Braves on the Warpath Series: McNabb's triumphant return to Philly!

Redskins QB Donovan McNabb makes his first return to city where he called home for over 11 years as the Redskins visit the Eagles in Philadelphia. While McNabb downplayed this game, this game was marked the moment he was picked up by the Redskins back in the spring. As honest and respectful the Philly fans were in their standing ovation for McNabb as he was introduced, so quick were the boos once he made a big play when the game started. In the end, the Redskins escape with another victory on the last play as Eagles WR Jason Avant drops the ball in the end zone on the final play. Final score, 17-12 Redskins.


"McNabb gets a standing ovation in his return to Philly." Image courtesy of Extremeskins.com

Even with all the energy and attention drawn from McNabb's return, the fact still remained that the Redskins just came off a horrible loss to the previously winless Rams in St. Louis. The Redskins were 1-2 going into Week 4, with by the far the toughest four-game stretch this season coming up from here through week 7. A game at a division rival is always a tough game, particularly in the NFC East. The Redskins were able to erase the debacle of the first quarter in last week's game when they found themselves down 14 points and started this game on the right foot. RB Clinton Portis, with all the controversy over his "soft" playing last week, was able to gain back some dignity but running up on the Eagles' defense. He would split carries with fresh-off-the-practice-squad RB Ryan Torain and the two combined for over 120 yards on the ground. Torain would bring a set of fresh and youthful legs that would allow for a more potent rushing attack that would reduce the need for McNabb to throw. McNabb would only throw 19 times, complete 8 of them, and throw one TD and one INT.



"Ryan Torain, a new face on the Redskins rushing corps." Image courtesy of Matt Slocum, AP

The Eagles started with the ball, but would go three and out. The Redskins get great field position by rookie WR Brandon Banks on his return, and after a few rushing plays and a personal foul penalty on the Eagles, Torain would score on a 12-yard TD run. The Eagles would do a little better on their second series, but still fail to convert and must punt it back. As I mentioned earlier, the Redskins stayed driven on their rushing game and marched down the field on the shoulders of Portis and Torain. Only when the secondary played shallow for a run did McNabb get a good look on TE Chris Cooley as he threw a perfect pass to him in stride on his way to a 31 yard TD catch. Redskins go up 14-0 with about five minutes left in the first quarter.


"TE Chris Cooley scores his second TD of the year." Image courtesy of Matt Slocum, AP

Now, with McNabb released from the Eagles, the projected QB starter in Philly was Kevin Kolb. Michael Vick was the back up and all throughout the offseason, coach Andy Reid was committing to this line-up. Well, in the first game of the season, Kolb gets knocked out with a concussion and Vick takes over. He admirably takes the game into his own hands (and feet) and nearly comes back against the Packers in their week one loss. Andy Reid stated Kolb was still the starter IF healthy. Even Vick himself admitted that he was just the back-up. However, with all the drama unfolding and precautions taken for a concusssion, Reid surprises everyone by naming Vick the starter for the rest of the year. Vick does nothing but impress in weeks two and three as he leads the Eagles to victories over the Lions and Jaguars. He would have a TD:INT ratio of 6:0 on his way to quickly becoming the hottest player in the league (again).


"QB Michael Vick gets knocked out of the game, and just when things were going his way." Image courtesy of Matt Slocum, AP

This week, he got off on a bumpy start, but still played well enough in the first quarter......up until he gets sandwiched near the goal line. He would not return to the game as he suffered what would be bruised ribs/chest. Enter Kevin Kolb. Kolb would do fine in relief as he brings the Eagles back within a score and as I mentioned earlier, take the game down to the final play as he nearly completed the TD catch that would have won the game. With Vick out for an undetermined amount of time, the QB rotation tilts back to Kolb, for obvious reasons.


"The third game where a Redskins game was decided on the last play." Image courtesy of Mel Evans, AP

So the Redskins are now sitting pretty well at 2-2, with both wins against division foes. Last year, the Redskins were 0-6 against the division and being 2-0 now will help tremendously as the year goes on. Again, this was the first of a tough four-game stretch with the Packers and Colts coming into FedEx for the next two weeks, and then the Redskins go to Chicago to play the Bears. With the way these aforementioned teams had played thus far, it's no longer a sure loss for the Redskins. The Redskins must play to their above-par abilities and get lucky on some. We'll see how things go next week; too soon to talk playoffs, but perhaps we'll play spoiler in the NFC. There is no clear cut favorite so far. For now, all is well in Washington for at least one week.

Braves on the Warpath Series: If you can't beat the Rams, who can you beat?

So after Week Two, where the Redskins lose in a heartwrenching overtime battle with the Texans, a visit to St. Louis was ideally an opportunity to recover and reestablish some dominance that escaped through their fingertips. Of course, these are our Washington Redskins, a team not known for convincing wins, where the unexpected happens and they win against good teams, but cannot put away the bad. No disrespect to the Rams, whom if memory serves me right, they did win a Super Bowl about ten years ago. But, they're a shell of their former selves, cradling the bottom tier of bad NFL teams the last five years, racking up high draft pick after high draft pick. By all accounts, this was to be a must and will win for the Redskins. Not this year however, as they lose 30-16 on Sunday. The Skins give the Rams their first win at home since 2008 and fall to 1-2 leading up to arguably the toughest stretch of the year. More on that later. Here's the recap.


"At the expense of the Redskins, Rams rookie QB Sam Bradford gets his first NFL Win." Image courtesy of Tom Gannam, AP

Leading up to the game, in an odd set of circumstances, punter Josh Bidwell reinjured his hip (what kept him out in 2009) in practice and was ruled out for the game. This meant that kicker Graham Gano would assume kicking AND punting duties. Gano would send the opening kick-off out-of-bounds and give the Rams great field position. They would make good work of that and march down the field, leading with a RB Steven Jackson 42-yard TD run. Rookie QB Sam Bradford would play cautiously throughout the game, but still put out very respectable numbers. The Redskins defense, whom had given up over 600 yards of offense last week, continued to struggle adjusting to a 3-4 defense. There was very little pass rush, poor tackling, and the secondary played way too soft and gave up a lot of yardage to the rookie QB.

On the following possession, the Redskins turn the ball over as Santana Moss fumbles the ball and the Rams bring it back to the 3 yard line. Two plays later, Bradford connects with TE Daniel Fells for the TD. And just like that, the Rams are up 14-0 midway through the first quarter. Things for the Redskins don't get any better as on the following drive, Gano's punt gets blocked and the Rams get another turnover. Fortunately, Redskins S Kareem Moore stops the Rams' possession with his INT. The Redskins would fail to score in the first quarter but march down the field into the second.


"Kicker/Punter Graham Gano gets his punt blocked." Image courtesy of Jeff Robertson, AP

Just like in the two previous weeks, the Redskins struggle to put up touchdowns in the red zone. They start the second quarter off deep in Rams territory but get their first points on a Gano field goal. On the ensuing kickoff, the Rams fumble the ball and the Redskins recover. One play later, McNabb hits WR Santana Moss for a 21-yard TD pass and just like that, it's 14-10. The Redskins would cut it closer on the second Gano field goal on their next possession to make it 14-13. Finally, in the final seconds of the first half, as the Rams had marched down the field, Redskins DE Philip Daniels blocks a K Josh Brown field goal attempt.

The Redskins start off the second half on the right foot when McNabb hits Moss on a 56-yard pass deep into Rams territory. They get to the two yard line and YET AGAIN, fail to get a touchdown and must rely on Gano. Gano hits his third field goal of the day and the Redskins finally take the lead, 16-14. Too bad those were the final points for them in the game. Bradford and the Rams methodically move down the field, converting on downs and ultimately score on a RB Kenneth Darby 12 yard TD run. 21-16 Rams. The Redskins offense would not produce on significant drives and does not even make into Rams territory until the final drive of the game, which by then was too late. The Rams would get three more field goal drives that eat up so much clock to make it a 30-16 final score.



"Despite a strong rushing attack in the first half, Clinton Portis and the Redskins account for only one net yard in the second half." Image courtesy of Jeff Robertson, AP

I truly believed that the Redskins would have bounced back from Week 2 and maybe even dominate the Rams. Leading up to the game, some anxiety came out as I thought, maybe the Redskins would once again let up and play soft, to the point of playing down to the Rams ability (again, no disrespect to the Rams) and allow the game to be a competitive one. But they should still win! It did not take much to see the Redskins, DESPITE all the off season changes, are still the Redskins from last year, a team that fails to put opponents away and play aggressive sound football for four quarters. Getting behind quickly by two TDs in the first six minutes certainly did nothing to prove otherwise.

