All posts in playlist

19Nov

redskins-eagles playlist

(photos by Brian Murphy)

1. “No Tell” by Smoke & Jackal

As the Washington Redskins prepared to take on the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, there was plenty of reason to believe the season was already lost.

That because the Redskins stood at just 3-6 after pissing away victories against several beatable opponents during the first half of the 2012 season.

Well, that and the fact that they were an NFL-worst 5-15 at FedEx Field since 2010. And they’d somehow managed to lose a mind-boggling eight-straight games against rookie quarterbacks. Oh, and they were coming off a demoralizing defeat by a pitiful Carolina Panthers team that made even head coach Mike Shanahan have to change his stance about this season.

Thankfully, none of that mattered as the Redskins put together their most complete game of the season — crushing the Eagles from start to finish to cruise to an easy 31-6 victory.

For the first time in nearly a month, the offense didn’t have to settle for field goals. For the first time this season, the defense actually bothered to show up. And, in a welcome change, it was Washington that set the tone early by making a few big plays which then forced Philly to play from behind the rest of the day.

Read more →

05Nov

redskins-panthers playlist

(photos by Brian Murphy)

1. “Panic Switch” by Silversun Pickups

In the days leading up to the game against the Carolina Panthers, countless members of the Washington Redskins — including head coach Mike Shanahan — were emphatic about the heightened importance of this match-up.

Not only was this Washington’s last game before the bye week, but it was, on the surface, the easiest game on the 2012 schedule. If the Redskins couldn’t muster a win over a 1-6 Carolina team that had lost five straight games and struggled to do anything well, then what does that say about them?

Well, as long-time fans know by now, nothing is easy with this franchise.

The Redskins are simply unwilling or unable to take the easy route, so naturally they were defeated by a doormat in a “must-win” game. Thanks to this disheartening 21-13 loss, all of the joy that surrounded this team just two months ago when Robert Griffin III stepped onto the field for the first time as a pro, is dead and gone.

Even Shanahan is willing to conceit that losing this game changes everything for the rest of the season.

“Obviously we’re not out of it statistically,” he said. “Must-win games give you a chance to play for a playoff spot when you’re 3-5. And it’s got to be a must win to get in the hunt.

“Now you’re playing to see who is going to be on your football team for years to come,” Shanahan continued. “And now we get a chance to evaluate players and see where we’re at.”

Read more →

29Oct

redskins-steelers playlist

(photos by Brian Murphy)

1. “Tell Me Where It Hurts” by Halestorm

Coming into Week 8, the Washington Redskins had not beaten the Pittsburgh Steelers since 1991. To put that in perspective, current franchise quarterback Robert Griffin III hadn’t even had his second birthday yet the last time Mark Rypien and the burgundy and gold emerged victorious over the Steelers.

When one team dominates over another for that long of a period, it’s safe to say it takes an extraordinary effort to turn the tide.

Unfortunately for Washington, that extraordinary effort was nowhere to be seen this weekend, and the results were predictable — with Pittsburgh cruising to an easy 27-12 victory over the Redskins.

Where did things go wrong for the burgundy and gold this week? Glad you asked.

Read more →

21Oct

redskins-giants playlist

(photos by Brian Murphy)

1. “Already Over” by Red

With a chance to send a message to the rest of the NFC East, the Washington Redskins were uncharacteristically careless with the football Sunday — turning the ball over four times in a disappointing 27-23 loss to the New York Giants.

So rather than moving into a tie for first place, the Redskins are now once again in last place in the division and, for better or worse, have no one to blame but themselves.

Not only did they turn the football over four times during a six-possession span in the second half, but Washington also failed to score touchdowns on two trips to the red zone.

That’s not exactly the best approach to defeating the defending Super Bowl champions.

The saddest part is, the Redskins picked up 248 rushing yards against New York — which was the team’s best day on the ground since ’07. Thanks to the dynamic duo of Griffin and running back Alfred Morris, the Redskins were able to march up and down the field against the Giants for much of the afternoon, but when you’re settling for field goals rather than touchdowns, it’s only a matter of time before it comes back to bite you.

Washington controlled the time of possession throughout the first half and kept a very-talented Giants offense off the field for long stretches of the game, and yet, the score was still tied at 13-13 during the intermission.

Read more →

15Oct

redskins-vikings playlist

(photos by Brian Murphy)

1. “Believe” by The Bravery

Coming into the game, the Washington Redskins had every reason to believe the Minnesota Vikings boasted the toughest defense they would face in 2012.

That’s because the 4-1 Vikings boast an aggressive front seven that does a tremendous job at pressuring quarterbacks while also stopping the run.

Consider this: Minnesota’s defense had not allowed an opponent to rush for 90 or more yards in four-straight games and during the team’s three-game winning streak, they had limited opponents to less than 14 points per contest.

