The Redskins Blog

DeAngelo Hall Still Feels Good About Pitching The Ball

When DeAngelo Hall pitched the ball to LaRon Landry at the end of his interception return, I was skeptical — and I wasn’t the only one. Professional Redskins critic John Riggins, presumably tweeting from the woodpile behind his house, wrote “you can’t win with guys that think like D-hall…it’s all about them….”

I didn’t feel quite that strongly about it, but as far as I’m concerned, the fewer moving parts on a play like that, the better. The key, to me, is not losing the ball.

And this wasn’t a play that had gotten a lot of work in practice. “Nah, man,” Landry told me. “It just happened. I asked him to pitch it.” Landry shook his head. “I didn’t think he was gonna DO it, though.” Read more »

Redskins vs. Broncos – Second Quarter Thoughts

This photo of Hunter Smith doesn’t actually show what was so interesting about his return, of course. By throwing a touchdown pass to Mike Sellers on fourth-and-20, he becomes the first non-QB to throw a touchdown for the 2009 Redskins, the first member of the 2009 Redskins to both throw AND run for touchdowns — AND he records his first NFL pass. Not too bad.

There were, despite the fact that the Redskins trail by 3, even more positives in the second quarter:

• The revamped offensive line still didn’t give up a sack.
• The defense seems, for the most part, to have stopped giving up long touchdown to Brandon Marshall.
• Fred Smoot is seeing increased playing time, which will hopefully lead to the end of his media boycott.
• Brian Orakpo continues to make good plays, although he too is without a sack through the first half.
• Quinton Ganther, the guy I referred to as an “infinitieth string” running back, was able to contribute a bit, including a very nice block.
• Lorenzo Alexander continues to have a good game, forcing a fumble and making a huge tackle on special teams.

But the best thing — by FAR, as far as I was concerned — was how nice it was seeing, for the first time in what seems like forever, the fans stand up and cheer the Redskins off the field in the first half. Now if the team could just take those positives — and that fan goodwill — and turn it into a freakin’ win…. Read more »

Redskins vs. Broncos – First Quarter Thoughts

Yes, the team is losing. Yes, the cornerbacks look more or less completely perplexed by the idea that some little-known guy named Brandon Marshall has caught the ball deep for two touchdowns. Yes, the offense has looked frustrated in their last couple possessions. Read more »

Sunday, November 15: Redskins vs. Broncos, Today, And When It Really Mattered

Jamie Mottram of Mister Irrelevant had an excellent idea of how to get ready for a Redskins/Broncos game: by watching the Redskins play one of the greatest quarters in football history against the Broncos more than twenty years ago. If the 2009 Redskins could do in a full game just two-thirds of what happened in the second quarter of Super Bowl XXII, their record would be much, much better.

Meanwhile, as always, follow on Twitter — or on the Twackle module after the jump — for updates from me (@redskinsblog), Gary (@redskinsdotcom), and Larry Weisman (@LarryWeisman). Read more »