Robert Griffin III led the Washington Redskins on their first victory at FedEx Field, 38-26 over the Minnesota Vikings, to end an eight-game home losing streak.

RGIII was questionably well enough to play the Vikings, after suffering a concussion last week against the undefeated Atlanta Falcons. RGIII showed no signs of having suffered the concussion with his efficient performance through the air and on the ground. He completed 17 of 22 passes for 182 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His lone touchdown pass came in the second quarter to fullback Darrel Young, for his first touchdown of the season.

Wideout Santana Moss led the Redskins with four receptions for 46 yards. In addition, tight-end Fred Davis caught three passes for 46 yards.

The Redskins’ running game was led by RGIII carrying the ball 13 times for 138 yards, and with two touchdowns. His electrifying 76-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter put the finishing touches on the Vikings and solidified the victory. RGIII is now atop the NFL, with six rushing touchdowns. Running back Alfred Morris had 47 yards on 16 carries for a touchdown.

This loss for the Vikings may solely be based on their offense’s inability to convert in the red-zone early. On the Vikings’ first three possessions, they had to settle for three field goals, all three less than 30 yards out.

Quarterback Christian Ponder completed 32 of 52 passes for 352 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions and one fumble. This was Ponder’s second career game throwing over 350 yards, and first game this season exceeding 300 yards in the air. Ponder’s 52 pass attempts were also a career high for the two-year quarterback.

Percy Harvin led the Vikings’ receiving core with 11 receptions for 133 yards. Harvin’s 133 yards is a season high, and it is also Harvin’s second consecutive week with 100+ receiving yards.

Harvin has already surpassed last years’ two total 100+ receiving yards game with three, just six weeks in. Tight-end Kyle Rudolph and wideout Michael Jenkins caught touchdown passes.

Adrian Peterson continues to run hard for the Vikings, compiling 79 yards on 17 carries. Peterson also caught seven passes for 50 yards. He had compiled 100 total yards in four consecutive games.

The 4-2 Vikings are in second place in the NFC North Division, behind the Chicago Bears, who had their bye week. The Vikings will be back in action Sunday, October 21 against the Arizona Cardinals. As for the Washington Redskins, they will be heading to MetLife Stadium to take on divisional rivals the New York Giants.

Image Courtesy of  Keith Allison

The article RGIII Excels Over Vikings appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

It may only be Week 3 of the preseason, but there is much at stake for the hyped rookie quarterbacks of the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins when they meet on Saturday in the nation’s capital.

This is the number two overall pick of the 2012 draft, former Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, trying to prove to Colts management that they made a dire mistake in selecting Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the initial pick instead of himself.

However, if there’s anyone out there who truly understands what it feels like to be good, but not good enough to finish in first place, it has to be Luck.  After all, he did have to disappointingly accept the title of Heisman Trophy runner-up to Griffin this past collegiate season.

Both first-year quarterbacks are certainly aware of the sky-high expectations that people around the league have bestowed upon them, dating back to before they were even drafted, and how their careers will inevitably be compared and forever linked as well. But, being as humble as they are, they attempted to downplay all of those storylines.

“You realize that’s the nature of the beast, the nature of playing quarterback, nature of being drafted 1-2 at any position in any sport,” said Luck. “[But] it’s not too hard. . . . There are much bigger things to worry about.”

Griffin was even more dismissive of the topic, adding, “He’s trying to lead his team. I’m trying to help lead my team.”

Being that these two will be competing not only in different divisions for a considerable amount of years – if they are as successful as many believe they will be – but different conferences on top of that, meetings between them will unfortunately come few and far between. Luck’s Colts compete in the AFC South, while Griffin’s Redskins are members of the NFC East.

Indianapolis will play the NFC North this season as part of it’s non-AFC schedule. Meanwhile, the Redskins will verse the AFC North when not squaring off against their fellow NFC opponents.

