Redskins vs. Ravens: Cousins Makes The Redskins A Team

No more daily injury status updates.  No more endless analysis of self-aggrandizing tweets.  No more attention seeking press conferences and sound bytes.  No more personalized catch phrases with a clothing line attached to them.  No more Robert Griffin in Washington .  Jay Gruden's comments on Sunday may turn out to be the final blow to Griffin's fall from grace in DC despite Gruden giving Griffin the dreaded vote of confidence.  All logical sense points to the Redskins parting ways with Griffin at some point this season, and more than likely before they take the field against the Dolphins in Week 1.  Whatever the Redskins decide to do with Robert Griffin, it is clear that the ascension of Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback has shifted the narrative from the Redskins fate hinging on the health of one person, to their fate being in the hands of 53 people working together.

The biggest difference between Griffin and Cousins that has been noted this offseason is the fact that the offense seems to operate at a higher level when Cousins is under center.  The Baltimore game clearly showed that Cousins has a better command of the offense, but his new found role as the Redskins starter has done more than just bring the team together on the field.  By naming Cousins the starter, Gruden has released the rest of the team from the media fetters that RG3 has placed on them over the past three years.  Ever since Griffin was drafted all you heard about what RG3, and the players could not get away from having to answer questions about Robert's health or performance.  That was fine in his first year when he was tearing up the field; "Winning is the deodorant that covers all the stink" as Charles Barkley would say.  But once the winning went away it became more of a burden for the team to constantly have to hear about what Robert just said, or tweeted, or what they think of his injury status.  It became more about RG3 the persona than about his performance on the field, and it has come to a head this preseason because this team feels that they have amassed quite a collection of talent that should be fielding questions about their own performance rather than RG3's lack thereof.  With RG3 riding the bench, people should start to notice what the Ravens game highlighted; The Redskins maybe deeper an more talented that you think.

Ryan Grant showed that he has the prowess to keep pace with starting level talent, and he showed that the Redskins can trot out four legit WR's, plus have guys like Jamison Crowder and Rashad Ross to back them up.  The OLB's continued to impress with Preston Smith flashing his closing speed and evolving pass rush and Jackson Jeffcoat showing his ball hawking and plain old fashioned hustle skills.  Matt Jones continued his reign of terror over the Ravens' front seven as they tried to bring him down once he got downhill, and Chris Thompson and Tre Williams proved that they can be a sneaky change of pace to Jones and Morris when called upon.  Even Jordan Reed's athleticism showed up and made some people bring back the notion that he could be the next big TE in the NFL.  And don't look now, but Stephen Paea may prove to be the most valuable offseason signing.  He has shown he can get behind the line, which has freed up Jason Hatcher to some degree and made him more productive.  Finally, David Amerson has shown that offenses are rolling the dice if they throw a comeback pattern on him.  He has good closing speed when defending those routes.  Now if we can only get him to take better tackling angles. 

Sure, there were things that left something to be desired in the Ravens game, such as the fact that the offensive line had trouble opening holes for Alfred Morris, whatever Dashon Goldson calls physical safety play may need some self reflecting on his part, the Redskins failed to convert two fourth and one plays, and the Special Teams.  Oh the Special Teams.  Justin Rogers may have secured a spot on the team with his tremendous tackle to save a kick return touchdown.  The problem was that it came 103 yards after the Ravens returner caught the kickoff, and the Redskins MVP last year (Tress Way) continues to be average at best.  I can see us losing at least one game this year because of special teams play if it doesn't improve.

What the Ravens game really showed us, though,
 is that the Redskins have a lot of talent on this team that should not go to waste trying to figure out whether RG3 can compete at a high level again.  Gruden heeded that call by naming Cousins the starter, and in doing so he may have inadvertently shown a commitment to the rest of the team.  A team that has one of the best receiver tandems in the league with Garcon and Jackson.  A team that has four running backs that could wreak havoc on opposing defenses in various ways.  A team whose front seven is looking more physical and talented than it ever has before, doing it all with a limited contribution from Ryan Kerrigan so far this preseason.  A team with a group of corner backs that, at the very least, proved they will be physical and in your face, and a group of about 40-50 other players who have bought in to that mantra of physicality and intensity.  This may be the best collection of talent at the offensive skill positions that the Redskins have had in a long time, and the defense will at least be better than it has been.  The one position that needs to bring it all together is the one that everyone else no longer has to answer for because of Jay Gruden's decision to not let that be a distraction. Cousins brings a higher level of performance to the offense, and more importantly, he makes the Redskins more of a team both on and off the field.

