ES Coverage

From the ES Photo Album 2016 Week 1: Steelers at Redskins 

(Photos by themurf)

From the ES Photo Album 2016 Week 2: Cowboys at Redskins

(Photos by Spaceman Spiff)

From the ES Photo album 2016 Week 3: Redskins at Giants

(Photos by TK)

From the ES Photo Album 2016 Week 4: Browns at Redskins

(Photos by themurf)

From the ES Photo Album Redskins at Ravens - Week 5

(Photos by Spaceman Spiff)

From the ES Photo Album 2016 Week 6: Eagles at Redskins

(Photos by Spaceman Spiff)

From the ES Photo Album 2016 Week 7: Redskins at Lions

(Photos by themurf)

From the ES Photo Album 2016 Week 9: Vikings at Redskins

(Photos by Spaceman Spiff)

From the ES Photo Album 2016 Week 11: Packers at Redskins

(Photos by themurf)

From the ES Photo Album 2016 Week 12: Redskins at Cowboys

(Photos by themurf)

From the ES Photo Album 2016 Week 13: Redskins at Cardinals

(Photos by themurf)

From the ES Photo album 2016 Week 14 - Redskins at Eagles

(Photos by TK)

From the ES Photo Album 2016 Week 15: Panthers at Redskins

(Photos by themurf)

From the ES Photo Album 2016 Week 16: Redskins at Bears

(Photos by themurf)

From the ES Photo Album Redskins vs. Giants 2016 Week 17

(Photos by Spaceman Spiff)

Good afternoon Redskins fans!  I have once again been invited to sit in the relative comfort of the press box and shout my thoughts into the void via this blog.  As you watch the game today and see the rain  pour relentlessly from the heavens, know that I am safe and dry.  Know also that @Spaceman Spiff is out there somewhere, cold and unappreciated, rolling around in the muck trying to capture that perfect picture.  Maybe say a little prayer for his health (or laugh, whatever, I’m not judging you).  Also, be sure not to miss the pictures he posts on this site after each game.     
 

Before we get into today's Redskins game, I want give some thanks for more positive occurrences in DC sports.  Congrats to the Washington Mystics for winning their first championship.  Congrats go out to the Washington Nationals as well for reaching the world series.  These two teams (along with the Caps) are working hard to change the sports related mood around this town, and we're all happier for it. 
 
Lets move now into less cheerful topics, namely your Washington Redskins!  Yow know things are going bad, and I mean really dang bad, when your team has gone through three quarterbacks and two coaches and your not even half way through the season.  Today's fresh hell comes in the form of a specter of the our recent past coming to smirk at our misfortune.  Im talking of course of Kyle.  Kyle's spent the week assuring everyone that he isn’t holding a grudge, while very obviously holding a grudge.  “Everything else.”  You know what I’m talking about. 
 
If all he brought to town were his hurt feelings we wouldn’t have a problem.  Sadly, he’s arrived with an undefeated football team that the NFL says we have to play this week.  This feels entirely unfair. 
 
My generic key to the game:  Run the ball and stop the run.  The team (spoiler alert: 49ers) that does this today will win.   
 
Redskins Inactives  

QB Colt McCoy  
S Deshazor Everett  
CB Josh Norman  
RB Chris THompson  
LB Josh Harvey-Clemons 
G Wes Martin  
TE Vernon Davis  

49ers inactives  

QB CJ Beathard 
WR Deebo Samuel  
CB Ahkello Witherspoon  
FB Kyle Juszczyk 
T Mike McGLinchey 
T Joe Staley 
DL DJ Jones 

1st Quarter Update
Redskins 0 – 0 49ers

Callahan wasn’t playing around when he said he wanted to run the ball.  That first drive was all runs, and looked great... right up until they tried to pass the ball.  Hopkins missed the relatively short fied goal, because of course he did.     

Maybe Quinn isn’t a good choice to be returning punts?  Consider it.    
 

That second Redskins drive looked more like what we’ve come to expect from this offense.  Run for negative yards, pass dropped, and an unsuccessful screen pass.  A quintessential Redskins three and out. 

Passing yards this quarter:  Redskins 3. 49ers 9.  Are you not entertained?! 

Half Time Update

Redskins 0 – 0 49ers 
 
How happy are you to spend your Sunday afternoon watching this game?  Consider that some people paid money, to sit in a poncho, in the rain, to watch this game. 
 
It’s now time for those half time adjustments that our beloved skins do so well.  It’s unlikely the second half mirrors the first. 

3rd Quarter Update 
Redskins 0 – 3 49ers  
 
Good news, this game will not end in a 0-0 tie.  Those half time adjustments have kicked in as expected and the 49ers have found a way onto the scoreboard in this messy throwback game.  The Redskins have decided to spend the second half collecting holding penalties and sadness.  Mercifully, only one quarter remains. 

End of Game Update 
Redskins 0 – 9 49ers 
 
Callahan hasn’t spent much time as the head coach of the Washington Redskins, but he’s already proven that his team can waste 2nd half timeouts like a veteran.  It makes little sense to adopt a strategy that shortens the game when your team is losing, and it makes even less sense when your team is short on time outs.  I’m not really sure what the thinking as late in this game.    

 
Next week Kirk Cousins!   

Game time.  

Fill in the blanks below & let's see who gets it right. The winner gets a cheerleader (wait, do we still even have those?)  out of petty cash. 

Alright. Ok then...

A~hem...

The winner will get a 1 on 1 Skype counseling call with @Jumbo. Wait. ****! He can barely type, there's no way he'll be able to figure out Skype.....  

I got it. 

Bragging rights. 

The winner will receive BRAGGING RIGHTS. 

What? That's not enough? Fine. I'll throw in a bonus. However, you're really gonna have to work for it.  

Call the entire Draft for the WFT before the Draft starts. Anything submitted after the start of the Draft will be disqualified.

*In the event of multiple correct predictions, the winner will be based on earliest time/date stamp.

DEFEAT!!!

Giants 19 - 10 Redskins

Redskins Out of Playoffs

Welcome my friend to Extremeskins coverage of the Washington Redskins versus the New York Giants. My name is JimmiJo and I am joined by my partner; Spaceman Spiff.

The most reasonable thing a football fan can expect and hope for is for your team to be playing meaningful games at the end of the season. Sure, there are times when you run away with the division, ala Dallas this year, but at a minimum you want to see the games late in the year have a larger significance than just the football on the day.

My friends, you can't ask for much more than we have in front us day today.

Win and you're in (barring a freak-of-nature tie between Detroit & Green Bay). That's more than than you can ask. For the second-year running the Washington Redskins can go to the playoffs (1st time in 25-years). By virtue of the tie in London the Redskins are already assured a winning season (first time since 1993).

So what can we expect from the team today? I expect a win. For one, Washington has everything to play for while New York are already in the playoffs and cannot help themselves with a win. History also appears to be on Washington's side. According to Rick Snider of Washington Post Express; the Redskins are 9-2 in win-and-in games since 1974.

