10 things I learned while watching yesterday’s game:
01. With Santana Moss out for the game and Randle El injured after an explosive first half, the Redskins needed to rely on depth that most people weren’t sure existed. One of the most impressive aspects of yesterday’s game, I think, is how well the offense spread the ball.
Recent pick-ups Reche Caldwell and Keenan McCardell both contributed, James Thrash made his presence known in the second half and Chris Cooley continued to provide a quality threat at Tight End. Even doghouse-dweller Brandon Lloyd made a catch late in the game, an option that the Redskins had yet to utilize this season.
At the beginning of the year, the Burgundy and Gold had a questionable receiving corps -- now it looks like they have a surplus of talent that can keep opposing defenses on their toes.
02. The second half of the New York game aside, Jason Campbell has looked like a very solid, consistent NFL quarterback. I think he was more accurate and made smarter decisions in yesterday’s win than in the first few games, and if he continues down the road he’s on, the Redskins have found a quarterback that can stick around for a while (which, needless to say, is a welcome change).
03. I bashed the secondary -- specifically Carlos Rogers -- after Week One’s game, but I have to give credit where credit is due. They had a major hand in limiting Detroit’s big-time offense to 144 total yards and 3 points, an impressive feat to say the least. While the cornerbacks provided some big plays, however, I think the bigger kudos have to go to the defensive line...
04. Jon Kitna, leading an offense that was averaging 28 points a game entering yesterday’s matchup, could do next-to-nothing at FedEx Field. He saw pressure from all sides, rarely had a chance to take a solid look at his receivers and was essentially shackled from the start. Hurried throws led to two Redskins interceptions, one that produced a touchdown and another that gave JC and Co. excellent field position.
05. Sean Taylor is a freak of nature. The block that he laid on the Thrash return was one of the biggest -- if not the biggest -- I’ve seen this year. My friends and I always joke that if one of us were to take a hit from even a mediocre NFL defender, we’d probably be hospitalized for weeks. I think that if I took a hit like that from #21, my head would pop off my shoulders like a Rock’em Sock’em Robot.
06. Mike Sellers is borderline unstoppable. When he ran over Detroit’s safety in the second quarter, you could practically see steam coming out of his ears. He’s a freight train, and anyone who gets in his way is going to pay the price...
...which leads to what I think is an appropriate question: why the hell didn’t Sellers get the ball at the end of the Giants game? Yesterday wasn’t the first time he proved that, for the most part, he’s a man among boys.
Big ass fullbacks like him are on the roster for short-yardage (i.e. goal-line) situations, so not giving him the ball was not taking advantage of one of the strongest weapons in the arsenal. I firmly believe that if Sellers got the call at the Giants’ 1 yard line two weeks ago, the Redskins would be unbeaten and sitting pretty with Dallas atop the NFC East.
07. I love Rock Cartwright, another guy who was used yesterday in a more diverse role than we’ve seen this year. He was handed the ball a few times late in the game, presumably to give Portis and Betts a breather, and did a great job at doing what needed to be done. His fumble recovery during the Thrash return was crucial as well, saving what could have been a tough break on a huge special teams play.
Also, as an avid Seinfeld fan, I just like to yell ‘Cartwright! Cartwright!’ enthusiastically when he’s in the game, a la the maitre-d in the infamous The Chinese Restaurant episode.
08. Watching football on a 60” HDTV is pretty frikking awesome.
09. One thing that has become more prevalent in sports over the years, given the increased media coverage and the emergence of the Elias Sports Bureau, is the mention of useless stats that have little-to-no bearing on the game at hand. Before yesterday’s kickoff, it was brought up multiple times that the Detroit Lions were 0-20 when visiting RFK and FedEx Field.
Fortunately for the Redskins, they played brilliantly and increased the streak to 21-straight, but what is gained from bringing up stats like that?
I’m a big believer in superstition, jinxing and the like, and it would’ve been typical for the Lions to come in and end their futility streak. Sure, the Redskins were favored yesterday and yes, they ended up winning, but Detroit was 3-1 and just came off scoring 34 points in the 4th quarter to beat Chicago. The team who visited Landover this weekend was not the pathetic Lions team who played at RFK in the early 90s, so as far as I’m concerned, streaks / stats like that are ridiculously irrelevant.
10. To quote one of my brothers, today’s thoughts could’ve been summed up with one sentence: “one game at a time.” The Redskins travel to Lambeau next Sunday to face a Packers team that will surely be fired up after blowing a lead against the Bears.
Continue to develop offensively and focus on shutting down the Green Bay passing game -- considering their ground game is almost non-existent -- and a victory is not only attainable, it’s inevitable.
