ES Coverage & Interactive Game Day Thread: 2015 Redskins vs Eagles (Final)

[TheItalianStallion]

Good effort at the end. Flat 3rd quarters, penalties, and not scoring TDs while in scoring position nearly did us in. Those problems are the reason why we aren't undefeated. This was big for Cousins, possibly his best game as a pro. The only game I'd consider ranking ahead of this one is the Cleveland game in 2012.

 

The Skins lost the turnover battle but still won the game

 

Incorrect, actually. No one threw any INTs, but they lost 2 fumbles, while we only lost 1.

[Captain Injury]

38th and hamilton right next to Drexel campus. Not too far away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

49th and Baltimore

[NoVaSkins21]

 

 

Incorrect, actually. No one threw any INTs, but they lost 2 fumbles, while we only lost 1.

 

Ok I'm glad to stand corrected.  

[TheItalianStallion]

Ok I'm glad to stand corrected.  

 

Follow-up: 1 of their fumbles was the final play of the game, when we intercepted one of their laterals. Debatable as to whether that should count as a turnover, I suppose.

[Stadium-Armory]

I wonder what it is they do at halftime because they're making a habit of sleep-walking through the 3rd quarter. A little better pep in their step to start the second half and this game wouldn't have been close. 

 

Falcons are due for a loss, let's let them know they played us.

[ddub52]

Thank you for misunderstanding my point.

We were down by 4. So in 19 mins they scored 20 points while we only had 16 in 41 mins. That is the point I was making. It doesn't matter how many minutes you have the ball. All it matters is you win. If we don't get a TD on that last drive the game was over. All teams have to play against the zebras. The last stat is who won and not how. I am really happy that it was US and not THEM!!!

Your post did not reflect the point you were just trying to make.

And it does matter how long you have the ball. We controlled the clock and held the ball for the final 5 minutes of the game. If they had the ball with more time left, they would have had a good opportunity to score and take the lead.

[Diehard Otis]

Look;

 

There is plenty to nitpick, gripe, or complain about.

 

BUT

 

The fellas Won a gritty Division Game at Home against a desperate opponent.  This is a Big one!  I am happy & proud of our team.

 

Hail To The Redskins!

[Peregrine]

Great win, showed that intangible of being clutch today.  Was nice to see Morris show why he is Alfred freaking Morris, if he doesnt bust out on that last drive, we dont win the game.  Sometimes you may want to go with the flashy, the shiny, the new toys.  But if you really want to win there are guys that just always seem to produce when you need them to.

[Going Commando]

Tough defense against the run. Line couldn't get any push all day. But we stuck with it and never fell behind by enough to sacrifice the run game. Overall the backs got 126 yards on 30 carries, so that's a pretty good effort when taken collectively.

I doubt we're going to play man run defenses better than that one, so if we can get going against them, we should be able to run our offense against most opponents.

[beachboy757]

After re-watching a few clips I have to give more props to Kirk Cousins for his ability to avoid sacks and throw the ball on time.  Over the last 20 years or so it has been common to see our QB's getting sacked and hit VERY hard...been very different seeing a QB barely getting touched on a weekly basis. This is translating to our dominate TOP. Hope he keeps this up.

 

Was anyone keying in on Breeland? He was torched last week, but I don't remember seeing him today which has to be good?

[Diehard Otis]

Was anyone keying in on Breeland? He was torched last week, but I don't remember seeing him today which has to be good?

I think last week's contest was a matter of a Veteran Quarterback taking advantage of our Cornerback seeing live game action for the 1st time this Season.  He simply took advantage of the circumstances.

 

On Sunday, we saw the Opposing Passer take advantage of our injured Cornerback on (several) Deep Passes.  How else could riley cooper(!) beat any NFL Defense deep???

 

I was upset about Culliver's "poor play" until I read after the game that he was playing on one leg, because he knew The Defense needed him in the lineup - and then I was sincerely impressed by his toughness.  And so was the Locker Room.

[COWBOY-KILLA-]

-No matter what people say this team believes in what it's doing. That's a testament to Gruden and staff.

 

-Boger's crew seems to be way too involved in the game, hate when officiating rear's it's ugly head. 

 

-Like how we stuck with the run all game and the development of Long and Scherff on the inside.

 

-Crowder should be on the field all game, he makes plays.

 

-Pierre played spectacular outside of the stupidest face mask ever, passion got the best of him

 

-Preston continues to flash bright, Murphy pushing through, Hatcher and Baker have been steady.

 

-Robinson still has a lot to learn, our DB's haven't been so hot.

 

-Oh and Kirk did his job, was a little jumpy but settled in and let it rip. Gruden alluded to being a tad conservative with him, build him up. Gutted out a fantastic last drive. 

 

And let's not forget the Kicker, he's been pretty pretty good since comin on board. Great Skins Win.

[MartinC]

Tough defense against the run. Line couldn't get any push all day. But we stuck with it and never fell behind by enough to sacrifice the run game. Overall the backs got 126 yards on 30 carries, so that's a pretty good effort when taken collectively.

I doubt we're going to play man run defenses better than that one, so if we can get going against them, we should be able to run our offense against most opponents.

