The Game
After four possessions of football in the first quarter the score was 14-0 Redskins. RG3 was on fire with 60+ yards and two touchdowns. Alfred Morris was doing his thing and the defense kept Russell Wilson under control. What looked like a blowout win turned into an old fashioned Redskins loss. On his second touchdown drive RG3 was hit late by a Seattle linebacker. On the radio Doc Walker was furious and called him a "coward" but if you look at the play you realize what Doc was meant. I'll just say it starts with a B and ends with an itch.
Then after throwing his 2nd touchdown RG3 looked like he hurt his knee again and had a slight limp to his step. He get his brace adjusted and leg taped and stayed in the game but RG3 looked more like Donovan McNabb in the pocket. He was inaccurate on many throws, couldn't run and could barely move in the pocket. For the last three quarters of the game he threw for a pitiful 16 yards along with an interception. He was ineffective and his play cost us the game. The defense kept the Redskins lead for as long as it could but eventually broke as the offense couldn't stay on the field for more than three plays. Late in the fourth quarter Will Montgomery threw another bad snap and RG3's knee collapsed in a gruesome way and stayed on the ground without even trying to get the ball. That's how bad he was hurt. He finally came out of the game but it was too little too late as Seattle had a two score lead and could easily play defense when the Redskins could only throw the ball. Seattle won 24-14 for its third straight playoff win against Washington.
Coaching Controversy
It looks like RG3 has partial tears of ACL and his MCL, the same ACL he tore once before in college. This is a severe blow to Griffin's long term health as it seems unlikely his knee will be the same after all this surgery. The issue is why Mike Shanahan didn't take RG3 out of the game earlier. RG3 told Shanahan that he was hurt and not injured and he could stay in the game. Griffin is 22. He was born in the 90's. So was I. The point is the Griffin is a young football player with a ton of heart. He is a the leader of this football and needs to show it.
Mike Shanahan is the wiser head coach and needs to see what is best for the future of the team and the future of his quarterback. RG3 couldn't run and he wasn't making throws. On an option play RG3 kept it and hopped on one leg for nine yards. On another play he rolled out on a bootleg, had ample time to throw, and when he saw a defender coming right at him he took a sack. The real RG3 would've either sidestepped him or at least gotten rid of the football. After those plays Shanahan HAD to take him out of the game for his own safety. Whether Kirk Cousins could've stepped in an won the game is not even an issue. In all likelihood the Redskins were not winning the superbowl this year, and the future is more important than one game. Despite the fact Cousins has proven he is clutch and can handle pressure situations Shanahan kept a hobbled RG3 in the game it may have cost RG3 his explosive ability. At this point all Redskins fans can hope for is that RG3 makes a recovery in time for next season and can maintain his amazing level of play from when he was healthy.
A Look Back at 2012
Despite a horrible ending to the Redskins 7 game win streak the 2012 season was a major victory for the Redskins franchise and their fans. It all started in April when the Redskins drafted RG3 and Alfred Morris, two perennial all-stars at their positions. They also drafted Keenan Robinson, Kirk Cousins and Richard Crawford, rookies who have excelled when pressed into the line of duty. They also added some depth onto the offensive line with Adam Gettis, Josh LeReibus and Tom Compton. This was a very successful and impact-ful draft class, one of the best in Redskins history and is a solid building block for the playoff contenders the Redskins are about to be.
Our offensive line stayed healthy the entire year and the Redskins were one of the most prolific scoring teams in the league. Only 3 teams scored more touchdowns than the Redskins. They also had the number one rushing attack in the entire league. And rookie Alfred Morris fell second only to all-pro Adrian Peterson in yards and yards per carry, and second only to Arian Foster in rushing touchdowns. RG3 beat Cam Newton's rushing record and scored 8 rushing touchdowns. The Redskins had the least amount of turnovers since 1983 (the year they won their first superbowl) and RG3 threw for meager 5 interceptions, only Tom Brady threw less.
Our rushing defense was one of the best in the league and while the pass defense was a major problems this year, they generated turnovers on a regular basis and finished with an impressive +17 turnover ratio. The returns of Brandon Merriwether, Brian Orakpo and Adam Carriker should help the defense next year.
We also found a clutch kicker in Kai Forbath who nailed 17 straight kicks, included a game winner against Baltimore, before knocking one off the uprights against Dallas. He finished the season 17 for 18 and set the record for most consecutive field goals made to start a career. The Redskins finally found an answer to their kicking woes of past.
And, most importantly, we went 10-6, went 5-1 in the division and swept the Cowboys and knocked Dallas out of the playoffs. We won the NFC East and this was a very successful season for the Redskins.
A Look to the Future
Unlike annoying Redskins fans who think we're going to the superbowl after two regular season wins I try to be as realistic as possible. After the Carolina game I wrote that the Redskins were on the verge of another losing season and I was happily proven wrong by their seven game winning streak. In my unprofessional opinion, with the addition of a solid free safety, a corner or two that plays like DeAngelo Hall has these past two games without the attitude, a big play wide receiver to accompany Pierre Garcon, and some depth in the linebacking core, the Redskins will be playoff contenders on regular basis. Give them two offseasons, two drafts and two free agency signings and they will be the team to beat in the NFC East.
