(photo by Brian Murphy)

Say what you will about the Washington Redskins in 2010, but you’ve got to give them this – they find a way to win.

While last year’s Redskins were 4-12 and rarely gave fans cause for celebration, the story this season has been completely different.

Four of the five games Washington has played this season have been decided on the final play of the game. Three of those four instances ended with the Redskins emerging victorious, and those three wins came against Dallas, Philadelphia and Green Bay – all playoff teams a season ago.

The Redskins now sit 3-2. Even more impressive is their 2-0 record in the NFC East, the same division they went winless against in ’09.

Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of their early-season success is the fact that, statistically speaking, this shouldn’t be happening.

Now, if you’re someone who only cares about wins and losses, then this post probably isn’t for you. But if you’re a stats nerd like me, then this will probably be right up your alley.

The old-school mentality when it came to success in the NFL was you needed to be able to do two things – run the ball and stop the opposition from running the ball.

Well, the Redskins aren’t particularly good at either at the moment, which is downright stunning considering head coach Mike Shanahan made a name for himself out in Denver by turning nobodies into 1,000-yard rushers seemingly overnight.

Sure, Clinton Portis and Terrell Davis were legit. But guys like Olandis Gary, Mike Anderson, Reuben Droughns and Tatum Bell are only relevant because of Shanahan’s potent ground game. And none of these guys were ever the featured back for an extended period of time. Shanahan happily used one until injuries and/or ineffectiveness took over and then, as Jay-Z would say, “It’s on to the next one.”

Portis currently has 49 carries for 195 yards and two touchdowns. Well, that and a torn groin muscle. That averages out to less than 50 yards per game, which we all can agree isn’t very good.

His backup, Ryan Torain, has 41 carries for 156 yards and one touchdown for the year, which breaks down to 52 yards per game. Again, not overly impressive.

If you combined Portis’ and Torain’s stats for the year, you’d have 350 yards and three touchdowns – which equals the production of Cleveland running back Peyton Hillis (although he’s done it in less carries and has one more touchdown). The ironic part of it all is Hillis was a seventh-round draft pick by Shanahan in 2008.

With the running game stalling, the entire weight of the offense has been thrust upon the shoulders of quarterback Donovan McNabb. Fortunately for everyone involved, he’s fairly versed on working with the benefit of a dependable rushing attack.

McNabb has racked up more than 1,300 yards in passing through five games, which is fairly impressive considering he’s got two dependable targets – receiver Santana Moss and tight end Chris Cooley. And look folks, I like Anthony Armstrong as much as the next guy, but can we let him string together another solid outing or two before we “crown his ass?”

So really, if you think about it, the Redskins aren’t even one dimensional on offense. They’re half dimensional, if there is such a thing. They have no real running game and they only have half of a passing game because McNabb only has two legitimate options to choose from because Shanahan insists on pretending Joey Galloway and Roydell Williams are capable of being productive.

The Redskins defense is even more maddening. The unit, as a whole, ranks dead last in the NFL in total defense, which is based on yards against. That’s what happens when you allow an average of more than 410 yards of offense a week.

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[As you can see, the seventh 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, written by Micah Fitzhugh, in this week's issue -- an in-depth look at Redskins strong safety LaRon Landry.]

He played Pop Warner football illegally at the age of five, and despite going against kids as old as eight, he earned the nickname, “Hammer.”

Frank Landry was the coach, and so his second-born son could play on the squad, which also included his seven-year-old son, Dawan, he made up a fake identification card, displaying little LaRon’s age as six.

“I remember it all,” LaRon Landry said. “I was No. 2. I had all those white arm pad/gloves and everything. I’d just run around hitting people. People used to look at me and say, ‘You’re mean! You’re like Ronnie Lott out there!’”

It was all over after that. Landry kept playing, switched from linebacker to quarterback a few years later, but never stopped hitting. In high school, he’d run the option and instead of pitching the ball to the running back as a defensive end converged on him, “Hammer” would lower the boom and run his man right over.

