Rich Tandler's Real Redskins

Strahan retires

I just posted the following to the blog archives the other day. The article was written immediately after the Redskins beat the Giants in Week 15. Obviously, that was before the Giants' improbable run to the Super Bowl title. Still, it didn't change my mind about the guy:

On the other hand, I used to like Michael Strahan and now I view him as an overpaid, whiny, preening ass. His training camp holdout was ridiculous. Everyone expected that he would be in Todd Collins' face all night long as he was going up against Stephon Heyer, the undrafted rookie free agent right tackle. Instead, it was Heyer in Strahan's mug all night. To be sure, Heyer had plenty of help from Lorenzo (Two-Way) Alexander, Mike Sellers, and others.

Perhaps if Strahan had been in camp in August he would still have his legs under him to the point where he might be able to lay a hand on an immobile QB making his first start in 10 years.

Shockey

I didn't get a chance to fit this in but I was going to mention that after disliking Jeremy Shockey for years, I now respect him a great deal. He has grown up and has managed to channel his energy away from being obnoxious to being a hustling, aggressive player who, like most of his brethren from The U, is all about the W's and not about the stats.

Shockey also has played with some injuries that would have even some other players crying for Mama. But he sustained one tonight that he won't be able to play through. It looked just like what happened to Jon Jansen happened to him with a player, I think it was Toomer, his own teammate, rolling over the back of his leg. He's out for the year with a broken leg and ankle ligament damage. It's a shame and I truly wish him well in his recovery.

Redskins-Giants Third Quarter

Portis has 16 carries for 88 yards after a slow start. If he hits near those same numbers in the second half and the Redskins continue to play with what I'll call intelligent aggression, the Skins will win. Oh, and the D needs to adjust to NY's halftime adjustments.

I neglected to mention that Betts did a great job of finishing that TD run, ploughing through contact from about the five on in.

Skins get the second half kickoff.

14:56—This may be the Redskins' day. A flag flies on the kickoff return and it's a personal foul against the Giants. Skins' ball in NY territory at the 46.

14:07—Cooley's first catch of the night converts a second and 12 into a first down.

13:22—Sellers with his patented hurdle move turns a short flip into a nice gain.

Portis 5 run (pass failed)
Redskins 22, Giants 3

Not sure about going for two there, especially since it failed. It's up to the Redskins D to make sure that it doesn't make any difference.

The Redskins started out their second half the first time they played the Giants with three three and outs and then a turnover. A much better start, to say the least.

11:50—An out of bounds kickoff and a 19-yard Jacobs run have NY in Washington territory. Can't let the Giants answer right back.

10:07—A big, big sack gets the Giants out of Redskins territory. Loss of 14 with the sack split by Carter and K. Campbell.

7:01—Skins go back to conservative mode after getting the ball deep in their territory. Three Betts runs and out and the Giants have the ball in Washington territory. If the D gets a stop here, it's going to be close to being over. If the Giants score, it's game on until the end.

6:49—Burress might be better served to worry more about catching the ball and less about perceived penalties on Smoot.

Boss 19 pass from Manning (Tines kick)
Redskins 22, Giants 10

So, it's game on. Manning got time to throw that series and he took advantage of it. He caught fire in the late going two weeks ago against the Bears to pull one out for New York.

4:32—Decent field position near the 30, time for some intelligent aggression.

3:30—A big third down and six here. The Skins need to keep this drive alive.

2:46—Collins nearly gets sacked despite a great block by Portis. Skins punt and NY gets the ball just inside their 20.

1:47—Thank you, Amani Toomer. He smoked Springs and then flat-out dropped a pass in Washington territory.

End of third quarter
Redskins 22, Giants 10

Redskins Giants Second Quarter

14:10—Collins is now 0-8. He's been getting some pressure, but he's been misfiring with time to throw, too.

13:49—A good stick by Blades stops Jacobs in his tracks.

13:10—Jacobs drops another pass. At least Manning is getting the ball close enough to his receivers for them to drop it.

12:44—Collins' first completion is a good one—35 yards to Moss.

12:15—Then to Yoder for 30 and the Skins are knocking on the door. He hit Yoder in stride.

10:17—Not quite enough zip as Collins had a wide-open Cooley in the end zone. Another field goal attempt coming.

FG Suisham 31
Redskins 6, Giants 0

I'm not sure if the wind kept that ball from going wide left or if it was the spin. It looked like it might wander, but it took a sharp right and made it in with plenty to spare.

