Ryan Clark has bigger issues than Chris Cooley's thoughts on the team. (Getty Images)
Chris Cooley played for the Redskins for nine seasons and now covers the team as a member of the media. On Wednesday, during his nightly radio show on ESPN 980, Cooley recounted his trip to Redskins Park earlier that day.
"It's 4 o'clock, and I got the first parking space next to the door," Cooley said, via the Richmond Times-Dispatch. "4 o'clock on a Wednesday! So I asked myself (about their film-watching tendencies) as I walked in, and after I watch the film with the realization that the Rams had a lot of gimmicky (stuff) that should have been easily picked up on."
Cooley pointed out that having game film available on the iPad was a "cop out."
"You're going to say, oh yeah, I'm going to go home and watch this film," he said. "And I know in my heart, as a player, that I had good intentions to spend a little bit of extra time ... it rarely went in the DVD player."
Veteran safety Ryan Clark, who grades out as the team's worst defender, according to ProFootballFocus.com, took issue with Cooley's characterization that the Redskins have been ill-prepared in recent weeks.
"First and foremost, I don't pay attention to Chris Cooley" Clark began.
"Everybody doesn't have to do the same thing," he continued. "Everybody doesn't have to be first in, first out. I've played with a ton of extremely good football players who were the last to work in the morning, and they were first to leave, and they produced.
"So I think that is an excuse that people try to make up, because people try to find reasons why things aren't working, so you want to say people don't work hard, people aren't in the building, you know what I mean?"
Clark added: "I played with Cooley. And when I was in the building in the mornings and in the evenings, he wasn't here with me. You know what I mean?
Given Cooley's predilection for studying his playbook while stark naked, that was probably in everyone's best interest.
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Report: Cardinals will shut down RB Andre Ellington for rest of season
The Cardinals notched their 10th victory of the season Sunday and currently sit with the No. 1 seed in the NFC. If they want to hold onto their lofty perch, they will have to do so without their leading rusher. According to Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 AM in Arizona, Ellington will be placed on injured reserve because of hip and groin injuries. Jurecki reports that Ellington will visit a specialist in Philadelphia this week to find out the extent of his injuries. Jurecki says that Ellington has a sports hernia to go along with his hip pointer. Plus, prior to Week 14, Ellington had been playing through a torn ligament in his foot for the entire season.His season will end after 201 carries and 660 rushing yards (3.3 yards per carry). He also caught 46 passes for 395 yards. Ellington scored five total touchdowns.
Ellington's production had really fallen off since Week 10. It's plausible to think the 200-pound back simply broke down after three consecutive games (Weeks 7-9) with at least 20 carries. After Week 9, Ellington didn't gain more than 42 rushing yards in any contest, averaged fewer than 2 yards per carry and had just one rush longer than 9 yards. He's an exciting player, but perhaps this year taught us that Ellington isn't made to be a workhorse-type back. At least Bruce Arians gave him a chance to be just that.On Sunday against Kansas City, Stepfan Taylor and Marion Grice were expected to lead Arizona's backfield. So, of course Kerwynn Williams, who was signed off of the practice squad Friday, was given 19 carries and collected 100 yards. Taylor got the start, but gained 26 yards on just seven touches. Grice took three carries for 6 yards. This Cardinals rushing attack has a tough matchup in Week 15 as it will visit the Rams on Thursday night. I can't imagine any owner vying to play for a fantasy championship would trust Williams, a second-year seventh-round pick from Utah State, after one good game. Today's work represented Williams' first offensive touches in an NFL game. He, like Ellington, is an undersized player. He stands at just 5-foot-8 and 198 pounds.
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