Redskins vs. Eagles, 4th quarter review

1st quarter

2nd quarter

3rd quarter

Sticking with using the offical play by play as a skeleton and filling in my commentary:

Philadelphia Eagles continued.

2-10-PHI 7 (15:00) (Shotgun) D.McNabb pass incomplete short middle to J.Avant (K.Golston).

Kedric Golston fights a double team, and when he can’t get through he gets his hand in the air to deflect the pass. Fletcher and Tryon were all over the short routes, so it’s unlikely the pass would have been completed anyway.

3-10-PHI 7 (14:54) (Shotgun) D.McNabb pass incomplete short right to R.Brown.

4-10-PHI 7 (14:50) S.Rocca punts 25 yards to PHI 32, Center-J.Dorenbos, out of bounds.

Washington Redskins at 14:43

1-10-PHI 32 (14:43) C.Portis left end to PHI 28 for 4 yards (B.Bunkley, M.Patterson).

Sellers (lined up at LTE) and Heyer initially double team Trent Cole (RDE) but when Sellers sheds off to take the LB Heyer can’t handle Cole. He is driven to the outside, which denies the corner to Portis.

2-6-PHI 28 (14:04) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass incomplete deep right to A.Randle El [N.Cole].

Eagles spread their DTs wide and rush a LB from each A-gap over Rabach. Portis picks up the extra guy, but Will Montgomery is overwhelmed by his DT and gets pushed back, which is a problem since Campbell has to step up due to pressure on the edges. With Montgomery right in front of him, Campbell is unable to step into his throw.

3-6-PHI 28 (13:58) (Shotgun) J.Campbell sacked at PHI 36 for -8 yards (T.Cole).

Fred Davis is one on one against Trent Cole (why???) and Cole puts him on his back. Betts is unavailable to help out because he has to pick up a safety blitzing from the same side. We’re getting some classic Jim Johnson stuff here.

4-14-PHI 36 (13:14) H.Smith punts 25 yards to PHI 11, Center-E.Albright, fair catch by J.Maclin.
PENALTY on WAS-K.Moore, Chop Block, 15 yards, enforced at PHI 11.

Philadelphia Eagles at 13:14

1-10-PHI 26 (13:14) D.McNabb pass short middle to L.McCoy to PHI 37 for 11 yards (L.Landry).

A well-executed screen. Eagles succeed in sucking the linemen upfield and get the C and RG in front of Fletcher.

1-10-PHI 37 (12:30) L.McCoy left guard to PHI 44 for 7 yards (L.Fletcher).

A triple-team seals Haynesworth to the inside, and Orakpo (RDE) has his legs cut out from under him.

2-3-PHI 44 (12:30) L.McCoy up the middle to PHI 46 for 2 yards (A.Carter, L.Fletcher). Direct snap McCoy

3-1-PHI 46 (11:09) (Shotgun) M.Vick left end pushed ob at WAS 45 for 9 yards (C.Rogers).

Haynesworth and Carter (RDE) are immediately cut. Golston reads the play and makes it to the outside, but he gets cut the LF who has pulled outside (I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many cut blocks in one game). Rocky McIntosh is disappointingly walled off by a WR and his pursuit gets cut off.

1-10-WAS 45 (10:41) L.McCoy left tackle [correction: right guard] to WAS 44 for 1 yard (R.McIntosh).

Jeremy Jarmon is line up at DT and get overwhelmed by a double team, but neither blocker is able to shed him to pick up Rocky, who picks his way through the traffic to stuff the play.

2-9-WAS 44 (10:05) D.McNabb pass incomplete short right to D.Jackson.

3-9-WAS 44 (9:59) (Shotgun) D.McNabb sacked at PHI 46 for -10 yards (A.Haynesworth).

Andre Carter speed-rushed past the RT. On the opposite side Orakpo lines up very wide and the LT is unable to get out enough, so Orakpo is able to overpower the RB who tries to pick him up. With Carter and Orakpo closing McNabb is forced to step up. When Haynesworth starts to beat the double team in the middle, the LG simply grabs the collar of his jersey and yanks him backwards (no call of course, because the rules don’t apply to anyone blocking Haynesworth). This takes Haynesworth to the ground, but he has so much forward momentum that he is still rolling into the backfield and trips up McNabb.

4-19-PHI 46 (9:48) S.Rocca punts 49 yards to WAS 5, Center-J.Dorenbos. A.Randle El pushed ob at WAS 16 for 11 yards (S.Jones).
Washington Redskins at 9:38

1-10-WAS 16 (9:38) J.Campbell pass incomplete deep right to D.Thomas. PENALTY on PHI-J.Babin, Defensive Offside, 5 yards, enforced at WAS 16 - No Play.