10:12—The Redskins are playing it very close to the vest. It looks like they're waiting for Manning or Jacobs to make the big mistake.

10:05—Even on a fumbled kick, the Skins kickoff team can't seal the deal. They have a chance to get Bradshaw inside the 10, but he gets out near the 15.

8:39—Another drop, this time by tight end Matthews.

8:26—This time a Redskin drops a Manning pass. Doughty jumped the pass, had two hands on it, and couldn't bring it in. Another three and out but that time they got the big mistake they were looking for but couldn't take advantage.

6:46—A great wind-aided roll leads to a 51-yard Frost punt. Giants will start inside the 10. If the Skins can get another score on the board before halftime and keep the Giants with the goose egg on their side they'll have a real good shot. Of course, we all know what a halftime lead means with this crew.

6:28—After that initial 17-yard run, Jacobs hasn't done much of anything, 11 carries for 27 yards.

5:35—The younger Moss just gave up what would have been a big first down for New York by trying to make a big play. He caught the ball a yard past the sticks but went back towards the line and Torrence made a sure tackle.

5:12—Skins get the ball at midfield after the punt. Time to make a move.

5:04—They had it, but Moss couldn't hang on to a pass that wasn't perfect but quite catchable.

4:16—Got it this time, a big play to Moss on third and nine. 34 yards to the 15. Moss had the flypaper hands on that one.

Who says the third-down draw won't work?

Betts 14 run (Suisham kick)
Redskins 13, Giants 0

1:58—Doughty just got into Manning's grill, forcing an incompletion. Third and one, a situation the Giants have not handled well so far.

1:51—Bad, bad play by Landry after a great, great play. He pops the ball out of Burress' hands and then taunts him. Dumb, dumb, dumb. The rookie needs to grow up.

1:20—Two passes near Redskin hands again but no pick. Giants will try a field goal.

FG Tynes 31
Redskins 13, Giants 3

Landry cost them three points. I think Joe Gibbs was very tempted to use words stronger than "buns" when he saw that penalty.

1:00—Another big draw, this time by Portis. A big run of 31 yards and another 15 for a face mask.

0:22—They ran the same play three times in a row—the draw to Portis after the pump fake—and they went from their 30 to a first and goal at the eight.

0:04—Another FG try after two incomplete and a sack.

FG Suisham 25
Redskins 16, Giants 3

It was 17-3 at the half in September a we all well remember. There is a long way to go.

Redskins-Giants First Quarter

14:49—Nearly a big pick on the first play of the game as Smooth and Landry both had a shot.

14:09—The Redskins are doing a lot of blitzing, trying to rattle Manning. So far, it's working.

14:00—Smoot makes a nice play on the receiver on a pass that was held up by some wind. He disturbed Burress enough to jar the ball loose and the Giants punt.

12:16—Bad kick, great roll for Frost on his first punt. A holding call is going to give the Giants the ball in Redskins territory.

12:10—McIntosh is down with an injury. He's sitting up and it doesn't appear to be that bad, but the way this season is going for the Skins on the injury front anything is possible.

11:49—As usual with a bigger back like Jacobs, the key is to get him moving sideways. On that first 17-yard run he hit the hole quickly and broke into the clear. On his next two runs he started East-West and he gained nothing.

10:29—It looks like the Giants gambled and lost on fourth down. They did, Droughns came up about six inches short on fourth and a long one and the Redskins get good field position at their own 39. In what may shape up to be a field-position type of game, that could be huge.

10:13—Another unimpressive three and out for Collins and the Skins. He's missing high, which is not a good sign. That often results in interceptions.

9:32—McIntosh looks to be out as Blades is playing in his spot. Yep, Rocky's on the bench with ice on his left knee.

6:58—Carter with another sack and strip. I think that's his fifth this year. Skins with a shot in NY territory.

6:08—Moss was upset about something—holding and pass interference, it appears—on Collins' fifth incompletion. The Skins squander the opportunity, but the Giants are backed up around the 10 after a Frost punt. Oddly, Frost punted inside the 50 and did not fly it through the end zone.

5:06—Again, the Skins' defense stops the Giants on short yardage. They had second and one and will end up punting after an incompletion and a Jacobs run. Skins get it back near midfield.

3:55—After first and 15, two Portis runs get the Skins their initial first down of the game.

A low line drive by Suisham gets the Skins on the board.

