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NewCliche21

VICTORY!!

Redskins 29 - Giants 27

 

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:1386: Well ladies and gents, here we are.  Coming into New York (except not, because it's New Jersey, but who wants to admit they're in New Jersey on purpose?), we sitting here 0-2, last in the division, while the Giants are sitting pretty (pretty ugly) at 2-0 with a division win.  My my how things turn so quickly, and that's the goal today.

With a win today, we're right back in this.  That'll put us at .500 in the division and put some wind at our backs when we come home to face the Browns.

So far, it's been a hell of a time up here.  Going to the Redskins Rally with @TK, we walked past Trent Williams in the lobby.  Keep in mind, I'm not one to get opportunities to see players, so I pretty much was "NBD" on the outside but "OMG!!!!!" on the inside.  Rinse and repeat as I met Cooley, Doc, Bruce, and Larry Michaels.  Yeah, it was a good time.

Just finished up breakfast and I got to rinse and repeat walking by Sonny and meeting Doug Williams.  I'm 32 years old and feel like I'm a quarter of that age (probably still the same height).  The Rally was a really good time, but now I'm sitting here in the press box waiting for the game to start.

Warm ups look like warm ups, but for all of our Fashion Police, we're in white tops and burgundy bottoms.  I usually don't care too much about that stuff, but it helped our run in 2005, so why the hell not?  Not much interesting going on right now, but we're 80 minutes from turning this season around.

I'll update throughout the game, probably at the quarters.

 

ANNOUNCEMENT OF INACTIVES

 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Washington Redskins have announced the following inactives and lineup changes for today’s game against the New York Giants:

 

The Redskins declared the following players as inactive: 

o   No. 2 QB Nate Sudfeld

o   No. 18 WR Josh Doctson

o   No. 38 CB Kendall Fuller

o   No. 50 LB Martrell Spaight

o   No. 72 DE Anthony Lanier II

o   No. 74 G Arie Kouandjio

o   No. 97 DE Kendall Reyes

The Giants declared the following players as inactive: 

o   No. 8  QB Josh Johnson

o   No. 23 RB Rashad Jennings

o   No. 27 S Darian Thompson

o   No. 73 T Marshall Newhouse

o   No. 82 WR Roger Lewis, Jr.

o   No. 97 DT Montori Hughes

o   No. 99 DT Robert Thomas

 

Well seven minutes before kickoff the stands are not that full, maybe 2/3, especially on the 50.

 

With 6:00 left in the first, down 14-3.

Breeland is out for the game with an ankle injury.  Did not look good from up here. 

With 25 seconds left in the first, it's 14-6.  Cousins looking better but still not good enough.  Can't trade touchdowns for field goals.

:1386: END OF FIRST QUARTER - Not looking happy.  Bashaud out, and that muffed punt seems like it popped the balloon before it even inflated.  Really need to turn this around on this third and 8 to begin the second quarter.

Not sure how many more happy moments we'll have, but that :32 drive was beautiful by Cousins.  Need to see more of that if we want to win, today or ever.

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:1386: END OF FIRST HALF - Story of the day is still the same.  Cousins looking like a shell of 2015 except for three great throws.  Unfortunately, those great throws for him are expected for QB's getting $19.95M.  He's not getting it done, but somehow it's still a one-score game.

Tendencies so far are frustration on defense and frustration with number 8.  We're also doing our usual when it comes to the penalties.  Not really sure why it's going this way this year, but we're being consistent.  Injuries haven't been our friend with some of the guys in the box calling this another bodybag game.  Breeland, Hall, Jackson, who's next?

And then by my count are 35 drive-killing penalty yards.  Not sure how this keeps happening either, but at least we're beating the Giants in that department.

Despite how this game may be feeling, we're still in this and we get the ball at the half.  Hail.

Note: Last Redskin to get reception and interception in same game, Christmas Eve, 2000 was Champ Bailey

Halfway through the fourth and we've got ourselves a ball game.  Really need to start taking advantage of the opportunities that we're getting.  Seven for us on this drive would make a lot of people feel a lot better.

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:1386: FINAL UPDATE: Well I went a little silent after basically eight thousand things happened in a row, and then the game ended.  This team has a scrap to them, ladies and gentlemen, and boy did it come out when it mattered.  We finished with 29 points off of seven scoring drives, and that's nothing to sneeze at.  Going forward, we sure want to see those 29 become 49, but it seems that maybe we're wrong about this team. 

Having a more public platform to state this from, I'll take advantage.  Too often here do we have members cheer against the team in order to say "I told you so."  Man, being wrong is absolutely fantastic.  After we traded two touchdowns for a field goal in the first quarter, I thought that we were going to lose. I didn't say it in the Game Day Thread or in this blog, but I thought we were done.  We were 0-2 at the Meadowlands where we never win with an offense that was oozing incompetence and players were dropping like flies.  And you know what?  I was wrong.  Our backups came in, the team got some motivation and some insane plays from Reed, Way, Crowder, and Dunbar, and now I sit here listening to Giants fans being unhappy because we beat them in their house for the first time since 2011.  It sounds like Heaven.

We overcame adversity and instead of floundering in our losses, we went out there and done won the damned thing!  Our defense was porous and allowed six scoring drives for the Giants, but they also came up with huge turnovers to give our offense a shot.  Speaking with Josh Norman after the game, he told me that watching new unheralded guys was just amazing, like he's been there.  Specifically Dunbar and Cravens, Josh was beaming like a new father.

Not sure if it picked up on the audio, but Trent Williams said he was "stunned" when he got the call to shift over to left guard.  Maybe it was because he was standing next to him, but he was very happy with how Ty did taking over.  I missed the beginning of Gruden's conference because in the press box getting down to the players/coaches is like trying to get a new XBOX on Christmas Eve.  Both Gruden and Cousins were very happy with the team's resilience, but something I did like with Gruden is that when he was asked about what the hell happened before the half, his smile instantly disappeared.  He was very unhappy with how that was handled, and you couldn't even tell that he had just won the game.  It's good to see that the team takes the same approach to fixing mistakes win or lose.

A couple of random facts that I may be the only one finds interesting:

1)  The Giants had a player ejected after breaking a rule put in place due to Beckham's behavior against Norman last year.

2)  Quinton Dunbar now has two interceptions in the Giants' endzone.

3)  Quinton Dunbar's interception was an Odell Beckham-like one-handed grab.

4)  Giants fans.  I mean, just look at 'em.

:1386: Got some audio up in the downloads section and trying to get some more up later.  In case you watch Norman's press conference, I'm the guy awkwardly asking the second-to-last question because why not?

Hopefully today is the start of something fantastic and we can keep it going next week at home versus Cleveland.

Hell of a first win, guys.  Now let's just get 16 more.

HAIL!

 

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TK

Redskins Rally in NY

Last night myself & NewCliche21 took a few subway rides into the city to check out the Rally event hosted by Larry, Doc, Cooley, Bruce Allen, & former Redskins local guy Stephen Bowen. 

The team had several giveaways such as three pairs of tickets & several autographed items. 

 

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TK

Week 3 What To Watch For

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»» The Redskins and Giants facing each other for the 169th time, including postseason play. The Giants are the Redskins’ most-common opponent.

»» The Redskins attempting to secure their 67th all-time win against the Giants, their third-most against any opponent in franchise history.

»» The Redskins and Giants meeting each other at MetLife Stadium in Week 3 for a second consecutive season.

»» The Redskins earning their first road win against the Giants since a 23-10 victory against the eventual Super Bowl Champions at MetLife Stadium on Dec. 18, 2011.

»» The Redskins facing first-year Giants Head Coach Ben McAdoo. The Redskins play five games against newly hired head coaches this season, including one vs. Cleveland’s Hue Jackson and two each vs. McAdoo and Philadelphia’s Doug Pederson.

»» The Redskins extending their road winning streak to four games, dating back to last season. The Redskins’ last four-game road winning streak came in Weeks 4-12 of the 2008 season.

»» The Redskins setting a team record by exceeding 350 yards of offense in a seventh consecutive regular season game, dating back to last season. The team’s current six-game stretch is tied with streaks set across the 1988-89 and 2011-12 season.

»» The Redskins reaching the 400-yard mark for a fifth time in a span of six regular season games, dating back to last season, the first such stretch since Weeks 6-11 in 2013.

»» The Redskins scoring 20 points in a fourth consecutive divisional game, dating back to last season, for the first time since scoring 20+ on four straight NFC East opponents in Weeks 10-17 of the 2007 season.

»» The Redskins entering the game allowing a sack on only 2.25 percent of pass attempts, the best mark in the NFC and secondbest in the NFL.

»» The Redskins adding to their 24 forced fumbles since the start of the 2015 season, most in the NFL. The Redskins are also tied for the league lead with 17 fumble recoveries in that span.

»» The Redskins forcing a takeaway for a fifth consecutive game, dating back to last season. It would be the team’s first five-game takeaway streak since a six-game run in Weeks 4-10 last season.

»» The Redskins posting their sixth four-sack game since the start of the 2015 season.

»» Quarterback Kirk Cousins recording his 15th career 300-yard passing game, including postseason play, to move past Joe Theismann (14) for sole possession of second in team history.

»» Cousins becoming the first Redskins quarterback to open a season with three consecutive 300-yard passing games since Robert Griffin III in 2013.

»» Cousins tying a team record by exceeding 300 passing yards in three consecutive regular season games. It would be the second time in his career (Weeks 14-16, 2015) and only the third time in team history (Cousins in 2015, Griffin in 2013).

»» Cousins (7,889) pursuing No. 10 Eddie LeBaron (8,068) and No. 9 Griffin (8,097) on the team’s career passing yardage list.

»» Cousins (48) throwing one touchdown to pass Gus Frerotte (48) for eighth-most career touchdown passes in Redskins histiory.

»» Cousins (48) throwing two touchdown passes to join Sammy Baugh, Sonny Jurgensen, Joe Theismann, Billy Kilmer, Mark Rypien, Eddie LeBaron and Jason Campbell as the only quarterbacks in team history to throw 50 career touchdown passes.

»» Cousins (677) completing three passes to pass Griffin (679) for eighth-most completions in team history.

»» Cousins (1,039) chasing No. 10 Griffin (1,063) and No. 9 Norm Snead (1,092) on the team’s career pass attempts list.

»» Tight end Vernon Davis adding to his 55 career touchdown receptions, seventh-most of any tight end in NFL history.

»» Wide receiver Pierre Garçon (493) catching nine passes to reach 500 career receptions.

»» Garçon catching two touchdown passes to become the 15th player in Redskins history to post 20 touchdown receptions with the team.

»» Safety DeAngelo Hall (five) returning a fumble for a touchdown to tie Jason Taylor (six) for the most career fumble return touchdowns in NFL history.

»» Hall (three with Washington) returning another fumble for a touchdown to break the team record for career fumble return touchdowns (three by Chris Hanburger and Brad Dusek).

»» Hall improving upon his 43 career interceptions, most among active NFL players.

»» Hall intercepting a pass to tie Ken Houston (24) for ninthmost in team history.

»» Hall maintaining his second-place ranking among active players in career non-offensive touchdowns (10).

»» Kicker Dustin Hopkins (made 10 straight) converting his next field goal attempt to set a career best for consecutive made field goal attempts in regular season play.

»» Wide receiver DeSean Jackson (7,956) gaining 44 receiving yards to become the ninth active player to reach 8,000 career receiving yards (Andre Johnson, Steve Smith Sr., Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Brandon Marshall, Jason Witten, Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson).

»» Jackson (24) recording a 50-plus-yard touchdown to tie Steve Smith, Sr. (25) for fourth in total touchdowns of 50 yards or more in the NFL since the 1970 merger.

»» Jackson (20) recording a 60-plus-yard touchdown to tie Devin Hester (21) for second-most total touchdowns of 60 yards or more in NFL history.

»» Jackson improving upon his 33 career regular season receptions of 50 yards or more, the most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2008.

»» Jackson maintaining his 19.4-yard average on receptions since joining the Redskins in 2014, the best among qualified NFL players in that time frame.

»» Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan recording 1.0 sack to become the third player in team history to reach 50 career sacks since 1982 (Dexter Manley and Charles Mann).

»» Tight end Jordan Reed (194) catching six passes to join Chris Cooley, Jerry Smith and Don Warren as the only tight ends in team history with 200 career receptions.

»» Returner Rashad Ross recording his second career kickoff return touchdown to tie the team record for career kickoff return touchdowns. Andy Farkas (1938-44), Eddie Saenz (1946-51), Bobby Mitchell (1962-68) and Brian Mitchell (1990-99) are tied for the franchise lead with two each.

 

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Redskins Offense
»» Ranks first in the NFL in percentage of rushes of 4+ yards (58.6)
»» Ranks first in the NFL in percentage of 3-and-out drives (5.0)
»» Ranks first in the NFC and second in the NFL in 25+ yard passing plays (7)
»» Ranks first in the NFC and second in the NFL in sacks per pass attempt (2.25%)
»» Ranks tied for first in the NFL in fumbles lost (0)
»» Ranks tied for first in the NFL in dropped passes (0%)
»» Ranks tied for first in the NFC and NFL in pass attempts (89)
»» Ranks tied for first in the NFC and NFL pass completions (58)
»» Ranks tied for first in the NFL in giveaways on 1st and goal from inside the 5 (0)
»» Ranks tied for first in the NFL in scoring percentage on 1st and goal from inside the 5 (100.0)
»» Ranks second in the NFL in passing first downs (32)
»» Ranks second in the NFL in percentage of second down plays converted for first downs (42.1)
»» Ranks second in the NFC and third in the NFL in yards per play (6.80)
»» Ranks second in the NFC and third in the NFL in passing yards per game (339.5)
»» Ranks second in the NFC and third in the NFL in net passing yards (679)
»» Ranks second in the NFC and third in the NFL in gross passing yards (693)
»» Ranks tied for second in the NFL in QB sacks (2)
»» Ranks tied for second in the NFL in red zone drives (10)
»» Ranks third in the NFL in net passing yards per game (339.5)
»» Ranks third in the NFL in percent of first down plays gaining 4+ yards (59.6%)
»» Ranks third in the NFC and fourth in the NFL in first down yards per play (7.51)
»» Ranks third in NFC and sixth in the NFL in rushing yards per play (4.72)
»» Ranks third in the NFL in rushing for 4+ yards on 1st down (57.1%)
»» Ranks fourth in the NFC and seventh in the NFL in yards per game (408.0)
»» Ranks fourth in the NFL in average yards gained on first down (7.51)
»» Ranks tied for fourth in the NFL in starting position drives starting inside opponents’ 50 (3)
»» Ranks fifth in the NFL in average starting field position (30.6)
»» Ranks tied for fifth in the NFL in points on the first offensive possession of second half (7)
»» Ranks sixth in the NFC in completion percentage (65.2%)
»» Ranks sixth in the NFC and ninth in the NFL in passing yards per play (7.63)
»» Ranks sixth in the NFC and ninth in the NFL in longest pass (57)
»» Ranks sixth in the NFC and 10th in the NFL in pass yards per attempt (7.79)
»» Ranks tied for sixth in the NFL in plays of 10+ yards (31)
»» Ranks eighth in the NFC in first downs per game (21.0)
»» Ranks eighth in the NFL in percentage of first down passes gaining 4+ yards (61.1)
»» Ranks tied for eighth in the NFL in completions of 20+ yards (8)
»» Ranks tied for eighth in the NFL in goal-to-go drives (4)
»» Ranks ninth in the NFL in 3rd-and-long conversion percentage (36.4%)
»» Ranks ninth in the NFL in percentage of offensive drives resulting in points (45.0)

