No Laughing Matter I hate the fact that the Redskins have become this big joke among those in the NFL. People in the league are not even hiding their laughter anymore. If you bring up the burgundy and gold's situation, there's a small pause and that's followed with 10 minutes of side splitting howling. It's like, night at the improv and I expect to see someone flying though the air because the laughter has lifted them off their feet. This not funny.

If you're looking for a silver lining in this whole thing, here it is. The Skins are the only team in the league without a head coach. They right now can take their time and try and find the person they want. Who that person is, no one knows. Dan Snyder obviously did not mind, when Joe Gibbs was playing with his toys. Now that Joe is gone, Dan has taken his toys and gone home. He really wants his team back and his actions over the weekend have let everybody know. The Skins are looking to re-invent the wheel. The defense shouldn't struggle all together but this offense is going to go through another overall. GREAT... More days watching the Redskins pull off false starts and 3 and outs because everybody is trying to get a grasp of the playbook. HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY

Gregg Williams and Al Saunders are going to get jobs elsewhere and they will probably refuse to talk about their last days here. But if they do, trust me, they were both unhappy with the way this went down. If they decide at any point to talk and tell, that will be must see TV.
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I forgot to mention this before but why did Ladanian Tomlinson act like a little baby at the AFC Championship game. Great player, not a great leader. From now on he should have to spend the rest of his days walking around, with his helmet and visor on. He was so comfortable in that position when his team needed him the most, why not make it an every day thing. That way we can all not see what he's thinking and realize, that we really don't care. He went from superstar to warm garbage in a matter of minutes. That's sad because he has the potential to lead men. Now he's just a head in a helmet.  ¶ 7:45 PM 0 Comments

  Back from the AFC Championship Game So I got a chance to be a fan and go to the AFC Championship game last week. There was a little bit of work involved but being a fan was the key ingredient. First and foremost, I don't know how people do it. Tailgating in the cold and still having the power to rock and roll through the game and then party on afterwards is amazing. The Patriots don't have the best fans in the NFL, that distinction goes to the Redskins, but because of their teams success, they do have a group that's used to winning. When their team is down, there are no worries. No one is clutching some lucky rabbits foot or going with the rally caps. No one is talking to their higher power or going into a cursing tyrade of "don't let this happen to me again." In fact, nothing happens. It must be nice. They have trust in Tom Brady and folks, that's as good as it gets. You could tell he was hurt and he was having a bad game. Not a problem. The Patriots did enough to get the job done and there was Tom, smiling and holding the trophy. All the women in the stands had their best winter outfits on, hoping Tom would show them some love... and then they realize, he's with Giselle. Enough said. Go Tom, it's your birthday, Giselle's a model.

I want Eli Manning to win the Superbowl just for the commercials. I want him walking down the ESPN hallways, leading the way and then kicking Peyton in the rear. I want Eli to dominate Visa and have some grocer sign and cantaloupe for Peyton. It's time for Eli to get his. Peyton has dominated the commercial airwaves. Let the other Manning get some. I just don't think that's going to happen. Did I mention Tom is with Giselle!!!!

What are the Redskins doing? How can the Atlanta Falcons have a coach and personnel in place before Washington? I know they are waiting for the right candidate but c'mon. Now Al Saunders has been told to look for work elsewhere because the Redskins have hired Jim Zorn as offensive coordinator. I'm sure Al is happy about that. He and Todd Collins just led the Redskins to the playoffs and their reward, a pink slip, the door. Don't let it hit ya where the good lord split ya. Gibbs and Snyder have handled this a bit harsh and yes I said Gibbs. He is still on staff collecting a pay check. But now the guys he brought in to help are being told to hit the road. That's crap!! Whenever the Redskins hire a coach, the big noise will be made by Gregg Williams. Let's see how long he can go, before letting it all hang out about the Redskins operation. This procedure had to hurt his pride. Gregg didn't deserve all of this. If you didn't want him to be the head coach, then don't interview him 7-thousand times. The way the Skins are searching, it looks like they're trying to re-invent the wheel. They did that a couple of year's ago. Remember they finished that season 5 and 11.  ¶ 7:28 PM 3 Comments

  Who's Next I really thought the Redskins would have wrapped this coaching search by now but I guess they are just really trying to make sure they make the right decision. I can tell you what I have heard.

When Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Jim Swartz came through, he left leaving with the thought that this was Gregg Williams' job and they were looking for people to fill out his staff. The only problem I have with that is, they still haven't given Gregg the job and they have interviewed him about 20 thousand times. I know they want to understand his head coaching philosophy and how he would react to media scrutiny but they've known Gregg since 2004. If they still have any doubts on whether he would be the right guy for the job, then they really need to make it public and move on.

