A weekly feature in which we update the performances of the locked-out Caps players.

(Due to technical difficulties, there was no update last week)

Nicklas Bäckström: After what was surely an incredible amount of persuasion, Nicklas Bäckström has joined teammate Alex Ovechkin with the KHL’s Dynamo Moscow. In his first three games in Russia, the Swedish center has one goal and one assist and is -1.

Joey Crabb: Back in his home state with the Alaska Aces, Crabb has been one of the Caps’ most productive players while locked out, and after posting two goals and one assist in his first two games, Crabb has one goal and three assists in his last four games. Through six, Crabb has three goals, four assists, and is minus-1.

Brooks Laich: Laich has been sensational since joining the Swiss National League A’s Kloten Flyers. Despite recording the game from hell, Laich has scored five goals and seven assists in 11 games, and has a plus-9 rating.

Michal Neuvirth: Czech netminder Michal Neuvirth is very much on the opposite end of the performance scale to Laich. Playing on a struggling team, Neuvy has won just one of 10 games, having posted a .906 save percentage and 3.52 goals against average. Not much more needs to be said.

Alex Ovechkin: Though he is currently out with bronchitis, Ovechkin has been immense in his time with Dynamo Moscow. In the KHL, a league where a point-per-game pace is hard to come by, Ovechkin has six goals and eight assists for 14 points through 14 games, and while that doesn’t equal the efforts of fellow NHL Russians Ilya Kovalchuk and Evgeny Malkin, the numbers are encouraging for a player looking to bounce back from a pair of bad seasons.

Wojtek Wolski: Wolski returned to his native Poland to play for KH Sanok of the Polska Liga Hokejowa, but has been underwhelming since joining, with just one assist and plus-1 through four games. That said, once he adjusts to the bigger ice rinks and less physical game, he should be disgustingly productive.

Stanislav Galiev, Braden Holtby, Tomas Kundratek, Dmitry Orlov, and Mattias Sjögren will play for the AHL’s Hershey Bears.

Karl Alzner, Jay Beagle, Troy Brouwer, John Carlson, Jason Chimera, John Erskine, Mike Green, Roman Hamrlik, Matt Hendricks, Jack Hillen, Marcus Johansson, Mathieu Perreault, Mike Ribeiro, Jeff Schultz, and Joel Ward have yet to sign.

Tom Poti is injured.

When Robert Griffin III went outside for a pass reception on a pitch to WR Josh Morgan, how many of you held your breath?  Were you surprised that the Redskins opened RGIII up to possible hard hits?  If you remember, the pass was incomplete as RGIII was called for pass interference.  Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan addressed that play.

"After looking at that play you feel like a complete dumbshit."  HC Mike Shanahan 

The Washington Redskins are more than aware they put themselves in a bind and how important the game against Carolina is for the rest of the season. 

"Everybody knows it's a must-win hgame when you're 3-5 at the bye week."  HC Mike Shanahan

According to Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan, although he would like Pierre Garcon to return next week, he does not conceivably see him back until after the Bye Week.  Washington faces the Carolina Panthers this upcoming week and then enter their needed bye week.

Bad news for the Redskins.  

Redskins desperately need a play maker who can catch the ball make plays.  That was evident with ten pass drops yesterday.  With Gracon and TE Fred Davis lost, the Redskins passing game exceptionally tanked this past week against Pittsburgh.  Barely any blame can be given to QB Robert Griffin III.  Time and time again, Griffin delivered the football where NFL caliber receivers should have made the catches.  

Hopefully, Washington can reestablish the run game against Carolina and limp into the bye week with a win.  That would give Garcon an extra week to heal his ailing foot injury.  The Redskins offense is in desperate need of Pierre Garcon.    

We keep all injuries updated in one thread. 

Bill Simmons and Joe House of Grantland eviscerate the 2012-13 Washington Wizards. Enjoy the metaphors and similes.

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With the regular season tipping off on Tuesday in Cleveland, the Wizards 15 man roster is set. Washington cutting guard Shelvin Mack and forward Brian Cook to reach the roster limit. Yesterday the team let guard Steven Gray and forward Shavlik Randoph go.

The Wizards have struggled with injuries throughout the preseason with John Wall, Nene, Emeka Okafor, Trevor Ariza and Kevin Seraphin all missing extensive time. We know Wall is out for an extended period, its not yet known who else will be in street clothes against the Cavaliers.

2012-'13 Roster

C-   Kevin Seraphin, Emeka Okafor, Earl Barron

PF- Nene, Trevor Booker, Jan Vesely

SF- Trevor Ariza, Martell Webster, Chris Singleton

SG- Bradley Beal, Jordan Crawford, Cartier Martin

PG- A.J. Price, Jannero Pargo

Injured- John Wall

The roster deadline is tomorrow (Monday) afternoon, so the club could still be considering other moves. With the storm shutting down most of official Washington, they could also be getting business done ahead of the inclement weather.

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THUMBS UP

None. Sorry. I've racked my brains and I can't think of anything the Redskins did well enough to merit a thumbs up. Nobody caught on fire today -- though CB DeAngelo Hall came close -- but that's the closest I can get to a real accomplishment. 

