JimmiJo

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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?

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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…

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…”

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…

Trapped Hello my friends. JimmiJo here. I am joined by my partner; Spaceman Spiff. Together we will bring you the sights and sounds of today's match between the Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers. This game has all the markings of the classic 'trap' game. The Washington Redskins are hosted an 0-5 San Francisco 49ers; a squad desperate for a win. The Redskins don't fare well is such games, if history if any game. No, not actual history; but history according to Pappas. I remember witnessing an 0-5 Titans leave with a win. I recall Washington allowing Detroit, who were hosting 18-straight losses, to get well. Bingo! But we must consider this Redskins' team is a different deal. These guys are playing with an attitude. Having Josh Norman out hurts. But it looks like Trent Williams is active and we will see if he starts (betcha he does). Stand by... Inactives The Redskins declared the following players as inactive: o No. 20 RB Rob Kelley o No. 22 S Deshazor Everett o No. 24 CB Josh Norman o No. 40 LB Josh Harvey-Clemons o No. 72 DL Anthony Lanier II o No. 79 T Ty Nsekhe o No. 87 TE Jeremy Sprinkle No. 25 Chris Thompson is expected to start in place of Kelley at running back. No. 35 Montae Nicholson is expected to start in place of Everett at safety. No. 47 Quinton Dunbar is expected to start in place of Norman at cornerback. The 49ers declared the following players as inactive: o No. 10 WR Kendrick Bourne o No. 20 CB Leon Hall o No. 27 DB Dexter McCoil o No. 44 FB Kyle Juszczyk o No. 56 LB Reuben Foster o No. 62 OL Erik Magnuson o No. 97 LB Dekoda Watson Keys to the Game Punch them in the mouth early. Use the run to set up play-action. Disruptive pressure on defense. Win the turnover battle. Here's to a good game with no injuries. Follow along in-game on Twitter @Skinscast. Half Redskins are doing well, dominating all statistical categories. But the let down at the end of the game resulted in at least a 4-point giveaway. FOr the second straight game, individual players on the defense are finding ways to extend drive. Kirk Cousins finished the half 15-for-21 for 201-yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception and a 130.55 rating. For San Francisco, disarray is the word of the day. Brian Hoyer has been benched for C.J. Beathard, grandson to Bobby Beathard. Beathard just found a way to get 7 on the board. The 49ers get the ball to start the half. JimmiJo They just had to make it interesting. After a fairly domination first 28-minutes of the game, things changed for the Washington Redskins. Washington was holding a comfortable 17-0 lead when the San Francisco 49ers sent rookie quarterback C.J. Beathard in the game. All he did was march the team down for a touchdown at the end of the half. He then led a field goal drive to start the second half, and then a touchdown following Vernon Davis’ fumble. That tied the game tied at 17. Redskins fans were dismayed, but hardly surprised. Washington woke up in the fourth quarter; adding a field goal to go up three, and then another six on a Kirk Cousins read-option scamper. It was a bad omen when kicker Dustin Hopkins missed the extra point. Cousins finished the day 25-of-37 for 330-yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception with a quarterback rating of 102.3. Concern turned to nightmare when Beathard hit a wide open (and former Redskins receiver) Aldrick Robinson for a touchdown. Robinson was the beneficiary of a blown coverage that left him running free to the end zone, pulling San Francisco within 2. The niners would get another chance with under 2-minutes to play. Lacking timeouts, they made a run for it; advancing the ball to midfield before a penalties and dropped balls started to catch up to them. On the final meaningful play of the game, Kendall Fuller reached up and grabbed the interception to put away the game. Head Coach Jay Gruden said after the game something to the effect that it is a good sign when a team is not too happy when they get a win. That guys would find stuff not to like about the game. One writer told me he thought this meant the team is maturing. I thought it meant that knew the 49ers stink and it should never have been so close. There was plenty not to like about this game. Surrendering a 17-point lead. Stupid personal fouls to give up first downs. Horrendous officiating. And once again, injuries. Bashaud Breelend is going to an MRI tomorrow to discover the extent of his knee problems. Gruden said Breeland will have an MRI Monday. Defensive Lineman Jonathan Allen suffered a foot-sprain. Montae Nicholson has a shoulder injury. Stefan McClure a knee sprain and Fabian Moreau hamstring tightness. But a win is a win and Washington will take it as they get ready to travel to Philadelphia for a rematch with the Eagles. Washington amassed 419 total yards of offense this game. They had 325-net yards passing and 94-yards rushing, with 6-different rushers used. Chris Thompson led all backs with 33 yards. Thompson finished the day as the leading receiver for the Redskins, totaling 105 yards on 4-receptions. He led a field of 9 different receivers. Washington’s defense finished the day with 3 sacks and 1 interception. Next week Washington faces division-leading Philadelphia Eagles at their place. This is a rematch of the Week 1 loss suffered at FedEx Field. They play Monday night. We will see you for the next home game.