Redskins Defense
»» Ranks first in the NFC and second in the NFL in total tackles (153)
»» Ranks first in the NFC and second in the NFL in assisted tackles (69)
»» Ranks tied for first in the NFL in points allowed on drives beginning in the final two minutes of a half (0)
»» Ranks tied for first in the NFL in opponent drives starting inside the team’s own 20 (0)
»» Ranks tied for first in the NFL in opponent rushing plays of 50+ yards (0)
»» Ranks tied for second in the NFL in interception returns of 20+ yards (1)
»» Ranks tied for third in the NFC and NFL in fumbles forced (3)
»» Ranks tied for fourth in the NFC and eighth in the NFL in quarterback sacks (5)
»» Ranks fourth in the NFL in opponent passer rating on second down (57.8)
»» Ranks tied for fourth in the NFC and tied for seventh in the NFL in passes defensed (11)
»» Ranks tied for fifth in the NFC and ninth in the NFL in sacks per pass attempt (7.46%)
»» Ranks tied for fifth in the NFC in sacks (5)
»» Ranks tied for sixth in the NFL in opponent scoring percentage on 1st and goal from inside the 5 (66.7%)
»» Ranks seventh in the NFC in interception rate (1.49%)
»» Ranks tied for seventh in the NFL in yards after catch allowed (7)
»» Ranks eighth in the NFL in average opponent yards gained on first down (4.64)
»» Ranks eighth in the NFC and ninth in the NFL in solo tackles (84)
»» Ranks ninth in the NFC in sack yards (24)
»» Ranks tied for 10th in the NFL in opponent rushing plays of 10+ yards (4)

 

Redskins Special Teams
»» Ranks tied for first in the NFC and NFL in field goal percentage (100.0%)
»» Ranks tied for first in the NFL in opponent punt returns of 20+ yards (0)
»» Ranks tied for first in the NFC and tied for fourth in the NFL in special teams assisted tackles (4)
»» Ranks second in the NFC and NFL in average punt return (15.7)
»» Ranks second in the NFC and fourth in the NFL in average starting field position following kickoffs (25.7)
»» Ranks tied for second in the NFL in punt returns of 20+ yards (1)
»» Ranks fifth in the NFC and ninth in the NFL in kickoff return average (23.7)
»» Ranks fifth in the NFC and eighth in the NFL in opponent punt return average (7.0)
»» Ranks 10th in the NFL in kickoff touchback percentage (72.7%)

 

Redskins Players
»» Bashaud Breeland ranks second in the NFC and tied for seventh in the NFL in passes defensed (3)
»» Breeland ranks tied for second in the NFC and tied for sixth in the NFL in interceptions (1)
»» Breeland ranks seventh in the NFC and tied for eighth in the NFL in solo tackles (15)
»» Will Compton ranks first in the NFC and second in the NFL in assisted tackles (14)
»» Compton ranks fourth in the NFC and fifth in the NFL in total tackles (23)
»» Kirk Cousins ranks tied for first in the NFL in pass attempts (89)
»» Cousins ranks tied for first in the NFL in pass completions (58)
»» Cousins ranks first in the NFC and second in the NFL in 25+ yard passes (7)
»» Cousins ranks second in the NFC and NFL in passing first downs (32)
»» Cousins second in the NFC and third in the NFL in passing yards (693)
»» Cousins ranks sixth in the NFC in completion percentage (65.2)
»» Cousins ranks sixth in the NFC in yards per attempt (7.79)
»» Cousins ranks sixth in the NFC in longest pass (57)
»» Cousins ranks eighth in the NFL in second down passer rating (105.1)
»» Cousins ranks tied for eighth in the NFL in completions of 20+ yards by QB
»» Jamison Crowder ranks third in the NFL in fourth quarter receptions (6)
»» Crowder ranks third in the NFC and NFL in punt returns (3)
»» Crowder ranks fourth in the NFC and sixth in the NFL in punt return yards (47)
»» Crowder ranks tied for sixth in the NFL in receptions on 3rd and short (1)
»» Vernon Davis ranks fifth in the NFC and tied for ninth in the NFL in longest reception amongst tight ends (32)
»» Davis ranks tied for second in the NFC and tied for fifth in the NFL in 25+ yard receptions amongst tight ends (1)
»» Davis ranks third in the NFL in average yards after catch amongst tight end (7.3)
»» Davis ranks sixth in the NFC in average receiving yards amongst tight ends (11.8)
»» Davis ranks sixth in the NFC in yards after catch amongst tight ends (44)
»» Mason Foster ranks tied for first in the NFC and NFL in total tackles (24)
»» Foster ranks tied for second in the NFC and tied for third in the NFL in assisted tackles (11)
»» Dustin Hopkins ranks tied for first in the NFL and in the NFC in field goal percentage (100.0%)
»» Hopkins ranks tied for first in the NFC and tied for second in the NFL in field goals made (6)
»» Hopkins ranks third in the NFC and tied for fifth in the NFL in points scored by kickers (21)
»» Hopkins ranks tied for fourth in the NFC and tied for seventh in the NFL in field goals attempted (6)
»» Hopkins ranks eighth in the NFL in touchbacks on kickoffs (8)
»» DeSean Jackson ranks third in the NFC in 25+ yard receptions (3)
»» Josh Norman ranks tied for first in the NFC and NFL in passes defensed (5)
»» Dashaun Phillips ranks tied for third in the NFC in defensive fumble recoveries (1)
»» Jordan Reed ranks tied for first in the NFC and NFL in receptions per game amongst tight ends (6.0)
»» Reed ranks tied for first in the NFC and NFL in targets amongst tight ends (18)
»» Reed ranks tied for first in the NFC and NFL in targets per game amongst tight ends (9.0)
»» Reed ranks first in the NFC and second in the NFL in third down receptions among tight ends (5)
»» Reed ranks second in the NFC and NFL in yards at catch amongst tight ends (88)
»» Reed ranks second in the NFC and fourth in the NFL in receiving yards amongst tight ends (134)
»» Reed ranks second in the NFC and fourth in the NFL in receiving yards per game amongst tight ends (67.0)
»» Reed ranks tied for second in the NFC in 25+ yards receptions amongst tight ends (1)
»» Reed ranks tied for third in the NFC and NFL in first down receptions amongst tight ends (7)
»» Reed ranks tied for fourth in the NFC and tied for sixth in the NFL in third-down receptions (5)
»» Reed ranks fifth in the NFC and 10th in the NFL in yards after catch amongst tight ends (46)

TK

Lets take a look at the run/pass selection by Down & yards to go. It was bad enough after the Steelers game, but now the scales are tipped WAY out of balance. I haven't looked it up but damn if this doesn't make me wonder if the Rams "Greatest Show On Turf" years passed this much. looking at these breakdowns, you'd think this was from a Madden season & not an actual NFL team. I'm curious to see this weekend if the Giants stack the box only when it's 1st & 6-10 to go as that's the only dominate time the Redskins seem to ever run the ball. 

Quote
Down Analysis Report for Washington Redskins
Yards to Go Rushing Plays Avg Yards per Rush Rushing First Downs % Rushing Plays Converted Passing Plays Avg Yards per Pass Passing First Downs % Passing Plays Converted
1 to 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
3 to 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 to 10 0 0 0 0 2 6.5 0 0
11 to 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16+ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 rushing plays (0 average yards per rush), 3 passing plays (4.33 average yards per passing play)Fourth Down

Yards to Go Rushing Plays Avg Yards per Rush Rushing First Downs % Rushing Plays Converted Passing Plays Avg Yards per Pass Passing First Downs % Passing Plays Converted
1 to 2 1 0 0 0 2 4 2 100.00%
3 to 5 0 0 0 0 4 3.75 2 50.00%
6 to 10 0 0 0 0 12 7.67 4 33.33%
11 to 15 0 0 0 0 3 6 0 0
16+ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1 rushing plays (0 average yards per rush), 21 passing plays (6.33 average yards per passing play)Third DownSecond Down6 rushing plays (3.83 average yards per rush), 32 passing plays (7.12 average yards per passing play)

Yards to Go Rushing Plays Avg Yards per Rush Rushing First Downs % Rushing Plays Converted Passing Plays Avg Yards per Pass Passing First Downs % Passing Plays Converted
1 to 2 1 1 1 100.00% 0 0 0 0
3 to 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 to 10 16 5.25 2 12.50% 34 9.29 12 35.29%
11 to 15 2 0.5 0 0 2 5.5 0 0
16+ 0 0 0 0 2 7.5 0 0

First Down19 rushing plays (4.53 average yards per rush), 38 passing plays (9 average yards per passing play)

Yards to Go Rushing Plays Avg Yards per Rush Rushing First Downs % Rushing Plays Converted Passing Plays Avg Yards per Pass Passing First Downs % Passing Plays Converted
1 to 2 1 7 1 100.00% 3 1 1 33.33%
3 to 5 1 7 1 100.00% 8 11.38 5 62.50%
6 to 10 3 1 0 0 17 6.53 8 47.06%
11 to 15 0 0 0 0 3 4.67 0 0
16+ 1 6 0 0 1 9 0 0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take a look at these stats & see if anything else jumps out at you. If does, let us know in the comments below or feel free to just comment below. 

 

JimmiJo

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DEFEAT

Cowboys 27 - 23 Redskins

The word of the day is; "URGENT."

Hello everybody, JimmiJo here and I am joined by Spaceman Spiff. And our mission is to bring you the sites, sounds, and smells of today's Washington Redskins - Dallas Cowboys game.

The Washington Redskins used a prime time Monday Night opportunity to lay a spectacular egg. They were beating in most every significant area and suffered yet another national embarrassment.

Ok, so that one's over. 

But while I am usually all for the 24-hour rule; the one where you celebrate a win or bemoan a loss for 24-hours and then move on either way - today's game must be viewed in the context of last week's loss:

- The Redskins were horrible running the ball last week. All eyes are watching to see if the rush attack exists, let alone improves.
- The run defense was very poor. Dallas is known for having a poor line. They have a rookie is Ezekiel Elliot who wants to prove he merited the low draft pick (5th overall). Then there's this guy named Alfred Morris who would love to show Washington what they let get away.
- Is our best guy gonna cover their best guy? Yea, I heard all the rationalization how both Redskins corners are good and they have this scheme-thing they do...Sounded like a bunch of crapola to me. We paid a mountain of money for Josh Norman. Time for him to show us why they did.
- 0-2 at home to start the season could be really, really bad. The teeth of the schedule is later this year. You cannot give away two home games. Yes, this is must win.

Let me say that again; YES, this is MUST-WIN.

The difference between 1-1 and 0-2 is profound. Dallas features a quarterback starting just his second game in the league. This is one of the marquee rivalries in the NFL. If the Redskins can't use all of the above as motivation to go out and start whoopin' monkey ass, I'm not sure what they can use.

Prediction: They better win.

:247:ANNOUNCEMENT OF INACTIVES:247:

 

LANDOVER, Md. – The Washington Redskins have announced the following inactives and lineup changes for today’s game against the Dallas Cowboys:

 

The Redskins declared the following players as inactive:

o   No. 2 QB Nate Sudfeld

o   No. 19 WR Rashad Ross

o   No. 38 CB Kendall Fuller

o   No. 50 LB Martrell Spaight

o   No. 72 DE Anthony Lanier II

o   No. 74 G Arie Kouandjio

o   No. 97 DE Kendall Reyes

 

The Cowboys declared the following players as inactive:

o   No. 9 QB Tony Romo

o   No. 34 RB Darius Jackson

o   No. 35 S Kavon Frazier

o   No. 53 LB Mark Nzeocha

o   No. 65 G Ronald Leary

o   No. 75 DE Ryan Davis

o   No. 99 DE Charles Tapper

 

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:1386: Keys to Victory

- Run the (freaking) ball
- Pressure the youngster
- BE BOLD (play-to-win)!

Check me out in-game on Twitter @skinscast

 

:1386: BTW

Way too many Dallas fans here today. Way more than Steelers' fans last week. Please send these chuckle-heads home butthurt.

 

:1386: Half

Dumpster-fire to start on defense. Kirk Cousins is apparently allergic to throwing touchdowns. And Joe Barry finally started switching Norman back and forth.

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:1386: Audio May be found here 2016 Week 2 Cowboys at Redskins Post Game

 

:1386: Photo Album - 2016 Week 2: Cowboys at Redskins

 

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:1386: JimmiJo

It is hard to articulate my frustrations with this team. On the one hand it is maddening the extent of missed opportunities. On the other, it is more than just that.

Here's the bottom-line: the better team lost. But they lost because they did not take advantage of opportunities. They lost because they let a rookie quarterback outplay them. They lost because of the stubbornness of head coaches and coordinators who place system ahead of staff capability. 

But this is more than just missed chances and dumb-luck. As of right now this team is profoundly worse than the team that won the division last season. I plan to do a more-extensive article, but here are three areas that are killing this team right now:

1. Third Down Offense - This is an area Washington excelled in last year. In fact, it was one of the areas where they were most improved from the season prior. The Redskins ended the 2015 regular season ranked 5th overall in 3rd down conversions. This year? They currently rank 25th. Today they went 5-for-12 for 42%*.

2. Third Down Defense - This is another area where a profound drop in production has occurred. The Redskins finished last year ranked 8th in this stat. They currently rest at a dismal 27th*. Washington's drop in effectiveness in this area was noticeable week 1 versus Pittsburgh, and the trend continued against Dallas. They cannot seem to get off the field on third down, especially on third-and-long; where most teams succeed. 

3. Quarterback - Kirk Cousins is having problems. In his case, it's all in his head. Cousins finished 2015 with an overall QB rating of 101.6, 10th among quarterbacks. Following two games in 2016 Cousins is rocking a 72.7 and 32nd in the league. Beyond the numbers, his accuracy is way off. On Sunday he overthrew two wide open receivers, both of whom would have run into the end zone untouched. He also tried to force a throw into the end zone to a receiver covered by multiple defenders. The result was an interception. The subsequent Dallas drive resulted in the game-winning touchdown run from Alfred Morris.

If the Redskins would have fixed two of these today they would have won.

Unfortunately, the real list of problems are longer than the above. There is an ineffectual rushing attack. Poor personnel groupings on key plays.Poor defensive scheme, especially in the secondary, and of course; penalties.

This team has a lot if issues. And now they get to travel to New York and play the Giants. Anyone remember what happened last year when they went?

Can you say 0-and-3? 

I wonder if succession planning has already begun. A loss next week and I have to believe it will begin.

 

* According to teamrankings.com 
 

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TK

With tomorrow's first Divisional match-up against Dallas, I wanted to take a look a few things & see if anything stood out. Going by the stats from Week 1, here's what I think I'm thinking.

First thing that stood out is that Witten continues to be a QBs best receiving weapon. Followed by Beasley. And Dez? Last week he was at the bottom of their receiving list, with 1 pass out of 5 for a whopping 8 yards, only beating out the RBs. Take a look.

