Great game on Sunday. It was a tough game against an improved Arizona Cardinals team. It was also another step for Jason Campbell, Jim Zorn, and the entire Redskins team as we look to continue to grow in this new look offense. Here are my thoughts:
1. JC had another good game. He is looking more and more comfortable back there and seems to be making better decisions. He also is limiting the mistakes. Last year, he fumbled a lot and had his share of INTs. He has yet to turn the ball over. He still has a ways to go but what you really like to see is the improvement. Apparently he is getting better at calling the plays and calling audibles at the line which is a requirement in the Zorn offense. He even "mush mouthed" Zorn (as Zorn said) on one play and called the right read. I like JC and hope he can continue his progress. You also are starting to hear the fans talk positively on JC's development. No "We want Colt!" silly banter...for now.
2. Portis and Moss are emerging as offensive leaders as well they should be. Each are having solid starts to the season so hopefully that will continue as they are much valued and needed.
3. Good to see Thomas get out there and get some playing time. He is still raw as we can see with his two pass interference calls but he needs work and he certainly has the size and talent to be a threat on this offense. Hopefully he and Kelly can emerge as solid options in this offense.
4. Cooley had a nice game and we need to get him to ball about 5-7 times per game. He is that solid option on 3rd and 5 that can get us the first down.
5. I like our aggressive play calling. We are not so one dimensional and conservative as we were the last few years. Zorn is not afraid to throw the ball to ensure the first down late in the game so that we can run out the clock. We have done that now two weeks in a row. We also seem to have opportunities to throw the ball deep. I expect more of this as JC and the rest of the offense get more comfortable with the system.
6. Defense was solid. AZ has a talented offense and we were able to hold them often. I didn't like that James looked much more effective than I think he is and also there were plays where it looked like Warner had all day back there but still we held them to 17 points and I am okay with that. I like that Jason Taylor got his hand on a couple of balls and we did get pressure on him. We are seeing more sacks and more turnovers this year. Our plus/minus turnover status has to be very solid and we all know turnovers can be difference makers in a game.
7. Was disappointed in their bomb to Fitzgerald. Doughty does not have the speed to keep up with some of the more elite WRs so it was a poor matchup. I'm sure the coverage was right but we need Landry back there. He has made some really great plays in the last two weeks with his speed and aggressiveness.
8. Special teams was okay. Brooks was inconsistent but he did get that one big punt late in the game that was important. Hopefully his inconsistency is a result of his youth but he really needs to step up and play the way he is capable of playing because 35 yard punts are not going to cut it. Seriously, that is his career. That is all he needs to do. He doesn't have to do anything else. Given that, he has to do better than 35 yards a punt. I think I could punt 35 yards and I don't even practice that. I do like Suisham though. He seems fairly accurate and certainly has a big leg. The guy consistently puts the ball in the end zone on his kickoffs. We have to take Randle El off punt returns. The guy plays two hand touch. He dances around WAY too much and goes down at the hint of being touched. We need a fearless guy that can just take it up field and get us some yards. I don't like the idea of Moss back there unless it is an emergency.
9. Horny for Zorny. The guy is staying the course and even during the difficult stretch of late in the preseason and the first game, he has maintained his demeanor and not been shaken in his belief of his system or players. I like that.
Finally, all we can hope for is continued improvement. I think there will still be growing pains but I like that we have been making progress. We play in probably the toughest division in all of football so it will be hard to stay on top. The AZ game was a must win game given our tough division and we came out on top. We defended our home field the last two weeks and that is big. I said at the beginning of the season that the first 5 games were brutal and if we came out 2-3, I would feel pretty good. We already have our 2 wins so we are in good shape. We play Dallas and then Philly on the road in the next two weeks and if we can manage to some how split those games, we are in great shape.
Again, the NFC East is a beast. Right now, the combined record of the teams in the NFC East is 10-2 (by far better than any other division) and the only two losses have come against other NFC East teams. So we know it is going to be a tough road ahead. However, I like the direction and make up of the team and believe that we will continue to progress and that we can compete against any team we face. I'm looking forward to playing Dallas away. It will be a huge test -- we'll see how we do.
HAIL TO THE REDSKINS!!!!
4 comments:
Good, solid win. We had our backs against the wall a couple times when the Cards tied it up at 10-10 and then again at 17-17. Both times, we remained aggressive and responded in ways unlike how Gibbsy would have done things. I was really glad to see that.
JC is looking really sharp. He's much more decisive than he showed in week 1. Call it a comfort-factor if you want, but I think Zorn Star has adjusted the play calling to better suit his QB. JC is playing with confidence and doesn't look like he'll need a couple of years in the system to get a grasp of it. It's still early and the Saints and Cards don't exactly have the greatest defenses, but the progress is obvious.
Zorn Star is slowly getting Thomas and Kelly in the mix. Once their comfortable in the plays they're to be involved in, this offense is going to open up. Their speed and size is something that defenses will have a difficult time adjusting to.
The defense is strong. I think we match up really well with a lot of teams. We're not blitzing quite as much as I'd like, but it seems like we're getting pressure when needed with the front four. At the very least, our d-line is aware enough to bat some passes down. Our secondary, with Springs in there, is VERY good. I'm really glad to see Carlos Rogers playing so well. In fact, he and McIntosh both seem to be better after coming back from their knee injuries.
Dallas is going to be really tough, but I think if we can contain Marion Barber like we did in both games last year, we'll be fine. That guy is scary good though. Dallas still has some holes in their secondary that we can exploit. I think we'll be up to the challenge. I won't predict a win just yet, but I'm looking forward to it...Didn't think I would be before the season started considering all of the changes, but here we are and we have a very good team.
I think JC is starting to pick things up. He has a lot more responsibility in Zorny's offense. He has to decipher defenses and can audible at the line. By all accounts, there has been very little audibles over the last few years. All you want to see is progress and JC certainly seems to be making strides. I like his confidence and no question he has talent. We'll see if he can continue to grow.
We really need Thomas and/or Kelly to establish themselves. It's good that they are getting a little work but coming out of college, they were ranked as some of the highest WRs so we need them to contribute. That will only make JC more effective and this offense more dynamic.
Defense is solid. I'm happy with their play.
I think we will give Dallas a run for their money.
I believe we are a solid team. I think we are still growing. Again, you want to see progress and so far we have. Hopefully that continues. If it does, I think we could be very dangerous. Still, think we are a year away. We really need more time with the system. We need for our young WRs to step up. We will need some help on the O line. We will need some depth on D line and a LB. I think we are solid now but those are the areas of need for next year that could push us to a higher level.
I'm not saying we're there yet. We are far from being a truly dominant team like Dallas appears to be this year, but we weren't bad last year and from what I've seen so far, it seems like we've improved.
Yesterday in the Fox pregame show, Howie Long said being the 4th best team in the division doesn't mean the 'Skins are a bad team. That's basically where we are right now...We're not quite up there with the other three teams, but we're not far behind. We can definitely hang with them and possibly surprise those teams a few times this season.
I agree that we are a good, competitive team right now. If we can continue to progress throughout this year, I expect to be a threat next year.
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