The Colts were able to attain Luck with the number one overall pick in this year’s draft after a dismal 2-14 campaign last year – after starting out 0-13 – as a direct result of the loss of their former quarterback. Peyton Manning, whose Colts career began back in 1998, and is a certainity for the Hall of Fame, could not play due to a serious neck injury that failed to recover properly after sustaining it the previous season. During his time in Indy, Manning was an 11 time Pro Bowler, 4 time MVP and one time Super Bowl champion.

The prevailing sentiment (that’s made its way throughout the NFL since Manning’s release from the Colts back on March 7) is that if there is anyone that could somehow realistically step in and be the next Peyton Manning, it’s Luck. Luck has been repeatedly touted as one of the most complete – if not the most complete – quarterbacking prospects of all times.

“I’ve been around guys who are extremely smart, worked extremely hard at it,” said Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, who worked with Manning for several years. “But [Luck] just gets it. It’s kind of scary.”

Griffin does not have anything close to that type of pressure on him, however. Yes, the Redskins have historically struggled mightily at the quarterback position, but following a 5-11 season they decided to trade this year’s first round pick, first round picks in 2013 and 2014, and a 2012 second round pick to the St. Louis Rams with the belief that Griffin could make them much more competitive for years to come. Washington has not made the postseason since 2007 when they posted their last winning record (9-7).

“RG3 is a different player. He’s probably not as far along with his comfort level as a pocket passer, but he has world-class speed and can create plays with his legs,” said former 17 year NFL quarterback Rich Gannon when asked to compare the skill sets of Luck and Griffin.

Saturday, 4 p.m., FedEx Field – one of the most anticipated preseason games of all time. Let the fun begin.

Image Courtesy of  Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins

The article Colts-Redskins Features First Matchup Between Luck, Griffin appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The story catching everyone’s attention from Sunday’s Patriots Redskins showdown wasn’t tight end Rob Gronkowski breaking the NFL record for most touchdown receptions by a tight end. It wasn’t how the Patriots barely escaped Washington with a victory, or how the defense managed to do just enough to win the game despite surrendering 463 yards.

It was how Tom Brady and offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien had a screaming match on the side line after Brady threw an interception. The Patriots were up by 7, and Brady tried to sneak one into Tiguan Underwood, but was picked off with just over 6 minutes to go in the game.

The Redskins got the ball and started marching down the field trying to send things to overtime as Brady and O’Brien were engaged in a screaming match. ”I threw a pretty bad interception, so he wasn’t happy about it,” said Brady, ”And there was probably a long line of coaches and players that were pretty (upset) at me after that, but Billy got to me first. He let me have it; I deserved it.”

Brady finished 22 of 37 for 357 yards three touchdowns and his first interception in over a month. He also passed Warren Moon for sixth on the all time touchdown list and crossed the 4000 yard mark for the fourth time in his illustrious career. Gronkowski had quite the day catching six passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns propelling him past Antonio Gates and Vernon Davis for most touchdowns by a tight end ever.

The Patriots hardly won an easy one, needing a penalty and a tipped pass to save the day. Santana Moss made a catch for the score, but it was negated by a pass interference call on Moss. On another play, Moss tipped a pass right into the hands of Jerod Mayo to seal the deal for the Patriots who have the worst defense in football.

Rex Grossman finished 19 of 32 for 252 yards with two touchdowns and the one interception. Roy Helu had another big day rushing for 126 yards on 27 carries. ”You kind of don’t want to give up those yards in the first place,” Patriots safety James Ihedigbo said. “But at the same time, we’re going to bow our necks once we get down there, and say, ‘Hey, they’re not getting in the end zone.’”

The Redskins had a great day despite missing both left and right tackles and tight end Fred Davis. The loss was bad, but the officiating really had the Redskins upset after the game. There was the flag on Moss late in the game, but another call where linebacker London Fletcher was flagged for hitting a sliding Brady with a forearm to the head. Replay showed that he clearly hit him in the chest. Coach Mike Shanahan said the call was “horrible.”

