Die Hard Sports Fan

Wednesday morning; time to get back to work. We have a game this weekend against the St. Louis Rams. The Redskins are 4-1; the Rams 0-4. It sounds like a cake walk.

So, why is Redskins nation so nervous?

At half-time, during the New York Giants game to start the season, you could smell the rubber burning as all Redskin nation fans had their mind racing back and forth about so many things, like is Jason Campbell the right QB for this team, or was the offensive line getting too old, or was Clinton Portis fighting a losing battle trying to run against eight-man fronts. But, that was a long time ago.

Today, all Redskins fans, and especially the owner, Dan Snyder, are feeling euphoric, over four straight wins.

Moreover, because those wins came against the dreaded rivals of both the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles, fans far and wide have rejoiced in unison. In the past 24 hours, this Die Hard Redskins Fan site has seen fans come from as far east as Melbourne, Australia and as far west as Honolulu, Hawaii, as well as points in between, including Oman, Greece, and Spain. Everyone, it seems is ready to believe.

But, here come the St. Louis Rams.

The St. Louis Rams have a new coach after firing the one they began the season with. They have their QB, Marc Bulger, back in the starting position after he was benched in desperation by the aforementioned former coach. They, and the rest of the team, remain perfect in a winless season with one very key, and common denominator: they all have something to prove.

The offensive world of the St. Louis Rams revolves around Stephen Jackson. He is their leading rusher *and* receiver. Thus, naturally, he leads their team in total yardage. Conventional wisdom would suggest that the Redskins defense should focus on stopping Jackson and the Redskins would win the game.

But, this Die Hard Redskin Fan says, “not so fast.”

Given a moment to think about it, every Redskins fan can remember who the offensive coordinator for the team was for the past two years; Al Saunders. This is the same Al Saunders who is now the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams.

For two years, day after day during practice sessions, he became, by the nature of repetition, an expert in the defensive coverage skills of each of our entire secondary. I’d bet dollars to donuts that he could rattle off the five key flaws of Shawn Springs, Fred Smoot; maybe even ten for Carlos Rogers. Further, I’d be even more confident that he knows exactly how to move LaRon Landry out of position to create a deep strike down the field.

If the Redskins key on Stephen Jackson, Al Saunders will most assuredly attack deep down field. Though the Rams may not have been successful as of yet against other teams, Al Saunders has much more experience and knowledge of the Redskins that would enable him to call a more effective game, and find our vulnerabilities.

In short, this week’s game will be a challenge. Not just because of Saunders knowledge of our defense, but also because of the natural human tendency for the Redskins to take a mental holiday.

I recall, in college, graduate school, and even here in Corporate America, preparing for a big test, or a presentation to executive management. There is a palpable rush of energy that fills each of us when faced with challenging situations. It’s often referred to as the “adrenaline rush.”

The Redskins have had four straight weeks of the adrenaline rush that culminated last week with a huge win against the Philadelphia Eagles, in Philadelphia!

So, now what?

It’s called the “adrenaline FLUSH.”

After climbing the mountain, or escaping the attack of the mountain lion, human beings experience the adrenaline flush, which is a malaise of physical ability to move and respond. It is more commonly referred to as fatigue; specifically in this case, “emotional fatigue.”

The measure of Jim Zorn as a coach will be determined this week, more so than any of the other five weeks. Along those lines, the players speak about staying “medium.” I understand.

But, show us!

Hail to the Redskins.

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The Buffalo Bills were given a scare by the winless St. Louis Rams, who actually held a lead in this game heading into the 4th quarter.  The Bills battled back again, and for the 3rd weekend in a row, the Bills came back in the 4th to gain the W.

1^st Quarter

The Buffalo Bills offense was not clicking well to start the game off, again.  Nothing really exciting happened in this one as both teams didn’t look very sharp.  Bills kicker Rian Lindell kicked two successful field goals but the quarter ended with a Rams lead.  A 37 yard reverse run by WR Donnie Avery was the only touchdown so far in this one.  Rams lead going into quarter #2 with a 7-6 lead.

