Redskins-Rams 1st quarter game review

Here we go getting started on win number 3. As I mentioned yesterday I only got to catch the last quarter of this game on Sunday, so I really am seeing most of this fresh. As usual they play by play is taken from the NFL Gamebook.

First Quarter

G.Gano kicks 72 yards from WAS 35 to SL -7. Q.Porter, Touchback.

St. Louis Rams at 15:00

1-10-SL 20 (15:00) S.Jackson left guard to SL 20 for no gain (R.Kerrigan).

Kerrigan engages the TE, then gets his left arm to the inside and powers through the line to stuff the runner.

2-10-SL 20  (14:31) (Shotgun) S.Jackson left tackle to SL 33 for 13 yards (L.Landry).           

Well blocked by the Rams against the Redskins four man nickel front. Orakpo is initially unblocked, but a TE crosses the backfield and takes him out. Bowen reacts to Jackson’s initial step to the offensive right and pursues, allowing the LT to keep him inside. The LT gets a free release on Rocky and Landry is line up in the box on the backside, so he can’t make it across the field on time and instead has to chase the guy down from behind.

1-10-SL 33 (13:53) S.Jackson left tackle to SL 33 for no gain (B.Orakpo).

The LT and LG take Bowen way, way off the line. Fortunately Orakpo eneages the TE, wins the fight, and plays the inside gap to stuff the run.

2-10-SL 33 (13:18) S.Jackson left guard to SL 36 for 3 yards (D.Hall).

The center engages Cofield, then the TE joins in and blows him off the line. DeAngelo Hall appears to have been lined up in the slot (the telecast cuts off the formations and the start of the play) and he reads run quickly and reacts, which means that when the RG gets to the second level he is faced with two defenders. He chooses Fletcher, but blocks him ineffectually, so Fletcher and Hall first deny the RB his cutback and then pull him down.

3-7-SL 36 (12:47) (Shotgun) PENALTY on SL-R.Saffold, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at SL 36 - No Play.

3-12-SL 31 (12:32) (Shotgun) S.Bradford pass short right to S.Jackson to SL 26 for -5 yards (R.McIntosh).

Rocky is reading the RB from the snap and sniffs out the screen, allowing him to slip behind the linemen who are heading downfield to block. Very good play.

4-17-SL 26 (11:59) D.Jones punts 37 yards to WAS 37, Center-J.McQuaide. B.Banks ran ob at WAS 42 for 5 yards (B.Kehl).

Washington Redskins at 11:49

1-10-WAS 42 (11:49) R.Grossman pass short right to S.Moss ran ob at SL 45 for 13 yards (J.King).           

The Rams linemen bite hard on the play action and play their gaps instead of rushing the passer, so Rex has all day to let Santana come open on his out route.

1-10-SL 45 (11:19) R.Grossman scrambles left end ran ob at SL 43 for 2 yards (J.Hall).

2-8-SL 43 (10:51) R.Grossman pass incomplete short right to M.Sellers [C.Long].

Both Sellers and Cooley run routes in flat, but not widely spaced enough that it would offer any “levels” advantage so I figure somebody messed up here. A decent gain was available to Sellers with a quick decision from Rex, but he’s rather locked onto Stallworth who trip going into this cut.

3-8-SL 43 (10:41) (Shotgun) R.Grossman pass short middle to T.Hightower to SL 39 for 4 yards (J.Laurinaitis).

Williams get beaten by an outside speed rush, though I think it’s possible that it’s partly because he is impeded by Cooley who is releasing into a route. Rex is able to run away from the pressure (and has space to do so because the rest of the line adjusted well to stunts) and throws back over the middle to Hightower who the defense has forgotten about.

4-4-SL 39 (9:55) (Shotgun) PENALTY on WAS-J.Brown, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at SL 39 - No Play.

4-9-SL 44 (9:45) S.Rocca punts 33 yards to SL 11, Center-N.Sundberg. A.Pettis to SL 11 for no gain (L.Alexander).

Hang time is an average 4.3 seconds, but it’s more than enough for the coverage unit. Niles Paul is a gunner and races right past his blocker (he seems to do this regularly) and is closing in on the returner from the left, while Alexander gets a clean shot right down the field and is in the returner’s face.

St. Louis Rams at 9:36

1-10-SL 11 (9:36) S.Bradford pass incomplete short left to M.Sims-Walker.

2-10-SL 11 (9:32) (Shotgun) S.Jackson left tackle to SL 16 for 5 yards (L.Landry).

Bowen gets taken off the corner again. The TE attempts to kick out Orakpo, but Orakpo again sheds him and jumps into the gap. This is important because now the pulling RG has to account for him, and that means Landry can make the play before the RB can exploit a pretty big hole.

3-5-SL 16 (8:59) (Shotgun) S.Bradford pass incomplete short right to M.Sims-Walker (D.Hall).