THUMBS DOWN

RECEIVERS: The Redskins receivers dropped 10 passes and WR Leonard Hankerson [1 drop] let another pass sail right past his face mask because he had better things to do than pay close attention to what his QB was doing. WR Santana Moss led everyone with three drops, but almost everyone seemed to get in on the act, including Aldrick Robinson, Josh Morgan, Evan Royster and Dez Briscoe. Three of the ten drops were touchdown passes, had they been caught. Before anyone cites the rotten, rainy weather as a problem for Redskins receivers, let's recall that Steelers receivers didn't seem to have the same problems. Robert Griffin III was very accurate most of the day, putting the ball right on the money despite the bad weather and I counted only two genuinely bad passes by the young quarterback. Why the rookie came to play and his veteran receivers did not is a complete mystery. 

DEFENSE: I couldn't figure out whether I should give this "award" to the non-existent pass rush or the non-existent pass coverage so I'll give it to both of them. Steelers QB Ben Roethlisbeger had a huge day [24-33, 222 yards, 3TD, 0int, 121 pass rating] because the rush never made him uncomfortable and the coverage never covered anyone. Earning particularly scorn is CB DeAngelo Hall, who had another rotten day in coverage and then topped it off by blowing his top against a referee, who correctly assessed 30 yards of penalty against Hall and then threw him out of the game. I know many will call for Defensive Coordinator Jim Haslett to be fired [Rick Snider, one of my favorite columnists, is already doing that], but I don't see how that helps much, if at all. The talent in the secondary is the worst in the NFL and won't improve that much if or when SS Brandon Meriweather plays a game in a Redskins uniform. The Eagles fired Defensive Coordinator Juan Castillo last week and the defense responded out of the bye with a terrible performance, giving up 30 points and 3 TD passes to the Atlanta Falcons. I don't know what any coach can do with the talent in the secondary and the lack of pass rush. Just as much blame should lay with Head Coach Mike Shanahan, who has clearly not acquired the players any defensive coach needs to stop NFL offenses. 

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What a humiliating loss.  It isn't just because the Redskins were defeated at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.  It had more to do with the soundness of the beat down.  There was plenty of blame to go around.  You can easily look to the Washington receiving crop that dropped an amazing double digit number of passes.  It was pathetic.  However, the defensive effort was poor.  The Redskins drop to 3-5 and search for answers that have yet to be answered. 

In a loss like this, for the first time this season, we refuse to award any Thumbs Up.  No one deserved it.  But, after that performance, there are four things that were clear from this game.  Here they are . . .

1.  Defensive Coaching:  Sure the Washington Redskins are battered.  Many teams are.  Good coaches find players to compensate or at least tweak the system to find a happy medium.  Pittsburgh's offense scored on each of the first four possessions.  The defense really had no response.  Were they playing it safe after being stung last week by the late TD pass to Victor Cruz that sent the Giants over the Redskins?  Otherwise, then we just have to assume the personnel on the defense just plain stinks.  Who do you blame?  Mike Shanahan is in overall charge.  He is the decision maker along with GM Bruce Allen.  Do you blame Jim Haslett for not having a stronger voice for better talent?  Either way, Jim Haslett has no answers.  The Redskins have been torched by opposing pass offenses all year.  It is hard to fathom that a defense can falter from 11th ranked last year to the pathetic state of the defense this season.  The Redskins have now allowed 2,514 passing yards through 8 games.  Folks, that is the second most in NFL history.  It is an ongoing problem and Haslett has no answers.  Perhaps it is time for a change at defensive coordinator.  Time to move on.  The deeper question for the offseason is whether Mike Shanahan deserves to return.  Can you say the Redskins mental and physical mistakes are improving?  I think not.  The Redskins are slipping further and further into the NFC East cellar that has become all too common for this football franchise.  That is on Mike Shanahan.   

2.  Special Teams:  You will get a thumbs down here anytime you allow a blocked extra point.  There are no excuses for it.  The problem in Washington is that these types of miscues have become all too common on special teams.  When problem arise in blocking on special teams, it is the job of the special team a coach to fix it.  Danny Smith hasn't.  These type of miscues wreak of incompetence.  Luckily for the Redskins, there was a block in the back on Niles Paul or the Danny Smith led special teams would have allowed a punt return for a touchdown.  The once solid special teams unit continues a downward spiral.  That is on Danny Smith.  Perhaps Smith has been too comfy in Washington for too long.           

3.  Wide Receivers:  Redskins receivers dropped so many passes that by late in third quarter, it as becoming nothing more than comical.  When a wide receiver like Pierre Garcon goes down to injury, it provides an outlet for another receiver to step up and make a name.  That is not happening in Washington.  You have to feel bad for Robert Griffin III.  He did not deserve the performance his receivers gave him today.  Yes, Garcon is hurt.  Yes, Fred Davis is too.  But folks, that had nothing to do with what you witnessed today.  Robert Griffin III delivered most of the 10 dropped passes right where the ball should have been.  The receivers just failed to make the plays.  My problem is --- these guys are professional football players.  They are paid to make at the least the easy grabs.  That is what RGIII provided.  When you suffer significant injuries at receivers, offense can sputter with backup receivers failing to get open.  That was not the case today.  RGIII delivered the catchable passes.  Additionally, how long will the Redskins continue to throw any trust to Leonard Hankerson?  For every terrific catch he makes, you get three dead on drops.  Today, his easy drop cost the Redskins a touchdown.  I just don't see what others see in Hankerson.  The receiving unit should feel ashamed of their performance today and apologize to their teammates.  It was an awful effort.  

