JimmiJo
December-6th-2007, 05:57 PM
ES COVERAGE: REDSKINS vs BEARS
http://www.extremeskins.org/Bears07/CHI265.JPG
12/06/07
VICTORY
Redskins 24 - Bears 16
:helmet:
We are here, and it is now. Beyond this, nothing matters.
The four-game losing skid? Forget about it. The missed opportunities? Don't matter. The poor clock management, double timeouts, questionable play-calling - forget about all of it.
All that is important is that at 5-7 the Redskins still have a chance to do something this season. They still have a chance to make it mean something. But for them to do so, they HAVE TO WIN TONIGHT. There is no more wiggle-room. No more chances. No more next week.
We are here and it is now.
Hey peoples, JimmiJo here. Murf is next to me, ready to roll down to the field. I have to tell you, the way his sweater matches his eyes is doing things for me. We are here on this bitterly cold night ready for some Redskins' football.
Sorry about the lateness of this. Traffic was horrendous.
Stand by for action...
7PM
Wow, they've removed every stickied thread in the stadium forum. I don't think I've ever seen this - a Stadium forum with no sticky threads. I want my sticky threads! Where is my message board?!
7:25PM
Weather is clear and cold. Currently, weather.com is reporting 26 degrees. For you out-of-towners, we had snow in the region yesterday. This may be the coldest game thay have had to play at FedEx in a long time. Of course, I don't think this will bother the Bears...
8:10PM
Murf just called to say that he bumped into Phoenix Suns player Amare Stoudemire on the sideline (in town to play the Wizards). Murf asked him who was rooting for tonight.
"The Redskins."
John Riggins just addressed the crowd. I couldn't hear what the hell he said because of the glass. But I'm not hating the glass, as it is what is keeping the hawk out tonight.
Speaking of the crowd, I think they suffered from the same traffic I did as the place is barely half full with 10 minutes to go.
Here's to a good game and a Redskins' win.
9:05PM
Randy Thomas is out with an elbow injury. Return questionable.
Bear's defensive tackle Anthony Garay is out with an ankle.
The fans began to boo after the 2nd missed field goal.
9:30PM
Both Jason Campbell and Chris Cooley have gone to the locker room. Campbell with a knee, Cooley with an ankle. I will keep you posted.
9:35PM
Murf called and said it is a dislocated kneecap. This is unofficial.
Halftime
You hate to see the injuries and the anemic offense. Right now we have Campbell out, probably for some time. We have Cooley in the locker room with an ankle (I think). We have Randy Thomas out with an elbow.
We have Clinton Portis with 8 carries for 12 yards and a whopping 1.5 yards per carry average.
But then we had Mr. Springs with the big pick and Todd Collins with a beautiful pass to Todd Yoder for a touchdown. Then we have Mr. Springs with a second consecutive interception (He is only to be called Mr. Springs from now on with me).
I have to admit, as much as I hate to see Campbell go down, there is a side of me that wants to see finally what a quarterback who really knows this offense can do.
Let’s watch shall we?
Quote of the Half
“Ooooooh!” – The collective press corps in looking at the Rex Grossman injury replay
“Ouch, oh s***!” – Me in looking at the Jason Campbell injury replay
Start of 2nd Half
Cooley has returned to the sideline after halftime. He was testing the ankle on the field.
10:05PM
Jason Campbell has a dislocated Patellar tendon.
http://www.eorthopod.com/images/ContentImages/knee/knee_acl_patellar_tendon/knee_acl_patellar_tendon_anatomy03.jpg
10:25PM
Smoot was just carted off. No idea what happened.
10:27PM
We just were told that Smoot has cramps. Probably an IV and back out.
10:35PM
Portis has a stomach ailment and his return is questionable.
10:40PM
Correction, Campbell has a dislocated Patella (Kneecap). Looks like Murf was right after all.
11:20PM
After the TD to Betts Todd Collins is 15 of 20 for 224 yards and two TDs for a 144.5 QB rating.
That my friends is results.
