Redskins @ Dallas, 3rd quarter review

1st quarter review
2nd quarter

THIRD QUARTER

D.Buehler kicks 77 yards from DAL 30 to WAS -7. B.Banks, Touchback.

Washington Redskins at 15:00

1-10-WAS 20 (15:00) R.Torain left tackle to WAS 22 for 2 yards (J.Ratliff, A.Spencer).

Rabach can’t control the NT, who sheds him to fill the gap.

2-8-WAS 22 (14:24) R.Grossman pass incomplete short right [S.Bowen]. DAL-B.James was injured during the play. His return is Probable. Pass thrown out of bounds sideline at the Washington 30.

Almost a disaster. Despite the fact that the ILBs are clearly advancing towards the line at the snap, Rabach turns to his right to double team the NT and both come in free. Fortunately both Sellers and Torain react quickly, preventing them from taking down Grossman before he can even start dropping back. He is forced very deep, meaning he runs into the edge pressure from the RDE. He keeps retreating all the way back to the two yard line before throwing it away.

3-8-WAS 22 (14:17) (Shotgun) R.Grossman sacked at WAS 14 for -8 yards (D.Ware). FUMBLES (D.Ware), RECOVERED by DAL-J.Ratliff at WAS 15. J.Ratliff to WAS 15 for no gain (K.Lichtensteiger).

Three man rush. Lichtensteiger finds himself with no one to block, but keeps dropping into the backfield in case he needs to help either Trent or Rabach. His indecisiveness means he is directly in the way when Rex tries to step up in the pocket, although the fact that Rex runs into his back is also a startling lack of awareness.

Dallas Cowboys at 14:10
1-10-WAS 15 (14:10) F.Jones left end to WAS 11 for 4 yards (L.Fletcher).

The pulling LG goes low and takes Rocky to the ground, but it does force the run back inside to a pursuing Fletcher.

2-6-WAS 11 (13:33) J.Kitna pass incomplete short right to S.Hurd. Pass incomplete on diving attempt 3 yards deep end zone; Hall closest defender.

Kevin Barnes is lucky this pass was dropped, as he had clearly lost track of the WR and let him spring wide open.

Timeout #1 by DAL at 13:25.

3-6-WAS 11 (13:25) (Shotgun) J.Kitna pass short middle to J.Witten to WAS 2 for 9 yards (L.Alexander).

Carter and Chris Wilson threaten the edges but Holliday, in at NT, only bluffs a rush then tries to float behind the line to shut off Kitna’s passing lane. The end result is that Kitna has plenty of room to step up.

1-2-WAS 2 (12:52) J.Kitna up the middle to WAS 3 for -1 yards (L.Fletcher). Injury update: Redskins' Daniels has an abdominal injury, return is questionable.

Witten trips coming off the snap and fails to make the handoff.

2-3-WAS 3 (12:11) T.Choice right tackle for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Carter withstands the kickout block and starts pinching the inside hole, but when the run redirects outside Carter actually cuts off Fletcher’s angle, then the pulling LG is able to hit Carter on his outside shoulder while he’s still engaged, knocking him down, and gets a an arm on Kareem Moore as well knocking him off balance enough that he has even less hope than usual of making an effective tackle.

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

WAS 7 DAL 27, 5 plays, 15 yards, 2:04 drive, 2:54 elapsed

D.Buehler kicks 61 yards from DAL 30 to WAS 9. B.Banks to WAS 29 for 20 yards (V.Butler, D.Buehler). Return right side of the field.

Washington Redskins at 12:06, (1st play from scrimmage 11:59)

1-10-WAS 29 (11:59) R.Grossman pass deep middle to A.Armstrong to DAL 24 for 47 yards (T.Newman). Pass complete on deep "post" pattern.

DeMarcus Ware tries to spin off Trent to the inside, but Lichtensteiger is there waiting for him and picks him up. Armstrong has his man beat by three steps on the post, but the ball is underthrown and he has to come back for it.

1-10-DAL 24 (11:19) R.Torain right end to DAL 24 for no gain (B.James).

Montgomery is forced back by the LDE, making Torain go wide before cutting upfield, and the LOLB is able to work around Brown’s outside shoulder and make the tackle.

2-10-DAL 24 (10:36) (Shotgun) R.Grossman pass short left to A.Armstrong to DAL 10 for 14 yards (M.Jenkins; O.Scandrick). Pass complete on a "crossing" pattern.

Complementary shallow crosses – Santana runs across the faces of the ILBs and sets a bit of a pick to spring Armstrong open going in the opposite direction. Ware beats Trent on the outside but Rex is able to escape because a double team by Rabach and Montgomery controls the NT.

1-10-DAL 10 (9:54) R.Grossman pass short middle to S.Moss for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass complete on "quick slant."

Cooley draws one safety away with an out, so Santana can use his speed to beat just one guy after taking the slant.

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

WAS 14 DAL 27, 4 plays, 71 yards, 2:17 drive, 5:11 elapsed

G.Gano kicks 68 yards from WAS 30 to DAL 2. B.McCann to DAL 18 for 16 yards (P.Riley). Return left side of the field outside the numbers.

Dallas Cowboys at 9:49, (1st play from scrimmage 9:42)

1-10-DAL 18 (9:42) F.Jones up the middle to DAL 34 for 16 yards (K.Barnes).

Fletcher is in the cutback lane but takes a bad angle and simply misses the RB. Kareem Moore has a shot to take him down in the open field, but if you’ve seen any Redskins games this year you can guess how well that goes.

