Sunday, December 30, 2007

Skins make Playoffs with 21-point win over Dallas

Unfortunately I wasn't able to cover this monumental game for the Washington Redskins, but the Associated Press was and so I will admit that their article on espn.com clued me in on the score.

27-6. The Redskins not only dominated the Cowboys (yes I know, a not-so-motivated Dallas team, having already clinched the NFC 1 seed) but they did it by the same margin as the number worn by their slain teammate Sean Taylor.

This is special stuff. If you are a Redskins fan you were probably aware of some of the accomplishments that Dallas looked forward to in this game, regardless of a win or loss. The AP article highlighted how well Washington played on both sides of the ball to ruin any possible icing on Dallas's cake.

"The Cowboys (13-3), who will have a bye next week, tried to muster any motivation they could find, but almost none of their goals were realized. They had hoped to win a 14th regular-season game for the first time in franchise history. Jason Witten caught only two passes, falling four short of becoming the second tight end to get 100 in a season. Receiver Terry Glenn, active for the first time all season, failed to catch a pass.

Marion Barber not only finished 25 yards shy of his first 1,000-yard season, but Barber (minus-6 yards) and Julius Jones (7) combined for 1 yard -- setting a new franchise record for rushing futility. The Cowboys defense allowed a 100-yard rusher for the first time this season. The offense went 0-for-11 converting third downs, and Dallas lost its season finale for the eighth straight year."

Stifling defense might be the best way to sum that all up. The Redskins truly went our there the last four games and played the way Sean Taylor always did — with a purpose and a passion like each game was his last.

Unfortunately Sean is gone and has played his last, but the Seattle Seahawks and the rest of the NFL playoff teams better believe the Redskins don't want to play their last one of the season anytime soon.

Sean continues to be a source of inspiration for this team whether it is the No. 21 towels, his name hanging in the Ring, the No. 21 on the jerseys and helmets or an autographed photo written by an unknowing soon-to-be victim of senseless murder.

Sorry Seattle but it just doesn't look too good for you. Todd Collins and coach Joe Gibbs have revitalized this team with their play and motivation, respectively, and aside from the 16-0 Patriots, Washington has the hottest team in the league.

Oh and the autograph Taylor once signed has three words that will be echoing throughout the game next week as Washington looks to take care of business: WE WANT DALLAS!

Skins make Playoffs with 21-point win over Dallas

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Slackin' for a Reason

I'll get back to this thing once I'm done being the statistician at the Chantilly tournament I work. And in case you were wondering, no the field is not good this year. There have been some incredibly boring games and we still have 7 more tomorrow.

Tomorrow's championship games feature both Chantilly teams. The girls will probably lose to a much more disciplined and better-coached Georgetown Visitation team and the guys shouldn't have too much trouble beating Landon.

Get ready for some Skins' action because this Dallas game is huge and although I wasn't granted press credentials for this one i'll be dissecting it closely.

Monday, December 24, 2007

Be Smart and Stay With Collins

With yesterday's convincing win over Minnesota at the Metrodome, Washington is now in the driver seat.

A win Sunday against the Cowboys puts the Redskins in the playoffs with the sixth and final spot in the NFC and they have a patient backup quarterback to thank for it.

Todd Collins has led a once emotionally-drained football team to where even Jason Campbell may not have. Since Campbell's gruesome-looking knee injury against the Bears, Collins has put the Redskins offense on his back and pulled out three straight impressive victories.

And it's not like he's just been handing it off. When facing three solid defenses with impressive front-fours, coach Joe Gibbs needed his quarterback to be able to make plays through the air.

Collins has done just that. Last night's performance may have been the most impressive; 22-of-29 for 254 yards and two touchdowns. But in the last about two and one half games Collins has four touchdowns and a huge ZERO interceptions. A completion percentage above 60 has also helped Collins reach a passer rating of 107.

So now all of the talk has started about whether or not you stick with Collins if Campbell practices and is healthy. The answer is yes you stick with him because he is the guy who has helped turn things around and he has the hot hand. It's that simple.

Is Collins a better athlete and the future of the team? No, of course not Campbell is. But the Skins can't worry about the future right now they need to ride Collins' solid play as long as they can. That might mean that Campbell gets back in during the playoffs but for all the people who say you cant lose your job to injury, you're wrong.

