NFL FanHouse

More Bad News for Redskins' Backfield

Matt Snyder — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:59:00 EST

Filed under: Redskins, NFC East, NFL Injuries

With star running back Clinton Portis already sidelined as he deals with the aftereffects of a concussion, the Redskins were hoping backup running back Ladell Betts could shoulder the load. Instead, Betts left in the first quarter Sunday against Dallas with a knee injury. As it turns out, Betts has torn the medial collateral ligament in his knee and will probably miss at least a month. Portis will also reportedly miss next week's game as well, meaning Rock Cartwright will be the featured back for the Redskins against the stingy Eagles' run defense in Week 12.

Sunday, Cartwright filled in admirably for Betts (and Portis). He ran the ball 13 times for 67 yards (5.15 yards per carry), but was also greatly involved in the passing attack. He caught seven passes for 73 yards.

Depth will likely be a concern for the Redskins, as they'll be working with just Cartwright, Quentin Ganther and Mike Sellers from the backfield. Sellers is a blocking back and Ganther has just six carries this season.

The Redskins have been particularly stricken with injuries this season. In addition to the backfield, they've dealt with injuries to Chris Cooley, Albert Haynesworth, Chris Samuels and even their punter (Hunter Smith). Sunday, they also lost guard Chad Rinehart for the rest of the season.

More Bad News for Redskins' Backfield originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cowboys' Late Touchdown All They Need

Matt Snyder — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:41:00 EST

Filed under: Cowboys, Redskins, NFC East

Hey, a win is a win. That's all that matters in the end. The Dallas Cowboys get to see a "7" in the win column of the standings after surviving 7-6 over the Washington Redskins Sunday. It wasn't pretty, but the Cowboys gutted out an old school victory.

Coming into the week, the Cowboys had been amassing a large percentage of their yardage via the air attack, behind the arm of Tony Romo. In Week 11, they seem to have decided to transform themselves. Romo attempted 27 passes, while the Cowboys ran the ball 33 times for 153 yards and counted on their defense to win the shortened game for them. It worked.

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The Cowboys' defense did allow Jason Campbell to throw for 256 yards, but kept the Redskins out of the end zone. Shaun Suisham -- who was probably already the most maligned kicker in the NFL -- hit just two of his four field goal attempts and the Redskins were kept out of the end zone. Had Suisham made one of the two kicks he missed, the Redskins would be headed back to D.C. victorious. It wouldn't hurt Suisham to polish that resume a bit, considering it's only been a week since the Ravens released Steven Hauschka.

Still, the Redskins' defense was up to the task for most of the game. The Cowboys were being shutout when they took the ball with 7:06 left in the fourth quarter. On that drive, the Cowboys abandoned the run and ended up with their first points of the game. On the nine play drive, they ran the ball just once -- and that was a Romo scramble.

After a Patrick Crayton touchdown catch, the Redskins still had over two and a half minutes and trailed by a single point, but an interception by Anthony Spencer quelled the drive.

It will be interesting to see if the Cowboys stay married to such a drastic split between pass and run (it was 29 runs versus 20 passes before their touchdown drive) or if they'll see the results of the one drive where they took it to the air and adjust accordingly. Marion Barber gained 99 yards on 20 carries while Felix Jones ran 10 times for 49 yards. Regardless of how it happened, the Cowboys move forward with a 7-3 record and a one game lead atop the NFC East. They'll look to take care of business on Thanksgiving against the hapless Raiders.

The Redskins were already playing without Clinton Portis (concussion after effects) and lost Ladell Betts (reported knee injury) during the first quarter Sunday. Rock Cartwright, the third-string running back carried the load the rest of the way, but the 'Skins will be looking to get at least one of the two injured backs on the field before next week. They look to pick up the pieces as they head to Philadelphia for a date with the Eagles in Week 11.

Cowboys' Late Touchdown All They Need originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bozo the Coach, Andy Reid and the Belichick Precedent

Dave Goldberg — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Chargers, Colts, Cowboys, Eagles, Patriots, AFC East, AFC South, NFC East, NFC North, NFL Coaching, NFL Analysis

What Bill Belichick did Sunday night has happened before. It justifiably earned Barry Switzer the nickname "Bozo The Coach'' for failing TWICE on fourth down in the late stages of a tie game. And the Eagles' Andy Reid did the opposite of the New England coach on Sunday, eschewing fourth-and-short twice to kick field goals in what turned out to be an eight-point loss.

Switzer's mistake didn't prevent Dallas from winning its third Super Bowl in four seasons in the early '90s, but it left Switzer at the top of the oft-debated list of worst coaches to win a title.

On Nov. 15, 1995, the Cowboys were playing in Philadelphia and faced a fourth down and 1 on their own 29 with the game tied 17-17 and just over two minutes left. Switzer decided to go for it and sent Emmitt Smith left over the massive Nate Newton.

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He was stopped but it didn't count. The officials blew the whistle for the two-minute warning. No problem. The Cowboys tried again. Same play. Stuffed again. Three plays later, Gary Anderson kicked a 42-yard field goal that gave the Eagles a 20-17 win.

Headline in the New York Post the next day: "Bozo The Coach.''

The result brought the Eagles to within a game of the Cowboys in the NFC East with two games to play. But Dallas won its next two games, won the division, won both its playoff games and beat Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl -- the one in which Larry Brown ended up as the MVP on a team that featured Smith, Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders.

But it was the end of an era. The Cowboys beat the Vikings in a wild-card game the next season, then lost next week to second-year expansion team Carolina. That win over Minnesota was the last postseason victory they've had.

Reid?

In Sunday's 31-23 loss in San Diego, the Philadelphia coach decided to kick a field goal trailing 14-0 in the second quarter with the ball perhaps six inches away from the Chargers' goal. In the third quarter, trailing 21-6, he had fourth and one at the San Diego 7 and had David Akers kick again. The Eagles lost, 31-23.

"There was too much time," Reid said of his decision on the first, the most obvious. "I thought it was important to come out of there with points."

That was four points. The second fourth-and-one kick was four points.

The Eagles lost by eight.

Bozo the Coach, Andy Reid and the Belichick Precedent originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NFL Does Not Want a Little Captain in It

Josh Alper — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Eagles, NFC East, NFL Media Watch

When Eagles tight end Brent Celek scored a touchdown on Sunday night, he celebrated his touchdown by putting his hands on his hips and raising his right leg off the ground. You may not have thought anything of it at the time, but now you'll understand why you spent the rest of the night craving a glass of spiced rum.

Celek's celebration was actually a pretty nifty bit of guerilla marketing by Captain Morgan, which offered to donate money to charity anytime a NFL player celebrated a score by striking the pose made familiar in commercials and on liqour bottles. The NFL didn't find it quite so nifty, however, and reached out to the charity and the company to tell them to put the kibosh on the stunt.

While Celek originally denied the promotional angle, but an exec with the company confirmed the deal. The company was planning to donate $10,000 to Gridiron Greats, which helps retired players deal with hardships, every time a player struck the pose on camera during a regular season game. The money would rise to $25,000 and $100,000 in the playoffs and the Super Bowl.

Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports spoke with NFL spokesman Greg Aiello, who, unsurprisingly, said that the league isn't into companies using their games as a platform unless the NFL gets a cut of the action. They said they will punish any players who go forward with the celebration, presumably in the form of fines equal to the amount donated to the charity.

"A company can't pay a player to somehow promote it's product on the field. Every league has the same rule. ... It's come up before, companies trying to use our games and then players for ambush marketing purposes."

While no one was going to be hurt by a few players striking a particular pose, it's hard to argue with a league's right to profit from its own marketability. That said, no players are getting paid for this, as all the money is going to charity, so while they're right about the Captain using guerilla marketing techniques, there appears to be a loophole. But no player is going to explore that loophole at the risk of infuriating a coach and losing money, so the NFL isn't likely to see a challenge.

Plenty of companies already pay players to promote their products on the field, however. Nike is paying Adrian Peterson to promote its products every time he touches the ball, it's just in a less blatant fashion than Celek promoting Captain Morgan.

The damndest part of the whole thing? Gridiron Greats might not even get the 10K from Celek's act. The campaign hadn't officially launched yet, which means that the Captain got all the publicity without any obligation to give money to the charity. Well played, NFL. Hopefully they'll still do it, because it would be a shame if the only two winners from this were the league and a corporation.

NFL Does Not Want a Little Captain in It originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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At Least Two Redskins Fined for Melee

Matt Snyder — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Redskins, NFC East

In light of a brief brawl that broke out Sunday on the Atlanta sideline between a few Redskins and what seemed to be a large group of Falcons -- whom were protecting their quarterback who had just been hit late -- it is no surprise that some fines have been handed out.

Jason Reid of the Washington Post has learned that both Albert Haynesworth and LaRon Landry have been fined for their roles in the skirmish. He's also reporting that Landry -- who was fined for starting the issue with his hit on an out-of-bounds Matt Ryan -- plans to appeal the decision.

The incident itself seems to have brought on a bit of a divide in the Redskins' locker room. DeAngelo Hall, who was right in the middle of the melee is and likely to be fined as well, took issue with so few of his teammates getting involved.

"I can't speak for those other guys that's out there on the field, but whoever's out there with me, I'm ready to go to battle for 'em," Hall said on "The Lavar Arrington Show" on 106.7 The Fan. "That's just how I am, whether it's a verbal sparring or a physical sparring, I'm always ready to mix it up. And to see those guys kind of linger over there, yeah, I don't know what was going through their minds."

Haynesworth apparently agrees.

"That's my teammate. I'm not going to let my teammate get jumped or beat up or anything like that," Haynesworth said today. He cracked a smile and continued: "I mean, [Atlanta coach] Mike Smith did have him pinned up over there. I can't let the old man beat up my cornerback, so I had to go over there and save him."

On the other hand, not many guys in the league make as much money as Haynesworth. Defensive end Phillip Daniels doesn't, and he was one of the guys who didn't go get involved.

"The fewer guys over there the better. I really feel that way," Daniels continued. "I know D-Hall wanted the guys to come support him and everything, but you have to look at the whole picture. They say if you go over there you could get kicked out of the game or get fined. Of course, he explained what happened. I was on the sidelines, so I wasn't going to come over there. Albert came over and helped out. It really wasn't about that. It was about getting off the sideline. I saw their coaches putting their hands on our guys. You put your hands on your own guys.

"I'm just glad it didn't escalate into something bigger. If more guys would've went over there, it would've," Daniels said.

Both Daniels and Haynesworth have legitimate points. Sure, Atlanta had every reason to be upset about Landry's hit, but it wasn't so egregious that they needed to have coaches in the middle of a fight over it. The flag -- which was correctly thrown by the officials -- was all they needed. Ryan got up unscathed. Instead, Smith and a few other coaches were right in the middle of what easily could have become a full-scale brawl. It's hard to blame Haynesworth for standing up for his teammate and it's equally hard to blame the Redskins who weren't in the game for not sprinting all the way across the field, which would have surely resulted in harsh penalties.

No word yet on any possible Atlanta fines, though Smith is expected to take a hit to the wallet.

At Least Two Redskins Fined for Melee originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Larry Johnson Not Going to Washington

Matt Snyder — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: Redskins, NFC East, NFL Free Agency, NFL Rumors

In the days since his release, speculation has been rampant as to where former Pro Bowl running back Larry Johnson would eventually end up. Almost immediately, the Washington Redskins were a hot rumor. The shoe fit because Dan Snyder likes signing big names -- even if they are washed up has-beens -- and starting running back Clinton Portis recently went down with a concussion.

Wednesday, though, head coach Jim Zorn ruled out the possibility of the 'Skins bringing in the maligned veteran from Penn State.

Considering this is a guy who once cried because Dick Vermeil yelled at him, you have to wonder about Johnson's psyche about now. Remember, Tuesday he cleared through waivers as not one single team placed a claim on him. Of course, as with everything else that's ever "happened to" Johnson, I'm sure it's not his fault. Nothing ever is.

It's entirely possible this could be a Cedric Benson-like wake-up call for Johnson, but the circumstances are much different. Johnson turns 30 a week from Thursday, which is over the hill for running backs (just ask LaDainian Tomlinson). Benson is much younger and had never carried a full load for an entire season. Johnson had an outrageous 416-carry campaign back in 2006, which seems to have worn his body down for good (he's been either injured or unproductive since).

Someone is bound, eventually, to take a shot at the disgruntled back -- who had back-to-back 1,700-yard rushing seasons in 2005-2006 -- but it's not going to be the Redskins. They appear content to use Ladell Betts in place of Portis for the next week or two until CP26 returns.

Larry Johnson Not Going to Washington originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Philip Rivers Redeems Self in 'Eli Bowl'

Matt Snyder — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:15:00 EST

Filed under: Chargers, Giants, AFC West, NFC East, NFL Quarterbacks

With 3:30 left in the game and his team trailing by three points, Philip Rivers had a chance.

He had a chance to win in New York with much of the nation watching. He had a chance to best Eli Manning, a man who refused to play for the Chargers and was eventually swapped for Rivers and another draft pick (which turned into Shawne Merriman). He had a chance to prove he was a winner, despite the fact that his team hasn't helped him win a ring yet. He had a chance to prove he belonged in the same conversation as the game's elite, and that he's just as qualified a quarterback as Eli.

And on the first play of the series, Rivers threw an interception. What happened next, though, rallied San Diego to a 21-20 win and defined the essence of Rivers as a player.

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Tom Coughlin, apparently deciding Rivers couldn't get the job done, played for a field goal by running up the middle on second-and-14 and third-and-9. The Chargers would get the ball back with just over two minutes to play and trailing by six. You didn't even have to see Rivers to know about the fire in his belly. They don't think I can do it, he surely thought.

