Five Observations from Redskins Loss to Giants

By Staff Writer John Manuel:

Here are my 5 Observations after Sunday’s heartbreaking divisional loss to the New York Giants:

1.  Robert Griffin III and Kyle Shanahan are working well together.

Griffin every week is getting more and more national praise, which now includes President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney.  But Kyle Shanahan has to get a lot of the credit also.  Those who thought Griffin would have to make a transition into a pro-style offense and the transition would take time look like fools now.  Shanahan and also Big Shanahan have been able work with RG3 to make the Skins one of the most potent offenses in the league.  The combination of Griffin’s array of talent and skills matched up with the Shanahan’s game plans has this offense way ahead of where anyone could have figured.

I could talk about the plays Griffin made yesterday but everyone has seen them, many times.  It’s a weekly highlight film of impressive decision making and athletic ability.  To go head to head in New York with a big game quarterback like Eli Manning in only his 7th career start once again shows every first round pick sent to St. Louis was worth it.  Griffin is going to terrorize NFC East opponents like the Giants for the next ten years.

2. Last week I got into a debate with one of my friend who is a diehard Redskins fan over DeAngelo Hall.

He said the team is best to have cut him or cut him immediately.  I had a hard time agreeing with him mainly because the state of the secondary, but after yesterday I have a change of heart.  Hall is not worth his so called “ballhawk” ability anymore.  Eli Manning worked Hall all day long just like other quarterbacks have been doing since his Atlanta days.  The first quarter personal foul was another horrible decision by Hall and cost the team.  Then what finally made me say it’s time to go was the third and one New York has in the fourth.  For some reason Eli decided to try a fade to Hakeem Nicks and the pass went incomplete.  Hall actually played it pretty well but instead of accepting it was a crucial three and out the Skins needed, he started jawing at the refs for a push off on Nicks and wouldn’t stop.  If he had gotten an unsportsmanlike call there it could have ended the Redskins chances much like the Morgan play in St. Louis.

I am at a point that DeAngelo is not worth having on this roster, the secondary is bad but I don’t think it would be any worse with someone else on the corner right now.  Have to throw in a thank you Vinny Cerrato for giving Hall a #1 corner contract a few years ago again.

3. Another week and another big injury occurred when Fred Davis torn his Achilles in the end zone.

I have been very cautious on if the team should pay Fred Davis long term since last year.  And right as I was becoming a believer that Davis was worth a long term deal this happens.  Davis had come alive the past few weeks and was becoming the player the team envisioned as a weapon.  But now that has all changed.  We did see Suggs make an amazing recovery from the same injury yesterday but Davis is done till 2013.

Will he still get a long term deal?  Not sure and I think a lot will depend on what Shanahan sees from both Logan Paulson and Niles Paul.  Paulson had a great game yesterday but Paul will be remembered for a horrible third down call in the fourth by Kyle.  Chris Cooley is on his way back and we will see what he has left.  But losing Davis and adding in the unknown return of Pierre Garcon leaves the Skins passing game with questions.

Good news is that Griffin seems to find Santana Moss every week for a touchdown or two now which helps stop the bleeding.  Hankerson and Morgan will need to step up.  Hankerson short arming that beautiful deep ball from RG3 was not a good start.

4. You always get to watch four quarters of Redskins football.

Every game this season has come down to the wire, no blowout wins or losses.  Maybe it’s because how good the offense has been the defense has been just as bad so everything evens out.  It is the same story every week as we have seen no lead is safe with the Skins bomb squad on the field.

Early this week we’ll be debating who is at fault on the Victor Cruz touchdown, Madeiu, Wilson, Haslett?  I will just throw it on all of them.  It was just very poor to let maybe the league’s best big play receiver in Victor Cruz to run right through the defense.  With 90 seconds left I think most fans were readying for overtime when you have Eli Manning and our pass defense but a two play touchdown drive is unexplainable.

I already went through my feelings on D Hall but the Redskins coaching staff has to figure a way to work better coverage or get better pressure of teams will soon not even attempt to run anymore.  Once again this week will bring a pass happy team in Big Ben and Steelers so Haslett and Morris have 6 days to figure something out.  Either way it looks like a shootout at Heinz Field Sunday on the horizon.

5. I don’t want to jinx this but it looks like Washington may have found a kicker in Kai Forbath finally.

Forbath has been solid so far on field goals and the coaching staff has to be confident to send him out there.  The kickoffs have not been as good as Cundiff so coverage teams will have to make plays.  Either way the team has to be happy with their selection a couple weeks ago.  Based on these games though one of these weeks Forbath will be trying a game winning or tying kick and then we will know for sure.