VICTORY!!! Redskins 27 - 10 Raiders JimmiJo Greetings good people. JimmiJo here and I am joined by the partner of my youth, TheMurf. We have joined forces to bring to you the sights & sounds of this evening's primetime matchup between the Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders. The Raiders are a good squad. The crowd walking in told me as much - a more than healthy portion of silver and black accompanied me up the hill to FedEx Field. I was encouraged by the Redskins' performance last week against the Rams. But this Oakland team is a different kettle of fish altogether. If Oakland grabs an early lead on Washington (typical of nationally televised night games the Redskins play in), they could be sunk early. The Raiders enter this match ranked 5th-overall in offense; 3rd in scoring, 4th in rushing but only 14th in passing. The Redskins on the other hand are 7th in rush-defense but 26th in passing. Based on these. I am wondering if the Raiders might just be a good matchup? Oakland is 8th in pass-defense and 18th in run-defense. Beyond these, Washington's offense is not what we were seeing last season. There has been a significant dropoff since the departure of DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon. Kirk Cousins has yet to find his rhythm and the great rushing last week may have been an aberation. My thoughts? Be nervous. Murf Hello friends, for the first time during the 2017 season I am reunited with my brother from another moth, JimmiJo, and it feels so good. As always, he will be holding things down in the press box while I patrol the sidelines. Although I covered last week's win in Los Angeles, it's crazy how much has happened on and off the field in the last seven days. As the team headed back to the East Coast, the biggest topic was the sheer number of injuries to several core players -- including tight end Jordan Reed, inside linebacker Mason Foster, running back Rob Kelley and a slew of others. Before coach Jay Gruden could even provide an update on his army of walking wounded, the story became the "will he or won't he return" saga of safety Sua Cravens, which ended with the team shutting him down and the second-year player handing out a hundred or so free jerseys to Redskins fans. Just when things got quiet in our nation's capital, the president of the United States decided to weigh in on football players who choose to peacefully protest, which, in an amazing turn of events, has made every single performance of the national anthem at an NFL stadium must-see TV. So far today, players across the league have locked arms, taken a knee or simply refused to take the field until the conclusion of the anthem. It's safe to assume that the action of the Redskins and Raiders during tonight's national anthem, in the stadium closest to our nation's capital, will be of interest to many across the country. Once we get through that, hopefully everyone can settle down for another enjoyable encounter. After laying an egg against Philadelphia Week 1, the Redskins looked much better running up and down the field versus the Rams. Even if Kelley can't play this evening, I would hope that Gruden and company continue to emphasize the ground game. And if Reed can't go, it's at least nice to know a capable veteran like Vernon Davis is more than ready to step in and step up. On defense, the Redskins have the unenviable task of trying to contain one of the league's best offenses. Quarterback Derek Carr, running back Marshall Lynch and receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree are about as good as it gets, and could easily put up 40 points tonight if Washington comes out flat, like they've been known to do on primetime games over the last decade. In order to have any chance at a victory, the Redskins are going to need a strong outing from quarterback Kirk Cousins. As much as it might be a copout to spotlight the man behind center, this team simply cannot defeat Oakland if Cousins turns in another forgettable performance. As he goes, so too will the rest of the offense. On defense, I'll be watching Bashaud Breeland. Regardless of whether he lines up against Cooper or Crabtree, he's going to have his toughest matchup of the season. If Breeland shines, then the burgundy and gold faithful just might go to sleep celebrating a D.C. rarity -- a primetime win. - murf Inactives The Redskins declared the following players as inactive: o No. 20 RB Rob Kelley o No. 38 CB Joshua Holsey o No. 54 LB Mason Foster o No. 68 G Tyler Catalina o No. 69 T T.J. Clemmings o No. 72 DL Anthony Lanier II o No. 86 TE Jordan Reed No. 32 Samaje Perine is expected to start in place of Kelley at running back. No. 51 Will Compton is expected to start in place of Foster at linebacker. No. 85 Vernon Davis is expected to start in place of Reed at tight end. The Raiders declared the following players as inactive: o No. 18 QB Connor Cook o No. 23 CB Dexter McDonald o No. 41 S Erik Harris o No. 69 T Jylan Ware o No. 71 T David Sharpe o No. 75 DT Darius Latham o No. 95 DL Jihad Ward Kickoff Here's to a good game with no injuries. PLEASE surprise me #Redskins. Follow along live on Twitter @Skinscast. Murf can be found @HomerMcFanboy Half Twelve seasons covering this team and I still don't know jack. Washington came up with something to say. I loved every minute until the fiasco at the end of the half. Why do I think that's coming back to haunt them? Perhaps they can march down and score to start the 2nd-half and make me feel better. But so far, total domination: Total net yard - #Redskins 223 - 47 #Raiders First downs - Redskins 11 - 2 Raiders Time of Possession - Redskins 20:20 - 9:40 Raiders See ya soon... JimmiJo So that’s not something you see everyday. The Washington Redskins demolished the Oakland Raiders at FedEx Field in front of an announced crowd of 77,123, a quarter of whom probably showed up in black and silver. They left black and blue. Washington put as complete a beating on Oakland as you are apt to see. Take away a couple of gift-turnovers in the red zone and the Redskins are pitching a shutout. The game was never as close as the score. Case-in-point – Oakland went 0-for-11 in third down conversions. I don’t think I’ve seen that before. A skim of the stats tell you how lopsided the affair was: Oakland / Washington Total First Downs 7 Total First Downs 18 Third Down Efficiency 0/11 - 0% Third Down Efficiency 7/15 - 46% Total Net Yards 128 Total Net Yards 472 Average Gain per Offensive Play 2.7 Average Gain per Offensive Play 7.3 Net Yards Rushing 32 Net Yards Rushing 116 Net Yards Passing 96 Net Yards Passing 356 Times Sacked (Number-Yards) 4 - 22 Times Sacked (Number-Yards) 1 - 9 Pass Comp-Att-Int 19 - 31 - 2 Pass Comp-Att-Int 25 - 30 - 0 Average Gain per Passing Play (includes Sacks) 2.7 Average Gain per Passing Play (includes Sacks) 11.5 Penalties (Number-Yards) 4 - 35 Penalties (Number-Yards) 10 - 77 Fumbles (Number-Lost) 1 - 1 Fumbles (Number-Lost) 2 - 2 Touchdowns 1 Touchdowns 3 Field Goals (Made-Attempted) 1 - 1 Field Goals (Made-Attempted) 2 - 3 Time of Possession 21:54 Time of Possession 38:06 The Redskins defense were the stars of the night, snuffing out every chance of life from the