Redskins vs. Lions: The Redskins Need to Let Go of RG3

RG3 is dead.  Last night cemented that fact.  The persona that Robert Griffin adopted at the onset of his professional career went down for the final count last night in numerous bone and soul crushing blows.  The concussion RG3 suffered against the Lions showed that The Redskins, and Robert Griffin, would do well to let go of RG3.  The RG3 that continues to make comments that suggest that he is either having delusions of grandeur, or that he loves playing coy with the media.  The RG3 that has not evolved as a quarterback in over three years and is holding The Redskins, and Robert Griffin, hostage.  RG3 is keeping Robert Griffin in this perpetual state of media sound bytes and manufactured hype that has stunted his growth as a player by believing that RG3 can comeback.  The Redskins have allowed RG3 to spiral out of control both on the field and in the media to a point that has become detrimental to the growth of the team as a whole.  Robert Griffin needs to lose the sophomoric moniker/personality that has relegated him to the Sméagol role in this schizophrenic relationship.  The Redskins need to let go of RG3 in both a literal and figurative sense in order to not squander the collection of talent they have amassed during this offseason because the Lions game showed that The Redskins' level, and depth, of talent are growing by the week.  Kudos from the Lions game go out to:

Matt Jones.  I think Winston Wolf put it best.  Redskins fans need to not get too excited and realize that Alfred Morris is still the starting running back, and most of Jones's yards came against the Lions' second defense.  But Jones's skill set looked damn good, and the Marshawn Lynch comparisons are looking not as crazy now as when Redskins Nation let out a collective "Who?" when Jones was drafted in the third round.  And how about the Redskins' Secondary?  After last week having a so-so game they had a less crappy game this week with the physicality they showed in run support and pass coverage.  David Amerson looked especially good in his closing speed in defending comeback routes and almost had an interception on the first plays of the game.  He just needs to learn to wrap up in tackling.  Kevin Hatcher had a two rushes on Matt Stafford that showed he may not have lost all the mojo from two seasons ago, Andre Roberts' punt return gave a much needed spark to the special teams, and let's hope Ricky Jean Francois gets a chance to do more of this throughout the season.

The negatives need to start with the starting offensive line.  We saw Brandon Scherff get stood up and pushed back about three yards off the line again in this game (The first clip is Scherff, the second is the delayed blitz play).  Last time Alfred Morris was able to compensate and gain 19 yards, but this time it was in pass protection and it resulted in Scherff's man getting a sack.  Willie Smith forced Dan Snyder to buy a plastic bubble for Trent Williams to walk around in all season to ensure he does not get injured, and the assault the Robert Griffin faced all night had to do in part to the poor play of the guys up front.  And if any team wants to stop the Redskins on any pass play over 2 yards, call a delayed blitz.  The Browns killed the first team last week with blitzes coming once the Redskins players committed to blocking assignments, and the Lions were able to have delayed rushers come in untouched to crush Griffin and McCoy on two occasions using this tactic.  Let's see if we can fix that for the upcoming season.  Finally, the secondary gets a thumbs down in the "defending the pick route" category.  The Browns scored on us last week using that play at the goal line, and the Lions did it again this week with the same results.  It is a tricky play to defend, but it can only come through better communication an play recognition that comes from coaching.  C'mon Raheem Morris.  But let us finish where we began with the most glaring negative from that game.  Robert Griffin.

It is clear that Robert Griffin has not acquired any skills that would intimate that he is striving to become a better pocket passer.  He may think that, but the Lions game showed the same mistakes.  His performance is tough to assess because of the poor play from the offensive line, but he still stares down receivers, he holds the ball for too long as seen on his last play (watch it at the end of the clip about Scherff.  Griffin has people open on the check down to his left but he decides to try and extend the play on a 3rd and 16....in the preseason), he does not identify pressure pre-snap in order to adjust his read progression, and he has poor pocket awareness.  These may be the most important detriments in Robert's game.  Griffin's sacks may be due to the fact that he is not making the right read based on what the defense is showing, and he is not calling out a change in protection to give him more time.  The drive before the one where Griffin was injured ended because he was sacked on a 3rd and 2.  How long does a 3rd and 2 play need to develop?  The Lions were showing blitz, but Griffin did little before the snap to adjust his reads or protection in order to give him more time or a quick read in order to avoid contact behind the line.  I saw Kirk Cousins call out pre-snap adjustments in the waning parts of this game against 3rd and 4th stringers, and both McCoy and Cousins seem to have a better idea of where to look for the open receive in Jay Gruden's system.  The play that before Robert was injured (also on the clip) shows him running right into the pressure and not knowing how to avoid it.  I saw Colt McCoy identify a breakdown in the offensive line and scramble for 11 yards.  These deficiencies leads to the final conclusion of this piece.

