NFL Season Kicks Off!

For you NFL enthusiasts, see all the National Football League Week 1 Matchups, Times, Television Broadcast Stations and Predictions here.

Jump on the Bandwagon Haters

Because the Washington Redskins are 4-1.  It doesn’t take Nostradamus to predict the Redskins would be awesome this season – the last time the New York Giants won the Superbowl, the Washington Redskins won the Superbowl the following year (1991/92).  And, who won the Superbowl last year?  Need I say more?  No, I do not.  History dictates that the Redskins are going to be stellar this year.  Jim Zorn helps too.

Great job Jim Zorn.  I’d also like to give a shout out to Greg Blache.

Go Skins.  HAIL TO THE REDSKINS… HAIL VICTORY… BRAVES ON THE WARPATH… FIGHT FOR OLD D.C.

Washington Redskins Player of the Game

The NFL season began tonight with the Washington Redskins vs the New York Giants. The Redskins offense did not look good in the 16-7 loss. But, in spite of it all, the Washington Redskins player of the game is Andre Carter, according to me.

Andre Carter made what was maybe a touchdown saving tackle on Brandon Jacobs, which is a feat considering he’s a defensive end. Andre Carter made the tackle from behind after Brandon Jacobs had broken through the rest of the Redskins defense.

The Redskins also had one turnover – a Fred Smoot interception on an errant Eli Manning pass. I credit Andre Carter for the play, as he pressured and hit Eli Manning. Andre Carter also shared a sack with Laron Landry when Landry blitzed up the middle.

The first game of the season leaves a lot to be desired, but at least Andre Carter won my Washington Redskins Player of the Game award. Sorry London Fletcher, I know you had 17 tackles, but I had to give it to Andre Carter on this one. (Anyway, London Fletcher was named the Pizza Hut Player of the Game – so, he got his… pizza, that is.)

Just to Prove White Guys Are Old

Just to prove white guys are old, let me point you in the direction of the National Football League (NFL) and, specifically, the Washington Redskins. White guy Jon Jansen was drafted by the Redskins in 1999 out of Michigan. Subsequently, he was a perennial starter on the offensive line, at right tackle. Injuries began slowing him down in 2004 when he had his first injury. In 2007, he got injured in the first game and missed the entire rest of the season. Now, white guy Jon Jansen is old.

A matter of days ago, Coach Jim Zorn announced Stephon Heyer would start at right tackle over Jon Jansen. Why? White guys are old. So, guess who’s replacing him. Yep, you guessed it – a young black man. Stephon Heyer. And it’s the right choice. People may argue Stephon Heyer doesn’t have enough experience, but it’s the right decision to make. Sometimes, it is necessary to pass the torch from old white guys to young black men. And, now is one of those times. Stephon Heyer joined the Redskins as an undrafted free agent – not the path you would expect to becoming a starting right tackle in the NFL – but, well, white guys are old.

The NFL Season is Just Around the Corner

Yesterday’s Hall of Fame Game between the Washington Redskins and Indianapolis Colts means the regular season is fast approaching. SWEET! (Side note to self: I can not fathom having a serious relationship with anyone who is not a football fan. So, blog readers, if you don’t like football, get lost. LOL.)

Granted, it was only an exhibition game and all that jazz, but I need to tell you about some stats. Jason Campbell had a QB rating of 157.1, while rookie Colt Brennan had a QB rating of 157.5. They combined for 14 completions on 15 pass attempts, 184 yards and 3 touchdowns, along with zero interceptions. Let me put that in perspective. The highest possible passer rating in a single game is 158.3. Campbell and Brennan both eclipsed the 157 mark.

It was an encouraging game to watch, apart from the fact that it doesn’t matter at all. Still, when the Washington Redskins drafted Colt Brennan in the 6th round, I was excited. Now, my excitement continues. Colt Brennan has a strange throwing style, but who cares if it works. And, boy does it work. He had some great throws and looked like a veteran.

Other rookies and backups looked good as well, like safety Chris Horton (2 sacks and a onside kick recovery) and 4th string running back Marcus Mason (18 rushes for 98 yards [5.4 avg]).

Brother O’Dell, Pass the Biscuits, Pappy O’Daniels

“Brother O’Dell, Pass the Bisuits, Pappy O’Daniels” is the new nickname of Washington Redskin cornerback Fred Smoot.  Yes, you read that right – his nickname is seven words long… and contains two commas.  As far as nicknames go it’s, well, the longest nickname of any professional football player I’ve ever heard.  Beyond that, I love it.

For some interesting takes on the origin of the name, check out this blog and comments.

Of course, this isn’t Fred Smoot’s first nickname.  Last year, he was nicknamed “Johann Cavalli.”

Previously, there was “Sugar Ray Valentino” -  from Fred Smoot’s first stint with the Redskins from 2001 – 2004.  When he was in Minnessota with the Vikings, he earned the nickname “Love Boat Smoot,” from a questionable incident.  Of course, the Washington Redskins official site lists his nickname as “Show Time” on Fred Smoot’s profile page.

