(photo by Jim Mone)

That the Washington Capitals lost 2-1 on the road against the Minnesota Wild shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, Washington has failed to defeat the Wild in six games at the Xcel Energy Center.

The troubling aspect of the loss though, is in the details.

There are going to be nights during an 82-game season when a team like the Capitals appears to be firing on all cylinders, only to be foiled by a hot goaltender or a fluky bounce. And then there are going to be nights when it’s difficult to muster up the necessary energy level on the second half of back-to-back games.

Well, this loss falls in the latter category as the Caps looked flat for much of the night, leaving coach Bruce Boudreau very few positives to walk away with.

“I can’t think of seven guys [who played well] off the top of my head right now,” Boudreau said following the loss. “It was really a disappointing effort, I thought, from our team for 50 minutes. You can’t play 10 minutes in this league and hope to win a game. I thought it was very disappointing.”

Capitals goalie Michal Neuvirth, who has easily been the best Capitals player this season, picked up his first career shutout in a 3-0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes Wednesday night. Just 24 hours later, Neuvirth was stellar again – unfortunately, he was the lone bright spot for Washington against the Wild.

When the first period was over, the Caps had just four shots on net and trailed 1-0 on the scoreboard, thanks to a goal by Minnesota forward Chuck Kobesaw. This too is nothing new for the Caps, who have surrendered the first goal in seven of 10 games this season.

The Wild took a 2-0 lead late in the second period on a powerplay goal by center Mikko Koivu, and there was little reason to believe the Capitals were going to keep things competitive. After the first two periods of action, the only Washington forwards to register a shot on goal were Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Knuble.

In case you forgot, those three players comprise the team’s top line. Everyone else apparently remained in Carolina.

And that’s the problem for Washington through 10 games this season. Too often, it appears as if some players are content to just coast around the rink without contributing much of anything. How does a line of Alexander Semin, Brooks Laich and Mathieu Perreault fail to even get a single shot on goal through 40 minutes of gametime?

Even after it was all said and done, those three tallied no points, two hits and just two shots on goal. It should go without saying that it’s tough to win in the NHL when your second line is so badly outworked.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

[Note: Every Tuesday I write a column for SB Nation DC. This is that column.]

After outlasting the Chicago Bears 17-14 this past weekend, the Washington Redskins are now 4-3 and very much in the thick of things in the wide open NFC.

In fact, nine teams in the conference are currently 4-3 or better, but only the New York Giants have a better record within the NFC (the Giants are 4-0 against the conference, while the Redskins are 4-1). And if the playoffs started today, the Redskins would be a part of the postseason festivities, which is noteworthy itself after just how bad the team was one season ago.

But don’t think for a minute that all is well in our nation’s capital. Sure, the Redskins have won three out of their last four games and have now matched their win total from 2009 with nine games to go, but Washington could just as easily be a one- or two-win team at this point.

That’s because the Redskins offense – even with the additions of head coach Mike Shanahan, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and quarterback Donovan McNabb – is still painfully inconsistent.

Look no further than the win in Chicago, where the Redskins had ideal field position throughout the entire first half and still failed to capitalize on it. Three of the team’s first six possessions actually started at midfield. Washington’s offense went three-and-out in two of those three instances, and they settled for a field goal the third time.

The Bears offense was equally inept, but Chicago led at the half 14-10 because of a McNabb interception returned for a touchdown. If not for the stellar play of cornerback DeAngelo Hall – who became just the 19th player in NFL history to intercept four passes in a single game – then the mood at Ashburn would be decidedly different this week.

[Seriously, let’s pause and think about this for a second: if the Redskins didn’t get called for a delay of game penalty, then McNabb throws his third interception of the day, with the Bears returning two of them for touchdowns. If that play stands, then the Redskins likely lose a game in which their defense created six turnovers. Has that ever happened in the history of football?]

