(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “Still The Same” by Bob Seger

The Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills 37-24 to win Super Bowl XXVI back in 1992 in a game many ‘Skins fans will never forget.

Unfortunately though, things haven’t been the same since that fateful day when the franchise brought home the third Lombardi Trophy.

For much of the last 20 years, the Redskins have been downright mediocre (or worse). Head coaches, coordinators and quarterbacks have all come and gone, but the results seemingly remain the same.

Sadly, that’s the only way to spin Washington’s embarrassing 23-0 loss to the Bills in Toronto — yet another low point for an organization who continually finds ways to sink lower and lower.

A once-mighty franchise, led by Mike Shanahan, one of the most well-respected head coaches in the NFL, couldn’t even muster a meaningless field goal against a Bills team that had never won north of the border.

But in what’s become a disheartening tradition of late, struggling teams find a way to get back on track against the Redskins — so Buffalo won their first game in Toronto, picked up their sixth-straight victory over Washington since that Super Bowl loss and shut out a Shanahan-coached team for the first time in his NFL career.

In fact, the only other time a Shanahan team has been blanked was when he was a receivers coach for Denver back in 1984. That’s how far back you have to go to find another performance as disappointing as this one on Shanahan’s resume.

Sadly, it’s not been that long for the Redskins.

Less than two years ago, Washington was shut out in a 17-0 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the second-to-last game of the Jim Zorn era.

Good times.

2. “Wasted Words” by The Allman Brothers Band

Quarterback John Beck made his second-consecutive start for Washington, and it went about as poorly as humanly possible. The man who received ringing endorsements from every Shanahan on the coaching staff was as bad (if not worse) than anything we’ve seen from Rex Grossman during his time in town.

Just how offensive was the Beck-led offense?

Well, for starters, the Redskins had 11 possessions against Buffalo. Only four of them lasted more than five plays.

Six drives ended with a punt, two ended with interceptions and the Redskins turned the ball over on downs twice. Add in a blocked field goal attempt and what you’re left with is a steaming pile of crap that makes ‘Skins fans long for the days of a bingo caller running the show or Al Saunders’ 700-page playbook.

There have been about a thousand quarterbacks who have taken the field for Washington since the franchise’s last Super Bowl win, and you’d be hard pressed to find another outing this dreadful. For everything that was written about Grossman or Donovan McNabb or Jason Campbell, each of them was able to at least move the chains and put points on the board from time to time.

Beck finished the game with 208 passing yards, two interceptions and a QB rating of 53.6.

For the season, Beck has completed just 58 percent of his passes with one touchdown pass and five turnovers and a QB rating of 69.9.

Anyone who thought he was going to come in and suddenly transform the Redskins offense into something special … well … it hasn’t happened yet. And honestly, for all the talk of Beck’s mobility, the only time anyone has seen it in action is when he’s chasing down one of his own fumbles.

The guy is garbage and the offense is nonexistent with him running the show.

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(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. I 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 my humble offering for this photo to help get folks started:

“I don’t want to suggest that Cam Newton pulled that touchdown out of his ass, but …”

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

And to see my best photos of the Redskins-Panthers game, click this link.

[Editor's note: It pains me to say it, but the winner is Joel with a caption of, “And thus, Cam Newton’s touchdown celebration was tainted.” Thanks to everyone who joined in the fun.]

(photo by Brian Murphy)

In the days leading up to last weekend’s game, I talked to several fans of the Washington Redskins who expressed a new-found optimism in regards to their favorite football team.

Thanks to head coach Mike Shanahan’s decision to turn to John Beck as his starting quarterback, more than a few ‘Skins fans seemed to believe that better days were ahead for the burgundy and gold.

If I’m being completely honest, I didn’t fall into the same category.

Don’t get me wrong – after watching Rex Grossman turn the ball over 11 times in five games, I was on board with giving Beck a chance to sink or swim.

I’m just not sure he’s going to be much better than the guy he’s replacing.

While some look at Beck and see untapped potential, I see a guy who has yet to distinguish himself since he came into the league more than four years ago.

Some see a player who they feel has never been given a fair shot. But I see a guy who couldn’t beat out Cleo Lemon, Trent Green, Chad Henne or Chad Pennington in Miami, Troy Smith for the backup role in Baltimore or Rex Grossman during training camp.

Beck sure seems to be a swell guy, but his teams are winless in all seven games he’s played in and I’ve seen nothing over the last year and a half to suggest that he’s capable of becoming the NFL’s next feel-good story.

In fact, I’d argue that the only victory Beck has ever had came during the lockout – when the 30-year-old went from an unknown third-stringer to the presumed starter without ever throwing a single pass in an actual game.

Aside from a solid preseason performance against an Indianapolis Colts team that looks to be historically bad, Beck has been completely average in every sense of the word.

Even his stats from last weekend – against an unremarkable Carolina defense – are nothing out of the ordinary.

