When NFL penalized the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins for seeking a competitive advantage by front-loading contracts during the 2010 season, when no salary cap was in place. They took $36 million of cap space from the Redskins and $10 million from the Cowboys as a penalty.
Did the NFL really think that both teams would sit by and do nothing?
Well, if they did they were wrong and now the leagues two most valuable franchises have come together to fight the NFL on this penalty. They filled a complaint against both the league as well as the National Football League Players Association with the hopes of getting the NFL to reverse the ruling.
At first, it seems like an unlikely combination but when it comes to protecting their franchises the Redskins owner Daniel Snyder and the Cowboysboss Jerry Jones are dangerous allies. Truth be told, both Jones and Snyder are good friends and fighting together against the league is something that other owners should fear.
As the NFL owners meetings begin today in Miami there will be plenty of behind closed doors conversations on how best to handle the complaint put forth by the Redskins and the Cowboys.
The complaint will be heard by federal arbitrator Stephen Burbank and both sides will be able to plead their case on the issue. In cases like this one both sides agree that the arbiter’s decision will be final and thus avoid a court battle.
The key point of contention between the two sides is that in 2010 the NFL contends that they warned teams not to dump salaries or to front load contracts during the uncapped year to take advantage of the lack of a salary cap while a new Collective Bargaining Agreement was being worked out with the National football League Players Association.
Will the Cowboys and the Redskins win the case?
Will the Cowboys and the Redskins win the case?
Yes
No
The league’s anti-salary-dumping and no front-loading policy was never put into writing.
In separate statements both teams deny any wrong doing.
“The Washington Redskins have received no written documentation from the NFL concerning adjustments to the team salary cap in 2012 as reported in various media outlets,” Redskins GM Bruce Allen said. “Every contract entered into by the club during the applicable periods complied with the 2010 and 2011 collective bargaining agreements and, in fact, were approved by the NFL commissioner’s office. We look forward to free agency, the draft and the coming football season.”
“The Dallas Cowboys were in compliance with all league salary cap rules during the uncapped year. We look forward to the start of the free agency period where our commitment to improving our team remains unchanged.” The Cowboys declared in their official statement to the press.
It really is uncertain at this point who will prevail the NFL or the duo of Jones and Snyder. But one thing is for certain and that is the process should be fun to follow.
There is no denying that the Redskins must find a solution to the quarterback problem that has crippled the team for the best part of two decades. Yet as great as the need is, the Redskins must be careful about risking too much now for the promise of an unknown future.
Robert Griffin III is an intriguing talent, but his trade cost could be too high for Mike Shanahan after two losing years. If Griffin struggles in his rookie campaign, Shanahan could well be gone.
That would leave a new coach with a young quarterback struggling under the burden of unfair expectation and without the draft picks necessary to fix the team. The Redskins maybe better served trading back and selecting a less highly-touted rookie like Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill.
This would still leave them picks to continue strengthening the team in the hope of constructing a framework for long-term success. Or Shanahan may decide to opt for a proven veteran who could raise the level of play from the supporting cast. The steady and assured performances of an experienced pro could better complement the whole team.
Every rookie and every trade come with risks attached. The decisions are based on instincts which are only proven by time.
Yet after two seasons of mediocrity and for the kind of price expected to be paid to land Griffin, Shanahan and Allen may need to be absolutely certain that Griffin can win from day one.
The Washington Redskins designated tight end Fred Davis their franchise player on Friday. The move, which was expected, significantly increases the likelihood the Redskins‘ most explosive receiver will return to the team next season. Davis was scheduled to become a free agent on March 13.
Washington also tendered a one-year restricted free-agent contract to left guard Kory Lichtensteiger and a one-year exclusive rights free-agent contract to kicker Graham Gano.
The franchise tag includes a one-year contract tender. It’s unknown if the Redskins used the “non-exclusive” or “exclusive” tag. If the Redskins used the non-exclusive tag, Davis still could sign an offer sheet with another team, and that team would owe Washington two first-round draft picks if Washington opted not to match the offer to retain Davis.
If Washington used the exclusive tag, Davis is not permitted to negotiate with other teams.
The exact franchise-player salary for a tight end has not been publicized by the league. It will be approximately $5 million, significantly more than the $459,000 base salary Davis finished last season with.