The next four games are to be the most brutal of the season for the Redskins. They play at the Eagles, home to the Packers and Colts and then at the Bears. Sitting at 1-2 now, they conceivably could end up 1-6 before they host Lions. Beating the Cowboys was important and they gave away the game to the Texans. The Rams should have been the easiest in the first half of the season. If a rookie QB can beat you, what do you expect when you play against a rejuvenated Michael Vick, and two of the top five QBs in the league in Rodgers and Manning? I guess you just focus on the one game each week. Next week, McNabb returns to Philly!

Braves on the Warpath Series: Houston, we have a problem.....

Houston Texans 30 at Washington Redskins 27 (OT)




"A tale of Two QBs, McNabb and Schaub combine for over 900 yards passing." Images courtesy of Evan Vucci, AP

The 1-0 Redskins played host to the 1-0 Texans on Sunday and I was in attendance at the game. The Redskins would ultimately give up a 27-10 lead and allow the Texans to tie the game and send it into overtime, where despite stopping the Texans on their first possession, the Redskins gave them one more chance and Texans kicker Neil Rackers won it on a 35 yard field goal. Despite the outcome, I must say that this game was one of the most entertaining Redskins games in a good while and definitely the best one I’ve attended. I had to sacrifice watching any of the other games on Sunday, but it was well worth the expense. Some interesting tidbits about the Texans/Redskins relationship. Texans coach Gary Kubiak was a back up QB under the great John Elway in Denver, who was coached by Coach Mike Shanahan. Kubiak would ultimately become QB coach under Shanahan for several years before eventually landing his own head coaching position. Kyle Shanahan, Mike's son, would be the QB coach/offensive coordinator for Kubiak in Houston the past three years. This year, Junior Shanahan would jump ship and join his father here in Washington. Current Redskins back up QB, Rex Grossman, was the back up to the Texans last year. And so, this game had a bit of familiarity to it, and certainly, Junior Shanahan and Grossman's brains were picked to figure out this Texans team.

Even with this game being one of the 4:15pm games, I anticipated being at FedEx field at least three hours early. Getting to and from FedEx is not the smoothest of trips and Redskins home games aren’t the most coveted of gameday experiences. Poor management, poorly coordinated traffic patterns, expensive parking (permit or cash) are some of the plagues that loyal Redskins (and visiting team) fans must endure. The was the first time my tickets did not come with a parking permit so I was worried that I would miss out on decent parking. I can't say with confidence my approach was ideal, but my buddy John and I made the most of the time by eating and drinking, drinking and eating in the three hours before we headed into the stadium. We also chit-chatted with a nice couple who we ultimately moved down to sit with later in the game. So a bit of advice, for those who do not have permits and must go to a cash lot, I highly recommend getting yourself in the Jericho Church lot, off Arena Drive (Exit 16 off the beltway). It's only $35, tailgating is permitted and is only a ten minute walk up to the stadium. On to the game!


"The view from Section 412, Row 25. Not bad at all." Image courtesy of Optimus Cheung


"Ladies......"Image courtesy of Optimus Cheung

First quarter action saw a confident Redskins offense, led by QB Donovan McNabb go down to score field goals on the first two possessions. Texans QB Matt Schaub (UVa alum!) threw an errant INT to CB Carlos Rogers that set one up. McNabb will march down the field but only come up with 3 points. In the second quarter, Schaub will strike first with a 5 yard TD pass to WR Jacoby Jones. It was only a matter of time before the explosive Texans passing offense would wake up. Last week, they had very little need for a passing attack as they focused on the run with Arian Foster. This week, they went back to passing. Foster would be limited to under 100 yards rushing with no TDs, but even with those modest statistics, the Texans offense still put up points. After just two field goals by kicker Graham Gano, I was getting worried our stymied offense will again produce no TDs like last week against the Cowboys. Thankfully I was wrong. McNabb and the offense aimed relentlessly at passing. McNabb would hit several receivers deep that would set up two rushing TDs by RB Clinton Portis. Even with the 2 TD runs, Portis did not have a good day. Scratch that, the entire running game did not have a good day. At the end, Portis rushed 13 times for 33 yards. Back up Larry Johnson would rush twice for -7 yards, WR Santana Moss ran for -5 on a dismal reverse attempt. As a team, the net yards rushing was only 18. You can't possibly win with so few yardage. As a result, the Redskins relied nearly exclusively on McNabb's arm. He connects with WR Santana Moss, TE Chris Cooley, FB Mike Sellers and even 37 year old WR Joey Galloway (on a 62 yard pass). On one sick play, he connects with TE Fred Davis who runs down the sideline to the 1 yard line. Portis would level a Texans DB that definitely made the highlight reel. Heading into halftime, the Redskins would lead 20-7, per the scores I had mentioned previously.


"Clinton Portis scores from 1 yard out." Image courtesy of Optimus Cheung

The Texans march down the field on the first possession in the second half and end it with a Rackers 47 yard field goal. The Redskins would answer with another TD scoring drive, this time on a 22 yard TD pass from McNabb to Cooley, a fan favorite. FedEx field erupts in cheers with the Redskins taking a 27-10 lead. Unfortunately, those were the last points they'll get as the Texans make their way back with 17 unanswered points in regulation. Schaub would throw two more TDs, one to WR Kevin Walter, and the other to the NFL's best receiver in Andre Johnson. More on that TD in a bit. The Texans in the fourth quarter would get three more points by another Rackers field goal to cut it to 27-20. The Redskins nursing the lead should have played smarter football and elect to force the run and take time off the clock. They get within field goal range and set up an easy 29 yarder. But on the attempt, Texans safety Bernard Pollard comes in shallow from the right and blocks the kick, sustaining a 7 point lead. However, the Texans do not produce points and have to punt it back to the Redskins with about six minutes left. The Redskins, having abandoned any common sense in running the ball, go three and out and give it right back to the Texans who field punter Josh Bidwell's kick on the Texans 19 yard line with just over three minutes left. Schaub and company would march down the field and on a 4th and 10, Schaub desperately heaves up a ball to the end zone where a waiting Andre Johnson hauls it in, over safety Reed Doughty. With the PAT, the score is now tied, 27-27. Once again, the Redskins go three and out and punt the ball. Fortunately the Texans do not convert and end the game on strategic non-punt fourth down play.


"Andre Johnson catches the game tying TD over Reed Doughty." Image courtesy of Evan Vucci, AP

OVERTIME!!!!I had no idea how this game was to end, but I loved every minute of it. The Texans win the toss, receive the ball first, and make their way down field. They get to the Redskins 34 but instead of trying a field goal, elect to punt it to the Redskins. Here I thought, what a gamble by Coach Kubiak. You practically are giving the Redskins their chance to win it. McNabb moves them down the field to the Texans 34 and set up for a 52 yard field goal try to win it. Just before the ball is snapped but unbeknownst to the crowd, Kubiak calls a timeout. Gano splits the uprights. Obviously, it does not count. In what is known as "icing the kicker" the opposing coach can legally call a timeout before the snap to psych out the kicker. Ironically enough, Shanahan is credited as the one of the first to ice kickers. Gano lines up for the second try, but kicks it wide right. No Good! Texans ball! This time, Schaub moves down further to the Redskins 18, setting up a sure thing in a 35 yard try. Rackers makes it in, wins it for the Texans. What a game!


"Gano being "iced". Note the ref on the left coming in to signal a time out has been called." Image courtesy of Optimus Cheung

I must give it to the Texans, a team so close to make it big the last two years in the AFC. They defeated the Colts last week and take one on the road against a formidable Redskins team. I have and will continue to root for them as my team in the AFC. As for the Redskins, I was disappointed but not upset at the outcome. Even the most blind of observers can say that the Redskins gave this one away. That is harder to stomach. Had the Redskins been down by 17 and come back and lose in overtime, I'd be much happier. Overall, it speaks volumes to how good McNabb is when he can still throw the way he does. Last night, he had over 400 yards passing, something that a Redskins QB rarely compiled in recent memory. My suspicions with the running game are very valid and very real as a potential downfall during the course of the season. Also, the defense is too inconsistent. While they can produce turnovers, they are still playing soft in the secondary giving up big yardage; Schaub had 497 yards passing. They sacked Schaub five times, but gave up way too many screen and middle of the field passes that resulted in 6-15 yard gains, usually resulting in first down conversions. There is still plenty to work on between games. But, this game did prove that the Redskins can go toe to toe with the best of them, and should compete in a rather defunct NFC East.

