All posts in playlist

27Oct

lions playlist

(photo by Eric Leichter)

1. “Cocky” by Kid Rock

Yes, the Washington Redskins defeated the Detroit Lions 25-17. That doesn’t mean everything is necessarily peachy though.

Before the game even began, one couldn’t help but be concerned. Less than an hour before kickoff, the Redskins announced their inactive list and while running back Ladell Betts and the regularly injured duo of cornerback Shawn Springs and wide out Malcolm Kelly were out, there were a few surprising names also on the list. Safety Chris Horton, tackle Chris Samuels and defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin were all being held out of the game due to various ailments.

Word began to spread that if this were a playoff game all three would most likely be active, so immediately the question was raised – were the ‘Skins taking the Lions too lightly? Did they go into this game almost as if it was a preseason game, resting their starters as if the outcome was never really an issue? Whatever the rationale, Redskins fans couldn’t feel good that just two weeks after losing to the previously winless St. Louis Rams, the ‘Skins seemed to assume a league doormat would just roll over simply because the all-mighty Redskins were in town.

2. “My Name Is” by Eminem

Thank the lord for wide receiver Santana Moss. If not for the continued resurgence of “the other Moss,” the ‘Skins would probably be doing a lot of soul searching the day after another humbling loss to an inferior opponent. As he’s managed to do for much of the 2008 season, Moss simply outmatched whoever drew the assignment of trying to slow him down.

This week, Moss finished with a season-high nine catches for 140 yards and a touchdown. They went to him early and often in Motown and the Lions could do nothing to stop the speedy wide out. Moss touchdown, a 50-yard bomb in the third quarter, was text-book Santana – catch the ball and make people miss.

(Editor’s note: This officially ends the tribute to Detroit music portion of our playlist).

3. “The Way You Move” by Outkast

Okay, let’s get the negative part out of the way early – running back Clinton Portis and head coach Jim Zorn had what Portis termed a “misunderstanding” during the game. At the end of the first quarter, Portis checked out of the game, reportedly with an equipment issue, and didn’t let Zorn know what was going on. And then, early in the second quarter, with the equipment issue resolved, Portis checked himself back into the game. Well, Zorn again was left out of the loop with which running back was going to be in the game on what play. After the drive the cameras clearly showed Zorn unhappy with how things played out and letting Clinton know it.

Of course, Portis went on to have another stellar day. He had 24 carries for 126 yards in route to his fifth consecutive game with at least 120 yards rushing, and now leads the league with 944 yards on the ground – an amazing 260 more than anyone else. Think about that for a moment – Portis could take the next two weeks off and still possibly lead the NFL in rushing. Not too shabby.

4. “Get Back” Ludacris (w/ Sum 41)

It’s been a troubling year for special teams coach Danny Smith. While his unit has routinely ranked as one of the better units in the NFL, his guys have struggled to handle the basics this season. Both the Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints returned punts for touchdowns this year, the rookie punt ended up getting fired for being the worst in the league in every meaningful category for punters and Antwaan Randle El has officially become the anti-Devin Hester, a.k.a. – the most disappointing punt returner in the game. But other than that, how did you like the play Miss Lincoln?

Fast forward to this week and magically things were much more enjoyable. Kicker Shaun “Shazam” Suisham connected on four of five field goal attempts and someone finally tripped up Randel El before he made it onto the field for another uninspired return. Moss, in the game in place of Randel El, bounced off teammate/would-be tackler Devin Thomas and raced 80 yards for his first punt return for a score since 2002.

Game, set, match.

5. “Rearviewmirror” by Pearl Jam

The Redskins now find themselves in rare company, as one of four teams with six wins. With a 6-2 record at the midpoint of the season, the ‘Skins have blown through every conceivable expectation set prior to the season on a team with a rookie head coach. Even if the team plays .500 ball the rest of the year, they finished with a 10-6 record that pretty much always means playoffs.