Retaining Davis‘ rights with the franchise tag makes sense for the Redskins, who were determined to protect themselves in light of Davis‘ violation of the NFL drug policy last season. If Davis were to test positive for banned substances again, he would be suspended for a year.
The franchise tag minimizes the Redskins‘ long-term risk and forces Davis to prove he can stay clean in order to earn a long-term contract.
Redskins coach Mike Shanahan met with Davis after last season concluded and was optimistic about his future.
“I do feel very good about Fred as a person,” Shanahan said on Jan. 2. “I like the way he worked. I like his attitude. I like his development over the last year and a half since I’ve been here. I think he’s had a complete change in the way he’s handled himself off the field to prepare himself be a consummate pro with working out. Hopefully the mistake won’t happen again that he made this year.”
Davis, 26, was on pace to lead the Redskins in receptions and receiving yards until he was suspended for the final four games of the 2011 season. The four-year veteran finished with 59 catches, 796 yards and three touchdowns. Washington also missed his run blocking during the final quarter of the season.
Safety LaRon Landry was a candidate for the franchise tag, but he is still recovering from the Achilles injury that forced him to end last season on injured reserve. Landry did not adhere to a specialist’s recommendation to have surgery, and his fitness remains uncertain with off-season programs scheduled to begin next month.
The Redskins protected their rights to Lichtensteiger and Gano by tendering them qualifying offers.
Lichtensteiger was tendered an original round qualifying offer, meaning that the Redskins would receive a fourth-round draft pick (the round in which Lichtensteiger was drafted) if he were to sign with another team and they didn’t match the offer to retain him. Lichtensteiger’s base salary will double to $1.2 million in 2012.
Lichtensteiger’s speed and athleticism make him one of the team’s best blockers in the run game and for screen passes. He played in five games in 2011 before suffering a season-ending knee injury. The Redskins‘ line play significantly suffered with him sidelined. He is expected to be ready for training camp.
By tendering Gano, the Redskins established exclusive negotiating rights with him. He’s scheduled to make the league minimum. Gano made 31 of 41 field goals last season; five of those misses were blocked.
Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said he has no doubt he will return to the team next season despite a lack of progress in the won-lost column.
Shanahan is nearing the end of the second season of the five-year, $35 million contract that he signed in January of 2010. He was expected to return the Redskins to the ranks of NFL contenders, but Washington went 6-10 in Shanahan’s first season and the team owns a 5-10 mark entering the season finale at Philadelphia Sunday.
Still, Shanahan — who this week admitted it has taken longer to rebuild the Redskins than he initially imagined – said he fully expects owner Daniel Snyder to allow him to continue his reclamation project next season.
“No, there’s no doubt in my mind,” he said without hesitation.
“Hopefully there’s no doubt in Dan’s mind, too,” Shanahan added with a chuckle. “That would be the bigger guy to ask.”
Shanahan said the Redskins had less depth and less talent than he believed when he accepted the job. After keeping a rather veteran roster and adding several pieces, but failing at that attempt in 2010, Shanahan and general manager Bruce Allen shifted their focus in 2011 to fielding a younger team built primarily through the draft.
Shanahan said he made it clear to Snyder that patience would be required for him and Allen to transform the Redskins into a franchise that will enjoy long-term success. The coach expects to receive that time.
“Like I talked to him about when I first got here, I said, ‘Dan, if you don’t plan on me coaching here five years and doing it the right way, you’re hiring the wrong guy.’” Shanahan said. “It’s going to take some time to do it right.”
LANDOVER, Md. – Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan was asked about his team’s miscues Saturday.
“Which plays are you referring to?” Shanahan asked.
The inquiring reporter named a few plays, and Shanahan added a couple more.
It was that type of day for the Redskins, who lost to the Minnesota Vikings, 33-26. Washington committed eight penalties for 64 yards, lost a fumble, and threw an interception – the mistakes often coming at the most inopportune times.
Washington (5-10) has lost six straight at home, its longest such skid since 1994.
Tied at 10 at halftime, the Redskins appeared to catch a break on the first two plays of the third quarter, when running back Adrian Peterson and quarterback Christian Ponder suffered game-ending injuries for the Vikings (3-12).