Robert Griffin should not be the starter this season.  It is clear that the coaching staff does not have faith in Griffin's ability to run the offense based on their play calling against the Lions.  All of Griffin's plays had him stand like a statue while he was under assault, while McCoy got two designed roll out calls AND A READ OPTION PLAY, and Cousins had one designed roll out in order to quell the blitz a bit.  Why not move the pocket for Robert when it was obvious that the Lions were teeing off on him?  Either the Redskins Coaches don't trust his legs, his decision making, his grasp of the offense, or a combination of all three.  Whatever the reason, it is clear that the offense is more dynamic with either Cousins or McCoy and we will get to see what one of them can do against first teamers against the Ravens.  I say start Kirk Cousins against the Ravens and for the beginning of the season.  We need to know if we want to resign him before he becomes a free agent this offseason, and I think that Cousins gives The Redskins best opportunity to have a decent season this year based on what we have seen over the first two preseason games.  It is clear that Robert Griffin is not ready to give up on RG3.  If Griffin is named the starter, then we know that the Redskins organization is also not ready to give up on RG3.  But RG3 only exists as a feeble marketing ploy that does not hold a fraction of the weight it once did in this area.  Robert Griffin needs to be the player that takes the field this season in order for him to have the best opportunity to
show that he is the best quarterback in the NFL. 

Redskins vs. Browns: Open TE Tryouts Start on Monday

With the loss of Niles Paul for the season the Redskins find themselves having to dig deeper on the depth charts than they had expected at the TE position.  Chase Dixon now finds himself as the next man up with Jordan Reed's hamstring soreness, Logan Paulsen's toe status, and the injury sustained by Niles Paul last night.  Paul's injury hits even harder considering that he had worked his way to being the starting TE, and was heralded as one of the emotional leaders of the team.  One only needs to watch the last episode of Hard Knocks to see Niles Paul's energy.  He is seen getting in the face of Texans players and coming to the aid of others when things started getting out of hand.  Paul had also become a solid locker room presence as stated by John Keim, whose report states that players were openly emotional about the injury to Niles Paul.  A big loss for the Redskins, and if you're skeptical that Jordan Reed can finish an entire season without getting injured and you live in the grater Washington DC area, please send your resume to Sean McVay at:

21300 Redskin Park Drive
Ashburn, VA 20147

Please inquire about the Tight End position.  Other than that it was a fairly positive night for the Redskins, starting with the three most important people on the roster right now.

Robert Griffin:  The stats are unassuming, but Griffin looked good for the first preseason game.  He made good throws to Ryan Grant, especially on his fist throw on 3rd and 5 when he wne through his progressions and hit Grant on the crossing route.  His only negatives were a poor 3rd down pass on a comeback route on the sidelines, an a bad 2nd down fade pass to Garcon at the end of the first quarter.  The next play he took a hit and overthrew Garcon again, but that was because Shawn Lauvao missed the delayed blitz coming from his side.  All in all a decent showing from Griffin, but we'll have to see if he can improve upon this showing next week against the Lions.

Kirk Cousins:  What can you say?  The guy knows how to run this offense against inferior competition.  Granted he played most of the game against backups, but he looked damn good doing it.  The one thing that stood out with Cousins was his checking of the defense before the snap.  Numerous times he called out blitzes from the shotgun to the offensive line, which is something that Griffin did not do as often.  He was accurate with his throws, and he even seemed comfortable in the designed roll outs that were called.  We'll see if McCoy ca do the same next week, but all in all a great performance from Kirk Cousins.

Colt McCoy:  It is tough to glean much from McCoy's start against third stringers, but what I was most impressed with was his feet.  He had a nice 10+ yard scramble at the end of the third quarter, and he was able to extend a play with his feet and dump down to Tre Williams.  He may not look as shifty against starters, but he looked good yesterday in his ability to run and move in the pocket.