There is also the fact they are playing at home against a division rival. Then too, the rumor is the Giants will yank their starters early.

Finally, it is not Monday Night Football.

So what are your thoughts? Are you feeling good about today's game?

Stand by for inactives...

Inactives

The Redskins declared the following players as inactive:

o   No. 2 QB Nate Sudfeld

o   No. 31 RB Matt Jones

o   No. 36 S Su’a Cravens

o   No. 45 S Josh Evans

o   No. 47 CB Quinton Dunbar

o   No. 60 OL Vinston Painter

o   No. 78 C Kory Lichtensteiger

The Giants declared the following players as inactive:

o   No. 29 S Nat Berhe

o   No. 30 CB Coty Sensabaugh

o   No. 44 RB George Winn

o   No. 68 G/T Bobby Hart

o   No. 89 TE Jerell Adams

o   No. 90 DE Jason Pierre-Paul

o   No. 97 LB Ishaq Williams

No. 73 Marshall Newhouse is expected to start in place of Hart at right tackle.

Keys to Victory

The Washington Redskins have every excuse to win and very little to lose. They have enough offense and motivation to wrap this up and then get ready for the post-season. That said, a quick punch in the mouth from the New York Giants and the expectations for the game and playoffs could change dramatically. 

To that end, the Redskins should jump out quickly to establish momentum. They also need to be extremely physical. Washington needs to paint the specter of potential injuries so that the Giants will pull starters.

Talk at the half...

Half

I will make this quick and direct; this team was not ready to play in the biggest game of the year. And I am starting to see a trend with this current squad. I tweeted something to the effect that you cannot coach things like injuries, calls by the refs, and weather. But you can sure get your team ready to play. 

Gruden didn't. And it is not the first time.

On the biggest stage Gruden tends to either fail to get the team ready or, is flat out coached.

This team coming out as flat as they have been in inexcusable. You thought Carolina was an aberration. Perhaps not.

Gruden is an offensive coach and the offense looks like crap. If my name is Daniel Snyder, Gruden has 30-minutes to prove hie deserves to keep his job.

Photos

Audio

JimmiJo

Some losses hurt more than others. Then too, some seasons hurt worse than others. For me, this is true of both tonight and this year. 

Following the success of last year my expectations were that the Washington Redskins would at a minimum be better. Instead they muddled through a season most memorable for the opportunities this team gave away.

Following the game and setting up my question for head coach Jay Gruden, I pointed out how this team has controlled their playoff-destiny many times this year and given it up. In fact, one could argue they were knocked out of the playoffs many times this year. Even back to the tie in London.

My question to Gruden was, knowing they controlled their fate multiple times, is it all the more frustrating to have lost tonight? Gruden gave me a great answer where he started listing all the areas where they struggled this year; red zone offense, rushing offense, third down defense, et al. His point being that while the offense racked up a lot of yards, there were areas where the team struggled so that missing the playoffs was not too much of a surprise.

Liz Clarke from the Washington Post asked the best question, and the one I really wanted to ask: did Gruden feel like he had the team prepared to play today?

His answer was based on the results, probably not. I couldn't agree more. In fact, it seems like in the biggest games, this team is not prepared. And this speaks directly to head coach.

I like Gruden quite a bit, but I feel like he lacks intensity sometimes. Check that. I think he possesses plenty. I think he lacks displaying intensity sometimes.

I was talking to another reporter after the game who has been around since the Joe Gibbs' era. And I remarked to him how Gibbs would handle a week like this; he would be darn-near unapproachable. Gibbs would be a ball of tension before big games. And whether some of that was an act I cannot say. But I do know a Gibbs team today would have been more than ready mentally.

As for the game itself; Washington came out flat. The run-game never got going. Kirk Cousins had a very flat performance. And the result was an anemic offense until late in the third quarter.

That said, I just knew they were going to win when the score became tied at 10. The Giants had by that time gone flat and the Redskins had all the momentum.

Sure enough, once Washington got the ball back after tying the game and then went three-and-out, New York did what they do; let Eli Manning march the offense down to win the game with a field goal.

Even then there was a chance with the Redskins marching. But then Cousins decided to try and force a ball that never should have been thrown. 

Gruden usually tries to cover for his quarterback, but even he admitted it was a poor decision to throw the ball.

And just like that, the season is over.

I am curious to see what changes come this offseason. Today was the type of game that cost head coaches their job, IF their job is in any way on the line. I do not think this is the case with Gruden. Sure, it is a direct reflection on the coach missing the playoffs. But with this defense they weren't going far.

And to that end I do expect a change at defensive coordinator (or perhaps just hope for it). There are some pretty good defensive coaches available right now so I hope this is what they do.

As for Cousins, I expect the franchise tag again. Based on his comments post-game it does not sound like he and the team are anywhere close. To be truthful I think throws like the one that cost the game is why the team is not fully sold, at least not enough to give him the fortune he wants. On the other hand, Kirk knows someone will him so he doesn't need to settle for less.

The only way I do not see Cousins here next year is if the team decides both he AND Gruden are not the answer. Otherwise, I expect both back.

Well, it has been another fantastic year. Thanks to ES for allowing me to pose as a reporter for another season. I am looking forward to next year to hopefully do it again.

Peace. 

Last year the Redskins home opener was 57,013 which was roughly 20,000 empty seats. And the Redskins had a 1-0 record

Two years ago, home opener attendance was announced as 78,658. 

This Sunday, the Redskins have their home opener in a Week 2 Divisional matchup against the 1-0 Dallas Cowboys. 

Cast your vote now & feel free to discuss below. 

Poll closes at Kickoff.

 It was the mid 1990's. In the then WWF (now WWE) Razor Ramon aka Scott Hall and Diesel aka Kevin Nash had their contracts coming up for renewal. In those days, wrestling contracts weren't guaranteed. Guys were basically paid on a per show appearance. The bigger the show, like a WrestleMania, the bigger the payday. However, if you didn't land a match on that card you didn't get paid. As Scott Hall's contract was coming up he negotiated with the Number 2 wrestling company at the time, WCW. WCW was owned by Ted Turner whose goal was to displace Vince McManon's WWF at the top of the mountain. Turner had Eric Bischoff running WCW. Bischoff new he needed bigger named talent to make WCW look & grow bigger. Long story short, he started recruiting WWF wrestlers as their contracts were expiring & he started with Hall. Who then talked to his buddy Nash, telling him not only were the days he worked guaranteed but so was the money. The story goes they neither wanted to leave McManon but there was no way McManon could give them guaranteed money as it'd set a precedent to have to give guaranteed money contracts to his other big name talent. Until then guaranteed money was unheard of in pro wrestling. Hall & Nash essentially changed the business. Even though WCW is defunct, McManon now has his talent on guaranteed contracts. 

Cool story bro but what's this got to do with football?

