Who needs Lance Briggs?
Daniel Snyder created a stir in the off-season with the near trade for Chicago Bear linebacker Lance Briggs. The idea was put to Snyder by Briggs’ agent Drew Rosenhaus over cocktails during the owner’s meeting. The Washington Redskins nearly pulled the trigger on the deal. Joe Gibbs slowed it down, but Bears GM Jerry Angelo killed it by demanding that the Redskins add LB Rocky McIntosh to the deal that would have sent the team’s 2008 first round draft pick to Chicago for Briggs.
McIntosh had a hard time making the field in his rookie season, but Chicago’s demand put McIntosh in a new light. You couldn’t help but think the Redskins were looking past McIntosh in the rush for Briggs.
The trade was a very near thing that, had it gone through would have amounted to another talent drain — the draft pick and McIntosh — for the Redskins. Rocky McIntosh is the Redskins leading tackler, and is the NFL’s fifth leading tackler after two weeks. He accounts for 17 tackles, 4 assists, 2 sacks and 1 forced fumble.
The starting linebacker trio of McIntosh, London Fletcher-Baker and Marcus Washington are the team’s first, second and fifth leading tacklers. Safeties Sean Taylor and LaRon Landry are the third and fourth leading tacklers with 10 total tackles apiece.
The Redskins defense is the sixteenth ranked defense in yards-per-game. They rank tenth in rushing yards-allowed-per-game and sixth in points-allowed-per-game. Last year, the Skins were the 31st ranked defense in yards allowed and 27th in points allowed per game. In constrast, the New York Giants visit FedEx Field later today with the 29th ranked defense after two games. They ranked 19th in rushing defense, but are dead last in passing yards and points allowed per game.
AOL Fanhouse’s Dan Benton wrote on these pages that there is a talent mis-match between what new Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s schemes and the talent he inherited. That might explain why DE Michael Strahan flirted with “retirement” during training camp, yet saw heavy playing time in the first two games.
Teams struggle when they bring in a new coordinator. Ask Al Saunders about the Redskins’ struggle to adapt to his playbook. It can takes weeks to get it. When it comes, it comes with little fanfare. One day, the team is struggling, the next day they are proficient. One day, that will happen for New York. The Redskins challenge is to secure a win before the Giants’ defense pulls things together.
The Giants struggle most in pass defense, so obviously, Jason Campbell and his receivers are key to this game. That’s obvious to the Giants, too. Watching for what they do about it is why they play the game. _________________________
Fred Smoot and Vernon Fox are questionable. Defensive end Phillip Daniels, who missed last week with a foot injury, is probable. The Giants list RB Brandon Jacobs and WR Steve Smith as out. WR Plaxico Burress is questionable. For the Redskins view of the game, go to redskins.com. For the Giants’ view, go to giants.com and Giants 101.
Here’s a downer. The experts at ESPN are unanimous picking the Redskins to win. Last weekend, all but one of them picked the Eagles. The Skins won that game. Peter King of sportsillustrated.cnn.com calls the game 27-23, Redskins. The Skins are favored by 4.
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The Redskins will wear their 1970-71 throwback uniforms for the Giants game. That uniform featured yellow helmets that resembled the Gren Bay Packers. The look was pushed by Vince Lombardi who coached the Redskins in 1969. Lombardi passed away before he saw the colors on the field.
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The Redskins will honor former Redskins, former Giants Hall of Fame linebacker Sam Huff before the start of the game. The Giants were the first team ever defeated by the Redskins. The win came in the second game of the first season of the Boston Braves franchise in 1932. For more on the Redskins early years, see The Coming of the Redskins . . . . _________________________
The Philadelphia Eagles are also celebrating its 75th anniversary. They will unveil their throwback uniforms in today’s game against the Detroit Lions. The Eagles should be the prohibitive favorites in the contest. One look at those uniforms and the Lions will die of laughter.
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