Skins vs. Puckers preview

Pretty big early season game for both teams and both are looking to avoid going 0-2.  Puckers will be playing their home opener so no doubt their stadium will be excited and their players pumped.  Skins are looking to rebound from an unbelievable first half last week against the Iggles.  They showed signs in the second half of the game but we will need a better all around effort to beat the Packers.  Keys to the game are as follows:

1. Get ground game going:  Once the Skins fell down big to the Iggles, Morris was a non factor as the Skins were forced to pass nearly every down.  We have to establish the run game this week.  Our best defense will be our offense and controlling the clock and keeping Rodgers off the field.  The best way to do this is get the run game going.

2. RG3:  Unfortunately, he is still trying to work his way back and get comfortable.  I don't doubt that in a few weeks he'll be the RG3 that we all know and expect but it shouldn't come as a big surprise if he still looks uncomfortable out there this week.  The hope I have is that he gets better with each week and that he looks more comfortable this Sunday compared to last Sunday.

3. Secondary:  No doubt they will have to be ready to go as they face arguably the best QB in the game right now.  Reports are that we'll have Meriweather back but he hasn't played much over the last year and a half and we will need solid play from him.  I'm okay with the CBs.  They won't be perfect but who is against Rodgers.  Rambo is still the X factor.  He needs to get better.  I am not sold on the guy but we don't have many options right now and if we are going to commit to him, I'm glad we are sticking with him and allowing him time to learn and hopefully get better.  Still, he needs to be better in both coverage and tackling.

4. Get to Rodgers:  To help the secondary, we need to be able to get pressure on Rodgers.  Fortunately, Kerrigan didn't suffer a concussion and will be back.  He is a quiet superstar and I expect him to be disruptive but we need Orakpo to step up and equal the play of Kerrigan.  GB's O line is less than stellar so we need to make Rodgers uncomfortable.  This will be critical this week.

5. Contain Matthews:  Clay Matthews is one of the premier pass rushers in the game and it's good that GB got to play SF just a week ago as Kaepernick is in the same mold as RG3 so GB has been practicing against a running QB for a few weeks now.  That will be to their benefit.  We have to make sure we account for Matthews and buy RG3 enough time to make plays.  Again, RG3 is working himself back in the game so things are coming as quickly to him as they normally would so buying a little extra time for him is critical.

I think it will be a good game and we'll show improvement but in the end, we will fall short 27-24. 

HTTR!!!

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ESPN Power Rankings - Week 2

Skins take the biggest tumble of any team falling nine spots to #19.

Pears climb five spots to #9.

Puckers drop two spots to #7.

Fair rankings for now.  Again, it takes 3-4 weeks for teams to normalize in the league and then you can get a better picture of who is real.

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Skins lose to Iggles

So there was obviously a ton of hype with the return of RG3.  Unfortunately, the Skins came out flat.  Just a nightmarish first half.  It happens.  I don't like it. I don't know how to explain it but those things happen. Nothing seemed to go right for the Skins in the first half.  Give Chip Kelly, Vickles, and the Iggles credit.  They came out with their up tempo offense and the Skins couldn't find an answer until later in the game.  Still, the question is how much of it was the Iggles offense or the Skins ineptitude in the first half?  The answer is probably some where in the middle.

Skins continually shot themselves in the foot with turnovers, bad/untimely penalties, and just poor execution. The good news is that those things are correctable.  It was good to see them come back from a 33-7 deficit and make a game of it to finish 33-27.  I understand the Iggles game philosophy changed when they were up but still it wasn't like the Iggles gave the Skins points or didn't try to score anymore so the Skins do deserve credit for not quitting and continuing to fight. 

This pretty much sums up the Skins first half: their first seven plays: lost fumble by Alfred Morris, 3-yard loss by Morris, penalty for illegal shift, screen to Morris that got back some yards, interception thrown by Griffin into triple coverage, pass dropped by fullback Darrel Young, safety that occurred when Morris bobbled a pitch in the end zone.  Not a recipe for success.

Along with these miscues, the Skins had terrible field position the entire first half.  I believe the average starting position for the Skins was at the 10 yard line compared to the Iggles starting from their 35 yard line.  It's a huge difference.

Rookie PR/KR Chris Thompson made a number of mistakes catching punts inside the 10 yard line and trying to return kickoffs sent deep into the end zone.  I understand he is a rookie and wants to make a play but it didn't work out and cost us valuable field position.  Other rookie Baccari Rambo needs to play better.  He does not break down in open field tackling allowing guys to get right by him.  I also think he was out of position at times in coverage.  On the flip side, I thought rookie David Amerson was solid at CB.  Rookie Jordan Reed had himself a nice game with several catches. 

As far as RG3 is concerned, I know many people are saying that he didn't look 100%.  For me, he looked 100% but he just looked a bit rusty.  It shouldn't be a surprise that some of his passes were off and his timing was off a bit.  He never got a chance to play in the preseason and that hurts.  In the end, I thought it was a solid first game back all things considered.  It will take him another game or two to get back into the rhythm but I don't have any doubts about him.  The tough part was that we got down so big so early that we were forced out of our running game and had to pass.  In this game, our best defense was going to be our offense as we needed to keep their up tempo offense off the field .  It just didn't work out that way. 

Will be interesting to see how well the Chip Kelly offense is over the course of the season.  This is one game so you can't get too high or low on anything.  We seem to say this every season but it takes 3 or 4 games before everything normalizes and you can weed the contenders from the pretenders.  I will say that our defense seemed much more effective against Vickles when we sent additional pressure.  We'll see how other teams decide to defend against them.

In the end, I'm disappointed but far from concerned.  As mentioned, it's one game and we have to learn from it and move on.  Next week is the Puckers who present their own set of challenges.  Rodgers will definitely put our suspect secondary to the test.  With both teams losing their opening games, no doubt both will be fighting to stave off an 0-2 start.

HTTR!!!

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Skins vs. Eagles - it starts tonight!

So it begins.  Starting the season doesn't get much bigger than with a divisional rival at home on Monday night.  It also marks the return of RG3.  That said, I'll get right into the keys of the game:

1. RG3 - he needs to stay in control.  He can't let his emotions get the best of him.  It's been a long road to recovery.  He hasn't seen any preseason action so he needs to stay focused.  Given how well he has handled everything to this point, I don't think it will be a problem for him to enjoy the moment but recognize the task at hand.  I think the bigger concern is RG3 is a player and he is natural tendencies are to try and make something happen where there isn't anything there.  It's good to a point.  He has to learn to protect himself.  There is no reason for him to fight for an extra yard if it means he is going to get hurt.  Will be very interesting to see if he slides and/or heads out of bounds or throws the ball away when he needs to.  Still, I think he is going to have a very good game tonight.

2. Morris/running game - The O line has only gotten more comfortable with the zone blocking scheme.  I expect the running game will be strong tonight.  Morris is a hard runner that won't go down with one tackler and I expect him to have a big game. 

3. Defense - This is a concern.  Not sure if Meriweather is playing.  If not, that means we have rookie Baccari Rambo paired with Reed Doughty at the safety positions.  This is a concern.  I like Doughty but he is more of a special teamer and not a starting safety.  Rambo has shown flashes of talent but he has also made some mistakes in preseason.  He too has to remain focused and can't allow a guy like DeSean Jackson blow by him.  I do like David Amerson as he has good size and ability but he needs to better understand zone coverage as he has been caught in no man's land a couple of times.  Not sure how much he'll play though as E.J. Biggers seems to be the nickel back.  The other part of the D to watch is the return of Orakpo.  No doubt he will be pumped but he needs to stay at home and play his position.  With the shifty Vick and LeSean McCoy it will be even more critical for him to follow his assignment and not try and get creative to make a big play. 

4. Slowing down the Kelly's fast paced offense - Read that the Skins have a plan to do this.  Will be interesting to see what it is.  I expect Vick to make some mistakes tonight and the fast paced offense could be the Eagles downfall.  If we can control the clock and wear the Eagles D down with the run and if the Eagles come out and go three and out quickly, the Eagles D will be done quickly. 

In the end, I expect a big win to start this season.  I expect a 31-13 win tonight as RG3 and Morris roll up on the Eagles and Vick, Chip Kelly struggle trying to get the fast paced tempo going.

HTTR!!!

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Caps playoffs start tonight

Caps and Rangers tonight.  Really looking forward to this series.  After a miserable start, the Caps finished the season on a tremendous tear and it was led by Ovi who had himself a tremendous season.  It’s interesting because there does seem to be more of a maturity and determination and business like attitude with this season than previous seasons.  Makes sense as the “Young Guns” are no longer that young.  I really like this team and have some bigger expectations for them.  I have said for several weeks now that this may not be the most talented team the Caps have had but it may be the best one they have had.  It really feels like the players have bought into Oates’ system and are really playing for each other.