“We don’t get no calls around here, man,” Moss said. “You guys have been covering us for a long time. Y’all see what goes on out there. We blow our breath on one of the doggone guys over there and it’s a penalty. Our quarterback gets killed — and you just almost hit somebody that’s a quarterback and we get flagged. So a lot of stuff goes on. But I guess we’ve got to play against a team and the ref.”

New England continues their quest for the best seed in the AFC with a trip to Denver to face Tebow-mania and then back home to finish against the Dolphins and Bills. Washington, looking to finish the season strong heads to New York to try to play spoilers against the Giants, then home to play Minnesota and finish up their season at Philadelphia.

Image Courtesy of    https://www.facebook.com/newenglandpatriots

The article Patriots Win a Close One Over the Redskins 34-27 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Don’t let the score fool you; this game was closer than it appears on paper. For the second straight week, the New York Jets played three quarters of mediocre football and picked things up to win the game in the fourth quarter. Led by Shonn Greene’s three touchdowns, the Jets managed to win another close game to put them right into the thick of the AFC Wildcard race.

It took a big play from Aaron Maybin to spark the team when he sacked Rex Grossman, and forced a fumble that set up one of Greene’s two touchdowns. The other big play came on the series before when Mark Sanchez found Santonio Holmes for a 30-yard touchdown pass to put the Jets ahead for good with just under five minutes to play.

With the Jets needing to win out to make the playoffs, Sanchez again came up big when it mattered most. The win keeps the Jets in the hunt for the last wildcard spot as they got some help with Oakland and Cincinnati losing. ”It tells us we have to get better,” Rex Ryan said. “Sometimes, you don’t like it to come down to that.”

Getting better is an understatement, as the Jets only had 168 total yards after three quarters against the Redskins, a team that has lost seven of eight games. Sanchez only had 165 yards on 19 of 32 passing and one touchdown, but didn’t throw an interception for the first time in five games. For the second straight week, the offensive line didn’t allow a sack.

Greene contributed with 88 yards on 22 carries and saw much of the workload despite LaDainian Tomlinson returning after missing two weeks with a knee injury. ”It was rough the first half,” Greene said. “But we just kept together and kept plugging away.” Grossman ran 19 of 46 for 221 yards, and had one interception and afumble that halted any chance of Washington mounting a comeback.

The fumble was recovered by Calvin Pace, and Greene turned it into six with a nine-yard run out of the wildcat. ”That was just one of those situations where we knew as a defense it was crunch time,” said Maybin, “We’ve been in those situations.” The Jets were trailing 16-13 with just under eight minutes to go, but a hit-or-miss kickoff was returned to midfield.That’s when Sanchez scrambled to avoid the sack, and completed a pass on third and four to Greene for 10 yards. Two plays later, he found Holmes wide open for the long score.

A bright spot for the Redskins, Fred Davis, who has been having a great season, had six catches for 99 yards. After the game, news broke that both he and left tackle, Trent Williams, are going to be suspended for the rest of the season for breaking the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

Rookie running back Roy Helu also had a good game rushing for 100 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. His score came at the beginning of the game to put Washington up 7-0. The Jets came right back with a 17 play, 74-yard drive to score the tying score. With this second late surge in a row, Ryan thinks the Jets are on their way to their third straight playoff appearance.

“We know where we think we’re going,” he said. “More confident than 100 percent? I don’t know about that.”

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/Jets

The article Two Late Touchdowns Help the Jets Beat the Redskins 34-19 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Jets are mathematically still in the thick of the AFC wild card race, but if they don’t improve their play it’s not going to matter what the numbers say. Coming off a victory over the Bills in a must-win game, the Jets look to keep things rolling when they travel to FedEx to face the Washington Redskins on Sunday.

