Vision Quest: Just Win Baby!!

The redskins are 3-0 for the first time since 1991. And the critics still are allover us. Some are calling us the worst 3-0 team in NFL history. Well I got one thing to say to that. I rather be the worst 3-0 team then the best of the rest.

So the Redskins are the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL right now. I am not really tat surprised. The critics have doubted us all along. After beating Chicago they pointed to Chicago’s lack of QB and our inability to score a TD and we were lucky to win. They all pointed to Dallas as our eventual demise. After beating Dallas they pointed out that we did nothing for 3 and a half quarters and we were lucky to win. They told us Seattle was the real test and there we would fall. And after Seattle’s demise they point to a late interception and a missed FG as the only reason we won.

No respect, I tell you, no respect.

In many cases the critics are right. Our defense collapsed late against Seattle. We did get lucky with the last minute turnover and missed FG attempt. Our offense was non-existent in Chicago and took most of the game off vs. Dallas. Untimely turnovers, though rarer then last year, are still happening. And our star LB, Lavar Arrington, has seen the field less then the guy who retrieves the kickoff tees. But as critics often do, they overlook the more important positive things that have lead to our hot start. These are my top five reasons to believe in the Redskins.

1.) The team has beaten progressively better opponents. Chicago was a nice tune up game but no one really expects them to be great this year. Then we go into our archrival Dallas home field, during their ring of fame ceremony and beat them. Then Seattle came to town, a real playoff contender and dominated them for most of the game. Chicago’s only hope of a playoff shot is winning the NFC North which is theoretically possible at 6-10. Dallas will more likely then not finish at 8-8, but psychologically this was a huge win for our franchise. The Seattle will more then likely finish atop the NFC west and go to the playoffs.

2.) The team’s offense has shown marked improvement each game. Is there any doubt about this? Sure you can look at the points and that will tell party of the story: 9 against Chicago, 14 against Dallas, 20 against Seattle. But that is not the whole story. The offense looked more fluid, more evenhanded against Seattle. Mark Brunell has finally shown why he got the big contract and Ramsey gets the bench.

3.) Character character character. This is what gives Joe Gibbs the edge over so many other coaches. He understands talent is great but character is necessary. I am not talking about staying out of trouble character; we all know the exploits of Dexter Manley, John Riggins or even Chris Cooley, its football character Joe wants and demands. Staying mistake free and playing hard no matter what happens. That is Gibbs philosophy, and it is paying off. It would have been easy for the Redskins to get discouraged after Brown’s fumble allowed the Bears to score 7 points right after the half to go up 7-6. But the Redskins drove and kicked a FG to go on top and stayed there. On 3rd and 27, down 14 points against Dallas, Brunell could have thrown the ball out of bounds and the game would be over. But the old man scampered for 25 yards to set up Thrash’s conversion of fourth and 2. Without that both of Moss’ TDs would never have happened. Against Seattle Brunell did a similar heroic run on 3rd and 10, this time picking up 15 yards and allowing the Redskins to eventually kick the game winning FG in OT. Is there any doubt that under Norv, Marty, or Spurrier we would have folded like a lawn chair after Labor Day in those games? With Gibbs character counts…and it counts in the win-loss record too.

4.) Fed-ex becoming a real difference maker. This is a joy to watch on TV and I can’t wait to see it when I come down there for the Oakland game. It’s not just the 3 straight false start penalties against Chicago, but it is the way the crowd is into just about every play. Is it RFK like yet? No. But it can be, especially if a playoff spot is on the line. The fans believe in the team, and the team believes in the fans. Wait till Dallas comes in December, Christmas for the Redskins will be December 8th.

