A Guest Blog by Fanspeak Contributing Writer Basheer Zada:

After watching the Redskins stumble and fall through the first three games, it has become quite obvious that there are more question marks on this team than there are answers.

The defense, hyped through most of training camp, has been largely ineffective after allowing back-to-back 30-point games. The 3-4 defensive scheme was installed in order to create more sacks and turnovers. Through three games, the Redskins have registered 7 sacks, which puts them in a 7-way tie for 6^th place, and forced 4 turnovers (2 INTs, 2 fumble recoveries), good for 24^th place. They are ranked 32^nd in yards allowed per game (423.7 yds), first downs given up per game (25.7 yds), and time spent on the field per game (36:14 mins).

A 3-4 defense goes where its nose tackle goes. Unfortunately, Redskins nose tackle Maake Kemoeatu, a so called “space eater”, has been pushed around, albeit registering 5 tackles last week against the Rams. But since he missed the entire 2009 season nursing an Achilles injury, he might need some more time on the football field to get back in football form. Outside linebacker Andre Carter seems uncomfortable operating in space and isn’t generating any pressure coming off the edge (0 sacks). I think Lorenzo Alexander can flourish as the starting outside linebacker. His special teams experience helps him make plays in space, and he is decent coming off the edge (1 sack). London Fletcher has appeared to be too small to take on guards, and has been effectively blocked on too many run plays.

I think Jim Haslett has too much confidence in Philip Buchanon as he often plays opposite of DeAngelo Hall, while Carlos Rogers blitzes from the nickel spot and works the slot receiver. Most big plays have occurred on Buchanon’s side, with the exception of Hall’s slip on a curl route this past week, and obviously the horrible back up safety play. The defensive backs have often seemed confused after these big plays, and there’s an obvious lack of communication.

To make matters worse, Haynesworth has yet to get any playing time in the defense’s base 3-4 formation. And even though a 3-4 defensive end is the same as a 4-3 defensive tackle, we can’t be sure that fat Albert can dominate.

All these issues bring us to two larger questions. Do the Redskins have the right personnel for a 3-4 defense? Or is this just an adjustment period for a new defense? I personally think that it is the later with the exception. Most starters on the defense have been playing in the same system since the Greg Williams days; Greg Blatche had the same defense, minus the idea of blitzing. Then comes in Jim Haslett with new concepts, new terminology, and obviously an entire different scheme. We cannot expect the defense to pick up where it left off last year as a top 10 defense.

London Fletcher said that most big plays happen when the defense is in its sub packages (nickel, dime), not the base 3-4. Therefore, I believe that with a few adjustments aka Carter out of the lineup, and some shuffling in the defensive backfield, this defense can be successful. They simply need some more time to turn the corner. Let’s hope it happens this Sunday at Lincoln Field.

It has been a rough year for Pirates and their fans, but at least there is a silver lining to their season of losing, and that is getting the number 1 overall pick next year. While the number 1 pick should never be looked at as a badge of honor, their is no better way to energize your fanbase and rebuild your team than with top young talent. The Pirates witnessed first hand just what it means to have a number one overall pick, when they went to Washington in early June and faced the Nationals 2009 1st overall pick Stephen Strasburg in his Major League debut. Strasburg blew away the Pirates for a franchise record 14 strikeouts (on a pitch count no less) in front of 40,000 Nats fans.

That is exactly what the Pirates need a player with the hype and talent to energize the fanbase and make the team a better product on the field. Now obviously the Nationals had a setback with Strasburg getting injured later in the year, but his presence keeps the future bright for Washington. The Pirates have done a good job assembling some young talent (which is a big reason why they ended up with the top overall pick) on their major league team, and have a farm system stocked to the brim with promising young arms, due to an aggressive draft strategy these last couple of years.

While the Pirates might not find a Stephen Strasburg in this draft, there are a number of very good prospects for the Pirates to choose from. While the Pirates have shown no hesitation to spend on high schoolers if they are worth the price tag, this is a good year to have a top pick since it is brimming with college talent. For their fans sake the Pirates need someone to rise quickly through their organization and join the young talent they currently have assembled on their roster.

