GC presents - Washington Redskins Franchise

[GoChargers]

Week 9 vs 49ers

(5-2) @ (3-4)




SKINS WITHHOLD 49ERS COMEBACK, BACK TO .500

Washington looked well on top of the game at 14-0 heading into halftime, their lead came courtesy of a Chris Cooley touchdown reception and a Roy Helu touchdown run. It was Cooley's first touchdown reception of the season despite being the leading receiver for the Skins. It was Helu's, who is currently the front runner for OROTY honours, 4th touchdown run of his career.

Frank Gore scored early in the third quarter to bring it back to a 7 point game, before Grossman connected with Santana Moss on the following drive to re-establish the Skins lead at 21-7. Gore, who ran for 81 yards on 22 carries, scored his 2nd touchdown of the game to again bring the 49ers back into it, Skins headed into the final term leading 21-14.

And when receiver Michael Crabtree took a screen pass 44 yards for a touchdown with 9 minutes to play, the Skins looked like they were on the brink of self destruction at 21-21. However, backup HB James Davis who entered the game on the following drive made sure it wouldn't be easy for San Fran, running for a 19 yard score and a 28-21 lead to the Skins.

This time it wasn't Grossman who's poor decision making cost their team the game, rather it was Alex Smith. On the following possession, down by 7 with 5 minutes to play, he was picked off by defensive lineman Adam Carriker who somehow managed to return the ball for a 35 yard score and a 35-21 lead to Washington. Gano sealed the win with a 46 yard FG with 2:40 left to play.

PASSING LEADERS
RUSHING LEADERS
RECEIVING LEADERS
DEFENSIVE LEADERS
*Includes all sacks, interceptions, forced fumbles and recovered fumbles
**Denotes Defensive Touchdown.

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Week 10 @ Dolphins

(4-4) @ (2-6)


THIRD TIME THE CHARM, REDSKINS BEAT DOLPHINS IN OVERTIME

Rex Grossman and Redskins fans breathed a collective sigh of relief when the Dolphins won the coin toss in overtime and elected to receive, because we all know what happened the last two times the Redskins received the ball in OT, Redskin threw and fumbled the game away in consecutive weeks.

Not this time.

Forcing Matt Moore and the Dolphins offense into a 3-and-out, the Redskins were able to run the ball down to the redzone and set Gano up for the game winning 27 yard field goal on 3rd down, moving the Skins above .500 for the first time since week 6.

Washington started the game in fine fashion, Roy Helu rushing for a 50 yard score on the opening drive, backed up by a 51 yard field goal by Gano to lead 10-0 after one quarter. Gano is 19/20 on field goals for the year.

Moore, who replaced Henne as Dolphins starting quarterback in week 6, connected on two touchdown passes in the 2nd term, sandwiched in between that was another Helu touchdown run to give the Skins a 17-14 lead, before Carpenter tied it up on the last pay of the half with a 43 yard field goal. The Dolphins started the season 1-4 under Henne, and a switch in quarterback has done little for them as they now sit at 2-7.

Miami took their first lead of the game on the first drive of the third quarter, Matt Moore throwing his 3rd touchdown pass of the game and his 2nd to Davone Bess. Grossman was able to tie it up, connecting with Cooley on a 3 yard score, Cooley's 2nd touchdown of the year. Teams went into the final term locked at 24.

Miami were looking threatening on offense, but the Skins D held firm when it counted, limiting the Dolphins to 2 field goals on 2 redzone trips, before Santana Moss put the Skins ahead 31-30 with 5:40 to play.

The lead didn't last long for Washington, as rookie halfback Daniel Thomas ran one in from 32 yards out on the following drive, a successful 2 point conversion gave the Fins a 38-31 buffer with 2 minutes to play. Luckily, Grossman did what he has done a few times this season, leading the Skins offense down the field to tie the game up, Cooley again on the receiving end of a 5 yard pass, scores tied 38-38 with 20 seconds to play.

And this time, in overtime, the Skins got the job done.

The win puts the Skins at 5-4 and within reach of an unlikely playoff berth, while the Fins miserable season continues despite a solid performance by Moore.

The Skins Defense were able to force 3 fumbles on the day, recovering 2 of them.