:helmet:
INACTIVES
Redskins
#16 - Jimmy Farris
#38 - David Macklin
#41 - Brian Kozlowski
#57 - Randall Godfrey
#71 - Todd Wade
#73 - Ryan Boschetti
#83 - James Thrash
#8 - Mark Brunell
Bears
#31 - Nathan Vasher
#53 - Nick Roach
#58 - Darrel McClover
#67 - Josh Beekman
#83 - Mike Hass
#95 - Anthony Adams
#18 - Kyle Orton
:helmet:
AUDIO
To listen to comments by Andre Carter click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/CARTER.WMA)
To listen to comments by Chris Cooley click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/COOLEY.WMA)
To listen to more comments by Chris Cooley click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/COOLEY2.WMA)
To listen to comments by Phillip Daniels click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/DANIELS.WMA)
To listen to comments by Reed Doughty click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/DOUGHTY.WMA)
To listen to comments by John Eubanks click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/EUBANKS.WMA)
To listen to comments by Jason Fabini click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/FABINI.WMA)
To listen to comments by London Fletcher click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/FLETCHER.WMA)
To listen to comments by Cornelius Griffin click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/GRIFFIN.WMA)
To listen to comments by Keenan McCardell click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/MCCARDELL.WMA)
To listen to comments by Anthony Mix click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/MIX.WMA)
To listen to comments by Pierson Prioleau click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/PRIOLEAU.WMA)
To listen to comments by Chris Samuels click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/SAMUELS.WMA)
To listen to comments by Mike Sellers click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/SELLERS.WMA)
To listen to comments by Marcus Washington click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/WASHINGTON.WMA)
To listen to comments by Todd Yoder click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/YODER.WMA)
To listen to more comments by Todd Yoder click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/YODER2.WMA)
:helmet:
PHOTOS
Photos 1
http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226678
Photos 2
http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226679
Photos 3
http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226680
Photos 4
http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226681
Photos 5
http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226682
Photos 6
http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226683
Photos 7
http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226684
:helmet:
JimmiJo's Corner
No matter what you say, what you do, or how it looks – victory is always sweeter than defeat. But when your team wins and they do so in a manner that is obvious, well, that just makes you feel proud.
Let’s face it; the past month has been hard on us fans. We’ve seen collapse after collapse, loss after loss. But tonight we saw the Redskins play well when it counted. We saw an offense get aggressive and creative when it most mattered and we saw a defense hold it down to seal the win.
I think we also caught a glimpse of what this offense is supposed to look like. They threw to keep drives going. They exploited the deep middle with crossing patterns. The post to Betts for the TD at the end was magnificent and by the way, that was the first time I had seen that play run and I have been up close to these guys for two years now.
Obviously the story of tonight is the loss of Jason Campbell, likely for the year. However, the story is also Todd Collins and his performance. It is hard to imagine him playing any better. The Bears came in committed to making the quarterback beat them, and Todd Collins did.
How many of us thought we were headed for another collapse? How many thought at 17-13 it was going to be run, run, run, punt? I know I did. So conversely how nice was it to see the last touchdown drive? How awesome was that Betts’ touchdown catch? I can tell you that FedEx field enjoyed it, this place was going crazy.
The injuries tonight are a concern and the loss of Campbell for the year is a real blow. The good news for the others is that they have some time off before they travel to the Meadowlands to play the Giants.
If I could use one word to describe the mood in the locker room it would be satisfaction. The players I spoke with sounded like they played a solid game. A question I asked most of them was about finishing the game. London Fletcher spoke to that well and I encourage you to listen to his comments. The good news is that the team was in no way carried away by this win. They understand that they have zero margin for error from here on out.
For them, every week is the playoffs.
I have to cut it short as I have 1.5 hours on the road and then up tomorrow to get to work by 1PM. Here’s to victory. It sure feels better than the alternative.
:helmet:
murf's take
Hello again. It’s murf and I’m reporting live from FedEx Field after the Washington Redskins snapped their four game losing streak against the not-so-mighty Chicago Bears. Let me say right off the bat, this was an odd game. Before the game even started several of us in the press box were trying to remember the last time there was snow in the stadium on a game day. Honestly, none of us could remember, so if you know, share with the class.
The other thing about tonight – it was cold as a summummabitch. Seriously, it was more than a bit nipply out there. So I apologize for the lack of cheerleader photos tonight – I was too busy huddled up next to them for warmth to actually take their photos. I know you all understand.
A couple notes from before kickoff. For starters, Phoenix Suns power forward/center Amare Stoudemire was on the Redskins sideline during the pregame festivities. The cool thing about it – even though the man is 6’10”, most people didn’t know who he was so he was almost completely left alone. I snuck up next to him and politely asked him which team he was cheering for tonight. He smiled and said, “I’m a Redskins fan tonight.” Even if he can’t name three guys on the team at least he’s smart enough to lie to the home team crowd.
