The Loser Papers - 2007 edition

[BnGhog]

I love these. I hope to see another Eagles paper after this Sunday.

[Deadskins]

It's been too long since this thread had a new edition, so I'm going to post two separate articles. The first is from the Chicago Tribune:

Redskins knock out Bears
Grossman injured in defeat that all but slams door on playoff hopes

By Vaughn McClure | Tribune staff reporter
12:56 AM CST, December 7, 2007

LANDOVER, Md. - Never mind that Rex Grossman had been knocked out of the game in the first quarter with a serious injury to his left leg. The Bears needed all of 1 yard to alter the outcome of Thursday night's 24-16 loss to the Redskins at FedEx Field.

Instead, they took a few step backs — a microcosm of the entire 2007 season.

Facing first-and-goal from the Redskins 1-yard line with 7 minutes 4 seconds left in the game, Adrian Peterson was stuffed for a 3-yard loss before Brian Griese fired two first-read passes incomplete to tight end Greg Olsen, and the Bears settled for Robbie Gould's 22-yard field goal.

Thus the Bears failed to tie the game 17-17 and never caught up to the Redskins.

Olsen, the rookie tight end, refused to make excuses for why the offense couldn't score right then.

"We didn't connect," he said. "That's pretty much it."

Now the Bears find themselves disconnected from the playoff picture. At 5-8 and with just three games remaining, the postseason has become a figment of their imagination, even if a mathematical chance still exists.

"Even with the expectations that we had, we believed that we could do it," defensive end Alex Brown said. "People say this couldn't happen in a million years. I guess a million years came this year."

Thursday night's TKO left the Bears with little choice but to start planning for next season, particularly at quarterback. Grossman hobbled off with just less than 11 minutes left in the first quarter after 311-pound defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin rolled over his left knee. It was just the beginning of an injury-filled night in which both starting quarterbacks were knocked out with knee injuries before halftime.

The Redskins' Jason Campbell was carted off with a dislocated kneecap after Bears defensive end Mark Anderson sacked him. Bears defensive tackle Antonio Garay also was carted off the field with a serious leg injury.

If Grossman is done for the year, it will end what was turning into a triumphant comeback from an early-season benching. He might be in the Bears' future plans, but if not, third-stringer Kyle Orton could get a serious look over the next few weeks.

"We don't know about it yet, but it did not look good," coach Lovie Smith said of Grossman. "Since he could not finish the game, that's not good either."

Griese, who took over after Grossman went down, threw two interceptions to Redskins cornerback Shawn Springs within 18 seconds of each other late in the second quarter. Springs returned the first one 53 yards to the Bears' 21 before Devin Hester forced him out of bounds. The original pass play was intended for Hester.

"It was an all-out blitz, and Shawn Springs, I think, didn't move an inch," Griese said. "When you have a guy like Devin Hester out there, you think that they'll give a little bit of ground expecting us to throw the ball down the field. But [Springs] just sat there and obviously made an easy play."

It took the Redskins one play to capitalize on the turnover, with backup quarterback Todd Collins finding backup tight end Todd Yoder on a play-action pass for a 21-yard score. It was the only scoring of the first half, as Redskins kicker Shaun Suisham missed field goals of 47 and 37 yards, while Kedric Golston blocked Gould's 48-yard attempt.

The Bears defense, needing a solid game after last week's disappointing effort against the Giants, again failed to get the job done. With the game on the line in the fourth quarter, the defense allowed the Redskins to drive without issue for the game-clinching score—a 16-yard Collins touchdown pass to running back Ladell Betts over the middle, made possible because the Bears allowed Chicago-area product Antwaan Randle El to corral a 16-yard reception on a third-and-4 from the Bears 35.

Not making stops was a recurring theme for the Bears. The Redskins marched 63 yards on five plays to start the second half thanks to some defensive hiccups. None was bigger than the gaffe that allowed Clinton Portis to go 54 yards on a screen pass. Recently benched strong safety Adam Archuleta, on the field because the Bears went with three safeties at the time, missed a tackle, as did Hunter Hillenmeyer and Danieal Manning. Portis took the ball down to the Bears'1, and fullback Mike Sellers plunged in for the score.

The best defensive play made was Brown's strip of Collins that Adewale Ogunleye recovered. The turnover meant little because Griese threw his first interception a few plays later.

Griese did manage to put together two solid drives in the third quarter with the Bears down 14-0. The second drive ended with Bernard Berrian making another spectacular end zone catch in front of Springs while falling out of bounds. The 17-yard touchdown was ruled incomplete, but the Bears won the challenge as it was ruled Berrian got an elbow and knee down.

On their possession before Berrian's touchdown, the Bears went 75 yards in 10 plays and ended up with a 30-yard Gould field goal. Back-to-back spectacular catches from Berrian and Olsen, and an unnecessary roughness penalty on Redskins rookie safety LaRon Landry for a late hit, gave the Bears a first-and-10 from the Redskins 13. But the Bears took themselves out of a chance for a touchdown after a false start on Fred Miller and delay-of-game penalty on Griese.

The no-huddle offense was effective for the Bears in spurts. Adrian Peterson had a few nice runs though he gained only 35 yards on 17 carries. And Hester, mostly silent in the return game, showed some signs as a receiver with five catches for 67 yards.

But the Bears appeared to lose some of the rhythm they had built the past few weeks when Grossman went out.

Late in the game, after the Redskins' final touchdown, the Bears drove 56 yards in 14 plays but could manage only a 21-yard Gould field goal. Gould's subsequent onside kick went out of bounds with 30 seconds left, ending the game—and essentially the Bears' season.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs ... b02_layout

And this one from the Chicago Sun-Times:

A painful loss: Rex Grossman injured as Bears fall to Skins
Grossman goes out early with injured knee; Skins backupshreds defense

December 7, 2007
BY BRAD BIGGS Staff Reporter

LANDOVER, Md. -- The question was whether Rex Grossman was going to play well enough in the final month of a season gone bad for so many reasons to warrant returning.

