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28Dec

cowboys playlist

In blog, football, playlist by b murf / December 28, 2009 / 2 Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “Shame And Fortune” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

For the second week in a row, the Washington Redskins had a chance to play on a national stage. For the second game in a row, the Washington Redskins embarrassed themselves in front of the rest of the country and looked nothing like a professional football team.

Not only were the ‘Skins shut out against the hated rival, the Dallas Cowboys, 17-0, but the entire team – offense, defense, special teams and coaching – looked woefully unprepared. How that is even possible in Week 16 is beyond us.

For the second week in a row, the Redskins won the coin toss. But this time, they decided to mix it up – electing to receive first. After four-straight plays involving running back Quinton Ganther, Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell decided to find another target. Unfortunately, this decision apparently caught tight end Fred Davis off guard, because the ball bounced off his hands and was intercepted by Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman.

Tony Romo and the Dallas offense took the field and never looked back, as they put together a seven-play, 36-yard drive that ended with a four-yard touchdown pass from Romo to mediocre wide out Roy Williams. The Cowboys were up 7-0 barely six minutes into the game, and whether they knew it or not, officially had enough points to win this game.

2. “The Long Road” by Pearl Jam

The next eight Redskins drives all had one thing in common – they ended with a Hunter Smith punt. Before Washington’s final drive of the night, which ended with a fourth-down pass sailing over the head of rookie receiver “Free” Marko Mitchell, the team’s best drive was a 10-play, 38-yard effort that still didn’t do enough to cross midfield.

The announcers did their best to throw Campbell under the bus, but the truth is, his offensive line has reverted back to earlier in the season when they were barely capable of slowing defenders as they took turns crushing the Redskins quarterback. Pretty much all night long Campbell had time to drop back three steps and look at his first receiver. If option #1 was covered, he didn’t have time to even look for his next target because Dallas defenders were already closing in for impact.

Ganther finished the game with 13 yards rushing. Marcus Mason finished with 11. Rock Cartwright had 6. So basically, there was no running game to help shoulder to load. And since the Cowboys were ahead all game long and the Redskins offense looked completely lost, their defense could be as aggressive as they’d like.

We guess we could mention that guard Mike Williams and tackle Stephon Heyer both got banged up during the game, and therefore the Redskins offensive line was basically comprised of any fat guy with a helmet. But honestly, the line wasn’t doing any better with Williams and Heyer in against Dallas.

3. “What We Talkin’ About” by Jay-Z

The big news heading into the game was that Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth sounded off against defensive coordinator Greg Blache for the way he’s been used this season. After being sent home for being late to practice Christmas day, “Fat” Albert dialed up the Washington Post and let loose, essentially saying he’s got great players around him, they just don’t have a good enough defensive scheme to maximize this talent.

And here’s the thing – Haynesworth is absolutely 100 percent correct. Blache is an egotistical know-it-all who seemingly has no interest in adapting his defense to best suit the individual talents of his players. But none of that matters when Haynesworth is a nonfactor just days after calling out his boss.

Finishing with three tackles and two quarterback pressures isn’t going to cut it, not when you know all eyes are on you after you rip into Blache. We don’t care if you have to just say “screw it” and start calling your own audibles at the line; you’ve got to finish a game with more than just one solo tackle during a primetime game.

4. “Old Time’s Sake” by Eminem (feat. Dr. Dre)

If we had to pick one play from Sunday night to summarize this 4-11 season, it would be a 69-yard catch and run by Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. Now, we’ve got nothing against Witten, who is consistently one of the better tight ends in the NFL, but let’s be honest – he’s a slow white guy. He’s not someone known for yards after the catch.

But, as has been the case all year, anything is possible when Redskins safety LaRon Landry is involved. Once Witten caught the ball, he turned up field and took off (well, as best he could). Landry hustled his tail off and tracked him down. Unfortunately for ‘Skins fans, LaRon then “pulled a Landry” and completely whiffed on the tackle, which enabled Witten to gain an extra 35 yards and gave him the longest reception of his career.

One of these days, Landry is going to realize that, as a safety, he’s the last line of defense and he simply cannot try to hulk smash every opposing player in his vicinity. Until that time, he’s nothing more than a liability in coverage (which is what you like to hear about someone drafted with the sixth overall pick).

5. “You’re The Reason I’m Leaving” by Franz Ferdinand

Since Bruce Allen was brought in as the new general manager, the Redskins are 0-2.

