Tag: Washington Redskins (Page 41 of 44)

      NFL rookie head coaches have solid first month

      October 2, 2008 /

      Only four weeks have past in the 2008 NFL Season, but as Don Banks of SI.com writes, the four rookie head coaches are already off to a respectable start.

      Jim Zorn— Washington’s Jim Zorn has his confident Redskins at 3-1, on a three-game winning streak, and coming off a head-turning 26-24 upset of the previously undefeated Cowboys in Texas Stadium, where no new Redskins coach had ever won before.

      — Baltimore’s John Harbaugh and his scrappy Ravens are 2-1, and on Monday night in Pittsburgh came within a play or two of going to 3-0 within the AFC North despite starting a rookie quarterback in Joe Flacco.

      — Atlanta’s Mike Smith has brought 2-2 respectability to his rebuilding Falcons, who are only a game behind NFC South co-leaders Carolina and Tampa Bay (3-1). Atlanta, too, is doing just fine with a rookie quarterback in Matt Ryan.

      — And even Miami’s Tony Sparano made us sit up and take notice, with his 1-2 Dolphins pulling off the NFL’s upset of the year, that imaginative 38-13 Week 3 thrashing of New England in Foxboro — a loss that snapped the Patriots’ league-record 21-game regular-season win streak. Miami, in case you forgot, finished a cool 15 games behind New England last year.

      All four of these head coaches have done a wonderful job, but the one that has most impressed is Zorn. We always hear that the West Coast Offense takes two to three years to learn and yet QB Jason Campbell has already shown how comfortable he is in the new system. That’s a testament to Zorn’s coaching and getting his players up to speed with a rather complicated offensive system.

      It’s not uncommon to see a team with a rookie head coach start the year winless for the first couple weeks. But considering all of these teams except Miami have two wins, it’s fair to say that these first-year head coaches are off to solid starts.

      NFL

      Fantasy Fallout, Week 4: Sunday’s Games

      September 29, 2008 /

      Everything you need to know (and some stuff you don’t) about the fantasy implications of Week 4.

      Eagles 20 @ Bears 24
      Matt Forte (24 touches, 85 yards) continues to be the Bears’ workhorse back, even though he failed to score…Kyle Orton (199 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT) has his second straight high-scoring fantasy game, throwing scores to Greg Olsen (4-35-1), Devin Hester (3-27-1) and Marty Booker (1-23-1)…Brandon Lloyd was injured this week but finished with two catches for 33 yards…Donovan McNabb (262, TD, INT) had a decent game, but DeSean Jackson (receving: 5-71-1, rushing: 2-35) was the Eagles’ offensive star…Correll Buckhalter (18 touches, 90 yards, TD) filled in admirably for the injured Brian Westbrook, but failed to score on a 4th and goal that would have given Philly the late lead…Reggie Brown (6-79) looks like he’ll be the guy targeted most aside from Jackson.

      Chargers 28 @ Raiders 18
      LaDainian Tomlinson (22 touches, 115 yards, 2 TD) had his second consecutive multiple TD game and looks to be almost 100% healthy…Phillip Rivers (180 yards, TD, 2 INT) didn’t have a great day throwing the ball against what should be a pretty solid Oakland secondary…Antonio Gates (5-58-1) had a nice game, but both Vincent Jackson (3-52) and Chris Chambers (2-42) were relatively quiet…JaMarcus Russell (277 yards, TD, INT) finished with pretty good passing stats, but he still seems to be struggling with his accuracy at times…Michael Bush (21 touches, 128 yards) filled in for Darren McFadden (9 touches, 37 yards) who was hobbled with an injury…Zach Miller (5-95-1) finally broke out with a big game. It’s not clear if he’s worth picking up, though if you’re hurting at TE, you could do worse. It seems like the entire Oakland passing game will be pretty spotty week to week.

      Bills 31 @ Rams 14
      Marshawn Lynch (23 touches, 81 yards) had a relatively quiet game and failed to score…Fred Jackson turned 10 touches into 55 yards and a TD…Trent Edwards (197 yards, TD, INT) yet again posted solid numbers, hooking up with Lee Evans (2-88-1) on a 49-yard TD late in the game…Josh Reed (4-47) might be worth a pickup in large PPR leagues…The Buffalo defense (4 sacks, INT return for a TD) continues to play well…Trent Green (236 yards, INT) wasn’t the answer at QB. With Scott Linehan reportedly out after the loss, it will be interesting to see if Marc Bulger is reinstated as the starter…The Rams wisely featured Steven Jackson (29 touches, 188 yards, TD) but Torry Holt (4-65) just had a so-so day. Linehan’s possible departure should be good news for Holt since the two reportedly don’t get along…Donnie Avery (3-22) also had a 37-yard TD scamper.