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You see, Rivers doesn't take care of the ball like Kyle Orton. He's not a student of the game like Peyton Manning. He doesn't have a rocket for an arm or excessive mobility. He doesn't rack up Drew Brees-like stat-lines. He doesn't have the quiet leadership of Ben Roethlisberger or the postseason resume of Tom Brady. One thing about Rivers, though, is that he's a fighter.

And when he gets angry, he fights even harder. Judging from his career 37-18 record entering Sunday's game, he's also a winner.

The Giants' decision to give Rivers another chance was tantamount to a slap in the face of Rivers. Just like when the Chargers had to "settle" for Rivers. Just like when no one thought the Chargers could win a playoff game in Indianapolis. Just like countless other times when people told Rivers he wasn't good enough.

As usual, he responded.

Rivers took the Chargers 80 yards in 1:36, and he didn't even need a timeout -- finding Vincent Jackson in the corner of the end zone for the game-winner with just 21 seconds remaining.

"It's a big emotional win," Rivers said. "The link between me and Eli is always going to be there. So yeah, it's a little special. Any time you play against a team that won the Super Bowl, it's fun. [The trade] didn't weigh into my mind and my thinking, but I bet it was there."

After the pass, Rivers sprinted upwards of 50 yards backward on the field, facing the Giants sideline, screaming in joy (and probably some lingering anger). Whether you consider it fire or foolishness, it's Rivers. That's what he does. He uses his emotion on the field and lets it come out when he's conquered his opposition. In this case, he beat Coughlin, the Giants and -- from a certain point of view -- Manning.

"We had a chance and you can't leave that team in the game,'' said Manning, who was 25 of 33 for 215 yards and two touchdowns. "You can't leave that team an opening. They are good and talented and if you have a chance to end it, you have to end it.''

The Chargers are now 5-3 and trail the Broncos by a game and a half in the AFC West, but they came out of New York with plenty of swagger and momentum. Just like their quarterback.

Philip Rivers Redeems Self in 'Eli Bowl' originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DeAngelo Hall Accuses Falcons Assistant Of Throwing Punches

Knox Bardeen — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:48:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, Redskins, NFC East, NFC South

ATLANTA -- When the NFL schedule came out at the beginning of the year, the Washington Redskins game at the Atlanta Falcons wasn't necessarily a matchup you expected to be volatile. But DeAngelo Hall sure did.

Hall, who spent the first four seasons of his career playing in Atlanta, did a lot of trash-talking this week. He claimed that Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff lied to him on multiple occasions regarding roster issues, and he dared the Falcons to make him a target this week -- since he knew they probably would anyway.

Was there any doubt that if a skirmish broke out between the two teams that Hall would be involved?

That's exactly what happened. Late in the first half, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was hit after going out of bounds on the Falcons sideline and a melee ensued. The result was a 15-yard penalty against Washington and a lot of pushing and shoving. According to Hall, a Falcons coach even threw punches.

Hall said Atlanta strength coach Jeff Fish took a swing at him: "As a strength coach you going to come in and get [expletive] licks in?"

Hall even added that Atlanta head coach Mike Smith was among the Atlanta coaches who were grabbing at him on the Falcons' sideline. "I was trying to get [Redskins safety] LaRon Landry out of there, and guys started coming at me," Hall said. "Guys on their coaching staff, and not in a mindset to break up a fight."

Hall said he plans to file a complaint with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell about the sideline incident, "I'm going to go to Goodell and try to nip this thing in the bud."

Smith had a different take on the incident.

"Our quarterback was hit late, there was a skirmish, and all I was trying to do was restore order," Smith said.

When asked if he got into Hall's face, Smith said, "There were a bunch of guys on that sideline. Some of them were wearing black helmets and some of them were wearing maroon helmets. I can't tell you anything more about it because it was very, very hectic on that sideline."

Smith squashed any further questions by saying, "I can't tell you who was on that sideline. All I can tell you is that I was trying to restore order."

DeAngelo Hall Accuses Falcons Assistant Of Throwing Punches originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Preview: Cowboys at Eagles

R.J. White — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:20:00 EST

Filed under: Cowboys, Eagles, NFC East, FanHouse Previews

When the Eagles and Cowboys step on the same field, you know you're in for a battle. This will be the 100th meeting in the series, with the Cowboys entering the fay with a 55-44 lead in the previous 99 games. The Eagles have the leg up in recent years though, culminating in a Week 17 beatdown last year that wound up earning Philly a playoff berth over Dallas. (Not that Tony Romo would have done much had he made the playoffs anyway.)

Both teams are 5-2, and with the Giants losing to both these foes in recent weeks, this game will determine who has the inside track at winning the NFC East. So if you though this would be just another regular ol' 100th meeting between hated rivals, think again.

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Three Key Questions:

1. Can Miles Austin be stopped?

2. Will the Eagles second line of defense at linebacker be able to contain the Dallas rushing game?

3. Can Donovan McNabb's offensive line keep the pressure off their quarterback?

Player in the Spotlight: Brian Westbrook. He's often been labeled a fragile, injury-prone player, and that stigma has come to pass this year. He received 13 carries in each of his first two games before missing Week 3. He then returned after the bye to take six carries in each of his next two games before suffering a concussion early in Week 7. He missed the Giants game last week, but looks ready to go for this important contest. Which is great for the Eagles, as he's routinely been trouble for the Cowboys, and his presence will be key to an Eagles victory.

Dallas's Path to Victory: The emergence of Austin has brought Romo's A-game back, but with the Eagles likely to take away the deep threat, this game will come down to how well he connects with tight end Jason Witten, who's having a quiet year by his standards. If those two aren't on the same page (and it's probably foolish to think Romo and Roy Williams will be clicking), then Romo will start forcing balls to Austin. If that happens, the Eagles will take full advantage. The Cowboys aren't likely to contain the Eagles' passing game, so keeping up with them will be essential to making this a game. Dallas must be able to keep the running game in play in the second half, and it'll take a few defensive stops and smart decisions by Romo to get them tere.

Philadelphia's Path to Victory: It'll be tempting to stick to the air against the Cowboys secondary, but mixing in the rushing game will be crucial to making sure the Dallas pass rush doesn't tee off on McNabb. Luckily for Philly, the ground attack came out in full force last week, rushing for 180 yards thanks to big efforts from rookie LeSean McCoy and fullback Leonard Weaver. With Westbrook back, Philly will try to run a balanced offense to slow down the rush and count on the defense to capitalize on any Romo mistakes. Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott will keep the pressure on Romo and try to expedite the process.

Prediction: This game should be close at halftime, but I can see the Eagles pulling away in the third quarter and maintaining a two-score lead in the fourth quarter. Once Dallas's offense goes pass-happy, this game is over. I like the Eagles to take a one-game lead in the division, but as we see time and time again, anything and everything is in play in this matchup. Eagles 31, Cowboys 24.