PASSING LEADERS
RUSHING LEADERS
RECEIVING LEADERS
DEFENSIVE LEADERS

-Includes all sacks, interceptions, forced and recovered fumbles.
** Denotes defensive touchdown

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Week 11 vs Cowboys

(4-5) @ (5-4)




COWBOYS NO MATCH FOR REDSKINS DEFENSE

With the rain pouring down in Washington it looked to be a game that would be won by whoevers offense could limit their turnovers.

Dallas obviously didn't get the memo, on their first drive quarterback Jon Kitna, filling in for the injured Tony Romo, was sacked by LE Adam Carriker. Carriker knocked the ball out of Kitna's hands, and FS Laron Landry was able to pick it up and run it back 35 yards for the opening score.

On Washington's opening posession, facing a 3rd and 18 from their own 26 yard line, Grossman connected with Anthony Armstrong, who beat single coverage, broke a tackle, and gave Washington a 14-0 lead with a huge catch and run. That lead was extended when Grossman connected with Cooley from 8 yards and a 21-0 lead after just one quarter.

Kicker Graham Gano added the only points of the 2nd quarter giving Washington a commanding 24-0 lead. Dallas offense was not able to get much going all game, going 2/8 on third downs on top of turning the ball over three times and once on downs. Dallas also visited the red zone three times and came away with a total of 0 points on those three visits.

Dallas finally got on the board through a Kris Brown field goal in the third term, before a James Davis 1 yard rushig touchdown gave Washington a 31-3 lead and closed the book on the game. The last two minutes of the third quarter and the entire fourth quarter went without score.

Credit for this one goes to the D, particularly LE Adam Carriker who sacked Kitna 3 times, forced a fumble and made 4 tackles for losses. Carriker is currently the front runner for Defensive Player of the Year across the entire NFL. Laron Landry continued a dominant season, recovering 2 fumbles.

PASSING LEADERS
RUSHING LEADERS
RECEIVING LEADERS
DEFENSIVE LEADERS
*Includes all sacks, interceptions, forced fumbles and recovered fumbles
**Denotes Defensive Touchdown.

[GoChargers]

Week 12 @ Seahawks

(6-4) @ (4-6)


SKINS HOLD SEATTLE OFFENSE TO 142 YARDS, ONE STEP CLOSER TO PLAYOFFS.

Washington are quickly establishing themselves as one of the better defensive units in this league. Following the Dallas victory last week in which the Skins held them to just three points, Seattle were unable to score any offensive points this week - their two touchdowns coming from special teams and defense.

Washington started well in the rain as Roy Helu opened the games scoring with a 5 yard touchdown run. The lead lasted just 11 seconds as Seattle's kick returner Leon Washington returned the kickoff for a 100 yard score.

The game was tied at 7-7 but it was becoming obvious that Seattle would struggle to get anything going offensively, they finished with just 73 yards rushing and 69 yards passing in the pouring rain.

What this means is that my sliders will undergo a transformation to make defense a little more difficult.

Washington re-took the lead mid-way through the 2nd quarter when Grossman connected with rookie Leonard Hankerson for a 68 yard score. The lead was extended to 17-7 through a Graham Gano 21 yard field goal in the third term. Washington sealed the victory with another Gano field goal, this one 2 minutes out from time.

Seattle scored a consolation touchdown when Jason Babineaux returned a Rex Grossman pass for a 76 yard score in the final minute of the game. Washigton had 4 sacks on the game.

PASSING LEADERS
RUSHING LEADERS
RECEIVING LEADERS
DEFENSIVE LEADERS

-Includes all sacks, interceptions, forced and recovered fumbles.
** Denotes defensive touchdown

[GoChargers]

Week 13 vs Jets

(7-4) @ (7-4)




GROSSMAN PICKED 5 TIMES IN EMBARRASSING LOSS TO JETS.

Washington have had some average offensive performances this year. Week 5 vs Philly, week 7 vs Panthers and week 8 vs Bills come to mind. Add week 14 vs New York Jets to that list. Only this was far worse than average.

New York opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 23 yard Nick Folk field goal, they were the only points of the opening term as teams punted back and forth to each other.