There are rumors out there that Gregg doesn't get along with the burgundy and gold brass. I don't know anything about that. I do know that it looks like those rumors are right on the money now. Maybe the Skins and Gregg are trying to iron some of their differences out before taking the plunge. This is something we will all find out down the road.

There are also rumors that Gregg and Al Saunders don't get along. That they share different philosophies. We might need to ease up on the rumors. If Gregg had this much trouble getting along with everybody, Joe Gibbs would have kicked him to the curb awhile ago. The Redskins have made the playoff 2 of the last 3 years. Of all the teams looking for a head coach, they are the one's with the most talent. They don't have to hit a home run with the coaching decision. They just have to pick the right one. After that the rest will take care of itself. I will stay calm for one more week. After that, they have waited too long.

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THOUGHTS

ON THE PATRIOTS:

They have the best pass blocking offensive line I have ever seen. Tom Brady is a great quarterback, but the time he gets, in the pocket to complete a pass is ridiculous. New England is really going to be tough to beat. Lawrence Maroney and the running game, is once again strong. Their weaknesses are very few. Randy Moss has very strange neck hair though. Watching him do interviews, I just want to get a pair of clippers and trim that. Maybe I am being picky.

ON THE PACKERS:

It's great to have Brett Favre in the playoffs but it's even better to have the city of Green Bay involved. No other place loves their team like they do. That place is going to be a cold mess on Sunday. They have already run out of foam cheese heads. All the signs in the store windows will read "closed for the game". It's like a high school football team, that just made it to state. The Packer fans love their squad. No one is going to scalp their tickets and they might be hard to find online. Their fans love their own piece of the pie.

ON THE GIANTS:

Feel good for Eli Manning. His brother has done Saturday Night Live, won a Superbowl and cornered the television add market. Finally, little bro has a chance to shine. He is living up to everything they said he would and folks, to tell you the truth, he was not that bad before this. We just kept comparing him to Peyton. How the Giants have put this all together is crazy. They had a coach they were going to fire. Their best player retired before the season. Michael Strahan sat out training camp and Plaxico Burress has basically sat out every practice this season. They have a great story. We will see if it continues.

ON THE CHARGERS:

They have the best running back in the game. One of the best young signal callers and Shawn Merriman is a beast. But this story starts and ends with Norv Turner. He is one of the nicest guys this sport has even seen and for him to lead this team to their first playoff win in over a decade and then to the AFC Championship game is fantastic. When they were struggling in the beginning of the season, Norv told them to keep chopping wood and trust the system. Not only did they trust the system, but they trusted one another. Norv Turner has done a fabulous job.

That's it for today. Predictions later. See ya when I see ya.  ¶ 6:46 AM 4 Comments

  Predictions So we have 4 games this weekend. 8 teams trying to make it to the final four. I will give it my best shot and see if I can "Mrs Cleo" the future.

The Cowboys taking on the Giants:

I know the Cowboys are at home and this could be the start of their run to the Superbowl but I don't trust Tony Romo. This is the second season in a row, that he has finished weak and limped into the playoffs. The Cowboys have to worry about him and the fact that Terrell Owens isl not 100 percent. T.O. is a gamer but that high ankle sprain is some serious stuff. That's 4 to 6 weeks, at least. On the other hand, the Giants are playing well and on the road, New York is solid. They have lost to the Cowboys twice this season. It seem a lot to think a team will lose to the same opponent, 3 times. I like New York in this game.

The Packers taking on the Seahawks:

I love Brett Favre and all that he means for the NFL. Number 4 is all about football and taking this young squad to the playoffs, this late in his career is unbelievable but that's just it. The Packers are young. For many of these guys, this will be the first time they see what it's like on the big stage. They could make young mistakes and Brett could just start to heave it up. Last week, I thought Mike Holmgren and the Seahawks defense, could make all the difference and after watching them play against the Redskins, I know they are for real. Favre is great and the Packers have had a fairy tale season. It might end this weekend. I like Seattle in this game.

The Colts taking on the Chargers:

This could be the blowout of the weekend. The Chargers have L.T. and he is all of that and a bag of chips but Phillip Rivers is way to up and down. They need a solid game against the Colts and I am not sure that can happen. Indy is rested and Marvin Harrison is coming back. Plus, Peyton Manning is simply Peton Manning. He won't let them lose at home. Tony Dungy is a fantastic coach and if this is his last season, he will win his last game in the dome. I like Indianapolis in this game.