Now, in a cruel twist of fate as well as his own left knee, Grossman's health is in question again. Less than five minutes into Thursday's game at FedEx Field, he grimaced as he limped to the locker room, only ensuring that quarterback will be the franchise's No. 1 priority starting Dec. 31, the day after this wretched campaign ends.

Grossman was crumpled from behind by Washington defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin on the Bears' second possession, and in the next quarter Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell was carted off following an eerily similar play when Mark Anderson brought him down from the blind side, dislocating his left knee cap.

Washington wound up triumphing in the battle of backup quarterbacks from Michigan as Todd Collins guided the Redskins (6-7) to an 24-16 victory, one that means the Bears at 5-8 will have to rally with three straight victories to not have a losing record. The Bears found a way to lose to a team still reeling from the murder of Sean Taylor. The Redskins, who entered having lost four in a row, didn't practice this week.

Worse yet, the journeyman Collins had not thrown a touchdown pass since 2002. That didn't stop him from shredding the defense for 224 yards and two touchdowns on 15-for-20 passing.

If you can't rewind to Devin Hester's kickoff return to open Super Bowl XLI, you might as well fast-forward to 2008.

''People say that in a million years [a season like this wouldn't happen],'' defensive end Alex Brown said. ''A million years came this year. It's over.''

While Grossman wasn't in the obvious pain Campbell was, once he reached the bowels of the stadium he too was placed on a cart.

''It did not look good,'' said Lovie Smith, who called it a serious injury that will take a ''while'' to recover from. That means his season is likely over.

Injuries have been as big a part of Grossman's career as the ups and downs. He tore up a knee in the third start of his second season, and was lost for the bulk of 2005 with a broken ankle. Durability was the top concern with the former first-round pick until he went through last year unscathed.

Asked earlier this week about returning as he's due to be a free agent come March, Grossman admitted he was under the microscope.

''You are always being evaluated and any time there are decisions to be made about you personally, that evaluation process may be a little bit more enhanced,'' he said. ''Everything is relative to reality.''

It was not the advertisement the NFL Network was looking for in its staredown with cable providers, not a week after the league debuted its coverage of games with Green Bay vs. Dallas. But after falling behind 14-0 at the start of the third quarter, the Bears rallied within four as Brian Griese got Hester (five catches, 67 yards) more involved than ever and Bernard Berrian stepped up with a 17-yard touchdown catch. Then, there was a chance to tie midway through the fourth quarter but the offense couldn't push it in after first-and-goal from the 1. Adrian Peterson, who gained only 35 yards on 17 rushes, was stoned on a run, and two passes to Greg Olsen fell incomplete.

''If we tie it up it's a different ballgame,'' said offensive coordinator Ron Turner, who called it the turning point.

Robbie Gould hit a chip shot 22-yard field goal, but a 16-yard touchdown catch by Ladell Betts iced things with 2:41 to play. Gould added a 21-yard field goal as the offense was turned back in the red zone again, but the onside kick went out of bounds, just another squandered opportunity in a season full of them.

''I thought the winner of this game still had a pretty good shot to get in the playoffs,'' Smith said. ''We don't know where we stand. Not many teams get in with an 8-8 record, or deserve to get in.''

A .500 record might be fanciful thinking.

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football ... 07.article

[Countertrey]

The Redskins' Jason Campbell was carted off with a dislocated kneecap after Bears defensive end Mark Anderson sacked him.

Did this reporter watch the game? That was a 7 yard completion to Betts. Sack? That's a sackload...

[Redskin in Canada]

The opponents take on the games is always interesting. How different it can be.

[welch]

Buried in the Chicago report:

Not making stops was a recurring theme for the Bears. The Redskins marched 63 yards on five plays to start the second half thanks to some defensive hiccups. None was bigger than the gaffe that allowed Clinton Portis to go 54 yards on a screen pass. Recently benched strong safety Adam Archuleta,on the field because the Bears went with three safeties at the time, missed a tackle....

(Emphasis added)

[Deadskins]

Buried in the Chicago report:

Not making stops was a recurring theme for the Bears. The Redskins marched 63 yards on five plays to start the second half thanks to some defensive hiccups. None was bigger than the gaffe that allowed Clinton Portis to go 54 yards on a screen pass. Recently benched strong safety Adam Archuleta,on the field because the Bears went with three safeties at the time, missed a tackle....

(Emphasis added)

Also, Brian Urlacher got pancaked on that play, I think by Heyer. (not reported in either article )

[welch]

I think by Heyer

Heyer = future.

[Deadskins]

Plenty of entries today. The first two from the NY Post:

GIANTS TAKE A 'SKIN DIVE

SHOCKEY BREAKS LEG IN UGLY LOSS

By PAUL SCHWARTZ

December 17, 2007 -- With the Giants seemingly all but assured of a playoff berth, Tom Coughlin last week refused to answer any questions about that impending achievement.

If his team doesn't shape up, Coughlin might be forced to deal with inquiries as to how the Giants played their way out of the playoffs.

"For all the things we did have at stake I just don't think that was our best," Coughlin said last night.

Continuing their confounding trend of saving their lousiest performances for their own paying customers, the Giants looked nothing like a playoff-worthy outfit as they were thoroughly outplayed by the Redskins in a 22-10 loss at Giants Stadium that featured more despicable play by Eli Manning.

Adding injury to insult, the Giants suffered a devastating loss, as tight end Jeremy Shockey left early in the third quarter with a fractured left fibula that will keep him out the rest of the season and any postseason games the Giants might have.

Shockey was bent forward by linebacker H.B. Blades before Amani Toomer inadvertently rolled into Shockey's left leg. Shockey will undergo surgery this week.

Incredibly, it is the third season-ending fractured fibula to befall the Giants, as linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka and running back Derrick Ward are on injured reserve with identical injuries.

