The Redskins failed planning once again will hurt them. Two years ago they knew the line was aging and breaking down. Yet they did little to fully address the situation, drafting a non-Division I player in the third round, plugging in a former undrafted free agent at right tackle and signing a guy who was 100 pounds overweight and out of the league for three years. That’s not on the coach. Derrick Dockery was supposedly a key free agent signing, but he had one of the worst games Sunday.
» With all the problems up front, the Redskins need to get better blockers in the game. They drafted tight end Fred Davis to be a complementary threat to tight end Chris Cooley in the passing game. But Davis hasn’t done much as a receiver and his blocking is subpar. Perhaps they’d be better off using Todd Yoder for his blocking. Davis is much more athletic, but that athleticism hasn’t helped the offense yet.
» One guy the Redskins still miss is strongside linebacker Marcus Washington. The players have said, since the first game, that they’re not having much fun on the field. Washington’s energy always served as a pick-me-up, not to mention his strong play vs. the run. His inability to stay healthy made him a casualty. But players would love to see him return. It’s not just his energy that they miss; it’s his ability to get off blocks, string plays out and stop the run. Rookie Brian Orakpo is not nearly at his level yet.
» The Redskins are starting to move Albert Haynesworth around even more. Sunday, he played some left end, a spot he had not been in previously here, in three-man fronts. Orakpo would line up as a linebacker and then run a stunt with Haynesworth, often with some effectiveness. Haynesworth is at his best when he can line up at different spots along the line. Incidentally, Haynesworth was held on the go-ahead touchdown pass by Carolina, but the call was not made.
