Something to Cheer About

We like Roy Helu

Chris Mortenson of ESPN is the only analyst that I know who picked the Skins to win this one. Most predictions were a blowout victory for the Patriots. The Skins held their own and played up to their opponents level for this one, which is a great sign for the character of this team. The season is over as far as playoffs go, Injuries and suspensions have piled up so much that this offense's only familiar face is Rex Grossman. Yet, the New England Patriots came into town and the Skins made a game of it. This was the first game I watched this season thinking I was getting ready to watch a blood bath. Even with a loss, there are a ton of positives to take from this game.

• The offensive line is gaining invaluable experience. Rex Grossman holds on to the ball far too long, and has zero pocket presence, but the O-line gave him enough time to be successful. The fumble in the end zone was 100% Rex's fault for holding the ball too long.
• Roy Helu is consistently putting up numbers. For the third straight game, he has put up over 100 yards rushing. He is an explosive back that is making a serious case for being the number one back next year. If we add a goal line back, our running game should only look even better next year.
• Welcome Perry Riley. This guy looks good. He plays hard and hits harder. London Fletcher is impossible to replace, but I'll feel much better knowing Perry Riley has a new contract. He signed a 4 year deal in 2010, and London Fletcher will be 40 years old at that point, and Perry Riley better be getting a fresh new contract. 
• For all the crap the coaching staff gets for not making adjustments and poor play calling, they proved that they can do both today. Brandon Banks threw a touchdown on an end-around pass to Santana Moss, and Mike Shanahan retooled his offensive line for the sixth time this season, while making adjustments to the game plan after Sellars went down.

Obviously everything wasn't positive, but I'm pumped to write something good for a change. Yes, the Patriot's defense is bad, but we exploited their weaknesses with a rookie running back, a makeshift offensive line, and a bevy of older wide outs. The coaching staff and the players gave fans something to cheer about, and hope for the future of this organization. Kudos to the players for busting their asses out there when the only thing to play for is pride.

 Bring on the New York Giants!

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Bring on the Jets!

Who needs this win more? The Jets, whose streak filled season consists of winning streaks of two and three sandwiched between losing streaks of two and three? Or the Redskins, who are fighting to find some kind of identity. This being a D.C. sports blog, I will spend most of my time looking at the Redskin's angle. The Redskins come into this game with a divided fanbase. Half of them desperate for a legitimate quarterback to lead this team, the other half wanting a team to surround the quarterback before we fill that gap. I understand   the   desire  for   the  Redskins  to   have   a  leader at the quarterback position, but I made my stance on what the Skins need most very clear. The next couple of weeks, much like last year, are going to show the fans what we have at each position. Roy Helu will get his second chance to carry a full workload, our future back up lineman will get more experience, Gomes will get more work at Safety with LaRon Landry out and Grossman will be pretty much the same.
The Jets are a defensive minded team that will come after you each and every down. Revis island should have no problem taking care of our wide receivers, so it will be up to Roy Helu and our running game to take advantage of a Jets run defense that gives up 115 yards a game. Look for the Redskins to have a pretty even distribution of run and pass plays this Sunday.
The Jets have a ton to play for on Sunday. Unfortunately for them they play in a division that features the New England Patriots. Because of that, they are fighting for a wild card spot. At 6-5, they are one game behind the Cincinnati Bengals for the last spot. The Jets have been under a lot of heat the past couple weeks, especially after losing to Denver two Thursday's ago. This led Rex Ryan to split practice reps between Mark Sanchez and Mark Brunell. Well, Sanchez rebounded well and they came away with a victory at home against Buffalo. Don't expect this Rex Ryan team to look past the Redskins.
The New York's offensive line has given up 26 sacks on the year, so look for Kerrigan and Orakpo to do what they do best and get in the backfield early. I'm not particularly worried about their run game because Rex Ryan has a hard time committing to it anyway.

All in all, I think this will be a test for both teams. The Jets will be making a push for the last playoff spot, and every Redskin player will be making their case for a roster spot. Each team has their own motivation, and after last weeks chippy game, I expect more of the same this week. The Jets aren't known for biting their tongues, so I wouldn't be surprised to see a couple post-play scrums. Regardless of Washington's record, I think Sunday's match up against the Jets will be an exciting one, and after picking Seattle to win last week, I'm picking the Skins in an upset this week, with the special teams making some big plays. I just can't see Danny Smith's place kicking unit playing so bad again. Gano and the place kicking unit got a lot of work this week and should be playing to regain some pride.

Redskins win 23-20 on the shoulder's Gano's 3 field goals.

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