As you know, the NFL Network was in town. Well, apparently Antwaan Randle El and Marshall Faulk are buddies, because as soon as Antwaan saw Faulk on the sidelines he started in on him. Faulk was preparing to do a live shot over near the visiting team’s sidelines and Antwaan screamed, “Look at you, looking all official! You’ve even got a mic and everything!” Both of them started cracking up. It’s too bad it was actually during a segment aired on TV. You guys would have enjoyed it.
Also, for those not in attendance, they announced the top 10 plays in Redskins history (as voted by the fans of the team’s official website). I won’t list all 10, but I’ll give you the last couple. Number four got a loud ovation as they showed Darrell Green huge punt return against the Chicago Bears. number three was Mark Brunell and Santana Moss hooking up for two amazing touchdowns to stun Dallas. Number two was the 35 points quarter in route to Super Bowl victory number two, and the biggest moment was John Riggins’ fourth down run in the Super Bowl against Miami. Nice job everyone, that sounds about right.
Fun fact #1: London Fletcher puked on the sidelines before every game. I was made aware of this not too long ago, so I was kind of keeping an eye on him – thinking maybe I could even get a photo. Well, a security guard was blocking my shot so luckily for you there’s no photo, but he did throw up. With 12 seconds before kickoff he took a knee on the 30 yard line and let it fly. Good times.
I mentioned that the game was on the NFL Network. Well, if the ‘Skins and Jason Campbell were smart, they’d never let that channel schedule another Thursday night game at FedEx Field. Last year, if you remember, Campbell got his bell rung and had to come out in the game against the New York Giants because he didn’t do a very good job sliding and someone laid the wood to him. Tonight, it was much worse. I’ve befriended many of the folks on the sidelines, including some of the EMTs. My guy was one of the ones on the field huddled around Campbell, so when I called JimmiJo and let him know Campbell had a dislocated knee and they put on an air cast immediately, that’s coming straight from the source. So don’t give me credit (even though we scooped everyone), give it to the EMTs who helped our young quarterback.
The first half looked like it might end scoreless with both offenses losing their quarterback, which reminds me …
Fun fact #2: Todd Collins and Brian Griese both came into the game tonight as backups, but they have more in common that just that. Griese backed up Collins at Michigan.
Where was I? Oh … right … the talk on the sidelines was that this game really looked like it was going to be a low scoring affair. We even joked that the first team to score would win the game. But I wanted to say that I honestly think Shaun Suisham missing those two field goals early helped. This team has been too quick to settle for three, but after he missed those first two I think the coaches got a little more aggressive – especially on the Ladell Betts touchdown to seal the game. It’s never good to leave points on the board, but in my mind, the offense picked up the special teams after those two missed field goals.
The player of the game was clearly Shawn Springs, who played his best game of the season. Those two interceptions were absolutely huge and suddenly a bored stadium had life. Throw in a big play by back-up tight end Todd Yoder, who admitted to me he was only in on his touchdown catch because Chris Cooley was banged up, and the Redskins were able to swing momentum in their favor. As the team jogged up the tunnel at halftime, you’d think that all their Christmas wishes had been answered by Springs’ two interceptions. Well, leave it to Marcus Washington to want more. As he hit the tunnel he screamed to Springs and his fired up teammates that they needed “More cowbell!” I knew I loved that guy.
I mentioned the security guards earlier, but let me take a moment to introduce Big Mark. If you were in attendance, you saw him annihilate the moron who ran onto to the field during the game. Mark is one of my favorite guys on the sideline and we have a long-standing agreement – I tell him if the play is coming our way (because his back is to the field as he watches the crowd) and in return he’s got my back if something ever goes down. After tonight, I know I’m in good hands. I asked him about that moment when he got to tackle someone dumb enough to challenge him and his face lit up. “I’ve been working here for seven years, waiting for that,” Mark said with a big ass grin. So thank you, moron. You made Mark’s night.
And thank you, Redskins. After four tough losses, you guys made my night. The game wasn’t always pretty, but in the end you scored three offensive touchdowns and the defense continued to play well. Collins threw his first touchdown since 2002, but we look to be in good hands while Campbell is recovering from his knee injury. A lot of guys are hurting right now, but they’ve got some extra time to heal before a date in New York against Eli and friends. Speaking of that, go listen to my interview with Anthony Mix. It’s basically four minutes of me trying to convince him to spill the Giants’ deepest and darkest secrets so his new team, his new family, can get another win.