Other top performers were Chris Thompson's blitz pickup and burst of speed, which was on display all night; The defensive front seven's ability to get in the backfield, even if they failed to get a lot of negative plays they disrupted the run game enough to make it a non factor for the Browns; Trent Murphy looking like he took a step forward in his pass rushing technique, he was inches away from getting a sack at least twice and on the Browns first touchdown he beat the tackle by slapping the OT's hands down and going to the inside to cause McCown to leave the pocket; Preston Smith's quickness and speed when closing in on the runner/quarterback and his ability to create havoc at the line of scrimmage; and the offensive line's pass protection (especially Morgan Moses), which will get tested more heavily as the season goes on but they looked effective last night.

The negatives were minor, but the secondary still has communication problems in releasing receivers when no safety help is there and not adjusting to the Browns's quick passes at the beginning of the game; If Arie Kuandjio is in the game next week you can bet that the Redskins will not run a screen pass because he woefully missed his blocking assignments on both screen passes that caused them to go nowhere (literally); and finally, one play that stood out to me and it is the one in the picture above.  The Redskins called a run right on Fourth and 1 and Brandon Scherff gets pushed one yard into the backfield causing Morris to jump back and find the edge.  Luckily Morgan Moses sealed off the edge long enough, and Morris found the hole and turned it into a huge gain, but for a guy who was touted as a "mauler" in the run game Scherff needs to get more physical on short yardage.  You would think that with all the speculation about Scherff moving positions he would come out with a chip on his shoulder, and what better way to display your dominance than on a Fourth and 1.  It is his first preseason game, and Scherff was not horrible, but that play stuck with me. 

Next week Detroit, and hopefully we can keep this positive mojo going.

The Chronicles of Redskins Quarterbacks Part 12: What's Past is Prologue

Robert Griffin III (2012-present) "Darth Vader"           Kirk Cousins (2012-present) "Fallout Boy"
35 starts (14-21)                                                                 9 starts (2-7)

Completion % = 63.9% (679/1063)                                 Completion % = 59.0% (240/407)

8097 yrds – 40 TD - 23 INT – 90.6 – 101 sacks              3040 yrds - 18 TD - 19 INT - 77.5 - 16 sacks
5 Game Winning Drives                                                     1 Game Winning Drive

Colt McCoy (2014-present) "The Lone Ranger"
4 starts (1-3)

Completion % = 71.1% (91/128)

1057 yrds – 4 TD - 3 INT – 96.4 – 17 sacks
2 Game Winning Drives

A little Shakespeare to end this saga of Redskins quarterbacks that has gone on for over fifteen years and has led us to this point.  The Redskins now find themselves at a crossroads yet again.  This time with three quarterbacks who are coming off a season where all of them had significant playing time and neither one of them showing the skills necessary to be the unquestioned starter.  One who was supposed to be the face of the franchise, but has suffered set backs and injuries that have people questioning whether or not it is worth it to keep him.  One who was the insurance policy but who has shown that he has the physical ability to be the guy if not for his fragile mental state.  And one drifter who has a storied win under his belt, and the one who was hand picked by the current head coach, but may not have the time to be the long term solution.   We will get a preview of what is to come tonight against the Browns, and there are things that each one of them needs to do in order to be the unquestioned starter this season and to show that Jay Gruden can develop the talent that he has inherited. 

Robert Griffin:  Dan Snyder finally found his Darth Vader in the 2012 draft but had to pay a heavy price for him.  For one year, though, it seemed that our future was set.  No one will forget that unbelievable 2012 campaign that had Griffin anointed as the next generation of quarterback, and Mike and Kyle Shanahan's read option lauded as the next evolutionary step in the game.  But Griffin could not stay healthy, and the next two season proved that the Shanahans' system catered to Griffin's strengths without developing him as a passer.  The read option relied on the threat of Griffin being able to beat the edge rusher with his legs, which he did, but after his knee injury it is clear that he does not have the physical tools necessary to strike that fear into opposing defenses any more.  The read option also allowed Griffin to hit on his first read without going through his progressions because, more often than naught, some defender would creep up out of position in order to stop the run leaving a Redskins receiver wide open.  It catered to what Griffin had learned at Baylor running a spread style offense but now he needs to evolve.  He needs to learn to go through progressions, develop a better pocket awareness, learn better footwork in the pocket to avoid pressure, know when to use his legs to his advantage if leaving the pocket, and learn better pre-snap reads.  We have seen Griffin take bad sacks, make hasty decisions when he has more time in the pocket, and run right into opposing rushers without any inkling that he knows how to elude the pass rush.  These are the things we need to see from Robert Griffin if he is to become the starter we want him to be.  Jay Gruden has done similar work with Andy Dalton, who also came from a spread system at TCU, and he needs to make Griffin believe that he can be an accomplished passer in the NFL.

