All posts in football

18Nov

photos from the sidelines: week 11

In blog, football, photos by b murf / November 18, 2012 / No Comments

As the first half of the 2012 season came to an end, the Washington Redskins were sadly predictable.

The offense forgot how to score points, the defense continued to underwhelm and, as always, the Redskins struggled to win games at home.

And then the bye week happened.

Now all of the sudden, the offense once again scored points at will, the defense finally put together an effort they won’t be embarrassed of and the burgundy and gold essentially ensured the Philadelphia Eagles will need a new head coach sometime in the very near future. Oh, and the Redskins finished off the Eagles with the most resounding victory of the Mike Shanahan era.

Basically, life is good once again for fans of the Washington Redskins.

With that in mind, please feel free to peruse my favorite photos I was able to capture from the sidelines this week. Because wins at FedEx Field have been so hard to come by the last few seasons, it might be a while before ‘Skins fans have another game like this to enjoy.

15Nov

logan paulsen blazes his own trail to NFL starter

In blog, feature, football by b murf / November 15, 2012 / 1 Comment

(photo by Brian Murphy)

[Editor’s note: This season, the Washington Redskins have asked my brother, Joel Murphy, and I to occasionally write feature stories for the team’s official website, Redskins.com. This article, which was written by Joel, is our latest contribution, so please check it out.]

When Redskins tight end Fred Davis injured his Achilles tendon during the first quarter of Washington’s game against the New York Giants in Week Seven, it was a situation backup tight end Logan Paulsen was unfortunately all too familiar with.

Paulsen, who became the team’s starter after Davis was sidelined, knows exactly what it’s like to face a devastating injury that prematurely ends a season.

For Paulsen, it was the first game of his senior season at UCLA, when he broke his foot during the season opener against Tennessee. That experience, showed Paulsen just how tough a season-ending injury is both physically and emotionally.

“It’s very difficult,” Paulsen said. “The fact that your team is still going on without you when you were such a big part of it for such a long time – I was at UCLA four years, Fred’s been here for three years. It just seems like there’s a seamless transition without you there.

“I think that’s the hardest thing psychologically is you kind of lose yourself a little bit. You don’t really have a direction for a little bit of time.”

During his rehabilitation, Paulsen focused on recovering from the injury while also being mentally ready if and when his team needed him again. That same mindset and preparedness also helped the 25-year-old this season when it came time to step in for the injured Davis.

“Obviously, it’s extremely difficult when one of your friends or teammates gets hurt,” said Paulsen. “I’ve had some experience with that and I know how difficult it can be. For him, I feel really bad, but at the same time, I’m on the Redskins for this moment, for this situation. However dark it is, this is my opportunity and this is why I have a job. So I need to make sure I’m prepared to do my job to the best of my ability and be a pro. I think I’ve done that.”

Paulsen’s path to becoming the starting tight end for the Redskins has been an unlikely one. Growing up in Northridge, Calif., Paulsen was always interested in sports, but it was actually soccer, not football, that he devoted most of his time to as an adolescent.

Paulsen admits he didn’t really follow professional football until he got to middle school and began playing some flag football. Then, when he got to high school, football became a much larger part of his life. And eventually, he had to make a choice between the two sports, since he didn’t have time to play high school football and still be a part of his club soccer team.

“Inevitably, one of those things had to give. I guess, fortunately, it was the soccer,” said Paulsen.

Even as football became a larger part of his life, he still didn’t realize it would become his life – until recruiters showed interest in him.

“Honestly, I didn’t think anything was going to become of the football thing. Then, lo and behold, my junior year rolled around and I had a couple of scholarship offers. It just kind of all happened really seamlessly,” Paulsen admitted.

Click here for the full article.

13Nov

you wouldn’t like mike shanahan when he’s angry

In blog, football by b murf / November 13, 2012 / No Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

As most sports fans know by now, Mike Shanahan did not begin his coaching career with the Washington Redskins.

Of course, Shanahan won two Super Bowls with John Elway and the Broncos during his 18 seasons in Denver. But people often forget it was with the Los Angeles Raiders that Shanahan first became an NFL head coach.

The reason many sports fans either don’t know or don’t remember Shanahan’s time with the Raiders is because he lasted just 20 games under Al Davis. Well, clearly there was no love lost between Shanahan and Davis, as evident by this amusing story which is part of a promising book titled Coaching Confidential: Inside the Fraternity of NFL Coaches by Gary Myers.

Via Peter King’s weekly MMQB column, Shanahan admitted in Myers book to having Hall of Famer Steve Young throw a football at Davis during pregame warmups while he was the offensive coordinator in San Francisco. Apparently Davis was over on the 49ers’ sideline and this didn’t sit well with Shanahan and some of his players.

