By Totals 4 U
Washington: The Redskins (3-9) blew their 3rd consecutive 4th quarter lead to a likely playoff team, this time around falling 33-30 at FedEx Field to the Saints, last Sunday and have to be feeling snake-bitten. The Skins piled up 455 offensive yards on the way to a 10-point lead late in regulation but a late Jason Campbell (30 of 42 for 367 yards, 3 TD, INT) pick, a missed 23-yard Shawn Siusham field goal, and a Mike Sellers overtime fumble sent this game into the bin with 6-7 at Dallas and 24-27 at Philadelphia.
Offense: The New Orleans loss was the best offensive performance for Head Coach Jim Zorn’s crew and marked breakout performances from both Campbell (244 of 370 for 2724 yards, 15 TD, 12 INT) and 6’2” 215 2nd-year WR Devin Thomas (23 for 287 and 3 TD) who caught 7 balls for 100 yards and 2 scores. For the season, Washington has averaged just 16.7 points on 220.2 pass yards and 101.0 rush yards per game but we are seeing a change in game plan that has brought some spark. With traditional ground-and-pound stars RB Ladell Betts, TE Chris Cooley, RT Chris Samuels, and RB Clinton Portis on Injured Reserve, Coach Zorn has gone to throwing on earlier downs which has given him more to time (33 team sacks) to get downfield to Thomas, WR Santana Moss (49 for 642 and 3 TD), and WR Antwaan Randle El (40 for 458). The result has been a respectable 7.3 yards per attempt for the 5th-year quarterback although it looks like he loses another weapon this week with an injury to FB Mike Sellers (14 catches for 164 yards and TD). Backup tight end 6’4” 251 Todd Yoder will take his spot, leaving Washington without a backup at either position this week. Remember former 1st-round pick 6’6” 337 T Mike Williams from Texas? He’s backup to both rookie RG Edwin Williams and 3rd-year RT Stephon Hoyer! RB Rock Cartwright (58 for 212 rushing, 19 for 150 and TD receiving) will get the start again but has been outperformed the last 2 games by 5’9” 214 2nd-year BR Quinton Ganther (19 for 88 yards).
Defense: The Redskin defense, which was arguably dominant early in the season when the offense was tanking, has been getting torched by the long ball of late. LCB Carlos Rogers has yet to record a pick this season, RCB DeAngelo Hall (43 T, 4 INT) has been sharp but missed the last 2 contests with a knee injury and back spasms, and FS LaRon Landry (68 T, S) has been a major reason his unit has been shredded for 7 pass plays of 30+ yards the last 4 weeks. Hall, who was cut 8 weeks into the 2008 season by the Raiders, wouldn’t miss this one if he had to play in a wheelchair. With 6’6” 350 RDT Albert Haynesworth (29 T, 3 S) in the lineup the pocket pressure has been decent (28 team sacks), freeing up RDE Kevin Carter (50 T, 9 S) to beat one-on-ones, but last week he re-injured the ankle that caused his to miss the 2 previous trips. He’ll probably go and we you’ve got to love the work 6’4” 260 rookie SLB Brain Orakpo (40 T, 7 S) has done blitzing from the other side! His greatest challenge has been getting around his own LDE, 6’5” 305 Phillip Daniels (28 T) who has become dead weight with 0 sacks in his 14th season. The undersized, often discarded everyman 5’10” 245 MLB London Fletcher just keeps racking up the tackles with 109 through 12 games this year with a pair of sacks and a pick.
Oakland: The Raiders (4-8) have rallied behind new starting quarterback, Bruce Gradkowski, winning 2 of their last 3 games including a 27-24 come from behind thriller over the Steelers at Heinz Field last week in which AFC Offensive Player of the Week Gradkowski threw 3 fourth quarter touchdown passes, the last of which covered 11 yards to rookie WR Louis Murphy with 9 seconds on the clock.
Offense: The demotion of QB Jamarcus Russell (46.8% completions, 1064 yards, 2 TD, 9 INT) was overdue by any standard. His numbers are terrible enough but his lack of dedication to – 4 years into his pro career – even get into shape tells us this kid is just here to collect paychecks. 9.8 points per game before the switch has been upgraded to 18.0 since – against the defenses of Cincinnati, Dallas, and Pittsburgh – and this crew is finally getting the ball downfield. Wideouts 6’4” 225 Chaz Schilens (10 for 145 and TD), 6’2” 200 Louis Murphy (23 for 411 and 4 TD), 5’11” 185 Johnnie Lee Higgins (10 for 112), and 6’2” 210 Darius Heyward-Bey (9 for 124 and TD) were ignored by Russell while in last week’s 22 of 30 for 308 yards and 3 TD performance, Gradkowski hit receivers 12 times for a whopping 248 yards and all 3 scores. This while playing with a makeshift offensive line of Chris Morris in for C Samson Satele and LG Robert Gallery (back injury) needing to be replaced by Langston Walker who hadn’t played the position since 2003. RB Darren McFadden (72 for 230 and TD) has been a bitter disappointment with a long rush of just 15 yards this season and RB Michael Bush (85 for 386 and 2 TD) has been given just 4 carries over the last 9 quarters since fumbling against the Bengals so it looks like 6’1” 220 Justin Fargas (117 for 462 yards and 2 TD rushing, 16 for 107 receiving) is the main man on the ground again. K Janikowski has been superb with 17 makes in 19 tries including 3 of 4 from 50+ yards.
Defense: It boggles the mind that a squad with a defensive line composed of 6’6” 310 LDE Richard Seymour (35 T, 4 S), 6’6” 300 LDT Tommy Kelly (49 T, S), 6’4” 330 RDT Gerard Warren (27 T, S), and 6’6” 265 RDE Greg Ellis (23 T, 5 S) could give up 158.7 rush yards per game at a generous 4.6 yards per carry with 18 TD on the ground for the season but that’s where Head Coach Tom Cable’s stoppers stand. Of course feeble offensive production with 27:16 team time of possession has left this group often playing against 2 offenses per game! End may be and issue this week as Ellis is doubtful with a knee injury and the Raider’s best backup, 6’5” 255 Trevor Scott, moved to OLB due to season-ending injuries to Rickey Brown and his backup Jon Alston. The move has been a great opportunity for Scott (27 T, 5 S) who has racked 3 sacks in the last 2 games and is given the green light to blitz on most 3rd-downs while DE Matt Shaughnessy (17 T, 2 S) will go if Ellis can’t. 6’2” 240 MLB Kirk Morrison (96 T) is coming into his own as is 6’0” 205 SS Tyvon Branch (94 T, S) but Oakland needs FS Michael Huff (50 T, 3 INT) to reestablish himself. Huff snagged 3 picks in the first 2 games of the season but has since lost his job to Hiram Eugene (25 T, INT). He may get another shot this week as Eugene limped was injured against Pittsburgh after racking 9 tackles. P Shane Lechler (51.5 yards per) has been the best in the league for a decade.
FREE SELECTION: Suisham, the most-accurate kicker in Redskin history, was fired this week in favor of Graham Gano who nailed an overtime 53-yarder to claim the inaugural United Football League Championship for the Las Vegas Locomotives but has never attempted a kick in the NFL. Is Al Davis now making personnel decisions for Washington as well? Take Oakland + 1 Sunday afternoon and pick up your Daily Free Selections at Freeplays.com
- TD at Totals 4 You