Getback: The Redskins Dynasty

[DJG]

Standings as of Week 7

NFL Standings - Updated: Oct 23, 2012
NFC EAST	W	L	T	PF	PA
Redskins	6	0	0	223	102
Eagles	3	3	0	153	135
Cowboys	3	3	0	105	137
Giants	3	4	0	150	195
NFC NORTH	W	L	T	PF	PA
Vikings	5	1	0	156	136
Bears	4	2	0	131	77
Packers	3	3	0	148	170
Lions	2	5	0	103	142
NFC SOUTH	W	L	T	PF	PA
Falcons	5	2	0	169	114
Saints	4	2	0	150	128
Panthers	3	4	0	156	168
Buccaneers	1	5	0	73	146
NFC WEST	W	L	T	PF	PA
Cardinals	3	3	0	85	85
Rams	3	4	0	128	146
Seahawks	3	4	0	117	106
49ers	1	6	0	119	155
AFC EAST	W	L	T	PF	PA
Patriots	5	2	0	184	155
Dolphins	3	4	0	123	143
Jets	2	4	0	107	140
Bills	0	6	0	84	156
AFC NORTH	W	L	T	PF	PA
Bengals	6	1	0	156	113
Steelers	4	3	0	139	103
Ravens	3	3	0	142	114
Browns	2	4	0	95	152
AFC SOUTH	W	L	T	PF	PA
Colts	5	1	0	179	131
Texans	3	3	0	125	114
Titans	2	4	0	104	116
Jaguars	2	4	0	120	132
AFC WEST	W	L	T	PF	PA
Chargers	5	1	0	167	118
Broncos	3	3	0	95	106
Chiefs	3	3	0	110	131
Raiders	2	5	0	112	142

[DJG]

BIRDS SHUT THE DOOR ON 'SKINS PERFECT SEASON

It was certainly a duel between two young cross-state rival QB’s when the ‘Skins traveled just under and hour to face their state rivals the Ravens. In what looked like a game against a struggling opponent, this turned into Washington’s biggest test to date this season. It came down to the final play, a hail marry to Ryan Broyles from Cam Newton. It wouldn’t be enough as the Ravens ended the ‘Skins undefeated start, 20-17.

The first half showed that both teams were very evenly matched. There was a shocker during the Ravens second series. For they performed a fake punt on 4th down which resulted in a Sam Koch pass completed to corner Domonique Foxworth for a first down. After exchanging field goals Ray Rice’s explosive running helped set up the Ravens & great field position late in the 2nd. Which followed with Joe Flacco scoring the first touchdown with a pass to Ed Dickson. Soon afterwards however MVP candidate Cam Newton led his team downfield in a quick two minute drill. Ending with rookie Jordan Crawford with his only reception of the game, an 11 yard touchdown.

After beginning the second half tied, the defenses made their presence felt. Hard hits taken by both teams including a hard hit by Ray Lewis on Cam Newton which nearly resulted in a fumble. The Ravens meanwhile managed to dominate on the ground once again as their second year running back Kendall Hunter was vital in another scoring drive for the Ravens, a long field goal. The forth quarter was a chess match throughout as half-way through the quarter the ’Skins finally got momentum going on the run as well. Newton would connect to his playmaker Devin Thomas for a 2 yard TD to take their first lead of the game. The ’Skins defense fought valiantly to sustain the lead, but it seamed that nothing could stop the potent mix of Flacco & Ray Rice. After a 44 yard run to put them in at 1st & goal, Flacco threw a 2 yard strike to Anquan Boldin to regain the lead.

After getting the ball back Cam Newton was looking to be on the verge of another comeback. On 2nd down after avoiding a sack Newton ran down the sideline for a huge 47 yard gain into Ravens territory. The next play however was a pass to fullback Peyton Hillis which was boggled and soon fumbled & recovered by Ray Lewis. Despite the major setback the ’Skins did get the ball back with 16 seconds left. Newton completed two long passes but with no timeouts left they couldn’t take advantage as the Ravens stopped their undefeated streak at six games. Next they will travel to Philly as Cam Newton’s red hot second season continues against is arch rival Andrew Luck & the Eagles. With them over .500 this will prove to be an important match up in the NFC East war.