Not sure how I feel about drawing the Rangers.  Frankly, I wouldn’t feel comfortable with anyone as all the teams are pretty tough.  The interesting thing about the Rangers is obviously we are familiar with them in the playoffs as we have faced them 4 out of the last 5 years.  They were the ones that eliminated us last season so there is a lot of history there.  The key to this series is to be able to win 5 v 5.  We are outstanding on the PP but they have taken the fewest number of penalties this year so we can’t count on winning on the PP.  Also, they are very good on defense and blocking shots.  We are going to have to be physical and grind out some difficult and ugly goals.  It will definitely be doing the little things that will get us goals.  The good news for our offensive guys is that the Rangers should be without Staal and Girardi who are two guys that are typically matched up on Ovi.  Hopefully this will make things a bit easier for our offensive guys.

On the other side, NY finished their season scoring a lot more than they did at the beginning of the year.  They couldn’t buy goals at the start of the season but Nash has really come alive and Brad Richards is finally starting to play the way he was expected when the Rangers traded for him.  Throw in solid production from Stepan and Callahan and they suddenly have two quality scoring lines that we need to defend.  I do like our defensive pairings and am glad Schultz and Poti are out.  The concern with our defensemen particularly Green and Carlson is if they make their offensive runs and lose the puck.  It can lead to odd man rushes.  It’s high risk/high reward but they really need to be careful when they decide to creep up. 

In the end, I expect a tough series with goals tough to come by and strong, physical play.  Mistakes will be the difference.  I like the Caps in this series to win in 6.

UNLEASH THE FURY!!!

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Caps win again!

Another great game.  This time against a very tough Montreal team played in Canada.  Caps owned the first part of the first period and just dominated.  They are starting to look really good.  This team may not be as talented as the teams a few years back but this looks to be the better team.  Guys really seem to have picked up on Oates' system and are thriving on it.  There seems to be a good mutual trust between the players and coaches and it all seems to be clicking. 

The Caps are the hottest team in hockey and Ovi is the hottest player.  The puck keeps going in for Alex Ovechkin.  The league's co-leader in goals finished a spectacular play with a tricky shot that fooled Montreal goalie Carey Price on Tuesday as the Washington Capitals beat the Canadiens 3-2 to extend their winning string to five games.

The Capitals are a perfect 5-0-0 in April and Ovechkin has eight goals in that span. The center on his line, Nicklas Backstrom, picked up two assists and has 11 points, all helpers, in the same five games.

Ovechkin said getting the win was bigger than the goal he scored to tie the game at 1 in the second period. It helped the Capitals stay two points ahead of Winnipeg atop the Southeast Division, with a game in hand.
"It's big two points for us right now," said the two-time Hart Trophy winner, whose level of play looks to be back near its peak after dipping the last two seasons. "We beat a team in front of us (in the standings).
"We know we can play against good teams. If we play hard and play our system it gives us results."

Eric Fehr and Jack Hillen also scored for Washington, which is 6-0-1 in its last seven.

Ovechkin's 26th of the season left him tied for the league lead with Steven Stamkos, who got the winner in Tampa Bay's 3-2 victory over Ottawa.

When told Stamkos had scored, Ovechkin said "good for him."  LOVE IT!  Ovi doesn't seem to care what anyone else is doing only that he does his job.  For the first time, I do feel like he is maturing and doing what the coach is telling him to do and trusting Oates in that he has his best interests in mind.  Ovi is starting to really thrive on the right wing and he is doing well camping out in front of the net.  He is a big boy with offensive skills and will command extra attention in front of the net thus freeing up other guys to get better shots. 

I just feel like this team has a confidence building as opposed to cockiness and recognizes the opportunity at hand whereas before I think they took winning and playoffs for granted.  Hopefully they can keep this up and get healthy as I don't think anyone will look forward to playing the Caps in the playoffs.

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Caps beat Canes - right back in playoff mix

Alex Ovechkin had two goals and an assist, and the Capitals rallied to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 on Tuesday night.  Mike Green scored two goals, Joel Ward added a goal, Nicklas Backstrom matched a career high with four assists and Braden Holtby made 31 saves.

Washington trailed 2-0 early  but needed just 11 shots over the first two periods to score all five goals.  With the win, the Caps take over second place in the SE division and find themselves only two points behind division leading Winnipeg.  The win marks the Capitals seventh win in 11 games and they are 5-1-1 over the last seven.  Ovi has been on fire in this stretch and the Caps look like they could actually do some damage should they make the playoffs. 

Big game on Thursday against NY Islanders who are three points ahead of the Caps and hold the eighth spot in the East.  Another must win for the Caps.  Then its games against TB and FLA this weekend.  We need these games as the last few games of the season are against tougher opponents so we need to take advantage against some of the weaker teams.

As a side note, will be interesting to see if the Caps make any moves before the 3 pm trade deadline today now that they are in the thick of the playoff race.  They certainly could use an offensive winger to help out down the stretch.

Hopefully they can keep this going.

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RG3 running on the field next week!

WHAT?!!!  This guy is a machine. 

RG3 could begin running on the field as soon as next week, the quarterback’s father confirmed to CSN Washington.

Griffin has been running in the pool and on a treadmill, Robert Griffin Jr. told The Washington Post, which first reported on the quarterback’s progress Monday afternoon.

“But they’re just about ready to take it out on the field,” the newspaper quoted the elder Griffin as saying.
Griffin Jr. later told CSN’s Chick Hernandez that “it would be feasible” for RG3 to begin running next week. He did, however, note that he had not spoken directly to Redskins trainers.

The team has not commented much on the progress Griffin has made since undergoing surgery after the season, other than Coach Mike Shanahan saying on a few occasions that the reigning offensive rookie of the year is rehabbing six to eight hours a day and remains ahead of schedule.

Griffin had the ACL, LCL and meniscus in his right knee repaired by Dr. James Andrews on Jan. 9.
Two weeks ago, Andrews described Griffin’s recovery as “superhuman” and the quarterback himself said his target is to be on the field for Week 1.

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Skins bring back D. Hall

From ESPN - It looks as though the Washington Redskins are serious about not letting their salary cap penalty break up their 2012 division champion team. A few weeks after cutting veteran cornerback DeAngelo Hall for cap reasons, the Redskins have agreed on a deal to bring Hall back to their secondary. He was going to cost them $8 million for 2013 under his previous contract, but obviously this one-year deal will be for considerably less.

Hall is not without his flaws as a cornerback, but the Redskins know him and like him and have seen him have success in their defensive system. They prefer to sign younger free agents to longer-term deals, but their salary cap problems this year have limited their ability to do that, and their best option in the secondary at this point is to sign a veteran to a one-year deal and then address the situation in a longer-term way next offseason. They courted free-agent cornerback Antoine Winfield, and some reports Monday night were saying they were still in the running for his services, but it's hard to imagine how they can pay him and Hall.

Assuming no further additions at corner, it's likely they'd use Hall and Josh Wilson as starters as they did last year and that Hall would move inside to cover slot receivers when opponents go to three-receiver sets, with E.J. Biggers filling the outside cornerback role Cedric Griffin filled last year. They still need to find a free safety (a role for which I actually think Hall would be well suited if he'd be willing to make the move), but it's likely they'll address that need in the draft later this month. They don't have a first-round pick, but most draft analysts believe the draft is deep at safety and that starters will be available in the second round.

What's remarkable at this point about the Redskins' offseason is how little they've lost from their 10-6 division champion team. With Hall back, reserve linebacker and special teams captain Lorenzo Alexander is the only significant loss they have suffered in free agency. Part of the reason is that the market didn't take off the way guys like Hall or tight end Fred Davis may have hoped it would, and another part of the reason is that they were able to convince several of their current players and restricted free agents to do deals that helped them fit others under the cap.

I like the move.  Hall is a known commodity and while he has a big mouth, he is a decent CB.  He wasn't worth the money he was getting but a one year deal is good for both sides.  It allows the Skins to bring back a known guy and it allows Hall to prove that he is deserving of one more bigger deal.  Question is if the Skins are still looking to sign Winfield.  We may have gotten tired of waiting but I wonder if Danny Boy has a trick up his sleeve and will try and get Winfield.  Would be interesting if we got him and if we tried to move either Hall or Winfield to FS.  We'll see but as the article mentions, it's pretty good that the Skins have been able to keep their team largely in tact outside of Alexander.  Given the cap penalty, I really like what the Skins have done this offseason.

