1. Hogs Haven Fantasy League update: Parks--who lives in Richmond--was prevented from drafting because of Hurricane Irene. I don't think a human could have intentionally screwed him harder than the CPU did in its auto-picking job. In a league where you can start two quarterbacks if you want, the computer drafted exactly ZERO signal callers. It also left him without a defense and a kicker. MEMO TO YAHOO--how the hell does your auto-pick not leave owners with a legal roster?!?! You might want to fix that.
2. Former Redskins note of the day: Last night in the Oakland/New Orleans game, Jason Campbell had a pass get tipped by a pass rusher. I believe it was third and long (it was certainly long yardage.) The ball fell right into the hands of right tackle Stephon Heyer. Actually, he was partially engaged with a defensive lineman and the ball kind of bounced into Heyer. His reaction was amazing. He hauled the ball in and took off down the field all in one motion. In order to get the first down, he had to get past at least one would-be tackler. Is there a more imposing runner than a 6-6 330 lb tackle? Yeah...he got the first down. If you're scoring at home...Jason Campbell to Stephon Heyer for a big first down pickup.
3. In a fantasy league full of Redskins fans, Fred Davis was drafted a good two or three rounds ahead of Chris Cooley. While we don't know anything that nobody else knows, it sounds like a decent gauge of confidence in Cooley's knee. Here's hoping Chris makes it on the field this season and contributes meaningfully. If he doesn't, there are some already high expectations for Fred Davis.
4. In a segment for ESPN, Jon Gruden, Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski all agreed that the Redskins will likely surpass six wins in 2011. Not only do they approve of and endorse the way Shanahan has put together this roster, they think our defense is properly staffed this season (as opposed to how it was staffed in 2010.) Even though it is not like they are predicting playoffs, I still very much enjoy positive national coverage of the team. I have to admit though, I am anxiously awaiting for the first crackpot on national TV to suggest this team will contend in 2011...who will it be?
5. The Ravens game on Thursday night was a pleasure to watch, right? I wanted to kind of wait until after I had watched as many other "3rd preseason games" from around the league as possible. One thing you hear time and time again from announcers and commentators when you flip on one of these games is that this is the "dress rehearsal" game. Teams are game-planning and putting on display the closest thing you will find to what they intend to do in September. For the Redskins, this was yet another tough AFC team with a world-class defense. Our offense took their lumps but what did we see? Tim Hightower was still breaking big runs, our quarterbacks kept finding receivers open up the middle and the offensive line held up for the most part against a ferocious pass rush. There is plenty that a coach like Mike Shanahan can find to critique, but come on...this team looks as good right now as ANY of us could have hoped.
6. Losing Jarvis Jenkins hurts...a lot. I think there are some positives to take away here though. First of all, he was clearly going to contribute to our team immediately. That means he was a solid selection in the second round--something this team has struggled to find over the years. He seemed to be really taking to his role in the defensive line rotation and his enthusiasm was a real plus in the locker room. If he can come back strong in 2012, it will be like adding a legit free agent to our defensive line. Heal up, Jarvis!