Take care everyone and we’ll catch you later. Hail.
http://www.extremeskins.org/Bears07/CHI265.JPG
12/06/07
VICTORY
Redskins 24 - Bears 16
:helmet:
We are here, and it is now. Beyond this, nothing matters.
The four-game losing skid? Forget about it. The missed opportunities? Don't matter. The poor clock management, double timeouts, questionable play-calling - forget about all of it.
All that is important is that at 5-7 the Redskins still have a chance to do something this season. They still have a chance to make it mean something. But for them to do so, they HAVE TO WIN TONIGHT. There is no more wiggle-room. No more chances. No more next week.
We are here and it is now.
Hey peoples, JimmiJo here. Murf is next to me, ready to roll down to the field. I have to tell you, the way his sweater matches his eyes is doing things for me. We are here on this bitterly cold night ready for some Redskins' football.
Sorry about the lateness of this. Traffic was horrendous.
Stand by for action...
7PM
Wow, they've removed every stickied thread in the stadium forum. I don't think I've ever seen this - a Stadium forum with no sticky threads. I want my sticky threads! Where is my message board?!
7:25PM
Weather is clear and cold. Currently, weather.com is reporting 26 degrees. For you out-of-towners, we had snow in the region yesterday. This may be the coldest game thay have had to play at FedEx in a long time. Of course, I don't think this will bother the Bears...
8:10PM
Murf just called to say that he bumped into Phoenix Suns player Amare Stoudemire on the sideline (in town to play the Wizards). Murf asked him who was rooting for tonight.
"The Redskins."
John Riggins just addressed the crowd. I couldn't hear what the hell he said because of the glass. But I'm not hating the glass, as it is what is keeping the hawk out tonight.
Speaking of the crowd, I think they suffered from the same traffic I did as the place is barely half full with 10 minutes to go.
Here's to a good game and a Redskins' win.
9:05PM
Randy Thomas is out with an elbow injury. Return questionable.
Bear's defensive tackle Anthony Garay is out with an ankle.
The fans began to boo after the 2nd missed field goal.
9:30PM
Both Jason Campbell and Chris Cooley have gone to the locker room. Campbell with a knee, Cooley with an ankle. I will keep you posted.
9:35PM
Murf called and said it is a dislocated kneecap. This is unofficial.
Halftime
You hate to see the injuries and the anemic offense. Right now we have Campbell out, probably for some time. We have Cooley in the locker room with an ankle (I think). We have Randy Thomas out with an elbow.
We have Clinton Portis with 8 carries for 12 yards and a whopping 1.5 yards per carry average.
But then we had Mr. Springs with the big pick and Todd Collins with a beautiful pass to Todd Yoder for a touchdown. Then we have Mr. Springs with a second consecutive interception (He is only to be called Mr. Springs from now on with me).
I have to admit, as much as I hate to see Campbell go down, there is a side of me that wants to see finally what a quarterback who really knows this offense can do.
Let’s watch shall we?
Quote of the Half
“Ooooooh!” – The collective press corps in looking at the Rex Grossman injury replay
“Ouch, oh s***!” – Me in looking at the Jason Campbell injury replay
Start of 2nd Half
Cooley has returned to the sideline after halftime. He was testing the ankle on the field.
10:05PM
Jason Campbell has a dislocated Patellar tendon.
http://www.eorthopod.com/images/ContentImages/knee/knee_acl_patellar_tendon/knee_acl_patellar_tendon_anatomy03.jpg
10:25PM
Smoot was just carted off. No idea what happened.
10:27PM
We just were told that Smoot has cramps. Probably an IV and back out.
10:35PM
Portis has a stomach ailment and his return is questionable.
10:40PM
Correction, Campbell has a dislocated Patella (Kneecap). Looks like Murf was right after all.
11:20PM
After the TD to Betts Todd Collins is 15 of 20 for 224 yards and two TDs for a 144.5 QB rating.
That my friends is results.