Raiders. Oakland’s big guns shot blanks, with players like Marshawn Lynch, Michael Crabtree, and Derrick Carr looking ordinary at best. Lynch tallied only 18-yards on 6-carries. Crabtree a paltry 1-reception for 7-yards, and Derrick Carr logging but 19-completes on 32-attempts for 118-yards, with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions, with a passer rating of 52.9. Washington’s offense on the other hand, featured some key-performers and include guys that opposing defenses are going to have to gameplan for. One such is Chris Thompson. All the dude does in rack-up all -purpose yards and score touchdowns. Tonight he logged 150-yards thru the air with 6-catches (to lead all receivers) while scoring a touchdown. Vernon Davis shows there is not much drop-off from Jordan Reed, as he brought in 5-receptions for 58-yards and a touchdown. Jamison Crowder was the only wideout to crack the top three, logging 52-yards on 6-catches. But game ball on offense has to belong to Kirk Cousins. Cousins threw 25-for-30 for 365-yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions to finish with a passer-rating of 150.7. I asked Cousins if this is offense starting to “click” and he answered to say he doesn’t think in terms of overall big picture but rather about the individual plays and what opportunities were presented to him. Fair enough. But the bomb to Josh Doctson said plenty about this emerging offense. Cousins aired the ball out to give Doctson a chance at a jump ball. That’s exactly what happened, with Doctson going high to literally take the ball out of the defender’s arms and waltzed into the end zone. Washington rang-up 472-yards on a team who pregame, people were considering a possible Super Bowl prospect. After tonight, the good people of Oakland are probably sending letters to the mayor of Las Vegas, asking if the Raiders can come early. I was curious last week to see if the performance in Los Angeles was a fluke. I believe the answer I am searching for is; “Hell no!” Next week presents a real opportunity for Washington. Go to Kansas City and beat that team and people will talk about the Redskins as a real contender for post season action. Game Book - 2017 Season Week 3 Redskins vs Raiders 2017 Week 3 Raiders at Redskins - Post Game Audio

Philadelphia 30 - 17 Washington It's a late hello to all my friends. I am JimmiJo and I am joined by my partner; Spaceman Spiff. Together we will bring you the sights and sounds of today's game. I love the first game of the year. It is full of promise and expectancy. All records are even and this is where we begin to define the legacy. So what to expect from this game and this team? For the first time in a long time I am not sure what to expect. I don't think we saw anything like the real team in preseason. Then too, I think we did witness some of the shortcomings: - New receiving corps has brought the challenge of working with a QB on timing and anticipation - The run game continues to be a riddle head coach Jay Gruden cannot solve. This has been the case since he arrived. - And what of the defense? There is talent more so than we have seen for some time. Let's hope that talent can gel into a cohesive unit. So late start, let me get going here. Stand by... Inactives - 34 Mack Brown - 38 Joshua Holsey - 40 Josh Harvey-Clemmons - 68 Tyler Catalina - 69 T.J. Clemmons - 72 Anthony Lanier II - 87 Jeremy Sprinkle Kickoff Color me nervous. Half All the bad stuff I feared happened in that half. Turnovers. Anemic offense. Lack of preparedness. Philadelphia jumping out to a lead. But then something happened. Opportune plays. Mistakes by Eagles, and the offense finally woke up. We have a game folks. JimmiJo You didn’t have to watch the game to know who won. A quick glance at the stats tells the story: - First Downs Eagles 19 – 16 Redskins - Third Down Efficiency Eagles 8/14 57% - Redskins 3/11 27% - Total Net Yards Eagles 356 – Redskins 264 - Fumbles/Lost Eagles 1-1 – Redskins 3-3 - Touchdowns 3 – Redskins 2 - Field Goals Eagles 3-3 – Redskins 1-1 - Time of Possession Eagles 34:16 – Redskins 25:44 It was a game of catch up from the start. Washington’s offense could not get in gear at first. Except for a few drives it never really did. Meanwhile Philadelphia scored on their opening drive. Two drives later, the Eagles took advantage of a muffed Redskins’ punt to match down and score again. A missed extra point made things interesting for a time. Kirk Cousins did little to justify a shiny new contract. He finished the day 23/40 for 240-yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception and a passer rating of 72.9. His accuracy was poor. He often threw over the receivers, or behind them. The pick at the end of the game was unforgivable. Cousins said after the game he was trying to lead Terrell Pryor III to a spot which was never going to amount to anything. The rushing attack did little to help. Washington amassed 64-yards rushing. Rob Kelley logged 30-yards on 10-carries. Cousins contributed, rushing for 30-yards on 4-carries. The Redskins will need help from the backs if this is going to work. Washington’s defense was the highlight for the Redskins. They pressured Carson Wentz throughout the game. Wentz was sacked twice, hit nine times and with four tackles-for-loss. But it was the busted plays that got Washington in hot water. The first touchdown was on a busted play. So was the big conversion for first down with just over 8-minutes to go. But the defense did enough to allow the Redskins to hang around. So much so that it looked like the Redskins were set to take the lead again early in the fourth quarter. On third-and-six with Washington set to take the lead, Cousins overthrew Jamison Crowder and was picked at the goal line by Jalen Mills. On one play Washington when from at least a 1-point lead to watching the Eagles begin another march downfield. The Redskins’ defense would hold the Eagles on that drive. Ditto the one following. But Washington can only hold off bad luck for so long. The Eagles marched to the Redskins’ 20-yard line before stalling. They added a field foal to their 2-point lead to go up five at the two minute warning. Washington began their drive at their own 25. On 2nd and 3, Cousins was hit, then appear to have the ball knocked out of his hand by Fletcher Cox, who then picked up the ball and took it in the end zone for the score. Reviews of the play showed Cousins was going forward to throw. The referees saw it different however and upheld the call, making it 30-17, which is how the game ended. Anyone who watched the Redskins’ preseason had concerns about this game. Washington lacked urgency throughout the preseason. They had very little time together as a unit before today, and it showed. I was concerned when I realized both the number 1 and 2 receivers were leaving the team. Today I believe we saw that lack of chemistry and timing. The good news is time should produce a better product. Until then however, we are going to have to suffer through an inconsistent offense and our share of losses. I had a fabulous time today, though I was not able to get audio beyong the coach and Cousins. I will see you for the next home game. Hail.