"That's going to be one to the jaw we got to take," running back Brandon Jacobs said.

"To lose Shockey is definitely going to hurt. Not only is he an emotional leader, he makes plays for us," added Michael Strahan. "I know as much of a competitor he is it's really going to kill him to watch."

Just what will Shockey be forced to watch? Will it be a delayed but inevitable playoff clinching or a collapse?

At 9-5, the Giants still control their own destiny and can secure a playoff spot Sunday with a victory at Buffalo. If the Giants don't beat the Bills, they might have to beat what likely will be an undefeated Patriots juggernaut in the regular-season finale to clinch a playoff berth. Good luck with that.

"Forget about the playoffs," right tackle Kareem McKenzie said. "Right now it's about playing better football. No way, shape or form we should be performing like this."

The Giants, now a dreary 3-4 at home, followed Manning's lead and wallowed in badness. They never led and rarely looked in synch. Playing amid swirling, gusting wind, Manning's receivers dropped a ghastly 12 passes, a dirty dozen that included five flubs by Jacobs, who might have been wearing oven mitts the way he battered the ball.

"I'm very disappointed; the wind wasn't the best. You just have to concentrate extra hard, and that I didn't do," Jacobs said. "Some of 'em I was able to get my back hand on to them, wasn't able to bring it across. Once you touch it, you should bring it in. I should have had more concentration on the ball."

Manning was a dismal 6 of 21 for 51 yards in the first half, and when his targets weren't dropping the ball, he was often missing them. He finished 18 of 52 for 184 yards and one touchdown.

Jacobs ran for 130 yards, but despite the heavy wind the Giants, for some reason, quickly steered away from the ground game.

"It's just back to the drawing board," Coughlin said of Manning's recent struggles. "There obviously isn't a simple answer."

Somehow, the Giants made a winner of Todd Collins, a career backup who was making his first start at quarterback in 10 years and didn't exactly light it up. Collins completed just eight passes in 25 attempts but made just enough plays and more than Manning.

The Skins, led by Clinton Portis (25-126) ran for 153 yards, the most allowed all season by the Giants defense.

Trailing 16-3 at halftime, the Giants looked to make it quitting time as their defense failed to show up to start the second half, allowing the Skins to ramble for a barely contested scoring romp, as Portis ran in to make it 22-3.

Manning finally broke through with a 19-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Kevin Boss with 4:37 left in the third quarter. The Giants missed a chance to pull closer when Lawrence Tynes early in the fourth quarter missed a 38-yard field goal attempt.

"We had an opportunity to do it at home and make things a little easy on ourselves," Strahan said, "and we never seem to do that."

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12172007/sp ... 837936.htm

And:

NO PLACE LIKE HOME FOR A BIG BLUE BUST

December 17, 2007 -- THE Giants didn't look much like a playoff team across 60 minutes of mostly uninspired football last night at Giants Stadium, an endless exhibition of sloppiness and shoddiness that rendered the stadium a ghost town by 11 o'clock.

They looked like even less of one by the time they staggered back to the locker room after the deflating 22-10 mess was mercifully complete. There, they were greeted with the news that Jeremy Shockey had broken his left leg.

There, they were surely assaulted with the harsh and stinging reality that whatever pretense they had at making serious January noise had ended on this frigid night in East Rutherford. Next year arrived 16 days early in New Jersey.

"There wasn't a lot of good feeling early on that we were doing the things we needed to do," was how Tom Coughlin described it, the coach clearly searching for the most diplomatic way to describe another hometown stinker by his puzzling team.

There was a time when this was precisely the kind of atmosphere and the kind of climate that would have fueled this franchise and these fans before they declared a cold war with each other, a blustery night that should play right into the hands of a home team used to December's fickle gales.

See, that's what Kareem McKenzie and the other Giants who bemoan the Meadowlands' lack of home-field feel have to understand: It isn't only the fans who have made Giants Stadium seem less unfriendly to opponents this year; the Giants themselves do a hell of a job undermining themselves.

In the last three games the Giants have played in the shadow of Exit 16W, they have been outclassed by the Cowboys, throttled by the Vikings and smeared by the Redskins. Not one of those games was even remotely competitive late in the fourth quarter. Are we really supposed to believe that the people who pay to watch these games are more responsible for that than the people who are paid to play them?

"I can't explain it," quarterback Eli Manning said of the Giants' growing home-field futility. "I wish I could."

Too often, what we've seen here is what we saw last night. We saw a defense that allowed far too many big plays, allowed a Redskins journeyman named Todd Collins to riddle them. We saw Manning's happy feet and his none-too-happy pocket presence. We saw receivers drop pass after pass.

And this time, we saw something else, too. We saw Shockey splayed out on the turf, agony etched up and down his limp body. We saw him helped off the field, and carted into the tunnel. And then heard the devastating news: broken leg. Surgery this week. Out for the season.

"It's a terrible thing," Coughlin said, "for him to know he's not going to be here with his teammates at this part of the season."

The Giants losing Shockey isn't exactly the same as the Patriots losing Tom Brady, but it is a reminder of just how slim the Giants' margin for error really is, a reminder of just how ordinary - or worse - the Giants can look when they aren't clicking perfectly.

So instead of wrapping up a playoff berth, the Giants now face two weeks of worry and angst, one game against the Bills in Buffalo and another against the Patriots back at Big Blue's personal theater of pain in the swamp.

Right now, it seems ludicrous to think that just a few days ago, we were wondering if the Giants would have the inclination to want to give the Patriots a full effort in Week 17, if they'd be interested in serving as a 53-man roadblock, a big blue impediment to history.

Now the Giants have to hope they can close out what would be an almost otherworldly 7-1 road record by going into Rich Stadium this Sunday and beating the Bills, whose own playoff aspirations vanished in the snow of Cleveland yesterday. Otherwise, it is entirely possible - given the whims of next week's games and the tiebreakers to follow that the only small thing separating the Giants from the postseason would be the Patriots.

