Written by Mark Buterbaugh on . Posted in Washington Redskins
The weekend is almost here and that means some decision on the status of QB Robert Griffin III. That decision has been made. It's the same. Griffin is officially listed as QUESTIONABLE and according to Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan, is a game time decision.
The good news is, Griffin looks much better. According to Shanahan, "he keeps on improving every day and he looked much, much better today."
As expected, LB London Fletcher and OT Trent Williams aare also listed as questionable.
Written by Mark Buterbaugh on . Posted in Washington Nationals
We will begin tracking Washington Nationals news clip several times per week to keep you updated through Spring Training 2013. As you already know, the Nationals have made roster moves to help bolster the bullpen, starting pitching, and outfield for their 2013 NL East Division title defense.
When glancing at the Washington Nationals current roster, the Nats have very few needs. We do not think the Nationals are done, they still need to determine first base and bullpen. More than likely, what they resolve at first base will likely effect moves at the bullpen. The Nats are currently in contract negotiations with 1B Adam LaRoche. The word there is that a deal could be in place before Chsristmas. If the Nationals do indeed sign LaRoche, that would be a big sign that they are willing to deal 1B/OF Mike Morse. With the trade acquisition of CF Denard Span combined with Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth patrolling the corners, there is no place on the roster really there for Morse if LaRoche is signed. Several ballclubs have exprreseed interest in Morse and the Nationals could use Morse to land significant bullpen help. We will keep a close eye on a possible LaRoche contract extension.
Former Washington Nationals start Edwin Jackson is being pursued by the San Diego Padres. The signing of free agent starter Dan Heren made the return of Jackson impossible. Consider Heren an upgrade over Jackson anyways. Read it.
Travis Harding writes that with the recent trade to bolster the major league club, the once highly touted Nationals farm system is getting limited in pitching depth. Read it. Although I agreed with the trade of Alex Meyer to land Denard Span, it was torubling that the Nationals do not protect AA pitcher Daniel Rosenbaum from the Rule V Draft. The Nats did lose Rosenbaum.
The New York Mets are going to have trouble competing in the National League East. One big reason is the emergence fo the Washington Nationals in leading the division. Read it.
James Wagner from the Washington Post writes on what impact the Josh Hamilton deal to the Abngels could mean for Adam LaRoche. Read it.
Major League Baseball is still seeking a fair resolution to the Nationals TV rights and MASN. One solution could be too find new owners of the rights now controlled by MASN, which us ultimately controlled by the Baltimore Orioles. Read it.
The Nationals have promoted minor league manager Brian Dauback from Hagertsown to Potomac and Tripp Kiester from the rookie GCL Nats to Hagerstown (Low A). Patrick Anderson is new to the Nationals system and will take over the GCL Nationals.
Written by Thomas Threlkeld on . Posted in Washington Redskins
Mark LoMoglio/Icon SMI
Big news all over the place yesterday were comments made by Rob Parker on ESPN's "First Take" which questioned whether Redskins QB Robert Griffin III is authentically black. I've got a full rundown on it.
It's unlikely we'll hear much from RG3 about this soon since he's dealing with trivial matters like an injured knee and a playoff run, but his father, RG2, responded to USA Today.
Griffin II told USA TODAY Sports he was baffled by the comments but wouldn't fire back Thursday night, even though Parker's remarks ignited the blogosphere and sparked angry social media responses. A few minutes later after his father spoke, Griffin III tweeted to supporters: "I'm thankful for a lot of things in life and one of those things is your support. Thank you."
ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys told USA TODAY Sports that Parker's comments "were inappropriate and we are evaluating our next steps."
Griffin II said his next steps were to dismiss Parker's remarks.
"He needs to define what 'one of us' is. That guy needs to define that," he said. "I wouldn't say it's racism. I would just say some people put things out there about people so they can stir things up.
"Robert is in really good shape on who he is, where he needs to get to in order to seek the goals he has in life ... so I don't take offense."
When questioned on Twitter aboutParker's comments, RG3's teammate Lorenzo Alexanderreplied thusly:
Completely unprofessional i guess he should question me too since my wife is half white
It isn't clear if RG3 was addressing this issue or not when he tweeted last night:
I'm thankful for a lot of things in life and One of those things is your support. Thank you
Will Robert Griffin III play in Cleveland on Sunday? Nobody knows, but everyone is reading the tea leaves:
Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III practiced Thursday and continued to progress toward playing through a mildly sprained right knee against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
"It's better," coach Mike Shanahan said. "You can see that he's more comfortable. He was improved over yesterday."
