Redskins vs. Dallas, 1st quarter review

Here we go on the second to last game review of the year. It is not the most pleasant. Play by play info is taken from the offical NFL Game Book, my commentary is added in it's own font.



1st Quarter

D.Buehler kicks 64 yards from DAL 30 to WAS 6. M.Mason to WAS 19 for 13 yards (J.Phillips).

Washington Redskins at 15:00

1-10-WAS 19 (15:00) Q.Ganther left end to WAS 15 for -4 yards (A.Spencer).

Sellers lines up at LTE but blocks in on the DE (Dallas runs a 3-4) and leaves the OLB untouched.


2-14-WAS 15 (14:53) J.Campbell pass short middle to Q.Ganther to WAS 31 for 16 yards (B.James).

Dallas blitzes both OLBs so the line is forced to fan to each side to account for them, opening a lane for the ILB up the middle. Ganther slips past the oncoming ILB to take the dumpoff in the middle. I suspect that Ganther was supposed to pick up that blitz, but he made himself useful as a safety valve.

1-10-WAS 31 (14:47) Q.Ganther up the middle to WAS 39 for 8 yards (K.Brooking).

Ganther on a draw up the middle. Sellers leads and takes out the first ILB, Rabach manages to get out to the other.

2-2-WAS 39 (14:07) Q.Ganther right end to WAS 38 for -1 yards (M.Spears, K.Brooking).

Sellers (RTE) and Heyer are both beaten on the corner.

3-3-WAS 38 (12:25) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass short right intended for F.Davis INTERCEPTED by T.Newman at WAS 45. T.Newman to WAS 36 for 9 yards (S.Heyer).

Dockery gives up inside penetration, but Campbell steps up and avoids the pressure to hit Davis on a shallow cross as he nears the sideline. Davis is tightly covered by a LB forcing Campbell to throw a little wide - it ends up bouncing off of Davis' outstretched hand and right to Terence Newman.

Dallas Cowboys at 12:12

1-10-WAS 36 (12:12) T.Romo pass incomplete deep right to R.Williams.

2-10-WAS 36 (12:06) T.Romo pass short right to M.Austin to WAS 35 for 1 yard (P.Daniels, A.Haynesworth).

Philip Daniels reads the screen early and doubles back to cut off the WR as he attempts to run inside.

3-9-WAS 35 (11:30) (Shotgun) T.Romo pass short middle to P.Crayton to WAS 19 for 16 yards (D.Hall).

Orakpo (at LDE) and Rocky come hard on the offensive right. Rocky is picked up well by a RB, while Orakpo gets inside penetration against the LT but allows himself to be carried too far in the direction and overshoots Romo. The LDT, who I think is Griffin, pushes back the C and is in Romo's face when he throws. Haynesoworth is double-teamed, pushes hard on the LG, but can't quite get there on time. Meanwhile Carter (RDE) and Fletcher take one hard step toward the line then turn and sprint down the field to fill the deep middle zone. There are too slow, however - that's right where Romo finds his receiver just before the pressure gets to him.

1-10-WAS 19 (10:36) F.Jones up the middle to WAS 10 for 9 yards (L.Fletcher, L.Landry).

The defensive line bites way too hard on counter action to the left, so when Barber cuts the play back to the offensive right the pulling LG is isolated on Orakpo at SLB and Barber has 7 yards past the LOS before he runs into the secondary and other LBs.

2-1-WAS 10 (9:53) M.Barber up the middle to WAS 8 for 2 yards (C.Griffin, R.McIntosh).

Dallas lines up with a FB offset to the left, a TE on the left end, and a second TE behind the LT. The Redskins counter by stacking Orakpo (as a LB) and Landry at the line on the same side of the formation. The LT and LG both block Montgomery and the FB and backfield TE both lead through that hole, drawing in the LBs. The RB then cuts to the right through a hole that the C and RG open up between Golston and Griffin (yes, we have 3 DTs in the play).