It also helped that the Bears’ offense was no match for the Redskins’ defense. Here’s a breakdown of their drives in the second half: fumble, interception, interception, fumble, interception, punt, interception. When lasting long enough to punt is the closest thing you have to an actual highlight, you know it’s not your day.

But even as Chicago continually handed the ball back to Washington, the Redskins offense was unable to take advantage. McNabb threw two interceptions – with a third one called back only because of a delay of game penalty on the Redskins – and Washington, as a whole, fumbled the ball six times. Fortunately, the team only lost one of the six fumbles, but teams are rarely that lucky.

Had the Redskins offense been somewhat respectable against the Bears, the game would have been a blowout. With the picture-perfect field position and the six turnovers forced by Washington’s defense, this game should have been something along the lines of a 33-10 beatdown. But that’s something this offense simply isn’t able to make happen yet.

Case in point: in five of seven games this season, the Redskins have scored 17 points or less. Oddly enough, the two games in which Washington scored more than 17 points this year were both losses – a 30-27 in overtime to Houston and the 27-24 loss to Indianapolis.

If not for a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown by Hall in the season opener, the Redskins lose to Dallas. If not for his 92-yard interception return for a touchdown against Chicago, the Redskins lose to Chicago too. Seriously, even though Hall plays defense, he’s tied with receiver Santana Moss and tight end Chris Cooley for touchdowns on the season with two. And sadly, those two are the only legit receiving options McNabb has.

I’d compare Hall’s five interceptions (which he’s returned 92 yards with one touchdown) to receiver Joey Galloway’s eight catches for 139 yards in seven games, but that would only further embarrass a senior citizen who has no business on a football field. It’s not his fault the coaching staff continues to let him take the field though. Galloway is simply doing what is asked of him – which is apparently standing around and letting other people do all of the work.

With stiffs like Galloway and Roydell Williams taking up valuable space on the depth chart, it’s no wonder the offense is struggling. But things are actually worse than you might imagine.

Click here for the full article.

[As you can see, the ninth issue of Hail! magazine, our free digital publication dedicated to the burgundy and gold is now out. Here is a sneak peak of the main feature in this week's issue -- my feature story on Redskins linebacker Lorenzo Alexander, who continues to show on a weekly basis that he's one of the most important players on the roster.]

Lorenzo Alexander isn’t the face of the franchise and doesn’t own the top selling Washington Redskins jersey. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t one of the most valuable players on the roster.

In his four seasons in Washington, Alexander has made a name for himself as the ultimate team player – willing and able to do anything his coaches ask of him.

He might be listed as an outside linebacker these days, but Alexander should honestly be listed as “Utility Man.” He’s a throwback player – transported from the 1940s and ‘50s when guys played multiples positions all the time – only Alexander is bigger, faster and stronger.

Since joining the burgundy and gold, the 27-year-old has lined up as a guard, tackle, tight end, fullback, defensive tackle, defensive end and a linebacker. Good luck trying to find another player in the NFL who can impact a game from so many different angles. And that’s before we even mention his stellar special teams play.

“There’s not many guys like Lorenzo,” said Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan. “He, top to bottom, is the best special teams player that I’ve ever been around. He’s a guy that makes plays consistently: kickoff, kick return, punt. He’s always got a great attitude. He wants to make every play. He never wants to come out. If he’s not in the Pro Bowl on special teams, I don’t know who would be. We have a lot of people who have the same type of mindset, but not as talented as he is.”

When it comes to football though, Alexander got a later start than most. He didn’t begin playing until his freshman year of high school, but it wasn’t because he didn’t want to.

“In Pop Warner they always have a weight limit,” he said. “I was always so big that I would have had to play against much older kids. When I was eight, I would have had to play against 12 year olds, so my mom wouldn’t let me play because she didn’t want her little baby getting hurt.”

That meant Alexander’s only taste of football growing up came from pickup games in the neighborhood, where youngsters took to the streets and pretended to be their favorite NFL players.