 Well, if you're a casual fan, you most likely took the Bruce Allen statement at face value. However once you drill down a little bit into it you'll see its roughly $300,000 difference between their offer and Kirk playing on the tag the next two years. In his radio interview on 106.7 (Part 1 & Part 2) the next day Kirk commented that if you look around the League the Front Office contracts and the Coaching staff contracts are fully guaranteed and he'd like to see the players contracts fully guaranteed. Currently, playing on the Tag gives him that fully guaranteed contract. For a year. So with the Rules of the Tag, he can play on it for a total of three years for three separate guaranteed one year deals.  IF Kirk can manage to accomplish a multi year fully guaranteed contract he'll change the business. Just like Hall & Nash did 20ish years ago. 

I'm sitting here in the press box with a personal conflict.  I want us to win, yes.  But I want us to win a Super Bowl.  This year, unless we have a Gibbs-like turnaround or 2012 going from 3-6 to 10-6, ain't that year.  We had high hopes out of the gate, the offseason seemed to be drama-free for the most part, it looks like we got something special in Scary Terry, and for the most part the draft seemed serviceable at least. 

Of course we started off with our starter-by-salary-only hurt, but at least we had McCoy with the steady hand.  Oh, wait, he's still hurt?   Um, okay, who do we have now?  Keenum?  Wasn't he in Minny and replaced by the other guy who used to be wearing number 8 here? Uh, okay, I guess that's fine.  Colt will be back any minute now, right?  Oh, that's a negative, too.  Well, we have that Haskins guy we drafted, but we'll sit him like the Jags and Giants are doing with their rookies.  More on that in a minute.  Then we have Williams holding out, us refusing to trade him for a ship ton of picks like Miami did, while he takes up the cap.  Reed gets hurt because why not and then we sign a couple of placeholders while our next big homegrown signing in, number 75, starts playing at 75% and then gets injured because, again, why not?

I'll change my name to Francis so that I can be frank:  This ain't going well.  Everything was fantastic when we were up 17-0 against Philly in their house, and it's just been a steady trajectory of suck since then.  With rumors swirling about this game potentially being the last straw for Gruden, it's not going well.

And on the other sideline?  All those LOL's at taking Jones at #6 have turned into quite chortles while our rookie sits behind a five-turnover game by the new guy.  Our coach is making excuses that our team has new players, which is the same for 31 other teams, and that we've got to execute.  The Giants, though, benched a two-time Super Bowl MVP (in case you weren't sick to your stomach by this team already) in order to start Daniel Ten Cents or whatever they're calling him.  Their alleged once-in-a-generation running back goes down, and now they look better than ever.  What do we do?  Have our once-in-a-draft running back get injured while our Hall of Fame back, um, sits?  I mean Thompson's on my fantasy team so there's some selfish plus to that, but, okay?

And of course injury bug.

So, this comes back to the conflict between the angel and devil on my shoulders.  Do we win today and really make a run at it, going 16-3 to win the Super Bowl?  Nah, the brownie I ate wasn't the special type, so I don't see that happening.  But do we want to beat the Giants just because Giants?  I guess.  But something that this team has really robbed of us is any real hope, replaced by a passionate apathy and a team logo of shoulder shrugs.

So, we'll see.  Nobody's gotten hurt at warm ups so far, so we've got that going for us.

Let's see if anything else gets going today.

INACTIVES:

McCoy

McLaurin (replaced with Harmon)
Colvin

McKinzy

Roullier (replaced by Bergstrom at center)

Scherff (replaced by Martin at right guard)

Reed (Obviously Vernon Davis at TE)

This does mean that Robert Davis is active and Dwayne Haskins is our #2.  If Keenum plays like he did last week, then be ready to see Haskins on the field.
 

Fun note:  If Haskins takes any snaps today, then he will be the SIXTH quarterback since November 2018:

• 
  1)  Smith
• 2)  McCoy

3)  Sanchez

• 4)  Johnson
• 5)  Keenum

Fifteen minutes until kickoff, and we had no visible injuries during warm-ups.  Woot.

FIRST QUARTER:

Let the stupid begin.  Stupid pass on that pick, RIDICULOUS decision to not decline the hold leads to a first down for NY at the 19.

And we're five minutes in and we've already had a pick, a dumb call to accept a failed third down, and given up a touchdown due to a miscommunication.

More self-inflicted BS.  The Giants dominated that quarter as we had ten or fewer plays from scrimmage.

Atrocious start, and the trajectory isn't pointing up.

SECOND QUARTER:

Let's see if we get a different result.  Keep in mind this drive started at their six, and at the beginning of the quarter, they're on our 44.

And at 12:01 left in the half, touchdown.  An unbelievable amount of stupid in penalties.  No update on Norman yet.

Norman back.  Hell of a hit by Settle and a pick by Dunbar at the 8:17 mark.

And the Haskins era begins at 6:35 left in the half.

Haskins with four good minutes, including that 14-yard scramble, rookie miss to Davis.

END OF THE HALF:

Well, this looks pretty bad.  Having the spark with Haskins was good, and he's already out-playing Keenum.  Unfortunately that's like being the tallest of the Seven Dwarves, but he was pretty okay.  Nobody expected him to light it up.

When it comes to the defense, we've got two picks on Daniel Jesus, but we keep extending drives and they're destroying us on TOP.  The biggest problem?  Penalties, specifically holds in the secondary.

It still doesn't feel like a win is coming, but it feels like maybe the tide is turning with the team.  Hopefully we will be able to play a little less stupidly and we'll see what that brings.  Still doesn't feel like we're doing too much right to outweigh the dumbass mistakes.

Let's hope that Haskins lights it up once we get the ball back.  Giants receive at the half.

THIRD QUARTER:

Well, Haskins threw his first TD pass, just to the wrong team.  We continue to have an ungodly amount of flags.  Stupid, stupid flags.  I feel like they can just take the burgundy out of our uniforms and just keep the gold, since that's the only impact we're having today.

Haskins is not lighting it up like Jones did, but folks, remember that this is how a rookie typically plays.

FOURTH QUARTER:

And with pick and loss number 4, we're out.

The battle for Tua begins Week 6.

____________________________________________________________

Well, here's at least something good with some of the fans here in Not New York.  And that's @TK giving the finger to this stadium so I have permission. #dontbanme

There were quite a few out there tailgating at about 9:00 (they open the gates at 8:00), probably twice as many as there were on Monday Night since, you know, nobody not wearing a Bears jersey was there after halftime.
 

 SEATTLE - Welcome everyone to your Week 9 of the Regular Season coverage on Extremeskins, it's TSO here up in the Century Link Press Box along with the top guy himself, @TK - who will be providing us wondrous pics of the action from the sidelines. We're both geared up and ready to provide you the best damn Skins' coverage on the planet! 

     "Next man up!" 

     "Injuries are just an excuse!"

     "Good coaches overcome injuries!" 

     Sounds contagiously valiant, doesn't it? The go to phrases for fan machismo, if you will. But I'm here to say screw that, yeah right, and whatever.