1-8-WAS 8 (9:11) M.Barber right end to WAS 4 for 4 yards (L.Landry).

2-4-WAS 4 (8:44) T.Romo pass short right to R.Williams for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN [A.Haynesworth].

Dallas lines up with an unbalanced line, moving the RT to the left side and putting TE Witten in the RT spot. The Redskins have apparently seen this formation and film and know it's not what it seems, as the defense stacks up on the offensive right. Golston bounces off the RG, recovers, then works Witten to the inside, wraps around, and almost gets to Romo. Coverage is initially good, but Romo buys enough time that someone is bound to get open. Roy Williams breaks off his route and heads back to the outside, beating Smoot.

S.Suisham extra point is GOOD, Center-L.Ladouceur, Holder-T.Romo.

DAL 7 WAS 0, 7 plays, 36 yards, 3:39 drive, 6:27 elapsed

D.Buehler kicks 68 yards from DAL 30 to WAS 2. R.Cartwright to WAS 26 for 24 yards (A.Ball, B.Carpenter).

Washington Redskins at 8:33, (1st play from scrimmage 8:26)

1-10-WAS 26 (8:26) J.Campbell pass short right to F.Davis pushed ob at WAS 44 for 18 yards (K.Hamlin).

Play fake draws the LBs toward the offensive left; Davis at RTE feigns blocking inside the cuts outside to the flat. The OLB on the offensive right reads the fake early and pursues Campbell, but Campbell is able to get the ball out with the guy in his face. Davis gets the ball 3 yards past the LOS then outruns multiple defenders for the first down.

1-10-WAS 44 (7:59) J.Campbell pass incomplete deep left to S.Moss (M.Jenkins).
PENALTY on WAS-S.Moss, Offensive Pass Interference, 10 yards, enforced at WAS 44 - No Play.

Campbell gets a nice pocket, but the DB has succesfully worked inside of Moss and Moss is unable to get to the ball. Santana gives a little tug on the DBs arm causing him to fall, thus the PI.

1-20-WAS 34 (7:53) J.Campbell pass short left to A.Randle El to WAS 39 for 5 yards (O.Scandrick). FUMBLES (O.Scandrick), ball out of bounds at WAS 39.

2-15-WAS 39 (7:20) J.Campbell pass incomplete short right to S.Moss.

Attempted screen. Now granted when setting up the screen you're supposed to allow the pressure through, but you're also supposed to make a bried block both to slow them down and to keep from tipping off the play. Instead Heyer and Davis (RTE) don't make even token blocks before heading outside, and Mike Williams simply misses his guy. The LOLB gets to the backfield so fast that he cuts off Campbell from his intended receiver Moss, and Campbell is forced to throw high.

3-15-WAS 39 (7:14) J.Campbell sacked at WAS 34 for -5 yards (J.Ratliff).

DeMarcus Ware (ROLB) works Levi to the inside, gets carried across the play, then wraps back around to threaten Jason and force him to step up in the pocket, where he is taken down because Mike Williams doesn't sustain his block against the DT. On this play Ganther was to eager to help out Levi on the outside and took himself out of the play; if he had stayed back longer he may have been able to prevent Ware from getting the inside pressure.

4-20-WAS 34 (7:02) H.Smith punts 35 yards to DAL 31, Center-E.Albright, fair catch by P.Crayton.

Dallas Cowboys at 6:56

1-10-DAL 31 (6:56) T.Romo sacked at DAL 30 for -1 yards (P.Daniels).

Romo play-fakes and then rolls out to the right. Protection collapses: Carter works to the outside of the LT and threatens Romo's blind side, while Griffin splits a double team of the RT and RG. Romo manages to slip away up the middle, but Carter gets a hand on him to trip him up and Daniels, who had worked to the outside from LDE, reversed field and takes him down from behind.

2-11-DAL 30 (6:23) F.Jones left tackle to DAL 32 for 2 yards (C.Griffin).

