Ten Yard Fight: Question of When, Not If, London Fletcher Lands on Redskins Ring of Fame

1. So yesterday I suggested the obvious: that London Fletcher has earned the right to play here as long as his health allows...perhaps longer. Someone asked what his prospects are for being put onto the Ring of Fame. That is a great question, and a far better topic to debate than anything related to our offensive line. I do think London Fletcher is on the brink of earning that spot. First, he is the active leader in consecutive games started if I am not mistaken. His streak is at 215 games. I never know if these numbers include or don't include playoff appearances--not that it would drastically change London's streak total. But it would change how we compare it to some of the other NFL streaks--Brett Favre had a lot of chances in January to add games to his streak (coincidentally, he also single-handedly prevented the streak from continuing some years.) Not only has London failed to miss a game, he has been the captain of our defense the whole time. He is a walking, talking hunk of credibility and legitimacy (not that kind of hunk, Parks.) He has two Pro Bowl appearances as a member of the Redskins. He is a tackling machine and he is beloved by fans. While he played a good chunk if his career elsewhere, every year he has played in Washington has been a solid statistical year for Fletcher. Conclusion: His play-making ability, leadership, durability and longevity have made him a very good shot to end up in the Ring of Honor when he hangs up the cleats.

2. I mean...someonefrom this era has to go up there, right? Chris Samuels is another who likely deserves the honor. But...holy crap...who else? Trung Canidate? Jacquez Green? Shane Matthews? Chad Morton? Don't do this to yourself, Ken...SERENITY NOW!

3. Let's talk about San Francisco for a second, shall we? My favorite player on their team? That's easy: Patrick Willis. He was my first overall draft choice in multiple Madden online franchises. That defense was good last year, but plagued by an inept offense and eventually worn down. This year, they are getting a little more help from Alex Smith and company. The San Francisco linebacking corps is extremely solid and hard to run against, and Patrick Willis is literally everywhere. When they are not playing against your team, they are a very fun defense to watch.

4. On the outside, the 49ers have a very physical corner named...Carlos Rogers. That's right...he's back. Let me tell you all something...there have been a lot of easy predictions to make over the years. Examples include:

• Danny Wuerffel will not be voted into the Pro Bowl as a quarterback for the Redskins.
• I bet Antwaan Randle El fair catches this punt.
• Norv Turner will never win a Super Bowl as a head coach.
• Vinny Cerrato will never be an NFL General Manager again.

Does anyone think that any of these is or was a higher probability prediction than: "Carlos Rogers will have an interception this week?"

5. Oh man...when he picks off John Beck or Rex Grossman this week, he is going to do the happiest Happy Dance we have ever seen. I just hope that the Fox Sports cameras will be able to zoom in on my, "Not At the Table, Carlos" sign.

6. At the beginning of this season, not only did the San Francisco game appear to be an opportunity for an achievable win, it's midseason placement was ostensibly a bit of a launching pad for the Redskins to go on a winning streak before hitting hypothetically stronger competition. Well...so much for that thought. In fact, if anyone had any incentive to Suck for Luck, it was Jim Harbaugh, his former college coach who sat at the helm of a listing ship in San Francisco. While on one hand, someone has to win the NFC West, it would also be fair to state that the 49ers are a very solid team.

7. I was reminded today by my fellow tailgaters that the last time we prepared for a home game, we were 3-1 with a world of hope and optimism filling our hearts. On that day, extra care and preparation went into the planning of the food menu. This week, as we put together the tailgate for the tilt between our 3-4 team and the shockingly good 49ers, extra care and attention is being paid to the booze. Just saying.

8. Is that email I received from you inviting me to be in your Google+ "circle" really just a veiled attempt to try and pry Sam Bradford off of my fantasy bench? Don't think I am not on to your strategy. You know who you are. (And yes...he is available.)

9. Dear Scalpers: You had a good run this year. We were 3-1 and playing host to the Eagles in a meaningful game against a bitterly hated foe. You were able to ask for unreasonable sums of money for your tickets because so many fans from Philly had traveled down to catch the game that demand for seats was at a level not seen for years. That was it though...don't get greedy this week. There will be some 49ers fans there, but not enough to jack up parking lot ticket prices. I don't want to see you trying to hold on to those high prices this weekend.

10. F#%k it...we will win this game. If I learned anything watching all the games last week, it was that there is almost nothing really established in the NFL...yet. I don't care how good the 49ers have looked this year. They are still a team led by a new coach with a quarterback who has been up and down his whole career. WE KNOW ALL ABOUT TEAMS LIKE THIS...THIS HAS BEEN OUR TEAM FOR YEARS!!!