Sadly, they’re even worse than that winless record would indicate, if that’s even possible. In two home games against divisional rivals, the Redskins have been outscored 62-12. Maybe Allen is better at finding a silver lining than we are. Otherwise, he, like anyone else watching the Redskins on primetime TV these last two weeks, must be thinking “How quickly can I blow this thing up?”

Over the last two seasons, which we’ll simply refer to as “The Jim Zorn era,” the Redskins are 0-7 in primetime games while being outscored 166-62. We’re not sure what the man even does anymore other than post-game press conferences, but he needs to go. Same for Blache. Same for Danny Smith, the special teams coach.

Allen, once he names Mike Shanahan or whoever as the next head coach, should also feel free to get rid of any and all players currently affiliated with the burgundy and gold. This team, regardless of their inept head coach, should not be allowed to go winless in the NFC East. Failing to win a single game against the Cowboys, Giants and Eagles means heads should roll. Absolutely no one should be safe. This team has been so mediocre for so long, why should we go to bat for anyone? It’s time for a change. The ball started rolling when Vinny Cerrato left town. The sooner we can send this entire coaching staff and half the roster with him, the better.

23Dec

redskins not ready for primetime

In blog, football by b murf / December 23, 2009 / 1 Comment

(photo by Brian Murphy)

“You’re the only game on. At least on Sunday you’ve got 10 other games, so you might not get seen doing that bad.” – Washington Redskins receiver Malcolm Kelly, after the team’s humiliating 45-12 loss on Monday Night Football.

That quote, which Kelly provided to the talented Grant Paulsen in the post-game locker room, speaks volumes. For a guy who has only been with the Redskins for less than two seasons, Kelly clearly has a sense of what the Redskins subject their fanbase to seemingly every time they’re scheduled to play a primetime game.

In fact, the team has been so porous when the country is watching, that the Redskins really should consider petitioning the league office to flex them out of their upcoming Sunday night matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. As it stands now, the chances of the ‘Skins actually winning this game are even slimmer than their 4-10 record already suggests.

The more we thought of it, the more we realized just how pitiful the Redskins are in big games. Since we’re a glutton for punishment, we went back and researched the Redskins’ record during primetime games since 2000. The numbers are damning, to say the least:

Monday Night Football record: 3-10

Dec. 21, 2009: Redskins lose vs. New York Giants, 45-12
Oct. 26, 2009: Redskins lose vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 27-17
Nov. 3, 2008: Redskins lose vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 23-6
Sept. 17, 2007: Redskins win at Philadelphia Eagles, 20-12
Sept. 11, 2006: Redskins lose vs. Minnesota Vikings, 19-16
Sept. 19, 2005 Redskins win at Dallas Cowboys, 14-13
Sept. 27, 2004: Redskins lose vs. Dallas Cowboys, 21-18
Sept. 16, 2002: Redskins lose vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 37-7
Oct. 15, 2001: Redskins lose at Dallas Cowboys, 9-7
Sept. 24, 2001: Redskins lose at Green Bay Packers, 37-0
Nov. 20, 2000: Redskins win at St. Louis Rams, 33-20
Oct. 30, 2000: Redskins lose vs. Tennessee Titans, 27-21
Sept. 18, 2000: Redskins lose vs. Dallas Cowboys, 27-21

Sunday Night Football: 6-6

Dec. 7, 2008: Redskins lose at Baltimore Ravens, 24-10
Nov. 16, 2008: Redskins lose vs. Dallas Cowboys, 14-10
Dec. 23, 2007: Redskins win at Minnesota Vikings, 32-21
Dec. 16, 2007: Redskins win at New York Giants, 22-10
Sept. 17, 2006: Redskins lose at Dallas Cowboys, 27-10
Nov. 6, 2005: Redskins win vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 17-10
Dec. 12, 2004: Redskins lose vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 17-14
Oct. 10, 2004: Redskins lose vs. Baltimore Ravens, 17-10
Nov. 23, 2003: Redskins lose at Miami Dolphins, 24-23
Oct. 27, 2002: Redskins win vs. Indianapolis Colts, 26-21
Dec. 30, 2001: Redskins win vs. New Orleans Saints, 40-10
Sept. 24, 2000: Redskins win at New York Giants, 16-6

Thursday Games: 2-2

Sept. 4, 2008: Redskins lose at New York Giants, 16-7
Dec. 6, 2007: Redskins win vs. Chicago Bears, 24-16
Sept. 4, 2003: Redskins win vs. New York Jets, 16-13
Nov. 28, 2002: Redskins lose at Dallas Cowboys, 27-20

Quick math puts the Redskins at 11-18 in primetime games this decade. More recently, Washington is 0-6 in primetime games over the last two seasons, while being outscored 149-62.

