Week 3 Predictions

Sorry it's been awhile since I've posted. I just finished my move last night and in order to get my predictions in before game time I'm simply going to post the scores I'm going with.

NE at BUF: NE Wins 32-24
SF at CIN: SF Wins 21-17
MIA at CLE: MIA Wins 28-24
DEN at TEN: TEN Wins 30-21
DET at MIN: DET Wins 38-27
HOU at NO: NO Wins 30-21
NYG at PHI: PHI Wins 34-21
JAC at CAR: CAR Wins 30-17
NYJ at OAK: OAK Wins 28-21
BAL at STL: BAL Wins 28-20
KC at SD: SD Wins 38-10
GB at CHI: GB Wins 28-24
ARI at SEA: ARI Wins 21-17
ATL at TB: TB Wins 28-21
PIT at IND: PIT Wins 28-13
WSH at DAL: WSH Wins 17-10


Enjoy the games and I'll see you guys out there!

Week 2 Predictions

Here are my predictions for all the games going on in Week 2:

OAK at BUF:  This game is simlar to the Arizona vs. Washington game, in that it's two teams that would be surprises at 2-0, but I give both of these teams more credit than the national media.  I see this being a difficult game for Oakland as they are coming east and playing in the 1pm EST game.  Fitzpatrick was on fire last week against KC and I think at home this week that will continue (maybe not to the same extent), but if the Bills get out to a hot start, it will be hard for the Raiders to continue trying to pound it with McFadden.  I think it ends closer than it begins, but the Bills remain on top.

BUF Wins: 28-23


GB at CAR:  I'm excited to watch this game because I think Rodgers will have "video game type numbers" to quote Chad Ochocinco.  I also want to see if Cam Newton can be just excellent enough to lose two weeks in a row. This game won't be close, but Green Bay needs to prove that their defense can make a stop, and the whole country wants to see if Cam Newton can match his performance against Arizona from last week.

GB Wins: 38-20


KC at DET:  Kansas City didn't seem to take the preseason seriously and it bit them hard last week in the box score and the injury report.  They've lost stud safety Eric Berry for the year and they got blown out by a "weaker" opponent in Buffalo.  I think Detroit will do similar things as they have a high power offense and a great pass rush on defense.  It's going to be an ugly day if Cassel can't hand the ball off to Jamaal Charles 30 times.

DET Wins: 31-14


CLE at IND:  Peyton Hillis is licking his chops for this game.  Indianapolis has the worst run defense in the league and he is ready to bounce back from a disappointing loss to Cinci last week.  I think the Browns will play better on offense and defense and get the Colts one step closer to drafting Andrew Luck.

CLE Wins:  24-13


TB at MIN:  This is going to be a good game. As much as I wish McNabb could continue to play horribly, it just won't happen. The run game will continue to be good and get better, and he'll get into a rhythm.  Tampa Bay played a rough game last week and lost in a close one to an improved Detroit game.  This will send one of these two playoff contenders to 0-2 and have them in a large hole to begin in a competitive NFC.  I see Peterson taking the reigns and running for a couple touchdowns, while McNabb goes for about 200 and another TD.  Josh Freeman will continue to be bad for my fantasy team (as that is tradition), and Tampa Bay loses.

MIN Wins: 24-17


CHI at NO:  This will be a great game.  New Orleans is too good of a team to be 0-2, but Chicago is too mean of a team to let the Saints win.  I believe in Brees, and in the Superdome it will just be too much for the Bears offense to perform like they did against Atlanta.  I still believe it will be a close one with the Chicago defense keeping them in the game, but New Orleans pulls away in the end.

NO Wins: 31-24


JAC at NYJ:  This is my first real upset pick of the week.  The Jets barely beat Dallas last week, and I could see them underestimating Jacksonville.  Maurice Jones-Drew is a strong runner, and Luke McCown played very well last week, so it's a strong possibility that continues.  I think Jacksonville tastes blood in the AFC South and realizes they can compete with the Texans and head to the playoffs.  It will be a close defensive battle, with Luke McCown leading a 4th quarter comeback to win.

JAC Wins: 21-17


SEA at PIT:  This game won't even be close. Pittsburgh is angry they got blown out by Baltimore, and even though Seattle is probably upset they lost last week as well, the odds are stacked against them.  Pittsburgh is better, and they're playing an away game on the east coast at 1pm.  Blow Out Alert!

