Redskins vs. Texans 2nd quarter review

SECOND QUARTER

Houston Texans continued.
2-5-WAS 5 (15:00) M.Schaub pass short left to J.Jones for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Someone blows an assignment. Orakpo is clearly manned up on the TE, but he stays into block. When Jones, from the slot, goes on a simple out Landry apparently thinks Orakpo has him and lets Jones get wide open.

N.Rackers extra point is GOOD, Center-J.Weeks, Holder-M.Turk.


HST 7 WAS 6, 11 plays, 77 yards, 5:52 drive, 0:04 elapsed


N.Rackers kicks 68 yards from HST 30 to WAS 2. D.Thomas to WAS 27 for 25 yards (J.Nading).


Washington Redskins at 14:56, (1st play from scrimmage 14:50)

1-10-WAS 27 (14:50) D.McNabb pass deep middle to J.Galloway to HST 11 for 62 yards (K.Jackson).

Fake end-around to Moss, while Cooley does a good job of controlling Mario Williams to give McNabb time. Galloway has the DB beat by two steps and probably could have scored but the throw was just a little short and Galloway had to slow up for it.

1-10-HST 11 (14:01) D.McNabb pass incomplete short right to M.Sellers.

Stephon Heyer, in at RT, makes no attempt to block the LDE for reasons that are more or less mysterious, and Sellers is releasing directly into the flat. That leaves Portis as the only man to block the LDE, but he attempts to cut him rather than his usual shoulder-high lunge, and just misses (we’ll file this one under “Nobody’s Perfect”). McNabb is flushed out of the pocket by that end and a DT who got past Dockery, then throws behind Sellers.

2-10-HST 11 (13:55) D.McNabb pass short left to S.Moss to HST 1 for 10 yards (K.Jackson).

An OLB blitzes and his picked up by Portis, who redeems himself with a solid pass block. Mario Williams beats Trent Williams to the inside, but McNabb is able to see it coming and throw a bit high of his back foot just short of the goal line. Without the pressure he may have been able to lead Moss toward the sideline for a touchdown, but he was forced to throw a bit behind him.

1-1-HST 1 (13:13) K.Lichtensteiger reported in as eligible. M.Sellers up the middle to HST 1 for no gain (M.Williams; D.Ryans).

We have many years of evidence that Sellers is not an effective short yardage runner, so I don’t understand this play call. The line is crashing to the right, so a DT is able to get on Dockery’s left hip and drive him back. This forces Sellers to leap to early.

2-1-HST 1 (12:33) C.Portis right end for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.

Nicely blocked. Double TE right. Cooley kicks out the OLB, Davis drives the LDE off the line, Williams gets to the second level and takes out the Mike, and a leading Sellers blocks a DT who had beaten Hicks. Portis walks in.

G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-N.Sundberg, Holder-J.Bidwell.

High snap, but Bidwell gets it down.

HST 7 WAS 13, 5 plays, 73 yards, 2:27 drive, 2:31 elapsed


G.Gano kicks 68 yards from WAS 30 to HST 2. S.Slaton to HST 21 for 19 yards (M.Sellers, C.Wilson). PENALTY on WAS-M.Sellers, Low Block, 15 yards, enforced at HST 21.

Now hold up a second… Sellers is penalized for a “low block into the wedge.” This is partly confusing because wedges supposedly no longer exist (ha!) and also because the only time he goes at someone’s legs is when he’s tackling the returner, which I’m pretty sure is allowed.

Houston Texans at 12:29, (1st play from scrimmage 12:24)


1-10-HST 36 (12:24) M.Schaub sacked at HST 32 for -4 yards (sack split by V.Holliday and A.Carriker).

Holy crap – the thing where Haslett has the ILBs cross on an inside blitz actually works. Owen Daniels is split out wide but motions in to a traditional TE spot. The RT thinks the protection is sliding and he picks up Rocky. But Daniels doesn’t realize he is supposed to then block Carricker (presumably) and instead stay focused on Lorenzo Alexander, who does not rush. Carriicker comes untouched and forces Schaub to step up in the pocket, where he barely evades Anthony Bryant and then is finally done in by RDE Vonnie Holliday.

2-14-HST 32 (11:52) (Shotgun) M.Schaub pass short right to A.Johnson to HST 40 for 8 yards (R.Doughty; D.Hall).

Again the ILB blitz creates a little pressure. Fletcher is first to the line and attacks the RG, while Carter threatens the RT to the outside. The RG realizes what is happening and passes Fletcher off to the C, but Rocky is already in the gap and forces past his outside shoulder. Schaub is still able to hit Andre Johnson on a shallow cross, and although Doughty is on him Johnson just has too much speed and is able to turn upfield for a respectable gain.

