By John Pappas
Warpath Confidential Editor
The Redskins are consistent. Just when you go and start thinking they are going to play like a team with passion, fire, and effectiveness, as we did in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against Atlanta; they remind us that they are a woeful team unlikely to win many more games this year.
Washington is a bad team. They are bad on offense and at times, bad on defense. And the stats almost never tell the tale. Washington chooses the most inopportune times to collapse. A big run here, a holding call there, and the next thing you know they lose a game 31-17.
But you have to feel bad for the players. Not often do you see a group of guys work so hard to try to achieve something, only to be the victims of circumstance, mistakes, and poor timing.
All three came true Sunday.
But there are personal stories of success. In the midst of tragedy, heroes are stepping up, trying to do their best to change destiny. And in it all are players worth highlighting, good and bad.
Here are just a few.
Brian Orakpo – Hot
The man had two sacks Sunday, and that makes five and a half on the year. Orakpo is going to be a special player in the league. Case in point, Mario Williams had four and a half sacks his rookie year at defensive end. Orakpo has already passed him in eight games, and he doesn’t even play defensive end fulltime. Orakpo has faced the challenge of learning a new position at the professional level. It is hard enough to succeed on your natural position in your rookie year. But Orakpo is succeeding at linebacker. And he still finds time to sack the hell out of quarterbacks.
LaRon Landry – Not
Landry never met a runner out of bounds that he didn’t want to hit. Whether it is being discussed or not, Landry’s career is more notable for roughing calls out of bounds than for big plays on the field. Sunday he not only hurt the team with the late hit, he went too low on Michael Turner, who showed Landry what happens when you fail to tackle properly. Turner’s 58-yard touchdown run stopped any momentum the Redskins had from two successive touchdown drives, and put the game away.
The real problem with Landry is he is not a free safety.
Jason Campbell – Hot
Oh, it wasn’t that he was terribly effective, or that he almost single-handedly won the game. Neither is true. But anytime a guy gets hit like Campbell was hit Sunday, and comes back not once, but twice, from injury, it is commendable. Campbell went 15 of 22 for 196 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Campbell led two brilliant scoring drives, each over 80 yards. The touchdown throw to tight end Todd Yoder was a thing of beauty. And while we ding Campbell for holding the ball too long, and checking down with high throws all day Sunday, he gets our admiration and respect for being one tough S.O.B.
Penalties – Not
Can the Redskins pick worse times to have penalties? Washington had 10 penalties for 88 yards Sunday. Albert Haynesworth had two on the first drive, the second one the more egregious, as it put Atlanta first and goal. Then there was Landry and his late hit shenanigans. What the bleep is going on here? The truth is the Redskins lack discipline. And discipline is born of leadership.
Ladell Betts – Hot
Betts runs better the more carries he gets. After Clinton Portis got rocked and went out with a concussion, Betts was forced to take more snaps. He logged 70 yards on 15 carries for a 4.7 yard average. His performance Sunday was eerily similar to 2006, when Portis missed extensive time and Betts gained over eleven hundred yards as the primary back. Betts can give solid performance if he gets 20 snaps per game.
Head Coach Jim Zorn – Not
The Redskins just lost 31-17 to fall to 2-6 on the year. Since one year ago, the team is 4-12. Yet when Zorn addressed the media postgame Sunday, he sounded like he was talking about a poor preseason outing. To the point of surreal, Redskins’ leadership appears nonchalant about continuing to lose in embarrassing fashions.
But let’s be blunt shall we? The coach may care, but is not walking away from what is said to be around $4 million guaranteed by quitting. And the front office won’t fire him because they may be splattered by the blood. So team leadership would rather fiddle the season away trying to run out the clock, one painful loss after another.
Meanwhile Redskins’ nation burns.
Shaun Suisham – Hot
Washington’s kicker is 10-for-10, sinking a 48 yarder today. Suisham is showing he is a good kicker. The team needs to retain him after the season.
Casey Rabach – Not
Rabach has good technique, he is just too small. Jonathan Babineaux showed this Sunday when he logged 10 combined tackles and two and a half sacks. Atlanta blew up the interior of the Redskins’ line Sunday, sacking Campbell five times. Rabach is the best guy still standing, but Sunday he got owned.
Honorable mentions
- Mike Sellers – Sellers led all receivers with 56 yards on three catches. The seam route for the big gain was enough to make us happy. But Sellers also had a few big blocks. The lead block on Betts’ touchdown and one that sprung Rock Cartwright for a big first down.
- Santana Moss – Moss had five catches for 47 yards. He is still the best they have.
- Marko Mitchell – Mitchell can catch slants, get hit, and still hold onto the ball. THey asked if he could do it against starters. Yes.
- Offensive line coach Joe Bugel – We dinged the team above for a lack of leadership. Bugel showed some Sunday by taking the line to task at halftime, prompting much better play in the second half.
