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JimmiJo

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About JimmiJo

  • Birthday 11/16/1964

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    http://capitalnewsservices.net

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  • Birthdate
    11161964
  • Washington Football Team Fan Since
    1979
  • Favorite Washington Football Team Player
    Doug Williams
  • Not a Washington Football Team Fan? Tell us YOUR team:
    Redskins
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    Living in your Head
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    21701
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    News Dude

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  1. ES Coverage: Giants @ Redskins 2019 12/22/19 I'm here. Let's play, Let's win. Inactives The Redskins declared the following players as inactive: o No. 12 QB Colt McCoy o No. 23 CB Quinton Dunbar o No. 31 CB Fabian Moreau o No. 36 RB Josh Ferguson o No. 40 LB Josh Harvey-Clemons o No. 64 C Ross Pierschbacher o No. 83 TE Caleb Wilson The Giants declared the following players as inactive: o No. 3 QB Alex Tanney o No. 22 RB Wayne Gallman Jr. o No. 38 S Rashaan Gaulden o No. 62 G Chad Slade o No. 79 T Eric Smith o No. 84 WR David Sills V o No. 85 TE Rhett Ellison In case you didn't notice, Saquon Barkley is playing today... Half The Redskins' defense is atrocious today. They have no answer for Saquon Barkley and are letting Daniel Jones play the game of his life. Jones is 14/18 for 185-yards and 3 TDs. Barkley is 9-for-126 with 1 TD. Washington's offense has looked pretty good. Haskins is having a good day. He went 10/10 before his first incompletion. He stands current at 12/15 for 133-yards for 2 TDs. Unfortunately, Washington trails 28-14. They do get the ball to start the 2nd half. JimmiJo Are you not entertained? There was plenty to hate about that game. The Washington Redskins surrendered 552-yards of offense to the New York Giants on the way to a 41-35 loss at FedEx Field and no, that is not a typo. Greg Manusky’s defense was once again the center of attention, and for all the wrong reasons. Knowing Saquon Barkley was the one to stop, the Redskins instead allowed the Giants’ runner to amass 189-yards rushing with a touchdown. He also contributed 90-yards on four catches and another touchdown. That’s 279-yards and 2-touchdowns by a single player. In total Washington surrendered 206-yards rushing from New York. And then there was the Giants’ passing game. Daniel Jones had a banner day, logging 28 completions on 42 attempts for 352-yards and 5 touchdowns with a 132.2 quarterback rating. The Redskins made it interesting. Though they trailed at times by 14, Washington managed to close the gap, tie the score near the end of regulation and force overtime. And they managed much of this with backup quarterback Case Keenum after starter Dwayne Haskins was carted off with an ankle early in the 3rd quarter. Keenum showed some of the skill that enticed former head coach Jay Gruden into wanting him. He completed 16/22 for 158-yards and a touchdown and a rating of 107.8. He also rushed for the tying touchdown with under a minute remaining. Not that Haskins had a poor outing. In fact he may have been having his best outing. The rookie was playing with good confidence and poise in the first half. Haskins went 12/15 for 133-yards and 2-touchdowns with a rating of 143.2. Haskins said after the game that Redskins owner Daniel Snyder came down to the locker room to personally tell him not to return to the game. That is what is called protecting the franchise investment. Not sure we see him again this season. But Washington’s defense could not slow down New York in the first half. The Giants registered 3-touchdowns on their first three drives before punting for the first time deep in the 2nd quarter. They would add another just prior to halftime and lead the Redskins 28-14 at the break. Early in the 3rd quarter things appeared to come undone for Washington. Haskins was lost for the remainder of the game with an ankle injury. The very next play starting right tackle Morgan Moses went out with a leg injury. But their backups performed well. In-fact, well enough to tie the game before the end of regulation to force overtime. Case Keenum took advantage of the relief opportunity to let other teams know he can still play a little bit. After a disastrous first drive that resulted in a net-loss of yardage, Keenum and the offense responded.p Under Keenum’s stewardship the Redskins tallied three touchdowns to tie the game late. Keenum showed good poise to hit Steven Sims Jr. on a crossing pattern in the end zone. Though Washington was able to force the extra period, New York won the toss and elected to receive. They then did what they had been doing all day; marched through Washington’s defense to score the game-winning touchdown on a Jones-to-tight end Kaden Smith. In the end, the Redskins lost another game to fall to 3-12. But in doing so they have their hands firmly on the 2nd overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. It is theirs to lose, in they only win. This was my last action for the season. I have once again enjoyed bringing you the sights and sounds of this team of ours. We have one more Skinscast episode to record this Thursday, so make sure you head over the Redskins.com under “Podcasts” Thursday and check it out.
  2. ES Coverage: Lions vs. Redskins 11/24/19 VICTORY!!! Redskins 19 - 16 Lions So I kept setting off the metal detector coming in. Must have been my steely gaze and iron-will. Here is my pre-game write-up: Just win the f****ng game. Thanks. Follow along in-game on Twitter @Skinscast. Speaking of which, I hope you guys are listening to the OFFICIAL podcast of Extremeskins over at Redskins.com; Skinscast. Stand by... Half So the Redskins are rightfully leading at the half 13-6 over the Detroit Lions. I say rightfully because Washington has made more meaningful plays; Steven Sims jr’s 91-yard kickoff return, a forced fumble and recovery, an interception, and a couple of nice throws by Dwayne Haskins to put the Redskins in scoring position. But in-between was some errant passes, one of which would have hit a wide-open Terry McLaurin running free into the end zone. If Washington loses, it will be because of missed opportunities, such as the easy three-yard out late in the second half Haskins to Trey Quinn that would converted the 3rd down, extended the drive and killed the half. But instead, Detroit got the ball back and were able to drive down for a 49-yard field goal to bring the score within 7. By the way, the Lions get the ball to the start the 2nd half. All they need is a nice drive and a couple plays for me to be talking about a tied game. Washington needs to reassert themselves. As for Haskins, this is what we get with a rookie thrower. But the problem is not his decision making or reads, it is mechanics. This concerns me. Postgame Earlier today I wrote “just win” (in so many words). The Washington Redskins did just that. It was not pretty. It was not always expected – certainly not after the Redskins squandered a 10-point lead to have to then play catchup. But in the end they did it, and it was damn sweet to see. All credit to rookie Dwayne Haskins. That last drive showed poise and determination. He told me following the game he knew before the first snap that could and would win it. ‘That’s interesting,” I thought to myself. Did you know it when you overthrew a completely wide-open Terry McLaurin in the end zone…twice? Or when you could not covert a 3-yard 3rd down to Trey Quinn that meant everything at the time, with the game tied and close to the 2-minute warning. The crossing pattern to Jeremy Sprinkle that saw the tight end well ahead of the defender. Even the miraculous catch Kelvin Harmon made could have ended disastrously but for the magic catch. Each of these were grossly errant throws. Everyone long. Head coach Bill Callahan said it was timing issues of a young quarterback. Wanting to go too fast. Or putting on too much. He did credit Haskins with placing the ball where it could not be picked. But that was only true of the long balls. Haskins tends to miss high on the checkdowns. This will lead to turnovers as often as not as high-passes get tipped up when not corralled. The quarterback gave me a different reason when I asked about his overthrows. “My wrist was hurt,” he said. He will learn that was a rather significant admission following a game. And though he minimized the follow-ups, telling us he hurt it in-game but that “it’s good;” the head coach and trainer will have some ‘splainin’ to do as any injury to the starting quarterback needs to be announced according to league rules. Haskins day was mixed. He skippered the game-winning field goal drive. But also fumbled the ball for loss and was intercepted. On the day he went 13-of-29 for 156-yards, and the interception for a passer rating of 47.5. But the game was more than Haskins. It was a defense that let down far too many times. But also one that made some big plays. Washington’s defense intercepted Detroit’s Jeff Driskel three-times; twice by Fabian Moreau and once by Quinton Dunbar. None more important than Moreau’s grab to seal the win for Washington. The defense also generated 6 sacks and 6 tackles-for-loss. Yet they allowed 364-yards of total offense by the Lions while granting them 33:30 minutes of time-of-possession (a 7-minute advantage). Offensively, the struggles for Washington continued. Yes, they managed the game-winning drive, capped by a 39-yard Dustin Hopkins field goal that was the winner. But that was part of another 4-field goal day for the Redskins. Meaning another game with no offensive touchdown. Darrius Guice led all backs with 32-yards rushing on 10-carries. Haskins was 2nd, tallying 28-yards on 3 scrambles, and Adrian Peterson rounded out the top 3 with 27-yards on 10 carries. Terry McLaurin led all Washington receivers with 5 catches for 72-yards. But no write-up of today’s victory is complete without special mention of the special teams. Teams accounted for ALL points today for Washington; a touchdown and those 4 field goals. The play of the day (and perhaps season) was Steven Sims Jr. taking a muffed catch on a kickoff and running it back 91-yards for the Redskins’ only touchdown. It was a magic moment for the few who came out to see Washington win today. With as rare as victories have been, I am not about to get particular. Despite the missed chances and bad plays, when it all counted Haskins and the Redskins did enough to get the win. And we will sure take that.