There’s a lot to like about this team. Quarterback Jason Campbell is in the top five in the NFL in QB rating. As previously mentioned, Portis leads the league in rushing by a landslide. Moss is in the top five in receiving yards. Middle linebacker London Fletcher is in the top five in tackles.

There’s also reason for concern with this bunch, which seems, for better or for worse, to play to the level of their competition. That’s fine when you’re playing the Super Bowl champions or your hated rival, but not so much when you’re going up against winless punching bags. There’s also the subject of injuries, which seem to be plaguing the Redskins training room. Several of the guys on the offensive line have been banged up and the same goes for key players on the defense like Fred Smoot, Griffin and the oft-injured Springs.

Throw in minor bumps and bruises to Campbell, Portis and Moss and there’s a concern that the key contributors might not be able to play all the way down the stretch. While this team does have more depth than they’re given credit for, there’s always a breaking point. One untimely injury to Portis or Campbell could derail an otherwise promising campaign. But if the ‘Skins can avoid any major injuries and continue to play competitive football week in and week out, fans just may be able to continue this enjoyable ride.

20Oct

browns playlist

(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “Blow The Whistle” by Jay-Z

The Browns came into the game with a 2-3 record, but they had a sense of confidence after reeling off two-straight wins. The Redskins stood 4-2, but knew the needed to rebound after last week’s humbling 19-17 loss to the previously winless St. Louis Rams.

This game felt like an old-school slugfest. While the temperature was dropping in Raljon, Maryland, things were heating up on the field between the Browns and the ‘Skins. These might be two teams from different conference who were playing each other for only the second time in 17 years, but there definitely seemed to be some bad blood in the air.

As soon as the game started, these two opponents started flexing and jaw-jacking. Seemingly after every play someone had something to say. Cleveland wideout Braylon Edwards shoved Redskins cornerback Fred Smoot. Redskins safety LaRon Landry responded by returning the favor. A half dozen players from each team start chirping back and forth. While it wasn’t the prettiest first half in the history of professional football, the 0-0 tie at halftime was perfectly fitting for this knock-down, drag-out affair.

“You know, they felt kind of good after beating the Super Bowl champs from last year from our division, so I guess that they felt that the NFC East wasn’t that tough,” said Redskins cornerback Fred Smoot. “We wanted to show them that we really are that tough.”

All that was missing was a Jay-Z diss track and we would have had a full-fledged rivalry going on at FedEx Field.

2. “Best Of You” by Foo Fighters

Redskins running back Clinton Portis came into the game with 643 rushing yards, which was tops in the NFL. So what did he do for an encore? He rushed for 175 yards and a touchdown, and ultimately, he showed the ‘Skins offense that it is okay to score points again. While Portis did finish his fourth straight game with more than 120 yards, he also caused a bit of unnecessary drama by fumbling after a 24-yard run on the first play after the Redskins defense’s goal-line stand prevented the Browns from putting points on the board late in the fourth quarter.

We’ll let him slide though, since he has 134 rushing yards more than anyone else in the NFL, seven rushing touchdowns and is averaging five yards a carry on the season. Most importantly, he continues to do the heavy lifting for the Washington Redskins supposed West Coast offense.

3. “Shut ‘Em Down” by Public Enemy

We briefly mentioned the defense’s stellar play earlier, but they deserve much more praise. Last week against the St. Louis Rams, the ‘Skins defense didn’t allow any points. This week, led by middle linebacker London Fletcher, the defense was nearly as impressive, starting with that goal-line stand. The Cleveland Browns had four chances from the four-yard-line or closer and couldn’t find the endzone. Even after Portis’ unfortunate fumble, the defense still didn’t go down without a fight. When Cleveland quarterback Derek Anderson finally connected with receiver Joshua Cribbs on a one-yard score with just under three minutes remaining in the game, it marked the eighth play in which the Redskins defense was asked to make a goal-line stand.