New York narrowly avoided a loss and possibly the end of their season when Mark Sanchez found Santonio Holmes for the game winning touchdown with just over a minute left last week against the Buffalo Bills. While they got the win it was hardly a pretty game as Sanchez struggled, despite throwing for a career high four touchdowns, and the defense had trouble stopping a Bills offense which was without its best player in running back Fred Jackson.

Their play wasn’t a good sign for a team likely forced to win at least four of their last five games, if not all, to have a shot at the final playoff spot in the AFC. For the Jets to have success down the stretch, they’ll have to rely on Sanchez to improve his play and lead the team. He completed 48.6 percent of his passes for only 180 yards last week.

The once feared defense allowed the Bills to drive 90 yards down the field for the score earlier in the game, and almost let Ryan Fitzpatrick lead the Bills down the field in less than a minute for the game winning score. Had Stevie Johnson made a wide-open catch on a play during that drive, the Bills probably would’ve scored and won the game.

“We have to keep improving, there’s no question,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “We’re not going to win and we’re not going to reach our goal if we don’t get better. But we definitely plan on getting better.”

“It is funny how if we make a mistake, we’re horrible and it’s, `Oh, they’re terrible,” Ryan said. “That could be bad luck there, too. But if we make a play, it’s, `Oh, we’re just lucky.’ So, maybe it’s the green (team colors). I don’t know. I hope karma is with us. I hope we continue to be lucky, and we’ll take that.

“The old saying, `I’d rather be lucky than good.’ I’d rather be both, and I think we are.” The Jets are hoping for luck, and that they gained momentum heading into the game Sunday because their track record against the ‘Skins isn’t good. The Jets are 1-8 all time versus Washington.

Washington also hopes to keep some momentum going, coming off a close win over Seattle to snap a six game losing streak. The Redskins came back from 10 down in the fourth to score 16 unanswered points. ”That’s what you’re in this game to do, is to win,” Washington coach Mike Shanahan said. “But at the same time, when you’re around a football team that’s giving you everything they’ve got, you feel good.

“That’s why I feel good about the character of this football team, and it was nice to find a way to win because they deserved to win. Our players have been working extremely hard, and hopefully we can keep it going.”

Rex Grossman is coming off of one of his best performances of the season completing over 73 percent of his passes and racking up 314 yards. To add to that, rookie running back Roy Helu earned himself the start this week rushing for 108 yards and a touchdown last week. He also caught seven passes for 54 yards as well.

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/Jets

The article Game Preview: Jets at Redskins as Jets Hope For a Win appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Rex Grossman and the Washington Redskins were able to come back from being down three points against the Seattle Seahawks going into the final quarter, winning the game 23-17 on Sunday.

The Redskins were able to move downfield thanks to the help from Grossman, who threw for 314 yards on 26 completed passes for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Receivers Fred Davis and Anthony Armstrong were his two targets for the touchdowns, both making five receptions all together for a total of 108 yards.

Seattle quarterback Tarvaris Jackson helped offensively, throwing for 144 yards on 14 completed passes for two touchdowns and one interception. Receivers Marshawn Lynch and Golden Tate were caught the only two touchdown passes for the Seahawks, altogether collecting two receptions for a total of 35 yards.

Running back Roy Helu played well for the Redskins, rushing for 108 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries. The same can also be said for Seattle’s Lynch, who ran for 111 yards on 24 carries. The Redskins were the first to take the lead halfway through the first quarter, when Davis caught a two-yard pass from Grossman after a time of possession that lasted 14 plays and almost eight minutes.

Seattle was able to tie the game up four minutes into the second quarter when Lynch caught a 20-yard pass from Jackson, making the score 7-7 after the first half. The only time points were scored in the third quarter was when Seattle took the lead after a 36-yard field goal kick from Steven Hauschka.

In the last quarter, both teams stepped up their game. Seattle widened their lead to 7-17 almost three minutes into the quarter with a 15-yard pass from Jackson to Tate after 12 plays that moved the ball 88 yards downfield. The Redskins responded three minutes later with Helu rushing for a 28-yard touchdown, leaving Washington down by three points.

