It was a mixed bag for Gano, today, as he hit field goals from 37, 43, 51 and 52 yards. Rackers was perfect on the day, drilling kicks from 51, 52, 57 and 58 yards.
He makes it sound as if Gano missed some kicks, but he doesn't say how many or from how far.
That said, Graham Gano couldn’t have been heartened by his performance Monday at Redskins Park. The incumbent place kicker made only 5 of his 9 field goal attempts, missing from 32, 49, 53 and 57.
Meantime, his challenger, Neil Rackers, was 9 for 9, easily splitting the uprights on each of them.
The two kicked from the same distances, with Gano kicking first.
In training camp practices, Gano is now unofficially 21 for 28, while Rackers is 25 for 28. Neither attempted a field goal in Thursday’s 7-6 preseason victory in Buffalo.
Reflecting on the play, Griffin — who on Monday spoke to the media for the first time since he reviewed tape of his first pro game — recognized his own growth and comfort in the Redskins’ system because one thought never entered his mind during the three seconds he held the ball.
“The thought never crossed my mind to run,” said the athletic quarterback, who dazzled his way to the Heisman Trophy with his world-class speed and cannon of an arm. Instead, Griffin trusted his line, and his grasp of the play’s options told him that somewhere a receiver was running free.
“I went through my first three reads really confidently, knowing the protection was going to hold up, that at some point, one guy is going to be open, because on a lot of plays, one guy is wide open and the rest are blanketed,” Griffin explained after Monday’s practice.
Did like a couple of his throws. On a straight drop back, he drilled a pass over the middle between linebackers Bryan Kehl and Lorenzo Alexander to receiver Santana Moss. Griffin also showed his athleticism (again, as if we needed a reminder) when he jumped to throw a screen pass to the left over the head of a pass rusher. But the defender jumped with him so Griffin didn’t throw. He immediately jumped back up to complete the pass. Another time Griffin faked a deep pass, then hit Garcon on an out route.
…I’d like to see a little more consistency in practice when it comes to hitting receivers more in stride.
…Griffin broke a couple ankles when he ran the ball Monday. The one thing I noticed today, too, is that he ran with patience, setting up his blockers by slowing down before kicking back into top speed. Yes, you also see him freeze linebackers with ball fakes.
Chris Cooley said he’d like to play 20 to 25 snaps, but he doesn’t care if they come at tight end or fullback. He started and played approximately 10 snaps at fullback vs. Buffalo.
“I’m not concerned where I line up,” Cooley said. “It would be good for us if I could play everywhere. If I’m here doing everything that’s an asset. If [Darrel Young] is hurt six weeks in I feel comfortable going in and playing that position. I think they like that.
“If you ask me what I want to do, I want to start at tight end and catch 80 balls. But at the same time I want this team to be successful, this offense to be successful and us to win games. I really don’t care where I am if we’re doing that.”
SouthLondonRedskin wrote:That would give us a VERY inexperienced corps of RBs....
....that's what we have coaches for. Not ready to write hightower off just yet and I think i remember reading that Shanny was going to rest him preseason. If Hightower can't stay healthy this season then im all for the young talent. Hightowers blocking skills will be needed however. This team is being groomed with young talented players. RB is no different,
I'm not sure I really care all that much about RBs being inexperienced. I'll take young, fast and healthy at that position.
“We had a naked or a keeper on, and they were bringing weak-side pressure, so instead of keeping into the weak-side pressure, I just audibled to a run play,” Griffin said. “It is something that you have to get used to. I hadn’t really audibled all that much in college. Most of our stuff was pre-snap, so we had pre-snap audibles, but once we got into the play we were getting and going because we were running 90 plays a game. It was good to get out there and do that.”
Griffin’s elevated comfort level results from how the coaches have introduced him to the playbook and how they’re beginning to scheme for opponents.
When this coaching staff first arrived in 2010, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan stated his preference to use audibles as little as possible.
“I don’t like O-linemen sitting and waiting at the line, looking,” Shanahan said in August 2010. “I want to get off, come up and have a tempo, have guys get off the ball and play fast. I don’t mind if we’ve got a bad play. Throw it in the flat and we’ll get a 3-yard gain. If he makes [the defender] miss, we’ve got a big play.”
“We usually have an answer built in to most of our plays,” Shanahan continued then. “Normally I just want him to get rid of it, throw it hot.”
