****OFFICIAL 2008 Washington Redskins Thread**** (1 Viewer)

[DCThunder]

Hail.I think we need to edit the subheading on the title of this thread.3-1 Baby!

No keep it that way. we're 3-0 with it that way.

I keep forgetting to update the subhead.

 

[Sidewinder16]

This is a very good article on Jason Campbell.

The reason for the turnaround: "After the first week, coach Zorn told me, 'The one thing I have to do is trust you more,' " Campbell said. "From that standpoint, I told him, 'Trust me, and we'll go a long way.' "

Aikman even pointed this out yesterday. At one point he made a comment about how the play-calling shows how much Zorn is trusting Campbell. If Zorn didn't trust Campbell's abilities and grasp of the offense, the game gets called a lot differently.

 

[T Bell]

This is a very good article on Jason Campbell.

The reason for the turnaround: "After the first week, coach Zorn told me, 'The one thing I have to do is trust you more,' " Campbell said. "From that standpoint, I told him, 'Trust me, and we'll go a long way.' "

Aikman even pointed this out yesterday. At one point he made a comment about how the play-calling shows how much Zorn is trusting Campbell. If Zorn didn't trust Campbell's abilities and grasp of the offense, the game gets called a lot differently.

No need to illustrate or elaborate - we lived it.

 

[T Bell]

One thing that needs to be pointed out amidst the euphoria, our pass rush is non-existent without Taylor. It may have been a good tradeoff given how well the team shut down the run, but the fact is that Romo felt very little pressure even accounting for his amazing sense of pressure and ability to elude it in the pocket, which he displayed at times yesterday.

 

[dgreen]

One thing that needs to be pointed out amidst the euphoria, our pass rush is non-existent without Taylor. It may have been a good tradeoff given how well the team shut down the run, but the fact is that Romo felt very little pressure even accounting for his amazing sense of pressure and ability to elude it in the pocket, which he displayed at times yesterday.

True, but they also played him a lot like they play McNabb. They seemed to worry more about coverage than pressure.Notice how 153 of their 344 yards came on the final drives of each half against a 3-man rush and soft coverage. The rest of the game, they only gained 191 yards against what was mostly a 4-man rush and tighter coverage.

What I've noticed defensively is how poor they are to start a half. Week 1, NY took the opening KO and marched down for a TD. Week 2, NO took the 2nd half KO and marched down for a TD. Week 3, Arizona took the 2nd half KO and marched down for a FG. Yesterday, Dallas took the second half KO and marched down for a TD. 24 of the 81 points they've given up have been on drives to start a half.

 

[T Bell]

One thing that needs to be pointed out amidst the euphoria, our pass rush is non-existent without Taylor. It may have been a good tradeoff given how well the team shut down the run, but the fact is that Romo felt very little pressure even accounting for his amazing sense of pressure and ability to elude it in the pocket, which he displayed at times yesterday.

True, but they also played him a lot like they play McNabb. They seemed to worry more about coverage than pressure.Notice how 153 of their 344 yards came on the final drives of each half against a 3-man rush and soft coverage. The rest of the game, they only gained 191 yards against what was mostly a 4-man rush and tighter coverage.

What I've noticed defensively is how poor they are to start a half. Week 1, NY took the opening KO and marched down for a TD. Week 2, NO took the 2nd half KO and marched down for a TD. Week 3, Arizona took the 2nd half KO and marched down for a FG. Yesterday, Dallas took the second half KO and marched down for a TD. 24 of the 81 points they've given up have been on drives to start a half.

Along the lines of "the other guys get paid too", keep in mind that the beginning of halves is when you are either first seeing a game plan with new twists (1st half) or you're first seeing halftime adjustments (2nd half). What I like is that Blache always stabilizes his defense after those moments. Blache has done as well of a job as Zorn has, though nobody's really paying attention to that.

 

[fatness]

Blache has done as well of a job as Zorn has, though nobody's really paying attention to that.

I mentioned that in the game thread. I agree.When Taylor's back, I think they're practical enough to use the best run stopper or pass stopper where they think it's appropriate in games. It's pretty obvious that would alternate Evans and Taylor, and I don't see anything wrong with that approach. They just want to win.

