, I’m willing to bet you wouldn’t have immediately landed on tight end Fred Davis and safety Kareem Moore.

And yet, since the Redskins began preparing for the 2010 season, those two third-year players have easily been the biggest standouts for the burgundy and gold this offseason.

It seemingly doesn’t matter what day you go out and watch a practice. All you have to do is make the trip out to Redskins Park and you’re almost guaranteed to see both Davis and Moore shine.

Think about it this way, if you started a conversation about a Redskins tight end or safety with fellow ‘Skins fans, they’re probably not going to talk about Davis or Moore. No, they’re much more likely to bring up more established players such as Pro Bowler Chris Cooley or the hard-hitting LaRon Landry.

But if these youngsters keep it up, it’s only a matter of time before they become regular household names.

Lets starts with Davis.

Sure, he did an admirable job filling in for Chris Cooley last year when the veteran tight end was injured, but we’re talking about a guy who, until that point, was most famous for oversleeping on his first day of work as a professional. That’s not really the first impression you hope to make. So when, exactly, did he get to the point where he’s playing so well that he’s suddenly forcing Shanahan and friends to figure out ways to get him on the field?

For my money, the transformation happened over the course of the final six games of 2009. You see, while some of his teammates had unofficially thrown in the towel on the season as early the Week 3 loss at Detroit, Davis was a guy who refused to quit.

Many players stand in front of a camera and spout clichés after a loss. Not Davis. He takes each and every loss personally. He openly admits that losing sucks and he’ll do anything to avoid it.

That’s probably because defeat wasn’t something Davis dealt with before coming to Washington. Through four years at USC, Davis’ Trojans went 47-5.

Sadly, the Redskins matched that loss total by their bye week last season (they were 2-5 at the break). Some guys accept defeat. Others take it personally. You can guess which camp Davis falls into.

“I’ve never been a part of a situation like this and I hope I don’t ever have to again,” Davis told me after the Redskins bungled away a chance at victory against New Orleans last season. “With everything that has happened, I really hope I don’t have to go through this again in the future. It needs to turn around somewhere. I know it is going to turn around; I just wanted it to turn around this week against this team. It would have been really great to have a win against a team like that.”

As the losses mounted in painstaking fashion, Davis tried his best to provide an offensive spark to the team’s dormant attack – as evident by his team-high six touchdown receptions.

Fortunately for ‘Skins fans, that first taste of success has only made Davis more determined. He’s dedicated this entire offseason to making himself the best football player he can be, whether it be in his route running, his blocking or anything else the coaches ask of him.

“Man, I’ve been waiting for this for a while now,” Davis said. “I’m tired of being a backup. If they give you an opportunity, you’ve got to take it, you know what I mean? It’s on me to show these coaches what I can do and make them want to put me on the field.”

Click here for the full article.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Ladies and gentlemen, back by popular demand, it’s time for another round of “caption this.”

The game is fairly simple, as you hopefully know by now. We supply the photo and you bring the witty reader-submitted captions. You might not win any cool prizes, but you’ll be formally recognized for being better than your peers and will get some love here on the blog.

Here’s our humble offering for this photo to help get folks started:

“After finally passing his conditioning test, Washington Redskins defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth reacts after learning he’s now eligible to appear in Fantasia’s next music video.”

Think you can do better? Leave a comment below with your best caption.

[Editor's note: The winner is Krol2 with a caption of, “Haynesworth and Carter do their best 80’s freezeframe to end the show. Sit Ubu sit. Good boy.”]

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Back in April, the Washington Redskins made a low-risk, high-reward move – trading away a fifth and seventh round draft pick in this year’s NFL draft to the St. Louis Rams for defensive end Adam Carriker.

The trade reunited the 26-year-old, who was the 13th pick in the 2007 NFL draft, with his former coach Jim Haslett – who now serves as the defensive coordinator in Washington.