DAL - RECEIVING
TAR
NO
YDS
AVG
LG
TD
J.Witten
14
9
66
7.3
17
0
C.Beasley
12
8
65
8.1
15
0
T.Williams
4
3
34
11.3
14
0
G.Swaim
1
1
21
21.0
21
0
B.Butler
2
1
16
16.0
16
0
L.Dunbar
2
1
16
16.0
16
0
D.Bryant
5
1
8
8.0
8
0
E.Elliott
2
1
1
1.0
1
0
A.Morris
1
0
0
--
0
0

Going by these stats from last week, I think Witten will continue to be a match up problem for us tomorrow. I also think that Beasley & Williams will have trouble with Norman & Breeland, whether one is assigned to cover the same guy all game or just a side of the field all game. In past match-ups, Breeland has owned Dez and Dez is no A. Brown. Dallas should have a hard time passing on us tomorrow.

Speaking of passing, there's not that much film on Prescott yet. That said, he's still a Fourth Round picked Rookie & last week against the Giants, he played like it. The thing that stood out to me watching him last week (for perspective though I was watching 3 different games at once) his footwork is atrocious. He does that same RG3 thing where he'll pass while in the air after completely leaving the ground. Though Prescott's playing behind perhaps the best Offensive Line in the League, he gets the time to at least find & dump it off to Witten. Still though, his numbers last week were pretty pedestrian. The decent thing was putting up over 200 yards passing with no INTs, 

DAL - PASSING
ATT
CMP
CMP%
YDS
YD/AT
SK/YD
TD
LG
INT
RT
D.Prescott
45
25
55.6
227
5
0/0
0
21
0
69.4

 

They also protected him by only having him run twice. For 12 yards. And that brings me to their rushing attack here:

DAL - RUSHING
ATT
YDS
AVG
LG
TD
E.Elliott
20
51
2.6
8
1
A.Morris
7
35
5.0
13
0
D.Prescott
2
12
6.0
11
0
K.Smith
1
3
3.0
3
0

A first round pick in Elliot averaged 2.6 yards a carry. I don't think that's going to get it done in the NFL. Though he did score their only touchdown, so he's got that. Morris in limited action clearly was able to run better though. I think I wouldn't be surprised if Dallas actually featured Morris against us tomorrow, at least for quarter. Averaging 5 yards a carry is what gets it done in the NFL so Elliot should be taking notes when Alf is in. 

So with 101 yards rushing & 227 yards passing they proved they can move the ball with a rookie QB & RB. Tomorrow should prove different though. I think they'll struggle to complete passes over 12-15 yards but get the dump off, underneath stuff to Witten. And they'll have success in the run game, especially if they feature Morris, but I doubt Jerruh would allow the rubbing that salt in the wound move instead of showing off his shiny new first round pick in Elliot. 

Anyways, that's what I'm think I'm thinking. 

I think.

Agree? Disagree? Sound off in the comments below, but one thing I know is :dallas_sucks:

 

 

JimmiJo

Week 1 Loss Leaves Redskins Searching for Answers

By John Pappas (ES Coverage Staff)

For Redskins’ fans, this offseason was filled with excitement and anticipation.

Washington won the NFC East in 2015, riding the back of an offense and quarterback in Kirk Cousins that seemed to get better each week until losing in the first round of the playoffs.

Despite the loss, the team entered the post-season with no major injuries to key players. There were no salary cap issues and fans expected the team to keep their major stars. Even better, General Manager Scot McCloughan would have another free agency and draft to enhance the overall talent-level of the roster.

Then there was quarterback Kirk Cousins, who, unlike last year when he was named starting quarterback late in preseason, would have the benefit of an entire offseason working and learning as the starter. Despite the franchise tag placed on him by the team, which some construed as a lack of confidence in the hurler, reports from camp and limited play in preseason suggested he would pick up where he left off in 2015.

All of which left fans with a hopeful feeling for 2016, which even extended to week 1 verses Pittsburgh.

Sure, there was the fact that the Redskins don’t seem to play very well in prime time. Nor had they managed a winning campaign against the Steelers since 1991. But the expectation was a competitive game featuring scoring and a close finish.

Following the division title, many thought Washington poised to change the dynamic in nationally televised games at FedEx Field.

Instead, the game unfolded like so many other Redskins’ losses. Competitive early, Washington could not take advantage of turnovers and field position. Settling for field goals instead of touchdowns gave way to huge, momentum-shifting scoring plays by Pittsburgh. They had no success running and excepting a few passing plays beyond 20-yards, were limited to check-downs in the passing game.

Only when the Redskins abandoned the huddle for the hurry-up in the second half did they find any kind any sort of rhythm which led a touchdown drive.

In all, the loss left fans with more questions than answers. And now, the week two matchup verses the Dallas Cowboys becomes a must-win game. Sure, the Redskins can afford a non-conference loss at home to the Steelers. But add to that a division loss at home to the Cowboys, while arriving at an 0-2 record, and it becomes intolerable.

But there was one question answered in the loss: The Redskins are not an elite NFL team.

Oh they can still be good. They can still win the division. But they are not-yet ready to be discussed along with the top two or three teams in the league. They haven’t yet staked their claim.

As the sting of the loss wears off, fans are left with serious questions.

Can the Redskins run the ball?

Washington allowed Alfred Morris to leave following the season. They decided instead to hook their wagon to Matt Jones and players to be named. To begin the season, the Redskins backfield features Matt Jones, carry-over Chris Thompson, and rookie Robert Kelley.

Against Pittsburgh the rushing attack totaled 55-yards on 12 carries (one being a quarterback scramble). Jones was the top rusher with 24-yards on seven-carries. But half of those came on a single carry.

Washington’s offense ran 55-plays. But only 11 designed running plays. With so few attempts it is apparent the Redskins abandoned the run well too soon. In order to answer whether Washington can have an effective rushing attack, the Redskins need to stay with the run-game to see if it can work.

Can Washington’s defensive front pressure opposing quarterbacks?

The Redskins registered no sacks against the Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger is a master at getting the ball out quickly, and the result was 300-yards passing with three touchdowns and an interception.

Following the game, Washington made roster moves, bringing in defensive line veteran Cullen Jenkins. Jenkins spent the final week of the preseason on the Redskins’ roster, registering a sack in game 4. Washington hopes his addition will lead to more pressure on the quarterback, which will result in quarterback sacks and hurries.

Will the Redskins secondary be as good as advertised?

If Washington can generate more pressure up front, it will reduce the obligation of the secondary to cover for as long. Conversely, if the secondary can cover the receivers longer, it will create opportunities for the pass-rushers.

Defensive coordinator Joe Barry was asked why new addition Josh Norman wasn’t assigned to Anthony Brown full-time. Barry explained to the press this week Baushad Breeland was in excellent position for the first Brown touchdown Monday night, but that Brown made a near-perfect catch.

In fact, Barry stated, on very few occasions was Breeland beaten badly by Brown. The challenge was the exceptional skill of Brown, whom he described as one of the best receivers in the league.

Still, it is hard to imagine Norman not being assigned exclusively to Dez Bryant this weekend.

And with the New York Giants and Odell Beckham Jr. on the horizon, the subplots involving Norman matching up against  star receivers have fans salivating. 

In the big picture, Washington will need to do these things somewhat effectively to make the transition to a top-tier team. The Redskins have not logged back-to-back winning seasons since 1993. But this year, they have a good chance to do it.

The division remains weak and Washington need only to register performances akin to last year to compete for the NFC East. But in order to take the next step, real improvement is required on both sides of the ball.

Gregg Williams, when he was in Washington, used to say a team is never as good or as bad as a single game suggests. This is likely true and it is likely the Redskins are a better team than their first game suggested.

But in order to make the case of an improved squad, they need to start to answer the questions above.

 

John Pappas (JimmiJo) has covered the Washington Redskins since 2006 for Extremeskins, Warpath Magazine, Skinscast Podcast, and others. His mind-numbing rants can be enjoyed on Extremeskins and on Twitter @Skinscast  

TK

Dallas Week - What To Watch For

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»» The Redskins and Cowboys squaring off for the 113th time in team history, including postseason play.
»» The Redskins and Cowboys staging their earliest meeting in a season since Washington defeated Dallas, 13-7, in Week 1 of the 2010 season.
»» The Redskins earning their first home victory against the Cowboys since a division-clinching 28-18 victory against Dallas in Week 17 of the 2012 season.
»» The Redskins securing a second straight victory against the Cowboys for the first time since sweeping Dallas in 2012.
»» The Redskins pushing their all-time home record against the Cowboys to 29-30, including postseason play.
»» The Redskins seeking their third consecutive win against NFC East opponents, dating back to last season. The Redskins last three-game division winning streak came in 2012, when the team earned wins in five straight NFC East contests.
»» The Redskins scoring 30 points in a third consecutive divisional game, dating back to last season, for the first time since scoring 30+ on three straight NFC East opponents in Weeks 15-17 of the 2005 season.
»» The Redskins holding consecutive opponents without a sack for the first time since Weeks 3-4 of the 2006 season. Washington allowed zero sacks last week vs. Pittsburgh, marking the team’s first sack-free season opener since 2006.
»» Cornerback Bashaud Breeland intercepting a pass in consecutive games for the first time since Weeks 5-6 last season.
»» Quarterback Kirk Cousins recording his 14th career 300-yard passing game, including postseason play, to tie Joe Theismann (14) for second-most in team history.
»» Cousins (47) throwing one touchdown to tie or two touchdowns to pass Gus Frerotte (48) for eighth-most career touchdown passes in Redskins histiory.
»» Cousins (47) throwing three touchdown passes to join Sammy Baugh, Sonny Jurgensen, Joe Theismann, Billy Kilmer, Mark Rypien, Eddie LeBaron and Jason Campbell as the only quarterbacks in team history to throw 50 career touchdown passes.
»» Cousins (649) completing 31 passes to pass Robert Griffin III (679) for eighth-most completions in team history.
»» Cousins (993) attempting seven passes to become the 12th quarterback to attempt 1,000 career passes with the Redskins.
»» Cousins (993) throwing 25 passes to surpass Jay Schroeder (1,017) for 11th-most career pass attempts in team history.
»» Cousins (7,525) throwing for 544 yards to pass Eddie LeBaron (8,068) and enter the Top 10 in career passing yardage in Redskins history.
»» Tight end Vernon Davis playing in his 150th career regular season game.
»» Davis adding to his 55 career touchdown receptions, seventhmost of any tight end in NFL history.
»» Wide receiver Pierre Garçon (491) catching nine passes to reach 500 career receptions.
»» Garçon catching two touchdown passes to become the 15th player in Redskins history to post 20 touchdown receptions with the team.
»» Safety DeAngelo Hall playing in his 100th regular season game as a member of the Redskins. He joins Darrell Green (295), Brig Owens (158), Pat Fischer (126), Ken Houston (112), Mark Murphy (109), Reed Doughty (107), Fred Smoot (101) and Todd Bowles (100) as the only defensive backs to play 100 regular season games
for the team.
»» Hall (five) returning a fumble for a touchdown to tie Jason Taylor (six) for the most career fumble return touchdowns in NFL history.
»» Hall (three with Washington) returning another fumble for a touchdown to break the team record for career fumble return touchdowns (three by Chris Hanburger and Brad Dusek).
»» Hall improving upon his 43 career interceptions, most among active NFL players.
»» Hall intercepting a pass to tie Ken Houston (24) for ninthmost in team history.
»» Hall maintaining his second-place ranking among active players in career non-offensive touchdowns (10).
»» Defensive end Ziggy Hood appearing in his 100th career regular season game.
»» Kicker Dustin Hopkins converting his next three field goal attempts to match his career-best streak for consecutive successful regular season field goal attempts (10, Weeks 5-11 last season).
»» Wide receiver DeSean Jackson (7,916) gaining 84 receiving yards to become the ninth active player to reach 8,000 career receiving yards (Andre Johnson, Steve Smith Sr., Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Brandon Marshall, Jason Witten, Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson).
»» Jackson (24) recording a 50-plus-yard touchdown to tie Steve Smith, Sr. (25) for fourth in total touchdowns of 50 yards or more in the NFL since the 1970 merger.
»» Jackson (20) recording a 60-plus-yard touchdown to tie Devin Hester (21) for second-most total touchdowns of 60 yards or more in NFL history.
»» Jackson improving upon his 33 career regular season receptions of 50 yards or more, the most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2008.
»» Jackson maintaining his 19.6-yard average on receptions since joining the Redskins in 2014, the best among qualified NFL players in that time frame.
»» Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan recording 1.5 sacks to become the third player in team history to reach 50 career sacks since 1982 (Dexter Manley and Charles Mann).
»» Kerrigan registering a sack in a third consecutive regular season game, dating back to last season, for the first time since Weeks 9-11 in 2015.
»» Kerrigan forcing a fumble in consecutive games for the first time since Weeks 13-14 in 2014.
»» Tight end Jordan Reed (1,980) gaining 20 receiving yards to become the sixth tight end in team history to record 2,000 career receiving yards with the team (Jerry Smith, Chris Cooley, Bill Anderson, Don Warren and Fred Davis).
»» Reed (189) catching 11 passes to join Cooley, Smith and Warren as the only tight ends in team history with 200 career receptions.
»» Returner Rashad Ross recording his second career kickoff return touchdown to tie the team record for career kickoff return touchdowns. Andy Farkas (1938-44), Eddie Saenz (1946-51), Bobby Mitchell (1962-68) and Brian Mitchell (1990-99) are tied for the franchise lead with two each.


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... even the Redskins’ 2016 record at 1-1.
... be the Redskins’ third consecutive victory against NFC East opponents, dating back to last season.
... push Head Coach Jay Gruden’s career record in divisional play to 7-6.
... give the Redskins consecutive victories against the Cowboys for the first time since 2012.
... represent the Redskins’ 45th victory against the Cowboys all-time, including postseason play.
... pull the Redskins’ all-time home record against Dallas to 29- 30.

JimmiJo

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DEFEAT!!!

Steelers 38 - 16 Redskins

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:1386:Opening Thoughts

JimmiJo

For me, real football is played in the biting cold of late fall, when the leaves are down and the first snows are come. That said, it is hard to argue with the weather to start this Washington Redskins football season. Bright sun, mid-80s, and low humidity add up for a spectacular late-summer day outside. And while it may be a little on the warm side, I am sure when the sun sets we will settle into a beautiful night for football.

Hello friends, JimmiJo here and I am joined by my partner of old, Murf. Together we will bring you the sites and sounds of tonight's action.

So what can we say about this matchup? Experience tells us the Steelers come in the more seasoned, accomplished side. From the roster to the coaching staff, Pittsburgh brings a formidable reputation to FedEx Field. Actually there a few reasons to not like this game if you root for the Redskins:

- The time - The Redskins do not do well in nationally televised prime-time games
- The history - Pittsburgh are winners of five on the trot against Washington. In fact, the last time the Redskins beat the Steelers during the regular season was 1991
- The fans - Few teams' fans travel to FedEx Field as well as those of the Steelers (save perhaps Philadelphia). Though the Redskins won the division last year (which should help ticket sales), expect to see more yellow towels than you'd like

Beyond what Pittsburgh bring, Washington has the some question marks coming into the new season:

- Run-game - The Redskins first-team offense struggled last season to run the ball consistently. This preseason did little to reassure it is fixed.
- Defensive pressure - Washington runs a 3-4 defensive front without a bona fide nose tackle. Admittedly, this is less and less important these days when a high number of snaps are nickle and dime packages. Still, the question of whether opponents can exploit Washington's interior line is unanswered.
- Josh Norman - Norman was arguably the best cover-corner in the league last season. And most fans were extremely confident the Redskins had landed a top-tier guy in Norman. But then training camp came and Norman was more than once the victim of a Washington receiver. Tonight we will find out if Norman is the stud the team believed they signed.
- Ring-rust - Washington hasn't taken a snap in anger since January. The body of work from the first team offense was minimal and week 3 preseason showed an offense not exactly clicking on all cylinders. 