13Nov

gary clark compares robert griffin III to lebron james

In blog, football by b murf / November 13, 2012 / 2 Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Even though the Washington Redskins had the weekend off, it was still a stressful Sunday for ‘Skins fans.

That’s because playoff hopefuls were losing starting quarterbacks left and right, with Chicago’s Jay Cutler, San Francisco’s Alex Smith and Philadelphia’s Mike Vick all sidelined due to concussions.

While Redskins fans have no love lost for any of those three franchises, the fact is quarterback Robert Griffin III has already missed time this season because of a concussion. And although the playoffs are certainly a long shot for Washington, the franchise’s long-term success hinges on a healthy RGIII.

For as ugly as things have been this season, at least the Redskins know they have a legitimate playmaker at the game’s most vital position.

Although he’s only played in nine NFL games, Griffin has shown enough during his limited time in the burgundy and gold to make some of the greatest names in franchise history gush over him. So much so that three receivers — Art Monk, Gary Clark and Ricky Sanders, affectionately known as “The Posse” — can’t help but think of what it would be like to play alongside the 22-year-old phenom.

“From my standpoint, we were very fortunate with the quarterbacks we had,” Clark said. “But I tell you what … you can’t say enough about this young man. I had the chance to meet his dad the other night and it’s clear he comes from a quality family. I can see where he gets it all from. His father is a great man and RGIII’s numbers on the field speak for themselves.

“He’s like the LeBron James of the NFL,” Clark continued. “He came in at such a young age, he’s so composed, he knows exactly what to say and what not to say. To me, he’s the perfect player.”

Because LeBron James is such a polarizing player off the court who revolutionized the game on it, I asked Clark to further explain exactly what he meant.

Was this Clark’s way of warning the nation’s capital that it’s only a matter of time before RGIII rips our collective heart out and “takes his talents to South Beach” or was he actually saying it as a compliment?

06Nov

when it comes to halloween, alfred morris is super

In blog, football by b murf / November 6, 2012 / 1 Comment

(courtesy photo)

I have yet to meet a single person who has anything negative to say about Washington Redskins running back Alfred Morris.

Maybe it’s because he’s made it know he grew up rooting for the burgundy and gold. Maybe it’s because, through hard work and determination, he was able to go from unheralded sixth round pick to one of the most productive backs in football seemingly overnight. Or maybe it’s because he’s willing to do things like let fans vote on what ridiculous Halloween costume he’d wear for a Pediatric Halloween Party at Georgetown University Hospital.

Either way, it’s clear that the 23-year-old is quickly becoming a fan favorite in our nation’s capital.

‘Skins fans were given four choices — Popeye, Angry Bird, Batman and Captain America — and, as you can see from the highly-entertaining photo at the top of this post, Captain America emerged victorious. Even though Morris told me his vote probably would have gone towards Batman, it appears he had no trouble embracing this slightly different superhero role.

Here’s hoping the Redskins use the bye week to remember just how productive Morris has been thus far, so he’s able to do more than protect the old Lombardi Trophies during the second half of the season.

[Editor’s note: The photo is borrowed with love from the team’s official Pinterest page, whatever that is.]

05Nov

clinton portis: ‘I used to play with him on tecmo bowl’

In blog, football by b murf / November 5, 2012 / No Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

There will never be another player quite like Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis.

On the field, he was a model teammate who will be remembered, not only as one of the most productive running backs in franchise history, but also as one of the best pass blocking backs in the history of the game.

Off the field, he was a lightning rod for criticism, thanks to questionable practice habits, a fierce radio feud with a former player and a buddy-buddy relationship with the owner.

But whether you loved him or hated him, you had to respect Portis for, at times, throwing the entire team on his back and willing the Redskins to victory. When Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs came back to town, he said he needed a workhorse to center his offense around.

Enter Portis.

For seven seasons, he was Washington’s offense. When he was on his game, the Redskins usually won. If he had an off game, so too did the burgundy and gold.

Now, with his playing days over, the 31-year-old looks back fondly on his time in Washington. Even though he was already honored earlier this year when he officially retired, Portis said he was more than happy to come back to town to participate in the team’s homecoming weekend.

I had the chance to chat with Portis on the sidelines before the Redskins hosted the Carolina Panthers and, as always, enjoyed listening to one of the quirkiest athletes I’ve ever been around. Here’s what we had to say:

Okay, you officially hung up your cleats back in August. How’s retirement treating you?

05Nov

redskins-panthers playlist

In blog, football, playlist by b murf / November 5, 2012 / 1 Comment

(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.”