Game Thread: Week 4: Browns @ Redskins

[Krusheasy]

gruden 2/2

On defenses paying more attention to TE Jordan Reed in the red zone this year:

“Yeah, we are seeing a little bit more zone probably and when they play zone, sometimes they bang him when he gets off the line of scrimmage or they send an extra guy to him which is good. It should open up some other people but we just haven’t found the open guy consistently like we wanted to or guys didn’t get open or they played good coverage against the plays that we called. There is a combination of things that make it go astray but he has to be a big part of the red zone moving forward but, if he does get doubled someone else has to win.”


On lining up TE Jordan Reed differently:

“Yeah, both. We can move him around a little bit more and have other guys contribute, especially in the running game. It’s just a matter of how to skin a cat, a lot of ways to skin a cat. We gotta pick the right ones, we just haven’t done that yet.”



On CB Kendall Fuller being an option in the secondary:

“That was a big thing. I think once we got him at rookie minicamp he was very limited coming back from the injury. He came back probably a little bit quicker than we anticipated. We hadn’t anticipated him until training camp, but from OTAs he did a little bit and then training camp he continued to progress along. In the last couple preseason games he played extremely well we thought. We feel good about his growth. We didn’t want to rush him back but I think he’s ready. I think he was ready in week one, actually, to play. We just thought [Dashaun] Phillips had earned the right to play to start the season. If he’s banged-up we don’t have any doubt that Fuller can fill in. [Greg] Toler can play nickel, [Will] Blackmon can play nickel, so we have a lot of good options to deal with and we’ll see who’s ready to go come Sunday.”



On CB Quinton Dunbar’s growth:

“I think he would have played a lot more, the addition of Josh Norman probably set him back a little bit and [Bashaud] Breeland was playing extremely well in training camp and preseason. He just happened to be the odd man out. He’s not really a nickel, he’s more of a corner. He just had to wait his turn. He’s very patient and he got his opportunity Sunday and made a couple big plays for us so, he has made significant growth. He’s just a long, raw corner that can run. He’s very disruptive at the line of scrimmage, plays excellent in bump-and-run, off-coverage is where he’s getting a lot better. That’s where you see the growth. He’ll get more and more reps as the season goes on and he’ll continue to get better.”



On the decision to practice outside in the rain:

“I did think about [the rain], I got quite wet. But I was already wet, I didn’t want to go standing there all wet in the bubble. Once we were out there, the heck with it. I got a bad weather report from Paul Kelly [laughter]. I’m not pointing fingers, but Paul did it [laughter].”



On the run game:

“That’s something that we’ve addressed here for sure. We don’t want to rely that much on our passing game. We feel like we can, if need be. I think the Pittsburgh game was different because we got down there late in the third quarter – the whole fourth quarter was all passes so it really skewed our numbers a little bit. We were definitely pass first, that was our game plan against Pittsburgh. Then against Dallas, we thought we had some really good looks in the passing game also. Each opponent is going to be different, but we do want to have some kind of balance. We want to get Matt [Jones] going. You saw what he can do once he gets going in the fourth quarter, he can wear people down and he can move the chains, and we eat up some clock and keep our defense fresh. That’s a very important part of the game for us. It’s something that we have to address and continue to work on. But there will be games where we feel like we can move the ball through the air, we just have to find a good balance and that’s what we’re trying to do.”


On the importance of getting WR Josh Doctson involved:

“That’s a good question. The thought was that he keeps showing a little bit of progress, we keep thinking he’s getting better and he keeps teasing us running out there making a great catch and looking good and then the next day he gets sore. We’ve done all of the tests we just haven’t really found out the issue, what it is, why it’s sore and that’s something we’re continuing to work on there. It could be a possibility or a time that we put him down for a couple more weeks or a couple more days like we’re taking him off today, probably set him down tomorrow, see if that helps him a little bit. But, this is new to everybody I think and the key is to get him healthy like you say. We are not trying to rush him, we are just trying to see how he feels on each given day and if he can go, he goes and if not, he doesn’t. So we just don’t know what tomorrow will bring.”