“I loved Deion Sanders growing up,” Alexander said with a laugh. “He’s my favorite athlete of all time and he caught my attention because he played both ways and was good in several different sports. He had that swag and everything about him was just awesome.”

Once Alexander finally convinced his mother to let him play, he flourished.

Playing for Saint Mary’s High School in Berkeley, Calif., Alexander, like Sanders, excelled on both sides of the football. As a guard, he was a standout offensive lineman, but he truly turned heads on the defensive line, where he racked up 17 sacks during his senior season.

By the time he graduated, Alexander was a Parade All-American who was considered one of the top 10 defensive linemen in the country. While he had no shortage of college programs knocking on his door, Alexander opted to stay close to home and went to California.

As a defensive tackle, Alexander was a productive four-year starter for the Golden Bears. When it was time for the 2005 NFL Draft, he believed he would be selected in the second or third round. Unfortunately for Alexander, things didn’t pan out that way and he went undrafted.

“Everyone was telling me that I was going to be a second- or third-round pick,” he said. “So it hurt me to go undrafted. But honestly, that’s why I have my blue-collar approach now. At that time in my life I was a young kid and I kind of got complacent. I don’t think I worked as hard as I needed to, so I use that whole situation to fuel me today. Never again will I look back and say to myself, ‘You know, I probably could have worked harder.’”

The Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers each offered him a chance to sign as a rookie free agent, with Alexander ultimately deciding on Carolina. He didn’t make the 53-man roster his rookie year, but he did stick around as a member of the Panthers’ practice squad.

“The practice squad is a humbling experience,” he said. “You’re in the league and everybody assumes that you’re on the team, you’re playing and you’re rich. You’ve got to explain to people that you’re on the practice squad and while you’re making good money, it ain’t even close to the minimum NFL salary.

“You’ve got to work hard every day, but you don’t get to play in any of the games,” Alexander continued. “So you don’t get any sort of gratification from it. You’re basically doing grunt work, but it did teach me a lot about the league – especially the politics and, more importantly, what I needed to do to get on the field.”

After the 2006 preseason, Alexander was released by the Panthers. He worked out with Minnesota and was on the Baltimore practice squad for a week before being cut again.

“Flying back and forth from California to the East Coast and everywhere else, I was already in the mindset that ‘I can’t live like this,’” he said. “I graduated from Cal and got my degree, so I started thinking I might have to give up on football and start exploring my options. I didn’t want to be one of those guys who was out there trying forever to make a team.”

Eventually, Joe Gibbs took a chance on Alexander and signed him to the Redskins’ 2006 practice squad. Things quickly began to look up as Alexander regularly received work on the offensive and defensive lines.

“That whole year, between playing on offense, defense and special teams, I was on the field for every single snap,” Alexander said. “I would literally stay out on the field for every single rep of every practice. That was easily the hardest season I’ve ever experienced, in terms of what my body went through and everything. I was always beat up and sore, but it was worth it.”

By 2007, Alexander was good enough to make the 53-man roster. At that point, the only question became what position the coaches wanted him to play.

To read the rest of this feature click here and subscribe to Hail! magazine.

(photo by Charles Rex Arbogast)

1. “Hail, Hail” by Pearl Jam

While the entire 53-man roster traveled to Chicago to take on the Bears at Soldier Field Sunday, it turns out all the Washington Redskins needed was cornerback DeAngelo Hall and defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth.

Those two did the heavy lifting and paved the way for a 17-14 victory that improved the Redskins’ record to 4-3 – matching their win total from a year ago with nine games remaining on the schedule.

Say what you will about the Redskins, who have yet to put together a full 60-minute effort this season, but they find a way to win, even on a day when not much is going their way. The games might not always be aesthetically pleasing, but head coach Mike Shanahan has this team believing they can win and, more times than not, they’re able to make that one key play when the game is on the line.

