November 2010

Redskins vs. Vikings: The Good & The Not-So-Good

Submitted by Brandon on Mon, 11/29/2010 - 11:40pm

Being the experienced Redskins fan (and closet pessimist) that I am, when I heard the news that Minnesota had fired Brad Childress and replaced him with Leslie Frazier, I had one of those sinking feelings that told me the ‘Skins would lose this game. Oh, sinking feeling, why are you always right? Of course, it’s not like the team didn’t have chance to pull out a victory. But once again, the Redskins found ways to beat themselves. Here’s the good and the not-so-good from Sunday’s loss to the Vikings.

Redskins’ Offseason Plans: Drafting Needs & Saying Goodbye

Submitted by Brandon on Sun, 11/28/2010 - 4:31pm

Once again, it looks like it’s going to be another tough offseason in Washington. That’s because, as is their custom, the Redskins are long on needs and short on draft picks. The team also has plenty of unproductive salary and old weight dragging on its roster. But for a team that’s been as poorly-managed as the ‘Skins have for the last decade, that’s par for the course. So no more stalling; here’s what the Redskins need to do this offseason to keep them on the path to contention.

 

Eagles’ Offseason Plans: Drafting Depth At Key Positions

Submitted by Brandon on Sat, 11/27/2010 - 5:12pm

Even though it’s only Week 12, it’s not too early for a team to start formulating its offseason plans. For some teams, this is easier said than done because they have a formidable list of needs (link to Skins article). For others—like the Eagles—a short list of needs has created an opportunity to “beef up” key positions. And with plenty of draft capital at their disposal, the Eagles can use their offseason to gain a big advantage on their division rivals.

Eagles vs. Giants: The Good & The Not-So-Good

Submitted by Brandon on Wed, 11/24/2010 - 7:22pm

Didn’t I tell you that NBC gets the best games? Depending on how the final six games of the season play out, Sunday night’s marquis divisional showdown between the Eagles and the Giants just might go down as one of the most memorable and important games of the 2010 season. This game looked like a blowout at first, and then saw two comeback efforts before it was all decided. But in the end, the red-hot Eagles took sole possession of first place in the NFC East. Here’s the good and the not-so-good from Sunday night’s exciting matchup.

Questionable Call of the Week: Did Bradshaw Really Fumble?

Submitted by Brandon on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 8:43pm

If the NFL were to write an educational book for up-and-coming players, they might title it Everybody Fumbles. And after it publishes, they might want to send a copy over to Ahmad Bradshaw. The New York Giants’ running back currently leads the league with six fumbles. And in the second half of the Giants’ loss to the Eagles this past Sunday, it appeared that Bradshaw had fumbled yet again. That was, until the fumble ruling was overturned after a Giants’ challenge. The officials claimed that Bradshaw’s forearm had touched the ground before the ball came loose; thus, he was down and the play couldn’t be ruled a fumble. But was that really the right call?

Redskins vs. Titans: The Good & The Not-So-Good

Submitted by Brandon on Mon, 11/22/2010 - 5:30pm

The Washington Redskins are still alive. With a decidedly unpretty victory in Tennessee on Sunday, the “Gold Pants” Brigade evened their record at 5-5, ensuring that they remain two games ahead of a resurgent Cowboys team and at least one game behind either the Giants or the Eagles. But more importantly, they washed the stink of last week’s humiliating loss away. And while the team’s 19-16 overtime decision against the Titans might not have been the best bounce-back performance, the Redskins can still call themselves winners—at least for the next week. Here’s the good and the not-so-good from Sunday’s contest.

Eagles-Redskins: The Good & The Not-So-Good

Submitted by Brandon on Tue, 11/16/2010 - 8:51am

Over the weekend, I posted some of the key questions that Monday night’s game would answer. But in a 59-28 defeat, the Redskins decided to answer a question that I apparently forgot: Why just lose when you can completely and utterly implode?

Fun Facts about Eagles-Redskins

Submitted by Brandon on Sat, 11/13/2010 - 11:55am

Since we have an extra day to kill before this week’s latest installment of the Eagles-Redskins rivalry, I’ve put together some interesting numbers to help pass the time.

 

(NOTE: The predictive value of these stats is highly questionable considering all of the mitigating circumstances involved. But I love looking at stats, so I figured I’d see what I could find. Basically, you should just take them with a grain of salt.)

Eagles-Redskins Should Answer Some Key Questions.

Submitted by Brandon on Fri, 11/12/2010 - 3:21pm

How fitting that during the week in which it holds a marquis slot, the rematch between the Eagles and the Redskins will also likely be one of the most compelling games to watch. Just look at the storylines that surround the matchup. On one side, a resurgent Michael Vick has returned to the field for the Eagles and is continuing his trend of making Philadelphia an all but unstoppable opponent. Meanwhile, the Redskins have been weathering the fallout from Mike Shanahan’s questionable decision to bench Donovan McNabb for two weeks and are a undoubtedly ready to put that wonderful chapter of their season behind them. But will they? Or will they just become the latest obstacle to be steamrolled by Michael Vick’s high-powered Eagles offense? Those are just a couple of the questions that this game will answer.

Questionable Call of the Week: The Catch, Fumble & Fine That Weren’t

Submitted by Brandon on Tue, 11/09/2010 - 6:59pm

Eagles rookie Kurt Coleman should consider himself lucky. That’s because he just avoided becoming the most recent NFL player to be fined for a helmet-to-helmet hit on a defenseless receiver. Coleman would have received the fine for the helmet-to-helmet hit that he laid on Colts receiver Austin Collie during a play in the second quarter of Sunday’s Eagles-Colts match. The play was ruled an incomplete pass, and the rookie safety was flagged for what the officials referred to as a helmet-to-helmet hit on a defenseless receiver, but the league has opted not to fine Coleman for the play even though it resulted in Austin Collie suffering a concussion and needing to be carted of the field on a stretcher. Hey, Goodell. What happened to all that tough talk about cracking down on helmet-to-helmet hits?