Reflecting on the play, Griffin — who on Monday spoke to the media for the first time since he reviewed tape of his first pro game — recognized his own growth and comfort in the Redskins’ system because one thought never entered his mind during the three seconds he held the ball.
“The thought never crossed my mind to run,” said the athletic quarterback, who dazzled his way to the Heisman Trophy with his world-class speed and cannon of an arm. Instead, Griffin trusted his line, and his grasp of the play’s options told him that somewhere a receiver was running free.
“I went through my first three reads really confidently, knowing the protection was going to hold up, that at some point, one guy is going to be open, because on a lot of plays, one guy is wide open and the rest are blanketed,” Griffin explained after Monday’s practice.
Don't miss this article. Some great hints at RGIII's development in there.
Going through four reads and making a perfect throw. I'm sorry if this is needlessly offensive to ask, but remind me again of how long it took Jason Campbell to do the same thing?
A few people have asked about Willie Smith. Well, he’s not in anyone’s doghouse. He just hasn’t been good enough to move past those ahead of him. Starting three games last year (and playing in four) didn’t mean he’d automatically improve. Sometimes players stay the same, even with experience (See: Heyer, Stephon). Anyway, Smith had some rough moments today. One occurred vs. Ryan Kerrigan; no shame in that. But it’s also the sort of player he must stop if he wants to win a job. More on Kerrigan in a minute. But Chris Wilson also beat Smith a few times. Wilson is a backup trying to win a roster spot. He’s had a good camp, too, and I’ve always enjoyed him. However, if Smith wants to contend for a starting job he needs to stop this sort of player. Period. Wilson popped into Smith’s shoulder pads on a play and stood him up. A quick throw prevented any real pressure. On the next play Wilson caught Smith leaning over too low after they engaged. Wilson jerked him to the side.
Willie Smith? See Heyer, Stephon? That can't be good.
Last edited by Red_One43 on Wed Aug 15, 2012 10:08 am, edited 2 times in total.
“Tempo is important,” Griffin said. “I thought our tempo was extremely good, even on the two drives that we went three-and-out on. I think getting to the line and kind of pressing the defense to make sure they’re ready at all times for whatever we’re going to bring is going to be something we can use to our advantage.”
Tempo was a problem in 2010 because QB Donovan McNabb did not command the playbook at the level Redskins coaches desired. Griffin is a rookie, but he’s ahead of where McNabb was at this point in camp. It will be interesting to see in the coming weeks how the offense presses the defense with Griffin in the game. If having a rookie quarterback doesn’t require the Redskins to sacrifice tempo, they’re that much better off.
When you think about which tight ends are going to make the final roster, don’t just consider Logan Pauslen a blocking tight end. Tight ends coach Sean McVay last week called Paulsen an underrated receiver, and his opinion counts.
Paulsen had two receptions during team drills Monday. He beat S Jordan Bernstine on a crossing route. Earlier, he outran ILB Donnell Holt down the seam. I wouldn’t say Paulsen is on Chris Cooley’s level as a pass catcher, but that part of his game shouldn’t be discounted.
Griffin’s best throw of the day came on a straight drop-back – something he’s working to get more comfortable at. The quarterback dropped back and fit the ball between Alexander and fellow inside linebacker Bryan Kehl and into the hands of Santana Moss.
Kirk Cousins took a couple of snaps with the starting offense, and split time with Rex Grossman while running the second- and third-string offenses. He looked better than Grossman in Thursday’s preseason game, but it still would be surprising to see him overtake the veteran. Shanahan said Cousins continues to get a high number of snaps, particularly with the second and third teams to aid his development
Last edited by Red_One43 on Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
That said, Graham Gano couldn’t have been heartened by his performance Monday at Redskins Park. The incumbent place kicker made only 5 of his 9 field goal attempts, missing from 32, 49, 53 and 57.
Meantime, his challenger, Neil Rackers, was 9 for 9, easily splitting the uprights on each of them.
The two kicked from the same distances, with Gano kicking first.
In training camp practices, Gano is now unofficially 21 for 28, while Rackers is 25 for 28. Neither attempted a field goal in Thursday’s 7-6 preseason victory in Buffalo.
Here's Mike Jones' version. He has Rackers going 10 of 11 instead of 9 of 9. Hmmm!