FanHouse Preview: Cowboys at Eagles originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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John Harbaugh: Cowboys Are Everything That's Wrong With the NFL

Josh Alper — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: Cowboys, Eagles, NFC East

On the eve of a Sunday night NFC East showdown in Philadelphia, the Cowboys have gotten some bulletin board material via a comparison of their franchise and the Eagles. Strangely enough, the inflammatory statements weren't made by anyone with current ties to the Eagles, but by Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.

Harbaugh, a former Eagles assistant, was asked for a new book what made the Eagles more successful than the Cowboys over the last 10 years. Matt Mosley of ESPN.com shares the answer.

"Why is that? Because what Andy Reid and his program stand for is the opposite of what the Cowboys stand for. The Cowboys are a star system. It's all about building around individuals first and collecting talent, collecting great players. Andy has always been about building a team. And over the long haul, it's a team sport, and one of the greatest examples of that is what's happened with the Eagles and the Cowboys over the last 10 years. The Cowboys stand for everything that's wrong with the NFL."

Yee-owch. No one can accuse Harbaugh of pulling his punches, but is he right?

He's certainly right about the Eagles having a better decade than the Cowboys. It's not even particularly close. They've been to five NFC title games and a Super Bowl while the Cowboys are looking for their first playoff win since 1996. Even the most diehard Cowboys partisan would have a hard time accepting that part of the argument at face value.

Parsing further, however, doesn't do much for Harbaugh's thesis. Building a team is about collecting talent. That doesn't mean buying great players as if you're buying trading cards, but finding the line between the two is awfully difficult. Presumably one of the players that fits Harbaugh's star system dig is Terrell Owens, but he was Reid's before he was Jerry Jones's. Why does one side get credit for the move while the other gets slapped in the face for it? And where, exactly would Michael Vick fit into the reckoning?

Furthermore, the ultimate prize has eluded both the Cowboys and the Eagles. All of those trips to the playoffs have resulted in the same number of Super Bowl wins that the Cowboys have picked up in the last 10 years. Whatever missteps Jones has made in the last decade, and there are many to choose from, he's got three Lombardi Trophies to look at when another season ends in a bitter defeat.

Stockpiling talent, be it through the draft or with veteran acquisitions like Charles Haley, and developing stars certainly worked out for them in those days. The Eagles have had a very good run and Harbaugh may well be right about the reasons why, but that doesn't make the Cowboys everything that's wrong with the NFL.

The Cowboys are relatively successful on the field and fabulously successful at the box office. That doesn't superficially look like everything that's wrong with the NFL, and deeper digging doesn't do much to support the point. Does Harbaugh really think the Lions, Raiders or Redskins, to name three examples, have exemplified what's right about the NFL more than the Cowboys?

I'd guess not, because Harbaugh's a smart guy who probably went a bit too far in trying to pay Reid a compliment.

John Harbaugh: Cowboys Are Everything That's Wrong With the NFL originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Greg Blache Defends Daniel Snyder

Matt Snyder — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:10:00 EST

Filed under: Redskins, NFC East

Former Redskins player John Riggins has been increasingly critical of current Redskins owner Dan Snyder over the course of the 2009 season. Most recently he took to Showtime's Inside the NFL to air his grievances against Snyder and the Redskins.

Redskins defensive coordinator Greg Blache, who apparently is an ardent Snyder supporter, took some serious issue with Riggins and his constant criticism. So serious an issue, in fact, that the Redskins sent out an incredibly lengthy press release courtesy of Blache early Thursday afternoon.

Some highlights:

- On why he felt compelled to defend Snyder -- "This is a man I've known for six years, since I've been here. And in the six years, I've never seen John Riggins here. I met him once at the Beach Blitz down in Virginia Beach - never seen him in the building. So, to hear such a vicious criticism of somebody I consider not just my employer, but a good friend, bothered me."

- On whether or not Snyder has a "dark heart" -- "The problem is the fans don't get to know Mr. Snyder like we do. They get an impression from things that are written and from things that people say. Let me just tell you something, for a person that's been here for six years, that's gone to him for things that I needed in my family - there's times he's come to me when he's heard about issues in my family and offered his assistance - is unsurpassed. He's one of the most generous, kind individuals you'll ever meet.

"My wife and I are involved in Hospice and there've been countless times he's come and helped us with issues and stuff with Hospice. To see that and get the feeling that that's what everyone on the outside is hearing about this person, I decided it was time to come and set the record straight. It's enough. It really is. We've had criticisms from people outside the building saying who Dan Snyder is and who is isn't. They don't know Dan Snyder and that's the problem."

- And, more on why Blache felt compelled to defend Snyder so adamantly -- "I just felt like it was time for somebody to come and throw a little truth out there. We keep hearing these other sides, these other factions, and to be quite candid, the third side - the truth - is that this person, all he wants to do is win. That's all he wants to do. He will spend his money, he will spend his time, he wants to win, he is here for the people, for the fans, for the Washington Redskins. Nobody pains more when we are unsuccessful than Dan Snyder. There is nobody that cares more about the fans than Dan Snyder. There is nobody that wants to win here, more than Dan Snyder. I just think that its time to put out there, for you guys to understand, that everything that is wrong with this organization is not Dan Snyder."

So, to sum things up, Blache really feels like Snyder -- his boss, mind you -- isn't getting a fair shake in the eyes of the fans and the general public. Hearing Riggins' constant public scrutinizing of Snyder seemed to have struck a chord with Blache, so he decided to send out an 800-word press release in defense of the maligned owner.

So, is Snyder really the humanitarian Blache makes him out to be, or is Blache just trying to ensure he keeps his job for the rest of the his life?

As with most discussions like this, the answer probably lies somewhere in the middle.

Greg Blache Defends Daniel Snyder originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday-and-Long: Don't Sleep on the Dallas Cowboys

Dan Graziano — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cowboys, Steelers, NFC East, NFL Analysis

In case you hadn't noticed, sports these days are all about Goliath. In 2009, the Steelers, Lakers, North Carolina Tar Heels and now the Yankees have all won titles in their respective sports. Cinderella is yesterday's news. The teams that win these days are the teams that always win, and if you think that's boring, well, tough. You can kiss one of Derek Jeter's five World Series rings.

So with that in mind, we need to be really careful about overlooking the Dallas Cowboys.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. All you ever hear about the Cowboys is what's wrong with them. Terrell Owens was a pain. Roy Williams is a loudmouth, too, and isn't good enough to replace T.O. Tony Romo's too concerned with his golf game and his high-wattage love life to ever attain his potential. The new stadium is ridiculous...

But you know what else? The Cowboys are 5-2. And if they win in Philadelphia on Sunday night, they'll be 6-2 and in first place all by themselves. Their defense is playing great. Their three-headed rushing attack (you know, the one with which they were torching the Giants in Week 2 before they inexplicably decided to start throwing the ball late?) looks healthy. Romo's found something with Miles Austin, and just when you thought it was safe to hang their plaque in the underachievers' hall of fame, here the Cowboys are, clacking helmets with the top teams in the league.

