Game 14: Redskins (6-7) at Giants (9-4)

vs.

The Redskins travel to visit the New York Giants for an 8pm national game on NBC. Since the then winless Giants beat the then undefeated Redskins in week three the Giants have gone on an 8-2 streak while the Redskins went 4-6. One win and the Giants clinch a playoff berth. Meanwhile the Redskins are still in the hunt but need to win out and get some help to make it.

Therefore it is an unfortunate time to lose your quarterback to a dislocated kneecap. The Giants have two ferocious defensive ends in Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, guys that like to eat Redskins quarterbacks like crudite: going back to the 2004 season Redskins are 2-5 against the Giants and Michael and Osi have five sacks between them.

So it's Todd Collins, nearly ten years to the day since his last NFL start and he wins the NFC offensive player of the week in his first serious action in four years. Assume it is Todd Collins the rest of the way out, the Redskins have not put Jason Campbell on injured reserve though if they lose at any point the rest of the way out and are therebe eliminated from playoff contention I bet they will.

Now this means aging former starter Mark Brunell, in the twilight of his skills becomes the backup. I bet you one dallah The Curly R spends a little offseason time wondering how the Redskins could have gotten to the point where their starting quarterback is 36 years old and their backup is 37. As a 38 year old I am quite proud of Todd and Mark though as a Redskins fan I see a bit of a problem.

The Redskins response: sign some guy named Jason Fife (op. cit.), cut him, sign former Maryland Terp (and teammate of rookie right guard Stephon Heyer, more on him later) Sam Hollenbach. But because these Redskins quarterback pickups are really insurance policies and not possibilities Sam will stay on the practice squad and so former Indiana University college quarterback Antwaan Randle El will be the emergency third QB. Like converted quarterback Brian Mitchell before him I feel reasonably sure Antwaan would not have a problem getting back under center again.

The play in the media here is now that Al Saunders finally has his guy and can open up the offense. For a second year in a row the conventional wisdom coming from Al is that the offense is still pared down, last year to accommodate first Mark Brunell's spaghetti arm and later so as not to confuse new young starter Jason Campbell and this year because Joe Gibbs was getting to conservative late and now Jason is hurt.

Obviously I hope Todd does well and the Redskins win. That said I wonder if Al could coach here for a decade and always find some reason the offense still has not 'reached its potential.'

Curly R aside: Mike Wise, uneven though he is, continues his outreach to the alternative sporting media by unconvering Todd Collins - Diary of an NFL Quarterback. Like Tony Homo before it, it was a little read satirical journal pretending at chronicling the leisurely life of an NFL backup. But once Jason Campbell went down and Todd became the starter suddenly the Washington Post was on the line and the blog started getting serious attention. Welcome to Redskinsland gentlemen and I hope you keep it up the rest of the season. Oh and apparently Todd is not a fan of the imitation. Todd, get off your stern New England highhorse and lighten the fuck up.

Meanwhile the offense has more than one soft spot. Todd Wade aka Big Head Todd aka 8 Ball is still on the bench and undrafted rookie Stephon Heyer is starting at right tackle meaning a tight end will be forced to stay home and help block Michael Strahan. But it gets worse. Right guard Randy Thomas who tore his triceps in game two played last week in his first game since September but hurt his elbow and the team had no choice but to put him on injured reserve. Guess maybe they should have in the first place. Jason Fabini will continue at RG.

All this leaves Clinton Portis and the running game somewhat in question. Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora will be merciless.

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Meanwhile there is another side of the ball. Eli Manning (lol) has the Giants playing .500 ball at home and they are dinged up, leading receiver Plaxico Burress has not been completely healthy all year and Derrick Ward, the guy that fits the Tiki Barber suit, went on IR with a broken leg. Brandon Jacobs is back to carrying the load and the Giants are not built around a big back but rather a scatback and if the Redskins can get some pressure on Eli they may be able to keep the Giants off balance in what promises to be foul weather.

And the Redskins defensive secondary continues to find its new identity. Shawn Springs and Fred Smoot are playing hurt, reserve cornerback John Eubanks aka Bob Eubanks is out with an infected toe, Reed Doughty is a second year former sixth round pick and even though LaRon Landry can bring the wood, he is a rookie and is prone to mistakes and last week had an unnecessary penalty.

The Redskins do not play well in Giants Stadium, this will be a tough tough game to win. So let us review the Redskins playoff scenario. Four things need to happen, in descending order of importance:

1. The Redskins must beat the Giants. This keeps the Redskins alive for a playoff spot.

2. The Saints must lose between now and the end of the season. Right now the Saints hold the wildcard spot over the Redskins with a better conference record.

3. The Cowboys must win their next two games. The Redskins want the Cowboys' playoff spot to be solidified and seeded as highly as possible. The Redskins want the Cowboys to have nothing to play for in game sixteen when the Cowboys come to Redskins Stadium.

4. The Packers must lose. The Packers losing puts some separation between them and the Cowboys and goes toward solidifying the Cowboys' playoff spot.

We'll go back over this checklist in the game wrap tomorrow.


Washington Post preview, Redskins Gameday (PDF). Redskins roster, Giants roster. Redskins projected starters, Giants projected starters. Redskins injury report, Giants injury report. Campbell's Collins' Corner, lead question is about Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, the Giants' defensive ends that no doubt have a healthy respect for a guy in the league this long as a backup but that said really want to mash him like a refried bean.

Other previews: Hogs Haven, Redskins AOL Fanhouse, Hog Heaven, Fake Todd Collins Blog.


This is a gameday open thread.