 

[Sidewinder16]

One thing that needs to be pointed out amidst the euphoria, our pass rush is non-existent without Taylor. It may have been a good tradeoff given how well the team shut down the run, but the fact is that Romo felt very little pressure even accounting for his amazing sense of pressure and ability to elude it in the pocket, which he displayed at times yesterday.

Buzz kill.

Back to the Redskin love-fest... the kick coverage teams played lights out yesterday. Holding Felix Jones to a 13.5 yard KR avg. and Pacman to a 4.7 yard PR avg. is outstanding, to say the least. Field position and winning the turnover battle (yet again) were key yesterday.

Again, doing the little things right (the fundamentals) were the basis for a solid game against a very good opponent.

 

[Sidewinder16]

What I've noticed defensively is how poor they are to start a half. Week 1, NY took the opening KO and marched down for a TD. Week 2, NO took the 2nd half KO and marched down for a TD. Week 3, Arizona took the 2nd half KO and marched down for a FG. Yesterday, Dallas took the second half KO and marched down for a TD. 24 of the 81 points they've given up have been on drives to start a half.

That was that odd, short kickoff that was nearly returned to midfield. Not sure what was up with that, as they had been covering the 1st half kicks very well. I think if that drive started back closer to the 20 Dallas ends up with only 3 points, at best. Pure speculation, I know, but the D hasn't allowed many long TD drives.

 

[fatness]

Zorn Establishes Himself, by Thomas Boswell

Among the litmus tests passed down through generations of Redskins fans is the ability of new coaches to travel to hated Dallas and beat the Cowboys at Texas Stadium. For many, the first trip to Irving has been brutal, setting a tone that never changed. The last Redskins coach to win his first game in Dallas was George Allen in '71. Even Vince Lombardi lost his only game here for Washington. And Joe Gibbs lost his first time here in both his regimes.

Jim Zorn may not be a made man quite yet in this town. Seasons are long, much less entire coaching careers. But he's moving up the ladder awfully fast after a 26-24 victory over a Dallas team that's touted as one of the Cowboys' best and a Super Bowl contender. His offense controlled the ball for 38 minutes 9 seconds, outgained Dallas in yardage, 381-344, and did not commit a turnover. Perhaps most important, his attack had such balance between passing and rushing, while the Cowboys threw 47 times out of desperation, that the Redskins actually dominated this game by more than the final margin.

"I don't know whether I have a headache from calling plays or watching the clock at the end, wanting it to get down [to 0:00]," said Zorn, who sweated out the last 3:22 after a 29-yard Shaun Suisham field goal gave underdog Washington a 26-17 lead that hushed the huge crowd. "It's good to see that everybody is responding to this style of leadership. We're heading in the right direction. What does it mean as a [rookie] NFL coach? I mean, we just beat Dallas in Dallas."

With that, Zorn just stopped and grinned at the thought.

Seldom does an NFL underdog win on the road when it has rotten luck and, thus, ample excuse to fold. But the Redskins did it. On one third-quarter, drive they had two touchdowns called back on penalties by center Casey Rabach and settled for a field goal. Such lost points have haunted plenty of Redskins teams since their last title after the '91 season. Instead, as they have for three straight weeks, the Redskins played with confidence, Zorn's core quality.

In part, Campbell is flourishing because Zorn has found way to feature his two most spectacular playmakers -- Moss and Clinton Portis -- far more than Gibbs could the past two seasons. "What did you get?" Zorn asked Moss as they passed in a hallway, much as he might have asked Steve Largent back in the day. "Eight [catches] for 145 [yards]. Keep 'em coming," said Moss. "You're the one who's doing it," said Zorn.

Portis is lit up large these days, too. Like Moss, he's in complete health, his legs back under him, as players say. In the third quarter, Zorn told him, "I've got to work you a little bit now." So Portis ended with 121 yards on 21 carries.

Perhaps because he spent so many years as a quarterback, Zorn seems comfortable stalking the sideline in his headset. He's on top of the play, or ahead of it, not a beat behind, as Gibbs sometimes was in recent years.

"I haven't felt out of control during games or out of touch with what's going on [around him]. I really messed up on a minute of the [opening] game," said Zorn, referring to the Redskins' inability to switch to a hurry-up offense late in the game. "I just have to keep trying to get better."