“No shaking, no juking. Just hits. Downhill running and hits,” Landry said. “I played quarterback like I played linebacker. I loved the hits.”

It’s clear all these years later, nothing has changed. Flash forward to a hot day in early August at Redskins Park, only a week into training camp.

Landry didn’t give a crap where he was, or who he was going against. He read the play, locked in on his target and launched himself full-speed into the unsuspecting pass-catcher, sent him flying and left him in a heap on the sideline.

The victim this time was Chris Cooley, the Washington Redskins’ Pro Bowl tight end, and it was only a week into training camp, during a series of partial contact 11-on-11 drills. All of the other plays had ended with defenders making contact at slightly less than full-speed, and giving them a bear hug. A coach’s satisfactory whistle would send both teams to their respective huddles.

Landry was in mid-season form, however, and Cooley hadn’t gotten the memo. A little salty, Cooley rose to his feet, met Landry facemask to facemask and let it be known that he didn’t appreciate the overzealous lick. The fourth-year strong safety laughed and bounded off back to the defensive huddle.

“LaRon goes full-speed all the time, that’s just how he practices,” Cooley later said, downplaying the confrontation. “He makes us all better.”

See, Landry just can’t help himself. An intense love for football pulses through his veins, and the chance to deliver bone-rattling hits fuels him.

Landry is always looking for the next opportunity, but he was champing at the bit extra hard during training camp because camp signaled the end of a long offseason that for Landry featured recovery from toe surgery, and that was preceded by a dismal 4-12 season.

Last year Landry made a career-high 90 tackles, and also recorded an interception. Little satisfaction could be taken from the 2009 campaign, however. Not only did the Redskins take a step backward from the 8-8 mark they posted in ‘08, but Landry struggled personally.

Sure, 90 tackles is nothing to sneeze at. But Landry had his fair share of unnecessary roughness and personal fouls to his name as a result of late hits after a play had ended on the field, or even serious blows out of bounds.

Making matters worse – and according to Landry, some of the reasons for the undisciplined play – was the fact that he was playing free safety (not his natural position of strong safety) and often had to play far downfield as a centerfielder rather than closer to all the action. Landry also often struggled in pass coverage and was susceptible to the double-move as opposing teams scored over the top after their receiver got Landry all twisted up.

“It was just frustrating all around,” Landry said. “The way I was preserved and limited of my ability, just to sit in the middle of the field, not to be close to the ball, not to make tackles. I really was not helping my team out because of my strength. I was just limited and frustrated all the way along. It wasn’t anything [personal] with [defensive coordinator] Greg Blache or anything. It was just his scheme, and I wasn’t right for his scheme.

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

(photo by Greg Fiume)

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

At first glance, the 2010-11 Washington Capitals appear to be awfully similar to previous incarnations. Sure, we’re only three games into the season, but it’s never too early to make a first impression.

We’re less than a week into the regular season, but it’s painfully obvious that some players still suffer mental lapses in the defensive zone. And yes, some players still take selfish penalties at the worst-possible time. Oh, and the Capitals can still play quality hockey for 20 minutes a night and beat most teams in the NHL.

Add in the highest-scoring offense in hockey and it would appear that, even though a handful of the names and faces have changed, the Caps are very much the same team that was unbeatable during the regular season and then fell asleep at the wheel in the playoffs.

I could understand if you watched the team’s first three games and had a bad case of déjà vu (followed by profuse consumption of alcohol). But let me make one counterargument – even though many of the key pieces on this team are the same, the mindset in the locker room and on the ice is very different this time around.

Take, for example, the home opener against the New Jersey Devils this past weekend.

The Capitals got off to a sluggish start (surprise, surprise), but woke up in the second period and eventually steamrolled the Devils in a 7-2 thumping. I don’t care who you are or where you’re playing hockey – whether it’s a beer league or the NHL – it hurts feelings when you get waxed by an opponent.

People take that seriously, and if guys think an opponent is trying to show them up or run up the score, then tempers are going to flare. I can’t speak on behalf of the Devils, but apparently Caps coach Bruce Boudreau is qualified to do so.