The Redskins offense “featured” one running back, one receiver and one tight end. I’d include the quarterback, but for the second consecutive outing, Donovan McNabb was off his game. And while Ryan Torain, Santana Moss and Chris Cooley all had respectable performances, the Redskins still fumbled the ball six times against Chicago.

They were fortunate in that only one of the six fumbles was lost, but that’s not a trend that Shanahan is going to be happy with. Taking better care of the football is absolutely necessary moving forward. Well, that and scoring more than one offensive touchdown a game. Oh, and improving the pass blocking. And finding a true second option at receiver. And … well, you get the point. There’s plenty of work to be done with the Redskins’ work-in-progress offense.

2. “Unthinkable” (I’m Ready) by Alicia Keys

For as bad as the Redskins’ offense was, Hall was good enough to make up the difference. Seriously, he was so much better than anyone else on the field that Moss said it reminded him of a high school game. Cornerback Carlos Rogers, who said he’s never seen anything like Hall’s four-interception performance, compared it to a video game. Defensive lineman Adam Carriker joked that he felt like an offensive lineman, having to try and block downfield every time Hall got his hands on another ball.

Simply put – Hall played like the two-time Pro Bowler he is and single-handedly won the game for Washington. He became just the 19th player in NFL history to pick off four passes in a single game and tied the legendary Sammy Baugh atop Washington’s record book. It’s days like this that make ‘Skins fans forget about Hall being dragged by quarterbacks for a first down.

I am a big fan of Rogers, who is easily the best cover corner the Redskins have. But Hall is a game changer. He showed it against Dallas in the season opener, when he scored the team’s only touchdown on a 32-yard fumble recovery in a 13-7 win. But he elevated his game to a level we’ve never seen before as he picked off four second-half passes and took one of them 92 yards for his second touchdown of the season.

Even though Hall plays defense, his two touchdowns are good enough to tie him with Moss and Cooley for the team lead among pass catchers. In fact, the only player with more touchdowns than Hall this season is Torain, who has three rushing touchdowns on the year.

By the end of the game yesterday, I was openly lobbying for the Redskins to either keep their defense on the field to spare the offense from further embarrassment or to use Hall as a receiver, since he, unlike Joey Galloway or Roydell Williams, was actually capable of catching a football.

Neither happened, but it’s something to keep in mind moving forward – especially if the Redskins’ offense is going to continue to struggle.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

Whether we’re talking about Rudy, Remember the Titans or The Blind Side, many wise Hollywood executives have earned a comfortable living over the years cranking out feel-good stories based on football.

That’s because we’re all suckers for sports as it is. If you can add in a compelling storyline, it’s almost too good to be true.

The sheer thought of the Washington Redskins rallying together to win four-straight games to close out the 2007 regular season because they wanted to make the playoffs in honor of their fallen teammate, Sean Taylor, still brings a smile to my face on a bad day.

That’s because, up until that point, the Redskins were a mediocre 5-7 and losses in their four previous games gave little reason for anyone to believe they had one final run in them. But somehow, someway, the players on that team found it in them. They pulled it together and with motivation and purpose, were able to qualify for the playoffs on the final day of the regular season.

It doesn’t matter that the team was emotionally spent by the time they traveled all the way to Seattle for their wildcard matchup against the Seahawks or that, at the end of the day, the results on the field couldn’t bring back their friend and teammate. Simply seeing those players wear their hearts on their sleeves week after week during that emotional ride was rewarding enough for most Redskins fans.

Here we are, three years later, and the burgundy and gold are ready for the Hollywood treatment once again. And fortunately, this time around it’s much more of a comedy than a tragedy.

If everyone loves a good underdog story, then this is one that’s sure to be a box-office hit. We can call it: Stone Hands: The Carlos Rogers story.

Think about it: next to Charlie Brown convincing himself that he’s finally going to kick that football, only to be crushed once again when Lucy inevitably pulls it away from him at the last minute, no one else has ever been as tortured as the hands of Carlos Rogers.