I have a couple of stats that indicate that this may not be a fluke. The first is a basic one: the Cowboys score a lot more points than they give up. Dallas ranks seventh in the NFL and fourth in the NFC in point differential (points scored minus points allowed) as shown here:

1. New Orleans +119
2. Indianapolis +106
3. New England +100
4. Philadelphia +70
5. Minnesota +70
6. Baltimore +62
7. Dallas +61

My second stat doesn't have a name that I know of, and I'm open to suggestion, but this one is intended to measure the extent to which a team controls the running game on both sides of the ball. It's another simple calculation. We take the team's average yards per rush on offense and subtract the average yards per rush it allows on defense. The principle is that if you're good at running the ball but no good at stopping it, that catches up with you eventually.

Dallas posts a score of plus-1.2 in this made-up category, averaging 5.4 yards per carry (second-highest in the league behind Tennessee and the curve-wrecking Chris Johnson) while allowing only 4.2 yards per carry to its opponents. That plus-1.2 is tied for best in the league with Tennessee (and its aforementioned curve-wrecker). And while this stat doesn't appear to be a great indicator through eight weeks of this particular season (Jacksonville is right behind at plus-1.1 while the 5-3 Texans rank last with a minus-1.4, and top teams such as New Orleans and Minnesota score plus-0.1 and 0.0 respectively), it holds up over 16 games, historically, and it bodes well for the Cowboys' chances going forward.

Now all they have to do is win in Philly on Sunday night, and this will all make tons of sense.

Special Explanatory Note of the Week

Why is Chris Johnson a curve-wrecker? Well, he leads the NFL so far this year with 10 runs of 20 or more yards. Adrian Peterson is second in that category with eight such runs. Maurice Jones-Drew and Cedric Benson have six each, and no one else has more than five.

What's more, there have been 20 runs this year of 40 or more yards, and Johnson has five of them. Jones-Drew and Frank Gore have three each, three backs have two each and no one else has more than one.

Those kinds of numbers skew an average, and Johnson is averaging 6.92 yards per carry while leading the NFL with 824 rushing yards. That average is the highest any NFL rushing leader has posted through eight weeks since the merger, well ahead of Jamal Lewis' 5.89 average through the first eight weeks of the 2003 season. If it holds up (and even if it slips a little), Johnson would become the sixth man in NFL history (and the first since 1973) to lead the league in rushing with an average of at least 6.0 yards per carry. The others:

Beattie Feathers, 1934 Chicago Bears, 1,004 total yards, 8.4 ypc
Jim Brown, 1963 Cleveland Browns, 1,863 total yards, 6.4 ypc
Barry Sanders, 1997 Detroit Lions, 2,053 total yards, 6.1 ypc
Joe Perry, 1954 San Francisco 49ers, 1,049 total yards, 6.1 ypc
O.J. Simpson, 1973 Buffalo Bills, 2,003 total yards, 6.0 ypc

Which also makes this the very rare and difficult-to-repeat "Beattie Feathers Note of the Week."

Hat-Tip of the Week: Pittsburgh Steelers

For their handling of the Ryan Clark situation. The Pittsburgh safety said Wednesday he still hasn't decided whether he'll play Monday in Denver, where the high altitude combined with his sickle-cell trait nearly killed him and forced the surgical removal of his spleen and gall bladder after he played there two years ago. The Steelers get kudos for being up-front and not playing typical NFL-team injury games with this situation, and for making sure Clark doesn't feel any pressure to play if he doesn't feel up to it. The more you see from the Steelers and the way they operate, the more you realize why they're so (a) successful and (b) respected.

Seats Over Heat -- The five NFL head coaches most likely to be the next to lose their jobs:

1. Tom Cable, Raiders. Honestly, at this point, what could they be waiting for?
2. Eric Mangini, Browns. The only thing that could save him is that the Browns always seem to do the wrong thing.
3. Dick Jauron, Bills. Can't be but one long losing streak away.
4. Jim Zorn, Redskins. Chances he's coaching the team in 2010 are the same as the chances you are.
5. Jeff Fisher, Titans. Incredible record, incredible longevity, but if they don't finish huge, this could be the end.

Three for the Road -- Road teams in the NFL this year are a combined 52-64, for a .448 winning percentage. With that in mind, here are three road teams I think will buck the trend and win this weekend:

1. Arizona at Chicago. Bears are 3-0 at home, Cardinals are 3-0 on the road. Something's got to give. I say it's the Bears' (extremely) offensive line.
2. Dallas at Philadelphia. See above. Basically, Philly is the more exciting team, Dallas is the more solidly built. I'll take the Cowboy RBs to wear down the Eagles' D in a classic.
3. Pittsburgh at Denver. No, I'm not stubborn. I admit I was wrong about the Broncos before the season. But I'm not wrong about the AFC North, and Denver showed last week it can't play there.

(Ed. note: Last week, on twitter, I picked Vikings over Packers, Rams over Lions and Giants over Eagles. So, so far on this project we're 2-1.)

It's Just a Fantasy -- Three guys I wish I had on my fantasy team this week:

1. Aaron Rodgers vs. Tampa Bay: Sweet relief! A week without facing a real pass rush!
2. Maurice Jones-Drew vs. Kansas City: Every week, I wish for MJD. But against the Chiefs? Hide the women and children.
3. Michael Crabtree vs. Tennessee. Was he a fool for his holdout? Sure. Greedy? You betcha. But they all are, and this one also happens to be a freak of nature. The bet here is he never looks back.

Traveling Man

The game I'll be covering this week is Houston at Indianapolis. A chance for the upstart Texans to pick up a statement win (not to mention a division win) against the high-flying, undefeated Colts. Can Houston adjust without Owen Daniels? Do they have anybody in the secondary who can even slow down Reggie Wayne, let alone stop him? Good questions, and I don't know the answers (though I have a hunch on the second). But let's just say I'm not expecting a 6-3 game.

Thursday-and-Long: Don't Sleep on the Dallas Cowboys originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dan Snyder 'Sorry' for Redskins' Fans

Matt Snyder — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:51:00 EST

Filed under: Redskins, NFC East

In what has been an incredibly disappointing 2009 campaign, to this point, maligned Redskins owner Daniel Snyder had been noticeably quiet. This movement was pretty shocking because, in the past, Snyder has been a relatively vocal and hands-on owner. His silence opened the door for all kinds of theories as to why he wasn't talking and what he may have been planning.

Tuesday, he finally said a few words about his 2-5 'Skins, who -- in addition to having to climb out of a crater-sized hole in the NFC East -- face a much tougher schedule than they've already played. He managed to come off sounding like a caring and remorseful owner.

"I think, number one, I feel bad for the fans," Snyder said. "I feel sorry for the fans. We're very, very appreciative of our great, loyal fan base. And I'm understanding. I mean, we just feel terrible. We're disappointed and we're embarrassed. And we hope to get it going soon."

Asked how the team's struggles have impacted him personally, Snyder replied: "It hurts. I mean, it really hurts. We are really trying very, very hard. Everyone at Redskins Park--the coaches, the players, the organization--quite frankly has held up well. I think we have an opportunity the rest of the season to hopefully get it going.