Hall was playing outside leverage so it is a nice play here to break on the WR’s inside cut and break up the catch.

4-5-SL 16 (8:51) D.Jones punts 54 yards to WAS 30, Center-J.McQuaide. B.Banks to WAS 31 for 1 yard (B.Miller).

Washington Redskins at 8:40

1-10-WAS 31 (8:40) R.Grossman pass incomplete short middle to T.Hightower.

Hightower runs an angle route and lets the ball bounce right off his hands.

2-10-WAS 31 (8:35) T.Hightower left end pushed ob at WAS 33 for 2 yards (B.Fletcher).

Fred Davis is unable to slow the RDE down the line, meaning both that Trent can’t get to the second level and that Gaffney’s pretty good block on the CB is useless because Hightower has to take the play to the outside.

3-8-WAS 33 (8:12) (Shotgun) R.Grossman pass deep middle to J.Gaffney to SL 47 for 20 yards (C.Dahl).           

Trent does a nice job moving his feet and maintaining his balance against the RDE’s speed rush and late spin move.

1-10-SL 47 (7:32) T.Hightower left end pushed ob at SL 42 for 5 yards (B.Poppinga).

Williams and Davis again have trouble keeping the RDE from moving down the line on a stretch play, but Cooley from FB takes care of him after Davis sheds and gets onto the SLB. Very strong block from Paul on the play side CB opens up the corner.

2-5-SL 42 (7:08) T.Hightower right end to SL 44 for -2 yards (D.Stewart).

Brown gets pushed off the line by the LDE but manages to seal him to the inside enough that Hightower would still be able to make the corner, except that Davis is overpowered by the OLB and gives him nowhere to go.

3-7-SL 44 (6:25) (Shotgun) R.Grossman pass deep middle to J.Gaffney to SL 27 for 17 yards (C.Dahl).           

Brown is beat to the outside and an OLB gets under Trent’s pads and drives him up, but the nice pickup of an interior blitzer by Hightower means Grossman is able to get his throw out just before the contact comes.

1-10-SL 27 (5:42) T.Hightower right end to SL 21 for 6 yards (D.Stewart).

2-4-SL 21 (5:00) R.Helu left tackle to SL 12 for 9 yards (B.Fletcher).           

Jammal Brown getting to the second level and Niles Paul’s cut block on the RDE allow Helu to put on a hard cut and reverse his field.

1-10-SL 12 (4:23) R.Helu left tackle to SL 8 for 4 yards (B.Poppinga). SL-G.Gibson was injured during the play.

There’s not much to be had here as both Lichtensteiger the DT he is blocking go to the ground right in front of Helu, but he hurdles them like a goal line play to create an average gain.

2-6-SL 8 (3:47) (Shotgun) R.Helu right guard to SL 6 for 2 yards (D.Stewart).

3-4-SL 6 (3:11) (Shotgun) R.Grossman pass short left to S.Moss for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN [C.Dahl].           

Rams blitz seven, so even though Helu picks up a safety coming through the right A gap Williams is faced with two rushers (RDE and the other safety) and Rex has to immediately loft the ball to the edge of the end zone and hope Santana can run under it. He does.

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

WAS 7 SL 0, 11 plays, 69 yards, 5:34 drive, 11:54 elapsed

G.Gano kicks 63 yards from WAS 35 to SL 2. Q.Porter to SL 15 for 13 yards (D.Stallworth).

St. Louis Rams at 3:06, (1st play from scrimmage 3:00)

1-10-SL 15 (3:00) S.Bradford pass short right to B.Miller to SL 18 for 3 yards (D.Hall).

Another solid open field tackle from Hall, who races to the flat to compensate for Atogwe’s blitz.

2-7-SL 18 (2:24) (Shotgun) S.Bradford pass short right to L.Kendricks pushed ob at SL 29 for 11 yards (R.Kerrigan).           

Landry blitzes from the edge but slows up as he sees the RB has him dead to rights. Since Bradford has time he can take advantage of the fact that Kerrigan gets a little lost in man coverage and gives up the out to the TE.

1-10-SL 29 (1:56) (Shotgun) S.Jackson up the middle to SL 32 for 3 yards (L.Landry; R.Kerrigan).

Impressive little under-the-radar play from Kerrigan here. He absorbs a TE block in the backfield but in a nice display of strength he gets his shoulder inside the blocker and reaches out to the back who is shooting him through the hole, hooking his jersey and spinning him around so Fletcher can bury him.

2-7-SL 32 (1:23) S.Bradford pass short middle to D.Alexander to WAS 43 for 25 yards (O.Atogwe).

Landry is again neutralized by the RB, and Kerrigan gets around the edge but comes up just a couple inches short of swiping Bradford’s throw from behind.