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ES COVERAGE: Redskins vs Steelers (Final)

JimmiJo

By JimmiJo
in The Stadium

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JimmiJo

JimmiJo

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ES COVERAGE: Redskins vs Steelers

1.JPG

08/18/07

FINAL SCORE: Steelers 12 - Redskins 10

:helmet:

Home again.

Welcome my friends to FedEx Field. We are here once again to bear witness to the glory that is our football team, the Washington Redskins. My name is JimmiJo and I will soon be joined by my partner, TheMurf. We will be your hosts for this first game of 2007 at FedEx.

The weather could not be more beautiful here in Landover with temps in the 70’s and no humidity. I am here in the press box getting set up and ready for action. I will spend most of the game here although I will be on the field pre-game. Murf is our shooter and will spend the game on the sidelines. You may envy him now but when he gets wiped-out by a running back running full-speed I’ll be the one laughing.

I got here early today in order to avoid traffic and to make sure I was set up with time to wander about and take in the sights and sounds. I have to tell you, as of 5:30PM I was a little disappointed in the tailgating out there. I suppose it’s preseason for the fans as well, but I fully expect you to have picked it up when I go take a look around in a few.

So for all those coming tonight I want to hear some noise. Still being summer the glass windows are down in the press box and I want this place rumbling. As it gets cold they put the glass up and it takes away from the effect of the place.

See you in a bit…

6:40PM Update

Ok, the tailgating appears better now, but far under what is expected of you. Come on people, let's drink some damn beer!

:helmet:

8:00PM Update

Ok folks, just got back from the fields and I am fired up!

Here's to a good game...

8:03PM

Too many damn yellow towels here tonight...

8:40PM Campbell Update

The initial report on Campbell is a bruised knee. He has gone into the locker room. Stand by as it becomes available.

9:20PM Washington Update

Marcus Washington injured his right elbow and has been taken to the locker room for X-Rays.

:helmet:

Halftime Update

That was one hell of a defensive stand to end the half. What is also impressive is the Redskins scoring a touchdown against their first team defense. This is the first time that this has happened this preseason. Keep in mind also that this is the Steelers third game this preseason.

We need better run production. Right now we have 28 yards on 14 attempts for a 2-yard per carry average. Passing we are 13 for 17 with 109 yards and 1 touchdown.

But the big story for me is the injuries to Campbell and Washington. Campbell right now appears to be fine as he is back on the sideline and moving around. I will get nervous if I hear they want to do an MRI him, but until then I am good. I am worried about Washington as they thought is serious enough to get him X-Rayed.

According to Murf, Roethlisberger got his bell rung on the last play before the field-goal but London Fletcher. He was seen walking off the field wincing and shaking his head to clear it.

Here’s to a good second half.

9:50PM Injury Update

Confirmed that Campbell has a bruised knee.

Marcus Washington has a dislocated right elbow with no fractures.

Mike Espy just went off with what appears to be an injury to his right leg.

10:00PM Espy Update

Espy has injured his left leg and will not return.

Stats Tidbit

In the first half:

Jason Campbell was 6 for 8 for 75 yards with a passer rating of 103.6.

Todd Collins was 7 for 9 for 34 yards with a passer rating of 119.4.

Combined the Redskins quarterbacks had a passer rating of 112.1 in the first half.

:helmet:

AUDIO

To listen to Ladell Betts listen HERE

To listen to H.B. Blades listen HERE

To listen to Andre Carter listen HERE

To listen to more Andre Carter listen HERE

To listen to Ryan Clark listen HERE

To listen to Reed Doughty listen HERE

To listen to Demitric Evans listen HERE

To listen to London Fletcher listen HERE

To listen to LaRon Landry listen HERE

To listen to Brandon Lloyd listen HERE

To listen to Marcus Mason listen HERE

To listen to Joe Salave'a listen HERE

To listen to more Joe Salave'a listen HERE

To listen to Fred Smoot listen HERE

To listen to more Fred Smoot listen HERE

To listen to Shawn Springs listen HERE

To listen to Renaldo Wynn listen HERE

:helmet:

PHOTOS

Photos 1

http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=207205

Photos 2

http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=207206

Photos 3

http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=207207

Photos 4

http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=207208

Photos 5

http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=207210

Photos 6

http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=207211

Photos 7

http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=207212

:helmet:

JimmiJo's Corner

It may have only been preseason, but tonight was a tough, physical game. We have the injuries to prove it.

As you know Jason Campbell has a bruised knee and should be ok. Marcus Washington had a dislocated elbow (ouch) and Gibbs hopes he is back for the opener. Poor Mike Espy has something torn in his knee (ACL I think) and is done for the year.

You hate to see that with Espy. Here he is a second-year guy in a position to maybe make the team and now it is all over for the year. He is a heck of a nice guy and I am sorry to see it.

But this is football and these things happen.

The mood in the locker room was somewhat somber and the vets didn’t like losing this game, a game they could have had. Listen to Joe Salave’a 2 for a sense of this. Otherwise the players were approachable and as you can see we got a lot of audio.