1-5-WAS 21 (9:31) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass short middle to A.Randle El to WAS 38 for 17 yards (J.Hanson).

1-10-WAS 38 (8:55) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass short right to D.Thomas pushed ob at PHI 40 for 22 yards (S.Jones).

Nice WR screen. Mike Williams shows suprising quickness getting to the outside to form a blocking convoy with Fred Davis. Williams build up a head of steam and flattens a very unfortunate corner, then Fred Davis gets a good block 3 yards past the first down marker that turns this into a big gain. In fairness, although Williams and Davis did their jobs well, a safety blitzed from the play side and took himself out of the play, so it may not have been an easy gain if he had been there. So if you’re some 190 lb. cornerback, what goes through your head when you see Mike Williams bearing down on you?

1-10-PHI 40 (8:27) J.Campbell pass short right [edit: this pass went 13 yards past the LOS] to F.Davis to PHI 26 for 14 yards (Q.Mikell).

1-10-PHI 26 (8:27) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass incomplete short right to F.Davis.

2-10-PHI 26 (7:45) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass short middle to M.Sellers to PHI 25 for 1 yard (A.Jordan).

3-9-PHI 25 (7:04) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass short right to S.Moss to PHI 17 for 8 yards (A.Samuel, C.Clemons).

A safety blitzes from the offensive left and Betts totally misses him – he instead helps out Heyer with his rusher. Campbell see that he’s coming though, and moves quickly to get the ball to Moss running an short out from the slot. The DB was threatened by Moss speed and played him deep, so after his cut Moss was only covered by a DE who had dropped back as part of a zone blitz.

4-1-PHI 17 (6:18) J.Campbell pass short right to F.Davis to PHI 9 for 8 yards (S.Jones, J.Hanson).

Play action draws the LB to the offensive left, then Campbell bootlegs to the right. Fred Davis and Todd Yoder are lined up as twins TE to the right. Yoder immediately releases into a route into the right flat to occupy the DBs, while Fred Davis make a brief show off blocking and runs into the space vacated by Yoder for the easy first down. Then he leaps into the air again as soon as a DB starts closing on him. He jumps way too early, of course, so he just jumps into the guys arms. (sigh)

1-9-PHI 9 (5:36) J.Campbell pass incomplete short left to S.Moss.

An end zone fade route to a famously small receiver. Campbell has to keep it low for Santana to have a chance, so its easily defensed.

2-9-PHI 9 (5:36) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass incomplete short right to T.Yoder.

A DT beats Will Montgomery with his hand-work and gets inside penetration and forces Campbell to throw it away out the back of the end zone (not “short right”, as indicated above by the official play-by-play).

3-9-PHI 9 (5:31) (Shotgun) J.Campbell scrambles up the middle to PHI 4 for 5 yards (J.Hanson, W.Witherspoon).

4-4-PHI 4 (4:42) (Shotgun) J.Campbell Aborted. C.Rabach FUMBLES at PHI 9, RECOVERED by PHI-B.Bunkley at PHI 9. B.Bunkley toPHI 9 for no gain (D.Dockery).

Rabach somehow doesn’t know Campbell is in shotgun and just drops the ball behind him. I don’t even know what to say.

Philadelphia Eagles at 4:40

1-10-PHI 9 (4:40) L.McCoy right end to PHI 15 for 6 yards (L.Fletcher, R.McIntosh). PENALTY on PHI-T.Herremans, Offensive Holding, 4 yards, enforced at PHI 9 - No Play.

1-14-PHI 5 (4:34) L.McCoy right tackle to PHI 6 for 1 yard (L.Fletcher).
Timeout #1 by WAS at 04:30.

2-13-PHI 6 (4:30) (Shotgun) D.McNabb pass incomplete deep middle to B.Celek (L.Fletcher) [R.McIntosh].

Haynesworth shows as much quickness as a 350 lb. man can muster threatening the LG to the outside and beating him. Griffin takes the C in the same direction, opening up a big gap that Rocky could shoot through untouched on a delayed blitz (the RG failed to see the blitz coming and helped the outside blockers). Rocky and Haynesworth were bearing down on McNabb in the end zone and a lesser QB may have been taken down for a safety, but McNabb barely manages to get the ball out.

3-13-PHI 6 (4:26) (Shotgun) D.McNabb pass deep left to J.Maclin to PHI 29 for 23 yards (L.Landry, C.Rogers).
PENALTY on PHI-T.Herremans, Offensive Holding, 3 yards, enforced at PHI 6 - No Play.

