The St. Louis Rams versus the Washington Redskins

Offensive Tackle Chris Samuels and Defensive Tackle Anthony Montgomery were both limited in practice this week and both were dealing with knee problems. The Washington Redskins have said they have to manage Samuels’s knee throughout the season, because Chris had knee surgery in the offseason and experienced some minor knee problems in the preseason. Coach Jim Zorn said Anthony Montgomery “has a little roughness on his knee”, and is limited in practice because of patellar tendinitis.

REDSKINS

Anthony Montgomery (DT)                    Knee                     Questionable

Montgomery was limited in practice Wednesday, and sat out practice on Friday due to patella tendonitis in his right knee. Montgomery was not on the active roster in week one plans on testing his knee in a pregame workout for coaches. He said “It’ll probably come down to that I don’t think it’s anything serious, but you don’t want to take a chance on doing something early that could make it into a problem.”

 Fred Smoot (CB)                                         Hip                              Questionable

Smoot was listed as probable Friday on the injury report, late this afternoon he was downgraded to questionable for Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Rams

Quarterback Colt Brennan underwent successful surgery this week in Colorado to repair a torn left labrum in his hip and is likely will be in attendance at Sunday’s home opener against the Rams. Head Coach Jim Zorn said Brennan (who hurt his hip in the preseason opener at Baltimore and dealt with strained hamstrings during most of the preseason, then placed on injured reserve the day before final cuts) will need at least three months of recovery time. WR Roydell Williams is also on the injured reserve list but his repaired broken left pinkie wasn’t a season ending injury, so he may be released with an injury settlement.

RAMS

John Greco (G)                                Wrist                                  Out

Greco is suffering from a wrist fracture and will require surgery which is expected to keep him on the sideline for 2-3 weeks. He is listed as out indefinetly.

Craig Dahl (S)                                   Hamstring                         Doubtful

Dahl missed last game against the Seahawks due to a strained hamstring and is doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Redskins.

 The St. Louis Rams have placed Brooks Foster (WR) Ankle, Adam Carriker (DL) Shoulder, and Eric Moore (DE) Hand on injured reserve and they are OUT for the season.

For now, let’s get started with LaRon Landry, Jason Campbell, two signings and James Thrash:

Landry Lands in Ashburn

The much over-hyped absence of LaRon Landry for voluntary OTAs has come to an end. While some fans were up in arms regarding his – or historically, any player’s – absence, Chris Cooley, via the John Thompson Show and transcribed by Dan Steinberg at the sportsbog, thought the whole thing was overblown:

“Well, I think it means different things to different players,” [Cooley] said. “And I know that sounds funny. But if I don’t show up obviously it’s gonna be in the media and it’s gonna be discussed, but I’m not getting released from the team and I’m probably not putting my position in jeopardy at all. Obviously for the young guys and anyone drafted and anyone coming up trying to earn a spot, it’s not voluntary. This is one of your only chances to show coaches what you can do, show coaches that you’re a dependable person, and so young guys get a lot out of this work.

“A lot’s been made out of LaRon Landry missing, and I don’t think that’s as big a deal [among] our players and in our locker room as it’s been made in the media. We all know LaRon’s in great shape, and we know two days into training camp that he’ll come back and no one will remember that he missed. So I think a lot of the voluntary word depend on what your role actually is on the team.”

As Matt Terl reported on the official Washington Redskins blog, Landry promptly returned a ball intercepted by DeAngelo Hall and then lateralled to him for a touchdown, leading some to speculate how much better he could have been if he would have been here the whole time [/sarcasm].

Skins Sign Two Picks

According to Ryan O’Halloran of the Redskins 360 blog at WashingtonTimes.com, the Washington Redskins announced yesterday that they signed fifth round pick Cody Glenn and seventh round selection Eddie Williams.

Glenn, the running back turned linebacker out of Nebraska will be looking to compete for a spot in the linebacking corps, while tight end/h-back Eddie Williams will probably try to make his name as Mike Sellers back-up at full back.

Zorn on Campbell

While many Redskins fans continue to speculate on the future of Jason Campbell and postulate that Colt Brennan, Todd Collins or anyone else would be better under center, Jim Zorn likes what he has seen this far from his primary signal caller.

Via Gary Fitzgerald at redskins.com:

Standing amid a media throng outside Redskins Park, Jim Zorn was discussing how Jason Campbell has improved since last year.

“His release is quicker,” Zorn said. “You guys see that at all? I see it.”

There was a hint of excitement in his voice.

It was perhaps an example of how much Zorn, Campbell and the Redskins have accomplished since the end of the 2008 season.

So, while some of us are pining for anyone but Campbell, Jason and Zorn have been quietly working to actually improve upon his performance from a year ago. What a novel concept.

Thrash Released

From JLC’s Washington Post Redskins Insider blog, The Redskins have released James Thrash. The long-time special team ace and receiver had been contemplating retirement due to a severe neck injury, so this should make his decision easier.

Thrash, the Redskins third receiver the last two years, was looking at an uphill battle this coming season, with the purported improvement of second year pass catchers Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly, and this year’s seventh round pick Marko Mitchell and Keith Eloi, who have both impressed.

