1. Left tackle Trent Williams was limited, though coach Mike Shanahan said he set his injured ankle “back a little” by working Wednesday. Williams has missed two consecutive games.
If he plays, Sean Locklear said he’d be able to move to left guard – a position he last played in the 2004 Senior Bowl – and that would allow Will Montgomery to return to center.
“There’s a chance,” Locklear said. “There’s always a chance as a backup. I could play center if something happened; I know the plays and could make the calls so there’s a chance I could play anywhere.”
2. Really, this goes back to the issue we had before the season: line depth. Center Erik Cook was not the big problem Sunday, but Montgomery was clearly ill-suited for left guard. They need to keep Montgomery at center. But there should have been a better option at guard than to make all these moves – and then perhaps end up with a career tackle manning the spot just because one guy is done for the season. Maybe Maurice Hurt is ready to take over at guard, but he looked far from it when we last saw him this summer. He’s a developmental guy and that often means a couple years.
3. Free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe (toe, knee) did not practice. Tight end Fred Davis (ankle) and corner Phillip Buchanon (neck/knee) were limited. Running back Tashard Choice remains out with a hamstring injury.
4. Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan put a lot of the blame for the sacks Sunday on quarterback John Beck, including on two all-out blitzes.
“We did have quick throws, we just didn’t get rid of them,” Shanahan said. “John’s got to recognize that and get rid of the ball. He can’t hold onto it when we’re outnumbered… He’s got to learn to get rid of the ball.”
5. The single biggest thing that can help a patchwork line is a quarterback who makes quick decisions. Beck’s mobility is nice, but when the pocket is collapsing it’s tough to escape. Maybe Ben Roethlisberger or Cam Newton can, but they’re bigger and tougher to bring down. Beck is not.
6. Mike Shanahan said receiver Anthony Armstrong has been impacted by his hamstring injury and is only now rounding into playing shape. Armstrong averaged 19.8 yards on 44 catches last season; it’s at 9.4 yards on five catches this season.
“He’s looking good right now so hopefully he can come up with a couple of those,” Shanahan said.
7. Sign up for the Friday email newsletter here. This week: Talking John Beck, a look at the Niners through one of their reporters, some thoughts from scouts and personnel guys and a quick take from Lorenzo Alexander on crushing guys on special teams.
8. Still no word on when, or if, they’ll activate Kareem Moore off the physically unable to perform list.
9. Run defense was a topic today, with the Redskins facing a rushing game that is sixth in yards per carry. And Frank Gore is the fourth runner since 1970 to rush for at least 125 yards in four straight games. “We haven’t been consistent,” defensive coordinator Jim Haslett said.
Big runs have hurt them: only Oakland and Carolina (with 10 apiece) have allowed more runs of 20 yards or longer than the Redskins (with nine). Three of those runs came by quarterbacks.
The Redskins blamed some of those big plays on a variety of reasons: a missed assignment by a backup (Dallas, Buffalo), creative play-calling and an ill-prepared defense (Carolina) and missed tackles (Philadelphia). Bottom line: it keeps happening. They’ve also allowed an average of 168 yards rushing per game the last three weeks.
And at this point the offense needs a lot of help; that means the defense needs to tighten up.
“We just need to do what we we’re doing early on,” Redskins end Adam Carriker said. “We’re the same team. It’s not like we’ve magically disappeared. It’s just playing our gaps and doing what we know we can do.”
10. Haslett said the lack of OTAs and minicamps this past offseason could prevent rookie Ryan Kerrigan from hitting the so-called rookie wall. Kerrigan is the only defender to play in every snap this season.
“It will help him from a mental standpoint,” Haslett said. “He won’t wear down [mentally]. … I don’t expect him to hit a wall this year.”