FG Suisham 50
Redskins 3, Giants 0

Not bad being up 3-0 without a pass completion yet.

2:15—The kickoff coverage has been pretty bad on the part of the Redskins today. This second one winds up near midfield.

0:35—Butterfingers for Jacobs leads to another three and out by the Giants. A 19-yard punt ensues and the Skins don't pay much for allowing the kickoff return.

End of First Quarter
Redskins 3, Giants 0

 

Redskins-Giants Pregame

--It's very difficult to watch a Dallas Cowboys game knowing that a Dallas win benefits the Redskins. I really can't root for the Cowboys, just can't do it. I just look at it as a win-win situation; if Dallas loses, it's a good day and if they help the Redskins by winning it's also a good day.--I tried a few times this week to draw some sort of a valid Todd Collins-Jeff Garcia comparison, but it really doesn't hold much water. Yes, they both came off of the scrap heap late in the season with their respective teams essentially needing to win every game to make the playoffs. The big difference is that Garcia actually accomplished something as a QB—a few playoff wins, for example—prior to having been scrapped. Collins has done nothing but become an expert in Al Saunders' offense. That's not to say that Collins can't do what Garcia did last year and help the Skins run the table, but there was a much better chance of Garcia doing it going in last year than there is of Collins pulling it off this season.

--Dallas lost which, as I said earlier, is OK with me. If—and it's a big if—the Redskins' chances of making the playoffs comes down to the last game, I'd rather it mean something to the Cowboys. After last week's near-miss against the Lions and today's dud against Philly, they're running into choppy waters for the first time of the year and at the worst time of the year. Not only that, the Redskins went toe to toe with them in Dallas last month. Bring 'em on.

--It doesn't look like there's any snow in the Meadowlands (By the way, is there a less-apt name for a stadium anywhere? Giants Stadium is surrounded by the NJ Turnpike and tank farms.) But the wind should be a factor, steady at 20+ MPH with the usual gusts.

--James Thrash is active for the first time since the Philly game. He was going wild that day, hauling in a few Jason Campbell passes for good yardage, until the ankle sprain sidelined him.

Did We Have Gibbs II Backwards?

Maybe we had this Gibbs II thing all wrong.

When Joe Gibbs came back in 2004 with what amounted to total control of football operations, the conventional wisdom was that this was good and bad. It was good because Gibbs was without peer when it came to matters of preparation, game planning, and in-game strategy. The down side was that his ability as an evaluator of personnel was not thought to be nearly as strong as his ability to prepare players for a trip to Dallas. Redskins loyalists fervently hoped that Gibbs the coach would be able to overcome the missteps of Gibbs the personnel guy.

Three years and 13 games into Gibbs' return it looks like the conventional wisdom had it exactly backwards.

In general, when you're watching a game unfold, the Redskins don't seem to have any particular edge over their opponents in the coaching department. In fact, they generally seem to be a step or two behind the opposition. The play calling has been unimaginative, both before and after the addition of Al Saunders. The Redskins always seem to make more dumb mistakes than the other team. The game management, including clock management, has been unimpressive at best, horrid at worst. If you're reading this, you don't need a list of particulars here.

The whole tenor taken by the team is beyond conservative, it's cautious. Maybe he'll change and become more aggressive. We've seen flashes like we saw on that last TD drive against the Bears. But it's unlikely that this leopard will change his spots.

Coach Gibbs II has been, and is likely to remain, a major disappointment.

General Manager Gibbs, however, is another story.

Gibbs has collected a pretty good array of talent. Start with one of his more controversial acquisitions, Jason Campbell. He has a lot of developing yet to do but he has a chance at being very good. Gibbs traded for Clinton Portis and Santana Moss and they now hold the team records for rushing yardage in a season and receiving yardage in a season respectively. Antwaan Randle El is developing into a solid receiver. Chris Cooley is one of the league's best tight ends.

On the defensive side, LaRon Landry and Rocky McIntosh could end up playing in multiple Pro Bowls. Carlos Rogers seemed to have figured out how to be a solid corner before he got injured. Andre Carter should have a few top prime seasons left and he's become a one-man wrecking crew. Kedric Golston and Anthony Montgomery should develop into solid starters.

Of course, the one who could have been the best of them all, the crown jewel of Gibbs II, Sean Taylor, was taken from the team and its fans (not to mention his family and friends) way too early.