While a lot can change between now and next June, the top 5 players who will be draft eligible next season are college guys and all are worthy of a number one overall pick:

Anthony Rendon – 3B Rice: Rendon is coming off a bad ankle injury, but if he still shows he can hit, it shouldn’t affect his draft status. While the Pirates have Pedro Alvarez at 3rd right now they can always shift him over to first, since Rendon is a superior defender. Barring some unforeseen failure to come back from the injury I think he has to be the Pirates pick. Middle of the order bats don’t grow on trees, and those that play above average-good defense at a tougher position like 3B are very rare.

Gerrit Cole – RHP UCLA: Cole is the closest thing in this draft to Strasburg and a strong Junior campaign could push him to challenge Rendon for the top spot. While he has the ability to be a number 1 pitcher, he isn’t as advanced as Strasburg. He would have to be significantly above Rendon for me to take him over the 3B. Pitchers are always harder to project, have a higher injury risk, and obviously don’t play everyday. While the Pirates are desperate for starters it is never good to draft based on need. Also this is a deep draft and they should be able to get very good pitchers in rounds 2 and 3.

Matt Purke – LHP TCU: Purke was the top pick of Texas two years ago, but they couldn’t find the money to sign him. Now as a draft eligible sophomore he will likely end up a top 5 pick. While he isn’t quite yet in the same class as David Price he is firmly a number 2 pitcher with the potential to develop into a number 1. If he blows up this year, and Rendon and Cole struggle a bit he is well worth the top spot.

George Springer – OF UCONN: Springer is really shooting up draft boards with a strong summer and 5-tool potential. His strikeouts remain high, but has great power and could even project to play in CF (though RF might be his best position). If Springer has a great year, he could appeal to the Pirates if Rendon doesn’t come back from the injury and they prefer an everyday guy.

Taylor Jungmann – RHP Texas: In most years Jungmann would be a top pick, or would fall no worse than 3rd overall but in this draft class he might be lucky to hang on to a top 5 spot. He has number 1 pitching potential, but will likely end up more as a very good number 2 (and nothing wrong with that at all). His secondary pitches still need some work as does his command, but Jungmann remains a top pitching prospect and one with an outside shot of going first overall.

The reports seem to be growing louder and louder that the Nationals won’t be bringing Adam Dunn back next season. And if true, would represent a huge set back for the organization. The reports have been consistent in saying that the Nationals are hesitant to offer Dunn the 4 year’s that he wants, instead preferring to stick to 2 or 3 years. Defense seems to be the chief concern among the naysayers in resigning Dunn, despite it being better this year at first base. Now no one will confuse Dunn for an elite defender, but he has improved his defense enough to warrant a job at first for the Nats.

And if you had made this decision that Dunn wasn’t worth 4 years, why didn’t you move him two months ago at the trade deadline? I know you might not have gotten the cream of the crop in prospects, but even a couple 2nd tier guys (Dan Hudson+ from the White Sox perhaps) would have been worth it compared to the draft picks you will receive. For all the hype about getting two first round picks, it really isn’t true. It is only a first round pick if a team has one of the top 15 records in the majors. So that means team’s like say the Angels who might look for an upgrade at DH over Matsui (not to mention one that can play some 1B in case Morales gets hurt again), or the Cubs who need a power hitter in the middle of their lineup and a 1B, or even say the Brewers if they deal Fielder might look for a big bat to replace him, would only have to give up a 2nd round pick to replace him.

What’s worse is those aren’t going to be the only weak teams chasing him, the A’s could get interested as they need a big bat and have always valued three true outcome guys like Dunn. Also the cross town Orioles have been looking to make a splash for years and could upgrade over Ty Wiggington at 1B. While the Nats could get a 1st round pick if a team like the White Sox, Giants, Braves or Rangers (among others) sign Dunn, it isn’t a given. Dunn is on the low end of the spectrum for Type-A free agents (the system is a bit antiquated, and Dunn’s average weighs him down) so if a team like the Braves were to add both Dunn and say Jayson Werth this offseason the Nationals would get the Braves 2nd round pick. While it is a bit less unlikely a team could add two Type-A free agents that rank higher than Dunn, and the Nationals would end up with a 3rd round pick. Same thing is true for the teams that finish with one of the 15 worst records, so while unlikely if the Cubs go on a spending spree the Nationals could have a 4th round pick as compensation for Dunn.