2^nd Quarter

A very good run defense was scored on again.  This time Rams RB Steven Jackson broke one for 29 yards and the TD.  The Bills continued to struggle and the score was still in the home team’s favor at half-time, Rams now lead 14-6.

3^rd Quarter

A back and forth affair in this quarter.  Only one score was put on the board and this time it was in the favor of the good guys.  A decent drive by the Bills was ended with a Fred Jackson 22 yard run.  Jackson cut, juked and dove his way into the end zone.  Bills still down, but at least they are on the board, 14-13 in the Rams favor.

4^th Quarter

This quarter belonged to the Bills as they rallied again for win.  They scored 18 points in the final 15.  It all started just into the 4^th when Bills CB Jabari Greer had a pick 6 that gave the Bills the lead 21-14.  The Rams would not score again this game.  WR Lee Evans would get into the end zone though when he hooked up with QB Trent Edwards on a 39 yard TD pass.  The final scoring would end, when kicker Rian Lindell added another FG from 45 yards out in the end of the game.  Bills pick up the victory 31-14.

Game Notes

• The Bills start 4-0 for the sixth time since 1970
• The last two times they achieved the feat (1991-92), they went on to reach the Super Bowl.
• For the second straight year the Rams have started 0-4 (remember they started 0-8 last season before getting their first W)
• The Rams have now lost eight straight games dating back to last year.
• Trent Edwards went 15 for 25 for 197 yards, 1 TD and an INT.
• Evans only had 2 catches for 88 yards but also a TD.
• Bills rushing game struggled as they only gained 111 yards.  The offense only had 277 yards in total.  

 

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The Buffalo Bills will face the St. Louis Rams today at the Edwards Jones Dome.

TV Info:

Game: Buffalo Bills (3-0) @ St. Louis Rams (0-3) TV: CBS (Ian Eagle, Solomon Wilcots) Radio: 97 Rock (Buffalo), 103.3 The EDGE (Buffalo), WHAM 1180 AM (Rochester), WNSS 1260 AM (Syracuse), FAN 590 AM (Toronto). All done by John Murphy, Mark Kelso and Paul Peck on the Bills radio network. Time: 4:05 p.m. ET

Game Notes:

• The Bills have beaten the Rams in four out the last five meetings, and lead the overall series, 5-4.
• The last game between these two teams ended in a Buffalo win, 37-17.
• RB Marshawn Lynch has scored atleast one TD in each of the first 3 games
• Rams RB Steven Jackson is avergaing just 3.2 yards per carry in a Rams offense that has put up just 29 points in three weeks. It doesn’t get much easier this week as St. Louis goes up against a sixth-ranked Bills defense
• The Bills defense has not allowed a 100 yard rusher in their first 3 games. Let up an average of 93.6 yards per game.
• With returnman Roscoe Parrish out look for rookie Leodis McKelvin to have a huge impact on not only punt returns but also kick returns.
• The Bills are 6-0 when QB Trent Edwards posts an 80-plus passer rating. Edwards is averaging a 96.6 rating through three games this season.
• QB Trent Green of St. Louis is making his first start of this season for the benched Marc Buldger. Green has started three times vs. the Bills, posting a 2-1 record.
• Green is making his first start since suffering a concussion while with Miami in Week 5 last season. The concussion was Grade 3 which is the most severe level. Many thought it would be enough to send Green into retirement. But he’s back for more (which might not be a good thing).
• The Line: The Bills are favored by 8. Over/Under 42.5.

Injury Report:

Bills - Out of Game: TE Derek Fine (Hand) and WR Roscoe Parrish (Thumb). Probable: FB Darian Barnes (Ankle). Rams - Out of Game: WR Drew Bennett (Foot), WR Keenan Burton (Knee), and RB Antonio Pittman (Lower Leg). Probable: G Jacob Bell (Hamstring), DE James Hall (Thigh), RB Steven Jackson (Groin), TE Joe Klopfenstein (Illness), DE Leonard Little (Hamstring) and T Orlando Pace (Groin).