Have there been mistakes? Certainly there is heavy buyer's remorse over the Brandon Lloyd trade and contract. Other draft picks have been flat-out wasted (cough, Duckett, cough). There has been the good, the bad, and the Adam Archuleta. A whole chapter in the history book of Gibbs will revolve around Mark Brunell. But there have been some pretty impressive hits along with the misses.

When Gibbs left the Redskins in 1992 the core of talent that had won him multiple Super Bowls had grown old and the replacements weren't nearly as good. Or maybe they were and Gibbs wasn't around to get the most out of their talent and put them in situations where they could succeed. In any case, the team has been in an extended funk ever since that day.

Looking at the roster now, it's possible to conclude that Gibbs has assembled the core of his fourth Super Bowl championship team. The ultimate irony is that it's likely that someone else will have to take over to coach the players that Gibbs selected for them to get the most out of their ability.

 

Bears —After Further Review

Let's dive right in to looking at what I posted live last night and how it stands up to review 24 hours later:

Pregame

Suisham is nailing field goal tries from 40 with plenty to spare—he just nailed one that went just a few feet below the top of the goal posts as it went through. It seems that he's over that midseason slump he was in. You never know with a kicker, but he looks like he's a keeper.

After he was short on a 47-yarder—well short—and wide on a shorter effort, it appears that Suisham isn't yet a certain solution as the team's kicker for the next decade.

One somewhat surprising name on the inactive list is Todd Wade. It looks like Stephon Heyer is going to get yet another opportunity to make the Redskins wonder if they need to keep spending all of this money on Wade. Or on Jon Jansen, for that matter.

I think that a good chunk of Wade's money was guaranteed and I don't think that Jansen is ready to go just yet, so the prospect of Heyer becoming a regular next year isn't strong. But he does represent inexpensive depth for the time being.

First Quarter

12:00—A good punt by Frost, netting 39 as he angled it straight out of bounds. If he can do that all day, we'll take it. In fact, if he can do that for the rest of the year, we'll take it.

While Frosty had a few poor boots, he did average a net of 38.2 yards. Against Hester—in fact, for almost any game—that's mission accomplished.

10:53—Grossman is down, he took a pretty good smack after firing an incompletion. Leg or knee got bent the wrong way, and there was an audible "ooh" in the press box when it was shown on replay. Rex is limping off.

Most of the time, watching the game in the press box is like watching the game while you're at work in an office. It's fairly quiet, people are working and having muted conversations. When they showed the replay of the play where Grossman got hurt, there was the spontaneous reaction like you would get from a group of fans watching a game in a sports bar.

Second Quarter

13:45—A great blitz pickup by Portis allows Campbell to Cooley for 22.

Clinton Portis is hardly having a banner season, but he still plays for my team. Not every so-called star RB will do things like this and love it.

2:49—Campbell is down again, this time the cart is coming out. It's a knee or something very painful in the lower leg. It has season-ending written all over it.

It may or may not be season ending. Remember, we thought that the blow to the knee he took against the Steelers in the preseason would knock him out for the year and it just put him out for the preseason. I wouldn't be shocked to see him play against Dallas if the Redskins are in a position to keep playing after that. No inside info here, just a hunch.

Third Quarter

Off the top of my head, this is the first time that the Redskins have held the opposition scoreless in the first half. Having a halftime lead, however, is no guarantee of success as we well know.

I was wrong about this. They Redskins had held the Lions scoreless in the first half, too.

5:40—The Bears ate up 6:28 to get just three points. If the Redskins don't give them a short field it will be tough for Chicago to catch up.

Of course, I remember typing something similar at this point in the Bills game.

The Redskins defense, for the most part, did a good job of forcing the Bears into dinking and dunking down the field after it got to be 14-0. Of course, you'd like to see them shut the door completely, but they're not that kind of defense at this point.

Fourth Quarter

A big third down conversion attempt as the fourth quarter opens. A pass to Betts a few minutes ago got the Redskins their third third-down conversion in 11 attempts.

14:55—Cooley with a 33-yard grab to convert. Collins threw a nice pass to his TE in the seam of the zone.

I neglected to mention that Cooley bounced off of an attempted tackle and rumbled for an additional ten yards or so after making the catch.

6:57—Third and goal at the five now after a run stop and good coverage by Doughty.

FG Gould 22
Redskins 17, Bears 13

That was a good job of tightening up as they got to the goal line, but the earlier part of the drive was just too easy. The Redskins will need a touchdown if they are going to win.