The holding penalty above was committed against Haynesworth. It’s about time the guy got a call - this was less egregious than some of the other stuff he had to put up with this game.

3-16-PHI 3 (4:11) (Shotgun) L.McCoy up the middle to PHI 10 for 7 yards (A.Haynesworth).
Timeout #2 by WAS at 04:07.

4-9-PHI 10 (4:07) S.Rocca punts 36 yards to PHI 46, Center-J.Dorenbos, downed by PHI.

Washington Redskins at 3:56

1-10-PHI 46 (3:56) (Shotgun) J.Campbell sacked at WAS 45 for -9 yards (C.Clemons).

Fred Davis is once again matched up one on one against Clemons, who gets the easy sack. Explain to me how this happens. It’s not like there weren’t other blockers available: Heyer, Dockery, and Betts were blocking the 2 men rushing on the offensive left; Montgomery and Williams were double teaming the other DT (leaving Rabach free to wait on the delay blitz from a LB). Certainly that could have been rearranged to keep from isolating Davis against a DE. Did Betts make a wrong read and go to the wrong side (doubtful since he was lined up on Campbell’s left at the snap) or is it just poorly designed protection?

2-19-WAS 45 (3:56) J.Campbell pass incomplete short middle to M.Sellers.

Dropped. Hit Sellers right in the hands and he was wide open.

3-19-WAS 45 (3:16) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass short right to D.Thomas to PHI 34 for 21 yards (C.Clemons).

Rabach doubles up the DT who is on Will Montgomery, completely missing that a safety is on the line of scrimmage and clearly blitzing. The safety comes free, of course, but leaps into the air, probably hoping to knock the ball down in case Campbell manages to make the throw. Campbell ducks and the safety flies over his head, then he steps up and buys time, keeping his head downfield until he sees Devin Thomas come open on a come-back. Thomas breaks a tackle to gain 13 yards after the catch.

1-10-PHI 34 (2:36) J.Campbell pass short middle to F.Davis to PHI 27 for 7 yards (S.Jones).

2-3-PHI 27 (2:20) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass short middle to S.Moss to PHI 15 for 12 yards (E.Hobbs).

1-10-PHI 15 (2:00) (No Huddle, Shotgun) J.Campbell pass short left to S.Moss to PHI 3 for 12 yards (S.Brown, E.Hobbs).

Yes, the passing game is clicking rather well here, but the Eagles are playing some pretty soft coverage to force us to eat some clock as we move downfield.

Two-Minute Warning

1-3-PHI 3 (1:54) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass incomplete short right to D.Thomas [B.Bunkley].
PENALTY on PHI-D.Howard, Defensive Offside, 2 yards, enforced at PHI 3 - No Play.

1-1-PHI 1 (1:48) L.Alexander reported in as eligible. J.Campbell pass incomplete short middle to F.Davis.

Campbell is under immediate pressure from a safety blitz – Portis is not able to pick it up because he’s busy running up the middle as part of the play action. Campbell is forced to throw high, and Davis almost makes a spectacular leaping catch but can’t quite come down with it.

2-1-PHI 1 (1:43) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass short middle to F.Davis for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.

Fortunately this one was much easier. Davis runs a quick out and Campbell is already throwing as he comes out of his break, so the defender has no time to close.

S.Suisham extra point is GOOD, Center-E.Albright, Holder-H.Smith.

PHI 27 WAS 17, 8 plays, 46 yards, 1 penalty, 2:18 drive, 13:22 elapsed

S.Suisham kicks onside 7 yards from WAS 30 to WAS 37, ball declared dead.
PENALTY on WAS-S.Suisham, Short Free Kick, 5 yards, enforced at WAS 37.

Philadelphia Eagles at 1:38

1-10-WAS 32 (1:38) D.McNabb kneels to WAS 33 for -1 yards.
Timeout #3 by WAS at 01:30.

2-11-WAS 33 (1:28) D.McNabb kneels to WAS 35 for -2 yards.

3-13-WAS 35 (:45) D.McNabb kneels to WAS 37 for -2 yards.

4-15-WAS 37 (:45) (Run formation) PENALTY on PHI-D.McNabb, Delay of Game, 5 yards, enforced at WAS 37 - No Play.

4-20-WAS 42 (:45) D.McNabb kneels to WAS 43 for -1 yards.

Concluding thoughts to follow in a separate post.

Play by play info taken from the official NFL Game Book.