Redskins @ Dallas, 2nd quarter review

1st quarter review

SECOND QUARTER

3-13-WAS 23 (15:00) (Shotgun) J.Kitna pass short middle to T.Choice to WAS 10 for 13 yards (C.Wilson). Pass complete after Choice circles out of the backfield.

1-10-WAS 10 (14:19) T.Choice up the middle to WAS 4 for 6 yards (K.Barnes, R.McIntosh).

Fletcher is unable to shed the block of the FB.

2-4-WAS 4 (13:45) T.Choice up the middle to WAS 2 for 2 yards (A.Carriker; A.Bryant).

Both the C and RG put solid chips on Bryant, but then both shed off and go to the second level. So Bryant is able to recover, and the FB is forced to pick up Fletcher in the gap so Bryant can take down the RB.

3-2-WAS 2 (13:01) (Shotgun) J.Kitna pass incomplete short left to S.Hurd. Pass incomplete left corner back end zone; Buchanon closest defender.

The slot guy breaks to the flat while the outside WR fakes to the inside then runs to the corner. The route combo is designed to force Buchanon into a pick on Rogers, but each stays with their receiver well and Kitna is forced to throw high.

4-2-WAS 2 (12:55) (Field Goal formation) D.Buehler 20 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-L.Ladouceur, Holder-M.McBriar.

WAS 0 DAL 13, 9 plays, 33 yards, 1 penalty, 4:27 drive, 2:10 elapsed

D.Buehler kicks 68 yards from DAL 30 to WAS 2. B.Banks to WAS 22 for 20 yards (S.Hurd). DAL-S.Lee was injured during the play. He is Out. Doughty of Washington has a head injury; return doubtful.

It’s Barnes who blows his block and allows Banks to be ripped down from behind.

Washington Redskins at 12:50, (1st play from scrimmage 12:44)

1-10-WAS 22 (12:44) S.Moss right end pushed ob at WAS 29 for 7 yards (D.Ware).

End around. Brown and Montgomery go straight to the ILBs. Cooley starts lined up to the left but sweeps across the back of the formation. DeMarcus Ware, at LOLB, takes a brief step inside but then reads the end around and pursues, but he is walled off by Cooley even though Cooley is more or less ignoring him and trying to find a block downfield.

2-3-WAS 29 (12:19) R.Grossman pass incomplete short middle (A.Spencer). Pass knocked down at the line of scrimmage.


Trent fans out wide, then is beat badly by an inside move.

3-3-WAS 29 (12:14) (Shotgun) R.Grossman pass deep middle to A.Armstrong to WAS 48 for 19 yards (O.Scandrick). Pass complete on "post" pattern.

Trent keeps Ware (lined up at RDE) in front of him but gives up too much ground, as is his habit, but Rex makes a perfect throw despite not being able to step into it.

1-10-WAS 48 (11:36) R.Grossman pass deep right to M.Sellers pushed ob at DAL 25 for 27 yards (G.Sensabaugh). Pass complete on "wheel" route.

Lichtensteiger loses to the RDE, who flushes Grossman out of the pocket. Sellers initially looks for the pass in the flat, but Grossman’s angle is cut off so Sellers turns upfield and Grossman, on the move, drops it into his hands perfectly.

1-10-DAL 25 (11:09) R.Torain left tackle to DAL 22 for 3 yards (J. Brent).

Torain trips over one of the lineman’s legs while running through the gap, though Sellers couldn’t land his block on the ROLB so he wouldn’t have gotten much farther anyway.

2-7-DAL 22 (10:35) S.Moss left end to DAL 30 for -8 yards (B.Williams). PENALTY on DAL-T.Newman, Unnecessary Roughness, 15 yards, enforced at DAL 30.

The ROLB reads this end around immediately and wraps up Moss before he can even turn upfield. Fortunately, the CB comes in after Moss is going to the ground and, just to be sure a penalty is called, lowers his helmet into his chest.

1-10-DAL 15 (10:16) R.Grossman sacked at DAL 19 for -4 yards (D.Ware). Injury update: Dallas' Lee is out with a concussion.

Ware beats Trent around the outside. Grossman has plenty of room to step up but doesn’t sense the pressure until it’s too late.

2-14-DAL 19 (9:43) R.Grossman pass short right to R.Torain for 19 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Screen pass.

