Game 7: Redskins (4-2) vs. Browns (2-3)

vs.

Out of the box: band two got off to a bad start but that was last week, the Washington Redskins are at home today against another under .500 team as the Cleveland Browns come for a visit at the unusual home game time of 4:15pm ET. The Redskins are swearing they have focus. And they better, from here on in all games have playoff implications.

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The story so far: the honeymoon is over, we're all moved in together and now his stuff is starting to replace ours. After shadow general manager Vinny Cerrato and head coach Jim Zorn sort of contradicted one another on Monday over rookie punter Durant Brooks it went down anyway, Durant has been cut and former Seattle punter Ryan Plackemeier was signed.

Also Monday we learned Ladell Betts' knee injury suffered in the Redskins' last drive of the Rams game was more serious than it appeared and he could be out two weeks at least four weeks who knows. The Redskins reacted to this news by signing former Seattle tailback and 2005 NFL MVP Shaun Alexander. Hunh.

Going to a almost bizarre, Monday we also learned that demoted though still seeing plenty of game action safety Reed Doughty has a nerve injury in his back that is causing numbness in his left foot (op. cit. and op. cit.), this had been reported as recently as last Thursday as simply back problems, both back and nerve injuries are nothing to fuck with, they shut Reed down on Tuesday signed former surprise surprise Seattle safety Mike Green.

Three players from Jim Zorn's former team. To be fair Mike Green also played for defensive coordinator Greg Blache in Chicago but still. Three players. I mean seriously what are the chances right?

Durant was just awful in a league where the difference between the best and worst punters is 11 yards. Ryan played little this season, one game before being cut and I think this is viewed as a if we are going to be this bad at this position I'd rather do it with someone I know move. Durant could be back if clears waivers and we might see him next season. I say what the heck, you wasted a draft pick on him, hold a competition in 2009 training camp and see what happens.

Reed in my estimation was suffering, I saw him behind the play way too many times, typified for me by the DeSean Jackson punt return for a touchdown in game five against the Eagles, he seemed to have an angle and just never could make a move.

This in comparison to Chris Horton who we hear more and more about not being in the right place, notably the final Marc Bulger pass, a wobbly almost quacking rainbow that should have been easily batted away if not intercepted that was caught by Donnie Avery on Leigh Torrence, apparently Chris was supposed to have blitzed and did not, but what we actually see from play to play is Chris on the TV screens in the pile.

Reed may still be valuable to the team though he seemed to imply ominously that he was shut down too quickly and still could have played a game or two while he worked out his treatment options, surgery versus rehab. He was a 2006 sixth round pick whose contract is up at the end of the season, that may be it for Reed. Another bad sign for Reed? Shaun Alexander now has his number 37.

From coaches' point of view as re: comfort level these moves make sense, none of the new players is expected to make a serious impact immediately and the team is trying to get better or at least stop getting worse.

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Curly R aside: everybody does realize right that the Shaun Alexander move violates team design, Rock Cartwright has not had serious carries since 2005 when was one short of 200, including a hundred yard game that season, but he has been the designated third tailback whether I like it or not, he knows the system and his teammates trust him. Shaun has not played competitive football since January and the idea that he could come into a game and be productive seems totally crazy to me. Give him the ball and he will more likely fumble it than break a big one. I hope I am wrong. What do you think is the Shaun Alexander trust level in that locker room? In any event it could be moot, it would or will take more than one week to get Shaun into game shape, right about the time Ladell is coming back so then you can say well we never got to see Shaun so you cut Justin Tryon and move him to the practice squad so you can keep him and then you have four tailbacks on the roster which is what you said you did not want to do when you cut Marcus Mason. At least Ladell is being a big boy about this (ibid.). There is no chance Shaun will take Ladell's spot. Mike Wise, no Clinton does not need a backup like Shaun. And please, no more former Seattle coaches trying to tell me that Shaun's football inactivity is actually a good thing.This one does not pass the laugh test.

Curly R aside continues: note to Washington Post right win apologist ombudswoman Deborah Howell, I guess it is tempting to use the analogy of Post coverage of the Washington Redskins football team versus the Washington Capitals hockey team to make some point about coverage of Barack Obama versus John McCain. Just don't. In other media coverage news, yes the Redskins dominate the Post sports section, win or lose. This town does not give a crap about baseball from July to January. Get over it. Also Rich Tandler catches Sally Jenkins reversing herself, hilarious. Finally, Jason La Canfora is a pretty damn good columnist, he nails it, the Redskins got caught last week overthinking.

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Oppo research: the place was on fire in Cleveland, the Browns were sucking and Derek Anderson was about to get benched for Quinn Brady which I think every other AFC North team is still hoping will happen. Then the Browns smacked up the Super Bowl champion Giants for both New York's first loss and New York's first road loss since week one of last season and suddenly they think they have a team again. Braylon Edwards is as dangerous as any top receiver in the league. This Browns team will be more vulnerable if Kellen Winslow is out again.

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Trainer's table: we have entered the heart of the NFL season where injuries are now quote nagging unquote and teams will use their injury reports and who appears on them to game the opponent.

The biggest injury concern for me is Shawn Springs, he has missed two games and did not start last week against the Rams, Shawn really seems to be unavailable a good lot of the time now which is disconcerting despite having Carlos Rogers and Fred Smoot as well, for the second year in a row I will go ahead and predict Shawn will not be with the team next season. He is a game time decision for today.

And speaking of Fred Smoot he has a groin pull severe enough to put his availability in doubt. Down Shawn Springs and Fred Smoot would not be a good thing. The whole secondary is dinged up (op. cit.), if we are to believe the injury reports.

Chris Samuels dinged his knee in the Rams game and came out for a few plays, he is expected to play. Stephon Heyer is well enough to play but coach Zorn is going with Jon Jansen again (op. cit.), this will be his fourth start since getting demoted to start the season.

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Gameplan: after last week there is no question this Browns team has Washington's attention. Expectations have already become so large for this team that if they lose today the mood will be dark tomorrow.

On offense, just keep at it. With Ladell out and Shaun Alexander a newbie again coach Zorn could go one of two ways, he could simply put Rock Cartwright or Shaun Alexander in there for Ladell's percentages, he could simply give all those carries to Clinton Portis or he could put in an offensive game plan that is more pass heavy to take advantage of Jason Campbell's confidence. Either way = steady diet of Clinton. The passing game has been getting enough done though I would like to see Santana Moss get back in the game, there is no other real deep threat and the longer the Redskins need to hunker down the easier it will be for opposing teams to solve them.

On defense the team is suddenly even thinner at safety where Reed Doughty was the cagey veteran of three whole years. I like this idea of moving LaRon Landry around at safety (op. cit. and op. cit.) but let us not get to carried away. What LaRon gives the team in passing coverage I think exceeds what he could give nearer to the line of scrimmage. Safety play will be key with Shawn Springs and Fred Smoot dinged. The line and linebackers need to continue their excellent pattern of containing opposing runners, forcing them into the middle where they can get fewer yards.

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My take in 60 words or less: Once again the Redskins are measurably the better team here. The team has shown an ability to scout an opponent's offense and the consistency is there on offense. They need to win and I don't care about the final score. I'll be pissed if the Ravens game goes over. I hate Redskins football on CBS.

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Washington Post / AP preview, Redskins Gameday (PDF), keys to the game, the Zorn Zone. Redskins injury report, projected starters; Browns injury report, projected starters. Skinscast weather, broadcast coverage.

Other previews:


This is a gameday open thread.



NFL helmets from here.