One week after the Browns steamrolled the New York Giants by three touchdowns, Cleveland’s offense was held to just 236 yards of total offense. In the first half, Browns quarterback Derek Anderson completed just three of 14 attempts for 17 yards. Last week, the ‘Skins defense held the Rams to just 200 yards. At this point, saying the stingy Redskins defense is making it tough for the opposition would be an understatement.

4. “Mama Said Knock You Out” by LL Cool J

Another player who deserves to be singled out is Redskins cornerback Carlos Rogers. With fragile cornerback Shawn Springs sidelined yet again, this time with a calf injury, Rogers was asked, once again, to step up and fill the void. And boy did he ever.

Not only did Rogers shut down whoever he lined up against, finishing with a team-high three passes defended. But it was the way Rogers was able to get the job done that had folks after the game seriously asking if that was Carlos’ best game as a Washington Redskin. Between frustrating Edwards and the Browns receivers and the newfound physical aspect of his game, Rogers is finally living up to being a top 10 draft pick.

“He played real well today,” said Smoot. “He tackled well and he did a wonderful job, man.”

But the highlight of Rogers’ game came in the third quarter, when he leveled Cribbs with a jarring hit that left the talented receiver K.O.ed on the ground.

“Coming from a corner? Very physical hit,” said Redskins safety LaRon Landry. “I’ve got no complaints. He done it the way I would do.”

So while Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones might get more airtime, just know that the best cornerback taken in the 2005 NFL draft was Carlos Rogers.

5. “Ready For Whatever” by T.I.

Last week, the Rams won on a last-second 49-yard field goal attempt. This week, the Browns had a chance to force overtime with yet another last-second field goal attempt, this time from 54 yards out. Thankfully, kicker Phil Dawson couldn’t connect. His attempt had the distance, but sailed wide right giving the Redskins the 14-11 victory and helping them to a 5-2 record on the season. All five of those wins have one thing in common – each game was decided by a touchdown or less. So one piece of advice for Redskins fans – don’t miss a minute of the action this season. If the first seven games are any indication, every game this season will come down to the wire.

13Oct

rams playlist

(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “Hurt” by Johnny Cash

The previously winless Rams came into the game ranked 31st on defense and 30th on offense, and had been outscored by more than 100 points (147-43) through their first four games of their season. The Redskins came into the game riding high on a four-game winning streak that featured quality road wins over the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. So what happened? The Redskins offense gave the game away, getting careless with the football and turning it over three times in the first half after going an NFL record five games without an offensive turnover to start the season. Though the ‘Skins were able to battle back after being down 16-7 to take a fourth quarter lead, the erratic play of the offense clearly made the game much more difficult than it needed to be.

“That’s what hurts the most,” said wide receiver Santana Moss. “Knowing you didn’t play your best as a team.”

2. “Drop It Like It’s Hot” by Snoop Dogg & Pharrell Williams

With time winding down in the first quarter, tight end Chris Cooley fumbled after an 11-yard catch. Early in the second quarter, center Casey Rabach’s poor snap got away from quarterback Jason Campbell. Right before halftime, guard Pete Kendall caught a tipped pass from Campbell and tried to … well … we’re not sure what he tried to do. All we know is Rams linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa stuck his helmet in there, caused Kendall to fumble and Oshiomogho Atogwe scooped it up for a 75-yard back-breaking touchdown.

“It’s hard for me to know that I let down the 52 other guys in this locker room, the coaches, owners, the fans,” said Kendall. “If I knock that ball down, whether we make the field goal or not, we win the game today.”

Considering the Rams offense was shut out on the day, that’s probably an accurate statement. The Rams finished the game with the defensive touchdown on Kendall’s ill-advised effort and four fieldgoals.

3. “Gone Daddy Gone” by Gnarls Barkley

Rookie punter. Nuff’ said.

