Never has a team, down 3 games to 1, and facing elimination in the other guy抯 house, felt so good. Bud Selig personally went out there and hooked Cole Hamels for the Rays. Short of it snowing for the next week, that抯 probably the last the R$ays are going to see of him.

When Philly touched Scott Kazmir up for two runs in the first, you抮e looking at a boat race and Phillies officials are getting the riot police, dogs and horses ready卋ecause that series is over. No way, the Rays are coming back on Cole Hamels at home. Instead, the rain kicks in, acting as the great equalizer, affecting Hamels andthe guys behind him. And suddenly he抯 not 揝andy Koufax?

Next thing you know, normally sure-handed Jimmy Rollins 搆icks?a groundballin the sixth hit by B. J. Upton, who comes around to score on a 搆nock?that Pat Burrell couldn抰 charge, and Bud Selig is 揵ailed out? 揃ailed out?because he let them play long enough for the Rays to tie the score and didn抰 have to change the rules of the sport on the fly! Making this game official after 5卆nd handing the Phillies the World Series would have made the 2002 All-Star Game ending in a tie a career highlight for the Commissioner?by comparison.

Still, this is bad and it could get worse before it gets better. Either way, I抎 have the SWAT teams, dogs and horses standing by, because if Philly does come back and finish, they抮e going to need them! But if the Rays rally, send it back to Tampa and the Phillies finish the 揷hoke攨they抣l have to call in the National Guard and declare 揗arshal Law?

Sure, he wants to make an impression and get his team抯 attention. But, there抯 no way you take a guy, who抯 a former 6th pick overall, jerk him out of the game and then humiliate him publicly after the game like that. Unless, there are some deep-rooted problems there! Unless, there抯 some sort of football related pattern of abuse. No way!

There抯 just no way Singletary lays out a guy like that for that one penalty. It was a stupid penalty on his part卋ut not that stupid! Not stupid enough for Singletary to 搇ight him up?the way he did. That抯 not only an NFL player, that抯 a former first rounder卼he sixth player taken overall卆 multi-millionaire, kicked off the field by his head coach like a high school kid with a bad attitude! Like, 揼et outta?my faced Davis卛n fact, get the hell of my field Vernon, you make me sick!?BR>
It pumped all of us up, but what effect did it have on his players?! Don抰 lose track of the obvious. They got 揾ammered?by a bad Seattle team. So it doesn抰! How fired up we are by that presser? He might have their attention. He might have their respect. They might even fear him, but all of that together won抰 make bad players good. It won抰 make J. T. O’Sullivan a 揝teve Young?

GAME PREVIEW

The Redskins open the second half of the season at FedExField against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. Kickoff is 8:30 p.m. ET.

FedExField is a natural grass surface. The stadium seats 91,704.

The matchup features teams with the third-best (Washington) and fifth-best (Pittsburgh) records in the NFL.

Washington enters Week 9 on a two-game winning streak and winners of six of their last seven games. They are coming off a 25-17 win over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.

Pittsburgh dropped to 5-2 after falling to the New York Giants 21-14 at Heinz Field last Sunday. Both of the Steelers’ losses this season are to NFC East teams. They lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 15-6 in Week 3.

The Redskins are 3-1 at FedExField so far this season and 1-0 against the AFC.

The game will be televised on ESPN. Mike Tirico handles the play-by-play with Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornheiser providing color commentary. Michele Tafoya and Suzy Kolber serve as sideline reporter for the broadcast.

On radio, the game will be broadcast locally on ESPN 980. Larry Michael handles the play-by-play with color commentary by Hall of Famers Sonny Jurgensen and Sam Huff. Rick “Doc” Walker serves as sideline reporter.

The game will also be broadcast on Westwood One Radio, with Wayne Larivee doing the play-by-play and Boomer Esiaison adding commentary.

 PROJECTED STARTING LINEUPS

SERIES HISTORY

The Redskins and Steelers have met a total of 75 times in the regular season, with Washington holding a 42-30-3 edge in the series.

The last time the two clubs met in the regular season was in November 2004, when the Steelers defeated the Redskins 16-7 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers used three field goals by Jeff Reed, nifty running by Antwaan Randle El on punt returns and a 100-yard effort by Jerome Bettis to secure the win.

In preseason, the two clubs have met 18 times, with the Redskins holding a 12-5-1 lead.

Washington and Pittsburgh last faced off in the preseason in 2007, with the Steelers pulling out a 12-10 victory at FedExField.

