Up-Downs: At least nobody got hurt

By Ryan O’Halloran

The Week 8 addition of Redskins’ up-downs, following their 23-0 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

UP
No new injuries.

At least that’s what appeared to be the case. A depleted roster with little remaining depth can’t afford too many injuries although it was interesting Keyaron Fox replaced Rocky McIntosh at inside linebacker on several occasions.

Runner-up up: The time of game. If you’re a Redskins fan, at least Sunday’s loss took a mere 2 hours, 42 minutes.

DOWN
The Redskins’ offense.

Sunday’s game was reminiscent of the 2004 season, when Joe Gibbs’ offense was in the Stone Age and Mark Brunell clearly wasn’t the answer (although he would be, to a certain extent, in 2005).

Part of it is personnel, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of ingenuity going on. A point I made after the game was the Redskins’ results on their first offensive drive, which is a part of a script of plays that have been drilled into the players for days.

The Redskins’ seven first-drive results: Punt (three-and-out), interception (60-yard drive), field goal (42-yard drive), punt (four-and-out), interception (four-play drive), fumble (eight-play drive) and punt (three-and-out).

UP
Getting two takeaways.

The Redskins had hoped for weeks their fumble recovery fortunes would turn in their favor and it happened in the second quarter when Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick mis-handled the snap and Brian Orakpo recovered. The Redskins have retrieved only four of their opponents’ 16 fumbles.

London Fletcher intercepted a pass in the end zone late in the first half. But the result was the same – no points. The Redskins had a field goal blocked after Orakpo’s recovery and punted (which led to a Buffalo field goal) after Fletcher’s INT.

DOWN MULTIPLED BY 9
The Redskins’ offense reached the franchise’s record book Sunday by giving up nine sacks (ties a single-game record).

Even more concerning is that Buffalo entered with four sacks … in SIX games.

Having glanced at some of the replays, this appears to be more of a coverage issue (receivers can’t get open) than just blown protections. Only one time do I remember a Bills rusher reaching Beck unblocked.

UP
Fletcher.

Although we all knew he was going to play (he’s never missed a game), the hamstring injury had to bother him and although there was an issue or two in coverage, he finished with 20 tackles, a half-sack and one interception.

And he was the rare Redskins player who showed any emotion as things went down to the tube.

DOWN
Winter weather … in late October. 

I’ve had a pretty decent streak going since I started covering the team during the 2004 off-season. Only one missed regular season game (Jim Zorn’s finale in San Diego, a few days after the Washington Times’ sports section’s finale).

The Buffalo game was my first missed because of weather. Delayed flight (nearly three hours) from Dulles to Newark. Delayed and ultimately cancelled flight from Newark to Toronto (axed around 5 p.m.). No hotel rooms in New Jersey. Cancelled flight Sunday morning from Newark to Toronto. Nothing cost-efficient from D.C. to Toronto on Sunday. Train from Newark to D.C. Union Station (car still at Dulles). One for ‘The List,’ for sure.

Not that I missed much.

 

Comments

[Jeff Harmon]

Hey Rich,

1. I have to agree with Brian Mitchell, the Redskins where outcoached. And whats disturbing about that is this, Chan Gailey is not an offensive mastermind he believes and preaches one principle and thats small ball football. His teams are going to run the ball, have a quarterback that can get the ball out of his hands quickly so the offensive line doesn't have to block that long and recievers have space to make plays. Thats all he does and preaches.

For the Redskins coaches, simply put what where they thinking? I mean by halftime, the offenseive line had give up 4 sacks and done notihng on offense but the skins where still in the game. And could still run the ball. The long ball wasn't there all day. So can someone please explain to me why we kept doing 5-7 step drops and deep routes over and over again. Even as John Beck was getting killed? Even as our offensive line couldn't hold up?

This game was lost not because of the players, not because of the injuries. But because of arrogance, the coaches arrogance for that matter. Their game plan wasn't working, yet they stuck to it regardless. No adjustments, nothing to help the players that where struggling and out of everything, even the score, thats what frustrated me the most.

It's almost as if the offensive coordinators didn't want the players to do well. So on the three step drop routes, John Beck had time and was finding recievers, so we get away from it and start doing 5-7 drop stuff and John Beck gets killed. We don't go back to the 3 step drop to nearly the end of the 4th quarter, have success then immediately after that go back to the 5-7 step drop and Beck gets killed again.

I mean most coaches, if a guy is getting sacked a lot and the line is not blocking well, would throw in some eary down screens, draw plays, do shorter routes and speed up the tempo. Isn't this common sense, am I oversimplfying things?

[Rich Tandler]

Jeff, I'm putting the finishing touches on a post with a lot of these same thoughts. The opposition is playing chess, the Redskins are playing Candyland when it comes to game strategy.