Happy Birthday Cornelius Griffin

Hi I'm Cornelius

Please join me in wishing Redskins defensive tackle Cornelius, that is cor-nell-yus mind you, Griffin, a happy birthday, Cornelius turned 33 years old yesterday.

Cornelius is in his sixth season with the Redskins after four with the New York Giants to start his career, Cornelius was a second round draft pick out of the University of Alabama in 2000 and his arrival in Washington was coincident with the return of Joe Gibbs to the Redskins sideline.

No question Cornelius' best year was 2004 when he pulled down a career best 56 solo tackles, 70 overall, and had six sacks playing on a defensive line featuring Cornelius, Joe Salave'a, Renaldo Wynn and Demetric Evans. Cornelius had two two-sack games, both road wins and Washington's defense was ranked in the top ten as measured in rushing yards allowed, passing yards allowed and total yards allowed.

Cornelius is listed at six feet four inches and 303 pounds and is fit as hell, in all Cornelius has been a durable player, he has missed only nine of a possible 96 games, he has continued to anchor the middle of the defensive line as a space eater and the addition of defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth distributes some of the attention away from Cornelius, Washington has established a good tackle rotation along the line.

Happy birthday Cornelius!


Other Curly R Cornelius Griffin birthday wishes: 2008

Other Cornelius Griffin 33rd birthday wishes: Fatpickled



Cornelius Griffin meeting Charlie Batch: Peter Diana / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from here.

Your Call Is Important to Us

If you'd like to leave a message, please fuck off after the tone

Our inside man Danny Rouhier got a new job this week, as Redskins owner Dan Snyder's receptionist. It looks like a tough job unless you are dead on the inside. Or a comedian.



YouTube from here.

Happy Birthday Rock Cartwright

True Redskin

Please join me and the entire staff of The Curly R in wishing Roderick Rashaun also known as Rock Cartwright a happy birthday, Rock turns 30, the big three oh today.

Rock attended Conroe High School in his home town of Conroe Texas where he was a four sport letterman, in his senior season in 1997 Rock had over 2000 yards rushing and was named a Parade All-American. Rock attended Trinity Valley Community College in Texas for two seasons, helping carry the Cardinals to the Southwest Junior College Conference title his sophomore year in 1999.

Moving on to Kansas State for his final two years in 2000 and 2001, Rock was never higher than the third leading rusher for the Wildcats, playing mainly fullback and catching passes out of the backfield.

Rock was also a terrific special teams contributor, a factor in attracting Washington's attention in the 2002 draft, Washington used a seventh round pick to select Rock, and he appeared in all sixteen games that season on special teams, even returning ten kicks.

The following season, 2003 saw Rock's first serious action in the Redskins backfield. For most of the season Rock was way down the tailback depth chart, Trung Candidate having won the starting job in Steve Spurrier's second and final year as head coach. Top reserve Ladell Betts suffered a freak forearm fracture seven weeks into the season and missed four games before re injuring the arm and factoring out of the season.

When Trung suffered a foot sprain in game thirteen at the Giants, primary kick and punt returner Chad Morton filled in, complicating Chad's 2.3 yards per carry average was a case of the flu that week, and the door opened for Rock, just as they would six years later in the second half of a season all the guys ahead of him would go down and he would be there ready to step in, Rock started the final three games of the 2003 season, rushing for 178 of his 411 yards for the year.

In the 2004 offseason the Redskins pulled off their big trade with the Denver Broncos, bringing tailback Clinton Portis into town. Rock carried the ball all of two yards, had no catches and returned no kicks of any kind.

The following season, 2005, Rock began to see some spot duty in the backfield, though still solidly behind Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts as the Redskins won their final five games on the way to their first playoff berth in five seasons. That was also the season Rock changed his jersey number from 40 to 31 to honor his mother who had died unexpectedly that offseason.

It was in 2006 that the team finally figured out where Rock Cartwright could best help the team. With Clinton Portis ailing due to a shoulder separation suffered in the preseason, Ladell Betts was the team's primary back for the majority of the season, and Rock still saw almost no time on first, second or third down. No, 2006 was the season Rock emerged as a premier kickoff returner, fielding 64 kicks for over 1500 yards and a 24.1 yards per return, only two players returned more kicks than Rock in 2006, and only one had more kick return yards. Rock's greatest moment in 2006 without question was the one hundred yard kickoff return for a touchdown in game two against the Cowboys, it was the Redskins only touchdown of the game.

Two thousand seven continued the trend in Rock's utilization, virtually no appearances in the backfield and returning 52 kicks for over 1300 yards, Rock was again top ten in total kickoff returns and in yards. No change in 2008 which is to say no backfield action and another top ten season in both total kickoff returns and return yards.

This season, 2009, seemed to be on pace for the same treatment for Rock, no backfield action and lots of kickoff returns, though total number and yards are down so far as the defense has improved and held teams to fewer points and therefore fewer kickoffs, Washington may still be the number one passing defense in the league right now as measured by passing yards per game, the most important statistic though is scoring and the Washington defense currently rank tenth in the league, or in other words only nine teams have allowed fewer points so far this season than the Redskins.

Curly R aside: Wouldn't it be great if we had an offense that could score? With that defense?

Then Atlanta happened. Clinton Portis took two helmets to the head and went out with a concussion in game eight, in support of new primary back Ladell Betts Rock had seven carries. In game nine against the Broncos Rock had nine carries and Ladell appeared to cement his argument as feature back with 114 yards on 26 carries.

Then Dallas happened, on the road the next week against the Cowboys, Ladell tore an ACL and MCL, Rock stepped up and thirteen times in a 7-6 loss. With Ladell lost for the season Rock assumed the position for game eleven at the Eagles, carrying the ball fifteen times.