Griffin was limited in practice for the second straight day. The Redskins have not determined his status for Sunday's game.
Griffin moved well during the brief period of practice open to media. He planted on his injured right leg and threw a variety of passes, as he did Wednesday. He also simulated stretch handoffs during quarterback drills. He favored his sprained knee at times.
Shanahan said Griffin's status will be determined "probably on game day."
Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan admits game-planning when you don't know who your starting QB will be is a bit of a challenge:
"It’s a little bit of a challenge because I can’t lock in as much as I usually do to exactly how the order and what I’m trying to attack, so I’ve got to be a little bit more open-minded because there’s a few different directions you could go," Shanahan said. "But I kind of put myself in check when I start to get a little frustrated with it because I know it’s probably a little more frustrating for them than it is for me.
"They’re dealing with the same deal. They’ve got to prepare for two different quarterbacks. So do we. You put a lot of stuff in, seeing which direction you’ll go. You see how they’re going to play it, what they’re scheme is."
Kirk Cousins feels ready to play and win if Robert Griffin III can't play in Cleveland on Sunday.
“I’ve grown exponentially since I got here. It’s been a lot of learning,” Cousins said. “Rookie year, I was expecting to be constantly learning and having to adapt to learn new things, but I’ve become a much better quarterback from the day I showed up to where I am now. If I do end up playing on Sunday, that would be another opportunity to learn and grow.”
Defensive Coordinator Jim Haslett says the Browns offense is improving and dangerous. On defense, CB Joe Haden is a big-time playmaker for the Browns.
The Redskins players are divided on the proposed expansion of the NFL playoffs from 12 teams to 14 or even 16 teams. ILB London Fletcher opposes the expansion, arguing it would cheapen the postseason. LT Trent Williams likes the idea of putting more teams in the playoffs. My view: Sorry, Trnet -- you've got this one wrong. Expanding the playoffs is a terrible idea that is only being considered because NFL owners are money-obsessed greed-monsters. In other words, it's a terrible idea whose time has come.
Dan Daly writes the 2012 Redskins resemble the 2005 and 2007 teams that made big late season runs to the playoffs. A major difference, I'd say, is that this version of the Redskins is A LOT younger and more promising.
RS Brandon Banks, demoted for bad decisions in the return game, had to watch from the sidelines while his replacements screwed up [Niles Paul on kicks] and saved the game [Richard Crawford on punts]. Banks is wondering when he will get another chance.
The Washington Post has figured out that you can sell papers by putting RG3 on the front page. Not the front page of the sports section. Just the front page.
Written by Thomas Threlkeld on . Posted in Washington Redskins
"First Take" -- ESPN's sports "debate" show is never an edifying spectacle. Generally, you judge each show by the level of embarrassment you feel for the participants after they're finished shrieking at each other and smirking for the cameras. Today, however, the show sunk to a new low. Guest Rob Parker, an ESPN and "First Take" staple, despite having never actually uttering anything memorable, questioned whether or not Washington Redskins QB Robert Griffin III is black enough or a real black person. Here's the video:
This stems from comments RG3 made earlier this week on the subject of race and being an African-American quarterback in Washington, D.C. Here's a bit of it:
“For me, you don’t ever want to be defined by the color of your skin,” Griffin said. “You want to be defined by your work ethic, the person that you are, your character, your personality. That’s what I strive [for]. I am an African American, in America, and that will never change. But I don’t have to be defined by that.” ...
“They’re always going to try to put you in a box with other African American quarterbacks: [Michael] Vick, [Cam] Newton, Randall Cunningham, Warren Moon,” Griffin said. “But there are guys like… Warren Moon and Doug Williamswho really didn’t run that much. I think that’s the negative stereotype when it comes to African American quarterbacks, that [all they do is] run. But those guys threw it around, and I like to think I can throw it around a little bit. And that’s the goal — not to go out and prove anybody wrong, but just to let your talent speak for itself.”