Kirk Cousins: After the Redskins drafted Cousins in 2012 it was alleged that Shanahan never wanted to move up to draft Griffin, and the Cousins pick was an insurance policy with a little bit of irreverence being shown by Shanahan towards the owner.  It proved to be a worthy pick, with Griffin being injured and Cousins proving that he can be a competent quarterback in the NFL.  The problem stems from his nickname; "Fallout Boy".  Cousins seems to always come in when something bad has happened, mostly an injury to Robert or replacing Robert's poor play, and he is there to manage the fall out.  He has also shown a propensity for melting down when things start to turn south for him during games, and his play devolves into something you would see out of a bad high school game.  The Eagles and Giants games from Weeks 3-4 this past season illustrate this point.  Cousins was having an amazing game against the Eagles until he threw a late interception and he could not recover.  The following Thursday against the Giants saw Cousins throw three interceptions in the third quarter when the Redskins had a chance to make it a game.  Instead the Giants blew us out and we saw this all too familiar body language from Cousins.  If Cousins is to be the starter he needs to develop a tougher skin when it comes to mistakes.  He needs to show the confidence he can have on a more regular basis, and he needs to improve on not locking onto receivers.  Interceptions will happen, but Cousins pouty face will not fly when it comes time to win football games, and it may get him traded before the season eve starts.

Colt McCoy:  There are some who say that McCoy has the best understanding of Gruden's offense, and he should get a legitimate shot at starting this season.  The one problem being that his physical attributes limit his ability to access the offense.  His arm is not as strong as the other two quarterbacks, which leaves him vulnerable when he needs to zip a pass into a tight spot or throw a deep ball that will not float it's way into a cornerbacks hands.  But he beat Dallas.  That game should have been the turning point of the season, and had Griffin not been able to go against Minnesota the following week we may be seriously talking about McCoy being the starter.  All McCoy can do now is bide his time and have an impressive showing this preseason.  His arm probably is not going to get any stronger at this point, but if he can take care of the ball and make the right throws he may find himself starting at some point this season.  Let's hope not though because if that happens it means that this saga is not over.

Robert Griffin will get the start Week 1 barring injury.  If the Minnesota game taught us anything last year, it is that no matter how dramatic a win Cousins or McCoy are able to engineer, if Robert Griffin can walk he is going to be the starter.  And the Redskins need him to be.  They do not need him to be 2012 Robert, but they need Griffin to be a legitimate NFL starter that can win at this level. The Redskins have assembled the best collection of talent on both side of the ball that they have had in a long time.  The biggest question mark for the Redskins lies in the most important position.  If Griffin proves to be a lost cause then we need to hope that Cousins shows enough improvement to be a starter, or worthy enough for someone to trade for him before he becomes a UFA at the end of the season.  If not then the Redskins may roll with McCoy for another year or two before drafting another prospect, and we will be back where we have always been since Dan Snyder bought the team:  Seeing if we can lure Eli Manning to start in Washington because he has two Super Bowl Rings and no contract for 2016. 

Jake Layman Needs to be Maryland's #1

Rasheed Sulaimon will hopefully fill the scoring void left by Dez Wells.  Robert Carter will provide a 6'9" 250lb force that averaged 11 points and 8 rebounds for Georgia Tech two years ago.  Diamond Stone should be a nice compliment to Carter in the paint as one of the highest recruited freshman in the country.  Jared Nickens will be the young sharp shooter the Terps will look to make the big shots in clutch situations.  Melo Trimble will do what Melo Trimble does and just go HAM for the Terps in every facet of the game.  But lost in all the fervor of transfers, recruits, and preseason number one seedings is someone who needs to be the heart and soul of this team if they are to live up to the preseason hype.  That person is Jake Layman.