On CB Josh Norman following around Browns WR Terrelle Pryor Sr.:

“It’ll be hard to follow him when he’s playing quarterback. So, I don’t know, we’ll have to wait and see. We’re still working on our game plan now and he’s all over the place. He’s been a dynamic player in the NFL, one of...probably the biggest surprise in the league so far how productive he has been at both receiver and at quarterback, obviously last week. He’s a great athlete, got a chance to meet him once, he’s big, he’s got great ball skills, so we will have a plan for him but, when you move him around from quarterback to receiver to slot whatever it is, we’ll just have to know. We have to – team defense is gonna have to take him away, somebody different every time possibly.”

 

[Krusheasy]

cousins 1/2

QB Kirk Cousins


On the reshuffled offensive line playing a factor Sunday:

“It’s definitely something we have to prepare for but that’s what practice is about. We’re out there today getting snaps and talking through the role of the center and making sure that we’re all on the same page. Come Sunday, no one is looking for excuses. We have to go out there and be productive as an offense no matter who’s in what positions and that will always be the expectation.”



On if the team needs to try new plays in the red zone:

“I think we can certainly try some different plays, but we often try different plays every week. We’re trying to game plan specifically for the defense we’re facing, so we haven’t carried carbon-copies of our red zone plan week, to week, to week. It changes every week, whether you’re playing well, or struggling, you’re going to make adjustments and do whatever you think works best that week. It’s certainly something we want to be better in. We’re working hard at it to improve it.”



On defense’s throwing new things at him:

“We’ve said it for a while now -- there’s still five eligible, so if you’re going to take Jordan [Reed] away, there’s four other guys who are eligible to catch the ball and then I can always run too. You can’t take away Jordan without giving something else up in a way. It’s just a matter of finding that and getting them the football. Defenses are going to do different things. They’re going to game plan for you, they’re going to make adjustments in-game. I’d be hard-pressed to find something that defenses will do that we haven’t seen at some point, it’s just a matter of in the moment recognizing it and making the right decision accordingly. It’s not like you’re saying, ‘I’ve never seen that coverage before. I’ve never seen that alignment, or that blitz.’ It’s just a matter of when you do see it, reacting accordingly in the split-second, in the moment, and that’s something that we’ll be working on for as long as I’m playing football.”



On making adjustments at the line with a new center:

“Spencer’s [Long] pretty on it. He’s, first of all, very intelligent, he’s very conscientious, he has a sense of urgency. So although he doesn’t have a lot of starts at center under his belt, the ability to make the calls, the ability to run the show – he’s very capable. So I don’t see myself having to carry a new role or an added weight with Kory [Lichtensteiger] being gone because Spencer’s pretty on top of it.”



On getting in sync with a new center:

“There’s a rhythm there – but like today at practice – I felt like it was already pretty well-established with Spencer because he’s been playing center all the way through the offseason program and training camp and he’s been here now for a few years. We played with Josh LeRibeus, I think, for about 10 games, 11 games last year and we played pretty well. It’s just a part of the process, I think. What we always worked on with Josh was just the snaps because he had been a guard through his past, so the shotgun snaps would occasionally be off-mark a little bit, but it didn’t derail our offense – we were still very productive. So if that’s the worst thing you can come up with, then it’s not the end of the world. We’ll be fine.”


On how often he sees defenses cheat towards TE Jordan Reed:

“Yeah, I think each play, each snap is different – each situation. I noticed a couple of times where maybe they’re more conscious of him. One time, right before the half, they more-or-less doubled Jordan [Reed] and we were able to find DeSean [Jackson] in the seam right behind them. We didn’t make the connection on the play, but that’s an example of…you still have to go 11-on-11. So you can be more aware of one of those 11, but there’s still 22 guys out there and you still have to find the other eligibles. If you can find a DeSean Jackson in that moment and complete that, then you say, ‘We love having Jordan there and even if he didn’t catch the football, he’s helping our offense.’ It’s an ever-evolving game, an ever-evolving process, and we just have to continue to try to be one step ahead of our competitors to find the best way to move the football.”


On the final takeaway from the drive at the end of the first half:

“I think the final takeaway is I just have to put the ball out of the end zone. Obviously you want to score a touchdown, if someone’s there in the rhythm of the play, great, but the second that it’s determined that it’s not there, you can’t even hesitate, the ball has got to be gone. It’s got to be thrown at their feet, thrown right over their heads – you don’t want to get an intentional grounding, but you need to throw it away. As much as instinctively you may think ‘six seconds, I have a little bit more time,’ don’t even think about it. Just ball out and move on. Again, that will be one of those things where as long as I’m playing football, I’ll always be trying to master a situational awareness and become a master at different situations. The good quarterbacks, I think, are automatic in those moments. Not just like that one, in an infinite number of situations they’re just very automatic. That’s where I’m going continue to try and get better and better.”