Hopefully Gibbs — who has a tendency to be conservative — wont just go back to Campbell because it's convenient. He and the coaching staff have made some big mistakes this year, but have helped make up for it over the last few weeks. They're playing loose and making big plays, like Portis' halfback option pass to Randel-el.

Let Collins keep throwing it deep up the sidelines and let Portis and Betts do the majority of the work through the middle of the field. With the Cowboys nursing injuries this simple formula should work for Collins and the offense.

Oh and the Defense. Not too much to worry about there. They've been doing their thing all year and will continue to do just that.


Important Reminder During Christmas Season

I'll get to my Redskin blogging tomorrow, I'm still pumped and soaking it in. Plus we have one more game to handle so no getting too far ahead.

But I was forwarded this great video and I want to share it with you. Just remember that whether or not you support the cause our soldiers fight for, you need to support them and let them know we are always there for them.

God Bless the U.S.A., Merry Christmas and enjoy.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Check Out My JMU Posts on SportingNews.com

Check out my JMU basketball blogs at the campus watch section of the sportingnews.com.

Today I will be listening to the Dukes over the radio and will likely do a blog at halftime and following the game. When live at the Convocation Center I will usually only do a postgame blog because there is no internet connection there.

Click the link above and check out my college blog along with many others across the country.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Sean Taylor: Rightfully Honored



I cant really say that I thought it was a possibility, when I saw a facebook group lobbying for Sean Taylor's vote in the Pro Bowl.

Obviously they left his name on the ballot, but I just wasn't sure people would be compassionate enough to understand that he truly deserved it.

And I'm not just saying it because I'm a big Skins fan or because he died and I think it is a nice gesture. At the time of his injury two weeks prior to the tragic murder, Sean was leading the league in interceptions with five.

The interceptions were a product of his improvement in coverage which was a testament to his overall maturation as a man. The story has been told over and over, but I think it's important that people know he was turning his life around.

Defensive coordinator Greg Williams along with Jason Campbell and other players have spoke of Sean being that guy who was the first in and the last to leave. That kind of commitment gets you numbers like 46 tackles (34 solo), 1 forced fumble, 5 interceptions for 96 yards and 9 other pass deflections through about 8.5 games.

His numbers along with a ever-menacing presence to opposing wide receivers was surely going to place him in his second consecutive Pro-Bowl. Thankfully the fans, players and coaches see it like I do and have voted Sean to the starting safety position where he should be this February.

Not having you still here with us Sean is awful, but I'm glad we can remember you with this gesture and continue remembering the good things that allow us to celebrate you instead of mourn.

Rest in Peace # 21.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Not Pretty, but Back at .500.

With tonight's win the Skins are 7-7 and building some momentum for a run at the wild card.

The winds at Giants Stadium gusted, but Todd Collins — making his first start in over 10 years — guided the Redskins to the win.

Collins completed only 8 of 25 passes but a couple of key deep balls to Santana Moss set up scores for the Redskins. A 36-yard reception in the second quarter set up the game's first touchdown on Ladell Betts' first carry of the game. The 14-yard rush gave the Skins a 13-0 lead.

The Skins would eventually go up 22-3 before a touchdown pass from the Giants' Eli Manning to Kevin Boss cemented the 22-10 final. Brandon Jacobs had success for New York with 130 yards on 25 carries, but the Giants struggled to put points on the board.

Conversely, Redskins' running back Clinton Portis picked up 125 yards on 25 carries and gave the Redskins their other touchdown to go along with Shaun Suisham's three field goals. Suisham snuck some knuckle-balls through the uprights, going against swirling winds.

The Skins now finish off with Minnesota next Sunday night and Dallas at home on Dec. 30. With Tampa's win the NFC South is clinched, leaving only the two wild cards open in the NFC.

At 9-5 the Giants would be the first team in right now followed by Minnesota if they beat Chicago tomorrow. If not though the Vikings would be tied with the Skins and New Orleans at 7-7, bringing tie-breakers into play.

Assuming Washington won out and the Giants faltered against Buffalo and New England, the Skins could possibly win a tie-breaker there and get in with at least one of the wild cards.

Nothing is for certain yet, but I'll break it down further after tomorrow's Vikings and Bears contest.

Skins @ Giants: Halftime

Win-or-go-home-time.

So far the Skins look like they want. The biggest thing right now is that they are putting points on the board despite the high winds.