 

[dgreen]

What I've noticed defensively is how poor they are to start a half. Week 1, NY took the opening KO and marched down for a TD. Week 2, NO took the 2nd half KO and marched down for a TD. Week 3, Arizona took the 2nd half KO and marched down for a FG. Yesterday, Dallas took the second half KO and marched down for a TD. 24 of the 81 points they've given up have been on drives to start a half.

That was that odd, short kickoff that was nearly returned to midfield. Not sure what was up with that, as they had been covering the 1st half kicks very well. I think if that drive started back closer to the 20 Dallas ends up with only 3 points, at best. Pure speculation, I know, but the D hasn't allowed many long TD drives.

I think they've tried a few of those pooch KOs this year. I don't remember which game it was, but I think one hit the ground, bounced around, the Skins had somewhat of a shot to get the ball, and the opposing team ended up with poor field position. I could be thinking of a non-Skins game, though.

 

[Bizkiteer]

Hail to the Redskins!

Hail Victory!

Braves on the Warpath!

Fight for old D.C.!

Run or pass and score -- we want a lot more!

Beat 'em, Swamp 'em,

Touchdown! -- Let the points soar!

Fight on, fight on 'Til you have won

Sons of Wash-ing-ton. Rah!, Rah!, Rah!

Hail to the Redskins!

Hail Victory!

Braves on the Warpath!

Fight for old D.C.!

 

[T Bell]

I love how Zorn personally went to Portis in the 3rd quarter and said, "I'm going to need to run you now." That got Portis, who went in with a gimpy neck due to the cheap-shotting Cardinals, fired up - hell, it gets me fired up just reading and writing that.

 

[dgreen]

I love how Zorn personally went to Portis in the 3rd quarter and said, "I'm going to need to run you now." That got Portis, who went in with a gimpy neck due to the cheap-shotting Cardinals, fired up - hell, it gets me fired up just reading and writing that.

Portis was 12-85 in the second half. I think as we get to games that aren't oppressively hot, we could see Portis stay in the game more and turn in a couple monster games. After Philly, which should be a tough game, he gets STL and CLE at home and then DET on the road. His longest run on that fake end-around to ARE was a beautifully designed play. They set that up nicely with ARE's pass last week and run earlier in the game yesterday.

 

[T Bell]

I love how Zorn personally went to Portis in the 3rd quarter and said, "I'm going to need to run you now." That got Portis, who went in with a gimpy neck due to the cheap-shotting Cardinals, fired up - hell, it gets me fired up just reading and writing that.

Portis was 12-85 in the second half. I think as we get to games that aren't oppressively hot, we could see Portis stay in the game more and turn in a couple monster games. After Philly, which should be a tough game, he gets STL and CLE at home and then DET on the road. His longest run on that fake end-around to ARE was a beautifully designed play. They set that up nicely with ARE's pass last week and run earlier in the game yesterday.

That as much as any pass plays we've run tells me that we aren't in Kansas anymore. That to me shows a game planner and play caller that is imposing his will upon a defense rather than the opposite, and who is anticipating what they're going to be looking for. That, in other words, is high level game planning and play calling. We haven't had that since Norv (sometimes) and Gibbs I.

 

[T Bell]

GB London Fletcher (from La Canfora's blog):

Fletcher: It's Time To WorkCoach Jim Zorn essentially gave the Redskins Monday off after the spirited win over Dallas. Middle linebacker London Fletcher, however, put out the word that he expected his teammates on the defense to be around Redskins Park to review film and sort out some mistakes. Fletcher expressed his expectation that guys come in on their own to watch the game tapes, and they are obliging."I just wanted to make sure defensively, we got that film watched," Fletcher said. "In wins you can overlook a lot of mistakes that were made that could cost you down the road and we had our fair share of mistakes as good as we played. We need to end the halfs better and also start the third quarter. Those are areas we're struggling with."I asked Fletcher about the decision to just rush three men at the end of the half, going with more of a prevent look. Fletcher said it wasn't really prevent, as they were maintaining their normal zone concepts just with an extra defender deep. When Dallas got closer to field goal range he said they clamped down a bit in coverage, Fletcher said.I was surprised they only rushed three, regardless, and Fletcher did conceded that the extra time that allowed Romo did contribute to some of the passes to Crayton that led to the field goal at the end of the half.Rookie Chris Horton, who had another big interception but also blew coverage on the touchdown pass to Jason Witten, was among those who heeded Fletcher's call. Horton got yanked from the base package after that TD, with Reed Doughty regaining his spot. Then Horton was called upon with the Skins back in a three safety set, and he got the interception by manning Witten on the inside, then peeling outside into his zone responsibilities to jump an outside route to Miles Austin."You want to see those 3-4 plays in which you could have made the play," Horton said.