Parker suggested RG3's comments -- and various other facts about him, such as his white fiancee -- demonstrate he's not authentically black.
“For me, personally, just me, this throws up a red flag, what I keep hearing. And I don’t know who’s asking the questions, but we’ve heard a couple of times now of a black guy kind of distancing himself away from black people.
“I understand the whole story of I just want to be the best," Parker continued. “Nobody’s out on the field saying to themselves, I just want to be the best black quarterback. You’re just playing football, right? You want to be the best, you want to throw the most touchdowns and have the most yards and win thboe most games. Nobody is [thinking] that.
“But time and time we keep hearing this, so it just makes me wonder deeper about him. And I’ve talked to some people down in Washington D.C., friends of mine, who are around and at some of the press conferences, people I’ve known for a long time. But my question, which is just a straight honest question. Is he a brother, or is he a cornball brother?”
When asked about the term "cornball brother," Parker defined it thusly: “Well, [that] he’s black, he kind of does his thing, but he’s not really down with the cause, he’s not one of us,” Parker explained. “He’s kind of black, but he’s not really the guy you’d really want to hang out with, because he’s off to do something else.”
When the subject of RG3's braids came up, Parker responded: “To me, that’s very urban and makes you feel like…wearing braids, you’re a brother. You’re a brother if you’ve got braids on.”
Parker went on...
We all know he has a white fiancée. There was all this talk about he’s a Republican, which, there’s no information [about that] at all. I’m just trying to dig deeper as to why he has an issue. Because we did find out with Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods was like I’ve got black skin but don’t call me black. So people got to wondering about Tiger Woods early on.”
Then something very unexpected happened. Panelist Stephen A. Smith was the voice of reason. I never thought I'd type those words.
“Well first of all let me say this: I’m uncomfortable with where we just went,” Smith said. “RGIII, the ethnicity, the color of his fiancée is none of our business. It’s irrelevant. He can live his life any way he chooses. The braids that he has in his hair, that’s his business, that’s his life. I don’t judge someone’s blackness based on those kind of things. I just don’t do that. I’m not that kind of guy."
There is something very depressing about all of this. Race is never far from the surface of discussion in our country and Washington, D.C. is a symbol of both power and weakness for African-Americans. Power because they are a majority in the city and every mayor of the city has been African-American. Weakness because D.C. does not enjoy full autonomy and is constantly being harassed by those in Congress who do not necessarily wish the city well.
Griffin is a military brat whose parents, both retired sergeants, raised him to focus on accomplishing his goals and to concern himself with skin color as little as possible.
“My parents raised me to not ever look at race or color,” Griffin said recently, “so it doesn’t have a big part in my self-identity. [But] I think it has played a big part in how other people view me, just going back to when I was a kid, to even now, doing the things that I’ve been able to do. As an African American, I think other people view that in a different way than I do.”
Griffin's family raised him to avoid identifying himself with a particular racial group and instead seek out friends and associates based on their character and intelligence. If he encountered racism -- and he did, usually of the relatively subtle kind -- he should not treat others similarly.
Whether he intends to or not, Griffin has seemingly striven to be an athlete that appeals to as many people as possible, as Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson did. One could regard this as a cynical move to market himself to white America, but his parents, his upbringing and the people who knew him when he was younger, all indicate this is actually Griffin's personality.
Griffin wants to be a star quarterback for all Redskins fans and the sort of player and person that will be admired even by people who do not care for the Washington Redskins. It's a laudable goal and he seems to have made a good start at it. At FedEx Field one can see and hear whites and blacks chanting "R-G-3" with equal passion.
Denied positive role models for so long, it is understandable that many African-Americans would want to claim Griffin for themselves. While Griffin and his friends have gone out of their way for years to de-emphasize his blackness as a quarterback -- lest he be moved off to a position like wide receiver or defensive back -- because of the prejudice of whites, some African-Americans will want to emphasize his blackness. "He's not just a quarterback," they think. "He's a BLACK quarterback. He should be proud of it."
It seems pretty clear that Griffin is proud to be a quarterback and while he's certainly not ashamed of being black, it's not the first or last thing he thinks about during the day. The fact that he fell in love with and proposed to a white woman he met at Baylor University is evidence that he seems more than skin color in people. The fact that his parents heartily approve of the match -- a union of equals, his mother says -- is evidence of where Griffin learned these lessons.