Yes they would still get a supplemental 1st round pick, but that kind of compensation pales in comparison to what they could have potentially gotten in the trade market (not to mention the fact the Nationals would have to spend millions of dollars to sign these players). Draft pick compensation is nice and all and beneficial to rebuilding, but as the Nationals showed this year, extra picks aren’t necessary to having a top draft. Even taking Bryce Harper out of the equation, the Nationals had a good draft getting three young quality pitchers in Sammy Solis, A.J. Cole, and Robbie Ray (a long with a few other talents). Sure it will be nice to have a few extra picks, but it won’t increase the talent pool that much overall, as now they might not spend as much on later picks. All-in-all compensation picks are exactly what they were intended to be, a consolation prize but one that should have had zero impact on the Nationals decision to trade Dunn (though they do increase his trade value, since a contender trading for him can get some talent back).

Yes there are some decent bats on the free agent market who can replace some of Dunn’s production and who might be better fielders (maybe not all of them). But with the exception of Paul Konerko (and even he isn’t as good or consistent as Dunn), none of these guys (Adam LaRoche, Aubrey Huff, Carlos Pena) offer the true middle of the order hitter the Nationals are looking for or are the box office sensation that Dunn is. Now maybe it could have made sense if they had gotten some prospects in return for a Dunn deal, that helped them at other positions (all three OF spots, starting rotation etc.).

But to just replace Dunn with Pena or LaRoche won’t do the trick, and will only save the Nationals money. While thats nice it isn’t exactly a deep free agent crop to invest in. Even if they sign Werth and say LaRoche and lose Dunn, the Nats offense won’t really improve to the point of contention. Sure their defense will be better, but if their offense ranks 20th in both OBP and Slug %, where will it rank without him? Sure Willingham will be back from injury, but the Nats were ranking in the 20′s even when he was healthy. I just don’t see how there is a lateral or positive move out there by not signing Dunn.

While I realize it is a growing possibility that Dunn could be gone when free agency begins, I hope the Nationals reconsider (or build a time machine to go back to the trade deadline). Sure it might have killed some (of the little) Nationals fan base, but at least they would be building for the future. If they don’t end up resigning him, I hope the team will make the most out of a tough situation and add the money necessary to the draft budget to sign two additional young talents. Time will tell if the Nationals made the right move in this situation, but I have to tell you as a Nationals fan I worry that it will be a bad offseason.

NFC East:

Eagles: While it is not too surprising to see them at 2-1 considering they had games against the Lions and Jags, it is quite surprising to see who is behind center. Vick so far is playing maybe the best football of his career, and makes the Eagles extremely dangerous.

Giants: While the Colts and Titans are two good teams, if the Giants want to be a contender not only do they need to not get blown out but they need to actually win one of those games. Despite having a ton of talent up and down that lineup, this team is not firing on all cylinders.

Cowboys: The 0-2 start was a bit of surprise, but they looked better last week in their victory over the Texans. So far this team is not utilizing all of their talent, and could still be a threat if they turn it around. Right now though their sloppy play makes them look like an average team and not the Super Bowl contender they thought they were.

Redskins: Their opening win against the Cowboys gave them hope, but a new coach and new quarterback has led to the same problems that plagued them before. While their 1-2 record isn’t shocking, it is a surprise that they lost to the Rams.

NFC North:

Bears: Chicago is one of the major surprises this season as they have jumped out to a 3-0 start, including wins over Dallas and Green Bay. Their offense and defense are vastly improved and they look like a strong playoff contender.

Packers: Green Bay, gave away the game last night, but thus far still looks like a serious playoff team. Their offensive line woes continue though, and will need to be fixed moving forward. The Packers also are severely missing RB Ryan Grant who is out for the year, and don’t be surprised if they make a trade to fix the problem (cough, DeAngelo Williams).

