Special Teams Has Been the Skins' Achilles Heel. Is Anything Going to Change This Season?

Bill Parcells revolutionized the game of football by declaring, and proving, that defense and special teams win games. Parcells won a Super Bowl with the Giants, took the previously horrible Pats to a Super Bowl, revitalized the Jets and, as GM last year, took the awful Dolphins from last place to a division title.

The Skins have had great defense, finishing in the top ten in the last four years. But special teams have been abysmal.

Think of it this way: because teams are so bad they play on a field that is about 10-20 yards longer than their opponents' field.

The stats:

For the 2008 season the Skins were ranked by stats gurus Football Outsiders as 25 out of 32 teams.

The Skins field goal rating was 18th, with Dallas ranking 2nd and the Giants ranking 3rd.

If the Skins had Peyton Manning and a potent offense it could perhaps overcome the poor performance of its special teams. But in 2008 the Skins offense ranked a scary 25 of 32 teams in terms of points scored.

So why does Danny Smith still have a job? Perhaps because his first name is Danny?

When it Comes to WR - Skins Should Avoid the Waiver Wire

In the next week, teams will trim their rosters down from 75 to 53... There will literally be hundreds of players suddenly looking for work - invariably there will be a couple of big name (likely aging) guys who will get cut.

When it comes to our WR corps for this year, the Skins should avoid the urge to scour the waiver wires next weekend. Already there are whispers that former Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch could be waived by the Seahawks. Mark my words, there will be others.

Dan Snyder and Vinny Cerrato should avoid their traditional fantasy football approach to player personnel. We have a promising young trio of receivers (Marko Mitchell, Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly) - two of whom we have used 2nd round picks on. They should let these guys develop, get them on the field and give Jason Campbell an opportunity to build a rapport and confidence with his receivers.

There may be other areas where the waiver wire will be useful (O-line, secondary), but not at WR.

Is Marko Mitchell a "Lock" to Make the 53 Man Roster?

Jason Reid, of the Washington Post's Redskins Insider, says Mitchell is a lock. Reid says,

"The rookie opened eyes in training camp and has been the star of the preseason."

Reid is right - Mitchell should make the roster and has been the star of this preseason for the Skins. As I have said before, I think our wide receiving corps could be a huge asset for the Skins offense this year. I believe that Devin Thomas will eventually push Randle El for the #2 receiver. Malcolm Kelly and Marko Mitchell give Campbell two big targets to throw to, particularly in red zone situations. The emergence of Thomas, Kelly and Mitchell will allow us to use Randle El as more of a gadget receiver (albeit a wildly over-paid, over-hyped gadget receiver).

Will WRs Thomas/Kelly/Mitchell make me start respecting Vinny Cerrato and the Redskins brain trust? Will it calm the draft day naysayers who say the Skins havent a clue what they are doing? Will they make Campbell look like an all pro QB? Hmmm, I don't know. But I do know one thing, winning is the magic elixir that cures all.

Redskins Trim Roster to 75

Per profootballtalk.com - The Skins released 5 players to trim their roster down to 75. Among those released - WR Marques Hagans and LB Alfred Fincher who played in 15 games last year, primarily on special teams.

The deadline for cutting down to 75 is this Tuesday. Four days later teams have to get down to their final 53 man roster.

What We Learned Last Night

The final score in last night's 27 - 24 preseason loss to the Patriots doesn't matter. We got to see the first team into the 3rd Quarter and here are my takeaways:

THE GOOD

1. Jason Campbell is Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. When Campbell looks bad he looks terrible. When he looks good he looks great. At times last night Campbell looked flat out amazing. For the first time this preseason he got into a groove and finished the game 13 for 22 for 209 yards and rushed for a TD. Zorn continues to call more deep throws for Campbell. On deep routes you get to see flashes of why Jason Campbell was a first round pick - dude has a cannon for an arm.

2. Our WR corps may be one of the best from top to bottom in a very long time for the Skins. We all know Santana Moss is a stud. But, for the last couple years its been Santana Moss and a gang of no talent nobodies at WR. After last night I am convinced what has been a liability for the Skins may quickly become one of our strongest assets. Devin Thomas looks great. He hauled in 3 balls last night for 36 yards. Malcolm Kelly, while less impressive than Thomas, provides Campbell with a big talented target. The rise of Thomas (and Kelly to a lesser degree) allows Randle El to be more of the gadget receiver he was in Pittsburgh. Finally, if Marko Mitchell doesn't make the 53 man roster than Jim Zorn has lost his marbles. Mitchell caught 2 passes last night for 40 yards, including a 33 yard bomb for a TD from Colt Brennan in the 3rd Quarter. I know that Zorn likes DJ Hackett from his time in Seattle - but Mitchell has earned a spot on this team.

3. The O Line looks dramatically improved over last year. The first string offensive line has looked solid all preseason. If the offensive line can give our WRs time to get down field, Campbell has the arm to make the big plays that will keep defenses on their toes.

THE BAD

1. The secondary continues to get torched. Thank God Belichick pulled Pats QB Tom Brady at half after he hurt his shoulder. Brady and WR Randy Moss flat out torched us. Our secondary looked terrible against Moss. Every time the Pats needed a completion Brady found Moss and Moss hauled it in. Ignore those 2nd half INTs we had against backup QB Kevin O'Connell - they were fun to watch but mean very little. When it mattered our secondary got lit up.