:helmet:
INACTIVES
Redskins
#16 - Jimmy Farris
#38 - David Macklin
#41 - Brian Kozlowski
#57 - Randall Godfrey
#71 - Todd Wade
#73 - Ryan Boschetti
#83 - James Thrash
#8 - Mark Brunell
Bears
#31 - Nathan Vasher
#53 - Nick Roach
#58 - Darrel McClover
#67 - Josh Beekman
#83 - Mike Hass
#95 - Anthony Adams
#18 - Kyle Orton
:helmet:
AUDIO
To listen to comments by Andre Carter click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/CARTER.WMA)
To listen to comments by Chris Cooley click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/COOLEY.WMA)
To listen to more comments by Chris Cooley click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/COOLEY2.WMA)
To listen to comments by Phillip Daniels click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/DANIELS.WMA)
To listen to comments by Reed Doughty click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/DOUGHTY.WMA)
To listen to comments by John Eubanks click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/EUBANKS.WMA)
To listen to comments by Jason Fabini click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/FABINI.WMA)
To listen to comments by London Fletcher click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/FLETCHER.WMA)
To listen to comments by Cornelius Griffin click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/GRIFFIN.WMA)
To listen to comments by Keenan McCardell click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/MCCARDELL.WMA)
To listen to comments by Anthony Mix click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/MIX.WMA)
To listen to comments by Pierson Prioleau click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/PRIOLEAU.WMA)
To listen to comments by Chris Samuels click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/SAMUELS.WMA)
To listen to comments by Mike Sellers click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/SELLERS.WMA)
To listen to comments by Marcus Washington click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/WASHINGTON.WMA)
To listen to comments by Todd Yoder click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/YODER.WMA)
To listen to more comments by Todd Yoder click HERE (http://extremeskins.org/2007season/bears/YODER2.WMA)
:helmet:
PHOTOS
Photos 1
http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226678
Photos 2
http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226679
Photos 3
http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226680
Photos 4
http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226681
Photos 5
http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226682
Photos 6
http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226683
Photos 7
http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226684
:helmet:
JimmiJo's Corner
No matter what you say, what you do, or how it looks – victory is always sweeter than defeat. But when your team wins and they do so in a manner that is obvious, well, that just makes you feel proud.
Let’s face it; the past month has been hard on us fans. We’ve seen collapse after collapse, loss after loss. But tonight we saw the Redskins play well when it counted. We saw an offense get aggressive and creative when it most mattered and we saw a defense hold it down to seal the win.
I think we also caught a glimpse of what this offense is supposed to look like. They threw to keep drives going. They exploited the deep middle with crossing patterns. The post to Betts for the TD at the end was magnificent and by the way, that was the first time I had seen that play run and I have been up close to these guys for two years now.
Obviously the story of tonight is the loss of Jason Campbell, likely for the year. However, the story is also Todd Collins and his performance. It is hard to imagine him playing any better. The Bears came in committed to making the quarterback beat them, and Todd Collins did.
How many of us thought we were headed for another collapse? How many thought at 17-13 it was going to be run, run, run, punt? I know I did. So conversely how nice was it to see the last touchdown drive? How awesome was that Betts’ touchdown catch? I can tell you that FedEx field enjoyed it, this place was going crazy.
The injuries tonight are a concern and the loss of Campbell for the year is a real blow. The good news for the others is that they have some time off before they travel to the Meadowlands to play the Giants.
If I could use one word to describe the mood in the locker room it would be satisfaction. The players I spoke with sounded like they played a solid game. A question I asked most of them was about finishing the game. London Fletcher spoke to that well and I encourage you to listen to his comments. The good news is that the team was in no way carried away by this win. They understand that they have zero margin for error from here on out.
For them, every week is the playoffs.
I have to cut it short as I have 1.5 hours on the road and then up tomorrow to get to work by 1PM. Here’s to victory. It sure feels better than the alternative.
:helmet:
murf's take
Hello again. It’s murf and I’m reporting live from FedEx Field after the Washington Redskins snapped their four game losing streak against the not-so-mighty Chicago Bears. Let me say right off the bat, this was an odd game. Before the game even started several of us in the press box were trying to remember the last time there was snow in the stadium on a game day. Honestly, none of us could remember, so if you know, share with the class.
The other thing about tonight – it was cold as a summummabitch. Seriously, it was more than a bit nipply out there. So I apologize for the lack of cheerleader photos tonight – I was too busy huddled up next to them for warmth to actually take their photos. I know you all understand.
A couple notes from before kickoff. For starters, Phoenix Suns power forward/center Amare Stoudemire was on the Redskins sideline during the pregame festivities. The cool thing about it – even though the man is 6’10”, most people didn’t know who he was so he was almost completely left alone. I snuck up next to him and politely asked him which team he was cheering for tonight. He smiled and said, “I’m a Redskins fan tonight.” Even if he can’t name three guys on the team at least he’s smart enough to lie to the home team crowd.