Vikings: Minnesota started out 0-2 which was a pretty big surprise, and are still looking to find their way offensively. They still remain a dangerous team with the weapons they have, but right now don’t seem like a great contender.

Lions: The Lions starting out 0-3 would hardily qualify as a surprise, but on the positive note they were in both of their first two losses (Bears and Eagles) until the very end. And that was without their starting quarterback Matt Stafford.

NFC South:

Saints: New Orleans has started out a respectable 2-1, with big wins over Minnesota and San Francisco, but they have shown some weaknesses as well. Their special teams has let them down and cost them a win Sunday against Atlanta, and their defense isn’t as dominate as it was last season.

Falcons: Atlanta looks to be legit, after coming off a sub-par season last year. They played Pittsburgh and New Orleans to a tie in regulation, and throughly crushed the Cardinals. Their defense looks improved and the offense seems to be running smoothly.

Buccaneers: Tampa’s 2-1 record looks better than their actual talent, and is inflated by wins against the Browns and Panthers. That being said this is an improved team this year that is assembling a lot of young developing talent. This might not be the year for Tampa, but they could be ready to contend in a year or two.

Panthers: Their 0-3 start isn’t really a surprise, as this team was set up to fail. With no first round pick and the loss of their star defensive end Julius Peppers, put this team in a hole they couldn’t get out of. The big surprise with this team is how quickly they ended the Matt Moore era. While I wasn’t a big believer in him, he did help turn their season around last year, and probably deserved at least half the year this season. Going to Clausen so early could be risky for the Panthers long term as well.

NFC West:

Seahawks: Their 2-1 start qualifies as a major surprise, especially considering the fact they had to go through the 49ers and Chargers to do so. The numbers aren’t pretty, but in a weak division these 2 early wins are key. I’m guessing though their lack of talent catches up with them in the 2nd half of the season when their schedule toughens up a bit.

Cardinals: No Warner no problem right? At least that’s how it looks in the standings with a 2-1 start, but the reality is they beat the Rams in Sam Bradford’s first ever game and the Raiders (a game they almost lost). When the Cards played a contending team they lost 41-7. They might hang around the division lead considering who weak the West is, but I don’t think they end up with it.

Rams: A 1-2 start is more than I think the Rams could ask for, and is a bit more impressive that their win came over the Redskins with Steven Jackson sitting on the bench. Bradford has been solid so far, but he hasn’t faced a really tough defense yet. As of now he looks to have the potential to be a top notch quarterback one day, but the rest of this year is crucial.

49ers: San Francisco’s 0-3 start not only qualifies as a surprise, but an utter shock. This team was picked to win the NFC West and be a serious contender, but they have looked lost on the football field. Their start has already claimed their offensive coordinator who was fired yesterday, and could lead to some changes in personnel as well.

While I already asked a few nagging questions about the Redskins loss yesterday, I wanted to go into more depth on three main topics; the Offense, Defense and the future.

The Offense:

Running game: Well we already addressed the Portis situation in the questions, but it is worth noting again that the Redskins All-Pro running back who makes $8 million was on the sidelines quite a bit during the 2nd and 3rd quarter (you know when the Skins were still in the game and able to run). Torain did have one real nice run, but that was about it. While the team went over 100 yards, it wasn’t exactly a dominating performance (and the Rams don’t exactly have a great defensive unit). They had to go away from the run, due to the scoreboard and ineffectiveness down the stretch, both of which allowed the Rams to start blitzing more as the game wore on. I would give them a C-, better performance by the backs, but some of the play calling and decision making was suspect. Also, being over 100 yards still left them losing to the Rams by 14, so obviously it wasn’t too effective of a rushing attack.

Offensive Line: Overall they held up well and rushed for over 100 yards for the first time all year. Stephon Heyer didn’t have a good game in place of Rookie Trent Williams, but he was better run blocking so it wasn’t completely awful. I think the biggest questions here were the personnel decision making. First they sub out G Derrick Dockery, for Kory Lichtensteiger. Lichtensteiger did have one bad penalty, but all in all held up fine. The only interesting thing here is the fact they made the move late (players were told on Sat.) and that they opted not to try to use that situation to put guard Artis Hicks at tackle.

