’89 ;-) Santana Moss’
courtesy of ‘littlerottenrobin’

The Giants needed a win over the Redskins and a Packers loss to make the playoffs. They got the win but so did Green Bay. At least New York will be watching the post-season just like the Skins who had plenty of chances but also 4 turnovers in the 17-14 loss. Rex Grossman was pressured all day, but again looked solid with 336 yards and 2 touchdowns. This game may have earned Grossman the starting job next season for Mike Shanahan. Unfortunately, they couldn’t protect the ball and that’s what ultimately cost them a victory. The Skins finish the 2011 season with a 6-10 record and plenty of work to do this off-season.

Positives – A lot of young players made an impact Sunday. On offense, Anthony Armstrong’s 64-yard touchdown cut the Giant lead to 3 late in the 4^th quarter. Fred Davis added another touchdown and provided some good run blocking at times. On defense, Kevin Barnes (playing free safety instead of corner) seemed to always be around the ball. He broke up 3 passes and prevented Brandon Jacobs from scoring a touchdown in the 1^st quarter with a saving tackle. Adam Carriker also held his own against a good Giants offensive line. And of course there was Brandon Banks and his long returns giving the Skins good field position at key times.

Negatives – The turnovers were obviously a problem. Credit the Giants for knocking the ball out of Grossman’s and Santana Moss’ hands 3 times. The interception, though, was Grossman’s fault as he underthrew the pass along the sideline. The Skins were again bad on 3^rd down, converting only 3 of 12 attempts. They finish the season as the worst 3^rd down offense in the league, which is inexcusable. Finally, Graham Gano may need to be removed from the kicker position. His miss on a 30-yard field goal attempt could not be blamed on bad weather, a bad snap, or a bad holder. That makes 11 misses for Gano this season. At the very least, some competition is needed for both kicking positions next year.

Arjun Murthy

Just like the rapper Oddisee, born in DC and raised in Maryland. Spent several years at College Park pretending to study before joining a non-profit. Plays a few instruments, was in two garage bands, has a MySpace artist page, and is now attempting to create a successful accordion-punk outfit. If you happen to be in Dupont, you may find him browsing the stacks at Kramer’s or looking for CDs at Melody Records. Loves the Redskins even though they break his heart every year and is hoping they move back to the city so he can save $40+ on parking/gas when going to the games.