Redskins

Royals! Redskins! And a really really bad breakup! Today's online trends have it all. First up, royal wife Kate Middleton is again under the media microscope -- fortunately for her she has all her clothes on this time. The royal baby (or babies!) received loads of attention yesterday and now the online discussion is moving toward what we should name the baby (or babies!). I'm sure the Duke and Duchess will consult Reddit before the momentous decision. Meanwhile, Redskins rookie sensation  Robert Griffin (a.k.a.

Steelers 23, Ravens 20 Strategy: The Ravens aggressively tried to strike deep, but were largely inefficient. Wide receiver Torrey Smith was targeted eight times, but only generated three catches for 31 yards. They wavered between a smash-mouth approach and a free-wheeling passing game. The no-huddle offense was used just three times, one leading to Anquan Boldin's touchdown against an overmatched Cortez Allen. The shotgun formation was curtailed severely, down to 14 of 58 plays after the Ravens used it 51 times in San Diego a week earlier.

First it was the Washington Redskins management endorsing Maryland's gambling expansion referendum. Now it's one of the team's most best-known former players. Lavar Arrington, the Redskins' former star linebacker, has cut a TV ad for the MGM-backed ballot committee supporting Question 7, touting the claimed benefits for Maryland in terms of jobs and investments here. With the Redskins' FedEx Field in Prince George's County in the background, Arrington tells viewers how much he hates losing -- and that Maryland is losing the jobs and money that leave the state when its residents gamble in other states such as West Virginia.

OK, I was wrong about Billy Cundiff. Really, really wrong. Sharp readers of this newspaper - do we have any other kind? -- may recall that right before the season started, I wrote that the Ravens had made a mistake cutting Biilly Cundiff and going with rookie Justin Tucker as their kicker. I wrote that a team with serious designs on a Super Bowl berth needed an experienced kicker who had been through the NFL wars. And I wrote that Cundiff would bounce back from that disastrous 32-yard miss in the AFC title game last January against the New England Patriots and be dependable kicker again.

The Washington Redskins football team endorsed a yes vote in the ultra-expensive gambling expansion referendum heading for the Maryland ballot this fall, contending the measure will bring thousands of jobs to Prince George's County. The NFL team, which trains in Northern Virginia but plays its home games in Prince George's, said it was joining a coalition of businesses that support Question 7, which would permit a casino in the county and allow table games at Maryland's current and planned slots parlors.

Prior to his release in 2011, running back Willis McGahee had another role with the Ravens. He backed up Morgan Cox as the team's long snapper. Since then, however, the identity of the latest backup has been shrouded in mystery. Coach John Harbaugh deferred to special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg, who in turn declined to disclose the reserve's identity. But the value of a backup long snapper has been heightened after what happened to a pair of long snappers on the first weekend of the regular season.

Defenses will adjust Aaron Wilson Baltimore Sun It was a masterful debut for Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III, practically perfect as he outdueled Drew Brees. So, what's next for the dynamic rookie? Defenses will make some adjustments to try to curtail his impact. They'll study his tendencies to find a hole in his game, if one even exists. Once there's a larger body of work of Griffin III, someone will devise a way to at least contain him. Remember, there are better defenses out there than the suspect Saints.

Billy Cundiff didn't have to wait long, nor did he have to travel far, to get another kicking job. Cundiff, whose contract was terminated by the Ravens on Sunday after he lost his job to undrafted rookie Justin Tucker, has agreed to sign with the Washington Redskins. The news was first reported by ESPN. Washington reportedly has cut Graham Gano, who was believed to have won the kicking job when the Redskins cut Neil Rackers yesterday. Gano was in competition for the Ravens' kicking job before the 2009 season, but he was ultimately beaten out by Steven Hauschka.

Darnerien McCants, a former wide receiver for the Washington Redskins, can pursue workers' compensation benefits in Maryland for injuries he sustained during games and practices in other states, Maryland's highest court ruled Thursday. The unanimous decision comes on the heels of a related ruling Wednesday in a case involving another former Redskins player. The Court of Appeals allowed Tom Tupa, who had been a punter for the Virginia-based team, to obtain workers' compensation benefits for a career-ending injury suffered in 2005 during warm-ups before a home game at FedEx Field in Landover.