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Caps weekend recap

A tale of two stories.  On Saturday, the Caps had a great come from behind win against the Sabres.  We outplayed them for most of the game but still found ourselves down 3-1 in the third.  Brouwer cut it to 3-2 on a shorthanded goal and then Green tied it up with under a minute as we pulled Holtby and Green hit a slap shot off the post that ricocheted off the Sabres goalie's back and into the net.  No goals in OT and on to shootout.  Sabres missed their first shot.  Hendricks (the Paralyzer) put on his patented move and froze the goalie and scored.  Sabres missed their second shot.  Ovi finished them off to win the game.  Great come from behind victory and a much needed two points.

Sunday we faced the Flyers and in a 2-2 third period, the Caps got a four minute PP.  We ended up scoring on both ends of that PP to make it 4-2 with 10 minutes left.  The Flyers cut it to 4-3 with seven minutes remaining.  They pulled their goalie in the final minute and we could not clear and they scored with 9.5 seconds left.  Pretty frustrating.  A minute and a half in OT the Flyers found the net to win it.  It was still good to come away with a point but we really could have used the two points.  Still, the games on the weekend were similar and we experienced both ends of the spectrum in the two games.

I believe we have 12 games remaining and we are 5 points out of the divisional lead and 2 points out of the 8th spot.  Essentially the playoffs have already started for us and every game is a must win.  Tomorrow is a critical game against the Hurricanes.  In fact, the next four games are pretty critical as they are against some of the weaker teams in the conference.  Given that the Caps end the season against some of the tougher teams, we need to get some wins in our next few games. 

GO CAPS!!!

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Nats opening day

I'm not a huge baseball fan but I suppose this season is a bit more exciting given the buzz and expectations surrounding the Nats.  Anything short of a World Series victory is a disappointment for this team.  The window is open wide and as the Caps know, those windows start to close a little more with each passing year. 

They have the star power and are strong on offense and in pitching so they have every reason to believe they will win it all.  SI projects them to win it all but they have to prove it.

It all starts today against Miami.  Strasburg is going so it should be fun.  Hopefully they get started out on the right foot.

Go Nats!

BTW - I'm still a Cubs fan but expectations are pretty low for them.  Maybe next year (HA!).

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Skins re-sign Fred Davis and add Darryl Tapp

HUGE signing for the Skins.  Davis, when healthy, has been one of the stronger offensive weapons for the Skins.  Even better is that it is a one year deal that appears to make solid sense for both sides. It’s a low-risk move for the Redskins, who have said they want to monitor Davis’ recovery. And for Davis, he’s essentially betting on himself. If he returns healthy, puts up impressive numbers and stays out of trouble, he’ll be set up for a more lucrative, longer term deal in Washington (or elsewhere) in 2014.

And although he flirted with other teams, Davis made it known  that he hoped to remain a Redskin.  “This is the team I got drafted to. This is all I know,” Davis said. “And we’re finally starting pick it up, get all the right pieces to [contend.]”

Additionally, the Skins add Darryl Tapp.  He's a VA Tech product and a solid backup.  He will help with depth on the defensive front.

Now we just need to sign Winfield and draft a solid safety and we are in pretty good shape. 

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ANNOYING!!

I am working in a conference room with a team of folks and the guy next to me is in constant conversation with himself talking about how he should attack his work.  He is animated and it's pretty distracting.  Kind of weird.

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JMU and VCU routed

JMU was just overmatched against Indiana.  Indiana is obviously better than JMU but it clearly wasn't JMU's best game.  We were down by as many as 30 points.  The only guy that looked like he was fighting was Nation who seemed like the only guy scoring for us.  Still, it was a good season and hopefully something to build off of.

Added VCU in here for JSR's sake.  After demolishing Akron they took their own beating against Michigan.  I like Shaka Smart and VCU and think he is doing a tremendous job over there.  Would be cool to have a VA school win it all.  VCU has certainly gotten better over the years starting with Capel and Smart seems to be taking them to the next level.  Moving to the A-10 helps them with recruiting and attention so hopefully they will continue to grow.

BTW - my bracket is BUSTED!  I am embarrassed at how bad it is.

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Urlacher done in Chicago

It's the sad side of sports.  Aging veteran who has given his all is overpriced and can't be afforded by his team and is forced out.  I don't blame Chicago.  Urlacher is older and slower and has had his fair share of injuries.

What I don't like is that the Pears should have just told him outright that he wasn't coming back.  Urlacher thinks he can still play and wanted a 2 year deal and gave a higher number knowing that it could be negotiated down.  The Pears countered with a 1 year offer for not much money.  It was an insult.  That leaves a bitter taste in his mouth.  Just be transparent and say that it's best to just part ways. 

Anyway, will be interesting to see where he lands and it will be strange to see him wear a different uniform.  My guess is that he won't be that good transitioning to a new team and defense and will look like a shell of himself.  He was Lovie's guy and it will be hard on him to move on.  He'll have some moments but his heart is in Chicago so not sure what a team that signs him will get.

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JMU vs. LIU Brooklyn

JMU faces LIU Brooklyn tomorrow evening.  The good news is I expect to win.  The bad news is that a win gives us the right to play Indiana. It's all got to start somewhere.

GO DUKES!!!

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Redskins move so far

I like them a lot.  Feel like the Skins are being very smart in what they are doing.  I have agreed with all the moves thus far outside of hoping we could have kept Lorenzo Alexander.  Cutting D. Hall made perfect sense.  I like that we have resigned all the blue collar guys that make things run.  I mentioned this before but we also resigned LB Kehl which is even more important given that we lost Alexander. 

Key now is to get a CB and there are still plenty of them out there.  I'm sure we want to buy our time which is smart.  It is clearly a buyers market with CBs and there is no reason to rush and overspend.  Buy time and wait for prices to drop and we should be able to get a solid CB.  How could we do it with our cap situation?  The first thing they would have to do is create some cap space, probably by restructuring a contract or two. A simple restructure is a fairly routine procedure as the player usually doesn’t give up any money and gets a chunk of his annual salary up front and guaranteed.  Then the team and the agent for the player they are going to sign have to negotiate a contract that is cap friendly in the first year.

For example, the contract Reggie Bush signed with the Lions.  He received a four-year, $16 million contract that included a $4 million signing bonus and a $1 million base salary in 2013. So Bush will be paid $5 million in cash in 2013 but will count $2 million against the cap (a $1 million base salary plus $1 million prorated). With higher base salaries in future years, his cap number will rise to $4.5 million in 2014 and 2015, and $5 million in 2016.

Key to this is that you can only do this for a few guys otherwise, you will run into some VERY serious cap problems down the road. 

Bruce Allen isn't so much a talent evaluator but one of his real strong points is he is very good at managing the cap and if can be done, he'll do it. 

Should be interesting to see if we are able to bring Davis back and add a quality CB. 

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Caps pull out win against the Caniacs

A MUCH needed win last night.  Wasn't the greatest performance but a win is a win and the Caps needed it in a big way.

Caps fell down early in the first period 2-0 and it looked like another lackluster performance.  However, newcomers Aaron Volpatti set up Joey Crabb with a great feed right in front of the net for a one timer to make it 2-1 in the second period.

The Canes took a high sticking penalty right at the end of the second period giving the Caps a PP to start the third and Ovi made them pay by taking a great feed from Brouwer and burying it into the back of the net.

With time dwindling away in the third, Carlson had the puck on our blue line and you could see he was waiting for lines to switch.  Ovi hopped on the ice and skated hard towards the Canes net.  Carlson made a perfect pass and Ovi threaded between two defenders to receive the puck for a breakaway.  He actually lost the puck but it worked out as the Cane goalie committed.  It would have been an easy goal for Ovi but he didn't get enough stick on it but it was enough for it to richochet off the near post and slide right along the goal line behind the goalie where Ribeiro was crashing the net for the put back. 

HUGE win as a regulation loss would have put us 12 points behind the Canes and pretty much out of the division.  Instead, we are 8 points and while still a climb, with 22 games left, it can be done. 

Up next are the Bruins tomorrow afternoon and then at home Sunday against the Sabres then it's Shatsburgh and back to back with Winnipeg.  Honestly, we need 4 out of the next 5.  I could take a split with Boston and Pittsburgh but we need all the other games. 

A couple of other notes, stinks that Kundratek got hurt.  Looked pretty bad but hopefully just a sprain.  Good thing that Erskine is expected back on Sunday.  Hopefully Green and Laich will be able to play soon.  Both are nursing groin injuries which are tricky because it may feel fine when walking or doing some easy skating but you can reinjure it when skating hard and making cuts so I'm sure they want to play it safe with those guys.

Also, it's interesting that Ovi seems to be passing way more than he used to.  While I kind of like some of the passes, he is a scorer and needs to take the shot as opposed to making that extra pass.  There were a couple of times last night where he faked out even his own teammates by passing on the shot and trying to set someone else up.  SHOOT DAMMIT!!!  Also, we are still giving a lot of odd man rushes. 

