Posted on September 23rd, 2018
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
LANDOVER – Washington’s offense showed little ambition and less aggression through the NFL’s first two weeks. It was a dink-dink here and a dunk-dunk there, with a check-down and short passes everywhere and everywhere.
Coach Jay Gruden and quarterback Alex Smith assured us that the unit is capable of more than intermediate strikes. They said the lack of downfield passing and the wideouts’ MIA-status was a function of the defenses, not Washington’s philosophical approach.
Trust us, they said. More is coming.
They didn’t waste time making good on their word.
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Posted on September 19th, 2018
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Once again, the NFL has demonstrated its uncanny inability to find the sweet spot between extremes. On some of the most pressing issues the league faces, its judgment either caroms off the left pole or ricochets off the right one, as if splitting uprights is equivalent to splitting atoms.
Roger Goodell & Co. continue to struggle – and fail mightily – to find the proper balance on so many things. Player benefits. Player protests. Player conduct. Player safety.
Bonk, bonk, bonk, bonk.
Eric Dickerson and several other Hall of Famers are leading a push for improved benefits for retired players. Owners tried to jam a national anthem policy down the union’s throat. The league muddles through suspensions for players who are accused of misconduct but not arrested.
None of those issues – despite what you hear from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue – threatens the NFL’s future like the matter of player safety. As growing numbers of people express concern or reservations about the game’s nature and physical toll, there’s a growing number of former fans and an increase in parents who won’t let their children play.
Broken bodies and scrambled brains aren’t good for business. So, naturally, the NFL is leaning too far in the other direction, particularly regarding its quarterbacks.
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Posted on September 18th, 2018
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Quitting is absolutely, positively the best course of action you can take in many instances.
If you have a habit of sucking lit sticks of tobacco, your loved ones will throw a party if stop. The same is true if you routinely threaten the family’s stability by wagering and losing large chunks of your paycheck. Ditto if you’re secretly engaging in activities that, once uncovered, will lead to criminal charges and prison sentences.
Find yourself reacting violently and getting physical when arguing with your spouse? Quit. Eating yourself to death as your weight, cholesterol and blood pressure go sky high? Quit. Moving from use to abuse in the consumption of alcohol, painkillers or other drugs? Quit.
Play football and enter halftime with your team trailing, 28-6?
Uh, no, that is NOT the time to announce you’re done.
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Posted on September 16th, 2018
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
LANDOVER – So, about last week …
Why oh why do we fall for the fake-out every single time? We’re like Charlie Brown, believing we’ll finally enjoy a chance to kick the football, only to fall flat on our back as Lucy pulls it away.
Again, and again, and again.
Those warnings and admonitions about not putting much stock into Washington’s opener against Arizona? Yeah, yeah, we heard all of them knew it was prudent advice.
But, come on. The Skins didn’t have to replicate their performance in the desert. Even a faint resemblance might’ve been enough for their first 2-0 record in seven years. Instead, they looked like a completely different team, failing to score a touchdown in a 21-9 defeat.
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Posted on September 12th, 2018
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
There was a lot to like about Washington’s season-opening victory Sunday against Arizona.
The Cardinals were squashed and held scoreless for 54 minutes before finally cracking the end zone against a prevent defense to create the final margin, 24-6.
Washington’s key starters returning from injury – offensive tackle Trent Williams, halfback Chris Thompson and tight end Jordan Reed – resembled their old selves.
Newcomer Adrian Peterson looked nearly as good as ever, gaining 96 yards rushing and 70 yards receiving in his debut as the team’s starting halfback.
Then there was new quarterback Alex Smith, turning in a tidy performance of 255 yards with a 70 percent completion rate for two touchdowns and no interceptions.
But numbers weren’t the most impressive aspect of “the Alex Smith Era, Game 1.”