I didn't go into Griffin's tackle of Peterson on first and goal at the one. That set the Chicago offense back to the four and they couldn't punch it in from there (good to see another team having difficulties starting from first and goal. Obviously, if the Bears tie the game up there, it's a different deal altogether.

6:00—Stop the presses. The Redskins have thrown on consecutive first downs with a four-point lead. And they both were complete.

4:00—A great throw by Collins again converts a third and four after two runs.

2:45—Third and six at the 16. I've got to think that the Bears will bring the house and that if Collins can get the ball off the result will be a touchdown.

Betts 16 pass from Collins (Suisham kick)
Redskins 24, Bears 13

There has been a lot of talk about the Redskins trusting Collins to pass in situations like this while keeping the chains on Campbell. That may be the case. It also may be a case of Saunders, Gibbs, and company finally decided that they'd had enough of the futility of running into a wall all the time.

0:34—Fourth and goal at the four. The Bears will try the FG and then the onside kick.

FG Gould 21
Redskins 24, Bears 16

Ya think that Joe Gibbs would be getting hammered today if he'd kicked a field goal here? It just didn't make any sense. You have about 30 seconds left to play. You need a touchdown, a two-point conversion, and a field goal to send it into overtime. Yes, you need two scores but you're at the four. Lovie Smith is saying that he has a better shot of hitting a Hail Mary pass than he does of getting the ball into the end zone from four yards away. Fourth down at the four represents by far your best chance of getting the needed touchdown part of the equation.

If you're at the 20 with fourth and four, yes, kick the FG. But from the four, you have to go for the TD.

0:00— The Redskins have now allowed two touchdowns in their last three games and they are 1-2.

This is DC and Redskins Nation so, of course, the talk is all about the quarterback position. What gets overlooked is that the defense. They kept the Redskins in a game in which the offense committed six turnovers. Yes, they allowed one late play that put the Bills into field goal position but the game should have been over long before that. And against the Bears they control the action almost the whole way.

 

Redskins-Bears Live Blog from FedEx Field

Live from the press box at FedEx Field

Right now, just about an hour before kickoff, there are more media members in the stadium than fans.

It's right around freezing now and I can vouch for that. As I made my way through the media parking lot to the bus that takes me, the Redskins Band, the beer vendors and the luxury box servers, there were many patches composed of part water and part ice. It made the going a bit tricky.

The field looks like it's in great shape. They either have the greatest groundskeepers in the world or some damn fine painters. Whichever it is, the Steelers should look into borrowing them.

Suisham is nailing field goal tries from 40 with plenty to spare—he just nailed one that went just a few feet below the top of the goal posts as it went through. It seems that he's over that midseason slump he was in. You never know with a kicker, but he looks like he's a keeper.

There was some talk that Sean Springs would miss tonight's game with the back injury he suffered last week—make that four days ago—against the Bills. But he's active and out there warming up in the end zone just in front of me.

One somewhat surprising name on the inactive list is Todd Wade. It looks like Stephon Heyer is going to get yet another opportunity to make the Redskins wonder if they need to keep spending all of this money on Wade. Or on Jon Jansen, for that matter.

Starting next to Heyer will be Randy Thomas, seeing his first action since Week 2. His left arm is in a brace. It will be interesting to see what kind of form he's in. It's not as though Jason Fabini has done a horrible job by any stretch, but you have to think that Thomas is an immediate upgrade, kind of like making a December trade to shore up the O-line.

I've been coming to this stadium since it opened, sitting in the same end zone either in the stands or in the press box. I just found out that this is the West end zone. It's the one to the left as you're watching on TV, in case anyone cares.

After a week off, apparently out of respect for Sean Taylor, the pregame fireworks are back. Hopefully the smoke will clear prior to kickoff.

No surprise, the greatest play in Redskins history, by a vote of some fans, was John Riggins' fourth and one run in Super Bowl XVII.

We have a new press box announcer. I don't know if he's a fill in or if the other guy got the axe. Maybe the old guy finally got the name of the ball carrier and the yardage of the play right on the same play and retired.

First quarter

14:50—The Bears get the ball at the 34 and it feels like a major victory.

13:36—Chicago is operating without a huddle until a third and nine. The huddle apparently was insufficient as the Bears had to burn a timeout.

13:31—Rex throws both low and short of the first down line.

13:24—How did Cartwright miss blocking that punt?