Play is designed to cut inside off of a double-team of Haynesworth, but Griffin, after sustaining a strong block from the RG, gets under his inside shoulder and fills the hole.

3-9-DAL 32 (5:41) (Shotgun) T.Romo pass incomplete short middle to P.Crayton (L.Fletcher) [A.Haynesworth].

Haynesworth lines up a yard off the LOS. He gets a running start and slams the LG backwards, then closes in on Romo and hits him from behind as he throws. The WR has beaten Landry on a crossing route, but as he is trying to gather in the ball Fletcher levels him and pops the ball out. Even though Romo managed to get the ball out, this was one of those plays in which Haynesworth combination of strength, speed, and athleticism were simply terrifying to watch.

4-9-DAL 32 (5:35) M.McBriar punts 60 yards to WAS 8, Center-L.Ladouceur. S.Moss to WAS 22 for 14 yards (O.Scandrick).
PENALTY on WAS-R.Cartwright, Offensive Holding, 8 yards, enforced at WAS 16.

We didn't get a good camera angle, but it looks like a cheap holding call to me - a coverage guy had overrun the play and was trying to change direction and pursue Moss laterally across the field, and went to the ground for his efforts. Rock had been engaged with him, so when he hit the ground the refs assumed there was a hold.

Washington Redskins at 5:20

1-10-WAS 8 (5:20) Q.Ganther left end to WAS 12 for 4 yards (B.James).

2-6-WAS 12 (4:42) J.Campbell pass incomplete short right to Q.Ganther (K.Brooking).

Stephon Heyer and Mike Williams both block the LDE, which is a problem because then the LOLB and a blitzing ILB both come in clean. Campbell takes a big hit as he throws, and a LB covers Ganther on the flat route and is there to break up the pass.

3-6-WAS 12 (4:37) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass incomplete short middle to M.Kelly.
PENALTY on DAL-D.Ware, Defensive Holding, 5 yards, enforced at WAS 12 - No Play.

1-10-WAS 17 (4:33) M.Mason left tackle to WAS 24 for 7 yards (K.Brooking).

Rabach, Dockery, and Levi create a wall to the outside and allow Mason to cut up the middle, where space is maintained by Mike Williams getting to the second level and blocking an ILB.

2-3-WAS 24 (3:58) M.Mason left guard to WAS 27 for 3 yards (B.James).

Mason gets hit solidly 2 yards short, but powers forward before going down.

1-10-WAS 27 (3:18) M.Mason right tackle to WAS 27 for no gain (A.Spencer; S.Bowen).

Heyer goes straight to the second level, so the hole must be maintained by Mike Williams and by Davis, at RTE, who tries to kick the LOLB to the outside. Neither succeeds.

2-10-WAS 27 (2:38) J.Campbell pass incomplete short right to M.Kelly [A.Spencer].
PENALTY on DAL-A.Spencer, Defensive Offside, 5 yards, enforced at WAS 27 - No Play.

Dallas rushes both OLBs, and naturally both beat the Redskins' tackles (well, okay, so one of them was offside). Campbell is flushed out and gets drilled as he tries to hit Kelly on a short curl.

2-5-WAS 32 (2:31) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass short right to M.Kelly pushed ob at WAS 36 for 4 yards (M.Jenkins).

3-1-WAS 36 (2:01) J.Campbell up the middle to WAS 38 for 2 yards (B.James).

1-10-WAS 38 (1:21) J.Campbell pass incomplete deep left to M.Kelly.
Campbell pumps to Kelly on a hitch-and-go, but the fake doesn't fool the DB who is still all over Kelly downfield. Campbell tries to throw short and let Kelly come back for it, but Kelly has to go up for the ball and can't quite come down in bounds.

2-10-WAS 38 (1:15) M.Mason left end to WAS 39 for 1 yard (I.Olshansky, K.Brooking).

The DT pushes Mike Williams all the way back into Mason's path (yes, he was running left).

3-9-WAS 39 (:29) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass short middle to M.Kelly to WAS 46 for 7 yards (B.James).