  3. ES Coverage – Redskins vs Bears – MNF Edition 9/23/19 Can you say; “Must Win?” “But Pappas, it’s only week 3, there’s all this football to be played, they could turn it around, there’s lot of stuff left to play for.” Blow it out your rear end. Evening friends. My name is JimmiJo (or John Pappas for short) and I am joined by The Spaceman Spiff for this latest installment of Washington Redskins football. Speaking of which; if this team loses this game in this stadium on this night; something bad is going to happen somewhere. To somebody. Look, what do I know? But this season and this team have already a sense of desperation. As in, fear of unemployment desperate. Sure, we all knew the schedule was tough. But the hope was surely the Redskins would snatch a win out the first two weeks. And for one-half of week 1 it looked probable. Until it didn’t. And if they couldn’t win, could they at least be competitive? Apparently not, as the Redskins have not looked likely to win a match at any time since the first half of the Week 1 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Sure, they took an early lead against the Cowboys. And for approximately 20-mintues they were competitive. But in both matches, once the wheels came off, defeat seemed inevitable. And there is something to be said by the manner of the defeats. These were not down-to-the-wire close battles that could have gone either way. Both Philadelphia and Dallas won convincingly. With that as a backdrop, there is the understandable unease surrounding the team. On paper, Washington was expected to have a stingy defense that would create problems for offensive lines. Instead we have seen a defense allowing hundreds of yards of production rushing, while surrendering big explosive pass plays for scores. Offensively, the Redskins have looked better than expected in areas, if those areas are quarterback. If you can’t say Case Keenum has played well (and I think you can), you can at least say there will be no controversy. But they need to do more than look good in areas. In Chicago they have a chance to get well. Chicago comes in 1-1. They are ranked 30th in overall offense, but 4th in defense total yards. They struggles on offense should present opportunities for the Redskins. Opportunities Washington must take advantage of. We predicted a Washington win. It would be kinda nice to be correct. Stand by… Inactives The Redskins declared the following players as inactive: o No. 12 QB Colt McCoy o No. 23 CB Quinton Dunbar o No. 58 LB Cassanova McKinzy o No. 64 C Ross Pierschbacher o No. 67 G Wes Martin o No. 78 DL T.Y. McGill o No. 86 TE Jordan Reed The Bears declared the following players as inactive: o No. 22 DB Kevin Toliver II o No. 27 DB Sherrick McManis o No. 38 RB Kerrith Whyte Jr. o No. 55 LB Josh Woods o No. 70 OL Bobby Massie o No. 88 WR Riley Ridley o No. 98 DT Bilal Nichols Follow along in-game on Twitter @Skinscast JimmiJo Stuff just got real. I believe some games reveal things in a new way or in a manner that cements a point of view, or intuition. For us, this was the night where I witnessed the rigidness of an offensive coach and seeming refusal to change a scheme based on the realities before him. Of course I am talking about head coach Jay Gruden. He would disagree with this. How do I know? I asked him. “We tried,” said Gruden was asked if there were things he could do to help counter the effect Khalil Mack was having on his offense (and the other rushers for Chicago. “We left a back in, would have the tight ends chip on the way to their routes, but he is a special player.” It was encouraging to hear, as these are the types of things teams do to help with a premier rusher. Only I didn’t recall seeing it. But then Gruden then pointed out an extremely credible aspect. “The real problem was being down three scores and then they know we become one-dimensional, having to pass. When that happens you get to see a special players do special things.” Fair dues. But for my money this was a game of slow-to-no reactions to what was obvious issues protecting Case Keenum. And then six turnovers happen. If Washington ever had a real chance in this it ended when they started giving the Bears the ball inside the 10-yard line. And before you know it the Redskins were down 28-0 before they got off the snide with a 35-yard field goal with 43-seconds remaining in the 1irst half. A quick scan of the drive chart will reveal the success the Bears enjoyed: 1. Punt 2. Punt 3. Touchdown 4. Touchdown 5. Touchdown 6. Missed field goal 7. Interception 8. Punt 9. Field goal Just under 50-percent scoring effectiveness. And the drive chart does not reflect the pick-six interception to start Chicago’s scoring. Conversely, the Redskins fared much worse in the first half. 1. Interception 2. Punt 3. Missed Field Goal 4. Fimble 5. Interception 6. Field Goal Washington was more effective in the second-half 1. Interception 2. Touchdown 3. Toucdown 4. Fumble 5. End of game As for stand out players, there were a few, but for all the wrong reasons. As good an early season as Case Keenum had, he strove to completely reverse it tonight, being involved in six separate turnovers, with five ultimately lost. Keenum finished the night 30/43 for 331-yards, 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions and a passer rating of 78.7. What is not included in his QB stats are the three fumbles he was involved with it, two which were lost. The Redskins were a little more productive in the run game; but barely. They finished the night 70-yards on 21-carries across three runners in Keenum, Adrian Peterson, and Chris Thompson. Peterson went 37-yards on 12-carries for a 3.1 yard avg. Thompson finished-up 29-yards on 7 carries for a paltry 1.5-yard average. Defensively, the team surrendered 298-yards total. They registered 3-sacks and an interception. But they also allowed a third-down efficiency of 62-percent to Chicago. Penalties were again a problem, with Washington logging 9 total for 61 yards. Bottom line, this was a failure of coaching for me. Washington’s offense did not adapt to the pressure of Chicago’s front seven. And as they slipped further and further back their challenges became more profound as the Redskins had to more and more abandon the running game. Despite Gruden’s assurances, the instances of keeping a back home to block or chipping Mack and others were noticeably absent. And it costs them as the front pressure of the Bears was the major contributor to the loss. And where do they go from here? This game may not be the catalyst for a change on coaching staff at the coordinator level. But it may have lit the fuse. At the end of the day the same old problems emerged and there are only so much excuses to give before it is apparent where the issues really lie. The good news? There are still 13-games to go. Groan.
