Redskins @ Eagles, 1st quarter review

OK - first real post in a week. I tried to do a brief review of the Dallas game last night, only to find that NFL Rewind is not accessible at any time live football is on the air, so basically the game review got preempted by Pats-Saints. At that point I decided to cut my losses and move on to the Eagles game. Sorry the Dallas game got so royally screwed up - hopefully the computer issues are behind me. Thanks for your patience.

The PBP is taken directly from the NFL Game Book, with my commentary added.

1st Quarter

D.Akers kicks onside 19 yards from PHI 30 to PHI 49. Q.Ganther to PHI 24 for 25 yards (E.Buckley).
PENALTY on PHI, Illegal Touch Kick, 5 yards, enforced at PHI 24.

Color commentator Daryl Johnston described this as a sign of Andy Reid's respect for the Redskins, but I see it as a lack of respect - he doesn't fear our offense enough to shy away from giving us a short field, and he felt if he could convert this kick and get a quick lead he could put us away early.

Washington Redskins at 15:00, (1st play from scrimmage 14:55)

1-10-PHI 19 (14:55) R.Cartwright up the middle to PHI 17 for 2 yards (J.Parker).

Play was designed to go inside left and there appeared to be a good lane there - Dockery and Edwin Williams had gotten out to the LBs - but the split end on the left, who I think is Devin Thomas but can't be sure, ignores his man and that DB has a clear angle to fill the rushing lane. Rock sees this and cuts back to the right. Fred Davis had been blocking the DE on that side and doing it well, but he was staying inside him to seal him outside so that when Rock cut outside the DE was easily able to shed off Davis and make the play.

2-8-PHI 17 (14:21) J.Campbell pass short left to S.Moss ran ob at PHI 11 for 6 yards.

3-2-PHI 11 (13:57) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass short right to A.Randle El to PHI 1 for 10 yards (S.Jones).

1-1-PHI 1 (13:11) J.Campbell right end for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.

Redskins load up on power to the right with Lorenzo Alexander and Mike Sellers as twins TEs. Edwin Williams (the RG of the day) attempts to pull to the outside to win the corner but trips. Fortunately Marcus Mason picks up the DB coming off the edge and Cambell is able to cut to the inside where Sellers and Alexander have completely stonewalled a LB and DE respectively, opening a big hole into the end zone.

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

WAS 7 PHI 0, 4 plays, 19 yards, 1:54 drive, 1:54 elapsed

S.Suisham kicks 49 yards from WAS 30 to PHI 21. V.Harris to PHI 21 for no gain (B.Westbrook).

Philadelphia Eagles at 13:06, (1st play from scrimmage 13:05)

1-10-PHI 21 (13:05) (Shotgun) D.McNabb pass short left to J.Maclin ran ob at PHI 32 for 11 yards.

Jarmon is at DT and avoids the LGs cut block but gets picked up by the RB.

1-10-PHI 32 (12:41) (No Huddle, Shotgun) D.McNabb pass incomplete short right to R.Brown (J.Jarmon).

Jarmon is at DT again, and pushes the RG far enough into the backfield that he is able to get a hand up and tip the pass.

2-10-PHI 32 (12:34) L.McCoy left tackle to WAS 49 for 19 yards (R.Doughty).

It's Landry who gives up the big gain. Fletcher pursues to the hole but is taken out by a pulling guard. The slot receiver is forced to dodge the resulting collision and so is behind McCoy when he makes it through the hole. Landry should have a free shot, but he vastly overpursues to the outside and is caught desperately trying to recover as McCoy runs straight through where Landry should have been.

1-10-WAS 49 (12:07) (No Huddle) L.McCoy right tackle to WAS 43 for 6 yards (J.Tryon).

LG hits Rocky McIntosh 2 yards past the LOS and drives him back 5 more. McCoy runs right behind him.

2-4-WAS 43 (11:28) D.McNabb pass short right to B.Celek to WAS 28 for 15 yards (L.Fletcher).
Penalty on WAS-J.Tryon, Defensive 12 On-field, declined.

Horrible tackle attempt by Carlos Rogers. It only leads to 4 yards after catch, but it should have been none. As for the penalty Tryon lined up over the slot receiver and realized at the last second he wasn't even supposed to be in. He tried to sprint to the sideline but didn't quite make it.

1-10-WAS 28 (11:13) L.Weaver up the middle to WAS 10 for 18 yards (L.Landry).

London Fletcher misreads the play and overpursues to the offensive left following a lead blocker, and is unable to recover when Weaver cuts inside right through a hole opened up by a double team on Kedric Golston.

1-10-WAS 10 (10:30) (Shotgun) D.McNabb pass short middle to J.Avant to WAS 5 for 5 yards (L.Fletcher).

Jarmon draws a double team at DT. Wow.

2-5-WAS 5 (9:51) #7 M. Vick in at QB (Shotgun) M.Vick up the middle to WAS 1 for 4 yards (J.Jarmon).

Opinions varied about whether the Vick experience would be a spectacular success or a total failure, but did anyone guess it would just turn out to be... boring?

3-1-WAS 1 (9:09) D.McNabb pass incomplete short right to A.Smith.

WR Avant motions to FB and the play action is supposed to get him open in the flat, but Rogers reads the play all the way and stays with him, forcing McNabb to throw it out the back of the end zone.

4-1-WAS 1 (9:03) (Shotgun) D.McNabb pass short middle to D.Jackson for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN NULLIFIED by Penalty.
PENALTY on PHI-B.Celek, Offensive Pass Interference, 10 yards, enforced at WAS 1 - No Play.

