December 17-- Giant musings, Rocky's season is over
LB Rocky McIntosh suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee yesterday against the Giants, he will undergo knee surgery in 2-3 weeks when swelling subsides.. There is a possibility McInotsh will not be ready when training camp begins next summer, he willbe re-evaluated when his rehab begins early next year..
There is no certainty who will take over at WLB for the season's final two games, it could be rookie HB Blades (who suffered a thumb injury but is expected to be OK), special teamer Kahry Campbell or Randall Godfrey who was Marcus Washington's replacement at SLB when Washington missed 4 of five games earlier this year with a hamstring injury..
TE Todd Yoder has a "cartilage defect" in his right knee, but is going to try to play through it with the intent of having a scope come the off-season.. He is officially day to day..
C Mike Pucillo has a degenerative disc in his back, but he is doing better and is expected to be OK for this weekend's game at Minnesota..
S Pierson Prioleau has a hamstring injury but is expected to be fine for this weekend..
S Laron Landry has a sore quad muscle, he should be available this weekend..
S Reed Doughty has a shoulder burner, he has been dealing with it for some time and should be OK for this weekend..
DT Cornelious Griffin suffered a disloacted ring finger, the team was unable to get it to stay in place during the Giants game so he played sparingly after the injury happened.. He is expected to be fine for the Vikings game..
S Vernon Fox, bruised knee, he'll be fine..
G Randy Thomas is going to have another MRI on his reinjured arm, the team will know in a couple of days what their course of action will be to get him halthy for next season..
QB Jason Campbell is said to be doing well ten days removed from dislocating his kneecap.. He does do a lot of physcial therapy, the team is hoping to help him get the soreness out, once that happens, the team will work toward building the strength in the muscles in his leg and there remaisn hope if the team makes the playoffs that he could return for the postseason..
Campbell is not expected to be placed on IR, but he has already been ruled out for the final two regular season games...
Joe Gibbs has never lost at the Metrodome, listen tomorrow to Redskins Radio from Redskins Park and hear him get mad at me for asking him about it! Of course he is building up the Vikings (who are on the ropes against Chicago as I am typing this) as the greatest team ever.. They are the league's statistical best rush team and best rush D team, so maybe he has a bit of a point..
Regardless of what happens tonight against Chicago, the Skins need to win in Minnesota. They have no shot of winning the 5 seed if they lose either one of their final two games or the Giants win one of the last two.. The easiest route is the Skins winning out and New Orleans losing once.. The team can make it as an 8-8 team, but that gets really complicated..
Gibbs said the upside for G/DT/Jumbo TE/Special Teamer Lorenzo Alexander is that at some point, "he is going to be a starter." At what position is the interesting debate.. Alexander played all of those positions against NY and likely will find a permanent back-up or starting guard role for the team come next year.. But he began his career in DC as an undersized DT.. It was the D coaches who told Joe Gibbs and Joe Bugel they should give him a look on offense during OTA's.. Now he has become one of the team's most versatile back-ups..
On the Taunting penalty by LaRon Landry, Joe Gibbs said he doesn't want to change any of Landry's aggressiveness but he said (not unlike similar issues with Sean Taylor in his first couple of years), Landry will learn form hurting his team not to make similar mistakes.. Landry took responsbility and said it was his fault for making the gesture to Plaxico Burress after laying him out in the first half on a sideline pattern.. Burress and the Skins secondary then got into a constatnt jawing session from that point forward, at one point one of the Skins coaches was alerting the refs to how much #@$! Burress was talking..
QB Todd Collins went 9-25 in his first start in ten years, he started the game 0-8 in extreme conditions but got his first win since 1997.. Complicating matters, Collins wife, who was due with their second child at the end of the month had some issues with the pregnancy and Collins left the team Friday afternoon to be with his wife.. She ended up giving birth to their second child, Jack.. Collins then returned to the team and went with them on their trip to NY.. Joe Gibbs was relating the story and said he told Dan Snyder about the issues with Todd to which Gibbs said Snyder asked him, "Which Todd?" The answer was that Todd.. Snyder gave Collins the use of his private jet to get to and from the hospital..
Clinton Portis went over 1000 yards for the fifth time in six seasons after his 3rd 100+ yard game of the season.. Portis went over 100 yards in both his games at the Meadowlands this yar saying afterward it was one of his goals to play better in NY because in recent years "I stunk up the joint." As for the milestone, Portis said it isn't something that he is concerned with as the team continues it's "Cinderella run to the playoffs."
Gibbs called Portis "one tough dude" today.. His pass blocking as usual was intense, but yesterday was devastating at times..
FB Rock Cratwright has a mohawk..
I got hit on the head by a practice punt by Derrick Frost during the seocnd half as Frost was being heckled by NY fans.. The wind and the fans ended up getting me conked!
DE Andre Carter was leading a rendition of Hail to the Redskins with the few remaining Redskin fans who stuck it out until the end and congragated behind the Skins bench as the conclusion was near.. Even coach Gregg Williams made his way over to the crowd to shake some hands before the final whistle blew..