Given their recent dominance over Washington, Pittsburgh will be coming in expecting to win. I suspect the Redskins will need to have early success to have a real chance to get this one. 

My prediction? Who the hell knows...

:1386:Murf

Hello again, my friends. Seriously, it feels like it's been entirely too long since last we spoke.

While last season's unexpected playoff run ended in disappointment, it's safe to say that the bulk of the headlines coming out of Redskins Park these days are overwhelmingly positive.

Continuity has become the norm with the Washington Redskins, which hasn't really ever been the case since Daniel Snyder bought the franchise. But the roster is no longer in a state of constant turnover, the coaching staff hasn't been radically redone and the foundation of a respectable franchise are evident. In short, the Redskins don't really resemble the punching bag the rest of the NFL lovin' world has come to know and mock.

And I, for one, couldn't be happier.

When the most constant storyline out of camp was how boring this team has become, you've finally reached respectability. When an NFC East team is drastically overpaying free agents (Giants) or blowing up the roster every offseason (Eagles) and it's not the guys in burgundy and gold, it's time to crack open a frosty and refreshing adult beverage.

Welcome to the 2016 Washington Redskins. Know them. Love them. And enjoy the ride, because who knows how long this might last.

Chances are, the Redskins will go as far as Kirk Cousins' arm takes them. While that might have been a terrifying propositions a season or two ago, it's actually kind of comforting now.

Cousins, as you know, made $660,000 last season, which was respectable considering he was a fourth-year veteran who had done little to show he deserved to be paid as anything more than a backup quarterback.

Fast forward to this year and, after putting together an electric second half of the '15 season, there's little doubt of just how important Cousins is to the Redskins. While the team and the player have yet to settle on the terms of a long-term deal, the Michigan State product will play this season on a franchise tag worth a staggering $19.95 million.

That means, by the time the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers has concluded, Cousins will have easily surpassed his earnings for all of last season. That's what happens when you throw for more passing yards in a single season than any other quarterback in Redskins history. Yeah, you like that.

But questions still remain: Can Cousins prove he's more than just a flash in the pan quarterback? Sure, his second half statistics were fantastic, but can he sustain those kind of numbers over the course of an entire season? And can the Redskins actually defeat a team with a winning record (which is something that didn't happen one year ago)?

That doesn't entirely fall on the shoulder of Cousins, but he'll play a vital role as Washington tries to post back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1991-92. Fortunately for the burgundy and gold, the season opener takes place at FedEx Field -- a place where Cousins shined in 2015.

At home last season, Cousins threw for 16 touchdowns and only two interceptions while averaging 271 yards per game. Conversely, Cousins threw for 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions while averaging 249 yards per game on the road.

Aside from Cousins, I'll be squarely focused on the ground game -- for both teams. Matt Jones, for one reason or another, has essentially been given the starting job, even though most people not currently employed in Ashbury rightly wonder why. With injury and fumble concerns and very little to show in his NFL body of work, it's not crazy to wonder why this guy has been named The Guy. Tonight is his first chance to prove skeptic (like me) wrong.

And on the other side of the ball, can anyone on the Redskins' defensive line other than Chris Baker become a factor in the team's run defense? I would have preferred to see the front office spend a little more time and resources upgrading this particular area of concern, but in Scot we trust, right?

Right?!?

Other than that, I just want to see how Josh Norman handles his first game in burgundy and gold. I'd also like to see Su'a Cravens get some playing time and, most importantly, witness a primetime game involving the Redskins that doesn't end in embarrassing fashion. Is that too much to ask?
 

:247:ANNOUNCEMENT OF INACTIVES:247:

 

LANDOVER, Md. – The Washington Redskins have announced the following inactives and lineup changes for tonight’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers:

 

The Redskins declared the following players as inactive:

o   No. 2 QB Nate Sudfeld

o   No. 19 WR Rashad Ross

o   No. 29 S Duke Ihenacho

o   No. 38 CB Kendall Fuller

o   No. 62 C Austin Reiter

o   No. 72 DE Anthony Lanier II

o   No. 74 G Arie Kouandjio

 

The Steelers declared the following players as inactive:

o   No. 11 WR Markus Wheaton

o   No. 18 QB Zach Mettenberger

o   No. 27 CB Senquez Golson

o   No. 45 FB Roosevelt Nix

o   No. 51 LB Steven Johnson

o   No. 72 C/G Cody Wallace

o   No. 96 DE L.T. Walton

 


Stand by...

:1386: 6:50 PM

KEYS TO VICTORY

So the consensus among the writers I have spoken to in the pressbox is a loss for the good guys. Will the Redskins win tonight? I don't know. But I think they CAN win tonight if they do the following:

- Establish an effective running game early: In Washington, the pass sets up the run more often than not. This is fine, as long as the Redskins can be effective when they do run.
- Make Pittsburgh one-dimensional: The Redskins need to take away one aspect of the Steelers' offense. If Big Ben and company are able to gain yardage on the ground and in the air it is going to be a long night.
- Sudden change: Protect the ball and force turnovers. The team that does so usually wins.

What did I miss?

:1386: Twitter -  @skinscast & @HomerMcFanboy

 

:1386: Pressbox Menu Alert!

The Redskins' pressbox menu this evening features a carving-station and prime rib with au jus. Without question the best meal I have had in 11-years covering this team at FedEx Field.

:1386: Same Old Redskins (Half)

Frustrating half. Washington did some good stuff early, but as per usual they failed to take advantage of their chances. Pittsburgh on the other hand showed the one characteristic the Redskins lack: Killer Instinct. When you catch a break you have to make the other guy pay. They did. Washington didn't.

And for the record I am cussing out Chris Thompson from now on for not getting past the first down marker on 4th down. Inecusable.

There is still hope, but not much. And if the Steelers score on this first drive...

:1386: AUDIO

2016 Week 1 Steelers at Redskins Post Game

 

:1386: JimmiJo

I asked head coach Jay Gruden if the lack of significant playing time adversely affected Kirk Cousins’ play and his timing with the receivers.

“I don’t know how much an extra series against the [New York] Jets, or Buffalo [Bills] would have made a difference. There could be some merit in that and we will look into it for next year.”

Spoken like a coach who has no idea what went wrong. At least, until he sees the tape.

One thing Gruden was sure about was the lack of effective running really hurt the overall cause.

The Redskins managed a total of 55-yards on 12-carries. Matt Jones led all Washington runners with 24-yards on 7-attempts. But half of those came on a single run. Washington’s inability to run allowed Pittsburgh to focus on the pass rush and secondary.

Washington’s heavy emphasis on the passing game was reflected in the stats. The Redskins ran 55-plays; 43 pass attempts and the afore-mentioned 12 rush attempts. Kirk Cousins and the receiving core managed 384 net yards passing, but it should not be construed as success.

Yes, Cousins had some big connections with passing plays of 33, 31, and 20-yards. But Cousins managed no touchdowns for the first time in 17 games. Conversely, he was intercepted twice, ending the night 30/43 for 329-yards and a rating of 72.7.

Washington lost in almost every statistical category:

- total net yards (435 – 384)
- Third Down Efficiency (64% - 30%)
- Rushing (147 – 55)
- Red Zone Efficiency (100% - 25%)
- Time of Possession (33:18 – 26:42)

But the stats alone cannot convey the extent of the miss-match. After the first few series, Pittsburgh’s offense had their way with Washington’s defense. In the trenches they pushed the Redskins around, which was reflected in their success running. Once the run game got going it was just a matter of time before their passing attack awoke.

Antonio Brown had a banner day; going 8-catches for 126-yards and 2 touchdowns. Pittsburgh added two more touchdowns via rushing and another via the air.

Ben Roethlisberger went 27/37 for 300-yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception to finish with a rating of 112.4.

The most disappointing aspect of this game, beyond the score, is the number of unanswered questions that were either not answered, or answered in a way that is not good.

Pregame we said the Redskins had to run the ball, pressure the quarterback, and prevent the big play. They managed exactly none.

Early last year Washington ran the ball very well. But then Shawn Lauvao got hurt and the run game disappeared. There was some hope that with him back, the rushing attack would return. It didn’t.

When Washington parted ways with Terrance Knighton, they decided they could bring pressure without a traditional nose tackle. They also figured they could deal with the run. Neither were true tonight.

I’m not suggesting Knighton is the answer and they should bring him in. But I am suggesting the defensive line is at best a work-in-progress. Watching tonight I wondered how much Junior Galette could have helped.

Offensively, Gruden admitted they abandoned the run too soon. He said they suffer from having too many weapons in the receiving corps. But as good as Cousins can be, he is not so good that this team can excel without a running attack.

I spoke to Chris Baker and Kedric Golston in the locker room. I wanted to get a sense of how this game will affect their psyche. Both said it’s about watching the tape and working on the things they did poorly.

But both seemed to admit they came into this game with high confidence. Golston agreed this is sort of a gut-check. Based on the demeanor of this teams since last year, I think it is safe to say they came into tonight thinking they were a lot better than they showed.

But it is only one game. Against a non-conference opponent at that. How much should Gruden and company be concerned?

For me, because the challenges are in core-areas such as rushing and defending the run – alarm bells should be ringing.

Loudly.

See you next week.

 

TK

Week 1 What To Watch For

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»» The Redskins kicking off their 85th season in franchise history, dating back to their debut as the Boston Braves in 1932.

»» The Redskins representing Washington, D.C., for an 80th straight season, dating back to the team’s move to the District prior to the team’s 1937 championship season.

»» The Redskins repeating as NFC East champions for the first time since winning the division in three consecutive seasons from 1982-84. The Redskins would be the first team to repeat as NFC East champions since the 2001-04 Philadelphia Eagles.

»» The Redskins making the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since doing it in three straight seasons from 1990-92.

»» The Redskins posting consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1996-97.

»» The Redskins winning four home games to reach 350 home wins all-time, including postseason play. Washington’s all-time home record is 346-254-11.

»» Head Coach Jay Gruden becoming the first Redskins coach to guide the team to consecutive postseason berths since Joe Gibbs (1990-92).

»» Gruden joining Pro Football Hall of Famers George Allen and Joe Gibbs as the only head coaches to guide the Redskins to the postseason in two of their first three seasons with the team.

»» The Redskins exceeding 5,000 offensive yards for a 12th straight season. Only five other NFL teams have an active streak of 11 or more seasons with 5,000 yards (Green Bay, New Orleans, New England, Philadephia and Dallas).

»» The Redskins leading the NFL in team completion percentage again to become the first team to lead the league in consecutive seasons since the New Orleans Saints across the 2010-11 campaigns.

»» The Redskins amassing 4,000 passing yards in three consecutive seasons for the first time in team history.

»» The Redskins throwing 30 touchdown passes as a team in consecutive seasons for the first time in team history.

»» The Redskins allowing 30 or fewer sacks in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2006-07.

»» The Redskins ranking in the Top 10 in the NFL in points per game in consecutive seasons for the first time since a three-year stretch across the 1989-91 seasons. Washington was 10th in the NFL in points per game in 2015 (24.3).

»» The Redskins finishing in the Top 10 in the NFL in average kickoff return yardage allowed for the ninth time in the last 12 seasons. The Redskins finished fourth in kickoff return average against last season (20.1) and ranked in the Top 10 in the category for seven consecutive seasons from 2005-11.

»» The Redskins posting consecutive seasons with a positive turnover differential for the first time since the 1995-97 seasons. The Redskins finished plus-five in turnover differential in 2015.

»» The following players appearing in enough contests to reach 100 career regular season games played: center Kory Lichtensteiger (10) and defensive end Ricky Jean Francois (seven).

»» Cornerback Bashaud Breeland recording multiple interceptions to become the first member of the Redskins since Sean Taylor (2004-05) to open a career with multiple picks in each of his first three NFL seasons.

»» Quarterback Kirk Cousins chasing Pro Football Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen’s team record of 23 consecutive games with a touchdown pass. Cousins’ active streak stands at 17 games, including 16 in the regular season. All 23 of Jurgensen’s qualifying games came in regular season play.

»» Cousins (69.8 in 2015) leading the NFL in completion percentage again to become the first NFL quarterback to lead the league in consecutive years since Drew Brees in 2010-11.

»» Cousins becoming the first Redskins quarterback to lead the NFL in completion percentage in consecutive seasons since Sonny Jurgensen in 1969-70.

»» Cousins (12) chasing No. 2 Joe Theismann (14) and No. 1 Sonny Jurgensen (15) for the most career 300-yard passing games in team history.

»» Cousins (950) throwing 114 passes to move past No. 10 Robert Griffin III (1,063) on the team’s Top 10 list for career pass attempts.

»» Cousins (619) chasing No. 8 Robert Griffin III (679), No. 7 Gus Frerotte (744) and No. 6 Billy Kilmer (953) on the team’s all-time pass completions list.

»» Cousins (7,196) chasing No. 11 Jay Schroeder (7,445), No. 10 Eddie LeBaron (8,068), No. 9 Robert Griffin III (8,097), No. 8 Norm Snead (8,306) and No. 7 Gus Frerotte (9,769) on the team’s all-time passing yardage list.

»» Cousins (7,196) passing for 2,804 yards to become the seventh player in team history to reach 10,000 career passing yards with the Redskins (Joe Theismann, Sonny Jurgensen, Sammy Baugh, Mark Rypien, Billy Kilmer and Jason Campbell).

»» Cousins (47) chasing No. 8 Gus Frerotte (48), No. 7 Jason Campbell (55) and No. 6 Eddie LeBaron (59) on the team’s all-time passing touchdowns list.

»» Cousins repeating his 4,000-yard passing performance from a season ago to become the first player in team history with multiple 4,000-yard passing seasons.

»» Cousins entering the season having 232 consecutive pass attempts at home without an interception dating back to Week 1 vs. Miami, the longest such home streak in team history according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He also threw an additional 46 passes without an interception in the NFC Wild Card Round last year.

»» Cousins posting a 100.0 or better passer rating to become the first Redskins quarterback to post multiple 100-rating seasons (min. 100 attempts).

»» Cousins adding to his active streak of six consecutive regular season games with a passer rating of 100.0 or better, the longest streak by a Redskins quarterback in records available back to 1960.

»» Tight end Vernon Davis (461) catching 39 passes to become the 12th tight end in NFL history to record 500 career receptions.

»» Davis (5,841) gaining 467 receiving yards to pass No. 10 Steve Jordan (6,307) and enter the Top 10 in career receiving yards by a tight end in NFL history.

»» Davis (55) chasing Nos. 5 Jason Witten and Jerry Smith (60), No. 4 Shannon Sharpe (62) and No. 3 Rob Gronkowski (65) on the NFL’s receiving touchdowns list among tight ends.

»» Davis (148) playing in two games to reach 150 career regular season games played. Davis (140) also can reach 150 career regular season starts with 10 more starts.