 

I'm scracthing my head a bit at some of the comments about 'poor play calling' which seem to be mainly because we stayed committed to running the ball. I loved we stayed with the run even down to that final drive - staying with the run and making the Eagles continue to defend the run limits what the Eagles could do with coverage, helps to control the pass rush and sets up opportunities for throws downfield off play action. Its sort of football 101!

 

Kirk threw it 40+ times anyway which is more than we would like but also a function of the time of posession we had. 

[HapHaszard]

Once again great work John.  Glad your back.

[Stugein]

gbrldz over on Redditskins (reddit.com/r/redskins) got the shot of the day IMO:

 

[s0crates]

The Skins lost the turnover battle but still won the game . . .

I think this is a mistake. We won the turnover battle.

Edit: I see someone beat me to it.

[DC9]

Thought it was a great team effort, but there are two plays that REALLY stood out to me from Jamison Crowder.

 

The long catch in traffic in the first half... and the FIRST catch out of the two minute warning on the last drive.  Go back and watch that one.  That was going to be a pick and Biggers probably scores if Crowder doesn't adjust to that ball and make the catch for a modest 5 or 6 yard game.  And from there Cousins balled and Garcon REALLY balled.  Someone made a play and calmed down the situation.

[Going Commando]

I'm scracthing my head a bit at some of the comments about 'poor play calling' which seem to be mainly becuase we stayed committed to running the ball. I loved we stayed with the run even down to that final drive - staying with the run and making the Eagles continue to defend the run limits what the Eagles could do with coverage, helps to control the pass rush and sets up opportunities for throws downfield off play action. Its sort of football 101!

 

Kirk threw it 40+ times anyway which is more than we would like but also a function of the time of posession we had.

The playcalling early in the game was excellent. It was basically the reason we moved the ball because the offensive line didn't execute well all day. Also, Chris Thompson and Morris and our receivers made some really big plays with great individual effort. And I thought Kirk had one of his best games from a decision-making standpoint. When he had to gun the ball, his accuracy dropped. But he threw with really good touch in the short passing game and he was decisive with the ball. He limited his throws into coverage, which is big for him.

The game flow naturally trended toward a lot of passing as it was the path of least resistance. The Eagles two gap all over their line and they have one of the best tackling defenses I've seen this season. The Dolphins and Rams have much more heralded defensive fronts, but I think it's been clear the Eagles and Giants have far better run defenses than them. Especially the Eagles. Fletcher Cox is an elite two gap interior lineman. Maybe the best player on that defense. You expect to have problems with him given where he was drafted. The guy who surprised and impressed me was Bennie Logan. We just could not move him. 34" arms despite only being 6'2 really gives him great leverage against interior OLs who can't match his length and can't stand him up. He also had some of the biggest hands of any DT in his draft. Good on his feet too. You can see that he has an ideal build for playing the nose in a two gapping 3-4 front.

Also, I'm glad to see Brandon Graham thriving even though he plays for the Eagles. He was one of my favorite players in the 2010 draft, and serious injuries almost ruined his career before it got started. He too is a fantastic run defender that I remember as being one of the best stack and shed players that I've watched at the college level.

Malcolm Jenkins is also one of the best tacklers in the NFL. Frankly, I'm surprised the Saints let him go.

Anyway, I guess I wasn't expecting Philly's defense to be as good as it was. They would actually be a good team if their offense wasn't such a mess. Bradford is not comfortable at all in their system yet and their line has been decimated by attrition. That was one of the best lines in the league last year, but losing Jason Peters is killer and letting Evan Mathis walk was a much more significant loss than LeSean McCoy.

[Going Commando]

Thought it was a great team effort, but there are two plays that REALLY stood out to me from Jamison Crowder.

 

The long catch in traffic in the first half... and the FIRST catch out of the two minute warning on the last drive.  Go back and watch that one.  That was going to be a pick and Biggers probably scores if Crowder doesn't adjust to that ball and make the catch for a modest 5 or 6 yard game.  And from there Cousins balled and Garcon REALLY balled.  Someone made a play and calmed down the situation.

Agreed. Crowder looks a little wide-eyed at times, but you can see he's got some onions. As long as he stays healthy, he's going to be alright. He has a flair for the big play.

[Larry]

I'm scracthing my head a bit at some of the comments about 'poor play calling' which seem to be mainly because we stayed committed to running the ball. I loved we stayed with the run even down to that final drive - staying with the run and making the Eagles continue to defend the run limits what the Eagles could do with coverage, helps to control the pass rush and sets up opportunities for throws downfield off play action. Its sort of football 101!

 

Kirk threw it 40+ times anyway which is more than we would like but also a function of the time of posession we had.

I was having similar thoughts, today.

One of my thoughts centered around Thompson's one long run, early. That run was draw, on 3rd and 19, on our own 11.

How much did that play affect the Philly D, the rest of the game? The message that we're willing to run the ball on 3rd and 19, if you don't stack the box?

(I assume that the fact that it WORKED helped a lot, too).

Same thing on that final drive. I confess, I was wondering if it was time to abandon the run. I think Cooley had pointed out that Morris and Jones were combined for 20 carries for 35 yards, at that point.