Their three wins on Monday Night Football have one thing in common – they all came on the road. Sadly, the Redskins are 0-8 at home this decade on Monday night.

Sunday nights have been kinder to the team, but those numbers are skewed because the Redskins went 3-0 in Sunday night contests between 2000-02.

Over the last decade, the Redskins and Cowboys have squared off in front of a national audience seven times. The Redskins are 1-6, and have been outscored 138-100. So basically, if you’re looking to win some easy money during the holiday season, you might want to consider betting on Dallas to win by a score of 20-14. History says you’ll be good to go.

22Dec

giants playlist

In blog, football, playlist by b murf / December 22, 2009 / 4 Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “There’s a Place in Hell for Me and My Friends” by Morrissey

The Washington Redskins won the coin toss … and that’s it.

Pretty much every other aspect of the team’s Monday Night Football contest against the New York Giants falls in the category of debacle, as the Redskins got annihilated 45-12 in front of a national audience.

To say this was unexpected is a vast understatement. Heading into the game, ‘Skins fans had every reason for cautious optimism. The Redskins offense finally had some momentum, putting up 30 points in back to back games for the first time in the Jim Zorn era.

The beleaguered offensive line had done well enough to get by and quarterback Jason Campbell had thrown for 1,749 yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions with a 92.3 QB rating in his last seven games. By no means were they competing with the ’07 New England Patriots offense, but they were at least looking competent after an embarrassing first two months of the season.

On the other sideline, the Giants came into this game heading in the opposite direction. After starting the season 5-0 and boasting the top-ranked defense in the NFL, the wheels had seemingly fallen off. Since then, New York had gone 2-6 and their defense has given up 40 points in a game three times.

Heading into this one, there was every reason to think that the Redskins were the team heading in the right direction, while the Giants were the team freefalling out of playoff contention. Sadly, this couldn’t have been further from the truth.

2. “It’s Hard to Walk Tall When You’re Small” by Morrissey

The defense is supposed to be the strength of the Redskins. After all, year in and year out, they consistently rank in the top 10 in the league, while the offense has seemingly struggled to score points since Norv Turner was drawing up plays for Michael Westbrook and Stephen Davis (when they weren’t sucker-punching each other).

Well, on Monday Night Football this defense was finally exposed for what it is – completely overrated. All season long they’ve allowed lengthy drives, regardless of the opponent. When they blitz the opposing quarterback (JaMarcus Russell aside), they almost never get there in time to disrupt the play. When they lay back in coverage, the quarterback – in this case, Eli Manning – has all the time in the world to dissect their secondary apart. And lord knows they’re completely incapable of getting a turnover.

The Giants’ opening drive completely set the tone for the entire evening. The Redskins attack was seemingly predicated on blitzing every down. New York, which had won six of the previous seven times these two “rivals” had faced off, apparently knew it was coming. So they allowed the Redskins defense to bull rush in, and then at the last minute, Manning pitched the ball over the first wave of attack to an open target, who then gained a large chunk of yards.

Their offense was stunning in its simplicity. Use the Redskins over-aggressiveness against them. Let them send the house, because you know they won’t get there in time and then once their guys are out of your way, dump the ball off to a target a few yards away and watch him pick up first downs in bunches.

When passing, Manning simply targeted whichever receiver was closest to safety LaRon Landry and Brian “I’m not really a linebacker” Orakpo. Once the passing attack had the Redskins defense on its heels, they simply handed the ball to the running back tandem of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw (who rushed for nearly seven yards a carry on the night).

3. “How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?” by Morrissey

The offense … well … where do we begin? The offensive line, admittedly, had overachieved for much of the last month or so. Considering the line features Derrick Dockery, Casey Rabach and a bunch of spare parts, it was only a matter of time before they remembered they weren’t any good. Turns out last night was the night, and Campbell was battered and beaten worse than at any other point in his career (which is saying something).

After the game, Campbell looked more like a prize fighter than a quarterback, with his face swollen and his shoulder sore after suffering a stinger during the bout. For something like the third time this season, we found ourselves saying, “I wouldn’t blame Campbell one bit if he refused to get up off the ground until they surrounding him with a halfway decent supporting cast.”