Washington Redskins at Baltimore Ravens
Oct 28, 2012	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Washington Redskins (6-1)	0	10	0	7	17
Baltimore Ravens (4-3)	3	7	3	7	20

Team Stats Comparison
	WAS	BAL
Total Offense	298	328
Rushing Yards	97	185
Passing Yards	201	143
First Downs	17	13
Punt Return Yards	19	49
Kick Return Yards	97	80
Total Yards	414	457
Turnovers	1 (-1)	0 (+1)
3rd Down Converstion	4-10 (40%)	1-11 (9%)
4th Down Conversion	1-1 (100%)	2-2 (100%)
2-Point Conversion	0	0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	2/1	2/2
Penalties	0	2-12
Posession Time	23:30	24:30

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		WAS	BAL
:18	(BAL) A. Pettrey 25 YD FG	0	3
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		WAS	BAL
6:34	(WAS) G. Gano 43 YD FG	3	3
4:37	(BAL) J. Flacco 19 YD TD Pass to E. Dickson (Kick)	3	10
1:16	(WAS) C. Newton 11 YD TD Pass to J. Crawford (Kick)	10	10
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		WAS	BAL
:18	(BAL) A. Pettrey 25 YD FG	10	13
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		WAS	BAL
6:59	(WAS) C. Newton 2 YD TD Pass to D. Thomas (Kick)	17	13
2:28	(BAL) J. Flacco 3 YD TD Pass to A. Boldin (Kick)	17	20

Washington Redskins PASSING C/A YDS TD INT C. Newton 18/28 233 2 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD J. Stewart 17 42 2.4 0 C. Newton 4 55 13.7 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD D. Thomas 6 82 13.6 1 C. Cooley 4 54 13.5 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD R. McIntosh 8 0 0 0 L. Landry 5 0 0 0 L. Fletcher 5 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG G. Gano 1/1 2/2 5 44

Baltimore Ravens PASSING C/A YDS TD INT J. Flacco 12/18 143 2 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD R. Rice 22 131 5.9 0 K. Hunter 5 48 9.6 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD E. Dickson 4 56 14.0 1 A. Boldin 3 31 10.3 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD D. Foxworth 5 0 0 0 L. Webb 5 0 0 0 H. Ngata 5 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG A. Pettrey 2/3 2/2 8 26

Notes:
-'Skins Linebacker London Fletcher left the game late in the 4th quarter with a sore knee & did not return.
-The Redskins 298 yards offense is the lowest total of the year.

[DJG]

Week 8 Scores


CHI 10 (4-3)
DET 26 (3-5)

DAL 6 (3-4)
PHI 14 (4-3)

NE 17 (5-3)
IND 27 (6-1)

ATL 27 (6-2)
TB 10 (1-6)

TEN 12 (2-5)
JAX 48 (3-4)

GB 25 (3-4)
HOU 30 (4-3)

STL 27 (3-5)
SEA 28 (4-4)

SF 9 (2-6)
ARI 5 (3-4)

NO 17 (4-3)
MIN 27 (6-1)

DEN 24 (4-3)
SD 20 (5-2)

KC 17 (3-4)
OAK 24 (3-5)

PIT 6 (4-4)
CLE 27 (3-4)

BUF 7 (0-7)
NYJ 20 (3-4)


Offensive Player of the Week:
WR Reggie Wayne (IND): 14 CATCHES- 216 YARDS, 3 TD

Defensive Player of the Week:
CB Joe Haden (CLE): 4 TACKLES 1 INT

[DJG]

Week 8 Notable Injuries


QB Mark Sanchez NYJ (Dislocated Hip): 10 Weeks
WR Marques Colston NO (Broken Ribs): 3 Weeks
RE Dwight Freeney IND (Broken Collarbone): 6 Weeks
CB Johnny Patrick ATL (Torn Pectoral Muscle): Out for Season

[DJG]

2012 Mid-Season Report


Here's a quick glimpse at all 32 teams & where they stand at the mid-way point.

