You want to see a difference in your organization? Go look at the Redskins of '09 vs. this year. Last year the Redskins were 0-6 against the NFC East. This year, they're 1-0, and that victory Sunday night came against 'our' most hated rival.
Game breakdown:
Yes, the Skins only scored 13 points, but that was 6 better than the Cowboys. There should have been a minimum of two touchdowns, but hey, it's football. You get it where you can. I think that the biggest thing to take away from this game is that the Skins D was flying all over the field! There were multiple hats on every tackle, and pressure on the QB. That's something that we haven't seen in a few years in this town. A defensive touchdown was the first since '07, and it's clear that Haslett's motto of 'get to the ball' is well at work. Practice personality translates to game personality, and the D showed that.
The offense didn't look as if it was clicking on all cylinders, but the O always takes longer than the D to come around, especially when you're dealing with a new QB in a new system under a new head football coach. It will be fine, trust me, my Redskin fans! Clinton Portis is still the hardest blocking tailback in the league, and middle linebackers need to think twice about taking him man up when blitzing on passing plays. Donovan McNabb just makes plays. Bottom line. I loved Jason Campbell, but there would have been picks or fumbles where Mcnabb was completing passes under pressure. The rookie Trent Williams is a beast!
The special teams had the field goal blunder, but deciding to go for the 49 yard field goal instead of punting showed the trust that the staff has in the young kicker, Gano. Well done, and it proved to be a game changer!
Play of the game:
Obviously, this is the last play of the half when DeAngelo Hall just makes a beautiful play by stripping the ball and taking it in for 6. Nice call by the Cowboys, and a better decision by Tony Romo. Thanks for being idiots!
Game balls:
Offense - D. McNabb for great leadership and no turnovers. He moved the ball when needed, and it wasn't his fault for three dropped balls. C. Portis for running hard all game! Late in the game, his re-dedication paid off. He was still running hard when the Dallas D was tired. He also was killing blitzing linebackers all game! T. Williams for an outstanding first game as a pro! He had to go toe to toe with one of the games best in DeMarcus Ware, and he did so as well as we could have hoped for!
Defense - L. Landry for 17 tackles. Really? 17 tackles? Wow! It seemed like he was in on every tackle, and 17 tackles is just amazing! B. Orakpo for being held all game! He never complained, never quit, and kept going after it. Well done! D. Hall for the play of the game, but more importantly, for being a tackling machine! I counted only one missed tackle, and he was on an island all game to make those tackles at the first point of contact. J. Haslett and the rest of the D for just showing up! The entire D was all over the place, and it was a complete team effort to shut down a high powered offense!
Special Teams - G. Gano for drilling a 49 yard field goal with ease! It's great to have a kicker who the Redskins can rely on, and a strong camp is translating, at least for 1 week, into a strong season! D. Thomas for two just GREAT kick returns! He comes full steam ahead with the ball, and he gave the Skins offense great field position on both returns.
*Fans - had to put out a special game ball to the fans. Watching on TV, there were times that I could not even hear the refs because the stadium was so loud! That is by far the loudest I have EVER heard Fed Ex during a Redskins game. Great home support for our guys in burgundy and gold! And how about those gold pants?? Nice!
Looking Ahead:
Tough game this week against a team that just came off their biggest win in team history by running the ball hard! This will really challenge the 3-4, and a strong QB and WR to go along with that running game could spell trouble. This is why that win against Dallas was so important. The Redskins will take a 1-0 division record into a game against a very strong AFC team. A loss here after a loss to the Cowboys could have been very costly to the mindset of the organization and the fans. However, a 1-0 record in the division and a loss to an AFC team will not hurt them as badly. All of that being said, I like the Redskins chances in this game, IF the O can score some points. 13 points won't cut it.
Prediction:
Redskins - 17 Texans - 21
(I hope I'm wrong!)
For more Redskin blogging, be sure to check out http://www.inpapasbasement.com/! One of my favorites!
As always, Hail to the Redskins.....and F*** Dallas!
Defense was not all that. Yes, they only allowed 6 points to the 'Boys, but they folded in Crunch Time. But for an otherwise inconsequential holding call, the D would have lost the game for the 'Skins. And Monday's D is very much like the 'Skins clubs of recent years--good in theory, not so good in practice. I need to see more from them before I'm convinced.
ReplyDeleteWithout checking or really knowing, I'd guess that 17 tackles is a ton for a safety, but does this speak to a weak front seven?
I never much cared for Pat Dye, but he spoke sage-like wisdom when he declared, "You got to be sound in the kicking game." So yeah, nice kicker. (By the way, if I could change any rule in Football, I would eliminate the field goal. Just sharing.)
It's really really really hard to pick games in the second week of the NFL season. The lucky victor Skins get 2.5 from the visiting Texans, coming off a huge win against a division powerhouse. I'll bet the home dawg here.
A lot of good points here. The only 6 that they gave up was after a shanked punt, and the Cowboys got the ball inside the Skins 40. Carlos 'no hands' Rogers once again dropped a game sealing easy interception on that last drive.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I noticed about Landry's ridiculous numbers was that a lot of the tackles were close to the line of scrimmage. They seem to have him playing up more, and it paid off. The majority of his tackles were not 30 yards down field.
First the 3 point line and now field goals? I'm guessing that your least favorite number is 3!
If the Redskins can shut down the run game and make them one dimensional, then they have a shot. Of course, that does mean that they still have Andre Johnson to defend, and a one dimensional team with Andre Johnson is scary!
I'll spare you the details of why I would eliminate field goals from Football (maybe I'll have a few drinks in me and launch into a lecture sometime), but the bottom line is that I think it would make for a more interesting game.
ReplyDeleteI agree, but think that field goals should be awarded based off points. 50+ = 4 points, 40-50 = 3 points, 20-30 = 2 points, 20 under = 1 point. What do you think??
ReplyDeleteThe NFL briefly flirted with the notion of a 4 point field goal a few years back, but quickly--and wisely--abandoned the idea.
ReplyDeleteAwarding higher point values for longer field goals creates the same problem as the...shameful three point line in basketball: you reward the offense if the defense plays well. In basketball, teams routinely forgo moving the ball closer to the goal for a longer shot. You would see this in football with more points for longer kicks. Teams would sometimes stop moving forward to try for the additional points. It's another strategy to be sure, but would undermine the essential nature of the game.