Redskins vs. Green Bay 1st quarter game review

FIRST QUARTER
G.Gano kicks 69 yards from WAS 30 to GB 1. P.Lee to GB 8 for 7 yards (F.Davis).

Excellent kick coverage by Chris Wilson.

Green Bay Packers at 15:00, (1st play from scrimmage 14:54)


1-10-GB 8 (14:54) A.Rodgers pass short right to G.Jennings to GB 16 for 8 yards (D.Hall).

An easy hook against Hall’s soft coverage.

2-2-GB 16 (14:18) A.Rodgers pass short left to D.Lee to GB 33 for 17 yards (L.Landry). FUMBLES (L.Landry), RECOVERED by WAS-K.Moore at GB 34. K.Moore to GB 21 for 13 yards (B.Bulaga). GB-J.Finley was injured during the play. His return is Questionable.

Orakpo overpursues and loses contain, allowing Rodgers plenty of time on the bootleg. The TE is wide open when he catches the pass but doesn’t see Landry coming and the ball is knocked out.

Washington Redskins at 14:04


1-10-GB 21 (14:04) R.Torain right end to GB 21 for no gain (C.Woodson).

Torain gets to the corner despite Jammal Brown being pushed into the backfield, but Galloway leaves the CB unblocked.

2-10-GB 21 (13:27) R.Torain up the middle to GB 22 for -1 yards (B.Raji). GB-R.Pickett was injured during the play. His return is Questionable.

Lichtensteiger and Cooley (at LTE) both pull right and Trent Williams blocks an ILB, so there is no one to cut off the backside pursuit.

3-11-GB 22 (12:46) (Shotgun) D.McNabb FUMBLES (Aborted) at GB 27, and recovers at GB 41. D.McNabb to GB 44 for -3 yards (C.Matthews).

The snap wasn’t all that high, and it didn’t even look like McNabb wasn’t expecting it, it just bounced off his hands.

4-33-GB 44 (12:23) H.Smith punts 34 yards to GB 10, Center-N.Sundberg, out of bounds.

4.4 seconds

Green Bay Packers at 12:17


1-10-GB 10 (12:17) (Shotgun) B.Jackson left guard pushed ob at WAS 19 for 71 yards (D.Hall; L.Landry).

Kedric Golston is moved off the line by a double team, and while Carriker and Orakpo nearly succeed in caving in the right side of the offensive line the RB slips through the tiniest of holes just before it squeezes shut. Three more failures turn this into a massive gain: Fletcher overpursues and gets caught on the wrong side of Golston’s double team, Hall quits on the play early (apparently assuming all that traffic at the line meant it was stuffed) and then is not in position to make a play after the RB pops through the line, and Kareem Moore is caught flat footed and makes an incredibly weak tackle attempt unworthy of a professional safety. Credit is also due to Greg Jennings for a very solid downfield block on Buchanon.

1-10-WAS 19 (11:45) (Shotgun) A.Rodgers pass short right to J.Jones to WAS 10 for 9 yards (D.Hall; L.Fletcher).


2-1-WAS 10 (11:07) J.Kuhn right tackle to WAS 5 for 5 yards (K.Golston).

The center gets under Maake, then both the LG and FB lead through the hole to create some yards. Golston almost rides his blocker down the LOS to fill the hole but is just a fraction of a second too late.

1-5-WAS 5 (10:27) (Shotgun) A.Rodgers pass short middle to J.Kuhn to WAS 1 for 4 yards (R.McIntosh). Shovel pass.

Orakpo rushes wide, which the Packer seem to have known was coming because they exploit him with a shovel pass. Carriker was in position to turn around and make the play but he is held from behind without a call.

2-1-WAS 1 (9:45) B.Jackson right end to WAS 5 for -4 yards (P.Daniels).

Packers try to cut all along the line, but Daniels maintains his footing and bursts into the backfield. And a good thing, too, because the RB had two blockers in front of him opening the way to the end zone.

3-5-WAS 5 (9:04) (Shotgun) A.Rodgers pass short middle to D.Lee for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Landry blitzes out of the 1-4-6 and the Packers throw a hook right in the middle of the zone he just vacated. It appears to be Rocky McIntosh who is too slow compensating in coverage, although he was partly impeded by the ref.

M.Crosby extra point is GOOD, Center-B.Goode, Holder-T.Masthay.


GB 7 WAS 0, 6 plays, 90 yards, 3:18 drive, 6:01 elapsed


M.Crosby kicks 69 yards from GB 30 to WAS 1. C.Simpson to WAS 28 for 27 yards (B.Underwood; D.Martin).


Washington Redskins at 8:59, (1st play from scrimmage 8:50)


1-10-WAS 28 (8:50) D.McNabb pass incomplete deep left to A.Armstrong.

Off of play action Torain puts a key block on a blitzing safety, which allows McNabb to escape into his bootleg in the opposite direction.

2-10-WAS 28 (8:44) D.McNabb pass short middle to R.Torain to WAS 39 for 11 yards (A.Hawk; N.Collins).

This is not the prettiest screen ever, but I guess it gets the job done. Hicks attempts to cut the ILB downfield but fails and the guy maintains his footing. He should have been able to make the play after Torain had to cut upfield inside of Rabach’s block on a corner, but Torain runs through the high tackle and despite a second LB trying to yank him down does a remarkable job of pushing and twisting his way through 5 yards of contact for the first down.

1-10-WAS 39 (8:01) R.Torain right end to WAS 47 for 8 yards (C.Peprah; D.Bishop).

Torain continues to pick up yards despite mediocre blocking: Williams lets a DE get inside him and burst into the backfield, but Torain is quick enough to the hole to escape.

