Third Quarter
G.Gano kicks 60 yards from WAS 35 to ARZ 5, out of bounds.
Given the depth I don’t think this was a directional kick. If not, kicking it out of bounds is rather inexcusable.
Arizona Cardinals at 15:00
1-10-ARZ 40 (15:00) C.Wells right guard to ARZ 49 for 9 yards (R.Doughty, R.McIntosh).
A LG-C double team drives Cofield off the line, then the C gets in Rocky’s face to spring the RB to the secondary.
2-1-ARZ 49 (14:27) K.Kolb pass short left to L.Fitzgerald to WAS 48 for 3 yards (D.Hall; R.McIntosh).
And another fine open field tackle by DeAngelo Hall.
1-10-WAS 48 (13:54) C.Wells right end to WAS 38 for 10 yards (O.Atogwe, R.McIntosh). WAS-J.Wilson was injured during the play. His return is Questionable. injured back
Kerrigan is easily sealed inside by the TE and Fletcher’s attempting to set the edge by taking down the FB is unproductive since the RB was intending to cut inside anyway behind both pulling guards, who neutralize Rocky and a pursuing Cofield.
1-10-WAS 38 (13:20) C.Wells left end pushed ob at WAS 29 for 9 yards (R.McIntosh).
Fletcher and Doughty both blitz through the offensive left C gap, which just takes them out of the pursuit once the RB beats Orakpo and Barnes to the corner.
2-1-WAS 29 (12:56) C.Wells right end to WAS 26 for 3 yards (L.Fletcher).
Kerrigan sets the edge against the RT. The RB has lead blocks from the pulling RG, who is stood up by Fletcher, and FB, who Doughty takes to the ground.
1-10-WAS 26 (12:19) K.Kolb pass short right to L.Fitzgerald to WAS 17 for 9 yards (D.Hall).
2-1-WAS 17 (11:35) C.Taylor left end to WAS 17 for no gain (R.Kerrigan, R.Doughty).
Timeout #1 by ARZ at 10:56.
Bowen stands up the LT, then shoves off him to make the play. If he hadn’t, an unblocked Doughty was waiting in the hole and Kerrigan was providing strong backside pursuit.
3-1-WAS 17 (10:56) C.Wells right guard to WAS 16 for 1 yard (L.Fletcher).
Interesting defensive formation here. The Cardinals line up with twins TEs to the right, and the Redskins counter with three LBs – Alexander, Kerrigan, and Riley – on the line on the strong side. This is in addition to Fletcher, Rocky, and Orakpo in their normal positions. Alexander and Riley stand up their men, but not well enough to keep the RB from gaining his 8 inches or so. Kerrigan actually penetrates but is taken to the ground by the TE in what looks like a hold.
1-10-WAS 16 (10:12) K.Kolb sacked at WAS 24 for -8 yards (R.McIntosh).
Nice enough blitz by Rocky, but as is normal with blitzes the sack happened primarily because several other guys did their jobs. Bowen rushes inside, holding the LT. Orakpo blitzes off the edge and, when confronted by the RB, jumps to the inside of the pocket. This is key because when Kerrigan gets edge pressure from the offensive right, the pocket is destroyed and Kolb can’t just step up. That means he has to try to escape to his left, where he is easy prey to Rocky who comes unblocked on a delayed blitz.
2-18-WAS 24 (9:34) K.Kolb pass short middle intended for A.Roberts INTERCEPTED by L.Fletcher (R.Kerrigan) at WAS 11. L.Fletcher to WAS 24 for 13 yards (L.Brown). Arizona challenged the runner was down by contact ruling, and the play was REVERSED. K.Kolb pass short middle intended for A.Roberts INTERCEPTED by L.Fletcher (R.Kerrigan) at WAS 11. L.Fletcher to WAS 11 for no gain (R.Housler).
Kerrigan actually lines up over the slot receiver and – as a rookie and recently converted end, I remind you – runs stride for stride with the receiver in man coverage and, although Doughty is there to provide safety help, nonetheless is able to keep up well enough and tip the pass into the air. London Fletcher, because he is London Fletcher, is alert enough to get himself in position to pick off the ball before it hits the ground. The Kerrigan on Robers matchup was exactly what the Cardinals were looking for on that play, and Kerrigan just beat them anyway.
Washington Redskins at 9:26
1-10-WAS 11 (9:26) R.Grossman pass deep left to F.Davis pushed ob at ARZ 49 for 40 yards (J.Porter).