Quote of the Week:

“I’ve always liked to block but I guess what set it off was something Tyke told me a long time ago. He said if you’re going across the middle and a DB has a free shot to take your head off, he will. Plain and simple. It will make him look good and feel good. So that’s just the mentality I take into it. You’re going to try to take my head off, so what should stop me from trying to take your head off?” -WR Josh Reed on blocking

Open Thread:

Please feel free to comment below or in the tag board in the sidebar to chat with Bills fans from around the world.

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Hello and welcome back to the site.  Like promised I am back to give you the rest of the NFL picks.  However, I am still a little bit under the weather (like yesterday, which is why I didn’t finish the picks in the first place) so the post today will just be the picks.  Sorry no insight for today.  Let’s get it started.  I’ll run down all of the pick (including yesterdays).  My picks are in bold.

Oakland Raiders (+9.5) @ Buffalo Bills

Arizona Cardinals (+3) @ Washington Redskins

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3) @ Chicago Bears

Kansas City Cheifs (+6.5) @ Atlanta Falcons

Houston Texans (+5) @ Tennesse Titans 

Cinininati Bengals (+13.5) @ New York Giants

Miami Dolphins (+13) @ New England Patriots

Carolina Panther (+3.5) @ Minnesota Vikings

 St. Louis Rams (+10) @ Seattle Seahawks

New Orleans Saints (+6) @ Denver Broncos

Detriot Lions (+4.5) @ San Francisco 49ers

Jacksonville Jaguars (+5) @ Indianapolis Colts

Pittsburgh Steelers (+3.5) @ Philadelphia Eagles

Cleveland Browns (+3) @ Baltimore Ravens

Dallas Cowboys @ Green Bay Packers (+3)

New York Jets (+8.5) @ San Diego Chargers

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Quarterback

Last week, the Miami Dolphins entered the game with a plan to shut down the running game and make QB Kurt Warner beat them with the pass. Well, that might have worked in recent years. But, as of right now…not so much!

Warner destroyed the Dolphins. He threw for 361 yards, three touchdowns, and ZERO turnovers. Moreover, he finished the day with a PERFECT rating of 158.3. That, by the way, is the third time in his career that he has achieved a perfect rating. It’s been a while since we’ve seen this version of Warner. Personally, for this week, I’d prefer more of the Warner from the past few years. Unfortunately, I think we’re going to see the current Warner, which more closely resembles his glory years with the St. Louis Rams.

Speaking of his achievement against the Dolphins, Warner is quoted by the Associated Press, as such:

When you have one of those days when everything’s clicking and you feel like you can’t be stopped, it brings back a lot of memories of those great years…The game was slowing down. I was putting the ball where I wanted to put it, and it felt good.

At 37 years old, and being the veteran that he is, there is not much we can do to fool him. Rather, we need to be in his face, all day. And, when we get there, if he’s still holding on to the ball, which isn’t likely, we need to put him on his butt…hard! The only time that Warner hasn’t played well in the past is when he is being pressured, rushed, and hit. That’s how Tom Brady got his first NFL Super Bowl ring.

But, thus far this season, that hasn’t happened. In fact, the Dolphins used that defensive strategy and blitzed Warner from all different angles. They even knocked him down a number of times; sacked him twice. It didn’t work. So, clearly, either we need to do it better than the Dolphins. Or, we need a different strategy.

The Cardinals are 2-0 for the first time in 17 years. If they come in to our house and win on Sunday, it will be the first time enjoying a 3-0 record since 1974.

Greg Blache has his hands full this week in preparation for this matchup.

 

Running Backs

Edgerrin James rushed for 55 yards on 18 carries last week. Each yard was a hard fought victory. Still, it was enough to lift James to become only the 14th back in the history of the NFL to gain 15,000 yards from scrimmage. Without question, James is still a good, effective running back and has all the ability to hurt us if we ignore him. He shares time with Tim Hightower, a big, powerful back that has seen the end zone twice in as many games. Both of these guys can move the chains.