Anyway, I like “Brother O’Dell, Pass the Bisuits, Pappy O’Daniels” and I suppose so does Fred Smoot – for now.

May Day

The NFL Draft is over, the Washington Redskins acquired a wealth of offensive talent, Jeremiah Wright is one amusing dude, Barack Obama has parted ways from the reverend, Miley Cyrus appeared scanitly clad in Vanity Fair and Hillary Clinton insists on taking Barack Obama to the ropes, as super delegates decide the next democratic presidential nominee.
Boston Legal is still a great show that addresses important and relevant current event issues and the LOST is on tonight, for the second week in a row with a new LOST episode. As if all that wasn’t enough, May is here, and as such, so is Mind-reading Awareness Month. Good times indeed.
Oh, did I mention one of my bosses tried to bribe me? While bribes are generally great to recieve, they are usually an indication of something else that is lacking. In the instance of a job, one might think a bribe could be an indication that a larger salary, a promotion or added benefits (such as vacation time) are required. But, I digresss, because Lost is about to come and it is, afterall, the best show on television, even though Boston Legal is also great. Gotta give some shout outs to The Daily Show and The Colbert Report also.

Washington Redskins Draft Pick Roundup

With 10 picks in the 2008 NFL Draft, the Redskins chose:

34th Devin Thomas WR Michigan State 6’2 215 – Strong and speedy, he ran a 4.40 40 yard dash (ranking 6th among WR’s at the Combine) and tied for the 4th best Combine Broad Jump among WR’s at 10’6.

48th Fred Davis TE USC 6’4 248 -Known for his hands and quickness for a tight end, the big guy tied for the third best Combine Bench Reps among TE’s with 24.

51st Malcolm Kelly WR Oklahoma 6’4 220 – Not a speedy WR, at 6’4 Kelly provides an additional target for youg QB Jason Campbell, especially in the red zone.

3rd Chad Rhinehart OG/OT Northern Iowa 6’5 320 – Potentially able to play guard or tackle, he is a mobile offensive lineman who can move around. He ranked as the seventh best lineman (in a tie) at the Combine in the 20-Yard Shuffle, with a time of 4.56 and the 3rd best (tie) offensive lineman in the vertical jump with a height of 28.5.

4th Justin Tryon CB Arizona State 5’9 190 – Providing depth at the corneback position, at the NFL Combine he tied for fifth best cornerback in the bench press with 19 reps.

6th Durant Brooks P Georgia Tech 6’0 204 – Initially listed as a place kicker, I’m not sure a punter is the best way to utilize the 2nd pick of the 6th round, although he has a strong leg. Durant Brooks was the first kicker taken in the 2008 NLF Draft, after winning the Ray Guy award for being the nation’s best punter. So, there’s a plus. He had a 45.1 yard per punt average, with 33 of his 65 punts inside the 20.

6th Kareem Moore S Nicholls State 5’11 213 – Didn’t start playing football until senior year of high school. Hopefully, his steep learning curve will benefit the Redskins.

6th Colt Brennan QB Hawaii 6’3 205 – I think the height and weight attributed to Colt Brennan is a little excessive, but I like him as a backup and 6th round pick. If you don’t know Colt, you’ve been living under a rock; he’s been downgraded for being in Hawaii’s spread offense, but the Redskins will be implementing the west coast offense, which is a good fit. Plus, he’s a backup. We still have Jason Campbell.

7th Rob Jackson DE Kansas State 6’4 259 – He’s a pass rusher but not a run stopper. If he turns into something, then great, but this is the 7th round folks.

7th Chris Horton FS UCLA 6’0 212 – I can’t say I expected another safety, but we’ll see how it works out. He is a big hitter so, if nothing else, he may find a place on special teams.

Washington Redskins Picks Are Offensive!!!

In a total reversal of methodology from previous years under the helm of Washington Redsksin owner Daniel Snyder, the Redskins accumulated picks in the 2008 NFL Draft. With the 21st pick overall, they traded it to the Atlanta Falcons, in a move that resulted in them having three second round draft picks.
The new look Washington Redskins under the direction of new head coach Jim Zorn – known for his west coast offense – acquired three offensive picks with those second round picks. Michigan State WR Devin Thomas, USC TE Fred Davis and Oklahoma WR Malcolm Kelly are the newest Skins. In a word, it is SICK! (the good kind)
In addition to WR’s Santana Moss and Antwan Randle El and TE Chris Cooley, the Redskins are, apparently, looking to come out slinging the ball all over the field next season. The new acquisitions are huge targets for young QB Jason Campbell, literally. WR Devin Thomas is 6’2 and 215 lbs, while WR Malcolm Kelly is 6’4 and 225 lbs. Add to that TE Fred Davis as a backup (SICK) to Chris Cooley, along with the already two-pronged running game and I’m wondering just how many points the Washington Redskins will score in 2008.
Furthermore, the Redskins still have a lot of draft picks left heading into day two of the 2008 NFL draft. All I have to say is WOW! The times are a changin’ in the nation’s capital.