Ahem…
WOOOOHOOOOO!!
Division champs, baby!!!
Giants did it with the big plays. Win by 9 and yet they still had me nervous all game.
Go Giants,
And the Redskins grab the last playoff spot, coming from behind to beat the Eagles, 31-20. Rematch in Tampa!!
And forced out the Cowboys in the process! Woot!
Hail to the Redskins, baby. Hail.
And as we enter the playoffs:
GO BUCS!!!
I’m hailing as fast as I can. Man, my wrist is killing me. 
Man, what a game! The ‘Skins sure were flat in the first half, but they got over it. I think Lemar Marshall’s acrobatic tip-and-interception forces us to bring a certain nickname out of long retirement: he’s this generation’s "Leapin’ Lemar" - the previous one having been Lemar Parrish, the great DB for the Bengals and Redskins back during the 1970s.
And speaking of acrobatic, Portis’ TD run right after Lemar’s INT was absolutely amazing: that spin away from the blocked-up middle, outrunning the guy at the corner to make the turn upfield, and that final leap to stay inbounds while going over the goal line - wow. You don’t see a lot of guys who can pound out the hard yards between the tackles, and still do stuff like that.
I’ve got to admit, I really wasn’t sure about Portis until they gave him the ball these past five weeks. He sure changed my tune, that’s all I can say.
Hopefully some of our banged-up cornerbacks can heal in time to play next Saturday. We’ve got Shaun Springs (left the game after aggravating a groin injury), Ade Jimoh (irregular heartbeat, also left the game), and Carlos Rogers (torn biceps, hasn’t played in weeks) all hurting; by the end of the game, we were down to Walt Harris and (who?) Christian Morton. If either of them had gone down, I guess they would have had to have backup safeties playing corner.
No telling what’ll happen next weekend, but the Redskins have an identity now, and it’s a damned good one. Smashmouth football, baby. I’m lovin’ it.
How do the match ups look right now.
These are the Wild-card matchups: Was-TB | Jac-NE | Car-NYG | Cin-Pit
Who would Draw Seattle and Bears?
I am glad Dallas missed the party too, nice bonus. Boy have I lost all respect for the Stuffed Tuna. Traitor to all with no loyalty.
Jim
Oh well. This Cowboys fan will be rooting for Seattle now.
The NFC East should be red hot next year. All of the teams should be improved, especially Philly.
Just a thought, phrased like an SAT analogy:
Mark Brunell is to Joe Gibbs as Billy Kilmer was to George Allen.
Both are tough veterans, not brilliant QBs but generally get the job done and don’t beat themselves; neither is/was much of a scrambler, but could avoid the sacks; both had coaches who preferred them over a QB with more ability but (at least in the coach’s mind) more likely to throw an INT.
Of course, Allen got Kilmer early enough to get seven years out of him. Gibbs has to be thinking that he’s only got another year or two of Brunell before he’s too old to do the job. Wonder what his thoughts are about the QB of the future? It doesn’t look like he’s enamored with Ramsey.
I thought they drafted one, but for the life of me I can’t remember his name. Am I getting them mixed up with the Packers?
Honestly, I have to wonder if Gibbs is all that worried about the future.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m seriously (re)digging on the guy after what he’s helped accomplish in just two years (that foul Spurrier taste is almost out of my mouth), but the man isn’t a spring chicken. Signing Williams to a 3 year deal (which I applaud Snyder for, for it removes a potential distraction) makes it appear that he’s the heir apparent… at some point to be named in the next 3 years.
I don’t think Gibbs would leave the team in tatters, but I’d have to imagine he figures he can get another season out of Brunell, and in the meantime shop around for another QB, since as you point out, he is most definitely not enamored of Ramsey.
The signing of Williams brings up something I wonder about every year: isn’t it against the rules for teams to interview and “shop around” for coaches until the season is over? Or at least until the guy they’re trying to woo’s team concludes their season?
It would have been against the rules to approach Williams, yes.
But the actual rule is that you cannot approach any coach whose team has a playoff game next week. So you can talk to the Colts, Broncos, Seahawks and Bears coaches this week, as they all have a bye.
However, it is also against the rules for any team to negotiate with any coaching prospects at all between the conference championships and the Superbowl. They don’t want anything distracting people from the big game.
I can see why. Imagine a divisional rival trying to steal thunder. As in, if the Seahawks make the Superbowl, and the week before the 49ers announce that they just signed a new head coach…Bill Walsh!
I wouldn’t put it past some owners to be a dick like that. I could easily envision Jerry Jones announcing a signing like Parcells 4 days before a Redskins Superbowl.
Not me, I still worship the ground that guy walks on.
Do you also hold Larry Brown in low esteem for not having loyalty to a franchise?
I know many Giants fans consider Parcells to have screwed over his franchises when he left, but I just don’t see it. (Especially with the Jets, which is the usually the prime example cited.)
How quickly we forget: Jason Campbell.
I can’t believe a Dan Snyder team made the playoffs…
Obviously we have to wait until the wildcard round is over. The better seed will meet the Bears, and the lower seed will meet the Seahawks. Or were you asking for predictions? In that case I’ll go with SEA vs WAS and NYG vs CHI, but I’m biased.
All my picks for this weekend:
NYG over CAR (again, I’m biased)
WAS over TB
NE over JAC
CIN over PIT
I’m probably way off, and I never feel comfortable making projections more than a week in advance, so the rest of the playoffs are still up in the air.
I have no problem with Brown, I still liked Parcells and rooted for both Pats and Jets when he coached them. But going to Dallas was too much, he is a Jersey Guy, It would be like seeing Torre Manage the Red Sox. Too much.
So you see, it is not logical, it is strictly emotional.
Jim
Sing it, people! What a fine interception!
Hail to the damn Redskins, baby. Hail!
Gibbs for Majority Leader!
Yes! Keep it going, 'Skins. We’ve love to see you give the Giants home field for the NFC title game.