2-2-WAS 47 (7:22) R.Torain left end to WAS 46 for -1 yards (D.Bishop; B.Jones).

Trent Williams continues to have problems. This time on a stretch to the left he loses his footing and goes to the ground, allowing the RDE into the backfield to stop the play.

3-3-WAS 46 (6:39) D.McNabb pass incomplete short middle to C.Cooley.

Just one of those random McNabb misses of an open receiver.

4-3-WAS 46 (6:33) H.Smith punts 41 yards to GB 13, Center-N.Sundberg, fair catch by T.Williams.

4.4 seconds

Green Bay Packers at 6:27


1-10-GB 13 (6:27) (Shotgun) A.Rodgers pass short right to A.Quarless pushed ob at GB 26 for 13 yards (L.Landry).

The TE is open in the flat but Rocky has blitzed and although he is engaged by the linebacker he is far enough into the backfield to interfere to interfere with Rogers’ throwing motion. This forces Rogers to slip outside, and he gets the ball to the TE who has started to turn his route upfield (fooling Landry) before hooking back as soon as he gets to the sticks.

1-10-GB 26 (5:53) (Shotgun) A.Rodgers pass short right to J.Jones to GB 36 for 10 yards (D.Hall, R.McIntosh).


1-10-GB 36 (5:12) (Shotgun) A.Rodgers pass incomplete short right to J.Kuhn.


2-10-GB 36 (5:07) (Shotgun) A.Rodgers pass incomplete short middle to D.Driver (C.Rogers).


3-10-GB 36 (5:00) (Shotgun) A.Rodgers pass incomplete short right to G.Jennings.

Orakpo and Carter each beat their respective OTs out of a 3 man front. He throws across his body to Jennings who has gotten open on a cross against man coverage from Lorenzo Alexander, but he hangs him up and Fletcher decks him.

4-10-GB 36 (4:54) T.Masthay punts 50 yards to WAS 14, Center-B.Goode, fair catch by B.Banks. PENALTY on GB-D.Martin, Chop Block, 15 yards, enforced at WAS 14.


Washington Redskins at 4:45


1-10-WAS 29 (4:45) D.McNabb pass short right to C.Cooley to WAS 34 for 5 yards (C.Peprah). PENALTY on GB-B.Underwood, Illegal Contact, 5 yards, enforced at WAS 29 - No Play.


1-10-WAS 34 (4:21) R.Torain right end to WAS 35 for 1 yard (D.Bishop).

Cooley chips the LOLB and seems to think he can shed off him and get to the second level, but Jammal Brown isn’t available because he’s trying to pick up an ILB. He fails to do that though, so the end result is both LBs are in the backfield and Torain was lucky to slip through for one yard.

2-9-WAS 35 (3:45) D.McNabb pass incomplete short left to C.Cooley.

Lichtensteiger is left standing and flailing in the air as the RDE beats him to the inside and has an easy shot on McNabb, but McNabb steps aside and slips him and escapes to the outside before throwing low to Cooley for what should have been a first down, but Cooley drops it.

3-9-WAS 35 (3:38) D.McNabb pass short right to S.Moss to WAS 41 for 6 yards (C.Peprah).

The Packers are in a 2-DL nickel. The DE in the left A gap moves across Rabach’s face and attacks his right shoulder, thus drawing him aside for an ILB to blitz but Lichtensteiger easily picks him up. There is no one left to account for the second ILB who tries to come through the same gap, but the blitz takes so long to develop that McNabb has plenty of time to hit Santana on a shallow cross. A very good tackle from behind prevents Santana from turning it upfield for a first down.

4-3-WAS 41 (3:06) H.Smith punts 52 yards to GB 7, Center-N.Sundberg. T.Williams to GB 14 for 7 yards (M.Sellers).

4.7 seconds

Green Bay Packers at 2:53

1-10-GB 14 (2:53) B.Jackson left tackle to GB 21 for 7 yards (L.Fletcher).

The center takes Maake off the line and the FB meets Rocky and pushes him out of the hole, then a TE/H-back or whatever who lined up behind the RG and pulled left is able to get a hat on Fletcher to create a significant gain.

2-3-GB 21 (2:13) A.Rodgers pass short right to J.Nelson pushed ob at GB 30 for 9 yards (L.Landry).

A bubble screen to the slot receiver. Alexander is lined up over him but doesn’t quite have the speed to get to the sideline, so the WR steps over his diving tackle and then runs inside a block on DeAngelo Hall to make the first down.

1-10-GB 30 (1:39) (Shotgun) A.Rodgers pass short middle to D.Driver to GB 44 for 14 yards (R.Doughty; K.Moore).


1-10-GB 44 (:59) (Shotgun) PENALTY on GB-B.Bulaga, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at GB 44 - No Play.


1-15-GB 39 (:36) (Shotgun) A.Rodgers pass deep left to J.Jones pushed ob at WAS 26 for 35 yards (L.Landry).

Packers line up 5 wide with trips to the left. Unfortunately we don’t get a great view of the coverage, but it would appear the Redskins are playing a Tampa 2 complete with Fletcher streaking downfield to guard the deep seam. Landry has to stay home for a bit to prevent Fletcher from being matched up on a slot receiver on a go route (again, inferring a bit here in the absence of a convenient camera angle), so once Buchanon releases the WR the is a big window for Rodgers to throw into. For a good read on how trips formations can be used to stretch out and exploit Cover-2, see this recent Smart Football post.

1-10-WAS 26 (:05) A.Rodgers pass short middle to B.Jackson to WAS 20 for 6 yards (R.Doughty).