About that win over the Pats…
Aldrick Robinson played like he wants to stay here. He and Leonard Hankerson are vulnerable to make the 2014 roster.
The Redskins are 11-2 in preseason games since 2011 counting last night’s win over the Patriots. They are 18-30 in the regular season over the same time span. Preseason games show a lot about the play of individual players, but do not predict the season. The win was enjoyable, though. It is as close to real football as we will get until September.
It was Washington’s first win of any kind since November 3, 2013.
The Redskins called 44 rushing plays to 26 passing plays in last night’s game, but that does not tell us much about Jay Gruden’s offensive scheme. The “Skins played with a lead all evening and controlled the ball 39:12. Prudent Gruden sat DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon for the game. Andre Roberts was a non-factor except on special teams where he returned punts. That’s not a game situation the Redskins will be in very often. Hog Heaven expects them to be in a lot of shootouts.
The Redskins still look like one of the NFL’s premier running teams.
Gruden got better video of the players in the scrimmages with the Patriots than he did in Thursday’s game. Say the same for Bill Belichick and the Patriots.
Hog Heaven is an extreme admirer of Alfred Morris, but can he catch passes? The Redskins hired Gruden to sharpen the West Coast Offense that usually calls for short passes to the back. Roy Helu is the designated pass catching back. The scheme is both more versatile and dangerous if all the backs are equally apt to be a receiver. This does not even rank as a criticism, but receiving out of the backfield is a skill I would love to see in Morris.
I am concerned with Chris Thompson’s fragile nature. If I were he, I’d be very worried about Lache Seastrunk stealing my lunch.
Tom Brady did not play, so the defense was not tested. The above comment about the Patriots scrimmage vs. the Patriots game applies more to the defense than to the offense.
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