4. “Don’t Bring Me Down” by OK Go

The defense was stout for much of the afternoon. The Rams first drive of the day ended with linebacker Marcus Washington stripped the ball from Rams running back Steven Jackson and safety LaRon Landry recovery the fumble on the three yard line. One play later the Redskins were up 7-0. If the Redskins offense that we’d become accustomed to over the last four games — no turnovers, time-consuming drives — showed up, then this would have been a blowout, like every other game the Rams have been involved in. Rams quarterback Marc Bulger finished with 136 passing yards. Jackson rushed for just 79 yards. The Rams offense only gained 200 yards on the day and had just eight first downs. There’s plenty of blame to go around for the ‘Skins offense and special teams play, but don’t spend too much time hating on the defense. For the most part, they got the job done.

5. “Tear It Up” by DMX

Redskins running back Clinton Portis might be the only Redskins offensive player who can say he earned his paycheck this week. With 21 carries for 129 yards and two touchdowns, he was the offense. When Portis rushes for nearly as many yards as Bulger, a Pro Bowl quarterback, passes for, you know he’s getting it done. Through six games, Portis has rushed for an NFL best 643 yards and six touchdowns. He’s currently averaging 4.7 yards per carry, his best effort since he came to Washington and .2 yards better than his career average. In his last three games alone, Portis has rushed for 395 yards and three touchdowns. Not only is he looking like the Clinton Portis who used to wear a WCW championsip belt around his waist during games in Denver, he’s looking like the NFL’s most valuable player through the first six games of the season. WHile there’s plenty of football left to be played, it’s great to see Portis return to the league’s elite status.

06Oct

eagles playlist

(courtesy photo)

I know, I know … you’re wondering what’s up with the photo. Trust me, we’ll get there. In the meantime, here’s this week’s recap:

1. “Sweep The Leg” by No More Kings

Coming into the game, the haters were running out of areas to nitpick. After the Redskins rolled off three consecutive wins, including a dominating performance against the Dallas Cowboys last week, the best any of them could come up with was “The Redskins haven’t had to deal with adversity yet. Let’s see how they respond with their back against the wall.”

Redskins 1. Adversity 0.

The Eagles came out of their corner swinging and nearly knocked the ‘Skins out in the first round. Eagles running back/Redskins killer Brian Westbrook scored the game’s opening touchdown and then an Eagles punt return for a score barely a minute later put Philly up by two touchdowns just seven minutes into the game. On the road against a desperate divisional rival with the entire stadium rocking after two quick touchdowns a lesser team calls it a night. They pack up, hit the showers and try again another night. Not this team though. The Jim Zorn-led Redskins simply “stayed medium” as he likes to say. They took a deep breath and went back to work.

Most impressively, the team stuck to their gameplan. While most teams would have abandoned the running game down by two touchdowns, Zorn refused to throw in the towel. Early and often he handed the ball to running backs Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts, and was rewarded with 203 rushing yards on the day.

With the running game in full effect and a patch-work defense stifling a dangerous Eagles offense, the Redskins reeled off 23 straight points en route to their fourth-straight victory. On defense they were without several big name starters. No Jason Taylor. No Shawn Springs. No Marcus Washington. No problem. Whoever stepped in stepped up. Here’s how good the Redskins defense has been this season – throughout the first five games, the ‘Skins have allowed just 10 points in the fourth quarter.

And while quarterback Jason Campbell didn’t have his best statistical outing of the season, he’s still taking what defenses are giving him and making timely plays. In fact, Campbell has now thrown 153 passes without an interception this season. Dating back to last season, Campbell’s thrown 175 passes without a pick, which is a franchise record. And the most impressive number for Campbell and the offense this season is 4, as in four straight games have ended with the ‘Skins offense taking a knee as the clocks winds down and they pick up another win.

Oh, and if you’ve never seen the “Sweep The Leg” video, then do yourself a favor and check it out. Seriously, you’ll thank me.