Peterson took a direct hit to the left knee from Redskins safety DeJon Gomes on a 3-yard gain and was scheduled to have an MRI exam when the team returned to Minnesota on Saturday night.
Despite the good vibes at Redskins Park after the surprising Week 15 road victory over the New York Giants, the Redskins are 5-10 with one game remaining. Washington is ensured of finishing last or tied for last for the fifth time in the past six seasons, under three head coaches.
Those are just facts. And they’re difficult to accept for players eager to believe the Redskins are finally sprinting, not crawling, toward a revival.
“We definitely took a step back,” inside linebacker and team leader London Fletcher said. “Just very disappointing to come out and play like we played in our final game in front of our home crowd.
“Just extremely disappointed in our defense and extremely disappointed in our team. With everything that happened and what we were trying to do . . . that’s just the way it is. You have to look at it honestly.”
The defense, by far the strength of the team, gave up 241 yards rushing. The Vikings averaged an eye-opening 6.3 yards per attempt. They amassed most of their total after star running back Adrian Peterson was knocked out of the game by a knee injury on the first possession of the third quarter.
Minnesota produced 23 points in the third and fourth quarters combined, after losing starting quarterback Christian Ponder, who departed two plays after Peterson because of a concussion suffered when he absorbed a jarring — but legal — hit from Fletcher.
The Redskins reverted to sloppiness, committing costly penalties that helped the Vikings on one of their touchdown drives and nullified a potential big Washington scoring play.
“I was disappointed we had as many penalties as we did,” Coach Mike Shanahan said, “in some crucial situations.”
And, as usual, with a Rex Grossman-led team, there were turnovers.
Of course, that much wasn’t a shock. I mean, committing turnovers and producing intermittent big plays is what Grossman does. It’s just how the lovable lug rolls. He gets out of bed in the morning with two turnovers.
In the Redskins’ previous game, though, Grossman’s turnovers didn’t derail the team. It went the other way against the Vikings.
The Vikings’ first points came on a field goal shortly after they recovered a Grossman fumble that came when he was stripped of the ball on a sack.
With Washington trailing by seven points midway through the fourth, a high pass by Grossman was intercepted — the Vikings’ first interception in 10 games — and Minnesota kicked a field goal.
You can set your watch to Grossman throwing interceptions, and he’s not a viable option at the game’s most important position, at least not for a team that aspires to win Super Bowls. The Redskins haven’t won one in a long, long time, but that’s what owner Daniel Snyder wants.
Read More: Sav Rocca (P – WAS), Mike Sellers (FB – WAS), London Fletcher (LB – WAS), Jammal Brown (OT – WAS), Stephen Bowen (DE – WAS), Josh Wilson (DB – WAS), Roy Helu (RB – WAS), Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins did not hold a regular practice Friday in advance of Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, but instead held a walkthrough. After the walkthrough, the team elected to list starting running back Roy Helu (toe/knee) and offensive tackle Jammal Brown (groin) as questionable for the Vikings game. Washington estimates Helu and Brown would have been limited had the team held a conventional practice.
The Redskins list their other wounded players as probable for Saturday, including linebacker London Fletcher (ankle) and fullback Mike Sellers (elbow). Fletcher and Sellers had only practiced on a limited basis Wednesday and Thursday. Washington also lists defensive end Stephen Bowen (knee), punter Sav Rocca (ankle), and cornerback Josh Wilson (head/chest) as probable.
Kickoff for Saturday’s Redskins/Vikings matchup is set for 1 PM on FOX.
For more Redskins coverage, please visit Hogs Haven, SB Nation’s Redskins blog. For the perspective from the other side, please check out SB Nation Minnesota and Daily Norseman, SB Nation’s Vikings blog.
The Washington Redskins face the Minnesota Vikings Saturday in the 16th regular season meeting of the franchises. Washington aims to improve to 9-7 all-time against the Vikings.
At 5-9, Washington owns the better record, and Vegas has picked the Redskins as seven-point favorites over the 2-12 Vikings. Washington has lost five straight at home, but Minnesota is just 1-6 on the road this season.