With Redskins HB Ryan Torain playing for the first time since suffering a broken collarbone in week 2, his presence helped change the outcome of the game. Not in a good way. His fourth carry of the game in the 2nd term was a HB lead up the gut on 1st and 10, a big hit from David Harris knocked the ball loose, which was picked up and returned for a 35 yard touchdown by cornerback Darrelle Revis handing New York a 10-0 lead.

Washington bought it back to a one possession game with a Gano field goal mid way through the 2nd term, but Nick Folk was able to bring it out to 10 points again with a 43 yarder of his own, Jets leading 13-3 with one quarter to play.

Mark Sanchez missed the game through injury, but Mark Brunell was able to hold onto the ball and get the job done for New York. The same could not be said for Grossman, who threw an interception to Antonio Cromartie on the first play of the fourth quarter, Cromartie returning it for a 63 yard score and a 20-3 lead. Folk added a consolation field goal late in the game to give the Jets a 20 point victory.

Next week vs New England is crucial. Serious questions are being asked about Grossman starting at quarterback next week as he now leads the league in interceptions.



PASSING LEADERS
RUSHING LEADERS
RECEIVING LEADERS
DEFENSIVE LEADERS
*Includes all sacks, interceptions, forced fumbles and recovered fumbles
**Denotes Defensive Touchdown.

KICKING/PUNTING LEADERS

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NFC EAST OVERVIEW

Philadelphia Eagles (9-3)
Philadelphia lead the NFL in points scored (355) through the first 3 quarters of the season. Mike Vick currently leads discussion in MVP honours, having thrown for 2700 yards and 22 touchdowns, as well as rushing for 200 yards. Cornerback Asante Samuel leads the league in interceptions (7). A perfect 4-0 division record has them in great position to capture the division.

Washington Redskins (7-5)
Washington blew a good chance to close on the division lead when the Eagles lost last week, but couldn't capitalise by going down to the Jets. Despite Grossman leading the league in turnovers, the offense has managed to remain top 10 both in points scored and yards. Defensively, Washington have racked up the most sacks of any team and have forced the most fumbles. A current 3-1 division record may be what gets them into the playoffs.

Dallas Cowboys (6-6)
Dallas is a different football team in front of their home crowd, you can see that by looking at their home record (5-1) vs their away record (1-5). Tony Romo missed three weeks during the season but is healthy heading into the final month in which the Cowboys play two crucial games against the Giants.

New York Giants (6-6)
Two weeks ago the Giants were on the brink of collapse. Two consecutive losses to the Pats and 49ers had them sitting at 4-6, but since then they have beaten two NFC favourites to get their campaign back on track. They took advantage of a Saints team without Drew Brees, and then took care of Green Bay. The next two weeks vs Dallas and Washington are crucial.

[Rylo]

Doing a good job man keep it up. Get some key guys in 2012 draft and your skins will be true contenders

[GoChargers]

Doing a good job man keep it up. Get some key guys in 2012 draft and your skins will be true contenders

Cheers.

Yeah the team is definitely lacking something.. I've been pretty happy with the defense, CB is probably my biggest need.

Offensively a few changes need to be made, Torain broke his collarbone in week 2, came back in week 13, then broke his collarbone again in week 14, lol..

I'll probably go HB early in the draft. Not sure what to do about my QB situation.

[GoChargers]

Week 14 vs Patriots

(5-7) @ (7-5)




GROSSMAN BENCHED IN BLOWOUT LOSS TO PATS


A week after throwing 5 picks against the New York Jets, Grossman was benched in the third quarter of today's game vs the Pats. Grossman led the Redskins to just one scoring drive up to that point, and following his third pick Shanahan had had enough.

Amazingly, Washington managed just 86 passing yards on 33 passing attempts between the two quarterbacks. Grossman left the field with a QB rating of 5.8, and in his place, John Beck managed a rating of 10.7.

Washington went ahead 7-3 in the last minute of the first quarter on the back of a 2 yard touchdown run by Roy Helu, unfortunately that was as good as it would get. Despite managing nothing offensively, the Skins were down just 7-16 at the half and were still in the game.

That quickly changed though, as the Skins experienced their worst quarter of football this season. Grossman threw his 2nd and 3rd picks and was benched, and New England kicked three field goals and HB Green-Ellis ran in for two scores, a 38-7 scoreboard at halftime.