     When your unquestionably elite starting LT is hurt, and the backup who can fill in for him admirably is as well, you've got a problem. When the guy who's started next to him for years now is also hurt, the guy with which ample amounts of chemistry has been built through experience, that just adds to it exponentially. But wait, there's more! The Center is out, too! Oh, the stud RG you drafted 4th overall a couple years ago? Yup, he's hurting. And the guy next to him? Two ankles.

   Yeah. It'd be enough to damage any positional unit's ability to succeed when its two best players are hurt. But when all the above is happening AND you even got those backups filling in getting hurt during the game on top of it... it's friggin ridiculous, suffice to say.    

   When your stud rookie Dlineman - who you just picked in the first round to bolster what was an absolute terrible unit the previous season - is out with a Lisfranc, and then the guy who has emerged next to him as another stud while both turning the unit around so much so that it elevated the entire defense (as is the prerogative of a good Dline) also gets hurt with a broken hand, well, that's a problem. Again, the two best players on the unit HURT. 

   When you lose your elite starting CB for a few games, and then also have your next best one starting on his opposite side getting hurt enough to miss at least one game (notice the trend here?), while the rookie Safety who has emerged can't stay on the field an entire game, and the vet Safety you just signed is also struggling with injuries, and one of the backups to those Safeties ends up on IR, and some of the backups to the aforementioned DBs are getting hurt during games, and... well, you get a run on sentence. 

  When arguably your best pass catcher on the team, who happens to play at TE, is hurting all season (granted, to no one's surprise), but then your third TE also gets hurt, while your top two outside WRs are struggling, and you're relying on your slot WR who ALSO just got hurt and isn't going to play now... welp, yay for that.

  Season ending injuries. Nagging injuries that are significant enough for guys to miss games and/or playing time during games. Injuries guys can play on but are hampering their ability to perform at their best. Freak injuries. Injuries one can play on but might lead to significant future damage. It's all there. All the time. At every. Single. Unit. 

  It isn't just an excuse to justify poor performances anymore, by the coaches or players. It's turned into THE story of the season, and absolutely justifiably so. Those who are unwilling to point to that while being lenient to all those involved in terms of criticism simply lack a shred of empathy in my mind. Frighteningly so.    

  What's so frustrating about it is that this was the roster, going into the season, that was unquestionably the best one we've had in decades. This was the year we could've witnessed a significant leap, and did for a few glorious weeks. A scrappy win against a Rams team with a solid roster from top to bottom. A dominant win against a Raiders team that was as dominant themselves as any team in the league at that point, in prime time. Taking it to the Chiefs, who were arguably the best team in the league at that point, up to the last minute - also in prime time but at their place. Only to have one injury after another occur (we lost both Allen and Norman that game, with a litany of others to immediately follow as disgustingly described above) and destroy the momentum being built right before our very eyes. The bye week after did next to nothing to save us. 

  So this game against a Seahawks team, looking like a contender (per the norm) and at their place where they rarely lose, is in the books already, right? All is lost, no point in suiting up, go home with our tails between our legs and save ourselves some embarrassment. 

  But that's the beauty of it, isn't it? When human arrogance dares to call something contingent as necessary, it gets humbled real fast and often. When that same arrogance blinds one to the realism of hope, and they fool themselves into believing that being realistic excludes being hopeful, well... hope prevails much more often than they're willing to give it credit for, to put it nicely.  

  So that's what I'm holding on to right now. And desperately so, because all indications point to a beating here. There's so much going against the team and for the Seahawks, even with them having some key injuries like Earl Thomas, as well. It's just not remotely as bad overall for them. 

   But I'm hoping a team filled with guys who want to prove themselves - in what they surely know is likely an extremely small window of opportunity for them to do so - play their hearts out and shock the world. A team that has played hard for a good group of coaches more often than not. A team going through the struggle together and for each other. Those are the type that often surprise and, God willing, we get quite the pleasant, season-defining, one here today.  

  Stay tuned for more coverage throughout the day from @TK and I, and Hail To The Redskins!       

1st Half Notes: 

- Kelley and Perine out returning kicks. 

- Brian Quick out there consistently. 

- Doctson and Grant starting two WRs in base formation with Sprinkle and Davis as two TEs. 

- DHall starting at Safety. 

- Perine doesn't open up enough for handoff, paying too much attention to the blocking. Fumbles after a great pass from Kirk to Davis. 

- Lanier in on third down nickel defense. Provides a nice rush and hit on Wilson. 

- Arthur Jones playing mostly at LDE. 

- Defense keeping us in it big time. Dline started strong getting consistent pressure on Wilson, then Seahawks started running more with success. Hood playing better than last week early on, but regressed a bit in the 2nd quarter. Surprised to even see Hood rushing the passer well. Lanier has shown up in a big way. Pass rush after pass rush. Really impressive stuff. Holds and false starts on the Seahawks Line also a product of the front's play. 

- I have no idea how this offense is going to move the ball. No Oline to either run block well or pass block well. Kirk is freaking out. TEs can't run block as usual. RBs automatically have to make moves in the backfield.a Receivers not getting open against this secondary. It's just, ugh. That drive in the 2nd quarter featured some quicker throws to Davis and nice running. Seems like that's the only way at this point. 

- Seahawks are a 2nd half team. We've got to come out firing, as crazy as that sounds right now. Love the defensive performance, and the offense seemed to have found something there in the 2nd quarter, notwithstanding the final drive. Hopefully they can maintain. 

2nd Half Notes: 

- Lanier continues his solid play with another good pass rush on the first drive and hasn't stopped since. Just relentless. He's caused a bunch of bad throws from Wilson single-handedly. It's been super impressive. 

- Seahawks clearly going back to what they were successful with in the first half, rushing the ball. Our pass rush has been unstoppable though. 

- As usual, just nothing you can do about Wilson scrambling and finding receivers outside of the play. Otherwise, constant pressure on him has forced errant throws. 

- Started bootlegging Cousins more. Some limited success there. 

- Cousins definitely had some bad throws this game, but he is also facing consistent pressure and going against one of the best secondaries in the game. Guys are just not getting open down the field. One clear poor throw to Davis on a wheel route in the third quarter.

- Kendall Fuller displayed his closing speed a few times. One was a TD saving pass break up. 

- Another bad snap from Roullier in the shotgun formation, this time high. Last week he had one low. 

- They didn't score, but that 2 point conversion with Norman and Swearinger playing catch was fun to watch. So close, yet so far away. 

- We had too many first downs that were losing yards, be it due to sacks, bad snaps, or TFLs. Can't recover against this defense like that. Was worried the Seahawks would take away the quick game that worked on that one drive in the first half and we wouldn't have an answer. We don't. People can claim injuries aren't an excuse, but they make you one dimensional as a play caller. It's not easy to be dynamic when your options are limited personnel-wise, and you've got guys who aren't in tune with every aspect of the offense on the field. 

- It's okay to allow your defense to win you a game. It's actually allowed, last time I heard. Especially when you're in an environment like Seattle, against a team that plays consistently great defense, with an Oline ravaged by injuries. It's. OH. KAY. That won't stop many from making this some kind of treatise on Kirk or Jay, I know. Nothing will. But it needs to be said.  

