So it is Saturday and, as far as I can tell, as is silent in the Redskins blogosphere.
Did you know the Redskins semi-switched to a zone blocking scheme? And people accuse us of being a "dirty" team...
"We had chips on our shoulders," right guard Randy Thomas said. "We had some things we needed to do, going back to playing the type of ball we've been playing since I've been here."
The linemen met as a unit following the 20-17 loss at Tampa Bay Nov. 19, agreeing they were not being physical enough, and lobbied the coaches for more plays like 80 Crease, a wide-zone stretch play employed by many teams that allows them to attack the defense. Virtually every lineman on the team said he hopes the zone blocking scheme, including cut blocks, will be a staple for the rest of the season.
The entire article is a fascinating analysis of a run play, which is rare. The guys up front don't get enough credit for the work they do, so I strongly encourage readers to check it out.
I don't encourage injuries, but frankly a 4-7 team needs to get its jersey dirty somehow. If cut blocks on the line is what we need to do to establish the run, so be it. Just as long as this line establishes an actual identity, I don't care what they do to win us football games (within the legal limits set forth by the NFL rulebook).
Aaaaaaaaand who knows who our kicker is this Sunday. Is it Suisham? Novak? Both?
He attributed the high winds yesterday as one reason he did not make a decision.
Ryan O'Halloran at his Washington Times blog picks the Redskins to win 22-6. I agree that we'll score more than 20 points, but Atlanta will probably hang at least 10 on us.
Also from The Times, Duckett is a trooper and I love him. I don't know where he's playing next year, but I appreciate the professionalism he's exhibited during his tenure as a Redskin:
Running backs coach Earnest Byner, the Redskins' lead back in 1991, has been impressed with Duckett's attitude.
"It really takes a quality person to handle his situation as well as T.J. has," Byner said. "It shows a lot of maturity. The guy wants to be a starter in this league. He's very hungry, but he's also very humble."
HTTR