The Patriots taking on the Jaguars:

I was all for Jacksonville and then they played the Pittsburgh Steelers and changed my mind. They can not beat the Patriots if they play that reckless. The Pats have heard all the rumors. Everybody is picking against them in this game. Now they have had 2 weeks to prepare. Tom Brady and his bunch, will spread the Jaguar defense out and they should pick them apart. Jacksonville will try and run the ball. I think the Pats will take that away and force David Garrard to beat them. He could have done it a couple of weeks ago but not Saturday night. I like New England in this game.  ¶ 12:45 PM 4 Comments

  Joe's Gone The one thing that hit me as I watched Joe Gibbs retire, was relief. He looked so relieved to step away and say goodbye. Joe Gibbs did what he wanted to do. He is leaving the Redskins in better shape, than when he arrived 4 years ago. He tried to thank everybody who helped him in his second time around but I kept feeling, we should all be thanking him. Despite all the scrutiny he got for being conservative in his play calling, the burgundy and gold made the playoffs, 2 of the last 3 seasons. He made this team a winner again and the guys on the roster understood what it meant to be a Redskin.

From Clinton Portis to Stephon Heyer, everyone on the roster pulled for one another. Players were coming to the Redskins for all the right reasons. Sure everybody likes to get paid but everyone loved the direction. The Skins were moving forward as a team and Joe Gibbs was leading the way. He was the reason. Dan Snyder's image wasn't taking as many hits and that was because if anything went wrong, coach took all the blame. All Dan had to do was get Gibbs what he wanted and he could do that without a problem. Joe Gibbs was a security blanket for the whole Redskin family. He always took and handled all the blame but gave the praise and promise to the players. It's hard to find men like that in any business.

Joe Gibbs left to spend time with his family. There are no questions or doubts about that. Gibbs loves football and Nascar but he has always been a family man and that's part of the reason all of his ventures have been successful. Going to work with the coach was like working with your dad. You never wanted to let him down and he's trying hard to make sure he does the same for you. I guess we can talk about the future tomorrow and the rest of the playoffs but for today, let's remember what coach is, a Redskin and a family man. Awesome combination.  ¶ 11:44 AM 2 Comments

  Who are they? The Seattle Seahawks seem to be a mystery, even to those that cover them on a regular basis. I will try and give you a quick season recap. They were a team that relied solely on their high powered offense. A couple of years ago, when they beat the Redskins and went to the Superbowl, Shaun Alexander was the NFL MVP and Matt Hasslebeck was the ultimate field general. That has changed.

At the beginning of the season , the Seahawks had trouble with their ground game. Alexander got injured and to tell you the truth, he has never been the same since he signed that big contract. Head coach Mike Holmgren, has kept them in the game. He tapped Maurice Morris to take over the running duties and they started putting the onus on the defense. That worked. The Seahawks won 6 out of 8, down the stretch and that's where we stand.

When you watch the game tomorrow pay attention to their defense. They will try and dictate the game and get to Todd Collins with Patrick Kerney. He led the NFC with 14.5 half sacks. On the field, the teams are not equal. Many feel including myself, that the Redskins have a slight edge but here's where the difference can happen. The Seahawks are fabulous at home. Since 2005, they are 23 and 4 in that stadium. So playing at home for them has always been an advantage. Plus Mike Holmgren is a very good coach. He's won a Superbowl and been to the big game 3 times has the head man. Mike Holmgren could be a big difference.  ¶ 3:45 PM 1 Comments

  They have "IT" Joe Gibbs has talked about it and if you've been around this team lately, you have felt it. The Redskins are playing with the "IT" factor. It's hard to describe but "IT", is all around the team. Guys are finding themselves in the right place at the right time. The coaches are making the right calls, for every situation. Joe Gibbs has even scaled back practice because he said he trusts his team will be ready on Sunday.

The Redskins have "IT" and maybe they are ready to show "IT" in the playoffs. Shawn Springs said he never saw a team come together like this. London Fletcher has preached, stay humble but play hungry. This defense has swarmed all over the ball in the last couple of weeks but when you ask them what flipped the switch, they all say, all of a sudden everything is falling their way. As Marcus Washington said the other day, "IT" just started to happen and now we are playing inspired ball.

The offense can point the "IT" finger to Todd Collins. The NFC offensive player of the month, doesn't like the accolades. He would rather go along for the ride. Whatever it takes. The Redskins truly do have "IT" and they are sharing it with Redskin nation. Whatever "IT" is, let hope "IT" continues.  ¶ 2:33 PM 1 Comments