 

[ChrisCooleyFan]

Great Pic!!!!!

 

[SeniorVBDStudent]

Bump to say congrats to the Skins for teaching the Cowgirls how to play football.

It was a good demonstration of the best way to explain why Dallas is not an effective playoff football team. Marginal playcalling by Garrett, marginal QB play by Romo, marginal play by a big payroll defense. TO catches 7 balls and a TD and is crying. Dallas is a headless football team.

Jerry Jones waved goodbye to the requisite football brain when he waved goodbye to Parcells.

LOVE seeing Dallas get pO\/\/ned!

 

[fatness]

Bump to say congrats to the Skins for teaching the Cowgirls how to play football.

Thanks man. It's surprising to see the Redskins playing this well this soon under a new and inexperienced coach. Considering all the other surprises Redskin fans have had over the years, it's great having one to cheer about rather than ##### about or mourn. If this level of play keeps up it'll be...................very cool indeed.

 

[dgreen]

It's surprising to see the Redskins playing this well this soon under a new and inexperienced coach.

I think we're seeing that Zorn is only inexperienced in the sense that he's never worn the HC hat. When he was made HC here in Washington, we heard from Danny and Vinny how Zorn has been preparing for this day for a long, long time. They apparently said to each other after interviewing Zorn for the OC position that he would make a good HC. I think what we're seeing is someone who has never officially been a HC but has prepared for this moment and probably even practiced for it in his previous positions. So, while he is inexperienced in the sense that he's never been a HC, he just might be experienced in the sense that he has acted like one in his previous positions.

 

[dgreen]

Oh, and if Dallas was considered the best team in the NFL prior to today, who is that team today?

Guess who Jeff Sagarin says is #1.

 

[curta269]

As a Cowboys fan, I am bummed they lost this weekend. As a football fan, I was really impressed with the Redskins. They improved so much since I saw them play in week 1 against the Giants. I really thought the Redskins were going to be the weakest team in the division but not now. The crazy thing is, one of these 4 teams (at least) will not make the playoffs. I'm guessing Philly now because of their injuries, but who knows for sure.

 

[Steady Mooobin]

Bump to say congrats to the Skins for teaching the Cowgirls how to play football.

It was a good demonstration of the best way to explain why Dallas is not an effective playoff football team. Marginal playcalling by Garrett, marginal QB play by Romo, marginal play by a big payroll defense. TO catches 7 balls and a TD and is crying. Dallas is a headless football team.

Jerry Jones waved goodbye to the requisite football brain when he waved goodbye to Parcells.

LOVE seeing Dallas get pO\/\/ned!

Relax, you guys won by two. If Hurd doesn't TO that onside kick, you most likely would have had your hearts ripped out.With that being said, the Redskins played GREAT. I was very unhappy with the offense not taking advantage of springs being out. Not running the ball more was also a big mistake. Jason Campbell really took a step forward and Zorn looks like the real deal.

What I didn't like the most was Dallas' D. They have been the weak link the past few years and will be the downfall of the Cowboys this year if they don't get it sorted out.

As a fan, I like to tell myself that the Redskins played their best/perfect game and my Cowboys played poorly. Weather that's true or not doesn't matter. The Redskins handled my Cowboys in all three phases and deserved to win that game.

Grats Redskin fans.

 

[T Bell]

As a Cowboys fan, I am bummed they lost this weekend. As a football fan, I was really impressed with the Redskins. They improved so much since I saw them play in week 1 against the Giants. I really thought the Redskins were going to be the weakest team in the division but not now. The crazy thing is, one of these 4 teams (at least) will not make the playoffs. I'm guessing Philly now because of their injuries, but who knows for sure.

Don't underestimate the impact of Plaxico's suspension(s?) on the Giants. Eli is not an accurate passer, but he can get away with it because Plax has such a huge wing span and is such a wide target for him to hit. Plax is his security blanket. If Plax is gone for some weeks, that's going to be a major loss for that offense. Anyway, this division is completely up for grabs right now. Anyone telling you they know how it's going to turn out is lying. Pretty cool, huh?