»» Wide receiver Pierre Garçon catching 65 or more passes for a fourth consecutive season, which would tie the longest streak in team history (Art Monk, 1988-91).

»» Garçon (485) catching 15 passes to reach 500 career receptions.

»» Garçon (297) making three catches to become the ninth player to record 300 career receptions with the Redskins (Art Monk, Charley Taylor, Santana Moss, Gary Clark, Chris Cooley, Jerry Smith, Ricky Sanders and Bobby Mitchell).

»» Garçon (3,508) gaining 773 receiving yards to pass No. 10 Michael Westbrook (4,280) and enter the Top 10 in career receiving yards in team history.

»» Garçon reaching 100 career regular season starts with his next start.

»» Defensive lineman Kedric Golston (140) playing in 10 games to reach 150 career regular season games played.

»» Safety DeAngelo Hall (five) returning a fumble for a touchdown to tie Jason Taylor (six) for the most career fumble return touchdowns in NFL history.

»» Hall improving upon his 43 career interceptions, most among active NFL players.

»» Hall (23) chasing No. 9 Ken Houston (24), Nos. 7 Pat Fischer and Mark Murphy (27), No. 6 Paul Krause (28) and others on the Redskins’ all-time interception list.

»» Kicker Dustin Hopkins (114 in 2015) scoring 100 or more points to become the first member of the Redskins to post back-to-back 100-point campaigns since Graham Gano in 2010-11.

»» Wide receiver DeSean Jackson (7,814) gaining 186 receiving yards to become the eighth active player to reach 8,000 career receiving yards (Andre Johnson, Steve Smith Sr., Larry Fitzgerald, Brandon Marshall, Jason Witten, Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson).

»» Jackson (42) recording eight receiving touchdowns to reach 50 career receiving touchdowns.

»» Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan reaching 7.5 sacks for a sixth consecutive season to become the fifth player in NFL history to post at least 7.5 sacks in the first six seasons of a career. Only Jared Allen, Derrick Thomas, DeMarcus Ware and Reggie White have accomplished the feat since the NFL made sacks an official statistic in 1982.

»» Kerrigan (47.5) recording 2.5 sacks to become the third player in team history to reach 50 career sacks since 1982 (Dexter Manley and Charles Mann).

»» Kerrigan (five) joining Manley (seven) as the only players in franchise history to record at least six seasons with 7.5 or more sacks.

»» Kerrigan adding to his streak of five consecutive seasons with 16 starts. From 2011-15, Kerrigan became one of only three players in team history to open his career with 16 games played in each of his first five seasons (Jon Jansen and Champ Bailey).

»» Tight end Jordan Reed (11 receiving touchdowns in 2015) recording 10 or more receiving touchdowns to join Bobby Mitchell (two) as the only players in Redskins history to post multiple 10-touchdown receiving seasons.

»» Reed catching 10 or more touchdowns to become the first player in franchise history to record double-digit receiving touchdowns in consecutive seasons.

»» Reed leading the team in receptions to become the first Redskins tight end to do so in consecutive seasons since Chris Cooley (2006-08).

»» Reed leading the team in receiving yards to become the first Redskins tight end to do so in consecutive seasons since Bill Anderson (1959-60).

»» Reed leading the team in receiving touchdowns to become the first Redskins tight end to do so in consecutive seasons since Jean Fugett (1976-78).

»» Reed (182) catching 18 passes to join Chris Cooley (429), Jerry Smith (421) and Don Warren (244) as the only tight ends in team history to reach 200 career receptions with the team.

»» Reed (14) chasing No. 4 Clint Didier (19) and No. 3 Jean Fugett (21) on the team’s all-time receiving touchdowns list among tight ends.

»» Guard Brandon Scherff starting all 16 games to become the third offensive lineman in team history to open a career with consecutive 16-start seasons (Jon Jansen in 1999-2000 and Chris Samuels in 2000-01).

»» Linebacker Preston Smith repeating his 8.0-sack campaign from 2015 to join Brian Orakpo (2009-10) as the only players in franchise history to begin their careers with at least eight sacks in each of their first two NFL seasons.

»» Returner Rashad Ross recording his second career kickoff return touchdown to tie the team record for career kickoff return touchdowns. Andy Farkas (1938-44), Eddie Saenz (1946-51), Bobby Mitchell (1962-68) and Brian Mitchell (1990-99) are tied for the franchise lead with two each.

»» Punter Tress Way (two) averaging at least 45.0 yards per punt to join Pro Football Hall of Famer Sammy Baugh (eight) as the only players in team history to record three or more seasons with a punting average of 45.0 or more yards.

»» Tackle Trent Williams appearing in 15 games to reach 100 career regular season games played and starting 16 games to reach 100 career regular season starts.

»» Williams earning a fifth consecutive Pro Bowl selection to join Ken Houston (7, 1973-79), Len Hauss (6, 1967-72) and Chris Hanburger (5, 1972-76) as the only players in franchise history to record the honor in five consecutive years.

»» Williams making the Pro Bowl to become only the eighth player in Redskins history to record at least five career Pro Bowl selections (Chris Hanburger, 9; Charley Taylor, 8; Darrell Green, 7; Ken Houston, 7; Chris Samuels, 6; Len Hauss, 6; Gene Brito, 5).

 

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»» The Redskins opening the season on Monday Night Football for the 11th time since the introduction of the broadcast package in 1970.

»» The Redskins seeking their first season-opening Monday night win since defeating the Dallas Cowboys, 35-16, in Week 1 of 1993.

»» The Redskins improving upon their 40-40-4 all-time record in season openers, including a 24-22 record in openers since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.

»» The Redskins opening the season against an AFC opponent for the third straight year for the first time since the formation of conferences following the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. The Redskins opened against the Houston Texans in 2014 and Miami Dolphins in 2015.

»» The Redskins opening a season at home for a second straight year, marking the first time the franchise has played consecutive season openers at FedExField since 2010-11.

»» The Redskins improving upon their 17-12 record in Week 1 home games since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Washington is 8-4 all-time at FedExField on Kickoff Weekend.

»» The Redskins adding to their 30-16 record in home openers since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. The Redskins have won 11 of their last 16 home openers, including most recently in 2014 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

»» The Redskins attempting to snap a current five-game losing streak against the Steelers and earn their first victory against Pittsburgh since 1991.

»» The Redskins scoring 30 or more points in a fourth consecutive regular season game (dating back to last season) for the first time since Weeks 1-4 of the 1991 season.

»» The Redskins setting a team record with a fourth consecutive regular season game with 400 yards of offense (dating back to last season), surpassing three-game streaks in 1949, 1981-82, 1983 and 2013.

»» The Redskins recording four or more sacks in a fourth consecutive regular season game (dating back to last season) for the first time since Weeks 5-8 of the 1992 season.

»» The Redskins posting zero turnovers in a third consecutive regular season game (dating back to last season) for the first time since Weeks 8-11 of the 2012 season.

»» Quarterback Kirk Cousins adding to his streak of 17 consecutive games (including 16 regular season games) with a touchdown pass. The streak is already the second-longest in team history (23, Sonny Jurgensen).

»» Cousins entering the game having 232 consecutive regular season pass attempts at home without an interception dating back to Week 1 last year vs. Miami, the longest such home streak in team history according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He also threw an additional 46 passes without an interception in the NFC Wild Card Round last year.

»» Cousins recording his 13th career 300-yard passing game, including postseason. Cousins is two 300-yard passing games shy of tying Joe Theismann (14) for second-most in team history.

»» Cousins continuing his active six-game streak of consecutive regular season games with a passer rating of 100.0 or better (dating back to last season).

»» Cousins (950) attempting 50 passes to become the 12th quarterback to attempt 1,000 career passes with the Redskins.

»» Cousins (7,196) throwing for 250 yards to pass Jay Schroeder (7,445) for 11th-most career passing yards in Redskins history.

»» Cousins (47) throwing one touchdown to tie or two touchdowns to pass Gus Frerotte (48) for eighth-most career touchdown passes in Redskins histiory.

»» Cousins (47) throwing three touchdown passes to join Sammy Baugh, Sonny Jurgensen, Joe Theismann, Billy Kilmer, Mark Rypien, Eddie LeBaron and Jason Campbell as the only quarterbacks in team history to throw 50 career touchdown passes.

»» Wide receiver Pierre Garçon starting his 100th career NFL regular season game.

»» Garçon catching a touchdown pass in a fourth consecutive regular season game (dating back to last season) for the first time in his career. It would be the first such streak by a member of the Redskins since Fred Davis in 2009.

»» Safety DeAngelo Hall (five) returning a fumble for a touchdown to tie Jason Taylor (six) for the most career fumble return touchdowns in NFL history.

»» Hall (three with Washington) returning another fumble for a touchdown to break the team record for career fumble return touchdowns (three by Chris Hanburger and Brad Dusek).

»» Hall improving upon his 43 career interceptions, most among active NFL players.

»» Hall intercepting a pass to tie Ken Houston (24) for ninthmost in team history.

»» Hall maintaining his lead among active players in career nonoffensive touchdowns (10).

»» Wide receiver DeSean Jackson (7,814) gaining 186 receiving yards to become the eighth active player to reach 8,000 career receiving yards (Andre Johnson, Steve Smith Sr., Larry Fitzgerald, Brandon Marshall, Jason Witten, Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson).

»» Jackson (24) recording a 50-plus-yard touchdown to tie Steve Smith, Sr. (25) for fourth in total touchdowns of 50 yards or more in the NFL since the 1970 merger.

»» Jackson (20) recording a 60-plus-yard touchdown to tie Devin Hester (21) for second-most total touchdowns of 60 yards or more in NFL history.

»» Jackson improving upon his 33 career regular season receptions of 50 yards or more, the most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2008.

»» Jackson maintaining his 19.7-yard average on receptions since joining the Redskins in 2014, the best among qualified NFL players in that time frame.

»» Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan recording 2.5 sacks to become the third player in team history to reach 50 career sacks since 1982 (Dexter Manley and Charles Mann).

»» Tight end Jordan Reed (1,916) gaining 84 receiving yards to become the sixth tight end in team history to record 2,000 career receiving yards with the team (Jerry Smith, Chris Cooley, Bill Anderson, Don Warren and Fred Davis).

»» Returner Rashad Ross recording his second career kickoff return touchdown to tie the team record for career kickoff return touchdowns. Andy Farkas (1938-44), Eddie Saenz (1946-51), Bobby Mitchell (1962-68) and Brian Mitchell (1990-99) are tied for the franchise lead with two each.

 

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... be the Redskins’ fifth consecutive regular season win, dating back to last season, the team’s longest streak since 2012 (seven).
... improve the Redskins to 43-32-3 all-time against the Steelers.
... make the Redskins 21-12-3 all-time at home against the Steelers.
... snap a five-game losing streak to the Steelers and give the Redskins’ their first victory against them since 1991.
... give the Redskins three consecutive wins against AFC North opponents dating back to 2012.
... push the Redskins to 41-40-4 all-time record in season openers and 25-22 record in openers since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
... give Head Coach Jay Gruden his first career win on Kickoff Weekend.

TSO
Welp, we've made it. 
 
       The regular season is finally upon us and we've just entered the first game week, so naturally we fans are feeling the nerves kick in and are ready to start freaking out, jump off ledges, and kill each other and everyone around us.  
 
 
      Now, I can understand people's concerns about this offseason, but I think they're missing the forest for the trees. I sincerely believe those who are frustrated about things, to the point of calling this offseason a failure (or even perceiving it as Scot not doing enough this go around), were assuming we were one or two position groups being solidified away from being a Super Bowl contender. 
 
     Yet, Scot has repeatedly stated we need about 10 more "reds" (eg solid players) to be "there", and that was even after this year's draft. Some of us, on either side of this debate, are assuming Scot doesn't think Dline or RB is a weakness, but that's a faulty assumption. That's simply a misunderstanding about how BPA really works, and not just regarding the draft but in an organizational approach to personnel altogether. 
 
 
1) It just wasn't a very good draft or,

2) Our depth has gotten a lot better and we can't afford to just hold on to guys because they were draft picks. 
 
     Of course, this is ignoring the fact that two draft picks (Steven Daniels and Keith Marshall) went on IR, and if you're simply writing them off this guy might have something to say about it:
 
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    So, here's the thing. There are signs all over the place showing us that this is the right way of doing things. Maybe none more evident than the team keeping someone like Lanier on the roster, which says a lot more than what it seems to on the surface.
 
     Remember, I've been big on Lanier since the first preseason game, as well as the ones after that. Few are bigger fans of his:
 
 
     But, if I'm being honest here, he's nowhere near ready to be anything other than maaaaybe a situational pass rusher on the line. Which is why I felt he would likely get cut and placed on the Practice Squad. Even posted about this very thing a few days ago. I, like many others, assumed we needed bodies on the Dline that could contribute immediately and was expecting Jenkins to make the team over him. 
 
    However, what he IS, is young and full of potential, thus making him the BPA over others who may have been safer or more short-term fixes. That's great and indicates a focus on the long term outlook of the team, even if it's at the expense of the present. Maybe we would've been stronger at Dline right now with someone else, but is our organization better off in the future? 
 
    They could've kept Jenkins on the Dline or kept Mack Brown on the roster, but instead they kept a guy like Lanier who needs time to develop but is filled with promise. Another example? They could've kept Ioannidis on the roster simply because it's an area of concern and he's a draft pick, but then a guy like Everett - who is the better player and a young guy as well - is likely to get cut. 
Even though he plays at a position of strength, we kept him.
 
      This is what BPA is all about. This is how you build a strong roster that can consistently contend over time. You take the better player over perceived need. You go into the season with only 6 Dlinemen and 3 RBs because others playing different positions were better. It's as simple as that. 
 
    It's the correct approach. Yes, you're going to have clear weak areas and it might cost you games, but then you're going to have clear strengths because there's less of a chance at missing on guys or having guys go elsewhere and be successful because they can actually play - which should win you games. Aside from the obvious benefit to our depth (shouldn't we, for instance, feel good about Safety for the first time in years with DHall, Bruton, Blackmon, Ihenacho and Everett there?), you get the added bonus of eventually being so rich at one or two positions you can swing trades. 
 
    Oh, and, guess what? We got a boatload of draft picks we're starting to stockpile to do just that, as well. To get that we gave up an entire round this year. Again, short term loss for long term gain. 
 
Quote

McCloughan on trading draft 2015 draft picks: “A lot of people don’t want to do it because it’s not immediate impact. 'Well, that’s next year. What about this year?’ Coaches want this year, which I understand completely. But what it gives me the opportunity to do is not just worry about next year’s draft and trading up and that kind of stuff, but this offseason and during the season trading. We’ve got multiple picks now.”

 

    Although it didn't work out in the end, we've already seen the truth of this statement in action with the Stork trade. Moving back from the ledge, yet?

    Eventually, those weak areas will naturally be addressed just by the law of averages. It's extremely unlikely that things will fall, two off seasons in a row, where BPA in the draft isn't at those weak positions or guys in Free Agency are way too overpriced to address it there. 
 
     But it requires patience. We need to go back and see what Scot's said all offseason. Like here: 
 
Quote

On not addressing the defensive line until the fifth round:

 

“I was looking. Again, it’s best player [available]. It’s 53 guys. In my personal opinion, if you draft for need, that’s when you get in trouble because all of the sudden you’re like, ‘Son of a gun, we had these three guys higher and they’re going to the Pro Bowl, but we forced the issue to take that guy.’ I wanted to address it early. I wanted to address it [in the] first five picks, but again, I’m taking the best football player. I have to. For me to do my job and make this organization as strong as it can be, I’ve got to take the best football players.”