2. Special teams continues to be a problem. Our special teams, particularly our special teams defense continues to struggle. This has got to improve.

THE UGLY

Colt Brennan. With the exception of the TD pass to Marko Mitchell, Colt Brennan looked flat out terrible. Brennan played almost an entire half and is fighting for his spot on the team. His funky sidearm delivery continues to be problematic in the big leagues and he continues to make very very very bad decisions - including a INT that was returned 90 yards for a TD and taking a sack that effectively put us out of FG range. I wish Zorn would have given Chase Daniel a shot in the 4th quarter. I suspect we will see a lot of Daniel and Brennan in the preseason finale against the Jags. I like Colt Brennan shirtless, no doubt about it, but Colt Brennan in pads and a Skins jersey doesn't seem to be panning out so well. We have Todd Collins, so 3rd string QB isn't a huge deal, but crazier things have happened. For my money, I think Zorn and company need to look long and hard at Chase Daniel.

Skins vs Pats Tonight: What to Watch For

Week 3 of the preseason is the single most important game of the preseason. Its the game where the first string sees the most action and is therefore the best way to gage how the Skins will look come opening day.

Our week 3 preseason game pits us against the mighty Patriots. Here are just a quick couple of thoughts on what to look for tonight:

* QB Jason Campbell - Can he get it going? Can he come out, move the ball down field and - most importantly - put points on the board?
* WRs Malcolm Kelly/Devin Thomas - These two have gotten a ton of time on the field this preseason, with the first, second and third strings. Will one of these guys step up and show he has the stuff to be a legit #2 receiver beside Santana Moss
* The O Line - Will the offensive line give Jason Campbell time in the pocket? If not, it could be a VERY long year for Skins fans.
* The Secondary - Will the Skins secondary continue to give up the big pass play? Can our secondary force some turnovers and put our offense in position to score?
* Third Down D - The Skins defense has looked spectacular on first and second down. On third down? Not so much. Can the Skins defense stop the Patriots offense on third down?

BONUS - Yeah it's meaningless, but for Skins fans we gotta take our excitement where we can, so lets see who steps up and snags the third string QB position. Will it be last year's training camp wonder boy Colt Brennan or will undrafted rookie Chase Daniel continue to impress?

In less than two hours, we will start getting answers to these (and other) questions... Stay tuned...

Another Way to Tell Dan Snyder to Stick it

I use to listen to Sportstalk 980 religiously. I am a huge fan of the John Thompson Show. Since Danny boy Snyder bought 980, however, I have become more and more disenchanted with it. The local programming has been cut down and there is just something unseemly to me about the owner of Washington's most important sports franchise also signing the checks for the sports talk radio folks.

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon 106.7 the Fan. DC sports radio without Snyder's influence. Now the Mike Wise show at lunch and the Lavar Arrington show in the afternoon's are a staple of my day.

So if you want to tell Dan Snyder to stick it - click the radio dial over to 106.7!

Lets See Marko Mitchell With the First Team

I admit it, sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the theatrics of meaningless late game performances in the preseason. If preseason performances in the 3rd and 4th quarter mattered, Colt Brennan would be our starting QB, Marcus Mason would have supplanted Clinton Portis at RB, and Steve Spurrier would still be the head coach. Alas, preseason performances in the 3rd and 4th quarter mean very very little - which is why I want to see WR Marko Mitchell get some time with the first team.

In all fairness, this idea isn't mine - Lavar Arrington talked about it this week on his show on 106.7 (which by the way is the best sports radio talk show in the DC region).

Mitchell is a 6'4, 7th round pick out of Nevada who has been impressing fans, scouts and teammates this preseason. Clinton Portis has heaped praise on Mitchell, telling the Post that "Marko Mitchell is killing Carlos Rodgers in practice. I'm talking about, he can not stop him."

In last week's game against the Steelers, Mitchell had 3 catches for 21 yards - including a beautiful catch in the back of the end zone to give the Skins their first touchdown of the preseason.

According to the Post's Jason Reid, Mitchell - if he makes the 53 man squad - could challenge Devin Thomas (WR) and/or Malcolm Kelly (WR), last year's highly touted 2nd round draft picks, on the depth chart.

Let's see if Marko Mitchell is for real. Zorn and company should get Mitchell in the game during while the first team is on the field. Santana Moss is a veteran pro, who doesn't need the time with Campbell, same for Randle El, and Kelly and Thomas have been given ample playing time this preseason.

Let's see if Mitchell can duplicate his efforts on the practice field and against the 3rd and 4th stringers with the first team. I certainly share Jessica's doubts about Campbell's ability to lead the Skins this year (hell I have been doubting Campbell since day 1). That having been said, let's see if a big target like Mitchell can help Campbell and the Skins.

Campbell Will Mean Another 8-8 Year, at Best

Campbell has been horrible in the preseason, with a completion rate of 30.1 and a passer rating of 43.1 of a total of 154. Oof.

Campbell seems to be a good candidate for Lasik surgery as he missed Moss and Kelly for long passes where they had beat their defenders and were wide open. The ball went over their head or dropped ten feet before them.

Despite the Skin's great D line and stars such as Cooley and Moss I do not know how we can have a winning season with this QB.