Thoughts on Redskins vs. Rams

Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. After taking an early lead with a nice forced fumble and recovery for a TD, everything just seemed to fall to pieces, even if we were still up for a while. But I’ll do this in order, praise the proper players, and then unleash on everyone who did us wrong.

Robert Griffin III played a helluva game, and although he threw his first pick and should have thrown 2 more a little later on in the game, he made excellent reads before and after the snap, made plays in the pocket, made plays with his feet, and his deep-ball to Hankerson was one of the prettiest passes you’ll see all year, but somehow, just a hint of what’s to come. The kid did everything he could to keep us in the game and put us in position to win it. Other factors prevented him from shining bright this week.

Alfred Morris was still running the way you need to run. Minus two or three plays (really, I’m nitpicking those two or three), he made decisive cuts and fought for tough yards.

Leonard Hankerson showed up and played his ass off. Still not a huge contributor to the passing game outside of the long catch (which he almost gave up on and then almost dropped), Hankerson was blocking in the run game as well as anyone. He even had a few plays where he recognized Griffin scrambling and came back to set a block.

Offensive Line got beat a couple times, but didn’t commit so many dumb penalties and blocked pretty damn well most of the day. This group is still gelling together, but they’re doing a decent job so far already.

London Fletcher, I can’t say enough about him. Really nobody on this defense I appreciate even half as much as I do London. The guy comes up with an INT in the endzone, forces a fumble under 5 minutes left in the game and gives the offense the ball back when they need it most, and was all over the field making play after play after play. Seriously, anyone who thought the Redskins could have enjoyed life without London Fletcher are insane.

DeAngelo Hall shows up two weeks in a row. Yeah, he got beat a couple times, but he was fired up, and still composed at the same time. The most he did was jaw and got away with a couple shoves, but nothing major like what happened elsewhere. Hall was making sure tackles, and when London forced the fumble near the end of the game, Hall ripped off a block to find the ball laying there in a scrum and came away with it. He is playing with more focus this year.

Josh Wilson. Yeah, I said it. We have two corners winning game balls here this week and we were supposed to be weak every week. Josh Wilson played a solid game, minus giving up some chippy underneath stuff. His fumble recovery was all awareness, and up until his concussion, he was displaying effort.

Okay, that is all my winners for the day. Now for the losers…

DANNY SMITH! YET AGAIN! AND AGAIN! AND AGAIN! AND AGAIN! AND AGAIN! AND AGAIN! I’m so tired of Danny Smith being here. I’ve wanted him gone since the Zorn era, and everyone said “No, Coach Smith is a great coach and players love playing for him!” Yeah, well, where’s the evidence on the field? This team doesn’t block on kick returns, punt returns, and can’t block on punts or field goals. This team has had punts blocked two weeks in a row, after last year getting Gano blocked multiple times (twice in one game even). Brandon Banks is hated and despised all throughout Redskins Nation because he doesn’t follow nonexistent blocks. We can’t block punts or field goals. In fact, the last field goal we blocked, was Philip Daniels’ 2nd of a season two years ago. The last punt we blocked? I honestly couldn’t tell you. So what if we boot kickoffs outta bounds from the 35!? Doesn’t everyone? (The answer is: Yes) It’s time to part ways with Danny Smith. We cut players for circumstances out of their control, it’s time to hold coaches accountable as well.

Jim Haslett. After a beautiful gameplan against the New Orleans Saints, you come out and you lay this shit on me? Yeah, I know Carriker wen’t down with a knee injury that may keep him out for the year. I know Orakpo believes he tore his pec again. But the Redskins’ front-7 is deep, and there’s no reason they shouldn’t have been able to generate pre… oh yeah, there weren’t any blitzes called the moment Orakpo went down! The team came in and played zone against Sam Bradford, who can beat zone. If you’re not pressuring him, he’ll pick you apart. Haslett knew this! Why we never made the adjustment to man, which dominated New Orleans, baffles me. I don’t want Haslett fired, I just want to know why he thought sticking to his ridiculously soft zone defense was going to work.

Joshua Morgan. I don’t want your head on a stake. I don’t want to see people making death threats. Morgan isn’t the first, or best WR to take Cortland Finnegan’s bait. He got lured in by Finnegan’s tactics and made an idiot decision. He knew immediately after, before seeing a ref or flag, that he made a mistake. Yes, he made the mistake, and he needs to be punished, but you fans take it way too far. However, Morgan’s not welcome on my team if he’s going to do dumb shit like that. I like the kid as a receiver, as a blocker, and a guy who hustles… but his reaction on one play determined the fate of the game and left Washington 1-1 on the season. Also worth noting out he took a stupid angle fighting for the sidelines on 3rd and 8 instead of turning inside, falling for the first down, and letting RG3 get to the line to spike the ball. Everything that could have gone wrong on that play by Morgan, did.

Roy Helu, Jr. and Evan Royster. What happened to you guys? Yes, I understand when Helu is on the field in the gun, teams expect the screen (Kyle, maybe a draw or fake screen would suffice?) but you have to make the plays you’re afforded, especially in Mike Shanahan’s system. I saw time and again both guys take themselves out of the play. Royster fought, lined up at WR a couple times, and got opportunities to make plays, but both guys have become nonexistent on their own.

Refereeing. Not in favor of the Redskins. Not in favor of the Rams. To the detriment of both teams and the game. Too many obvious penalties went unnoticed, and too many penalties that were called, shouldn’t have existed. Nevermind the debacle of the fumble which should have been a penalty against the Rams. This unit was crap from conception to the final gun. This crew will be the crew which forces the NFL to send out another memo with 5 rules being taught.