  4. ES Coverage Cowboys vs Redskins 2019 9/15/19 Do I look like I'm playing? I'm not playing. This is the Washington Redskins versus the Dallas Cowboys. If you are a fan of this game, and this one does not get you excited you might want to check your pulse. Hello my friends it is I, JimmiJo, back for another year of this wonderful thing we call Redskins Football. This makes season 14 for me. I am joined by The Spaceman Spiff who will hereafter be known as "The Spaceman Spiff." Where's that dude that gets the big tattoos on his back? There's his next one. So how important is this game? I don't know. What is the different between 1-1 and 0-2? The difference between batting .500 and zippy? Throw in that this is their 2nd division game to start the year AND a home game and you have a critical match. And once again they contend with critical injuries to start the year. Last year it was their rookie star running back. This year its their 2nd year star...well you get the rest. Darrius Guice is gone and not coming back this year. I think this really hurts him moving forward. Not sure who will build a scheme around him given his first two seasons. So it is down to the veteran Adrian Peterson. I have no worries of ring rust for hum. None whatsoever. He knows what to do. Anyway, almost time. Please share your thoughts. Stand by... Inactives The Redskins declared the following players as inactive: o No. 12 QB Colt McCoy o No. 23 CB Quinton Dunbar o No. 31 Fabian Moreau o No. 64 C Ross Pierschbacher o No. 67 G Wes Martin o No. 86 TE Jordan Reed o No. 93 DT Jonathan Allen The Cowboys declared the following players as inactive: o No. 10 WR Tavon Austin o No. 37 S Donovan Wilson o No. 57 LB Luke Gifford o No. 61 C Adam Redmond o No. 69 G Brandon Knight o No. 79 DT Trysten Hill o No. 97 DE Taco Charlton Follow along in-game at Twitter @Skinscast JimmiJo Head coach Jay Gruden said it is not time to press the panic button when asked if staff changes could occur on the defensive coaching staff. It may not be for him, but he might want to pay attention to the sounds coming from the owners suite at Redskins Park. For example the sound of shouting and heavy objects striking walls could portend an early offseason for someone. The Washington Redskins are now 0-2 to start the season. They are 0-2 in the division. If that is not panic-inducing, they face a Chicago Bears football team (themselves in need of a solid win) on Monday Night Football next. A series they do not typically do well on. In both games to open the campaign the winning teams had the game well in hand at the start of the fourth quarter, despite Washington taking leads in each of the games. Against Dallas, the team began well again; taking a 7-0 lead into the second quarter. This was not quite the 17-0 start they had in Philadelphia. Nor did it take until halftime for the Cowboys to adjust. It happened on Dallas’ fourth drive. Starting at their own 3-yard line at 9:44 in the 2nd period, the Cowboys employed a combination of runs up the middle and quick outs in the flats and sideline to advance the ball 97-yards in 7 plays and tie the game. Following a three-and-out by Washington, Dallas went 74-yards on 11-plays to take the 14-7 lead at halftime. The 3rd Quarter began with the Cowboys receiving the ball at their own 25. Nine plays and 75-yards later they were leading 21-7. The Redskins made it interesting with their own 11-play, 70-yard drive to cut he lead to 7. But Dallas responded with a field goal. And would add another touchdown in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 17. Washington’s consolation score with just under 3-minutes remaining allowed rookie Terry McLaurin to add a touchdown to his debut season. The Redskins have developed a reputation for not responding well to adjustments. They had little answer for the adjustments Dallas made to their offense. Ditto the game in Philadelphia. In both, Washington had a lead to protect and could not. Coming into the season the defense was expected to the be the strength of the team. Yet in two games they have surrendered 910 yards (445 per game) and 63 points. Not exactly setting the world on fire. Statistically the Redskins defense are near the bottom in points allowed and yards surrendered. The coach wants to blame injuries. Not only the their excellent young nose tackle in Jonathan Allen, but also to the secondary which has already gone significant realignment to accommodate injuries to Quinton Dunbar and Fabian Moreau. Still, with the specter of a season going off the rails after only two games, the fans want someone to blame. Wont be the quarterback. Case Keenum has completed 68.2 percent of his passes. He has thrown 3 touchdowns against no interceptions. Ditto other skill positions. Adrian Peterson did not his best outing but the team abandoned the run early. The receivers are doling their own, with guys like McLaurin shining. And as bad as the collapse was last week and the home loss this, it feels too early to call for the head coach. That leaves those in charge of the defense. Specifically, Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky. Fan ire seems more and more to be falling on Manusky, if sentiment on twitter and sports radio means anything. But they don’t decide who stays and who leaves. That is the job of the head coach who so far, is backing his guy. But there is a higher authority at Redskins Park. Legend has it owner Daniel Snyder once put a gallon of vanilla ice cream outside a Redskins defensive coordinator’s door following a poor performance by the defense. Given the start to this season, Manusky could be hearing the ice cream truck in his sleep. And that would be better than what many of the fans are wishing for him.
  5. ES Coverage: Giants vs Redskins 12/9/18 DEFEAT!!! Giants 40 - Redskins 16 Greetings friends, JimmiJo here, and I am joined by my shivering partner, Spaceman Spiff. Together we will bring you this all important NFC East divisional matchup between the Washington Redskins and New York Giants. When I was last with you the Redskins had command of the division and there was optimism to spare. Since, devastating injuries to quarterbacks, linemen, and cornerbacks has left this team losers in 4-of-5 contests. But there is still everything to play for, and if they can manage a victory today and the Eagles to the same Washington will once again have a share of the lead. I can dream can't I? On paper, the future looks grim. A continued collapse will start the questions about the future of personnel and perhaps leadership. Yes, we can certainly point to injuries as the primary reason the team is struggling. But the record earlier in the year was masking some issues with the squad. No real arial threat. An inconsistent running game. And a defense that has been anything but consistent. But these are questions for another time. Today, it is just two teams looking for a win. See you at the half. Follow along on Twitter @Skinscast Inactives The Redskins declared the following players as inactive: o No. 12 QB Colt McCoy o No. 32 RB Samaje Perine o No. 46 RB Kapri Bibbs o No. 52 LB Ryan Anderson o No. 63 C Demetrius Rhaney o No. 66 G Tony Bergstrom o No. 99 DL Caleb Brantley JimmiJo I was happy to see players like Josh Johnson and Byron Marshall in the game. The marquee guys did not earn the right to play following the disastrous first half. It was historically bad. Never before had the Washington Redskins trailed by as much as the 34-0 deficit they entertained today at the half. I remarked to one of the writers that in 13-seasons I had never seen this team so outplayed as today. The offense led by Mark Sanchez was throw-up in mouth bad. At no point did you feel like they would or could score. I tweeted before the game that it is time for Daniel Snyder to replaced head coach Jay Gruden. Yes injuries are the headline. But the offense was poor before the injuries. No aerial threat and an inconsistent rushing. They only seemed to score 20-points per game. What they did do well was hold on to the ball. And the defense was a takeover machine the first half of the year. But turnovers tend to even out. So I was more than glad to see those ‘backups’ play. All they did was show they should have been playing in the first half. Especially Johnson. Take a look at your Redskins’ starter the rest of the way. From his first snap the offense looked different. There was energy. There was life. And there was threat. Johnson played with more command, accuracy and imagination than Mark Sanchez. He looked much more the accomplished quarterback. A word on Josh Doctson. You are an idiot. Without the stupid penalty you are not letting the safety out-position you to make the pick with 5-minutes left. Following this game, staring at the standings and considering possible scenarios for getting in the playoffs is fools’ gold. It is all about assessing who it worth keeping for next year. I don’t believe head coach Jay Gruden is going to make the list. Nor should he. He has had nore than enough time to do something here. He had Kirk Cousins’ starting over 3-full seasons. He had his chance. I tweeted before the game team owner Daniel Snyder should let Gruden go and bring in Mike McCarthy. Washington Post writer (and friend) Rick Snider made a great counterpoint to that idea: “Why would McCarthy want to come here? He has better options,” he said. That sure feels like the truth. And if so, it may explain why Gruden is fast becoming one of the most tenured coaches in the league. This was my last game for this season. I would like to thank Extremeskins and the team for the opportunity this year. I will see you guys next year. Let me go on the record now and say I do not think Jay Gruden's position here is secure. Not with the likes of Mike McCarthy available.