ES Coverage: Redskins @ Ravens 08/10/17 DEFEAT Ravens 23 - 3 Redskins Welcome my friends to another season of Washington Redskins Football (queue applause)! I can think of no better person to kick off this season than me, JimmiJo. Along for the launch is my partner; Spaceman Spiff. In our time together we have inadvertently glanced at more NFL locker room manhood than is acceptable in polite company. All that aside, we will do our best to bring you the sights and sounds of tonight's action. Story line for me is how the offense will look with new 1st and 2nd receivers, running backs, and tight end. Is this offense plug-and-play enough to swap out arguably the two most important pieces and keep on going? We will start to see tonight. And then there's the defense. How will a Greg Manusky defense perform? Likely we won't see anything like a defensive game plan. All eyes will be looking to see good execution in a bland scheme. Let me take this first preseason game and get this out of the way: - I believe this to be Kirk Cousins. Blame it on irreconcilable differences. From afar it appears Cousins never got over what he thought a pauper-offer his first year of free agency. Can Washington throw enough money at him, or be willing to do this dance again to kick keep him? Hard to see but I am wrong all the time. Just ask my ex-wife. - The question will then become whether you keep Jay Gruden to develop the next guy? Survey says; depends on how the season plays out. Gonna be fun to watch. Season record; a very generous 9-7 trying to eek into the playoffs. Most of you are smarter than me so I will look to see what you say. In the meantime it is time for some free food. Stand by... Kickoff The teams are taking the field ahead of the National Anthem and then kickoff. Here's to good running, passing, scoring, tackling, and no injuries. Talk to you at halftime. Follow in-game on Twitter @Skinscast. Half Wow that was bad. The Washington Redskins appear unprepared and uninspired. I hope the coaches see something good on tape to look at, cause from here in the press box I am not sure there was much. Not that the Ravens were much better. But they did enough to keep the chains moving. Their own difficulties limited points, but did not prevent them. The game's highlight was the Ravens' 59-yard field goal to end the half. Baltimore 13 - 0 Washington JimmiJo There really isn’t much to say about the game. At least, not for the Washington Redskins. They came out flat, and got worse as it went. In fairness the starters only played six plays. But to be precise, the Redskins offense accomplished very little between the two drives. Kirk Cousins went 1-2 for 5-yards over the span. Anything he thought he was going to do was thwarted by the pressure from Baltimore. After Cousins, the offensive highlight belonged to Vernon Davis, who pulled in a 31-yard grab later in the night. Washington started poorly, and the second-teamers were every bit as bad. But for a single drive to start the fourth quarter that resulted in 3-points; there was very little of note. Unless you count the inability to sustain drives, ill-timed turnovers and big-plays surrendered. The worst part is that no questions were answered. We don’t know if the offense will function with the new receiving corps. At least, as it did with the old. We don’t know if the defense is an improved with the new coordinator. We don’t know if the run-game is any better. Ditto play-calling. We do know what we saw was not particularly good. In the old days a coach like Joe Gibbs would use a performance like this to bludgeon and then inspire the team to respond. Then again, it is only the preseason. Many a rotten-egg game 1 of the preseason has turned into a more respectable affair later on. That said – there just isn’t much talk about or takeaway from this one. Your reporters had a terrific time however. Click here for the ES photos from this game. Click here to download a copy of this game's Game Book.

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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.

Defeat!!! Panthers 26 - 15 Redskins Hello everybody, JimmiJo here. I am joined by my partner of the ages; TheMurf, and together we will bring you the goings-on for tonight's matchup featuring the Washington Redskins versus the Carolina Panthers. After a few weeks in the wilderness, the Redskins again control their destiny. As I type they are the 6th and final seed for the NFC playoffs. They need to win tonight to secure the position, at least for this week. For the record, a loss doesn't mean they cannot still get in, but it hands their fate to someone else, again. The bookies have the Redskins favored by 7. And while that's encouraging in that vegas usually knows what they are doing; a voice inside reminds of Washington's dismal prime-time performances, at least since I've been covering since 2006. That said I feel good about the Redskins' chances. They know how important this is. They also have a kick-ass offense. On the flip-side Carolina has had a poor season and are likely looking forward to getting it behind them in order to begin working on next. This doesn't mean they wouldn't love to shine on national TV. And there is the thing called pride. So I am not expecting a capitulation prior to kickoff. But a good punch in the mouth should be enough to convince them it's just not worth it. Except for the reality that is Washington's defense. The technical term for how they are playing lately is; "sucks." But they have been opportunistic and a turnover can help put this one away. Here's to a good match. Photos http://es.redskins.com/gallery/album/57-2016-week-15-panthers-at-redskins/ Audio Inactives Washington - Nate Sudfield - Rashad Ross - Matt Jones - Su'a Cravens - Will Compton - Vinston Painter - Kory Lichtensteiger Carolina - Cameron Artis-Payne - Jeremy Cash - Luke Kuechly - Daryl Williams - Chris Manhertz - Paul Soliai - Charles Johnson Final Pregame Thoughts There is a healthy dose of skepticism towards the Redskins among the handful of beat-reporters I spoke with. These people are not haters, but are taking the poor performance of Washington's defense along with the front-seven of Carolina into consideration. That said I still believe (which is not really worth much). I think the notion of controlling their own destiny is too much to let slip. I guess we will see shortly. Please follow-along in-game at Twitter @Skinscast. Murf is @HomerMcFanboy See you at the half... Half After the Cousins' pick I expected Carolina to score another TD and for the game to be over. Somehow a roughing non-call coupled with a taunting call on Cam