Here are some of the key matchups for this game:
WSH LT Willie Smith vs. MIN DE Jared Allen
Smith will make only the second start of his NFL career Saturday and he draws the task of trying to slow Allen, who ranks among the best pass-rushers in the league. Allen, who has 17.5 sacks, is relentless and boasts great size, speed and athleticism. Smith must use strong fundamentals and be prepared for Allen to go at him with second and third efforts.
WSH secondary, linebackers vs. MIN WR/RB Percy Harvin
The Vikings like to use Harvin in a variety of ways, and Washington’s defensive backs and linebackers must be fully aware of where he lines up. The speedster leads the team in receiving and is great in the open field, so the Redskins can’t afford to let him get loose. Josh Wilson, who is coming off two solid games, likely will find himself matched up with Harvin a good bit.
WSH RB Roy Helu vs. MIN front seven
Helu looks to get back on track after he was hobbled last week against the Giants. The rookie says he feels a lot better and aims to put together his fourth 100-yard rushing game in the last five outings. But he’ll be going against a Minnesota defense that ranks sixth in the league, allowing only 3.8 yards a carry. Leading the way for the Vikings are outside linebacker Chad Greenway (128 tackles), middle linebacker/former Maryland standout E.J. Henderson (87) and defensive tackle Kevin Williams (31 tackles).
WSH LBs London Fletcher, Perry Riley vs. MIN RB Adrian Peterson
Fletcher (league leader in tackles with 146) and Riley (averaging 9.8 tackles a game as a starter) have their work cut out for them as they look to lead a Washington defense against Peterson, who averages 4.8 yards a carry. An ankle injury forced him to miss three games, and he hasn’t been as dominant this season as in years past, but Peterson remains a tough assignment. Fletcher calls him one of the most explosive backs in the game. Peterson returned to action last week and coaches limited him to just 10 carries, but he gained 60 yards on them. Peterson was perturbed afterward that he didn’t receive a heavier workload. Look for him to do more this week. The Vikings would like to get Peterson going to ease pressure on rookie quarterback Christian Ponder. But the Redskins will try to take away the run and force Ponder to throw often.
WSH QB Rex Grossman vs. MIN secondary
Grossman has thrown at least one interception in 10 consecutive games. The Vikings have nine straight games without an interception. Is this the prime opportunity for Grossman to end his streak, or the golden ticket for Minnesota’s defensive backs to end theirs? Minnesota’s defense ranks 30th against the pass, yielding 260.4 yards per game, so opportunities should present themselves for Washington to produce some big plays. But, Grossman can do his team in with poor decision-making. Grossman could find himself under pressure a fair amount of the time Sunday with Allen going against Smith. Those are the situations in which Grossman must get the ball out of his hands quickly and be content to throw the ball out of bounds, rather than to the other team.
Another December, another losing record, another season that’s coming to an end with no postseason contention. The Washington Redskins are once again playing with an eye toward their future, they are using the last two weeks of the 2011 regular season to study their roster for the next year, and big decisions are already on their way.
Fans are probably once again disappointed, but looking at the long-term plan that the Shanahan era has brought in town, there’s also reason for optimism.
The two-year record may tell another story—it’s simply another losing effort which fans are tired of. However, Shanahan inherited a team that needed major improvements in a large number of spots and did a decent job in the last 24 months to adjust as many things as possible—and let’s not forget that he helped to change a fundamental aspect: the culture.
History taught us that winning teams are built through excellent draft choices and smart management, none of which was seen inside Redskins Park since owner Dan Snyder purchased the franchise that he loves so much.
The Redskins have been considered a joke in recent years. They signed a lot of bad free agents, basing all the evaluation process on bringing in the big name, giving roster spots to players who rarely produced as expected.
They gave away many high draft picks while failing to build a rock-solid foundation for seasons to come, contrary to what great teams like the Patriots, the Ravens or the Steelers have been able to do.
Shanahan and Bruce Allen may have kept that bad habit alive when they decided to trade for Donovan McNabb, a move that backfired, but the overall belief is that they’ve chosen the correct path to right this sinking ship.
Shanahan didn’t tolerate any prima donna acts. He put any player on his roster on the same level (no, Fat Albert, that contract didn’t mean that you were the best player on the team). He had the courage to suspend players that didn’t follow his lead and sent a clear message to the entire locker room—he came there to win, simple as that.
