Redskins @ Rams 1st quarter game review

Play by play (bold) taken from the official NFL Gamebook.  My commentary added below in its own font.

FIRST QUARTER

G.Gano kicks 63 yards from WAS 30 to SL 7, out of bounds.

I am convinced Gano did this specifically because I constantly talk about how great he is on kickoffs. Thanks, Graham.

St. Louis Rams at 15:00, (1st play from scrimmage 14:57)


1-10-SL 40 (14:57) S.Jackson up the middle to SL 44 for 4 yards (A.Carriker).

Fletcher crushes the lead FB at the line, but Jackson switches to the opposite A gap because Maake has been moved off the line and the RG is able to get a hat on Rocky.

2-6-SL 44 (14:27) (Shotgun) S.Bradford pass short right to F.Onobun to WAS 49 for 7 yards (A.Carter). Penalty on WAS, Defensive Offside, declined.

Carter is unable to keep up with the FB in the flat. Carriker comes unblocked from LDE because the RT has to pick up a blitzing Rocky, but although he gets his hands up he is unable to deflect the pass.

1-10-WAS 49 (14:06) S.Bradford pass incomplete short left to M.Clayton (A.Carriker).

Carricker blows past the RG’s outside shoulder and knocks down Bradford’s arm.

2-10-WAS 49 (14:03) S.Jackson right tackle to WAS 46 for 3 yards (R.McIntosh).


3-7-WAS 46 (13:21) (Shotgun) S.Bradford pass short middle to S.Jackson to WAS 40 for 6 yards (L.Fletcher).


4-1-WAS 40 (12:54) M.Karney up the middle to WAS 38 for 2 yards (B.Orakpo).

Carriker holds his ground, but both Maake and Golston are pushed off the line.

1-10-WAS 38 (12:22) S.Jackson up the middle to WAS 42 for -4 yards (L.Landry).

The slot receiver makes an attempt to block Landry but he is far too quick and gets into the backfield untouched.

2-14-WAS 42 (11:44) S.Jackson right end for 42 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Redskins are in nickel with two linemen – Haynesworth head up on the center and Holliday on the LT’s outside shoulder. The other side of the Saints line is facing Orakpo and Carter. Orakpo is completely controlled by the TE, while Carter penetrates past the RG’s inside shoulder but Jackson is already to the corner by that point. The key block is made by the RT who hits Rocky 4 yards downfield and drives him completely out of the play. Then of course Kareem Moore comes is and completely whiffs on a tackle.

Josh.Brown extra point is GOOD, Center-C.Massey, Holder-D.Jones.


WAS 0 SL 7, 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:29 drive, 3:29 elapsed


Josh.Brown kicks 73 yards from SL 30 to WAS -3. D.Thomas to WAS 28 for 31 yards (K.Darby).


Washington Redskins at 11:31, (1st play from scrimmage 11:24)


1-10-WAS 28 (11:24) D.McNabb pass short middle to F.Davis to WAS 34 for 6 yards (G.Gibson).


2-4-WAS 34 (10:40) D.McNabb pass short left to S.Moss to SL 48 for 18 yards (B.Fletcher).

Play action bootleg, just like the last play and seemingly most plays this offense runs. McNabb has crossing routes at two levels to choose from – Cooley is deeper and the route combo is open, but McNabb goes to Santana because the LB covering him is off balance and Moss has a chance to run.

1-10-SL 48 (10:11) C.Portis up the middle to SL 42 for 6 yards (N.Diggs). PENALTY on WAS-S.Moss, Illegal Crackback, 15 yards, enforced at SL 48 - No Play.

Moss was attempting to cut the guy legally, but the DB was so fast through the line on his blitz that Moss ended up diving into the back of his legs.

1-25-WAS 37 (9:43) D.McNabb pass short middle to S.Moss to WAS 47 for 10 yards (N.Diggs). FUMBLES (N.Diggs). RECOVERED by SL-J.Butler at SL 48. J.Butler to WAS 3 for 49 yards (D.McNabb).

Fred Davis starts at RTE, work his way to the middle of the field, then heads straight upfield. This clears the LBs out of the zone and gives Moss the space to beat his man on a shallow cross, but the guy who makes the tackle does a great job stripping the ball. It wasn’t even poor ball security – just a great defensive play.