Newton acted as the big momentum switch Washington needed to get things going. A touchdown drive later and we have a 4-point game with the Redskins getting the ball to start the 2nd half. The Panthers missed a chance to put the Redskins away. Now it is anyone's game. See you after... JimmiJo Turnovers. Tackling. Time of possession. Sometimes it is just not your night. The Washington Redskins lost to the Carolina Panthers, 26-15 to jeopardize their playoff chances with two games remaining on the season. In tonight’s loss Washington struggled in the one area they have been most consistent this year; the offense. Interceptions and fumbles. Poor throws and drops. Anemic on third down and inept when rushing. It added up to an inconsistent outing. But the Redskins also struggled in the one area you would expect; the defense. Whether it was giving up big runs to Jonathan Stewart, or big throws to Greg Olson and Ted Ginn. Washington allowed a 30-plus yard scamper on 3rd-and-1. Not to be left-out, teams contributed their own let-downs, providing poor starting field position, and allowing big returns from the Panthers’ return men. These added up to Washington once again on the outside looking in for a playoff berth, needing help from someone to get back into contention. Talk about a missed opportunity. Dallas’ victory over Tampa Bay gave the Redskins something they sorely desired; control of their destiny. Yet they played as if they couldn’t wait to squander the chance. Carolina’s first-half drives went field goal, punt, touchdown, field goal, punt, punt. The Redskins conversely, went punt, field goal, interception, punt, touchdown, punt. The score was 13-9 in favor of Carolina at the half with Washington scheduled to receive the 2nd half kickoff. Will Blackmon returned Washington’s ball to only their 14 to start the 3rd quarter. And on first down, Kirk Cousins was sacked with the Panthers recovering at the Redskins’ one yard-line. Two-plays later the Panthers scored their second touchdown. Washington would add only another field goal to their score while Carolina added a total of 10 to bring the 4th quarter score to 23-12. Worse than the score was the plays where Panther receivers were running free to big yards. Washington’s defense many times failed to account for a free receiver, or couldn’t stop Stewart running out of the backfield. The Redskins did have opportunities. When Carolina kicker Graham Gano missed a field goal with just over 6-minutes to go, Washington had the ball and enough time to overcome an 11-point deficit. They marched down to the Carolina 6, but an illegal use of hands against Morgan Moses put them back to the 16 on third down. Chris Thompson dropped the ensuing pass attempt, which brought out Dustin Hopkins to kick a 34-yard field goal. Down 8 with 3:44 remaining, The Redskins decided to kick off and rely on their defense to provide another drive opportunity. Instead Jonathan Stewart ran the 1st down hand off 34-yards to the Redskins’ 36. Two plays later, another 10-yard scamper from Stewart. Ahead 23-15 and at the Washington 23-yard line, Carolina looked to put the game on-ice with a Gano field goal at the two-minute warning. He did. Cam Newton ended the night 21/37 for 300-yards and 2 touchdowns with a passer rating of 101.1. Kirk Cousins completed 32/47 for 316-yards and 1 interception for a rating of 77.96. Washington is now 7-6-1 on the season.

VICTORY!!! Redskins 42 - 24 Packers JimmiJo Hello Brothers & Sisters, and welcome to another edition of Washington Redskins football. Tonight's episode features the Redskins hosting the Green Bay Packers. My name is JimmiJo, and together with my partner of the ages, TheMurf, will bring you tonight's action. The last time these teams met was in January in the the playoffs. Then, Green Bay left winners. Here's hoping it goes different tonight. At 5-3-1, it is difficult to convince some that tonight's game is 'must-win.' But it is, given the state of the division. Despite the winning record, Washington sits at only third in the NFC East. And a win tonight will do nothing more than allow them to maintain the same position. But they must win to avoid last place and keep abreast of second-place 7-3 New York Giants. Meanwhile the Dallas Cowboys are running away with the division and league. Their 9-1 record is good for first in the NFC East and best in the NFL. The success (or lack thereof) of Washington's season rests on the next five days. Win tonight to stay three back of the Cowboys and a half-game behind the Giants; and then a chance Thursday to beat Dallas to gain a game and stop their momentum. But no sense in looking ahead. If the Redskins don't win tonight, a victory Thursday will benefit New York as much if not more than Washington. This is a winnable game for the Redskins. But not a definite. The Packers have been inconsistent, as their 4-5 record attests. But they can still do some damage. Green Bay come in ranked 14th in offense, compared to Washington's 4th overall. But they own the 10th-ranked defense (meanwhile the Redskins defense ranks 21st). The Redskins need to bring a high degree of urgency and focus to this game. It is a nationally-televised night game, which usually means disaster for the Redskins. Hopefully the home field advantage will help their cause. We have been experiencing incredibly high winds in the region for the last 24-hours which are expected to persist until after midnight. The team that runs the ball better should have the edge. The Redskins rank 11th in rushing, better than the 19th-spot the Packers currently occupy. Keys to Victory - Run Forest Run! - Ball control that translates to long drives for scores - Containment defense that limits the big plays by the Packers - Pressure Aaron Rogers We are still about 2.5 hours away from kickoff. I will share any tidbits I come across. Twitter @HomerMcFanboy for Murf and @Skinscast for me Murf's Take I'm not going to lie -- as someone who has spent more than 21 years serving in and with the U.S. Army, it brings a smile to my face whenever I see an organization like the Washington Redskins go out of their way to recognize veterans and active duty service members. Clearly a primetime game against one of the NFL's most popular franchises was going to be a well attended game anyway, but making this game their "Salute to Service game," makes tonight's contest with the Green Bay Packers a little extra special, in my eyes at least. And honestly, if this game didn't feel exactly like last year's 35-18 playoff loss, we'd all be thrilled to catch Aaron Rodgers and friends right now. But I was on the sidelines when a supposedly vulnerable