Griffin's teachers and associates at Baylor describe a young man who had friends of all races, seemed comfortable around everyone and seemed, at least outwardly, almost disinterested in race. He was aware of his African-American heritage, a professor said, but refused to let it determine his decisions.
To some people that will always mean Robert Griffin III isn't "black enough" or "authentically black." The fact that he wears braids not because they're a symbol of authentic blackness but because he likes the way they look will rankle some. The fact that he plans to marry a white woman and surrounds himself with friends and mentors of all races, will bother some. There probably isn't much Griffin can do about that and it probably isn't worth his time to try.
This is a lot to be dumped on the shoulders of a 22-year-old man who has enough on his plate just trying to master the intricacies of playing perhaps the most demanding position in all of sports. The best thing he can do is probably ignore it as much as possible and focus on doing his job well. Anyone with so much talent and charm, who is as successful as he is at such a young age, is going to attract a lot of attention. If that person is also black, the attention with be mixed up with America's long and tortuous history of racial animosity and resentment.
We will hear and read much more about this subject in the months and years to come, I'm sure. I just hope most of it will be a bit more clever than what went on during "First Take" this morning.
Maryland basketball coach Mark Turgeon has landed his first commitment for the class of 2014. Romelo Trimble, a junior at Bishop O'Connell, is a 6-2 combo guard and consensus 4-star recruit. A native of Prince George's county, Trimble chose the Terps over Cincinnati and Xavier.Turgeon is absolutely loaded in the front court and is building a solid backcourt with freshman Seth Allen, '13 stud Roddy Peters and now Trimble.
London Fletcher (left ankle) didn't practice Wednesday, though that's nothing out of the ordinary for the veteran linebacker with an active NFL record consecutive games played streak of 237.
Left tackle Trent Williams (left thigh bruise) was a limited participant like Griffin. Asked how he was holding up with the injury, Williams responded slyly, “I'm holding up.”
Wide receiver Pierre Garcon (right foot) participated fully in practice and continues to progress toward a hundred percent.
“As time goes on it gets better, but there's no real significant thing that's different from Monday to Tuesday or Sunday to Thursday or game to game,” Garcon said. “Sometimes you feel better, sometimes back and forth.”
Cornerback DeAngelo Hall (right ankle) appeared to bounce back from Sunday's game OK.:
“Little banged up, but it's a process,” Hall said. “Ain't none of us fully healthy right now.”
And the big one -- the one you're waiting for? RG3 isn't telling:
During his nearly 13-minute news conference, Griffin declined to say whether he would play. Part of it is gamesmanship. Coach Mike Shanahan, when asked whether he would drag this out even if he already knew Griffin's status, said, "Probably."
"I don't want to give the Cleveland Browns a competitive advantage," Griffin said. "I don't want to let anybody down. I don't want to say I'll be playing and then end up not playing.
"I feel I can push through any kind of injury. Does that mean I'll play Sunday? Who knows? We'll see what happens. I want to be out there for those guys like I told them I would be."
You may have noticed that Robert Griffin III has black skin. The subject of RG3's race has not come up much in the media and I don't recall having any lengthy discussions about it with my friends. However, that might be because I'm white. African-American fans of the Redskins may well be far more focused on Griffin's race than I am, since they may be understandably proud of the success RG3 is having and anticipating that, for the first time in its history, the Washington Redskins may have a long-term quarterback who is African-American. In any case, Griffin discusses his thoughts on being a black QB with Dave Sheinin. Here's a bit:
“For me, you don’t ever want to be defined by the color of your skin,” Griffin said. “You want to be defined by your work ethic, the person that you are, your character, your personality. That’s what I strive [for]. I am an African American, in America, and that will never change. But I don’t have to be defined by that.” ...
“They’re always going to try to put you in a box with other African American quarterbacks: [Michael] Vick, [Cam] Newton, Randall Cunningham, Warren Moon,” Griffin said. “But there are guys like… Warren Moon and Doug Williams who really didn’t run that much. I think that’s the negative stereotype when it comes to African American quarterbacks, that [all they do is] run. But those guys threw it around, and I like to think I can throw it around a little bit. And that’s the goal — not to go out and prove anybody wrong, but just to let your talent speak for itself.”