In recent years they haven't been able to rely on all these field goals, but Shaun Suisham is getting it done like John Hall never could. Three field goals in the first half and Betts' ballsy touchdown run have the Skins ahead 16-3 in the Meadowlands.

They need to keep the ball on the ground. Portis has 16 carries for 88 yards and the skins are consistently getting in the redzone. Collins is struggling — 4 of 18 — but still has 105 yards and the wind is bothering Eli just as much. Lil Manning has only 51 yards and is 6 of 21.

I'd like to see the blocking backs, whether it is Betts, Sellers or Cooley to get in behind Stephon Heyer who's struggling with that monster D-Line of the Giants. But once that ball is past the line of scrimmage the Skins wide-receivers need to continue blocking down field cause a big play or two could put this one away.

Check back after the game.

Mitchell Report Fallout: Part 2

The second point that Dan Patrick touched upon on was the media's role in this ordeal.

Patrick spoke about how he's lost many friends, in professional sports, because he had to tell it like it is. He then questioned whether the newly accused players, via the Mitchell Report, would be handled in a similar way as Barry Bonds.

Naturally I don't think they would because Bonds isn't a nice guy like a lot of the other guys named. But as a journalist I know that it's tough to tell it like it is sometimes. When I started covering JMU sports, I quickly realized that the athletes are your best friend when they are winning. You don't have a reason to write anything negative and they love seeing good things about them.

The same can be said about all of the baseball writers and reporters like Tim Kurkjian, Buster Olney and Steve Phillips of ESPN. These guys get to talk to the Major League players on an every day basis. And when players like Roger Clemens are still putting up great numbers in their twilight years — and are glad to talk about it — it's easy for the reporters to overlook the "truth" behind their "friends."

It is important that we hold these players to what they really are — cheaters. I'm not trying to be a complete skeptic and say everything in that report must be correct, but at the same time these players put themselves in their current positions. On the other hand the players shouldn't all be grouped together because some probably did a lot worse than others.

When listening to Kurkjian yesterday and his reaction to Pettitte's statement, I felt like he was missing the point to a certain extent. I agree with Kirkjian that using HGH for two days to get back to the team isn't that big of a deal, but the fact that Pettitte is a nice guy doesn't really matter.

Hearing the ESPN analyst say that reminded me of what Patrick was saying about reporting this responsibly. All of the players that are guilty of using steroids and HGH have been living a lie. Plenty of people think Roger Clemens is a nice guy, but are we going to treat him lightly after reading the Report and knowing that his career resurgence happened at the same time he began employing his trainer, Brian McNamee?

Clemens Still Silent

First off, I must admit that I'm not a baseball fanatic like much of the country. But as a fan and writer of all sports this whole Mitchell Report drama stirs up a lot of questions even to the average baseball fan.

While listening to the Dan Patrick Show I was pleased to here the great radio head tell it like it is. One of his main points addressed the players — namely Roger Clemens — and the second addressed the media that is now bringing you the endless talk of the Major League Mess.

1. Throughout the show — intertwined with talk of Mike Vick's written apology — Patrick reiterated how much Roger Clemens needs to speak for himself. If you've been following the saga, you'd know that Clemens attorney is the only one has a said a word on his behalf. Clemens was mentioned on nine different pages of the Report for using HGH and steroids.

Yesterday Clemens best friend and training partner Andy Pettitte, who was also cited for use of HGH, made a statement admitting to the use of HGH to recover from injuries. Pettitte's admittance seemed sincere and I'm leaning towards believing him that he only did it for recovery reasons and not to gain an edge. But this statement really puts the pressure on the 7-time Cy Young award winner.

It is well-documented in the report that Clemens and Pettitte when playing together with the Yankees from 1999-2003 shared a trainer in Brian McNamee. McNamee told former Sen. Mitchell and his team that he injected both pitchers with HGH. Pettitte owned up to his part in that and now it's time for Clemens to do the same.

Seriously Roger, you have been one of the faces of baseball for a long time and don't you at least owe it to the fans? If not what about your family? Should either really have to sit through the speculation and watch you cower away from the truth?

You are caught and it's time to admit it. It is talked about all of the time and there is truth in the fact that Americans tend to be pretty forgiving people.

I know the careers and personas of Michael Vick and Clemens are quite different, but Vick's crime is a lot worse and he eventually owned up. But his was criminal and the truth wasn't as clear right away. Clemens on the other hand didn't kill any animals and he is pretty much seems guilty right now.