5.) Defense. Ok I admit the Lavar thing is getting me a little worried, but putting that aside, I have never loved watching a defense work like I love watching ours. The scheme, the packages, the way 11 men are around the runner swarming to the ball but we tackle pretty well, even our corners. We have speed and we use it. Greg Williams is making his mark as one of the best Defensive coordinators in the league. There are some faults, our front four creates no pressure on passing downs and we have a lack of turnovers, but for 9 straight games we have held an opponent under 20 points. In fact in the entire tenure of the GW only 4 teams have scored 20 points or more on a Redskin defense. That is 15 of 19, nearly 80%, have been kept under 20 points and none have scored over 30 points. That is solid reliable defense friends, and defense wins championships.


So while I am not ready to make plans for home playoff games in DC I am very optimistic about this season. And you should be too.

Coles vs. Moss watch

Coles 16 catches 167 yards (10.4 avg) 1 TD Longest reception 25 yards (4 games)

Moss 15 catches 342 yards (22.8 avg) 2 TDs Longest Reception 70 yards (3 games)

Coles has only 2 receptions over 20 yards while Moss has 5. In Fact Cole’s longest catch is a 25 yarder. All 5 of Moss’s catches over 20 yards eclipse Coles longest.

Can there be any doubt at this point who is the more dynamic receiver of the two. Washington won this trade, hands down? But I will keep tracking the toe and his exploits for a while. I am sure his stats will improve once they convince Testaverde to leave the walker on the sidelines.

GAME RECAP: SEATTLE

As always I review the 5 offensive and defensive keys to the game I posted in my previous article and whether the Redskins passed or failed these keys.

OFFENSE

1.) Play the whole 40 minutes like they did the last 6 minutes at Dallas. Passed
The offense showed up and played the whole game this time. They controlled the ball for most of the game, had several long drives and played smart football. The Defense collapsed a little in the second half but that could be due to injury and fatigue. Things could have been better. A stupid turnover late in the game almost cost us the win and a 90 yard drive late in the fourth quarter should never have been allowed. But the Redskins played one of the most complete games I have seen in awhile against a tough competitor so they get a pass on this.

2.) Let Clinton run. Barely Passing.
Clinton had 90 yards on 25 carries and at times in the second quarter looked like one shoe string tackle away from busting it wide open. Betts also complimented Portis with 12 carries for 35 yards. No TDs and averaging less than 4 yards a carry though is not acceptable. Part of the problem was that Seattle was stacking 8 men in the box a lot, and that opened up the passing game. However there were some mind numbing calls like sending Portis up the middle on 2-10 when the Defense has 8 in the box looking for a run. Someone needs to audible to a flay pattern or even a screen and really hurt them. But for now it got the job done and the long drives allowed our Defense to rest during the first half.

3.) Protect the QB. Passed
The opponent only had 2 sacks, and Brunell was able to move the offense efficiently and safely so that gets you a pass. However many sacks were averted by Scrambles by Brunell or him throwing off his back foot to an open receiver. If he got a little more time he could really target the throws and lead the receiver more…but this is marked improvement for a beleaguered line. I am happy to give them a pass here.

4.) Get Cooley going. Passed
Cooley had 4 catches for 61 yards, most in the first half. Throwing to him in the mid range opened up both the passing game for Moss and the running game for Clinton in the second half. The Redskins though need to use him more throughout the whole game. Not many lbs can cover him and no one safety or DB can bring him down in open field. Sometime this year Chris is going to break out with a Tony Gonzalez type game.

5.) Field position battle must be won. Passed
The offense did their job this game. They had long drives of over 10 plays and 5 minutes on several occasions. In fact the first 3 drives of the game were for over 10 plays and over 5 minutes each. The scoring drive was 16 plays for 85 yards and 8:07. That is impressive. In fact the worst drive of the day was at the end of regulation that resulted in an interception. For the game tying touchdown the Seahawks had to drive 90 yards. The offense did its job for the first time this season; luckily the defensive collapse in the 4th quarter did not cost us the game.

DEFENSE

1.) Stop Alexander. Failed
For the first half Alexander was contained, but he finished with 20 carries for 98 yards and 1TD. Sure he did not score 4TDs as he did last week, but no back should average 4 yards per carry against us, let alone almost 5. So on that note for the first time our run defense let us down.