Hail.
01. With Santana Moss out for the game and Randle El injured after an explosive first half, the Redskins needed to rely on depth that most people weren’t sure existed. One of the most impressive aspects of yesterday’s game, I think, is how well the offense spread the ball.
Recent pick-ups Reche Caldwell and Keenan McCardell both contributed, James Thrash made his presence known in the second half and Chris Cooley continued to provide a quality threat at Tight End. Even doghouse-dweller Brandon Lloyd made a catch late in the game, an option that the Redskins had yet to utilize this season.
At the beginning of the year, the Burgundy and Gold had a questionable receiving corps -- now it looks like they have a surplus of talent that can keep opposing defenses on their toes.
02. The second half of the New York game aside, Jason Campbell has looked like a very solid, consistent NFL quarterback. I think he was more accurate and made smarter decisions in yesterday’s win than in the first few games, and if he continues down the road he’s on, the Redskins have found a quarterback that can stick around for a while (which, needless to say, is a welcome change).
03. I bashed the secondary -- specifically Carlos Rogers -- after Week One’s game, but I have to give credit where credit is due. They had a major hand in limiting Detroit’s big-time offense to 144 total yards and 3 points, an impressive feat to say the least. While the cornerbacks provided some big plays, however, I think the bigger kudos have to go to the defensive line...
04. Jon Kitna, leading an offense that was averaging 28 points a game entering yesterday’s matchup, could do next-to-nothing at FedEx Field. He saw pressure from all sides, rarely had a chance to take a solid look at his receivers and was essentially shackled from the start. Hurried throws led to two Redskins interceptions, one that produced a touchdown and another that gave JC and Co. excellent field position.
05. Sean Taylor is a freak of nature. The block that he laid on the Thrash return was one of the biggest -- if not the biggest -- I’ve seen this year. My friends and I always joke that if one of us were to take a hit from even a mediocre NFL defender, we’d probably be hospitalized for weeks. I think that if I took a hit like that from #21, my head would pop off my shoulders like a Rock’em Sock’em Robot.
06. Mike Sellers is borderline unstoppable. When he ran over Detroit’s safety in the second quarter, you could practically see steam coming out of his ears. He’s a freight train, and anyone who gets in his way is going to pay the price...
...which leads to what I think is an appropriate question: why the hell didn’t Sellers get the ball at the end of the Giants game? Yesterday wasn’t the first time he proved that, for the most part, he’s a man among boys.
Big ass fullbacks like him are on the roster for short-yardage (i.e. goal-line) situations, so not giving him the ball was not taking advantage of one of the strongest weapons in the arsenal. I firmly believe that if Sellers got the call at the Giants’ 1 yard line two weeks ago, the Redskins would be unbeaten and sitting pretty with Dallas atop the NFC East.
07. I love Rock Cartwright, another guy who was used yesterday in a more diverse role than we’ve seen this year. He was handed the ball a few times late in the game, presumably to give Portis and Betts a breather, and did a great job at doing what needed to be done. His fumble recovery during the Thrash return was crucial as well, saving what could have been a tough break on a huge special teams play.
Also, as an avid Seinfeld fan, I just like to yell ‘Cartwright! Cartwright!’ enthusiastically when he’s in the game, a la the maitre-d in the infamous The Chinese Restaurant episode.
08. Watching football on a 60” HDTV is pretty frikking awesome.
09. One thing that has become more prevalent in sports over the years, given the increased media coverage and the emergence of the Elias Sports Bureau, is the mention of useless stats that have little-to-no bearing on the game at hand. Before yesterday’s kickoff, it was brought up multiple times that the Detroit Lions were 0-20 when visiting RFK and FedEx Field.
Fortunately for the Redskins, they played brilliantly and increased the streak to 21-straight, but what is gained from bringing up stats like that?
I’m a big believer in superstition, jinxing and the like, and it would’ve been typical for the Lions to come in and end their futility streak. Sure, the Redskins were favored yesterday and yes, they ended up winning, but Detroit was 3-1 and just came off scoring 34 points in the 4th quarter to beat Chicago. The team who visited Landover this weekend was not the pathetic Lions team who played at RFK in the early 90s, so as far as I’m concerned, streaks / stats like that are ridiculously irrelevant.
10. To quote one of my brothers, today’s thoughts could’ve been summed up with one sentence: “one game at a time.” The Redskins travel to Lambeau next Sunday to face a Packers team that will surely be fired up after blowing a lead against the Bears.
Continue to develop offensively and focus on shutting down the Green Bay passing game -- considering their ground game is almost non-existent -- and a victory is not only attainable, it’s inevitable.
Hail.
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