The Brady/Welker combination put the Pats ahead 45-7 before Ryan Torain scored a consolation touchdown with 5 minutes to play, running in from 28 yards.

Statistically, New England had 8 more minutes posession than the Skins. They scored on 7/8 redzone opportunites compared to the Skins 1/2, and turned the ball over just once compared to Washington's 5. Most damning were the passing stats - 285 yards to 83.

The Skins drop to 7-6 after looking comfortable at 7-4 and head to New York next week in a crucial clash against the 6-7 Giants.



PASSING LEADERS
RUSHING LEADERS
RECEIVING LEADERS
DEFENSIVE LEADERS
*Includes all sacks, interceptions, forced fumbles and recovered fumbles
**Denotes Defensive Touchdown.

KICKING/PUNTING LEADERS

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Week 15 @ Giants

(7-6) @ (6-7)


DISASTROUS FOURTH QUARTER SEES SKINS LOSE THIRD STRAIGHT.

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan decided to give Grossman one more shot. "He has led us to a position where we can make the playoffs with 3 games to play, I don't think 2 bad outings should spell the end of his playing time." Grossman quickly made him regret the decision as he threw a pick on the first play from scrimmage against New York, leaving the games in the hands of backup QB John Beck.

The first half featured some outstanding defense from the Redskins and a Graham Gano 39 yard FG, giving them a 3-0 lead at halftime in what was, up to that point, a great defensive struggle. The Skins extended that lead and kept up their dominance on defence in the third term. Beck threw his first touchdown pass of the season late in the 3rd to extend the lead to 10-0.

Then began perhaps one of the worst quarters in Redskin history.

The Giants moved past midfield and into the redzone for the first time in the game early in the fourth, and their visit was capped off by a 10 yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Devin Thomas.

John Beck looked to respond to that with a scoring drive of his own, and things looked good until he fumbled the ball 25 yards out from the Giants endzone, the ball gathered by Jonathan Goff who returned it 75 yards for the first Giants lead of the game with 5:10 to play.

On the ensuing drive, Beck was picked off by, of all people, DE Justin Tuck. It didn't take long for the Giants to take advantage of the third turnover, Eli Manning hitting Steve Smith down the sideline for a 50 yard touchdown play and a 21-10 Giants lead. And when Ahmad Bradshaw crashed over from 1 yard out 2 minutes later, the game was over. Washington had let a 10-0 lead slip into a 10-28 deficit. Symbolic of the Redskins season thus far, the fourth quarter was a total collapse.

The statistics tell a whole different story to the scoreline.

Washington outgained New York 426 yards to 228. They had 21 first downs compared to the Giants 5, and 593 total yards to the Giants 252. It was turnovers and blown redzone opportunities that gifted New York the win. Washington turned the ball over 3 times and went 0/3 in the redzone compared to the Giants who did not turn the ball over and went 2/2.

Amazingly, Washington dominated possession 31:02 to 12:38.

The loss was a bitter pill to swallow for the Skins, who dominated for three quarters before becoming lazy with the ball and lazy in coverage.

Anthony Armstrong recorded a 63 yard touchdown grab with 1:24 to play, but that was nullified by a 50 yard Bradshaw touchdown run on the following play.

PASSING LEADERS
RUSHING LEADERS
RECEIVING LEADERS
DEFENSIVE LEADERS

-Includes all sacks, interceptions, forced and recovered fumbles.
** Denotes defensive touchdown

KICKING/PUNTING LEADERS

[GoChargers]

Week 16 vs Vikings

(6-8) @ (7-7)




SKINS KEEP SEASON ALIVE WITH FOURTH QUARTER COMEBACK

Shanahan decided to make the switch back to Grossman for the must-win clash against Minnesota, and it's one he isn't regretting, not yet anyway. Grossman was a lot more careful with the football this time, throwing just the one pick in Washington's 7 point win.

The first quarter went back and forth before Sidney Rice broke the deadlock with 3 minutes to go in the quarter. Up to that point, Washington had 2 visits to the Vikings redzone, but Grossman couldn't finish the job turning the ball over once on an interception and once on a fumble. Despite that, Shanahan stuck with him following some positive signs on those drives. Rice scored on a 79 yard touchdown play.

