The Redskins running back and the Vikings running back are in a statistical duel as the season winds down. Peterson currently has a 37-yard edge in rushing yards, while Portis is up by 24 in all-purpose yardage, which factors in receiving as well. Portis was undoubtedly hurt by his performance against Dallas, where he was able to play through the pain of a left knee injury. Now that he’s back at full speed, the chase continues.
NFL leading rushers:
Peterson (Minnesota) 1,100
Portis (Washington) 1,063
Michael Turner (Atlanta) 971
Brandon Jacobs (NY Giants) 879
Somewhat bizarre that they’re all NFC Running backs. The top AFC back is Thomas Jones, who has 854 yards.
Yards from scrimmage, NFL leaders:
Portis (Washington) 1,219
Peterson (Minnesota) 1,195
Frank Gore (San Francisco) 1,159
Matt Forte (Chicago - rookie) 1,099
Marion Barber (Dallas) 1,082
Michael Phillips
November 20, 2008 1:11 PM
One of the things that coach Jim Zorn is trying to emphasize is tempo—and the two players most responsible for that are quarterback Jason Campbell and center Casey Rabach. This week, Zorn advised Campbell that when he needs to enforce a tempo, he doesn’t always need to wait for Rabach to instruct the offensive line. By the same token, Rabach enforces tempo in the huddle.
“Casey needs to get his group in the huddle and to the line of scrimmage. You almost have to wait for him to get to the line and make his calls so the QB can start his cadence. I always tell the quarterback, force the issue. That creates the tempo. He has to be watching the clock, but if you have to say something verbally, you just have to do it. The clock doesn’t matter.“
Another item that was noted is that while the Redskins ran a majority of the time in the first eight games, they’ve passed a majority in the last two. Zorn dismissed that, saying that it was because the team trailed in the fourth quarter, which will create an unusually large number of passing situations.
Michael Phillips
November 20, 2008 1:08 PM
With the one-year anniversary of Sean Taylor’s death next Thursday (Thanksgiving), Redskins coach Jim Zorn addressed Taylor’s memory with the team yesterday in Ashburn, preparing them for the emotional week ahead. He shared what he remembered about the event in Seattle.
“We were so far away from it, but it was just a shock. Imagine that happening to somebody on our team, and what a shock that would be, and what a shock it must have been.
“I think the thing I didn’t really know is how much that guy impacted almost every man on this team, from the players to the coaches to the owner. It was deeply felt and it was an absolute gash to this football team. One of the things I did today in our team meeting was brought out, I have a picture in my office with Sean. It’s a collage of Sean. And I brought that in because I know it’s really close to when he died last year.
“I wanted to make sure our guys knew he was the kind of player who they want to practice like and play like. And that’s part of the memory we need to keep alive on this football team.“
Michael Phillips
November 20, 2008 10:06 AM
Check it out today at timesdispatch.com. There’s now a convenient place to see all the Redskins stories:
http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/site_elements/tags/tag/washington+redskins/
So look for work from myself and Paul Woody, and of course stay tuned in to this blog for updates all day.
Michael Phillips
November 20, 2008 8:02 AM
The Seattle Seahawks are 2-8. By that standard alone, this is a must-win game for the Redskins to keep their playoff hopes alive (they’d be the second wild card if the postseason started today).
But coach Jim Zorn is comparing them to the St. Louis Rams, as a team that is feisty but doesn’t have the results to show for it.
“They’ll have a good plan, and they’ll play sound football. They’re not going to try to reinvent their offense,“ he said. “They’re just going to play sound football. Are we going to intimidate them? No. They’re very much a team that has pride.“
This morning’s article was about the Seattle connections on the Redskins. There’s a lot of them, and that can only be a plus when dealing with an atmosphere like the one at Quest Field.
Tim Pearrell
November 20, 2008 1:08 AM
Tim Pearrell
November 19, 2008 10:24 PM
Tim Pearrell
November 19, 2008 9:21 PM
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