But again, we sent a clear message. " We're willing to run the ball, here. And if you don't go all in to stop it, we'll succeed at it, too".

[Voice_of_Reason]

Great win, showed that intangible of being clutch today.  Was nice to see Morris show why he is Alfred freaking Morris, if he doesnt bust out on that last drive, we dont win the game.  Sometimes you may want to go with the flashy, the shiny, the new toys.  But if you really want to win there are guys that just always seem to produce when you need them to.

The biggest difference on the final drive?  The Eagles went to nickle from base thinking that the 'Skins would have to pass to go 90 yards.

 

Huge kudos to Gruden, McVay, the OL and Morris for making them pay for that digression.  

 

As a nitpick, what I would have liked to have seen is the 'Skins use more PA or passes when the Eagles went base earlier in the game, because the matchup favors the 'Skins passing game in those situations.  Running against base favors the Eagles.

 

I think that if you can find a way to spread them out and throw on them in base on early downs, they adjust and go nickle early, then you hit them with the run.  Instead of beating your head against a wall.  But, hey, we won.  

I'm scracthing my head a bit at some of the comments about 'poor play calling' which seem to be mainly because we stayed committed to running the ball. I loved we stayed with the run even down to that final drive - staying with the run and making the Eagles continue to defend the run limits what the Eagles could do with coverage, helps to control the pass rush and sets up opportunities for throws downfield off play action. Its sort of football 101!

 

Kirk threw it 40+ times anyway which is more than we would like but also a function of the time of posession we had. 

I really didn't like the play calling on 1st down for much of the game.  The reason is not because we ran, it's because the runs were predictable, and not effective.  Over and Over and Over.

 

The Eagles base defense is very good against the run.  Running against them is fine, but doing it on 8/9 first downs, and getting all of 16 yards out of it, that isn't great. Also, the Morris runs left on 1st down was 6 or 7 of those plays, and they got squat out of it.  There's something to "sticking with it" but you can mix it up a bit.  

 

What I was screaming about is that we mix it up on first down, throw when they're in base, run when they're in nickle.  Throw them out of the defense that's stacked to stop the run, then run on them.  

 

I like that we're committed to the run.  

 

And on that last drive, the biggest difference: The Eagles were in Nickle.  Favors the 'Skins running game.

[Stadium-Armory]

Want to give a shout out to Chris Thompson who played hard and converted a couple 3rd downs, especially that 3rd and (very) long draw play that he took for a first down. 

 

We were good on 3rd and long, which is a nice thing to see. That 3rd quarter 3rd and long to Crowder was another example.

[Epochalypse]

Follow-up: 1 of their fumbles was the final play of the game, when we intercepted one of their laterals. Debatable as to whether that should count as a turnover, I suppose.

If they would have scored on that play the points would have counted...

 

Why would taking the ball away to prevent that not count?

 

I don't see a debate.

[dyst]

Updated the chart. Kirk had a very good game. I hope this continues into next week.

 

[dyst]

1.       Kirk Cousins – He played a very good game. Made plays when he had to. I’m kind of surprised that he doesn’t throw the ball deep that much so either the plays aren’t being called or he just rather go short. Either way, he does need to improve his deep ball accuracy. It feels like he just throws it up hoping the receiver catches it deep rather than aim and hitting him in stride. Regardless, yesterday he did a nice job in the short to intermediate routes. Seemed very poised and did not throw an INT. That was HUGE because INTs will lose you the game. Hope he continues the same level of play into next week.

2.       Running Backs – I know we gained 127 yards against a good run defense but it seemed like we were bottled up the whole day. Morris had some nice runs especially on that final drive. I just trust him a ton. I feel like he’ll just grind away. Matt Jones had a quiet day. Didn’t get much carries so no complaints. Chris Thompson, this was his best game by far. Showed some zip on the runs and is a threat as a receiver too.

3.       Tight Ends – Reed is a hard cover with a great catch radius. Of course he seems to be hurt again and that is the main gripe with him. Hope he heals soon.

4.       Offensive Line – They played well this game. In fact they have played well the entire year. It’s hard to even accept how young this line is. We have a 5^th year player (Trent), a rookie (Scherff) and 2 second year players (Long and Moses) in there. I’m so used to having guys that are in their 11^th year and over 30 years of age on that line. This feels nice.

5.       Defense - Despite the long passes by Bradford the group played well. I believe if Cully was healthy, those plays wouldn’t have happened. I will knock Kerrigan, he needs to make those sacks when given the chance. He can’t start playing like Brian “almost had him” Orakpo.

6.       Love what Jay and Scott are doing. They bench you if you don’t perform up to par. In  years past there is NO WAY that Roberts would be benched in favor of Grant and Crowder. He’d also be returning both punts and kickoffs. Damn it feels good. At least I don’t have to yell at my screen saying “play so&so instead” anymore. These guys are seeing what we’re seeing and I like that.

7.       I also can’t remember the last time we had so many rookies not only play but actually making an impact. Scherff, Preston, Crowder, Jarrett and Matt Jones. All of these guys have in one way or another contributed to wins.