Opening loss to Giants felt a lot like last year
ASHBURN – The to-do list didn’t increase a day later. The Redskins knew what their problems were when their opening game ended Sunday. Nothing changed by Monday.
Recommended Stories
They still know that they must improve their third-down defense.
They still know that they must improve their offense.
And they still know that, yes, the 23-17 opening loss to the New York Giants had a faint hint of déjà vu.
“It was some of the same things that happened last year,” Redskins receiver Santana Moss said.
“The trick play was sound,” Zorn said. “It was the right field position; it was on the script. It couldn’t have been set up any better. They covered it well.”
Randle El has completed 20-of-25 career passes for 281 yards and four touchdowns.» Zorn said he didn’t call the fifth play on his 15-play script until midway through the second quarter. The Redskins only ran 22 plays in the first half, but two were punts and one was a fake field goal. Meanwhile, in the first half, the Giants ran 36 plays — none were punts.» Linebacker London Fletcher said the Redskins need a different approach against the Giants, who have won six of the last seven meetings and three straight.
“We have to change our mindset against them,” Fletcher said, “where they punch us and now we’re on our heels as opposed to taking a punch and delivering some counter punches and understanding it won’t be easy. They’re a good team and so are we. Until we realize that and having that confidence that we can beat them, it’ll be the same thing. That has to change.”
Of course, after last year’s season-opening loss to the Giants, the Redskins responded with six wins in their next seven games. Considering they play five straight winnable games, another hot stretch is possible. So they say.
“We’re going to go on a run and try to win, period. We know we can do it,” receiver Antwaan Randle El said.
But not if Sunday’s problems become a trend and not just a one-game issue vs. arguably the NFC’s top team:
Third down failures » The defense, ranked fourth overall last year, allowed New York to convert five of its first eight third downs. The Giants converted their first four third-and-longs, plays where they needed at least six yards.
“We gave a little too much cushion in the secondary,” Redskins coach Jim Zorn said. “We needed to get closer. When we did we proved we could knock the ball down. When we didn’t, it just seemed to be easy [for New York].”
Said corner Carlos Rogers, “That’s something we have to correct.”
Rogers could have helped end the Giants’ first drive on a first down play, but he dropped an interception.
“I thought I had it, but I was facing the sun,” he said. “The sun was beaming right there.”
Offensive miscues » The Redskins gained 34 yards on their first run and finished with just 85 for the game. After that first run, Clinton Portis managed just 28 yards on 15 carries.
Quarterback Jason Campbell lost turnovers on consecutive series in the second quarter. On the first, he stood too long in the pocket, allowing end Osi Umenyiora to get around tackle Chris Samuels. Campbell had four seconds to do something, but never moved. Umenyiora stripped the ball and ran it back for a 37-yard touchdown.
“He could have stepped up further in the pocket,” Zorn said, “and he could have made a decision to throw. We always talk about that rhythm, that clock and that clock didn’t go off for him. We’ll get better at that.”
On the following series, Campbell threw an interception after he had crossed the line of scrimmage by a good two yards.
Plays like these prevented the offense from finding a groove.
“That’s one of the things that was lacking,” Moss said, “rhythm as an offense. It’s hard to get into a rhythm having miscues and not doing things the right way and we know that. We have to correct that.
“But I’m not upset, because after all we had done, which was nothing, we were still right there.”