My view of Griffin is that he a very smart, mature young man, whose thoughtfulness may sometimes be hidden behind a genial personality and a million dollar smile. This makes me think my estimation of him has been correct.
Speaking of being a mobile quarterback, RG3does not believe his style of play makes him more injury-prone:
“That play can happen to anybody,” Griffin said Wednesday. “It wasn’t like I was waiting to get down until the last second like I did against Atlanta or anything like that. My leg came up and [Haloti Ngata] hit my leg. That was an unfortunate part of it.
“People need to realize football is a physical sport and there are a lot of quarterbacks out there that aren’t necessarily the runners that aren’t playing right now because of injury,” Griffin continued. “It’s not just because I’m a little bit athletic and can move around that I’m prone to injuries. There are a lot of quarterbacks out there that are getting hurt that don’t move around a lot. I tried to get down. As soon as I turned in, I knew there were a lot of Ravens coming at me. It was just unfortunate. I’ll continue to play safe, play the way I have and play aggressive.”
Kirk Cousinstalks about learning from his earlier outing against Atlanta and from Robert Griffin III:
“That’s a play where you watch Robert earlier in the game, roll to his right and throw a touchdown pass to Josh Morgan,” Cousins said. “Who knows, but maybe…after seeing that happen many times and watching Robert create whether it’s a practice or a game, you start to see that on film quite a bit and in your own way you try to emulate that maybe a little bit more than when you’re backing up a guy who doesn’t do that often. I think just seeing how Robert plays, watching a quarterback in front of you play at a high level, benefits me because I’m learning from a guy who is doing it the right way.”
By the way, Kirk's phone blew up after he finished the comeback last Sunday.
Tom Boswell writes that RG3 is the sort of athlete that makes us all hold our breath -- out of awe and concern.
Washington (7-6) probably can't afford to lose any of its final three games. Even with a 10-6 record, it might not reach the postseason.
The Redskins paid heavily to draft Griffin to win a championship someday. Well, that day might be now. If Washington sweeps into the playoffs with seven straight wins, it has a fair chance to win it all.
You always sacrifice the future for the present. Win today, worry tomorrow and apologize never.
Marty Gitlin writes that the 5-8 Cleveland Browns -- winners of 3 straight and 5 of their last 8 -- are just as hot as the Skins. There is something to that, but the Browns have wins over the 2-11 Chiefs, the 3-10 Raiders, the 7-6 Steelers [playing without QB Ben Roethlisberger] and the 5-8 Chargers. They have one unambiguously good win, which was a 34-24 victory over the 7-6 Cincinnati Bengals. [Recall the Bengals defeated the Redskins in FedEx Field 38-31 back in week three.]
Mark Schlereth, who played for the Redskins in the early 1990s and the Broncos [and Mike Shanahan] later -- and won three Super Bowls with the teams -- had some nice things to say about the Redskins offense. So did former Giants QB Phil Simms:
“There is not one team right now in the NFC that wants that team in the playoffs,” Mark Schlereth said on ESPN Radio Wednesday morning. “You can’t defend them right now. When RGIII is right, and they’ve got that play-action game going, and they’re running that zone-option read stuff, you can’t defend them. You can’t pass rush, you play on your heels, you’re running up on play-action and you leave wide-open chasms behind you.
“There is not one team right now that looks at the Washington Redskins and goes, boy, I’d like to play those guys,” he concluded. “There is not one team. They are a NIGHTMARE for any defensive coordinator right now.”
CBS analyst Phil Simms agreed.
“The play designs and the playcalling, all that by Kyle Shanahan has been tremendous,” he told Holden Kushner and Danny Rouhier on 106.7 The Fan. “Does anybody want to face that offense and all the variables they’ve got going on right now?”
Written by tomblaz on . Posted in Washington Redskins
Where: Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
When: Sunday, Dec. 16 at 1 p.m. ET
Watch: Fox5 WTTG
Radio: SportsTalk 980 WTEM
Point Spread: Washington (-1)
The suddenly white-hot Redskins (7-6) roll into Cleveland (5-8) seeking their fifth straight victory. The Browns have found success of late as well, winners of three straight. The main and seemingly only topic of discussion surrounding the contest is the health of Washington rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III. RG3's health has seemingly improved daily, but his availability will almost certainly be a game time decision. The game features arguably the two best rookie running backs in the NFL in Alfred Morris of Washington and Cleveland's Trent Richardson.