As a James Thrash fan, I hope that he decides to retire and perhaps joins the team in a coaching capacity.

- The Redskins starting quarterback Jason Campbell finished the preseason with 23-of-39 completions for 202 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His backup Todd Collins finished with 33-of-47 completions for 260 yards one TD and a pick. The sixth round pick who’s name escapes me right now finished the preseason with 36-of-53 completions for 411 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.  Shouldn’t these names or numbers be flip-flopped?

- The first-team offense played three series in the first quarter of the final game, running seven plays in all, picking up fourteen yards. Second year back Marcus Mason had 11 of those yards on three carries as he went on to finish the preseason as the team’s rushing leader with 317 yards on 66 carries. Across the board when you look at the team leaders as far as offensive statistics go during the 2008 preseason, you won’t find the name of a single starter from the 2007 roster. After drafting two wide receivers in the second round this past April, you would think one of them would have made an impact with Randle El skipping two games and Moss taking one off. In the end Billy McMullen and  Maurice Mann are the top two receivers as the team prepares to take on the New York Giants. Mason, McMullen and Mann were all placed on waivers today as the team got down to 53 players on the active Roster

Here are some Defensive numbers to look at:

- 66 points in five preseason games, is the output of the Washington Redskins newly installed West Coast offense, and was not very good when you consider 20 other teams scored more points in only four games. Should that be something to worry about or should we worry about a defense that has carried this team for most of the past four years has yielded on average more points per game than all but three teams this preseason. Then again the same defense has as many or more sacks than every team other team this preseason but the Dolphins.

The Washington Redskins ended the 2008 preseason looking like training camp was just getting started. They also finished with a winning record (3-2) but you wouldn’t know it looking at the numbers.

Check out the Hog Wire on Wednesday to get all of the weekly notes and quotables.

So, with gloom and doom lurking around the Redskins as of late, I thought I would brighten your day with a few positive notes:

- I don’t know what they’re putting the Gatorade, but the defense this preseason has been tenacious (apologies to Jack Black), more so this year than in past years, it seems.  They have been hustling, hitting, and always seem to have three or four guys around the ball.  I’m hoping that aggressiveness continues once the games mean something.

- Albus Fincher played like a madman last night.  You have to believe that if the Jags sent his mom off-tackle, he would have leveled her, and the spit on her under the pile.  The guy was jacked up.  Yes, I know that his first name is ‘Alfred’, but Albus sounds so much more like a character from Harry Potter, and is more fun to say.  Personally, I’m rooting for this guy to grab a roster spot.

- Marcus Mason has, this year, really impressed.  It’d be tough to let this guy go, especially if Portis or Betts go down sometime during the year.

- I know he was a draft pick and all, but Justin Tryon was getting beaten like a red-headed step child (apologies to Ethan Albright and any step-children he may have).  I have a hard time seeing this guy making the team.  ‘Hold on’ you say, ‘that’s not a positive’.  Ah, but it is.  You see, Tryon getting cut leaves a roster spot for me to make the team at the last moment as the starting weakside linebacker.  Woo hoo!

- Back to the defense – can anyone run on us?  Wow, over the course of the preseason, and last night especially, the run defense has been stellar.  It appears as if Greg Blache is challenging teams to throw on us.  Unfortunately, it looks like that will probably work out rather well for our opponents.

- The cheerleaders are looking GOOD.  Always a positive.

- For all you Jason Campbell-dislikers out there, I thought he played okay.  I thought he hit his spots fairly well, and was plagued by a couple of drops, plus a lack of involvement by Moss and Randle El.  Personally, I’m not worried (…yet).

- Dan Snyder is now drinking out of plastic red cups, which can mean one of three things: one, he’s saving his money to sign a big-name free agent sometime soon and needs all the pennies he can get from not using actual glass beverage holders, two, he’s already poor after picking up Jason Taylor, and is just trying to balance the checkbook, or three, after a couple of not-so-encouraging performances by the Redskins, he’s taken to drinking Yager straight-up, and doesn’t want the media to know.

- Next year’s training camp will include a mandatory rookie ‘Get Drunk and Oversleep’ night, because Fred Davis is outplaying Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly in a big way.  Whatever it is that the coaching staff saw in these guys before the draft, I haven’t seen it yet, and I’m standing here with my arms crossed impatiently tapping my foot.

- Colt Brennan is looking like a third year quarterback.  He moves well in the pocket, throws with authority, and even checks down every once in awhile.  Granted he has his moments, but I’m excited about the future of the position.

 Lastly, and I know this has nothing to do with anything, but Al and John, holy crap on the holding call on Collier.  Let it go, really.  First of all, it was good call.  Despite being away from the play side, the defender slid towards the ball carrier, and Collier had a nice big mittful of jersey outside the shoulder.  There it is.  Live with it.

Anyway, as we start this exciting 2008 season, I remind you to try to stay positive.  Worst case scenario, even if the Redskins stumble this year, at least we have the cheerleaders to look at.