Todd Collins came in relief once Campbell suffered the stinger near the end of the first half, but even then, Campbell refused to stay out of the game. Once the second half started, he was right back out there – ready for the next beating.

4. “Little Man, What Now?” by Morrissey

The special teams unit clearly was intent on putting the “special” in special teams. Seriously, more than anything else Monday night, their amateur performance is what stands out the morning after. The kick return team is so bad, that for much of the night, Devin Thomas was unable to even get back to the 20-yard line. When the offense did finally find the endzone, the special teams killed any shot of momentum by screwing up the extra point.

And then there was the fake fieldgoal attempt.

Honestly, if Danny Smith and/or Jim Zorn still have a job this week, then newly appointed general manager Bruce Allen clearly is already sleeping on the job. For those who missed it, the Redskins pulled out one of the dumbest trick plays imaginable just before halftime, while trailing 24-0.

The Redskins sent out their fieldgoal unit, and then shifted nearly everyone except holder Hunter Smith and snapper Ethan Albright to the left side of the field in what can only be referred to as the “Flying V” formation of Mighty Ducks fame.

The Giants saw this and smartly called a timeout. Now, think back to the Denver game, when the Broncos coaching staff was so inept, they managed to be surprised twice when the Redskins set up the play and then after a timeout, called it again. Let’s just say the Giants weren’t fooled.

Instead, when the ‘Skins were dumb enough to try and run the play a second time, the Giants sent four defenders up the middle and crushed Smith, who was barely able to get rid of the ball before being pummeled.

No NFL team should ever try this play. And if an NFL team is moronic enough to line up for this play once and the opposition is forced to waste a timeout, it can only be considered a success. But to try the play, which is destined for failure, when the defense knows it’s coming … well, that’s a “gotsta go” situation. If heads don’t roll, then you’re basically saying, “We are not a professional football team.” The rest of us may already knows this, but it’s not a good idea to confirm it.

5. “Break Up The Family” by Morrissey

The only good thing to come from this humiliating defeat is that it’s now clear that this team needs to be blown up. A month’s worth of close losses might have prompted some to believe this team was close to respectability. Clearly, that is not the case.

No one should be safe – whether we’re discussing players, coaches or even cheerleaders. Seriously, sweeping changes are needed if this organization is hoping to become respectable again for the first time in basically 20 years. Bruce Allen was step one. Step two is replacing Zorn, whether it’s with Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden or some up-and-coming assistant coach we’ve never heard of.

Forget that his overall record as a head coach is 12-18. We’re now in a situation where the Redskins must defeat the playoff-bound Dallas Cowboys next week just so Zorn’s Redskins can improve to 4-8 against the rest of the division. How can you ever become a legitimate threat if you lose two thirds of your divisional matchups? The answer is – you can’t. Zorn is in over his head, and so too are the Redskins as long as he’s allowed to roam the sidelines.

At this point you’re better off just paying the man to stay home.

21Dec

quinton ganther stays medium, humble

In blog, football by b murf / December 21, 2009 / No Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Last week, Washington Redskins running back Quinton Ganther started his first NFL game. In front of more than 250 friends and family members, the Richmond, Calif., native made the most of the opportunity – finishing the day with 93 total yards and two touchdowns in a 34-13 victory over the Oakland Raiders.

In the post-game locker room, Ganther even admitted that it was a day he would never forget.

Well, we caught up with Ganther heading into tonight’s game against the New York Giants to see if he’d come down from the emotional high of last week’s game yet and to see what he plans to do for an encore.

Has your first-career start become even sweeter now that you’ve had a chance to go back and watch the tape of the Raiders game?

“To be honest, it wasn’t really that great,” Ganther said. “Once you go back and evaluate it, I made a lot of mistakes. One of my biggest mistakes, I let the quarterback get hit twice and that’s not acceptable. That’s not acceptable for me, and that’s not acceptable for this team. I couldn’t stop apologizing to Jason [Campbell] because I got him hit, and he jumps back up and he’s got mud all up in his face … that’s just not acceptable for me. So once I went back and watched it again, it wasn’t a great game for me.”

It’s funny. You’re sitting here telling us that your first start wasn’t a good one. And yet, there are some folks out there already comparing you to Chuck Norris. You’re a guy who a month ago was looking for a job, and now that you’ve had some success, you don’t sound satisfied at all …

“I’m not a Chuck Norris. I’m not a badass,” said Ganther. “I’m Quinton Ganther, and I’m a guy who is humble. I’m a guy who comes to work and takes pride in this job, this opportunity. What people don’t understand is this is a blessing. Just to be sitting here in this locker room talking to you right now, this is a blessing. People would give up their right arm or leg for this. [Editor’s note: he’s right.]