  6. Cowboys versus Redskins - now that just sounds correct. Hello friends, JimmiJo here along with THE Spaceman Spiff. Space is already on the sidelines, yucking it up with the important people. Me? I'm thinking how grateful I am for the 3-car accident on the beltway... If you cannot get up for this game, there isn't enough viagra made on earth for you. After all; the Redskins are hosting their eternal rival, the Cowboys. Winner will be sitting on top of the division, with a truckload of bragging rights. What's not to like? Well, for starters, everybody and their mom is inactive. Chris Thompson Jamison Crowder, Paul Richardson, Quinton Dunbar; all inactive. What a time to have have your top two receivers out. The chatter here in the press box is Washington should do what they can to bring in receivers - to include making a trade with the Raiders for Amari Cooper. Then there's the question of which Redskins show up? They could come out and light Dallas up. Or, post an anemic effort to suffer another embarrassing lost. Neither would surprise me. One this is for sure, the distribution in fans is something like 55-45 Redskins. Already an embarrassment. Until you consider this team has done much to earn the lack of support. Still, you have offer the finger in the middle to those fans who sold their tickets to Dallas fans. What were you thinking? Back shortly... Inactives The Redskins declared the following players as inactive: o No. 10 WR Paul Richardson Jr. o No. 23 CB Quinton Dunbar o No. 25 RB Chris Thompson o No. 30 S Troy Apke o No. 55 C Casey Dunn o No. 74 T Geron Christian Sr. o No. 80 WR Jamison Crowder The team held a touching tribute to my friend Rich Tandler, who passed this week. Follow along in-game on Twitter @Skinscast Half Did you hear the one about the team that got chance after chance but couldn't score more than a touchdown? That's right; they are tied at 7 at the half and completely anemic in the second half. "Against the run of play" is a term you hear in soccer all the time. It is applicable here. It means the better team is either tied or trailing. Whoever said football was fair? Washington needs to find a way to get hot in the second half. The Dallas Cowboys are infinitely beatable today. JimmiJo How do you like them apples? The Washington Redskins sent them home happy today. Along the way my ulcer started bleeding, I threw up twice, and peed the chair I was sitting in. Up by 10 at the two-minute warning, I did not expect to be hoping for a missed field goal to avoid overtime. But there I was, crossing fingers and toes and noticibly relieved when the ball bounced off the upright to seal the win. A lot of things had to go right for the Dallas Cowboys to even have a shot at the end. A lot more things went right for Washington. The Redskins held Ezekiel Elliot to just 33-yards rushing. They forced two fumbles by Dak Prescott, one of which went for a Redskins' touchdown, and sacked him a total of four times. Ryan Kerrigan had his best day of the season, sacking Prescott twice, one of which caused the fumble for the score. Preston Smith scored the touchdown off of the fumble. Jonathan Allen and and Ryan Anderson each logged a sack. DJ Swearinger hit Prescott square on the ball to cause the other fumble by Prescott. And then there was the offense. Adrian Peterson defies time and physics in what he can still do on the football field. His ability to change directions instantly, the speed he still posesses, and his ability to play through multiple injuries is astonishing. He ran for 99-yards on 24-carries with a 4.1 yard per carry average. Kapri Bibbs, the other back; added just 13-yards rushing. But as a receiver he caught 4 passes for 43-yards and the first touchdown of the game. Josh Doctson reeled in 3-receptions for 43-yards. Jordan Reed added 43-yards on his two catches. Maurice Harris logged 2 for 22-yards. Alex Smith had a adequate outting. He went 14/25 for 178 yards and a touchdown for a quarterback rating of 98.1. He was sacked once. His obvious miss of Jeremy Sprinkle running free in the end zone is almost cause for termination. Connect on that throw and the game is much more comfortable at the end. The real stars of this show were the fat guys in the trenches. The offensive line that opened highway lane-wide holes for Peterson to run through, and the defensive line that wreaked such havok all game. But we have to thank Dallas as well for things like an illegal snap to back the field goal unit up at the end. The holding call that negated the big gain one play before the sack/fumble/score was huge. They seemed to find ways to beat themselves. Despite the above, Dallas was right there until last miss that struck the goalpost. The win was entirely too close for comfort. But now that's it's over, I sure am enjoying the win. The Redskins sit alone at the top of the division after 6-weeks. They travel to New York next week where they can continue to help themselves with a win. But just because New York currently resides in the toilet does not mean they intend to roll-over and play dead. Washington will have their hands full if they don't get more production out of the offense. That's next week though. For now, I am intent on enjoying an excellent victory. Against the Dallas Cowboys. What's not to like? Talk soon!
