Game Thread: Week 4: Browns @ Redskins

[Caliskinsfan]

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Got some boo birds at the stadium.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Most excellent sequence

 

[Sportster 72]

Did not realize he was up in the booth but if you think about it he wasn't over next to Cousins when KC was at the bench.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that the run/pass balance was out of whack. YES I know the league is largely a passing league not but to make play action work you have to run some. You want the defense to have to defend the run and the pass. Funny how open Reed was the last couple of weeks when the run game was used more.

Anyone else notice 3 of Cousins 4 INTs were picked by the offside defender. For whatever reason he is not picking up that DB. If I remember right all three picks I mentioning the receiver was going left to right and the defender on the right side made the pick. Not certain but I think in most cases it was zone defense. If I am halfway correct that is something they can work with him on so he recognizes that guy better.

I am guessing Ben was talking about the media when he said no one noticed the punt deep in Brown territory because I said YES!!!

Our D largely sucks. I mentioned this yesterday and it was true against New York too. For them to get a stop they need to TO the opposing team or get a 10 or 15 yard penalty to help them. Dallas made mistakes but we answered back with mistakes. It looks like 28 points is going to be necessary to win games.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

28-30 points with an opportunistic D getting TOs

 

[Caliskinsfan]

8:01 AM PT

• 
  
  John KeimESPN Staff Writer

1. The Redskins’ game plan was terrific for much of the day, especially when it came to creating favorable situations for running back Matt Jones. He ran hard and decisive for the most part en route to 117 yards. But here’s a stat that jumps out: He averaged 3.36 yards before first contact, according to ESPN Stats & Information. That’s the highest number since his second game as a rookie. What happens when you get hit after that many yards? Arm tackles or diving attempts at your feet. And that leads to more yards after the tackle. Here’s the other part of that stat: On 11 carries in the second half, Jones averaged 4.86 yards before first contact – and 2.36 after. Those are, by far, the best numbers of his young career. It was a result of him running more decisively, the Browns’ linebackers overflowing -- sometimes because of the design of the play -- and excellent blocking.
   
   
2. More Jones. Maybe he just needs more carries to get going. He gained 79 yards on 11 carries in the second half; 38 yards on 11 carries in the first. More likely, though, is that staying committed to the run and operating with more balance left the Browns out of position or anticipating the wrong play. Once, one inside linebacker started to drop before the snap – on a run play that gained 8 yards to his side. The backside linebacker was 5 yards off the ball at the snap and hesitated, creating a better lane. On back-to-back plays in the fourth quarter, the first defender to make contact with Jones was 7 and 9 yards, respectively. Those plays gained a combined 26 overall. Again, the blocking was excellent – slot receiver Jamison Crowder, among others, made a nice block on a 15-yard run.
   
   
3. Offensive coordinator Sean McVay, for the second consecutive game, called plays from the booth, as 106.7 The Fan's Grant Paulsen pointed out. During the preseason, McVay tried this for one game and didn’t particularly like it so the experiment was scrapped. But even at the time McVay and coach Jay Gruden acknowledged that it enables a coach to see the field better and perhaps react more to what the defense is showing (though even when he’s on the field, McVay had coaches in the booth telling him what they saw). It does help by removing the times where, say, an emotional receiver gets in his face on the sideline (sometimes it’s a player yelling at him to run more). But let’s not forget one point: McVay was on the sideline vs. Dallas and if quarterback Kirk Cousins has a better game – and makes two throws better – the Redskins would have scored 37 points. The consistent theme this season is what the Redskins' offense should be scoring per game vs. what they are.
   
   
4. The red zone offense worked much better and there are several people to credit. Cousins has been picked apart – and he was merely OK Sunday (more on that Tuesday). But he did a very nice job on the touchdown passes to tight end Jordan Reed. On the first one, Cousins looked down the middle off the snap, preventing the linebacker in that area from sprinting to Reed running inside. Cousins created a better throwing window and made a decisive pass. On the second one, Cousins finally extended a play in the red zone vs. a three-man rush. That enabled Reed to break free in the back of the end zone – initially three defenders were near him. Finally, the Reed effect took place on the last touchdown. Off the ball, three defenders were looking at Reed and nobody saw Chris Thompson float to the flat. Cousins made the easy completion.
   
   
   
5. The Redskins ran a lot of plays to the outside, some stretch and bootlegs. That action certainly caused issues for the linebackers. Early in the game, Cousins completed a 9-yard pass to Pierre Garcon when the action of the line and Reed, starting left and working his way behind the line as if he was leading a back around the end, led the linebackers out of position. That left the slant open for Garcon and a 9-yard gain. Receiver DeSean Jackson caught only one pass for 5 yards, but he drew two pass-interference penalties for 71. Both penalties led to touchdowns. On the first one (a 50-yarder), better safety play likely results in an interception. Instead, the safety failed to locate the ball and bumped into Jackson instead
   

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Very worrying

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Manny Benton...