AFC North:

CIN (6-1): Coming off a season where they won a wild card spot, no one outside of Cincy predicted that they would be tied for the leagues best record. All thanks to their top rated pass defense & mistake free offense. Their true test is coming though as they still have rematches with the Steelers & Ravens, as well as going on the road to face the ’Skins & Chargers to end the season.

BAL (4-3): Its been an up & down year for the birds but things are looking up. Joe Flacco is having the best season of his career statistically & the team itself just pulled a huge upset against the once undefeated Redskins. Baltimore has a shot to run the table the second half, the Bengals are their only opponent that has a record that isn’t hovering .500.

PIT (4-4): The Steelers are finally showing their age. As mistakes & just plain being out worked has cost them games. A beat up offensive line hasn’t helped matters. Rather they like it or not, 2012 looks to mark a changing of the guard in the AFC North.

CLE (3-4): The growing pains of Colt McCoy continues. He’s shown flashes of brilliance, & also shown why he’s not quite there yet. Despite this he’s the sole reason why the Browns are still hanging in there (as evidence of 4th quarter comebacks over the Ravens & Raiders).

AFC South

IND (6-1): At 36 years old, Peyton Manning still guarantees the Colts at least 10-13 wins a year. He’s on pace to post his 10th straight season with at least a 90.0 QB Rating & 25 touchdowns. He’s in the running for his SEVENTH MVP award & is about to make his 232nd consecutive start. Even without a third ring, he will go down as the greatest quarterback in NFL history.

HOU (4-3): The heat is on for Gary Kubiak to not only deliver a playoff birth but to deliver satisfaction to his star wideout Andre Johnson. Who’s had some harsh words for his coach as of late. The schedule does favor their chances, but they’ve been at this position before & has blown it. Will this be the year?

JAX (3-4): Donavan McNabb is having the best year of his career as he continues his resurgence in Jacksonville. Problem is MJD seems to of lost some steam, & their final three games look to be quite a murderers row: @ Bengals, vs. Colts, @ Vikings.

TEN (2-5): CJ2K is the only bright spot to this once promising team. Vince Young seems to have regressed year after year. With Chase Daniel waiting in the wings, VY’s days in Music City might be numbered.

AFC East

NE (5-3): Tom Brady is currently the front runner in the MVP race & for good reason. He’s the only reason the Patriots are in first place. Other than the Texans, every other team the Pats have beaten has a losing record. Their 27th ranked defense is costing them games. Its going to come back to hunt them down the stretch if things don’t improve.

MIA (3-4): It seems as if the toughest half of their schedule is over. However, Chad Henne’s below average play isn’t a good look. Replacing him with Pat White might not be any better. Coach Sporano & Henne’s jobs are on the line surely, & they have the best chance right now to be the team that overthrows the Pats.

NYJ (3-4): Rex Ryan did the right thing this season, he shut up. Though it maybe too late for that as his star QB Mark Sanchez is gone for the season. While they still have a top 10 caliber defense, without some scoring the Jets season may already be over.

BUF (0-7): Just the fact that Robert You, Alex Smith, & Levi Brown are the QB’s on your football team just spells curtain doom. So far they are safely in the driver seat for the race to draft Oklahoma State QB Andrew Patterson.

AFC West

SD (5-2): We’ve seen something from the Bolts we are not used to, a fast start. Finally after all this time. Their last two losses were close ones as this team could easily be undefeated. Now’s the time to buckle down however as they still have to face the Colts, Steelers, Bengals, & Falcons.

DEN (4-3): Upsetting the Chargers gave some much needed confidence to the men from Mile High. Their stingy defense will prove useful late in the season. If Kyle Orton can turn it up this team could sneak into the playoffs.