As you know, the NFL Network was in town. Well, apparently Antwaan Randle El and Marshall Faulk are buddies, because as soon as Antwaan saw Faulk on the sidelines he started in on him. Faulk was preparing to do a live shot over near the visiting team’s sidelines and Antwaan screamed, “Look at you, looking all official! You’ve even got a mic and everything!” Both of them started cracking up. It’s too bad it was actually during a segment aired on TV. You guys would have enjoyed it.
Also, for those not in attendance, they announced the top 10 plays in Redskins history (as voted by the fans of the team’s official website). I won’t list all 10, but I’ll give you the last couple. Number four got a loud ovation as they showed Darrell Green huge punt return against the Chicago Bears. number three was Mark Brunell and Santana Moss hooking up for two amazing touchdowns to stun Dallas. Number two was the 35 points quarter in route to Super Bowl victory number two, and the biggest moment was John Riggins’ fourth down run in the Super Bowl against Miami. Nice job everyone, that sounds about right.
Fun fact #1: London Fletcher puked on the sidelines before every game. I was made aware of this not too long ago, so I was kind of keeping an eye on him – thinking maybe I could even get a photo. Well, a security guard was blocking my shot so luckily for you there’s no photo, but he did throw up. With 12 seconds before kickoff he took a knee on the 30 yard line and let it fly. Good times.
I mentioned that the game was on the NFL Network. Well, if the ‘Skins and Jason Campbell were smart, they’d never let that channel schedule another Thursday night game at FedEx Field. Last year, if you remember, Campbell got his bell rung and had to come out in the game against the New York Giants because he didn’t do a very good job sliding and someone laid the wood to him. Tonight, it was much worse. I’ve befriended many of the folks on the sidelines, including some of the EMTs. My guy was one of the ones on the field huddled around Campbell, so when I called JimmiJo and let him know Campbell had a dislocated knee and they put on an air cast immediately, that’s coming straight from the source. So don’t give me credit (even though we scooped everyone), give it to the EMTs who helped our young quarterback.
The first half looked like it might end scoreless with both offenses losing their quarterback, which reminds me …
Fun fact #2: Todd Collins and Brian Griese both came into the game tonight as backups, but they have more in common that just that. Griese backed up Collins at Michigan.
Where was I? Oh … right … the talk on the sidelines was that this game really looked like it was going to be a low scoring affair. We even joked that the first team to score would win the game. But I wanted to say that I honestly think Shaun Suisham missing those two field goals early helped. This team has been too quick to settle for three, but after he missed those first two I think the coaches got a little more aggressive – especially on the Ladell Betts touchdown to seal the game. It’s never good to leave points on the board, but in my mind, the offense picked up the special teams after those two missed field goals.
The player of the game was clearly Shawn Springs, who played his best game of the season. Those two interceptions were absolutely huge and suddenly a bored stadium had life. Throw in a big play by back-up tight end Todd Yoder, who admitted to me he was only in on his touchdown catch because Chris Cooley was banged up, and the Redskins were able to swing momentum in their favor. As the team jogged up the tunnel at halftime, you’d think that all their Christmas wishes had been answered by Springs’ two interceptions. Well, leave it to Marcus Washington to want more. As he hit the tunnel he screamed to Springs and his fired up teammates that they needed “More cowbell!” I knew I loved that guy.
I mentioned the security guards earlier, but let me take a moment to introduce Big Mark. If you were in attendance, you saw him annihilate the moron who ran onto to the field during the game. Mark is one of my favorite guys on the sideline and we have a long-standing agreement – I tell him if the play is coming our way (because his back is to the field as he watches the crowd) and in return he’s got my back if something ever goes down. After tonight, I know I’m in good hands. I asked him about that moment when he got to tackle someone dumb enough to challenge him and his face lit up. “I’ve been working here for seven years, waiting for that,” Mark said with a big ass grin. So thank you, moron. You made Mark’s night.
And thank you, Redskins. After four tough losses, you guys made my night. The game wasn’t always pretty, but in the end you scored three offensive touchdowns and the defense continued to play well. Collins threw his first touchdown since 2002, but we look to be in good hands while Campbell is recovering from his knee injury. A lot of guys are hurting right now, but they’ve got some extra time to heal before a date in New York against Eli and friends. Speaking of that, go listen to my interview with Anthony Mix. It’s basically four minutes of me trying to convince him to spill the Giants’ deepest and darkest secrets so his new team, his new family, can get another win.
Take care everyone and we’ll catch you later. Hail.