      Redskins 26 @ Cowboys 24
      Jason Campbell (231 yards, 2 TD) and the entire Washington offense was impressive in the win…Santana Moss (8-145) continues to be the main threat in the passing game, with Antwaan Randle El (4-36-1) and Chris Cooley (4-28) chipping in with the occasional strong game…Clinton Portis (23 touches 135 yards) racked up some major yards, but didn’t score…Tony Romo (300 yards, 3 TD, INT) continues to put up stud numbers in the passing game…Jason Witten (7-90-1) scored a TD and continues to post solid stats as the league’s best tight end…Patrick Crayton (7-87) had a good game and Terrell Owens (7-71-1) posted decent numbers despite a couple of drops…Miles Austin (3-45-1) had another nice game out of the Cowboys’ WR3 position…It was a very quiet day for Marion Barber (10 touches, 37 yards) who failed to score…Felix Jones didn’t get a touch offensively.

      Falcons 9 @ Panthers 24
      The Carolina passing game looked great. Jake Delhomme (294 yard, 2 TD) hooked up with Muhsin Muhammad (8-147-1) and Steve Smith (6-96-1) all day. Muhammad should be owned in all leagues…DeAngelo Williams (18 touches, 66 yards) and Jonathan Stewart (14 carries, 52 yards, 1 TD) split the backfield duties again, though Stewart looks like the Panthers’ goal line back so he carries more value…Donte Rosario (2-18) and D.J. Hackett (2-24) were minor factors…Roddy White (7-90) was the lone bright spot for the Falcons’ offense…Matt Ryan (158 yards) didn’t throw a TD or a pick, and Michael Turner (18 carries, 56 yards) is starting to look like a back that you bench against good defenses and start against bad ones.

      Browns 20 @ Bengals 12
      Since he got the win, Derek Anderson (138 yards, TD, INT) may live to start another day…Jamal Lewis (27 touches, 94 yards, TD) had a very solid game…Kellen Winslow (5-54) and Braylon Edwards (3-22-1) were the only major players in the Browns’ passing game…Carson Palmer was the team’s third QB this week with elbow problems; Ryan Fitzpatrick (156 yards, TD, 3 INT) didn’t play very well in his place…Chris Perry (17 touches, 43 yards) had a disappointing day against a suspect defense…T.J. Houshmandzadeh (6-50) and Chad Johnson (3-28-1) had decent days.

      Texans 27 @ Jaguars 30
      David Garrard broke out with a nice game (236 yards, pass TD, rush TD) and threw a TD to Matt Jones (5-71-1) who is developing into the Jags’ best receiving threat…Maurice Jones-Drew (9 touches, 49 yards) and Fred Taylor (13 touches, 46 yards) both had surprisingly quiet days against a mediocre (at best) Texans defense…Steve Slaton (18 touches, 116 yards, TD) continues to be the main main in the Houston backfield…Matt Schaub (307 yards, 3 TD) had a great day throwing the ball to Slaton (8-83-1), Owen Daniels (7-87) and Kevin Walter (8-76-2)…Unfortunately for Andre Johnson (3-38) owners, he continues to struggle.

      Broncos 19 @ Chiefs 33
      Larry Johnson (28 carries, 198 yards, 2 TD) had a huge game against a bad Denver rush defense. He also had five catches for zero yards…Damon Huard (160 yards, TD) was efficient in the win…Dwayne Bowe (7-85) continues to shine and is a must-start in PPR leagues…Tony Gonzalez (3-47-1) had another solid game…Jay Cutler (361 yards, TD, 2 INT) finished with pretty good fantasy numbers but struggled against the Chiefs defense…Eddie Royal (9-104), Brandon Stokley (7-80) and Brandon Marshall (7-77-1) split the receiving duties…Selvin Young led the Broncos in rushing with 49 yards on 11 carries, and it doesn’t look like any of the Denver RBs are solid starts right now…Matt Prater (4/5 FG, including a 56-yarder) continues to shine.

      49ers 17 @ Saints 31
      Drew Brees had a great day (363 yards, 3 TD, INT) throwing to Lance Moore (7-101-2) and Robert Meachem (2-99-1). Moore looks to be a fantasy starter as long as Marques Colston is out…Reggie Bush (15 touches, 37 yards) had a quiet day but Deuce McAllister (20 carries, 73 yards, TD) took over for Pierre Thomas as the Saints’ between-the-tackles back…Frank Gore (18 touches, 113 yards) had a relatively quiet day…J.T. O’Sullivan (257 yards, TD, 2 INT) finished with decent fantasy numbers, but was sacked six times…Arnaz Battle (7-120) and Isaac bruce (5-54-1) were the only big players in the passing game…Vernon Davis (1-19) continues to disappoint.