PIT Wins: 31-13


BAL at TEN:  Baltimore looks good.  REALLY good.  Tennessee looks decent, REALLY average.  I'm immediately regretting my pick to have them make the playoffs, and I can't even force myself to pick them here.  Chris Johnson will continue to struggle even though he has reportedly been promised more carries.  Titans go to 0-2.

BAL Wins: 28-13


DAL at SF:  San Francisco won in a relative snoozer last week against a weak Seahawks team.  Dallas has better special teams and will not allow 2 return TDs.  Romo also won't collapse again so soon.  I see Dallas winning big in what used to be a great rivalry.

DAL Wins: 28-13


CIN at DEN:  Andy Dalton won his first game in an NFL uniform.  I don't think he wins his second.  Kyle Orton is not a bad quarterback at all, and will be able to lead this Broncos team to a winning record in a weak division if his defense can hold teams and get off the field.  The Raiders ran all over Denver last week, and Cincinnati has a good back in Cedric Benson.  This will be a close one, but the Broncos will win in the end, Tebow chants and all.

DEN Wins: 21-17


HOU at MIA:  Both of these teams played well in week 1, but Miami went up against the Madden 12 version of Tom Brady.  If their defense can play more like they did last year, and Chad Henne can play like he did last week this will be a winnable game at home.  However, I don't see both of those things happening against Matt Schaub and Arian Foster.  There will be a lot of scoring in this one with Miami coming up 1 TD short.

HOU Wins: 31-24


SD at NE:  This will be the game of the week in the AFC.  I'm excited to watch both quarterbacks tear apart mediocre defenses.  The Chargers won their first game, which was necessary to avoid talks of them starting slowly again, but the Patriots are going to put up a huge fight at home.  The fans will be "drinking early and getting lubed up" so it should be a great atmosphere in New England.  I see the Patriots playing well, with Ochocinco getting a few more targets but watch out...

SD Wins: 28-24


PHI at ATL:  Vick returns to Atlanta for the first time as the starter.  Atlanta has been a very tough place to play in recent years, and they're mad about a stomping they received from the Bears last week.  There's no way this team wants to be 0-2 in the NFC South.  They strike back, and their pass rush gets after Vick.  Michael Turner should be able to have a good showing as well against a weak LB corps.

ATL Wins: 21-17


STL at NYG:  I would love to simply write down that the Rams will win... but I'd rather explain why it will happen.  The Giants are still injured throughout, may not have Hakeem Nicks, and the Rams love to throw the ball.  Bradford will be ready to go, and have a much better day than he did last week against the Eagles.  I see Eli throwing 2 picks to continue to show that he is, in fact, not in the same class as Tom Brady.  If Steven Jackson is back, it will be less close.

STL Wins: 24-21


ARI at WAS:  Hightower will run for 120+ yards with another touchdown.  Rex will continue to play well, but will have his first pick.  The pass rush will dominate on the edges against a weak Cardinals line, and the Redskins will continue to stuff the run.  Game Over.

WAS WINS: 28-13

Fantasy Football Update: Week 1

I lost week 1 thanks to an underwhelming performance from Josh Freeman and the fact that I was going up against a strong combination of Greg Jennings, Cedric Benson and the NY Jets Defense.  I predict a strong comeback this week as I picked up Sexy Rexy and will be starting him in Week 2 as the Redskins face off with the Cardinals who allowed Cam Newton to throw for 422 yards.  I'm excited. Let's Go!

What If: Rex Grossman Edition

What if Rex Grossman leads this team to the playoffs?