 

 

On comparing the defensive line depth in the draft class to the depth on the roster:

 

“Yeah, you can say that, but looking at the depth and looking at the names and that stuff, but you know what, we still have good football players on the defensive line. We’ve got a lot of good football players on the defensive line. I would have loved to add a younger guy – younger guys – but it didn’t work that way. Like I said, we went into it and if you had told me the night before I’m taking a receiver in the first round, I would have laughed at you and said you’re crazy. But he was the best player. I don’t want to force the issue, but I understand where our depth is at. I understand who can and can’t play. We’re OK upfront. We’re OK.”

     
    To think we're all on top of these weaknesses and he's just missing the boat here in terms of addressing them is laughable, and I'm not someone who won't criticize him if necessary. Heck, I'm still concerned about his past/family issues while most consider it a nonissue. 
 
     He could've went all out and addressed every area of concern on the roster, but then we'd have likely reached in the draft for a lesser talent and/or overspent in FA. Look at what the Giants paid average players to fix their Dline this offseason. Do we then miss out on Norman when he unexpectedly became available? Ryan 
Kelly, the center out of Alabama, was taken a few picks earlier than ours in the first round. If we wanted him, it would've cost us significant draft resources to move up ahead of Indy. What players are lost in the process, then, and can we afford to give them up for one Center?
 
     That is what an anxious, impulsive man does when running an organization. That is the exact problem we've seen for so long from Dan and Vinny. It is the very essence of the fan-fueled, emotional "quick fix" philosophy that has been absolutely devastating to the organization. I'm not being lazy here and talking about the age old criticism of Dan trying to "buy" a championship... I'm talking about the obsession of attacking every weak area during the offseason while assuming everything else will remain as is. 
 
     I mean, come on, we as Redskins fans should know better at this point. How often did we have an offseason where it seemed like we totally addressed all the areas of weakness/concern, assuming our previous strengths will remain as such, only to find out we reached/overspent on those players we thought would solve things while suddenly and unexpectedly watching our assumed strengths become gaping holes in the process?
 
    Then what does the team do the following offseason? Rinse and repeat. 
 
     We've seen it a million times, haven't we? And in all our desperation to immediately become a contender, we set ourselves back because we had a roster filled with those misses who not only played poorly, but also cost us valuable development time for better players. Or we just cut those better players altogether. 
 
     This is the difference in philosophy that has us keeping guys like Lanier and Everett on the roster. 
 
     As of now, and due to our current philosophy, we may have three elite positions on the team at QB, WR and DB. And that doesn't look like it'll change anytime soon. You can't ignore the fact that not addressing other spots or perceived areas of weakness has allowed us that. 
 
    Calling this bad in any way is simply ridiculous to me, and I think it just comes from the nervousness occurring within us as the season approaches and knowing we've got some weak spots at key areas. If we can't see past the 2016 season, well, we don't have a solid grasp of where this roster is at. Fortunately, for the first time in forever we've got some adults in charge who do. 
 
     I'm sorry to sound a little harsh here, but get used to the fact that we might be further from an elite team than we'd like to think as fans (naturally), and that our way of thinking could easily set us back from getting there sooner. 
 
     Now, that doesn't mean we have to ignore any bad move that's made or assume Scot and the FO have been perfect and have had everything go as planned. I'd bet, if they were being honest, they'd admit they were wrong in this or that case; and/or didn't see this or that coming; and/or thought the draft would fall like this instead of that... but that also doesn't mean they did poorly, or that things suddenly aren't going in the right direction and we took a step back. Actually, no need to bet on it: 
 
Quote

On sticking to his decision making process:

 

“At a time when your roster is really strong and you’re a really good team, then you can start worrying about things on the back end. Right now, we’re going forward. We’re taking the best player and throwing them in there. We’re not always going to be 100 percent accurate. It’s not an exact science, but we’re going to keep going and going and keep adding players.”

 

     Not to sound all preachy, but we should be happy and satisfied that we've got a group of guys in charge who have a plan; can adjust in the right way (and not panic) when things don't go accordingly; and are properly assessing the roster's state, therefore avoiding the wishful, faulty, thinking that causes teams to give up too much of their future while assuming they're close enough to contend. 

 
     I know this may be too much to ask but can we, as fans, take their lead and be as patient as them when/if we lose this season? 
 
      Because, as hard as it will be at the time, it'll be the right thing to do. No homer, just the truth. :) 
 
 
TK

Cut or Keep - RB Edition

Zoony threw this question out last night around the 3rd QTR in the Game thread. 

After their rain soaked performance last night against the Bucs, who do you Cut & who do you Keep? 

Think of it as the ES version of either F/M/K :ols: or Highlander - There can only be one.

Below are their per game rushing stats:

Against Atlanta

RUSHING
ATT
YDS
TD
LG
R.Kelley
7
40
1
18
M.Brown
7
28
0
7

 

Against NY Jets

RUSHING
ATT
YDS
TD
LG
R.Kelley
3
8
0
6
M.Brown
2
7
0
4

 

Against Buffalo

RUSHING
ATT
YDS
TD
LG
R.Kelley
12
51
0
9
M.Brown
11
43
0
15

 

Against Tampa Bay

RUSHING
ATT
YDS
TD
LG
M.Brown
19
149
1
60
R.Kelley
16
99
0
14
HapHaszard

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Tampa Bay, FL -  Welcome to the #9 Bowl, no its not named after Sonny  but tropical depression #9.  I'm Hap Haszard and I'm covering the game from the pressbox, due to the change of schedule, our fearless leader TK could not make it to cover the sidelines.

I arrived at the team hotel around 12:45, and from some of the bands of rain felt I was lucky to have made it that soon, Orlando was totally awash, the rest of the way it was bands of heavy rain then slacking off repeated until I reached the hotel, it was raining and windy when I arrived.

While I was in the hotel lobby waiting for the team to arrive, I got to sit and talk with Jay Gruden's parents, a very delightful couple.  The team was scheduled to arrive around 2 pm but it was 3 before they arrived.  Once Jay arrived I left since I didn't want to intrude on their reunion.

A shaky out of focus picture of my credentials

Just picked up my credentials

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The field is covered and probably will be fairly good for the first quarter.  I haven't had a chance to go down and check it out yet.  I have a sideline pass so will go down during warmups and try and get some pictures from my fancy flip phone ;)
 

Field well protected

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I just located my seat in the press box, I'm in the very first row right at the window, last time I was in row 3 over so far I could barely see the field. Really nice to sit with the big boys.  Brian McNally beside me, and the missing TK on the other side.

New Video Board at Raymond James Stadium

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The are removing the tarp from the field now.
 
I think the caterers here at Raymond James produce the best media meal I have had at any stadium. Tonight I went thru the Brisket line then back to the submarine line in honor of the weather.  I even ate an extra cookie for TK, and it was good.
 

Time for a little refreshment

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:1386:
 
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Please excuse the fuzzy pictures but these darn flip phones are hard to hold steady especially at my age.
 
They have removed the tarps from the field, several Bucs out throwing the ball around  no sign of the Redskins yet.  Heading down to the
field for a quick look around.
 
Back from the field from up here it doesn't look like its raining but down on the field its coming down pretty steady just a solid drizzle no frog stranglers like in the DMV.
 
A couple  of redskins slowly coming out on the field.  Dustin Hopkins is doing wind sprints for some odd reason since he is all by himself.
 
 

:247:ANNOUNCEMENT OF LINEUP CHANGES:247:

 

TAMPA, Fla. – The following members of the Washington Redskins did not travel with the team and will not play this evening:

 

-                      No. 8 QB Kirk Cousins

-                      No. 11 WR DeSean Jackson

-                      No. 20 CB Greg Toler

-                      No. 23 S DeAngelo Hall

-                      No. 24 CB Josh Norman

-                      No. 25 RB Chris Thompson

-                      No. 26 CB Bashaud Breeland

-                      No. 30 S David Bruton Jr.

-                      No. 31 RB Matt Jones

-                      No. 51 LB Will Compton

-                      No. 54 LB Mason Foster

-                      No. 61 G Spencer Long

-                      No. 64 NT Kedric Golston

-                      No. 71 T Trent Williams

-                      No. 73 DE Ziggy Hood

-                      No. 75 G Brandon Scherff

-                      No. 76 T Morgan Moses

-                      No. 77 G Shawn Lauvao

-                      No. 78 C Kory Lichtensteiger

-                      No. 80 WR Jamison Crowder

.

-                      No. 86 TE Jordan Reed

-                      No. 88 WR Pierre Garçon

-                      No. 91 LB Ryan Kerrigan

-                      No. 92 DE Chris Baker

-                      No. 94 LB Preston Smith

 

A lot more Redskins are on the field, Mostly seeing Tress Way and Hopkins kicking the ball around couple guys chasing the ball, the rest are playing catch.

 

Redskins doing passing drills at the moment. Linemen doing drills blocking view of passing drills

 

Redskins done with drills and warmups headed back to the locker room, Bucs still on the field

 

A couple of sideline shots

 

 

 

The flaggettes and cheerleaders making a cheering line for the Bucs players coming out from the dressing room

Pardon me I'm standing for the National Anthem

 

 

:247:FIRST QUARTER :247:

Tampa won the toss elects to kick off 

Redskins first series at 25 yl (touchback)

Kelly 2 runs for first down.  2 more plays first down  Running game is kicking butt  Line giving them big holes

I jinxed them 4th and 1 at 29

FG Hopkins

 

Bucs first series 25 yl (touchback)

run gain of 1

run gain of 4

deep pass incomplete

punt

 

Redskins 2nd series

Big run on first play then they went backwards sack loss of down on penalty

Redskins punt

 

 

Bucs second series

Pass good, for 1 yd, personal foul Redskins 15 yards

run for 1

fumble  on sack loss of 24

Punt

 

Redskins 3rd series

pass complete 3 yards

Run for 3

incomplete pass

Punt

 

Bucks 3rd series

run gain of 1

run no gain

end of first Quarter

 

It appears that our run game is much stronger than the Bucs can handle, our Defense seems to be able to stop their run game fairly easy.

Sudfeld's timing looks off on his passes.  Have to see if he settles down in the 2nd Quarter.

 

FIRST DOWNS

Redskins 4

Bucs 1

 

NET YARDS

Redskins 73

Bucs -3

 

:229:SECOND QUARTER:229:

 

Mack Brown 60 yard run for TD

 

Redskins really working on causing fumbles, going for the ball in gang tackles

 

Redskins FG 23 yard set up by Ihenichao interception

13-0 Redskins

 

Looks like for today at least Ross has punt return duties

 

Mac Brown is getting big chunks of yards on his carries.  Making the most of his chances

 

Bates and Wakefield getting some penetration into the Bucs backfield

just looking at the vast crowd of fans in the stands they actually may have more in the stands than the support people for the game

 

Rough half time stats not official

Redskins rushing 188 yards TB 11

Redskins passing -1 net yards  TB 33

Brown 12 carries for 130 yards

Kelly 11 carries for 58 yards

 

:247:THIRD QUARTER:247:

Tampa on their first series got some moxie and drove to the Redskins 32 before they were stopped, a 50 yard field goal gives the Bucs their first score of the game now 13-3 Redskins

 

Thorpe took a short pass and was pushed out of bounds 41 yards later.

11 yard run by Kelly then a false start penalty

Kelly is hard to bring down takes more than one person.

TD by Ross

Redskins now at 215 Rushing yards and 60 passing yards.

Sloppy play by both teams ends the 3rd Quarter

 

Redskins 276 yards total to 69 yards for TB

Redskins 233 yards rushing to 26 for TB

 

:229:FOURTH QUARTER :229:

Mac Brown really really wants to play on the 53, he has done everything he can to get there this game.  End of the 3rd quarter he had 14 carries for 134 yards with a 9.6 yard average.  Wow... Kelly has 16 carries for 99 yards.

 

The Bucs have a nice series going nice combo of pass and run moving the sticks  Bucs 3rd or possibly 2nd string QB look a lot more polished than Sudfeld nice passing game all of a sudden.

 

  • Lousy tackling by Redskins   Bucs QB ran around for 5 minutes in backfield 3 Redskins linemen had a shot at him but all missed.  I'd tell you who they were but I was laughing so hard I didn't bother looking.
  •  
  • TB FG, after that nice drive that's all  they got.

20-6 REDSKINS

Just took 4 guys to take down Mac Brown

 

Bucs another nice drive going, 1:59 sec to go at Redskins 38  off sides penalty give Bucs first down at 33

TD Bucs 20 - 13 Redskins

 

Bucs onside kick goes out of bounds Redskins ball on 49 yl

 

2 knees and that is the old ball game folks don't forget your hat on the way out

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TSO

 

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1386.gifLandover, MD -  Hello ES and welcome all to the Extremeskins Coverage of the third preseason game of the 2016 season. I'm TSO in the press box at FedEx Field along with Spaceman Spiff, here to provide you with the best damn coverage we possible can!

Last week I talked about the burden that undoubtedly weighs on every Redskins fan's mind... that fear that lingers knowing that, after every successful season in the last how many years, the team followed it up with utter failure. The paranoia that something terrible is right around the corner. The Redskins "curse", if you will. 

But then the very real hope that all of the signs - and there are many legitimate ones - point to it being different this time, right? They're steeped in rationale and logic, and we've seen the fruits of it already with an NFC East division title under our belts. That hope is forcing us to remove those fears, doubts and paranoid attitudes, leaving us to remain more curious than anything else. Wondering if this time, you guessed it... is it real?

Last week against the Jets we had an insightful, albeit "preseasonal" and therefore half-baked, tour into the answers we're seeking. We saw young, unheralded guys like Anthony Lanier II and Martrell Spaight continue to rise. We saw Colt McCoy continue to solidify why he's a great backup to have, one very few teams have the luxury of. We saw the Oline pick it up in the running game against the elite Defensive Line/Front of the Jets, with Matt Jones reeling off numerous runs that proved not only his improvement, but also why the team hasn't hesitated to trust him with the starting job. We saw the guys who no one talks about at WR, like Ryan Grant, Maurice Harris, and Rashad Ross, show why it's arguable we have the best and deepest WR corps in the NFL.

But that was week 2 of the preseason. Week 3 is an entirely different animal, as everyone knows it's considered the "dress rehearsal" for the season. This game also brings with it an extra layer of intrigue due to the surprise Coach Gruden laid on all of us, as well as the players, that many of the usual starters would be getting the night off last week, all the while acknowledging the importance these snaps tonight will have for everyone to prepare for the Steelers on Monday Night.     

So are we going to keep getting positive affirmations regarding the "is it real" question? Or are those fears and doubts going to be allowed to creep in? Stay tuned here on the Extremeskins Coverage Blog to find out with us! 1386.gif

 

   

 

   

 

1386.gif Some Pregame warm-up notes -

*Trent Williams is such a great leader (see video below, try to pay attention to how he roams the entire roster). He's involved with every position group, talking to them, getting them hyped, etc... Ihenacho caught a nice pass one-handed and Trent was right there like "yeaaaaaaaah". In the video, you can see Kendall Thompson engage him. It's fun to watch him simply being a Redskin through and through.