Utilizing Jim Haslett’s coaching experience, he switched the defense to a 3-4 without having the right personnel to properly run the scheme from day one, but this year the defensive side of the ball has witnessed significant improvements.
Pre-Shanahan players adapted well, and the new ones were asked to fill in immediately, and mostly did.
But defense has been the lesser problem for a long time.
The Redskins struggled mightily to find the right quarterback—McNabb, Grossman and Beck all failed in a certain way. This is the only roster spot for which Shanahan probably never had a plan, or was probably waiting to develop one knowing that the problem was meant to be solved approaching the 2012 draft.
This year’s draft was correctly used to pick some roster elements that fit the new defensive scheme and to add overall depth, so quarterback was not a high priority.
Even if it’s difficult to believe that Shanahan has seen something in a player (Beck) who actually still never has won as a starter in this league, he gave him a chance. But would be the Redskins a better team if Grossman would’ve run the offense without being demoted?
Anyway, whoever played this season was hopefully a mere bridge between today and the beginning of a new era.
Speaking of Rex, the team knew what it was getting from the former Florida Gator. Grossman never was the best decision-maker available and has always been turnover-prone, but he proved that he could give the offense the best chance to create big plays.
However, the Redskins once again lack the franchise player that they desperately need to make a run to the postseason any given year. The team strongly deserves this after two decades of frustrating suffering.
Mistakes made by past management produced three playoffs appearances since the last time the team won the Super Bowl.
That’s not acceptable anymore in a place like Washington.
During that time span, no one found a way to make the offense work. Joe Gibbs, in his second stint, tried to bring back his old power-rushing concepts, but for the majority of the games, opposing defenses were stopping it too easily.
Steve Spurrier and the Fun ‘N’ Gun was a complete failure. So was Marty Schottenheimer.
This has been a team that produced very little on the offensive side, so defense was the only reason the Redskins played many close games. Last year and this year, the feeling has been dangerously close to this.
Will The Redskins go to the playoffs in 2012?
Will The Redskins go to the playoffs in 2012?
Yes
No
The reason of hope is exactly how the culture change helped to manage this franchise differently.
For the first time in the Snyder era, the draft was given strong value. Shanahan and Allen made a Patriot-like move, obtaining 12 picks. The Redskins picked well in the last two years, finally bringing into town something comparable to a solid foundation.
Think about the new generation of players.
Trent Williams, Shanahan’s first pick as a Redskin, steadily improved from his rookie campaign. Perry Riley, a fourth-rounder in 2010, has taken McIntosh’s starting spot. Ryan Kerrigan, this year’s first-round pick, proved doubters wrong and made an efficient switch from college defensive end to 3-4 outside linebacker.
Roy Helu Jr. is a one-cut back that fits perfectly in Shanahan’s typical zone-blocking scheme and is already considered the team’s future featured back. Niles Paul was valuable on blocking schemes, and last Sunday was utilized as third receiver. Leonard Hankerson showed flashes of the player this offense has desperately searched for for years—someone with athleticism and size—before ending on injured reserve.
The Redskins won only five games, couldn’t manage leads and gave up games that shouldn’t have been lost, a sinister feeling that brought everyone back to the disastrous Jim Zorn days.
But recent outings proved that they have improved so much, and they somehow moved the chains despite losing (again) Chris Cooley for season and not having Santana Moss active for a long time.
Grossman developed a nice chemistry with Jabar Gaffney, a player that should be on next year’s roster for his ability to make plays, and the rushing game can only improve as Helu accumulates experience and once Tim Hightower returns a healthy player.
Something’s still wrong, but the new Redskins’ operating ways could hold a competitive future.
The third draft run by Mike Shanahan will hopefully answer many questions, including to determine who will be the best signal-caller to accept this challenge.
There are a very high number of fantasy football owners picking up the Washington Redskins defense in Week 16. In fact, the Redskins have become the most-added defense on Dec. 22, out-distancing safer choices like the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos. The intent here is clear; many fantasy owners feel that the Redskins are going to beat up on the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday, Dec. 24, and they want to get in on the action.
