First, contrary to some people's ideas, the 'Skins did not get blown away and in fact the 'Skins starters dominated the Steelers starters.
The first quarter was completely dominated by the 'Skins as they held on to the ball for nearly 12 minutes. Here are my thoughts in no general order:
1. Campbell looked very good up until he got hurt.
2. Collins lookded very good when he got a chance.
3. Defense played very well. They played with intensity and passion and you can see that they have a lot of pride.
4. Rocky McIntosh is starting the preseason like an All Pro. The guy is all over the field making plays. With McIntosh, Fletcher, and Washington, we have a VERY solid group of LBs.
5. Special teams was solid. Frost punted well and the punt/kickoff coverage teams made several good tackles not allowing the returners much space.
Here are the negative points:
1. O line was better but continues to be an issue. They did not create many running lanes for the backs and could not pick up the blitzes.
2. Said running game NEEDS to improve. It was a strong point for us last year and I expect this to be better.
3. Even though we dominated most offensive categories, we did not put up many points. That has to change.
4. Even though the defense was aggressive, we need to create turnovers.
5. Brunell sucks! He made a couple of decent plays on the last drive to set us up for a win but then to get a delay of game penalty and then with the last play knowing we don't have any timeouts, why is he throwing down the middle of the field? Even if the receiver caught the ball, he would have been tackled and time would have expired. Brunell is supposed to be a seasoned veteran but that was a stupid play.
Other:
1. The injury to Campbell was frightening. When I saw him rolling around and then the replays, I thought the worst and pretty thought the season was a wash. However, the reports are that it is just bruised and there is nothing serious. Hopefully that is the case.
2. The injury to Washington is disappointing. He is a good LB and he worked hard to come back from hip surgery so hopefully he can return soon. Last I heard was it would be a couple of weeks.
3. The injury to Espy is disappointing because he was a decent player. While he was not critical to the team's success, he seemed like a decent guy and now his season is over.
All in all, I am very pleased with the way the team looks right now. They are MUCH better than where they were last year at this point. At least we look like we have some pride and passion and that we can compete out there. The O line needs to shore up and the running game needs to improve and hopefully we don't suffer any injuries to any key players and we should be pretty good.
I'm out!
4 comments:
I can't disagree with any of your points. I will say that I'm still not too worried about the O-line play. Heyer has been a very good find and him getting playing time against starting d-linemen will make him a very good backup once Samuels returns. Right now, defenses are exposing him for his inexperience by overloading his side of the line. Having Wade/Pucillo at RG isn't helping the cause, but I'm certain that Samuels return will take care of much of the issue. Apparently, Pucillo was an improvement over Wade so at least we're determining who is the best fit for the starting line.
The injuries were scary. The thought of having a battle for starting QB between Collins and Brunell almost made me cry like a little girly man. I was relieved to see Campbell get up on his own after that hit. Washington's injury was a bit more serious, but he should be ready by game 1. You're right about McIntosh. The guy is showing us why Gibbsy traded up to get him. He's making great plays all over the field.
For game 3, I want to see more points and to a lesser degree I'd like to see the D create some turnovers. If they're flying all over the field and making plays to hold opposing 1st team offenses to 3 points, then I'm not too worried about turnovers.
I thought the second game was a HUGE improvement over the first game. The D continued to play well, although their D-line continues to look weak to me. They did not seem to muster any pressure on the QB, which allowed Big Ben and Batch to have efficient games.
The O-line is still terrible. Samuels returning should help, but there was a lot of pressure on the QBs and there was no running game to take any of that pressure off.
QB play was good out of JC and Collins. I think we can agree that Brunell has got to go.
If the Redskins continue to improve the next two weeks that would be good - we'll see.
I cannot wait to see the Bears play in the first quarter tonight.
I won't go so far as to say that the O-line is "terrible." I agree with Deepie that Heyer is a good find but he is a rookie and it is hard to replace a perennial All Pro. Samuels will definitely help the line.
I think the coaches are giving up on the Todd Wade experiment. He has admittedly had difficulty adjusting to Guard and it shows. Pucillo was an improvement but there are only a couple of weeks left to decide who will be manning that position. Also, we have got to create better running lanes and pick up the blitzes better.
Part of the lack of rushing attack has to go on the RBs. There were times that I saw holes open up but the backs missed them. I think the return of Portis and Betts playing more will help that.
Also, I have to say that I am really impressed with Campbell. He is getting rid of the ball before WRs make their breaks, he is hanging in the pocket and not getting "happy feet," and he has a quiet confidence in him that shows when he talks that he knows he is the leader of this team and much of the team's success rides on his shoulders. I really like JC.
Hopefully the 'Skins can show improvement in the next two preseason games.
We'll see how the Bears do tonight. I am curious to watch them as well. Much of the talk surrounding them is about their offense. If Rexy and that offense have improved as much as I've heard/read, they could unstoppable.
I like JC. But, I do think the O-line is going to be a real weak spot for them. When the rushing attack is not working and JC is forced to throw 35 times a game we'll see how he holds up - especially because I think he is going to get hit a lot.
I am sure Portis and Betts will help, as will Samuels. We'll just have to see how much they help.
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