 

[Sidewinder16]

Oh, and if Dallas was considered the best team in the NFL prior to today, who is that team today?

Guess who Jeff Sagarin says is #1.

Wow. That is surprising.Also, pretty sweet that the NFC East has the 1, 2 and 3 spots tied up.

 

[T Bell]

Oh, and if Dallas was considered the best team in the NFL prior to today, who is that team today?

Guess who Jeff Sagarin says is #1.

Wow. That is surprising.Also, pretty sweet that the NFC East has the 1, 2 and 3 spots tied up.

Sagarin's all about the stats, so once you see what the stats say it makes sense. Here's a post from an OP on Extremeskins that explains this, at least in part:

Everyone look at the below link. We have played every offense ranked 2-5 in the league thus far and get number 6 next week. We held each team about 100 yards below there average.

I would have to say our defense is just plain dominant this year. Outside of the First quarter of the Giants game we have contolled these teams.

This is a good sign of things to come. We also have a top ten offense! I don't think i've seen that in a LONG time.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/statistics?s...2&year=2008

 

[dgreen]

Oh, and if Dallas was considered the best team in the NFL prior to today, who is that team today?

Guess who Jeff Sagarin says is #1.

Wow. That is surprising.Also, pretty sweet that the NFC East has the 1, 2 and 3 spots tied up.

Also interesting that the #1 team is a 6-point dog at the #12 team this weekend. At least, that's the latest spread I heard.

 

[T Bell]

I posted this in the TO thread, but I thought it was amusing enough to include here too:

"It's no secret, when I get involved, we move the chains. When I don't, we're more stagnant in our offense." - WR Terrell Owens.

Dallas Cowboys at 10:48 [4th quarter]6-S.Suisham kicks 64 yards from WAS 30 to DAL 6. 28-F.Jones to DAL 23 for 17 yards (95-C.Wilson). Return middle.1-10-DAL 23 (10:43) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass incomplete short middle to 81-T.Owens. Slant middle incomplete at the Dallas 30; Rogers closest defender.2-10-DAL 23 (10:39) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass incomplete short right to 81-T.Owens (22-C.Rogers).3-10-DAL 23 (10:33) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass incomplete short right to 81-T.Owens. Pass lobbed incomplete at the Dallas 35.4-10-DAL 23 (10:26) (Punt formation) 1-M.McBriar punts 46 yards to WAS 31, Center-91-L.Ladouceur. 82-A.Randle El to WAS 34 for 3 yards (50-J.Rogers).

 

[dgreen]

Oh, and if Dallas was considered the best team in the NFL prior to today, who is that team today?

Guess who Jeff Sagarin says is #1.

Wow. That is surprising.Also, pretty sweet that the NFC East has the 1, 2 and 3 spots tied up.

Sagarin's all about the stats, so once you see what the stats say it makes sense. Here's a post from an OP on Extremeskins that explains this, at least in part:

Everyone look at the below link. We have played every offense ranked 2-5 in the league thus far and get number 6 next week. We held each team about 100 yards below there average.

I would have to say our defense is just plain dominant this year. Outside of the First quarter of the Giants game we have contolled these teams.

This is a good sign of things to come. We also have a top ten offense! I don't think i've seen that in a LONG time.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/statistics?s...2&year=2008

Yep, as Sagarin's data show, the Redskins have the toughest schedule so far. We all knew the start of the season could be rough and I think we all hoped for a 2-3 start. If they can win in Philly and get to 4-1, then 7-1 is a real possibility with STL, CLE, and DET coming next. After that, one would have to worry about overconfidence, especially if they do to STL, CLE, and DET what they are probably capable of doing to them. But, luckily for us, PIT and DAL come to town after that and I can't imagine them being too high on themselves going into those games.It's very early, but it's hard to stop myself from imagining what might be. Week 12 could look totally different than what we see today (for many reasons), but at least now I have more than just hope. I have confidence.

 

[dgreen]

I posted this in the TO thread, but I thought it was amusing enough to include here too:

"It's no secret, when I get involved, we move the chains. When I don't, we're more stagnant in our offense." - WR Terrell Owens.