  7. VICTORY!!! Redskins 23 - 17 Panthers Will the real Washington Redskins please stand up? Hello friends, JimmiJo here, joined by the Spaceman Spiff. Seriously, which team will we get to see today. The one solid in all quarters, playing fundamentally sound ball and making us believe that just maybe, this year they could be hanging around at playoff time? Or will it be the one who decides not all receivers should be covered? You know, the one that seems to believe no national embarrassment is too great to suffer. If I am on this team on this day, I am playing like I have been punked-out on national TV (because I was) and I have something to prove. I am playing with a degree of urgency yet to be seen this year. I am playing like the season is on the line today. Because it literally is as far as I am concerned. Speak amongst yourselves... inactives The Redskins declared the following players as inactive: o No. 25 RB Chris Thompson o No. 30 S Troy Apke o No. 39 CB Adonis Alexander o No. 74 T Geron Christian Sr. o No. 77 G Shawn Lauvao o No. 80 WR Jamison Crowder o No. 99 DL Caleb Brantley Ok gang, showtime. Here's to a good game with no injuries. You can follow me live on Twitter @Skinscast. See you at the half. Half Great start, poor ending. They need to produce in the 2nd half to win. JimmiJo This team is consistently inconsistent. I’m just glad I caught them on the good week. And if there was ever a time to go for two in a row, it’s this week. I was poised to ask the players how much last week had to do with this. I didn’t have to. Most of the guys I interviewed spoke about getting the bad taste of last week out of their mouth. To a man they wanted to put it behind them. No better way than to do so with a win against a 3-1 Carolina Panthers. The win preserves Washington’s first place position in the division. If we are looking for heroes we have to start with Adrian Peterson. Coming in with multiple injuries (shoulder, knee, ankle), all he did was run for 97-yards on 17-carries with a 5.7 yard per carry average. The man is ageless, looking more like a first-year back rather than a guy near the end of his career. On the other side of the ball was Josh Norman. It was clear in speaking to him following the game that the chatter in the media was starting to get to him. This game was important enough for him that he called a defensive backs meeting this week to get everybody on the same page. Norman payed like the all-star the Redskins signed in 2016. In fact, the interception was his first since week 16 of 2016. But he wasn’t done. Norman punched out the ball to force a fumble later on a critical drive, robbing the Panthers of an opportunity to score. Given the talk about Norman and the manner in which the New Orleans Saints bludgeoned Washington last week, it was fitting the game came down to a defensive stand that resulted in Carolina giving up the ball on downs. This was a total team effort for Washington, with all areas contributing. Alex Smith went 21-of-36 for 163-yards and two touchdowns. He finished with a passer-rating of 88.1. Jordan Reed had a relatively quiet five receptions for 36-yards to lead the receivers. Vernon Davis on the other hand, made some noise bringing in 3-receptions for 48-yards to include a beautiful touchdown grab on a seam route that left him largely uncovered. Smith did such a good job of looking off the safety that by the time he turned back to fire down field, Davis was running free and clear into the end zone. Another hero on the day was Dustin Hopkins. All he did was kick a 6-yard field goal, the longest of his career. I asked the coach if he had discussed the kick with Hopkins prior to making the decision. Gruden told me it was special teams coach Ben Kotwica who proclaimed Hopkins ready. “I thought it was a 53-yarder,” said Gruden. “When I heard it was a 56-yarder I thought about calling a timeout. He didn’t and Hopkins made him look smart. The Redskins fare best when they score first. They must be aware of this as they started red hot, jumping out to a 17-point lead before the Panthers got off the snide. A total of 9-unanswered points later, Washington scored early in the fourth quarter to bring the lead back to 11. That lasted officially 1-drive, as the Panthers marched down with relative ease to score a touchdown and bring the game within 3. Washington then mounted another drive to register another field goal to take the lead back to 6. Then a defensive stand was needed. Carolina was able to move the back to the midfield with relative ease. Washington tightened up and it all came down to a 4th-and-5 at the Redskins 16 with 38-seconds remaining. That was as far as they would go as Cam Newton skimmed the ball off of the field for a harmless incomplete. It was a much need win. It keeps the Redskins in 1st place in the division at 3-2 with Dallas coming to town next Sunday. What’s not to like?
  8. Greetings my friends, it is JimmiJo and I am joined by the man with a tripod stuck up his...backpack; Spaceman Spiff. I am so excited I am about to pee myself. Not just because I am sitting next to Spiff. But also because this team played one of the most solid football games last week in a long time. I will put last week up against any game I can remember over the past, what, 5-seasons? I haven't been this excited after a season-opener since probably 2012 and the big win against the Saints. The run game was magnificent. The defense spectacular. And the level of competency at the quarterback position an obvious upgrade. In fairness it was a game of two-halves. The offense cooled significantly following halftime. But their objectives were different. They had the Cardinals beaten and needed only to hold-on What say you? Here's the question; was that the real Washington Redskins? Or, was it a game where things came together? I think we begin to answer that questions today. In come a very beatable Indianapolis Colts. They have a quarterback and they have a running back. Not much else. If last week was an example of the real Redskins; today should be another W. But if not, or if they come out anemic and struggle for the win, we might be having a different conversation next week. Inactives The Redskins declared the following players as inactive: o No. 13 WR Maurice Harris o No. 30 S Troy Apke o No. 32 RB Samaje Perine o No. 39 CB Adonis Alexander o No. 55 C Casey Dunn o No. 74 T Geron Christian Sr. o No. 99 DL Caleb Brantley The Colts declared the following players as inactive: o No. 28 CB Chris Milton o No. 37 CB Lenzy Pipkins o No. 38 RB Christine Michael o No. 58 DE Tarell Basham o No. 71 T/G Denzelle Good o No. 74 T Anthony Castonzo o No. 96 DE/DT Denico Autry Ok gang, we are ready to roll. Follow along in-game on Twitter @Skinscast JimmiJo This team is exactly who they have always been. Middle of the pack? If we are being generous. I admit it, I got pretty excited last week when they played a really solid football game. Today, was like so many other games I’ve watched them play over my 13-seasons. Muddling. No identity. Anemic offensively. A defense just as apt to collapse on third-and-long as to stop the opponent. They were so poor Indianapolis took the entire 3rd quarter off and still made it look easy. The problem with that is they allowed the Redskins to pad the stats, making it seem like a much closer game. In fact, the Redskins earned more first downs (20-17), total yards (334-281) and time of possession (33:20–26:40) than the Colts. They won the turnover battle (2-1). And ran 11-more plays (71-60). Not only did I never believe they were going to win; I never even thought they were in it. So what went wrong? Offensively, Washington never got into a rhythm. The run game never got going. And the defensive-pressure cause problems all day for Alex Smith and the Redskins. I asked Smith if one area contributed more than the other (lack of run game versus defensive pressure) and he admitted that both played a significant role to their lack of production. Smith finished the day 33/46 for 292-yards for a 88.3 passer rating. Not exactly Kirk Cousins’ type numbers (all he did was throw for 425-yards and 4 touchdowns with one pickin Minnesota’s tie with Green Bay). Jamison Crowder was the leading rusher for Washington on the day. That’s right; a wide receiver was the leading rusher. Crowder ran for 29-yards on 2 carries (reverses). Second was Adrian Peterson for a scant 20-yards on 11-carries and a paltry 1.8 yards per carry (give me a second while I breath into this bag). Given Crowder was the leading rusher, it is only right that Chris Thompson led all receivers with 92-yards on 13-catches. Those are wideout numbers. Next came Jordan Reed who logged 55-yards on 6-catches. If your top two receivers are a running back and a tight end, you can suppose there were a lot of check downs in the game. As in; All. Damn. Day. Defensively, Mason Foster was all-world. Every time Washington made a play on defense, he was in it. Foster logged 11-tackles (8-solo). Then there was D.J. Swearinger. All he did was intercept Andrew Luck twice, at the most-needed times (when the game was getting threatening to get away). But they were the exceptions. By and large this was a thorough butt-whooping by the Colts. Their pressure defensively created all kinds of problems for Washington’s offensive line. Offensively, they spent the day in third-and-short. And on those occasions where they had a long way to go on 3rd down, they seemed to convert more often than not. It is just week 2 however. Likely no-one will think about this game in December. This assumes they begin playing better and winning some games. Here’s hoping they do.
