Redskins vs. Chiefs, 1st quarter review

Chiefs first possession

3-10-K20 – The Chiefs open the game with three attempted screen passes, and the Redskins blow up all of them. On this one the LT fans way too far outside apparently thinking Reed Doughty, who had lined up in the box, was a blitzer. But he’s actually in man coverage on one of the RBs so the tackle ends up blocking nothing. The LG has to pick up Orakpo who had stunted inside from the DE spot, so Haynesworth was able to exploit the hole and hit Cassel as he threw. And this was not the pressure that a team lets through on purpose to allow their blockers to set up a screen – the play was to the offensive right, and the Chiefs clearly intended to have the left side blocked.

Redskins first possession

2-1-W50 – The line doesn’t create a lot of push and Fred Davis is taken back a couple of yards, so Portis is in traffic from the beginning. He actually runs into Davis’ back but tries to bounce forward towards the line, but somewhere in there the ball pops out and the Chiefs fall on it a few yards downfield. There was no strip or crushing blow here – it just looks like a case of poor ball security.

Chiefs second possession

1-10-K47 – Chiefs run a counter to get most of the defense flowing towards the offensive left and open up space for Larry Johnson to run right. However that leaves a TE with the job of sealing Brian Orakpo, at SLB on this play, to the inside. Orakpo shows off his upper body strength by engaging the TE and simply shoving him aside, then wraps up Johnson and tosses him to the ground.

3-3-W46 – Yet another screen. Jamaal Charles catches the ball behind the RT who has pulled to the outside. However the intended running lane is pinched because DeAngelo Hall, in one of his occasional yet inconsistent displays of physical football, aggressively takes on the WR blocking him. Meanwhile, the TE attempts to seal Andre Carter to the inside but Carter just carries the TE with him as he closes in on Charles. With Hall and Carter disrupting the blocking, Kedric Golston has time to make it all the way over from his tackle position. He read the screen instantly and was able so shed his block and show some impressive hustle to make it all the way to the outside. The RB Charles is running hard though and he’s not quite brought down. But the play of these three Redskin defenders hold him up long enough for the entire defense to swarm and pile on short of the first down.

4-1-W44 – On a fullback dive the Chiefs run right at Haynesworth and send a guard diving at his feet hoping to take him to the ground. He beats this by leaping over the lineman, which is an impressive athletic feat for a DT but takes him out of the gap and the FB makes it through for the first down.

2-10-W42 – Kedric Golston again. The RG tries to take him to the inside but Golston shoves off him then stuffs the RB at the line.

3-9-W41 – And again. Chiefs run a draw out of the shotgun. Golston is doubled by the C and RG but fights them to a standstill and then spins off and gets the first hit on the RB who would otherwise racing through a pretty big hole. Golston doesn’t get the tackle but he stops the RB's progress and fills his lane, allowing the rest of the defense to close in and prevent a big gain. Go buy a Kedric Golston jersey. Now.

Redskins second possession

1-10-W20 - Portis runs off tackle but Will Montgomery, the Redskins fourth starting RG of the year, is unable to keep his man to the inside so no real hole opens up. Portis still manages to power through for two yards, but he did all the work himself.

2-8-W22 – Campbell tries to get the ball to Santana who does a quick hook on the outside, but he double pumps on a play where the ball is supposed to be released instantly, giving the DB plenty of time to recover and hit Santana as the ball arrives.

Chiefs third possession

1-10-K30 – The TE just forgets to block Brian Orakpo. Orakpo lines up at SLB right over the TE, who decides to help out the LT and let Orakpo run right by him. Cassel is rolling out to the right, but he can’t escape Orakpo by continuing to the outside because Philip Daniels has beaten the RT and trapped him in the pocket, so Orakpo easily chases him down for the sack.

3-1-K39 – Larry Johnson takes a pitch and runs to the outside. The same TE who tried to get his QB killed on first down does his job this time and seals Philip Daniels to the inside, and the RG pulls to the outside and takes out London Fletcher’s legs. Once these two guys are taken out of the play Johnson had plenty of room for an 11 yard gain because the rest of the defense had stayed inside to guard against a run up the middle.

3-10-K49 – Jeremy Jarmon is at DT and once again overpowers a guard, but Cassel keeps composure in the pocket and gets the ball out just before the pressure can disrupt the play. Meanwhile Dwayne Bowe has run a deep comeback route and momentarily gets separation from DeAngelo Hall, and Cassel delivers the ball with perfect timing off Bowe’s cut before Hall can recover. This big gain is less a defensive failure than a perfectly executed play by both QB and WR.

1-10-W32 – Jarmon is at LDE with a very wide alignment, and he beats the RT to the outside but slips just before he gets to Cassel. But the pressure keeps Cassel in the pocket so he has no escape from Chris Wilson, who blitzed from the opposite side and badly beat that same hapless TE #89.

4-2-W24 – This was a coverage sack all the way. Cassel initially has good protection, but the Redskins DBs and LBs are all over the short routes and Cassel looks to three different receivers, sees nothing, and pulls down the ball to run. But by that time Andre Carter has gotten past the LT and nails Cassel to get the sack and force the ball out, which is recovered by the Chiefs but it was 4th down anyway.

Redskins third possession

1-10-W29 – Stephon Heyer gets beaten to the outside, but Campbell manages to step up in the pocket, which is well maintained elsewhere. He needs the time, as Devin Thomas is going deep down the sideline. Thomas has a step on the DB and this is painfully close to a huge play, but Campbell throw is just a little bit off and Thomas’ diving catch ends with him landing out of bounds.

2-10-W29 – Campbell hands off to Portis, then fakes an end around to Santana Moss that fools absolutely nobody. Rabach lets a DT beat him to fill the gap and Portis is stuffed.

3-11-W27 – A DE starts Heyer to the outside, then cuts back inside and Heyer ends up twirling around and falling down in a masterpiece of physical comedy. Despite the pressure Campbell is able to get the ball to Cooley on a flat route. Cooley makes the catch 8 yards short of the first down marker, but he impresses once again with his remarkable open field running ability, which still amazes me every time, to get the first down and 14 extra yards.