opponent limped into town and pistol-whipped the Redskins back in January and I'm not going to fall for that act again. So even though the Packers have looked like hot garbage for most of the season and they're giving up 35 or more points on seemingly a weekly basis now, I still refuse to underestimate them until Rodgers is no longer collecting an NFL paycheck. That being said, even though their record during primetime games over the last decade or so is downright abysmal, it's not as if the Redskins have no chance this evening. For starters, since Week 7 last season, Kirk Cousins has outplayed Rodgers. Don't believe me? Here are the numbers: Cousins has completed 69.5 percent of his passes while averaging 287.5 yards per game, throwing 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for a 106.2 quarterback rating. Rodgers has completed 60.1 percent of his passes while averaging 249.5 yards per game, throwing 38 touchdowns and 13 interceptions for a 87.7 quarterback rating. So while conventional wisdom tells you to take Rodgers over Cousins all day every day, the numbers show that Captain Kirk has been playing at an outstanding level for more than a year now. Tonight I fully expect tight end Jordan Reed to get back into the end zone too. He's been too quiet for a guy with such a ridiculous talent, so I fully expect him to get going against a beatable Green Bay defense. This is also the type of game I'd expect to see Jamison Crowder thrive in. His speed and elusiveness give defenders fits, and the Packers are pretty mediocre on the defensive side of things, so hopefully Crowder keeps his string of solid performances going. Finally, I'm thrilled that the Matt Jones era seems firmly behind us. Nothing that guy did ever gave me reason to believe he was anything more than "just a guy." Now that "Fat" Rob Kelley has taken over the primary running back duties, there's actually a reason for the playcallers to throw in a carry or two every now and then. On defense I want to see what else Sua' Cravens has in store for us all. The more he's on the field, the more chances he's got to make plays. Considering how much he's been able to impact things in his limited reps, I'm truly excited to see what else he can make happen out there. I'm also encouraged by Preston Smith's showing against Minnesota. He was too good last season to be so nonexistent this year, so it was nice to see him finally begin to make his presence felt once again. Finally, safety Duke Ihenacho has quietly been playing very well of late. I'm hoping to see his strong play rewarded with a turnover or impact play this evening. That's what I'm looking for tonight. Now I'm headed down to the field level to go freeze my tail off in hopes of getting some halfway decent photos for you guys. Inactives The Redskins declared the following players as inactive: o No. 2 QB Nate Sudfeld o No. 19 WR Rashad Ross o No. 31 RB Matt Jones o No. 57 LS Nick Sundberg o No. 68 T Blaine Clausell o No. 74 G Arie Kouandjio o No. 98 DE Matt Ioannidis On Saturday, the Redskins signed No. 59 LS Rick Lovato and waived No. 67 DL Jordan Hill. Lovato (6-2, 249) is a 24-year-old Old Dominion product who appeared in two regular season games and two postseason games for Green Bay last season. The Packers declared the following players as inactive: o No. 23 CB Damarious Randall o No. 32 RB Christine Michael o No. 47 LB Jake Ryan o No. 70 G T.J. Lang o No. 73 C/G JC Tretter o No. 91 LB Jayrone Elliott o No. 99 DT Christian Ringo Pregame Interesting pregame interview of Kirk Cousins with Bob Costas. Especially the post-interview comments. Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison lavished Cousins with praise, saying he should be in Washington for a long time. But in truth I am not sure the Redskins front office is totally sold on Cousins, even now. I get the sense they may feel there is something better on the horizon, though I am not sure what else they expect him to show, or who else is out there? I am not much on college ball so perhaps someone can tell me if the upcoming quarterback class is a good one. Cousins currently ranks 7th among active quarterbacks. He has thrown 14-touchdowns against only 7-interceptions. He has a 66.9-percent completion percentage on the year for a 94.8 QB rating. Best of all, they seem to win when he plays. Maybe it's a head game to keep Cousins grounded. But I have to believe he is the quarterback of the future here. Here's to a good game, with no injuries. Talk to you at the half Half Redskins should be up big here. But thanks to early drops by DeSean Jackson and Jordan Reed they spent the first quarter punting to each other. Also don't get the go-for-2 after the second TD. A four-point lead means they need a touchdown instead of a game-tying field goal. That said, the long snapper is out for this game so they are understandably nervous. Washington gets the ball to start the half, A touchdown drive should signal the beginning of the end for the Packers. And let me add - the Redskins are the better team tonight. Let's get this. Photos JimmiJo Could not have been more impressed with the Redskins tonight. Every time there was anything remotely resembling controversy, the Redskins came back and put their stamp on it. The Redskins whooped some monkey-ass. Don't believe me? Look at the stats: Kirk Cousins - 21/30 for 375-yards and 3 touchdowns for a qb rating of 145.83 (Not an misprint) Rob Kelley - 24 carries for 137 yards and 3 touchdowns (all-star numbers) Aaron Rogers 26/41 for 351-yards, 3 touchdowns and a QB rating of 114.9 Aaron Rogers - 3 for 33-yards and 0-touchdowns. And let's take a broader look Total Net Yards Redskins 515 - Packers 424 Rushing Redskins 151 - Packers 84 Passing Redskins 364 - Packers 340 First Downs Redskins 21 - Packers 19 3rd Down Efficiency Redskins 9/14 64% - Packers 7/15 46% Red Zone Redskins 4/5 80% - Packers 2/4 50% The Redskins won running away with this one. Not to say Green Bay wasn't here to play. Only that the Redskins were more than ready. What I most appreciated was Washington's refusal to capitulate to the Packers. Last year the Redskins would have folded a few times inside of this game. Instead the Redskins responded to each and every challenge. I was super impressed with Kirk Cousins tonight. Not sure what else he needs to do to earn a long-term contract, but tonight he did a lot to help himself. He was confident and effective. Take back a couple of obvious drops and his numbers look even better. It is getting more and more difficult to argue he should not get paid. As in the big bucks, Washington needed this win in the worst-way and they got it. But no matter how big tonight felt, it still only keeps the Redskins par with the rest of the NFC East. It does give them good momentum going to Dallas for Thanksgiving. Win that one and people will be talking. Excited for the win. Hope this carries over to Dallas. Let's go team! Audio

