If you're an avid Hog Heaven reader during the season, you might remember last year when I undertook a project known as "Lineman Yards", where I used game tape to assign value to offensive lineman on their run blocking abilities.  The team had pretty good numbers through the six games I was able to break down before week-to-week life got in the way, but two things happened at the point where I halted the game tape reviews: Jim Zorn gave up playcalling duties, and the Redskins schedule got much harder.

So, naturally, I couldn't draw any meaningful conclusions from just six games of data.  At the time, I had 127 runs to look at.  After chewing up a weekend on a massive game tape review bender, I now have 298.  Not all games are included, but my Lineman Yard Average metric now has enough of a sample to draw a meaningful conclusion.

Remember, that this is only a measure of blocking on all running plays.  Screen plays were marked in the analysis, but omitted as not to throw off the totals.  Pass protection was noted -- on the rare occasion that it existed -- but is not accounted for in lineman yards.

Here are some of the most meaningful conclusions from a season's worth of work:

• The Redskins' best run blocking lineman was Mike Williams.  Yes, that Mike Williams.  Williams averaged 4.18 lineman yards per run vs. a league average of 4.0 and a team average of 3.9.  Williams was also, by far, the most consistent Redskin in run blocking, despite appearing in my scoresheet 4 times at RT and 4 times at RG.  I ran a game-by-game standard deviation score, with the expected standard deviation at 1.5 yards.  The standard deviation of Mike Williams' run blocking games was under a yard, at 0.98.
• Only one lineman had a higher LYA score AND a lower standard deviation than Williams: Chris Samuels (4.32, 0.92, respectively).  However, all of Samuels' runs were from the first four weeks of the season, including the Rams, Lions, and Bucs.  Williams played against significantly better competition.  His sample was more than twice as large as Samuels.
• Chad Rinehart scored a 4.23 in 48 rushing plays (half of which in the Denver game), but was less consistent than Williams, with a 1.5 yard standard deviation.  Rinehart had the best single game score of any lineman, a 6.75 in six runs against Detroit.  Those six runs also drove up Rinehart's average considerably.  He scored a combined, very respectable 3.82 in three other games.
• Of the 3 Redskins lineman who started 16 games, Stephon Heyer had the best score, a 3.83.  He also had the highest standard deviation of any lineman, a 1.7.  Heyer was the only Redskins starting lineman who was actually better in the first six games of the season than in the final ten.  Casey Rabach, Derrick Dockery, Mike Williams, and even Fred Davis did better after Zorn gave up playcalling duties.  Heyer had more games than any other lineman, 6, with an line yard average of 4.0 or better.  Heyer had stinkers against Dallas in Week 16, and New York in Week 1.  His third worst game, according to LYA, came in the team's best game run blocking, vs. Denver.  Heyer had a 2.58 in that game.
• Derrick Dockery and Casey Rabach aren't great run blockers, and don't particularly show well game to game.  Overall, I'd argue that Rabach does a better job than Dockery does, but perhaps the most amazing thing that lineman yards did in 2009 was show the massive difference between Rabach's numbers against NFC East opponents New York and Dallas, and against everyone else.  Rabach had 4.20 lineman yards this year in the 10 charted games against non-Cowboys/Giants competition.  That would make him the best run-blocking lineman on the team.  In the 4 games against the Cowboys and the Giants, he somehow managed a get-the-hell-off-my team figure of 1.87.  The 0-4 record (1-7 in the Zorn era) in the last four seasons starts with Casey Rabach's failure to handle the line of scrimmage.  The record against other teams in that span is 11-13, which is in line with the strong run-blocking but poor pass blocking featured by Rabach on a week-to-week basis.
• Dockery did not show any sort of an opponent split, but instead, had his best games in the month of November.  By December, Dockery had declined back to levels around where he started the season.  For three of four months, Dockery was a 3.0 yard guy, which would have been the worst on the line by far (Levi Jones excluded).  In the three consecutive games against the Falcons, Broncos, and Cowboys, Dockery was nearly a yard and a half better.