I'll take the win and will move on to Boston.  Will be a tough game in Boston as they are one of the best teams in the league and will know doubt want to exact revenge for the last time we met when Boston jumped out to a 3-0 lead only to lose 4-3 in OT.  Hopefully we can rise to the occasion.

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Caps do or die tonight

Caps are 10 points behind the division leading Hurricanes.  They have been horrible over the last three games and now they go to Carolina for a must win tonight.  Even with a win, things are tough but a loss and the season is almost a wrap.  At this point, I just want to see some heart and some commitment and some solid play that you can be proud of even in a loss.  Here's to hoping that the Caps can unleash even the slightest bit of fury.

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Lorenzo Alexander to the Cards

Alexander signed a 3 year deal with the Cards yesterday.  Too bad as he was the special teams captain and a good locker room guy that had been with the Skins for several years.  Liked the guy because he did everything that was asked of him.  He was an O lineman, D lineman, LB and special teamer.  He also was willing to give the Skins a home town discount.  The fact of the matter was that at 29 years of age and coming off of his first Pro Bowl season, he was looking to cash in and the Skins just didn't have the money. 

I'm happy for him and a bit disappointed for the us but he wasn't critical to the Skins success so it's fine. 

Meanwhile, the Skins continue to restructure contracts including Moss, Carriker, Meriweather and others to try and get some cap relief.  It looks more and more like we won't be able to go after Fred Davis which kind of stinks but we didn't have him for much of the last two years so it's not a huge change for us.  Will need to get as much cap space as possible to sign a FA or two in our secondary and our draft picks.  The good news is that there are a number of FA DBs and the draft is deep in DBs so we should be able to get some help.  I'm sure the Skins are waiting for the market to dip and be patient with the DBs and then try and pick someone up on the cheap. 

It's a tough situation and we got to get through this season with hopefully a decent roster.  Next offseason will be much better for us although I'm sure we will want to extend RG3 and he will likely be the highest paid player in the league. That will be interesting as we see what is happeing to the Ravens.  Flacco cashes in but at the expense of the entire team as the Ravens are purging and have already lost Boldin and five defensive starters from last season and perhaps will lose Ed Reed.  Gotta love the cap.

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JMU - CAA CHAMPS!!!

Great win!  Pretty much ran away with it from the get go.  Jumped out to a 22 point lead in the first half and never looked back.

It did get a little interesting at the 9 minute mark of the second half as Northeastern started pressing and we had difficulty dealing with it and had a few turnovers cutting the lead to 10 but after a timeout and some calming down, we regained our composure and finished them off. 

First time we won the conference since 1994.  On to the big dance!

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Caps thoughts

Last week, the Caps were looking pretty good.  They had won 5 of 6 capped off with a thrashing of division rivals Florida.  Things looked good.  They had climbed back into the playoff picture and things finally looked to be clicking for this team. 

Then comes this weekend and back to back games against the Islanders and Rangers.  I was thinking it'd be great to win both games but a split is fine.  They took the loss on Saturday against the Islanders which put some pressure to beat the Rangers on Sunday.  It was a nationally televised game and we were back at home so thought it was even more important to get the win.  The Caps started out good and scored within the first three minutes on Steve Oleksy's first career goal.  I like this guy Oleksy and was glad he got the goal. 

However, after about the first 10 minutes of the game, we were beaten.  Just a boring game.  Didn't see much life from the team and outside of a few chances late in the second period and a couple in the third, we were beaten and took the 4-1 loss. 

Frankly, we need to get Mike Green, John Erskine, and Brooks Laich back.  I like Tom Poti but he sucks.  Not a big fan of Jeff Schultz either.  Offensively, we need to get some type of production from Jason Chimera.  He needs to get a goal and get that monkey off his back.  Newcomer, Aaron Volpatti, is fine but we don't have enough scorers to make great use of that guy.  MoJo and Backstrom have got to get some goals as well.  I think Ovi is trying his best and most games he is playing really well but the Rangers game he seemed to be hot dogging it.  He did a fly by on a Ranger at center ice in the first period that resulted in a the Rangers first goal.  Just a bad play.  Not sure what he was thinking.  Then he took a couple of penalties that resulted in a NY PP goal.  The only guys on offense who I have been consistently happy with are Ribeiro and Brouwer as I see these two guys giving max effort night in/night out.  They are deserving of better play around them.

All that said, we have back to back games against division leaders Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday and Thursday this week.  The season hangs in the balance on these two games.  Two losses would make things very difficult in terms of winning the SE division but two wins and we are right back in the thick of the divisional race. 

If the Caps can't get up for these two games, they don't deserve the playoffs.  Hopefully they show something this week.

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GO DUKES!!!

JMU Dukes find themselves in the CAA finals tonight facing top seeded Northeastern.  A win means our first conference title since 1994 and a trip to the Big Dance.

With wins over rival W&M on Saturday and a close game yesterday against Delaware in which we won on two last second free throws, it sets up a chance to finally win the conference for the first time since I was at JMU.

GO DUKES!!!

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Skins moves

So the Skins don't have lots of money to work with given the $18M cap penalty they take this season.  The good news is that we are still taking care of some blue collar performers that are needed.  I like the re-signings of Logan Paulsen, Rob Jackson, and Durell Young and even LICHTENSCHTEIGER!!!! 

They let Fred Davis hit the open market so will be interesting to see what happens with him.  Would love to keep him as he is a good offensive weapon; however, he has had his share of injuries and off the field issues which have kept him from playing the last couple of years.

We are going to need to find some cap room to help sign our draft picks and even try and get a FA for the secondary.  An option being discussed is getting rid of D. Hall.  I would be okay with that.  I like D. Hall and think he is vastly underrated/under appreciated here.  I think that is in large part to his mouth.  I don't think he is deserving of his salary.  He gets paid top dollar for his position and in reality, he is an average CB in the league.  I could see them getting rid of him or certainly trying to restructure his deal.

Moss is another option.  I think Moss would be much more amenable to restructuring as he doesn't have too many options left in his career and frankly I don't think he wants to go anywhere else at this point. 

Still, I like that they kept those blue collar guys that are necessary to keeping this team moving in the right direction.  I also like that all those guys are quality character guys.

FA starts tomorrow pm.  Should be interesting.

HTTR!!!

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The return of Semin

HUGE game for the Caps tonight as the division leading Hurricanes come for a visit.  It's a chance for the Caps to continue their solid play and also climb further back into the hunt.  It also marks the return of Alexander Semin to Verizon.

Old friends Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin planned to get together for dinner Monday night, ahead of the Washington Capitals' big game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.  It's safe to say Troy Brouwer would not be joining them.

While Ovi has said that he missed having Semin on the team I think both from a talent perspective as well as having a fellow Russian on the team, Brouwer took a few potshots at Semin's work ethic after Monday's practice, reviving the reputation that dogged the talented but enigmatic Russian's seven seasons in Washington. The Capitals finally said goodbye to Semin last summer, and he signed with the Hurricanes as a free agent.

"It was tough to lose his scoring ability, when he wanted to play," Brouwer said. "But all in all I think we've been doing well without him. ... Some nights you didn't even know if he was going to come to the rink. It's tough to play alongside guys like those because you don't know what you're going to get out of 'em."



For good measure, Brouwer also said the Capitals had a "very lackadaisical" culture under former coach Bruce Boudreau. The streak of candor highlighted an eventful day of news good and bad that comes just as Ovechkin and the Capitals are finding themselves with a chance to ride some momentum and get out of last place.

I really like Brouwer.  Frankly, he is deserving of the "C" on his jersey.  The guy is a leader on and off the ice.  He is vocal and constantly puts maximum effort night in/night out.  I think he also knows how to get his teammates motivated. 

His comments on Gabby were also interesting. He wasn't here during Gabby's hey day so he more caught it when Gabby tried to alter styles while here which was a mistake for everyone.  He seems to really like Oates' style and I think the team looks like it is finally starting to come around. 

With the extension given to Holtby, the Caps are putting their trust in that kid and if we can get a healthy Green and Laich back and if Backstrom can return to form, this could be a pretty good team.

Again, a VERY important game tonight.  A win puts us right back into the thick of things and keeps the momentum going.  Will be interesting to see what type of reception Semin gets.  Should be a good one.

UNLEASH THE FURY!!!!

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RG3 "way ahead of schedule"

Redskin fans received more good news on the Robert Griffin III injury front. Dr. James Andrews said Friday the quarterback is recovering rapidly.

"His recovery is way ahead of schedule so far," Andrews told NFL Network. "We don't have to do much except try to hold him back."

It was announced last week that the Redskins were holding out hope that RG3 could be available Week 1.

Don't think the focus should be on starting week 1 rather it should be to just get healthy.  If that means he is ready by week 1 than great.  Good news is that this guy is a physical freak and has a tremendous work ethic.  Two key ingredients for a quick recovery.

