All posts in blog

22Jan

capitals get out-worked, fall flat in season opener

In blog, hockey by b murf / January 22, 2013 / No Comments

(photo by Scott Audette)

After an extended offseason, the Washington Capitals finally returned to action and, much like the 2013 season in general, things didn’t really go according to plan.

The Caps traveled to Tampa Bay to take on the Lightning and the game remained competitive for the first two periods. But the Lightning got better as the game went on, while the Capitals struggled to match the play of their divisional rival and dropped the season opener in disappointing fashion, 6-3.

The game was tied heading into the third and final period, but Tampa scored three times in the final frame – twice on the powerplay – to ensure Caps goalie Braden Holtby and friends left town disappointed.

After the game, Lightning coach Guy Boucher said something that really drove home some of my biggest fears heading into this abbreviated season.

“I really believe in game shape and chemistry … we focused so much on it,” he said. “You could feel it at the end of the second period. I really believe that was the difference.”

While Boucher’s comments were intended to focus only on his team, they say an awful lot about the state of the current Capitals as well.

In my season preview, I cautioned Caps fans to lower their expectations for this strike-shortened season.

18Jan

lowering expectations for your 2013 washington capitals

In blog, hockey by b murf / January 18, 2013 / 7 Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

I’ve got to admit, I didn’t think this season was actually going to happen for the Washington Capitals.

During much of the lockout it simply appeared there were too many egos and ulterior motives in place to allow hockey’s owners and players to come to any sort of agreement in time to salvage the season.

Owners seemed unwilling to budge on their demands while many of the players were getting their hockey fix elsewhere, so at some point along the way I made peace with the idea that it was going to be a while before the powers that be from my favorite sport would get their collective act together.

At the last possible minute, the owners and the players reached a deal and now the race for the Stanley Cup will be an abbreviated one. Sure, life would be much better if these intense battles actually took place on the ice rather than in some stuffy office building during negotiations, but I can’t help but be grateful that there’s going to be an NHL season at all in 2013.

Hockey has always been my favorite sport, so even though the commissioner and more than a few of the owners did everything they could to ruin a good thing, I’m foolish enough to come running back into their money grabbing hands because I love the sport too much to stay away for any length of time.

And yet, if I’m being completely honest, part of me is dreading the ’13 season — especially when it comes to the Capitals. That’s because I can’t help but worry how this team will fare after learning a brand-new system from a first-time coach without the benefit of a full offseason.

As a player, Adam Oates stood out every time he took the ice throughout his 19-year career. He was an unselfish passer who thrived with the puck in his possession and made his teammates better simply by having them on the ice during one of his shifts.

15Jan

kirk cousins still has something to prove

In blog, feature, football by b murf / January 15, 2013 / 3 Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

For my money, Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins has one of the toughest gigs imaginable.

For starters, his lifelong dream of playing professional football doesn’t exactly go according to plan when he get drafted by a quarterback-starved franchise that was still celebrating landing Robert Griffin III.

So while so many of his peers in this talented rookie class are setting records, he spent much of his inaugural campaign sitting next to Rex Grossman on the sidelines while the most electrifying player in the NFL today took the league by storm.

When Griffin got injured and Cousins finally had the opportunity to show he too could be effective at this level, the entire offense had to be switched up because his skill set is so vastly different from RGIII’s. Just when his teammates began to settle in and get used to running the pistol, everything reverts back to a more traditional offense run by a far less mobile rookie.

And yet, you never hear Cousins complain or feel sorry for himself. You don’t hear his agent making remarks about demanding to be traded or anything like that. Instead, the 24-year-old just quietly goes about his business and handles himself with absolute class and professionalism.

Sure, he wants to play, but he knows this is Griffin’s team, so for as long as he’s in Washington he’s going to be the best teammate and backup quarterback he can be.

Before the season ended, I had the chance to sit down with Cousins for a one-on-one interview with the Michigan State standout to learn more about the young man who might very well be the starting quarterback for the Redskins when the 2013 season begins. Here’s how our conversation went:

09Jan

on robert griffin III’s knee and the grass at fedex field

In blog, football by b murf / January 9, 2013 / 3 Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Well, it’s official — multiple sources are reporting that Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III is set to undergo total reconstructive surgery to repair torn anterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligaments in his right knee this morning.

It’s too soon to know exactly how long this surgery will sideline Griffin for, but the popular opinion seems to be that it’ll take between six to eight months for the Heisman Trophy winner to return to action. The biggest question now becomes — will RGIII still be RGIII after this procedure?