Thursday afternoon RG3 update (via rotoworld)
Redskins OC Kyle Shanahan won't know until Sunday how effective Robert Griffin III can be on his sprained knee.
The Redskins have yet to practice at full speed this week, so Shanahan hasn't seen Griffin truly test the knee. The biggest factors in the decision to play Griffin will be his ability to protect himself and the risk of reinjury. Shanahan believes Griffin will show he can move well enough to play, but acknowledges the final call will be made by the medical staff. The Redskins won't know whether they will have to alter their play-calling and concepts to suit a more limited RGIII until this weekend. Griffin was limited again in Thursday's practice, though coach Mike Shanahan said he was better than Wednesday. He's expected to be a game-time decision.
REDSKINS: Rookie QB ROBERT GRIFFIN III has won past 4 starts. Aims for 5th in row with 100+ rating. In past 4, has 10 TDs vs. 1 INT for 134.7 rating. Has 748 rush yards, most by rookie QB in NFL history. Is 1st QB in NFL history with 4+ TD passes of 60+ yards & rush TD of 60+ yards in season. In 6 road games, has 106.6 rating & 13 TDs (10 pass, 3 rush). Rookie QB KIRK COUSINS tied game last week with TD pass & 2 pt conversion with 0:29 remaining…RB ALFRED MORRIS is 2nd among rookies with 1,228 rush yards. Rushed for 122 yards & TD last week. Aims for 4th in row with 100+ rush yards. Has 75+ rush yards in 11 of 13 games (6 100s). In 6 road games, has 590 rush yards (98.3 per game) & 4 TDs…WR PIERRE GARCON aims for 4th in row with TD & 85+ yards. WR SANTANAMOSS has 5 TDs in past 7. Had TD in last game vs. Cle…LBLONDON FLETCHER has INT in 2 of past 3. CB DE ANGELO HALL has INT in 2 of past 4. Since 2011, LB RYAN KERRIGAN is only NFL player with 10+ sacks (14) & 2+ INT-TDs (2)…BROWNS: Seek 4th straight win. Have won 4 of past 5 at home. Are 17-6 (.739) all-time at home vs. Was…QB BRANDON WEEDEN (5) has most wins ever by Browns rookie QB. In past 2 vs. NFC, has 4 TDs vs. 2 INTs & 89 rating. Weeden (3,037) has most pass yards by rookie in club history…RBTRENT RICHARDSON is tied with HOFer JIM BROWN (9 in 1957) for most rush TDs by Browns rookie. Has 3 games with 100+ rush yards, tied for most ever by Browns rookie. Leads AFC rookies with 869 rush yards & needs 73 to surpass Brown (942) for most rush yards by Browns rookie…WR JOSH GORDON leads NFL rookies in rec. yards (732). Has 14 rec. for 202 yards with TD in past 2…LBD’QWELL JACKSON has team-high 97 tackles…DE JUQUA PARKER has 3 sacks in past 4…K PHIL DAWSON has made 26 of 27 FGs in 2012, 2nd-best pct. in NFL…Rookie PR TRAVIS BENJAMIN had 93-yard PR-TD last week, longest in Browns history.
For more on the Redskins visit to Cleveland- CONTINUE READING
Written by Mark Buterbaugh on . Posted in Washington Redskins
The reports from Washington Redskins practice today are guardedly optimistic. Robert Griffin III did take to the field for practice and had no difficulty walking up and down stairs and was able to plant and throw. Good signs for the Redskins and RGIII.
Still, no word on RGIII's status. When asked about his ability to play, RGIII stated that his teammates told him to not try and play if he can't. Apparently, instead of resting, he showed up at practice to show his teammates he is doing much better. He did say that he believes his chances of playing on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns has improved.
Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan did say after practice that Griffin was limited, but added that he was impressed with what he did in practice and how he worked at practice. Shanahan added that no decision on Griffin's status for Sunday has been determined.
Other Injuries: Lt Trent Williams was limited at practice. LB London Fletcher did not practice. Fletcher is still hobbled by a sore ankle. Shanahan also added that although WR Pierre Garcon was receiving medical treatment, he was a full participant at practice.