It's hard to believe. A night that began with snow falling sideways from the sky ended with the Giants walking solemnly from a stadium that was barely a tenth full.

Turns out, they weren't even worth the energy to boo this time.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12172007/sp ... 742128.htm

Two from the NY TImes:

For Giants, Shockey Is Biggest Loss

By JOHN BRANCH

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Faced with a big halftime deficit against the Redskins in September, the Giants mounted a stirring comeback to help reverse their season.

When confronted with a similar deficit against the same team on Sunday night at wind-swept Giants Stadium, the Giants could muster no such change of fortune, but they might have redirected their season again. If nothing else, they blew a sudden gust of intrigue into the final two weeks of their year.

With a 22-10 loss to the Redskins, the Giants (9-5) squandered a chance to clinch a wild-card playoff berth and render the final two games of the season virtually meaningless. Instead, they may have to defeat either the Bills in Buffalo on Sunday or the currently unbeaten Patriots at Giants Stadium on Dec. 29 to secure a postseason slot — a far more daunting task, it would seem, than beating the Redskins, who had lost four of their previous five games and were led by a 36-year-old backup quarterback making his first N.F.L. start in 10 years.

Without another regular-season victory, according to the playoff scenarios released by the N.F.L. last week, the Giants would need at least one loss by both New Orleans and Minnesota to make the playoffs. The Saints (7-7) beat the Cardinals on Sunday, and the Vikings (7-6) play the Bears on Monday night. Even the Redskins, now 7-7, are in the hunt.

“We did have an opportunity, and also an opportunity to do it at home, and to make things a little easier on ourselves,” defensive end Michael Strahan said. “But we never seem to do that.”

Even a backdoor entry to the playoffs could have far-ranging implications, from eroding the team’s confidence heading toward the postseason to putting the coaching future of Tom Coughlin in jeopardy. He has steered the Giants to a surprising season record and has orchestrated widespread team harmony, but now faces the all-so-sudden prospect of a second-straight late-season collapse.

The Giants will play the rest of their games without the star tight end Jeremy Shockey, who fractured his left fibula in the third quarter and is expected to have surgery this week. Fractured fibulas seem contagious for the Giants. The injury ended the seasons of linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka and running back Derrick Ward.

“It’s going to be tough to overcome that,” quarterback Eli Manning said of Shockey’s injury.

Manning completed 18 of 52 passes for 184 yards, leading to questions about why he was throwing so often in such cold and gusty conditions. The 34 incompletions, at least a dozen due to the stiff hands of his receivers, were the most for an N.F.L. quarterback in one game since Joe Namath in 1967.

“There’s not a whole lot you can do about it,” Manning said of the dropped passes. “You’ve just got to keep throwing it and hope we can finally get a play. We had so many missed opportunities, so many mistakes.”

The game was played in sub-freezing temperatures and with stiff winds that had caused the collapse of the Giants’ practice bubble early on Sunday and occasionally shook the goal posts during the game. The weather was enough to keep roughly half of the 77,899 ticket holders away. Some of those in the stands passed the time by starting snowball fights. Most booed with regularity and left early for the warmth of home.

The weather did not help the Giants end a disturbing trend. After scoring more than 30 points four times in the first seven games, they have not scored more than 21 in the seven games since.

The Giants will certainly review Sunday’s play calling by the offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride. Brandon Jacobs gained 130 yards on 25 carries, but the Giants continued to throw the ball through the stiff breezes, and put the ball into the unpredictable hands of Manning and his receivers.

In September, at sunny FedEx Field in suburban Washington, the 0-2 Giants trailed 17-0 at halftime, only to surge to a 7-point lead and hold the 2-0 Redskins out of the end zone on four straight plays from the 1-yard line in the final minute. The victory began a six-game winning streak.

On Sunday, the third-to-last game of the season provided a surprising bookend. The Giants trailed by 16-3 at halftime, but rather than holding the Redskins scoreless in the second half, the defense immediately let the Redskins skip downfield in five plays for a touchdown.

Manning’s 19-yard touchdown to backup tight end Kevin Boss in the third quarter provided the game’s final points. The Giants never mounted a serious comeback after trailing, 22-3.

Sunday’s game began innocently enough, as a see-saw match of short and mostly unproductive possessions separated by low and wobbly punts. Washington quarterback Todd Collins, a backup for an entire decade, had completed only 18 passes since 1997 until the week before starting against the Giants. In relief of Jason Campbell, he completed 15 of 20 passes to help the Redskins beat the Bears.

He threw eight incomplete passes to start Sunday’s game. He and Manning combined to complete 2 of 15 for 13 yards in the first quarter, and the teams managed three first downs on nine possessions.

But Collins began finding open spaces farther downfield, and completed three passes of 30 yards or more in the second quarter. They helped lead to three Shaun Suisham field goals, and loosened the Giants’ defense enough to open a running lane for Ladell Betts, who scored on a 14-yard draw play.

The Giants responded with a mere field goal, and were jeered by fans as they headed for the locker room at halftime.

When Collins led the Redskins on another short touchdown drive, ending with a 5-yard run by Clinton Portis but followed by a missed 2-point conversion attempt, the boos blew as cold as the wind.

Two plays later, Shockey was pushed awkwardly backward over fallen teammate Amani Toomer by Redskins linebacker H. B. Blades. Shockey was helped from the field by two trainers, then carted to the X-ray room.

The bad news arrived minutes later. The Giants, now 3-4 at home, are getting used to leaving Giants Stadium filled with disappointment and regret.

“It would be frustrating anywhere, but to be at home, with what was at stake and what the consequences are ...” said Coughlin, interrupting his thought to detail some specific frustrations. “We just did some things that didn’t add up and didn’t make a lot of sense and didn’t — I don’t want to characterize a game totally or to generalize and say they weren’t smart, but there just wasn’t a lot of feeling that we were doing the things that we needed to do to win.”