      It is in my opinion that Quarterback would drop from the top need on this team, and thus open up a world of possibilities in the 2012 draft.  I began taking a look at this with some followers on Twitter (@RexSkins) and decided it would be a great topic to give my thoughts on in a full post.
     So I decided to take a look at this as if the Redskins have made the playoffs in the Wildcard spot and earned the #18 pick.  So now that I know where the team is picking, the first thing to address is positions of need.  The top 3 positions the Redskins will need help with in 2012 will be: Interior O-Line, Inside Linebacker, and QB.  The Quarterback position still warrants finding a young prospect to learn behind Rex for a year or two even if he does lead this team to a playoff berth this season.
     Beginning with the Interior O-Line, at #18 there are few prospects that warrant this pick.  The only 2 that step out this early in the season are David DeCastro from Stanford and Michael Brewster from Ohio State. I do believe in Monty and Lichtensteiger as serviceable starters, and great backups but this team needs to protect the quarterback a lot better than they currently do up the middle.  I see this as the most important position to address if indeed Grossman proves he can win.
     Inside Linebacker needs a young star to come in because London Fletcher will not be around forever, although some Redskins' fans seem to believe the opposite.  Rocky McIntosh is also clearly out of his element in this defense. He'd be a decent backup, and strong special teamer, but there is a strong need here.  The unfortunate side to this is that there are only 2 prospects with Round 1 grades. The top 2 are Luke Kuechly from Boston College and Vontaze Burfict from Arizona State.  I don't think there's any chance Burfict is available at 18, but depending on other team needs Kuechly could be there.
     Finally, the moment you've all been waiting for... QUARTERBACK!  My preference would be to wait until round 2 to get the future franchise QB for the skins, but let's take a look at both round 1 and 2 options for this position.  Before anyone even breathes the names Luck, Barkley or Jones they simply won't be available at 18, so unless the Shanahans want to trade up Washington doesn't have a viable option in the first round.  This is why, if Grossman does well this year and gets the team to the playoffs, I see the team waiting until round 2 where there are two promising signal callers ripe for the picking in Ryan Tannehill from Texas A&M and Nick Foles from Arizona.  I like Tannehill a little more for this offense as he is more mobile than Foles (4.65 40-yard dash as compared to 4.96).
     It's been one game, and it was against a depleted Giants defense, but I honestly believe that this team is on the right track and if a few chips fall in a favorable manner then the Redskins are going to the playoffs.

Knee Jerk Reaction: Redskins vs. Giants

Redskins: 28
Giants: 14


It was a great win for the Redskins no matter what I say beyond this point.  Washington had a chip on their shoulder coming in after losing the last 6 games in a row to the Giants.  They knew that a win here would set the tone for a season they truly believe can be special.  Nobody in the media, and none of the "experts" think the Redskins can make the playoffs (unless you could Michael Lombardi), and they still won't after today because "the Giants had injuries" or "this isn't the Giants from past years" or "Rex can't play this way all season".  In any case, the Redskins are now 1-0 and the Giants are 0-1.

Defense:  This was the obvious strength of today's performance.  Chris Neild, drafted 1 spot ahead of Mr. Irrelevant recorded 2 sacks and was a solid run stopper holding up double teams in the middle.  Ryan Kerrigan had a good game, highlighted by his tip/interception/touchdown play.  I've said it before, and I'm feeling even better about it now, this team can have a top 10 defense.  The secondary did look suspect at times, but I feel that once Landry gets back, that will all change.  London Fletcher can still play at a Pro-Bowl level and Orakpo will benefit greatly from having a legit pass rusher opposite him.  Grade: B+


Offense:  The offense did look good, but as is tradition, Rex had a turnover.  It appeared it was a screen play that went bad and he had nowhere to go with the ball.  I'll chalk it up to good defensive scheming and bad luck.  He made good decisions, and was fairly accurate with his throws.  Fred Davis, Santana Moss, and Jabar Gaffney all stepped up and made some big plays.  I do wish they would have stuck with the run game a little more, and also attempt some runs up the middle rather than making every run a stretch play.  The O-Line could use some more practice as they allowed a decent amount of pressure as well. But a win is a win and I'm sure they'll keep working.  Grade: B-


Special Teams: Didn't allow any big returns, but didn't get any of their own.  Great blocked field goal that could have given some momentum to the Giants.  Grade: B

Playoff/Super Bowl Picks

No frills, no extras. Here are my picks.


NFC:
East: Eagles
West: Rams
North: Packers
South: Saints
Wildcard: Falcons
Wildcard: Lions


AFC:
East: Patriots
West: Chargers
North: Steelers
South: Texans
Wildcard: Titans
Wildcard: Jets


Super Bowl:
AFC: Patriots
NFC: Saints

WINNER: Saints

Who to Root For: Week 1

As a feature of this blog, every week I will give the Redskins Fan guide to who to root for (or against) as it relates to the Redskins.  I will do each game, unless it is AFC vs. AFC as it will have no direct impact on Washington's chances of getting into the playoffs. Now, if things turn for the worse towards the end of the season (as things have done recently), I will let you know who to root for so the team can get a better draft position. Hopefully that won't happen, and here's to not being negative this season! HTTR!