It wasn’t a good day for Graham Gano, who missed four of 12 field goal attempts – three wide left and one wide right. His misses came from 32, 49, 53 and 57 yards out. Gano did have a successful 58-yard attempt. Meanwhile Neil Rackers was 10 for 11 with a long of 57. Rackers didn’t attempt a kick from 58 yards out. His miss came from 31 yards out. It’s interesting watching the two kickers’ styles. Gano’s seem to have less immediate lift, but plenty of distance, while Rackers’ kicks rise high above the line from the start. Rackers seems to follow through more on his kicks than Gano does.
Reflecting on the play, Griffin — who on Monday spoke to the media for the first time since he reviewed tape of his first pro game — recognized his own growth and comfort in the Redskins’ system because one thought never entered his mind during the three seconds he held the ball.
“The thought never crossed my mind to run,” said the athletic quarterback, who dazzled his way to the Heisman Trophy with his world-class speed and cannon of an arm. Instead, Griffin trusted his line, and his grasp of the play’s options told him that somewhere a receiver was running free.
“I went through my first three reads really confidently, knowing the protection was going to hold up, that at some point, one guy is going to be open, because on a lot of plays, one guy is wide open and the rest are blanketed,” Griffin explained after Monday’s practice.
Don't miss this article. Some great hints at RGIII's development in there.
Going through four reads and making a perfect throw. I'm sorry if this is needlessly offensive to ask, but remind me again of how long it took Jason Campbell to do the same thing?
I'll let you know once he's done it.
Andre Carter wrote:Damn man, you know your football.
Reflecting on the play, Griffin — who on Monday spoke to the media for the first time since he reviewed tape of his first pro game — recognized his own growth and comfort in the Redskins’ system because one thought never entered his mind during the three seconds he held the ball.
“The thought never crossed my mind to run,” said the athletic quarterback, who dazzled his way to the Heisman Trophy with his world-class speed and cannon of an arm. Instead, Griffin trusted his line, and his grasp of the play’s options told him that somewhere a receiver was running free.
“I went through my first three reads really confidently, knowing the protection was going to hold up, that at some point, one guy is going to be open, because on a lot of plays, one guy is wide open and the rest are blanketed,” Griffin explained after Monday’s practice.
Don't miss this article. Some great hints at RGIII's development in there.
Going through four reads and making a perfect throw. I'm sorry if this is needlessly offensive to ask, but remind me again of how long it took Jason Campbell to do the same thing?
I don't think its needlessly offensive. Jason took forever to go through progressions (not to mention forever to get back and get set, which made the progression reads seem even slower). Recognizing the stark difference between him and Robert is child's play. Needlessly offensive was the jock sniffing for waste of time Colt Brennan as compared to Jason.
I know he got a pretty good zip on the ball. He has a quick release. . . once I seen a coupla' throws, I was just like 'Yeah, he's that dude.'"
emoses14 wrote:I don't think its needlessly offensive. Jason took forever to go through progressions (not to mention forever to get back and get set, which made the progression reads seem even slower). Recognizing the stark difference between him and Robert is child's play. Needlessly offensive was the jock sniffing for waste of time Colt Brennan as compared to Jason.
I know you have a thing about the Colt vs. Campbell people, but that was never me. I took a long, patient mindset with Campbell and wasn't interested in seeing him go until his last year here when I was finally convinced.
I never bought that "X coordinaters in Y years" line of thinking, either. What Campbell lacked is the kind of thing that can't be coached. As if we need any additional proof: Griffin just switched coordinators, and no one feels the need to make excuses for him.
emoses14 wrote:I don't think its needlessly offensive. Jason took forever to go through progressions (not to mention forever to get back and get set, which made the progression reads seem even slower). Recognizing the stark difference between him and Robert is child's play. Needlessly offensive was the jock sniffing for waste of time Colt Brennan as compared to Jason.
I know you have a thing about the Colt vs. Campbell people, but that was never me. I took a long, patient mindset with Campbell and wasn't interested in seeing him go until his last year here when I was finally convinced.
I never bought that "X coordinaters in Y years" line of thinking, either. What Campbell lacked is the kind of thing that can't be coached. As if we need any additional proof: Griffin just switched coordinators, and no one feels the need to make excuses for him.