The Giants have two more chances to control their postseason fate. Their only solace is that they are 6-1 on the road, where they head next, and where they would probably have to play all their playoff games.

That is, if they find their way into the playoffs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/17/sport ... ref=slogin

And:

Chance for Victory Slips Through Fingertips

By JOE LAPOINTE

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — So, which was the worst incomplete pass by the Giants during their miserable 22-10 loss to the Washington Redskins on Sunday night in the cold and bitter winds of Giants Stadium?

Eli Manning, the quarterback, completed 18 of 52 passes for 184 yards, but many of the incompletions were not his fault.

“You’ve just got to keep throwing,” Manning said. “You can’t have that many mistakes and expect to win. Too many bad plays to overcome. This was a tough day for our offense.”

The worst of it came before Jeremy Shockey, the Giants’ deep-threat tight end, left in the third quarter with what could be a season-ending broken leg.

“Both teams played in the wind,” Giants Coach Tom Coughlin said. “We had a lot of balls that were dropped. You really have to focus. We just didn’t make enough plays.”

The problems started early, when the stadium was still as full as it got, about two-thirds capacity, and the litter swirled upward in the breeze above a field lined with piles of gray snow.

The first of the worst came on the first drive when Plaxico Burress twisted his body at the Washington 10-yard line to try for a Manning pass that seemed to drift in the breeze and fall incomplete.

Then came a hard pass from Manning, who was rolling to his right. The ball hit Amani Toomer in the leg and bounced away.

On the next possession, right before the end of the first quarter, Manning’s short pass to Brandon Jacobs bounced away when Jacobs appeared to try to run before he had possession.

Early in the second quarter, Manning again found Jacobs up the middle. Again, Jacobs dropped it. On the next drive, Manning’s pass to Michael Matthews would have been a 13-yard gain. But Matthews dropped it at the Giants’ 38.

One possession later, Manning again rolled to the right and again passed to Toomer, who leaned low into the ball. But it hit his chest and bounced away to negate what would have been a long gain.

But the most aggravating botched pass play might have been a clean completion, two plays later. It went for 8 yards from Manning to Sinorice Moss on third-and-9 from the Giants’ 5 with Washington ahead by only 6-0 late in the second quarter.

The play should have been good for 10 yards and a first down. But Moss got fancy. He stepped back 2 yards to try to find an angle to run. The Redskins cut off his lanes and tackled him. The play ended a yard short; the Giants had to punt.

And that was just the offense. On defense, cornerback Sam Madison missed what might have been an interception in the first quarter and cornerback Kevin Dockery almost made an interception in the second quarter. Washington followed each time with a field goal.

Late in the third quarter, trailing by 22-10 after Manning’s touchdown completion for 19 yards to Kevin Boss, who had replaced Shockey, the Giants seemed to be enthused. They got a first down on the first play of their next drive, a 10-yard completion to Jacobs.

On the next play, Manning passed to Toomer for what looked to be a pivotal gain. With the line of scrimmage the Giants’ 28, Manning hit the uncovered Toomer in stride at the Washington 42.

If not a touchdown, this might have been good for a gain of 20, 30 or 40 yards. But Toomer dropped the ball. The drive fizzled. By now, the stadium was about 75 percent empty.

But there was more frustration to come. Midway through the fourth quarter, a Manning pass curved away from Jacobs in the wind and slipped off his fingertips.

He dropped the next pass, too, and one more after that. And so it went. By the two-minute warning, the stadium was 95 percent empty. Manning’s passes and little bits of litter were blowing in the wind, and most of the fans had fled.

Like the air-supported practice bubble that had deflated early in the day in the angry breeze, the customers had the wind knocked out of them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/17/sport ... 7blue.html

And finally, from the NY Daily News:

Giants lose Jeremy Shockey in loss to Redskins, must wait to clinch playoffs

BY RALPH VACCHIANO

The formula for the Giants seemed simple enough: Win and they'd be in the playoffs for the third straight season.

Now there's nothing simple about that at all.

Given a chance to rest easy over the final two games of the season, the Giants will instead live dangerously once again after they failed to throw a playoff-clinching party for their home fans Sunday night. They lost their third straight game at Giants Stadium, 22-10 to the Washington Redskins.

They also lost one of their most potent weapons, Jeremy Shockey, to a broken leg.

If the Giants (9-5) still plan on going to the playoffs, they'll either need some help or a win in Buffalo next Sunday. Otherwise, their fate will come down to their regular-season finale against the still-perfect New England Patriots.

Without Shockey, and considering they haven't topped 21 points in nearly two months, they don't seem capable of an upset like that.

"We could've made things easier on ourselves," said Michael Strahan. "We never seem to be able to do that."

"Are we worried? No," added defensive end Justin Tuck. "But we don't feel good."

They felt downright miserable after falling into a 22-3 hole early in the third quarter against a Redskins team led by a 36-year-old quarterback making his first start in 10 seasons. Todd Collins wasn't very impressive, completing just 8 of 25 passes for 166 yards, but he was still better than Eli Manning, who completed 18 of 52 passes for 184 yards.

Manning's 34 incompletions were the most in the NFL in 40 years.

And Manning got an early start, misfiring on his first four passes and completing 6 of 21 for 51 yards in the first half. It wasn't all his fault as Manning was hurt by a cold, gusty wind that swirled around the half-empty stadium, and his butter-fingered teammates chipped in with nearly a dozen drops.

But he was bad enough to put his team in a 19-point hole before he started to warm up.

"In the first half we didn't have a lot going," a frustrated Tom Coughlin said. "We just did some things that didn't add up and didn't make a lot of sense. I don't want to generalize and say they weren't smart, but we just didn't do what we had to do to win."

About the only thing the Giants had going for them was the running game, led by Brandon Jacobs' 130 yards. But he was nearly matched by Washington running back Clinton Portis (126 yards), and Jacobs hurt the Giants with four drops.

