Washington Redskins vs Detroit Lions Week#8 - McNabb will lead the Redskins to a win at the windy city

The redskins are going into Detroit facing a yet again struggling lions team as they have the past few seasons. The difference is just like the redskins have gotten a new "face lift" the lions have also continued to improve on both sides of the ball. Let's not forget last year, it seemed like the lions hadn't won a game since the days Barry Sanders was in the backfield yet they beat a redskins team that took them for granted. Then rookie QB, Stafford had a field day with the redskins defense keeping them on the field for the majority of the game wearing them down and squeaking out the win. Stafford has been out since week 1 with a shoulder injury making his return this week to face the redskins, coaches say he's as close to 100% as possible. He's shown to have developed great chemistry with Megatron aka Calvin Johnson, possibly a top 5 WR in the league. I believe Stafford's going to be a bit rusty not having played in 7 weeks so the redskins should have an opportunity to create turnovers as Stafford settles in throughout the game. They seemed to keep Cutler completely out of rhythm last week, look for Haslett to run different looks allowing the defense to make plays. The redskins cannot give Stafford time in the pocket, he's shown to be able to make plays through the air as well as on his feet. The Redskins defense also needs to pay attention to Javid Best, he's shown to be a big playmaker any time he touches the ball. What makes Best a bigger threat is not only his ability to run through through tackles but also the ability to catch the ball in the open field and taking it for a big run, he's like a Wesbtrook…dangerous in every way. The Redskins defense comes off one of their best performances this season, DeAngelo Hall who was named NFC defensive player of the week had 4 interceptions, taking one of them back for a TD. London Fletcher continues to provide the leadership at the linebacker position making sure everyone's in the right place. Laron Landry keeps proving every week why he's going to Hawaii in a few months, he's everywhere you want him to be laying the hit stick. If the redskins can make the lions one dimensional, either take away the passing game or the running game then it's going to be a long day for the lions. The skins offense hopes to get into a rhythm this week. McNabb's coming off one his worst performances this year hoping to get the offense settled in quickly and on the scoreboard. The offensive line has another test ahead of them this week going up against Julius Peppers and second overall pick, Ndamukong Suh. Suh will be matched up against Artis Hicks. A few weeks ago Suh tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage, caught it and ran it back for a 20 yd touchdown. If anyone watched Sports Science when they had Suh on, you know how big of a threat this guy is. Hick's is definitely going to have his hands full, look for Center Casey Raback to lend Hicks a hand in controlling Suh. Ryan Torain is looking to get his third 100 yd game going up against the 25th ranked run defense in the league. A.T.V (All Torain Vehicle) is running like a mad man running through tackels, getting to the open space and making big plays. Santana Moss and Chris Cooley are making plays when they need to, a little more consistency would be nice as well as getting Armstrong involved in the game but he's gotta make those catches when the ball's thrown his way. If the redskins capitalize on the lions mistakes, don't turn the ball over and establish some kind of running game then the defense should be able to take care of business leading the redskins to a 5-3 record going into the bye. It will be a close game like last year, special teams should have a big outcome on this game. Shanahan was full of praises when asked about Gano's performance, Gano has shown control…he just needs to be more consistent. This weekend's game is on his side, playing in a dome not having to worry about wind. My prediction is Redskins 30…Lions 21

The John Wall era has begun in D.C.