KC (3-4): Injuries have riddled the Chiefs offense as they certainly have underachieved as of late. Todd Haley has yet to lead this team to the playoffs in his tenure. Only one team they will face the rest of this season has a losing record. This could end badly.

OAK (3-5): After starting the season 1-5, the Silver & Black have finally found their mojo. It maybe too little too late though. The worst defense in the league has an uphill battle they are likely not to win.

NFC North

MIN (6-1): AP is once again lighting it up on the ground, & Matt Moore is finally having his breakout season. The teams road to the playoffs looks to be in their favor, but its all for nothing if they don’t get past the Redskins.

CHI (4-3): The Monsters of the Midway have run the NFL gambit when it comes to offenses. They have a great chance of making the playoffs now that Jay Cutler has toned down on the interceptions. If they make it into the postseason they will shock many.

GB (3-4): Nothings more shocking than the fact that both Matt Moore & Jay Cutler have more touchdown passes than Aaron Rodgers. Except that a Don Capers coached defense leads the league in points allowed.

DET (3-5): Jim Schwartz is 15-41 as the Lions head coach. This team was a lot of peoples pick to finally breakout. Now they look broke down. Megatrons in the final year of his contract & its looking very doubtful he’ll return to the Motor City, just like his coach.

NFC South

ATL (6-2): They only have one division game left and that’s against an average Panthers team. Despite dealing with the Chargers later on, as well as a game against the ‘Skins that could decide an NFC playoff spot. The Falcons should win the south.

NO (4-3): The receiving corps are banged up & the rush defense is the worst in the league. If not for the fact that the Saints gave the Falcons their only two losses I’d give this team their last rights now. But they still have the firepower & the QB to make noise.

CAR (3-4): A spark must be lit under their offense. John Fox is loosing this team fast after the controversy between Jimmy Clausen & Tony Pike. The culture in Carolina is the worst its ever been, its time for a change.


TB (1-6): Raheem Morris has yet to lead the Bucs to the playoffs in his four seasons as coach. Whatever flashes Josh Freeman showed as a solid QB is forgotten now. It’s hard not to picture this team tearing it all apart and starting over again.

NFC East

WSH (6-1): They continue to be on a roll despite the shocking loss to Baltimore. Cam Newton is an MVP candidate & they’re defense has improved much since last season. With the exception of maybe the Falcons it seems that no one in the NFC is capable of stopping this team from reaching its ultimate goal.

PHI (4-3): Sean McDermott’s second year as head coach is proving productive. Andrew Luck is showcasing is abilities nicely with the offense as a whole making their presence felt. While they still have to face the Redskins twice as well as the Falcons, the Eagles should be able to collect enough victories to make the playoffs.

NYG (3-4): Eli Manning makes it seem like Peyton grew off a completely different branch on the Manning tree. His average play along with a worrisome defense is not a good formula. Add to the fact that there’s no fast start like there was in previous years. If things don’t get any better the writing maybe on the wall for Tom Coughlin.

DAL (3-4): It took Dallas being last in passing offense, changing head coaches, & not scoring a touchdown at all against the Eagles to realize the two words that will forever hold them back as a contender: Tony Romo.

NFC West

SEA (4-4): Despite having rookie QB Exavier Baxter as their starter, the Seahawks are in first place. Though its obvious to believe that if this team were in any other division in the NFL they would be buried.

ARI (3-4): Changing both your head coach & starting QB after coming off a year where you made the NFC Championship game is perplexing. Especially after seeing your team showcase the mediocrity & sadness it showed before said head coach almost led you to the promise land. This team deserves to be where they are.

STL (3-5): The team that was suppose to take over this division is underachieving to the fullest extent. The saddest thing is the NFL’s current leading rusher Steven Jackson is wasting his prime here as he’s already surpassed 10,000 career rushing yards. Sad.

SF (2-6): It’s a hard year for them and Patrick Willis wanting out don’t make it better. Expect Mike Singletary’s pink slip soon.