The line and Hightower sell the play action hard, and the entire defense flows to the offensive left and Rex finds himself with plenty of open field to his right for the bootleg. Davis aligns with Cooley on the right and is part of the successful play action blocking, meaning the defense has forgotten about him by the time he turns upfield. Rex’s throw is very short and Davis has to slow up; a quarterback with a stronger arm turns this into an easy touchdown.
1-10-ARZ 49 (8:55) T.Hightower left end to ARZ 47 for 2 yards (C.Campbell; J.Porter).
Cooley drives in on the RDE while Trent and Lichtensteiger pull to the outside, and Montgomery shoots straight to the second level. But Trent can’t keep the OLB to the outside, and Lichtensteiger’s and Montgomery’s cut blocks on the ILBs are unsuccessful.
2-8-ARZ 47 (8:14) T.Hightower right tackle to ARZ 44 for 3 yards (P.Lenon, S.Bradley).
Lichtensteiger is unable to lock on to one ILB at the second level, while the other is clean to the hole because Chester can’t get off the line.
3-5-ARZ 44 (7:34) (Shotgun) R.Grossman pass incomplete short middle to S.Moss (P.Lenon).
Hightower picks up the ILB blitzing around the edge and Brown and Chester smoothly adjust to a stunt by the LDE and LOLB. Because the interior rushers (as they did all game) pause and get their hands in the air, Rex has to double clutch and thereby allows a defender to close on Moss before the ball arrives.
4-5-ARZ 44 (7:28) S.Rocca punts 35 yards to ARZ 9, Center-N.Sundberg. P.Peterson to ARZ 10 for 1 yard (B.Westbrook; N.Paul).
Rocca drops the punt on the 9 yard line with a solid 4.5 second hang time, and Byron Westbrook and Niles Paul are waiting right on top of the punt returned after some excellent gunner work.
Arizona Cardinals at 7:18
1-10-ARZ 10 (7:18) C.Wells right guard to ARZ 15 for 5 yards (R.Doughty).
The run beats the blitz. Orakpo and Doughty both blitz inside from the right, meaning of course that all the linemen are attacking the gap to their left. This means that Cofield is running himself out of position instead of clogging up the middle, and RDE Kedric Golston is moved off the line by a double team.
2-5-ARZ 15 (6:43) K.Kolb pass incomplete short middle to L.Fitzgerald (D.Hall).
Excellent coverage by DeAngelo Hall. He starts playing outside leverage on Fitzgerald, but based on sheer athleticism manages to jump inside to break up the pass.
3-5-ARZ 15 (6:38) (Shotgun) K.Kolb pass short left to L.Fitzgerald to ARZ 20 for 5 yards (K.Barnes; D.Hall). WAS-K.Barnes was injured during the play.
Hall guesses that Fitzgerald will run more of a slant rather than a short hook, so he slightly overruns the play and can’t wrap up Fitzgerald until he is over the first down marker.
Side note: Barnes down. Wilson went down a few plays ago. That means Byron Westbrook and Brandyn Thompson are now in the top three corners. When I kept saying in the offseason that you can never have enough corner depth, this is why.
1-10-ARZ 20 (5:55) (Shotgun) K.Kolb pass deep right to L.Fitzgerald pushed ob at ARZ 44 for 24 yards (B.Westbrook).
Orakpo’s angle into the backfield is too straight and the LT manages to give him a shove upfield, though Kerrigan gets under the RT’s arm and turns hard toward Kolb. Kolb is able to step up though because Golston and Bowen don’t squeeze the pocket at all, and Byron Westbrook passes off Fitzgerald to help that isn’t there.
1-10-ARZ 44 (5:21) (Shotgun) C.Wells left guard pushed ob at WAS 31 for 25 yards (B.Thompson).
The Redskins fall hard for the draw. Golston and Bowen are aligned like 4-3 DTs in the 2011 version of the nickel front, and both rush to the outside. That means the center gets a free shot and Fletcher. Rocky is drawn to the middle by the slot WRs slant route and get recover in time to prevent the RB from cutting across the field for a big gain.
1-10-WAS 31 (4:46) (Shotgun) K.Kolb pass short right to A.Roberts to WAS 23 for 8 yards (R.Doughty).
2-2-WAS 23 (4:08) (Shotgun) K.Kolb pass short middle to C.Stuckey to WAS 11 for 12 yards (B.Thompson).