• Levi Jones wasn't very good.  He and Randy Thomas (2 games) were equally ineffective run blockers, but Jones in particular was really overmatched against better pass rushers.  He did help to stabilize the line by providing something that looked like an NFL performance at a premium position (Dockery's production took off as soon as Jones was inserted), but despite being the most apt left tackle on the 2009 Redskins, he's no longer a left tackle in the NFL.  The nicest thing I can say: that he was a better LT than Jason Campbell's current blindside protector with the Raiders, Mario Henderson.
• Will Montgomery had some games that LYA really liked.  He had a sparkling 5.36 against the Chiefs, and a fairly impressive 4.69 against the Eagles the next week.  Subjectively, I thought he was embarassing, and the final five runs of the second Cowboys game featured Montgomery doing some of the worst blocking related activities ever recorded by a television camera.  Using his back as a weapon, and such.  He and Rabach managed to provide the worst pass protection of any C and RG tandem, I've ever encountered.
• Mike Sellers had a 5.17 YLA in the first six games of the season.  He had a 2.78 YLA in the final ten games.  Here, in my opinion is the difference: YLA is biased towards fullbacks.  It's really easy to chart a fullback at the point of attack if the hole is opened wide by the lineman first.  But if the blocking up front struggles, the play is usually ending by the time the fullback gets to the hole. This could be a bias in my method, that favors all lead blockers.  Both changes that happened after the seasons' sixth week, the playcalling, and Portis' season ending concussion, took the Redskins out of the I-formation, and into a lot more singleback sets.  Sellers, many times, played the tight end in these sets, with Cooley out.  He was a much worse blocker there than as a fullback, plus didn't have the advantage of being a lead blocker in LYA.  Also: A 35 year old Sellers probably got worse as the season went on.  Just not that pronounced.
• I thought Fred Davis did a really good job at run blocking, frequently handling opposing defensive ends and was a big difference in the improvement in the rushing attack after the bye week.  Davis can also handle defensive ends one on one in pass protection, which could be a very important skill with Chris Cooley coming back healthy.  LYA, though, thinks he had just two above average games: Week 1 vs. New York and Justin Tuck (3 plays), and Week 13 vs. the Saints and Charles Grant (7 plays).  Obviously, Tuck is a much tougher assignment than Grant.  Beyond that, he didn't score very well, finishing with a 3.25 score -- though I feel that the tough assignments are primarily responsible for the discrepancy.  Anyone that wins the one v one battle with DeMarcus Ware in both blocking and receiving is okay in my book.
• Chris Cooley was not as good.  He had one good blocking game (vs. Bucs), but being ragdolled against the Lions, that calls for more effort.  Cooley had a good blocking season in 2008, though, so hopefully, this is just a five game issue that could have corrected if he didn't get injured.
• Todd Yoder was an awful blocker, with the exception of a single game against the Raiders, where he might have been the most dominant force anywhere on the field.  Yoder played that game at fullback in place of an injured Mike Sellers.  Line yard bias aside, Yoder did his best work in that game on the goal line, where he was typically a horrendous blocker.  Yoder led both Quinton Ganther TD runs in the fourth quarter, and on the second, he basically opened a hole to the end zone in a pile by himself.
• Lorenzo Alexander continued to be a poor offensive player.  He's such a talented defensive player, that he can remain one of the most versatile players in the league without ever appearing in an offensive huddle again.
• Devin Thomas was used in the second half of the season as an in-line blocker at times, usually with excellent success.  He'd win most blocking battles with linebackers, if you can get him to line up in the right place.  He's not a heady blocker downfield, as Malcolm Kelly is much smarter and understands blocking angles a lot better downfield.  But Thomas is a very comfortable player in the box, which surprised me.

It means it's tough to pick the Redskins to beat the Cowboys if Jay Ratliff is healthy for the game and Casey Rabach starts it.  No doubt that Mike Shanahan would give him more help than Jim Zorn did, but playing the Cowboys with Rabach is more or less the equivalent of playing a game with a guy in the Redskin backfield.  Rabach was not the Redskins biggest weakness last year.  Left tackle was a bigger weakness the final twelve games, and right tackle was a bigger weakness when Heyer was at left tackle, and right guard was a freaking revolving door (though, of mostly competent players).  But against the Redskins' two biggest rivals, and apologies to the Eagles, Rabach would have been more valuable if left at home.