  9. ES Coverage: Redskins @ Ravens 8/30/18 What's that? Meaningless preseason game? Starters won't play? Most who do will be bagging groceries next week? I've got just the coverage-team to send... Hello friends, JimmiJo here, joined by the inimitable one; Spaceman Spiff. Together we will bring you tonight's action. After all, this IS a grudge match. Battle of the beltways and all. RGIII ready to enact some vengeance on his old squad. Meanwhile, I am not sure you can argue the roster is set in some key areas like receiver, nor the depth chart in others such as running back. A lot will depend on how many of each position the team keeps. It may also come down to a few who make a convincing case in this game 4. Chances are there is at least one player on this field that few people have heard of, but whom everyone fan will one day know about. I don't know who he is. But tonight is where many of us will remember seeing him for the first time. He will earn a spot based on what he does this night in Baltimore Maryland. No inactives in the preseason. But there is definitely food in the press box. Talk soon... Half I have been more than entertained so far. Rob Kelley has run like his job depended on it. Kevin Hogan's sideline art to Simmie Cobbs was worth the drive. And I loved the big plays on both sides. I hope the second half is even better. JimmiJo The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Washington Redskins 30 to 14. Boy have we seen this movie before. The Ravens played with more intensity. More cohesion. Hey were more physicality. Washington seem to come in going thru the motions. They did have some bright spots, especially at the end. But for me; this game stood out more for missed tackles, penalties, and reversed calls by Washington. Kevin Hogan played the whole game at quarterback. He did some good things. He finished the night… Hogan had to deal with a lot of pressure throughout. He was having to throw off of his back foot much of the night. Despite this we made some very nice throws. The sideline throw to Cobbs was magnificent. Not all of his work was positive. Two of is throws resulted in interceptions. The real subplot was at running back. The rushing cadre featured Rob Kelley, Samaje Perine, and upstart De.Veon Smith. All played well. In fact, tonight was easily Kelley’s best night as a Redskin. He played with intensity I have not seen before. It was an urgency. I think he did everything possible to make a case for himself. Kelley finished with 49-yards on 11 carries for 4.45 yards per carry. He logged 2-catches for 14-yards Perine on the other hand was less convincing. He showed flashes of what he is capable of. He also turned the ball over being careless in the backfield in traffic. Perine finished with 30-yards on 7 carries with a 4.3-yard per carry average and the fumble. Smith got in the act, and made a case for himself, if not in Washington then at his next stop. Smith went 42-yards on 7 carries for an impressive 6-yards per carry average. He added a 28-yard reception. Among the receivers, Simmie Cobbs led with 75-yards on 3 catches, to include the beautiful 38-yard sideline grab. Darvin Kidsy reeled in 5 receptions for 46-yards. Trey Quinn added 43-yards on 3-catches and Kapri Bibbs logged 3-completes for 43-yards. There will be little time for the players to digest tonight’s effort. Final cuts are Saturday. It will be interesting to see who makes the roster. I haven’t seen every snap of practice and the preseason. Based on this game, Perine is leaving this weekend and Kelley is staying. We’ll know soon. It has been a pleasure covering this preseason. But I am ready to cover a game that counts. I will go and try to get some audio. Have a good night.
  10. And we are back! Hello boys and girls, welcome to another year of Washington Redskins football, home-team style. My name is JimmiJo and I am joined by my shuttered compatriot, Spaceman Spiff. Together we bring you the sights and sounds of Redskins preseason football. Tonight represents the first home installment for Washington. I will be looking for fan enthusiasm, tho it is difficult to gauge interest-level from the preseason. These are the games that the season ticket holders give to their siblings and coworkers. Tonight may be different as we expect Alex Smith to play. The pundits keep telling me he is Kirk Cousins only better. That will be awesome if so. We are quickly filling the list with season-ending injuries, with Washington losing three projected contributors in the first week of preseason. This wince-producing stat is made worse when we consider the projected contributions of Derrius Guice, now lost for the year. All he was brought here to do was resurrect the Redskins' rushing game. This for me is the biggest area of concern for me. The running game has got to get better for this team to have any reason success this year. Stand by for Inactives... An hour later I remember they don't do inactives in the preseason. Hey, it's preseason for us too! Not much to report. Very sparse crowd so far. But given it is a work-night and rush hour is just wrapping up on the beltway I am not surprised we are not overflowing with people yet. The Redskins appear to be wearing burgundy tops and mustard bottoms, for those keeping score at home. The Jets meanwhile, are sporting white tops and green bottoms. So far just the kickers and long snappers are warming up from both teams. The hot, sunny day is giving way to a warm, breezy evening. Should be fairly pleasant viewing conditions for those coming out. Kickoff It is about that time. Follow along in-game on Twitter @Skinscast Half Alex Smith looked sharp, going 4-6 for 48-yards and a 91 passer-rating. But that's not the story of this game. The story is the injuries that continue to mount to running backs. Samaje Perine had an impressive 30-yard run. Then limped off to be evaluated for an ankle sprain. Next was Byron Marshall. A lower leg injury they say. The Redskins are suffering the worst run of injuries this early maybe ever. JimmiJo I am not sure how much we learned tonight. I take that back. Kevin Hogan, whom I had taken to calling ‘Nogan,’ somehow produced a lovely comeback victory with no time to spare. Way to send them home happy. Beyond the excitement at the end I am not sure we learned much. Alex Smith is exactly who we thought he was. Smith went 4-for-6 for 48-yards and a passer rating of 91. There was some excitement on his first call from scrimmage, when Smith play actioned the handoff and kept the ball on a bootleg, he turned to setup to hit Paul Richardson and instead received a face-full of Jets’ linebacker Jordan Jenkins. Smith completed the pass to Richardson and Jenkins was handed a 15- roughing call. The offense are exactly who we thought they are. Feckless in the redzone; unable to produce anything but field goals. Even when the stars did align, with Colt McCoy connecting Cam Sims, area spectacular touchdown catch; cruel fate intervened with a chickenscratch procedure call. The injuries are exactly what we feared they could be. Why is it every running back who goes for 30-yards on a single play comes up limping? Samaje Perine ran for 30-yards on his one carry on the night. The next time he was seen was on the way to the locker room to have an ankle looked at. Then there was Byron Marshall. He barely got into the game before coming out with a leg injury. After the first few drives Washington did very little offensively until they had to at the very end. And as little as this preseason game meant, it was nice to see the valiant stop at the goal line. It was even nicer to see Mr. Hogan lead the team down the field and to victory. Oh yea, we learned one more thing - Dustin Hopkins can kick field goals. Hail!
  11. 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.
