First and 10
Observing the Redskins and the NFL through Week 3
1 » Defensive tackle Kedric Golston is off to his best start. His pressure vs. Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner came when he fought through a double team. He’s starting to make plays.
2 » Having a wealth of physical safeties gives the Redskins great flexibility in the secondary. All of their safeties can come up hard vs. the run, leaving them less vulnerable in their “cobra” or three-safety package.
3 » Jon Jansen filled in well for Stephon Heyer. He blocked angry, one time driving Arizona’s Darnell Dockett back a good six or seven yards.
4 » Jason Taylor’s impact probably won’t be felt on first or second down as Demetric Evans is decent against the run. But on third downs, Chris Wilson is a big dropoff, though Taylor hasn’t exactly applied lots of pressure. Taylor is much longer than Wilson, which helps him tip passes.
5 » Devin Thomas was more noticeable vs. the Cardinals, but until he improves his route-running he will be limited.
6 » The more Jim Zorn coaches, the more people will talk about his passion and intensity along with his play-calling. How will players continue to respond to getting chewed out on the sidelines? He might have to tone it down just a notch. But this is his style.
7 » The Redskins have lost 11 of their last 12 in Dallas, the lone win coming in the Moss Miracle game. But, remember, for all of Terrell Owens’ heroics last year (four touchdowns), the Redskins were in position to win the game.
8 » Zorn did an excellent job of slowing Arizona’s ends with misdirection plays, screens, end-arounds and receiver passes. It’ll give Dallas’ ends and outside ’backers more to think about, maybe slowing their rush by a split second. How the Redskins handle the defensive pressure the next two weeks (Dallas and Philadelphia) will determine their fate.
9 » The way Zorn marvels at Clinton Portis’ toughness and all-around play, it makes you wonder what he thought of Shaun Alexander all those years in Seattle.
10 » Ex-Redskins playcaller Al Saunders is having his problems guiding the NFL’s 31st-ranked offense in St. Louis. Meanwhile, Greg Blache’s D is ranked one spot ahead (13th) of Gregg Williams’ Jacksonville D.
Outside the Beltway
» [Jason] Taylor’s absence will force defensive coordinator Greg Blache to blitz more Sunday, and that’s not the strength of the Redskins’ defense. This is not a secondary that forces a lot of coverage sacks. To this point, I think Taylor has looked pretty uncomfortable in the Redskins’ scheme. When he’s able to return, Blache needs to do a better job of moving him around and let him line up as an outside linebacker on some plays. He’s not particularly strong against the run, and that’s where teams such as the Giants and Cowboys flourish.
— Matt Mosley (ESPN.com)