It’s a shame too. When Rogers is on, he’s a legitimate number-one cornerback. On those days, he can be trusted to lock down some of the biggest names in professional football, forcing opposing teams to give up on one of the biggest weapons.

But, as any ‘Skins fan will tell you, his kryptonite is intercepting passes. While others, like Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall, make creating turnovers look effortless, Rogers never met a pass he couldn’t bobble five times before failing to haul in a would-be interception.

This season, he’s added in an extra degree of difficulty by nearly getting his pathetic mitts on several errant passes in the deciding moments of games. He’s still not going to haul it in, but at least he’s adding drama to the fourth quarter of an already tense affair.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

[Note: Every Tuesday I write a column for SB Nation DC. This is that column.]

Even though the Washington Redskins are coming off of a 27-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on primetime television, the mood around the team these days is generally positive.

Of course, after a disastrous 4-12 season in which all hope was lost, Redskins fans are just happy to have their favorite team be relevant once again. Bringing in Mike Shanahan as the new head coach and Donovan McNabb as the new quarterback instantly brought a certain level of credibility that appears to have the rest of Redskins Park (minus one disgruntled defensive lineman) completely buying in to the new regime.

The Redskins currently stand 3-3, with wins over Dallas, Philadelphia and Green Bay. All three of those teams were in the playoffs last year. Washington also remained respectable in close losses to Houston and Indianapolis, which only proves this team is going to be competitive week in and week out.

Here’s the kicker: the Redskins haven’t played a full 60 minutes of football yet in 2010. The offense has yet to truly fire on all cylinders yet this season, and the defense still suffers lapses in decision making and tackling abilities too often.

Taking a closer look at the Washington offense, I think it’s safe to suggest that the Redskins should feel fortunate to be in their current position. The offensive line appears to be a revolving door – with new players shuffled in and out of the rotation on a weekly basis. As a result, the ground game has struggled mightily this season.

Running back Clinton Portis hardly looked the part before a groin injury sidelined him for the foreseeable future, and while Ryan Torain has set his career-high for rushing yards in a game twice this season (with 70 yards against Philly and 100 yards against Indy), he’s got a little while to go before we should “crown his ass.”

I’d mention the passing game, but it’s nowhere to be found. McNabb has done well throwing early and often at wide out Santana Moss and tight end Chris Cooley, but they’ve been the only two reliable options on a weekly basis. And, oh by the way, Cooley is now dealing with a concussion.

I like what receiver Anthony Armstrong and tight end Fred Davis bring to the table, but, statistically speaking, they’re both only good for one or two catches a game on average. And then there’s the Joey Galloway-Roydell Williams combo. Let’s just say I wasn’t stunned when a Colts defender intercepted McNabb’s final pass attempt of the evening Sunday night, because I didn’t think for a minute Galloway would end up with the ball. He hauled in one 62-yard pass while Houston was asleep at the wheel, and since then has five total catches for 51 yards over the last four weeks. But he keeps finding his way onto the field.

On the other side of the ball, it’s safe to say the switch to a 3-4 defense is still very much a work in progress. Players like linebacker Brian Orakpo and safety LaRon Landry have excelled in their new roles, but others are still struggling to find their groove in Jim Haslett’s defense.

And honestly, at times it still seems like Haslett is learning on the fly too. The first quarter of the Green Bay and Indianapolis games featured way too much read and react for my taste. It pained me to relive the Greg Blache era, as Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning systematically picked apart Washington’s passive defense with ease.

Luckily, just when all hope appeared to be lost, Haslett remembered he’s allowed to pressure the opposition. While they did a better job of getting to Rodgers than Manning, the defense at least began to once again resemble an NFL-caliber unit. Sure, running backs still gash this defense with 40- and 50-yard runs far too frequently, but in the instances when a Redskins defender actually stops the opposition, they’re bringing the pain. Bodies are dropping like a Carlos Rogers interception, as Andre Johnson, Steven Jackson, Michael Vick and half of the Packers roster can all tell you.