13:00—Portis gains two yards, maintaining his average from last week.

12:33—An unimpressive three and out for the Redskins on their initial series.

12:00—A good punt by Frost, netting 39 as he angled it straight out of bounds. If he can do that all day, we'll take it. In fact, if he can do that for the rest of the year, we'll take it.

11:37—The tackling has not been very solid for the Redskins so far. Adrian Peterson broke a few to get a first down.

10:58—The Bears are huddling up on this series.

10:53—Grossman is down, he took a pretty good smack after firing an incompletion. Leg or knee got bent the wrong way, and there was an audible "ooh" in the press box when it was shown on replay. Rex is limping off.

10:44—The Bears had the screen called against a Redskins blitz and McIntosh got through quickly enough to prevent a cold Brian Griese from completing it. Bears punt down to Washington eight yard line.

10:31—Grossman is out for the rest of the game with a knee injury.

10:00—Skins in no-huddle now.

9:26—No gain for Portis on third and two. Skins will punt from their own 16.

8:45—Hester is influencing field position. 46-yard punt with 16 on the return and the Bears are in Washington territory at the 46.

8:30—Another missed tackle, this time by McIntosh. A loss of one becomes a gain of three.

5:43—Berrian had a step on Springs, but it didn't look like he made much of an effort to drag the second foot in.

5:32—Kedric Golston gets a hand on Gould's 47-yard field goal attempt and gets the block. That keept the Bears off the board and gives the Redskins their best field position of the day.

5:23—Another two-yard gain for Portis.

4:26—Back to back first downs on passes to Portis and Cooley. The no-huddle is rolling.

3:06—It stalls outside of the Red Zone as Cooley is a yard short.

2:36—I spoke too soon about Suisham. He was just well short from 47.

2:00—A third-down sack of Griese by Carter and a gang of others.

0:00—22 yards to ARE and the Skins convert after a sack.

End of first quarter
Redskins 0, Bears 0

15:00—It took nine security guards to subdue and remove some clown who ran onto the field and to where the players were about to snap the ball.

13:45—A great blitz pickup by Portis allows Campbell to Cooley for 22.

12:04—Another Red Zone trip ends with a field goal attempt—it's a miss, wide left. I'll never say another nice thing about Suisham again.

9:26—This time the Chicago screen against the blitz worked for nine. Third and one.

7:11—A sack by M. Washington slows a steady Chicago march. Third and 10. Griese misfires and the Bears punt.

5:01—Campbell goes out after taking a blow to the arm on a scramble. It looks like he's going to go back in, but it's not certain.

3:42—A three and out for the Bears. Griese is awful.

2:49—Campbell is down again, this time the cart is coming out. It's a knee or something very painful in the lower leg. It has season-ending written all over it.

2:49—Chris Cooley is going to the locker room, too. Appears to be an ankle injury.

2:23—Leigh Torrence makes a good play to knock a punt out of bounds at the one.

1:50—Griese scrambled and chose to dive a yard shy of the first down. Of course, we haven't seen Collins in action yet, so we don't yet know who the worst QB on the field is yet.

1:07—Collins gets blindsided and stripped, trashing decent field position for the Redskins. Now the Bears have a shot at getting on the board.

0:24—Interception and big return of 53 yards by Springs. Now the Redskins have a shot from the 21.

Yoder 21 pass from Collins (Suisham kick)
Redskins 7, Bears 0

A nice pass by Collins, who had all kinds of time to throw. Yoder did a nice job of hanging on to the ball as a defender tries to strip it away around the one.

0:04—After getting no interceptions all year, Springs gets two in the half. Both were on passes intended for Hester.

End of first half
Redskins 7, Bears 0

With the injuries, this could be a pyrrhic victory for the Redskins.

 

Off the top of my head, this is the first time that the Redskins have held the opposition scoreless in the first half. Having a halftime lead, however, is no guarantee of success as we well know.

Campbell is out with a torn patellar tendon.

14:57—I don't know if the Bears think that Rock Cartwright is Hester, but they sure kicked away from him there.

13:02—A great run on a little screen to Portis, as he dodged and weaved for 54 yards on third and two. The dreaded first and goal at the one.

Sellers 1 run (Suisham kick)
Redskins 14, Bears 0

11:50—Landry drops a sure pick after it rolled out of the TE's hands.

