NoLeafClover Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 ES Coverage: 2011 Redskins vs Giants 9/11/11 VICTORY!!!!!! Redskins 28 - Giants 14 :helmet: Hello everyone and welcome. I am your host, Joel, joined, as always, by murf and we are just hours away from the start of the Washington Redskins' 2011 season as they take on their division rivals, the New York Football Giants. History is certainly not on Washington's side. The Redskins have lost nine of their last 10 games against the Giants, including the last six straight. (In those last six games, New York has outscored Washington 242-134.) Overall, the 'Skins are 5-16 in their last 21 games against New York. Not to mention the fact that the Giants have also won the last six season-opening meetings with the Redskins, scoring victories in 2009, 2008, 1998, 1989, 1988 and 1977. You can take solace in the fact that Washington has won its last four opening games at home and hasn't lost seven straight to New York since the 1960s. But as Tampa Bay head coach Raheem Morris once said: "Stats are for losers." All of those stats go out the window today. It's a new season and this Washington Redskins team is vastly improved over last year's squad. With major upgrades to seemingly every position (with the possible exception of quarterback) and a long-overdue youth movement (the average age of the 'Skins is now 27), there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic. Another reason for optimism is the number of injuries the Giants are currently battling. Cornerback Prince Amukamara (foot), linebacker Jonathan Goff (knee) and defensive end Osi Umenyiora (knee) are all out for today's game. Tight end Travis Beckum (hamstring) and end Justin Tuck (neck) are both questionable. It's worth noting though, that Eli Manning is set to start his 104th straight game - which will become the longest active streak among quarterbacks (beating the record set by his brother Peyton). Whatever happens this afternoon, it should certainly be exciting. I think the Redskins have a definite chance to come out strong and to send a message to the rest of the league by dominating the Giants early. They had a strong preseason and today we get to see how that translates onto the field in the regular season. I would be remiss if I didn't also point out the emotional significance of today's game, as well. Having the two cities most directly affected by the events of September 11, 2001 - New York and DC - come together for a game on the 10th anniversary of that tragic day - is obviously an incredibly symbolic decision by the NFL. There are a variety of festivities and remembrances planned for the day. Colin Powell will serve as the Redskins' honorary captain today and family members affected by the attacks will be honored in a pregame ceremony. There is also a giant flag and a fire truck set up at the main entrance to the stadium that all can see as they enter the parking lot. These festivities will certainly hold a special significance for Redskins practice squader Eric Olsen and his family. Olsen's father was a NYC firefighter who responded to the call on September 11 and survived. He reportedly attended over 50 funerals for fallen brethren. :helmet: TODAY'S INACTIVES Redskins: Leonard Hankerson LaRon Landry Darrion Scott Mike Sellers Willie Smith Donte Stallworth Markus White Giants: Prince Amukamara Travis Beckum James Brewer Jerrel Jernigan Mitch Petrus Justin Tuck Osi Umenyiora :helmet: 2:00 PM - The roster isn't the only thing the Redskins improved this year. The food in the press box has definitely been upgraded. Today it includes a chocolate fountain and Caribou coffee. 3:12 PM - Mike Sellers is inactive. That can't be a good sign for his future with the organization. 3:26 PM - Burgundy jerseys, gold pants for the home team this week. 3:32 PM - Chris Cooley is currently catching passes in warm ups right now. I take that as a good sign. (Also, please enjoy the unintentional alliteration.) 3:33 PM - Commissioner Roger Goodell is in attendance today and is currently roaming the sidelines. 3:49 PM - You couldn't ask for a more beautiful day to play football. The current weather conditions are 86 degrees and sunny, with 6 mph winds coming out of the southeast. 3:56 PM - The oversized helmet in front of the entrance is inflated. It's business time ... 4:13 PM - It is loud for the introductions here at FedEx right now. Also, there is a giant American flag that will encompass the entire field ready to be rolled out for the National Anthem. It should be a great visual. 4:14 PM - A very loud "USA" chant is echoing through the stadium right now. 4:15 PM - Washington has won the toss and elected to receive. 4:22 PM - I don't see an empty seat in the house. This place is packed and this crowd is pumped up. 4:34 PM - I think the Redskins had the right idea with that long bomb to Jabar Gaffney on third down, the pass was just off-target. Still, that's now two straight three-and-outs for the home team. 4:34 PM - Wow, that 68 yard pass to Hakeem Nicks was a punch in the kidneys. 4:40 PM - Eli Manning punches it in with a two-yard run. The Giants strike first with a four play, 70 yard, 35 second drive that puts seven on the board. 0-7 4:46 PM - The Internet connection here in the press box right now is running about as fast as dial up. I feel like I'm back on one of those AOL free trial disks. 4:50 PM - After going 10-for-10 in preseason, Graham Gano misses his first field goal attempt of the season. Just a heartbreaking end to what began as a rather promising drive (and the first real signs of life from the offense). 4:58 PM - A 25-yard punt return by Brandon Banks. That kid is just plain fun to watch. END OF FIRST QUARTER 0-7 5:03 PM - This is the second time I've heard "Poison" by BBD at the Redskins game today. "Never trust a big butt and a smile." 