Washington's next trip to the redzone ended how it needed to with HB Roy Helu scoring on a 7 yard run, his 10th rushing touchdown of the season.

Ponder was proving difficult to contain throughout the game, consistently making plays with his feet when his o-line broke down. He finished with 67 yards rushing including a 3 yard touchdown run in the third quarter to put Minnesota ahead 14-7.

Grossman justified Shanahan's faith mid-way through the fourth when he engineered a drive to move into the Vikings redzone for the fourth time and capped it off with a 5 yard touchdown pass to Roy Helu tying the game at 14 with 7:53 on the clock.

With 1:20 to play and facing first and goal, Washington had the option to run out the clock and kick a field goal as time expired, but when Helu saw a hole open up he ran in for his 3rd touchdown of the game and a 21-14 Washington lead. Dante Hall sealed the victory picking off Ponder with half a minute to play, sending the Skins to an 8-7 record and an unlikely playoff berth.

There were a number of concerns for the Skins - Grossman was sacked 9 times while they were able to bring Ponder down just once.



PASSING LEADERS
RUSHING LEADERS
RECEIVING LEADERS
DEFENSIVE LEADERS
*Includes all sacks, interceptions, forced fumbles and recovered fumbles
**Denotes Defensive Touchdown.

KICKING/PUNTING LEADERS

[GoChargers]

Week 17 @ Eagles

(8-7) @ (11-4)


WASHINGTON CLINCHES PLAYOFF SPOT IN OVERTIME VICTORY

Washington were headed to overtime for the fourth time in ten games. How would it end this time?

Washington started the game at great fashion, with Dante Hall picking off MVP-candidate Mike Vick and returning it 48 yards for a touchdown just 1 minute into the game. The rest of the first quarter belonged to Philly, Ronnie Brown scoring a touchdown from 2 yards out, followed by a Maclin 57 yard touchdown catch, beating the coverage of Redskins CB Kevin Barnes.

Teams traded field goals to open the scoring in the 2nd term to bring it to 10-17 Philly. This was followed by an impressive 10 play drive from Washington which hit a roadblock at 3rd and goal at the 1, before a designed QB sneak resulted in Grossman's first rushing touchdown of the season, tying te game up 20 seconds before halftime.

Washington received the kickoff to open the 2nd half, and again mounted a double-digit play drive, ending in Roy Helu's 4 yard touchdown run to regain the lead for Washington. That lead was extended to 27-17 when Gano was successful on a 37 yard field goal with 9:57 to play in the game.

Poor clock management resulted in the Eagles taking over 6 minutes off the game clock before being forced to settle for a David Akers 35 yard field goal, but enough time was left for the Eagles who were able to force the Skins offense into a 3-and-out, getting the ball back on their own 20 with 1:21 remaining.

Vick moved the ball down the sidelines and tied the game up with a 12 yard touchdown pass to Desean Jackson who broke free across the middle of the field and came up with the catch. Scores locked 27-27 and we were headed to overtime.

With Philly winning the toss, Washington, with their season on the line, sacked Mike Vick on a 2nd and 10 play making it 3rd and 18. The Eagles were forced to punt and Washington started their drive on their own 45. Roy Helu did the rest, rushing the ball 6 times for two first downs to the 22 yard line, before Graham Gano trotted onto the field and was successful for the 15th consecutive attempt dating back to week 6 vs Philly.

Two weeks ago the Skins were all but done. Now they find themselves in the playoffs as the #6 seed and will face none other than Philadelphia next weekend.

PASSING LEADERS
RUSHING LEADERS
RECEIVING LEADERS
DEFENSIVE LEADERS

-Includes all sacks, interceptions, forced and recovered fumbles.
** Denotes defensive touchdown

KICKING/PUNTING LEADERS

[GoChargers]

* Indicates Playoffs

MVP
Mike Vick, Philadelphia Eagles. 291/476 (61%), 29TD:13INT, 93.3QBR
68 carries - 318 yards, 2TD.

OPOTY
Mike Vick, Philadelphia Eagles. 291/476 (61%), 29TD:13INT, 93.3QBR
68 carries - 318 yards, 2TD.