- Defense played valiantly. Can't complain about them, even with the final drive from the Seahawks. Seahawks only scored twice on the day, with an offense that had only one drive for a TD, and tough field position throughout. The pressure they applied on Wilson was amazing, suffice to say. 

- Overall, I know this'll be an opportunity for people to pile on Jay and Kirk. But I'm not going to and I don't think anyone should. Kirk didn't play well. Yes. As is the case with so many QBs going up against this defense in their place. But that last drive was glorious. Two absolute strikes to Quick and Doctson with the Seahawks playing super aggressive. So many use phrases like "he's not a gamer" and "he's not clutch", yet, that's EXACTLY what he proved he is there.  

- Huge opportunity for Dunbar to finish the game with an INT on Seahawks final drive. McClain does it for him with a huge sack on Wilson. Game over. HOPE IS ALIVE, THANK GOD!!!! 

Zoony threw this question out last night around the 3rd QTR in the Game thread. 

After their rain soaked performance last night against the Bucs, who do you Cut & who do you Keep? 

Think of it as the ES version of either F/M/K  or Highlander - There can only be one.

Below are their per game rushing stats:

Against Atlanta

Against NY Jets

Against Buffalo

Against Tampa Bay

Atlanta GA-. Welcome to the Extremeskins coverage of the first preseason game and the beginning of the  season.  I'm Hap Haszard in the press box and Zoony will be covering the sidelines.  A few of the players are on the field warming up and stretching Falcons on one end and Redskins on the other.

Great view of the field from the press box, much better than Fedex or TampaBay which are the other stadiums I've been at.  You would have to pay good money for these seats.

A few warm-up pictures

Redskins are wearing white jerseys and gold pants, Falcons red jersey and white pants.

12 minutes until game time and the stands are flat empty.

And the Redskins are taking the field faint boos are heard, from the few Atlanta fans here.

Redskins first team moving the ball well.  Big run but holding penalty caused 1st and 20.

Redskins first series resulted in a 54 yard punt to Falcons 1.

Redskins D held Atlanta to 3 yards on 3 plays, Atlanta punts and McCoy is in for Washington's second series.

Second series, Redskins 41 yard FG by Hopkins.

Redskins kickoff resulted in a touchback, Atlanta's ball at the 25 yard line.

Atlanta's second possession was -1 yards, Defense is balling.

Washington starts 3rd series at the 28 yard line.  Run game still needs a lot of work, 3 and out for Washington

Atlanta's 3rd series 2 first downs. End of the first quarter.

Redskins 3 Atlanta 0

2nd quarter

47 yard pass to Washington 12

Run of 10 yards to Redskins 2 ylard line. False start 1st and goal from 7 now 3rd and goal from the 11.  Defensive penalty 5 yards to 6 yard line, incomplete pass, FG Atlanta. Tied at 3.

Washington's first series 2nd half - McCoy at  QB - 3rd down and 5 - McCoy runs for 8 to get a first down.  Washington's run game needs a lot of work.

False start on the Redskins, 2nd down 16, 3rd down and 11, 4th down and punt.  Huge pass by Atlanta 68 yards first down Washington 4, run to  foot line, TD Atlanta 10 -3

3 and out for Redskins after a nice return by Thorpe.

Atlanta is marching down the field against the Redskins D.  Cravens stopped a run in the backfield. He is having a good game. Despite penalties, Atlanta converts a 42 yard FG to make it 13 - 3 at the half.

Halftime

 The Redskins played decent defense during the first quarter, but really stunk it up in the 2nd quarter.  The offense really wasn't burning down the barn either.  I know its preseason and all but it looks from here like there is a lot of work that needs to be done.  Now its time for the guys who will be working at 7-11 in a month or so to show what they can do.

Third Quarter

And they just did kick return by Atlanta 101 yards its now 20-3, Hail.

I know this is preseason, and the first team was only in for a series so I'm not upset over the play but there is going to have to be some work on penalties. They are causing a lot of problems.

Sudfeld in at QB - first down for the Redskins. Run loss of 2, 2nd and 12. about a 40 yd pass dropped by Ross. 3rd and 12, incomplete 4th down. Punt time.

5 million yard punt actually 64 yards.

Atlanta's either 3rd or 4th string QB is in now.   Atlanta runs and Cravens stopped it in the back field for 5 yard loss.  Pass to Redskins 42, pass to Redskins 17, run for 1 yard stopped by Trail. 4th and 11. 36 yard field goal is good. 23-3 Atlanta.

Redskins are good running and passing to Atlanta 17. Run to 1. Flags everywhere on next play.  Offset penalties replay first down at 2 foot line. TD Redskins Kelly.  23-10

The game on both both teams is getting sloppy. Cravens is really having a decent game but he is in against 3rd and 4th string players now.  Redskins' roughing passer penalty gives Atlanta a first and 10. Atlanta has been going deep on the Redskins, this time it didn't work. 4th down. Delay of game by Atlanta.

The Atlanta crowd is amusing themselves by doing the wave. Its a bit hard to do with so few in the stadium.  Redskins punt out of bounds. Atlanta 1st at 30.

End of the 3rd Quarter Atlanta 23 Redskins 10

Fumble Redskins recover at Atlanta 34. Play being reviewed. Confirmed to be a fumble.

Redskins run for 3, run for first down, 3rd down incomplete pass. 4th down. Redskins going for it. Pass to Ross for 1st down. Zebra error, reset the play clock and try it again. Hey its preseason for them too. First down Redskins, Run gain of 5, Run gain of 2, Pass TD. Extra Point is good. 23-17

Things are getting so sloppy its not worth reporting on whats happening.  I'll report scores if any happen.

After a series of defensive penalties, Atlanta misses a field goal attempt. The Redskins take over and now the offense is producing their own penalties. 1 minute left in the game.  

Over all I would say the Redskins played a very sloppy game.  Same penalties on multiple plays so I'm sure they can be corrected.  I think I counted 5 lined up in the neutral zone by the D, that can be corrected.  What worries me is the running game, I did not see much there. The secondary gave up some really long plays, not a couple but several.

Check out ES's exclusive sideline photos from zoony HERE

Let's see what you guys think in the poll above & feel free to discuss in the comments below.

DEFEAT

Cowboys 27 - 23 Redskins

The word of the day is; "URGENT."

Hello everybody, JimmiJo here and I am joined by Spaceman Spiff. And our mission is to bring you the sites, sounds, and smells of today's Washington Redskins - Dallas Cowboys game.

The Washington Redskins used a prime time Monday Night opportunity to lay a spectacular egg. They were beating in most every significant area and suffered yet another national embarrassment.

Ok, so that one's over. 