“They’re frustrated because they’re a proud team,” he said after the game. “I don’t know if they’ve been beaten like that for a while.”

Once the Caps decided to show, they made up for lost time – scoring an even-strength goal, a shorthanded goal, a powerplay goal (for the first time since Ronald Reagan was in office) and a penalty shot.

After allowing four goals on eight shots in the second period, Devils goalie Martin Brodeur was pulled. Defenseman Anton Volchenkov left the game with a broken nose after taking the brunt of a Nicklas Backstrom slapshot. While those two players had little say in their nights ending early, the rest of the roster was left there to suffer until the very bitter end.

Eventually they had seen enough and Devils players apparently decided to show their displeasure by getting physical with Washington. And although Donald Brashear is long gone and newly acquired tough guy D.J. King was a healthy scratch, the Caps had no problem standing up for themselves and refusing to let anyone push them around.

So Jason Chimera dropped the gloves. As did Matt Hendricks. Matt Bradley has always been willing to bleed on … I mean fight when the time calls, so he too joined in the fun. And here’s the kicker – Mike Green got into a fight. Yes, that Mike Green. The guy who routinely leads all defensemen in points scored decided to throw down with Ilya Kovalchuk in the third period, and while it won’t bring tears of joy to tough guys like Stephen Peat, Craig Berube and Chris Simon, it did serve a larger purpose.

It let the rest of the league know that the Capitals aren’t going to stand there and get pushed around.

“I think we did make a statement that we’re not the same team that we were last year,” said forward Mike Knuble. “We’ve got some different personnel and we can still do it on the scoreboard, but when it gets physical, we’re not going to get pushed around. It was good to see.

“I don’t know if we had a game like this last year, but they can bring a team together faster than anything,” he continued.

Click here for the full article.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “We Made It” by Busta Rhymes

The fact that the Washington Redskins were able to defeat the Green Bay Packers 16-13 in overtime Sunday is newsworthy in itself. The Redskins hadn’t beaten the Packers since 1988, and hadn’t beaten them at home since 1979.

So yeah, just getting the win is a big deal. And sadly, the victory was also noteworthy because it marked the first time Washington won back-to-back games since halfway through the 2008 season (when the defeated doormats Cleveland and Detroit in consecutive weeks).

Now the Redskins stand at 3-2, with their three victories coming over Dallas, Philadelphia and Green Bay – all of which made the playoffs last season, while the Redskins were just 4-12.

Forget that Washington would have to lose 10 of the last 11 games to match last season’s futility. This team, while still very much a work in progress, is finally starting to form an identity. They refuse to quit and, for the first time in recent history, they actually believe they can battle back if things aren’t going their way in the early stages of a game.

“This isn’t a game we would have won a year ago, a month ago or maybe even two weeks ago,” said linebacker London Fletcher.

Of course, a year ago this team didn’t have Mike Shanahan as the head coach and Donovan McNabb as the quarterback. Those two have proven track records and simply having them around has done wonders for changing the culture at Redskins Park.

“I just think it’s the whole new atmosphere around here,” said center Casey Rabach. “It’s what Coach Shanahan brings to it. It’s what the players in this locker room, with the character in this locker room, bring to it. I just think we have confidence in the scheme of this system, and confidence in each other. When the chips get down, you know in the past, we kind of cashed them in. Now, we finally have the leadership we need.”

2. “Written In Reverse” by Spoon

The way this game started, it could have gotten ugly quickly. Even after the Redskins created a turnover on the second play from scrimmage – with safety Kareem Moore recovering a fumble for his third turnover this season – the Redskins still couldn’t get anything going.

The offense gave the ball right back to Green Bay, who in turn marched right down the field and promptly took an early 7-0 lead. By the end of the first quarter, the Packers had more than 200 yards of total offense and the Redskins had to feel lucky they weren’t down by three touchdowns.

