Redskins vs. Eagles, 3rd quarter review

1st quarter

2nd quarter

Trying something new here format-wise, and I'm surprised I didn't think of it earlier. As you know I don't review every play, only the ones where I have something to say. This means of course that you don't get the full narrative of a drive, just certain plays that I've cherry picked. Simply due to time considerations it's not feasible for me to record the results of all the plays that don't merit a lineup, meaning there is a considerable lack of context.

However, I often refer to the offical NFL Game Books, which provide the bare bones play by play. So I have cut and pasted the play by play, and added my commentary under the noteworthy plays in a different font. This also keeps me from having to write things like "they go 3 and out, but none of the plays are interesting enought to write about," which I hate doing. At least now you can see what those plays were, even if I don't wish to expound upon any of them.

I'm assuming this is legal since they make the info available for free (and I'm not making money off this blog), so let's give it a shot and see if I get any angry emails from lawyers.

Anyway, let me know if this is an improvement or if it just makes things to cluttered.


D.Akers kicks 69 yards from PHI 30 to WAS 1. R.Cartwright MUFFS catch, and recovers at WAS 2. R.Cartwright to WAS 27 for 25 yards (E.Buckley).

Washington Redskins at 15:00, (1st play from scrimmage 14:53)

1-10-WAS 27 (14:53) J.Campbell pass deep middle to S.Moss to PHI 49 for 24 yards (Q.Mikell).

All the LBs bite on a very effective play action to the left, then Campbell bootlegs right and has plenty of time for the play to develop. Fred Davis occupies a DB in the right flat, and Devin Thomas runs a go from right flanker drawing the other coverage deep. This, along with the linebackers being drawn out of the play, creates a large void in the mid-range for Santana to exploit on a crossing route from the other side.

1-10-PHI 49 (14:14) C.Portis right end to PHI 45 for 4 yards (W.Witherspoon; B.Bunkley).

2-6-PHI 45 (14:14) PENALTY on WAS-C.Portis, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at PHI 45 - No Play.

2-11-50 (13:26) C.Portis left end to PHI 46 for 4 yards (S.Brown).

PENALTY on WAS-S.Heyer, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at 50 - No Play.

2-21-WAS 40 (13:07) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass short right to S.Moss to WAS 45 for 5 yards (J.Hanson).

3-16-WAS 45 (12:29) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass short middle to M.Sellers to 50 for 5 yards (J.Parker, T.Cole).

Screen. The Redskins are able to get multiple blockers out cleanly, partly because the Eagles only rush 3. Sellers gets the ball 2 yards behind the line of scrimmage with Rabach, Dockery, and Montgomery in front of him and Heyer to the outside walling off Trent Cole. However, Heyer is once again beaten due to his inferior athleticism, and Cole simply outmaneuvers him and slips past untouched. This forces Sellers to cut inside rather than simply follow his blocker straight ahead.

4-11-50 (11:57) H.Smith punts 50 yards to end zone, Center-E.Albright, Touchback.

Philadelphia Eagles at 11:48

1-10-PHI 20 (11:48) L.McCoy right end to PHI 24 for 4 yards (C.Horton). WAS-B.Orakpo was injured during the
play.

2-6-PHI 24 (11:48) D.McNabb sacked at PHI 16 for -8 yards (A.Carter). FUMBLES (A.Carter) [A.Carter],
recovered by PHI-L.McCoy at PHI 17. L.McCoy to PHI 17 for no gain (C.Wilson).

The LT tries to cut Andre Carter, but in a recurring theme from this game, in going down the blocker only manages to remove himself from the play and Carter just steps over him. He puts a classic blindside hit on McNabb, who never sees him coming. The ball pops out, and ends up at the feet of Chris Wilson who blitzed from the other side but was picked up by McCoy. Wilson simply doesn’t see where the ball goes, and is looking around for it while it is bouncing around his own feet.

3-13-PHI 17 (10:42) L.McCoy left guard to PHI 28 for 11 yards (L.Landry, J.Tryon).
Timeout #1 by PHI at 09:59.

Haynesworth is not involved in the play because he was lined up at RDE and pass rushes to the outside. Orakpo is in at DT and gets taken out by the RT who pulls to the inside. Fletcher starts out up on the line but drops back a bit at the snap against the threat of a shallow cross from the slot receiver. Once Fletcher gets moving backwards, the LG is able to easily overpower him. That's the running lane.

4-2-PHI 28 (9:58) S.Rocca punts 46 yards to WAS 26, Center-J.Dorenbos. S.Moss to WAS 25 for -1 yards
(Q.Demps).

Washington Redskins at 9:47

1-10-WAS 25 (9:47) C.Portis up the middle to WAS 27 for 2 yards (A.Dixon, T.Laws).

2-8-WAS 27 (9:15) J.Campbell sacked at WAS 18 for -9 yards (J.Babin).

Will Montgomery pulls to the left as part of the play action. Mike Williams comes to the inside to pick up the DT that had been over Montgomery, but Fred Davis, at RTE, gets tied up with a blitzing TE so no one is there to block the DE. So the DE (Babin) comes in clean, and since Portis has been sent out on a pass route Sellers is left alone to block both Babin and a safety who also blitzes. Sellers picks up the safety on the outside, and Babin buries Campbell.