When it comes to fantasy football defenses in 2011, Washington doesn’t make the top-five list that I put together. In fact, in the Yahoo! scoring system, Washington checks in at No. 23 with just 94 total fantasy points this year. That’s way down the list, so maybe the adding of Washington comes from desperation or a simple hope that the team is about to put together a really good week.
Washington beat the New York Giants (on the road) in Week 15, allowing just 10 points to Eli Manning and company. The team posted 13 fantasy points along the way, marking the second-highest total that the defense has had in 2011. Back in Week 1 the Redskins defense had 15 points against the Giants and then in Week 4 they posted 13 points against the St. Louis Rams. All three of these games were wins, indicating that when the Redskins defense is doing very well, the team has a great chance to win.
So far in 2011, the Redskins have 37 sacks, 12 interceptions, 7 forced fumbles, one defensive touchdown and a blocked kick. Compared to other teams those statistics are not very good, with the 37 sacks as the only real standout. That puts the Redskins at No. 10 in total sacks, but way back at No. 21 in interceptions and No. 22 in forced fumbles. Now the team gets to play a struggling Minnesota Vikings team with the hopes of increasing every statistical defensive number.
So can Washington have a good fantasy week on defense? It’s definitely possible, especially because Minnesota gives up the eleventh highest number of fantasy points to team defenses this season. They did give up 27 to the Detroit Lions in Week 14, 17 to the Chicago Bears in Week 6 and 15 to both the Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders in Weeks 10 and 11. I personally like the Denver Broncos defense as a great pick-up this week, but if you are desperate, take a serious look at the Redskins.
More FromYCN:
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Best_Five_Fantasy_Players
Tim_Tebow_Beats_Tom_Brady
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2011 Best Fantasy Defenses
Sources:
Week 15 NFL Scores
Defensive Team Leaders
Yahoo! Fantasy Football
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The Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings will both likely be making
changes in the offseason after disappointing years.
Whether the quarterbacks are among those changes remains to be seen.
The Vikings visit the Redskins on Saturday, needing to win their final two
games to avoid finishing with the worst record in the franchise’s 51-year
history.
Minnesota’s worst 16-game record was 3-13 in 1984 while the 1961 Vikings
went 2-11. This year’s squad has shown little reason to make anyone believe it
can win at least one of its final two games – the last of which will come at
home against Chicago – much less two.
Minnesota’s losing streak reached six – its longest single-season skid since
1984 – with a 42-20 loss to New Orleans on Sunday. The Vikings (2-12) were
outgained 573-207 and had 12 first downs to the Saints’ 36.
This will be the second straight season Minnesota has missed the playoffs
after reaching the NFC title game in 2009.
“There’s a lot at stake,” linebacker Erin Henderson said of the final two
games. “They’re watching closely right now to see who’s still fighting, who’s
still coming out here trying to give their best and give it their all, and look
to see who they can build this team with next year and continue to move forward
with.”
While coaches are often the first to take the fall for a team’s failures,
Vikings coach Leslie Frazier reportedly has the support of the team’s owners.
Frazier took over after Brad Childress was fired last season.
“I’m really optimistic about the future, as difficult and as crazy as that
may sound,” Frazier said. “I think I have a good idea of what we need to do to
not be in this situation in the future. So no, I’m not concerned about 2012 at
this point.”
Frazier hopes quarterback Christian Ponder is part of the team’s plans going
forward. Ponder, the 12th overall pick in this year’s draft, took over when Donovan McNabb struggled. However, after showing promise early on, Ponder had
regressed. In the last two weeks, he’s 25 of 52 for 235 yards with four
touchdowns and four interceptions.
“With Christian, like so many young quarterbacks, you don’t want to base
your judgment on one or two games,” Frazier said. “Give him a chance to have an
offseason to get with our coaches in OTAs that are going to help him. I think
it’s a little bit too early to panic about Christian.”
With Ponder struggling, Minnesota needs Adrian Peterson at full strength.
Peterson, who is 68 yards shy of 1,000 rushing yards for a fifth straight
season, had 10 carries for 60 yards last week after missing three games with a
sprained ankle.
Like the Vikings, the Redskins (5-9) also face questions about their roster
as they near the end of a third straight losing season.
Washington won for the second time in 10 games, beating the New York Giants
23-10 last Sunday.
