The Redskins

Due to technical difficulties, I could not link to a feature.  Instead we’ll just talk plain vanilla Redskins ahead of Sunday’s game. 

These are not your Week 1 Redskins that the Giants face on Sunday.  Their offense has started to gel and some youth has arrived for this team.  The discussion has to begin with QB Jason Campbell.  He was benched at halftime of the Week 6 game vs the Chiefs.  That was the turning point.  He has started to play very well.  Does this mean that he is letter perfect?  Of course not.  But he is making plays for this team now.  They get into that huddle and he is the unquestioned leader.  Remember Simms quoting Terry Bradshaw: “In order to be a really good Quarterback in the NFL, you have to go to hell first.”  Well, if working for Dan Snyder’s turnstile organization is not hell, I do not know what is.  Fittingly, just when Campbell is about to make it out, Snyder replaces Cerrato with a new GM.  The early word is that the new GM is going to have more authority.  We’ll see.

Back to the Redskins still on the field, second year WR Devin Thomas (who was taken near the end of the first/early second round) is coming along and starting to contribute meaningfully.  Rookie TE Fred Davis is giving production in place of injured TE Chris Cooley. RB Quinton Ganther had a big contribution last week, getting 2 TDs and 93 total yards last week.  In the NFL the older players know how to win but the younger players have the bodies.  Youth is ALWAYS served. 

On defense, Albert Haynesworth is busy clogging up the middle, enabling others to get singled.  Enter Brain Orakpo, rookie pass rusher who has 11 sacks.  In 13 games.  Granted 4 of them were vs the Raiders last week.  But you show me a rookie pushing up against Jevon Kearse’s record of 14 sacks in a season and I’ll show you someone who obviously is doing something right.  The Jets, for example, are still waiting on Vernon Gholston’s FIRST sack.. that is, when he even gets a chance to suit up. 

In the last 5 games, the Redskins beat Denver (who destroyed us), lost a bleeder to the Cowboys 7-6 after surrendering a late TD, lost a bleeder to the Eagles after surrendering a late 8 point lead, lost in OT to the Saints in a game they win if the kicker makes a chip shot FG from ~20 yards and beat the Raiders handily last week.  In other words, this team could be 4-1 or even 5-0 if just a few things break their way.  They are playing with confidence and are not the same team the Giants saw a millennium ago.  Considering how well the Giants are playing on the road (last win on October 4 vs the Chiefs, subsequent blowout losses to the Saints, Eagles and Broncos), this is no easy game.  The Giants have the talent to win.  If they are not playing together as one team they will lose.  In short, if the team that played vs Dallas shows up, they win.. if the team that played vs. all the rest shows up they lose.