Redskins Preview

We exchanged Q&A with Redskins Hog Heaven to preview the game tomorrow evening.  Here are the answers to our questions via Anthony Brown..

Q1) Your early thoughts on Jay Gruden? Strengths? Weaknesses? Is he the guy who can deliver a title, or is Snyder still the rate determining (blocking) step?

A1) Gruden is the sixth head coach hired in the Snyder Era. Experience taught me to withhold judgment until Game 10, Year 1. My answer may be different in November.

I don’t know that Gruden was the best choice. He had the most famous name. By all appearances, Bruce Allen led the decision. That makes it a better football decision than when Snyder and Vinnie Cerrato settled on Jim Zorn. Gary Kubiak may have been a better choice for continuity of the Shanahan offense that would have been more helpful for Robert Griffin III. Kubiak would have been a difficult sell.

Strengths: He has a good offensive mind; he coaches the West Coast Offense, he has a successful track record in Cincinnati; he has a working relationship with the GM dating to Tampa Bay; he may get tips and advice from brother Jon.

Weaknesses? I prefer Question Marks: Rookie NFL head coach, there is a learning curve, including learning how to use his personnel. It took Snyder’s other coaches half the season of live action to know what they really had. (Giants fans see that with their new OC.) Hired to make Robert Griffin III a success, which somehow means to recast him into Andy Dalton. Stay tuned.

Q2) I watched the WAS-HOU game.  If I recall, you had a turnover in the red zone and a punt block.  Otherwise, do you win that game? (Recap the Philly loss too.)

A2) The punt block-score, the blocked PAT, the red zone turnover were the difference in the score in the Texans game. If those points did not happen, both teams would have played the game differently. The Redskins moved the ball on Houston, who scored only one offensive touchdown. The Redskins would likely have won the game. I was disappointed more by Gruden’s ultra-conservative game plan than by the team’s poor execution.

The Redskins put up a fight against the Eagles. Gruden drew up a scheme that expressed what the Redskins could be. There were shots down field that took advantage of Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson. Our running backs outgained their running backs. That’s a compliment to the Redskins defense that held LeSean McCoy to 22 freakin’ yards. Kirk Cousins did almost everything one could ask to win that game. A completion to Garcon with 90 seconds to go would have been nice. I expect success the next time he is driving for the win to close out a game. I watched him do that for years at Michigan State. (Spartans alum, class of 19 Long-ago.)

Two weaknesses did the Redskins in, special teams and the defensive secondary. Special teams coverage is horrendous. In the secondary, the Redskins Brandon Meriweather is a suspension risk. His back-ups are practice squad-caliber players.

Q3) RGIII looks like a shell of himself, with no mobility almost 2 years after knee surgery.  Is a pocket passer worth all of those draft picks?

A3) No. It is not.

But the Redskins did not draft RG to be a pocket passer, did they. They drafted him to be a dual threat to break down defenses for the big play. The coach he admired since childhood (he was an Elway, Shanahan fan) drafted him and invented an offense that made him an immediate success. But the kid who rushed 120 times as 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year declared he did not want to be another Michael Vick. He wanted Aaron Rodgers-style game plans.

Things fell apart last year. The Redskins finished with three wins, all for completely artificial reasons. They should have won seven games with Kirk Cousins at QB. You know the story.

Enter Gruden and a new offense that RG has to learn. It calls for pocket passer skills that Griffin has to bake into his muscle memory. He was making progress before his freak ankle injury, but the process itself serves to narrow the gap between RGIII and his back-up. I just do not get the point. I do not like this battle plan. I do not like them, Sam I Am.

Whatever the end to Griffin’s story, it is a fable about being careful what you wish for.

Q4) Is DeSean Jackson worth all the trouble? 

A4) this being Washington, I will answer that with a political story.

During World War II, Franklin Roosevelt’s foreign advisors brought their complaints to him about a South American dictator who was abusing his people in some fashion. He was a strategic American ally. FDR supposedly told his people, “Yes, he’s an SOB, but he’s our SOB.”

If we had Victor Cruz on the roster, we would not need DJax. If only Jerry Reese responded to that text from Bruce Allen.

I’ll close with this. The Redskins signed Jackson to a three-year deal, but they can get out after two years. It’s a smart contract for less than the Eagles paid Jackson. We take our front office management improvements in small doses around here.

Q5) Zero sacks in WASH’s 2 losses, 10 sacks vs Jax.  Is that a good way to summarize the first 3 games (and how you will need to get to Eli this Thursday night in order to win)?

A5) The working theory was that Washington’s improved pass rush would cover flaws in the secondary. That has not panned out as expected. The Redskins did a decent job stopping the run in all three games. Well, Jacksonville has no run game as you will find out.

D-linemen Jason Hatcher and Chris Baker should be available Thursday. They will help the pass rush. Brian Orakpo is hobbled by a finger injury that limits where he lines up. Ryan Kerrigan is playing well. They should have owned the Eagles’ O-line, but somehow did not.

Veteran quarterbacks like Eli don’t rattle, but they might move him off his spot in that fancy new offensive scheme.

Q6) The stars always play well and get extra attention from the opposing team.  Beyond the stars, which second tier starting player on Defense and Offense needs to play well for the Skins to be successful this week and this season?

I am going to call Kirk Cousins second tier, because he is still considered the back-up QB. He has to play at the level he established in the last two games.

DeAngelo Hall is out for the season. I never expected to write, “I’m going to miss D.Hall.” CB’s David Amerson, E.J. Biggers and Bashaud Breeland have to up their game. Covering Cruz will be a challenge for them. The Redskins picked up Duke Ihenacho two weeks ago off the Broncos waiver wire. He is OUT with a fractured ankle. (Sighs)

The entire special teams is second tier. The unit has to up their game. It will be a miracle if they do.

Q7) How would you gameplan against the Redskin offense and defense?

A7) The Giants should take advantage of the field position special teams will give them.

On offense, Jay Gruden says he wants the Redskins to be a power run team, but he has gone away from it in all three games. He possibly not only prefers Cousins to Griffin (denies it), but maybe prefers Roy Helu to Alfred Morris (denies it). Helu is a better receiver out of the backfield. He does not have true breakaway speed, but he can bust a big one after a catch if coverage is sloppy.

Cousins has a quick release. The Giants may try to take away screens, quick outs, or drags. Banging the wide outs at the line to upset Cousins’ rhythm may be a thing. DCs already know what to do when facing young quarterbacks making their sixth start. Kirk is on a learning curve. Teach him a lesson … if you can.

You know my opinion of the Redskins secondary. That your line of attack.

Q8) Final Score? 

A8) I assume a series split with advantage to the home team. The Redskins will score over 28 points with a four point difference. I’ll call it Redskins 31, Giants 27.

Thanks Anthony.  Our answers for his side of the Q&A can be found over at Redskin Hog Heaven with this link.