 TALE OF THE TAPE
 

Free safety Ryan Clark played for the Redskins from 2004-05 and established himself as a starting caliber defender with the Redskins.

Defensive backs coach Ray Horton began his NFL coaching career as an assistant defensive backs coach with the Redskins in 1994-96.

Running backs coach Kirby Wilson served in the same capacity with the Redskins in 2000.

REDSKINS-STEELERS NEWS & NOTES

– Redskins On Monday Night Football

Since the inception of Monday Night Football in 1970, the Redskins are 26-29 all-time playing in the nationally televised Monday contests.

The last time the Redskins played on Monday Night Football was in Week 2 of the 2007 season. The Redskins defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 20-12 at Lincoln Financial Field.

The last time the Redskins played a home game on Monday Night Football was the 2006 regular season opener at FedExField. The Redskins lost to the Minnesota Vikings by a 19-16 score.

The Redskins and Steelers have played just once before on Monday Night Football. On Nov. 5, 1973, the Steelers won 21-16 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.

– Steelers’ Marks

The Steelers own a 36-22 all-time record on Monday night games. They are 13-17 all-time on the road on Monday night, however.

In Week 4 this season, Pittsburgh defeated the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 in overtime on Monday Night Football at Heinz Field.

The Steelers have won 13 of their past 17 games against the NFC (including Super Bowl XL against the Seahawks). They had won eight consecutive games against the NFL prior to their 21-14 loss to the New York Giants on Oct. 26.

– Randle El’s Old Team

Antwaan Randle El, who played for the Steelers from 2002-05, faces off against his former team for the first time in the regular season.

Randle El was a second-round draft choice by the Steelers in 2002. He has plenty of great memories in Pittsburgh.

In four seasons in Pittsburgh, Randle El developed his skills as a wide receiver and was a key component in the Steelers’ run to Super Bowl XL in 2005.

Randle El’s Steelers beat Seattle that year by a score of 21-10. Jim Zorn was a quarterbacks coach on the team and Shaun Alexander was the Seahawks’ running back.

Randle El’s most memorable play? On a wide receiver option, he threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward to provide the final points ofn Super Bowl XL. He became the first wide receiver to throw a TD pass in a Super Bowl game.

Randle El, who signed with the Redskins as a free agent two months after Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl, said the ’05 Steelers were a confident group, mostly because they knew they could compete with any team in the AFC that year.

“We had played Cincinnati twice already and we knew we could beat them [in the Wild Card round],” he said. “We played Indianapolis and we knew we could stay with them [in the Divisional Playoff round].

“And then there was Denver [in the AFC Championship game]–that was the only team we weren’t sure about. But we had a game plan going against Denver like never before–on offense and on defense. It certainly worked out on the field.”

– Zorn’s First Season As Head Coach

Jim Zorn is 6-2 in his first eight games as head coach. He is aiming to lead the Redskins to their third winning season in the last four years.

Zorn is looking to become the seventh Redskins head coach to record a winning record in his first year at the helm.

The list of first-year head coaches with winning records includes Ray Flaherty (7-5 in 1936), Dutch Bergman (6-3-1 in 1943), Dudley DeGroot (6-3-1 in 1944), Dick Todd (5-4 in 1951), Vince Lombardi (7-5-2 in 1969) and George Allen (9-4-1 in 1971).

Seven first-year head coaches finished their rookie campaign with a .500 mark, while 12 finished with a losing record.

– Tomlin’s Background

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin began his coaching career in 1995 at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va. He entered the NFL as a defensive backs coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2001.

Tomlin was defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings in 2006 and he coached current Redskin Fred Smoot.

As a player, Tomlin was a three-year starter at William & Mary froom 1990-94 and he finished his career with 100 receptions for 2,046 yards and a school-record 20 TD catches.

Tomlin was born in Hampton, Va. He attended Denbigh High School in Newport News, Va.

– Moss An Award-Winner

Santana Moss has been named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance last Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

With the Redskins clinging to a 16-10 lead in the fourth quarter at Ford Field, Jim Zorn and Danny Smith called on Moss for only his second punt return of the season. Moss made the most of his opportunity by bringing back Nick Harris’s punt 80 yards for a touchdown.

“Santana proves again he is an amazing athlete,” Zorn said. “He had one opportunity and not only scored, but also made the key play for the win. This is an honor that caps off a great week for Santana.”

On the play, Moss collided with teammate Devin Thomas shortly after fielding Harris’s punt. He kept his feet, avoided tacklers and broke free down the left sideline for what proved to be the game-winning points.