Green Bay Packers vs. New Orleans Saints: I will go out on a limb and say that these are the two best teams in the NFC this year, so either team losing is fine by me, but I don't believe either of these teams will be in the Wildcard race at season's end. So based on them having the tougher division, I'll pull for the Packers to win this one.

Atlanta Falcons vs. Chicago Bears:  This is the game that is basically for second place in their given divisions.  I see both of these teams being strong competition for Wildcard spots.  I believe that the Bears are in the tougher division, so in this case I want them to lose right away and hope they'll continue to beat up the rest of the NFC North. So I'm going for the Falcons.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. St. Louis Rams:  This one is an obvious one as Redskins fans will always need to cheer against NFC East teams when they're playing outside the division. Go Rams!

Detroit Lions vs. Tampa Bay Bucs:  Here we arrive at the battle for 3rd place in their divisions.  I'll again be pulling for the NFC South team because I believe they won't be able to win as many games outside of their division. The Lions are a sleeper team so they could be in the Wildcard race, and I don't want that. Pull for the Bucs in this one.

Minnesota Vikings vs. San Diego Chargers: Obvious, pull for the AFC team. Chargers to win.

Carolina Panthers vs. Arizona Cardinals: Pull for whichever team you want.  I'll be pulling for the Panthers because they're in my home state, and I also believe both teams will be terribad this year.

Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers:  Both teams have potential to be record breaking horrible, but I see San Fran being the worse of the two based on their QB situation, thus I will be pulling for them. 49ers.

Dallas Cowpukes vs. New York Jets:  DALLAS SUCKS! That cover it?

Now everyone go and enjoy the opening weekend of the 2011 NFL Season! I'll see you out there! Hail to the Redskins!

Rex to Start Week 1

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Jason LaCanfora it has been decided that Rex Grossman will be the week 1 starter against the Giants.  I personally felt that John Beck could do more for this team, but Grossman is a more accurate passer.  He will rely more heavily on our O-Line to pass protect and will need the running game to be working so the defenses will bite more heavily on the play action.  I for one felt that there was not a wrong choice between the two choices at QB and look forward to the first game. HTTR!

2011 Washington Redskins

May I introduce to you... YOUR 2011 WASHINGTON REDSKINS!

Top 5: Preseason vs. Bucs

I know I usually do a Top 10 for the games, but this game wasn't the starters, so I'm bringing my 2nd string game to the blog. Deal with it. There were really only 5 things worth noting anyway, and they all pertain to roster battles.

1. Brandon Banks has made the team: Even though he was stupid and almost pulled a Desean Jackson, it was called a Touchdown and he could breathe easily knowing one spot on the 53-man roster was now his.  The Bucs even decided to kick away from him the rest of the game.

2. Markus White is pretty good: I started the preseason nervous about our LB depth, but it is no longer a concern. It will either be White or Rob Jackson making the roster, and if Shanahan and Company are serious about getting younger they must take White who is a spring chicken.

3. Donte Stallworth vs. Niles Paul: In my humble opinion there was only one Wide Receiver spot left undecided going into the 2nd half of last night's game, and it will belong to either Stallworth or Paul when cuts are completed.  Stallworth has the experience and a little more speed, while Paul is younger and possibly higher upside.  It will be interesting. Win Now versus Youth Movement?

4. DeJon Gomes will make the roster: I think another 1v1 battle going on is DeJon Gomes against Chris Horton (even though one plays SS and the other FS), I think that with Gomes being younger and Landry being questionable they go with Gomes over the former predator.

5. Chris Neild to the Practice Squad: The Truck showed flashes of talent, but he is too inconsistent to be counted on to anchor our D with our already undersized ILBs behind him.  I see him spending a year on the practice squad and then stealing Bryant's spot next year.

Overall, I'm feeling good about the Redskins chances this year.  Michael Lombardi of NFL Network has been the first to admit he's crazy, and gone with Washington to win the NFC East.  I like his balls. Here's hoping he is right! HTTR!