Redskins vs. Colts 3rd quarter review

First quarter review
Second quarter review

THIRD QUARTER

P.McAfee kicks 67 yards from IND 30 to WAS 3. B.Banks to WAS 25 for 22 yards (J.James, K.Dawson).

Washington Redskins at 15:00, (1st play from scrimmage 14:54)

1-10-WAS 25 (14:54) R.Torain left tackle to WAS 35 for 10 yards (C.Session, P.Angerer). PENALTY on WAS-T.Williams, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at WAS 29.

Davis does a good job kicking the OLB to the outside and Cooley, who initially motioned to the playside, turn, reverses again and cuts off the backside purtsuit. Williams gets a solid second level block on the MLB, but although his hands are inside he hooks the jersey sleeve a bit too noticeably and gets called for the hold.

1-16-WAS 19 (14:34) D.McNabb pass incomplete short right to C.Cooley (P.Angerer) [A.Johnson].

The DTs stunt and Rabach and Lichtensteiger initially adjust just fine, but despite good positioning Lichtensteiger is knocked aside and McNabb takes a helmet to his chest as he throws. Cooley has the MLB by a step on an out. The ball is just a little bit in front of him but probably should have been caught.

2-16-WAS 19 (14:28) D.McNabb pass short middle to F.Davis to WAS 31 for 12 yards (P.Angerer; J.Powers).

Williams gets caught on the balls of his feet and Freeney gets under him and drives him back, but he holds up long enough for McNabb to get the ball out.

3-4-WAS 31 (13:50) D.McNabb pass short middle to K.Williams to WAS 34 for 3 yards (J.Powers) [D.Freeney]. Penalty on WAS-F.Davis, Illegal Block Above the Waist, declined.

Colts only rush three, with a DT dropping into the middle zone to take away Davis’s short route. Mathis gets underneath Jammal Brown and drives through him, while Freeney sets Williams up for a speed rush but then drives right through his outside shoulder. They meet at McNabb, who is just able to dump it off to Keiland.

4-1-WAS 34 (13:37) H.Smith punts 50 yards to IND 16, Center-N.Sundberg, fair catch by K.Moore.

4.7 seconds

Indianapolis Colts at 13:30


1-10-IND 16 (13:30) (Shotgun) J.Addai right end to IND 21 for 5 yards (L.Fletcher, K.Moore).

Lorenzo Alender are both standing and walking around and two yards off the LOS at the snap – and they are the only defenders covering the right side of the offensive line - so unsurprisingly the Colts linemen have no trouble forming a seal against them.

2-5-IND 21 (13:04) (No Huddle, Shotgun) P.Manning sacked at IND 15 for -6 yards (B.Orakpo). FUMBLES (B.Orakpo), RECOVERED by WAS-A.Carter at IND 13. A.Carter to IND 13 for no gain (R.Diem).

Orakpo powers through the outside shoulder of the RT. Despite being driven out of position to make a sack, he reaches his arm out and just barely tips the ball out of Manning's hand as he rears to throw. Meanwhile Vonnie Holliday, as the 1 down lineman, beats the DT and is airborne and closing in on Manning’s back. If Orakpo hadn’t knocked the ball out Holliday would have wrecked Manning before he could throw, but it may have gone down as an incomplete pass instead of a fumble.

Washington Redskins at 12:49


1-10-IND 13 (12:49) D.McNabb pass short middle to C.Cooley to IND 5 for 8 yards (D.Muir).

The play action goes to the left, so Cooley comes to the (fake) backside and cuts Mathis to spring McNabb into his bootleg to the right. McNabb still has two LBs in pursuit so Cooley gets back to his feet and gives him an outlet.

2-2-IND 5 (12:07) D.McNabb pass incomplete short right to A.Armstrong.


3-2-IND 5 (12:00) D.McNabb pass short middle to C.Cooley to IND 1 for 4 yards (P.Angerer, A.Bethea).

Redskins start out with an empty backfield with all receivers in tight. Banks motions back to tailback for a fake toss to the left. The MLB initially bites, which opens up Cooley short on the right. It didn’t fool enough of the defense to create room for him to run it into the end zone though.

1-1-IND 1 (11:23) K.Lichtensteiger reported in as eligible. R.Torain left end for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.