3-17-WAS 18 (9:15) J.Campbell pass short right to F.Davis to WAS 31 for 13 yards (J.Hanson, S.Jones).

4-4-WAS 31 (7:58) H.Smith punts 53 yards to PHI 16, Center-E.Albright. D.Jackson to PHI 19 for 3 yards
(M.Sellers).

Philadelphia Eagles at 7:48

1-10-PHI 19 (7:48) (Shotgun) D.McNabb pass incomplete short right to J.Maclin.

2-10-PHI 19 (7:44) (Shotgun) D.McNabb pass deep left to J.Maclin ran ob at PHI 39 for 20 yards.

Carter threatens his man outside, but Haynesworth works to the inside so there’s no contain and McNabb can escape from the pocket to the left and buy himself some time and hit Maclin on the sideline.

1-10-PHI 39 (7:44) PENALTY on PHI-S.Andrews, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at PHI 39 - No Play. Direct snap
Formation

1-15-PHI 34 (7:00) D.McNabb pass short right to L.McCoy to PHI 29 for -5 yards (D.Hall).
PENALTY on WAS-L.Fletcher, Face Mask (15 Yards), 15 yards, enforced at PHI 29.

Jarmon nearly blows up the play – he achieves penetration and is right on top of McCoy when he makes the catch 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage. But he simply makes a poor tackle and McCoy escapes and tries to take it across the field. He is swarmed in the backfield, but Fletcher gets his facemask. I suspect Jarmon was trying to make a highlight tackle and slam the RB to the ground – if he had just wrapped him up around the waist and hung on we would have had a 7 or 8 yard loss.

1-10-PHI 44 (6:31) (Shotgun) M.Vick left end to PHI 45 for 1 yard (R.McIntosh).

2-9-PHI 45 (5:48) (Shotgun) D.McNabb pass short middle to D.Jackson pushed ob at WAS 43 for 12 yards P9
(L.Landry).

Horton comes as part of an all-out blitz, so there is absolutely no one in the middle of the field (other DBs were drawn deep by complementary routes) so Jackson is all alone when he takes the check down pass, and he’s already across the first down line before a defender is even close to him.

1-10-WAS 43 (5:18) D.McNabb pass short right to J.Maclin to WAS 43 for no gain (C.Wilson).

Quick hitch but the Redskins read it immediately and Maclin had nowhere to go.

2-10-WAS 43 (4:37) (Shotgun) L.McCoy left tackle to WAS 41 for 2 yards (L.Alexander).

Shotgun draw. Alexander does an excellent job of shedding off his blocker to take down the RB as he entered what was really a very large hole.

3-8-WAS 41 (3:57) (Shotgun) D.McNabb pass incomplete short middle to D.Jackson.

4-8-WAS 41 (3:51) S.Rocca punts 23 yards to WAS 18, Center-J.Dorenbos, fair catch by A.Randle El.

Washington Redskins at 3:44

1-10-WAS 18 (3:44) C.Portis left end to WAS 26 for 8 yards (A.Jordan, S.Brown).

This run was mostly Portis. Sellers is at LTE and hold up the DE a little bit but is ultimately beaten; Heyer tries to go straight to the second level to take out a LB but also does little more than delay him slightly. Portis threatens the inside a bit to hold the defenders, then turns on the speed (turns out he still has a little) to beat them to the edge. Somewhat disappointed by a weak downfield block by Santana Moss – a better block there just may have gotten the first down.

2-2-WAS 26 (3:21) J.Campbell pass short middle to A.Randle El to WAS 29 for 3 yards (A.Samuel).

1-10-WAS 29 (2:40) J.Campbell pass short middle to F.Davis to WAS 40 for 11 yards (W.Witherspoon, A.Jordan).

1-10-WAS 40 (2:05) C.Portis left tackle to WAS 43 for 3 yards (A.Jordan, B.Bunkley).

2-7-WAS 43 (2:05) J.Campbell sacked at WAS 39 for -4 yards (B.Bunkley).

Heyer is responsible for the DT on this play, so Montgomery pulls to the left to handle RDE Trent Cole. But he is late getting over and Portis has to pick him up first. Between the two of them they stop him. But the pocket gets pinched enough that Campbell doesn’t have much room to evade the pressure from the right side, where Fred Davis is somehow left one on one against a DE and of course gets beat. Sellers is in the backfield but blocks no one – I think he was supposed to pick up the guy who beat Davis. Campbell’s only escape route is up the middle, but DT Broderick Bunkley once again shows he is just way too strong for Heyer – he gives Heyer a shove that knocks him backwards and Campbell runs right into Bunkley’s arms.

3-11-WAS 39 (:48) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass incomplete short middle to M.Sellers (S.Jones).
Penalty on WAS-W.Montgomery, Offensive Holding, declined.

4-11-WAS 39 (:38) H.Smith punts 48 yards to PHI 13, Center-E.Albright. J.Maclin to PHI 14 for 1 yard (H.Blades;
T.Yoder). PENALTY on PHI-Q.Demps, Offensive Holding, 7 yards, enforced at PHI 14.

Philadelphia Eagles at 0:28

1-10-PHI 7 (:28) L.McCoy up the middle to PHI 7 for no gain (J.Jarmon; B.Orakpo).