  12. VICTORY!!! Redskins 20 - 15 Cardinals Sorry folks, just made it. Plus, all of our photogs are injured. It must be the end of a bad season with no hope of playoffs. But I am here, JimmiJo, to bring you all the action. Here are my thoughts in a nutshell, bottom-line sort of way: win today or coaches could become at risk. This is where you see who is who and who will be here next year. Follow along on Twitter @Skinscast. Inactives The Redskins declared the following players as inactive: o No. 19 WR Robert Davis o No. 35 S Montae Nicholson o No. 53 LB Zach Brown o No. 67 G Kyle Kalis o No. 71 T Trent Williams o No. 73 C Demetrius Rhaney o No. 97 DL Terrell McClain Half Prototypical game for Washington. Jump out to early start, then the offense starts to fade. The bad news with this is Arizona has stuck with the run game and it is starting to pay dividends for them. Thanks to a fumble by Vernon Davis and a good defensive stand by the Redskins; the Cardinals were able to muster a field goal to pull within 5. Head coach Jay was visibly upset on that last drive and one wonders if he is not going to be lighting this team up in the locker room. The Redskins get the ball to start the half. JimmiJo Make no mistake. A win is a win is a win. But let’s not kid ourselves; any competent quarterback for Arizona and this was likely a loss. Heck, if the tight end holds the ball at the 1-yard line at the end it is likely a loss. The Washington Redskins got one they had to have. It meant nothing in the overall; there are no postseason aspirations, and this game likely had no spoiler-implications. But for the Redskins it was about pride and identity. It was also about people’s jobs. If a football team cannot get up for a much-needed win against a bad team in front of their home crowd; the problems are about more than injuries and dumb-luck. Such a loss would have been an indictment of the coaching staff. Specifically the head coach. Attitude is a reflection of leadership, as the saying goes. And lately this team has not been showing up. That’s on the man in charge. A loss today and ownership could be starting to consider a change at skipper. At a minimum he is wondering who else is out there. The good news is the team responded and found a way to win. They had help. Blaine Gabbert finished the day 16-of-41 for 181 for quarterback rating of 52.9. Worse were those moments when he decided to have poor accuracy. His red zone effectiveness was atrocious. Then there were the dropped balls from the receivers. If the Cardinals tight end catches the ball at the 1-yard line we are having a different conversation. The Redskins on the other hand didn’t fare much better. They posted just 218 total net yards of offense, and a paltry 31-yards rushing. The offense benefitted from an opening drive sack-fumble by their defense. Two plays later, Kirk connected with Jamison Crowder for the easy touchdown. Two drives later the Redskins would again draw blood when Cousins hooked up with Kapri Bibbs fir a 36-yard touchdown. But after this the offense went flat. They managed only 15-total plays in the first half. And early in the 2nd half had only amassed 5-yards rushing. The turnover the start the second half deflated the team and stadium. Washington would manage to add another two field goals, and it turned out to be just enough to get the win. Cousins was by far the best player on offense finishing 18/26 for 196-yards, 2-touchdowns and a QB-rating of 149.07. Crowder led all receivers with 5-catches for 55-yards and a TD. Next came Bibbs, with 4-receptions for 47-yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Washington brought pressure that made a difference at times. Preston Smith had a banner-day; finishing the game with a sack, fumble recovery, and interception. Anthony Lanier had two batted balls and a forced fumble. Kendall Fuller led all tacklers with 6-solo and 2-assists. The Redskins did just enough to get a win at home. It means they can still to avoid a losing season which would paint a much different picture on the season. From here on out it’s about who wants to be here next year. Washington has one more home game against the Denver Broncos, who feature a touch defensive group. They will then travel to New York for the final game of the year. It’s all about character now.
  13. Victory!!! Redskins 20 - 10 Giants Gobble Gobble? Greetings brothers and sister, boys and girls, and kids of all ages. Welcome to tonight's NFL primetime game featuring the Washington Redskins hosting the New York Giants - Thanksgiving Style. My name is JimmiJo and together with Spaceman Spiff will be bringing you the action from behind the curtain. I heard on the radio coming to the stadium tonight is the first time the Redskins have hosted a Thanksgiving night game. Let me go on record and say how good I feel about this game. Does anyone have a sickness bag? This game scares me as much as any this year. The New York Giants would love nothing more than to compound the Washington Redskins' woes on national television. I was asked at dinner tonight what the problem is with this team. "Injuries," I said. You don't want to use players getting hurt as an excuse for a team's record, but I don't know how you don't in this case. Washington has 15-players on injured reserve. Think about that for a moment; that's a third of the active roster gone. And there are the names. You can't tell me this wouldn't be substantially better with guys like Jonathan Allen, Spencer Long, Mason Foster, Will Compton, Shawn Lauvao, and Chris Thompson. Yet the offense has posted season highs in scoring two weeks running. Unfortunately the defense has been unable to keep a lid on opponents. The Giants come in with nothing but pride to play for. But there are surely players on the New York roster who will be free agents who will want to make the case to be on someone's roster. In other words, don't be looking for the Giants to roll over and play dead. Talk amongst yourselves. Act accordingly. Inactives The Redskins declared the following players as inactive: o No. 35 S Montae Nicholson o No. 50 LB Martrell Spaight o No. 67 DL Caraun Reid o No. 71 T Trent Williams o No. 73 C Chase Roullier o No. 86 TE Jordan Reed o No. 97 DL Terrell McClain The Giants declared the following players as inactive: o No. 5 QB Davis Webb o No. 24 CB Eli Apple o No. 46 LB Calvin Munson o No. 67 T Justin Pugh o No. 76 DL D.J. Fluker o No. 87 WR Sterling Shepard o No. 93 LB B.J. Goodson Stand by... Had a wonderful turkey dinner (my second). Someone wake me at kickoff? We are about 20-minutes out. By all accounts, this game should be very poorly attended. But it is still a regular season game against a division opponent. Won't be long now... Following along in-game on Twitter @Skinscast Half Yawn. 3 - 3 JimmiJo Let’s be clear; the Washington Redskins did not play lights-out, high-level football tonight. They were ineffective, sloppy, made mental errors, committed penalties, and downright stunk at times. But the New York Giants were worse. In fact; they were horrible. They are horrible. They have well-earned their 2-9 record. Despite the above, there some things to like about the Redskins in this game. None more than the final score, as Washington defeated New York; 20-10 at FedEx Field. A glance at the team stats will show a subpar effort from the Redskins: - 4-15 on 3rd down (27%) - 2-4 in the red zone for 50% - 8 penalties for 55-yards - Interception that resulted in TD for opponent - 0-1 4th down efficiency The Giants were worse by degrees: - 2-14 on 3rd down (14%) - 0-1 red zone for 0% - 6 penalties for 79-yards - Giants never sniffed goal-to-go The other stats show why Washington was the easy victor: First Downs: Giants 7 – 17 Redskins Total Net Yards: Giants 170 – 323 Redskins Net Yards Rushing: Giants 84 – 122 Redskins Net Yards Passing: Giants 86 – 201 Redskins Time of Possession: Giants 25:23 – 34:37 Redskins Given the above stats, one can argue this win belongs to the defense. They snuffed most every effort New York gave. Eli Manning finished the night 13-of-27 for 113-yards, no touchdowns and an interception and a QB-rating of 44.2. He was sacked 4-times and hit 7. The Giants leading rusher was Wayne Gallman, who finished with 37-yards on 9-carries. Tavarres King logged 36-yards on 4 catches to lead Giants receivers. Conversely, the Redskins offence was much more effective. Kirk Cousins finished the game 19-of-31 for 242-yards, 2-touchdowns and an interception (pick-6) with a QB-rating of 93.8 “That touchdown throw to [Jamison] Crowder for the touchdown was one of the best he’s thrown all year,” said Redskins head coach Jay Gruden, who praised Cousins’ play in general on the night. Samaje Perine logged 100-yards rushing on 24-carries, his second 100-yard outing in as many weeks. He also added 30-yards on four catches to finish second among the receivers. Crowder was easily offensive MVP for the Redskins, posting 7-catches for 141-yards and a touchdown. His 38-yard grab in the 2nd half acted to spark an otherwise anemic offense up to that point. Josh Doctson showed another step forward, bringing in the 4th-quarter touchdown on a deep out with 3:34 remaining. Washington needed this game to remain in any conversation that includes playoffs. As we said above, the Redskins were not world-beaters tonight. But they played well-enough to win to keep their hopes alive. At 5-6, Washington is once again considered in the hunt for the playoffs. They share this record with next week’s opponents; the Dallas Cowboys, who hold a tiebreak over the Redskins thanks to a win at FedEx Field week 8. A win for Washington next week may have people starting to believe. And that’s the thing: despite the heartbreaking losses, the sweep at the hands of Philadelphia, the Redskins still have a darn good chance at a postseason run. If they win. Everything hinges on victory for Washington. They have a full week to prepare for at Dallas one week from tonight on Thursday Night Football. On the other side of next week’s game are match-ups verses the LA Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, and Denver Broncos before facing this Giants team again in New York. Bottom-line, they have to win. And they have to do so with the same banged-up team they have tonight. But we have gotten ahead of ourselves. Let’s take 24 and enjoy the win. See you next home game…