Dallas Cowboys at 10:48 [4th quarter]6-S.Suisham kicks 64 yards from WAS 30 to DAL 6. 28-F.Jones to DAL 23 for 17 yards (95-C.Wilson). Return middle.1-10-DAL 23 (10:43) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass incomplete short middle to 81-T.Owens. Slant middle incomplete at the Dallas 30; Rogers closest defender.2-10-DAL 23 (10:39) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass incomplete short right to 81-T.Owens (22-C.Rogers).3-10-DAL 23 (10:33) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass incomplete short right to 81-T.Owens. Pass lobbed incomplete at the Dallas 35.4-10-DAL 23 (10:26) (Punt formation) 1-M.McBriar punts 46 yards to WAS 31, Center-91-L.Ladouceur. 82-A.Randle El to WAS 34 for 3 yards (50-J.Rogers).

I remember Zorn pointing out that sequence in the postgame PC. He talked about how Dallas was clearly trying to pick on Rogers after Springs left and Rogers was up to the task.

 

[fatness]

Anyway, this division is completely up for grabs right now. Anyone telling you they know how it's going to turn out is lying. Pretty cool, huh?

Hell yes it's cool.

 

[Dexter Manley]

Any word yet on Springs' status for this week's game?

 

[Sidewinder16]

Any word yet on Springs' status for this week's game?

Springs hopes to play:

*Cornerback Shawn Springs flew back from Dallas this morning and came to the Park for treatment on his left calf, which prevented him from playing the fourth quarter on Sunday. Springs said he's walking fine and the pain is nothing compared to when he missed the season opener with a shin injury. Springs spent Sunday night at Terrell Owens' condo watching the Bears-Eagles game and then visited his father, Ron, who remains in a coma at a Dallas-area hospital.

 

[T Bell]

Any word yet on Springs' status for this week's game?

Springs hopes to play:

*Cornerback Shawn Springs flew back from Dallas this morning and came to the Park for treatment on his left calf, which prevented him from playing the fourth quarter on Sunday. Springs said he's walking fine and the pain is nothing compared to when he missed the season opener with a shin injury. Springs spent Sunday night at Terrell Owens' condo watching the Bears-Eagles game and then visited his father, Ron, who remains in a coma at a Dallas-area hospital.

I'm surprised TO's condo could get any reception for that game with Springs there.

 

[Bankerguy]

Any word yet on Springs' status for this week's game?

Springs hopes to play:

*Cornerback Shawn Springs flew back from Dallas this morning and came to the Park for treatment on his left calf, which prevented him from playing the fourth quarter on Sunday. Springs said he's walking fine and the pain is nothing compared to when he missed the season opener with a shin injury. Springs spent Sunday night at Terrell Owens' condo watching the Bears-Eagles game and then visited his father, Ron, who remains in a coma at a Dallas-area hospital.

I'm surprised TO's condo could get any reception for that game with Springs there.

He's here all week...try the veal.

 

[fatness]

I'm surprised TO's condo could get any reception for that game with Springs there.

He's here all week...try the veal.

 

[fatness]

Review of the Redskins Offense in the Cowboy game.

I like the offensive balance this team has, and clearly Campbell is very comfortable right now. The first three halves of the year, Campbell was just looking to protect the football. Now, he’s still doing that, but he’s doing it well shaking sacks and making plays deep down the field under duress.

Right now, no team is throwing the football quite as well as the Washington Redskins. The Redskins aren’t only creating winning type passing plays more than half the times they drop back, but they are also creating big plays down the field.

First the negatives: Randy Thomas struggled to remain consistent again, failing at his block on at least 5 different plays. Casey Rabach had those two penalties to kill a drive, but the holding call was really iffy (it may have been holding, but it just as easily might have been Zach Thomas diving into his arm). Rabach played his best game of the season by far against Jay Ratliff. Thomas struggled greatly with Ratliff and Jason Hatcher. Jon Jansen did alright, but got beaten three times in pass pro. He’s still good enough to fill in in a pinch, but when Heyer is healthy, this is his job.

Samuels struggled early on in pass pro, but got little help from Betts. He and Kendall were beyond dominant in run blocking. Chris Cooley really struggled against the Giants in run blocking. Since then, Cooley has been a great run blocking TE. On the touchdown run by Portis that was called back on Rabach’s hold, Cooley first kicked DeMarcus Ware well out of the hole, and then threw him to the ground like a rag doll. Ware was abused in the running game all day by a “receiving TE.”