You’ve got to figure that if the first guy on the scene does a better job of making the play and limiting these backbreaking runs, then the defense will be in pretty solid shape. The Redskins will undoubtedly spend this offseason bringing in players they feel better fit this 3-4 scheme, but there’s enough in place now to keep the burgundy and gold in games.

Click here for the full article.

[As you can see, the eighth issue of Hail! magazine, our free digital publication dedicated to the burgundy and gold is now out. Here is a sneak peak of the main feature in this week's issue -- my interview with former Redskins receiver Devin Thomas, with his most revealing comments since his release.]

Devin Thomas has heard the rumors. He’s not smart enough. He’s not dedicated enough. He runs poor routes. He has no clue what it takes to be successful in the National Football League.

The third-year receiver has heard all of the whispers that began shortly after Mike Shanahan became the 28th head coach in Washington Redskins’ history, and he refuses to let that noise get to him.

As far as he’s concerned, critics can say whatever they want about the Michigan State product. Why try to argue with unnamed sources when the best solution is to simply let his play silence any doubters?

Just one problem – since he injured his hamstring during minicamp, he’s been unable to get onto the playing field. Shanahan opted to drop Thomas to the bottom of the depth chart after the injury, and he never recovered.

Through the first four games of the 2010 season, Thomas — the 34th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft — was on the field for just one offensive snap.

“Someone got tired,” he said of the lone play against the St. Louis Rams.

It was a startling fall from grace for Thomas, who was one of the few bright spots last season when he caught 25 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns in 10 starts last season for head coach Jim Zorn.

Finally, after months of residing in Shanahan’s doghouse, the 23-year-old was release the day before the Redskins hosted the Green Bay Packers.

“I sat down and talked to Devin many times and told him what he needed to do to be a pro football player, both on and off of the football field,” said Shanahan. “And if he does do that, both on and off of the football field, he’ll have a chance to play in the National Football League, but until he does that … He’s got the talent, he sure does, but he’s going to have to commit to being a pro.”

Before officially closing the book on Thomas, Shanahan had one more thing to say.

“In this profession we’re in, it’s not based on talent, it’s based on people working extremely hard,” Shanahan said. “Everybody has a different mindset of what work means, what dedication means, what commitment means.”

Thomas believes that he did display the dedication and commitment needed to excel. But the receiver, in his most revealing comments since his release, says that he was in a no-win situation.

“For me, ever since I tore up my hamstring in minicamp, I feel like I’ve been climbing an uphill battle in mud,” Thomas said. “It didn’t matter what I did, I wasn’t ever going to gain any ground. They weren’t going to give me a shot to win my position back.

“We had talks in the preseason as far as what I needed to do,” Thomas said. “Keep working hard in practice and on running my routes. Make sure I explode out of my breaks and that I’m not dropping balls. I took it all to heart. I tried to step up my professionalism, made sure I stayed after practice and yet, I don’t know. My situation never changed.”

Like any good soldier, once Thomas had a problem, he took it up the chain of command in hopes of figuring out what was going on.

“I started with [Redskins receivers coach] Keenan [McCardell],” Thomas said. “Keenan’s always been my right-hand man as far as keeping me motivated and telling me things are going to be alright. We talked daily and he always told me to keep pushing. After a couple weeks went by, I’m frustrated because I’m basically stuck on the sidelines.

“So I went to [Redskins offensive coordinator] Kyle [Shanahan] and asked ‘What do I have to do?’” he continued. “‘How can I get back on the field?’ He told me the same thing. He told me when you come off the line as a receiver, you need to explode off the line like you do on kick returns. He also told me to work on coming in and out of my breaks. Other than that, he said I was a beast. They all told me this stuff and I took it to heart. I worked on it, but nothing ever changed with my situation.”

That’s when Thomas finally sought out his head coach and requested a meeting, Oct. 7.

To read the rest of this feature click here and subscribe to Hail! magazine.