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RG3 to start week 1?

Although it is only a little more than a month since Robert Griffin III underwent reconstructive knee surgery, Washington Redskins officials are encouraged enough with his recovery to believe he has a legitimate chance to start in the 2013 opener, according to team and league sources.

Griffin recently returned to Washington, where he spent some time rehabbing. Those who know him insist he is a physical freak, not unlike Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who was able to rush for 2,097 yards and win the MVP award the season after undergoing major knee surgery.

 

The Redskins know there still is a long way to go, and they're hardly going to rush Griffin. But they also know that based on what they've seen so far, it is well within the realm of possibility that Griffin will be the team's starting quarterback in Week 1.

I will say that he looked great at the NFL awards ceremony.  Not at all what I expected him to look like.  He walked with no visible limp and appeared in good spirits.  I don't want to rush the guy.  His long term health is WAY more important than playing in a few extra games this season.  However, if the doctors clear him and there is no greater risk of him playing in Week 1 than in Week 10, why not play him?  We are still several months away from the start of the season and I'm sure there will be much more discussion/updates on RG3's health along the way so we'll see but at least it's encouraging to see/hear that he is doing well.

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Should the Redskins change their name?

Few mascots and logos in American professional sports conjure up such controversy as the Washington Redskins.  While some claim it represents the storied history of Native Americans, others consider it to be a racial slur and highly offensive. 

The discussion around the usage of "Redskins" has now been waged for many years. Despite many clamoring for a change, the mascot has remained since 1933, when it originated in Boston prior to the franchise's move to Washington.

The controversy has deep roots.  While it's been a polarizing name for most of its history, opposition really started to heat up in 1992.  Twenty-five years after the Redskins originally trademarked the brand, a group of Native Americans filed a lawsuit against the nickname. The case was later dismissed after the Supreme Court refused to take it up.

Years later, while the Redskins were attempting to build a new stadium inside the city, senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell introduced legislation that would have required the team to change its nickname before building such a structure in Washington.  According to The Washington Post, then-owner Jack Kent Cooke, unwilling to comply, eventually moved the construction outside of the city. Throughout the Redskins' history, government, social groups and Native Americans have attempted to get the name changed. So far, no effort has been remotely close to successful.

The controversy reentered the public sphere last week when a symposium at the National Museum of the American Indian went on the attack against Native American mascots in professional sports. The Redskins, according to The Washington Post, were predictably one of the biggest targets.  A month earlier, with the Redskins reemerging in the NFC playoffs, Washington mayor Vincent Gray suggested that a name change should be discussed if the Redskins want to move back into the city, according to The Post. "I think that if they get serious with the team coming back to Washington, there’s no doubt there’s going to have to be a discussion about that, and of course the team is going to have to work with us around that issue," Gray said.

Current fans already use the shortened "Skins" to describe the team, so officially changing it to the abbreviated version would be an easy and pain-free transition. More importantly, dropping "Red" would altogether eliminate the inherent racism from the team name—which is the goal here in the first place.

Other options would be to change the name to Washington Warriors and use a spear as the logo.  Not much would have to change with the uniforms.  Washington Braves is another option.  The team was originally the Boston Braves and when they were moved to D.C. became the Washington Braves for a couple of years before becoming the Redskins.

While I like the name Redskins and the logo, I certainly don't want to offend anyone.  I don't think that is anyone's intent today.  However, I understand that the name can be offensive and I would be fine with a change as long as the spirit of the team remained intact.  That is why I could go for the Washington Warriors.  The Braves rides on tradition, but it doesn't offer a huge step forward in moving past the Native American problem "Redskins" presents now.  While Redskin fans use the term Skins, I don't know how much I like that.  Changing to something completely different would require completely different branding and I don't think the organization or fans would really like that.  The Washington Warriors would be a pretty simple transition as the colors could remain the same.  The name is pretty cool and can tie somewhat to the history of the Redskins but at the same time not really offend anyone. 

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Caps beat Panthers in OT

BIG win.  Down 5-3 late in the game, the Caps came back with Eric Fehr's first goal of the season with a little more than 5 minutes remaining.  With just over 2 minutes left, Ovi tied it on a PP goal right off of the faceoff. 

 

Thirty seconds into OT, Backstrom hit Brouwer in stride who was behind the defense and scored the game winner on breakaway.  Exciting game and more importantly, the Caps get their first road win of the season, their first back to back wins of the season, and get the 2 points. 

 

The Caps had their issues and there were defensive breakdowns but it was nice to see them persevere and fight back for the win.  Additionally, the PP has been great the last couple of games.  Last night, the Caps went 2-for-3 on the power play, getting goals from Mike Ribeiro [first period] and Alex Ovechkin [third period].  They are now 7-for-14 [50 percent] in their last six games. Washington has improved its league ranking on the man-advantage from 18th on Feb. 1 [17.9 percent] to tied for fourth at 25.5 percent.

 

Also of importance is the re-emergence of Ovi, he is looking more comfortable on the RW and looks to be getting more opportunities and developing his moves from the right side.  Ovechkin played a season-low 16:53 last night and was on the ice for two of Florida’s goals, but he also scored the game-tying goal on the power play and assisted on a goal by Matt Hendricks. Ovechkin finished with 10 attempts at the net. Three of them hit the net, three were blocked and four went wide. Ovechkin also delivered a hard hit on Kris Versteeg and answered the bell on his next shift when Versteeg cross-checked him and the two got into a scuffle.  A good, hard game from Ovi and hopefully we see more of this.

I said before the home and home with the Panthers that the next three games pretty much decide the season for the Caps.  They won the first two and now head to TB to face the reeling Lightning on Thursday.  This is another must win game.  Given that no one seems to be running away with the SE division, a win on Thursday gets the Caps right back into the mix in the division. 

We still need Laich back and could use Orlov as well to spell Schultz but it seems like this team is starting to take shape.  A couple of more wins and this team will really start believing.  Hopefully they can pull out the road win in TB and make it three in a row.

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Skins hire Keith Burns as Special Teams coach

The Redskins have an agreement to hire Keith Burns as their special teams coach, a league source confirmed Monday afternoon.

The 40-year old Burns has been the assistant special teams coordinator for the Denver Broncos since 2007. Burns was a linebacker who played primarily on special teams under Mike Shanahan in Denver. Burns served as special teams captain and later coached under Shanahan.

Interestingly, Burns went to T.C. Williams high school and I played against this dude. 

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Caps win!

It's been a while but the Caps pulled together a really strong and complete game and beat the divisional rival Panthers at home on Saturday.  A much needed win.  In fact, the season really hangs in the balance this week as they have three straight divisional games (home and home with the Panthers and then divisional leading TB on Thursday).  These are huge games.  If we can pull out all three we are right back in the mix as TB has struggled (losers of 4 in a row) after a red hot start in which they looked like they were going to run away with the division.

I will say that the Caps have looked good at points even during their losses.  If they can just string a full game together, they will be fine.  That appears what they did on Saturday.  It's a good win but it is only one win.  Still, this team was desperate for a win and you have to start somewhere.  Hopefully that win will jump start their season.  However, a loss on Tuesday against a Panther team playing back at home and no doubt wanting revenge for the beating they took on Saturday, will send the Caps back to where they were. 

I will say that it was good to get Erskine back and hopefully we can get Laich back soon.  Nice to see Ovi score his first 5 v 5 goal. I also like that Oates appears calm under the pressure and is holding firm and believing in his system.  Hopefully it is all starting to turn and we can make a run. 

Honestly, it just felt good to get a win. Should be a good one tomorrow night.

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Happy Birthday Robs!

Let us all rejoice and celebrate the birth of our favorite Pear lover...Robs!

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CRAP-itals lose again

There is no other way to say it other than the Craps suck!  They are the worst team in hockey right now and don't even look close to being able to win a game.  They are making WAY too many mistakes.  They take too many bad penalties.  Goaltending sucks.  They can't win a faceoff to save their lives.  They can't put together a full 60 minutes of quality play.  They have no confidence.  If they make a mistake, they can't recover from it.  It's just a hot mess.

Last night was no exception.  Against the Penguins, the Caps had a very good first period in which they took a 1-0 lead going into the break.  The second period was a disaster.  Too many penalties had them on the PK for much of the period and then just an complete collapse.  The Penguins scored 5 goals to just obliterate any chance the Caps had.  After the Penguins second goal (a two on one where Neuvy let in a bad goal by Dupuis), Neuvy was pulled for Holtby.  Granted I thought it wasn't a good goal to give up but I thought Neuvy was playing pretty well.  My guess is that Oates' decision had less to do with Neuvy and more about trying to shake up his team.  It clearly didn't work as Holtby (and the Caps) let in another three goals making it 5-1 after two periods.