In the goal line package Will Montgomery comes in at LG and Lichtensteiger moves out to be the eligble tight end. Montgomery is absolutely blown away, but a leading Sellers manages to take down a safety coming off the edge and Torain runs through the tackle of a LB. Lichtensteiger does a good job getting to the second level and taking both other LBs out of the play.

G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-N.Sundberg, Holder-H.Smith.


IND 17 WAS 14, 4 plays, 13 yards, 1:31 drive, 3:42 elapsed


G.Gano kicks 63 yards from WAS 30 to IND 7. K.Moore to IND 34 for 27 yards (R.Williams).


Indianapolis Colts at 11:18, (1st play from scrimmage 11:11)


1-10-IND 34 (11:11) J.Addai left tackle to WAS 20 for 46 yards (P.Buchanon, R.Doughty).

Stretch to the left. The C squares up Fletcher and drives him back about 7 yards, the RT cuts Doughty, and the slot WR puts a good block on Rogers.

1-10-WAS 20 (10:38) (No Huddle) P.Manning pass short left to R.Wayne to WAS 17 for 3 yards (P.Buchanon, R.Doughty).


2-7-WAS 17 (10:11) (No Huddle) J.Addai right end to WAS 13 for 4 yards (J.Jarmon).

Colts continue to run right at the huge gaps that Haslett’s defense leaves open. Lorenzo Alexander is standing at the line of scrimmage and is subjected to a triple team of the C, RG, and RT while the TE kicks out Orakpo. The have little trouble with him of course, and after taking him out of the play two of them are able to shed off and pancake Doughty. Meanwhile the LG gets a clean release to the second level and reaches Fletcher. The day is saved (for the moment) when Jarmon scrapes down the line and despite a cut block by the RT reaches out and trips up Addai before he can make a big gain.

3-3-WAS 13 (9:27) (No Huddle) J.Addai up the middle for 13 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Someone please inform Mr. Haslett that there is a reason defenses have utilized the three-point stance for so many decades. It is a good way to avoid allowing a mediocre running back like Joseph Addai to average 7.5 yards per carry. Jarmon and Alexander are both blown off the line by O-linemen who easily gain leverage on them. I don’t blame them for this because they were put in a position to fail. Jarmon is driven so far back by his double team that he cuts off Doughty’s angle, then near the end zone Landry tries to make a hit instead of a tackle. Addai runs through the low hit, then Kareem Moore simply bounces off of him.

A.Vinatieri extra point is GOOD, Center-J.Snow, Holder-P.McAfee.


IND 24 WAS 14, 4 plays, 66 yards, 1:57 drive, 5:39 elapsed


P.McAfee kicks 75 yards from IND 30 to WAS -5. B.Banks to WAS 14 for 19 yards (C.Glenn).

What I like about Banks is that despite his elusiveness he keeps driving upfield and doesn’t waste time dancing around or running sideways. Except this time. When his legs get wrapped up he steps out of it but gets spun around and makes the cardinal sin of running backwards for 5 yards, then to irritate me more he drops the ball as he goes to the ground. I really want to like Brandon Banks, but he still scares the hell out of me.

Washington Redskins at 9:21, (1st play from scrimmage 9:17)


1-10-WAS 14 (9:17) R.Torain left end pushed ob at WAS 16 for 2 yards (J.Powers).

Sellers fails to sustain his lead block against the OLB so Torain is forced wide and a safety is able to chase him down.

2-8-WAS 16 (8:52) D.McNabb pass short middle to M.Sellers to WAS 28 for 12 yards (A.Francisco).

Trent Williams gets beat. Bad. Freeny bull rushes him, drives him back, then shoves him to the side. McNabb somehow manages to twist out of Freeney’s grasp and manages to fire it over the middle to Sellers. He is immediately engaged by the MLB but shakes him off, and when he turns upfield a safety tries to take him high, which happens to be a really dumb idea against Mike Sellers. The safety bounces off him and Sellers gets the first down.

1-10-WAS 28 (7:55) D.McNabb pass short middle to M.Sellers to WAS 33 for 5 yards (P.Wheeler, P.Angerer).

Sellers takes a pass in the flat and a LB closes, goes low, and takes out his legs, which everyone knows is really easy to do. Afterwards he probably walked over to the safety from the last play said “See, that’s how a smart person tackles Mike Sellers.”

2-5-WAS 33 (7:12) R.Torain left end pushed ob at WAS 32 for -1 yards (J.Powers; K.Dawson).