I really question the idea of having Heyer at Left Tackle. While the wisdom of Heyer making the team could easily be up for discussion, one thing that has been 100% proven is that he can’t play on the blind side. He is not quick enough to deal with speed rushers and doesn’t play with good enough balance to hold up at the point of attack. Prior to Trent Williams getting injured Heyer subbed in quite a bit at RT for Jamaal Brown, and really didn’t make any negative plays. Since replacing Williams at LT at the end of the Texans game, Heyer has made multiple penalties, given up a few sacks, and has allowed quite a bit more pressure than when he was on the right side. Brown is a former Pro Bowl LT, and while he hasn’t played there this year, you had all week to get him acclimatized to the position. While I don’t think he is perfect, he would have been a better option than Heyer, who was awful there last year as well. Also, Guard Artis Hicks has some experience at both tackle positions, if Heyer wasn’t cutting it why not keep Dockery at guard, start Lichtenstieger and move Hicks out to one of the tackle spots. Either way there was no reason Heyer should have been manning the left tackle spot all game. He wasn’t the complete reason this team struggled, but his miscues didn’t make things any easier.  O-line Grade: C-, decision making: F

Wide Receivers: This was another position addressed in my questions earlier, but really behind Moss this unit is just a bunch of warm bodies. They aren’t offering much in the way targets for McNabb, and they don’t have the talent/speed/size/football IQ to help make some of his questionable throws, catches. I don’t understand why Devin Thomas isn’t playing pretty much at all, and why he hasn’t been targeted a single time. On the flip side I understand even less why Roydell Williams seems to be a focal point of the passing attack. He has seen the field quite a bit thus far into the season and has had a few opportunities. I’m sorry but Roydell Williams, really?? Yeah he had a nice season in 2007, but he was cut in preseason 2008, and out of football last year. I got to believe that Devin Thomas can run circles around this guy, and even if he can’t at least he could have a future with this team. Receivers Grades: Santana Moss: A, Everyone Else: F, Coaching decisions: F

Tight Ends: Chris Cooley had a nice game but they didn’t get him involved enough early. While he had over 50 yards receiving, 25 of that came on the meaningless drive at the end of the game. And another 16 yards were on the drive before, with 4 minutes to go. They needed to involve Cooley more early, and not doing so really cost them. They also need to pass out of two tight end sets more, because Fred Davis really wasn’t involved in the offense. He had 2 catches for 11 yards, and did draw a big pass interference penalty from the defense early in the game, but for the most part they didn’t call his number. Given the weakness at receiver, the fact that they were obviously trying to take Cooley out of the game, and that their star free safety missed quite a bit of the game, Davis should have been able to exploit the Rams. In limited chances (quite a few less than Williams and Galloway) Davis has had two huge plays. The 60 yard catch and run against the Texans (where again the defense committed a penalty because they couldn’t cover him) and the pass interference yesterday. Unless some of these other receivers really do step up, he should be the third option behind Moss and Cooley, and he should be seeing at least 5-7 balls per game. Cooley and Davis Grade: B+ Game plan for them: C-

Quarterback: After coming off perhaps the best game of his career, McNabb was unable to find a hole against the weak Rams defense. Early mistakes put the offense on the defensive, and late in the game when they were up the Rams began bringing more pressure on McNabb. McNabb scrambled some and also kept plays alive with his feet, but he also had some missed throws as well, including a 4th quarter interception. While some of the blame can be on the offensive line, and receivers, as the game wore on it became hard to tell which quarterback was the rookie and which one was a 12-year vet. Also, hard to say whether it was the play calling or if McNabb didn’t want to challenge deep to get an interception, but not trying for the endzone at the end of the game was pretty bad. McNabb grade: C+