After four possessions of football in the first quarter the score was 14-0 Redskins. RG3 was on fire with 60+ yards and two touchdowns. Alfred Morris was doing his thing and the defense kept Russell Wilson under control. What looked like a blowout win turned into an old fashioned Redskins loss. On his second touchdown drive RG3 was hit late by a Seattle linebacker. On the radio Doc Walker was furious and called him a "coward" but if you look at the play you realize what Doc was meant. I'll just say it starts with a B and ends with an itch.
Then after throwing his 2nd touchdown RG3 looked like he hurt his knee again and had a slight limp to his step. He get his brace adjusted and leg taped and stayed in the game but RG3 looked more like Donovan McNabb in the pocket. He was inaccurate on many throws, couldn't run and could barely move in the pocket. For the last three quarters of the game he threw for a pitiful 16 yards along with an interception. He was ineffective and his play cost us the game. The defense kept the Redskins lead for as long as it could but eventually broke as the offense couldn't stay on the field for more than three plays. Late in the fourth quarter Will Montgomery threw another bad snap and RG3's knee collapsed in a gruesome way and stayed on the ground without even trying to get the ball. That's how bad he was hurt. He finally came out of the game but it was too little too late as Seattle had a two score lead and could easily play defense when the Redskins could only throw the ball. Seattle won 24-14 for its third straight playoff win against Washington.
Coaching Controversy
It looks like RG3 has partial tears of ACL and his MCL, the same ACL he tore once before in college. This is a severe blow to Griffin's long term health as it seems unlikely his knee will be the same after all this surgery. The issue is why Mike Shanahan didn't take RG3 out of the game earlier. RG3 told Shanahan that he was hurt and not injured and he could stay in the game. Griffin is 22. He was born in the 90's. So was I. The point is the Griffin is a young football player with a ton of heart. He is a the leader of this football and needs to show it.
Mike Shanahan is the wiser head coach and needs to see what is best for the future of the team and the future of his quarterback. RG3 couldn't run and he wasn't making throws. On an option play RG3 kept it and hopped on one leg for nine yards. On another play he rolled out on a bootleg, had ample time to throw, and when he saw a defender coming right at him he took a sack. The real RG3 would've either sidestepped him or at least gotten rid of the football. After those plays Shanahan HAD to take him out of the game for his own safety. Whether Kirk Cousins could've stepped in an won the game is not even an issue. In all likelihood the Redskins were not winning the superbowl this year, and the future is more important than one game. Despite the fact Cousins has proven he is clutch and can handle pressure situations Shanahan kept a hobbled RG3 in the game it may have cost RG3 his explosive ability. At this point all Redskins fans can hope for is that RG3 makes a recovery in time for next season and can maintain his amazing level of play from when he was healthy.
A Look Back at 2012
Despite a horrible ending to the Redskins 7 game win streak the 2012 season was a major victory for the Redskins franchise and their fans. It all started in April when the Redskins drafted RG3 and Alfred Morris, two perennial all-stars at their positions. They also drafted Keenan Robinson, Kirk Cousins and Richard Crawford, rookies who have excelled when pressed into the line of duty. They also added some depth onto the offensive line with Adam Gettis, Josh LeReibus and Tom Compton. This was a very successful and impact-ful draft class, one of the best in Redskins history and is a solid building block for the playoff contenders the Redskins are about to be.
Our offensive line stayed healthy the entire year and the Redskins were one of the most prolific scoring teams in the league. Only 3 teams scored more touchdowns than the Redskins. They also had the number one rushing attack in the entire league. And rookie Alfred Morris fell second only to all-pro Adrian Peterson in yards and yards per carry, and second only to Arian Foster in rushing touchdowns. RG3 beat Cam Newton's rushing record and scored 8 rushing touchdowns. The Redskins had the least amount of turnovers since 1983 (the year they won their first superbowl) and RG3 threw for meager 5 interceptions, only Tom Brady threw less.
Our rushing defense was one of the best in the league and while the pass defense was a major problems this year, they generated turnovers on a regular basis and finished with an impressive +17 turnover ratio. The returns of Brandon Merriwether, Brian Orakpo and Adam Carriker should help the defense next year.
We also found a clutch kicker in Kai Forbath who nailed 17 straight kicks, included a game winner against Baltimore, before knocking one off the uprights against Dallas. He finished the season 17 for 18 and set the record for most consecutive field goals made to start a career. The Redskins finally found an answer to their kicking woes of past.
And, most importantly, we went 10-6, went 5-1 in the division and swept the Cowboys and knocked Dallas out of the playoffs. We won the NFC East and this was a very successful season for the Redskins.
A Look to the Future
Unlike annoying Redskins fans who think we're going to the superbowl after two regular season wins I try to be as realistic as possible. After the Carolina game I wrote that the Redskins were on the verge of another losing season and I was happily proven wrong by their seven game winning streak. In my unprofessional opinion, with the addition of a solid free safety, a corner or two that plays like DeAngelo Hall has these past two games without the attitude, a big play wide receiver to accompany Pierre Garcon, and some depth in the linebacking core, the Redskins will be playoff contenders on regular basis. Give them two offseasons, two drafts and two free agency signings and they will be the team to beat in the NFC East.
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