Because I was up early and caffeinated:
1. Shaun Suisham was having a good year, but the most meaningless stat I’ve heard is the one that says he’s the most accurate kicker in Redskins history. Yes, it’s true. But all kickers nowadays are more accurate. So you have to compare guys by their contemporaries. After Sunday, Suisham was 10th in the NFL in percentage (86 percent) for kickers who have made at least 15 kicks this season. It helps that 15 of his 21 attempts were from 40 yards or less and only one was for 50 yards or more. And his percentage of 72.2 in 2008 ranked him almost near the bottom of the league. Even when he made 82.6 percent in 2007 he was middle of the pack at best. That season, 17 kickers had higher percentages. And, for his career on kicks longer than 40 yards, he’s 30-45 (including 3-9 from beyond 50). This year, he was perfect on all five kicks beyond 40. Listen, I really like Suisham — a good kid — and was mildly surprised that he was cut. It had a knee-jerk feel to it — so unlike this team, right? — and had he been cut before this season I wouldn’t have been surprised. I know the three misses were brutal, but those 18 makes kept them in other games when nothing else was working. It was very tough to talk to him after Sunday’s loss; hard not to be affected by his reaction, especially if you were standing right in front of him. But let’s put a little context into the numbers.
2. I’m anxious to see more of Quinton Ganther at running back. Rock Cartwright provides the heartbeat for the Redskins and still deserves to play; he can be effective. Marcus Mason is not the answer. But Ganther is intriguing. I love the way he cuts at the line; he’s very economical in those cuts and always seems to be moving forward as he does so. I’ll bet he’s made defenders miss on half his runs. That’s a guess, but it’s probably not far off.
3. H.B. Blades will be the next generation’s Cartwright. He might never be a full-time starter, but he will be a valuable member for the next five or six years because of his ability to play from scrimmage and be a special teams standout. He played more vs. New Orleans because the Redskins did not want Brian Orakpo covering Jeremy Shockey. Blades wasn’t always on Shockey, but was in man coverage a few times on the other tight end, David Thomas. Blades is not as fast as London Fletcher, but he has the same knack for being in the right spot to make plays.
4. Last season, I would have bet that Devin Thomas was going to be the next Michael Westbrook. More so in terms of how he dealt with the press and the prickly relationship it became. Even when things were going well with Westbrook, you had to tread lightly with him. Thomas seemed to have some of that in him last year. But that’s not what we’ve seen this year. Even while facing tough questions this summer and earlier this season, Thomas has been cordial and easy to deal with. That won’t make him an All-Pro, but it does show his growth. Apparently, his dad is easy going and pleasant as well. But Thomas’ confidence also is growing and that helps.
5. Clinton Portis can still play, but can he ever return to a high level? In terms of running backs, he’s an old 28 because of the pounding he’s taken since coming to Washington. Portis knows one way to play and the violence he plays with has taken a toll on his body. At his best he was fun to watch because of that style. But it doesn’t help that he has only been mildly serious about his offseason training habits. His future really depends on this offseason, who is coaching and what happens with the Collective Bargaining Agreement. A ridiculous contract will make him tough to unload if the CBA is extended (and he still wants to play). The Redskins need more explosion from their offense. If the receivers grow up, that would help. If the tight ends block better, that would help too (opens up outside lanes for longer runs). But can Portis still provide that? He hasn’t done so the past few years, outside of two runs this season. Does anyone expect that to change? Will he put in the offseason work to make sure his body can take more pounding?
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