  14. Greetings my friends, JimmiJo here and I am joined by my partner, Spaceman Spiff. Together we bring you the sights and sounds from today's matchup between the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings. So what think ye of today's game? For me, this game has letdown written all over it. The Vikings have a reputed front-seven, the sort that stuffs run-games and pressures quarterbacks. A week ago I would have told you quarterback Kirk Cousins does not do well with pressure. That was before his heroics in Seattle, architecting two magnificent throws to set-up the game-winning touchdown. But let's pause a moment and pay homage to the defense. If the defense we witnessed against the Seahawks shoe up today - the Redskins will be in this until the end. Need more offense than we saw last week. And that is the key; a balanced offense that creates scoring opportunities. Hold the ball so the defense can rest. The offensive line is returned, and that means more goods things. Inactives LANDOVER, Md. – The Washington Redskins have announced the following inactives and lineup changes for today’s game against the Minnesota Vikings: The Redskins declared the following players as inactive: o No. 35 S Montae Nicholson o No. 60 G Arie Kouandjio o No. 66 OL Tony Bergstrom o No. 83 WR Brian Quick o No. 84 TE Niles Paul o No. 86 TE Jordan Reed o No. 98 DL Matt Ioannidis No. 23 DeAngelo Hall is expected to start in place of Nicholson at safety. No. 85 Vernon Davis is expected to start in place of Reed at tight end. No. 97 Terrell McClain is expected to start in place of Ioannidis at defensive end. NO. PLAYER POS HT WT AGE EXP. COLLEGE 13 Maurice Harris WR 6-3 200 25 2 California 63 Brandon Banks DL 6-3 267 23 R Charlotte The Vikings declared the following players as inactive: o No. 1 QB Kyle Sloter o No. 13 WR Stacy Coley o No. 31 RB Mack Brown o No. 74 T Mike Remmers o No. 75 G Jeremiah Sirles o No. 90 DE Tashawn Bower o No. 97 DE Everson Griffen Stand by Follow along in-game on Twitter @Skinscast. Here we go... Half Scrapped the whole Halftime writeup because of the dramatic events to end the half. Thanks to the ill-timed interception by Kirk Cousins, the Vikings scored 2-touchdowns in a few minutes and now lead by 11. Oh yea and they get the ball to start the half. The Redskins are not built to come back from big deficits. JimmiJo Consider this. The Washington Redskins scored 30-points today. The most they have scored all year. So I think we can say it wasn’t the offense that let them down. Although, when you drill down and consider situation circumstances you have to say it contributed. Actually you have to say Kirk Cousins really contributed. Late in the first half, with a manageable score of 21-17 Vikings; it all came undone. Cousins threw an interception to Mackenzie Alexander who returned it to the Redskins’ 23. A few plays later Minnesota went up 28-17. Then to start the second-half they scored again to make it 35-17. “I had a lot of trash at my feet and couldn’t get set,” he said concerning the pick. “I had trash around my feet all day.” Cousins said as a result of not planting correctly, the ball sailed a foot above the receivers’ hands. Following the 5-minute disastrous period to end the half and start the next, Washington were able to stop the bleeding. They did so mostly on the back of safety D.J. Swearinger, who managed two interceptions. The first was on an errant pass by Vikings’ quarterback Case Kennum, whose errant pass sailed into Swearinger’s arms. The second pick occurred when Swearinger jumped a route on the sideline and returned it to the 2-yard line of Minnesota (nearly fumbling it out of the end zone along the way). The turnovers lead to 10-unanswered points that put Washington back in business, trailing by a single score and 2-point conversion; 35-27, with 14:47 remaining in the 4th quarter. But then the Vikings went on a 13-play, 7:15-consuming drive that ended with former Redskins’ Kai Forbath kicking a 53-yard field goal to put Minnesota up 38-27 with just over 7-minutes remaining. Washington still managed to claw back to a single-score game at 38-30, but in the end an errant on-side kick by Nick Rose sealed the Redskins’ fate (if you want a chuckle listen to me interviewing Rose postgame – I think I managed to annoy him within 30-seconds). Statistically, this game was very close except for two key areas; 3rd-down efficiency and Red Zone efficiency: - 3rd-down efficiency – Vikings 8-for-12 for 67-percent and Redskins 5-for-14 for 36-percent - Red Zone Efficiency – Vikings 5-for-5 for 100-percent / Redskins 2-for-4 for 50-percent I asked head coach Jay Gruden about how much they work on these and he admitted they do practice these. He also acknowledged how important these are within a game. But the loss was more than just the stats. For significant portions of the game the Vikings had their way with the Redskins’ defense. They exploited Washington’s secondary for big pass-plays much of the game. Minnesota had four plays of 35-yards or more. They racked up over 400-total yards on Washington, with 102 on the ground. What looked like the strength of the team in Seattle turned into the weakness this week as corner Josh Norman and Baushad Breeland were beaten soundly. And though they were playing a relatively inexperienced quarterback in Case Keenum, he posted 304-yards passing and was never once sacked. I asked Cousins following the game about how he views the team’s current situation. Though there is a lot of football still to be played, I said, is the fact that other teams in the division are running away from Washington cause a higher sense of desperation for the team? “I don’t look at things that way,” he explained. “I focus only on the next opponent and always have a high level of urgency. So when you say desperate I would have to say no…”
  15. This is called the "I'm late as hell" write-up. My name is JimmiJo and I will be joined by someone to bring you this most critical NFC East matchup between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. My thoughts? Just because they are due a win doesn't mean Washington get one. Look at the injuries and what the Cowboys are capable of and you have to come to the conclusion that a win today is going to have be earned. And then some. Then too the weather favors the team with the better running game. Time to jam to the stadium. See you before kickoff. Inactives: CB Bashaud Breeland TE Jeremy Sprinkle G Brandon Scherff T Trent Williams T Ty Nsekhe C Spencer Long WR Brian Quick 1st Quarter Finally got to the stadium. 10-7 as I type. So far typical Redskins v Cowboys; turnovers, big plays, and lot's of fun. Talk soom JimmiJo (first draft)\ “You’re blowing it kid!” I remember Angelou Dundee yelling this at Sugar Ray Leonard in the corner during a championship fight. I felt like doing the same thing to head coach Jay Gruden tonight. I asked him about adjustments; how and when they are done. From my perch in the press box it seems like teams seem to make adjustments that the Redskins don’t seem to react well to. As a result, Washington jumps out to leads that, over the course of the game gets chipped away, then overcome, then vanquished. He brought me down to earth by reminded us that because of injuries he is working with players who, in some cases, literally arrived in the last few days. The litany of injuries this past month are staggering. It is a struggle to think of a time when a team suffered so many injuries and flourished. Still, this is the NFL and the teams that best accommodate injuries are the teams playing in February. And I can’t help but feeling the season is getting away from this team. This is a far cry from how I was feeling just a few 2-3 weeks ago. Then Washington was vying for a share of the lead in the division. Now, they sit in a firm third place and a trip to Seattle next week. And more and more injuries. My other observation is Kirk Cousins struggles to perform with pressure. I get that he has been dealing with a line held together with masking tape. But the difference between him and a guy like Carson Wentz last week was stark. And for the first time since he became the starter, I am starting to believe it may be time to move on. It would be great to have pristine conditions where he can light it up – but that is rarely going t happen. More in a bit…
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