2.) Contain Hasselbeck. Passed
Again this is a story of 2 halves. In the first half Hasselbeck could do nothing but in the second he was able to pass fairly freely. While the defense never let him run around, he didn’t really have to. He sat back and picked apart the depleted secondary. But anytime you keep a proven QB under 250 yards and only 1 td, you have done a decent job. So I give them a pass.

3.) Attack the Right side of the line. Failed
1 sack. Our blitzes were picked up and our front four are not generating any pass rush. Sooner or later a good QB is going to pick us apart. We need more pressure period.

4.) Support the corners. Passed
Carlos Rogers actually had a good day with help from the secondary. There were no long bombs on him and he may retain the starting spot for next week. The depleted secondary helped very well until that last drive. Let’s chalk that up as a fluke and move on.

5.) Blitz often and knock them out of rhythm. Failed
The 1 sack we did have did come from a linebacker, but teams are picking up our blitzing schemes. We need to get Lavar off the bench and into these games. This is what he specializes in. He creates mismanagements and lines shift their coverage to him giving other players opportunities to shine. We need to find ways to get at the QB more then we have.

Overall Note. Don’t get complacent. Passed
From the beginning the offense played with purpose and determination, and so did the defense. They came ready to play and it seemed to me they game planned and focused on the Seahawks. It would have been easy to rest on the laurels of the Dallas victory and in hindsight the bye week was a wonderful cool down device.

Heroes and Goats

And now for the Heroes and Goats of the game.

OFFENSE

Hero: Mark Brunell 20/36 226 Yards passing 2 TDs 1 INT
2 rushes for 16 yards

Goat: Referees 3 touchdowns counting as 1

Mark Brunell gets the hero for a second game in the row and much like the Dallas game he crystallized the game in one scamper. 3rd and 10 during the overtime drive and he spun off a 15 yard run that set up the ensuing drive and winning FG. Sure a tipped pass late in regulation resulted in an interception and possible game winning FG for the opposition however that is not Brunell’s fault. The way he bounced back and willed the team to victory is what Heroes are made of and oh yeah 13-18 on third downs.

Enough said about Brunell. The refs get the goat for our first scoring drive. There is no way that the catch by Santana Moss is not a touchdown. But the refs said he was out of bounds. We challenged it and then the replay booth said he was in bounds but bobbling the ball. Then on the next play Clinton Portis clearly is laying on other defenders as he crosses the goal line and it should be a touchdown. However no call again. Finally after Brunell threw it to Royal they were forced to call the touchdown. However they took forever to make decisions on even the most simple penalty decisions. This crew needs to go back to Ref school and learn how to work together better.

DEFENSE

Hero: Lemar Marshall 7 tackles 1 sack

Goat: Ryan Clark Gave up game tying td in fourth quarter

This game may have been Lemar Marshall’s coming out party. He ran a pretty good defense until the whole unit collapsed in the fourth quarter. He led the team in tackles and had the only sack of the day. Ryan Clark bit on play action to allow Darrell Jackson to score the TD to tie the game in the 4th quarter. Clark’s specialty is not coverage so it is only natural he bit on the run.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Hero: Nick Novak 2/3 FG 2/2 XP Game Winning FG

Goat: Chris Samuels Allowed the Block FG
Derrick Dockery

Nick Novak started the game as a possible goat candidate with the blocked FG, but others were responsible for that (relax Chris and Dock I am getting to you). However many rookie kickers would wilt under the spotlight of a game winning FG attempt in overtime. Not Nick Novak. Not only did he amble up and split the uprights, he did it twice thanks to a play clock violation. And the blocked FG? All thanks to our goats Samuels and Dockery who allowed the penetration to begin with. I am starting to question Smith’s special team’s abilities. So far there is a lot to be desired.

Well that’s it. I will be back on Saturday with the keys to victory against Denver.