2. “Anything Can Happen” by Wyclef Jean

While Portis finished the day with 29 carries for 145 yards and a touchdown, those numbers don’t tell the whole story. For starters, the Eagles came into the game with the NFL’s best defense against the run, allowing around 54 yards per game. And while the 145 yards represent Portis’ best outing of the 2008 season, it’s the last three he rushed for that mattered the most.

With the Redskins facing fourth-and-1 at the Eagles’ 38-yard line with less than three minutes to play, Portis somehow coaxed his rookie head coach into calling the play he had in mind. That play, a draw out of a shotgun formation, turned out to be a game-clincher, with the ‘Skins able to run the clock out after Portis picked up the three toughest yards he ran on Sunday.

And what did Zorn have to say about handing the game’s pivotal play over to his running back?

“If a rookie had said anything, I’d have told him to shut up,” Zorn told Peter King of Sports Illustrated. “But the call made sense. We ran it.”

Hall of Fame head coach Joe Gibbs used to joke that if Portis had his way he’d throw at least one pass a game, so obviously he’s biased when it comes to who should have the ball in their hands when the game is on the line. But give Zorn credit – he trusted his players and was rewarded. You better believe the locker room noticed and will be more than willing to go to war for their first-year coach from here on out.

3. “Nothing As It Seems” by Pearl Jam

Conventional wisdom, at least if you listen to the talking heads on the major networks, was that the Redskins had just one weapon in their passing game. While it’s flattering for folks to remember how truly talented wide out Santana Moss truly is, it’s also a slap in the face to a certain Pro Bowl tight end to forget exactly what he’s capable of. In an effort to remind the talking heads that he can still take over a game, Chris Cooley hauled in eight catches for 109 yards and his first touchdown of the year. The touchdown was courtesy of wide receiver Antwaan Randle El, who threw the highlight-worthy touchdown while on the run in an effort to make up for his three drops on the day.

4. “Mr. Carter” by Lil Wayne (w/ Jay-Z)

Defensive end Andre Carter was absolutely dominating. He might be labeled as a pass rusher, a job which he does very well, but that doesn’t mean he’s not capable of shutting down the run from time to time. The Eagles had the ball on third-and-one from the two yard line in the fourth quarter with just over eight minutes to play. The drive had started on the Eagles’ nine yard line and 10 plays later they were knocking on the door ready to cut the score to 23-21. That is, until Carter, who led the ‘Skins defense with six tackles, slammed the door shut on the Eagles, stuffing Westbrook in the backfield for a three yard loss. The Eagles settled for a fieldgoal and never touched the ball again.

5. “Ace Of Spades” by Motorhead

See the photo at the top of the page? That’s my wife and Lemmy from Motorhead. Turns out he decided to join us on our trip to Las Vegas this weekend. Okay, so maybe we didn’t share bunk beds, but he was on our flight to Sin City, which turned out to be a good omen for our trip. The wife and I headed to Caesar’s and bet some money on the Redskins beating the Eagles. We didn’t even want the points. Just a straight up win, please. When the ‘Skins won, so did we. So thanks to Zorn and friends, we walked away with an extra $300 worth of beer money. Good times. Good times indeed.

29Sep

cowboys playlist

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Sorry for the delay. Would have had this week’s playlist up earlier, but I was actually flying home from Dallas. Without further delay, here’s this week’s recap:

1. “The Underdog” by Spoon

Las Vegas is in the business of making money. Whenever possible they prefer to win, not lose money – especially on the National Football League. When the lines came out early last week, the Dallas Cowboys were favored over the Washington Redskins by 11.5 points, which was the largest line of the week, Vegas’ way of saying “blowout.” Much like the rest of the country, Vegas gave the Redskins virtually no chance of winning in their final regular season battle at Texas Stadium.

“You got to play the game,” said rookie safety Kareem Moore in the locker room after the ‘Skins 26-24 win. “You can’t just play the game on paper.”