      Cardinals 35 @ Jets 56
      Rumors of bad weather didn’t really affect this game…Brett Favre (289 yards, 6 TD, INT) had a huge game throwing to Laveranues Coles (8-105-3) and Jerricho Cotchery (4-67-2)…Favre also threw a TD to Dustin Keller (1-24-1)…Chanci Stuckey (2-12) was a non-factor for the first time this season…Thomas Jones (20 touches, 69 yards) had a quiet day…Kurt Warner (472 passing yards, 2 TD, 3 INT) had a good fantasy day but turned the ball over six times (3 INT, 3 fumbles)…Larry Fitzgerald (8-122), Anquan Boldin (10-119-1) and Steve Breaston (9-122-0) led the way in the receiving game. Boldin left with a scary neck injury but apparently was just knocked out and should be fine…Edgerrin James had a solid game, rushing for two TD and catching five passes for 37 yards…Tim Hightower vultured a TD again.

      Packers 21 @ Bucs 30
      Brian Griese (149 yards, TD, 3 INT) was shaky but got the win…Earnest Graham finished with 111 yards on 20 carries and a TD, but doesn’t seem to get regular carries unless the Bucs are ahead late in the game. For that reason, he’s sometimes a questionable fantasy start…Warrick Dunn turned 18 touches for 86 yards…Alex Smith (2-26-1) caught the Bucs only passing TD, while Antonio Bryant (4-39) led all TB receivers in yards and catches…Ike Hilliard (2-21) was basically a non-factor…Aaron Rodgers (165 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT) had a rough day. He looked great on the opening drive, but for the rest of the game, the Packer offense never got in synch…Greg Jennings (6-109-2) had a huge day and has officially taken over WR1 duties from Donald Driver (1-8)…Jordy Nelson (4-31) was the next best threat in the Green Bay passing game…Ryan Grant (15 carries, 20 yards) once again struggled in the running game, though he looked a lot better than he did two weeks ago against the Lions. The holes just weren’t there…

      Vikings 17 @ Titans 30
      Chris Johnson (20 touches, 75 yards, 2 TD) continues to thrive in the Titans run-heavy attack…LenDale White (11 carries, 13 yards, TD) scored but struggled rushing between the tackles…Kerry Collins (199 yards) had a quiet game, but Justin Gage (5-92) returned from injury to post a solid game. He should be owned in most PPR leagues as long as Collins is under center…Adrian Peterson (22 touches, 101 yards, 2 TD) was listed as questionable, but had a nice game…Chester Taylor (1 carry, 0 yards) was a non-factor…Gus Frerotte (266 yards, INT) finished with good yardage, but failed to throw a TD…Bernard Berrian (5-78) and Bobby Wade (7-75) were decent, and TE Visanthe Shiancoe (4-47) had his second consecutive solid game.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Week 4 Recaps

      September 28, 2008 /

      Below are snippets of all the Week 4 action in the NFL. For more analysis and discussion on each game, click on the links provided.

      Brett Favre– Brett Favre threw six touchdown passes as the Jets routed the Cardinals 56-35 in New York.

      – The Jaguars won their second game in a row, edging out the Texans 30-27 in overtime.

      – The Panthers dominated the Falcons 24-9 to improve to 3-1 on the year and share the NFC South lead with the Bucs.

      – Larry Johnson nearly rushed for 200 yards on the ground as the Chiefs upset the Broncos 33-19 to notch their first win of the year.

      – The Browns beat their AFC North division rivals the Bengals 20-12 to earn their first victory of the season.

      – The Bucs bruised and battered Aaron Rodgers in a 30-21 win over the Packers. Tampa is now 3-1 to start the year.

      – Drew Brees threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns as the Saints crushed the 49ers 31-17 in New Orleans.

      – The Titans are one of only two teams still undefeated in the AFC as they beat the Vikings 30-17 on Sunday.

      – It wasn’t pretty, but the Chargers earned their second win of the season, beating the Raiders 21-18. San Diego scored 18 fourth quarter points.

      – With Scott Linehan’s job on the line, the Rams still couldn’t muster a win, falling to 0-4 after losing to the Bills 31-14.

      – One of the more impressive wins of the day was in Dallas, but it wasn’t by the Cowboys. The Redskins are now 3-1 on the year after pulling off an upset, beating the ‘Boys 26-24 at Texas Stadium.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Redskins pull off upset of day, beat Cowboys 26-24

      September 28, 2008 /

      Clinton PortisIt hasn’t taken Jim Zorn long to earn the respect of Washington’s faithful. Zorn’s Redskins beat the previously undefeated Cowboys 26-24 in Dallas on Sunday.

