Tough loss on Sunday. It was an incredibly entertaining game but it's unfortunate that we came out on the short end. These are games we have to learn to put away and get the win if we expect to be a good team. Still, it is clear we have come a LONG way from last year. I loved how aggressive we were the entire game. I loved that we took a number of shots downfield.
What hurts is that there were at least 4 plays that I can think of that if they go our way, the game is over. They include:
1. The short FG that was blocked. What was Davis doing? Sure, he had two guys that he had to worry about but he barely got a hand on the dude on the end that got the block. He did the same thing against Dallas where he missed his block and his guy got CP. Davis really needs to shore up his blocking game.
2. Galloway's missed bomb. Great throw by McNabb and it's a pass Galloway has to catch. Looked like he had a chance just running but he should've dove if he needed to. That was a very catchable ball and one that if he does catch, it lights up the stadium and puts the game away.
3. Schaub's 4th and 10 completion to Johnson with 2 minutes left. Schaub was under pressure and took a hit just as he threw it. It was a jump ball and Johnson came down with it. First, Buchanon was playing man on man but he released and gave way to Doughty. However, Buchanon released too early and frankly if there is one guy you want to stay with it is Johnson. Second, it was a jump ball and Doughty had a poor effort. I understand Johnson is arguably the best WR in the game right now but Doughty barely got off the ground. It wasn't the type of play where the DB is running with the WR and has to turn around to defend. It was a jump ball and all Doughty has to do is put his arm up and jump as high as he can and knock it down and he just didn't get it done. We need Kareem Moore.
4. Gano's FG in OT that didn't count because of the timeout. Great move by Kubiak and it's a tough FG so it was no gimme but it's unfortunate that he couldn't hit it again.
Again, great game and there are a lot of positives that came from this game. Here are some random thoughts about the game.
1. McNabb was awesome. I was a big JC fan but it is clear the difference in play. McNabb has a coolness about him where he can see the play happen quicker and adjust accordingly. McNabb is not afraid to throw downfield and take shots. No question he is a leader on this team. Love his play so far.
2. The running game has got to get going. We can't rely on McNabb alone. I am confident it will come but want to see it. I love being aggressive in play calling and there is no question you have to pass to win in the NFL today but would like to see a bit more running.
3. Defense had decent pressure and got a number of sacks and a turnover but the secondary needs to tighten up. WAY too many yards passing for Schaub.
Not much else. It was a good game against one of the better teams in the NFL and certainly one of the best offenses in the NFL. We held them to 10 points in the first half but when you are up 27-10 with 18 minutes left, we have to put that game away. We are still in transition so while difficult to take, it's understandable but hopefully we learn a number of lessons from this game and it makes us better.
HAIL SKINS!!!
9 comments:
Blech! That sucked.
I took my son to the game and he enjoyed the atmosphere, but it would have had a more lasting impression on him had we won. We have to teach them young to pull for the team and losses don't help the cause.
The plays you called out were huge. There were a few sequences during the late 3rd and 4th quarters that had me convinced that we were screwing ourselves out of a win and I think you basically covered them. It was tough to watch, because you could tell the momentum was switching over to the Texans during the process.
It's reassuring to see that the team can be competitive against one of the league's best teams. We need the running game to click though so we can put games away. Without the threat of a running game, it was clear that the Texans were at an advantage once the game was tied. We got in position for a long field goal, but we needed to get closer for Gano to have a more realistic shot at success.
Positives...
1. Gano looks good...He is EXCELLENT with his kickoffs.
2. McNabb is clearly better than anything we've had since Rypien in '91.
3. The bunch of smurf receivers seems to be capable of getting the job done.
4. Trent Williams isn't hurt seriously.
5. OSAKPO.
Negatives can be summed up by saying growing pains, talent and/or depth shortcomings, and the lack of a running game to this point make it difficult to put teams away. We're clearly better than we were last year, but it may take some time and perhaps another off season before we're going to be able to put our foot on the other team's throat and win without a nail-biter ending.
I'll take what we have over last year though. This team is now fun to watch.
It's funny - they lost and people are reasonably pleased. Last year they beat the Rams and everyone was mad. Just win baby!
Hall was the only Redskin I heard who was mad about losing. Everyone else was kind of meloncholy about it. After losing the big lead at home, people should be mad, but fans have been beaten down for so long that a three point loss didn't seem that bad.
That is how far this franchise has fallen. We'll see if Shanny can get this thing going again.
Note that I started my last post with "That sucked." I'm not happy about losing a winnable game, but I can accept losing to a top team at this point. It's clear that there are deficiencies, so beating the better teams would be nice, but isn't necessarily expected. Last year we lost to the Lions, and Chiefs. That was terrible. My willingness to accept this loss without being too upset about it is due to the fact that it is early in the season, we appear to have an offense that can keep us in games, and some of the negatives I pointed out can still be corrected. If we keep squandering away games throughout the season, I'll be calling for Reed Doughty's head.
Robs, lets be clear, no one is happy about the loss.
Fletcher was upset after the game and said that even when it went to OT, he still expected to win.
Shanny was upset but was proud that the guys fought hard.
It's not like I am happy with the loss. Losing sucks regardless. Yeah, we beat the Rams last year but it was clear we were not a playoff team. We lost last week and it sucks but fans are more "happy" because it is clear we have a far better team this year than last year and we are headed in the right direction. It is unreasonable to expect a 4-12 team last year to turn it around and go undefeated this year.
Yeah, Hall was upset but he also just went off the handle and said some things that he probably didn't mean (like that this was his defense and he didn't care what Haslett says, he is going to go do his thing). Yeah, you like the passion but lets not go overboard.
The Texans are a really good team. They have been able to build through the draft and appear to have good coaching. It was a good game that will serve to further mold the Redskins into a champion. I'm happy that they have shown so much improvement. I would like to see them establish the run more effectively. I think this team is still a work in process so, I won't be surprised at several games that they end up losing. In many games, the winner and loser is decided by one or two plays. I feel good that at least the Skins have put themselves in winning position. This is not the 1983 team that killed everyone that the they played. But, hopefully, they will show signs of that talent towards the end of the season.
7-9 at the end of the year.
I have maintained that I would be very happy with 8-8 this year.
Robs' Bears beat the lowly Lions (barely) and took advantage of a struggling Cowgirls team and all of the sudden he's back to his nonsensical anti-Redskins arguments.
Just because D. Hall made some stupid comments, he's the only one who's upset about the loss? You're grasping dude. The organization is doing everything right to get the team back in order. We all know the team is average at this time, but when you continue to embellish that fact with shat like, "That is how far this franchise has fallen," it is proof that you're just making incendiary statements to get a rise out of the 'Skins-faithful.
Welcome back Robs! I'm looking forward to seeing where this season leads you and your arguments against my team.
Yeah, I don't really even understand Robs original comment. Hall was the only guy that was mad and the rest of the team was melancholy. So after a loss, it's better to have a bunch of guys spewing out nonsensical comments about how they own the team and they will do whatever they want next time to ensure the victory no matter what the coaches say?
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