But while I am usually all for the 24-hour rule; the one where you celebrate a win or bemoan a loss for 24-hours and then move on either way - today's game must be viewed in the context of last week's loss:

- The Redskins were horrible running the ball last week. All eyes are watching to see if the rush attack exists, let alone improves.
- The run defense was very poor. Dallas is known for having a poor line. They have a rookie is Ezekiel Elliot who wants to prove he merited the low draft pick (5th overall). Then there's this guy named Alfred Morris who would love to show Washington what they let get away.
- Is our best guy gonna cover their best guy? Yea, I heard all the rationalization how both Redskins corners are good and they have this scheme-thing they do...Sounded like a bunch of crapola to me. We paid a mountain of money for Josh Norman. Time for him to show us why they did.
- 0-2 at home to start the season could be really, really bad. The teeth of the schedule is later this year. You cannot give away two home games. Yes, this is must win.

Let me say that again; YES, this is MUST-WIN.

The difference between 1-1 and 0-2 is profound. Dallas features a quarterback starting just his second game in the league. This is one of the marquee rivalries in the NFL. If the Redskins can't use all of the above as motivation to go out and start whoopin' monkey ass, I'm not sure what they can use.

Prediction: They better win.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF INACTIVES

LANDOVER, Md. – The Washington Redskins have announced the following inactives and lineup changes for today’s game against the Dallas Cowboys:

The Redskins declared the following players as inactive:

o   No. 2 QB Nate Sudfeld

o   No. 19 WR Rashad Ross

o   No. 38 CB Kendall Fuller

o   No. 50 LB Martrell Spaight

o   No. 72 DE Anthony Lanier II

o   No. 74 G Arie Kouandjio

o   No. 97 DE Kendall Reyes

The Cowboys declared the following players as inactive:

o   No. 9 QB Tony Romo

o   No. 34 RB Darius Jackson

o   No. 35 S Kavon Frazier

o   No. 53 LB Mark Nzeocha

o   No. 65 G Ronald Leary

o   No. 75 DE Ryan Davis

o   No. 99 DE Charles Tapper

 Keys to Victory

- Run the (freaking) ball
- Pressure the youngster
- BE BOLD (play-to-win)!

Check me out in-game on Twitter @skinscast

 BTW

Way too many Dallas fans here today. Way more than Steelers' fans last week. Please send these chuckle-heads home butthurt.

 Half

Dumpster-fire to start on defense. Kirk Cousins is apparently allergic to throwing touchdowns. And Joe Barry finally started switching Norman back and forth.

 Audio May be found here 2016 Week 2 Cowboys at Redskins Post Game

 Photo Album - 2016 Week 2: Cowboys at Redskins

 JimmiJo

It is hard to articulate my frustrations with this team. On the one hand it is maddening the extent of missed opportunities. On the other, it is more than just that.

Here's the bottom-line: the better team lost. But they lost because they did not take advantage of opportunities. They lost because they let a rookie quarterback outplay them. They lost because of the stubbornness of head coaches and coordinators who place system ahead of staff capability. 

But this is more than just missed chances and dumb-luck. As of right now this team is profoundly worse than the team that won the division last season. I plan to do a more-extensive article, but here are three areas that are killing this team right now:

1. Third Down Offense - This is an area Washington excelled in last year. In fact, it was one of the areas where they were most improved from the season prior. The Redskins ended the 2015 regular season ranked 5th overall in 3rd down conversions. This year? They currently rank 25th. Today they went 5-for-12 for 42%*.

2. Third Down Defense - This is another area where a profound drop in production has occurred. The Redskins finished last year ranked 8th in this stat. They currently rest at a dismal 27th*. Washington's drop in effectiveness in this area was noticeable week 1 versus Pittsburgh, and the trend continued against Dallas. They cannot seem to get off the field on third down, especially on third-and-long; where most teams succeed. 

3. Quarterback - Kirk Cousins is having problems. In his case, it's all in his head. Cousins finished 2015 with an overall QB rating of 101.6, 10th among quarterbacks. Following two games in 2016 Cousins is rocking a 72.7 and 32nd in the league. Beyond the numbers, his accuracy is way off. On Sunday he overthrew two wide open receivers, both of whom would have run into the end zone untouched. He also tried to force a throw into the end zone to a receiver covered by multiple defenders. The result was an interception. The subsequent Dallas drive resulted in the game-winning touchdown run from Alfred Morris.

If the Redskins would have fixed two of these today they would have won.

Unfortunately, the real list of problems are longer than the above. There is an ineffectual rushing attack. Poor personnel groupings on key plays.Poor defensive scheme, especially in the secondary, and of course; penalties.

This team has a lot if issues. And now they get to travel to New York and play the Giants. Anyone remember what happened last year when they went?

Can you say 0-and-3? 

I wonder if succession planning has already begun. A loss next week and I have to believe it will begin.

* According to teamrankings.com 
 

Landover, MD - Welcome all to the Extremeskins coverage of the second preseason game. I'm TSO in the Press box providing you with the best damn coverage I and Spaceman Spiff, who will be providing coverage from the sidelines, possibly can! 

1999 Redskins go 10-6 and win the NFC East. The following season? Failure. 

2005 Redskins go 10-6 and nab a wildcard spot. The following season? Disaster.

2007 Redskins go 9-7 and sneak into the playoffs. The following season? Zorn. 

2012 Redskins go 10-6, win the NFC East with their shiny new franchise QB. The following season? Epic collapse. 

So now, here we are. The Redskins are coming off a season that saw a seismic shift occur within the Front Office, where a legitimate talent-evaluating GM was hired to take control of the scouting department and personnel. Gruden got the help he desperately needed and asked for from the Front Office. The Redskins went 9-7 and miraculously won the NFC East on the heels of a young group of draft picks and a ton of personnel hits in general.

So, the following season? 

We're going to find out if this is real. 

Is it? Is our newly and properly structured Front Office as organized and professional as it seems? Is it real?

Is our energetic and smart coaching staff as good for player development as they were last season? Is it real?

Is Kirk Cousins the franchise QB we've been so desperately lacking? Is he for real?

Are the young players truly developing into a core of consistent championship potential?  Are they for real?

It might just be the preseason, but these games play a role (albeit a small one) in teaching us who will rise to the occasion and who won't. Who will solidify their spot on the team and who will continue to remain a question. Who will be a part of the new reality we all hope is happening right before our eyes, a hope we continue to question is real?

The hope that we're witnessing the rise of the Redskins as a perennial contender. 

Let's start to find out together here on Extremeskins Gameday Coverage!  

 1st Quarter Analysis

Stay tuned for more after the half!   

 2nd Quarter Analysis

Stay tuned for more!     

  3rd Quarter Analysis

The Redskins have opened their 2019 season with two losses. Both against Divisional foes. Now they get to close out Week 3 at home on Monday Night against the visiting 1-1 Chicago Bears. The Bears don't have much of an offense but seem to have what may be an elite defense.

On the flip side, the Redskins have a developing passing attack and a disastrous defense. The Redskins haven't had a Defense this vanilla since Mike Nolan received his ice cream. Oh, and the Redskins already have more guys on IR then any other team this season. 