Washington was able to score on their next drive thanks to a 50-yard touchdown pass from Grossman to Armstrong, giving the Redskins the lead with six minutes left to play. Seattle was unable to recover and make any successful attempts to score after a 25-yard field goal from the Redskins’ Graham Gano, which wrapped up the game with Washington winning 23-17.

The Washington Redskins (4-7) head home to face the New York Jets on Sunday, while the Seattle Seahawks (4-7) get to face the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday.

Image Courtesy of  https://www.facebook.com/Seahawks

The article Redskins Surprise with a Comeback Victory Against Seattle appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

A 39-yard field goal off the boot of Dan Bailey helped secure the victory in overtime for the Dallas Cowboys, beating the Washington Redskins 27-24 on Sunday.

Tony Romo was another key factor to the comeback victory, throwing for 292 yards on 23 completed passes for three touchdowns. Recievers Jason Witten, Dez Bryant, and Laurent Robinson caught one touchdown pass apiece, making 10 receptions altogether for a grand total of 187 yards.

Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman also played very well throughout the game, throwing for 289 yards on 25 completed passes for two touchdowns and one interception. Receiver Jabar Gaffney was his main target, collecting 115 yards on seven receptions for one touchdown. Donte Stallworth also caught a touchdown pass, along with 51 yards on four receptions.

Running back Demarco Murray helped the Cowboys move the ball down the field, collecting 73 yards on 25 rushing attempts. Redskins’ running back Roy Helu only had eight rushing attempts, averaging four yards per carry.

After a slow start for both teams, the Cowboys were first to take the lead with a 22-yard pass from Romo to Bryant halfway through the first quarter. Bailey gave the Cowboys a 10-point lead with 10 minutes left in the second quarter after kicking a 37-yard field goal.

The Redskins got their first points of the night thanks to a four-yard rushing touchdown by Grossman with four minutes to go before halftime. Grossman then was able to hit Gaffney with a 16-yard touchdown pass in the final minute of the quarter, making the score 10-14 going into halftime.

The only action in the third quarter happened in the first five minutes, when Graham Gano kicked a 40-yard field goal to give the Redskins an eight-point lead going into the final quarter.

Romo shined in the fourth quarter, making a 7-yard touchdown pass to Robinson on the first drive of the quarter, then throwing a huge 59-yard pass to Witten later on to take the lead at 24-17. However, the Redskins were able to get a touchdown in the final minute of the fourth quarter, a 4-yard pass from Grossman to Stallworth, to tie the game up and bring them into overtime.

Both teams battled strong in extra time, but the Cowboys were able to defend a lead given by a 39-yard field goal from Bailey until the final whistle blew with the Cowboys winning 27-24.

The Dallas Cowboys (6-4) travel back home to face the Miami Dolphins on Thursday, while the Redskins (3-7) travel to Washington to face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/DallasCowboys

The article Cowboys Come From Behind to Beat the Redskins in Overtime appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

What is something that the Miami Dolphins have that John Beck doesn’t? A victory. Beck is still looking for that ever elusive first win as a starter as the Redskins travel to Miami looking to avoid losing five straight.

Beck, who was a second round pick of the Dolphins back in 2007, played in five games with four starts and failed to record a win. He was released after the 2008 season and hasn’t gotten a chance to start until last month when coach Mike Shanahan benched Rex Grossman during a game against Philadelphia. He’s now 0-3 as a starter after throwing for 254 yards, a touchdown, and an interception last week against the 49ers.

“When you’re the quarterback and the team hasn’t been winning games, you want to step up to the plate,” Beck told the Redskins’ official website. “You want to win games. I think in the league, week-in and week-out you see it — the desire to win, the feel for the need to win a game. It’s always there.

