Great win for the Skins! To be able to win our season opener, at home, in prime time on national tv, against the Cowboys, it was huge. A number of comments on the game in no particular order.
1. Defense was spectacular! I love how dynamic this defense is. There are a number of different looks with blitzing coming from all different angles. I love how aggressive and intense this group is.
2. D. Hall had a great game. He was good in coverage. He was physical making good tackles and his TD before halftime was all him. He stopped Choice, stripped him, and scored the TD.
3. LaRon Landry had a great game. 17 tackles last night and he was flying all over the place. He looks like a new player out there and is playing with attitude and control and at the position that is more natural for him.
4. Osakpo had a great game. Barring a few holds on him, he would have had a couple of sacks last night. He can be to the Redskins what DeMarcus Ware is for the Cowboys. He is a legitimate perennial Pro Bowler and is ideally suited for the 3-4 defense.
5. Doughty sucks. I like Reed and he has overachieved and to his defense is probably playing out of position but still the guy took some bad angles on runs and he took himself out of the play and he does not seem to be trusted in the passing game as he consistently is not able to recover in time to get back in position. We need Kareem Moore back ASAP.
6. Special teams was solid. Devin Thomas looks like a great kickoff returner. Punt/kickoff coverage was very good. Gano looks very solid. Bidwell blew it with the botched hold and then the short punt that set up the Cowboy TD.
7. McNabb had a very good game. He seems to understand the position better and more of a leader and knows when to pass or run. He had a number of passes dropped otherwise his numbers would have been better. I can think of 5 right off the top of my head (Armstrong's two in the end zone, Sellers two in the flat, and Moss's that hit him right in the hands/chest). I feel good with him in there.
8. O line was very good and I'll throw CP in there as well as he was phenomenal picking up blitzes. It's a tough defense to block and our guys did a great job. It will probably be one of their bigger tests this season and they came up big. Special kudos to Trent Williams who did very well against one of the league's premier DE/LB DeMarcus Ware. This is a vast improvement over last year.
9. Running game needs to get going. I expect this to pick up. Dallas was really crowding the line so it was hard to get a lane in there. Still, this is an area of improvement.
10. WRs need to step it up. Galloway started but doesn't look to be playing much. Seemed like he didn't play much of the second half at all (if any). Saw Moss and Armstrong and Roydell Anthony out there in the second half. Regardless, these guys need to catch the balls that are thrown to them.
11. Coaching was outstanding. Haslett did a great job with the defense. Shanny has brought a new attitude to this team. Last year, I was embarrassed to be a fan of the Redskins. I am sure the players were embarrassed at themselves and the organization. I have been saying it for months now that there seems to be a sense of order now that we have not seen in years. Thank God Cerrato is gone.
12. Rogers has got to catch the ball. The potential INT at the end of the game that was right in his hands has to be caught. When he missed it, I was thinking that Dallas is now going to come down and score. We had the opportunity to end it but he blew it and it will bite us in the end. Fortunately, we held on for the victory.
All in all, very happy with the win. As mentioned, at the beginning, there are a number of reasons to be happy. Don't think we won a divisional game at all last year so it was nice to take care of that with our first divisional game this year. Tough game next week against the Texans who are coming off of a big win against the Colts. Just have to find ways to get better each week.
HAIL SKINS!!!
8 comments:
Great win for the 'Skins. Certainly they played an inspired game, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
The Cowboys just do not look that good. We'll see in 3-4 weeks whether this Cowboys team is any good.
One other thing. Cerrato will be back in a year or two. Danny will just miss having the guy around.
Cerrato may be back to wipe Danny boy's, Shanny's, McNabb's, Allen's, and the rest of the brass's arses but outside of being called in to package up MK and DT and take them with him when he leaves, he will have no input into and Redskin related matters.
JKSD, why do you continually make comments having to do with male asses? I thik that this is more than just a Freudian slip.
Santana "My Bad" Moss has to catch that ball on second down of the last drive. F-ing Carlos "Can't Catch" Rogers has to catch that ball at the end. Also, F-ing Mike "Can't Block or Catch" Sellers needs to play better. I know he's a big guy, but he doesn't appear to be a good blocker or pass catcher anymore. We'd be better served using K. Williams in two back set.
There was some suspect play calling in key situations on Offense. I hope the overall execution of the coaches and players improves on Offense.
I was at the game and the crowd was awesome. There were points during the game that the noise was so loud, you couldn't hear yourself yelling. I thought I was going to pass out from the stress of that last drive, but the Cowpokes f'd it up again like the poorly coached team that they are. It was a great win and a great experience.
I agree with JKSD's points. I'd have to say my biggest concern is, yet again, the lack of a 2nd WR option. I am confident that McNabb will make things work with more experience with his teammates and the Cowgirls have a solid D, so it's hard to get too worried at this point. I just hope Thomas can step up his game and become that guy. We'll be in good shape if that can happen.
One more point...The pass-protection looked pretty good from my vantage point, but the most inspiring improvement over last year was the lack of panic from our QB when the pocket would collapse. McNabb just stayed in there over and over and made things happen when we needed to make a play. Had it not been for a bunch of drops as JKSD noted, this game could have been a much easier win.
HAIL SKINS!
I'm sure it was electric there. Looked like a great atmosphere and I'm glad the Skins didn't disappoint.
Agree that McNabb is making a difference which is great.
When Armstrong dropped those passes, I was thinking about DT and how he is a taller, stronger WR and we could really use him as the #2. He is more physically gifted. We need him as our #2 instead of playing like number 2 (sorry, couldn't resist).
All in all, great effort and great way to start the season. Got to put it behind us now and look towards next week.
Ok, October 19th is the trade deadline. Who thinks that date will come and go and Albert Haynesworth will still be a Redskin? I would actually like them to keep him. I think one of these games it will make sense to him and he will once again play inspired football. With so much gone on his contract, it seems as though if he was traded, we should be able to get a current player and a future pick.
Fat Albert was the only guy in the locker room who wasn't thrilled about his TEAM'S win. That's the problem. He's only content if he is allowed to be a diva. Shanny won't have it and unless Al sucks it up and understands that the D could be a great one if he'd just shut up and play, he needs to go.
Yesterday on Snyder-980, a caller suggested using Buttersworth like the Bears used The Fridge in goal line situations. Steve Czaban's response was that you can't trust that the guy won't fumble on purpose at this point, so it won't work. I agree. He's not willing to do his part to make the team better so there's not much you can do.
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