Got a little lucky on this one. Celek's PI against Rocky McIntosh did not effect the play, which involved DeSean Jackson getting wide open in the back of the end zone, apparently due to a blown assignment in the secondary.

4-11-WAS 11 (8:59) D.Akers 29 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-J.Dorenbos, Holder-S.Rocca.

WAS 7 PHI 3, 10 plays, 68 yards, 4:11 drive, 6:05 elapsed

D.Akers kicks 68 yards from PHI 30 to WAS 2. D.Thomas pushed ob at WAS 29 for 27 yards (Q.Mikell).

Washington Redskins at 8:55, (1st play from scrimmage 8:47)

1-10-WAS 29 (8:47) R.Cartwright up the middle to WAS 35 for 6 yards (M.Patterson).

Fred Davis not only kicks out the DE to open the hole, he also carries him downfield enough to cut off a DBs pursuit angle. Don't get me wrong - despite Fred Davis' recent development we would still be a much better offense with Chris Cooley's receiving skills - but the TE change has upgraded the blocking situation.

2-4-WAS 35 (8:14) R.Cartwright right end to WAS 41 for 6 yards (W.Witherspoon).

1-10-WAS 41 (7:37) J.Campbell pass incomplete short left to S.Moss.
Campbell isn't under pressure but rushes his throw as if he is, and badly misses an open receiver.

2-10-WAS 41 (7:33) J.Campbell pass short right to F.Davis to WAS 46 for 5 yards (Q.Mikell).

3-5-WAS 46 (6:49) PENALTY on WAS-E.Williams, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at WAS 46 - No Play.

3-10-WAS 41 (6:27) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass incomplete short left to F.Davis.

Thrown high, but Davis should have come down with it. Instead, the ball was tipped into the air and an interception was very possible.

4-10-WAS 41 (6:22) H.Smith punts 39 yards to PHI 20, Center-E.Albright. D.Jackson to PHI 49 for 29 yards (K.Moore).

DeSean Jackson is really starting to piss me off. And we have to play this guy twice a season for many years to come.

Philadelphia Eagles at 6:05

1-10-PHI 49 (6:05) (Shotgun) D.McNabb pass short left to L.McCoy to WAS 44 for 7 yards (F.Smoot, L.Fletcher).

Rocky takes a bad angle and misses the tackle.

2-3-WAS 44 (5:33) L.McCoy up the middle to WAS 42 for 2 yards (P.Daniels).

Kedric Golston double teamed again, with Cornelius Griffin carried out of the play by the LG. In the absence of Haynesworth, both Dallas and Philly have considered Golston the biggest threat and Griffin the soft target.

3-1-WAS 42 (4:59) #7 M. Vick in at QB (Shotgun) M.Vick right end to WAS 42 for no gain (L.Fletcher).

4-1-WAS 42 (4:28) #5 McNabb returns as QB L.Weaver up the middle to WAS 40 for 2 yards (R.McIntosh).

Golston and Griffin dive at the OLs legs to try to keep them from getting any kind of surge, but this just creates a low point on the line so that Weaver can more easily go airborne.

1-10-WAS 40 (3:43) D.McNabb pass incomplete deep right.

Philip Daniels (LDE) get inside penetration and forces McNabb out of the pocket, then Carter and Golston (not HB Blades as the play by play guys says) pursue him to the sideline and force the throwaway.

2-10-WAS 40 (3:33) L.McCoy left end to WAS 35 for 5 yards (R.Doughty).

3-5-WAS 35 (2:55) (Shotgun) D.McNabb pass deep left to D.Jackson for 35 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Carter beats the LT to the inside and forces McNabb to roll out to the offensive left, where he sees that another blown assignment in the secondary has left Jackson open by 15 yards.

D.Akers extra point is GOOD, Center-J.Dorenbos, Holder-S.Rocca.

WAS 7 PHI 10, 7 plays, 51 yards, 3:17 drive, 12:12 elapsed

D.Akers kicks 70 yards from PHI 30 to end zone, Touchback.

Washington Redskins at 2:48

1-10-WAS 20 (2:48) R.Cartwright up the middle to WAS 19 for -1 yards (J.Parker).

Both Dockery and Rabach go straight to the second level to block the WLB, so a DT comes into the backfield untouched (I think its Rabach who screwed up). Rock dodges him, but gets slowed down enough that the DE is able to fight through Sellers' block at TE and take him down.

2-11-WAS 19 (2:13) J.Campbell pass incomplete short right to F.Davis.

3-11-WAS 19 (2:08) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass short right to R.Cartwright to WAS 33 for 14 yards (J.Babin).

The LDE is allowed to come in untouched and Rock slips behind him for the easy dumpoff. Edwin Williams makes it to the outside for a key block that springs the big gain.

1-10-WAS 33 (1:27) Q.Ganther left guard to WAS 38 for 5 yards (S.Jones; J.Babin).

2-5-WAS 38 (:48) Q.Ganther left tackle to WAS 48 for 10 yards (S.Jones).

Ganther shows good vision to see the backside open up and cut back to the right, then puts a great move on a closing DB at the line of scrimmage.

1-10-WAS 48 (:07) J.Campbell pass short right to D.Thomas to 50 for 2 yards (V.Harris).

The O-line tries to sell a fake run to the left but the Eagles aren't fooled. Kelly blocks one DB and Thomas dodges another, but a DE and LB come over to stuff the play.