LANDOVER, MD - The Washington Redskins (2-2) won their first home game of the season Sunday against the Cleveland Browns (0-4). While the Redskins were able to pull out the 31-21 win, they almost gave the game away several times. That reflected in the locker room as the team appeared cautiously joyful afterward. They realize they could've lost to a winless team. Below, we'll show our game notes before turning on the film.



Offense:

• Quarterback Kirk Cousins started off the game with two nearly perfect drives, both of which ended with touchdowns. On the team's third drive, Cousins threw a costly interception that allowed the Browns to tie the game at 14-14. Cousins just stared down wide receiver Jamison Crowder on the play. He ended the day with a season-high three touchdowns. Yet, I still came away unimpressed by his performance. Cousins put the team in compromising positions with the interception and by taking two avoidable sacks midway through the fourth quarter. Head coach Jay Gruden summed up Cousins' performance well after the game: "I think he played OK," Gruden said. "There were a couple situational things you can't do ... He's far from perfect."

• Second-year running back Matt Jones had 117 yards on 21 carries. It was only his second career 100-yard outing. Jones appears to be developing a niche as a fourth-quarter finisher, based on the past two games. Although, he admitted that his late-game success has to start happening earlier. Jones said that after these past two games, he's found out who he is and what he's running for. Jones also said that Sunday was the first game his mother has attended. "I just wanted to be decisive and show my mom what I've got -- what I'm capable of." I think it's safe to say that it would be beneficial for Mama Jones to attend more games.

• Tight end Jordan Reed had a big day, scoring two early touchdowns, one of which made him the fastest TE to reach 200 career receptions. He led the team with 10 targets; no other Redskins receiver had more than five. The team made it a point to get the ball in his hands Sunday.

• I thought, for the most part, second-year left guard Arie Kouandjio played well against the Browns. He had a few poor snaps and a holding penalty, but overall, he played a solid game in his NFL debut. Jones even made it a point to go thank Kouandjio for his level of play in the locker room. "He wasn't nervous," Jones said of Kouandjio. "I even saw him set the edge and get to the second level. So I had to just go tell him, 'Good job.'"

Defense:

• Cornerback Josh Norman had his struggles going against Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor Sunday. Norman said he's been battling a cold. Regardless, Norman came up with a clutch interception in the fourth quarter that helped seal the game for Washington.

• Linebackers Will Compton and Mason Foster have had their ups and downs this season. Honestly, it's been more downs than ups. Both have been caught filling the wrong run lanes several times. Not to mention, Compton has looked pretty stiff and slow in coverage. On the bright side, Compton did force a key fumble today.

• Before leaving the game with a concussion, rookie linebacker Su'a Cravens continued to show his skills in coverage. He still has work to do against the run, but he's become an asset when facing receiving tight ends and running backs.

• Rookie CB Kendall Fuller made his first career start Sunday and competed hard. That's what he brings to the table -- he's a competitor. He had a couple missed tackles but ended the day with eight total, second-most on the team.

Special Teams:

• Punter Tress Way posted season highs in punts (three), punting average (48.7 yards), punts downed inside the 20 (two) and longest punt (59 yards

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Basically a rehash of what everyone sees and knows regarding our D, tackling and talent issues but some film work that is always interesting to see closely...

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Truth

 

[Caliskinsfan]

For those that are interested, stats on Paea for the game

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Lmao at Michaels Ryan Grant snark..

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Damn

Reiter to go on IR with an ACL. Finally got his shot and then this.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Another angle of that 'botched' ref call on Dukes fumble. Honestly don't know at this point

Excerpt...


The visual evidence would sure seem to suggest that Johnson recovered his own fumble. A different angle of the play appears to show the Browns running back pulling the loose ball into his body with his left hand after he hits the ground.



Browns left tackle Joe Thomas told Cleveland.com that Thomas “came in the huddle and said, ‘I saw the Redskins defense with the ball on the ground, meaning the play was over and then the ball switched hands after that.'”

 

[Caliskinsfan]

 

[Caliskinsfan]

 

[Krusheasy]

Another angle of that 'botched' ref call on Dukes fumble. Honestly don't know at this point

Excerpt...


The visual evidence would sure seem to suggest that Johnson recovered his own fumble. A different angle of the play appears to show the Browns running back pulling the loose ball into his body with his left hand after he hits the ground.



Browns left tackle Joe Thomas told Cleveland.com that Thomas “came in the huddle and said, ‘I saw the Redskins defense with the ball on the ground, meaning the play was over and then the ball switched hands after that.'”

i do not know what compton is talking about ... you can clearly see Johnson has the ball

at no time do you ever see Compton with the ball

HIGHLIGHT: Redskins Recover Duke Johnson Fumble 

 

[Caliskinsfan]

 

[Caliskinsfan]