The final period was okay and Ovi did notch a PP goal but it was pretty meaningless given that the Pens were probably attacking less and just trying to protect the lead. 

Bottom line this team desperately needs a win.  It's confidence is as low as I have seen.  This is the worst start for the Caps in nearly a decade.  There is too much talent on this team to be this bad.  With a shortened season, it is quickly slipping away. 

They get back to it tomorrow night at home against the Panthers.  My guess is that the fans expect a win and they will be ready to turn on the Caps quickly.  Will be interesting to see what happens.

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Washington CRAP-itals

Lets face it, the Craps suck right now.  I think there are several things wrong with the team.  However, I also think that this team has talent and can turn things around.  Here are my thoughts:

1. New coach/new system:  I get it.  It's old news but it's still a contributing factor in the Craps early season struggles.  I will say that the first 2-3 games of the season, they looked lost but they have been looking better in recent games.  It will still take a little bit of time for the players to adapt to the system but there is little doubt that this has been a struggle.

2. Special teams:  This is a problem.  Oates was brought in here to really help with the PP.  Right now the PP is middle of the pack but the PK has been abysmal.  We rank near the bottom.  They have gotten a bit better but it's still not good.  What bothers me on the PP, is I see WAY too much standing around.  There's a lot of passing but not many shots.  Would like to see more movement and more shots.

3. Goaltending:  After the end of last season, I think everyone felt that Holtby was a #1 goalie.  He has sucked this year with a GAA of 4.52!  His save percentage sucks as well.  Part of this is not his fault as the defense hasn't been great but in Sunday's game against the Pens, he allowed what I would consider two soft goals at a critical time in the game.  I will say that I have liked Neuvy back there and was curious why he didn't get the start on Sunday.  For some reason, the organization never seems to have liked Neuvy. 

4. Where are the stars?  I am specifically talking about Ovi and Backstrom.  They both admit they haven't been playing well.  Ovi is too predictable.  Then I see him start hot dogging it around trying to make too much happen.  The guy no doubt has supreme talent but he needs to recognize his age and he probably can't quite do the things he used to and also defenders know what to expect from him.  He needs to adapt his game to suit his age and his size.  He can still be great but he has to put in the time.  Backstrom is a different story.  He has just been sloppy.  The Pens game he flubbed shots and passes and just looked out of position.  Not sure what is wrong with him but he needs to be a lot better.

5. Playing a full 60 minutes:  There are long stretches where the Caps look really good but it seems inevitable that there will be a stretch in the game where they are terrible.  I can't really put all of this on conditioning as some of their best play occurs near the end of games.  It is just commitment from each individual to go out there and perform their best on each shift.  This may be the most troubling aspect for me.

There are some other issues with individuals who seem to not have progressed as hoped (MoJo and Carlson) but right now this is a team that is really struggling.  ESPN has them dead last in their latest power rankings and deservedly so.  I still believe the team can turn it around but this certainly doesn't seem like the team we have become accustomed to over the last few years.

Interesting that Anaheim (Boudreau's new team) is playing great.  I'm sure many of us wish that Gabby had never left.  I do believe it was time for him to leave as he fell victim to what the organization was telling him to do (become more defensive) and he changed his philosophy and his style (more player friendly to more disciplinarian) and he lost his way.  There was never a question on whether he could coach but he probably needed a new start.  I'm happy for him as he was the first to admit that he stopped coaching the way he knew in Washington and said he wouldn't do that again.  Clearly, he is enjoying himself in Cali.

Caps have a game tonight at home against the Maple Leafs who played last night and had to travel.  It's a game we need to win.  If the Caps can string together 3 or 4 wins, everything will change but that's a big "if."  A few more losses and this season will be lost.  Will be interesting to see how the season unfolds over the next couple of weeks.

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Is Ovi still elite?

Interesting discussion by NBC analysts in between periods of the Caps/Pens game on whether Ovi is still elite.  The analysts brought up an unnamed coach who said that they still game plan for Ovi on the PP but not on 5 v 5.  Mike Milbury (who I don't care for) mentioned that Ovi is still an elite talent but he hasn't put in the work to become better.  He has become too predictable.  Keith Jones (who I do respect) agreed with Milbury and said that Ovi basically does his one timers from the left side and that is it.  Both of them said that Ovi is big and should use his body in and around the net more. 

I agree with all the comments.  Ovi is still extrememly talented but his game has not evolved over the last couple of years.  The great ones adapted their games to continuously improve and while their physical talents may fade some, they have put in the work to play to their strengths and continued to grow and improve in other aspects of the game. 

Ovi does his one timers and he tries to bring the puck down the left hand side and either sneak a wrist shot through the defender using him as a screen or cut towards the middle and shoot.  Defenders have this down now and block many of his shots.  I am still a HUGE Ovi fan but he really needs to be better to still be considered a top player in this league.

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Congrats to RG3 being named NFL rookie of the year

RG3 won the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The Redskins rookie quarterback won in a vote that was not particularly close. The AP conducted the vote and announced that Griffin got 29 votes to 11 for Colts quarterback Andrew Luck and 10 for Seahawks QB Russell Wilson.

Congrats to him as it was well deserved.  Of more importance, RG3 walked the red carpet and accepted the award without a limp.  He is only a month removed from surgery and he mentioned that he is ahead of schedule and plans to be ready by opening day.  Whether that happens or not, it was good to see him up and about and moving without any limp. He certainly looked good and that was encouraging.  I want for him and the Skins to play it safe and not rush him but it certainly looked like the guy would be ready to play at least a good portion of the upcoming season.

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Congrats to the RAY-vens

 

What looked to be a Raven blowout ended up a really exciting game that came down to the wire.  A number of key plays in this game with the biggest being the controversial no holding call on Crabtree.  Here are my biggest points of the game:

 

1. Flacco - He was really good.  Definitely deserving of the MVP and really proved any doubters that he is a top QB in the league.  He made a number of big throws and I'm happy for him.  He was "f'ing awesome!"

 

2. Kaepernik - He was good but not great.  He was pretty well contained in the run department as the Ravens did a good job of having one guy key on him on every play.  This is something the Packers (and other teams) failed miserably at.  Still, he was solid in the passing game and looks like he will be a good QB in this league.

 

3. Jacoby Jones return - HUGE way to start the second half.  Having already built a solid lead, Jones took the opening kick of the second half for a TD.  It was a dagger and could have very well ended the game.  I'm sure there were plenty of Raven and 49er fans thinking the game was over at that point.

 

4. Power outage - Strange and embarrassing for the NFL and New Orleans for this to happen on one of the biggest stages of the world.  Ended up a blessing in disguise for the 49ers as it happened shortly after the Jones TD return and it gave the 49ers time to regroup and the Ravens excitement to die down some. 

 

5. 49ers third quarter - When the lights came back on, the 49ers came on like gang busters.  First Crabtree scores on a TD pass, then the 49ers return a punt to the Ravens 20 yard line and Gore scores, then the 49er defense force a Ray Rice fumble deep in Raven territory for an Akers FG (which he originally missed but because of a running into the kicker penalty got another chance) to suddenly turn a blowout into a 28-23 game.

 

6. Boldin's 3rd and short catch - Give Jim Harbaugh credit for challenging the spot of the ball on the fourth quarter Ravens drive that initially gave them a first down at midfield but because of the challenge, made it 3rd and a foot.  Seemed like an obvious run play or QB sneak but Flacco saw man to man on the outside with Rogers on Boldin and audibled for a isolation pass play.  Rogers had really good coverage but Flacco threw to Boldin's back shoulder and Boldin used his strength to bring in that pass.  Tremendous catch coming at a huge time as there was still about 6-7 minutes to play and a drop would have given the 9ers the ball back with plenty of time down only by 2 points.  The catch kept the Ravens drive alive and resulted in a Justin Smith 38 yd FG with just over 4 minutes remaining and more importantly a 5 point Raven lead.

 

7. The no call holding play - REALLY tough play.  No doubt controversial.  In looking at the replays, it looks to be holding but it's understandable that a referee does not want a call to be the deciding factor in this type of game at that moment.  Often times in all sports, referees allow the players more latitude at the end games and won't call touch fouls as they want the players to decide the outcome.  It's tough for the ref in the Super Bowl with about a minute left on a fourth down play to make that call.  While I was pulling for the Ravens, I really don't have any afflitiation with either team so I didn't particularly care in the final outcome so I think I can be pretty objective.  Personally, I thought it was a good non call.  However, I am sure that if I was a 49er fan, I would be going nuts after that non call.  Again, it's a tough call and I could see it going either way.  I tend to like for refs to stay out of the way and make the non calls so I'm okay with it.  Seems fitting that in a year in which refs were such a big story in the NFL that the Super Bowl comes down to a controversial non call by the ref. 