Other players on the line were acceptable against the Cowboys.  The Redskins averaged three and two LYPC respectively in those games, but got 4.0+ LY performances from Rinehart and Dockery in Week 11, and from Levi Jones in Week 16, and also got 3.5 LY performances from Mike Sellers and Stephon Heyer in Week 11 and Mike Williams in Week 16.  So even though the Cowboys more or less controlled the Redskins running game last year, they got at least one out of two respectable blocking performances from every position except C and TE.

The Redskins were done in by the blocking of their right side against the Giants in Week 1, but the blocking on the left side was pretty good.  Mike Williams had a very good game against the Giants in the Monday Night Massacre, Will Robinson had the second best figure with a below average 3.3.  I thought the Redskins offensive line played very well against the Eagles all year, with the exception of one poor block by Will Montgomery that lead to a batted ball pick six.  I thought if the skill position players had shown up with any intent of playing to win the game, the Redskins would have headed into the bye week salvaging a 3-4 record.  The Eagles were not good in that game, but the Redskins wasted a good OL performance by rushing for 3.26 yards per carry and committing two turnovers (admittedly one of which was on the OL), because of lazy blocking by the receivers and TEs for Clinton Portis, and lazy route running for Jason Campbell.

Appendix

A) The best Redskin rushing games in 2009 were:

1. vs Broncos (4.64)
2. vs Rams (4.21)
3. vs Bucs (4.16)
4. vs Eagles (3.95)
5. vs Saints (3.83)
6. at Raiders (3.76)
7. at Panthers (3.65)
8. vs Chiefs (3.56)
9. at Lions (3.51)

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Finally football!

The Washington Redskins face off against the Buffalo Bills at 7:30 PM Friday at FedEx Field. Don't get your jock in a knot, people. It's just a preseason game. The best part of this game is that we get to see the team colors in action. Better than baseball, but that's about it.

For players on the edge or with something to prove, it's when you make your case. For coaches, it's time to evaluate players who are on the edge or with something to prove. Preseason games are like eavesdropping on employee performance reviews.

For coaches, the preseason is not so much about the contest than it is about cutting up lots of game film to see individual players in their personal match-ups against the man opposite them. Joe Gibbs revealed that the coaches deliberately isolated players just to see how they stood up to pressure at game speed. He didn't scheme to exploit the other team's weaknesses or to build on Redskins strengths. He just wanted to see how the guys played.

They used to call these exhibition games, with the emphasis on exhibition. If Roger Goodell has his way, two of these exhibitions convert to "regular." I hope so. Danny Snyder charges $40 just to park. Exhibition games are the worst value in sports.

If you can't get tickets for the regular games, preseason can be a great one-time treat for a game experience. You just have to know what to watch for. Keep your eye on these five:

1. Trent Williams. Does this kid really have the stuff to replace Chris Samuels? That's not fair. Samuels is irreplaceable. Williams follows him at left tackle. Samuels elevated the play of the entire offensive line. That's too much to ask of a rookie. That's Derrick Dockery's and Casey Rabach's job now.

Right tackle Jammal Brown will miss the game due to injury. Web site Profootballfocus.com says Brown is overrated as a tackle--says it right there in the article that ranked the Skins O-line 29th in the NFL. (The good news: they say the Bills are worse.) I hope the Shanahans know more about the offensive lines than some web site.

The Bills released (Did Not Report) OLB Aaron Schobel Sunday in a contract dispute. So Williams must deal with Reggie Tobor and Aaron Mabin at linebaker and Dwan Edwards at defensive end. Like Washington, Buffalo is converting from the 4-3 to the 3-4. Those guys will be a little lost in the scheme, which works to Williams' advantage.

Williams has to get acclimated and quickly, so I hope the Redskins play him for at least a half. Williams wears jersey No. 72. Um, that's Dexter Manley's number, kid. Don't dishonor it.

2. Can the Redskins cover? The question applies to linebackers as well as the secondary. Since we are moving to the 3-4 alignment, it applies more to the linebackers. 'cause it's a long, long season if they can't.

One of the justifications for the 3-4 is the potential to bring pressure from anywhere. That's no big deal for the Redskins. Gregg Williams did that with the 4-3. This move is about forcing turnovers. For that to work, the outside linebackers have to cover--well.