5:06 PM - The Redskins go for it on fourth down and come up with a 10-yard pass to Santana Moss. Clearly they are trying to get the bad taste of the first quarter out of their mouths as quickly as possible. 5:10 PM - Tim Hightower punches it in for the touchdown. 11 plays, 66 yards, five minutes and 32 seconds. We have a tie ball game, kids. 7-7 5:31 PM - The Redskins D had no answer for the Giants on that drive. In just eight plays, the Giants travel 85 yards, taking four minutes and 44 seconds off the clock and putting seven points on the board. 7-14 5:35 PM - From murf's Twitter: Eli Manning's gameplan is clearly "throw every pass to whoever Reed Doughty is covering." 5:38 PM - Rex Grossman finally connects on a long bomb to Jabar Gaffney. The 'Skins follow it up with a six-yard pass to Anthony Armstrong. Five plays, 80 yards in two minutes and 11 seconds. 14-14 HALFTIME 14-14 6:02 PM - A fantastic single effort by Ryan Kerrigan, who tips an Eli Manning pass up in the air and then recovers it for an interception, which he runs nine-yards back for a touchdown. 21-14 6:06 PM - The defense is fired up right now. Chris Neild with a big sack on Manning to set up a long third down. 6:11 PM - I like the aggressive play calling, but Grossman is having trouble connecting on deep pass attempts. 6:14 PM - Although that drop was entirely on Anthony Armstrong. 6:22 PM - Reed Doughty continues to struggle, but the rest of the defense just bailed him out with a big fourth down stop. That was a big play momentum-wise for this game. 6:25 PM - Interesting tidbit: Ryan Kerrigan was the first Redskins rookie to return an interception for a touchdown since Champ Bailey, who had a 59-yard return on October 17, 1999. 6:25 PM - The reverse call from the refs has the Redskins offense fired up. First a 28-yard pass to Fred Davis for the first down, immediately followed up by a big pass to Santana Moss. 6:34 PM - Trent Williams is slow to get up on the Jason Pierre-Paul sack. 6:34 PM - Fourth-and-31 is never a position you want to find yourself in. 6:34 PM - Chris Neild is a sack machine. This defense is still fired up and this game is getting brutal. END OF THIRD QUARTER 21-14 6:48 PM - Tim Hightower just saved what could have easily been a Giants fumble recovery for a touchdown there. Not much of a silver lining, but it's something. 6:50 PM - The defense is playing out of their mind right now. Brian Orakpo comes through with a block on the Giant's field goal attempt. Grossman should buy him something nice to thank him for that bailout. 6:51 PM - Tonight's announced attendance is 80,121, which is the Redskins 361 consecutive sell out. 6:58 PM - Fred Davis just set a new career high with 105 yards today. What a game he's having. 7:00 PM - Jabar Gaffney just made that look easy. Your scoring drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, five minutes and 53 seconds. 28-14 7:09 PM - The Redskins D is having a phenomenal day today. All of those offseason additions are really paying off today. :helmet: PHOTOS To see ExtremeSkins game photos click HERE :helmet: AUDIO To listen to comments from Lorenzo Alexander click HERE To listen to comments from Stephen Bowen click HERE To listen to comments from Jammal Brown click HERE To listen to comments from Barry Cofield click HERE To listen to comments from Chris Cooley click HERE To listen to comments from Tim Hightower click HERE To listen to comments from Will Montgomery click HERE To listen to comments from Santana Moss click HERE To listen to comments from Chris Neild click HERE To listen to comments from Brian Orakpo click HERE To listen to comments from Josh Wilson click HERE To listen to comments from Darrel Young click HERE :helmet: THE NEW GUY'S TAKE The big story this week is simple: the Redskins won. And it was even against the Giants. Crazy, right? Your Washington Redskins are now 1-0. They took on a New York Giants team that had won six straight against them (nine out of the last 10) and beat them comfortably. They beat the Giants statistically in every category that mattered, including total yards (332 to 315), time of possession (32:36 to 27:24) and red zone efficiency (75% to 67%). And they did it on a national stage. Sure, it may not have been a Monday Night game, but the league did push the match up back to 4:15 in order to play up the DC-New York 9/11 connection. The Redskins knew they had a national audience - in addition to a home crowd full of expectations - and they shined. It wasn’t the prettiest game (especially early), but the team came through when it mattered. They kept fighting and gained more confidence as the game went on. Too many times in past seasons, the ‘Skins wilted under the pressure and let winnable games slip through their fingers. Today though, they refused to quit until they came away with the W. This is a team that wants to win. They want to play football and the last thing they want to do is find themselves sitting at home in January. Fullback Darrel Young put it best when explaining what impressed him most about the team after today’s big win. The ‘Skins could have easily used this win as an excuse to get overly ****y, thumping out their chests and feeling unstoppable, but that’s not the make up of this squad. As Young explained, all the team wants to do is build on this win. “We always get Victory Mondays - after we win, we get off on Mondays,” Young explained. “The guys said, ‘Not yet. We don’t want that yet.’ That’s the best thing I heard today. Regardless of the win, we’ve got guys that wanna [put in the extra work].” Young went on to explain that it was the veterans like DeAngelo Hall and London Fletcher who were pushing to have practice on Monday. Everyone wants to put in the work to make this team as good as it can be. There aren’t any more Albert Haynesworth types out for a big paycheck who don’t care what happens out on the field. This is a team that wants to be remembered. While it’s refreshing to see the old guard buying into Shanahan’s system, what’s even more impressive is how much of an impact the team’s off-season acquisitions made in tonight’s game. Tim Hightower, who was acquired for a song, averaged 3.8 yards a carry tonight and finished the day with 70 total yards. He also saved a Giants touchdown by tackling Michael Boley, who could have easily scored on Rex Grossman’s fumble. He shined in his first game for the burgundy and gold. Plus there was nose tackle Chris Neild, who put up 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Adam Carriker and Stephen Bowen also had sacks tonight. And then there was Ryan Kerrigan, who tipped an Eli Manning pass up in the air and recovered it for an interception, which he ran back nine-yards for the go-ahead touchdown. There is a lot to like about this year’s squad and plenty of cause for cautious optimism. Where the team goes from here is up to them. And for the first time in a long time, it finally feels like they are headed in the right direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THEREALTOR1 Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 Thanks in advance Joel, looking forward to your writeup. Anxiously nervous today, glad to have Skins football back, I just hope we can bring some fire to the field this year. :point2sky HTTR! :logo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themurf Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 A few interesting things to keep in mind today: the Giants have averaged 140 rushing yards over the last 10 games against Washington. That's also right around what the Redskins averaged per game during this preseason. The team with the stronger rushing attack today will likely walk away victorious -- especially since the winner of the last 10 Redskins-Giants match-ups carried the ball at least 30 times. And here's something I didn't know -- the Redskins lead the NFL in completions of 50 yards or more since 2009 (with nine of them). Of course, that reminds me of how often Washington struggles in the red zone and has to settle for a field goal attempt. SO let's forget I even brought it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoLeafClover Posted September 11, 2011 Author Share Posted September 11, 2011 If you are interested in everything the team and the league has planned for their September 11 tribute, here's a complete breakdown: - General Colin Powell will serve as the honorary captain for the pregame coin toss. - Approximately 150 family members affected by the attack on the Pentagon and first responders from Arlington County will be honored before the game. They will help hold a flag that will encompass the entire field during the singing of the National Anthem. - A firefighter display on loan from the Famous Madame Tussauds wax museum is on display outside the stadium. - All fans will receive American flags as they enter the stadium. - All personnel from both teams will be wearing honorary 9/11 ribbons. - The Club Level is hosting an exhibit on loan from the Hall of Fame that spotlights the NFL's continued support of the Armed Forces. - The Redskins, along with the rest of the league, will feature a special video message from the NFL featuring footage from Arlington National Cemetery. - There will be a moment of silence before the National Anthem. The anthem will be sung by Ne-Yo. - The NFL and NFL Players Association are contributing $1 million to three memorials and two charities associated with 9/11. They will also contribute $500,000 to the 9/11 Museum and Memorial in Manhattan and $250,000 to be split between the Flight 93 National Memorial and the Pentagon Memorial Fund.- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumbo Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 I'm going to particularly be watching how the D handles the Giants running game today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plasticbricks Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 Why are Hankerson, Stallworth and White Inactive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoLeafClover Posted September 11, 2011 Author Share Posted September 11, 2011 Why are Hankerson, Stallworth and White Inactive? No official word yet, but we'll let you know when we hear more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mad4comp Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 3:32 PM - Chris Cooley is currently catching passes in warm ups right now. I take that as a good sign. (Also, please enjoy the unintentional alliteration.) Nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seachelle57 Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 i missed the TD - the dog needed to go out! dang. ---------- Post added September-11th-2011 at 05:42 PM ---------- they just showed a line up of jeff george and all 11 other QB's since 1991...... ---------- Post added September-11th-2011 at 05:42 PM ---------- they just showed a line up of jeff george and all 11 other QB's since 1991...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDawg Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Thank you for the coverage, fellas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldysknzfn1 Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Love the coverage...Absolutely love Tim Hightower (liked him as a Cardinal but glad he came over to the good guys side..lol) in our backfield. He wants to play and it definitely showed! I was pleased as punch.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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