 

In the end, it was an exciting game and what a way for Ray Lewis (arguably the best LB to have played the game) to end a storied career.  Almost seemed like destiny.  I'm happy for John Harbaugh as well as he seems like a great coach but an even better guy.  It's another football season in the books.  Hard to believe it is over.  We have a few months before we can get excited again as the draft is in April and we start hearing about OTAs and minicamps in May and June.  Congrats again to the Ravens and can't wait for football to return.

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Tuiasosopo is confused

The man who claims to have been behind the Manti Te'o girlfriend hoax told talk show host Phil McGraw that he was in love with the Notre Dame linebacker.

"Here we have a young man that fell deeply, romantically in love," McGraw said on the "Today" show Wednesday, about Ronaiah Tuiasosopo.

McGraw said he asked Tuiasosopo to define the nature of the relationship.  "I asked him straight up, 'Was this a romantic relationship with you?' And he says 'Yes.'

"I said, 'Are you then therefore gay?' And he said, 'When you put it that way, yes.' And then he caught himself and said, 'I'm confused.'"

That is the understatement of the year.  This dude is definitely confused.

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Danny Smith leaves to go to Pittsburgh

While Smith was a fixture on the Redskin sidelines for years, it's not that big of a deal.  I liked Smith and he was very recognizable with the big wad of gum in his mouth but our special teams the last couple of years were less than stellar with several blocked FGs and a couple of blocked punts this year. 

Smith is heading back home to Pittsburgh and I'm sure we'll pick up someone decent enough to run the special teams squad. 

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Caps get their first win!

Caps managed to hold on Sunday 3-2 to get their first win against the Sabres.  Good win.  Also, nice to see Ovi get his first goal off of a one timer on a PP.  Give Robs some credit as he expected to see Ovi back at his more comfortable LW spot which was the case.  I will say that Ovi looked a lot better in that game.  He played with what appeared a lot more passion and enthusiasm.  He looked to be skating much harder and played more like what Caps fans are accustomed to.  Frankly, I thought the whole team looked much better. 

Seemed like Sunday's win was a carry over from their play on Friday night in NJ against the Devils.  Although suffering a 3-2 loss in OT, I thought they did look much better in that game.  I also like getting Hamrlik out of there.  Probably a good idea to take Poti out as well.  While I like Poti, the guy is old and been out of hockey for two years.  Not a huge fan of Schultz but I do like Erskine.  Seems like Erskine brings a toughness and grittiness that the Caps need.  Good for him in getting a goal on Sunday even though it was a fluky one at that. 

I also like the shifting of lines.  Thought MoJo was disappointing last year and he has been an even bigger disappointment this season.  I like Ovi skating with Crabb and Beagle.  Beagle and Crabb seem more like hard working gritty guys that can help get the puck to Ovi. 

Couple of other notes:

1. Neuvy has played well and is deserving of the top spot right now over Holtby.  I think Neuvy has been waiting for this opportunity and it's nice to see him step up to the challenge.  He seems to be playing with a bit of a chip on his shoulder and really wants that #1 spot.  He's been in the league a few years now and has always had to play second fiddle.  He now seems primed to be the #1.  Hopefully this is the case.

2. Backstrom needs to shoot.  The guy is always looking to pass but he has a tremendous shot.  He needs to use it more.  He will overpass before shooting.  He did take a shot on Sunday when I expected him to pass and he hit the post.  The guy has to use that shot more.

Caps play tonight and hopefully can continue their stronger play.  It's only been a couple of games where they have played well so can't get overly excited.  A bad game tonight and we'll be back to square one.  Hopefully the team is starting to gel and understand the system better and can pull out another win.

UNLEASH THE FURY!!!

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Caps are sucking!

I have watched the better part of all three games this season and my conclusion at this point is that the Caps stink.  Yeah, I get there is a new coach and a new system and sure there will be some time to adjust to it but this is hockey and it's not like reinventing the game. 

I am seeing dumb penalties and just a general lack of effort out there.  The top line guys seem out of sorts.  I don't see much movement on the PP.  The PK sucks.  These guys are sinking fast and it shows.  Four Canadien goals in the second period did them in.  Neuvy played pretty well but just not enough help from his teammates.  Guys not clearing out the crease.  Too often there are guys in front of our goalie with no defender in sight.  On the opposite end we get some shots but very few are quality shots.  We aren't testing the other teams goalies.  No traffic in front. 

The boo birds were out loud and often last night and deservedly so.  This team desperately needs to get it together and show some life.  I'm not even talking about a win but just some aggressive play.  For the first time in some time, I am watching these guys and thinking we don't have a chance.  Just lackluster boring play.  They are at it again tonight in NJ and they need to get something going soon.  Hopefully we see some inspired play tonight. 

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Manti was talking to a man

Just a weird story.  Manti spent hours talking to his "girlfriend."  Turns out his "girlfriend" is a man.  The voice was that of Ronaiah Tuiasosopo -- the dude behind the hoax.  This is just weird, dude.  This guy Tuiasosopo has got some real problems.  Not only to come up with this idea but to pretend to be a girl and carry on a romantic relationship with a guy over the phone for hours -- there is something wrong with this guy.  It goes beyond a prank.  If it were a prank, at some point seems like you would crack up laughing on the phone or something or just not be able to carry it on as long as he did.  However, to be able to sound like a woman and act like a woman for hour(s) long conversations that went on for months, this guy has some real issues.  Not sure what motivated him and what he thought he was doing but would be interesting to hear from him.  I'm sure he'll get his time on Dateline or some show like that. 

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Caps struggling

After two games, it's pretty clear the Caps are struggling.  Not a huge surprise given that they have a new coach in Adam Oates and a new system.  With no training camp and preseason games, they are having to learn the system on the fly. 

Without truly understanding the "x's" and "o's" of hockey, it seems like an interesting system.  It is supposed to be somewhat of a hybrid of Boudreau's high flying offensive system and Hunter's stingy defensive system.  What is apparent is that defenders are having to make rushes on the offensive end and offensive guys (particularly the centers) are having to get back and play defense.  I noticed a number of times in yesterday's Winninpeg game defensive guys rushing into the offensive zone and offensive guys, especially Backstrom, way back in the defensive zone.  It's clear the guys are still learning where to be as it looked like there were times yesterday that guys weren't in rhythm and it just wasn't fluid. 

Additionally, Ovi has made the switch to right wing and I'm not sure how comfortable he is there.  I know he wants to still have chances from the left side as it appeared later in the game he crept over to the left side.  Still, he is too predictable on the left side but I know he likes to bring it down the win and then cut towards the center and release a shot which he can't do now from the right side.  Still, Oates wants to have guys that are right handed play the right side and left handed guys play the left side. 

I'm sure learning the system will take a little time; however, with a shortened season hopefully they can learn it sooner rather than later as there isn't much time to get behind in the standings and try to play catch up. 

A couple of other notes:

1. The PK SUCKS!  The Caps are 6 of 12 in PK.  50%!!!!  That is ridiculous.  What's worse is that it just looks bad.  That needs to get shored up.

2. MoJo sucks.  With the loss of Semin, a lot is riding on MoJo and he has been less than spectacular.   He has been playing on the top line but he is struggling to just skate and move the puck.  His poor play resulted in him getting replaced on the top line last night and he hardly played in the third period.  He has to get better.

3. Goal keeping has to be better.  Holtby has been okay but certainly not great.  It will be interesting to see if Hunter's defensive system masked Holtby's inadequacies.  In the new system, there certainly will be more pressure on the goalies and hopefully Holtby is for real and not a Jim Carey.

4. The stars have to shine.  Ovi, Backstrom, and Green have been the stars of this team for the last few years.  They need to step up now.  They are veterans and have to lead. 

5. Don't panic and stay the course.  With losses guys will start to second guess themselves and press but they need to stay the course and fight through it.  If they can get up to speed, they will be fine but again they have to right the ship quickly if they intend on making the playoffs this year.

Next game is Thursday night at home.  It's not a must win but it is important that they play better.  In both games this season, they were outworked and outplayed.  That needs to stop.  A win will certainly boost their confidence and can get things moving in the right direction.

UNLEASH THE FURY!!!

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Manti Te'o's "girlfriend" hoax - WTH?!!!

Notre Dame says a story about Manti Te'o's girlfriend dying, which he said inspired him to play better as he helped the Fighting Irish get to the Discover BCS National Championship, turned out to be a hoax apparently perpetrated against the linebacker.


The university issued a news release Wednesday after Deadspin.com reported it could find no record of Lennay Kekua existing.  Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said in a news conference Wednesday night that coaches were informed by Te'o and his parents on Dec. 26 that Te'o had been the victim of what appeared to be a hoax. Someone using a fictitious name "apparently ingratiated herself" with Te'o, the school said, then conspired with others to lead him to believe she had died of leukemia.