Heading into the contest, Cowboy fans were quick to point out that the Redskins had only won once in their last 12 trips to Dallas. So it’s with great joy that I point out that the ‘Skins have now won five out of the last seven contests overall in what was supposedly a one-sided rivalry. Actually, looking at that streak, it might be one sided after all, just not the way the “experts” think.

2. “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley

Last time the Redskins played in this building, Jason Campbell cried. In the locker room when no one else was around, the Redskins quarterback let his emotions get the best of him after failing to rally his team from behind in a 28-23 defeat.

This year, the Redskins were victorious plain and simply because of Jason Campbell, who went 20 of 31 for 231 yards, two touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 108.4. The Cowboys defense had given up just two passes touchdowns all season long. Campbell threw two in the second quarter. Through four games he’s gone head-to-head with Eli Manning, Drew Brees, Kurt Warner and Tony Romo and each game he’s posted a higher QB rating.

For the season, Campbell has assumed a role previously played by Jaguars quarterback David Garrard. Don’t try to win the game single handedly. Just make smart decisions, take what the defense gives you and put your teammates in a position to make plays. How’s it working out for him? Through four games, Campbell’s thrown six touchdowns with no interceptions or fumbles. That, my friends, is redemption.

3. “Jesus Walks” by Kanye West

Since 1971, Cowboys fans have said that the hole in the roof of Texas Stadium was designed so that God, himself, could watch his favorite team on Sundays. Well, if that’s the case, then the big guy had to be pleased watching two of his biggest fans, receivers James Thrash and Antwaan Randle El, each catch a touchdown in the Redskins’ win.

4. “Remember The Name” by Fort Minor

If you looked up the definition of the phrase “Redskins football” in the dictionary, it would say “run and stop the run.” For as long as our nation’s capital has had a team, that’s been the gameplan. Well, this week, fans were treated to vintage Redskins football with the ‘Skins racking up 161 yards on the ground while surrendering just 44.

Let’s not forget that these Cowboys were averaging 150 yards rushing per game this season heading into this rivalry game. But on Sunday, Marion Barber rushed the ball just eight times for 26 yards, while Redskins running back Clinton Portis ran 21 times for 121 yards for the good guys. In fact, Portis was the first running back to rush for 100 yards against the Cowboys in 18 games. That’s called getting it done.

5. “Bad Day” by Daniel Powter

“We had opportunities early in the game and we just couldn’t take advantage of them,” said Cowboys head coach Wade “Bum” Phillips. “I thought they outplayed us. I thought they outplayed our offense. They outplayed our defense. They outplayed our special teams and our coaches. Take your pick.”

Nuff’ said.

22Sep

cardinals playlist

(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “Happy?” by Mudvayne

“He’s not smart enough.”
“He can’t work in the West Coast offense.”
“He’s not Zorn’s guy.”
“He wasn’t the one who got them into the playoffs last year, Todd Collins was.”

That’s just a small dose of the crap more than a few Redskins fans were spewing about Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell after the season-opening loss to the New York Giants. You’d have thought Danny Wuerffel was back behind the center the way folks were bashing him. At that point I really had to question everything – sure, Campbell didn’t look great in New York, but neither did anyone else on the roster. Were people calling for LaRon Landry’s job after he got bowled over by Giants running back Brandon Jacobs? No. But people love a quarterback controversy in this town, so it became the trendy thing to do.

Let’s fast forward two weeks and strangely, none of those twits are anywhere to be found. The offense, still led by Campbell last I checked, has put up 53 points these last two games and, for the first time in a long time, is actually capable of putting together time-consuming drives and connecting for quick strike touchdowns.