Believe it or not it took a good run by Torain to make this a loss of 1 instead of 5. A DT runs right through Rabach’s left shoulder and wraps Torain up, but he spins out of the tackle in what is quickly becoming his signature move and makes it most of the way back to the line of scrimmage before the rest of the defense closes.

3-6-WAS 32 (6:27) D.McNabb pass incomplete short middle to C.Cooley.


4-6-WAS 32 (6:21) H.Smith punts 46 yards to IND 22, Center-N.Sundberg. K.Moore to IND 38 for 16 yards (L.Alexander).FUMBLES (L.Alexander), RECOVERED by WAS-B.Westbrook at IND 39. B.Westbrook to IND 39 for no gain (C.Glenn).

4.0 seconds – a total line drive.

Washington Redskins at 6:06


1-10-IND 39 (6:06) R.Torain left end pushed ob at IND 14 for 25 yards (J.Powers).

Freeney occupies himself with a spin move which lets Williams easily seal him inside, then Cooley and Galloway mount effective blocks to open up a nice lane – then Torain puts on a great burst to simply run through the next wave of defenders before they can close.

1-10-IND 14 (5:41) R.Torain right tackle to IND 8 for 6 yards (A.Bethea; A.Francisco).

Torain may have had a touchdown if he had cut back a little harder. This was a counter play and the line had created an absolute wall to the offensive right. He tried to take it up the middle of the field instead of more back to the left. Armstrong was in position to seal off the DB that eventually took Torain down, if only he’d run to the correct side of that block. After that there would be only one DB in his way, and we have seen evidence that one DB would not have an easy time stopping Torain.

2-4-IND 8 (5:06) R.Torain left end to IND 10 for -2 yards (J.Powers).


3-6-IND 10 (4:26) (Shotgun) D.McNabb sacked at IND 21 for -11 yards (R.Mathis).

The DTs take a wide split, but two LBs crowd the A gaps to either side of Rabach. Both blitz and it appears no adjustment is made to the protection. Each guard is occupied with one of the DTs so Rabach picks a LB and blocks him, and the other gets a clean shot at McNabb. The sack is only credited to Mathis for falling on McNabb after he goes to the ground trying to avoid the unblocked LB.

4-17-IND 21 (3:58) G.Gano 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-N.Sundberg, Holder-H.Smith.


IND 24 WAS 17, 5 plays, 18 yards, 2:13 drive, 11:07 elapsed


G.Gano kicks 65 yards from WAS 30 to IND 5. J.Tryon to IND 25 for 20 yards (C.Horton; A.Armstrong).


Indianapolis Colts at 3:53, (1st play from scrimmage 3:45)


1-10-IND 25 (3:45) P.Manning pass short left to A.Collie to IND 30 for 5 yards (C.Rogers, P.Buchanon).


2-5-IND 30 (3:02) (No Huddle, Shotgun) P.Manning pass short middle to A.Collie to IND 39 for 9 yards (L.Fletcher, R.Doughty).

Well executed screen for the first down.

1-10-IND 39 (2:43) (No Huddle) M.Hart right end to IND 43 for 4 yards (A.Carter).

Alexander fights through the RG on the stretch play and forces the RB back inside.

2-6-IND 43 (2:09) (No Huddle, Shotgun) P.Manning pass short left to R.Wayne to WAS 48 for 9 yards (R.Doughty) [B.Orakpo].


1-10-WAS 48 (1:34) (No Huddle, Shotgun) J.Addai right tackle to WAS 48 for no gain (V.Holliday).

Holliday tosses the center aside and stuffs the play.

2-10-WAS 48 (:53) (No Huddle, Shotgun) PENALTY on IND-P.Garcon, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at WAS 48 - No Play.


2-15-IND 47 (:31) (No Huddle, Shotgun) P.Manning pass deep middle to R.Wayne to WAS 34 for 19 yards (C.Rogers).


1-10-WAS 34 (:06) (No Huddle) J.Addai right end to WAS 28 for 6 yards (L.Landry).

Another stretch play. Orakpo and Rogers collapse the edge but the RB cuts inside and takes advantage of solid second level blocks against Fletcher and Doughty. You know who’s good at preventing offensive linemen from getting free shots at your linebackers and safeties? DEFENSIVE LINEMEN.