The Wizards have gone through a lot of different obstacles in the past few months. Previous owner, Abe Polin passed away after establishing basketball in the Washington, DC area. Arenas decided to bring guns to the locker room stirring weeks of chaos leading to distractions on and off the court. The Wizards missed the playoffs yet again entering the off season with lots of questions surrounding the team. A few good things did roll the Wizards way, then minority owner, Ted Leonsis put in a bid for majority ownership of the team which the NBA approved. We all know what an owner like Leonsis brings to a franchise, just look at the Capitals if there's still any doubt. The Capitals were one of the worse teams a few years ago, Leonsis asked for time from the fans. Alex Ovechkin fell into the lap of the Caps with the #1 overall pick, the team was built around this young phenomenon who now are a legitimate playoff team and possible soon to be Stanley Cup champions. Anything look familiar? Leonsis is the owner, yes but the Wizards too were lucky enough to land the #1 overall pick in the draft, John Wall from Kentucky. Ted has asked for time from Wizard fans as he did for the Caps, he plans on building this team from the ground up through the draft not free agency. The roster has already seen signs of youth, leadership is also important which is why the Wizards have kept Arenas and also have the likes of Andre Blatche who stepped up last year when the club needed a leader. At 6'4, 195 lbs, John Wall is everything advertised. Fast, explosive, has a special vision and can drive it to the lane on any given play. This guy is the real deal. In just three pre- season games his stats are impressive. He's averaging 15.7 points, 7.9 assists, 2.1 steals, 2.6 rebounds and 35.4 minutes a game. That's what you would expect from the #1 pick. John Wall seems to have the fire and love for the game every kid had at one point during their childhood shooting hoops pretending to one day get to the NBA. John Wall's here and he's set out to make the most of it, with Arenas as his on the court mentor should really help John Wall mature into one of the best players in the league. The Wizards open their season tomorrow night against Superman and the Magic who a season ago were one game away from the finals. It will be a great game to see what the Wizards have in their bag full of Wizard dust.

Another week down, still no contract for McNabb

Week 7 has come and gone and McNabb has yet to sign a contract. When McNabb got traded to redskins on April 4, 2010 Redskins fans rejoiced nationwide knowing they'd be getting a QB that's taken a team to the Superbowl in the last decade. Redskins fans know better than anyone what McNabb brought to the table facing him twice a year, the big deep throws that burned defences as well as the simple throws he misses...throws a pee wee QB makes. Don't get me wrong, the leadership he's brought to a team that was in shambles last year is one only he could bring. As great of a leader he is, he's also a QB for a football team with high expectations. There a reason why the Redskins haven't jumped to the negotiating table. McNabb has thrown 5 TD's and 5 INT's so far, he ended the Rams and Colts game throwing a pick not to mention what could've happened today. I'm sure McNabb is possibly thinking about the Vikings every time he gets up from a hit but he still needs to get through this season. He still needs to take a sack when having two defenders on him instead of trying to make a pass leading to a defensive TD. The Redskins offensive line isn't the best and they are to blame for a lot of things but poor decisions like the ones made today point to the QB above others. In the past, the Redskins have been known to dish out big money but now that the Allen/Shanahan regime is here deals take a little more time to happen. This is like when you meet a girl, you go out a few times while both are taking all kinds of information in...processing it and analyzing a little bit more before deciding if this just another girl or "the" girl. I don't know that McNabb's performance on the field will lead to the Redskins turning this "dating" status to an "official permanent" one. There aren't too many QB's out there that are much better, I'll take #5 over Campbell and a few others but that doesn't mean I have to be content or happy about the QB play so far. A new offense and mediocre offensive line aren't helping the situation but better decisions have to be made on the field. Until the contract talk begins, these two sides are soaking each other up while fans are waiting for the McNabb we used to fear when Philly came to town.

Redskins defense, taking players out one at a time

The redskins defense has struggled with stopping the run this season. Andre Carter, not known for being the best 3-4 guy started the season, a few games into it the coaches so the obvious set back there and plugged in Lorenzo Alexander and change has come about. Carlos Rogers is his usual self, can't catch a ball if it hit him in the helmet, chest or hands…wait, the ball does hit him in those places at least once a game and the guy just doesn't seem to grasp the concept of catching the ball. The man that asked to cover the best WR on the opposing team didn't seem to be able to keep up with the Colts third wideout, Garcon last week getting beating Hall on a one hander. Without being too much of a downer, Laron Landry on the other hand is on a mission to take anyone's head off! I mean anyone, it doesn't matter if you're his teammate, if you're around the ball he's gonna hit you and anyone around it. He's playing lights out defense. What do Demarcus Ware, Andre Johnson, Stephen Jackson, L. McCoy, Vick, J. Finley, C. Matthews, Aaron Rogers, and Dallas Clark have in common? They've all been taken out of the game by the Redskins defense. Though the defense has gaps, they've also shown that they're a defense to be reckoned with. They've taken out at least one starter from the opposing team a game, and these are big names. Two of them have been put on IR and they're the likes of Dallas Clark. We all know what Clark means to the Colts offense, and they're now going to be without him for the remainder of the season. The redskins defense is getting to the QB, though the defensive scheme does have the possibility to give up a big play, they're also going to put you in the right position to make a play and that's what we've witnessed so far 6 weeks into the season. It's been a while since we've seen the skins D create as many turnovers as we have this season so really, it's a give and take scenario like everything else. The redskins have always had a good defense, they've been ranked in the top 10 for the past few seasons, though this year they're almost last in the league. However, numbers don't always reflect the teams ability. The redskins defense have been the main reason as to why the redskins have either won their games or have been competitive in every game to the last snap. That's a huge positive change and a step towards the right direction. Offense's around the league must have the skins defense on their radar, WR's are hesitant to go up the middle knowing Dirty Thirty will be there to punish them. The skins play the Bears this weekend, their offensive line makes the skins like the colts so the defense should have a field day. Not a moment of excitement lacks this team this year, especially this defense hitting anything and anyone that comes close to the ball. Lights out defense is the best way to describe this unit this year led by a maturing Laron Landry.