Mike Sellers also had his best game of the year in run blocking.

I’ve never seen Portis run as hard as he did on Sunday in the time he’s been on the Redskins. If not for Campbell, he would be the player of the game.

This was a DOMINATING offensive performance.

 

[fatness]

Rich Tandler's review of the drive for the last FG

In any case, the Redskins took over at their own 34 after a punt. What followed hasn't been talked about much, but if this turns out to be a special season for the Washington Redskins the 12-play, 6:54 drive that followed will be one of those moments to remember.

Back in the prime of The Hogs, game-clinching drives like this one were accomplished primarily through brute strength with the offensive line blasting back a tired defensive front and a big back slamming in behind them.

This drive was achieved by using a combination of brains and brawn.

Watching it again and breaking it down, I noted that on a few occasions Dallas was in a pass-defense alignment, with only five in the box, when it seemed apparent that the Redskins were in a running frame of mind. This was a result of Jim Zorn's play calling in late-game situations over the last two weeks when he has shown a willingness to pass in run-out-the-clock scenarios.

 

[buster c]

enjoying the nfln replay

I liked the tribute Moss gave #21 after the long ball, sans helmet.

 

[curta269]

As a Cowboys fan, I am bummed they lost this weekend. As a football fan, I was really impressed with the Redskins. They improved so much since I saw them play in week 1 against the Giants. I really thought the Redskins were going to be the weakest team in the division but not now. The crazy thing is, one of these 4 teams (at least) will not make the playoffs. I'm guessing Philly now because of their injuries, but who knows for sure.

Don't underestimate the impact of Plaxico's suspension(s?) on the Giants. Eli is not an accurate passer, but he can get away with it because Plax has such a huge wing span and is such a wide target for him to hit. Plax is his security blanket. If Plax is gone for some weeks, that's going to be a major loss for that offense. Anyway, this division is completely up for grabs right now. Anyone telling you they know how it's going to turn out is lying. Pretty cool, huh?

Yeah, it is pretty cool! Looks like we are in for a wild ride the next 13 weeks. I'm guesing it comes down to the last weekend to decide who wins the division.

 

[T Bell]

Review of the Redskins Offense in the Cowboy game.

I love the substance of his breakdowns, but he's an awful writer and it's only made worse by his mispellings and malaprops.

 

[T Bell]

Rich Tandler's review of the drive for the last FG

In any case, the Redskins took over at their own 34 after a punt. What followed hasn't been talked about much, but if this turns out to be a special season for the Washington Redskins the 12-play, 6:54 drive that followed will be one of those moments to remember.

Back in the prime of The Hogs, game-clinching drives like this one were accomplished primarily through brute strength with the offensive line blasting back a tired defensive front and a big back slamming in behind them.

This drive was achieved by using a combination of brains and brawn.

Watching it again and breaking it down, I noted that on a few occasions Dallas was in a pass-defense alignment, with only five in the box, when it seemed apparent that the Redskins were in a running frame of mind. This was a result of Jim Zorn's play calling in late-game situations over the last two weeks when he has shown a willingness to pass in run-out-the-clock scenarios.

Zorn's already known as an attacker. I love it! It seems to have given new life to this offense, and the players are feeding off of it.

 

[fatness]

Review of the Redskins Offense in the Cowboy game.

I love the substance of his breakdowns, but he's an awful writer and it's only made worse by his mispellings and malaprops.

I can forgive the lousy writing in his case. He does detailed performance breakdowns, and those are worth reading more than most news articles. Sounds like Randy Thomas has been struggling a bit, and like Jansen still can't pass protect. I wonder how many times the Eagles will blitz them?

 

[Steady Mooobin]

I like Jim Zorn and think he looks like he's going to be a very good coach.

With that being said, listening to him talk is as frustrating as watching a quadriplegic attempt to solve a rubik's cube. I just wanna punch him in the temple. Spit it out!

 

[T Bell]

I like Jim Zorn and think he looks like he's going to be a very good coach. With that being said, listening to him talk is as frustrating as watching a quadriplegic attempt to solve a rubik's cube. I just wanna punch him in the temple. Spit it out!