10:38—An offside call against M. Washington nullifies a third down stop. Third and two from the 21. Then the play clock ran out on the Bears

9:26—A nice catch by Berrian followed by a circus job by Olson has the Bears in scoring range.

7:42—The Bears commit their second false start of the drive, first and 15.

6:56—A false start negates a third and nine stop. Then another delay of game pushes them back five more.

5:59—Torrence makes another play, a good tackle to force a field goal attempt.

FG Gould 30
Redskins 14, Bears 3

The Bears ate up 6:28 to get just three points. If the Redskins don't give them a short field it will be tough for Chicago to catch up.

Of course, I remember typing something similar at this point in the Bills game.

4:33—A three and out, of course, does not help the Redskins' cause in the least. Nor does a punt and penalty that gives the Bears the ball just past midfield.

3:23—The Bears might just have put together a three-play, 48-yard TD drive. A pass to Berrian in the end zone was ruled incomplete but it looks like Chicago may have a good case in its challenge.

Yes, they did.

Berrian 17 pass from Griese (Gould kick)
Redskins 14, Bears 10

3:04—Portis is back in after missing a series with what was announced as a stomach virus. He immediately picks up seven.

1:26—A holding call against Heyer negates a 13-yard completion on first down into Chicago territory. First and 20.

End of third quarter
Redskins 14, Bears 10

Insignificant But Not Unimportant

Let's be clear on one thing—Joe Gibbs' decision to call a second consecutive timeout as Rian Lindell was lining up for a game-winning field goal did not cost the Redskins the game. Lindell had nailed his first boot, the one negated by the first timeout, with plenty to spare and there was almost no way he was going to miss the second try from there.

This game was lost on the Redskins' opening drive when Chris Samuels flinched when the offense was lined up to go for it on fourth and inches on the Buffalo five, setting the first half pattern of having to settle for field goals after getting deep into Bills territory. It was lost when the offensive line couldn't handle the defensive line of the 31^st-ranked defense in the NFL, creating no holes for Clinton Portis and giving Jason Campbell precious little time to throw for most of the game. It was lost the play before the pass that set up Lindell's winning field goal when Fred Smoot missed a tackle on Roscoe Parrish, allowing the receiver to dash out of bounds. If that tackle is made in the field of play, the clock runs out after that pass to Josh Reed before Lindell ever has a chance to line up. It was lost when Trent Edwards' pass drops into the hands of the lone blue jersey amidst a sea of white.

And, truth be told, the game was lost at about 3:30 on Tuesday morning when Sean Taylor's heart stopped beating. Football is a game of emotion and the Redskins had expended a ton of it during the course of the week. When they went up 16-5 it appeared that the Redskins simply ran out of emotional gas. There is only so much in the human tank in a given period of time. Usually, even in a losing locker room, there is some energy there, some adrenaline still flowing. Yesterday there was nothing left but tear-filled eyes and deep sighs.

Joe Gibbs, however, does not get a pass here. Calling the timeout was an inexcusable coaching blunder, period. The fact that it was not why the Redskins lost a game does not make it any less of a colossal mistake or any more excusable. If it was an isolated instance of mangled game management, a rare brain fart in the midst of a season of brilliant strategic maneuvers, that would be one thing. What makes it disturbing, even alarming, is the fact that it wasn't shocking to see Gibbs make such a mistake.

As strictly a side note, I have to wonder why the official standing near Gibbs apparently indicated that it was OK to call the second timeout. I knew that you couldn't call consecutive timeouts; I did not know that doing so would result in a 15-yard penalty if the kicker was on the field. I thought that the official simply would ignore the illegal timeout request. Perhaps Gibbs thought so, too. But, the last time I looked at my pay stubs I wasn't being paid $5 million a year to know these things.

And what about Gibbs not knowing about the "missing man" formation on the first play that the defense ran? Again, if it was an isolated incident of miscommunication or non-communication among the members of the coaching staff, it would be something to be shrugged off.

After the game yesterday I was talking to a writer who has been covering the team for a long time. He told me that there was a growing feeling among those who cover the team that this will be Gibbs' last year. The theory—and it's just that, it's nothing that's based on any inside information—is that Taylor's death will make Gibbs think about his own life. Why should he work 80 hours a week when he doesn't need to? Why put up with the aggravation when he could be bouncing grandchildren on his knees?

It's Gibbs' call and it should be. After a couple of years of believing that Gibbs would do what he has said many times and fulfill the full five years of his contract, many are starting to think that the call will be to walk away.