Obviously that hinges on what Dr. James Andrews finds once he begins working on the 22-year-old’s knee, so ‘Skins fans would be wise to avoid all of the talking heads and so-called experts who are overly eager to share their opinion without … you know … actually having anything to do with this particular athlete and this particular knee injury.*

*Please allow me to vent for a moment — many of these same talking heads who are standing on desks and screaming into the cameras because the Redskins allowed Griffin to remain in a playoff game are the same mouth-breathers who took the Washington Nationals to task for shutting down Stephen Strasburg at the end of last season. You see, they don’t actually stand for anything. They just like to hear themselves talk and are more than happy to contradict their previously stated stance if it means 60 more seconds of airtime. In related news, I despise these people.

Interestingly enough, after reviewing game film, Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan and team doctors now believe that Griffin wasn’t injured on the play where he had to awkwardly reach down to try and collect the bad snap by center Will Montgomery.

Shanahan told the NFL Network Tuesday night that he believes Griffin was injured one play earlier when his franchise quarterback was brought down awkwardly by Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin.

07Jan

redskins-seahawks playlist

In blog, football, playlist by b murf / January 7, 2013 / 1 Comment

(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “Come Alive” by Prospect Hill

Coming into their wild card match-up against the Seattle Seahawks, the Washington Redskins had a pretty clear and straight forward game plan.

On defense, they wanted to do their best to neutralize running back Marshawn Lynch — making Seattle one-dimensional and putting added pressure on a rookie quarterback playing on the road in his first-ever postseason game.

On offense, the Redskins wanted to keep the opposition guessing by getting running back Alfred Morris involved early and often and thus allowing quarterback Robert Griffin III the luxury of handing off to Morris, keeping the ball himself or utilizing play action to stretch the field.

And for 15 minutes, that plan was perfect. Morris, once again running with a purpose, picked up nine yards on each of his first two carries en route to gaining 49 yards on just eight carries in the first quarter.

At the same time, Griffin completed six of nine passes for 68 yards with two touchdowns in the first quarter and the Redskins jumped out to a huge 14-0 lead after the first frame.

Conversely, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson completed just two of three passes for 20 yards and Lynch carried the ball twice for five yards and this game seemed on the verge of becoming a blowout as the Redskins outgained Seattle 129-9.

06Jan

photos from the sidelines: wild card weekend

In blog, football, photos by b murf / January 6, 2013 / No Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

The Washington Redskins have qualified for the postseason three times since I began covering the team and while each of those three seasons was different, they all unfortunately ended the same — with a loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The 2005 Redskins were just happy to be there, after barely squeaking by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the opening round and the ’07 Redskins were emotionally spent after needing to play perfect football the final month of the season just to make it in on the last day of the regular season. This year’s squad though, was young and hungry and — best of all — playing at home in front of a sellout crowd.

Sadly, injuries to too many key players — including quarterback Robert Griffin III — proved to be too much to overcome and Washington’s magical run ended in bittersweet fashion. Sure, this was a 3-6 team that improbably came out of the bye week like a bat out of hell while winning seven-straight games, but the journey’s ending was all too familiar.

Before you close the book on the 2012 Redskins though, please take a moment to peruse my favorite photos I was able to capture from the sidelines this week.

04Jan

pierre garcon could be the redskins’ x-factor in playoffs

In blog, football by b murf / January 4, 2013 / No Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

It’s no secret — the Washington Redskins and their first round opponent in the 2012 playoffs, the Seattle Seahawks, are very similar on offense.

Both teams are led by gifted rookie passers (Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson) who managed to exceed expectations in the first year. Both teams love to put the ball in the hands of an elite running backs (Alfred Morris and Marshawn Lynch) who plays with a physical and punishing style. Both teams have little trouble moving up and down the field while putting a ton of points on the board.

But the one area the Redskins appear to have an advantage over the Seahawks is at wide out — where, thanks to Pierre Garcon, they have a true number-one receiver.

With apologies to Golden Tate and Sidney Rice, neither player brings as much to the table as Garcon, who head coach Mike Shanahan believes would have finished the season with between 1,300-1,400 yards had he remained healthy all year.

Of course, Seattle might have the top cornerback tandem in all of football this season in Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner, so Garcon and the rest of the Redskins receivers will still have their work cut out for them Sunday.

“They’re making plays,” Garcon said of Sherman and Browner. “They’re helping their defense win ball games and doing a good job of breaking up passes and making plays. That’s what makes them so good.”

Does Garcon relish the chance to go toe-to-toe with bigger, more physical cornerbacks, like Seattle boasts in their secondary?

“I always look forward to playing football,” he said. “Whenever I get the chance to play football, it’s an opportunity for me to prove what I can do. Hopefully it goes well on Sunday, but I always look forward to playing the game. They can take me however they want, but I’m going to play hard, be physical and play my game. Regardless of what they do, I’m going to be me. I can’t change because of who I’m playing against.

“It doesn’t matter who we play against — physical corners or non-physical — I’m going to be me and continue to play hard and do what I have to do to help my team,” he added.

Every defense has holes and ways they can be exploited. What do you see when you break down film of Seattle defense?