“I looked up at the scoreboard and, I think it was not even the second quarter, and they had 200-some yards and I think we had 20,” Shanahan said. “They got on us early, got that big run, got a little momentum going, then we had a goal-line stand and we started playing consistently for the rest of the game.”

Instead, Green Bay was only up 7-0 after the first quarter and 10-3 at the half.

“You know what was special about this week’s game,” asked safety Reed Doughty. “If you think about it, this game was like the Houston game in reverse. The Texans, we should have blown them out. We had them down. We had them on the ropes. We should have put them away. This week, they got us down early and we could have gotten blown out.”

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

Before the season began, I, like many, thought the Green Bay Packers had as good of a chance as any team of making a Super Bowl run.

I looked at a dynamic offense, led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers (you know, the guy drafted one spot ahead of Jason Campbell in 2005), and an aggressive-minded defense and thought the Packers had a legitimate chance of being the last team standing in the NFC.

And yet, here we are just four games into the season, and not only am I unsure about Green Bay – but I think an inconsistent team like the Washington Redskins has a very real chance at victory this Sunday.

Green Bay’s offense has been completely one-dimensional, thanks to a season-ending injury to running back Ryan Grant. Brandon Jackson was supposed to step in and fill the void, but he’s rushed for just 137 yards on 45 carries (3.0 yards per carry).

A year ago Rodgers was sacked an astounding 50 times, most in the NFL. While he’s only been sacked five times through four games, injuries and inconsistency on the offensive line weigh heavily on his decision making during games.

Because the Packers have also been inconsistent in their pass protection this season, there are times when Rodgers is forced to get rid of the ball quicker than he’d like. That’s translated to five interceptions thrown by the 26-year-old this season.

So basically, because the Packers offense has no running game and their pass protection has been hit or miss this season, defenses obviously want to key in on Rodgers, make him uncomfortable and try to force him into making a few poor throws.

Now, on the other side of the ball, is the Redskins defense. At first glance, you see the 31st ranked defense going against a quarterback who has thrown for 8,472 yards and 58 touchdowns over the last two seasons and there’s little reason to believe this could have a happy ending for the burgundy and gold.

But I’m here to tell you that, in this case, the numbers are a bit misleading. If you’ve watched closely over the last three weeks, the Redskins defense has done something remarkable – they’ve basically forced opposing offenses to completely sacrifice any semblance of a deep passing attack.

Think about it. In the last three games, Houston’s Matt Schaub, St. Louis’ Sam Bradford and Philadelphia’s combo of Mike Vick and Kevin Kolb have all settled for short to intermediate passes. Last week alone, Eagles running back LeSean McCoy was targeted 15 times in the passing game, meaning Philadelphia was content to dink and dunk all day long.

It’s crazy to think that a defense – especially Washington’s, which let players like DeSean Jackson seemingly score at will last season – can somehow intimidate offenses into completely giving up on taking shots down field.

Other than a desperation throw on 4th-and-10 to Texans receiver Andre Johnson and a Hail Mary on the final play of the game in Philly last weekend, opposing offenses are content to take three step drops and get rid of the ball to someone underneath as quickly as possible.

Because I am by no means someone who makes a living breaking down film, I went to Redskins Park this week to chat with some defensive players in hopes of finding out if my eyes have been deceiving me or if the Redskins have, in fact, been able to shut down deep threats through the first month of the season.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

Anyone who has been a fan of the Washington Redskins for more than a day or two should know by now that there’s no such thing as a quiet week out at Redskins Park.

Sure, the Redskins pulled it together last weekend to earn a much-needed victory against the Philadelphia Eagles after back-to-back disappointments against Houston and St. Louis, but much has changed in the few days since the win.

Rookie tackle Trent Williams sounds cautiously optimistic that he’ll be able to play against Green Bay this weekend, which is fantastic because it means Stephon Heyer will hopefully no longer be prominently involved. And Hunter “the punter” Smith is expected to re-sign with the Redskins because Josh Bidwell is old/ineffective/injury-prone.