1-10-DAL 34 (8:59) T.Choice right guard to DAL 46 for 12 yards (A.Carter).

This is a nice bit of running by the RB. The DLs attack their gaps reasonably well but the RB makes multiple cuts to slip through a very tiny hole, then the big gain is sprung by a solid block by the FB on Kareem Moore.

1-10-DAL 46 (8:19) T.Choice left end to DAL 47 for 1 yard (V.Holliday; L.Fletcher).

Vonnie Holliday holds up well against the LT, and Fletcher manages to avoid the second level block from the RG and stuff the play.

2-9-DAL 47 (7:41) J.Kitna pass deep middle to J.Witten to WAS 20 for 33 yards (K.Moore). Pass complete on a "seam" route.

Carriker, as often happens, is just a half step too slow to make a play. As Kitna steps up Carriker sheds the RT and comes inside, but he swipes at Kitna’s arm a split second after the throw is out.

1-10-WAS 20 (6:56) T.Choice left tackle to WAS 11 for 9 yards (L.Fletcher).

Holliday and Alexander get pinned inside by the LG and TE take out Rocky and Rogers while the LT gets a clean shot on Fletcher downfield.

2-1-WAS 11 (6:18) T.Choice right guard to WAS 9 for 2 yards (L.Fletcher; V.Holliday)

Holliday does a good job fighting through the LT to get into the gap, but Maake is tossed to the ground by a double team so the RB is able to run through Holliday’s arm tackle.

1-9-WAS 9 (5:33) F.Jones left tackle to WAS 8 for 1 yard (K.Moore).

Moore slips past the FB’s block and into the backfield, tripping up the RB and letting Rocky and Fletcher close to finish him off.

2-8-WAS 8 (4:55) (Shotgun) J.Kitna pass incomplete short right to M.Austin. Pass incomplete back corner of the end zone; Hall closest defender.

The WR motions across the backfield to start the play from the rear of a tight trips bunch, then runs a wheel route to the side of the end zone, but Hall is with him step for step. Kitna was too locked on to the route though – Fletcher and Moore collide when both try to cover Witten, springing Martellus Bennett wide open in the flat with no obstructions between him and the end zone.

3-8-WAS 8 (4:49) (Shotgun) J.Kitna pass short left to T.Choice pushed ob at WAS 2 for 6 yards (R.McIntosh).

4-2-WAS 2 (4:31) (Field Goal formation) D.Buehler 20 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-L.Ladouceur, Holder-M.McBriar.

WAS 14 DAL 30, 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:23 drive, 10:34 elapsed

D.Buehler kicks 72 yards from DAL 30 to WAS -2. B.Banks to WAS 22 for 24 yards (B.Church). Return left sideline outside the yard line markers.

Washington Redskins at 4:26, (1st play from scrimmage 4:17)

1-10-WAS 22 (4:17) R.Grossman pass deep right to C.Cooley to WAS 49 for 27 yards (V.Butler; B.James). Pass complete on "flag" pattern.

1-10-WAS 49 (3:47) R.Grossman pass short left to R.Torain to WAS 47 for -2 yards (D.Ware). Pass complete in the flat.

Grossman hits Torain on the swing pass to beat a double ILB blitz, but DeMarcus Ware, who had dropped into coverage, closes rapidly from off camera and makes a good tackle.

2-12-WAS 47 (3:07) R.Grossman pass short middle to A.Armstrong to DAL 43 for 10 yards (T.Newman). Pass complete on a slant.

3-2-DAL 43 (2:24) R.Grossman pass incomplete short left to K.Williams. Pass incomplete in the flat; James closest defender.

Rex doesn’t telegraph this screen as terribly as those two in the first quarter, but Trent does the job for him by not throwing a convincing block on the ROLB before setting up to go downfield. The ROLB sees what’s coming and is all over Keiland, forcing Rex to float the pass high.

4-2-DAL 43 (2:19) (Shotgun) R.Grossman pass short left to A.Armstrong to DAL 33 for 10 yards (M.Jenkins). Pass complete on curl sideline.

I worry about Rex on sideline routes. This one got there, of course, but his modest arm strength and tendency to leave the ball to far inside seem to be begging for interceptions.

1-10-DAL 33 (1:45) (Shotgun) R.Torain up the middle to DAL 28 for 5 yards (B.Williams).

2-5-DAL 28 (1:09) R.Grossman pass incomplete short left to R.Williams. Pass incomplete on "play action" at the Dallas 10 sideline.

Wait – even play action goes in quote marks now? This scorer, while amusing at first, is now starting to irritate me. Anyway, the CB had totally cut off Roydell’s deep out, so it’s a good thing Rex sails this very high.

3-5-DAL 28 (1:03) (Shotgun) R.Grossman pass short right to S.Moss to DAL 21 for 7 yards (B.Church).

Rex is forced to throw off his back foot because Montgomery is pushed back and prevents him from stepping into his throw. Fortunately a blown coverage by Dallas (two DBs follow Armstrong downfield) leaves Santana wide open on a short hook, so no one is there to take advantage of Rex’s short lob of a pass.

1-10-DAL 21 (:29) (Shotgun) R.Torain up the middle to DAL 6 for 15 yards (T.Newman). DAL-T.Newman was injured during the play. His return is Probable.

A solid kick out by Cooley and a second level block by Montgomery open the lane, and Torain uses his quickness through the hole to run through a ILB and safety.