Next week, they head to St. Louis to play the Rams. This should be win, and for their sakes, it better be a double digit win.

NFL 2010: Week 1 Recaps! (cont.)

Part II!!

Falcons 9 at Steelers 15 in OT
As I write up this blog, the more I realize that Week 1 was filled with low-scoring defensive struggled games. This was the only game to go into overtime and even then, no touchdowns were scored in regulation. With QB Ben Roethlisberger serving a four-game suspension, back-up Dennis Dixon performed well enough, throwing for 236 yards and 1 INT. Falcons QB Matt Ryan would perform similarly, throwing for 252 yards and 1 INT, with the INT going to recent insurer of $1 million worth of hair S Troy Polamalu. The two teams will head into overtime tied 9-9. The Falcons would stutter deep in the own territory and punt to the Steelers. One play in, RB Rashard Mendenhall would scamper down the sidelines for the game-winning 50 yard TD run. What a way to end the game.

Chargers 14 at Chiefs 21
The final game of Week 1 was another divisional game. The Chargers, as always the favorite to win the division, hit a stumbling block in Kansas City as the Chiefs hold on to win at home. QB Philip Rivers threw for 2 TDS but it wasn't enough to stop the Chiefs big plays. Even as the Chargers produced more yards and used up more time on the clock, their defense gave up a 56 yard TD run by RB Jamaal Charles and the special teams gave up a 94 yard punt return TD by rookie WR Dexter McCluster. I've always felt the Chargers were overrated, but then again, I am always biased towards Philip Rivers, dating back to his days at N.C. State.

Ravens 10 at Jets 9
In what was perhaps my second favorite match-up of the week, the Ravens narrowly beat the Jets in New York on Monday night. The Jets, if you are familiar with reality TV, had been on a show called Hard Knocks, chronicling one NFL team during the offseason. They had plenty of exposure as a tough and rugged team, led by the foul-mouth coach, Rex Ryan. Given their late run in the playoffs last year, the Jets were (self)anointed the presumed AFC champions this year. There had been a bit of trash-talking the last few days by both teams leading up to Monday night. But ultimately, the two teams who were tops on defense would have to "man up" on gameday. It was to be a defensive and physical struggle, and boy was it nothing but. The entire game was tight as can be with little room for any offense. The Ravens would best the Jets offensively as QB Joe Flacco was able to find newly acquired WR Anquan Boldin many times downfield. Boldin would catch for 110 yards in his debut. Flacco would test the Jets defense (number one last year) downfield and the Jets became the benefactors of many pass interference and defensive holding calls. An unprecedented amount of third down conversions were made by Jets penalties. The Jets offense, on the other hand, was mediocre as second year QB Mark Sanchez threw for a total of 76 yards and had only one pass completed for over 10 yards. Both teams needed this win, but I think the Jets had more at stake since they still have the Patriots to deal with in their division.

Packers 27 at Eagles 20
The era of QB Kevin Kolb in Philadelphia hit a premature hurdle in the first week of the season. He left the first half with a concussion and did not return. Michael Vick would replace him and provided a more than adequate performance as he threw for 175 and 1 TD AND ran for another 103 yards. He definitely showed signs of why he is dangerous as a running QB. However, his effort was not enough as Packers QB Aaron Rodgers led the Pack to three scores, himself throwing 2 TD passes. A top three fantasy pick at QB, Rodgers looked a bit pedestrian in the first half and finished with only 188 yards, the 2 TDs and 2 INTs. For the Pack, they need a bit of refinement on offense if they want to live up to expectations. For the Eagles, at the moment, Coach Andy Reid has stated Kolb will be the starter if healthy. After Sunday's game, how can you not at least give Vick a chance to prove himself?

Cardinals 17 at Rams 13
The St. Louis Rams have had some bad years as of late, and as such, been "rewarded" with high draft picks. This past year, the used the number one draft pick on Oklahoma QB standout Sam Bradford. Immediately, he was anointed the starter. As for his first game, hard to say how good or bad it was. On one hand, he threw up 255 yards on 32 of 55 passing, with 1 TD. He did have three costly INTs, but the way I see it, it was expected. It seemed the gameplan by the Rams was to throw, throw, throw and throw some more; way to be be thrown right into it. The Cards had recently adjusted to a new QB as well. With the dismissal of Matt Leinart, the team belonged to Derek Anderson. Anderson threw for 297 yards and his lone TD was to Pro Bowler WR Larry Fitzgerald. RB Tim Hightower, despite two fumbles, would rush for the other Cardinals TD.

Whoo.....that was a doozy. Realistically, I could write more, but not less. Hope I can keep this up all season. Onward to Week 2 we go!

NFL 2010: Week 1 Recaps!

Part one of the recaps....boy, these take long.

Colts 24 at Texans 34
The Texans were able to beat the Colts for only the second time in 17 tries. Matt Schaub, last year's leader in passing was limited to only 107 yards in the air, with 33 of those going to last year's leader in receiving Andre Johnson. The Texans played a little bit of role reversal and relied exclusively on the run, particularly on the shoulders of second year RB Arian Foster. Foster had a monster day, rushing for 231 yards and 3 TDs. Even with this amount of offense, the Texans defense could not quite contain Peyton Manning as he threw for over 400 yards and 3 TDs. The Texans exorcised their most significant demon as they beat their division rival at home.

Vikings 9 at Saints 14
In a rematch of last year's NFC Championship game, high expectations were set for both teams leading off the NFL Kickoff weekend. Even the return of Favre (as well as all the coverage baggage) could not outshine the storyline of the city of New Orleans and what a Super Bowl win meant to it. Drew Brees and the Saints marched down the field on the first drive with a TD pass to Devery Henderson. However, that was one of only three TDS all night. In what was expected to be a shootout, a low-scoring, defensive battle took place instead, where it appeared both teams played more conservatively, given the closeness of the game. Favre looked his age as because he held his comeback decision so late, appeared out of touch with his team. Brees played well enough, but it seems he played not to lose versus playing to win. Regardless, the Saints got the win.

Browns 14 at Buccaneers 17
Jake Delhomme's now the starter in Cleveland. He was able to throw for 227 yards and a 41 yard TD strike to WR Mohamed Massaquoi, but could not escape the INT bug that plagued him in Carolina, throwing for two picks. RB Peyton Hillis will score the other TD for Cleveland on a 10 yard TD run. Tampa Bay QB Josh Freeman will throw for two TDS of his own, one to rookie WR Mike Williams, and the game winner on a 33 yarder to WR Micheal Spurlock.

Dolphins 15 at Bills 10
Chan Gailey's debut as head coach of Buffalo is spoiled in the loss to Dolphins. Trent Edwards throws his lone TD pass to Roscoe Parrish in the fourth quarter as the Bills' offense sputters to 166 total yards. Rookie C.J. Spiller was insignificant as the Dolphins defense limited the rushing attack to only 50 yards. The Brandon Marshall era started rather quietly for Miami, as he only got 53 yards receiving. Ronnie Brown will score on a 1 yard TD run, the lone TD for the Dolphins.

Bengals 24 at Patriots 38
Late last week, QB Tom Brady signed a contract extension for $72 million for four years, with $48 guaranteed. On Sunday, he proved why he is worth it, as he throws for 3 TDs, two of which went to Wes Welker, the diminutive WR who just came back from a torn ACL last year. He clearly showed no indication that he lost a step or taking it easy. The Patriots defense would hold the Bengals to only 3 points in the first half, and then on the second half kickoff, WR Brandon Tate would take it back to the house for a 97 yard TD return. QB Carson Palmer would connect with WR Chad Ochocinco for a 28 yard TD pass, one of two for the day for Palmer. Unfortunately, it was too little too late as the Bengals would chip into the lead, but never really tested the Patriots defense.

Broncos 17 at Jaguars 24
QB David Garrard had a solid game, throwing for 170 yards and 3 TDs for the Jags. He had help with 98 rushing yards by RB Maurice Jones-Drew and the offense played mistake-free the entire game. The Broncos played solidly as well for the most part. QB Kyle Orton had 295 yards passing with 1 TD and 1 INT. RB Knowshon Moreno had 1 TD run and even rookie QB Tim Tebow made an appearance.