4.  CB DeAngelo Hall:  How lame.  Getting ejected for taking the helmet off and yelling at the referees is a sure sign of arrogance and stupidity.  Hall acts like he is an elite corner, when in reality, he plain stinks.  He has steadily regressed into nothing more than a defensive liability.  His ejection is nothing less than a smack of embarrassment on the whole team.  If I were Mike Shanahan, I would be releasing Hall right on the way home.  Play Richard Crawford instead.  Not like you will get any worse play than what Hall is providing.  I am so over DHall in DC. 

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IT WAS OVER WHEN... About 30 minutes after the Redskins' team plane landed in Pittsburgh. The Redskins were basically never in this game. The Steelers scored on every drive of the first half, apart from the last drive, which ended in a punt Pittsburgh downed at the one yard line. Washington's defense could not stop Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger and his stable of super-fast wideouts. Pittsburgh understood that the best way to get up on Washington is to throw and throw and throw, trusting Washington's poor secondary and non-existent pass rush to make things easier. It worked. Kudos to the Steelers for watching past Redskins games from this season and learning a thing or two from it. But, to be consistent with past weeks, I'll pick Pittsburgh's last touchdown drive, a 10-play, 74-yard thing of beauty that ended with Roethlisberger tossing a 1-yard TD pass to Will Johnson. That made the score 27-9 with about 5 minutes left in the third quarter, ending any chance the Redskins had to come back. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING... It was all about the passing game today -- and Washington's inability to do anything to stop the one Pittsburgh brought. Roethlisberger's statline was sterling -- 24 of 33 for 222 yards and 3 TD. No turnovers. 

I LIKED THAT... Pretty much nothing. RG3 looked accurate for most of the day and I counted only two genuinely poorly-thrown passes by the young quarterback. Unfortunately, his receivers decided they had better things to do than catch passes... The offensive line looked pretty good today, surrendering only one sack -- and that one was on TB Evan Royster, who forgot to block on a third down passing play -- and 78 rushing yards on 15 carries by runners not named RG3. That's a 5.2 yards per carry average. 

I DID NOT LIKE THAT... Everything else. The secondary never covered anyone all day. The front seven never even made Roethlisberger sweat. The receivers dropped 10 passes and WR Leonard Hankerson [who had the first drop of the day] also never looked up as a perfect pass sailed right past his face mask. The 10 drops were the most by any NFL team this year and WR Santana Moss, who caught a TD pass, dropped four passes, basically embarrassing himself most of the day... CB DeAngelo Hall embarrassed himself more than anyone. He never covered anyone all day and then had a complete meltdown in garbage time of the fourth quarter, pulling his helmet off [personal foul] and verbally abusing an official with profanity [personal foul]. Hall was correctly ejected and will be correctly assessed a fine by the NFL. He may also be suspended and I would have no problem with that either. [And it's not like Washington's pass defense would suffer from his absence.] Hall is actually a captain. Think about that. A man who got two penalties on one play last year -- one of them a personal foul -- did the same thing again this year. And he's a captain of this team. If the Redskins are not embarrassed by that, they should be. Hall is the personification of everyhing wrong with the Redskins for years -- he's a mediocre player who thinks he is a star because Dan Snyder is stupid enough to pay him like one. Remember, the Redskins got a $36 million salary cap fine from the NFL [$18 million this year and the same again next year] so they could sign DL Albert Haynesworth and DeAngelo Hall. Think about that. Very few North American pro sports franchises have ever been so poorly run as this one. 

AND IT ALL MEANS... The Redskins are 3-5 -- again. And last in the NFC East -- again. Their defense is awful, the receivers think they have better things to do than catch footballs and defensive captain DeAngelo Hall has demosntrated once again what a complete pinhead he is. Once again we saw rookie RG3 completely let down by his veteran teammates. Right now, the Redskins are a team with a super-talented quarterback, a good running back and a pretty good offensive line. The defense is a mess, while the special teams allowed another blocked kick and got off a 12-yard punt. It's not so much that the Redskins lost to the Steelers in Pittsburgh -- many teams better than the Redskins have done that. The problem is the Redskins were never competitive in this game and parts of the team seem to be getting worse -- much worse -- as the season goes on. It's hard to imagine a 3-5 team having a must-win game, but Washington needs to win at home this coming Sunday against the 1-6 Carolina Panthers or this once-promising season will spin out of control. I'm not talking about making the playoffs because I don't think that was ever a reasonable expectation. I'm talking about finishing this season well and convincing a long-suffering fan base that there is more to this team than one smart, hard-working and ridiculously-talented rookie quarterback. 

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