 

Receivers

Big. Strong. Fast. And, great hands. That’s all that really needs to be said about the Arizona Cardinals receivers. The combination of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald has been too much for opposing defenses this year. Boldin had six catches for 140 yards. It was the 22nd time in his relatively short career that he’s had over 100 yards receiving in a game. He can play some ball. Fitzgerald, on the other side, is definitely no slouch either. Last week he caught six passes for 153 yards. It was his 14th time in his even shorter career that he has been over 100 yards in a game.

~ ~ ~

It is often said that defense is a state of mind…an attitude, if you will. For this weeks game, we need every ounce of attitude we can muster, and a heavy dose of execution. It would be too easy to look past these Cardinals and start thinking about the upcoming trips to the Dallas Cowboys and Phildelphia Eagles. But, that would be foolish.

These guys are coming to play. And, they believe that they can give us a spankin’. Well, they have the paddles to do it. But, our *attitude* needs to be that we’re going to bring some lead pipes to their paddle party.

Hail to the Redskins.

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The best part of yesterday’s game between the Giants and the Rams was the final score which was 41-13. The Road Warriors went out to St. Louis seeking their 11th consecutive road win, and 12th if you include the Super Bowl. The G-MEN dominated the Rams in every way except for points during most of the game.

Offense

Eli Manning had a solid game as he went 20/29 which is a 68.96% completion percentage and threw for 260 yards and 3 TDs. Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress both were key contributors in the Giants aerial attack as they combined for over 150 receiving yards. The ‘running back by committee’ had a solid outing as they combined for over 200 yards. Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward wore down the Rams’ defense. In the 4th Quarter, Ahmad Bradshaw ran into the end zone untouched once for a 31-yard TD run. The Bradshaw TD run was beautiful to watch because nobody got a hand on him. With all of that said, the Rams were able to keep the Giants from not getting into the end zone too much until the 4th Quarter when the Giants torched them for 3 TDs, one of which was a defensive touch down. The Giants’ offense put up 28 of the 41 points.

Defense

Big Blue was able to apply pressure on Marc Bulger all day. Justin Tuck was a beast as usual and finished the day with 3 Tackles, 2 Sacks, and 1 Interception that he returned for a Touch Down. Fred Robbins also had 2 Sacks which were his first sacks of the season. Antonio Pierce and Jay Alford also got to Bulger once. I really enjoyed the AP sack also because nobody even touched him as he went right up the middle. The Rams’ offense was unable to stop the Giants’ defense. The Giants’ defense put up 7 of the 41 points.

Special Teams

John Carney was 2/2 in Field Goal Attempts. Domenik Hixon was solid returning Kickoffs and Punts. The Giants’ special teams put up 6 of the 41 points.

So the Giants won their first two games. Big Blue turned this one into a blow out. You would’ve never known how close this game was in the 4th Quarter by looking at the final score. Next on the schedule are the Cincinnati Bengals.

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The Giants kept the Rams in the game as they only held a 7 point lead early in the 4th Quarter before they put up 21 4th Quarter points giving the Jints their second win of the 2008 Regular Season.

1st Quarter

The Giants scored first on their second possession as Manning marched them 64 yards down the field, and then Eli Manning capped off the drive with a 33-yard Touch Down pass to a wide open Plaxico Burress in the middle of the end zone with 8:51 remaining.

2nd Quarter

The Rams scored on their second possession as well as Bulger marched them 77 yards down the field before Josh Brown made a 54-yard Field Goal Attempt with 14:13 remaining.

With 8:14 remaining, the Giants scored again on their third possession when John Carney made a 39-yard Field Goal Attempt.

Fred Robbins sacked Marc Bulger for a loss of 13 yards on 3rd and 8 with 6:54 remaining which led to a Rams punt.

On the Giants’ next possession, Howie Long’s son, Chris Long, got his first NFL sack when he sacked Eli Manning on 3rd and 8 for an 8-yard loss with 5:21 remaining.