The defense didn't help either. After Collins started 0-for-8, the Giants let him complete back-to-back big passes - 36 yards to Santana Moss and 30 yards to tight end Todd Yoder, setting up 31-yard field goal that gave Washington a 6-0 lead.

Two drives later, Collins did it again, hitting Moss for a 34-yard gain down the sidelines. Three plays later, he pump-faked and handed the ball to Ladell Betts on a delayed draw up the middle, and then watched Betts run through four Giants defenders - linebacker Kawika Mitchell, safeties Craig Dahl and Michael Johnson, and cornerback Aaron Ross - en route to a 14-yard touchdown run and a 13-0 Washington lead.

The Redskins then took over the game by slicing through the Giants' defense on the opening drive of the third quarter. They moved 46 yards in five plays in just 2:52, culminating in a five-yard touchdown by Portis that put them up 22-3.

Two plays later, injury was added to insult when the Giants lost Shockey. The injury occurred at the tail end of a Jacobs run when Amani Toomer rolled up the back of Shockey's left leg as the tight end was bent over awkwardly by Redskins linebacker H.B. Blades. Shockey had to be carried off the field and carted to the locker room, where he was diagnosed with a fractured left fibula.

He's expected to have surgery in the coming days.

"Anytime you lose a player of that quality at this time of the season is a huge loss," Coughlin said. "I feel very badly for him."

The Giants could end up feeling very badly for themselves, too. They did mount a brief rally when Manning fired a 19-yard touchdown pass to Shockey's replacement, rookie tight end Kevin Boss. The quarterback had the offense clicking on the Giants' next drive, too.

But when Lawrence Tynes missed a 38-yard field goal with 13:10 remaining, the Giants' best chance to make things at least interesting was lost.

Instead, the whole season just got interesting.

"It's frustrating, no doubt," Coughlin said. "I think it would be frustrating anywhere. But to be at home, with what was at stake and what the consequences were?"

"Forget the playoffs," added right tackle Kareem McKenzie. "Right now it's about playing better football. We have to get this figured out and get it fixed."

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/footb ... to_re.html

[Deadskins]

From the Star-Tribune, complete with a picture showing the gang tackling the Redskins employed to stop the league's number-one rated rushing attack.

Vikings falter for 3 quarters until offense stirs too late


Jerry Holt, Star Tribune

Vikings running back Chester Taylor got stuffed on a first quarter run. He was tackled by Washington's Marcus Washington (53) and H.B. Blades (54).

With a playoff spot hinging on victory, the Vikings came out flat on both sides, ending a five-game winning streak.

By Kevin Seifert, Star Tribune

The stakes could not have been more clear Sunday night. To make their first playoff appearance in three seasons, all the Vikings had to do was win a home game on national television against a team that arrived in snowy Minnesota with a .500 record.

Make no mistake, however: The world found out in short order whether the Vikings could handle such a pressure-filled situation. Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson continued his late-season regression, throwing an interception on the Vikings' second play and setting the tone for a mistake-filled 32-21 loss to the Washington Redskins.

The Vikings remain alive for an NFC wild-card berth, but they'll need a victory at Denver combined with a Redskins loss at home to Dallas.

Otherwise, the Redskins will capture the NFC's final wild-card spot, while the Vikings will spend the offseason trying to decide what to make of their inconsistent season.

"We had control of our own destiny," safety Darren Sharper said, "and we lost it. We know we still have a chance, but we have to get some help. I guess you have to go with the idea that anything can happen, but it'll be tough."

Coach Brad Childress spent much of his postgame news conference angrily discussing a controversial sequence of plays midway through the fourth quarter. But Childress also admitted the Vikings were "too gracious with the football" and that they have been unable to find a solution to three consecutive opponents who have played exotic defenses to stop tailback Adrian Peterson.

Facing a defense that at times included five defensive linemen, Peterson finished with 27 yards on nine carries. But once again, the Vikings proved they don't have the passing game to make teams pay for over-playing the run.

"I'll take that as a coach," Childress said. "We probably should have started throwing it a little bit earlier just to back them away from some of those forcing units. But we don't want to see the turnovers when we are throwing it."

The Vikings won five consecutive games and six of seven to get back into the playoff race, but were done in Sunday night by several of the issues that plagued them in their 3-6 start to the season.

Jackson's play -- as well as a pass defense in which rookie cornerback Marcus McCauley was continually victimized -- were most notable among them.

Jackson followed his four-turnover performance in last Monday's victory over Chicago with two interceptions in the critical first half Sunday night. Those turnovers led to a nine points for the Redskins, including Todd Collins' 32-yard touchdown pass to receiver Santana Moss that gave Washington a 16-0 lead with 7 minutes, 43 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

It was 22-0 at halftime after receiver Antwaan Randle El's 15-yard scoring reception on a halfback option pass from Clinton Portis. McCauley was the defender on both touchdown passes as the Vikings dug too deep a hole for their second-half surge.

The Vikings gained some momentum on a pair of second-half touchdowns, a 2-yard pass to tight end Jim Kleinsasser and a 6-yard run by Jackson, but a wild turn of events with 8:58 remaining ended their hopes of a miracle comeback.

The series began with officials ruling Moss' 23-yard sideline reception as a legal catch even though his left foot appeared to land out of bounds. As Childress watched a video replay, deciding whether to challenge, the Redskins substituted personnel and quickly lined up for another play.

But after Collins fumbled the snap, and Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams recovered near midfield, Washington coach Joe Gibbs challenged the call by pointing out the Vikings had 12 men on the field during the quick changeover.

Indeed, replays showed defensive tackle Spencer Johnson was one step away from the sideline at the snap as the Vikings tried to match the Redskins' personnel. Portis' 13-yard touchdown with 5:06 remaining sealed the victory.