Jake Layman decided to return to Maryland for his senior year, which follows the track record of his loyalty to the program.  Not but one year ago Layman witnessed all the members of his recruiting class, plus Nick Faust and Roddy Peters, transfer leaving the Terps in a tough situation as far a backcourt depth was concerned.  Layman may not have had any intentions of transferring, but there has always been rumblings about him leaving for the NBA ever since he arrived in College Park.  After enduring two years of not making the NCAA tournament, seeing his team significantly regress in his sophomore year, and subsequently having five key contributors leave the program, Layman had every right to call it a career at Maryland and try his luck in the NBA Draft.  But he didn't.  Layman returned to have the best statistical season of his college career, and the Terps showed everyone that the transfers were of no consequence to their ultimate aspirations.  Layman has been there through the thick and thin of Mark Turgeon's tenure and he needs to provide the statistical, and more importantly, the emotional leadership that is necessary for a deeper run in the NCAA tournament in 2015. 

Layman has the largest investment in the Terps success out of any player on the roster this season.  A big season means a bigger spotlight on his eventual foray into the NBA Draft, and it means that his decision to stay for his senior year was not in vain.  It means his four years of dedication to this program came to fruition in the form of a Conference Championship or Final Four appearance.  But Layman will not see these successes if he does not embody the Terps' drive to get there.  He has seen what adversity looks like in an NCAA program, and he has fought long and hard to overcome that adversity by sticking with a program that now finds itself at the subjective top of College Basketball.  In order to live up to that billing Layman must channel the likes of Greivis Vasquez and Juan Dixon and be the personified image of Maryland's drive for success on the court.  Layman needs to demand the ball in pressure situations. He needs to be the guy who gets the big basket when all seems lost.  He needs to pick other players up when they think they are having a bad game.  He needs to be that emotional leader on the court because he is the only guy on the roster who knows what a struggle it has been for this team over the past three seasons.  If he can be that kind of leader, Jake Layman and the Terps may be cutting down the nets on their way to Houston come March.

The Chronicles of Redskins Quarterbacks Part 10: Donovan McNabb

                                                                             

 Donovan McNabb (2010) "Batman"
13 starts (5-8)

Completion % = 58.3% (275/472)

3377 yrds – 14 TD - 15 INT – 77.1 – 37 sacks
2 Game Winning Drives

Out with the old and in with the older yet slightly more accomplished.  When the Redskins traded for Donovan McNabb in the Spring of 2010 it spelled the end of Jason Campbell in DC, and the beginning of what most Redskins fans thought would be a harmonious relationship between McNabb and newly hired super coach Mike Shanahan.   But McNabb's time in Washington was summed up by the line from the Dark Knight that said, "He is the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now".  McNabb's track record was something that Redskins fans felt they deserved to have in Washington after a decade of despair and ineptitude, but their long time nemesis was not the hero Washington needed at that time.  Redskins fans were so enamored with the signing that they failed to realize what they were getting when McNabb decided to take the 136 mile journey down I-95.

McNabb's career before Washington followed the career arc of Batman: An Anti-Hero whose accomplishments were accepted by the masses but never fully appreciated because of his propensity to get the job done in a sporadic, off-the-cuff, unorthodox, and dangerous manner.  Just like Batman he came into a hostile city that did not want him, and openly booed him when he was drafted.  They wanted Ricky Williams, as the obviously sober grown man with his face painted wearing a mock Ricky Williams Eagles Jersey mouths at the end of that clip.  But McNabb would lead the Eagles to the playoffs in five of his fist six season, four straight NFC Championship games between 2001-2004, and coming within three points of defeating the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX.  Along the way, though, there were concerns about McNabb's decision making and propensity for throwing bad interceptions.  These problems were exacerbated by the injuries McNabb would sustain over the next three seasons, causing the Eagles to draft Kevin Kolb in 2007 and putting McNabb's future in Philly in question.  McNabb would stay another two years, however, and lead the Eagles to the playoffs both seasons, and lead them to another NFC Championship Game in 2008.  Everything looked like it was turning around for McNabb, but then he was unexpectedly traded in the Spring of 2010 with the Eagles electing to go with Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick.  Redskins fans were elated that they would have a guy who compiled a 12-7 record against them on their side, but skepticism was abound about why they Eagles would trade McNabb within their own division.  The Redskins shortly found out why.