Now aren't you glad that Greg Blache made Brian Orakpo play linebacker last year?

The Bills are the perfect first outing for the Redskins in this scheme because...well, they aren't a very good passing team. Lee Evans is a top tier receiver. There's no question about him starting, so you won't see much of him this Friday. T.O is off the roster. If the linebackers and defensive backs can't cover these guys....

3. Tick, Tick, Tick. There are 40 seconds between plays in pro football. Can a veteran Redskins team break huddle with 15 seconds left on the countdown clock? Hey, don't leave the page now. This is an important point about coaching.

I've observed that better organized teams break huddle with 15 seconds left on the countdown clock. Time enough to look over the defense, realign blocking schemes, audible to a new play, adjust. Too often under Jim Zorn and Joe Gibbs, the Skins were slow getting the play from the coaches booth to the sideline to the quarterback. Washington flirted with delay of game penalties too many times for comfort.

Breaking huddle with 10 to 15 seconds to go says the coaches are prepared for contingencies and are decisive. I'm looking for a better showing from the Shanahans.

Win or lose, crisp play in preseason means crisp play when games are real. Same goes for sloppy play. Exhibition games are no excuse for sloppy play.

4. How bad is Rex Grossman? When we last paid attention to Grossman, he was flaming out in Chicago, so much so that Bears fans were calling him "Wrecks." He's here for the same reason Todd Collins was here (and is now gone), familiarity with the new offense. Collins did well when pressed into action in 2007, not because he was better than Jason Campbell or Mark Brunell. He just knew the playbook better. Grossman knows Kyle Shanahan's playbook. It should show when he plays.

Donovan McNabb will play about 15-18 snaps, then it's Grossman and John Beck from then on. McNabb could miss two games this season, so I need Rex to make me comfortable now.

5. Can somebody please get open? Anybody? Please? Calling Devin Thomas. Calling Devin Thomas. From Spartan alum to Spartan player: step it up, kid. You are making Michigan State look bad. Does Joey Galloway really have more in the tank than you?

Thomas and Malcolm Kelly were two of the first three players the Skins drafted in 2008. They feel like first rounders to us. But they are not. They are second rounders...who are under-performing even that level (see Jackson, DeSean). Can the receiving corps get open against the Bills secondary? Anybody? Please?

Preseason games are when the team shows its fans whether they can finish the year over or under eight games. Give us a reason, Redskins, give us any small amount of hope to take the over.

Play. Score. Win.

Point-After: This post is a Haynesworth-free Zone.

For all the changes this offseason, the Washington Redskins are a team only its fans can love. They just don't get no respect.

No other NFL team made as many changes in 2010 as the Redskins. New coaching staff? Check. New front office? Check. New defensive scheme? Check. Vinny Cerrato gone? Check (we think). Hands-off by the owner? Um, I'll get back to you on that one.

Playoff caliber players from top to bottom of the roster? Yes, if you ask since departed Cerrato. Hell yes if you ask Redskins partisans calling into sports radio shows to predict 10 wins and a playoff berth. Observers outside DC are not so convinced.

The line in Vegas has the Skins winning fewer than eight games. EA Sports has Skins players at the middle of the pack or less, especially at depth positions (see "Wide Receivers").

For a real Rodney Dangerfield moment, check out the Jon Robinson's story 'Madden 11' Player Rankings: Cowboys and Redskins on ESPN.com. The post has an image of the Cowboys and Eagles.

See? No respect.

The first rule of fantasy football is to avoid temptation; as in the temptation to populate your roster with your favorite players on your favorite team. Redskins fans should be especially cautious. Fantasy touts have no respect for the Redskins.

Only five Redskins players appear on ESPN's 2010 Fantasy Football's Top 200 list. Clinton Portis leads the list...in 72nd place. Receiver Santana Moss is 75th. Dallas has six players in the top 100. The Giants have nine players on the list and the Eagles eight.

By position, Portis is ranked 32nd as a fantasy running back in a 32 team league. In a 12 team fantasy league, Portis might not be drafted. Moss is ranked 28th as a fantasy receiver, followed by Joey Galloway (51st) and Devin Thomas (69th).