"But to date we have let everyone down, including ourselves. We know that. We're just apologetic. We've blown some games that obviously we think we should have won."

I'm not sure many fans will be ready to accept Mr. Snyder's apology, judging from the ample venom we see in his direction on any Redskins' message or comment board. Though Vinny Cerrato, Jason Campbell and Jim Zorn all seem to share some of the blame among the general public, Snyder is still usually front-and-center when it comes to discussing the problems of this once-great franchise.

To Snyder's credit, in the present tense, he sounds contrite and determined to turn things around. It is possible for people to change after reflecting upon their past indiscretions. He'll have to do a lot more to prove himself, if this is indeed a new Dan Snyder, but it could be a start.

As for the 2009 team, you'll note Snyder said they hope to "get it going." Their only two wins are against two of the worst teams in football and three of their losses are against teams with losing records. The rest of the way, eight of the Redskins' nine upcoming opponents currently have a winning record.

Thus, they better have fixed a lot during the bye week.

Dan Snyder 'Sorry' for Redskins' Fans originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Football, Baseball and Brotherly Love - Philadelphia Is Sports Heaven

Dan Graziano — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Eagles, Giants, NFC East, NFL Fans

PHILADELPHIA -- Mike Alvarez is a lifelong Philadelphian with a Cole Hamels haircut and a vintage maroon Phillies cap who spent his Sunday in a parking lot. Alvarez didn't have tickets to the Eagles-Giants game in the afternoon. He didn't have tickets to the Phillies-Yankees World Series game at night. What he did have was a parking space for his truck, a seemingly bottomless supply of beer and enough slightly slurred wisdom to know that there was no place he would have rather been than this particular parking lot on this particular day, surrounded by his fellow Eagles and Phillies fans.

"They got flat-screens over there," Alvarez said, waving his beer can in the direction of a nearby RV. "Everybody's grilling food. I've made a ton of new friends. What more could you want?"

This was around 5:30 pm, an hour and a half after the Eagles had finished throttling the Giants and about three hours before Joe Blanton drilled Alex Rodriguez in the back with a first-inning fastball. It was the chilly intermission of one of the great days in Philadelphia sports history. An NFL rivalry game in the afternoon and then, across the parking lot, a World Series game under the full moon. Big, bad New York teams the opponents in both. Sure, it ended in disappointment, with the Yankees coming back to win the baseball game, 7-4, to take a 3-1 lead in the World Series. Still, for a day this city got to feel like the center of the sports universe. And the beauty part was, pretty much everybody behaved themselves.

That may be the most amazing thing about what's happened here, in a sports town famous for having booed Santa Claus and having taunted Michael Irvin as he lay injured on the artificial turf at old Veterans Stadium. Somewhere along the line, as the Eagles began consistently fielding playoff teams and the Phillies somehow turned into a mini-dynasty, Philadelphia sports fans appear to have shed some of the anger and bitterness that always defined them. Now, they find themselves able to look around on a day such as this and appreciate how special it is.

"I think the town feels like there's a lot to appreciate," said Joe Butkus, who was grilling in the drizzly morning with a mixed group of Philly and New York fans. "Look around. How can you not love this?"

Alvarez told a story of when he was a young boy at an Eagles game at the Vet. It was a cold, icy day, he said, and fans were walking the concrete ramps to the exits at the end of the game, and a woman in a Giants jersey fell and injured herself. As Alvarez tells it, the Eagles fans that day offered no sympathy -- just walked right past her and said, "That's what you get for wearing the wrong colors."

"That's what it used to be like," Alvarez said. "But we're polite now. We have that old reputation, but really, we're a lot more polite now than people say."

Of course, just as he was saying that, a guy walked by wearing a Michael Vick Eagles jersey and carrying a stuffed dog with bandages around its head and legs.

Didn't exactly help Alvarez make his point.

"You're always going to get a couple of nuts," he said.

And, of course, there were on both sides. A fan in a Yankees jersey got into a fight with two minutes left in the first half of the Giants-Eagles game, prompting loud boos and a "Yankees suck" chant from a crowd that had no reason all afternoon to be anything but deliriously happy. A guy in an Eagles jersey, lugging a cooler, tore through a crowd of anti-Vick protesters shouting obscenities and telling them to go away. And even the tamer interactions were designed to let the visitors from the Big Apple know who was boss.

"A guy with a green beard told me, 'You're in for a long day,'" said Vince Gilligo, who came from Hamilton, N.J., wearing a Giants cap.

Considering the setting and the circumstances, the proceedings leaned hard toward harmony. Gilligo was walking peacefully around the packed parking lots with his friend, Chuck Costello, who was decked out in Phillies gear. Tom Gussen and his son Maxwell parked their car early, while the lot was still somewhat empty, got out and started throwing a football around -- father in his green Stewart Bradley Eagles jersey and son in a blue Eli Manning number. Jose and Stephanie Torre, New York natives who now live in Northeast Philly, grilled side-by-side -- him in his Gaints garb and her in her Eagles wear, talking trash with smiles on their faces.

Kenny Kortright was part of a crew of Giants fans who drove in from Long Island. They were just going to the football game, not both. Kortright is a Mets fan, so this year's World Series matchup is a special sort of personal pain for him. After some soul-searching, he said he decided to root for the Yankees, because the Met fan in him sees the Phillies as "arrogant" and he likes too many of the players on the Yankees -- Teixeira, Sabathia, Jeter and Rivera to name a few.

But Kortright and his pals were in town to see the Giants, and as of 11 a.m. they were feeling pretty good about things.

"I'm gonna say 40-17, Giants crush em," Kortright seriously predicted.

And then of course the Eagles won, 40-17, dominating the visitors from the outset and turning the parking lots into a place where Eagle fans could drive by Giant fans flapping their arms out the window and taunting.

"I got the score right," Kortright said between games. "But wrong team. Very disheartening."

In a way, the lopsided football score contributed to the peace that pervaded the late-afternoon portion of the tailgate extravaganza. With an outcome so decisive, what arguments were there to have? What, exactly, was there for the Giants fans to say?

"Go Yankees?" Larry Riefenberg offered.

Oh yeah. Larry Riefenberg. Of Danbury, Conn. If there was a dude who summed up this day, it was our man Larry. He and his friends rented an RV, hired a driver and left at 6 a.m. They hit no traffic and pulled into the parking lot between Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park around 9:30. They set up their grills and their beer coolers and their washer-toss game and settled in for a tailgate with their Philly-based attorney friends, who got them the tickets. As of 11 a.m., Riefenberg and Co. only had tickets to the football game, but they were at work on making it a doubleheader. As soon as they arrived, they connected with a ticket broker and began negotiating a price on some World Series Game Four tickets.

"Got to," Riefenberg said. "How many times do the stars align to where you're going to have a football game here and a World Series game 100 yards away?"

At 5 p.m., with the sun starting to go down and the chill starting to bite, Riefenberg snapped his cell phone shut and said, "We're in. We got 'em." He and two of the other guys in the RV had scored their Series tickets. They knew they were going to the game.

