Riggo's Rag » Patriots

Albert Haynesworth released from Bucs

Joey Billhimer — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:55:53 +0000

Sept. 2, 2010; Glendale, AZ, USA; Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

Just one season after his glorious run with the Washington Redskins(total sarcasm), Albert Haynesworth has been released by the Tampa Bay Bucs.

In November, the Patriots placed Haynesworth on waivers, just months after sending late-round picks to Washington for the disgruntled nose tackle. He was picked up by Tampa Bay where he started 6 games.

With all that being said, good ole’ fat Albert will so0n be on the search for a new team. That new club, if there is one, will be his 4th team in the last 7 months. Once the most dominant defensive tackle in the game, Haynesworth is now at home, probably failing his own wife’s conditioning tests.

Redskins: How to beat the champ

Dawn Holton — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:05:55 +0000

Dec 18, 2011; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) is sacked by Washington Redskins nose tackle Barry Cofield (96) and outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan (91) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Washington Redskins defeat the New York Giants 23-10. Mandatory Credit: Jim O

Since this game has been over, I’ve bounced between three different ideas/explanations of how the Redskins beat the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants twice, but could not beat the NFC best record 49ers (who the Giants beat in the conference championship) or the New England Patriots (AFC champs). The New England game was close… but no cigar. The Niners game wasn’t even a contest.

One thought I had was that maybe it was just the sheer will and drive of the players in the game. Could the Pats and Niners just have wanted it more than the Skins in those matchups? It’s possible. The Pats game came down to the final quarter and mistakes separated the Skins from them. Against San Fran, The defense played well, but the offense just couldn’t seem to get the ball rolling. There were tons of mistakes in that game. Then against the G-men, the momentum ball started rolling early and they never let up. The “Any Given Sunday” factor still seems like a viable option. (more…)

Fletcher vs. Brady: Was it a clean hit?

Joey Billhimer — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 01:59:35 +0000

In close games, tempers usually flare between opposing forces. On Sunday, the Redskins and Patriots were in a back forth battle from the start, trading blows on each drive. Of course in the game of football, there will be some questionable calls, and referees will make mistakes. But on Sunday there was no excuses when the officiating team flagged, conferenced, then upheld a bogus penalty against London Fletcher.

Known as one of the nicest guys in the league, Redskins linebacker London Fletcher was flagged for an unnecessary hit on QB Tom Brady. When the replays were shown, it was clear that Fletcher’s forearm hit the chest of a slow sliding Brady. The Redskins star linebacker then went on a rampage, getting in the face of the officiating crew, a rare antic by Fletcher. That play moved the Patriots farther into Redskins territory and was capped by a touchdown that ended up being crucial in the loss. After the game, coach Mike Shanahan was asked about the play, and called it a “horrible” penalty. You could also hear the loud boos from the FedEx field fans as replays poured over the stadium. After the flag went flying, a play by play announcer for the game said “He (Fletcher) better calm down or he’ll be heading for the showers early.” The only possible explanation for a fine on Fletcher, which is not expected, would be verbal abuse on an official.

Officials may not notice, but plays like these cost teams games, and sometimes playoff hopes. And it turns out Fletcher wasn’t the only one who disagreed. as Tom Brady was quoted saying it was a clean hit. It seems as if the entire world even disagreed with the call, because Twitter does not lie. So what do you think? Was it clean? Was it on the line? Or, are these officials just ruining the game?