Brandon's about to take it to BANK caaaching!

Brandon Banks wasn't on anyone's radar….literally. The guy stands at 5'7, 149 lbs that's smaller than the rest of the guys on the field with him. He's like the Muggsy Bogues, small in stature but you can't overlook their presence. Redskins fans didn't know what to expect from this guy when they first laid eyes on him during training camp. First thought that came to most people's minds was "I wonder what happens when someone hits this guy?". We quickly learned the explosiveness that Brandon Banks can bring to the game, we got our first look during a pre-season game against the Bills when he returned a 77 yard punt return for a TD. He's just so elusive, so quick, he's gone in no time! The Redskins even cut him after week 2 to free up space only to bring him back a week later and it's a good thing they did. The Redskins haven't had much of a return game in quite some time now. Randle El was the man in charge of return duties for the past few seasons only to master the art of running side to side and backwards as well never gaining more than what seemed 5 yards. We now have a small guy who's shown to be able to take hits while keeping his eye on one thing, getting to the end zone so he can break out his next dance move. This guy has been turning heads around the league, the team and this town. Fans are excited to have a returner that can break a big one any time he gets the ball. I find myself on the edge of my seat every time this I see Banks getting ready to catch the ball on a kickoff. So far his first punt return was for 51 yards against the Eagles, against he Packers he had a 44 yd return, two 33 yd returns and a 62 yard kick off return that was negated by a holding penalty. Those are big time numbers for a soon to be big time player. He's currently ranked third in the NFL in return yards averaging 22.7 yards on kickoffs and 20.9 yards on punt returns. Could this be B. Mitch all over again? If he's anything like B. Mitch, I'll take him any day, any way shape or form. Banks is an explosive, exciting player that's shown to be hungry. One thing we know about Shanahan, he'll take a no name player that shows promise and give him a chance. Some players don't make the most out of their opportunities, Banks is proving which direction he's planning on going. He's just one cut away from taking it to the end zone and I for one can't wait!

FLOYD NFL LEADING WR…NO NO I MEANT LLOYD, BRANDON LLOYD…LLOYD WHO???!!!!

If I told you that the NFL's current leading WR in yards, receptions was Brandon Lloyd would you believe me? I know Redskins fans would've laughed in your face had you told then that their old player already has 13 more receptions this season than he did the 2 years with Washington. Can you believe the leading WR is the same guy that in two years with a club totaled a whopping 25 receptions, 365 yds, 0 TD's….horrible stats. His current stats are 38 receptions, 589 ids, 3 TD's and is currently one of the most lethal QB/WR combo in the league with Orton leading the way. Going into the season, Orton had a few weapons, Royal being the WR that previously showed many flashes of big play making capabilities but it seems as though Orton went another way. He and Lloyd have a past playing together in 2008 with the Bears. He's emerged as Orton's favorite target and has defenses taking him into account every snap. Fantasy players are dropping big name players like Fitzgerald to pick Lloyd up, still think I'm crazy? Well it's true! I'm still having a hard time believing this, I'm still bitter about all the money he got from the Redskins and not performing whatsoever so I'm not jumping on that train anytime soon. I do however, have to give him credit for what he's done so far. It's not to easy being a WR in the NFL, so many guys just sometime don't cut it for some reason or another. Poor route running, blocking, bad hands, or just plain dummy's. Lloyd is making it happen on the field on a consecutive basis, the Broncos are quickly adapting a throwing reputation. The NFL season is a crazy up and down roller coaster. From unpredictable, never would you guess it in a million years kinda upsets to having an offense like the Cardinals going from being one of the best in the league just a year ago with an old man, Warner to one of the worst with a nobody QB behind center leaving an amazing WR like Fitzgerald looking like Devin Thomas. Who's Devin Thomas you ask? HaHa, just ask Lloyd who Thomas is in a couple of years and if he's anything like Lloyd, he'll be a WR that did SILCH for the Redskins but then goes to another team and BLOWS UP!