“So you can’t ever get too big for yourself, you know what I mean,” Ganther continued. “You have to come out and work hard, because this can all be gone tomorrow. Like you said, a month ago I was looking for a job. And now I get an opportunity like this, I’m not going to take it for granted. I’m going to take advantage of it.”

Since you’re so new to town, Redskins fans are still getting to know you. What’s the scouting report on Quinton Ganther?

“You’ve just got a guy who is gonna go hard,” he said. “I’m a guy who, each time I’m out there, is going to give you everything I’ve got. There’s only certain things I can control, and one of them is my effort. So when I’m out there, you don’t have to worry about that because I’m going to give you everything I’ve got.”

How is everything coming along as you get used to being a part of this locker room and getting more familiar with the Redskins’ offense?

“I’m from Richmond, California. I can go anywhere and fit in,” Ganther said. “That’s not even a problem. If I go to China, I’m gonna fit in somehow, some way. That’s just me. You’ve got to camouflage and get in where you fit in. There’s a lot of different personalities in here, so you’ve got to kind of just feed off them. They don’t have to get used to me. I have to get used to them because this is their locker room. I’m the outsider, so I’ve got to just adjust to these guys.”

What was your perception of the Washington Redskins before you got here?

“You know, I didn’t really have a perception of them because I didn’t watch too much of Redskins,” he said. “But now that I’m here, my perception is that this is a tough team. I mean, these guys go out every week and they fight hard. They fight hard every time and they really give you all they’ve got.”

This was a team that for the first two months of the season, struggling to put any points on the board. Now, you’ve got 30 points in back-to-back games. What’s going on?

“I just thinking we’re clicking,” Ganther said. “A lot of guys are really playing with confidence now. I think that everything in this offense is more detailed oriented now. Everyone is paying more attention to the minor details, the small things. And it’s those small things that add up and allow the big plays to happen. If you’re supposed to run a route at seven yards, and you run it at five or six yards, the timing of the whole play is off. Now, I think guys are really paying more attention to the smaller things.”

You’ve only been here a little while and there’s going to be plenty of uncertainty this offseason, but is our nation’s capital a place you’d like to stick around for a while?

“Most definitely,” he said. “I would love to stick around and be here, so I can get comfortable after I get my feet wet. God has a plan for me, and I’m just going to carry out the plan that he has.”

Redskins fans can only hope the plan is good for another couple of touchdowns and another blowout victory, this time against the Giants. But whatever happens the rest of this season and through the offseason, ‘Skins fans should feel lucky to have a guy as down-to-earth and humble as ganther in the mix. Well … either that or they could wish for a complete badass like Chuck Norris.

18Dec

redskins players react to cerrato, allen

In blog, football by b murf / December 18, 2009 / No Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

When Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder made the decision to move in a different direction and Vinny Cerrato agreed to resign from his role as the team’s executive vice president of football operations, it caught most everyone by surprise.

Although many disgruntled ‘Skins fans dreamed of a day without Cerrato, few actually believed the move would happen any time soon. Turns out, the move wasn’t just stunning to the fanbase. Very few folks at Redskins Park knew the change was coming – especially before the season even ended.

“This morning my reaction was shock, because it was the first time I heard anything with Vinny,” said head coach Jim Zorn. “Then later on I had a chance to hear about Bruce and we had a chance to sit down this afternoon before practice.”

Shortly after the Allen press conference ended, practice concluded and Redskins players began heading back into the building. We caught up with a couple players to gauge their reactions to the sudden resignation.

“It was a shock to me,” said defensive end Andre Carter. “But at the same time, this is the NFL and on any given day, anything can happen. That’s how you kind of have to prepare each day. You’ve got to anticipate the unexpected.”

Didn’t Cerrato play a part in you coming to Washington back in 2006?

“Yeah, and I do appreciate him,” said Carter, of Cerrato. “When it came to free agency, he was the first guy to call, along with Joe Gibbs, so I appreciate him doing the job and giving me an opportunity to come here. It’s been a blessing.