Beck threw for 279 yards with two touchdowns and two turnovers against Carolina, which sounds awfully similar to what Grossman did against Arizona earlier this season – 291 yards with two touchdowns and two turnovers.

Beck completed 22 of 37 passes (59.5 percent) against Carolina. In related news, Grossman completed 22 of 37 passes (59.5 percent) against Dallas.

The only real difference between the two mediocre quarterbacks is that Beck is much more mobile, which is great because the Redskins offensive line at this point is best described as a work in progress.

So while many Redskins fans continue to hold out hope that Beck can provide a much-needed spark to Washington’s anemic offense, my hopes of better days were crushed when running back Tim Hightower’s left knee buckled during the third quarter in Charlotte.

While neither Redskins quarterback inspires much in the way of confidence with me, Hightower was the one player in the backfield who I truly believed could be a difference maker this season.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “Big Picture” by T.I.

One week after a disappointing loss to a last-place team, the Washington Redskins traveled to Carolina for a chance at redemption.

On the surface, the rebuilding Panthers – with just three wins in their last 22 games – were just what the doctor ordered for a Redskins team in dire need of a victory.

Carolina was in the midst of a three-game losing streak and just 1-5 on the year, so if ever there was a winnable game on the schedule – this was it.

Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton came into the contest tied with the recently benched Rex Grossman for most interceptions thrown and the Panthers were 29th in the NFL inrushing defense.

All the Redskins needed to do was get off to a quick start, which would force an overly aggressive rookie to take chances while playing from behind and then seal the game with a healthy dose of the ground game.

Instead, Washington stunk up the joint in the first half, once again, and let a doormat team hang around until the opposing offense got going.

Redskins players were careless with the football on offense and the defense reverted back to the first half of the Eagles game when they appeared incapable of getting off the field.

The Panthers found success in both their running and passing games, and a once-promising season appears to be on the verge of a complete collapse for the burgundy and gold.

Carolina’s 33-20 victory over the Redskins isn’t going to be easy to move on from. Not when head coach Mike Shanahan’s squad was so thoroughly outclassed from start to finish by a team that the rest of the NFL has had little trouble handling.

2. “Nothingman” by Pearl Jam

Heading into the game, all eyes were on Redskins quarterback John Beck, making his first start since 2007.

After providing a spark to Washington’s offense in the fourth quarter one week earlier, the hope was the 30-year-old signal caller would build off of that effort and finally show the Redskins offense that it’s okay to put points on the board.

And statistically speaking, Beck had his best day as a pro. He completed 22 of 37 passes for a career-high 279 yards with two touchdowns (a four-yard run and a seven-yard pass to tight end Fred Davis).

But he also turned the ball over twice, never really challenged the Carolina defense and at no point resembled anything other than a mediocre quarterback.

Late in the first half, the Redskins offense had roughly 80 yards on the ground to go with 70 yards in Panther penalties. And what about Beck and the passing attack?
The career backup had a grand total of 17 passing yards, which is nearly impossible to comprehend in today’s pass-happy NFL.

While seemingly every other team in the league is moving the ball and scoring points at will, the Redskins could barely muster two first downs through the air.

The offense was still unable to find any sort of rhythm, was painful to watch and the kicker was still the team’s most consistent weapon.

For all the angst Grossman has caused ‘Skins fans this season, his stats against Arizona and Dallas earlier in the year were remarkably similar to what Beck racked up against Carolina.*

*Seriously, look at the numbers. Grossman threw for 291 yards with two touchdowns and two turnovers against the Cardinals. Beck threw for 279 yards with two touchdowns and two turnovers against the Panthers. Grossman completed 22 of 37 passes for 250 yards against Dallas. Beck completed 22 of 37 passes for 279 yards against Carolina. Like it or not, they’re the same player.

So feel free to talk yourself into just how much better Beck is than Grossman, but leave me out of it. Neither quarterback is any good and if Redskins fans are lucky, neither quarterback will be in town this time next year.
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(photo by Brian Murphy)

When the Washington Redskins take on the Carolina Panthers this weekend, they will do so with a change at quarterback.

After throwing four interceptions against Philadelphia, the Rex Grossman experiment has been put on hold indefinitely in favor of John Beck.

Interesting enough, although Beck came into the league in 2007, he’ll be making just his fifth NFL start – one less than Panthers rookie Cam Newton.

So it’s safe to say no one really knows what to expect from the fifth-year pro when he leads the burgundy and gold onto the field in Charlotte.

Beck has never thrown for more than 177 yards in a game and his teams are winless in games he’s played in (0-6), but the biggest thing going for the 30-year-old is simply put – he’s not named Rex Grossman.

Chalk this one up to change for the sake of change, because Grossman reverted back to the norm and went from “game manager” to “offensive anchor.”