I was happy to speak to Brandon Lloyd and happy he scored a TD, even if it is the preseason. I hope he kicks ass this year and we all live happily ever after.

So how about my defense? Damn, they made me proud. And how about that goal-line stand at the end of the half? The press in the locker room questioned the defensive players on the fact that they have not surrendered a TD this preseason. That’s called getting it done. The first-team defense gave up only 36 yards rushing on 12 attempts for a 3-yard average. They surrendered 87 yards passing with Roethlisberger 8 for 12 for a 87.8 passer rating.

Good stuff.

Let’s start the debate now – is Todd Collins the number 2 quarterback? Collins finished 10 for 13 with 1 TD for a QB rating of 115.5. He looks to be in command of the offense and made the throws he needed to. I have to point out that we scored the first TD against the Steelers’ starters this preseason.

The team needs to pick up the production on the running game. They ran for 28 yards on 14 attempts in the first half for a 2-yard average. Not too good. I am not too worried as we haven’t even seen Clinton Portis yet and he will be a difference maker.

How did you guys feel that Pucillo did at guard? From where I was he seemed to do ok, but I need to watch the game tomorrow off the DVR. Heyer continues to play well. The team gave up some sacks with 3, but better than last week when 5 were surrendered.

As far as the second half, it reminded me of last year with the defense unable to get off the field. The penalties killed them as well. As far as Brunell, well, he got us there at the end but the penalties killed them.

It’s late so I am going to wrap this up. Murf will have some photos up shortly and his write-up later when I get home and can post. You will hear from me tomorrow from Redskins Park for Gibbs’ next day presser.

Quotes of the Day

“Hit that motherf***** in the open field! Hit that motherf***** in the open field!” – Gregg Williams to Reed Doughty

“If we gave up negative 10 yards Gregg Williams would still find something to be upset about” – Fred Smoot speaking of Gregg Williams

“This is the coolest thing ever” – fan while standing at the back of the end zone watching the Redskins warm up

:helmet:

Murf's Take

Hello again and welcome to Saturday night football. JimmiJo and I are your hosts for the first home preseason game of 2007, as the Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers do battle. I have to tell you right up front, Steelers fans travel well. There was a bunch of them and they weren’t afraid to be loud in the stands. If this was a regular season game and another team’s fans come into our house like this I’d be very disappointed.

New wrinkle to covering games this year – I have to wear a red photographer’s vest. The NFL is doing it league-wide in their ongoing effort to keep track of who is on the sideline during games. JimmiJo actually got to wear a black vest … but then again he was wearing leather chaps with it, so maybe its best we forget it ever happened.

I got inside the stadium two hours before game time and headed up to the press box to get settled in. Before I even headed down to the field I saw Steelers safety Ryan Clark jog over to Ladell Betts and Rock Cartwright and give them both a big hug and a hand slap. It’s easy to see he’s still friends with all the guys and was a great fit in the locker room. If I stopped and thought and the fact that the Redskins are currently paying Adam Archuleta to not play here, when they could have kept Clark on board for a fraction of that it really makes me die a little inside. Fortunately the football gods know this, so they let the ‘Skins draft a kid named LaRon Landry. Hopefully the rookie safety will make everyone forget about “the one that got away.”

I was fortunate enough to talk with Todd Wade on the Redskins sideline for several minutes before kickoff. He was out for the game and clearly down because he viewed tonight’s game as a wasted opportunity. He felt that he’s got the mental part down in making the transition from tackle to guard, but that he just needs to get out there and do it. He really wants to show Joe Bugel that he can make the difficult transition and said it would take an awful lot to keep him out of next week’s game against Baltimore. This was easily the longest conversation I’ve ever had with Wade and he seemed like a really good guy who’s willing to do whatever it takes to help this team. I know I’ll be pulling for him, if for no other reason than I’m scared to think what could become of that guard position if he can’t get it done.

My biggest concern heading into the game revolved around the offense. I wanted to see how the offensive line did after allowing five sacks last week and I really wanted to see if the first-team unit could finally score a touchdown. Everything looked better on both fronts and they managed to do so against a much tougher opponent than Tennessee. Jason Campbell was 6 for 8 for 75 yards and a sparkling 103.6 QB rating before he went down. He was sacked once, but he looked very sharp. I’ll tell you right now that no one really thinks Campbell will play next week – there’s just really no reason to rush him back for a meaningless preseason game.

And how about that Todd Collins? I’ve been critical of him in the past (and might have even made the joke that he wears #15 to let the coaches know the maximum range of his arm), but he’s gotten it done two straight weeks now. Tonight he was 10 for 13 for 74 yards with a touchdown and an even better QB rating of 115.5. When you compare that to Mark Brunell’s numbers (5 of 12 for 56 yards, an interception and a QB rating of 21.5) it really makes things interesting. Counting Jake Nordin’s fumble the offense did absolutely nothing with Brunell running the show. Conversely, Collins was so money he got production out of Brandon Lloyd (his first touchdown as a Redskin) and Todd Yoder (a 32-yard catch).