St. Louis Rams at 9:29


1-3-WAS 3 (9:29) S.Jackson right tackle to WAS 3 for no gain (L.Fletcher).

Kareem Moore gets into the backfield before the WR tight to the right can block him. This forces Jackson to make a cut in the backfield that slows him down. Then that same WR fails to block both Fletcher and Landry in succession and the play is stuffed.

2-3-WAS 3 (8:57) S.Bradford pass short right to D.Fells for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Carriker comes through the line and is in hot pursuit – he even knocks down a sweeping WR who is supposed to be one of Bradford’s shallow routes – but Bradford has just enough speed on his bootleg to barely escape. The LBs are on the shallow routes, and Hall has the TE at the back of the end zone, but when Bradford approaches the LOS Hall is forced to come off his man to make sure Bradford can’t just walk into the end zone. Bradford just throws over his head.

Josh.Brown extra point is GOOD, Center-C.Massey, Holder-D.Jones.


WAS 0 SL 14, 2 plays, 3 yards, 0:41 drive, 6:12 elapsed


Josh.Brown kicks 68 yards from SL 30 to WAS 2. D.Thomas to WAS 31 for 29 yards (L.Grant).


Washington Redskins at 8:48, (1st play from scrimmage 8:43)


1-10-WAS 31 (8:43) C.Portis left tackle to WAS 28 for -3 yards (J.Laurinaitis).

Both Heyer and Rabach get carried into the backfield.

2-13-WAS 28 (8:04) PENALTY on WAS-S.Heyer, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at WAS 28 - No Play.


2-18-WAS 23 (7:42) D.McNabb pass short right to M.Sellers to WAS 34 for 11 yards (D.Stewart).

Kory Lichtensteiger is not perfect but he is very, very good at recognizing and adjusting to stunts and blitzes. Here he gets stuck with two men to block – a DT and a blitzing MLB. He puts a hard hit on the DT to slow him down, then leaves him for Portis to clean up and slides out to block the LB.

3-7-WAS 34 (6:47) (Shotgun) PENALTY on WAS-A.Hicks, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at WAS 34 - No Play.


3-12-WAS 29 (6:23) D.McNabb pass short left to C.Cooley to WAS 34 for 5 yards (J.King).

Either Lichtensteiger is punishing me for praising him in that last comment, or his teammates actually screwed up and made him look bad. You can see Kory giving instructions to Heyer and Rabach before the snap. Heyer comes inside to block the DT while Kory slides outside in an attempt to pick up the RDE. Various things go wrong: Rabach fails to block the other DT, instead helping out Hicks with the LDE (he doesn’t need the help). And Cooley chips the RDE hard enough to effectively take him out of the play. So Kory finds himself with no one to block and a DT coming free up the middle. Keiland tries to pick him up but manages only a glancing blow, but McNabb steps up in the pocket and finds Cooley, who had released into the flat after his chip.

4-7-WAS 34 (5:54) G.Gano punt is BLOCKED by D.Curry, Center-N.Sundberg, recovered by WAS-K.Williams at WAS 26.

Keiland is responsible for the outside guy and just completely whiffs on his block. That much is clearly just a physical failure, but Doughty is at personal punt protector and fails to personally protect the punter – he seems not to even notice the rusher coming free to his right.

St. Louis Rams at 5:48


1-10-WAS 26 (5:48) S.Bradford pass deep right intended for D.Fells INTERCEPTED by K.Moore at WAS 10. K.Moore to WAS 15 for 5 yards (B.Gibson). Penalty on SL-A.Goldberg, Offensive Holding, declined.

Adam Carriker shows off his strength – he hits the RG in the shoulder pads and knocks him flat on his back and runs over him. By threatening Bradford’s feet Carriker prevents him from stepping into his throw, which sails high. Moore tips it in the air then has the wherewithal to gather it in.

Washington Redskins at 5:39


1-10-WAS 15 (5:39) D.McNabb pass short middle to F.Davis to WAS 20 for 5 yards (D.Vobora).

Rams blitz two LBs from the offensive left, and the line is occupied and unable to pick them up. Portis sees them coming and nails the inside guy, and the outside guys is slow enough getting to the backfield the McNabb has time to get the ball out.

2-5-WAS 20 (5:09) C.Portis left tackle to WAS 47 for 27 yards (O.Atogwe).