One intoxicated fan found his way onto the Redskins bench and sat there for a good 2 minutes before anyone relaized he was there.. This was a story that was relayed to me by a player I will leave unnamed..
After the half, one team official told me as he exited the locker room, "I'm not making any promises, but we have different approach to this seocnd half, from attitude to everything. We aren't going to blow this lead." The venue, uniforms, quarterback and weather certainly were different from the week 3 game agianst the NYG, but the score was eerily similar..
T Stephon Heyer had by all accounts a good game matching up with Michael Strahan who he got into a pushing match with on a couple of occassions.. The Giants ended up with 2 sacks, they lead the league with 49..
OK men
There is no certainty who will take over at WLB for the season's final two games, it could be rookie HB Blades (who suffered a thumb injury but is expected to be OK), special teamer Kahry Campbell or Randall Godfrey who was Marcus Washington's replacement at SLB when Washington missed 4 of five games earlier this year with a hamstring injury..
TE Todd Yoder has a "cartilage defect" in his right knee, but is going to try to play through it with the intent of having a scope come the off-season.. He is officially day to day..
C Mike Pucillo has a degenerative disc in his back, but he is doing better and is expected to be OK for this weekend's game at Minnesota..
S Pierson Prioleau has a hamstring injury but is expected to be fine for this weekend..
S Laron Landry has a sore quad muscle, he should be available this weekend..
S Reed Doughty has a shoulder burner, he has been dealing with it for some time and should be OK for this weekend..
DT Cornelious Griffin suffered a disloacted ring finger, the team was unable to get it to stay in place during the Giants game so he played sparingly after the injury happened.. He is expected to be fine for the Vikings game..
S Vernon Fox, bruised knee, he'll be fine..
G Randy Thomas is going to have another MRI on his reinjured arm, the team will know in a couple of days what their course of action will be to get him halthy for next season..
QB Jason Campbell is said to be doing well ten days removed from dislocating his kneecap.. He does do a lot of physcial therapy, the team is hoping to help him get the soreness out, once that happens, the team will work toward building the strength in the muscles in his leg and there remaisn hope if the team makes the playoffs that he could return for the postseason..
Campbell is not expected to be placed on IR, but he has already been ruled out for the final two regular season games...
Joe Gibbs has never lost at the Metrodome, listen tomorrow to Redskins Radio from Redskins Park and hear him get mad at me for asking him about it! Of course he is building up the Vikings (who are on the ropes against Chicago as I am typing this) as the greatest team ever.. They are the league's statistical best rush team and best rush D team, so maybe he has a bit of a point..
Regardless of what happens tonight against Chicago, the Skins need to win in Minnesota. They have no shot of winning the 5 seed if they lose either one of their final two games or the Giants win one of the last two.. The easiest route is the Skins winning out and New Orleans losing once.. The team can make it as an 8-8 team, but that gets really complicated..
Gibbs said the upside for G/DT/Jumbo TE/Special Teamer Lorenzo Alexander is that at some point, "he is going to be a starter." At what position is the interesting debate.. Alexander played all of those positions against NY and likely will find a permanent back-up or starting guard role for the team come next year.. But he began his career in DC as an undersized DT.. It was the D coaches who told Joe Gibbs and Joe Bugel they should give him a look on offense during OTA's.. Now he has become one of the team's most versatile back-ups..
On the Taunting penalty by LaRon Landry, Joe Gibbs said he doesn't want to change any of Landry's aggressiveness but he said (not unlike similar issues with Sean Taylor in his first couple of years), Landry will learn form hurting his team not to make similar mistakes.. Landry took responsbility and said it was his fault for making the gesture to Plaxico Burress after laying him out in the first half on a sideline pattern.. Burress and the Skins secondary then got into a constatnt jawing session from that point forward, at one point one of the Skins coaches was alerting the refs to how much #@$! Burress was talking..
QB Todd Collins went 9-25 in his first start in ten years, he started the game 0-8 in extreme conditions but got his first win since 1997.. Complicating matters, Collins wife, who was due with their second child at the end of the month had some issues with the pregnancy and Collins left the team Friday afternoon to be with his wife.. She ended up giving birth to their second child, Jack.. Collins then returned to the team and went with them on their trip to NY.. Joe Gibbs was relating the story and said he told Dan Snyder about the issues with Todd to which Gibbs said Snyder asked him, "Which Todd?" The answer was that Todd.. Snyder gave Collins the use of his private jet to get to and from the hospital..
Clinton Portis went over 1000 yards for the fifth time in six seasons after his 3rd 100+ yard game of the season.. Portis went over 100 yards in both his games at the Meadowlands this yar saying afterward it was one of his goals to play better in NY because in recent years "I stunk up the joint." As for the milestone, Portis said it isn't something that he is concerned with as the team continues it's "Cinderella run to the playoffs."
Gibbs called Portis "one tough dude" today.. His pass blocking as usual was intense, but yesterday was devastating at times..
FB Rock Cratwright has a mohawk..
I got hit on the head by a practice punt by Derrick Frost during the seocnd half as Frost was being heckled by NY fans.. The wind and the fans ended up getting me conked!