About Lloyd’s touchdown – great read by Collins and a nice catch by Lloyd. I should know, he almost ran me over as he headed out the back of the endzone. Look for the guy in the red vest sitting Indian-style behind the endzone. I wasn’t sure exactly how close Lloyd was to me, so you can see me scooting backwards a little bit as he comes close to me on his way to dunking the football over the goalpost. That means Tarhog is still the only member of ExtremeSkins to get laid out during a game, even if Brandon Lloyd and Julius Jones have now given me a little scare.

On defense I was thoroughly impressed with a few individuals. For starters, as I mentioned at halftime Rocky McIntosh looked awesome. He’s catching on quick. This is the part when I say I’m glad he’s still here and not Dale Lindsey. I have no idea what kept Rocky off of the field last year, but the kid has been magnificent during camp and these first two preseason games. Now, if we could just patch things up between him and the Ultimate Warrior …

London Fletcher is another guy who I can’t help but notice every time the defense is on the field. He’s simply put an extension of Gregg Williams on the field. He knows exactly what’s expected of himself and the other 10 men out of the field and he’s everywhere. Seriously, he’s everywhere. The man has a nose for the ball. Like I told him when I interviewed him after the game, I was on the Steelers sideline right before halftime when he stepped up and popped Ben Roethlisberger. Let’s just say Big Ben was still shaking out the cobwebs as his offensive coordinator was trying to talk to him after Fletcher snuffed out the play.

And finally, how about Andre Carter? Whoever wrote him off last year and said he was a bust was a moron. He’s really coming into his own and is the one defensive lineman who continually finds a way to put pressure in the backfield. Seeing his helmet pop off and him not even hesitating as he continued to rush the passer was sweet. Unfortunately for him, he ended up with a pretty big fat lip as a result of the play. He’s a good sport though, he managed to compare himself to former boxer Buster Douglas when I interviewed him after the game.

One last note, I’m pulling for defensive end Chris Wilson who continues to make plays. Here’s hoping he does well enough for the team to not only keep him, but for them to give him his own number, since he’s sharing #77 with Randy Thomas these days.

Those are the guys who caught my attention on the field. The one guy who I found myself watching most of the second half was Gregg Williams. This guy is so intense it’s scary. I watched him rip into Reed Doughty, Anthony Trucks and a handful of other players for anything and everything throughout the game. He is so detail oriented that it’s virtually impossible to play an entire game without catching his wrath at some point. But the players know exactly where they stand with him and what’s expected of them each week, so I really think he’s the best man for the job.

After two preseason games here’s what we know – the starting offense finally scored a touchdown in a preseason game. They apparently hadn’t done this in six games, so it was really nice to see that streak come to an end. Jason Campbell and Todd Collins looked good and Campbell’s injury doesn’t appear to be nearly as serious as we first thought. The touchdown was also the first one the Steelers starting defense has allowed all preseason, so that’s encouraging. Sadly though, Mike Espy’s season appears to be over. It’s really too bad because JimmiJo and I envisioned good things from the young wide out this year. Here’s hoping for a speedy recover Mr. Espy.

And let’s not forget that the Redskins starting defense has yet to give up a touchdown after two preseason games. Watching the Steelers last week I was worried that they were going to air it out and score a long touchdown or two. Thankfully, the guys got it done again tonight and looked even better this week. Hopefully the Marcus Washington injury doesn’t keep him on the shelf too long – teaming Marcus with Rocky and London Fletcher could really give the Redskins defense a linebacking corps to be proud of if they’re all healthy.

Now here’s what I want to see improved next week – the running game. The offensive line did better this week, especially on pass protection, but the rushing game is still nonexistent. Derrick Blaylock led the way with only 2.3 yards per carry. Marcus Mason and Betts each rushed for 2 yards a carry. The Redskins longest run of the day was six yards. They’ve got to do better than that. Otherwise, just cut down on the dumb penalties and we’re in good shape. That’s all for me, Seacrest out.

:helmet:

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JimmiJo

JimmiJo

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Man, I wish I could be there. Shoot, I wish I could at least watch the thing on TV. I can't wait for the report fellas.

The game thread should get you near-instant updates.

We've had one series for each team. Our offense still is not establishing the run. Defense looks good.

We are on offense again.

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robotfire

robotfire

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Initial diagnosis is a bruised left knee. What does that mean???? Is it just a bruise like the kind I get all the time? SOMEBODY please explain this. My heart sank when I saw him on the ground like that. I instantly went from YES (Cooley pass) to OH NO!!!!! (injury)

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cjcdaman

cjcdaman

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What is the latest on Campbell?

It would be nice to have a seperate thread so we can know the latest injury news on him. The game thread is very difficult to search.

They are saying bruised knee. He walked off the field by himself. He walked back on the field by himself(with his knee wrapped in ice). It looks fine.

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