Offensive Summary: While the offense as a whole struggled, the real blame needs to lie at the feet of this coaching staff, because they were simply out maneuvered. The play calling was pretty vanilla, and they weren’t able to take advantage of their early successes in the running game. The fact that three red zone drives stalled and forced field goals of 29, 24, and 21 yards is ridiculous. They have to turn those drives in to touchdowns if they want to be an average team, much less a contender. This wasn’t exactly the Steelers or Jets defense that you were going up against. While some of the blame is on the execution by the players, a lot of it should fall on the play calling and decision making (not involving Davis or Thomas, Portis not playing all downs, and Heyer on the left side). Yes Trent Williams was out, but the Rams were without their only star player on that entire 53 man roster for 3/4th’s of that game, and they managed to put up 30 points (St. Louis has a few other good and solid players, but only Steven Jackson could play on any team in this league). And there were ways they could have minimized the injury to Williams, like putting Brown on the blind side, more quick throws like the Rams did etc.

Check back later as I take a more in depth look at the defense and what the future might bring to this team.

Here are my thoughts following the loss debacle catastrophe against the Rams. Post your thoughts on these questions in the comments:

1. Why did Clinton Portis only get one carry after the 1st quarter?

Last I checked Clinton is your starting running back and the guy you are paying almost $8 million this year, so you should probably try to get your money’s worth. I don’t mind giving Torain a couple of carries, especially after the nice run, but he ended up with as many rushes as your top tailback, and he was signed of the practice squad on Saturday. If Torain was the guy, then why wasn’t he on the 53 man roster from the get go, and why wasn’t he the one who was originally signed to replace Larry Johnson? If Portis wasn’t injured as he said he wasn’t, then he was being punished, ostensibly for falling down on that long run in the 1st quarter. Whether he fell intentionally or tripped/slipped on the grass, is your best idea for the team to punish your best running back when you are losing? I just don’t buy the whole game plan excuse, and thinks there needs to be further questions here. And also guess what Portis is under contract for another $25 million over the next 3 years, if they aren’t going to use him then they should trade him, because that money will just kill the cap (when there is one again) for basically a third down back.

2. Why is Devin Thomas not getting involved in the offense? And where are the rest of the receivers behind Moss?

Look I’ve been disappointed with Thomas’s overall play and lack of reaching his potential since being drafted, but enough is enough. I don’t know why he is seeing almost no snaps on offense, and zero targets. He seems to be showing himself well on special teams, not just with his pretty good kickoff return numbers, but pretty smart and heady play on other units as well. Thomas is also the only receiver on the roster who is 6′ or taller, and would give Washington a different look. Now I’m not going to say that Thomas is the be all, end all answer to their receiver woes. He very well could still be a bust, but he has a combination of size, speed and athleticism that no one else brings to the table. He might still be a bust, but will we really know if he doesn’t get the opportunity? To make matters worse its hard to find a logical reason why Thomas isn’t seeing the field more. Moss is no doubt the number 1 receiver, but behind him the results haven’t been too pretty. Joey Galloway and Roydell Williams each had a big catch against the Texans, but that has pretty much been their season. They have had about zero impact otherwise despite each having multiple balls thrown their way (now some have been over or under thrown, but still). And in general they aren’t getting open enough to see even more opportunities. Now 3rd receiver Anthony Armstrong has looked a little better than Galloway and Williams, but he hasn’t exactly taken the league by storm. And to make matters worse for yesterday’s game he was injured and inactive. So even though in weeks 1 and 2, when the Redskins for most of the game were leading, they used their top 4 receivers throughout the game. And the three receivers behind Moss were seeing a number of snaps and balls thrown his way. Now when you are losing to the Rams (by double digits no less) and are down a receiver, you only use three receivers on offense? I don’t understand this at all and really have a hard time believing that Thomas is that bad at receiver. If he can’t handle getting snaps to replace an injured guy, then why is he active or on this team at all? Yeah I get the special teams contributions, but you have got to be able to do more than that, especially when there is an injury.