They didn't know much else, though. Like, where they were going to stay after it was over. Or how they were getting home. See, the rest of the RV crew was heading home. The vehicle pulled out of the lot at 6 p.m., bound for Danbury, with three of its original passengers grinning happily as they swigged Bass Ale and marveled at their good fortune. Riefenberg's friend, Arnie, was bemoaning the fact that he was now required to spend as much ($350) on his wife's birthday (Tuesday) as he did for his ticket. And there was some chatter about those little nagging issues of how they were going to find their way back to Connecticut. But all of that was drowned out by the fact that these guys were going to the World Series, and they were fired up about it.

"How can you not?" Arnie said, open arms raised to the red brick baseball stadium across the street from the RV's spot. "I mean, it's right here!"

Right here in the sports complex section of South Philadelphia. Which, for this Sunday at least, was the sports capital of the world.

Football, Baseball and Brotherly Love - Philadelphia Is Sports Heaven originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eagles, Donovan McNabb Dismantle Struggling Giants

Matt Snyder — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Eagles, Giants, NFC East

Next week there will be a game between the two best teams in the NFC East, and it's not going to involve the defending division champion New York Giants. In beating the Giants to a pulp Sunday, 40-17, the Eagles -- and the Dallas Cowboys, who beat Seattle at home -- have sent the G-Men back to third place. New York has now lost three straight games, while the Eagles won their second in a row after an embarrassing loss in Oakland.

Leading the way for the Eagles was Donovan McNabb, who barely broke a sweat in destroying the Giants' patchwork secondary. He completed 17-of-23 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns. He continues to show a strong chemistry with DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek, who combined for 11 catches, 186 yards and three scores.

More: Check Box Score | Cowboys Batter Seahawks | Rams Get It Done

Not having starting running back Brian Westbrook wasn't a problem for Philly, either, as fullback Leonard Weaver got loose for a 41-yard touchdown and shifty rookie LeSean McCoy added 82 yards and a 66-yard touchdown on 11 carries.

Eli Manning had a rough day for the Giants, completing just 20 of his 39 passes while throwing two interceptions. He was missing Mario Manningham and you have to give the Eagles' defense credit for playing a nearly flawless game against a quality opponent. Still, Manning was clearly the second-best quarterback on the field Sunday.

As I alluded to earlier, the Eagles square off against the Cowboys next week in a battle that will determine the division leader in the very competitive NFC East. The Giants will look to stop the bleeding against the Chargers at home.

So, let's see: the Eagles beat the Giants, Pearl Jam is playing The Spectrum and Game 4 of the World Series are all in one day in Philadelphia. While it may not always be sunny there, Philly is a pretty solid place to be on November 1, 2009.

Eagles, Donovan McNabb Dismantle Struggling Giants originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Terrell Owens Sets Goal: To Outperform Roy Williams

Knox Bardeen — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:25:00 EST

Filed under: Bills, Cowboys, AFC East, NFC East

After entering the National Football League in 1996 as a third-round selection, Terrell Owens has put up some big-time numbers in his 14-year career.

He's the NFL's active touchdown leader with 142 scores. He's second among active receivers to Isaac Bruce with 14,364 career receiving yards. He's also been a six-time Pro-Bowler. But, when asked what his goal for 2009 entailed, Owens didn't shoot for the moon like you would expect a player with his accolades to do. In fact, all Owens wants to do is outperform Dallas wide receiver Roy Williams.

Owens opened his media briefing with a laugh and said: "I've been looking at my stats compared to Roy E. Williams' stats over there in Dallas, and my goal is to have better stats than him at the end of the season."

Asked if he regrets signing with Buffalo, Owens said:

"No, not at all. Everything happens for a reason. There are times, I'm human, and it's frustrating. I never want to go back and rethink things. But that's the nature of it."

As it stands right now, Owens has 242 yards receiving on 18 catches and one touchdown. He's played in all seven of the Bills' games thus far and averages 13.4 yards per reception.

Williams, on the other hand, has only played in five of Dallas' six games and has 12 receptions for 230 yards and a touchdown. Williams averages 19.2 yards per reception.

The first glaring detail upon looking at the schedules for both teams shows that Dallas has 10 games remaining -- Buffalo only nine. If both receivers play in all of their remaining games, it would seem that Williams has an advantage. But remaining games don't paint the full picture.

By taking a look at the strength of schedule for both teams' remaining games in reference to receiving yards allowed, you'll see that Buffalo has a much easier time. In the nine games left for Buffalo, they only face three defenses in the top-10 in receiving yards allowed. The average rank of the defenses left to face is 18.4. Dallas, unfortunately for Williams in this competition he didn't ask to compete in, faces seven top-10 receiving defenses with an average rank of 8.5.

Owens definitely has an easier road to travel and should be able to easily win this "bet", even though he has one less game to play. He also probably knew that the schedule favored him before he opened his mouth. Because you wouldn't think that Terrell Owens would stir up trouble aimlessly, without thinking about the consequences of his actions -- would you?

Terrell Owens Sets Goal: To Outperform Roy Williams originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chris Cooley Reportedly Out for Season

Matt Snyder — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:40:00 EST

Filed under: Redskins, NFC East, NFL Injuries

After sustaining an ankle injury on the first play of the second quarter Monday night, Redskins tight end Chris Cooley will reportedly miss the remainder of 2009. The Pro Bowl tight end will finish his season with 29 catches (a career low), 332 yards and two touchdowns, as he hauled in a pair of passes for 21 yards before leaving with the injury Monday night in the Redskins' 27-17 loss to the Eagles.

Head coach Jim Zorn would not confirm that Cooley's year is over, but did note that Cooley will "be out for a while."

""He's got a break in his ankle," Zorn said. "It's on the inner side of his tibia. I haven't seen the X-rays yet, but we're quite certain it's broke or fractured in some way; we'll have a better diagnosis tomorrow."

Fantasy Football Spin: Five Replacements for Chris Cooley

Losing Cooley is a big blow to the Redskins' already maligned offense, which has struggled to score points all season and is now on its second play-caller. He will be replaced in the lineup by the young Fred Davis.

The Redskins may not lose a ton in terms of pass-catching when it comes to inserting Davis for Cooley. Davis is more athletic, and finished Monday night with the best stat-line among Redskins' receivers. He caught eight passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Jason Campbell definitely appeared to like throwing Davis' way.

On the other hand, the biggest problem for the Redskins' offense thus far this season has been blocking, and Cooley is a much more adept blocker than Davis. It will be interesting to see what the 'Skins do in running situations moving forward, because Davis can't help to clear the path very well for Clinton Portis. And, obviously, if they only play Davis in passing situations, they are tipping off the defense that they are passing. Thus, it's easy to see why the Cooley injury is such a big blow for the Redskins, who are already going through an incredibly disappointing 2009 campaign.

Washington is currently 2-5 and will have a bye in Week 8. They will travel to Atlanta to face the 4-2 Falcons in Week 9.