Lions 14 at Bears 19
In another divisional game, the Bears narrowly beat the Lions, with what was the most controversial play/ending of the week. More on that in a bit. QB Jay Cutler for the Bears would have some pretty good stats, throwing for over 370 yards a TD pass, but the offense was plagued with turnovers, including three fumbles lost. The Lions didn't fare any better with two fumbles of their own. What is more detrimental is another injury to their QB Mark Stafford, who left at the end of the first half. Shaun Hill took over and was able to lead the Lions to what would have been a score and lead late in the 4th quarter. The controversial play came on a WR Calvin Johnson TD catch in the end zone with about 30 seconds left. As Johnson came down with the ball, he fell into the endzone, dropped the left hand, but then appeared to have let the ball in his right hand hit the ground, resulting with it popping out. At first I thought that it was a TD, but according the rules, it was not. All the backlash after the game was primarily on not whether the referees made a mistake, as the enforced the rules correctly, but that it was a bad rule to begin with.

Raiders 13 at Titans 38
Titans RB Chris Johnson's goal of breaking the rushing record (2,100+ total yards in a season)started off on the right foot (pun intended) as he rushed for 142 yards and 2 TDs. Last year's rushing leader was helped by QB Vince Young who was effective with 2 TD passes. The Jason Campbell era didn't start as well as the Raiders had hoped. He was rather mediocre with 180 yards passing, 1 TD and 1 INT. Watching some of the highlights, his play sure looked rather the same as he did here in Washington. Nevertheless, he is still an upgrade from JaMarcus Russell.

49ers 6 at Seahawks 31
In what was the most surprising of outcomes to me, the Seahawks under new coach Pete Carroll, rolled right over the 49ers, a team many expected to win the division and contend for the NFC title. Niners QB Alex Smith threw 2 INTS and could not muster any TD drives. His counterpart for the Seahawks, Matt Hasselbeck, had a solid game, throwing for 2 TDs and rushing for another. If they're not careful, the Niners could easily fall quickly in their division. Smith had a poor game, and they could not establish a rushing attack, even with RB Frank Gore. The Seahawks, on the other hand, have lower expectations with the new regime, but could surprise many this year.

Panthers 18 at Giants 31
The New York Giants christened their new stadium with a sloppy win, but a win nevertheless. QB Eli Manning threw for 3 TDs, but also 3 INTs. All 3 TDs went to WR Hakeem Nicks, who caught four balls. RB Ahmad Bradshaw rushes for 76 yards and 1 TD. Panthers QB Matt Moore had 3 INTs of his own and 1 fumble loss. He connected with WR Steve Smith on 19 yard TD pass to end the first half. The Panthers had kept it close for the first half, but could not put up points in the second, less a safety on a blocked punt late in the fourth.

Braves on the Warpath Series: Week 1: We Want Dallas!

"#5 Donovan McNabb is now the leader of the Redskins." Image courtesy of Evan Vucci, AP

Woohoo! The first week is in the bag and the Skins come out with a win, and against the division rival Cowboys. The final score was 13-7, meager for two teams that are pretty heavily vested on the offense. But what lacked in scoring, made up for it in intensity and determination. This was a grueling match of defensive strategy, forcing both star QBs (Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo) to deliver mediocre performances. Romo had the better of his counterpart, throwing for more yards and had one TD pass; his TD pass on the final play of the game was negated by a holding call (more on that later). McNabb played respectably well in his first game as a Redskin, but could not muster up any TD drives. Two field goals by kicker Graham Gano, including a 49 yarder, and a strip-fumble TD recovery by CB DeAngelo Hall were all the Redskins could score. Romo had the lone offensive TD with his 4-yard strike to WR Miles Austin. The Skins only garnered 89 yards rushing, 63 by Clinton Portis, while the Cowboys fared a bit better at 103 yards total. In the end, the W on the column is all that matters and the Skins got theirs.

Here are some quick stats from the game, Skins in Bold.
Team Stats
Total Yards: 250, 380
Passing yards: 161, 277
Rushing yards: 89, 103
Sacks: 1 for 10 yards, 1 for 5 yards
Time of Possession: 25:57, 34:03

Player Stats
McNabb: 15/32, 171 yards
Romo: 31/46, 282 yards, 1 TD

Portis: 18 carries, 63 yards
Barber: 8 carries, 39 yards

Cooley: 6 catches, 80 yards
Moss: 6 catches, 77 yards
Austin: 10 catches, 146 yards, 1 TD
Bryant: 8 catches, 56 yards


"#19 Miles Austin on the lone offensive TD." Image courtesy of Evan Vucci, AP

The Skins under McNabb played with a lot of energy, but you can tell that they need some more time practicing together. Some of the schemes were confusing to others, resulting in the burning of time outs when not needed. McNabb had some great throws, and some poor ones as well. Portis was not as effective given all the hype of a rejuvenated reunion between him and Coach Shanahan. His son, Kyle the offensive coordinator, drew up more passing plays then rushing, but Portis did prove to us why he is one of the best blocking RBs in the league. He saved McNabb from many of the Cowboy defenders. As for the receiving corps, Without a solid number two receiver, McNabb could not establish any rhythm with any one not named Moss or Cooley. The offense sputtered off and on and showed glimpses of big play potential. Again, I think that the team just needs a bit more time together. As the season goes on, assuming everyone stays healthy, the gameplan should get results.

Now, to the end of the game. The Cowboys had sole control of the clock with two time outs under two minutes. Romo led the team down to the red zone with under 20 seconds and I imagine every Skins fan was up in their seats. Before I get to the final play, let's talk briefly about Brian Orakpo. Orakpo, who is my favorite player on the team, played throughout his high school and collegiate career at defensive end but was moved over to the outside linebacker position in the NFL. He's pretty stacked at 6-4, 255 with crazy speed for someone his size so putting him at linebacker isn't that far fetched of an idea. He's still learning to play that position, but with eleven sacks and a Pro Bowl appearance his rookie year, I'll say that he's learning very quickly and well. As for the game last night, he only had 1-1/2 tackles. But his presence was clearly felt throughout to contain Romo. On the final play of the game from the 13 yard line, Orakpo lined up on the left on a blitz package. Basically, he gravitated back to the defensive end position, on the line, right up to the tackle. Orakpo rushed in and was then held at the neck (like a chokehold) by tackle Alex Barron. Romo had just threw a TD pass to an open Roy Williams and the game appeared to be tied. The hold was caught by the referees, the flag was thrown, and since a game can end on an offensive penalty, game over, Skins win. Barron definitely lost the game for the Cowboys on that play. Side note, from footballoutsiders.com, they state that Barron has the most holding penalties from 2005 on....interesting.


"#98 Brian Orakpo held by Alex Barron that costs Dallas the game." Image courtesy of Rob Carr, AP


Next week, the Texans come into town, and I will be present in the stands for it. The Texans are rolling after their division win against the Colts at home, a much needed win for them. They are a team that had last years leaders in passing and receiving in Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson. Yesterday, neither did well at all. However, the running game, which was ranked 30th last year, breathed new life into the offense as 2nd year RB Arian Foster ran for 231 yards and three TDs. I'm a bit weary about how the Skins defense can contain the Texans offense. Committing to either the rush or pass, the Texans can pick you apart. The Skins offense must be able to respond if they are to have any chance. The offense has to score more than field goals. The Texans have a softer defense that allowed for over 400 yards passing by Peyton Manning so McNabb must be able to capitalize on that Texans secondary. Aside from Cooley and Moss, someone else must step up to stretch the offense.

NFL 2010: Week 1

The regular season starts tonight, as the Super Bowl Champions New Orleans Saints play host to the Minnesota Vikings. This primetime game is a rematch of the NFC Championship in January. I'm sure the entire country is psyched that the season is now upon us, and obviously what a way to start it off. I'm going to only highlight a few of the games per week (Redskins preview will be separate of course), and I'll try my best to highlight each team at least a few times over the course of the season. Enjoy!


Week 1 Key Match-ups.

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans

The Colts are still the tops in the AFC, if not at least the AFC South. It's not easy to bounce back from a Super Bowl loss, but I bet that just makes the Colts that more dangerous this year. How can you not believe in Peyton Manning and that offense? The Texans have lost 15 of 16 to the Colts and despite have the top QB/WR tandem in Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson, could not win more than nine games last year. They were ranked 30th in rushing and will need to find a healthy balance in their offense. If they can beat the Colts at home, they can really pick that monkey off their back and constructively look real hard at making the postseason. Houston can't think of a better way to start the season.