3. Why do you not attempt to throw at the end zone on that last drive?

Now I realize your chance of tying the game and forcing overtime when you are down by 14, with no timeouts and 1:50 to go is about 1 in 10, 000 (maybe even worse), but can you at least try to win? Using the middle of the field would have worked if you only needed one touchdown since then you can take shots closer to the endzone. But in 6 plays (not counting the spiked ball) they threw at the endzone (and well out of bounds) 1 time and it was after they drove down to the 30, and had about 12 seconds on the clock. What good did that do, except help pad McNabb’s stats? The Redskins had nothing to lose by trying to throw deep, if the ball got intercepted so what, game is pretty much over anyways. The only way you tie in that situation is a quick score. Instead the Skins took a leisurely time to get down the field throwing (short) in the middle of the field. I realize not much is open deep, but at least try. Maybe you get a blown coverage, or a pass interference penalty, however unlikely it at least offers you a chance to score and kick the onside kick. And while I had no expectation to win at that point I wanted them to at least try to make something happen. That was just a joke to me, and they mine as well should have just taken a knee, because it was the same result.

What do you think? Also, check back later for further coverage on the Redskins loss.

By Guest Blogger Megan Shoup:

So how can the Redskins break their streak of playing “down” to teams that are worse than them?  They have been notorious for that in the past, losing to the Lions, Rams and Chiefs the past couple seasons.  I’m hoping Mike Shanahan (a real coach) is one difference, as I think he has a much more disciplined team.  I think to prove to everyone that the Redskins are indeed heading in the right direction, it would actually be nice to see the Redskins win today, but win convincingly.  Wouldn’t it be fun as Redskins fans to NOT be nervous the last 2 minutes of the game?!

So here are the keys to today’s game (some may be obvious)…

-Running Game – The Redskins need to get this running game going this season.  The passing game will never be as good as last week if they cannot get the running attack to be effective.  Hope the Shanahans open up their playbook and Portis has a succesful day.  If so, McNabb too will have a good day!

-Red Zone – They’ve got to score in the Red Zone and not settle for field goals…that was obviously are problem last week.

-Pressure on Bradford – We need to take advantage playing a young quarterback and get pressure on him.  I think if we sack him a couple times and pressure him, he’ll throw an interception or two!

-Secondary – They looked awful last week, so hopefully they are angry and have something to prove this week.  Hopefully the don’t make the Rams offense look like Pro Bowlers.

Hopefully by tonight we will be a convincing 2-1 team!  HTTR!

(1) Alabama (-7) against (10) Arkansas- This is the marquee game not only in the SEC but in all of college football today. Alabama faces their biggest challenge (to date) with the Razorbacks today and will need to be perfect to maintain their 1st place status. The real matchup today will be on defense for the Tide as they face the best passer in college football, in Ryan Mallett. Mallett is already over the 1,000 yard mark and has the quick strike capability that will keep Arkansas in the game until the very end. It will be a tough battle for Mallett and the Razorbacks as Alabama has one of the toughest defenses in the nation. Also working against the Razorbacks is the two-headed monster in the backfield of Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson (Eddie Lacy isn’t too shabby either), if Alabama can jump out to an early lead, their best defensive strategy is to keep the ball out of Mallett’s hands. In the end I think Alabama will retain their number 1 status with an impressive 35-24 victory.

(24) Oregon State (+18.5) against (3) Boise State- The Broncos are coming home to their blue field for the first time this season and I see them putting on a show for their fans. Oregon State is a good team, with two very dangerous weapons in the Rodgers brothers, but I don’t think they have a prayer against Boise State and Kellen Moore. The Broncos are a very talented team that should be able to overcome OSU’s solid defense. I also think Boise will be able to contain the Rodgers brothers and keep their game breaking ability in check. I think the Broncos easy win this one against a tough team to further their march as a National Title Contender. Boise State wins 45-21.