“There’s always pressure every week regardless of who you’re playing or the situation you’re in. Even when you’re winning all your games or you’re not — there’s always pressure to win.” During this four game losing streak the Redskins have been outscored 95-44, which includes a 23-0 shutout against the Bills in Toronto.

“If we come out and get some points on the board early, maybe the game would be different,” receiver Jabar Gaffney said. “But these last four games, we’ve fallen behind in all of them and, it’s like, as soon as the other team scores, it’s not the same feeling on the sideline. People aren’t looking the same, aren’t playing the same.”

The Redskins will likely look to rookie running back Roy Helu again this Sunday with Tim Hightower lost for the season with a torn ACL and backup Ryan Torian struggling. He got his first start last weekend rushing for 41 yards on 10 carries, but sparked the team by setting a franchise record with 14 receptions for 105 yards.

“Helu has the speed to make some big plays,” Shanahan said. “I think you can see he is a pretty good all-around back. He made some plays. I think he’d like to have that fumble back.” Miami is coming off their first win of the season after taking out seven games worth of anger on the Kansas City Chiefs winning 31-3. Matt Moore threw for 244 yards and three touchdowns.

“It was absolutely great to get a little reward for all the work we’ve put in, just to have that feeling of getting a win under your belt,” Moore said. “I think guys now understand that, ‘Yeah we can do this,’ and they’re hungry and we’re going to enjoy this one and get ready for Washington.”

The Dolphins look to turn their luck around at home. They’ve lost seven straight at Sun Life Stadium. The defense should get a boost, as corner back Vontae Davis is expected to play after being held out of last weeks’ game after showing up late to practice. Reggie Bush who had another solid game last week rushing for 92 yards on 13 carries and a score will look to continue that against the 21^st ranked rush defense. Washington is giving up 122.6 yards per game.

John Beck will try to one up his old team as he takes on one of the worst passing defenses in football. Miami is ranked 27^th giving up 265.3 yards per game. He will have to look to tight end Fred Davis with wide receiver Santana Moss being out for the season.

With Miami coming off their first victory, they are riding some momentum. John Beck won’t get his first win against his former team as Miami should get their first win at home this season and make it two in a row. Final Prediction: Washington 10 Miami 21

Image Courtesy of   http://www.facebook.com/redskins

The article Game Preview: Redskins at Dolphins As Miami Goes For Number Two appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Thanks to the help of David Akers and Alex Smith, the San Francisco 49ers were able to beat the Washington Redskins 19-11 on Sunday. Neither team was able to score in the first quarter; however, the 49ers were able to get on the scoreboard with two field goal kicks off the boot of Akers. One of the field goals was kicked 52 yards.

With a minute left in the second quarter, Smith threw a 30-yard pass to Bruce Miller to give the 49ers a 13-0 lead. The Redskins were able to get on the scoreboard before the end of the half with a 59-yard field goal kick from Graham Gano. Akers was able to put another 45-yard field goal through the uprights in the third quarter, increasing the lead to 16-3.

Akers struck for the last time halfway through the fourth quarter with a 20-yard field goal, bringing his total contribution in the game to 13 points. The Redskins had the last say in the game, with a 9-yard pass from John Beck to Jabar Gaffney. Beck was also able to get the two-point conversion with a pass to Leonard Hankerson, leaving the Redskins eight points shy of bringing the game into overtime.

According to Fox Sports, the 49ers have their longest winning streak since 1997 and are 4-0 on the road for the first time since 1992. ”We have to do something to keep that confidence up,” Gaffney said in an interview with Fox Sports. ”And stop playing like we’re seeing ghosts out there.” The Redskins have lost their last four games.

The San Francisco 49ers (7-1) head back home to face the New York Giants next Sunday, while the Washington Redskins (3-5) travel to Florida to face the Miami Dolphins.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.facebook.com/SANFRANCISCO49ERS

The article Redskins Lose Fourth Straight Games to 49ers appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.