Studs
SS LaRon Landry. He’s been Washington’s best defensive player in the first two weeks and it’s a credit to how he’s being used. He smells blood on ballcarriers the same way LaVar Arrington used to. He already has 28 tackles. But it’s his blitzing ability that is fun to watch. He’s savvy about it, too. On some blitzes, he comes across the line and loses himself behind the big linemen. That forces other offensive linemen to commit and that opens a lane for Landry. I’m pretty sure Matt Schaub is still feeling him today.
LB Rocky McIntosh. Have to admit, I was surprised to see that he had so many tackles (14) in the game. There were a few plays in which he needed to be more patient vs. the run; allowed cutback runs. But in the second half he was excellent vs. the run and taking on blockers. More of his tackles in the second half were within several yards of the line of scrimmage; that’s when you know a guy is effective.
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DE Adam Carriker. In watching the game again, I kept thinking, ‘What a steal.’ Not something often said when it comes to a Redskins trade. Carriker stays awfully low for a guy his size. Houston’s running game did not produce like the previous week in part because he did a good job holding the edge. He stayed low a couple times, squeezing under a pulling guard one play for a loss and getting another tackle by dipping under the other guard. Carriker played nose on at least one snap, too. He had a quarterback hurry. There were a couple plays when he was driven out, Landry bailed out the D with a tackle.
QB Donovan McNabb. Another easy one, right? Yes, he missed some throws and could have had nearly 500 yards. But that’s like complaining if Kobe Bryant makes 16 of 20 field goals and rims out a couple shots; the guy was nearly perfect. Those he did miss were by inches. On one pass that was nearly intercepted late in the game near the goal line, it appeared Santana Moss didn’t run the route McNabb anticipated. I liked how McNabb was very accurate in terms of allowing players to run after the catch. Like Matt Schaub, he stayed poised vs. the rush.
WR Santana Moss. The Redskins have a running game; it’s now done by a receiver. Those short passes to Moss sustain drives. He would have broken one of those smoke routes for a long run had Joey Galloway gotten his block. Moss’ quickness makes him a threat in this role. I’d like to see him get downfield a little more, but that might have to wait until the ground game gets going. Another play I loved: Moss threw a nice crackback block on a linebacker to open up a Portis run to the outside.
PK Graham Gano. Before you say anything, here me out. I know he missed a 52-yarder, but, cripes, he made the first one and it’s 52 yards. Not easy. But he made three field goals and his kickoffs were unbelievable. Steve Slaton had some brain cramps on his returns, but Gano put him in bad situations. He excelled with pinning him to a side and the only time Houston had good starting position after a kick is when Mike Sellers was called for a 15-yard penalty to the 36-yard line. On every other drive, Houston started inside its own 23.
Duds
TE Fred Davis. It’s not just the blown block on the missed field goal, though that alone was enough to get him on here. Just a lazy play, but it was the same effort he’d given on some earlier kicks and extra-point attempts. Check the last extra point; same half-hearted attempt to get a hand on his guy. His blocking was better, but he still is very inconsistent and his head is lowered way too often. When he engages with his head up, he’s effective. He even had a nice block pulling from the H-back spot a couple times. But maybe the worst block came on a play in which Washington could have iced the game. Late in the game, Clinton Portis bounced outside to the left. Had Davis held his block on, you guessed it Bernard Pollard, Portis probably picks up the first down inside the 5 (even though he was falling forward). Instead, he’s tackled. Next play: false start Jammal Brown. Next play: incomplete pass. Next play: blocked field goal. Davis allowed a sack vs. Mario Williams (engaged him fine, then head down and, naturally, beaten). Yes, that’s a mismatch, but better technique would have helped.
SS Chris Horton. I know he wasn’t in much and you have to cut him some slack. Then again, he’s a former starter. He got antsy on his blitz and was called for offsides. Then he got whipped by tight end Joel Dreessen. Horton said he played the wrong technique. Sure. Honestly, he was just beaten. It wasn’t about technique.
LG Derrick Dockery. Whether or not Kory Lichtensteiger should be rotating with him is irrelevant. Dockery needs to block better. The reason he has never risen above average is because of technique. He still lunges too often – a problem Joe Bugel got on him for years ago – and was too upright on other sets. I wonder what will happen the more the ‘Steiger gets comfortable at guard. The L-train did a good job moving his feet on some stunts. But he lacks Dock’s power. However, Dock’s power did not help him at the goal line when Houston’s Shaun Cody got under him and knocked him back.
DE Kedric Golston. One of my favorites because of his consistent all-out effort; but he was getting moved a bit too easily and that opened some cutback lanes. When the cutbacks are an issue, you have to look backside. He was driven out on some other runs, too. Not his best game. In an ideal situation, he’s a third end.
CB Phillip Buchanon. He’s been fine in the two games and on the play before the touchdown to Andre Johnson, he made a terrific play to knock a pass away. But on a crucial play he made a critical mistake. Buchanon needed to stay with Johnson much longer. Instead, he put Reed Doughty in a no-win jump-ball situation. At least Doughty played it right; he just got beat. Still, I have to ask: on a play in which you can win the game, why have a combination of Buchanon/Doughty on arguably the game’s best receiver?
RB Larry Johnson. Wow, has he gotten slow. But he needs to run between the tackles at this stage. The minute his pads are perpendicular to the line of scrimmage, he’s done. He needs to run with power and that eliminates any chance. On cutbacks, it’s imperative to press the hole as long as possible to get defenders to overpursue (as Adrian Foster did). On one Johnson run, he started to cut back right after he took the handoff and about a few yards from the line. Nobody fooled; easy tackle. We’ll add him to the list of Miscast Player. It’s growing. Oh, and there was that 10-yard loss in which he reversed field. Just go down.
LT Stephon Heyer. I know, he had just been moved over to left tackle when called for a holding penalty that wiped out a first down. But it’s not as if he hadn’t been playing. He said Monday that he thought the ball was out before the hold. Uh, no. Better next time to say: Guilty as charged. On the previous play, at right tackle, he was beaten by Antonio Smith (who beat him on the hold, too). Heyer has improved, but he’s still a reserve at best.
Pass defense. You know, I’m trying to figure out who’s to blame for this. I really, really liked what I saw from Schaub. Guy is accurate and very patient. Both traits kill zones. Hmmm. Anyway, Carlos Rogers did not seem as comfortable in the zone, but I know on one pass where he trailed Andre Johnson it appeared Landry might have missed his assignment. Doughty is not the fastest and the linebackers are only OK in coverage. But one guy to blame? Nope. It’s also stunning how often the Redskins are fooled on bootlegs; that’s all they saw this summer in practice! Some of it, perhaps, stems from how aggressive they play. Only once did Schaub face any pressure after a bootleg and it’s when Landry blitzed. Other than that, wide open field.
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