I know you weren't one of those people. Knee jerk seems not to be your style. Quite frankly, if not for those yahoos, I'd have bailed on Campbell a good two years before he left. I bought the "X coordinaters in Y years" talking point, if for no other reason than it was factually accurate. But it was a crutch. Although, to be fair, Griffin had 1 coordinator at BU for 3 years(or was it actually 4?) and has just now switched for the first time. BUT I still agree, Griffin is lightyears ahead of Campbell TODAY, let alone at comparable points in their career's.
I know he got a pretty good zip on the ball. He has a quick release. . . once I seen a coupla' throws, I was just like 'Yeah, he's that dude.'"
Some players really want to be good and will try hard, on and off the field, to be as good as they can be
RGIII is one of those players that will do whatever it takes to be a great player
we need a few more pieces but the QB position is set for years
Until recently, Snyder & Allen have made a lot of really bad decisions - nobody with any sense believes this franchise will get better under their guidance
Snyder's W/L record = 45% (80-96) - Snyder/Allen = 41% (59-84-1)
Cousins continued his training camp aerial attack today, hitting Aldrick Robinson and running back Tristan Davis for long receptions. Robinson's resulted in a 70-yard touchdown catch and run, where he simply outran the defenders in the secondary.
Cousins continued his training camp aerial attack today, hitting Aldrick Robinson and running back Tristan Davis for long receptions. Robinson's resulted in a 70-yard touchdown catch and run, where he simply outran the defenders in the secondary.
Practice ended with the top offense squaring off against the top defense for training camp pride. As time expired on practice, Griffin III found Santana Moss slicing across the middle of the field and hit him in stride.
Moss streaked past defenders for a training camp-ending touchdown.
I know he got a pretty good zip on the ball. He has a quick release. . . once I seen a coupla' throws, I was just like 'Yeah, he's that dude.'"
Orakpo showed his spin move again, something he hasn’t used in previous seasons. It came vs. Tom Compton this time and when you’re a two-time Pro Bowler facing a rookie sixth-round pick you should win. That said, it was still a good move and caught Compton unprepared.
I have been wondering when Rak would start add the spin to his moves.
—Rookie linebacker Keenan Robinson is very active out on the field, moving from sideline to sideline. It doesn’t always look like he knows exactly what he’s doing but that will come with time.
I posted these numbers earlier in camp, but they’re worth mentioning again. Cam Newton, one of two dual-threat quarterbacks to whom Griffin will be most often compared (Michael Vick being the other), helped the Carolina Panthers go from dead last in red zone efficiency in 2010 to seventh last season (57.89 percent). The Redskins scored touchdowns on only 41.18 percent of their red zone trips in 2011. Only three teams were worse. I expect a significant improvement this season.
Sure enough, Griffin was in a good rhythm Tuesday. He did not hit every pass, but he did have a few dropped (two by Santana Moss over the middle). And once more there’s reason to believe he’ll be a big weapon inside the red zone because of his legs, whether on broken plays or scheduled ones (though there was one play today in which Kedric Golston might have drilled Griffin had it been in a game; beat Adam Gettis to the outside).
About the drilling, RGIII has been holding the ball longer in practice to make practice his progressions, so in a game, the quick release that Keim wrote about would take effect and avert the drilling.
Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett and secondary coach Raheem Morris appear to be experimenting with their depth and versatility at safety. Brandon Meriweather remains the starting strong safety, while Williams continues to hold the free safety spot. But on Tuesday, Tanard Jackson, who has been competing with Williams, replaced Meriweather on some of the nickel packages. Previously in his career, Meriweather hasn’t been considered to be particularly strong in downfield pass coverage. Jackson could be the answer on some of those situations.
Clayton: "I wanted to take a look and see where it was at the running back position, and I was very much intrigued by Alfred Morris. It looks like there’s some type of potential there; Morris broke a couple nice runs [in camp].
....that's what we have coaches for. Not ready to write hightower off just yet and I think i remember reading that Shanny was going to rest him preseason. If Hightower can't stay healthy this season then im all for the young talent. Hightowers blocking skills will be needed however. This team is being groomed with young talented players. RB is no different,
I know you have a thing about the Colt vs. Campbell people, but that was never me. I took a long, patient mindset with Campbell and wasn't interested in seeing him go until his last year here when I was finally convinced.
