August 17, 2011
Ceci Ferrara
Sports Writer
Sports Insider
Preseason football kicked off over the weekend with teams such as the Eagles and Patriots looking like they made all the right post-lockout moves, and others – such as the Giants and Colts — looking far from football-season-ready. Washingtonians got their first taste of football on Friday, when the Skins hosted the reigning AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
The match-up was one that seemed almost unfair, despite the fact that the outcome didn’t really matter. While the Redskins find themselves at the bottom of the NFC East almost ever year — including last — the Steelers are Super Bowl regulars, holding the league record for most titles with six.
Despite those facts, the Redskins played what commentators called the “most efficient” preseason game they’d seen in years. The Skins missed several opportunities to score, i.e., unable to penetrate the end zone on their first drive, and two missed field goals by kicker Shayne Graham (who was promptly let go). Despite those mishaps, they were able to shake it off, scoring one TD and three field goals by game’s end, outscoring the Steelers 16-7. It was an impressive showing by several Redskins, highlighted by Rex Grossman who threw for 207 yards and 1 TD in the first half, and Brandon Banks, who, despite an injured knee, returned a kickoff 58-yards, and a punt return for 19.
Although they faced star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for just one drive and had their starters in for the entire first half, it was a pleasant surprise to see the Redskins win something. The team looked the most cohesive and competitive it had in a long time. Let’s just hope they can do it again when the score counts.
Wearing his signature No. 5, Donovan McNabb made his debut as a Viking on Saturday when his team played their first preseason game against the Tennessee Titans. While he did complete six of 11 passes for 40 yards, McNabb and the offense struggled against the Titans, unable to score more than a field goal, and lost 14-3. It was a disappointing game for the Vikings, who are expecting McNabb to electrify the team and take them to the playoffs, like another veteran quarterback was able to do two seasons ago.
If the preseason is any indication of what’s to come, I only have three words: bring it on.
Nationals
The Nationals got a chance to rest on Sunday, when their rubber match against the Phillies was postponed due to rain. It was the second consecutive time that Chien-Ming Wang’s start was pushed back due to the weather, though I doubt he’s complaining about the extra day to rest his arm. At 57-62, the Nats are in second to last place in their division (the Marlins have the last place honor), and five games below .500.
If the team hopes to finish the season “successfully”, which for a team in their position means finishing at .500, their best chance is for Strasburg to return sooner rather than later, and for Bryce Harper to grow up…fast. Strasburg was shown in his second rehab start on Friday striking out five of the 12 batters. Harper hit a walk-off homerun, giving his AAA team a 3-2 win on Sunday. Unfortunately, his talent has been overshadowed by the coverage of his unprofessional behavior earlier in the week, when he threw his helmet to the ground after the umpire called a third strike and was subsequently ejected from the game. If the Nationals can successfully rehabilitate Strasburg and teach Harper some manners (not to mention patience), they might have a different looking team come 2012.
Mystics
The Mystics have been having a rough season: just five victories in 20 games, they haven’t posted consecutive wins all year. They were able to fight their way back from a nine point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the New York Liberty by one point (64-63) on Friday night. On Saturday, they were unable to do the same when they traveled up north to face the Connecticut Suns and lost 75-82. Though the outlook for the team is bleak from a statistical point of view, Mystics forward and star player Crystal Langhorne remains optimistic, telling reporters after Friday’s win: “We’re going to keep fighting and still try to make a playoff run.”
