Let's be pretty frank here. There was not a lot of good in this game. The Redskins struggled from the beginning and unlike in the Eagles game there wasn't any real threat of a comeback. At this point the Redskins defense looks like a doormat and the Redskins offense looked closer to the Jaguars than what we have come to expect from the Skins offense. This team is in trouble. Yes, it has only been two games but the play has been so bad that I seriously feel as though the team has disrespected the uniform and the fans. There is not some quick fix and, while some issues will hopefully work themselves out and time and the season is not over, this is a team with problems in every aspect of the game.1. RGIII was more accurate. He still wasn't anywhere near his best but for the most part his throws were more accurate than they were last week. Griffin will continue to get back into form and should eventually get back to last years production at least when it comes to throwing the ball. His lone interception was actually Josh Morgan's fault.
1. RGII is still not himself. Yes, he was more accurate but it wasn't the level it was last season. There was one third down in the 2nd quarter and Griffin threw the ball a bit too high for Garçon who would of had the first down. The ball did hit Garçon in the hands and it was catchable but coverage was tight enough that it would have been a hard catch. Because of that failed 3rd down the Redskins were forced to go for it on 4th down which led to the Griffin interception. He will also need to continue to develop in the pocket and be able to go to third and fourth reads more often.
2. Alfred Morris was a much better runner this week and didn't fumble the ball. The line also did a better job of run blocking. Morris ended the game with 107 yards on only 13 carries and looked great. He was patient and strong runner and broke tackles consistently. He is not a weakness for this team. The problem is that the Redskins were down by so much so early that the Redskins had to get away from the run game early.
3. Will Montgomery struggled for much of the game especially when going against Raji. He also was penalized multiple time which really set the offense back. His peel back block penalty took the Redskins back 15 yards after finally starting off with good field position. The Redskins managed to get a 1st down despite having to go 25 yards but penalties like that are unacceptable.
4. Tackling was abysmal. There were multiple plays where Redskin defenders were in position to make plays but just couldn't execute. Some were more noticeable than others but it was consistently a problem. One play in the beginning of the 2nd half Starks should have been tackled behind the line of scrimmage but somehow managed to not lose a yard. These plays may not seem as significant as those where a player turns a 5 yard gain into a 15 yard gain like James Jones did against David Amerson they still hurt the defense just as much. The difference between 2nd and 15 and 2nd and 10 is significant. I'm sure everyone remembers the play where Finley broke three tackles like they weren't even there. The Redskins have some serious work to do when it comes to fundamentals. I mean come on, this defense made James Starks look like Adrian Peterson and let me assure you Starks is more like Ryan Torain than AP.
5. There were times when it seemed as though every Green Bay receiver was wide open. While Amerson had a poor game he is a rookie and is expected to have some growing pains. The rest of the cornerbacks have no excuse. Meriweather was awful for much of the game. He was also reckless with his hits which caused an injury to Eddie Lacy and himself later on.
6. Receivers need to help Griffin out. RGIII needs to be more accurate and on time but the receivers and tight ends need to make tough catches. On one second down Fred Davis failed to catch a pass that would have been a 1st down. The ball was a little off target but for someone who is supposed to be an athletic receiving tight end it is a play that needs to be made. The two exceptions to this were Garçon and Jordan Reed. RGIII's first touchdown pass was a decent pass but a great catch and play by Garçon.
7. Jordan Reed is good. He might become the Redskins best tight end by seasons end. Davis was unimpressive, Paul was called for a personal foul on special teams, and Paulsen just isn't a great receiving threat. Reed on the other hand has continued to make plays in the passing game and even had a key block against Clay Matthews early in the 3rd quarter. Matthews was coming on a blitz and Reed quickly picked him up allowing Griffin to complete a pass to Garçon for a first down. I have the believe that Reed will continue to get more playing time if he keeps this up.
8. Way too many penalties. I mentioned a few earlier with Montgomery and Niles Paul but to have 7 penalties for 78 yards is just unacceptable. Not to mention the 10 penalties for 75 yards they had against the Eagles. This team is just too undisciplined and really needs to work on the basics of the game.
9. Kerrigan is still a monster and was the best player on defense hands down. I don't say this just because of his two sacks but also because he often chased down the play and made a tackle. When the rest of the team was missing tackles Kerrigan was managing to save the play often making a tackle far from his original spot on the field.
Summary- This team has some serious issues. There isn't some simple fix at this point. The problems are not one player or even one side of the ball. Next week the Skins will head back home to play the lions who do not have quite the talent that the Packers have. However, Calvin Johnson is going to cause serious issues for this team. This team needs to build some character and step up. On the positive side the Eagles, Giants, and Cowboys all lost as well. Fortunately, for the Redskins this is not a strong division right now and if they can manage to turn it around soon they still have a great chance of winning it. Expectations should be lowered some but there is no reason to give up hope after only two games no matter how bad they might have been.
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