Rex Grossman completed 15 of 24 passes for 185 yards, one touchdown and two
interceptions while the defense held the Giants to a field goal until the final
minute of the fourth quarter.
Grossman’s two interceptions give him 18 this season – two shy of his career
high. His 71.4 passer rating ranks 29th among qualifying quarterbacks, just
behind Ponder’s 72.3.
However, Grossman could have better luck against the Vikings secondary,
which hasn’t forced an interception in the last nine games while giving up an
average of 271.9 passing yards.
Grossman will be a free agent at the end of the season, but he has the
support to come back from at least one of his teammates.
“We’ve been feeling that rhythm again once Rex got back out there, giving us
that swag that he carried on the first part of the season,” receiver Santana
Moss said. “That’s leading us to go out there and do what we do. We needed a guy
like that to take advantage of those opportunities that we have.”
The Vikings defeated the Redskins 17-13 in Washington last season in
Frazier’s first game as head coach.
Washington Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman knows that this season has been an audition for his future role, whether it’s with the Washington Redskins or some other team. But he hasn’t let the scrutiny faze him.
Grossman declined to sign a two-year deal this with Washington during the offseason because he wanted to keep his options open in case John Beck cemented himself as the Redskins starter this season, which could have doubt on Grossman’s future.
Grossman ended up winning the starting job and led the Redskins to a 3-1 start. But coming off of the bye, he threw a season-high four interceptions against the Philadelphia Eagles and was benched. After three straight losses with Beck at the helm, Grossman reclaimed his job. Since his return, Washington’s offense has produced more, averaging 20.3 points a game during a 2-4 stretch.
Grossman’s teammates say he has played with more confidence and say they believe he gives them a chance to win each week. But Grossman’s turnover struggles have continued. He now has thrown an interception in 10 straight games. And for the season, he has 18 interceptions and only 13 touchdowns.
The Redskins are expected to draft a franchise quarterback this offseason. But with strong performances against the Cowboys, Seahawks, Patriots and Giants, Grossman is trying to make the case that he deserves to be re-signed again, if only to serve as a backup or a bridge to the next quarterback’s era.
Redskins coach Mike Shanahan has declined to discuss Grossman’s future, saying that matter will be decided in the offseason. Grossman said such talk hasn’t bothered him, and that during his nine seasons in the NFL, he has come to expect such scrutiny.
“Quarterbacks are the focal point because that’s just what people like to talk about. …They have the ball in their hands every play,” Grossman said. “]Quarterbacks] determine the outcome a lot. I don’t think it’s any different than any other team. …I don’t really try to avoid watching or reading things, but I don’t go out of my way to see what the pulse is, either.”
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — If you’re a Washington Redskins fan, you’re looking for reasons to feel good. With a third straight losing season assured and the playoffs unattainable, it’d be easy to get down about the state of your team. And if you’re team was playing the way, say, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are playing right now, you’d have every reason to be down.
But if you’re a Redskins fan and you watched your team punch a hole in the New York Giants’ playoff hopes with a 23-10 victory here Sunday, you can feel good about a number of things. You can feel good about your team’s heart, which is impossible to question after they and not the Giants played like the team that had postseason goals. You can feel real good about the fact that the Redskins have the best defense in the NFC East. And while that may be a little bit like being the tallest dwarf, it’s not a bad thing on which to build.
[+] Enlarge
Jim O’Connor/US PresswireThe Redskins were able to stop Eli Manning and the Giants for the second time this season.
“We’re building something that will last longer than this season,” said Redskins safety O.J. Atogwe, who signed with the Redskins as a free agent way back before the lockout hit. “We’re building something for the future, and it starts with games like these where everybody comes together and believes in each other to the point where we’re able to beat the best team in our division.”
Actually, because of what the Redskins did to the Giants here on Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys are the first-place team in the NFC East. But it’s only by a game, and Atogwe’s point was made. The Redskins went 2-0 against the Giants this season, and they did so by accomplishing something no one else has been able to accomplish in 2011. They made life miserable for Eli Manning. There have been only three games this year in which Manning has not thrown at least one touchdown pass — the victory over the Bills and the two losses to the Redskins.