ES Coverage Redskins vs Vikings 11/13/16 VICTORY!!! Redskins 26 - 20 Vikings Photo by Spaceman Spiff Hello Brothers & Sisters! JimmiJo here, joined by Spaceman Spiff, and together we bring you ES coverage of today's match between the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings. The weather is picture perfect; a bright, clear fall day with temps in the high fifties. Probably low-sixties by kickoff. I see these teams as similar in stature, though not in circumstance. Minnesota is 5-3 and leading the NFC North, by virtue of bye-week and one fewer losses in the division (Detroit is 5-4). Washington is 4-3-1 and in third place in the NFC East. But in terms of overall quality I see both as near-equal. Minnesota has better offensive and defensive lines while Washington has much better skill-position players. The bookies see it the same way, with the Redskins getting the obligatory 2.5-points for home field. At the half-way point, this is a game Washington very much needs. It is important for them to stay within shooting range of the streaking Dallas Cowboys. That said, Washington has done ok by themselves in beating both New York and Philadelphia. All the Redskins need to do is play well and they will be relevant in December. I am hoping Washington enters this game with a high degree of urgency. Since I no longer cover the midweek open locker rooms, I cannot give you any feel I have for temperament. But they need to play as if their hair is on fire. This is a home game and the Redskins need to take full advantage of the crowd. I was surprised walking in by the number of Minnesota jerseys at the tailgates. But there will still be more Redskins fans and the team needs to keep them in it. Photo by Spaceman Spiff Keys to victory - Strike early - Washington needs to first-drive score to set the tempo. If they win the toss or if the Vikings defer, they need to take advantage and put Minnesota back right-away - Pressure - Sam Bradford is arguably the comeback player of the year so far. Washington needs to make sure he is uncomfortable from the opening whistle. Sacks. Hurries. Hits. They all work. - Limit the big play - Defensively, the Redskins need to force the Vikings into playing small-ball and not give up the big explosive plays on defense. - Turnovers - Get and don't give please Photo by Spaceman Spiff Inactives The Redskins declared the following players as inactive: o No. 2 QB Nate Sudfeld o No. 11 WR DeSean Jackson o No. 31 RB Matt Jones o No. 67 DL Jordan Hill o No. 68 T Blaine Clausell o No. 74 G Arie Kouandjio o No. 98 DE Matt Ioannidis No. 14 Ryan Grant is expected to start in place of Jackson at wide receiver. No. 32 Robert Kelley is expected to start in place of Jones at running back. On Saturday, the Redskins activated No. 89 TE Derek Carrier from the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list and waived No. 35 CB Dashaun Phillips. Carrier (6-4, 248) is a 26-year-old fourth-year veteran out of Beloit College. The Vikings declared the following players as inactive: o No. 6 QB Taylor Heinicke o No. 11 WR Laquon Treadwell o No. 24 CB Captain Munnerlyn o No. 35 CB Marcus Sherels o No. 64 G Willie Beavers o No. 67 G Zac Kerin o No. 73 DT Sharrif Floyd Team taking the fields and wearing throwbacks. You can follow-along in-game on Twitter @Skinscast See you at the half... Photo by Spaceman Spiff Half Penalties, turnovers, and giving up the big play. All the things we said they had to avoid. Let's hope the missed PAT comes back to haunt them... Photo by Spaceman Spiff JimmiJo I like the way this team does not fold when they get behind in a game. I asked Jamison Crowder how confident they were once the Vikings took the lead and he said very. There seems to be a belief about this offense that when they need a drive they can get one. That said; I'm not sure the same may be said about generating a touchdown instead of a field goal. Washington once again jumped out to a good lead scoring two to go 14-0. But as has been the case many times this year, they became lackadaisical and allowed the opponent to score thrice to get back in the game and take the lead. I asked head coach Jay Gruden if he ever tells the offense it would be nice to not be chewing on his nails at the end of a game. He said; "Yes, but they would find a way to make it interesting anyway." I also asked Gruden and Crowder about the sense of urgency coming in to this game. Both suggested from here on out they need to play with a high degree of urgency. Crowder said it seemed like a playoff atmosphere for the offense and that giving this is the back-half of the season - every game is a must-win deal. I tweeted in-game how I was unimpressed with the Minnesota offense. That was before they went 3-for-3 on touchdown drives to end the first half. Once again, it seemed as if in-game adjustments were favoring the opponents. But Washington appeared to make some of their own over the half and shut down the Vikings the rest of the way. The gem of a defensive effort was highlighted by Preston Smith's athletic interception of Sam Bradford late. Smith's momentum should have carried him past the ball, which was thrown behind him to a Minnesota receiver. Smith was able to reach back and tip the ball up to himself, then return the pick for 22-yards. Smith also led the team in sacks on the day, registering 2 in addition to 2 tackles and an additional 2 assists. Offensively, the Redskins posted another solid day. - Kirk Cousins went 22/33 for 262-yards, 2 touchdowns and a rating of 110.9. - Rob Kelley logged 97-yards on 22-attempts with a 4.4 yards-per-play average. - Pierre Garcon led receivers with 6-catches for 81-yards. - Jamison Crowder showed some skills with 4-catches for 37-yards and a touchdown. - Veteran tight end Vernon Davis pulled in 3 for 66-yards, none more important than the 38-yard touchdown pass from Cousins I wrote pregame I considered these to be two evenly matched teams. The statistics support this: First downs: Redskins 23 - 22 Vikings 3rd Down Efficiency: Redskins 6-12-50% - 5-11-45% Vikings Total Yards: Redskins 388 - 331 Vikings Rushing: Redskins 128-yards - 47-yards Vikings Passing: Redskins 260-yards - 284-yards Vikings Red Zone: Redskins 1-4 25% - 2-2 100% Vikings Time of Possession: Redskins 29:56 - 30:04 Vikings Bottom line is this was a game the Redskins had to have to stay current with the division. The Eagles beat a very good Atlanta today and Dallas in hanging in with Pittsburgh as I type. Washington does not have the luxury of letting games slide. The Redskins face a struggling Green Bay Packers next Sunday in another home game they really need to win. The way Washington has been playing (and the way the Packers have been reeling) you feel like it is one the Redskins can win. But it is a night game and Washington historically has been that side struggling teams get better on. Either way, I will once again be with you to witness the action. Redskins win. Time to celebrate. Photo by Spaceman Spiff POST GAME AUDIO Coach Gruden and Jamison Crowder and Donte Whitner Preston Smith EXCLUSIVE EXTREMESKINS GAME DAY PHOTOS ES Photo Gallery