Pick: Colts

Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints

Brett Favre is back....again. He only makes the Vikings better in my opinion. I'm sure the Vikes hope to get as productive a season from him as last year. They still have a tough divisional foe in the Packers, but for Week 1, heading to New Orleans is their task at hand. Drew Brees and the Saints can flirt with more history if they can make it back to the Super Bowl. Not too much has changed this offseason so I'd expect the same level of play this year. No significant losses or pick-ups.

Pick: Saints

Baltimore Ravens at New York Jets

The battle of the young quarterbacks, Mark Sanchez and Joe Flacco. Both led their teams to the playoffs in their rookie seasons, with Flacco one year older. But this match-up isn't really about these two. It's about defense. The Jets were the top ranked defense and the Ravens were third. Not surprising will be how disruptive the defenses will be. The Jets lost Thomas Jones but gained LaDainian Tomlinson, and cornerback Darelle Revis finally settled his contract and came back to the team. To some, he's the best player in the entire league. For the Ravens, the receiving corps get a little veteran upgrade with Anquan Boldin from the Cardinals and T.J. Houshmanzadeh from the Seahawks. Oh yeah, the Jets open up at home in the new stadium (still shared with the Giants).

Pick: Ravens

I Bleed Orange and Blue Series: UVa 34 - Richmond 13

"The new shirts for this season." Image Courtesy of Opti-Mrs. Cheung

The Mike London era of UVa Football officially began this past Saturday in Charlottesville when the Richmond Spiders came into town. The missus and I went down for the 6pm game and watched first hand as the Hoos beat the Spiders 34-13. It was a great and much needed win for us given our recent inept past. It also was the first time in nearly sixty years that a new coach won his debut game. Interesting enough, I had forgotten much of Al Groh's first year as coach back in 2001. Anyways, here are some highlights from the gameday experience in addition to a short recap of the game itself.

With a new regime in place, the energy level in Charlottesville was clearly more positive for the home opener. Everyone was reluctant to talk season projections, but people confidently expressed hope and faith with Coach London and the direction of the program. Not nearly a sellout, the capacity of Scott Stadium at least appeared to be 80-85% full. The student section was quite full, even to the brink of filling out the hill. The only other times I see such a large fan showing are when Virginia Tech comes into town, but that's due to a mix of both sides. JJ and I sat with her sister and our friends in the student section, as is our usual arrangement. The games are always more fun there, especially when we get to sing the "Good Ol Song".


"CavMan!!!" Image courtesy of Opti-Mrs. Cheung


UVa started with the ball first and methodically marched down the field with purpose, ending with a Keith Payne 2-yard TD run, one of four for the day for Payne. Richmond would answer back in the 1st quarter with a 70-yard TD run by Kendall Gaskins. After that play, one can agree that this could be a long day for UVa's defense, a depleted one for that matter too. UVa was without their key defensive back, Ras-I Dowling, out with a leg injury. Fortunately enough, Richmond's QB Aaron Corp could not connect on the deep ball with his receivers, even with them breaking off the UVa corners and had better passes been thrown, UVa would have been behind quickly. Oh well, their loss was the UVa offense's gain. Verica and the running game took full advantage of their time on the field and was able to move down the field and Verica connected with Kris Burd on a short 2-yard TD pass in the second quarter. Richmond would score on a field goal in the final minutes of the half and UVa would nurse a 14-10 lead going into the second half.


"Keith Payne (#22) scores one of his four TDs" Image courtesy of Opti-Mrs. Cheung

"Even well into the second half, UVa students stick around. Sea of Orange!!" Image courtesy of Opti-Mrs. Cheung

Richmond would cut the lead to one by kicking another field goal on their first possession in the second half. Thankfully, the UVa defense made sure those were the last points Richmond would score the rest of the way. On offense, the running game would prove to be the workhorse for the team, with Payne leading the way. By the end, UVa would rush for over 200 yards. In one series, Payne ran for four consecutive first downs. "And that's another Cavalier FIRST DOWN!" became a broken record as the fans all pointed in the direction of the first down marker. Oh how I missed the positive and fun energy at these games. Last year, all four games I attended were losses; some were no surprises, others straight up embarrassments. This game was neither and overall, UVa played well on all sides of the ball. UVa would score three more TDs in the second half; all three on the Payne TD runs as I mentioned earlier. One I can argue, should have been a TD reception by the tight end, but the referees called him down at the one. Payne of course, just punched it in at the goal line. The only botched play all game came at the PAT attempt when the holder fumbled the snap and failed to convert the play. So what normally would be 35-13 ended up 34-13.

"In what is to be a new tradition at UVa, the players shaking hands with the students at the end of the game." Image courtesy of Opti-Mrs. Cheung

All in all, it was a solid opening game against a formidable foe. Richmond was and is no cakewalk and I'll take this as a legitimate win for UVa. It must have been bittersweet for London to have beaten his former team and in the fashion of that win. Nevertheless, I think that if Richmond can refine their passing game, they could still be a threat in their division. Some final thoughts. Verica played mistake free and will need to build on that going forward. The running game looks to be on the right track so a healthy balance between rushing and passing will be the key difference in a win or loss. I believe if Payne can continue to just dig through trenches, he'll be unstoppable. He's massive, 6-3, 245 lbs, with a Brandon Jacobs type build. We have plenty of depth at that position so I'm confident there. Our receivers are still a bit undersized and will need some help from our tight ends to open up the middle. On defense, I'm concerned with the inexperience of some of the secondary, especially since it's been bit by the injury bug. With Dowling back, I can only hope that we avoid giving up the big deep plays, both in passing and rushing. Next week, UVa visits 16th ranked USC. I'm not holding my breath, this could be a lopsided game. I just hope we stay competitive, come out with no injuries, and maybe lose by no more than 10 points. That last part, I'm not confident about......

Til next week, Wa-hoo-WA!!!

Ready! Hut! Hut! Haiku! (cont.)

and my AFC Haikus...


New England Patriots
Brady contract stalls,
Fear the return of Welker.
Defense in question.

Miami Dolphins
Henne to Marshall,
A potent combination.
Wildcat still thrives.

New York Jets
Year Two for Sanchez
Added LT as backup
Will challenge the Pats

Buffalo Bills
Spiller needs to start.
Suspect offense and defense.
Won't win division.

Cincinnati Bengals
Drama in Cincy,
Ocho-cinco AND Owens.
Win-Win for Palmer?

Baltimore Ravens
Flacco must step up.
Offense better than defense?
Should go deep this year.

Cleveland Browns
Front office changes,
Delhomme's now behind center.
At most seven wins.

Pittsburgh Steelers
Polamalu's back.
Roethlisberger's out six games
Must beat Baltimore

Houston Texans
Vertical Offense
Needs help from the running game.
Texans playoff bound?

Indianapolis Colts
Super Bowl loss sucks,
Still conference favorite.
Manning's still Manning.

Tennessee Titans
Young must get better.
Johnson breaks rushing record?
Will not make playoffs

Jacksonville Jaguars
Jones-Drew and Walker
only superstars on team,
Defense is still raw.

San Diego Chargers
Super Bowl or bust,
Overrated superstars.
Same story each year.

Kansas City Chiefs
Cassel's second year
gets help from the running game.
Still not playoff team.

Oakland Raiders
Campbell's not Russell.
Defense improved some this year.
Still .500 team.

Denver Broncos
Solid Receivers
and solid running backs
Tebow gets haircut.

Ready! Hut! Hut! Haiku!

In a fun way to preview the 32 teams, I've written some haikus for each of them. First up, the NFC Conference. Enjoy!

Washington Redskins
New coach and QB,
Front office competency,
Fat Al is still fat.

Dallas Cowboys
Won a playoff game,
Repeat as division champs?
All signs point to yes.

Philadelphia Eagles
Colb era begins.
No McNabb and No Westbrook,
Reid on the hot seat?

New York Giants
Missed playoffs last year,
Injury plagues behind them,
Could surprise the East.

Minnesota Vikings
Number 4 is back.
We've heard this story before.
$20 million bucks.

Green Bay Packers
Explosive offense
Needs to put other teams away.
Tough call against Vikes.

Detroit Lions
Low expectations
Stafford has great receivers.
Still picked to be last.

Chicago Bears
Forte is a beast.
Will need more help from Cutler
May pass .500.

New Orleans Saints
Brees and company
can win their weak division
Super Bowl repeat?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Modest improvements
in offense and in defense
Can win five or six.

Atlanta Falcons
Ryan's health is key.
Talent on both sides of ball.
Number two to Saints.

Carolina Panthers
New era in place.
Could be Coach Fox's last year.
Moore leads the offense.

San Francisco 49ers
No Crabtree holdout,
No Singletary mooning,
Best team in the West?