“Every now and then I’d exchange a few words with him, but that’s it,” Carter said. “It’s a tough business in the NFL. You don’t know what to expect. Vinny resigned and we’ve got a new GM. I don’t know who the new man in charge is going to be …”

While you were on the practice field they already named Bruce Allen the new GM. He previously worked in Tampa Bay …

“And Oakland, I think,” he said.

Over the last decade, his teams have won their respective divisions five times.

“Yeah, it seems like he’s got a great track record,” he said. “But I think winning is a process. You can’t win overnight. You bring in the right guy, the right type of talent and develop the right level of camaraderie and execute, and you’ll be successful. It’ll be interesting to see what changes he makes. I’m sure being the new man in charge, he’ll evaluate us and, at the end of the day, we’ll see what happens.”

Let me ask you, as someone who has played against those Buccaneer teams, what is your impression of a Bruce Allen football team?

“I remember during their Super Bowl run, they had a great year,” Carter said. “They were very successful, obviously. They were a close-knit group, but that happened over an accumulation of time. I think it took two or three years for them to get there. But that’s what it usually takes to develop into a championship-type team. It takes time. We’ve got the talent. We just need to develop that level on consistency as players. There’s a fine line between where does it start up top and where does it stop on the bottom.”

While reports are slowly surfacing that Cerrato wasn’t necessarily the most popular figure to those inside the locker room, not everyone was lining up to bash him.

“It’s going to be different, not having Vinny around,” said receiver Devin Thomas. “He’s obviously one of the guys responsible for bringing me in, but he’s also someone I talked to pretty much every day. He’d always give me tips or tidbits on what I need to get better on or commending me on the things I’ve been doing well. It’s kind of rough, knowing he’s gone, but I’m sure I’ll keep in contact with him and I wish him the best.”

We’ve talked about that in the past, that you have a solid relationship with Cerrato. We’ve been there when you’ve talked with him after games and heard him give you feedback. Obviously you young guys have taken a lot of heat over the last two years by people rushing to judge you. Do you think you’ve been close with Vinny because he also was targeted by those same critics?

“Yeah,” Thomas said. “I mean, I can’t really speak on any past decisions he’s made, but as far as bringing us in, I feel like he’s made good moves by trying to build a promising future for us. He’s tried to add some explosiveness with the picks that he’s made. It’s tough. It’s a tough game and a tougher business.”

The organization moved quickly to name Cerrato’s replacement, tasking Allen with turning around this once-proud franchise. He had success in Tampa and Oakland. It was obviously before you were in the league, but you’re a fan of the game. What stood out to you about those teams?

“I remember in Tampa Bay, that great defense,” he said. “And he was in Oakland too, and they met up in the Super Bowl, so that says something. But that Tampa Bay defense had something going on, and they had Jon Gruden over there. You don’t ever know what he plans on doing, so we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Were you surprised at the move, or maybe the timing of it?

“Yeah, I mean, it kind of catches you off guard,” Thomas said. “The tragic story today was Chris Henry, obviously. That’s the saddest news of the day. But with Vinny gone, it’s kind of surprising that it happened at this time of the year.”

Have you heard anyone in the locker room talk about Cerrato’s departure?

“Nah, I don’t really think anyone has too much to say,” said Thomas. “Around here it’s just Drama City anyways, so something’s bound to come up. It just so happens that he’s not going to be here anymore. Just another dramatic situation out here.”

17Dec

mike lombardi discusses bruce allen

In blog, football by b murf / December 17, 2009 / 1 Comment

(courtesy photo)

You might have heard that the Washington Redskins were in the news today, what with the resignation of Vinny Cerrato and the immediate hiring of Bruce Allen as the team’s new executive vice president and general manager.

Well, in addition to the normal herd of local media members, there were a few special individuals in attendance at his press conference. Long-time Redskins trainer Bubba Tyer was in the house and seeing him caused Allen to stop in his tracks during his introductory comments just to recognize good old Bubba.

The other individual who earned a ‘shout out’ during Allen’s comments was Mike Lombardi, who is seemingly everywhere these days. You may recognize the name from his work on the NFL Network, the National Football Post or Inside the NFL.

Well, the reason Lombardi was acknowledged during the press conference was because he used to work for Allen. With that in mind, we decided to chat up Lombardi to get any possible insight into the newest addition to the Washington Redskins family.

As an added bonus, we were joined by Matt Terl, the Redskins’ fantastic in-house blogger. Here’s what Lombardi had to say to us about your new general manager.

Redskins Blog: “I want to start by asking you: you’ve worked with Bruce Allen.”