      The score was close, but the game really wasn’t. Washington dominated in nearly all facets of the game, including on the ground where Clinton Portis rushed for 121 yards on 21 carries. The Skins dominated the time of possession battle 38:09 to 21:51 and didn’t turn the ball over once. Jason Campbell was also solid, throwing for 231 yards and two touchdowns on 20 of 31 passing. He also made two great tosses to Santana Moss in the first half that allowed Washington to build a 17-10 halftime lead.

      The Redskins really won this game in the trenches. They held the Cowboys to only 44 yards on the ground and also did a nice job on Terrell Owens. While he caught seven passes for 77 yards and a touchdown, Washington didn’t allow T.O. to beat them deep.

      Speaking of Owens, he mentioned last week that as long as the Cowboys won, he wouldn’t be upset if he didn’t have great numbers. But clearly Dallas got him plenty of opportunities today and they lost. Did offensive coordinator Jason Garrett sacrifice his game plan so that T.O. could get his touches? Or was it just an aberration that Garrett only attempted 11 rushes the entire game despite the Cowboys running the ball very successfully in previous weeks? Hmm.

      Either way, Zorn and the Redskins have been impressive so far this year. The Cowboys are arguably the best team in the NFC and Washington soundly beat them on their home turf. The NFC East is a beast of a division.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Week 4 Primer

      September 26, 2008 /

      Jason CampbellSunday’s Best: Redskins (2-1) at Cowboys (3-0) 4:15 PM ET FOX
      How stacked is the NFC East? Even Washington, the team expected to be the worst in the division, has looked strong since losing their opener to the Giants. In their sound win over the Packers last Sunday night, the Cowboys proved that they’re the class of the NFC. Dallas has a ton of offensive weapons, but the Skins could keep things close now that QB Jason Campbell is starting to look more comfortable in Jim Zorn’s West Coast Offense. Plus with RB Clinton Portis running well and the Cowboys’ run defense missing S Roy Williams, maybe this is a good time for Washington to face their NFC East foe.

      Upset Watch: Eagles (2-1) at Bears (1-2) 8:15 PM ET NBC
      Philadelphia is coming off an impressive win over the Steelers while Chicago once again gave up a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter while dropping its home opener to Tampa Bay. But the Eagles are banged up right now, with QB Donovan McNabb, RB Brian Westbrook and TE L.J. Smith all missing significant practice time this week. By all accounts, the Bears should be 3-0 right now, but blew wins at Carolina and home against Tampa Bay. Da Bears are tough to beat at home and the defense should bounce back after Brian Griese tuned them up in the fourth quarter and overtime last week. But can the offense generate enough points? Philly’s defense harassed Steelers’ QB Ben Roethlisberger last week and will no doubt attempt to do the same this week against Kyle Orton. As of Friday, Devin Hester is still listed as questionable on the Bears’ injury report, but he could give Chicago a huge boost in the playmaking department if he could return.

      Jon GrudenIntriguing Matchup: Packers (2-1) at Bucs (2-1), 1:00 PM ET FOX
      Aaron Rodgers suffered his first defeat as a starter last week against Dallas, so it’ll be interesting to see how he and the Packers respond. Things don’t get any easier this weekend in Tampa, where the Bucs have won two straight and the offense is clicking with Brian Griese under center. Without the threat of a running game last week, Green Bay wasn’t as effective offensively as it had been in wins over Minnesota and Detroit, respectively. Can RB Ryan Grant bounce back against a tough defensive front seven of the Bucs? And how will the Packers fare without starting CB Al Harris (spleen)? Even though Green Bay is 2-1, it has issues that Jon Gruden and Tampa could expose.

      Other Notable Games:
      Vikings (1-2) at Titans (3-0), 1:00 PM ET FOX
      After notching their first win of the season last week against Carolina, are the Vikings back? Adrian Peterson didn’t run wild last week, but the Minnesota defense stepped up and created scoring opportunities. They might need to do so again this week given the Vikes’ offense could struggle against a tough Titans’ D.

      49ers (2-1) at Saints (1-2), 1:00 PM ET FOX
      The 49ers would go long way in proving they’re for real if they can beat a banged up Saints team in New Orleans this Sunday. With how well the rest of the division is playing so far, the Saints can’t afford to fall to far behind in the NFC South.

      Falcons (2-1) at Panthers (2-1), 1:00 PM FOX
      The Panthers are eager to bounce back following their loss to Minnesota last Sunday, while the Falcons want to prove that their record isn’t just a byproduct of beating two bad teams (Detroit, Kansas City). The Panthers have the better overall talent, but Atlanta (especially DE John Abraham) has had some success playing in Carolina over the years.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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