The 2010 season became the search for why Donovan McNabb did not work in Washington, and the ultimate conclusion pointed to McNabb and the Shanahans not being able to get along, but for the beginning of the season it seemed to work.  McNabb led the Redskins to a 4-3 record that included wins over the Cowboys and Eagles, but his passing was erratic from game to game and Skins fans never knew which McNabb would show up.  Was it the one who could throw for 300 yards and beat the Packers at home, or the one who would throw for 222 yards and a late interception that cost them the game against the Colts?  Was it the one who could beat the Eagles and Cowboys while throwing for 124 and 161 yards in those games, or the one who could throw for 400 yards and lose to the Texans?  Redskin fans were beginning to see how frustrating it was to have McNabb at the helm, and the fissures widened during the next two games.

McNabb would be benched in the last two minutes at the end of the Week 8 game against the Lions, which led to Rex Grossman fumbling his first snap that was returned for a touchdown and a myriad of explanations from the Shanahan's as to why they benched him.  McNabb did not have the cardiovascular endurance to run the two minute drill.  Grossman knows the two minute drill better.  McNabb was told in advance he might be pulled.  The Redskins endured this controversy for two weeks but ultimately McNabb was named the starter for the next game against the Eagles, and he was signed to a long term contract.  Unfortunately, Michael Vick had his coming out party against the Redskins on Monday Night Football scoring 28 points in the first quarter and burying the Redskins on national television by a score of 59-28.  It was one of the hardest games for any Redskins fan to watch, and it spelled the beginning of the end for Donovan McNabb.  McNabb would go 1-3 in his next four games, and be benched for the last three games of the season with the Shanahans electing to go with Rex Grossman.  McNabb would be traded to Minnesota after the 2010 season.

McNabb's time in Washington was tumultuous, and most of if had to do with his relationship with Mike and Kyle Shanahan.  Jason Reid told the story about the reluctance of Kyle Shanahan in trading for McNabb and of Mike Shanahan's determination to reinvent McNabb, but ultimately it came down to the fact that McNabb was not what the Shanahans wanted.  McNabb would spend one year in Minnesota where he would start the first six games, but be benched in favor of Christian Ponder due to rumors about his poor work ethic.  He would retire after the 2011 season, but he will always be remembered for all the accomplishments he had in Philadelphia.  The Redskins deserved a winner, but McNabb was not the one that they needed.  The Shanahans needed someone they could mold an offense around and McNabb was clearly not going to change the way he played the position.  Mike and Kyle would continue their search for their ideal quarterback, but they would not get him right away.

Fun Facts: Only five quarterbacks went to more conference championship games than Donovan McNabb in NFL history.  They are Tom Brady, Joe Montana, John Elway, Terry Bradshaw, and Roger Staubach.  McNabb is tied with Brett Favre, Ken Stabler, and Jim Kelly with five appearances. 

McNabb was traded to the Vikings for a 6th round pick that became Alfred Morris.

The Chronicles of Redskins Quarterbacks Part 9: Todd Collins

Todd Collins (06-09) "Quetzalcoatl"

3 starts (3-0)

Completion % = 61.7% (79/128)

1032 yrds – 5 TD - 0 INT – 100.1 – 9 sacks

SweetDCSports is giving a little lesson in Meso-American mythology.  Quetzalcoatl (pronounced "Ket-zal-quatl") was a deity that was represented by a feathered serpent and was worshiped as the bringer of civilization and protector of craftsman by the Aztecs.  The story goes that Quetzlcoatl brought forth humans onto this earth by collecting their bones from the underworld, and gave them the knowledge to create calendars and books.  The myth states that he left the lands, but some legends state that Quetzlcoatl would return from across the ocean because he was associated with the winds and the sea.  This myth fits the story of Todd Collins' Redskins story perfectly because it almost seemed as if Collins was destined to become a starter of the Washington Redskins, and his accomplishments would give every Redskins fan hope that we could comeback from 5-7 every season after that.  (Destiny Side Notes: Any bolded names or phrases mean to check the Side Notes at the end of this article.  Collins had so many ties to the Redskins before he came here they require their own section.)