Donovan McNabb is ranked 12th as a fantasy quarterback while Chris Cooley and Fred Davis are ranked 10th and 21st as fantasy tight ends.

Don't count on the Redskins defense/special teams for your fantasy team. Washington is the 29th ranked fantasy defense on ESPN's list.

Meh! It's fantasy football, people. Don't get your jock in a knot.

The touts are projecting scoring and yardage potential where performance is converted to fantasy points. Real games aren't score that way. Intangibles have weight in reality, but none at all in fantasy. Portis will be far better than the 32nd best rusher this year and McNabb modestly better than 12th best passer. We just don't know how these guys will coalesce as a team.

Fantasy ranking highlight the open questions about Washington.

Quarterback: Can Donovan McNabb elevate the performance of a nondescript cast of receivers in Washington the way he elevated the nondescript receivers in Philadelphia? Can McNabb run at age 33 the way he did at age 23? He may need to. And if he does, his fantasy value could skyrocket.

Running Back: This fantasy question has less to do with Portis, Larry Johnson, Willie Parker, Brian Westbrook, if he signs, or Ladell Betts, who the Skins are keeping an eye on. It has everything to do with Mike Shanahan who infuriated me as a fantasy owner for platooning his running backs. The roster says he's going to do that here, which could could be great for CP's career. For his fantasy owners, not so much.

Wide Receivers: How bad is the fantasy potential of Redskins receivers? Vincent Jackson hasn't signed his contract, isn't practicing with the Chargers and threatens to hold out for 10 games, yet is ranked 20th in fantasy scoring potential. That's eight places better than Santana Moss. Devin Thomas or Malcolm Kelly have the potential to surprise, but draft Whosurmama instead. Sigh! Nothing to see here folks. Move on.

Tight End: Ah! The true bright spot. So here's a question. Why don't we just go ahead an play Chris Cooley or Fred Davis at wide receiver and be done with it?

Defense Special Teams: The real Redskins defense would smother you without actually killing you. They would suppress opponent's yards and scoring, but not disrupt their rhythm with turnovers. It's one thing to convert the scheme of an under-performing offense. It's quite another to change up the defensive front seven that was the strongest part of the unit last season. Love that role players like Chris Wilson and Lorenzo Alexander get their shot to start. But can they cover? For that matter, can Brian Orakpo and Andre Carter cover? That question that can only be answered in games. When I say games, I don't mean the pretense of preseason games.These guys will need six or eight regular season games to jell.

What would Rodney say about that?

Point After: Matt Terl over at the Official Redskins Blog gives his take on Madden 11 from a Redskins-centric point of view. Madden is more than a video game, it's football simulation with character attributes that mimic the real player. Terl says that DE Phillip Daniels is a big producer in the Madden simulation. May it be thus in real life.

The Washington Redskins released their preseason depth chart yesterday and I am shocked, SHOCKED, at the placement of Albert Haynesworth and Justin Tryon.

Haynesworth just joined the team in actual practice and is already shown on the second team defense. No surprise there, but he is only listed at nose tackle, backing up Ma'ake Kemoeatu.

I'm not buying it. Look for Haynesworth to line up at defensive end for at least half the plays in the regular season. Kedric Golston is listed as the starter in that spot today.

Is Shanahan still making a point with Big Al? Or just keeping NFL opponents in the dark?

Tryon is listed with the fourth team at cornerback. Fourth team?

Tryon's had a lot of good press lately. So I looked for him to challenge for second on the depth chart behind DeAngelo Hall. I don't know how the coaches are grading his practices, but last on the depth chart is no place to be on a team under new management.

This only shows there are only two types of people in football. Coaches and everybody else. Like the rich, coaches are different than you and me. It's pretty clear they do not consult Football Outsiders or blogs like, you know, this one.

It's preseason and nothing's locked except maybe 16 of the 22 starting positions. The depth chart will change between now and September. We hope that Shanahan and GM Bruce Allen are making better decisions about the roster. This is part of it. It won't be the last surprise in Shanahan's line-up. Predicting now how the Redskins will end the year is a fool's errand.

Watch how, or whether, Haynesworth and Tryon move up.

