Lenny P: Morning After Week 15

[MTK]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/column...page=morning15

Scout's comment on Cooley:

Speaking of tight ends, Chris Cooley from the Redskins is a pretty good one. I mean, I know he's an H-back, really, but the kid has a feel for uncovering in the red zone and he had three [touchdowns] Sunday. That's 12 in two seasons for him and he's just a very clever young receiver."

And finally Mr. Pasta's comments:

Back in the rivalry business
A rivalry ostensibly loses its rivalry status when the games in the series cease, even if just temporarily, to mean something. That had become the case over the last few seasons for the Washington Redskins in the NFC East. But not this season. With their Sunday bashing of the Dallas Cowboys, which allowed them to sweep the series against their most detested foe for the first time since 1995, the Redskins are back in the rivalry business again.


The most lopsided Redskins victory in the 45-year history of the heated series, the 35-7 shellacking improved Washington to 8-6. It was the Redskins' third win in a row, following an ugly three-game losing streak, and if the season ended now, the Skins would own the NFC's final wild-card berth. But the season doesn't end yet, and that just adds to the rivalry intrigue for Washington, which faces two NFC East rivals -- the New York Giants on Saturday and the Philadelphia Eagles on New Year's Day -- in the final two games of a roller-coaster season. Win those two contests, the first at home and the season finale at Lincoln Financial Field, and the Redskins are into the Super Bowl derby, somewhat improbably. Almost as improbable as a struggling Mark Brunell throwing four touchdown passes in just 20 attempts. Or of defensive end Phillip Daniels, who had only 5½ sacks in his previous 34 games dating back to the 2003 season, notching four sacks against the Cowboys Sunday afternoon. But both those things happened, and now, courtesy of a late-season surge, the Redskins could be back in the playoffs for the first time since 1999. And maybe back in the rivalry business again, too.