Hicks pulls to the left, and he and Sellers, along with Heyer, seal that side of the Rams defense and allow an easy cutback up the middle, where Jammal Brown buries another LB to spring the big run. As defenders close in downfield (we all know his breakaway speed is a distant memory) Portis commits his immediately controversial slide to the ground. I at first thought he slipped, and this was reinforced later when both DeAngelo Hall and LaRon Landry lost their footing on the turf and fell on their butts. I rejected arguments that Portis has apparently turned into a pansy who is afraid of contact (there is a surprising amount of this sentiment going around) on the grounds that anyone who owns a TV should know better, especially if they watched the very last play before this one. The truth turned out to be a middle ground, as it so often does: He was nursing a wrist injury and didn’t want to risk a fuimble, so he did voluntarily go down in anticipation of a hit on the arm that had the ball.

1-10-WAS 47 (4:31) C.Portis left guard to SL 46 for 7 yards (D.Vobora).

Heyer crashes in on the DT, and the RDE takes himself out of the play by initially dropping into pass coverage – he becomes an easy target for Sellers.

2-3-SL 46 (3:50) D.McNabb pass incomplete deep middle to J.Galloway [C.Long].

Play action bootleg (shocking, I know) but the LDE reads it and is unblocked, so McNabb throws off his back foot and it sails just a little too far.

3-3-SL 46 (3:41) D.McNabb pass incomplete short middle to S.Moss. Penalty on SL-C.Long, Defensive Offside, offsetting, enforced at SL 46 - No Play. Penalty on WAS-K.Williams, Offensive Holding, offsetting.


3-3-SL 46 (3:38) (Shotgun) D.McNabb pass incomplete short left to K.Williams (J.Laurinaitis).


4-3-SL 46 (3:32) G.Gano punts 31 yards to SL 15, Center-N.Sundberg, out of bounds.

Noticeable change is punt alignment – Doughty is now responsible for the outside man with Keiland in the middle.

St. Louis Rams at 3:24

1-10-SL 15 (3:24) S.Jackson right tackle to SL 21 for 6 yards (R.McIntosh, K.Moore).

LT stand up Daniels and the TE pins Alexander (at LOLB) to the inside, while the LG gets to the second level to take out Rocky and the pulling RG blocks Fletcher on the edge to give Jackson the cutback lane.

2-4-SL 21 (2:49) K.Toston right end to SL 23 for 2 yards (P.Daniels).

Great pursuit by Daniels to pull down the RB from behind. Maake gets blown off the line again.

3-2-SL 23 (2:00) (Shotgun) S.Bradford pass incomplete short right to B.Gibson (C.Rogers).


4-2-SL 23 (1:56) D.Jones punts 42 yards to WAS 35, Center-C.Massey. P.Buchanon to WAS 36 for 1 yard (D.Curry). SLD.Curry was injured during the play.


Washington Redskins at 1:48


1-10-WAS 36 (1:48) C.Portis left tackle to WAS 45 for 9 yards (O.Atogwe).

Nice counter action here – line blocks left and most of the defense is sealed there with particularly noticeable blocks by Cooley and Brown. Portis makes a solid cut back to the right, then another to take it upfield inside of Moss’ block on a backside DB.

2-1-WAS 45 (1:13) C.Portis right end to WAS 47 for 2 yards (J.Laurinaitis).


Timeout #1 by WAS at 00:26.


1-10-WAS 47 (:26) D.McNabb pass incomplete deep middle to F.Davis [C.Ah You]. PENALTY on SL-B.Fletcher, Defensive Pass Interference, 39 yards, enforced at WAS 47 - No Play.

Hicks manages to avoid getting suckered by the LDE’s stunt – he lets him go so he is in position to pick up the blitzing LB. The LDE takes awhile to get behind the DT and McNabb has time for the throw.

1-10-SL 14 (:19) D.McNabb pass incomplete short middle to R.Torain (G.Gibson).

The line handles the rush and the LBs are frozen by the play action, but the receivers are all blanketed so McNabb throws it into the dirt.

2-10-SL 14 (:14) C.Portis up the middle to SL 11 for 3 yards (C.Long).

Nice blocking by Hicks – he helps Rabach move the DT off the line then gets out to the MLB. But Sellers fails to block the LDE, who is able to pull down Portis from behind.