» Anyone who doubts Albert Haynesworth‘s impact on the run defense had to take notice Sunday. Minus Haynesworth, Dallas pounded the ball up the middle with great success. And minus Haynesworth, the Cowboys’ linemen were able to get to the linebackers with regularity, clearing larger holes. The Redskins adjusted and played the linebackers a little tighter and closer to the line and that seemed to work. They used four linebackers often, though that didn’t always work. But getting Haynesworth back this week would help even more.
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» It’s easy to see the difference in the run game when the tight ends have a good game and when they don’t. Sunday, they did not block well and the only reason Rock Cartwright ran for 67 yards is because 34 came on one carry. He consistently made defenders miss. But the Redskins did a poor job of cutting off backside pursuit, preventing cutback lanes. It wasn’t just the tight ends responsibility, but too often they missed their blocks or whiffed on them. Dallas’ linebackers are excellent and clearly won this matchup.
» It’s easy to knock Jim Zorn for not throwing once more in the end zone at the end of the first half. It’s hard to spring a road upset by kicking field goals. But Zorn’s apprehension was understandable. It speaks to a lack of faith in the line as well as certain receivers. The easy pass would be a fade, but the Redskins have not hit on that, sometimes because of how it’s run and also because receivers such as Malcolm Kelly have not proven they can run other routes. So teams sit on the fade. A longer developing play would have been needed. But the Redskins had dodged pressure most of this drive. Having Jason Campbell take a five-step drop would have meant trouble. Zorn went safe. Also, Shaun Suisham could have stayed loose by kicking into the net during the delay. No need to stand around this long. This should have been a slam-dunk three.
» The Redskins consistently find ways to lose, whether it’s a late drive, or having a kicker who was perfect miss twice, or a muffed punt vs. Carolina. That’s nine games they’ve lost by eight points or less under Zorn. In some ways, they’ve resembled a Norv Turner team back in the late 1990s; keeping games close and losing.