3-6-HST 40 (11:09) (Shotgun) M.Schaub pass incomplete short right to A.Johnson.

It’s that 1-5-5 again, but Vonnie Holliday is standing up too so call it what you will. Andre Carter is lined up over the RG and about two yards off, then beats him with speed and runs past a weak block by the RB to pressure Schaub and force a throw-away.

4-6-HST 40 (10:59) M.Turk punts 44 yards to WAS 16, Center-J.Weeks, fair catch by P.Buchanon.


Washington Redskins at 10:51


1-10-WAS 16 (10:51) D.McNabb pass short right to S.Moss to WAS 22 for 6 yards (G.Quin).

Hicks and Brown both collapse on the right side of the line – fortunately McNabb sees this coming and knows he has to hit the quick release to Moss on a comeback against soft coverage.

2-4-WAS 22 (10:08) D.McNabb pass short left to S.Moss ran ob at WAS 31 for 9 yards.

Galloway and Moss twins left for another screen with Galloway as primary blocker. Galloway focuses on blocking the DB lined up over him, who is playing way off so Galloway basically takes himself out of the play. Moss really could have used a blocker on the ILB who eventually got him, although he had the speed to make it to the first down marker. Did Galloway block the wrong guy, or was the play designed on the assumption that Moss could outrun that unblocked LB (which would have been correct)?

1-10-WAS 31 (9:43) C.Portis left guard to WAS 37 for 6 yards (B.Pollard).

God zone blocking is pretty when it’s done right. Williams and Lichtensteiger block the RDT while Rabach and Hicks take the LDT, then Hicks and Lichtensteiger shed off and take out a LB and a box safety respectively, while Cooley lets Portis get to the huge hole unmolested by successfully keeping Mario Williams (RDE) to the outside. This last part is not to pick on Portis it’s just a fact: a younger back with a little more burst through the (large) hole may have outrun the safety that got him and made a first down.

2-4-WAS 37 (9:08) C.Portis left tackle to WAS 39 for 2 yards (D.Ryans).


3-2-WAS 39 (8:30) D.McNabb pass incomplete short left to J.Galloway (K.Jackson).

The DB had good inside positioning on Galloway on this slant, so probably a bad decision by McNabb to make the throw (it’s almost intercepted). But he has to think fast due to pressure – an ILB blitz draws Brown to the outside, but Hicks fails to adjust his protection and lets the LDE come untouched.

4-2-WAS 39 (8:26) J.Bidwell punts 51 yards to HST 10, Center-N.Sundberg. J.Jones to HST 20 for 10 yards (L.Alexander).

Long punt but a bit of a line drive – 3.4 second hang time. The coverage teams are still distant when the PR catches it, but Lorenzo Alexander closes nicely and makes the play to prevent a bigger return.

Houston Texans at 8:15


1-10-HST 20 (8:15) A.Foster left end to HST 30 for 10 yards (L.Landry; C.Rogers).

Looks like Orakpo loses gap discipline as he gets too far upfield and lets Foster cut inside him, and the LT manages to seal Rocky inside while the slot receiver puts a good block on Doughty. Landry has a chance at him after 8 yards, but Foster runs through him for the first down.

1-10-HST 30 (7:40) A.Foster right tackle to HST 37 for 7 yards (R.Doughty).

I want to be clear about this – Arian Foster is not just some guy who is hyped by fantasy football websites. He is going to be really, really good. A solid attack by Fletcher and Landry neutralizes the leading FB, but Foster makes a hard cut back through the tiniest of holes to burst through the middle.

2-3-HST 37 (7:01) S.Slaton left end to HST 44 for 7 yards (R.McIntosh, R.Doughty).

Maake Kemoeatu and Kedric Golston both 4 yards off the line.

1-10-HST 44 (6:25) S.Slaton up the middle to HST 46 for 2 yards (L.Landry, K.Golston).


2-8-HST 46 (5:44) M.Schaub pass short left to A.Johnson to WAS 39 for 15 yards (C.Rogers).

A miscommunication within the secondary. Andre Johnson is the only receiver to the offensive left, then when a TE motions to that side Rogers shifts his coverage to him but no one adjusts to cover Johnson.

1-10-WAS 39 (5:01) M.Schaub pass short right to O.Daniels to WAS 24 for 15 yards (L.Landry).

The entire Redskin defense bites on the play action to the offensive left, and then the FB takes down Carricker with a vicious cut block so Schaub has plenty of time in his subsequent bootleg.

1-10-WAS 24 (4:19) A.Foster right tackle to WAS 26 for -2 yards (A.Carriker, A.Carter).

I’m starting to like Carricker – he fights past the blows past the block of the pulling LG to stuff the play.