Against the Cards, Campbell was nearly perfect, completing 22 of 30 passes for 193 yards and two touchdown passes. He connected on 73 percent of his passes for a downright nasty 112.2 quarterback rating. If that ain’t getting it done then I don’t know what is. Through three games (including the Giants game, mind you), Campbell has connected on 63 of 91 passes for 647 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions and no fumbles. That’s 65.6 percent, ladies and gentlemen. That also translates to a quarterback rating of 100.1 for the year. Speaking of QB ratings, Campbell has had a better rating that each of his three opponents – Eli Manning, Drew Brees and Kurt Warner – this season. Looks like the haters are going to have to find someone else to fixate on.

2. “Bombs Over Baghdad” by Outkast

Redskins receiver Santana Moss scored the eventual game winner on a 17-yard touchdown from Campbell in the fourth quarter. That’s noteworthy because it marked the sixth straight contest, including playoffs, in which Moss has caught a touchdown, tying a Redskins record held by Bobby Mitchell, who did it back in 1964.

Through three games, Moss has 19 catches for 276 yards and three touchdowns – ranking Moss fourth in NFL in receiving yards. On a team that took something like 12 games to get a receiver a touchdown last year, it goes without saying that Moss’ contributions are greatly appreciated. A healthy Santana Moss will go a long way in helping the continuing development of Campbell and preventing defenses from stacking eight men in the box against running back Clinton Portis and the ground game.

3. “Hey Hey What Can I Do” by Led Zeppelin

With just under nine minutes remaining and the Redskins leading the Cardinals 24-17, Campbell rolled out to his right to avoid the pressure and connected on a 68-yard touchdown bomb to rookie wide out Devin Thomas to all but end the game. After being called for two offensive pass interference calls earlier in the game, Thomas went from the dog house to the penthouse. Just one problem though – the play was called back after offensive lineman Stephon Heyer was flagged for a blindside hit on Darnell Dockett.

Thankfully, the boneheaded play didn’t end up costing the ‘Skins the victory, but it did take away Thomas’ first career touchdown. The stat sheet shows Thomas finished the day with one catch for seven yards, but in an instant Redskins fans saw a glimpse of what the rookie receiver is capable of.

4. “Bring ‘Em Out” by T.I.

Last week, safety Reed Doughty missed the game because of a stomach virus. In his place, rookie safety Chris Horton stepped up big time – hauling in two interceptions and a fumble recovery, earning NFC player of the week honors in the process. This week, the only time anyone noticed Doughty was when he bit on a fake by Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who breezed by him for a 62-yard touchdown in the third quarter. If Doughty wants to avoid the ire of Redskins fans looking for a new whipping boy other than Campbell, he needs to step up his game sooner rather than later.

5. “How Do You Like Me Now” by Toby Keith

These Washington Redskins are a team fans can get behind. They can score points in bunches, clearly illustrated by their offensive production (26.5 point per game) these last two weeks. On defense, the philosophy is always bend, but don’t break. While no one is thrilled that Cardinals running back Edgerrin James rushed for more than five yards a carry, the Redskins (Doughty’s play aside) did a solid job of preventing the big plays the Kurt Warner-led Cardinals are capable of. In fact, the ‘Skins held the Cardinals to 17 points Sunday, ending a streak of 10 consecutive games in which Arizona had scored at least 20 points, the longest in the league.

Redskins defensive back Carlos Rogers recovered a fumble and picked off Warner yesterday. Linebacker Rocky McIntosh forced a fumble for the second straight game. Defensive end Jason Taylor batted three balls at the line of scrimmage. And most importantly, the Redskins are winning the turnover battle (they’re a plus five for the year in turnovers). As long as the Redskins avoid careless mistakes on offense and continue to make the one or two game-changing plays on defense, there’s a chance this team may make some noise this season after all.

15Sep

saints playlist

(photo by Brian Murphy)

As is tradition around these parts, here are five songs in honor of the Washington Redskins 29-24 victory over the New Orleans Saints.

1. “Hot in Herre” by Nelly.