Rock is set to be a primary option in the backfield for the rest of the season, ready and waiting for the call, just like he was back in his second season of 2003. Rock has been a great player for Washington and spent his career doing whatever the team needed him to do. I hope he sticks around Washington for the rest of his career.

Happy birthday Rock!


Other Curly R Rock Cartwright birthday wishes: 2008

Other Rock Cartwright Happy 30th Birthday wishes: Fatpickled.



Rock Cartwright against the Broncos: Getty Images from here.

Portis Gets OK to Play, But Return Will Wait (until some point after he gets off injured reserve)

The Department of Bad News is not yet closed for the year

Cynical I know, it is still my opinion.

I predict we will be without the services of Clinton Portis for the rest of this miserable season.



Clinton Portis: AP Photo from here.

Department of Bad News: Chris Cooley

Done

The inevitable became evitable yesterday as the Redskins placed injured Pro Bowl tight end Chris Cooley on the season ending injured reserve list, his broken ankle did not heal as fast as had been hoped and Chris is now guaranteed to miss the team's final five games of the season. He joins the parade of what is now nine players on injured reserve so far in the 2009 season.

Chris injured his ankle in a crossing pattern in the second quarter of game seven, the home Monday Night Football loss against the Eagles on 26 October 2009, the instant reporting on the injury predicted Chris was lost for the season, after seeing a specialist talk got happy about Chris' return, the post surgery prediction was a month out, meaning that with the bye the following week Chris would have been back as soon as... this past Sunday, the game eleven loss to the Eagles in Philadelphia.

Recovery was not as quick or as easy as the delayed reporting back in October, a week ago on 24 November 2009 Chris even admitted that he was probably done for the season, openly questioning whether there was any purpose in the team insisting he come back in 2009.

Many Redskins fans were not buying that initial sunshine anyway, with the team tanking, the season lost and Chris still a vital part of this offense for the forseeable future, the decision was made to shut him down for the year.

Before the injury, Chris was Jason Campbell's favorite target, through six full games this season Jason had connected with Chris Cooley 23 times, compared to Santana Moss with 21 catches through six games and eighteen catches through six for Antwaan Randle El. Replacement tight end Fred Davis had seven catches in the first six games, and has had 20 in the following five.

These nine games are the first nine games Chris will have missed in his professional career. Get it well, get it back, see you in 2010.



Chris Cooley on the field after his ankle injury in October: AP Photo from here.

Department of Bad News: Jeremy Jarmon

Done

Sunday in game eleven at Philadelphia, second quarter on the Redskins kickoff following the Santana Moss four yard touchdown catch from quarterback Jason Campbell, rookie defensive end Jeremy Jarmon, in kickoff coverage, fell awkwardly and tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, he has been placed on injured reserve and will miss the final five games of the season.

As previously described in Ladell Betts' injury piece, the ACL's job, like all knee ligaments, is to connect bone to bone and stabilize the knee, the ACL's specific duty is to keep the the lower leg moving forward and backward in line and to prevent rotation of the upper leg relative to the lower leg.

Jeremy was the Redskins first ever pick in July's supplemental draft, giving up a 2010 third round pick to acquire him. Jeremy has had no starts though he has looked promising on the field, he is projected as a left defensive end, against a right handed quarterback generally the NFL position responsible for sealing the line against the running game to give the strongside linebacker and strong safety a read, this position is currently held down admirably by 36 year old Phillip Daniels.

Jeremy will undergo surgery and rehabilitation and should be ready to go for 2010 training camp, Jeremy joins quarterback Colt Brennan, right guard Randy Thomas, left tackle Chris Samuels, strong safety Chris Horton, tailback Ladell Betts, right guard Chad Rinehart, fullback Eddie Williams, and tight end Chris Cooley, that makes nine players out with five games to go.



Jeremy Jarmon after sacking Chris Simms: Getty Images from here.

This One Could Be a Bit of a Challenge

Um, yeah

Sunday the Redskins fell to the Philadelphia Eagles 27-24 after leading most of the game then giving up on defense three times when they needed a stand the most. This was not good obviously as a Redskins fan. Though in the context of the season, it was another close NFC Beast divisional game, which are more often than not tight games even as the Redskins have become the definition of inferior.

This week's opponent is the New Orleans Saints. Last night I watched Drew Brees and company dismantle the New England Patriots, such an ass whooping did New Orleans lay on New England that Mr. Icy Heart himself, Patriots coach Bill Belichick felt obligated to linger in shame with Saints coach Sean Payton rather than give the perfunctory fuck you handshake at midfield after the game, and was seen making small talk with Saints quarterback Drew Brees on the field afterward.

So mighty are these 11-0 Saints that the Patriots, also known as King Assholes of the World are humbled before them. And we are the next victim.

Redskins fans, if you are holding on to anything this week think of this:

The Redskins opened 11-0 in 1991 before losing their first game.

And you may ask, how often do undefeated streaks make it through twelve games? Is it even a big deal?

Most recently The Patriots did it in 2007, an undefeated 16-0 on the way to Super Bowl defeat.

The Colts did it in 2005, winning thirteen straight before losing two while resting players for the playoffs.

The Broncos did it in 1998, opening the season with thirteen straight wins on the way to Super Bowl victory. That was Terrell Davis' 2000 yard rushing season.

Of course the Dolphins did it in 1972, an undefeated 14-0 on the way to Super Bowl victory over the Redskins.

And the Bears did it in 1934, going undefeated at 13-0.

That's it. All the great seasons of all the great teams in the NFL and a 12-0 start to the season has happened all of five times.

This week there are two opportunities for it to happen again and one of them is against the Redskins.


Statistical by product of this post: Did you know the Cardinals have never ever won twelve or more games in a season? They have been around since 1924.



Drew Brees: Getty Images from here.