Salvage any respect left Clemens and apologize. You might have lost your chance at Cooperstown, but you might be able to still hold your head high and become a more honest person.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

A Day to Remember




To be honest I didn't know this rule in depth, I just figured you cant call for time out twice in a row. Well either way I painfully had to watch the Skins squander the game as i stood feet from a shocked Sean Springs.

But I wasn't even there to cover the football aspect of the game as much as the ceremony and atmosphere surrounding Sean Taylor. The loss kind of made it all worse.

I was about a minute away from running onto the field to see the joyous faces of my favorite team as they gained a bit of happiness in what will go down as the worst week in franchise history. But it wasn't meant to be.

In the locker room it was hard to tell if the level of dejection in the players body language was more from the loss or the loss of Taylor. I'd have to assume both.

Much of the talk surrounded Sean and how they were just glad that they could go out there and honor him. And honor them they did. Maybe not on the scoreboard so much but with their unending effort and relentless on defense; the same defense that started the game with 10 players, "allowing Sean to play one more down," according to London Fletcher and others.

I'd have to say the thing I'll remember most from the experience wasn't the talking to players in the locker room, or interviewing Bills G.M. and four-time Super Bowl coach Marv Levy, or getting my hands on one of the "21" towels, but just the simple four minute video that paid Sean Taylor tribute.

As a tear dropped down my cheek, it hit me harder than it had all week. Sean Taylor will never be in our presence again, but as fans, players and coaches we know we'll never forget him.

R.I.P Sean Taylor

Fittingly Gloomy Day

It's about time to head over to the Metro station and then to Landover for the Skins game. This day is far different than the last game I went to.

In the wake of Sean Taylor's death there is a gloomy feel today and it's reflected in the rain-threatening clouds.

Last time I was amped to see Washington whoop up on the Lions and interview Gary Clark at the same time. I can't say I'm not excited for today, but it is sad considering the circumstances.

I have a feeling the feel in the stadium will pretty much reflect my current emotions; a mixture of sorrow and despair at the loss of Sean and an excitement that the Skins are going to rally an win for him.

Well I guess I'll just have to wait and see. If I can blog during halftime I'll get something up. If not check out my thoughts late tonight.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Chris Paul is a true Redskin: Sean deserves this one

Humility and Composure of Pedro Taylor is Amazing

R.I.P Sean Taylor #21



Can you imagine taking on the unbearable task of burying your child? Well I obviously don't have any yet, but I sure couldn't.

Pedro Taylor, the father of the late Sean Taylor, has no choice. After Sean was murdered Monday in a ridiculously senseless crime, the elder Taylor has dealt with a lot. And the way he has gone about it is nothing short of amazing.

Just a little over 24 hours after Sean passed, Pedro was on a plane with Jackie Garcia, Sean's girlfriend, to Ashburn, Virginia.

He met with the team Wednesday and spoke to a group of grown men, many twice his size, and gave them great words of courage.

According to a Redskins' press release Mr. Taylor told the team that Sean would want them to play and win the next five games and make the playoffs.

Wow. If that's not a rallying cry then what is? I don't think the guys are completely focused on football, but the fact of the matter is that they have a game to play Sunday. Pedro realized this and told it like Sean would have.

When ESPN's Pedro Gomez talked with Pedro Taylor on Friday, the Florida City police chief even had words of advice for society as a whole. He selflessly spoke of the problems of crime in the country as a whole — not just focusing on Sean's murder. He alluded to the fact that kids who commit crimes like this, are the kids that people didn't take the time to talk to or give a chance.

How many of us, in his shoes, would have just cursed the killers and let our emotions and instincts get the best?

Not this selfless father, though. Everyone can really use him as an example. Sean sure did, and that is why all you are hearing from the team is that he was a great teammate. A dedicated teammate who would stay after with offensive players in order to help them get better.

Not all of us can directly help the Taylor family, but we can do what Sean would do. Be there for the ones you love and care for, because you never know when they will no longer be amongst you.

On my way to the game this weekend, I'm definitely gonna stop by my parents and give them a hug. Especially my mom who may be taking on major surgery in the coming days. I'm gonna try to focus on the positive and not worry about it.

In the last year Sean really turned is life around, leaving only positive things to be said by the ones who were closest. It's amazing how much we can take from a person many ignorantly considered a "thug."

R.I.P Sean and thanks for being who you were and inspiring so many people.

Go Skins. Do it for 21.