Arizona Cardinals
Future is Leinart
Fitzgerald is still the best.
Must stave off Niners.

Seattle Seahawks
Carroll is in charge.
Rebuilding will take some time.
Can go eight and eight.

St. Louis Rams
Number one draft picks
Foreseeable next season
Bradford must learn quick.

I Bleed Orange and Blue Series: 2010 - A New Era in UVA Football

Welcome to the Optimus Cheung blog, the "I Bleed Orange and Blue" series.

I've been feeling to blog about something quite dear to my heart for a while now, Virginia Football. I know, I know, it has stunk (even more than usual depending on how you look at it) for a few years now and at the moment, we're the bottom feeder of the ACC, even below Duke.... Nevertheless, I am excited to blog this upcoming season. Out is Al Groh, the coach from the 2001-09 seasons. In is former UVA assistant and Richmond Spiders coach, Mike London. However you interpret Groh's tenure at UVA, one thing is clear, 0 ACC championships. A man of his pedigree, part of the Bill Parcells/Bill Belichick coaching tree, should have maintained UVA's reputation to at least stay competitive in the conference. Last year, we ended up 3-9 culminating with a six-game losing streak and getting thrashed at home to Virginia Tech. Throughout the last two seasons, chants and signs of "Fire Groh" were heard and seen pretty adamantly among the student section (myself being one of those chanters), to the point where signs were banned at Scott Stadium for a short amount of time to shield the TV viewers the embarrassment of an upset fanbase. I digress; Groh did have some good years for UVA standards. But after last year, things needed to change and pretty much everyone in Charlottesville knew his time was near its end.



It could and should have been better, Al....(Image courtesy of Sports Illustrated)

Once Groh was fired, he immediately shopped himself around and landed the defensive coordinator position for Georgia Tech. Now, he had just received a contract extension from UVA and thus is owed a little over $1-2 million for 2010. After losing to Duke for the second straight year in October, the UVA boosters were privately soliciting for donations to help pay that off. The rumor is that that $1-2 million was paid for in full in one month. Everyone wanted him gone. His son, Mike Groh, was the (inept) offensive coordinator from 2005-2008 was fired leading up to the season. Many of Groh's assistants, including Mike London, had left the university for coaching positions at various schools from 2006 on. Groh, you can argue, didn't have a complete and competent team with him on deck. I'll give him that much credit to have gotten the results that he did. Less one or two coaches, the rest of his staff was fired as well. UVA really cleaned house this offseason. Anyhoo (pun intended), enough about Groh, let's move on to Mike London.



A new sheriff in town (Image courtesy of VirginiaSports.com)

Mike London, as I mentioned, was a former assistant for UVA back from I think 2003-2006. He became the head coach for Richmond and led them to a National Championship in 2008 in Division I-A. His name was among the tops on the short list of Groh successors, and many within the program felt he was what was needed to lift UVA back up. Obviously, being a former assistant helps. He also was in-state, where he has significant ties to many of the states potent regions for football recruiting. From what I hear, he is a very likable guy and is very football knowledgeable. All signs point in the positive direction with him leading the helm. There is plenty of uncertainty now and definitely throughout the season. One thing is for sure, however. He's reinvigorated UVA fans and I for one will be cheering him on, regardless of what the outcome may be this year. Wahoo-wa!!!

Braves on the Warpath Series: The Eagle has landed!

(I've been meaning to finish this post about the newest Redskins QB Donovan McNabb since we first heard word about the acquisition back in the spring. Apologies for the delay.)

Well well well. Once again, the Redskins have made some very interesting offseason moves. Snyder and company, by way of new head coach Mike Shanahan, have picked up some really significant players within the last month and a half. Most notably, today, Eagles QB Donovan McNabb is now a Redskin. There is a saying that goes "You go to Washington to get paid." Time and time again, management squanders draft picks for big name players and to an extent, washed up players. Now, I can't say one way or another that McNabb is washed up, but he is 33, an age that isn't quite reliable in the long term, but can still produce. Lest I remind us of Brett Favre who is 40. Peyton Manning is 34, Tom Brady is 32. So, let's just leave it as McNabb is a seasoned veteran. Obviously, this rival pick-up will ruffle some feathers for our friends in Philly. But the McNabb rumor had been going around for a few months now, and from I read, Washington is a better than the alternative for McNabb, Oakland. Blechh.....Nevertheless, I'm VERY interested in this deal and how the QB shake-up will play out this coming season. Here's my take on this move thus far.


"Coach Shanahan introduces new Redskins QB Donovan McNabb, Image courtesy of The Washington Post"

He isn't very accurate deep, but he certainly has a strong arm. He has shown a tremendous amount of leadership and command of the offense despite never truly have a RB (no disrespect to Brian Westbrook) nor a No. 1 receiver, outside of Terrell Owens. His role in Washington and Shanahan's offense will rely less on his ability to run and more on his ability to see downfield and hit open receivers. Currently I'd think the new balanced trio of RBs in Clinton Portis/Larry Johnson/Willie Parker will allow for more spread offense. A healthy TE in Chris Cooley will be welcomed back to his arsenal in addition to the other catching TE, Fred Davis. He'll have a speedster WR in Santana Moss and an up and coming big guy in Devin Thomas.

Personnel aside, McNabb truly feels and outwardly seems to be reinvigorated to the change in landscapes. His legacy in Philly shouldn't be discounted, even though Philly fans have quickly come to ridicule and turn away (just typical of Philly fans to be honest) and perhaps he may even be a Hall of Famer once his career ends. Who knows? Be that as it may, he brings a fresh breath of air and gravitas to the QB position that has been underwhelming for well over ten years. If he stays healthy, I feel he can easily muster up one more TD a game than Jason Campbell did and open up the backfield for a decent rushing attack. Reserved optimism is important right now, we can Monday Morning QB this issue to death throughout the season.

Are you ready for some football?! A preview of the 2010 NFL season

It sure feels like such a long off-season, and with the return of the NFL in the next month, I return to this blog. Plenty of happenings have being going around since the New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. I'll detail them throughout the coming weeks leading up to Week 1.



"Obama meets the Saints at the White House, Aug. 9th, 2010" Image - Susan Walsh, AP

Currently, we're in Week 2 of the preseason, which should be a healthy taste of 1st and 2nd string playing time for all the teams. In the subsequent weeks, teams will emphasize the 3rd-4th string players to evaluate their bench before reducing their roster from about 70-80 to 53 come the regular season. I'm not the most ardent of viewers of the preseason so highlights and stats do not mean much to me at this point. I'll resume my game recaps/highlights for the regular season.

For now, I'll quickly list the final standings for both conferences. Expect a preview of each division in the next week or two as I compile all my research/stats from this past year and forecasts for this coming year.

*denotes playoff teams.
AFC East
10-6 - New England Patriots*
9-7 - New York Jets*
7-9 - Miami Dolphins
6-10 - Buffalo Bills

AFC North
10-6 - Cincinnati Bengals*
9-7 - Baltimore Ravens*
9-7 - Pittsburgh Steelers
5-11 - Cleveland Browns

AFC South
14-2 - Indianapolis Colts*
9-7 - Houston Texans
8-8 - Tennessee Titans
7-9 - Jacksonville Jaguars

AFC West
13-3 - San Diego Chargers*
8-8 - Denver Broncos
5-11 - Oakland Raiders
4-12 - Kansas City Chiefs


NFC East
11-5 - Dallas Cowboys*
11-5 - Philadelphia Eagles*
8-8 - New York Giants
4-12 - Washington Redskins

NFC North
12-4 - Minnesota Vikings*
11-5 - Green Bay Packers*
7-9 - Chicago Bears
2-14 - Detroit Lions

NFC South
13-3 - New Orleans Saints*
9-7 - Atlanta Falcons
8-8 - Carolina Panthers
3-13 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFC West
10-6 - Arizona Cardinals*
8-8 - San Francisco 49ers
5-11 - Seattle Seahawks
1-15 - St. Louis Rams

Sept. 9th can't come soon enough! And to top that, the NFL kicks off with a rematch of the NFC Championship game, the Minnesota Vikings at the New Orleans Saints. Stay tuned for the next update!

Braves on the Warpath Series: Behind Enemy Lines....