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Posted on September 11th, 2018
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
You never know what you might find on the NFL scrap heap. Perhaps a serviceable body for special teams. A solid reserve for situational rotations. Maybe an upgrade at kicker and punter, as there’s always some of those to choose from.
But Washington found a rarity three weeks ago when it rummaged through the bargain bin: a Hall of Fame halfback with tread left on the tire.
We don’t know if enough remains for Adrian Peterson to last the entire season, but he had plenty of traction in Week 1. For at least one game, Sunday’s 24-6 victory against the Arizona Cardinals, Peterson showed the form that makes him the 10th-leading rusher in NFL history.
Dominating an opponent on the ground with a punishing runner sets a distinct tone. Screens, sweeps and quick posts can be nice and account for positive yards. However, they don’t make the same statement as sending your halfback through the heart of the line. That’s equivalent to punching a defense in the mouth.
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Posted on September 5th, 2018
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
NFL football is back.
You just have to dig through all the noise, clutter and distractions to find it … if you still care.
This season opens like every other season and like no other season, both at the same time. As usual, there are questions about the defending champs’ ability to repeat, up-and-comers poised on the brink, and exactly how long Tom Brady can remain Tom Brady.
But as we approach Thursday’s opening kickoff between the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles, off-field matters obscure the product like crazy. At least for folks who allow themselves to be bothered.
For some of them, the issue of player safety has dampened enthusiasm for the game. They find it increasingly difficult to consume a sport that inflicts such damage on the participants. Not only the unseen toil of concussions and CTE, but also the stomach-churning visuals of knees bent in grotesque fashion.
But for others, their growing distaste has nothing to do with the game and everything to do with the business.
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Posted on September 3rd, 2018
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
There’s nothing like a good quarterback controversy to get folks riled up.
The QBs don’t even have to be good – remember John Beck and Rex Grossman battling to be Washington’s starter? They just have to play the position and seemingly be no better or no worse than the next guy.
Who starts under the center is the No. 1 question fans have when the answer isn’t obvious. And if that’s the main thing fans want to know, you better believe it’s atop reporters’ list of queries. Coaches are asked to address situations at other positions, on either side of the ball, but responses regarding their signal-caller are the most urgent.
Having those explanations prepared and ready to go should be a no-brainer.
But every now and then, they’re caught off-guard or display frustration when interviewers seek this-very-second updates. That’s when coaches misinterpret media members as enemies of the people, instead of proxies for the fans (and gamblers).
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Posted on August 29th, 2018
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Maybe it’s time for Dallas to put Jerry Jones in the concussion protocol.
The Cowboys owner could be suffering from a hidden head injury, based on his recent comments regarding player safety and an expanded NFL season. Then again, maybe he’s just woozy from all the money he’s made since buying the club, and the thought of taller piles make him dizzier.
We’re not shocked that Jones favors an extended regular season. He has advocated an 18-game schedule for years. But his new lines of reasoning for turning two exhibitions into regular games raise questions about his lucidity.
“I think, candidly, it’s probably physically better for players than it is to have the longer preseason, the longer practicing,” Jones said Tuesday during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “Our studies show that we actually have a ramped-up injury situation with players during preseason as opposed to the injury factor in the regular season.”
Jones said it’s “debatable” whether an 18-game season would actually create a safer game for the players.
By that logic, he can debate whether walking through more dark alleys is safer than fewer.
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Posted on August 28th, 2018
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
The tweet from Paul Hembekides of ESPN Research says everything you need to know about the NCAA’s relationship with truth, justice and the American way:
“Terrelle Pryor: suspended 5 games for selling gear in exchange for tattoos.
“Todd Gurley: suspended 4 games for accepting $3,000 to autograph memorabilia.
“9 UNC football players: suspended 4 games for selling sneakers in exchange for up to $2,500.
“Urban Meyer: suspended 3 games.”
There you have it: College athletes who make a little cash on the side, are treated harsher than college coaches who ignore domestic abuse allegations.
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