It was Moss’s third career punt return for a touchdown and first with the Redskins. He also has a returned a punt for a touchdown in a postseason game as a member of the New York Jets in 2004.

– Leftwich Returns to D.C.

As a youth growing up in Washington, D.C., in the mid-1980s, Steelers backup quarterback Byron Leftwich would often sneak into RFK Stadium with his older brother Kevin to watch their beloved Redskins on game day.

Leftwich went on to be a first-round draft pick of the Jaguars, and has since played for the Falcons and Steelers. He has put his childhood rooting interests behind him, but he keeps plenty of ties to the Washington, D.C., area. He attended H.D. Woodson High School in the city.

Who was his favorite player growing up?

“Whoever played good that week,” he said in a 2006 interview. “Sometimes it was Mark Rypien. Sometimes it was Darrell Green. Sometimes it was Earnest Byner. Sometimes it was Doug Williams. It was everybody, man.”

– Balanced Attack

Washington has been equally efficient on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball this season.

The Redskins are ranked seventh in the league on offense and sixth in the league on defense. They are one of four NFL teams to rank in the top 10 in total offense and defense. All four teams are members of the NFC East.

The Redskins and Giants are the only two teams in the NFC to place in the top five in both offense and defense, while the Redskins net yards per game differential of 86.2 is second in the league behind only the Giants.

The Redskins’ defense has held its last four opponents to less than 275 total yards of offense.

– Portis vs. Pittsburgh

The last time Clinton Portis played the Pittsburgh Steelers, it was a tough day for the running back.

On Nov. 28, 2004, Portis posted six carries for just 17 yards against the Steelers and was visibly upset on the bench midway through the game.

Portis is off to a special season this year. He leads the NFL with 944 rushing yards on 187 carries. His seven rushing TDs are second in the league and first in the NFC.

Portis’s 48 first downs on the ground and 52 overall also lead the NFL.

– Redskins Captains

The Redskins have elected six players as captains for the 2008 season. They wear a black “C” on their jersey during games.

On offense, Jason Campbell amd Chris Samuels are the captains.

On defense, Cornelius Griffin and London Fletcher are the captains.

On special teams, Rock Cartwright and Khary Campbell are the captains.

– FedExField Attendance

FedExField is the largest stadium in the NFL with 91,704 seats. It is more than 11,000 seats ahead of the second biggest stadium, Giants Stadium.

The Redskins set a single-game attendance record–90,910–in the Dec. 30, 2007 game against the Dallas Cowboys.

– What’s Next?

The Redskins have a bye on Nov. 9, and then host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football on Nov. 16. Kickoff is 8:15 p.m. ET.

The Redskins defeated the Cowboys 26-24 in Week 4 at Texas Stadium.

The underappreciated Ingle Martin IV, one of Brett Favre‘s backups in Green Bay, is currently the No. 2 man in K.C. And occupying the third spot is former Jacksonville quarterback Quinn Gray. When signing Quinn Gray gives your offense instant credibility, you’ve got problems.

Guante also brings up the Detroit Lions‘ trio, but I think the addition of Drew Henson gives them too much name recognition to be the worst in football. The Guante blog entry has inspired me to rank the best quarterbacking trios in the NFC East. The worst thing that can happen to a trio is for one of the backups to actually receive playing time — as you’re seeing with Brad Johnson right now in Dallas. Now, I present the first annual NFC Beast quarterbacking trio power rankings:

1. Washington Redskins: Jason Campbell has emerged as one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league. He never turns the ball over and he can extend plays with his feet. Campbell’s backup, Todd Collins, is easily the best backup in the division. He led the Redskins’ improbable playoff run last December and he’s the perfect caretaker quarterback. Colt Brennan is streaky, but he showed enough during preseason to stick around for at least a year.

2. Philadelphia Eagles: Donovan McNabb has been up and down this season, but he’s still an effective quarterback. I think Kevin Kolb made huge strides this past offseason, and he would fill in nicely for McNabb. The third quarterback, A.J. Feeley, hasn’t lived up to expectations, but he can definitely get you through a game or two. He’s one of the best third-string quarterbacks in football. The Cowboys would kill to have Feeley right now.

3. New York Giants: With Eli Manning, you have a quarterback who’s been through a lot in a relatively short amount of time. He was remarkable during last season’s Super Bowl run, and that did wonders for his confidence. David Carr hasn’t come close to living up to expectations, but that has a lot to do with the fact that he took about a 1,000 sacks in Houston. For a short stretch, Carr could actually get you a couple wins. Behind this line, he could use his mobility to find receivers downfield. Even though he’s on the practice squad, we’ll count Andre Woodson (oops, he’s been cut) as the third guy. GM Jerry Reese likes the fact that Woodson has a chip on his shoulder and the former Kentucky great does some nice things.

