Who Are These Guys?

As fans, coaches and players of the Tennessee Titans watched the Redskins’ patchwork offensive line hold its own against their sack-happy defense two weeks ago, they could be forgiven for invoking Butch Cassidy.

“Who are those guys?”


As Minnesota Vikings interim head coach Leslie Frazier and his reshuffled coaching staff studied film of that game last week, in preparation to play the Redskins on Sunday, they too could be forgiven.

“Who ARE those guys?”

Think about it. Here was the projected starting offensive line heading into the Vikings game:

Trent Williams, Kory Lichtensteiger, Will Montgomery, Artis Hicks and Jammal Brown.

Redskins fans who have watched the offensive line evolve—some might say devolve—to its present state over the past decade may well have asked themselves the same question a few times, but more likely posed if the classic movie were remade today.

“Who the **** are those guys!?”

Introductions are in order.

A year ago at this time, the only name you would have found from that list on the Washington Redskins’ roster was Will Montgomery. For the benefit all who might stand behind him on line at the grocery store and think only, “whoa—big dude,” here is a quick primer:

Montgomery was a seventh-round (234th overall) draft pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 2006. He stuck with the Panthers for one year, appearing in six games and starting four. Carolina released him before the 2007 season and he was picked up by the New York Jets. He played in seven games for the Jets over two seasons, recording two starts.

The Redskins then signed Montgomery as an unrestricted free agent in December of 2008. He appeared in all 16 games for them in 2009, starting three, and through this past weekend had played in eight games, with two starts, in 2010.

There are household names, and there is Will Montgomery.

Projected to start off Montgomery’s left hip against Minnesota on Sunday at left guard was Kory Lichtensteiger. For those who struggle with his name, the proper pronunciation is Koh-ree.

Drafted out of Bowling Green in 2008 by then-Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan, Lichtensteiger played one year in Denver, appearing in 16 games (no starts) before being released. He was picked up by the Minnesota Vikings for the 2009 season, but saw no action and was let go again before October. The Redskins signed him prior to the 2010 season, and by week two, he had earned his way into the starting lineup. He has nine NFL starts under his belt.

Starting at left tackle on Sunday was rookie Trent Williams. One year ago only Mel Kiper, Oklahoma Sooner fans and a few draft geeks could have told you anything meaningful about Williams. He has since become a top-five pick in the NFL Draft, however, so his name at least registers a blip on the average fan’s “yeah, I’ve heard of him” meter.

Still and all, Williams is a classic, raw rookie all of ten games into his NFL career.

At right guard on Shanahan’s projected lineup card Sunday was relative Methuselah and prototypical NFL journeyman Artis Hicks. An eight-year veteran, Hicks was brought into the NFL by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Memphis in 2002. By 2004 he had become a starter, and over the course of four years started 31 games for the Eagles. After being traded to the Minnesota Vikings prior to the 2006 season, Hicks went on to start 27 of 56 games over four years for the Vikings.

And yet, when he was inked by the Redskins as a free agent prior to the 2010 season, I would wager 95 out of 100 fans asked, “who?”

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Sean's Gone

There was no good way to say it when it happened,

there is no good way to say it now.

But this was how Sean's death struck me then,  

so I will continue to make this my silent tribute

for as long as the feelings remain unchanged.

  

(Reprinted from November 28, 2007)

It’s not a long drive to my son’s high school, maybe 15 minutes.

Most mornings, we share sleepy wise cracks—which of us looks worse; whose day projects out the bigger pain; the lameness of a certain radio commercial.

Sometimes we talk daily routine—remembering to turn in an order form; calling if he needs to be picked up; the logistics of an upcoming outing with friends.

Sometimes we talk a little sports. Redskins, mostly.

Once in a while, as events dictate, we talk real life—there will be other girls; they just discovered an Earth-like planet 20 light-years away; it’s junior year partner, these grades count.

Tuesday morning, we rode in silence.

He’d had a strange look on his face as he came down the hall from the living room, where the morning news was playing, when we readied to leave the house. His voice had a flatness to it when he spoke.

“Sean’s gone.”

I wasn’t fully awake—I didn’t understand. Then I saw the look in his eyes, the awful news story I had fallen asleep thinking about came flooding back, and I understood only too well. I don’t remember now if it was raining as we headed out into the dark, but it always will be in my memory.

As we were pulling out into the road a minute later, a voice on the car radio confirmed the reality.

“Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor died this morning from a gunshot wound suffered in his home …”

We drove in silence, staring straight ahead.

I don’t really know if the time it took to get to the school took forever, or if it flashed by in an instant. Time has a strange quality to it in times of stress. What I do recall is the unsettling jumble of disjointed thoughts, feelings and impressions...

Lucky Me

To those who stand in harm's way for the freedoms we at home too often assume a birthright, and not the single greatest blessing one human can offer another, won at inconceivable cost, please accept one free man's humble, heartfelt, sincerest gratitude.


A safe, peaceful and happy Thanksgiving to all.

A Work in Progress

By the time you read this, the Washington Redskins will have spent a very long week stewing over their embarrassing 59-28 nationally televised home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and turned their attention to the Tennessee Titans.

The Redskins will have either lost their third straight game, fallen to 4-6 and seen any realistic shot at a late-season wildcard playoff run disappear, or they will have somehow upset the Titans, leveled their record at 5-5 and stayed alive for at least one more week.

In the grand scheme of things, though, it doesn’t really matter. Barring some miraculous turnaround, some unexpected catalyst, the Redskins’ chances of establishing genuine January NFL relevance in 2010 dissolved in a rain of Philadelphia touchdowns on Monday Night Football two weekends ago. They just plain do not have the talent to make real noise in the playoffs.

It may be too soon to close the book entirely on the 2010 Redskins however.

Contradictory? Not really.

Lord knows Redskins fans have had their fill of losing. Two winning seasons in 12 will inexorably instill a “here we go again” vibe with any loss –particularly one that sinks the team’s overall record below .500. An historic beat down like the one the Eagles laid on them feels like a heavyweight’s uppercut to the midsection.

When the gridiron gods chose the Philadelphia Eagles as their implement of torture in 2010, allowing them to lay 59-28 on the Redskins, the sad truth is it really came as no surprise. The burgundy and gold have managed to turn in avert-your-eyes catastrophe games like that every couple of years for over a decade now.

Last season it was 45-12 at the hands of the New York Giants.

In ’07, the New England Patriots laid the Redskins waste 52-7.

In ‘05, fresh off a cathartic 52-17 victory of their own over the San Francisco 49ers, the burgundy and gold sauntered up to New York only and got sautéed 36-0 by the Giants.

In ‘03 the Dallas Cowboys crunched the Redskins 27-0.

Remember ‘01? Try 37-0 to the Kansas City Chiefs and 45-13 to the Green Bay Packers in back-to-back weeks.

I would bring up 73-0 in ’40 to the Chicago Bears, but that would be piling on.

Point is, painful as it may be to watch, losing the occasional game in what-the-hell-was-that fashion has become almost de rigueur for the Washington Redskins of recent memory. And what needs to be noted is that losing a game like the 59-28 Eagles embarrassment does not necessarily mean the team is headed for a top five draft pick next season ...

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