(22) West Virginia (+10) against (15) LSU- The Mountaineers are 3-0, but face their toughest test this week by traveling down to LSU. The Tigers are facing their toughest test as well, against a fully stocked ranked opponent, but do have the advantage of being at home. The LSU defense has been impressive so far this season, but they haven’t had to deal with the speed and talent that WVU brings to the table. Young quarterback Geno Smith has shown a lot of poise so far this season, and could give the Tigers problems. And no matter how good you are defensively you must keep track of of RB Noel Devine. On offense thus far LSU has been a pretty one dimensional team as quarterback Jordan Jefferson has been pretty ineffective throwing the ball. Look for WVU to force Jefferson to beat them by keeping players in the box to stop the run. While I like WVU’s chances to win the game, playing at LSU is really tough and could affect WVU’s offense. I think the Tigers squeak by here 23-20.

Undrafted rookie return sensation was cut today, to make room for running back Ryan Torain. While Torain proved himself as a tough runner in training camp and the Redskins just cut Larry Johnson, cutting Banks is a bit of a surprise.

Yes the Redskins were carrying 6 receivers, which is a bit high, but Banks has some promise and offered something special. Banks has exceptional speed and quickness, and could be a home run threat anytime he gets the ball in the open field. Banks could be a very dangerous return man, and unlike most of the receivers on the Skins roster, Banks is young with plenty of room to grow (talent wise). While he has been inactive so far, Banks probably at least deserved a play in a game before getting cut.

Now the Skins don’t have the best running back depth, since veteran Larry Johnson ended up being a complete bust, but I don’t know if if Torain is the answer. They already signed Chad Simpson when they cut Johnson, and Keiland Williams has shown more promise than Torain. While Simpson isn’t a great option, he offers more of a speed option as well as plenty of special teams experience. Adding Torain does increase the depth, but his skill set isn’t different from what’s already on the roster. In addition it will be tough to keep 4 running backs active (like it was trying to keep 6 receivers), so I don’t know how much playing time Torain will have. While he remains good insurance and might only be a one week fix as Simpson gets his feet wet, it is a bit of a shock.

While their running back depth is a bit of a question, so is their receiving corps. And this week it appears that Anthony Armstrong might need to be inactive since he has missed practice this week. If that is the case, it would have been the perfect opportunity to see what would Banks do in an actual game.  Hopefully this is not a a long term issue, and the Redskins will resign Banks in the coming weeks (and that they get over their love for Roydell Williams). If not the Redskins might end up regretting this decision, if Banks signs elsewhere.

Yesterday’s announcement of Nationals minority owner and President Stan Kasten stepping down has left me a little troubled. On one hand I’m not surprised, as there have been rumors of the Kasten-Lerner-Bowden power struggle leading up until the time when they got rid of him before last season. And even with a more professional G.M. at the helm, it still seemed as though the Lerner’s and Kasten weren’t on the same page with spending. So while I’m not exactly shocked that Kasten would be looking to find better opportunities, I am saddened.

The Nationals are coming to a crossroads (though their record might not indicate it), in where they are actually fielding a roster with quality major league talent, as well as an improving farm system. While I still believe that Washington is a few years away, their timetable for success will be greatly influenced by what happens in the next year. For me now is not the time for the Nationals to lose their steward.

I am a big fan of G.M. Mike Rizzo, but I’m sure he could use the help, especially when it comes to trying to get the Lerner’s to open up their checkbook this offseason. I also believe that team’s need multiple leaders as a sort of checks and balances system. And while I’m a fan of Rizzo’s overall, I do think he made a misstep this season by not dealing slugger Adam Dunn at the trade deadline. Now Dunn might leave this offseason with the Nationals only getting draft picks in return. This means the Nationals will not only need to open their wallets to sign Dunn or his replacement, but this is a team that could use an upgrade in the outfield and starting rotation as well.

Now is the time for Kasten to implement the final stages of his “plan” and get the Nationals out of the cellar of the National League East. The Nationals will have to continue on the right track without him, towards their goal of being a sustainable contender. Right now I wonder if the owners will give Rizzo the tools ($$$) needed to reach this goal. I hope I’m wrong, but I’ve alsway liked Kasten and believe the Nationals road to respectability got a little rougher yesterday. Right now it may not be realized, but I think the Nationals will regret Kasten’s departure, hopefully it doesn’t hold them back too much and they can still contend in the next 2-4 years.