Blognostications: 2011 - Week 2 vs Arizona Cardinals

[Blognostications]

Blognosticator - Extreme

Week 2: Redskins vs. Cardinals

First, I must start by saying that it...

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[Boone]

Your reference to us 'owning' the Cards, and predicted score make me nervous. I think we're a better team, and hopefully, the crowd gives us the edge in this one. We should be able to run much more effectively than we did against the Giants. I think you were being generous with your praise of Hightower - it wasn't his fault, you can't run through holes that aren't there, but we weren't very impressive in the ground game last week. I think that might change this week.

Nice job Extreme



***psst - Orakpo blocked a critical field goal last week - so technically he may not have been a standout overall, but that was a game-changer***

 

[China]

Redskins 38 - 10 huh? For some reason I feel compelled to point out, as I did last week, That the Redskins have only scored 31 or more points 6 times in the last five years and are the 2nd lowest scoring team since 1992.

The 28 points last week was bostered by a tip, scoop and score by the defense. Are you anticipating something similar this week? Perhaps a Banks kick return? I didn't see those predictions yet I think one of those may be necessary to reach 38 points.

 

[Nobody]

Redskins 38 - 10 huh? For some reason I feel compelled to point out, as I did last week, That the Redskins have only scored 31 or more points 6 times in the last five years and are the 2nd lowest scoring team since 1992.

To that I feel compelled to point out that 10 of our 22 starters just got here, and this is a different team than what we've become accustomed to watching. Haslett has his guys now, we have young guys looking to prove themselves, and they played the Giants better than we have in more than a decade

The 28 points last week was bostered by a tip, scoop and score by the defense. Are you anticipating something similar this week? Perhaps a Banks kick return? I didn't see those predictions yet I think one of those may be necessary to reach 38 points.

You can come up with a million what ifs and other scenarios, but I have more than that for you....if Reed Doughty didn't jump the route on third down, the Giants punt and don't get that second TD. Also, if Anthony Armstrong had hands, he would've had an additional TD. Hypothetically, the game would have been 35-7 us, and a blowout. What happens just happens, and what doesn't, doesn't.

If you want to know how we get to 38 points, here it is.......Rex Grossman will throw 3 TD passes. Arizona has a soft secondary, and our receivers are too fast for them. All 3 passing TDs will be wide open passes, pretty much uncontested break away plays. That gives us 21 points.

Tim Hightower is getting a rushing TD this game, that gives us 28 points. He could get two, but it depends on where he runs from. The goal line would be ideal to get two.

The last TD will be an INT return by the defense, or a Banks return on a kick, giving us 35. Gano will tack on the last 3, because even he can't miss them all the time. 38 points, and we finish the game with the second string.

 

[China]

Actually, I find it refreshing to have had such a large turnover and a lot of new faces. Because the old ones weren't doing much. But you're right, they're young and eager to prove themselves. They just haven't yet, and I still haven't gotten over the sub-mediocre past 20 years and probably won't until they do prove themselves.

I envy your optimism. While I think the Redskins will win, I expect a closer game.

 

[Nobody]

Actually, I find it refreshing to have had such a large turnover and a lot of new faces. Because the old ones weren't doing much. But you're right, they're young and eager to prove themselves. They just haven't yet, and I still haven't gotten over the sub-mediocre past 20 years and probably won't until they do prove themselves.

I envy your optimism. While I think the Redskins will win, I expect a closer game.

I understand where you're coming from. I am far from an optimist though. For two decades, this team has killed any chance of hope that most of us have week to week. I know this pick sounds like a homer pick, but in the past 3 seasons in pickem games, I have only picked the Skins to win 4 times. I agree they have a long way to go to prove themselves, and I'm still pretty sure this season won't net a winning record, but beating the Giants so easily was a huge first step in the right direction.

I just don't see us handling the Giants like we did and not destroying the Cardinals.

 

[servumtuum]

Extreme, I do want to point out that the Giants were without the services of Tuck, Osi, and Terrel Thomas. I still think we would have won even with them but likely by a TD less, 21-14.

The Cardinals admittedly don't have the defensive prowess or depth of the Giants so I'm thinking we should win this thing. I'm leaning toward a bit lower score, something like 21-10 or so for two reasons. Kolb isn't Eli-he's similar to Grossman in "serviceability", IMO, but I see our D dominating if what I saw in the Giants game carries over. It's about time for Grossman to throw an INT and for Gano to make a FG so actually I'm imagining something in the 10-13 point range as a winning margin.

I would love to be dead wrong and for us to simply flatten the Cardinals just to convince the doubters-including myself. I definitely like what I've seen so far but I need repeatability to help assuage nagging doubts.

 

[Henry]

I realize I'm invoking The Swarm for saying this, but Doughty is not completely worthless. The reason he gets the nod over Horton is that he is far better at run support, and if you noticed, the Giants didn't run all that well against us which was really cool. His coverage skills blow but backups aren't usually good at everything, which is why they are backups. Rather than calling for Doughty's head, we should all just pray Landry gets back on the field sooner rather than later.

Anyway, good write-up. The bit about Carlos made me laugh.

 

[Om]

Nice work, Ex.

I too envy your unbridled optimistic enthusiasm. Personally, I don't see a blowout here, but then, I didn't see us beating the Giants by 14 either.

What I DO see midweek is a one-possession win, defended down the stretch. Why? Mostly because frickin' Kolb scares me in the way ANY mobile QB does against the Redskins. Guys like that have killed us for so long I don't even want to think about it. Yeah I know we have younger faster guys on the front 7 than we have in a long time, so hopefully that acts as counterbalance...but I'm still firmly in Optimistic Skeptic Mode for a few more weeks.

Turning ships the size of the SS Redskins around doesn't happen in one week or even two. It's going to be a while longer before I'm ready to stop worrying that any one rogue wave is going to slam her back into the shoals.

Sheesh.....sailing references? I must be getting old.

Here's hoping I'm dead wrong though and you get to trumpet 38-10 from the rooftops.

 

[Nobody]

For what it's worth, I have never incorrectly picked a Redskins win. Not hard to do, since I rarely pick them to win these days, but my record with that is better than my record in the Kentucky Derby.

When I pick them to win, I almost never predict a score. I jokingly gave a homer score for the Giants game, but I made it clear I was picking us to lose.

The last time I picked our guys to win and gave a score was when I picked them to beat the 49ers 48-19 on a San Fran board. I got laughed at and banned for it, then we won 52-17. Sometimes I'm not as crazy as I seem

 

[LoyalSkinsFan]

The last time I picked our guys to win and gave a score was when I picked them to beat the 49ers 48-19 on a San Fran board. I got laughed at and banned for it, then we won 52-17. Sometimes I'm not as crazy as I seem

From your lips......