2-12-WAS 26 (3:41) M.Schaub pass short left to J.Jones to WAS 23 for 3 yards (C.Rogers).


Timeout #1 by HST at 02:58.


3-9-WAS 23 (2:58) (Shotgun) M.Schaub sacked at WAS 29 for -6 yards (L.Alexander).

Not sure if this means anything, but while all previous 1-5-5 alignments have had Holliday as the sole lineman, this time it is Lorenzo Alexander with his hand in the dirt with five other LBs standing up. Orakpo and Chris Wilson threaten the edges, and a blitzing Landry uses a spin move to get past the RG an nearly sack Schaub. When Schaub barely escapes and steps up he runs smack into Alexander.

4-15-WAS 29 (2:25) N.Rackers 47 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-J.Weeks, Holder-M.Turk.


Washington Redskins at 2:19


1-10-WAS 37 (2:19) D.McNabb pass incomplete deep left to M.Sellers.

McNabb first fakes the handoff to Portis, then the end-around to Moss. Williams is set up by an outside move by the RDE, then badly beaten to the inside, but McNabb steps up and sees Sellers running free downfield on a wheel route. The pass is overthrown by about 6 inches and bounces off Sellers’ fingertips.

2-10-WAS 37 (2:13) D.McNabb pass deep left to F.Davis pushed ob at HST 1 for 62 yards (K.Jackson). Penalty on HST-K.Jackson, Defensive Holding, declined.

Cooley and Davis are twins TEs right. Davis initially blocks a DE, then drifts behind the LOS until everyone loses track of him, and then bursts downfield wide open. Portis is downfield on a wheel route but maybe 4 yards behind Davis, but when he sees what is happening he sprints ahead (Davis had to slow a bit for a pass slightly behind him) and takes out a DB that is directly in Davis’ path, allowing the gain to go to the 1 instead of the 15. The reason this happens is that Clinton Portis is one hell of a ballplayer.

Two-Minute Warning


1-1-HST 1 (2:00) C.Portis right tackle to HST 1 for no gain (D.Ryans).

Fred Davis and Jammal Brown do a good job of kicking out the offensive right side of the defense, but the middle of the Texans line goes low and takes down Hicks, Dockery, and Williams (Rabach goes straight to the second level and blocks no one). This means Sellers has bodies around his feet when he reaches the LOS, and we all know that Sellers is really bad with bodies around his feet so he just gets tripped up. Portis goes airborne over Sellers from the 3, which is just too far out. He comes down headfirst into a LB (it’s pretty scary really) that Rabach failed to block and is stopped short of the goalline.

2-1-HST 1 (1:24) C.Portis left tackle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.

An OLB has an angle and fills the hole, but Portis lowers his head and powers right through him for the touchdown.

G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-N.Sundberg, Holder-J.Bidwell.


HST 7 WAS 20, 4 plays, 63 yards, 0:59 drive, 13:40 elapsed


G.Gano kicks 76 yards from WAS 30 to HST -6. S.Slaton MUFFS catch, and recovers at HST -9., Touchback.


Houston Texans at 1:20


1-10-HST 20 (1:20) (Shotgun) M.Schaub pass short middle to A.Foster to HST 34 for 14 yards (R.McIntosh, D.Hall).

The TE draws Rocky out of the middle zone. DeAngelo Hall quickly passes off his WR but is slow to pick up the RB on the short comeback route.

1-10-HST 34 (:59) (No Huddle, Shotgun) M.Schaub pass incomplete deep left to J.Jones.

1-5-5. Andre Carter beats the LG to the inside, partly because the LG is forced to account for a blitz by Rogers. Carter’s pressure forces Schaub to throw high.


2-10-HST 34 (:54) (Shotgun) M.Schaub pass short middle to A.Johnson to HST 45 for 11 yards (C.Rogers, D.Hall).

Everyone standing again, including Holliday. Carter and Alexander both rush to the outside and draw the LT and LG, opening up a lane for Orakpo to come free through the A gap – but Schaub is able to hit Johnson on a quick slant, and once again Johnson’s mix of speed and strength allows him to turn a quick slant upfield for a sizeable gain.

Timeout #2 by HST at 00:46.


1-10-HST 45 (:46) (Shotgun) M.Schaub pass short left to K.Walter to HST 49 for 4 yards (P.Buchanon).


2-6-HST 49 (:30) (No Huddle, Shotgun) M.Schaub sacked at HST 41 for -8 yards (L.Landry).

It is obvious to everyone that Landry is blitzing, but he slips past the RT to make the sack.

Timeout #3 by HST at 00:09.


3-14-HST 41 (:09) (Shotgun) M.Schaub pass short middle to J.Jones to WAS 39 for 20 yards (L.Landry).