Will the Redskins finally put one in the win column? 

As usual, poll closes at kickoff. Go vote!

Double click to enlarge

Hello humanoids. @TK and I will be live from the Linc today.

This blog is meant to be an interactive experience. That means we need you... the people... This isn't going to JUST be an info thread. You'll get that, of course... but witty banter will be bandied about like chocolate in Willy Wonka's factory. So what does this mean? Post. What can you post? Anything. Ask questions. Ask about the food, the Wooly Mammoth (where the rally was, and as @superozman would "it was lit ???"), ask about Theismann's hair (he's not here but ask anyways, I'm sure it's wonderful)... Ask about a specific player... Ask about anything. Literally. I'll even tell you what I ate for breakfast.

Check back here for more...

Some tidbits: 

Scherff, according to a birdie, is likely to play.

Reed is likely to play.

Joe Barry had a sweet hoodie on last night at the hotel

TK couldn't get his crowbar through security (not sure why he wanted me to relay this info... weird, right?)

Philadelphia was a nightmare to drive in last night, but our Uber driver was badass. She had a Mike Tyson style tattoo and she drove with an aggressiveness that rivaled anyone. She bobbed and wove like Ali in his prime. Shout out to her.

Follow me on the Twitter @KDawg_ES

im not sure "in position" means what they think it means.

11:39 AM: Sundberg is warming up. We're wearing white on burgundy. Love that look.

11:42 AM: Inactives: Sudfield, Ross, Jones, Blackmon, Long, Lauvao, Lanier

Sullivan starting at C, Kouandjio starting at LG, Ihenacho starting for Blackmon at safety.

Noon: Way punting 55-60 yards from LOS in warm ups. Perfect spirals. WAY to Punt! Get it? Way to punt?

12:05 PM: 

TK found a ride while he takes pics. What's with the hoodie though, man?

12:22 PM: The referees mic is working. File that under, "things you didn't know you cared about..." but I know you do and I have your backs.

12:36 PM: Cousins needs just 356 yards to break the single season passing record that he owns. Has four games to do it. Needs around 1,200 for 5000. Would need to average ~300/game. Doable.

12:50 PM: 

its 10 minutes before kickoff. Where is everyone? Place looks like their trophy case.

First D drive: Linebackers are concerning me. Slow to fill on run, too deep on passes. Tells me they are nervous about getting beat behind them.

First O drive: second down draw an iffy ar best call. Probably had a tendency they were trying to bust and out thought ourselves. Crowder ran his route short of the chains.

2nd O Drive: Eagles watching Crowder like a hawk. Need Garçon to keep coming through.

End of the 1st quarter: Skins look sloppy and ill prepared. Eagles taking away Crowder and attacking Dunbar. Skins need to shore that up immediately.

Defensive issues: Inside backers struggling to expand on flat routes. OLB/DEs rushing means someone has to get to flat. Safeties being run off. That's also why our ILBs are so deep on passes and hesitant to fill on run. ILB is a large issue.

Touchdown Drive: Great job mixing it up and keeping the running game involved. Good play calling and execution there. Important. McCloughan, Santos et al should be proud of that one.

Norman anticipated a short pass and got beat deep on a 3rd down play. It's what you get with him. Important to note, Kerrigan played man to man on TE to flats on the second third down attempt on that drive. Good adjustment.

Halftime thoughts: Need to adjust coverage scheme. Part of the issue is cornerback being a barren wasteland of talent. We can't leave the flats open all game. LBs need to trust instincts and be more aggressive. Offense needs to keep Kelley involved and find Garcon. He is the x-factor for the O. They are more worried about Crowder and Jackson. He has to get targets. 

Jackson TD: They had been setting that up all game long. Great play. Desean's burst is a huge asset to this offense.

That TD to Garcon should have put Cousins over 4000 yards on the season.

The personal foul on Sproles was a personal foul by rule. But in no way was it dirty. Hard football play that timed out wrong for Everett.

VICTORY!!

Redskins 29 - Giants 27

 Well ladies and gents, here we are.  Coming into New York (except not, because it's New Jersey, but who wants to admit they're in New Jersey on purpose?), we sitting here 0-2, last in the division, while the Giants are sitting pretty (pretty ugly) at 2-0 with a division win.  My my how things turn so quickly, and that's the goal today.

With a win today, we're right back in this.  That'll put us at .500 in the division and put some wind at our backs when we come home to face the Browns.

So far, it's been a hell of a time up here.  Going to the Redskins Rally with @TK, we walked past Trent Williams in the lobby.  Keep in mind, I'm not one to get opportunities to see players, so I pretty much was "NBD" on the outside but "OMG!!!!!" on the inside.  Rinse and repeat as I met Cooley, Doc, Bruce, and Larry Michaels.  Yeah, it was a good time.

Just finished up breakfast and I got to rinse and repeat walking by Sonny and meeting Doug Williams.  I'm 32 years old and feel like I'm a quarter of that age (probably still the same height).  The Rally was a really good time, but now I'm sitting here in the press box waiting for the game to start.

Warm ups look like warm ups, but for all of our Fashion Police, we're in white tops and burgundy bottoms.  I usually don't care too much about that stuff, but it helped our run in 2005, so why the hell not?  Not much interesting going on right now, but we're 80 minutes from turning this season around.

I'll update throughout the game, probably at the quarters.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF INACTIVES

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Washington Redskins have announced the following inactives and lineup changes for today’s game against the New York Giants:

The Redskins declared the following players as inactive: 

o   No. 2 QB Nate Sudfeld

o   No. 18 WR Josh Doctson

o   No. 38 CB Kendall Fuller

o   No. 50 LB Martrell Spaight

o   No. 72 DE Anthony Lanier II

o   No. 74 G Arie Kouandjio

o   No. 97 DE Kendall Reyes

The Giants declared the following players as inactive: 

o   No. 8  QB Josh Johnson

o   No. 23 RB Rashad Jennings

o   No. 27 S Darian Thompson

o   No. 73 T Marshall Newhouse

o   No. 82 WR Roger Lewis, Jr.

o   No. 97 DT Montori Hughes

o   No. 99 DT Robert Thomas

Well seven minutes before kickoff the stands are not that full, maybe 2/3, especially on the 50.

With 6:00 left in the first, down 14-3.

Breeland is out for the game with an ankle injury.  Did not look good from up here. 

With 25 seconds left in the first, it's 14-6.  Cousins looking better but still not good enough.  Can't trade touchdowns for field goals.

 END OF FIRST QUARTER - Not looking happy.  Bashaud out, and that muffed punt seems like it popped the balloon before it even inflated.  Really need to turn this around on this third and 8 to begin the second quarter.

Not sure how many more happy moments we'll have, but that :32 drive was beautiful by Cousins.  Need to see more of that if we want to win, today or ever.

 END OF FIRST HALF - Story of the day is still the same.  Cousins looking like a shell of 2015 except for three great throws.  Unfortunately, those great throws for him are expected for QB's getting $19.95M.  He's not getting it done, but somehow it's still a one-score game.