The Cheungs at Dallas Cowboys: Cheungs 0, Jerry Jones $34

The missus and I went to Dallas, Texas to visit our good friend Mike this past week and on our final day, we made the trek over to the new Cowboys Stadium. Now, while my likes and dislikes of the Cowboys vary from reason to reason, I do keep up with the team and have a great admiration of the history of our rival franchise. Of course, I did go as a "representative of the Burgundy and Gold" and I proudly said I was a Redskins fan when prompted by our stadium tour guide, haha...I do preface this blog by stating that we were limited on both camera battery life and more importantly, time. Our tour was self-ended about 30 min early so we can catch our flight. We missed the opportunity to actually go onto the field (which really is a shame, I really wanted to do the T.O. pose on the star). Anyways, below you'll find some photos and for those who are willing to read through, some critique on the architecture from yours truly.

Some quick and random facts-at-a-glance of the new stadium.

Cost - North of $1.5 billion
Location - Arlington, Texas, outside Dallas by about 20 minutes and across from both the Texas Rangers baseball stadium and a Wal-Mart (seriously).
Architect - Dallas-based HKS, Inc.
Construction Time - 2006-2009, approximately 2-1/2 years.
Parking - Minimum $75 (Yikes!) and no public transportation
Seating - about 90,000+ seats
Ticket Prices - Moderately to highly expensive for decent seats. You can buy $30 non-seats, which allow you to just wander the stadium or stand at the level behind the end zones.
Beer - On average $8 (comparable to FedEX field)

Throughout the year, the stadium is used for other performances/shows such as Monster truck rallies, boxing fights (Pacquiao fought here in early march), the NBA All-Star game, and of course, rodeos.

Above, JJ and Mike are in front of the main entrance.

The exterior architecture of the stadium is very modern and contemporary, mixing the use of the metal cladding and reflecting glass. The colors exhibited by the materials, especially on this sunny day really play off the Cowboys royal blue and silver colors. I really like the flare of the reflecting glass downward playing with the scale of the site. Typically more than not, larger sports stadiums are curvilinear by nature so I'm less receptive to some of the abrupt changes in plane and geometry for the front facade. What the exterior does quite well is manipulate the role of transparency. It feels quite skeletal due to the large amounts of glass and thin steel. What isn't transparent feels very robust and give off a powerful presence. As I think about it more, and JJ knows this, my graduate thesis played off some of the same architectural motivations and design intents. Crazy, maybe I'll be designing stadiums further down the road.


Walking along the lengthy side of the stadium. The reflection in the glass reduces the size of stadium towards a more human scale.


Up close at the entrance, quite grand by its own right.


One of the main structural footings for the truss system.

Structurally, the stadium is held up by two very wide and intricate trusses that span from the outside inward, as shown above, longitudinally from the short ends across the stadium through the two end zones. These wide trusses also hold up much of the roof and the large suspended jumbo LCD screens inside. The rigidity and integrity of the structure affords the roof and sides to open. The stadium has both a retractable roof as well as the opening of both ends. The roof takes about nine minutes to open and the two sides open simultaneously for about four minutes. I do wish I had more time to detail and perhaps sketch the structure so I can analyze it more.


The view from the Main concourse level. Your eye immediately scans the field and then jumps to the big jumbo LCD.

Once you go inside, you'll find the extensive gift and team shop to your left. I was tempted the get an Aikman jersey (he is still one of my favorite QBs and he wears my lucky number, 8). However, from the entrance, you'd go up the main escalator onto the main concourse. Along this level are what seem like a bajillion concession stands and the typical stadium facilities. Go ahead, stare at the big screen, you know you want to. The two big screens only measure at around 160x70 feet and are the largest 1080p LCD TVs on the planet. Everything is bigger in Texas, as the saying goes. Even the little guys on the ends are about 70x30 feet. Like I mentioned before, they are held up by suspension by the roof and require an elevator lift for maintenance. That whole system plus the screens cost about $40 million alone. High def indeed!



I would LOVE to play a game of Madden on it, just for irony's sake.


Mid-Lower level seating starting at $350. Worth it? Maybe. One thing for sure, your ass will feel comfortable.

Our tour officially started at these seats. Here we hear wikipedia-esque facts from our guide and which I've mentioned most above already. From the image above, you can definitely get a sense of how large the stadium actually is, and how good the views of both the field and the TV are. To the left is the $30 standing room only area. Also on that end is one of the two operable window walls. Most of the seating average around under $200, with the nose bleed sections closer to $50. We did not go to other sections so I can't vouch for how good those seats could be. Perhaps they're good anyways. One thing that this stadium tops over FedEx Field, no limited view areas.

Club Level seating, where the price isn't quite right, but you're told it is.

So the last part of the tour before we left early was at one of the club level suites. Here, the price was about $350 as well, BUT you must "purchase" the room first, equivalent to the price of all forty seats there. On top of that, you have to front up some of deposit or something like that as well. Now aside from a nice seat and access to food and drink, your view of the game is alright. You're a bit too high to really see the game, but hey, you're at the club level. The glazing is operable so if you want, you can have an it open to get a more stadium feel. And thus, our tour of the stadium ends. We toured a bit of some of the administrative areas and I think some of the executive offices would have been on the tour in addition to the on-field portion. Oh well, there'll never be a next time. I've seen all I need to see in Dallas. Sorry, Mike.

Final thoughts??

As a football fan, I think this is indicative of what a legacy Jerry Jones wants out of his tenure as owner. He maximizes financial opportunity and realizes the fact that his team is the de facto image of a successful NFL franchise. It is quite awesome to see such a devotion to the enjoyment for the NFL fan. HOWEVER, there is a price to pay, and he will milk that fan for whatever he has. I still can't imagine paying upfront so much money for what could ultimately be an overstimulating experience. Coming here will clearly be about the experience, and less on the game.

As someone in the architecture profession, Cowboys Stadium is the standard by which all new stadiums will be compared. Fortunately, this stadium takes full advantage of its site, a Midwest city with little to none of the volatile weather and temperature fluctuations of both the east and west coasts. The structural design I give high marks to, with slightly lower marks for the use of materials, particularly inside the "luxury spaces". I've never had the opportunity to design a stadium in design school so I can't quite fathom how much goes into the construction process for such a large building, but I can understand the amount of players involved in this undertaking. Coordination and construction administration must be hell, haha...Overall I came away very impressed, if not very jealous that the Redskins don't have anywhere near the ability to take this similar course of action......yet. Your move Danny boy, your move.

Braves on the Warpath Series: Spring cleaning comes a little early this year.

Word from Redskins Park, ten players from the roster have been released. Some are surprising, some not. It's the first big step of Coach Shanahan's regime and it clearly shows he's making strident changes heading into free agency and the April Draft. The players include Rock Cartwright, Antwaan Randle El, Todd Collins (No more Toddball!), Cornelius Griffin, Fred Smoot and most surprising, Ladell Betts. And with the predicted retirement (rightfully so after neck injury) of Chris Samuels, the 2010 Skins roster will look significantly different, in more ways than one. It's premature to think what role the players not cut are to the team, but we can let the speculation fly. With both Rock and Ladell gone, perhaps this is validation of the retaining a Mr. Clinton Portis???? I for one, have voiced my displeasure with him for quite a while now, particularly the last two seasons. (On a side note, I have met Portis at a Circuit City grand opening way back in 2006 and he signed the back of my business card, haha....) Nevertheless, his downward path of dragging the team down in performance and off-the-field remarks have left a very nasty taste in my mouth and I for one has hoped and will welcome his departure from the team. Not soon enough now I suppose.

With Todd Collins out, there is a vacancy in the QB roster. The Skins have already gave a tender to Jason Campbell, which leaves Colt Brennan. Now, I can't imagine Brennan significantly challenging for the starting spot, SO methinks the Skins either drop some money on a veteran QB for backup, OR draft another QB in this coming draft. I'd vote for the former rather than the latter, knowing how "sensitive" Campbell has been regarding job security. Make no mistake about it, Shanahan has not affirmed that Campbell is the QB for his team, but maybe he gives him a year to develop under his system. I haven't looked into free agency extensively to see who would replace Collins. With this year's QB class, we got a few gems in Jimmy Clausen, Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy and dare I say him, Tim Tebow??

Randle El was a bust from the moment he left the Super Bowl XL Champion Pittsburgh Steelers back in 2006 to don the burgundy and gold. He was not quite the explosive Number 2 receiver everyone had hoped he'd be, and definitely was deficient in his punt return ability. Happy Feet is what I called him since all he did was dance around and very rarely ran back punts for more than 15 yards. From a WR standpoint, I trust the progress made by both Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas will be sufficient for Shanahan's offense to complement Santana Moss. The passing game should be better with Chris Cooley back although the question is what to do with Fred Davis. Couple a decent passing threat with the possible resurgence in the running game, our offense should be much better than last year, fingers crossed. Oh wait, what do we do for the offensive line?!.........