I love listening to Zorn talk. The guy actually thinks before he speaks and provides substantive answers. It's a huge breath of fresh air after four years of Gibbs' close-mouthed cliches, two years of Spurrier's ignorance, one year of Marty's wrong-headed declarations, and seven years of Norv's feckless mumbling, thank you very much.

 

[BuckeyeArt]

Any local update on Kelly?

 

[T Bell]

Any local update on Kelly?

Here's the latest I could find, both of which are from Jason La Canfora's Washington Post "Redskins Insider" blog:

Posted at 3:35 PM ET, 10/ 1/2008

Zorn Gives Injury Update

Jim Zorn wrapped up the day with a review of the injuries.

Stephon Heyer (shoulder) and Shawn Springs (calf) were unable to practice; Springs says he expects to play with a little rest this week; Heyer is unsure whether he will play this week.

Jason Taylor continues to get treatment but was able to jog during practice and took part in some individual drills. Taylor wants to play Sunday, but Zorn was asked if it's just too soon for him to play this week. "I think that, but I wouldn't say that," Zorn responded.

Malcolm Kelly made it through an entire practice, though his ankle was heavily taped. "I was excited about that and he was excited about that," Zorn said of the oft-injured rookie.

Andre Carter was excused from practice to tend to a personal issue. Zorn said "hopefully" Carter will be back tomorrow, but there is a chance he could be excused from work tomorrow as well.

Kelly Stays Home to Heal

From Jason La Canfora

Rookie wide receiver Malcolm Kelly stayed in Virginia to get treatment for his injured ankle, and believes he is getting closer to playing. His bad luck continued as he caught a virus over the weekend, but playing Sunday in Philadelphia is not out of the question.

"I did some drills today and felt pretty good," kelly said. "But we'll have to see how it feels Wednesday at ractice."

Overall, Kelly said he thinks the rest has helped. "I needed some time off to let it heal up," Kelly said.

 

[southeastjerome]

Review of the Redskins Offense in the Cowboy game.

I love the substance of his breakdowns, but he's an awful writer and it's only made worse by his mispellings and malaprops.

Loved the bit about Cooley's blocking. I think more often than not, the general consensus is that he's a receiving TE who is a poor blocker. I think he's improved immensely over the last year. Towards the end of last season I thought he was a very effective blocker.

 

[BuckeyeArt]

Any local update on Kelly?

Here's the latest I could find, both of which are from Jason La Canfora's Washington Post "Redskins Insider" blog:

Malcolm Kelly made it through an entire practice, though his ankle was heavily taped. "I was excited about that and he was excited about that," Zorn said of the oft-injured rookie.

but playing Sunday in Philadelphia is not out of the question.

Thanks. Those are pretty big positives for him. It would be nice for him to play a whole game. He's got to help in the redzone offense.

 

[Sidewinder16]

Byron doesn't think Brian will play:

Redskins cornerback Byron Westbrook said he would be very surprised if his brother Brian played for the Eagles this weekend. Byron Westbrook said he speaks to his brother, whose presence completely changes the effectiveness and productivity of the Philly offense, nearly every day.

"I don't think he'll play," Byron Westbrook said. "The ankle injury is more serious than what the Eagles put out. You know how Andy Reid is about injuries and giving out information. Just watching him on the sidelines after he turned his ankle [against Pittsburgh two weeks ago], it didn't look good.

"He's a warrior and it's an NFC East game and he wants to play, but its also early in the season and it's not a playoff game. If he goes out and plays at 75 perecent, you could end up making it a lot worse. He would want to get to 90 percent to really be able to play."

Westbrook said he and his big brother, who is getting treatment but, according to the Eagles, is scheduled to practice today, last talked on Sunday.

As he usually does when the Redskins are preparing to face the Eagles, Byron Westbrook will continue to act as his brother on the scout team all week. The Redskins will still prepare in case Brian Westbrook plays.

"We still have to prepare for him regardless," Byron Westbrook said. "And if he can"t play, then we'll just be over-prepared."

I have to think Andy Reid would be none to happy to hear that Brian Westbrook was talking to next week's opponent about his playing status, no matter what the relation. Some of it seems like Byron's speculation as opposed to him quoting his brother, but this still doesn't seem like it would sit well with a HC like Reid.