*Speaking of Olinemen, Leribeus just false started during a simple warm up routine. :ols: 

*TJ Thorpe can dance. 

*It's oddly very enjoyable watching Gruden and Scot McCloughan together. Somehow every smile, every laugh they have together warms the heart. It's incredibly lame. :ols:     

 

1386.gif Ziggy Hood starting for Baker. Dline gets nice pressure, Ziggy Hood cleaned up for sack. First drive solid pressure from Dline overall. Kerrigan hurt, though. Doesn't look good the way he's talking on the sidelines with other players. :/ 

First Redskins drive, Bills getting good interior pressure, Lichtensteiger with the hold as well. 

2nd drive for the Bills, after INT, no pressure from front and they were able to run on them. Not a good look, but secondary came through. Norman, blanket coverage in the redzone, fun to see him make a play in a Skins jersey for the first time. 

Reed, Grant and Garcon drops on Redskins 2nd drive, followed by a Hopkins miss. Team, outside of secondary and flashes from the Dline, in general seems off.

Norman with nice pass break up again on 3rd down of Bills 3rd drive. He's on fire. 

Redskins 3rd drive, Trent with a slight limp after first play. Continued to go backwards on running play, then screen to DJax, then it was just a penalty-fest. Pretty ugly.  

Bills 4th drive... Preston Smith beasting on 1st down run play with TFL of 5 yards. DHall with a terrible personal foul that gives the Bills a first down, nullifying the previous loss. Bills running the ball easily up the middle it seems, it's a problem.   1386.gif

1386.gif Will Compton with a TFL as the Bills continue their 4th drive, he's had quite a few this preseason.  DHall follows up with a great tackle in the open field to bring the TE down, hurting him in the process. At least the D is holding the Bills to FGs. 

Redskins 1st drive of 2nd quarter, Lichtensteiger, Long and Trent Williams with great blocks on 2nd down, allowing Robert Kelly to get outside for 9 yards. 

Bills 2nd drive in 2nd quarter, 2nd down Ziggy Hood with excellent penetration and TFL of 4 yards. Trent Murphy almost gets home on 3rd down, nice speed pass rush. Once again, Norman with the blanket coverage. 

Redskins 2nd drive, Oline pass blocking well while run blocking is an issue, as usual. Lichtensteiger with another hold.

My man Ryan Grant with a sick cut for the TD run after an excellently timed pass by Cousins.

Bills 3rd drive, interestingly Paea and Ioannidis out there with some of the 1s. Ioannidis gets immediate pressure causing an incompletion on first down. Followed up by Ricky Jean Francois sack forcing the Bills into a 3rd and 17. Dline making some noise! 

Redskins 3rd drive, yet another hold on Lichtenstieger that cost Reed a nice catch and run. Ridiculous, that's 3 holds on him. Ryan Grant continues to be hot and cold, drops easy pass behind the LOS on 2nd and 10. After roughing the passer call, Lauvao with a great block on running play, opening a huge path for Robert Kelley. Run blocking has picked up in general, it seems. Good to see, but could be due to Bills bringing in lesser guys on their line.     

Bills 4th drive, Will Blackmon with the caused fumble... on the same play Trent Murphy actually had another nice rush almost getting home.

Coming off the turnover, Redskins score via Kirk to Garcon after seemingly being unable to get the snap off. Check out how it looked from the press box: 

Bills come back with a nice FG drive of their own, mainly off of an EJ Manuel run that should've been a sack in the backfield, though I missed who got the pressure on him and whiffed. Stay tuned for more analysis by the Extremeskins Coverage Blog! 1386.gif

 

 

  1386.gif  So, some notable stats to start off. Cousins finished 12 of 23 for 188 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT for a QB Rating of 101.1. Not too shabby after a shaky start. Desean Jackson was 4 on 5 for 56 yards. Vernon Davis was 3 on 3 targets for 42 yards. J Reed was 2 on 4 targets for 28 yards and a TD. Garcon was 2 on 4 targets for 24 yards and a TD. Ryan Grant was 1 on 4 targets for 38 yards and a TD (as of the 1st half).  

Not much to talk about during the 2nd half, but here were some notes: 

 Redskins 1st drive of 3rd quarter, Ty Nsekhe with a great block to seal edge and allow Mack Brown a big gain. Second string Oline doing some solid work opening holes for Brown in general. Though they definitely seemed to lose something once Long went out with an ankle injury and Reiter came in. Long is a nice presence for the run game when he's under center. 

On Bills 2nd drive, Stephen Paea with nice penetration and a TFL. Ricky Jean Francois continues to consistently penetrate. Corey Crawford with a vicious thrown down of the RB after Ihenacho got a hold of him, then Crawford follows it up with a nice pass rush on 3rd down which caused Manuel to escape the pocket and throw an incompletion.   

Interestingly, it looks like Garvin has moved up the depth chart as he's playing next to Spaight with the backups.

Speaking of Garvin, on the 4th down play of the Bills 3rd drive, he showed a bit of his weakness in the running game as he was easily blocked on the second level by a Bills' Guard, allowing the run for the first.   

Redskins offense just isn't moving the ball after their first drive of the half (which still came away with no points). Backup Oline seems to be pass blocking well enough, but not many open options for McCoy, who seems a bit off himself. 

On the first down of Bills 4th drive, Garvin does a good job using his speed to get in position to tackle the RB, but he can't finish and allows the RB to get outside for a nice gain. My man Lanier finally showed up with a nice TFL on the Bills RB.

Redskins 4th drive of the half, Oline not getting much push for Mack Brown. Kouandjio with a holding penalty on top of it. This has been quite the utterly boring second half. 

Lanier with a deflected pass on the Bills final drive. Kendall Fuller follows with a big pass break up in the endzone, followed by another pass breakup by Mariel Cooper! 

Last two plays were fun, Wakefield with a sack followed by a Kendall Fuller INT to seal the deal, Redskins win! 

At least the final drive was a little bit exciting, pretty dull 2nd half overall. Going to head down to the locker room now, see you all in a bit. 1386.gif

 

 

 

1386.gifEXCLUSIVE ES AUDIO CONTENT 1386.gif

 

TSO

So, last week I went through the Falcons game and came up with a few players I thought were intriguing to keep our eyes on as we moved forward through the preseason (with a ton of video to boot, probably too much as that page is/was a bummer to load :ols: ); either because they had disappointing outings and we hoped to see improvements from them, or because they looked surprisingly good and we hoped to see the continuation of that level of play. I intentionally focused on players who weren't being talked about a whole lot that week so as to avoid any media redundancy.   

The disappointments I honed in on against the Falcons were Stephen Paea, Arie Kuandjio and Niles Paul. The impressive performances came from Kendall Reyes, Anthony Lanier (before the rest of the world started noticing him), Carlos Fields, and a special guest appearance from Terrence Garvin.

 

So how did these guys do against the Jets? And were there any other performances to add to the current list of Extremeskins Coverage intrigue? Let's find out, shall we (with a little less video for the sake of our browsers, mmkay)?     

 

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Stephen Paea, 90

 

Watching the game in the pressbox at FedEx field, I made it a point to focus in on Paea with my cheap Walmart-purchased binoculars (hey, it was last minute, Spaceman Spiff said I'd probably need them) when he came into the game. From what I saw, he was much improved, however, we must keep in mind that he came in about five minutes into the 2nd half, which means he was playing against lesser talent (and may further indicate a demotion on the depth chart). That being said, last week against the Falcons, he seemed to be moving in slow motion and the only positive he showed really was with his arm strength.

Against the Jets, however, it was a different story. He moved very well and was a lot more explosive off the snap, to say the least. Let's take a look at a couple of examples.

 

Here, he's lined up at RDE and you can see him move laterally well while penetrating, putting himself in the perfect position to make the tackle: 

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Here, again at RDE, he shows good lateral quickness another time by cutting to his left to find the open lane to the QB, then he puts on the jets to get the sack:

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Suffice to say, much better from Stephen Paea. 

 

 

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    Arie Kuandjio, 74

 

Unfortunately, the same can't be said about Arie Kuandjio, who continued to disappoint. Most of his plays aren't necessarily a negative, but they're plays where he can't be considered as having had a positive impact. He often is either out of position or generally not involved when he otherwise should be. But then there's bad as well. 

Here, at LG, his guy gets underneath and is able to push him back, who then winds up making the tackle on Keith Marshall:

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Here, again at LG, is the play I believe John Keim was talking about a couple days ago when he mentioned Kuandjio getting pushed to the ground

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Yeah, let's hope we get a better showing from him against the Bills. 

 

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  Niles Paul, 84 

    

Good news for Niles, though, he definitely looked better overall. He did whiff on his first play, but then seemed to make up for it with better blocking in general. Let's take a look.

Here, lined up at FB and motioned to the left, is the aforementioned whiff:  

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Here, lined up on the outside to the left at TE, you'll see him get a solid block on #21 of the Jets and maintain it throughout the play:

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Here, lined up as the outside TE on the right side, you'll see him execute a perfect block: 

 

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Overall, a better showing from Niles Paul. 

 

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Kendall Reyes, 97

 

Kendall Reyes continued to impress for the most part. Nothing spectacular, just solid, and I get the sense that we'll be hearing that a lot when it comes to his play throughout the season.

 

Here, at RDE, he gets some decent pressure on the QB and flushes him outside of the pocket:

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Anthony Lanier II, 72 

 

By far, the most interesting aspect of Lanier's game was how much earlier he was put into the rotation than in the Falcons game, which may indicate he's moving up the depth chart a little. I asked him about it after the game and he seemed to agree. As for his performance, it wasn't as enjoyable to watch as the film against the Falcons (that's not to say he played poorly or regressed, just nothing splashy), but he certainly had his moments. Here are a few examples. 

 

 Here, at RDE, he gets quick interior penetration: 

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Here, lined up at LDE, he gets a near sack after beating #64 of the Jets handedly (gotta love the way he lays out there):

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Here, lined up at RDE, of course is his end of game sack. This one's all about his hustle and awareness: 

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Garvin.jpg

   Terrence Garvin, 52

 

All Garvin has done these past two games is make plays, so I'm putting him here instead of Fields. Last week against the Falcons, he was in on a bunch of plays along with Fields and Lanier, so I didn't give him his own spot and just mentioned his play secondarily. I don't know if it's the weaker competition or not, but he's really impressive out there. Let's take a look at some of the plays he made against the Jets. 

 

Here, lined up on the right side at ILB, you have to love his back pedal and then quick reaction to break up the pass: 

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Here, again lined up on the right side at ILB, he shows his speed as he slices his way through to apply quick pressure on the QB, causing the incompletion: 

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He was also in on a fumble recovery (right place, right time, so no need for a video really), but it just shows his hustle. He's really flying around out there and is fun to watch. 

 

Well, that does it for now. We'll see how these guys look on Friday against the Bills as well as their spots in the rotation. Will they improve, stay the same or regress? Will we see them higher on the depth chart, the same, or lower? I might do a part 2 of this if I have the time and add some others to the list. Hope you all enjoyed it, see you around on the board! :)

TSO

 

 

 

 

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1386.gifLandover, MD - Welcome all to the Extremeskins coverage of the second preseason game. I'm TSO in the Press box providing you with the best damn coverage I and Spaceman Spiff, who will be providing coverage from the sidelines, possibly can! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1999 Redskins go 10-6 and win the NFC East. The following season? Failure. 

 

 

 

2005 Redskins go 10-6 and nab a wildcard spot. The following season? Disaster.

 

 

 

2007 Redskins go 9-7 and sneak into the playoffs. The following season? Zorn. 

 

 

 

2012 Redskins go 10-6, win the NFC East with their shiny new franchise QB. The following season? Epic collapse. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So now, here we are. The Redskins are coming off a season that saw a seismic shift occur within the Front Office, where a legitimate talent-evaluating GM was hired to take control of the scouting department and personnel. Gruden got the help he desperately needed and asked for from the Front Office. The Redskins went 9-7 and miraculously won the NFC East on the heels of a young group of draft picks and a ton of personnel hits in general.

 

 

 

So, the following season? :huh:

 

 

 

We're going to find out if this is real

 

 

 

Is it? Is our newly and properly structured Front Office as organized and professional as it seems? Is it real?

 

 

 

Is our energetic and smart coaching staff as good for player development as they were last season? Is it real?

 

 

 

Is Kirk Cousins the franchise QB we've been so desperately lacking? Is he for real?

 

 

 

Are the young players truly developing into a core of consistent championship potential?  Are they for real?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It might just be the preseason, but these games play a role (albeit a small one) in teaching us who will rise to the occasion and who won't. Who will solidify their spot on the team and who will continue to remain a question. Who will be a part of the new reality we all hope is happening right before our eyes, a hope we continue to question is real?

 

 

 

The hope that we're witnessing the rise of the Redskins as a perennial contender. 

 

 

 

Let's start to find out together here on Extremeskins Gameday Coverage!  1386.gif

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 1386.gif1st Quarter Analysis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Offensively, I think we finally saw the new Matt Jones (7 carries for 31 yards, 4.4 avg) we've heard about all offseason. Though the handoff gaffe was terrible, everything else was very pleasing to see. He had good vision, ran hard, and got whatever he could get on plays that the defense played well. Unfortunately, he got hurt and so his durability issues will, and should, come into question. Let's hope his left shoulder is okay. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ryan Grant (3 for 3, 27 yards) and Jamison Crowder (3 of 4, 38 yards) also showed up well (well, on offense, Crowder's muffed punt was terrible to see but let's not forget this is his first live action of the year), but you really see why coaches love Grant. He's just very smooth and tough to cover.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Colt McCoy (7 of 9, 66 yards) looked great until the last play of the first drive, which was mind numbingly stupid. I actually think he was trying to throw it away. And that spin? Whoosh. That was fun to see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for the defense, the secondary keeps showing up. DHall was in on the first pass break up and Greg Toler had great coverage on the 3rd down.       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've noticed the last two games we've essentially never lined up in a 3-4. We basically have two Dlinemen inside (Reyes, Baker) and 2 OLB (Kerrigan, Preston). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Oline looks totally different with Lauvao in terms of run-blocking. That is all. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stay tuned for more after the half!   1386.gif

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1386.gif 2nd Quarter Analysis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dunbar was a busy bee. He gave up a bad pass against Decker on the first drive for Jets O in the 2nd. On their second drive, Dunbar makes up for it with a beautiful pass breakup. Their third drive, Dunbar gives up a 9 yard completion, but had tight coverage. Mixed bag, but certainly improved from last week's performance. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reyes and Baker were struggling a bit on interior runs initially. 2nd drive for Jets O, Baker made a nice tackle on an interior run, so that was good. Baker also had with nice pressure causing incomplete pass on 3rd down. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spaight has been extremely impressive to say the least. It's not just the caused fumble, he's the general of D. I've been watching him between breaks as well and he's constantly communicating with everyone, controlling the huddle. Doesn't look like a 2nd year player coming off of injury. He had a sick read on screen and tackle as well later on in the 2nd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jamison Crowder running more north-south on punts it seems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ross with a step, Colt throws deeper could've been big play on drive early in 2nd. Rashad Ross two nice plays on first TD drive. Super impressive 2nd TD from Rashad Ross, tackled head first but maintains possession, not easy for a small guy like him.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Safety on Spencer Long, hands seemed more on the shoulders lifting up the jersey right under the chin so it looked bad, nice play to Maurice Harris got nullified, a shame for a young guy like him. But Harris comes back and gets a 19 yard gain on a nice catch off play action.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ihenacho on ensuing kickoff with nice tackle. Continues to show up on Special Teams.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another Ryan Grant catch.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Golston veteran move on run with about 3:25 left in 2nd, just goes down to cause pile up and trips RB. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blackmon savvy INT from Safety, don't know what Geno Smith was thinking, but Trail was close to applying pressure... could be Geno felt it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dashaun Phillips and Spaight nice zone trade off on drive late in 2nd quarter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All in all, a very positive quarter for a lot of Redskins. Spaight (1 FF), Rashad Ross (4 on 5, 58 yards, 2 TD) and Colt McCoy (13 of 16, 159 yards, 2 TD) killed it.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stay tuned for more!    1386.gif 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 1386.gif 3rd Quarter Analysis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not a whole lot to see here, but I was excited about Stephen Paea coming on back to back plays to start the 3rd quarter off. He got good penetration on run and then a sack on the next play.  Then, Paea on the ensuing drive again penetrates nicely on back to back plays with solid rushes. He's a player I was hoping would improve from last game and I discussed that in length here:  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of players I noticed, Anthony Lanier seems to have moved up on the depth chart as he was often playing with 2nd team in the 3rd quarter if my eyes didn't deceive me. 