Tendencies so far are frustration on defense and frustration with number 8.  We're also doing our usual when it comes to the penalties.  Not really sure why it's going this way this year, but we're being consistent.  Injuries haven't been our friend with some of the guys in the box calling this another bodybag game.  Breeland, Hall, Jackson, who's next?

And then by my count are 35 drive-killing penalty yards.  Not sure how this keeps happening either, but at least we're beating the Giants in that department.

Despite how this game may be feeling, we're still in this and we get the ball at the half.  Hail.

Note: Last Redskin to get reception and interception in same game, Christmas Eve, 2000 was Champ Bailey

Halfway through the fourth and we've got ourselves a ball game.  Really need to start taking advantage of the opportunities that we're getting.  Seven for us on this drive would make a lot of people feel a lot better.

 FINAL UPDATE: Well I went a little silent after basically eight thousand things happened in a row, and then the game ended.  This team has a scrap to them, ladies and gentlemen, and boy did it come out when it mattered.  We finished with 29 points off of seven scoring drives, and that's nothing to sneeze at.  Going forward, we sure want to see those 29 become 49, but it seems that maybe we're wrong about this team. 

Having a more public platform to state this from, I'll take advantage.  Too often here do we have members cheer against the team in order to say "I told you so."  Man, being wrong is absolutely fantastic.  After we traded two touchdowns for a field goal in the first quarter, I thought that we were going to lose. I didn't say it in the Game Day Thread or in this blog, but I thought we were done.  We were 0-2 at the Meadowlands where we never win with an offense that was oozing incompetence and players were dropping like flies.  And you know what?  I was wrong.  Our backups came in, the team got some motivation and some insane plays from Reed, Way, Crowder, and Dunbar, and now I sit here listening to Giants fans being unhappy because we beat them in their house for the first time since 2011.  It sounds like Heaven.

We overcame adversity and instead of floundering in our losses, we went out there and done won the damned thing!  Our defense was porous and allowed six scoring drives for the Giants, but they also came up with huge turnovers to give our offense a shot.  Speaking with Josh Norman after the game, he told me that watching new unheralded guys was just amazing, like he's been there.  Specifically Dunbar and Cravens, Josh was beaming like a new father.

Not sure if it picked up on the audio, but Trent Williams said he was "stunned" when he got the call to shift over to left guard.  Maybe it was because he was standing next to him, but he was very happy with how Ty did taking over.  I missed the beginning of Gruden's conference because in the press box getting down to the players/coaches is like trying to get a new XBOX on Christmas Eve.  Both Gruden and Cousins were very happy with the team's resilience, but something I did like with Gruden is that when he was asked about what the hell happened before the half, his smile instantly disappeared.  He was very unhappy with how that was handled, and you couldn't even tell that he had just won the game.  It's good to see that the team takes the same approach to fixing mistakes win or lose.

A couple of random facts that I may be the only one finds interesting:

1)  The Giants had a player ejected after breaking a rule put in place due to Beckham's behavior against Norman last year.

2)  Quinton Dunbar now has two interceptions in the Giants' endzone.

3)  Quinton Dunbar's interception was an Odell Beckham-like one-handed grab.

4)  Giants fans.  I mean, just look at 'em.

 Got some audio up in the downloads section and trying to get some more up later.  In case you watch Norman's press conference, I'm the guy awkwardly asking the second-to-last question because why not?

Hopefully today is the start of something fantastic and we can keep it going next week at home versus Cleveland.

Hell of a first win, guys.  Now let's just get 16 more.

HAIL!

VICTORY!!!

Redskins 27 - 10 Broncos

This is the 'late as hell' coverage of the Washington Redskins versus the Denver Broncos.

My name is JimmiJo and Spaceman Spiff is on the job on the sidelines.

I think the Broncos' defense will pose a lot of problems for the Redskins. On the other hand, their offense is pretty poor.

Inactives

The Redskins declared the following players as inactive:

o   No. 13 WR Maurice Harris

o   No. 23 S DeAngelo Hall

o   No. 30 RB Kenny Hilliard

o   No. 52 LB Ryan Anderson

o   No. 53 LB Zach Brown

o   No. 67 G Kyle Kalis

o   No. 74 C Demetrius Rhaney

Follow along on Twitter @Skinscast

Half

After three anemic drives, the Redskins woke up and scored 10-points on back-to-back drives to take a 10-3 lead over the Denver Broncos.

Meanwhile; Denver’s offense is everything we expected. CJ Anderson is a dangerous runner.

But then there’s Denver quarterback Brock Osweiler. He must have grown up a Redskins’ fan because with a fumble-for-loss and interception that had to be intended for DJ Swearinger, Osweiler is turning out to be Washington’s best weapon.

Still, the Redskins have eight-losses for a reason and with only a 7-point lead there is a long way still to go.

See you after.

JimmiJo

The Washington Redskins started slow. The offense was anemic and the defense allowed CJ Anderson to get loose on a couple runs early.

Denver took an early 3-0 lead and it sure looked like the Redskins were in for a long-day.

But after three drives, the offense woke up. And what followed was 27-unanswered points hung on the Broncos before Denver added a meaningless touchdown and 2-poinnt conversion.

Along the way were a sack-fumble the Redskins forced and consider recovered and also an interception by D.J. Swearinger. The interception could only have been intended for him, given no-one else was around.

Many players contributed to today’s win.

Kirk Cousins had a solid day. He logged 19/37 for 399-yards, 3-touchdowns and 1-interception for a quarterback rating of 94.3.

Ryan Grant had a career-day. Grant caught 4-passes for 85-yards to lead all Washington receivers.

Samaje Perine impressed in the second half. He tallied 53-yards on 16-carries before a late-fumble put a blemish on his effort.

Defensively, Washington tightened the ship significantly following the early drive for field goal by Denver. The created multiple turnovers. The sack-fumble on Brock Osweiler, an interception by DJ Swearinger, and the last fumble caused with DeShazor Everette tackled Devontae Booker, dislodging the ball recovered by the Redskins.

Preston Smith had a fantastic day, he posted 5 tackles, 2-sacks and a forced fumble.

Ryan Kerrigan logged 4-tackles combined and 2-sacks.

The Redskins needed this win to close out the season at home. This was a nice early holiday present for the fans who showed today. Though this team was out of any postseason action some time ago, the players are playing with a lot of pride. They also want to prevent a losing season.

A win next week in New York ensures an 8-8 season.

When all is said and done this year was about injuries. Finishing the season strong, as the Redskins are doing, sets them up well for next year. But they have some questions as well.

None bigger than the quarterback position.

Was today Cousins’ last game at FedEx Field as the starter of the Washington Redskins? Who is the starting running back going into training camp next year? Though head coach Jay Gruden’s job is probably safe, can the same be said for all of the position coaches?

There will be lots of changes on the roster. But first they have one more game to play.

This was my last effort of the season. I’ve had a fantastic time covering this year. I will see you next year for sure.