DPOTY
Red Bryant, Seattle Seahawks. 79 tackles, 23.5 sacks, 2FF.

OROTY
Roy Helu, Washington Redskins. 315 carries, 1228 yards, 3.8 avg, 11TD.
52 catches - 400 yards - 3TD.

DROTY
Robert Quinn, St.Louis Rams. 54 tackles, 14 sacks.

[GoChargers]

INDIVIDUAL STATS

PASSING LEADERS
RUSHING LEADERS
RECEIVING LEADERS
BLOCKING LEADERS


DEFENSIVE LEADERS

KICKING LEADERS
PUNTING LEADERS
RETURNS

OFFENSE
YARDS - 5,472 (7th)
PASS YARDS - 3,700 (9th)
RUSH YARDS - 1,772 (11th)
POINTS - 23.4pg (7th)

DEFENSE
YARDS - 4,717 (5th)
PASS YARDS - 3,022 (5th)
RUSH YARDS - 1,692 (22nd)
POINTS - 25.2pg (30th)

[GoChargers]

WILDCARD @ Eagles

(9-7) @ (11-5)


BLOCKED FIELD GOAL HANDS SKINS HUGE UPSET

Philadelphia and Washington have a long and intense rivarly, and some classic matches throughout. Perhaps none more so than this wildcard game.

Things did not start well for Grossman who threw an interception on the first drive of the game. Matters were made worse when free safety Nate Allen was able to beat the attempted tackle of Santana Moss, and return the football 32 yards for a touchdown. A 7-0 lead without the offense stepping on the field gave the Eagles a start they should've taken advantage of.

Defensive dominance continued throughout the quarter, Graham Gano finally put Washington on the board with a 21 yard field goal early in the 2nd term. The Skins offense faced a 1st and goal at the 1, unable to complete the job.

On the ensuing drive, the Skins D was not able to get off the field, allowing three 3rd down conversions before giving up a 2 yard touchdown run to Ronnie Brown, giving Philly a 14-3 lead with 3:40 to play in the half. The Eagles offense continued their 2nd half dominance, taking advantage of a Redskins 3-and-out when Vick hit Desean Jackson for a 57 yard touchdown. You would be forgiven for thinking this one was over.

Thankfully, Grossman clicked into gear just in time. Given 1:50 to play with before halftime, he connected on 4/6 passes for 67 yards before hitting Santana Moss for the Redskins first touchdown of the game 10 seconds out from halftime. The deficit looked a little less daunting at 10-21 going into the break.

After forcing a punt on the first series of the 2nd half, Grossman again was able to move the Skins offense down the field, thanks largely to HB Roy Helu who ran for 5 ypc throughout the game. Grossman capped off the drive with a 1 yard QB sneak into the endzone getting the score back to 17-21, before Helu was able to give the Skins their first lead of the game on their next offensive drive, running down the sideline on a toss play for a 43 yard TD run.

Philly tied the game up at 24 with 7:33 to play in the final term when Akers was successful from 24 yards out, before Washington regained the lead on their next drive, Gano successful from 38 yards, bringing the score to 27-24 with under 5 minutes to play.

Two successful 3rd down conversions by the Eagles on the following drive lined them up with a 42 yard attempt to tie the game with 47 ticks on the clock. David Akers, who was successful on 8/14 field goals from 40-49 yards were Philadelphia's last shot at sending this to overtime. In the end he didn't even have a chance, with Redskins CB Reggie Jones getting around the line untouched, getting a hand on the ball to send it wayward.

The play by Reggie Jones, who made 5 tackles on the season, perhaps goes down as the most important in the context of the season. It also gave Washington their first playoff victory since 2005 and just their third since 1992.

Free Agent pickup Al Harris, who replaced Dante Hall who broke his collarbone in the fourth quarter last week, kept Desean Jackson largely in check apart from his 57 yard touchdown.

PASSING LEADERS
RUSHING LEADERS
RECEIVING LEADERS
DEFENSIVE LEADERS

-Includes all sacks, interceptions, forced and recovered fumbles.
** Denotes defensive touchdown

KICKING/PUNTING LEADERS