1-10-WAS 11 (3:35) (Shotgun) C.Wells up the middle to WAS 2 for 9 yards (B.Westbrook).
The DLs (this time Cofield and Carriker) again rush to the outside, and again the Cardinals run a draw with the center getting a free shot at Fletcher.
2-1-WAS 2 (2:51) C.Wells right end for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
No one sets the edge and the LBs sell out on the up the middle run, so the RB easily bounces to the outside for a touchdown.
J.Feely extra point is GOOD, Center-M.Leach, Holder-D.Zastudil.
ARZ 14 WAS 10, 9 plays, 90 yards, 4:31 drive, 12:13 elapsed
J.Feely kicks 73 yards from ARZ 35 to WAS -8. B.Banks to WAS 23 for 31 yards (O.Schofield).
Washington Redskins at 2:47, (1st play from scrimmage 2:42)
1-10-WAS 23 (2:42) R.Grossman pass incomplete short middle to T.Hightower (D.Williams).
Montgomery gets carried into the backfield and the DL gets a hand up to knock the pass into the air, whereupon Rex pulls a mini-Theismann and knocks it to the turf to avert a potential catastrophe.
2-10-WAS 23 (2:25) R.Grossman pass incomplete deep right to J.Gaffney.
PENALTY on ARZ-K.Rhodes, Defensive Pass Interference, 23 yards, enforced at WAS 23 - No Play.
Penalty on ARZ-A.Wilson, Illegal Contact, declined.
The LDE tries to draw Brown to the inside, but Chester picks him up and Brown slides back outside to account for the OLB.
1-10-WAS 46 (2:24) R.Grossman pass incomplete short middle to D.Young [D.Dockett].
Oh don’t worry Fox, I had no real desire to see the formation or how the rush/protection developed anyway.
2-10-WAS 46 (2:24) T.Hightower left end to WAS 47 for 1 yard (C.Haggans, R.Walker).
Cooley kicks out a LB but fails to keep him there, while another LB is able to shed Brown’s block.
3-9-WAS 47 (1:47) (Shotgun) R.Grossman pass incomplete deep middle to D.Stallworth (A.Jefferson) [D.Dockett].
Montgomery gets absolutely destroyed by a swim move from the DT – he even tries to hold the guy and fails.
4-9-WAS 47 (1:33) S.Rocca punts 40 yards to ARZ 13, Center-N.Sundberg, fair catch by P.Peterson.
PENALTY on ARZ-A.Jefferson, Offensive Holding, 6 yards, enforced at ARZ 13.
A solid 4.6 second hang time from Rocca, and again Westbrook beats his man to force a fair catch.
Arizona Cardinals at 1:33
1-10-ARZ 7 (1:33) (Shotgun) C.Wells left end to ARZ 18 for 11 yards (O.Atogwe).
OK again a draw play beats the nickel. Seeing a trend here? Carriker takes a very wide rush to the outside. Orakpo jumps inside and floats about 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage (for reasons I was not quite able to ascertain) so they both clear out a huge running lane while Rocky, of course, overpursues.
1-10-ARZ 18 (:52) (Shotgun) K.Kolb pass incomplete short right to E.Doucet (B.Cofield).
Cofield is initially head-up on the center, but attacks the RG to try to open a blitz lane for Fletcher and Orakpo. This fails, but Cofield finds himself in Kolb’s passing lane and gets his hands up.
2-10-ARZ 18 (:47) (Shotgun) K.Kolb pass incomplete short right to A.Roberts [L.Fletcher].
PENALTY on ARZ-K.Kolb, Intentional Grounding, 15 yards, enforced at ARZ 18.
Fletcher and Barnes blitz off the offensive right. The RT blocks in on Kerrigan, which means Barnes comes free while the RB tries but fails to block Fletcher.
3-25-ARZ 3 (:40) (Shotgun) K.Kolb pass short middle to E.Doucet to ARZ 17 for 14 yards (L.Fletcher; B.Westbrook).
4-11-ARZ 17 (:03) D.Zastudil punts 53 yards to WAS 30, Center-M.Leach. B.Banks pushed ob at ARZ 44 for 26 yards (R.Johnson).
Hey, I need to register for an official account (anonymous) but wanted to say that I stumbled upon your blog and have been reading it for a few weeks. You do an amazing job and your breakdowns of the game are amazing. Thanks for all the hard work, Redskins fans appreciate it. HTTR!
ReplyDelete