The Redskins Blog

2012 Unsung Heroes From Giants Rivalry

In continuing to expand on the Redskins deeply rooted rivalry with the New York Giants, let’s take a look at some of the unsung heroes from the two tightly contested NFC East matchups in 2012.

While the Burgundy and Gold would go 5-1 against their division foes en route to their first division title since 1999, the one blemish on their record was a 27-23 loss at the Giants in Week 7.

If it weren’t for a late touchdown, I would be writing about how the Redskins went undefeated in the division play.

With the Redskins 17-16 victory on Monday Night Football in Week 13 in mind as well, let’s take a look at some of the performers who names may have not been on website “player of the game” nomination lists, but were still influential.

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Reliving Season Series With The Giants

Just minutes after the New York Giants won their second Super Bowl in five years last February, “experts” across the nations quickly latched onto the Giants wagon in belief that they were going to win the NFC East and so forth in 2012.

Shoot some were predicting a .500 record between the two squads-with the Redskins going 3-13 to the Giants’ 13-3.

This was well before the Redskins got Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris.

While the Burgundy and Gold’s lone loss in the NFC East last year was at the hands of Big Blue, the nail-bitter still had some memorable moments nonetheless.

So without further ado, here is a recap of the 2012 season series between the NFC East foes (with only one division champion in the end.)

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Forbath Looking To Repeat 2012′s Success

(AP Photo)

Historically, the Redskins haven’t had a franchise kicker since Chip Lohmiller left town in 1994 and in the middle of the 2012 season signed a little-known kicker from UCLA, Kai Forbath.

Forbath, however, booted away any misconception that the Redskins currently lack a franchise kicker after he broke the NFL record for most field goals to start a career and scored the final points to secure a victory over the eventual Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens.

With Forbath returning to Redskins Park for OTAs, he had a moment to reflect on his first season in the Nation’s Capital and was treated to a pleasant reminder of some of his best moments upon returning to his locker.

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They Are Who We Thought They Were?

Kirk Cousins has been a busy man this week. First, he went back to East Lansing recently to call the X’s and O’s for his alma mater’s spring game. Now, he has been all over ESPN where he talked to NFL Live and did a sit down chat with ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike in the Morning.

With Cousins’s media stock quickly rising, the former Spartan great has been asked to be a guest speaker at a local event and unfortunately for No. 12, the event organizers may have forgotten Cousin’s 329 yards and two touchdown performance against the Cleveland Browns in Week 15 from behind center.

Excited for "Comp. Heart" event! But, the local paper forgot the position I play for the 'Skins….humbling, again http://t.co/QZqN7a8ykv—
Kirk Cousins (@KirkCousins8) April 11, 2013

So, can Cousins compete for the Burgundy and Gold’s starting kicker spot against record-setter Kai Forbath?

Highly doubtful, but Cousins isn’t the only member of the Redskins squad that has had an “identity theft” of sorts.

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Redskins Social Media Weekly Spotlight

Welcome to your weekly Redskins Social Media Spotlight, where we highlight the trendy topics and social media campaigns going on this week in Redskins Nation. Check it out and make suggestions below.

As we continue to bring you updates each week to let you know how Redskins players are spending their offseason, we’re happy to inform fans that players are beginning to slowly trickle back in to Redskins Park after a few months away following the season. Believe it or not, the draft is a little more than a month away which means that OTAs and Redskins football is just around the corner.

In the meantime, we’re here to at least try and keep you engaged until that time comes.

You can check out last week’s Social Media Spotlight which debated the hot topic of whether it’s acceptable for men to wear yoga pants at the gym (still undecided) as well as recapped LB Ryan Kerrigan and K Kai Forbath’s golf outing, QB Robert Griffin III and Baylor’s upset over #4 Kansas, and LB London Fletcher announcing, via Twitter, his plans to return.

This week, we’ll catch a glimpse of WR Dezmon Briscoe working out and working hard, including what Griffin III thinks about the wide receiver’s workout. We’ll also take a look at DE Jarvis Jenkins’s inspirational quote, Kai Forbath’s comments on the return of LS Nick Sundberg and P Sav Rocca, and, last but not least, we’ll bring you WR Pierre Garçon’s take on March Madness.

Plus, does anyone remember the movie Space Jam? We sure do and so does G Chris Chester. We’ll let Chris give his thoughts on Bill Murray’s role in the film and more. Welcome to this week’s Redskins Social Media Weekly Spotlight!

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Burns Brings ‘Special’ Blend of Success

(AP Photo)

Last week, the Redskins filled one of their coaching vacancies with the hiring of Keith Burns as Special Teams Coordinator. He is replacing the departed Danny Smith who took the same position with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Burns bring an ample amount of experience and success with him from his time with the Denver Broncos both on the field and with a headset. Last season as Assistant Special Teams Coach in Denver, he lead a unit that became a  booming sensation blocking punts and multiple return touchdowns.

He reunites with his coach of 11 seasons, Mike Shanahan, in hopes of improving the special teams unit in Washington. During his time as a player, he was the special teams captain for the team’s Super Bowl XXXII and Super Bowl XXXIII victories.

Read up on how Denver’s special team’s units thrived during his tenure and how he will be a resourceful tool for the Redskins this upcoming season:

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Redskins Have Found A Kicker

Kickers and punters usually don’t receive the kind of recognition and accolades as the rest of the 53-man roster. Simply put, the nature of the position does not demand the same degree of physicality as other positions.

While receivers and running backs are called “the skill positions,” specialists are the ultimate skill players.

The tradeoff for physicality is a necessity for consistent excellence, while striving for perfection.

The position requires a reassurance and a mental toughness with the ability to rise above the pressure of 80,000 screaming fans with the game and/or season on the line. There is a sense of reliance that comes with the territory.

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VOTE: Top Redskins Performance of 2012

What did you think was the Redskins’ best individual game performance this year?

-There was QB Robert Griffin III’s Thanksgiving Day homecoming.

-There was RB Alfred Morris’s NFC East-clinching 200 yard, three touchdown game vs. America’s least favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys.

-There was Griffin III’s electrifying, sub-four second forty yard dash, 76 yard burst vs. Minnesota (well, maybe sub-four is an exaggeration, but it sounds better that way).

-There was K Kai Forbath booting the football 34 yards for a comeback overtime victory over our purple neighbors (Ravens).

And that’s just a select handful of the top individual performances from this year.

We put our collective minds together this week at Redskins Park and attempted to narrow down, what we thought were some of the top Redskins performances of 2012. But now it’s up to you, Redskins Nation, to decide.

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Redskins Working Out in Unorthodox Ways

(AP Photo)

When you think of a Washington Redskins player’s workout routine, what do you picture?

Lifting exorbitant amount of weight bench pressing? Spending countless hours in the weight room doing biceps curls and squats?

While the players do indeed continue to weight lift during the offseason, after months of wear and tear on their bodies, they look for different ways to heal their bodies while still being able to train.

Sometimes, their training methods can be a little, lets say, unorthodox, at least for what you might expect.

Find out how the players are training here:

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Kai Forbath Gives Away First Kicking Cleat

(AP photo)

When we last checked in with Redskins kicker Kai Forbath he was on quite a roll, making the first 14 field goals of his career, while at the same time hoping to boost his Twitter followers from just around 8,500 to 15,000 and give away the first kicking cleat he ever used with the Redskins.

Since then, Forbath finished the season strong, nailing 17-of-18 field goals, and has made quite a surge on social media as well. He has almost 16,500 followers on Twitter and, as promised, posed just one question for fans to answer in order to give away the first cleat he ever kicked with.

Here is the progression of the Twitter competition:

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