Childress berated referee Bill Leavy, noting an NFL rule that requires officials to allow teams to match another team's substitution. According to Childress, officials should not have allowed the Redskins to snap the ball until the Vikings had a chance to complete their substitution.

"My understanding of that rule and all the memos that I've seen is that a guy should get time to match the personnel," Childress said. "It was clear what the intent was. It was a challenge-able call and they wanted to snap it quick. Most of the time when that happens there is no personnel change, but in this case there was."

Childress said the procedure was a "point of emphasis" during offseason discussions.

"It cost us a change of possession and it cost us momentum in a big football game for us," Childress said.

It didn't cost them the game. This one was lost several hours before.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/12789897.html

[Deadskins]

I love the sour grapes about our brilliant replay call. But Childress is still wrong, even if we had substituted. I was going to post this, but I saw Skeletor beat me to it in another thread:

I don't think Childress has an argument. Let's say, as he claims that the Redskins did substitute. If that's the case, as Childress says, the refs should never have let them snap the ball.

In theory that could be some kind of penalty on the Redskins or at least, a no-play. But if so, the play never happens and the fumble never happens.

If he wants the play to count, and the fumble to count, then he has to accept the 12 man penalty as well.

He can't have his no-play and the fumble too...

[welch]

...and what does Childress mean about running Peterson for three quarters:

"I'll take that as a coach," Childress said. "We probably should have started throwing it a little bit earlier just to back them away from some of those forcing units. But we don't want to see the turnovers when we are throwing it."

I'll take stone nothing?

[BnGhog]

I can't think of who it is, but Childress reminds me of some cartoon character.

Like Elmer Fudd or Mr. Magoo or somthing.

[RedskinsFreak]

I can't think of who it is, but Childress reminds me of some cartoon character.

Like Elmer Fudd or Mr. Magoo or somthing.

Actually, he's a 10-years-older version of 'Newmie' -- the real lifeguard in Baywatch:

[Deadskins]

I can't think of who it is, but Childress reminds me of some cartoon character.

Like Elmer Fudd or Mr. Magoo or somthing.

Actually, he's a 10-years-older version of 'Newmie' -- the real lifeguard in Baywatch:

I can see Elmer with a mustache there. Sort of a gay Elmer from San Francisco, if you will.

[Deadskins]

While this is in the Dallas Morning News, it is an AP article. I will publish the real thing tomorrow, but for now, I couldn't resist this headline:

Inspired Redskins whip Dallas Cowboys, 27-6

08:41 PM CST on Sunday, December 30, 2007
Associated Press

LANDOVER, Md. – Even the margin of victory reminded the playoff-bound Washington Redskins of Sean Taylor.

"I was on the sideline and guys were talking about the score, and then it hit me – we won by 21," veteran left tackle Chris Samuels said. "I came in the locker room and I yelled it out, and immediately I just kind of broke down in tears. Because I miss Sean, you know."

From disarray and heartache to confidence and dominance, the Redskins will enter the playoffs as the hottest team in the NFC after Sunday's 27-6 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

And with the hottest quarterback. And maybe the hottest running back. And with a defense coming off a game in which it allowed exactly 1 yard rushing.

And, perhaps most importantly, on a mission for the teammate who wore No. 21. It's been four weeks since the Redskins attended the funeral of their best defensive player, and they haven't lost since.

"Win for Sean" was as strong Sunday as it was when the four-game winning streak began Dec. 6, reinforced by everything from the fiery speech given by kick returner Rock Cartwright on the field before the game to the white "21" on the front of the black baseball cap worn by coach Joe Gibbs at his postgame news conference.

"Play for the guy who's on your jersey – the guy who's not here, who should be here," Cartwright said he told his teammates. "We know how he played the game. That's why I think guys came out and played so hard."

The Redskins (9-7) will travel to Seattle on Saturday for a 4:30 p.m. game, a rematch of a 2005 division playoff won 20-10 by the Seahawks. Washington will be riding the longest current winning streak in the NFC, including three straight victories by double digits. It's a remarkable renaissance for a team that stayed afloat with close, ugly games before losing four straight, the last defeat coming the day before Taylor's funeral.

"To think four weeks ago, where we were, and where we are tonight, it was a great experience and a great ride," said Gibbs, who has quieted doubters with perhaps the best performance of his Hall of Fame career. "To get in the playoffs was a dream of ours, and four weeks ago, obviously everybody would have said, 'You know, it looks next to impossible."'

Sunday's game ultimately turned out to be irrelevant – other than to serve as a possible preview of a postseason game two weeks from now. Minnesota lost 22-19 to Denver and New Orleans fell 33-25 to Chicago, giving Washington the two out-of-town results it needed to make the postseason without having to beat the Cowboys.

But beat the Cowboys they did, albeit a Dallas team that rested anyone who was questionable with an injury because it had clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Still, the Cowboys played their healthy starters most of the game and were trailing 20-3 when quarterback Tony Romo was pulled in the third quarter.

"The word for us was uninspired. It shows when one team is fired up to play and one team isn't," coach Wade Phillips said. "Basically, I didn't get our team ready to play."

The Cowboys (13-3), who will have a bye next week, tried to muster any motivation they could find, but almost none of their goals were realized. They had hoped to win a 14th regular-season game for the first time in franchise history. Jason Witten caught only two passes, falling four short of becoming the second tight end to get 100 in a season. Receiver Terry Glenn, active for the first time all season, failed to catch a pass.

Marion Barber not only finished 25 yards shy of his first 1,000-yard season, but Barber (minus-6 yards) and Julius Jones (7) combined for 1 yard – setting a new franchise record for rushing futility. The Cowboys defense allowed a 100-yard rusher for the first time this season. The offense went 0-for-11 converting third downs, and Dallas lost its season finale for the eighth straight year.

At least Romo (7-for-16 for 86 yards and an interception) set the single-season franchise record for completions (335). And four injured starters – including Terrell Owens – got extra time to heal, although Phillips said Owens would be "iffy" for the playoffs.