But not all is sunshine and lollipops at Redskins Park. Not after it was announced that running back Clinton Portis will be out at least four to six weeks with a third-degree separation of his groin.

You’re not going to believe this, but a running back needs his legs and groin to be relatively healthy in order to be effective. Unfortunately for Portis, this injury was apparently severe enough that the groin separated from the bone. [Editor’s note: Ouch.]

That leaves the recently reacquired Ryan Torain as the primary ball carrier and Chad Simpson as his backup, even though neither was on the 53-man roster when the season started. Remember when the Redskins boasted a ridiculously deep backfield of Portis, Larry Johnson and Willie Parker? Yeah, well that didn’t exactly work out for them, did it?

The only other running backs in the building are Keiland Williams and Javarris James, both of whom currently reside on the practice squad.

Folks who pay way more attention to these types of injuries than I do point out that former Jacksonville running back Fred Taylor suffered a similar groin injury in the second week of the 2001 season and didn’t play again the rest of the year. So the four-to-six week time frame might be a bit optimistic.

The smartest thing Portis and the Redskins can do is to have patience with the situation. No sense rushing the 29-year-old back into the lineup – especially when the chances of re-aggravating an injury like that can be high.

Which leaves Washington with Torain. Now, before you get overly excited after the 24-year-old’s solid outing against the Eagles (18 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown), please remember that Torain has had health concerns of his own since he came into the NFL.

In 2008, Torain broke his left elbow during training camp and was inactive for the first seven weeks of the season. Once he finally recovered from that, a torn ACL ended his rookie campaign after he saw action in just two games.

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Hello friends. As you hopefully know by now, a few buddies and I started Hail! magazine, a digital publication dedicated to the Washington Redskins.

This weekly e-publication is absolutely free and goes beyond the content of a typical sports publication. In addition to thoroughly covering each and every game during the NFL season, Hail! magazine also gives Redskins fans an inside look at the players representing the burgundy and gold. Whether it be in-depth personality features or a behind-the-scenes look at life off the field, Hail! magazine gives Redskins fans insider access that no one else can match. Some of our weekly features include:

- Ask Andre, Redskins linebacker Andre Carter answers your questions
- Point/counterpoint, the guys from Skinscast debate that week’s hot-button topic
- “Where Are They Now?” feature, catching up with players from yesterday
- Four Downs, an amazing collection of photos from that week’s game
- Cheerleader profile, a chance to get to know the First Ladies of Football
- Pigskins, a weekly comic dedicated to the Redskins
- Plus fan articles, tailgating recipes and much, much more.

If you haven’t seen Hail! magazine yet and would like a sneak peak, here’s a link to our second issue. In it, we spotlight Redskins defensive end Phillip Daniels and his insane powerlifting hobby.

For the feature story, a photographer and I traveled to Chicago the week before training camp to spend a weekend with Daniels to figure out how and why a 37-year-old gets into something as insane like competitive powerlifting. That’s the kind of access we have to the Washington Redskins. That’s why this magazine is like nothing else out there today.

Don’t take my word for it though. Listen to Scott Kelby, the gifted photographer who believes all football fans should subscribe to Hail! magazine for the following two reasons:

1. It’s so incredibly well done, that it looks like an online edition of a full printed magazine. Really great layouts, with a clean, tight design.
2. The photography is just fantastic. Very “SI” like, with big feature photo spreads that really draw you in to the articles.

So there you have it. And the best part about Hail! magazine is it’s completely free. All we ask is that you take 10 seconds to click here and subscribe. Why, you ask? Because the more subscribers we have, the better it is for generating revenue for advertising and everything else.

What’s in it for you, you ask? Well, just for signing up, you’re entered for a chance to win an autographed, framed 16 by 20 picture of Santana Moss, a game-worn Phillip Daniels jersey and, I’m proud to announce today that one lucky reader is now going to take home a game-worn Chris Cooley jersey. Tell me any one of those wouldn’t look great in your Redskins room. So thanks to all of you who have already subscribed and for those still on the fence, I’m guessing those goodies should be enticing enough to win you over.