Justin Tuck and Fred Robbins sacked Marc Bulger for a loss of 7 yards with 4:29 remaining.

Antonio Pierce joined the party by sacking Marc Bulger for a 9-yard loss with 3:14 remaining.

With 1:55 remaining, Josh Brown made a 54-yard Field Goal Attempt to cap off an 53 yard drive by the Rams.

When the Giants were in their 2:00 offense, John Carney drilled a 33-yard Field Goal Attempt with 0:02 remaining.

3rd Quarter

With 8:48 remaining, Eli Manning marched the Giants 97 yards down the field prior to throwing a 10-yard Touch Down pass to Amani Toomer who caught the ball with a man hanging on him in the middle of the end zone.

Victor Adeyanju sacked Eli Manning on 2nd and 17 for a loss of 8 yards with 1:49 remaining.

4th Quarter

Marc Bulger aired out a 45-yard Touch Down pass to Torry Holt who had to wrestle for the ball with Phillips in the end zone and came out the winner with 10:46 remaining.

With 7:18 remaining, Eli Manning countered the Rams’ 4th Quarter Touch Down with one of his own as he completed an 18-yard Touch Down pass to Ahmad Bradshaw on the right side, and Bradshaw ran down the right sideline and into the end zone.

Justin Tuck sacked Marc Bulger for a 6-yard loss with 7:09 remaining.

Marc Bulger had his pass batted down at the line by Justin Tuck who then caught it and returned it for a 46-yard Touch Down with 5:30 remaining.

With 3:23 remaining, Eli Manning handed the ball off to Ahmad Bradshaw who ran up the middle and to the left as he went untouched into the end zone for 31-yard Touch Down run.

Jay Alford sacked Marc Bulger for a loss of 7 yards with 3:06 remaining.

David Carr actually took over for Manning after the 2:00 Warning, and Carr took a few knees to wrap this game up.

Wrap Up

Eli Manning went 20/29 and threw for 260 yards, 3 TDs, and 0 INTs.

Brandon Jacobs led in Rushing attempts and yards with 15 and 93 respectively.

Amani Toomer led in Receptions with 6, and Plaxico Burress led in Receiving yards with 81.

Ahmad Bradshaw had 1 TD Catch and 1 TD Run, Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress each had 1 TD Catch. Justin Tuck also had 1 defensive TD.

John Carney went 2/2 in Field Goal Attempts.

Michael Johnson led the team in Tackles with 5.

Fred Robbins and Justin Tuck each had 2 Sacks, and Antonio Pierce and Jay Alford each had 1 Sack.

Justin Tuck had 1 Interception.

The NFL.com Game Center: Post Game is attached.

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The New York Giants will face the St. Louis Rams today at the Edward Jones Dome.

TV & Radio Info:

Game: New York Giants (1-0) @ St. Louis Rams (0-1)
TV: FOX 5 (Joe Buck, Troy Aikman)
Radio: WFAN-660 (Bob Papa, Dick Lynch, Carl Banks)
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET

Game Notes:

• The Giants will get their first chance to carry last year’s road success into a new season Sunday when they face the St. Louis Rams in the Edward Jones Dome.
• The Giants have a way to go before they tie the overall NFL record for consecutive road victories; the San Francisco 49ers won 19 games in a row as visitors from 1988-90.
• A contradiction: some of the loudest, most hostile venues for visiting teams in the NFL are domed stadiums, yet the Giants thrive indoors. They earned victories in their last five games played under a roof (including the Super Bowl) and are 22-12 overall indoors.
• The Giants are 45-33-5 in road openers.
• The Giants won their 2008 home opener against the Redskins by a score of 16-9.
• The Rams lost to the Eagles by a score of 38-3 in their 2008 road opener in Philadelphia.
• The Rams lead the regular season series, 25-12.
• Eli Manning went 19/35 and threw for 216 yards, 0 TDs, and 1 INT in the home opener.
• Plaxico Burress led in Receptions and Receiving yards against the Redskins with 10 and 133 respectively.
• Marc Bulger went 14/26 and threw for 158 yards against the Eagles with 0 TDs or 0 INTs.
• Steven Jackson rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the previous three seasons and he has 12 career 100-yard games.
• Stephen Jackson missed the entire preseason because of a contract holdout.
• Torry Holt is the NFL leader in catches and receiving yards since 2000.
• Seven-time Pro Bowler Orlando Pace is back at left tackle after missing most of the last two seasons with injuries (triceps in 2006, torn labrum last year).
• The Line: The Giants are favored by 8.5. Over/Under 42.