Chris Cooley Reportedly Out for Season originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday Night Football Live Chat: Eagles vs. Redskins

Adam Gretz — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Eagles, Redskins, NFC East

The Jim Zorn watch is officially on, and Monday night we get to watch the drama unfold as the Redskins host their NFC East rivals from Philadelphia. As always, we'll be discussing all of the action in our Monday Night Football Live Chat, and the fun starts at 8:30 PM ET, so please stop by and join us.

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;altcast_code=36697eb279" &amp;gt;Monday Night Football Live Chat&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Monday Night Football Live Chat: Eagles vs. Redskins originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Henne's Challenge: Don't Get Blown Away by Brees

Thomas George — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: Dolphins, Saints, AFC South, NFC East, CFL

Now that Drew Brees has revealed he would have joined the Miami Dolphins back in 2006 as a free agent had they trusted his throwing shoulder was healed, had they believed in him, here comes Brees for an encore visit on Sunday to Miami.

I think the Dolphins and quarterback Chad Henne know the score.

They know that Henne will enter into a scrap with Brees where Henne had better light it up or be lit up.

"Oh, Drew Brees is coming?" Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland joked about the hot passing hand of Brees and the 6-0 New Orleans Saints. "Chad is aware of it. Of course. But he's got enough on his plate. He has to worry about that Saints defense. It leads the league in turnovers. It leads in interceptions. That would be his concern, but I would think being the competitor he is, he is anxious to get into competition with Drew Brees. Chad is a tremendous competitor. He is not going to back down from a fight. Being a competitor is something people sometimes take for granted in this league. Everybody has to compete at this level. But the way Chad has all of his life is a rare trait."

This move by the Dolphins from Chad to Chad, from Pennington to Henne, was forced upon them when Pennington had his right (throwing) shoulder mangled at the San Diego Chargers in Week 3. Henne entered in the third quarter and by game's end had thrown a pick that was returned for a touchdown. Miami lost 23-13.

Losses to the Atlanta Falcons (19-7) and to the Indianapolis Colts (27-23) preceded that misery in San Diego where Pennington was lost for the season. Like the New England Patriots early last season when they lost quarterback Tom Brady for the year, the Dolphins scrambled. How do you reassemble an offense that is built on a quarterback who means everything to the scheme, to the franchise? How do you rekindle hope?

"Chad Henne is cool and under control, so we don't have to do a lot with him there. He doesn't let things bother him and he's that way off the field."
- Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland When the Jets spurned Pennington for Brett Favre last season and Pennington landed in Miami, the Dolphins were joyous. They found a quarterback who would lead them to the AFC East championship. They gained a franchise stabilizer and more.

"All of the things Chad Pennington brought to us were spectacular," Ireland said. "You came to know with Chad Pennington that you were going to get a game manager, that he would play smart. There are not many situations he hasn't been in. You knew he would be prepared as well as any quarterback in the league. He was outgoing and vocal. You got accuracy, ball location, not a lot of turnovers. We had to move from a 10-year vet to virtually a rookie who had played only a handful of snaps the year before."

This is where the Dolphins distinguished themselves.

They understood the importance of having a quality quarterback or two "in the hopper," as Ireland calls it.

A few months before Pennington arrived, Miami had drafted Henne from Michigan in the 2008 draft using the 57th overall pick. In this year's draft Miami selected Pat White from West Virginia using the 44th overall pick. And two days after Pennington was lost, the Dolphins traded for quarterback Tyler Thigpen, who was with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Henne is 24. White is 23. Thigpen is 25.

White is an emerging weapon in the Dolphins' Wildcat offense and rushing attack that leads the league in average yards gained per game (177).

But Henne is the axis now at quarterback.

He has beaten Buffalo (28-10) and the Jets (31-27) in his two starts. He has helped lift Miami to a 2-3 record. Beating Brees and the Saints would help Henne and the Dolphins firmly plant their feet.

This quarterback was the fourth selected in the '08 draft behind Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco and Brian Brohm. He can excel at deep throwing, evidenced by his 53-yard scoring bomb to receiver Ted Ginn, Jr., versus the Jets.

Henne said his offensive teammates are looking up to him in the huddle now and that he is getting comfortable with that. Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said his young quarterback is handling things "very well" and that he likes to give him space, yet, visit with him often about things other than football.

Keep him rooted.

Keep him calm.

Here is what the Dolphins liked about this quarterback whom they thought had a chance to be their future who is now forced to be their present: played at a big college, lots of starts, performed in front of big crowds, had to win his starting job every year, major battles and production in bowl games, poised, level emotions, great listener.

"Chad Henne is cool and under control, so we don't have to do a lot with him there," Ireland said. "He doesn't let things bother him and he's that way off the field. Not too much rattles him. Obviously, we have a long way to go to develop this quarterback into a championship type of player with all the things it takes.

"We saw some things against the Jets that we didn't see against Buffalo. He had to run the two-minute offense. He had to come from behind. He showed some of the things -- ball location, game management, tempo, speed in and out of the huddle -- that we were looking for. The exact words we told Chad after the San Diego game was he was the next man up."

And he is the next quarterback in line opposite of the fancy Drew Brees.

The Dolphins' course is different now. But their ultimate goals remain the same with Henne.

"It's his show now," Ireland said. "He'll give us his best."

Henne's Challenge: Don't Get Blown Away by Brees originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jim Zorn Safe Until at Least After Season

Josh Alper — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: Redskins, NFC East, NFL Coaching

It looks like we can call off the Jim Zorn Deathwatch. For the next couple of days anyway.

Redskins executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato said on his ESPN980 radio show Friday morning that Zorn won't be fired before the 2009 season reaches its conclusion.

"Let me start by making a few things very perfectly clear: Jim Zorn is the head coach of the Washington Redskins, and will be for the rest of this season, and hopefully into the future."

Cerrato's hardly an impartial party to this decision. When and if Zorn gets fired and when and if Daniel Snyder brings in the big-name coach everyone expects he'll bring in as a replacement, Cerrato will be the next head on the chopping block.

Think about it. Let's say Snyder is able to convince Mike Shanahan or Mike Holmgren or another of the big names to take on the Redskins job, what's the likelihood that they're going to want to work with Cerrato? They've been in charge of personnel before and if they want someone to help them with the task in D.C. it isn't likely to be the guy who has overseen the construction of this year's flailing bunch.

As for Zorn's immediate future, he's pretty much the head coach in name only at this point. Greg Blache always had the reins of the defense, and now Zorn isn't even calling the plays for the offense that he installed. That makes him responsible for buying birthday cakes around the office and overseeing fire drills, perhaps, but nothing that fits the job description of the other 31 teams around the NFL. The Redskins have already started the process of firing him, they just decided against doing it all at once.

Cerrato also downplayed the idea of any turmoil within the organization, which seems about right. Everything going on with the Redskins this season seems par for the course for the Snyder era.

Jim Zorn Safe Until at Least After Season originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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