“It means a lot,” Redskins linebacker London Fletcher said. “Last year, the Giants swept us. They’ve really been our nemesis around here for the last five years. But this year, so be able to sweep them, it means a lot.”
To the Redskins, it justifiably means progress. They used to roll over in the Giants games. Now, they don’t roll over for anyone. They are 5-9 in large part because of personnel deficiencies and a rash of injuries that would have shaken even a much deeper roster’s chances. But they have not quit on their season, and they seem to understand the value of playing hard to the wire and building on the dramatic advances they have made on defense over the past calendar year.
“I think it’s just our attitude,” defensive end Adam Carriker said. “We expect to do well now. Last year, the first year switching from the 4-3 to the 3-4, I don’t think we expected to perform well. Now, we believe we’re good and we expect to play like it. Even last week against New England, yeah we gave up [34] points, but that team ran the two-minute drill all game. So if nothing else, we proved to ourselves we were in shape.”
The Redskins are a remarkably positive 5-9 team, and the reason is because they can see and feel things getting better. There will be offseason work to do, of course, especially on the offensive side. But the work they did on the defense last offseason has shown up all year. As much as they struggled on offense during the short-lived John Beck era, as much as Rex Grossman has hurt them with turnovers, and as many guys as they’ve lost on offense to injury or suspension, the defense has been a reliable constant for the Redskins this season, and they are justifiably proud and encouraged by that.
“This is a team with character,” Atogwe said. “Regardless of where we are in the standings or what point of the season it is, we’re going to play with passion, we’re going to play with integrity and we’re going to play to win.”
If you’re a Redskins fan, you’ve got to feel good about that.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Pulling off the improbable, the Washington Redskins went up to MetLife Stadium and overcame an ugly start against the NFC East-leading New York Giants to come away with a 23-10 victory Sunday afternoon.
It was the Redskins’ fifth win and, in beating the Giants for a second time this season, Washington registered the first sweep of its division rival since 1999.
“The Giants, they’ve really been our nemesis around here the last five years,” said Redskins linebacker London Fletcher, whose team had fallen to New York nine of the last 10 games entering this season. “To sweep them, it means a lot, because they’re a well-coached football team.”
With quarterback Rex Grossman
turning in a shaky performance, the Redskins relied heavily on their defense. Washington intercepted Giants quarterback Eli Manning three times, winning the turnover battle for the first time all season.
And when Manning went to work in the final quarter — aiming for his seventh fourth-quarter comeback victory of the season — the Redskins twice denied the Giants in the shadow of their own end zone.
Manning finished the game 23 for 40 for 257 yards and no touchdowns. Ahmad Bradshaw led New York in rushing with 10 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown.
Grossman connected on 15 of 24 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown but threw two interceptions. Roy Helu’s streak of three 100-yard rushing games came to an end as the rookie picked up 53 yards on 23 carries while Evan Royster added 36 yards on 10 carries. Jabar Gaffney led Washington with six catches for 85 yards.
“You feel good about the way they played,” Coach Mike Shanahan said of his team, which had lost two straight and last week fell short in a last-second bid to upset the New England Patriots. “I was really disappointed that we couldn’t close the door last week. . . . So to finish the way we did today was nice.”
Washington’s first defining goal-line stand came three minutes into the fourth quarter. After the Redskins extended their lead to 23-3 with 14 minutes 57 seconds left, the Giants finally started showing signs of life. Manning completed four straight passes to march his team to the Redskins 13-yard line.
But on his fifth pass attempt, Manning’s fortunes changed. Redskins cornerback Josh Wilson made a leaping catch in the end zone for an interception and touchback. It was Wilson’s second interception of the season, and his second straight game with a pick.
The Redskins’ defense answered the bell again later in the fourth quarter. Wilson made a strong tackle to deny Giants running back D.J. Ware as he caught a pass and tried to cross the goal line. Initially, the officials ruled the play a touchdown. But a review showed that Ware had bobbled the ball at the line and didn’t secure possession until Wilson wrestled him back the 2.
With the Giants facing fourth and goal from there, Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo rushed from the edge and drew a holding call from tackle David Diehl, backing the Giants up to the 12-yard line. New York tried for a touchdown on the next play, but rookie linebacker Ryan Kerrigan sacked Manning to deny the Giants and register Washington’s first sack of the game.
