What we know
» The offense needs Santana Moss to be explosive. Antwaan Randle El is a nice wideout; Moss scares defenses because of his deep speed. For some reason, the Redskins liked him more on medium routes the past two years.
But Jim Zorn made it clear when he came in that he wants Moss to get vertical. Moss, when healthy, is still an explosive player. He is dangerous on the underneath crosses as well, showing excellent acceleration. He also gets freer underneath when he’s a big threat deep.
» Durant Brooks might have a higher ceiling than Derrick Frost, but right now he’s barely off the floor. His hang times were abysmal on his two punts, never coming close to the 4.5 seconds the coaches want (one time he was a second shy; the other punt was half a second off). The Redskins gambled with him; he needs more time, but he needs to start showing them why he was kept instead of Frost.
» Washington’s run defense improved from Week 1 because the line played it much better. The tackles excelled with their technique and made numerous plays sliding along the line, especially Kedric Golston. The Redskins used a spy on Reggie Bush at times and that helped limit him. Another key was the linebackers getting off blocks and filling proper gaps, neither of which happened in New York.
Player to watch » Chris Horton • S
Though Horton did an excellent job in relief of Reed Doughty (illness), he didn’t do enough to start a second week. Redskins coach Jim Zorn said Doughty will remain the starter, saying that Horton still has a lot to learn. Also, Doughty’s knowledge of the defense helps get others aligned. But, Zorn added, he could see Horton pushing for the job down the line.
On the spot » Devin Thomas • WR
James Thrash has a high ankle sprain and Malcolm Kelly sprained an ankle. That means Washington is down to three healthy receivers, one of whom is the rookie Thomas. He now must grow up in a hurry if he’s to contribute, but can he do it in a week? The Redskins say Thomas runs the deep routes well, but he must improve on the underneath routes. He can’t live on the deep ball alone in this offense.
