Redskins @ Dallas, 4th quarter review

1st quarter review
2nd quarter
3rd quarter

FOURTH QUARTER

1-6-DAL 6 (15:00) R.Torain up the middle to DAL 6 for no gain (B.James; S.Bowen).

The NT blows up Montgomery and then holds up Cooley, who is lead blocking from the backfield.

2-6-DAL 6 (14:14) R.Grossman pass incomplete short middle to C.Cooley [J.Ratliff]. Pass incomplete back of the end zone; James was the closest defender.

The NT (Ratliff) pushes back Rabach, then splits him and Montgomery to lay a hit on Rex as he tries to throw.

3-6-DAL 6 (14:08) PENALTY on WAS-J.Brown, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at DAL 6 - No Play.

3-11-DAL 11 (14:08) (Shotgun) R.Grossman pass incomplete short right [A.Spencer]. PENALTY on DAL-A.Spencer, Roughing the Passer, 6 yards, enforced at DAL 11 - No Play.

Brown plants his feet against the LOLB, which of course means he gets beat to the outside. This is an incredibly cheap roughing call, but less cheap that the earlier call on Andre Carter so I’m fine with it.

1-5-DAL 5 (14:01) R.Grossman pass incomplete short right to M.Sellers. Play action and roll right; incomplete at the Dallas 4.

The pass hits Sellers’ hands in the flat and he just drops it, but he was being tracked by a LB, S and CB and wouldn’t have scored.

2-5-DAL 5 (13:54) R.Grossman pass incomplete short left to S.Moss. Pass incomplete on quick toss at the goalline; Scandrick was the closest defender.

The RDE and a blitzing LB both overwhelm Lichtensteiger forcing Rex to get it out fast.

3-5-DAL 5 (13:51) (Shotgun) R.Grossman pass short middle to S.Moss for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass complete on crossing pattern; back of the end zone.

Nice pass – Santana has to go up for it but Rex still places it where it is catchable and the CB has no play on it.

TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. R.Grossman pass to C.Cooley is complete. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS.

The empty backfield (Keiland motions out wide to the left) means a DB comes free of the edge, but Rex is immediately looking to Cooley, who boxes out the S to make the catch just over the line.

WAS 22 DAL 30, 14 plays, 78 yards, 1 penalty, 5:42 drive, 1:16 elapsed

G.Gano kicks 78 yards from WAS 30 to DAL -8. B.McCann, Touchback.

Dallas Cowboys at 13:44

1-10-DAL 20 (13:44) J.Kitna sacked at DAL 19 for -1 yards (V.Holliday).

Fletcher blitzes but is redirected by the RB. But it makes Kitna step up, and the fact that Carriker and Holliday have collapsed the pocket means he has nowhere to go.

2-11-DAL 19 (13:15) J.Kitna pass short left to T.Choice to DAL 20 for 1 yard (V.Holliday). Screen pass.

Nice job reading the screen by Holliday. He sees what’s coming and adjusts, and Alexander and Anthony Bryant are both in coverage to the play side to compensate for a Fletcher blitz, so the play never really stands a chance.

3-10-DAL 20 (12:27) (Shotgun) J.Kitna pass short right to J.Witten to DAL 28 for 8 yards (P.Riley).

Redskins blitz Chris Wilson, Fletcher, and Rogers off the offensive right, and Kitna throws over their head into the void left behind them. It looks like Perry Riley is slow to adjust his coverage and cut off the throw to Witten, but then he makes a nice pursuit and tackle to take him down short of the first down.

4-2-DAL 28 (11:47) (Punt formation) M.McBriar punts 28 yards to WAS 44, Center-L.Ladouceur, out of bounds.

Washington Redskins at 11:40

1-10-WAS 44 (11:40) R.Grossman pass short middle to R.Torain to DAL 49 for 7 yards (T.Newman). Pass complete on a "check off" play.

Nice little angle route by Torain.

2-3-DAL 49 (10:57) (Shotgun) R.Grossman pass short left to R.Torain ran ob at DAL 29 for 20 yards (A.Ball). Pass complete flat.

The offensive line doesn’t really get set up properly for the screen, but Torain still gets behind the DLs and Rabach cuts the ILB to give him a lot of open space.

1-10-DAL 29 (10:29) R.Torain left end to DAL 20 for 9 yards (M.Jenkins).

