The Washington Redskins have reached an agreement with Gregg Williams that will keep him as the team’s assistant head coach for defense, and the 3-year contract extension is reportedly worth $8 million.
Read (Washington Post)
With all of the head coach openings in the NFL, I didn’t think it would be possible to keep Greg Williams. Kudos to Dan Snyder.
43-year-old New England Patriots backup quarterback Doug Flutie converted the NFL’s first successful drop kick since 1941.
I was kind of pleased to know that somebody can still drop kick,” Dolphins Coach Nick Saban said. “Man, when I was a kid we all practiced that. Thought it was a lost art.
“But,” he added, “you know Flutie showed his age on that one.”
Read (ESPN)
I practiced those drop kicks as a kid, too, but mine never made it through the uprights.
Peaking at the right time, the Redskins (9-6) won their fourth straight and will clinch at least a wild card berth if they win at Philadelphia in next week’s regular-season finale. They will win the NFC East with a win and a Giants loss at Oakland next week.
Read (AP via Yahoo)
This win was a very nice Christmas present. One more win next week and a playoff spot is guaranteed. ❗
Washington 35, Dallas 7.
It really wasn’t even that close Sunday in front of a record crowd of 90,588 at FedExField.
Read (The Dallas Morning News)
The only thing better than beating Dallas twice in 1 season would be winning the Super Bowl.
It’s possible, perhaps even likely, that a nine-win team will make the NFC playoffs. If the Redskins can get to that level it’s very likely that they would win the tiebreaker against any other nine-win NFC team and snag the final wild card slot.
Read (scout.com)
…but they need help. They also need the Cowboys, Falcons, and Vikings to each lose 2 of their last 4 games… Possible? Yes. Likely? Unfortunately, no.
The Redskins lost to Norv Turner’s Raiders, and that makes nine straight losses to AFC teams. [Mark Brunell](http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/2485 “Yahoo”) doesn’t look all that great anymore. He’s starting to look more like last year’s Brunell than this year’s preseason Brunell.
Looking at the rest of the schedule, I only see one game that Washington should win – the [Arizona](http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/ari “Yahoo”) game. It would appear that this season’s record will end up being another losing or mediocre 8-8 record, so why not go ahead and put [Jason Campbell](http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/7201 “Yahoo”) in and let him start learning? Campbell is the future not Brunell and apparently not [Patrick Ramsey](http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5918 “Yahoo”). Can the front office do something right this time and trade Ramsey while he still has some value?
I should be used to losing by now, but it still sucks. My wife said that she hates when I watch football, because I usually end up in a foul mood. After games like this one, yes, I’m in a foul mood for an hour or so.
Read (Yahoo)
Another Virginia Tech Letdown – So much for any national title hopes for VT.
[Miami 27 Virginia Tech 7](http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/gameTrax?gameId=200511050016)
Virginia Tech failed to show up and was outplayed on both sides of the ball. The defense was beaten, and the offense, especially Markus Vick, was horrible. The announcers kept saying at the start of the game that Marcus Vick couldn’t be rattled. Well, he was certainly rattled tonight – he looked like he was somewhere else. This game reminded me of 3 other games:
* The Redskins/Giants [blowout](http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/recap?gid=20051030019) on 10/30/2005.
* The 2003 Virginia Tech/West Virginia [game](http://www.hokiesports.com/football/recaps/10232003aaa.html) when Virginia Tech didn’t show up and lost 38-7.
* The 1999 Virginia Tech/Miami [game](http://www.techsideline.com/football/1999/games/miami.htm) In this game, the announcers kept saying that the players on the sideline said that Michael Vick was rattled, but Michael managed to regain his composure, and Virginia Tech won the game 43-10.
As in years past, it would appear that Virginia Tech did not deserve its poll ranking. Why does it seem that Virginia Tech is ranked too high nearly every year?
So, unless Miami loses another game AND Virginia Tech wins out, Virginia Tech will probably get the ACC’s 3rd bowl bid, which is the [Peach Bowl](http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/12989389.htm).
LaVar Arrington said he could have handled his benching better, that the coaches were right about his knee injury, and that his relationship with the Washington Redskins isn’t beyond repair. He even confessed he’s had to learn how to run all over again.
Read (AP via Fox Sports)
Welcome back LaVar. Let’s beat Philadelphia.
Michael Wilbon asks…
How do you not show up to play when first place is at stake, when the opponent is a division rival of nearly 75 years whose coaches and players figure to approach the day with supernatural emotion two days after burying a boss so beloved he was like a father to them all? How do you drop a stink bomb like the Redskins did Sunday when your offense is No. 2 in the entire NFL and their defense is next-to-last at No. 31?
Read (Washington Post)
Every time I think about the Redskins’ performance Sunday, I want to vomit. Horrible
Jerry Jones believes this is not the time to talk about moving the New Orleans Saints.
“We have to address the basic situation for the people of New Orleans and the conditions there,” the Dallas Cowboys’ owner said. “There’s no solution today that’s acceptable.”
Read (Nfl.com)
I never thought I’d agree with Jerry Jones, but I do this time.
Washington (4-3), a 52-17 winner over San Francisco a week earlier, managed just 34 yards in the first half and finished with 125. The Redskins didn’t cross midfield until the last minute of the third quarter.
Read (Yahoo)
The Redskins were horrible. They embarrased themselves and their fans. Absolutely horrible
The Redskins defense forced two turnovers in the first game of the year and none in the last four. There has only been one sack-and-strip of the opposing quarterback.
There must be a way for Joe Gibbs and Greg Williams to stick with 90 percent of what they’re doing and still get LaVar Arrington on the field to do what the other Redskins defensive players haven’t been able to do: snatch the ball.
Read (Washington Post)
On Wednesday, LaVar Arrington and coach Joe Gibbs held a long and animated conversation after practice, just out of earshot but in clear view of a full brigade of reporters. Both men frequently gestured with hands and arms, and Gibbs even put his right index finger into Arrington’s chest to make a point.
Read (NFL.com)
In the jubilation of three thrilling victories and a surprising first-place perch atop the NFC East, one nagging question persists for the Washington Redskins. What happened to LaVar Arrington?
Read (Richmond Times Dispatch)
It sounds like the Redskins are planning to show Arrington the door some time in the near future.
Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick apologized for making an obscene gesture to fans during Tech’s 31-17 win Saturday at West Virginia.
Read (ESPN)
Marcus, you need to keep it together.