Here is what you need to know on this Tuesday, November 6, twelve days before the Redskins take on the Eagles at FedEx Field.
Penalties up
One of the consistent issues with this year’s edition of the Redskins is penalties. They are 30th in the NFL giving up 72.1 yards per game via the yellow flag. Mike Shanahan was asked about it during Monday’s press conference.
"It's disheartening,” he said. “That's always been a phase that we've been pretty good at. But we'll get better at it."
Fact checking Shanahan reveals that the Redskins have indeed been among the better teams in the NFL when it comes to avoiding penalties. Last year they were penalized 49.8 yards per game, the 11th fewest in the league. In 2010 they were even better, fifth best at 40.5 yards per game.
The Redskins got off to a bad start this year in the penalty department by being assessed 127 yards on 12 infractions in the season opener against the Saints. They followed that up by drawing 22 flags for 96 yards the next week in St. Louis.
Tied for the team lead with six penalties are Josh Wilson (four pass interference, one holding, one unsportsmanlike conduct) and Kory Lichtensteiger (three false starts, two holding and an ineligible downfield). The most frequently called infractions are for offensive holding (15) and false start (14).
Return game struggles
The Redskins are averaging 5.9 yards per punt return. That is 32nd out of the 32 teams in the NFL. They are better in kickoff returns, ranking 19th with a 22.9-yard average.
Brandon Banks is on the roster because he supposedly can be a difference maker in the return game. He does have a 55-yard return to his credit but other than that he has had almost no impact. For a while it looked like they were going to use him as a change of pace out of the backfield but we haven’t seen much of that lately. When we have seen it, like on two third-down carries near the goal line against the Panthers, he has been ineffective.
Back to the returns, it’s not all on Banks. It’s not like there are gaping holes there that he is not exploiting. But the big plays just aren’t there and you have to wonder how long the coaches will wait for him to produce them.
Today’s schedule
10:45—Open locker room
Kyle Shanahan and Jim Haslett will also address the media at a time to be announced.
In case you missed it
RG3 talked to Tarik El-Bashir on what Shanahan said about “evaluation”.
The NFL said the zebras goofed on the DeAngelo Williams TD.
Days until: Eagles @ Redskins 12; Thanksgiving Redskins @ Cowboys 16; Ravens @ Redskins 33
Yes, I know one of the consistent issues with this year’s edition of the Redskins is penalties.
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Posted by: Ting Lu | Wednesday, November 07, 2012 at 02:27 AM