Redskins ‘Improve’ to 4-3, But New Questions Arise
Yesterday’s Redskins-Bears game was probably the ugliest game I’d ever seen play, that couldn’t be attributed to the weather. Luckily the Redskins made ‘fewer’ mistakes, and hung on for a victory. The downside is that no one could look at the way the Redskins played (particularly on offense) and think this team can contend.
The Redskins offense yesterday was a joke, plain and simple. In the first half they got the ball on their own 39 to the 50 yard line 5 times. Yet as the second half began, Washington was trailing 14-10 (and their touchdown game on a drive started on their own 28). And in the 2nd half despite three more chances with the ball on the 39 or closer, Washington’s offense couldn’t put up any additional points. If not for DeAngelo Hall’s touchdown return (eerily similar to the Dallas game) the Redskins would have lost this game. The Bears have a good defense, but this wasn’t exactly the Steel Curtain the Redskins were going up against. And let’s not forget just how lucky Washington was yesterday.
On the stat sheet it shows the Bears having three turnovers, but in reality it could have been 8 (actually 9, as Banks recovered his own fumble on special teams as well). In addition to the two McNabb interceptions, and the one Torain fumble that were recovered by the Bears, the Redskins had trouble holding on to the ball. Torain fumbled on another drive, that was recovered by Anthony Armstrong, and McNabb fumbled twice that the Redskins were able to hang-on to. The last recovered fumble ended up costing the Redskins though, even though the Bears couldn’t get their hands on it. In the 4th quarter, after a D-Hall interception deep in Chicago territory, McNabb completed a pass to Cooley down to the 6 yard line, unfortunately Cooley couldn’t hang on to it, and to prevent a Chicago defender from picking it up, he knocked the ball out of bounce forward, which resulted in a 10 yard penalty. That combined with a McNabb sack (and fumble) two plays later backed the Redskins up to the 19, which led to a missed FG. Now Graham Gano needs to make 37 yarders, but the wind did seem to affect that ball, and had it been closer it would have been good. Any way you look at it, those fumbles (especially Cooley’s) kept points off the board for the Redskins. The final Redskins almost turnover would have been the difference in the game, as McNabb’s would be interception returned for a touchdown was called back. Not for an offsides call, or a roughing the passer penalty, in fact the defense didn’t do a single thing wrong. The interception was called back because the offense couldn’t snap the ball in time. And luckily that is something that the defense couldn’t decline.
It is a sad day that probably the offense’s 2nd best play of the game (after the Moss touchdown pass) was a delay of game penalty that kept 7 points off the board for the Bears, but that is what happened yesterday. McNabb was simply just awful yesterday, and while Torain gained big chunks of yards late, coughing up the ball twice (even if they recovered one) really is a knock on his 100 yard performance. Fred Davis, Chris Cooley and Anthony Armstrong all had dropped passes, that helped stall Redskins drives. And Joey Galloway’s best play was landing on Daniel Manning after an interception, to prevent a big return. The only offensive player who really had a good day was Santana Moss, outside of him though this looked like a high school football team.
Now the defense had one of their better games (especially in the turnover department), but they still gave up chunks of yards on the ground (though thankfully the Bears didn’t press the issue) and would have easily given up over 300 yards in the air, if Cutler wasn’t so inept (side note: Thank God the Bears topped the Redskins offer for Jay Cutler). The defense as a whole made some adjustments, and luckily Cutler kept trying to challenge Hall, but individually there were some holes yesterday for Washington.
Going forward the Redskins need to find a way to move the ball on offense consistently, as well as hold on to it better. McNabb has made some costly turnovers, trying to force the ball into coverage, or in the case of the Bears game trying to be the hero and make the throw while he is getting hit. They need to practice ball security, because next time they won’t be so lucky when the ball is on the ground. Washington may be 4-3 (and in first place if the Giants lose tonight) but it hasn’t been pretty.