Moss + Favre = 2 old happy guys

Randy Moss got traded today shocking everyone as well as making a playoff game in the same city seem like small news today. Moss will be traded to the Vikings for a third round pick. Brett Favre and Moss always joked about playing together and with all talk leading to this possibly being Favre's last year….again, the Vikings are making moves to make the run to the Superbowl now. A lot of talk is going around about why the Patriots would make such a move during the season, knowing they're also trying to make a run. From the outside looking in, it just doesn't make much sense. Welker is the player he is because of the help he gets by having Moss demand double coverage leaving him in the slot position open a lot of the times for the quick dump pass. With Moss now gone, is he supposed to take the role left behind into his own hands? I think he has to, there really isn't another big name player on that team. The Patriots have always been known for winning with guys you sometimes hear their names after a big play and you ask…"who's that guy?". It seems that Brandon Tate will be that guy who's name you'll start to hear scratching your head once again. Look at Brady, he wasn't exactly on most NFL team's radar coming out of college and look what he turned out to be. The organization definitely has a gift of recognizing talent and continuously put a winning competitive team on the field year in and year out. If you're a Patriot fan, you probably live by the "In Bill we trust" slogan so this move might make you scratch your head but you still accept it and trust they're making the right choices for some reason. If you're looking from the outside you look at a team that had one of the best WR's in the game on their team, brining a lot to the table now leaving many holes in your offense. On the other side, the Vikings now bring a lot more to the table than expected with a diminished WR core and a struggling Favre. The Viking are now sure to be NFC playoff contenders once again, Moss going back to the place where it all started for him 11 years ago. He once lined up with Cris Carter on the other side, this time around in the purple he'll soon have his new best friend, Sidney Rice and of course the elusive Percy Harvin making the WR core one of the most dangerous in the league. I don't think it's that huge of a loss for the Patriots or that deciding factor that's going to take the Vikings to the Superbowl, I just don't see it. The Patriots have had Moss for a couple of years now recording impressive numbers but yet fell short of bring the Lombardi trophy home. That's really the ultimate goal, as great of an offense the Patriots have had they haven't obtained the ultimate goals in a couple of years now with or without Moss. Yes he was a HUGE help for that team, but he didn't seal the deal for them when it all came down to it and that's all that really matters. If he meant that much to the Patriots, they wouldn't of let him go in the middle of the season for a third round pick when they could've easily gotten just that, a third round pick from any team after the season was over keeping Moss for the rest of the games having him contribute to their offense. But they just gave him the boot, that makes me think there's gotta be a reason for that. Tate has also shown a lot of promise during the off season and the chances he's gotten so far, he's a big body that will demand some attention. The Patriots signed Brady at the beginning of the season, they're setting him up for success whether we see it or not. They have to be, I also don't believe this Moss trade just came out of the blue. The Patriots are up to something this year, it might take a few games for us to see what it is but it just might be scarier than before. As for the Vikings, they're better off and crazy old man Favre can sling the ball again knowing he has a guy that has glue for hands. On a last note, I'm glad my Redskins didn't get this guy. Although we need an WR BAD, he's not the answer. Moss is demanding Fitzgerald type of money, he's kinda old, good player but old and more on his way out than in. Had we picked him up then this organization really hasn't changed especially when there's been younger names out there like Boldin, Who's your mama, Brandon Marshall to name a few. I can't wait for the season to continue to evolve, I love all the NFL drama and hope that every bit of it is here for us to enjoy next season.