TSN: Redskins Team Report October 10, 2005

[bubba9497]

Team Report 10/10/2005

By Paul Woody

http://warroom.sportingnews.com/nfl/teams/redskins/

WR Santana Moss has been so impressive with the ball that the team is trying to find additional ways to put him in position to make plays. That's the reason he is getting opportunities as a punt returner. Moss is a "home run" hitter, capable of making every return a long one. He has the quickness to avoid the first tackler and the speed to burst through openings after that. But he is too valuable to the offense to run the risk of having him return every punt. Moss likely will be used as a change-of-pace return man with James Thrash handling the bulk of the duties. Thrash also has excellent speed and is usually quite secure with the ball. . . .

When he's healthy, K John Hall has a strong, accurate leg. He's not only good on field goals, his kickoffs are deep, and he's a proven directional kicker. But if he can't kick, he can't help the team. Nick Novak has been a solid replacement, and might have won Joe Gibbs' confidence with his game-winning kick -- twice -- against Seattle. Novak also had a 54-yard field goal against Denver that was nullified by a penalty. Even if Hall recovers soon, it's difficult to see how the coaching staff can have confidence that he will be healthy the rest of the season. It will not be surprising to see Hall go on injured reserve, especially if the team needs to add a cornerback to the roster, then compete for the job next year with Novak. . . .

Warrick Holdman has been giving a solid performance at weakside linebacker, covering well and playing a strong game against the run. He's starting ahead of LaVar Arrington, and Arrington's only hope of playing time seems to depend on either an injury to Holdman or a drop-off in Holdman's performance. The latter seems unlikely. The team's stance is that the time Arrington missed last season -- he played in just four games -- cost him a great deal in learning the defense, and he's not yet able to play without thinking about his assignments. Plus, there is concern about his knee. The bigger concern, though, might be whether the coaching staff has confidence in Arrington's consistency. This was not a problem in the two games Arrington started, and played well in, last season. Arrington has exceptional ability. The defense is playing well, but the team remains in the negative column on turnover ratio. Arrington is a playmaker, and that ability is needed. Arrington at least deserves a chance to show how he can perform in Gregg Williams' defense.

SCOUTING REPORT: Randy Thomas gives a solid, almost mistake-free performance at right guard. He is steady in pass protection, strong in run blocking and patient at all times. Thomas as good technique, makes good use of his arms for leverage and has a good initial punch. His footwork is good, especially in pass protection. He is an exceptionally bright player and has been able to adapt to different offenses and line coaches without problems. He still has several strong seasons left in his body and should give the team a solid performance at the spot for a while.

PROBLEM SPOT: A great deal of progress has been made in the passing game, thanks in part to QB Mark Brunell and Moss. Brunell's arm has been sound, his passes have been sharp, his decision making has been sound and his accuracy, especially with deep passes, has been exceptional. Moss has given the team a capable deep threat it lacked last season. Moss gets on top of defenders quickly, then has the speed to blow past them. And he has earned the confidence of Brunell and Joe Gibbs. The other ingredient in this has been pass protection. With Jon Jansen playing exceptionally well at right tackle, Brunell knows his blindside is well guarded. The rest of the line has improved it's pass protection and has been exceptional at times this season. Still, there are concerns. The team needs to have David Patten and H-back Chris Cooley become more involved, and they might have had break-out performances against Denver. The protection also has to hold up, and one key to that is to have the starters stay injury-free.

Player News

Oct. 10, 1:06 p.m. Nick Novak - K

Novak will be the kicker next week in Kansas City if John Hall continues to be bothered by a quadriceps injury. The Washington Post reports Hall could have problems doing so, so expect Novak to start.

Oct. 10, 1:04 p.m. John Hall - K

Hall may have trouble kicking next week in Kansas City because of a lingering quadriceps problem, according to The Washington Post. Nick Novak has kicked for Hall the past three games.

Oct. 10, 1:00 p.m. LaVar Arrington - LB

Arrington failed to get on the field during the Redskins' loss to the Broncos on Sunday, according to The Washington Post. His playing time has gradually decreased since Week 1 as he has apparently fallen out of favor with the current coaching staff.

Oct. 10, 10:54 a.m. Mark Brunell - QB

A great deal of progress has been made in the passing game, thanks in part to Brunell and Santana Moss. Brunell’s arm has been sound, his passes have been sharp, his decision-making has been solid and his accuracy, especially with deep passes, has been exceptional. (Paul Woody for TSN)

Oct. 10, 10:48 a.m. John Hall - K

When he is healthy, Hall (quad) has a strong, accurate leg. But if he can’t kick, he can’t help the team. Nick Novak has been a solid replacement, and he might have won coach Joe Gibbs’ confidence with his game-winning kick against Seattle. Even if Hall recovers soon, it’s difficult to imagine how the coaching staff can have confidence that he will be healthy the rest of the season. It will not be surprising to see Hall go on injured reserve. (Paul Woody for TSN)

[Blondie]

Would you say the kicker issue is important?

Geez. Say it once. Sounds like Paul has been reading Extreme. Saying the same thing over and over in several different ways.

Blondie

[Mr. S]

Holdman solid? Doubtful, I am just not sold on this guy anymore and would prefer Lavar back in. Sure sure, fits into scheme, obviously dont want another Lavar thread, but I dont think Holdman is getting the job done either.