This is one crazy story and I think it is just in its infancy.  Will be interesting to find out how/why this happened.  This is one elaborate joke and either Te'o is a huge victim and this whole thing is a sad joke on him and he is foolish to have gotten caught up in it OR Te'o was in on this and he's just an idiot with poor character for trying to play this up. 

Notre Dame stands by Te'o and believes he is innoncent.  Still, interesting Te'o said he had this girlfriend and I'm assuming he had this relationship for some time yet he never met the girl.  Weird. 

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Skins play the Pears next season

The NFC East and NFC North teams will be facing each other next season.  That means the Skins will face the Pears.  The actual schedules have not been released so we won't know the date of the game; however, I believe the game will be played at FedEx.  Will be interesting when the game is played and who will be the QB for the Skins when the game is played. 

Should be a loo loo!

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LIAR!!!!

So Lance Armstrong has finally decided to come out and make some type of admission to his use of performance enhancing drugs.  This is ridiculous.  The guy has strongly denied the accusations for a decade.  Even with former teammates admitting their use and implicating him as well and mounting evidence, Armstrong stood defiant denying the accusations. 

Several months ago, it was recognized that he had cheated and his titles were stripped and he lost millions in endorsement deals being pulled.  He received a lifetime ban from competitive competitions.  Only now has he decided to give some type of partial admission.  Where is the courage in that?  Where is the honor in that?  No where. 

He isn't sorry he did what he did.  He is sorry he got caught.  Do you think for a second the guy would admit to anything if he hadn't got caught?  Of course not.  This guy is a loser.  Sure, I give him credit for Livestrong and the money he has raised for cancer research but to deny the way he did for a decade and to only come out now after losing so much shows his true character and how cowardly he is.  He is only coming out now to try and save and repair any type of character he has left.  It's too late.  He is trying to salvage his money.  He is trying to be reinstated so as to compete again.  It's all a sham.

It's simple.  I tell my kids that if you do something wrong that I may not like it but if you lie about it, I will be a whole lot more upset.  You can respect guys like Andy Pettitte and Jason Giambi for admitting to their use of performance enhancing drugs.  While it's not good that they used, at least they were open and honest about it when they were asked about it. Armstrong is an arrogant ass and he is deserving of the penalties that have been handed down to him and that continue to be handed down to him.

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NFL Divisional round of playoffs

Pretty exciting weekend of football.  Here are my thoughts on all the games:

1.      Baltimore at Denver.  A very cold game at Denver where the Broncos were heavy favorites.  A story within the story was the play of two of the greatest players at their respective positions with Ray Ray going after Peyton Manning.  Manning was having an MVP caliber season and proving he was worth the price Denver paid for him as the Broncos were playing great football down the stretch and were the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs.  Game really came down to the final minute with Baltimore down by seven with less than a minute left.  It looked desperate and the crowd was roaring as they could feel the victory coming.  CBS flashed to Ray Ray on the sideline and it looked like he was praying and reflecting on his career and reconciling that this might be the last time he suits up.  Right after that, Flacco throws a deep ball down the right sideline and inexplicably the Denver safety allows the WR to get behind him who proceeds to catch it and run in for a game tying TD.  INEXCUSABLE!!!  How the safety let that guy get behind him is unbelievable.  The game ended up going to OT and with both teams getting opportunities, it ended up coming down to a poor decision by P. Manning rolling to his right and making a rookie type of mistake by throwing across his body for an INT.  Ravens got a few yards and ended up kicking a game winning FG silencing the shocked Denver fans.  Too bad for Manning but congrats to Ray Ray as he lives for another week

2.      Green Bay at San Francisco.  Game can be summed up pretty easily…the Puckers had no answers for Colin Kaepernik.  Pretty embarrassing performance by their defense.  Kaepernik rushed 16 times for nearly 200 yards.  INEXCUSABLE!!!  The Puckers were clueless on the read option.  On Kaepernik’s one long TD run on the read option, the GB contain guy looked completely lost.  Just embarrassing.  What was also amazing and Aikman mentioned this during the game was how Dom Capers had his defense play.  He had the secondary lock on in man coverage and sent pressure.  Once Kaepernik avoided the initial pressure, the Puckers DBs all had their backs to him as they were chasing WRs down the field.  It left Kap with wide open space to run for big yards.  Just poor coaching.  Rodgers was able to be too effective as the SF D line overpowered the GB O line and Rodgers didn’t have many opportunities to allow plays to develop.  Again, weaker coaching as GB never tried to get their ground game going and they should have adjusted to shorter/quicker passes as their O line couldn’t protect Rodgers long enough for deeper routes.  GB was largely overpowered in the game.

3.      Seattle at Atlanta.  Really a tale of two halves.  Atlanta jumped out to a 20-0 halftime lead in which Seattle had a couple of opportunities to score but failed on questionable decisions including midway through the second quarter with the score 13-0, Carroll opted to go for it on 4^th and short deep in Atlanta territory instead of kicking a FG.  They failed to convert and Hotlanta ended up scoring another TD to make it 20-0.  On the ensuing Hawk drive, they marched down the field and again instead of going for a FG before the half, they went for it with no timeouts and Wilson got sacked and they came away with no points.  Still, in the second half, it was all Seattle as they bounced back and made it a 27-21 game with two minutes left .  Wilson engineered a late drive that was capped off with a Lynch TD to take the lead 28-27 with 31 seconds remaining.  The Atlanta players and fans were shocked and silenced.  Atlanta got the ball for one last chance and after a decent kickoff return, Ryan threw a deep out close to midfield and called timeout.  The next play was a pass to reliable Tony Gonzalez in the middle of the field inside the Seattle 35 yard line.  With 13 seconds left and no timeouts, Atlanta brought out Matt Bryant and as is fairly typical, Seattle called time out just before Bryant kicked to ice him.  Bryant still got the kick off and it sailed wide right.  After the timeout, Bryant got a second chance and he did not disappoint sending the kick right down the middle for an exciting last second victory.

4.      Houston at New England.  This is the game I paid the least attention to so I can’t comment much.  Pretty dominating performance by Brady and the Pats.  Only real points of interest I can provide are that Gronkowski broke his arm again and is done for the remainder of the year.  Finally, pretty amazing that New England has been able to sustain their level of success for as long as they have.  It’s almost impossible in today’s NFL but somehow they have managed to do it.  It all starts with Brady and his ability to lead his team to victories.  He is arguably the greatest QB to have ever played given his success.  I think there is an intimidation factor that opposing teams feel when playing Brady and the Pats as Brady can get his team to play with a fire and confidence that stems from him and allows his team to will victory over the opposition.

In the end, we find a couple of decent championship games next week as San Francisco will visit Atlanta and Baltimore will head to New England with the winners of the respective games facing off in the Super Bowl.  Hard to believe another season of football is almost done.

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Hogettes retiring after 30 years

I'm SO sad!  Actually, don't much care.  The real Hogs were a generation ago and while the Hogettes were a nice fixture at the game (although I don't really see/hear much from them over the last several years), it's probably time for these guys to hang up the dresses and snouts. 

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CAPS!

I'm excited that hockey is back.  I know a lot of people are bitter about the lockout.  I think it is pretty ridiculous.  If there is a sport that can't afford a work stoppage it is the NHL.  Still, for me, I'm glad it's back and it won't stop me from watching and enjoying it.

That said, should be an interesting Caps season.  The obvious big change is that Adam Oates takes over the reigns from Dale Hunter.  I like the selection.  Oates was a great player and a former Cap so he has personal connections with the team.  Also, from what I've heard, he is one of the smartest hockey minds out there.  That doesn't always transfer to coaching.  However, he has served the last several years as an assistant to Tampa Bay and New Jersey so he has paid some dues and seems deserving of a shot.  My understanding is that he will be a balance between Boudreau's offensive madness and Hunter's defensive prowess.  Should be interesting to see how his style fits the players.  Will also be interesting to see how quickly he can get the guys to buy in given the shortened camp/season.

Couple of other points of interest:

1. Holtby was tremendous down the stretch last season.  We will see if he can continue his strong play or if this is the second coming of Jim Carey.

2. Tom Poti is trying to make a return.   I liked Poti but he is older and been out of hockey for a while so not sure what he can offer now.

3. Ovie and the young guns aren't that young anymore so we will see how they do.

4. Backstrom hurt his neck in Moscow.  Hopefully it isn't bad and he can be healthy because he may now be the Caps best player.

5. Neuvy and Hamrlik were critical of the NHLPA during the lockout and there were Caps that were not happy with them so we'll see if there are any lingering bad feelings with them in the locker room.

In any event, I'm glad hockey is back and will be fun to Rock the Red and Unleash the Fury again. 

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