Point After: T Jammal Brown and WR Malcolm Kelly will miss Friday's preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, according to Cindy Boren at The Post. If the starters play more than two series in that game, it will be a surprise. As for Kelly, well we've come to expect that from a guy giving a mighty good imitation of Taylor Jacobs.

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Redskins Hog Heaven congratulates Russ Grimm upon his induction to the NFL Hall Of Fame.

Here's the story in brief:

From Russ Grimm's Hall Of Fame Bio:

"The 6'3", 273-pound Grimm became a steadying force on the Redskins vaunted offensive line of the 1980s that earned the nickname "The Hogs." By his second season in the NFL, Grimm gained much notice from around the league. Teaming with tackle Joe Jacoby, the pair formed what was perhaps the most punishing side of an offensive line in football at the time."

From Russ Grimm's Hall Of Fame acceptance speech, courtesy ESPN:

"Last but not least, to burgundy and gold fans, there's many a time when I closed my eyes and I picture myself still putting on those pads at old RFK Stadium, and those stands are rocking up and down and 50 some thousand chanting, We want Dallas. I can hear the diesel horns blowing when 44 was carrying the football, and I remember standing there in the pouring rain when everyone was throwing the seat cushions down on the field in the playoff game versus Atlanta. "

From Rick Snider's A Hog that hammed it up:

"Grimm was a throwback to the old days when offensive linemen were simply modern-day Vikings with a legitimate way to plunder. Grimm and his compatriots played hard and drank harder." (From the time when men were men and expected to hold their liquor. What would the Commish make of that today?)

From Mike Wise's Russ Grimm and the Hogs of lore paved the way for Washington Redskins greatness:

"'They all planned to be there Saturday, from different Hog eras. Starke, the Head Hog. Bostic. Jim Lachey. Mark May. Rick 'Doc' Walker. Jacoby, Donnie Warren, Mark Schlereth, Raleigh McKenzie. Jim Hanifan. Fred Dean.

"Grimm's day is their day."

From Associated Press--Russ Grimm enters Hall Of Fame:

"Grimm called the Hogs 'a group of guys that grew together, worked together, rose families together' and said he would have their names embroidered on the inside of his gold Hall of Fame jacket."

From Mike Florio's Russ Grimm moves back on the A list:

"On Saturday night, Cardinals assistant coach Russ Grimm moved back to the A list for any and all head-coaching vacancies.

"Largely forgotten since missing out on the Steelers' job three years in a haze of ambiguity and/or the Rooney Rule, Grimm used his speech as an open audition for his ability to communicate to a team, a fan base, and a media corps.  

"And he nailed it."

From Associated Press--Buc's Grimm will make Hall Of Fame trip:

"The son's (Cody Grimm) earliest recollection of his dad's playing days is Russ limping around the house after having knee surgery. He said he was never pressured him to play sports when he was growing up and that Russ has steered clear of offering him much in the way of tips or advice about the pro game."

There is no reference to Grimm's Hall Of Fame induction in his biography on the Arizona Cardinals web site. But Arizona is always three hours behind and a world away from Washington.

From Me at Redskins Hog Heaven:

The Hogs are more than the nickname of a component of the 1980s offense, in which Russ Grimm was a key player. The Hogs are a mystique. They are not just what the Redskins were. They are what we want them to be, whomever the owner or coach, whatever the offensive or defensive scheme: hard nosed, hard working, slobber-knocking bruisers who push you around against your will, as Grimm himself put it. We want them to be characters without being egotists. If Hogs had not come to personify that, then the name would have fallen to disuse decades ago and Grimm as forgotten as Len Hauss.

If they ever do change the team name, Washington Hogs suits me just fine.

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Will apologies to Chuck Norris....

Some people wear Superman pajamas. Superman wears Russ Grimm pajamas.

Russ Grimm can set ants on fire with a magnifying glass. At night.

Russ Grimm will never have a heart attack. His heart isn't nearly foolish enough to attack him.

When the boogeyman goes to sleep, he checks his closet for Russ Grimm.

Russ Grimm doesn't breathe, he holds air hostage.

Russ Grimm is the reason why Waldo is hiding.

When Russ Grimm crosses the street, the cars have to look both ways.