Rather than leaning heavily on a potent ground game and utilizing The Rex Cannon sparingly, the coaching opted to roll the dice and put the ball in Grossman’s hands.

Nine interceptions and two fumbles later, even Mike and Kyle Shanahan have to admit that maybe that wasn’t the greatest idea.

Now Redskins fans get to see what Beck can bring to the table.

“I thought John did a good job with three of our starters out in the fourth quarter against Philadelphia,” said head coach Mike Shanahan. “To come in a situation when they knew we had to throw the football – he had nine first downs. [We] could have attempted a field goal on the one. He took us down the field, a 75-yard drive for the touchdown. He impressed with that. [We] put a lot of pressure on him in that situation.

“I like the way he has been practicing the last few weeks,” Shanahan added. “He’s done a good job in practice and I think he deserves the opportunity for us to see what he can do.”

Unfortunately for Beck, who will be making his first start since his rookie season with Miami back in ’07, he’ll do so without several key members of the offense.

Tackle Trent Williams, guard Kory Lichtensteiger and tight end Chris Cooley are all out of the lineup, meaning protecting the quarterback might be more challenging than usual for Washington.

For better or worse, the head coach doesn’t seem to be overly concerned about using an unknown commodity at quarterback and protecting him with a patchwork offensive line.

“I think a big plus for John is his mobility,” Shanahan said. “He can make plays with his feet. He has a good command for the offense. I think he feels more comfortable with it now than he has since he’s been here. So now he’s going to get his chance.”

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(courtesy photo)

You might remember actor Terry Crews from movies such as The Expendables, TV shows such as Everybody Hates Chris or commercials such as his highly-entertaining work with Old Spice.*

*”Double sun power!”

But whenever I think of Crews, my first thought is always “That guy used to play for the Washington Redskins.” And whenever I tell people that, they never believe me.

Well, here’s a photo of Crews walking alongside linebacker Ken Harvey that the former defensive end posted earlier today on his Facebook page with a caption that read “Here I am scared I’m about to get CUT!”

Crews was with the Redskins for one season — back in 1995. The 27-year-old is credited with one tackle in 16 games played during a season that saw head coach Norv Turner’s team go 6-10.

In all, Crews spent six years in the NFL — spending time with the L.A. Rams, San Diego Chargers , Philadelphia Eagles and the Redskins — before turning his attention to Hollywood.

While it’s cool to see the Redskins use someone like Bruce Buffer for this year’s player intro video, it goes without saying that someone as awesome as Crews — especially considering his ties to the franchise — should be involved in a future video. If he’s willing to sit on a tiger or beat down the word odor for Old Spice, I’m sure he’d be willing to have some fun for the burgundy and gold.

Let’s make this happen.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

With two weeks to prepare for a key matchup against a divisional opponent on the brink of a total collapse, the Washington Redskins laid a big, fat egg.

While other teams have had success against the Philadelphia Eagles this season by getting off to a quick start on offense and then aggressively pursuing quarterback/turnover machine Mike Vick on defense, the Redskins were unable to do either.

Instead, the Redskins offense was horrifically inept and the defense was unable to avoid costly penalties while simultaneously failing to stop (or even slow down) Philadelphia’s balance of passing and rushing plays.

Basically, it was the perfect storm of suck and the team’s abysmal start doomed Washington’s chances of driving the final nail in the coffin of hated rival on a week when people in Philadelphia were already calling for the firing of their head coach, Andy Reid.

Unfortunately, the fact that the Redskins were thoroughly unprepared when they took the field shouldn’t really come as a surprise to anyone who has been watching the team in 2011.

That’s because the Eagles game was just the latest chapter in the team’s continuing struggle to resemble a competently-run offense during the opening stages of a contest.

Forget mid-game adjustments, the coaching staff – led by head coach Mike Shanahan and his hand-picked offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan – needs to completely re-evaluate how they approach game-planning the first 15 minutes of action.

Why? Because the Redskins have scored just one first-quarter touchdown this season, and it came against the winless St. Louis Rams. In the team’s other four games, Washington has been outscored 24-6 in the opening quarter.

Aside from a 10-play, 42-yard drive that resulted in a field goal against Dallas, the Redskins have been at their worst on the opening drive. In the other four games, the burgundy and gold’s opening drive has resulted in two punts and two interceptions.

With numbers like that, it’s nearly impossible for the Redskins to make a worst first impression against an opponent. And let’s be brutally honest about the situation – we’re not exactly talking about a murderer’s row of competition here either.

Washington’s opponents through the first five games this season have had a combined 9-18 record. What’s going to happen when the Redskins have to face teams that are actually good?

On second thought, please don’t answer that. Some things are clearly better off left unsaid.

In the season opener, the Redskins opening quarter drives consisted of two punts, a missed field goal and a touchdown run by Tim Hightower.*

*Remember him? Neither does Kyle Shanahan.

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