Collins went to Michigan from 1990-1994 where he would be the starter his last two years.  Collins would set the Michigan record for career completion percentage (64.28%) that still stands today, and he is still one of the top 5 quarterbacks in Michigan history in many statistical categories including yards and passing efficiency.  He would be drafted by the Bills in 1995, and he would replace Jim Kelly after Kelly retired in 1996.  He spent the 1997 season as the Bills starter after beating out Alex Van Pelt and Billy Joe Hobert, but the Bills would replace Collins with Rob Johnson and Doug Flutie in 1998.  Collins would be signed by the Chiefs where he would be third string behind Rich Gannon and Warren Moon.  Collins would not take another snap in an NFL game until 2001 when he would be the backup to Trent Green.  Collins would appear in 12 games for the Chiefs between 2001-2005, but never get to start until the Redskins came calling.

Even though the Redskins made the playoffs in 2005, their offense with Mark Brunell was anemic and Snyder thought they needed an offensive mind that had not taken a decade off from football to implement a more dynamic offense.  Enter Al Saunders.  Saunders was tagged as the new offensive guru, but the problem was that his playbook was apparently the equivalent of a "How to Build and Sustain Your Own Nuclear Reactor" manual.  Saunders felt that he needed a quarterback who knew his system and could teach the other quarterbacks how to run it.  Luckily, Saunders had come from Kansas City and Todd Collins was just the guy.  Collins was signed by the Redskins in 2006, but he would not see any game action until his magical 2007 season.

Campbell was the unquestioned starter in 2007, and it looked like Collins would continue to be the career backup QB after he won the role from Mark Brunell in the offseason, especially after the Redskins began the season 5-3.  The Redskins, though, would lose their next three games and on November 27 Sean Taylor died in Florida.  Football took a backseat to real life at that point, but the Redskins played on and lost their subsequent home game to the Bills after Joe Gibbs called two timeouts in a row that moved the Bills' final field go from 51 yards to 36 yards.  Jason Campbell would injure his knee in the next game against the Bears, and all seemed lost for the 5-7 Redskins.  But little did they know that Quetzlcoatl would save them.

Todd Collins would finish that game and win the next three to lead the Redskins into the playoffs for the second time in three years.  The stats listed above are from the four games he played that season, and everyone was in a frenzy about the unbelievable run the Redskins had to make the playoffs and how a big part of that was due to the play of Todd Collins.  The Redskins, though, would once again lose to Seattle in the playoffs in a wild game that saw the Redskins come back from down 13-0 to go up 14-13.  On the ensuing kickoff, the Seahawks let the ball hit the ground at the 10 yardline and the Redskins recovered it at the Seattle 14.  The Redskins had all the momentum, but they failed to even get a field goal out of that drive, and Collins would throw two pick-sixes to seal the deal for the Seahawks.  Collins would stay on the Redskins' roster for the next two seasons, but he would never get another start after the playoff game in Seattle, much to the dismay of a large part of the fan base.  Collins would leave the Redskins after the 2009 season, and play one more year with the Bears before retiring at the end of the 2010 season. 

Collins' magic gave every Redskins fan hope that we could do it again.  Collins was only here for a brief time (like Quetzlcoatl) and when the Redskins would be below .500 with four or five games remaining at the end of the season they would say "Well, Todd Collins won four games in a row, so we can do it again".  Redskins fans assumed that the spirit of Todd Collins would return (like Quetzlcoatl) but it would be another 5 years before the Redskins would make a run like that again.  Still, every Redskins fan who is old enough will remember that Todd Collins run forever. 

NFL Side Notes:  When Collins made his first start with the Redskins on Dec. 16, 2007 against the Giants he made NFL History.  Collins set the record for longest time between NFL starts (10 years and 2 days) with his last NFL start being on Dec. 14, 1997. 

Destiny Side Notes: Collins was the starting quarterback for Michigan when Kordell Stewart threw his famous Hail Mary pass to beat the Wolverines.  The man who caught that pass? Michael Westbrook, who would be the Redskins first round draft pick later that year.  Billy Joe Hobert  played alongside Mark Brunell at the University of Washington, and replaced Brunell for most of the 1991 season when Brunell was injured.  Collins' last start for the Bills came against Mark Brunell and the Jaguars, which would be the last start he would have as a professional until he came to Washington.  Rob Johnson would replace Collins on the Bills' roster after being Mark Brunell's backup in Jacksonville.  Collins replaced Mark Brunell as the Redskins' backup in 2007.  not take another snap in an NFL game until 2001: In fact, Collins would only appear in one game that season and throw 4 passes.  That game was against Tony Banks and the Washington Redskins.  Trent Green and Rich Gannon were starters in Washington at one point before being the starter in Kansas City.  Collins would be the backup for both before coming to the Redskins.