Washington Post: Don't Blame McNabb

Today's post at the Washington Post's Redskins Insider looks at where the blame lies for the Redskins' offensive struggles this season.

Washington Post: Measuring Offensive Line Woes

Today's post at the Washington Post's Redskins Insider looks at the Redskins' dreadful offensive line play, making the case that the line needs to be the team's primary focus in the off-season.

Washington Post: Punting Stats Aren't Always What They Seem

Today's post at the Washington Post's Redskins Insider looks at the Redskins' recent firing of their punter and how misleading most punting stats can be. Also, here is last week's post, which I never got around to linking to. It breaks down how the Redskins have consistently declined since the beginning of the season and discusses what this says about their roster depth and coaching.

Washington Post: Returner Brandon Banks' Impact

Today's post at the Washington Post's Redskins Insider looks at the Redskins' recent loss to the Vikings.

-Why kick two field goals down by 10 in the 4th quarter?
-How big has return specialist Brandon Banks' impact been?
-LaRon Landry's absence really hurts the Redskins' D.
-The 'Skins are now 5-6. Do they still have a shot at the playoffs?
-The upcoming Giants game is a statistical uphill battle.

Washington Post: Another Game Comes Down to the Final Play

Today's post at the Washington Post's Redskins Insider looks at how the Redskins were able to pull out another close one. Yet another Redskins game comes down to the final play.

-Where to the Redskins' games rank in terms of excitement this year?
-How is Donovan McNabb performing compared to his career averages?
-How big a role did penalties play in overtime?
-The 'Skins are 5-5. What are their chances at making the playoffs?

Washington Post: The Silver Lining

Today's post at the Washington Post's Redskins Insider is a desperate attempt by an amateur football analyst to make sense of Monday night's game.

-Beat downs like that aren't are rare as most think.
-Vick's performance was historic any way you cut it.
-Meaningless silver lining: RB Keiland Williams had a good game.
-McNabb's three interceptions are not what they seem.
-Tennessee is good but hurt.

Washington Post: Who Is Making an Impact?

Today's post at the Washington Post's Redskins Insider takes a look at which Redskins players on offense have made the biggest impact through the first half of the 2010 season.

Washington Post: McNabb and Grossman in the Clutch

This week's post at the Washington Post's Redskins Insider examined the epically bad decision to pull Donovan McNabb in favor of Rex Grossman in the final 2 minutes of last Sunday's game against the Lions. Was it a vindictive over-reaction by an arrogant head coach, or was it just a spiteful hasty judgment of an egotistical head coach?

Washington Post: Can One Player Single-Handedly Win a Game?

Today I've got another post up at the Washington Post's Redskins Insider site. This time I look at DeAngelo Hall's single-handed performance last Sunday against the Bears. Some other Redskins nuggets include:


-Just how hard did the Redskins offense try to lose Sunday's game?
-Lovie Smith's big replay blunder
-Albert Haynesworth's impact
-Former Redskins making waves in the league
-Why the Redskins have played in so many close games this season
-How badly the loss of Tony Romo hurts Dallas

Washington Post: Where is the Redskins Defensive Line?

Today I've got another post up at the Washington Post's Redskins Insider site. This time I look at how the Redskins defensive line is holding the team back.

• There were many ups and downs in Sunday night's game against the Colts, but one sequence of two early plays completely changed the complexion of the game.
• The Redskins have been lucky with turnovers so far, but you can't count on that luck to continue.
• LaRon Landry is leading the league in tackles, but that's one record a safety does not want.
• Linebackers London Fletcher and Rocky McIntosh are picking up the slack for the DL.
• One key in the Redskins' upcoming game against Chicago will be getting to Jay Cutler. His sack rate is jaw dropping.

Washington Post: Redskins Analysis for Week 6

Today I've got another post up at the Washington Post's Redskins Insider site. This time I looked at a number of different items.

• Find out where McNabb and the rest of the offense stands in terms of one of the most predictive stats--yards per attempt.
• Read about possibly the nuttiest 4th down analysis I've ever made.
• Part of the reason for Washington's success so far this season has been thanks to the deep ball.
• How big was Clay Matthews' injury midway through the game? Huge.
• The 'Skins shouldn't fear the Colts this Sunday.

Washington Post: Clinton Portis' Misleading Stats

Today I've got another post up at the Washington Post's Redskins Insider site about how misleading Clinton Portis' rushing yardage totals are. He's managed to post some impressive totals, but he's been a net drag on the Redskins' offense during his tenure in Washington. With his recent injury, it gives the Redskins the chance to reevaluate their running game.

OT in the HOU-WAS Game: Punt or Field Goal?

My weekly post at the Washington Post's Redskins Insider site breaks down the decision making in overtime of the Texans-Redskins game Sunday. Both Kubiak and Shanahan faced the nearly identical situations: 4th down on the opponent's 34. One punted and one attempted the field goal. Which coach made the right call?

Washington Post: McNabb's Potential Impact in DC

Today I'm beginning a weekly contribution at the Washington Post's Redskins Insider site. Well, it will be weekly as long as the commenters don't have their way. (There's a little "Report Abuse" link next to each comment, and I think I might have to report almost every one. Maybe readers were expecting another riveting Albert-Haynesworth-is-lazy post.) My contributions will be primarily Redskins-specific, but will draw upon the general concepts in the Advanced NFL Stats toolbox.

The inaugural post is a back-of-the-envelope calculation about how many wins McNabb can bring with his expected passing efficiency and turnover rates. Of course, there's more to a passing game than just a QB, but this gives Redskins fans an idea of the range of potential improvement.

My thanks to Lindsay and Mitch at the Post for the opportunity. Looking forward to a fun season.