It should also be noted that the Redskins came into this affair with questions surrounding franchise quarterback Robert Griffin III, after he suffered a concussion last week against the Atlanta Falcons.

Would he be able to play this week? If he did, would he still be effective? Would the team take drastic measures and change Griffin’s preferred style of play in order to try and limit the number of hits he takes during a giving game?

All of these questions were answered emphatically and RGIII showed no signs of rust — leading Washington to a resounding 38-26 victory over the Vikings. For the day, Griffin completed 17 of 22 passes for 182 yards, with one touchdown, one interception and a QB rating of 97.2. He also tied a career high in rushing attempts (13) and set a career high with 138 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

Of course, one of those rushing touchdowns came when his team needed it most — with Griffin busting free for a 76-yard touchdown run on 3rd-and-6 from his own 24-yard line with just under three minutes remaining in regulation.

At first it appeared that Griffin was simply going to scramble for the first down, but once he turned the corner and got to the sidelines, RGIII decided to turn on the jets and showcase his world-class speed. According to at least one media member, it took RGIII just 4.0 seconds to sprint the final 40 yards, which is simply ridiculous for a quarterback.

“He saw a hole and he took off and the rest is history,” said Shanahan. “Great job by him looking at the front and seeing that rushing lane and taking advantage of it.”

Oh, by the way, that touchdown run was the longest by an NFL quarterback in 16 years.

“I got to enjoy the moment a little bit,” Griffin said. “It was pretty fun to hear the crowd and see my teammates on the sideline celebrating as I got the touchdown.”

Griffin had time to look over at his teammates during the run because he was clearly the fastest player on the field, and there was zero chance anyone in a purple jersey was going to catch him once he hit his top speed.

Read more →

08Oct

redskins-falcons playlist

(photos by Brian Murphy)

1. “Professional Griefers” by Deadmau5 Feat. Gerard Way

Over the last two decades, the Washington Redskins have lost plenty of games and honestly, since FedEx Field opened in 1997, they’ve lost more than their fair share of home games as well.

So there’s nothing particularly newsworthy about the Redskins falling to 2-3 after losing to the undefeated Atlanta Falcons, 24-17.

But when quarterback Robert Griffin III gets knocked out of the game with a concussion, it’s officially time for ‘Skins fans to panic. Or drink heavily.

The official stat sheet shows that Griffin carried the ball just once on the day — a seven-yard gain. But on the team’s second drive of the third quarter, Griffin opted to roll out to his right, wasn’t happy with what he saw downfield and headed toward the sidelines.

Unfortunately for everyone involved, RGIII didn’t step out of bounds once he got to the sideline. Instead he tried to gain an extra yard or two by waiting until the last minute to slide and was drilled by Falcons linebacker Sean Witherspoon.

Griffin’s head slammed back into the turf and, just like that, his day was over.

“He wasn’t sure what quarter it was in the third quarter,” said head coach Mike Shanahan. “At that time, when he wasn’t really sure what the score was or what quarter it was, we knew he had a mild concussion – at least according to the doctors. He feels good right now – a lot better right now. But that was the situation, why he didn’t go back into the game.”

Read more →

01Oct

redskins-buccaneers playlist

(photos by Brian Murphy)

1. “Force Of Nature” by Pearl Jam

Since the day the Washington Redskins traded away multiple draft picks to the St. Louis Rams for the chance to select Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, expectations have been sky high for the rookie quarterback.

It’s been so long since a worthwhile quarterback donned the burgundy and gold that, fair or unfair, anything less than restoring glory to a once-proud franchise has to be considered a failure when it comes to Griffin’s role in Washington.

And yet, the more he’s asked to do, the more RGIII continues to deliver.

This week, Griffin was asked to put the entire team on his back and snatch victory back from the jaws of defeat as he took the field with just 102 seconds remaining.

Even though his headset went out, which meant he had to call his own plays with the game on the line, Griffin looked to be in complete control as he dropped back and found receiver Santana Moss for a 15-yard gain to get the drive going. Before the Buccaneers recovered, RGIII found tight end Fred Davis for another 20-yard gain.

When everyone was covered two plays later, Griffin simply tucked the ball and scrambled for another 15 yards. After quickly spiking the ball to stop the clock, Griffin strolled off the field with just seconds left on the clock after having orchestrated a clinical seven-play, 56-yard drive that put kicker Billy Cundiff in position to kick a game-winning 41-yard field goal to give Washington a thrilling 24-22 victory.

For the game, Griffin completed 26 of 35 passes for 323 yards with a rushing touchdown and a quarterback rating of 102.4. Oh, and he also established career highs in pass completions, pass attempts and passing yardage.

Not bad for a rookie making only his fourth career start.

Read more →

HomerMcFanboy background image