Mike Lombardi: “Yeah.”

RB: “What are some of his strengths? What does he bring to the Redskins?”

ML: “He brings an element of the ability to communicate to the fanbase. The ability to give confidence to the people in the building. And his leadership is such that he’s able to take a lot of the information in and disseminate it around. And certainly working with the coaches and the head coach, I think he can reach a good decision.”

RB: “What do you think are the most important traits for a good general manager?”

ML: “Well, I think there’s all different styles of general managers. I think certainly there are some that are just focused specifically on football and make football decisions, and then there are some strictly that focus on other aspects. But I think that Bruce, bein’ the son of a coach, he understands the game, he sees the big picture of the game, and I think he understand that the head coach has to be involved in a lot of the decisions. So I think it’ll be more of a democratic base than a dictatorship.”

Homer McFanboy: “Are there certain tendencies of a Bruce Allen team? If you look at the teams that he’s put together, are there things that stand out?”

ML: “Obviously the coach has a lot of say in what he runs. Y’know, Bruce doesn’t bring the offense or the defense to the team. It just becomes a situation where the coach — say, with Jon [Gruden], it was a West Coast Offense — and Bruce has great respect for coaches, and he values their opinions and he values their input.”

RB: “How much of a jump does this three weeks really give him?”

ML: “Any time you can come into a job where you can kinda get your feet on the ground and get yourself organized and then try to make decisions before having to actually move into your desk has a lot of benefits. And I think the timing in the NFL this year is gonna be critical, because there’s ultimately a lot of decisions that have to be made, and a lot of teams are gonna make those same decisions.”

HM: “You have the perspective of an outsider. From where you’re looking, how do you judge this move for the Redskins, to bring in Bruce Allen?”

ML: “Obviously they had to do something. I mean, they had to help their fanbase. They had to send a message to their fanbase, to the alumni, the Redskins players, and I think this is a great move to do that. The players all, you know, from the era of Bruce, he’s familiar with every player. He has relationships with them, he’s very well liked by all the players. So therefore, it’s very comfortable for them to bring him back. So that answers the alumni, the fans certainly recognize Bruce: his brother’s a former Senator in the state of Virginia, so … you know, there’s a comfortablity with him. And then the heritage of the name, so I think that this is a great move for them.

“And then Bruce comes with a winning background, so those are things that just kinda echo into the whole program and I think it’s the first step.

“I mean, they had to do something this year to kinda help themselves politically, PR-wise, and ultimately get back to the win column.”

RB: “You’ve been a critic of Jason Campbell at points over the year. I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask you what you think of him at this point.”

ML: “Oh, I think he’s done a much better job. I think ultimately, I think the last three weeks — wow, the last five weeks — he’s played really well. He’s played better. And I think he’s certainly shown signs that he’s really developin’ and finding his rhythm a little bit, and being able to throw the ball in much better timing. And I think ultimately, not having to — you know, everybody thinks the running game is critical to make the quarterback successful, [but] I think that the burden of not having to feed the running game, and having ultimately a lot of different players at the running back position and not having to get so many touches to one player has made it alive and the offense more vibrant.”

HM: “Let’s say you were the guy sitting up there answering the questions today. What pieces would you be comfortable building off of that are already in place?”

ML: “My philosophy has always been that the game’s won with the offensive and defensive lines. I think that ultimately you’ve gotta have a great quarterback, and then the next place you go is offensive and defensive line. And I think that the Redskins going into the season, in spite of Vinny Cerrato proclaiming it as a playoff team, the offensive line was below caliber. They had too many injuries, too many guys that really were on the edge in terms of being able to be durable. And I think that you have to repair that before you can really compete. To win on the road in the NFL, you have to be really good in the offensive line.”

RB: “In your experience, do you think that’s something that Bruce Allen would also realize?”

ML: “I think he would. Having been with him at Oakland, we always had good offensive lines. And if you’re gonna play in the NFC East, you’ve gotta have a really good line, because the defensive lines are fairly significant to block. So you gotta match up to the competition, and you’ve gotta be able to beat the people that you’re playing.”

17Dec

with cerrato gone, bruce allen takes over

In blog, football by b murf / December 17, 2009 / 4 Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

In what can only be considered a stunning turn of events, Vinny Cerrato has stepped down as the executive vice-president of football operations for the Washington Redskins effective immediately.

Cerrato has served in this role for the last two years, and previously served in five different roles, beginning in 1999.

