The Washington Redskins go up the road to visit the Baltimore Ravens tonight for an exhibition game at M&T Bank Stadium. Just another area event between earthquakes and hurricanes.
The game will likely be played in the slop. The quarterback controversy should come down to who best hands off the ball to the running back. John Beck or Rex Grossman, flip a coin.
Coach Mike Shanahan said at the Redskins Welcome Home Luncheon that the team installed a game plan to attack Baltimore, who undoubtedly has done the same for the Redskins. So tonight’s game will tell us much more about the ‘Skins than the show against the Steelers or the Colts. Both were rather indifferent opponents.
Lavar Arrington wrote a game preview for the WaPOST that is as good as any. Go read it for specifics about tonight.
I don’t care about winning or losing tonight. It’s a preseason game. Beating Baltimore holds no special joy, although co-workers who are Ravens fans can be insufferable when they win. I pay attention to how the team performs in the first half when likely starters are on the field.
Do the offensive linemen legally hold blocks for 2.5 seconds? That’s enough time for mobile quarterbacks to set up and decide what he is going with the ball. At three seconds, the ball should have been handed off or leaving the QB’s hand via a pass.
If the play goes over 3.5 seconds, then either the called play was too long developing, or the quarterback was indecisive. The first is a coaching error. The latter falls on the quarterback. Either way, odds for a holding penalty rise after 3.5 seconds. The fault isn’t always with the lineman.
Does the quarterback average 7.0+ yards per pass attempt? YPA and completion percentage are the two key measures of quarterback efficiency. And OK, fans want to see points. So toss in the TD to INT ration at 2:1 or better. Boil it down to one measure, the yards per pass attempt is the measure of how well the passing game clicks with a quarterback.
Does the defense make third-down stops and create turnovers? Richie Pettibon, Redskins defensive coordinator from the glory years, says these are the only two stats he cares about. Works for me.
Any team that does those things has the better chance to win than to lose.
I had the pleasure of an email exchange yesterday with my friend (yup, actually met him) Hogs Haven’s Ken “Sugar” Meringolo who asked if I was feeling this team yet. I do, but it’s because I like the strategy that Shanallenhan followed this year to build the roster: USING Draft picks instead of trading them; selecting blockers & tacklers who are going into their second NFL contracts; structure their contract to their value so the ‘Skins are not handcuffed to them as they age. Lots of starter veterans who are one or two on the depth chart who are also on short contracts mean lots of highly motivated players.
That’s the approach of successful franchises like Baltimore (I love how Ozzie Newsome runs that team). Shanahan should have followed the strategy last year. The Redskins should continue the approach no matter how this season ends.
This Redskins team still has holes. We don’t know yet how well they selected players, but I like what I’ve seen so far.
Last year’s Redskins kept us on the edge of our seats most games, only to disappoint us in the end. Washington will be a better team this year even if they finish with six or eight wins. They will be a lot more fun to watch because they promise hope for the future. This team has the nucleus of future winning teams. Last year’s team was the last ride of the Gibbs gang.
Everybody knew that except the folks who thought we were one quarterback away from the Super Bowl.
ESPN will broadcast the Washington Redskins at Baltimore Ravens preseason game at 8:00 PM Eastern.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