This screen starts out badly but ends up working out. Brown isn’t one of the guys going downfield to block, so he’s just plain beat off the edge by the LOLB. Meanwhile Montgomery doesn’t sufficiently slow down the LDE before sliding off, and Lichtensteiger can’t get a solid block on the LDE because a ILB is blitzing to his right. Rex somehow manages to get the throw off, and Rabach makes an alert play to turn back to the inside and cut off the NT, who read the screen early, while Montgomery blocks an ILB. Torain then has open territory all the way to the end zone, and Armstrong hold up the CB on the goal line long enough so the touchdown isn’t even contested.

G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-N.Sundberg, Holder-S.Paulescu.

WAS 7 DAL 13, 8 plays, 78 yards, 1 penalty, 3:15 drive, 5:25 elapsed

G.Gano kicks 67 yards from WAS 30 to DAL 3. B.McCann pushed ob at DAL 17 for 14 yards (C.Wilson). PENALTY on DAL-B.Church, Illegal Block Above the Waist, 8 yards, enforced at DAL 17. Return outside the numbers.

Dallas Cowboys at 9:35, (1st play from scrimmage 9:29)

1-10-DAL 9 (9:29) F.Jones right tackle to DAL 20 for 11 yards (K.Barnes).

Maake actually manages to shed his blocker but he’s a bit too slow getting to the hole, and the FB once again wins his block against Fletcher to turn this into a big run.

1-10-DAL 20 (8:48) F.Jones right tackle to DAL 23 for 3 yards (K.Moore). PENALTY on DAL-A.Gurode, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at DAL 20 - No Play.

1-20-DAL 10 (8:27) (Shotgun) J.Kitna pass short right to S.Hurd to DAL 21 for 11 yards (L.Fletcher). Pass complete on a slant.

Hall is playing off, and Fletcher is slow getting over to cut off the slant from the inside.

2-9-DAL 21 (7:48) J.Kitna pass short left to T.Choice ran ob at DAL 32 for 11 yards (R.McIntosh). Pass complete on "check off" in the flat.

It looks like Rocky’s the one who should have been responsible for the RB. He seems to read him at first, then when the RB appears to stay in to block he abandons him and heads downfield to help in coverage.

1-10-DAL 32 (7:48) Direct snap to T.Choice. J.Kitna pass deep left to F.Jones to WAS 36 for 32 yards (B.Orakpo). Choice on the direct snap; handoff to Jones, who pitched it back to Kitna.

Kitna is split outside. Choice lines up at QB and takes the snap, then hands off to a sweeping Jones, who in turns hands back off to Kitna in the opposite direction. The Redskins are only momentarily fooled, but Orakpo is slowed up by a step or two in coverage and it got Jones open enough for Kitna to hit him downfield.

1-10-WAS 36 (6:32) J.Kitna pass short left to M.Bennett to WAS 34 for 2 yards (R.McIntosh) [L.Alexander].

Alexander beats the TE, but he does it partly because Holliday, at LDE, is completely destroying a LG-LT double team.

2-8-WAS 34 (5:59) T.Choice left tackle to WAS 30 for 4 yards (A.Carter).


3-4-WAS 30 (5:16) (Shotgun) J.Kitna pass incomplete short middle to M.Austin (P.Buchanon). PENALTY on WAS-A.Carter, Roughing the Passer, 15 yards, enforced at WAS 30 - No Play.

Edge pressure from Chris Wilson forces Kitna to step up into a pocket that is nearly pinched shut by the RDE (Jarmon?? Can’t quite make out the number) and Rogers blitzing off the offensive right edge. Kitna overthrows the shallow cross and it bounces off Buchanon’s hands. As has been widely noted, this roughing the passer call is complete, unmitigated bullshit – Carter somewhat grazes Kitna’s shoulder an instant after he releases the ball.

1-10-WAS 15 (5:09) J.Kitna FUMBLES (Aborted) at WAS 18, and recovers at WAS 19. J.Kitna to WAS 21 for -2 yards (L.Alexander).

I can’t tell if this was a fake pitch to a sweeping Miles Austin and it slipped out of Kitna’s hands, or if he meant to pitch it and just missed. But either way Lorenzo Alexander was in the backfield and would have smothered whichever one of them had the ball.