John Keim asks and answers five questions about the Skins going into this week, including whether or not they can win without RG3 this Sunday.
Yes. Cousins will be prepared and has shown that he won't get overwhelmed by the situation. It would change their offense as it's hard to imagine Cousins running the zone read, certainly not as much as Griffin. The key for Cousins will be not getting overaggressive with his throws.
PK Kai Forbathresponds to critics not happy with the distance of his kickoffs.
Written by Thomas Threlkeld on . Posted in Washington Redskins
After reviewing the film of the Redskins-Ravens week 14 game several times, I hand out the following class grades to the Redskins offense.
LT Trent Williams was almost unstoppable last Sunday. [Photo - US Presswire]
HEAD OF THE CLASS
Trent Williams. It was an odd day for the Redskins offensive line, with great run blocking, but poor pass blocking. That wasn't the case for Williams, though. He was solid against the pass, as he almost alway is, and completely dominant in the run game, consistently moving aside his man and getting to the second level to clear a path for Alfred Morris. Like all the offensive linemen, Williams stayed away from penalties and was strong in the running game -- though Williams was the best of the bunch -- but he also did a good job protecting the quarterbacks. He did give up three hurries and he wasn't perfect, but it is clear Williams is playing at a very high level through the pain of his deep thigh bruise. Though he will probably be passed over by Pro Bowl voters, Williams is as good as any left tackle in the NFL right now.
A-STUDENTS
Chris Chester. He gave up a sack and a hurry, but was otherwise quite strong in pass protection, the only lineman apart from Williams to do a decent job protecting the quarterback. In the running game he was fantastic, perhaps even better than Williams in that regard. The Redskins ran five times for 30 yards [6.0] over Chester and when the Skins ran between Chester and Montgomery they gained 48 yards on 5 carries [9.8]. That's fantastic production running behind Chester and a major reason why he had such a good game.
Kirk Cousins. He was very productive in limited action and with almost no warmup time. Cousins threw three passes and each was successful. His first pass yielded a first down due to defensive pass interference. His second pass was a 15-yard completion to Leonard Hankerson in the middle of the field that set the ball up on the 11 yard line. His third pass was an 11-yard TD to Pierre Garcon. On his one running play, Cousins snuck up the middle and scored two points to tie the game with less than 30 seconds to play. Cousins was not asked to win the game in overtime -- that was left to the special teams -- but what he did do he did flawlessly.
Robert Griffin III. He didn't have his best game, but he did play very well, avoided turnovers and negative plays, and threw another TD pass. He showed his toughness by trying to play through a knee injury. Griffin was under pressure much of the day, but he actually had a higher passer rating under pressure than when he had plenty of time, though he as effective in those situations, too. As usual, Griffin was extremely accurate and effective when throwing the ball over the middle.
Alfred Morris. Another big day for Morris, who rushed for 122 yards on 23 carries [5.3]. Even more impressive is that he gained over 76% of those yards after contact, demonstrating yet again what a tough runner he is. He made 7 tacklers miss and was particularly effective in shaking defenders when running up the middle. The one bad mark on Morris' report card this week is the same as last weekk -- a costly fumble. If Morris can conquer his fumbling issues -- and he is working on it now -- there will be almost no holes in his game.
PASS
OG Kory Lichtensteiger, WR Pierre Garcon, C Will Montgomery, WR Joshua Morgan, FB Darrel Young
MUST DO BETTER
Tyler Polumbus. Did a nice job blocking for the run -- as did every lineman on Sunday. He gave up a sack and five hurries, the most of any lineman. He got beaten badly to the outside by Paul Kruger, which led to the sack and he seemed to have trouble most of the day.
Santana Moss. He had a beautiful 60-yard pass from RG3 bounce off his shoulder pads. Not acceptable.
FAIL
Logan Paulsen. His run blocking was fine, but he committed another penalty, dropped a pass and gave up three QB hurries. The offense would really take off with a good tight end like Fred Davis.
We will begin tracking Washington Nationals news clip several times per week to keep you updated through Spring Training 2013. As you already know, the Nationals have made roster moves to help bolster the bullpen, starting pitching, and outfield for their 2013 NL East Division title defense. 
Kirk Cousins. 