Skepticism around the role of the running game and RBs is building in me. It bugs me to lose both Ladell and Rock, for they were decent players who always gave 110% on the field and in practice. Granted Rock was a tad more efficient but not sufficient kick returner, his role in the running game was purely a result of lack of depth and injuries. Likewise, Ladell is coming off a torn ACL and MCL suffered this past season so I can imagine the coaching staff is a bit iffy and unsure on him. The Skins also let go another RB in Marcus Mason, so the RB roster is comprised of CP and Quinton Gainther at the moment. I have no problems with Gainther and I'll spare you my diatribe of CP a little bit longer; he's still a douche in my book. A RB may be picked up in the draft or like the QB position, picked up via free agency.

Under Snyder, the Skins have always made the biggest news in the offseason. Big names, big deals are quite the norm over at Redskins Park. You can't deny that Shanahan is cooking up something big. These first steps are more significant than they appear and prove that a "shake-up" from a personnel and financial standpoint need to be made. Who knows what that will translate onto the field. I'm eager to see what happens this month leading up to the draft; we have the #4 pick this year and can easily fill any of our dire needs. I'll keep you all posted closer to April. Enjoy playing fantasy offseason, haha....

Rise up Who Dat Nation!!!

Super Bowl Recap!!!!

Super Bowl XLIV
New Orleans Saints at Indianapolis Colts - 34-17 Saints

And thus the 2009-10 NFL season is officially over. But, what a way to end it with Super Bowl XLIV. The New Orleans Saints defeat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in their first ever trip and QB Drew Brees gets the MVP nod. While I had predicted a 34-28 win for the Colts, I was unabashed in my support for the Saints throughout the game. My prediction was based more on logic than emotion, which subsequently was the tale of the two teams. The Colts played more methodically, quietly, stoically. At times, they seemed robotic, doing what they're supposed to do with little to no emotion. The Saints were quite the opposite; they were gutsy, occassionally reckless, tenacious, scrapping for every extra yard, making the extra hit. Clearly it seemed that despite how good the Colts were, the Saints wanted it more. In the end, their heart willed them to a victory. What a game!

First Quarter

The Saints won the coin toss (which CBS noted that an NFC team has won thirteen times in a row) and go three and out on their first possession. The Colts march down the field but have to settle for a field goal by Matt Stover, 3-0 Colts. The Saints on the ensuing possession fail to garner more than one first down and have to punt again put pin the Colts at their own 4-yard line. Peyton Manning and company then go to work, going the distance, capped off with a TD pass to Pierre Garcon for 19 yards, 10-0 Colts. You can imagine things are getting a little tense for Saints fans. To get behind by two or three possessions is hard to come back from. Another Super Bowl stat, the Super Bowl deficit record is 10 points, set back in 1988 with the Denver Broncos leading against our very own Washington Redskins. The Saints tied that mark yesterday. However, they get on board with a field goal to make it 10-3 Colts and that's how the first quarter concluded.


Pierre Garcon's TD Catch from Manning, Photo by ESPN.com

Second Quarter

The second quarter of play was less eventful, which does not necessarily mean less exciting. The Colts were held scoreless and the Saints on one possession marched down the field late in the quarter that ends with a 4th and Goal attempt (Gutsy call by Coach Sean Payton) at the 2-yard line. Running back Pierre Thomas fails on the attempt to give the Colts the ball back. The Colts respond with a three and out and give the Saints the ball back with about half a minute to score. The Saints move down a little bit to set up the second of three 40+ yard field goal attempts for Garrett Hartley. Hartley makes it and the half is over, 10-6 Colts.


Third Quarter

Best. Onside. Kick. Ever. The Saints surprise everyone by attempting the onside kick, and winning it! What a call by Sean Payton to force the Colts defense's hand. The winning percentage of an onside kick is very low and the risk you take is giving very optimal field possession for the other team. However, Colts wideout Hank Baskett makes contact with the ball making it a live ball. The Saints come up with it at the bottom of the pile. Unbelievable. I'd like to think that Payton had planned on this all along. The Saints offense rides that momentum and Brees throws a short screen to Pierre Thomas who absolutely earned every yard on his way to a 16-yard TD, 13-10 Saints. The Colts, not to be taken lightly, respond quite convincing on a TD drive of their own, this time with RB Joseph Addai punching it in from four yards, 17-13 Colts. The Saints trade a few more points with a short drive ending with the third and final field goal by Garrett Hartley, 17-16 Colts. The quarter ends on that score and sets up what should be a close and decisive fourth quarter.


Joseph Addai punches it in from 4 yards out, Photo by ESPN.com


Fourth Quarter

The Colts start the final quarter with the ball and like clockwork (they do not huddle), they march down the field, but have to settle for a 51 yard field goal attempt to increase their small lead. Stover misses it badly. Some facts about this. Matt Stover is the oldest player to start a Super Bowl at age 42. He was the replacement kicker to an injured Adam Vinatieri. Vinatieri you should remember, was the Super Bowl hero for the New England Patriots, participating in the three Super Bowl victories. He landed the kicker job for the Colts and helped them win the Super Bowl three years ago against the Chicago Bears. Why I am mentioning all this is that Vinatieri, if healthy should be able to make that kick, which could have changed the outcome in favor of the Colts. Nevertheless, the missed kick by Stover gives the Saints the ball.

The Saints ride on Brees' arm, who overall was a whopping 32 of 39 passing, tying a Super Bowl record. He was perfect on all attempts on this drive, with a 2-yard TD pass to Jeremy Shockey. Coach Payton elects to go for the two-point conversion to increase the lead to 7. Brees throws a short quickout to Lance Moore who dives for the end zone. The ruling on the field was a failed conversion. I thought he was in, and of course, the Challenge flag was thrown by Payton. The ruling on the field was overturned as the replays show Moore maintaining possession as the ball was over the line before it was kicked out by the Colts defender, 24-17 Saints.


Lance Moore dives and converts on the 2-point try, Photo by ESPN.com

Now, down by a touchdown with more than five minutes left, no one can doubt Manning's ability to make magic. He's such a student of the game who makes minimal mistakes; every defense in the league respects him. Now, it appears that I'm setting Manning up for a huge letdown, and yes that is the case. This subsequent drive that Manning leads with the hopes of tying the game at 24 a piece, finishes in the worst way possible, a pick six. The scenario, a 3rd and 5 from the Saints 31, 3-1/2 minutes left. Manning in the shotgun, a quick In pass to Reggie Wayne. Saints cornerback Tracy Porter gets a jump on the ball and returns the interception 74 yards for the nail in the coffin score, 31-17 Saints.


Tracy Porter runs back his interception to the house! Photo by ESPN.com

Let me take you through the play a bit more in-depth. The Colts only aimed to get the first down, so the In pattern ran by Wayne was to go 4-6 yards. Austin Collie, initially covered by Porter runs in motion towards the slot position, on the inside of Wayne. He draws Malcolm Jenkins with him as the ball is snapped, Porter backs off Collie and reads Manning's intent to hit Wayne in stride for the first down. Porter mentioned in the post game that he watched film of this very play and anticipated the ball to Wayne for the first.



The game is all but over. Manning attempts to lead the Colts to another score with a long drive, but fall short with a failed fourth down pass. Brees and the offense come back to the field, and all he has to do is kneel down. Saints win! You have to feel for the city of New Orleans and emotions riding on the Saints players for bringing something real good back there. The Saints played a better game than the Colts, whom I can imagine is feeling real bad today, particularly Manning.



Brees hoists up the Lombardi Trophy, Photo by FOXsports.com


Coach Sean Payton celebrates the victory, after being doused with Gatorade, Photo by ESPN.com

Some final thoughts about the game. I think the Saints played the heck out of their hearts last night, for themselves and their city. The Colts on the other hand, downplayed all the attention and I feel that the emotion of "been there, done that" tempered any anxieties and intense energy. They played a good game on many fronts, just could not squeak it out. I fervently believe that Manning will end up becoming the best quarterback in the history of the NFL despite all this, and I argue that his greatness only gets slighted a little bit for losing this game. He and the Colts are perennial favorites to be the best team and I won't be surprised if they get back to the Super Bowl sooner rather than later. Here's to a great 2009-10 season. I will continue to blog about football in general with the hopes of doing more in-depth analysis and stat tracking for the 2010-11 season.