2-16-WAS 21 (4:36) (Shotgun) J.Kitna pass short left to J.Witten to WAS 14 for 7 yards (C.Rogers).

3-9-WAS 14 (3:51) (Shotgun) J.Kitna pass short right to J.Witten for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass complete out an "out" pattern breaks a tackle at the 10.

Hall tries to jump the quick hook for a pick-6, and instead whiffs and lets Witten stroll into the end zone.

D.Buehler extra point is GOOD, Center-L.Ladouceur, Holder-M.McBriar.

WAS 7 DAL 20, 9 plays, 91 yards, 1 penalty, 5:51 drive, 11:16 elapsed

D.Buehler kicks 70 yards from DAL 30 to WAS 0. B.Banks to WAS 22 for 22 yards (A.Sendejo; S.Hurd). Return right side outside the yardline markers.

Washington Redskins at 3:44, (1st play from scrimmage 3:38)

1-10-WAS 22 (3:38) R.Grossman pass short left to S.Moss pushed ob at WAS 35 for 13 yards (D.Ware). Pass complete after fake handoff; ball thrown in the flat.

Santana’s fake end around freezes Ware and lets him get open on a wheel route.

1-10-WAS 35 (3:09) R.Torain right tackle to WAS 39 for 4 yards (S.Bowen).

There’s a nice hole here, but Torain seems to make a small but unnecessary cut in the backfield before going through it. This creates just enough time for the LDE to shed Jammal Brown’s block and prevent a big run.

2-6-WAS 39 (2:36) R.Grossman pass incomplete short right to S.Moss. Pass incomplete sideline at the Washington 47; Newman closest defender.

3-6-WAS 39 (2:28) (Shotgun) R.Grossman pass incomplete short middle to S.Moss. Pass incomplete at the Washington 45 on curl; Scandrick closest defender.

4-6-WAS 39 (2:22) (Punt formation) S.Paulescu punts 30 yards to DAL 31, Center-N.Sundberg, out of bounds. PENALTY on DAL-K.Cummings, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at DAL 31.

3.5 seconds.

Dallas Cowboys at 2:15

1-10-DAL 21 (2:15) J.Kitna pass short right to J.Witten to DAL 28 for 7 yards (A.Carter). Pass complete on crossing pattern. Update: Sensabaugh out with a concussion.

Carter, at LOLB, fails to jam Witten at the line and then loses track of him on the curl.


** OK guys - it’s late, I’m tired, and I’ve got stuff to do so I’m going to have to call this one at the two minute warning. I’ll be picking things up at the third quarter tomorrow night.

Two-Minute Warning

2-3-DAL 28 (2:00) (Shotgun) J.Kitna pass short left to S.Hurd to DAL 36 for 8 yards (C.Rogers). Pass complete on a "bubble screen."

1-10-DAL 36 (1:38) (No Huddle, Shotgun) J.Kitna pass short middle to M.Austin to WAS 41 for 23 yards (C.Rogers). WAS A.Carter was injured during the play. His return is Probable.

Timeout #1 by WAS at 01:19.

1-10-WAS 41 (1:19) (Shotgun) J.Kitna pass incomplete short right to F.Jones (C.Rogers). Screen pass.

2-10-WAS 41 (1:15) (Shotgun) F.Jones left end to WAS 32 for 9 yards (L.Alexander).

3-1-WAS 32 (:37) (Shotgun) J.Kitna pass short right to S.Hurd to WAS 25 for 7 yards (A.Carter). Pass complete on "bubble screen.”

Timeout #1 by DAL at 00:27.

1-10-WAS 25 (:27) (Shotgun) J.Kitna scrambles up the middle to WAS 18 for 7 yards (R.McIntosh).

2-3-WAS 18 (:18) (Shotgun) J.Kitna pass incomplete short right to T.Choice [A.Carter]. Pass incomplete in the flat. Injury update: Orakpo has a hamstring/groin injury, return is questionable.

3-3-WAS 18 (:12) (Shotgun) J.Kitna pass incomplete short middle to M.Austin. Pass incomplete at the goal line; Fletcher closest defender.

4-3-WAS 18 (:04) (Field Goal formation) D.Buehler 35 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Left, Center-L.Ladouceur, Holder- M.McBriar.

Washington Redskins at 0:02

1-10-WAS 26 (:02) R.Grossman kneels to WAS 25 for -1 yards.