There is quite a battle between Trent and DeMarcus Ware, and Trent hold him up just enough for Torain to slip around the corner, then Cooley and Lichtensteiger get great blocks on the ILBs and Terrence Austin does a nice job on the playside CB.

2-1-DAL 20 (9:47) R.Grossman pass short middle to R.Torain to DAL 16 for 4 yards (V.Butler).

I had thought of Keiland Williams as being more comfortable in the passing game, Torain really looks to be in his element, at least with the standard short running back routes.

1-10-DAL 16 (9:47) K.Williams up the middle to DAL 12 for 4 yards (B.James).

2-6-DAL 12 (8:31) (Shotgun) R.Grossman pass short right to S.Moss to DAL 5 for 7 yards (B.Williams). Pass complete on a "bubble screen."

Dallas blitzes the nickel corner – I don’t know if the screen to that CB’s side was an adjustment based on the fact that the blitz was clearly telegraphed, or just a lucky call. Either way, Jammal Brown show some serious hustle to get outside and throw a key block on a closing safety.

1-5-DAL 5 (7:50) R.Grossman pass incomplete short middle to S.Moss. Pass thrown back of end zone.

Blown coverage. Two DBs stick to Armstrong at the goal line and let Santana run wide open to the back of the end zone. But Montgomery is driven back into Rex’s face, and he gets jittery and sails the ball high.

2-5-DAL 5 (7:44) R.Grossman pass short middle to C.Cooley for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN [I.Olshansky]. Pass complete on crossing pattern.

Rex is under pressure because the RDE beats Lichtensteiger, but he is able to dump it to Cooley who does a good job getting positioning inside the ILB on the goal line.

TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. R.Grossman pass to C.Cooley is incomplete. ATTEMPT FAILS. PENALTY on DAL-B.Church, Defensive Holding, 1 yard, enforced at DAL 2 - No Play.

Empty backfield, so the ILB blitzing off the left edge is on Grossman untouched. But Rex gets the ball out, and places so Cooley probably would have made the catch if he hadn’t fallen coming out of his cut. The holding call was borderline.

TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. R.Grossman pass to M.Sellers is complete. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS.


The LBs follow Cooley, and Sellers is absurdly wide open in the flat. Tie game.

WAS 30 DAL 30, 8 plays, 56 yards, 4:03 drive, 7:23 elapsed

G.Gano kicks 68 yards from WAS 30 to DAL 2. B.McCann pushed ob at DAL 23 for 21 yards (G.Gano). Return left side of the field.

Dallas Cowboys at 7:37, (1st play from scrimmage 7:31)

1-10-DAL 23 (7:31) F.Jones up the middle to DAL 30 for 7 yards (L.Alexander).

Redskins played a lot of one-gap this game. Bryant goes to the C’s right shoulder, so Fletcher is responsible for filling the left A gap. The LG goes straight to the second level, but Fletcher once again loses his collision with the Dallas FB

2-3-DAL 30 (6:55) F.Jones right guard to DAL 34 for 4 yards (L.Alexander, V.Holliday).

Holliday, at RDE, is driven way off the line by the LT and opens up a big cutback lane.

1-10-DAL 34 (6:21) T.Choice left guard to DAL 37 for 3 yards (K.Moore).

2-7-DAL 37 (5:44) J.Kitna pass incomplete deep right to J.Witten. Pass incomplete on a "flag" pattern; Moore closest defender.

Moore is badly beaten, but Kitna overthrows Witten.

3-7-DAL 37 (5:38) (Shotgun) J.Kitna pass short right to J.Witten to DAL 42 for 5 yards (D.Hall).

Good wrap-up by Hall to prevent the tackle.

4-2-DAL 42 (4:59) (Punt formation) M.McBriar punts 54 yards to WAS 4, Center-L.Ladouceur, downed by DAL-B.Williams.

Washington Redskins at 4:46

1-10-WAS 4 (4:46) R.Grossman pass short right to C.Cooley pushed ob at WAS 8 for 4 yards (T.Newman). Pass complete sideline.

Again a little too much float on a pass towards the sideline, although once again Rex was throwing off his back foot because Montgomery was once again being carried back into his face.

2-6-WAS 8 (4:41) R.Grossman pass incomplete deep left to R.Williams. Pass incomplete on deep out at the Washington 30; Scandrick closest defender.

3-6-WAS 8 (4:35) R.Grossman pass deep right to C.Cooley pushed ob at WAS 25 for 17 yards (B.Church). Pass complete on "flag" pattern.