Reiter continues to impress. On run play where Marshall went for about 9 yards with slightly under 3 minutes left in the 3rd, he gets his first block accomplished and then passes him off and lands his second block, opening up a nice lane up.    

 

Stay tuned for the 4th Quarter update!   1386.gif 

 

1386.gif 4th Quarter Analysis

 

Again, not much to discuss other than the obvious (Sudfeld with an awesome drive to win the game)... but here are a couple things I thought were interesting. 

Fuller gives up long pass play to start the 4th but then recovers with three nice plays. He breaks up two passes and then makes the tackle on a 3rd and 2 to stop the Jets drive and force a FG.  

Garvin continues to make plays, with a nice pass break up and then a pressure that resulted in an errant throw to force a Jets punt. Recovers fumble caused by Deshazor Everett on Jets drive that was moving easily by hustling.  As mentioned in my previous blog, he's been impressive. 

Anthony Lanier with the sack to finish the game, love that guy!  

 

Final impressions:

So today's game clearly didn't go a long way in determining if this Redskins' resurgence is for real (or as much as any preseason game possibly could), considering many of the players who will play a massive role in said resurgence didn't play, but we did get to see who might potentially add their hats to the discussion. 

And who are those guys?

Aside from the obvious answers in Rashad Ross, Ryan Grant, Colt McCoy, Matt Jones and Martrell Spaight who absolutely killed it, there were guys like Anthony Lanier (check out the exclusive interview) who seemed to play a bigger role today on the Dline after showing up really well last week.

Stephen Paea improved significantly upon his performance last week as well, often finding his way in the backfield of the opposition. Other players who improved from last week were Keith Marshall, Will Blackmon, and Morgan Moses. 

Reiter continued to impress as did Maurice Harris who continues to be used with the second stringers, making him an interesting roster decision to follow considering how much depth there is at his position. 

Unfortunately, there are some guys who continue to be questions moving forward and are nowhere near a "yes" on the "is it real" scale. Kuandjio continues to be a mixed bag who has a tough time finding any consistency as does Quinton Dunbar, though he had a lot more positive happen than last week. Fuller had himself a mixed bag of a game as well, but his rookie status makes it much more forgiving. 

So as we move forward and into the third preseason game where we're expected to get a much closer glimpse of the team's "is it real" factor, let's hope to see continued improvement from the players we need to play significant roles in this resurgence... that is, if it's real this time.;) 

 

 

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1386.gifEXCLUSIVE ES AUDIO CONTENT 1386.gif

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TSO

 

                                                             :1386:

                                                            :1386:

                                                            :1386:

 

TSO

 

Hello ES, 

 

It's your friendly neighborhood TSO here and I'll be providing ES press box Gameday coverage for the next two preseason home games. Now, now, let's stop with the applause and all calm down.  

 

 

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So, I've re-watched the first preseason game against the Falcons numerous times and I came away with some performances I thought were more intriguing to follow than others, with an eye on how they respond in the following games. Will those who disappointed improve upon the issues they showed? Will those who impressed continue to do so? Will we see changes in the depth chart and playing time in the upcoming games based on their performances? 

Let's start with the disappointments. 

 

First up: 

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Stephen Paea, 90. 

Interestingly enough, Gruden today was asked about Paea and some are interpreting his response as a negative towards Paea. I can see why. Frankly, Paea was a disappointment to watch after hearing about his improvements (namely, his health) all offseason. Though he wasn't necessarily a liability when he was in, he seemed to consistently be a non-factor, which is unfortunate considering most of the time he played was against the second and third-stringers of the Falcons.

Let's take a look at some of those snaps... 

 

The following (at LDE) shows what was pretty much his issue this game. His legs. Seems to be very tentative and stuck in molasses:

    

Here (at LDE), he gets pushed off the ball and is simply a non-factor:

 

Here, again at LDE, not getting any penetration on his rush:

 

Here, at RDE, same deal, a non-factor with his rush: 

 

Now, it wasn't all bad. Unfortunately, the good all came in the 2nd half against lesser players. Still, you can see the upper body strength everyone talks about when he gets his hands directly on a guy and is able to use his arms fully. Here (at RDE), he puts his guy on the ground with ease: 

 

Here (at RDE), he shows quick hands and is able to generate a solid rush. Unfortunately, he was a bit late and was actually flagged for hitting the QB (ticky tacky call, though). His speed just isn't where you want it to be, though: 

  

His best play of the game here. He's lined up (at RDE) directly in front of the Tackle (4 tech) and destroys him, causing the RB to lose yards:

 

 

Basically, his legs are an issue, his upper body strength isn't. Doesn't bode well for pass rushing, but this was his first game back after his turf toe injury and maybe he was hesitant versus just not having it. Still, it's disappointing because we've been hearing from him that he's "100 percent" for the last few months and the team seemed optimistic regarding his resurgence. 

Hopefully we see some improvement versus the Jets on Friday and/or moving forward. But, if we don't, not all is loss because his strength can still be an asset, especially in short yardage/goal line situations lined up at the zero, two, or four technique (directly in front of his guy) where he can just out-muscle them to disrupt gaps.

 

Next up: 

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    Arie Kuandjio, 74.

Now, Kuandjio was a guy many fans hoped, all offseason, would compete for a starting job at LG. Had that not been the case, his game against the Falcons wouldn't have been a disappointment, just more of a standard preseason affair where nothing necessarily stood out and there are things to work on for a young prospect. Alas, high expectations often leads to disappointment if they aren't met immediately.

Let's take a look at some of the issues. 

Here, we see where that old scouting report (you know, phone booth Guard and all) on him comes in play. He gets out in space and just doesn't have the juice to get to his Linebacker: 

 

This ones a little funny, he lets his guy get under him quickly and gets some bad whiplash in the process, only to end up on the ground: 

 

Most of his tape was just "meh", not necessarily bad but nothing that stood out. This was about the only play where he did something impressive as he rides his guy right off the screen:

 

It'll certainly be interesting to see how Kuandjio responds the next few games, as he seemed to really have high expectations for himself this year and the first game didn't bear much fruit for him. 

 

Next up:

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  Niles Paul, 84 

 

This might be a little unfair considering how fast he's come back from a devastating ankle injury, but we've been hearing how far along he is all offseason so a little bit more was expected. Unfortunately, the plays he was in to start the game were all pretty poor and the one catch he had ended up in a hyper-extended knee. 

Let's take a look.

 

Here he is at FB pretty much failing at his block. He gets his head way too low and thrusts too early, gaining no leverage and making it easy on the defender to avoid him, screwing Matt Jones over in the process: 

 

Here, he's lined up as the outside TE on the right. He does a good job initially getting to his block, but fails at holding it long enough and gets pushed back. His guy makes the tackle:

 

Here, again lined up at TE to the right side, he runs his route a bit tentatively and is in an awkward position to make the catch. Probably was unsure about sitting in the zone or continuing the route, but then to top it off he fails to make the catch:

 

Here, he's the FB and, again, does a good job getting to his block but his guy overpowers him with ease and lays a solid enough hit on Marshall to disrupt the play: 

 

 

So, yeah, not very good from Niles. Hopefully his knee is okay and he can take a step against the Jets. 

 

So now with the disappointments all out of the way, let's have some fun, shall we? We've heard about guys like Ziggy Hood, Su'a Cravens, and Ricky Jean-Francois having good games, but I wanted to focus on some who were a bit more unheralded who did. I'll be keeping an eye on these guys moving forward. 

 

First up: 

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Kendall Reyes, 97

 

Reyes hasn't had much fanfare nor expectations placed on him. Most assumed he'd be solid depth or just an okay starter at best. Judging by his first preseason game, I think we may be in for a pleasant surprise. 

Let's see why. 

 

Here, Reyes (at RDE) gets a good jump on the ball and almost immediately penetrates into the backfield: 

 

Here, he's lined up as the Nose and gets a solid push initially, though he lets up a bit early because he assumes the QB is about to pass and wants to get his hands up. Should've continued, but a solid job nonetheless: 

 

Here, at RDE again, he gets an excellent bull rush and shows his strength: 

 

Here, he does everything right except make the tackle:

 

Here, again at RDE, he shows good awareness on the draw and still gets a decent angle on the ball carrier though the Center is focused solely on riding him out of the play: 

  

 

 

All in all, a very solid performance. All of his other snaps showed a guy who won't get moved off the ball easily, either. I'm looking forward to seeing how he looks against the Jets and if he can continue to build off of his performance.

 

Next up: 

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Anthony Lanier, 72 

This guys tape was, by far, the most fun to watch. Though it was against the bottom of the barrel in terms of personnel for the Falcons, the guy was extremely disruptive on pretty much every play he was in. He played like a maniac, to say the least.

Let's take a look.

 

Here he's lined up as the RDE and is in on the tackle with Terrence Garvin (who actually deserves a spot here himself, Garvin played well), causing a fumble. The next clip after this one will show just how much he laid out for the hit:

  

 

Here, at RDE, penetration and tackle: 

 

Here, at RDE, he gets immediate penetration but then savagely rips off the RBs helmet. Ugly play on his part and, though you appreciate the effort, he's got to be better than that moving forward: 

 

Here, again, penetration and the tackle: 

 

Here, just runs down the play and combines for the tackle with Fields: 

 

 

Suffice to say, just a boatload of fun to watch. Can't wait to see what he does moving forward. 

 

Next up: 

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Carlos Fields, 59

 

He's generated a little bit of buzz, but mostly written off as a likely cut, he showed up and was in on pretty much every play he was a part of. He was extremely physical and didn't hesitate to throw his body around against the Falcons, making some fun plays to watch in the process. 

Let's take a look. 

Here, you might think there's nothing special about this play, but he takes on a big FB who gained some steam while he was pretty much stationary and handles it extremely well. When you look at it at first glance, the FB should've laid him out but Fields physicality is displayed: 

 

Here, he and Garvin (see what I mean about Garvin?) combine for a nice tackle, but notice how Fields (right ILB) sifts through the traffic nicely (and listen to that pop from Garvin while you're at it): 

 

This was probably his best play, look at him hustle through the traffic to make the play (left ILB): 

 

This play was the same one already posted for Lanier, but pay attention to Fields here instead (middle):

 

 

Good stuff from the young man and it'll be interesting to see how he follows it up for sure. 

 

 

Welp, that does it. Aside from the more commonly known and intriguing players to follow the next few preseason games, I hope this added some onto your radar. Will Paea, Paul and Kuandjio improve? Will Reyes continue to show up? Are guys like Lanier, Fields, and Garvin moving up the depth chart? Stay tuned right here on the ES coverage blog to find out!       

TK

 

So, yeah it's just the first Pre Season game which I've grown to call "Talent Evaluation". Even so, most fans weren't going into this game worried about the passing game. The two bigger issues were the run game as it became non existent early into last season & the Redskins struggled to put together a threatening ground campaign. The other issue was the pass rush without a true NT (which this scheme doesn't really use) & the run defense, especially up the middle. 
 
Here, I decided to go back & re-watch just the run game for the First Half as the starters were done after that. Keeping in mind that the left side of the line was still backups. So, buckle up your chin straps because here we go.
 
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On the first run the backup left guard is blown up & pushed back into the play and then into the RB. 
 
Next run in the same series draw up the middle.  Matt Jones is pretty much picked up by one leg as he's in stride & pushed/thrown down to the ground. 
 
First string is now out 
 
Left Guard 61 gets stood up. 76 stood up & pushed back. 85 gets a great leveraged push forward while 84 is manhandled backwards.  Marshall gets clotheslined in the backfield. 
 
Paul in at Fullback with Marshall at RB. Paul hits the hole 5 yards in front of Marshall & the hole closes behind him RG already out in space while RT is pushed back closing the hole. Marshall tries to bounce it out to the right & sheds the first one & brought down by the next two tackles. 
 
Thompson in at RB. Hits the hole that gets opened between the RG & RT & brought down by a LB before he can make any progress forward. 
 
Marshall in at RB. Run to the right & 13 is getting pushed back as McCoy is handing off to Marshall. The line had a lane to the right sealed off for a second or two. 82 & 13 are both on the outside right & pushed back which opens a hole for the LBs. Marshall has nowhere to go. 
 
Kelly up the middle. Quick, instant opened lane against the the DL. Nearest LB is 3 yards from the line of scrimmage while Kelly is taking the handoff at five yards back. The difference is Marshall is already in motion, running to the handoff while the LB is still deciding where to go as at this freeze frame it could still be play action. Kelly is actually hit by a different LB on first contact & then immediately buried in a pile up. 19 called for unnecessary roughness for a negating 15 yard penalty. 
 
Kelly in the backfield on 2nd & 20. RG & TE cross to the right side behind two WRs crossing to the left side. Pitch to Kelly to the right. 83 & 69 now in motion to hit the second level. The two WRs are now at the middle of the field blocking off pursuit from the left side. Kelly comes up behind the RG & TE who are outnumbered 2-3 by LBs. The two LBs simply split around 83 & hits a wall of two LBs as the third piles onto the gang tackle. 
 
:1386:
 

The biggest issues standing out to me (besides some unfriendly camera angles making it harder to identify a few jersey numbers) were Moses holds. A lot. The OL seemed to be simply getting out powered/muscled when it came to opening running lanes. All of this is fixable especially if use Paul more as a pass catching TE opposed to a blocking TE.

If I were to hand out an award for their performance, it'd go to Brandon Scherff. That guy is simply a mauler when he's out in space to open up the second level in the run game. He's showing why Scot McCloughan took him in the First Round last year. 

 
 
TK

An entry back in the blog, Hap had closed out saying

Quote

Over all I would say the Redskins played a very sloppy game.  Same penalties on multiple plays so I'm sure they can be corrected.  I think I counted 5 lined up in the neutral zone by the D, that can be corrected.  What worries me is the running game, I did not see much there. The secondary gave up some really long plays, not a couple but several.

So, let's take a look at their 10 longest plays on Offense & then the 10 longest allowed by the Defense.

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