Carriker missed the 2009 season because of a shoulder injury, but he’s fully recovered and has been one of the team’s standouts so far this offseason.

We caught up with the Nebraska Cornhusker this week to find out a little more about him and to get his perspective on his time in St. Louis.

How’s everything coming along as you settle in with your new team?

“I think it’s going really well,” he said. “The scheme fits me pretty good and I love my new teammates already, to be honest with you. They’re a bunch of good, hard-working guys.”

You mentioned the scheme. What’s your initial impression of this 3-4 defense all of us are excited to see in action?

“You know, we’re watching film and defenses are typically ahead of offenses this time of the year,” Carriker said. “But man, if we’re able to do this during the regular season, it’s going to be a big year for our defense.”

This is a defense that has finished in the top 10 pretty consistently over the last decade. The biggest issue has been a lack of turnovers. Are you seeing anything out there that makes you think this year is going to be different?

“I think so,” he said. “We’re going to be aggressive. We’re a 3-4. Our defensive linemen will read and react and all that, but we’re going to bring the heat a lot too. We’re going to be putting a lot of pressure on people.”

What’s the scouting report on Adam Carriker, for those local fans who may not know much about you?

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

With the first week of training camp in the books for the Washington Redskins, I figured I’d try something new. With that in mind, I present to you my first stab at the top 10 Redskins players through Week 1. These are the players who have risen to the challenge and managed to make a strong impression through the first seven days of camp.

One quick note before we dive in – these rankings are completely subjective, biased and, ultimately, meaningless. They simply represent one person’s take on the first week of training camp. If you see things differently and/or feel like I’m forgetting someone, that’s okay. Feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts on the subject.

1. Kareem Moore, safety – No player has done more to turn heads in the last week than Moore. Don’t believe me? Consider this: in the last two days, Moore has three interceptions. He’s rapidly turning into a ball hawk and appears to be developing more and more confidence every day he takes the field. In fact, he’s looking so comfortable that I’d go as far as to say it’s officially his position to lose.

2. Fred Davis, tight end – Chris Cooley is the man. I’ve got no problem saying it and neither does Davis. But the offensive star throughout this entire offseason has easily been Freddie Delight. The days of oversleeping practice and/or looking lost on the football field are long gone. These days, the third-year pro is automatic – especially when running a seam route. If a quarterback can get the ball near him, Davis has had no problem catching the ball in stride and blowing by defenders. If he can improve his blocking, Davis is going to be a force in this league.

3. Carlos Rogers, cornerback – Before training camp began, I boldly predicted Rogers would set a new career high for interceptions in 2010. After seven days, I’m feeling even more confident in the Auburn product. I’ve heard from a player or two that the cornerbacks under Jerry Gray spent too much time goofing off and cracking jokes. Although Gray was very good at his job, some wonder if he made a mistake trying to be buddy buddy with guys like Rogers and Fred Smoot. With those distractions gone and hopes of a long-term contract in front of him, Rogers has more than enough incentive to come out strong this season.

4. Larry Johnson, running back – There’s no way this is the same guy who half of Kansas City despises. He’s been an absolute model citizen on and off the field for Washington and has managed to stand out in a very crowded backfield. Clinton Portis will likely be the primary ball carrier, but Johnson brings a physical presence this offense needs. At this point, I’m genuinely excited at the prospect of him being the goal-line back this season.

5. Trent Williams, left tackle – Before training camp began and before the highly-touted rookie even signed his contract, I suggested that at some point this season Williams might be swapped with right tackle Jammal Brown. Well, if he continues to play like this, that’s not going to be an option. Williams is exactly the athletic offensive lineman that thrives in a Mike Shanahan-led attack and he’s already managing to hold his own against linebacker Brian Orakpo when the two square off. I can’t help but think he’s still playing mostly on pure instincts which means he’ll likely improve once he fully grasps everything the coaches are throwing at him. If that’s the case, Williams is going to be protecting the blind side for the foreseeable future.

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