1-10-WAS 25 (4:27) R.Grossman pass incomplete deep left to S.Moss. Pass incomplete on a "Go" pattern at the Dallas 49.

Santana’s CB falls down, and if he hadn’t dropped this pass that hit him right on the hands he just would have needed beat a safety to score.

2-10-WAS 25 (4:20) R.Grossman sacked at WAS 15 for -10 yards (O.Scandrick).

Rabach misses the blitzing ILB, forcing Torain to pick him up an allowing the CB to come free of the edge.

3-20-WAS 15 (3:39) R.Grossman sacked at WAS 8 for -7 yards (V.Butler).

Lichtensteiger somehow doesn’t notice that the ILB looming over him is intending to blitz and lets him come in virtually untouched.

4-27-WAS 8 (3:16) (Punt formation) S.Paulescu punts 44 yards to DAL 48, Center-N.Sundberg, fair catch by B.McCann.

4.7 seconds – finally a decent hangtime.

Dallas Cowboys at 3:11

1-10-DAL 48 (3:11) T.Choice up the middle to DAL 49 for 1 yard (L.Fletcher).

Holliday and Bryant jam up the LDE and C at the line, then Fletcher slips past the FB’s lead block to make the play.

2-9-DAL 49 (2:36) (Shotgun) J.Kitna pass short right to S.Hurd to WAS 42 for 9 yards (D.Hall). Pass complete on a "comeback” route.

Carter, at LOLB, creates edge pressure and the fact that Holliday gets some good push means Kitna can’t step up, so Kitna is flushed to the outside.

Two-Minute Warning


1-10-WAS 42 (2:00) (Shotgun) J.Kitna pass short middle to M.Austin to WAS 30 for 12 yards (K.Barnes). Pass complete on quick slant.

Fletcher and Alexander both blitz from the offensive right. The LT makes a good adjustment to take Fletcher and the RB comes across the backfield to pick up Alexander.

Timeout #1 by WAS at 01:52.


1-10-WAS 30 (1:52) T.Choice left guard to WAS 28 for 2 yards (L.Fletcher).

Chris Wilson is at ROLB and absorbs the lead FB while Fletcher stands up the pulling RG then sheds him as the RB comes through the hole.

Timeout #2 by WAS at 01:48.


2-8-WAS 28 (1:48) T.Choice right tackle to WAS 26 for 2 yards (K.Moore, C.Wilson).


Timeout #3 by WAS at 01:41.


3-6-WAS 26 (1:41) T.Choice right tackle to WAS 21 for 5 yards (H.Blades).


Timeout #2 by DAL at 00:55.


4-1-WAS 21 (:55) (Field Goal formation) D.Buehler 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-L.Ladouceur, Holder-M.McBriar.


WAS 30 DAL 33, 7 plays, 31 yards, 2:21 drive, 14:10 elapsed


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


Washington Redskins at 0:50


1-10-WAS 20 (:50) (Shotgun) R.Grossman pass short middle to K.Williams to WAS 33 for 13 yards (B.James, D.McCray).

Montgomery adjusts well to a stunt to preserve the pocket.

1-10-WAS 33 (:34) (No Huddle, Shotgun) R.Grossman spiked the ball to stop the clock.

2-10-WAS 33 (:34) (Shotgun) R.Grossman pass incomplete short left to A.Armstrong. PENALTY on DAL-M.Jenkins, Defensive Holding, 5 yards, enforced at WAS 33 - No Play.

1-10-WAS 38 (:26) (Shotgun) R.Grossman pass incomplete short right to K.Williams. Pass thrown in the flat.

Keiland turns inside; Rex throws outside – and Keiland can’t adjust.

2-10-WAS 38 (:20) (Shotgun) R.Grossman pass short right to C.Cooley pushed ob at WAS 47 for 9 yards (D.McCray).

Trent holds up momentarily against Ware, but Ware eventually makes it around the edge and Rex either has no one open or just holds onto it too long. He is flushed from the pocket but finds Cooley on the sideline.

3-1-WAS 47 (:13) (Shotgun) R.Grossman pass short right intended for C.Cooley INTERCEPTED by T.Newman at DAL 40. T.Newman to DAL 22 for -18 yards (T.Austin).

The presence of a deep safety allows the CB to hang out underneath the corner route, and the CB makes a nice leap to pick it off.