DE Andre Carter was leading a rendition of Hail to the Redskins with the few remaining Redskin fans who stuck it out until the end and congragated behind the Skins bench as the conclusion was near.. Even coach Gregg Williams made his way over to the crowd to shake some hands before the final whistle blew..
One intoxicated fan found his way onto the Redskins bench and sat there for a good 2 minutes before anyone relaized he was there.. This was a story that was relayed to me by a player I will leave unnamed..
After the half, one team official told me as he exited the locker room, "I'm not making any promises, but we have different approach to this seocnd half, from attitude to everything. We aren't going to blow this lead." The venue, uniforms, quarterback and weather certainly were different from the week 3 game agianst the NYG, but the score was eerily similar..
T Stephon Heyer had by all accounts a good game matching up with Michael Strahan who he got into a pushing match with on a couple of occassions.. The Giants ended up with 2 sacks, they lead the league with 49..
OK men
posted by Bram Weinstein | 7:52 PM
5 Comments:
Bram –
To make some sense out of the muddled playoff picture, I consulted a guy I know who’s paid six figures to evaluate stories for Hollywood, but knows nothing about football. My question to him was: So what’s the Best Story?
So he asked me to describe each team, more by personality than anything football related. Like the Giants are choking dogs, the Saints are everybody’s sentimental favorite, The Vikings are the current Hot Team with the Hot Star, that kind of thing. (I described the Redskins as scrappy, hardworking, with a Cinderella QB, now playing inspired football after the death of its best player.)
He scribbled some stuff on a notepad, asked a couple more questions, and here’s what he came up with.
BEST STORY: Brett Farve and the Packers beat the Pats in the last few seconds of the game. This is the Old Gunslinger Story, polishing off one last punk before walking off into the sunset. In America, it just doesn’t get much better than that.
SECOND BEST STORY: The Patriots go undefeated and beat Whoever in the Superbowl. According to my guy, in this story, the victim doesn’t really matter. This story is all about the Patriots, their weird coach, the Pursuit of Perfection. Whoever they beat, it’ll be a footnote to The Greatest Season Ever… and the Heroic, Awesome Machine The Weird Coach Put Together.
THIRD BEST STORY: The Redskins beat the Pats, confounding everyone. It’s the ultimate Little Engine That Could Story, where the Coach rides off into the sunset.
FOURTH BEST STORY: The Pokes beat the Pats. This is the There’s A New Gunslinger In Town Story, and obviously by far the most horrible as far as Redskins fans are concerned.
So… other than the Pats stomp someone, or someone with their own story beats the Pats, he couldn’t think of any other compelling storylines. I can’t either. Can you?
That's a pretty cool job, PH... I like the conference championships as much as the superbowl again this year, though. Either Colts or Chargers vs Patriots is going to be a five-star battle, and look at the possibilities for the other conference: Cowboys, Packers, Saints, Redskins, Vikings, Buccaneers, Giants, Seahawks... except for the Seahawks and Bucs, who are so much lower-profile, I think any of those teams could be compelling.
This is just going to be a great playoff season. Hopefully, Bram will be on the sideline all the way through!
Hope you are right..
patrick Henry, I love the idea and will steal it for a bit on the radio Friday night.. And I'll give you little to no credit!!
Kidding.. Thanks..
I agree, PON. And I love having every Skins game already be a playoff game.
What's gonna happen? Who knows? But I'm rooting for a Skins rematch with the Packers or the Bucs in the second playoff game. (I figure they'll get Seattle in the opener, go out there and spank them soundly to revenge themselves for the playoff loss out there 2 years ago.)
How do the Skins make the playoffs? No problem, according to the Best Story Line. The Skins should beat the Vikings because they're a more inspirational story. The Skins are also a better team, and I think the QB matchup really favors them.
Then they should beat the Cowboys (in a cold, nasty game in front of a packed stadium screaming with bloodlust)because you just cant have a team go through so much grief and still come this far and then have them stumble at the finish line. And I hope the Pokes are still playing for home field advantage, so the loss will be even more deeply felt.
Then we need a couple of things to go our way.
If New Orleans wins its last 2 games, they deserve to be in the playoffs.
The Giants obviously dont deserve to be in the playoffs so I figure they'll lose to Buffalo, then get mercilessly crushed by the Pats.
If the Skins just take care of their own business, the Story Gods will do the rest.
I've been laughing out loud every time I've heard someone dismiss the Cowboys game for the past several months, saying, "They'll have nothing to play for, so we'll beat them easy." It's Cowboys-Redskins. It's an Orwellian Hate Week. If they're anything like as rabid about it in Dallas as we are in DC, they're going to come out and fight their guts out just for the sake of fighting.
If we do beat the Vikings, though, and the Saints or Giants open the door, from a small-story perspective, that's exactly how I want the last game of the regular season to be. One game against the conference champs, after we've just won three in a row, to decide our entire season -- it will be the difference between 8-8 and 9-7, the difference between playoffs or nothing, and who better to play than the enemy in the biggest rivalry in professional sports?
Cowboys and Indians for all the marbles. That's going to be one awesome game.
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