"We didn't even show up on the field," safety Roy Williams said. "We may have showed up physically, but mentally and everything else, we didn't show up."

Washington's winning streak has been led by backup quarterback Todd Collins, who took over when Jason Campbell dislocated a kneecap Dec. 6. Collins, getting his first substantial playing time in 10 years, has completed 64 percent of his passes with five TDs and no interceptions.

Clinton Portis ran for two touchdowns and had 104 yards on 25 carries Sunday. His 27 yards on four receptions gave him a career high for yards receiving in a season (389). His yards from scrimmage during the four-game winning streak: 122, 126, 124 and 131.

Former Redskins great Dexter Manley revived memories of the old days by taking the microphone and leading cheers of "We want Dallas!" from the field before kickoff. Coincidentally, those were the very words written by Taylor on an autographed photo discovered on the Internet by defensive end Phillips Daniels' wife, a photo Daniels shared with his teammates Saturday.

"To win by 21 on this day, to get into the playoffs," Daniels said. "Oh, man, that's a great feeling."

NOTES: Cowboys S Keith Davis injured his left knee in the second half, but Phillips said Davis would be fine. ... There were four replay reviews in the first half. The Redskins lost all four.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 6b77e.html

[cleg]

As much as I hate Dallas I think I have more respect for them & their organization than I do the Giants or Eagles. I can't quantify it but it just feels like they have been classier in the wake of Sean Taylor and other things than the Giants and Eagles.

[Deadskins]

From the pages of the Star-Telegram:

'Uninspired' Cowboys have two weeks to get playoff-ready

By CLARENCE E. HILL JR.
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

LANDOVER, Md. -- As far as NFL integrity and personal pride are concerned, the Cowboys have it.

In a game that had no playoff significance for them, the Cowboys played to win -- albeit with an uninspired performance.

They did so with star quarterback Tony Romo going into the third quarter.

Never mind that conventional wisdom said to play it safe because being healthy for the playoffs was more important than this regular-season finale against a team that was desperate to get into the postseason.

So, the Cowboys left Washington on Sunday with integrity and a 27-6 blowout loss to the rival Redskins.

They also left without any semblance of momentum heading into a postseason that the Cowboys hope will result in their first Super Bowl appearance since 1996.

"The word for us was uninspired," coach Wade Phillips said. "It shows when one team is fired up and the other one isn't. But we are looking forward to the playoff game. This one is over. We can turn it on in two weeks. We are going to be ready."

By virtue of a team-record-tying 13-3 mark, the Cowboys have set themselves up for a return to glory.

They earned a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

The question is how it all will play out for a Cowboys team that began the season 12-1.

They have not played at a high level since the first half of the Green Bay game Nov. 29 and have lost two of their final three games.

"No, I do not," said owner Jerry Jones, when asked if he felt the Cowboys were playing their best football heading into the postseason. "And it doesn't make any difference how many byes you have if you don't get out and play your best football. We can play better."

The Cowboys went into the game against the Redskins short-handed because of injuries.

Four starters -- receiver Terrell Owens (ankle), center Andre Gurode (knee), nose tackle Jay Ratliff (knee) and cornerback Terence Newman (knee) -- were inactive.

All could be ready when the Cowboys meet the Redskins, New York Giants or Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC divisional playoffs Jan. 13 at Texas Stadium.

It was reason enough for the Cowboys to play it safe Sunday.

Although they were never in the game mentally, the Cowboys had their starters in the game for nearly three quarters. And it wasn't a comforting feeling that they were never competitive.

Romo played extensively, in part because of the need to get some action with the first-team offense for receiver Terry Glenn, who made his season debut after missing the first 15 games with a knee.

Glenn played only four plays. His first one resulted in an interception when Redskins cornerback Shawn Springs jumped the slant route. And there was the brief scare when Redskins safety LaRon Landry undercut him and his rehabbed right knee following an incompletion.

It all seemed like folly at the end of half when Romo was sacked on an attempt of a Hail Mary pass with no time remaining and the Cowboys trailing 13-3.

He walked off the field grimacing in pain after taking a knee to the rib cage.

Romo was on the field for the first drive of the second half, and that's when the entire pretense ended.

He completed a 16-yard pass to Jason Witten on the first play to give him 335 completions for the season -- surpassing Danny White to become the team's season record holder. He gave way to backup Brad Johnson on the next series.

"You want to win the game," said Romo, who finished a season-low 7-of-16 passing for 86 yards and an interception.

"You want to play well, and you want to go into the playoffs with a good feeling. But you don't want to show too much."

The Cowboys better hope their performance against Washington doesn't come back to haunt them when they open the playoffs in two weeks.

Especially if it's against a Redskins team that took the Cowboys to the limit in a 28-23 loss at Texas Stadium on Nov. 18 and completely destroyed them Sunday.

Washington's defense held the Cowboys to no touchdowns, their lowest point total of the season (Dallas also had 6 against Philadelphia) and a franchise-low 1 net yard rushing.

The Redskins have won four consecutive games and would make a return trip to Texas Stadium for the divisional playoffs if they beat the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday.

They certainly would also have the confidence of Clinton Portis' 104 yards rushing and two touchdowns to build on. It was the first 100-yard game against the Cowboys since Game 15 last season -- a total of 17 games including last season's playoff game at Seattle.

"We are ready to play whomever," Romo said. "This team is more than confident going into the playoffs."

REDSKINS 27, COWBOYS 6

Breakdown

Why the Cowboys lost: They were either uninspired or just flat blown out. When in the game, the first-team offense did almost nothing and generated just three points. Marion Barber and Julius Jones combined for 1 yard rushing on 14 carries.

Why the Redskins won: Their defense pushed around the Cowboys' offense, running back Clinton Portis rushed for 104 yards with two touchdowns, and receiver Santana Moss caught eight passes for 115 yards and a touchdown.

http://www.star-telegram.com/332/story/383765.html