Russ Grimm doesn't wear a watch. HE decides what time it is.

Russ Grimm played Russian Roulette with a fully loaded gun and won.

They once was a Russ Grimm toilet paper. But it wouldn't take shit from anyone.

...when Joe Jacoby is not?

Blame the Super Bowl.

Russ Grimm, left guard of the greatest offensive line in pro football history, is in Canton, Ohio, today for his induction to the NFL Hall Of Fame. He deserves to be there. In fact a Hog should have gone into the Hall when Joe Gibbs and John Riggins went in.

They say Joe Gibbs won three Super Bowls with different quarterbacks as though that's a big deal. Heck, he won three Super Bowls with different running backs. Gibbs won and lost a Super bowl with John Riggins. (The loss was Super Bowl 18, the only Super Bowl I personally attended. Still traumatized by that.)

But Gibbs always had The Hogs. The Hogs carried the Washington Redskins through the 'Eighties. The Hogs should be in the Hall, individually and as a group. But why not the left guard of the group?

Joe Jacoby was the left tackle for the Redskin from the 1981 season through the 1993 season. It's common knowledge that left tackle is the critical spot on the line. Media accounts at the time gave more love to Big Jake than to any other Hog. Even the Redskins call Jacoby the heart of The Hogs. You can look it up yourself on redskins.com right there under the post Joe Jacoby Was The Heart Of 'The Hogs.'

Why Grimm before Jacoby? Because of the pernicious effect of the Super Bowl on Hall Of Fame voters. Grimm made the more recent Super Bowl appearance as co-head coach of the Arizona Cardinals; Super Bowl 43, when the Steelers and Cardinals drew up a thriller--Pittsburgh 27-23.

Jacoby was last seen in a Super Bowl nearly two decades ago.

Neither players, nor coaches nor general managers make up the college of HOF voters. Votes are cast by sports reporters and media types. You know, mostly guys who are overly influenced by players the public's heard of.

That makes good business sense, I guess. Football fans will pay to go see the bust of already familiar players you've seen on ESPN. They usually aren't offensive linemen, even when those linemen make key plays that lead to the winning score.

That's why I'm so glad that Art Monk made the Hall Of Fame last year. Jerry Rice will be inducted to the Hall today. Rice was selected in his first year of eligibility. Rice more than anyone is responsible for Monk's delayed selection.

Monk retired in 1995 as football's leading receiver (940 receptions, 68 TDs). When he broke the season reception record (106) on 1985, Monk was always, always, referred to as "future Hall Of Famer Art Monk."

Rice broke the mold over the course of his career, especially after the league tweaked the rules for passing friendliness in the 'Nineties. One thousand career receptions, 1,000 yards in a season and Super Bowl appearances became Hall Of Fame benchmarks for wide receivers from then on. And Rice, whose career lasted nine seasons beyond Monk's, was always, always referred to as a future Hall Of Famer.

Hall voters forgot Monk; or if they remembered, dismissed him as a generic possession receiver of no importance, like offensive linemen. With players like Chris Carter and Andre Reed eligible for the Hall, Monk might never have made it were he not selected in 2008. Monk faded in Rice's shadow.

So give a cheer for Russ Grimm, Joe Jacoby, Art Monk and all the players whose body of work should give them a leg up for getting into the Hall, but usually doesn't. Here's to the Hogs, whose legacy in Washington is now guarded by a group of cross-dressing men with pig noses.

Here's to the Redskins and their fans. Hail.

Points After: Joe Bugel will introduce Grimm at the Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Russ Grimm should have been selected to the Hall on his name alone. "Russ Grimm" sounds like a Marvel Cartoon hero. Only Johnny Blood is a better football name that Russ Grimm.

Grimm's son, Cody, is a rookie with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Russ Grimm played 11 seasons for the Redskins, helped the team to four Super Bowls, was named one of the 70 Greatest Redskins and the NFL 1980's All Decade team. He worked the coaching staffs for the Steelers and Cardinals, but was not once invited to interview for the Redskins head coach job.

Matt Mosley who blogs on the NFC East for ESPN.com wonders about the best Beast players with potential to make the Hall. Joe Jacoby is mentioned.