Feeling more like July than September, the conditions on the field at kickoff were downright brutal with a heat index of 105 degrees at FedEx Field. And while the heat could have made a lesser man falter, quarterback Jason Campbell rose to the occasion. The football gods gave him a 105 degree day, and he responded with a 104.1 quarterback rating.

Campbell haters will not be pleased to hear that J.C. went seven for seven in the fourth quarter for nearly 160 yards and a game-winning 67-yard touchdown to Santana Moss. Nearly as big as the touchdown was the gutsy completion to Moss again, this time on fourth and two with roughly two minutes to play. For a guy labeled as a quarterback who won’t ever make it in the West Coast offense, he sure did play the part today – completing 67 percent of his passes and finishing with that sparkling QB rating.

2. “No Leaf Clover” by Metallica.

Redskins starting safety Reed Doughty was so sick with flu-like symptom Sunday morning that he texted his backup, rookie Chris Horton, at 8 a.m. to tell him there was no way he would be able to take the field against the Saints. Coach Jim Zorn said after the game that the team took Doughty to the hospital to try and calm his stomach, but that every time Doughty even tried to jog, he threw up.

No one knew what to expect with Doughty sidelined and a seventh rounder making his first NFL start against New Orleans high-powered offense. And even in their wildest dreams, ‘Skins fans couldn’t have envisioned Horton exploding onto the scene with two interceptions and a fumble recovery. While that’s great news for Horton and Redskins fans, it’s not so good for Doughty. While he probably won’t admit it, watching a seventh-round compensatory pick claim his job while he had an upset tummy couldn’t have made his day any brighter.

3. “Forgot About Dre” by Dr. Dre (featuring Eminem)

Thanks in large part to nagging injuries last season, Redskins receiver Santana Moss barely resembled the game-changer ‘Skins fans had come to know and respect. Instead of choosing to give Moss the benefit of the doubt for trying to play while hurt, folks began to whisper that maybe his best days were behind him and if the Redskins wanted big plays out of the receiving corps again, they should probably consider finding someone else to get the job done.

Fast forward to yesterday, when the ‘Skins were down by nine points with around six minutes to play. If someone didn’t step up and make a play, then the home team would have found themselves in the unenviable position of 0-2 against a stacked NFC East. We already mentioned the 67-yard touchdown, but just as vital was Moss’ eight-yard catch when the ‘Skins opted to go for it on fourth and two. For the day, Moss finished with seven catches for 164 yards and the touchdown. Good thing rumors of Moss’ demise were a bit premature.

Here’s something ‘Skins fans can relish from the post-game news and notes:

Moss’s 67-yard touchdown from Jason Campbell marked the fifth straight contest, including playoffs, in which he has caught a touchdown. He is the first Redskin since Charlie Brown in the first five weeks of 1982 to record a touchdown reception in five straight games.

4. “Ugly” by Bubba Sparxxx

How about those Redskins special teams on Sunday? The rookie punter averaged 33 yards a punt for the game and botched a hold on a field goal attempt. Saints returner Reggie Bush returned a punt for a 55-yard score. And if that’s not enough to make special teams coach Danny Smith lose it, Antwaan Randle El continued his quest to drive Smith to an early death with his play as a punt returner. We’ve been subjected to his patented “one step to the left, one step to the right, fall forward for a two-yard gain” since he came to town, but on Sunday he decided to also throw a fumble into the mix. Of course that blunder resulted in a touchdown for New Orleans. If not for a solid day defensively and the heroics from Campbell, Moss and the offense, today’s story would be all about the horrid play of the Redskins “special” teams.

5. “Testify” by Rage Against the Machine

This one goes out to me. Turns out that in addition to patrolling the sidelines while watching my favorite team come from behind for a much-needed victory, I also managed to win $100 yesterday. I bought four squares in the office pool and won the first and third quarters, turning my eight buck investment into 100. That means today I get to pick up Rock Band 2 with my winnings, and will gladly enjoy thrashing to some Rage this evening.

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