10/9/16 VICTORY Redskins 16 - 10 Ravens Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, friends and countrymen, we are once again gathered to witness the spectacle that is Washington Redskins football. My name is JimmiJo, and along with Spaceman Spiff, will bring you the sites and sounds behind the curtains of today's game. Washington comes in on a roll, the winner of two straight. After stumbling out of the gate with a decisive whoopin' at the hands of Pittsburgh, and then squandering an obvious opportunity for victory versus Dallas, the Redskins pulled off a big win in New York and followed that up with home win against Cleveland. But this Baltimore Ravens team is another bird entirely (see what I did there?). Baltimore features the number one defense in the NFL, where they allow a stingy 256-yards per game. They are ranked third in passing defense and fifth in rushing. And in scoring defense they are eighth. Baltimore will bring this defense to bear against the Redskins' eighth-ranked overall offense in the league. Washington ranks fifth in passing offense, 20th in rushing, and 12th in scoring. If you don't mind, I would rather not discuss the Redskins' 29th-ranked defense... So is this a game Washington can win? Yes, but they have to be solid in most every area. Offensively, Washington's attack has to be balanced, meaning mixing a successful run-game in with their potent passing game. Defensively, the Redskins need to get pressure on Joe Flacco and limit the big play. And they absolutely need to do a better job on third down defense. Theirs currently ranks last on the planet. For most teams such a prescription would be a tall-order for an away-game. But Washington showed in New York they are not intimidated playing on the road. What say you? Do the Redskins have a chance? What are you keys to success? Discuss among yourselves and I will be back shortly. Stand by... INACTIVES The Redskins declared the following players as inactive: o No. 2 QB Nate Sudfeld o No. 18 WR Josh Doctson o No. 26 CB Bashaud Breeland o No. 35 CB Dashaun Phillips o No. 36 S Su’a Cravens o No. 60 OL Vinston Painter o No. 72 DE Anthony Lanier II Final Pre-Game Thoughts Like I said above, the Redskins can win this game. But to do so they will need to play their very best. Defensively, they did something last week that made a difference - they created turnovers. They need more to win today. Predictions? Eh, don't bet the house on the good guys. Follow along in-game on Twitter @Skinscast Half I will never forgive them for going for it on 4th and 1 from the 20. That was certain points I think. The FG attempt at the end of the half not so much. This was a half of missed opportunities and mistakes. But still, the Redskins are within a single score and get the ball to start the half. If they get the offense going they have a chance all day. BTW - FU Ravens for taking the timeout at the end of the half. It was more than fitting Joe Flacco was sacked on the ensuing play. JimmiJo The Redskins needed a lot of luck and this game was far from pretty; but this was a BIG win for Washington today. The difference between 3-2 and 2-3 is significant. It means the difference between a winning and losing record. It means a third win on the trot and we can use ‘momentum’ without exaggerating. But it meant even more. The Redskins beat a team with a winning record, in their house, and one who came in with the number one defense in the league. Sure, Washington managed only 60-yards on the ground. Yes, they added but another 250 through the air and managed only 10 offensive points. And but for a very dumb play by a guy who made an outstanding interception when C.J. Mosely bowled the ball through the back of the endzone; the Ravens walk away solid winners. But they didn’t. So I will gladly thank our lucky stars (and Breshad Perriman’s right foot) for the win and go home happy. Mind you, the Redskins won with a below-average performance from Kirk Cousins. Cousins finished the day 29/41 for 260-yards, a touchdown and interception for an 85.41 rating. But the numbers don’t tell the tale. Cousins missed some gimmes today. Jordan Redd and DeSean Jackson were both running free when Cousins overthrew them for what would have been likely touchdowns. There was the interception. But just as bad was the throw wide on 3rd-and-1 on the second-to-last series which would have converted the third down and made the ending a lot less exciting. I am happy a much maligned defense stepped up in a big way to prevent any 2nd-half points. They allowed Baltimore to go only 3-for-15 on third down (20%) after coming in last in the league on third down. Two other key aspects of the defense’s game: pressure and negative plays. Washington had three sacks on the day and more than a couple loss-of-yard running plays by Baltimore. I will leave the defensive writeup with this: Washington’s 29th-ranked defense allowed fewer yards (306) then the league’s best (310). But game ball has to go to special teams. When was the last time you could argue teams won the game for Washington? Jaimeson Crowder on the return showed incredible speed and strength as he ran through what looked to be an obvious tackle on his way to the end zone. Not to be left out, Will Blackmon tacked on a 45-yard return. So after a 0-and-2 start, the Redskins have got it going with three wins in a row. Going to Baltimore and beating the Ravens has got to be a confidence-booster. Sure, Washington normally would lose with a performance featuring just 10 offensive points while they lose the turnover battle and run for just 60-yards. But fate and fortune were on their side and now they are as relevant as anyone in the division. If nothing else, we get to talk all kinds of trash to the Baltimorons this week. Post Game Audio P.S. Only Pappas can be so wrong about this team and be so happy about it. I picked a loss and cheered the win.