Injury Report:

Giants - Out of Game: CB Terrell Thomas (Hamstring), K Lawrence Tynes (Knee). Questionable: CB R.W. McQuarters (Calf). Probable: DE Mathias Kiwanuka (Ankle), LB Jonathan Goff (Back), DE Jerome McDougle (Knee).

Rams - Out of Game: WR Drew Bennett (Foot). Questionable: G Jacob Bell (Hamstring), DE Leonard Little (Hamstring). Probable: P Donnie Jones (Knee), WR Donnie Avery (Knee), RB Travis Minor (Thigh), DE James Hall (Thigh).

Quote of the Week:

“He loves to play football so you would have to ask him why, but I know from being here over a year and a half with Mathias he just loves to play. I think he was just happy to be out there. I think he would have been just as ecstatic and just as enthusiastic if he was playing linebacker. That probably was a home for him for a long time and he made a sacrifice going back to linebacker for us and did well there and then he was able to go back where he probably is most comfortable.” - Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo on DE Mathias Kiwanuka’s return to defensive end

Feel free to chat with other Giants fans in the Tag Board in the right column.

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We all know that Mathias Kiwanuka injured his ankle on the final play of last week’s game. The last thing we wanted to see was another Defensive End out for the season, but that isn’t the case because it isn’t that severe. However, the New York Times reported that the injury is not healing as quickly as expected. Due to that fact, they raised the question “Will it be healthy enough on the inside for Kiwanuka to play effectively and at length at right defensive end Sunday when the Giants (1-0) play their first road game, against the St. Louis Rams (0-1)?”

Mathias said, “I will probably take all the time up until game time before I’m 100 percent. But I’ll be there.” Hopefully, he’ll be more than there. Hopefully, he’ll be knocking Marc Bulger on his rear all game long. Kiwanuka ended up missing practice on Wednesday, and he only participated in half of the plays yesterday. Even though he is only starting as a Defensive End for the second time in his NFL career, he is still a pretty darn good player so it would benefit the team if he was 100 percent out there. As a reminder, he played DE his whole life before the NFL so it is his natural position. Let’s hope he’s ready to go on Sunday.

Go Giants!

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The Saint Louis Rams will face the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.

TV & Radio Info:

Game: New Rams (0-0) at Eagles (0-0)
TV: FOX (Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa)
Radio: 610 AM WIP All Sports Radio (Merrill Reese, Mike Quick)
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET

Game Notes:

• Rookie WR DeSean Jackson is scheduled to start for the Eagles.
• Under Head Coach Andy Reid, the Eagles are 3-6 on opening day.
• Last Regular Season Meeting: Eagles beat the Rams 17-16 at St. Louis in 2005.
• Although not practicing much of the pre-season, DE Chris Clemons is expected to play.
• Field conditions may be of issue with Temple playing on Saturday and rain in the forecast.

Injury Report:

Rams - Out of Game: WR Donnie Avery (Knee). Probable: CB Fakhir Brown (Shoulder), C Brett Romberg (Hand), RB Brian Leonard (Shoulder).

Eagles - Out of Game: DE Victor Abiamiri (Wrist), WR Kevin Curtis (Hernia). Doubtful: WR Reggie Brown (Hamstring). Probable: RB Lorenzo Booker (Hip), DE Chris Clemons (Calf), S Sean Considine (Hand), FS Brian Dawkins (Ankle).

Feel free to chat with other Eagles fans in the Tag Board in the right column. With that said, “E-A-G-L-E-S! EAGLES!!”

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