4. Dallas Cowboys: You can make an argument that Tony Romo is the best quarterback in the division, but his backups are dreadful. Brad Johnson has had a nice career, but the speed of the game last Sunday appeared to catch him by surprise. With a team that likes to throw downfield, Johnson is a liability. Brooks Bollinger is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, but his 2-8 record as a starter isn’t too impressive. Does he give you a better chance to win than Johnson? I actually think so.

Heyman says the Dodgers might be willing to pay Manny Ramirez 揂-Rod type?money, but only for two years. Of course, 揗an-Ram抯?been 損opping off?about a six year deal.

Look, he抎 take five and probably settle for four if the 搄ack?is right, but he抯 not showing up for two. Yeah, because he busted out of the remaining two years of his deal with Boston so he could sign another two year deal. Juan Gonzalez saying no to $140-mill?from Detroit thinks that抯 ridiculous!

Does this sound like a dude who is looking to cut the Dodgers a hometown discount, quote: 揑 want to see who the highest bidder is. Gas is up and so am I.? He knows he has a 揼un to Frank McCourt抯 head? He knows he packed his yard, put his team in the playoffs, beat the Cubs all by himself, and personally sold all those 搘igs? 搑eplica jerseys?and ?0 dollar beers? Just as he knows the Dodgers will go back to a 揻lat-lining?.500 team that were playing in a dead ballpark if they don抰 bring him back.

I抦 not looking for you to start with your best offer, but you抮e going to have to do a lot better than 2 years! Man up, Frank. Just because Andruw Jones came 搃nto your house?揹rank your beer? 揳te your grub?and 搒lept in your bed?is no reason to hold it against 揗an-Ram? Never has $27.5 million a year felt so insulting.

How sorry could you be, you wrote a sequel to it as well! You抎 finish off that 搕rilogy?if you had anything less to say and there was another check in it for you. You抮e sorry for the people you hurt, or sorry that you抳e run out of ways to get in front of camera and get paid? You抮e sorry?! Sure you aren抰.

Look, you抮e a lot of things, Jose, but you抮e not stupid. Saying you had no idea the book would blow up, people would be hurt and reputations would be ruined is at the very best disingenuous, or more likely, a bold faced lie! You knew exactly what would happen if you started 揵umping your gums? That抯 why you wrote that book! You were looking to get paid, and take down as many people as you could.

What did you think was going to happen if you said Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro were on 憆oids卬othing? Apology not accepted.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The waiting game turned into a winning game for Cole Hamels, Chase Utley and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Hamels escaped trouble to win his fourth postseason start, Utley hit a two-run homer in the first inning and the Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 in the World Series opener Wednesday night.

The worst-to-first Rays flopped in their first game in baseball’s ultimate event, managing just five hits — none after the fifth inning.

For now, this puts an end to the rest vs. rust debate.

“I don’t think it threw off our timing too much,” Utley said of the six-day layoff. “I think tomorrow we should definitely be more back on track.”

Philadelphia will try to make it two in a row at Tropicana Field when Brett Myers pitches against James Shields in Game 2 Thursday night.

The team that won the opener has captured the Series 63 of 103 times, including 10 of the last 11. But the team with home-field advantage has taken 18 of the last 22 titles.

“It’s huge,” Phillies closer Brad Lidge said. “You try and downplay it, but obviously you’re coming into a place like this, you want to make sure you get the first game, especially because you got your ace on the mound. It’s really important to do that.”

Hamels, MVP of the NL championship series, improved to 4-0 with a 1.55 ERA this postseason. He had only a pair of 1-2-3 innings, but the composed 24-year-old left-hander allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings.

He benefited from the extra rest.

The NFL Network’s Marshall Faulk was an offensive player but he has no problem with guys trying to make big hits.

Faulk says that before Paul Tagliague outlawed bounties, teams like Buddy Ryan‘s Eagles would knock guys out. Faulk says the bounty in some senses isn’t a big deal because the big hitters are rewarded with high salaries anyway.

Faulk had an interesting point on Brett Favre. Favre has always been honest about things like addiction problems and emotions. So why shouldn’t we believe him now?

Faulk says knowing Favre personally, there’s no way he would have given real substantive advice to the Lions before their game against the Packers.