In a statement, Cerrato said he has had numerous conversations with team owner Daniel Snyder over the last few weeks regarding the next steps for the club.

“We agreed that the franchise needs someone different in this position,” said Cerrato. “I’m thankful to Dan Snyder and other members of his ownership team for the opportunities I’ve been given over the years.

“Of course, I am disappointed with this year’s results, but I strongly believe that with outstanding draft picks and encouraging performance by our younger players, we have laid a strong foundation for the franchise,” Cerrato said.

Regardless of the reason, Redskins fans nearly across the board will view this as a sign of hope. That’s because Cerrato is almost universally viewed as a “yes man” for Snyder – someone who is perceived to enable a meddlesome billionaire’s desires to build the NFL equivalent of a fantasy football team.

Many coaches and players have come and gone over the last decade of mediocrity, but the one constant at Redskins Park has been Cerrato. And while model franchises like the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens have won Super Bowls by building through the draft and adding smart free-agent signings to round out their respective rosters, Cerrato and the Redskins have been content to win the offseason by overpaying in free agency and trading away draft picks for big-name players who typically fail to live up to expectations.

Why rebuild the oldest offensive line in football when you can use draft picks on Jason Taylor? Why waste a high draft pick on an interior lineman when you can add three pass catchers with your trio of second round picks?

This mindset is what drove Redskins fans crazy and triggered a near revolution earlier this season. And here’s the funny thing, had Cerrato not left, we’re hearing it would have been more of the same this offseason.

Even though Chris Samuels and Randy Thomas are seemingly incapable of staying healthy for any length of time, we heard from a very reliable source that if Cerrato was still calling the shots, the team was planning on using their first round pick in the upcoming NFL draft on a quarterback and their second-rounder on a running back.

The simple notion that a rookie quarterback and running back would be set up for failure if they had to play behind this same patchwork offensive line apparently never crossed Vinny’s mind. He sees a guy like Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen or Texas QB Colt McCoy running high-powered offenses in college and immediately envisions them replicating the success in burgundy and gold. Logic and offensive line be damned.

Our stance on Cerrato has been slightly different than other ‘Skins fans. We look at young guys like Devin Thomas, Fred Davis, Malcolm Kelly, Brian Orakpo, Chris Horton, Justin Tryon and see talented players who become solid contributors once they’re given the opportunity. Cerrato might not be focusing on every need the team has, but the players he does ultimately select do have value.

We thought that if Snyder refused to get rid of Cerrato, who is a personal friend of the owner, then maybe the next best thing would be to bring in someone to work over Vinny. Let him continue to evaluate talent, but let someone else have final say on which names to write on the draft card.

All that is moot now because Cerrato is gone and, as we first said on Twitter earlier today, the Redskins have apparently turned their attention to Bruce Allen.

Those familiar with Allen, who served as general manager for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and as a senior executive with the Oakland Raiders from 1996 to 2003, say he’s very good with number crunching and the salary cap, but that he’s never been considered a great talent evaluator.

“Bruce Allen is the personification of an NFL winner,” Snyder said in a statement. “Our fans know his heritage; we know his abilities. He is the right person to lead our club.”

Obviously, Allen was excited. But that’s probably because he just got paid big money to take over this ‘fixer-upper.’

“This is an extraordinary opportunity with one of the world’s most successful sports franchises,” said Allen. “I love everything about this assignment; I know what it means to be dedicated to the Redskins. I can’t wait to get to work.”

With Allen now on board, obviously changes can be expected across the board.

Jon Gruden, who coached under Allen in Tampa Bay, will obviously be mentioned as a possible head coaching candidate, although his extension he signed last month basically makes it impossible to get out of his Monday Night Football contract with ESPN unless Snyder throws a ridiculous amount of cash their way.

Mike Shanahan was rumored to want more power than is afforded a typical head coach, so maybe that can work with him looking at players and Allen working on the numbers. Of course, Shanahan did draft Maurice Clarett, so maybe he’s not the best qualified talent evaluator either.

The bottom line is, for the first time in recent memory; fans of the Washington Redskins truly have reason for hope and optimism. Sure, you might want to proceed with “Cautious Optimism,” but we’ve now reached a point that many of us thought we’d never see – Cerrato is no longer in the equation. No more wasted draft picks. No more ill-advised free agent signings. No more ‘buddy-buddy’ routine with the owner.

What happens next is anyone’s guess. But the fact that it’s finally going to be a change from the norm, is a welcome reality.