 

[Krusheasy]

cousins
2/2

On his thoughts of having potentially played against former Redskins QB and now Browns QB Robert Griffin III at home:

“You know just another opportunity to try to get a win. I really focus on the defense and I have a little bit of a narrow focus. You know, I don’t worry about special teams, like I said, I didn’t even know we had a fake punt on or had carried a fake punt last game and so, I have a little bit of a narrow focus of ‘let’s focus on their defense.’ They’ve given me enough to worry about and all the other things that go on, it just doesn’t do me much good or benefit me much to spend energy or time thinking about it.”


On if he’s on the verge of scoring more touchdowns with the offense moving the ball so well:

“I don’t know. Whether it’s a passing touchdown or a rushing touchdown we just want to come away with scores. If we throw the ball to get down to the one-yard line and then pound it in with Matt Jones then so be it, that’s great. I think the key is though to come away with more production in the red zone. What’s, I guess, comforting but also troubling is that we were so productive in the red zone last year, so we know we can do it, we know we should be doing it, and when it’s not happening that’s when you feel like you know, we’ve got to be better because we can be. And we’re capable of being better. And that’s why this is an ongoing challenge. We just got to keep going back and working and always challenging ourselves to be better and better and hopefully get a better result going forward.”


On what he’s seen from the Brown’s defense and how to avoid a “trap game”:

“I just don’t see it as a trap game. I don’t see any game in the NFL as a trap game, I mean we’re 1-2. What are we feeling comfortable about, I mean we have to win in the sense that we want to get to 2-2, and we got a lot to play for. We’re at home. So, I think those words just don’t even enter my, or our, vocabulary. I think if you watch the film, right, the Browns are like two plays away from being 2-1, or who knows, they could be 3-0. I think most teams in the NFL that’s the case. So, I see a very talented defense. Guys that play really hard, they play together, they play inspired. They’re smart, aware players; athletic. Much like every other NFL defense I’ll face and it’s going to be a challenge every single week, and they’re going to bring it and we better be ready.”


On balancing getting a completion versus waiting for a play to develop:

“Yeah, one of the plays I think you’re referencing—it’s Cover-0. They’re bringing more than we can block. You know, I’m going to where my read is, I’ve got to get the ball out of my hand. So, in that sense my read didn’t take me to the guy who was running by himself and then secondly, in those Cover-0 type looks, some guys do get turned loose. So, in that defense, in the way they pressure, in the way they try to disguise looks, that’s going to happen from time to time. But, you got to stay true to your leads to avoid the critical errors that could happen if you say, ‘that guy’s open but I’m going to start seeing what else is over there.’ I mean the pass rushers are just too good to start doing that.”


On the improvements he’s seen in WR Jamison Crowder:

“I think we’re always getting better, but I think it would be selling him short to say he’s a better player now then he was last year. He was really good last year, I mean he’s just—he’s a rookie, he’s a fourth-round pick. We’re trying to find out how he fits. We’re thinking that Pierre [Garcon] and DeSean [Jackson] and Jordan [Reed] are going to be the guys that we get the ball to, and then suddenly he just starts showing up time and again in training camp last year and early in the season and we started saying, wow, we’ve got to get him more involved. So, it might’ve been too little, too late. But, he’s a special player and he’s going to continue to be productive for us. We’ve got find ways to get him on the field more and more.”


On if he senses that defenses underrate Crowder’s contributions:

“Yeah, I think it just goes back to that ultimately it’s 11-on-11, and if you’re going to worry about Jordan, or you’re going to worry about Jamison Crowder or DeSean; we got to exploit something somewhere. You know, if you’re going to try to stop the pass, let’s run the ball. If you’re going to try to load the box, let’s throw it. If you’re going to double Jordan, let’s find the other guy who’s one-on-one and isolated. That’s the constant chess match. Sean McVay’s doing a great job at play calling. The tunnel screen to Crowder that scored is a phenomenal play call. And that’s great play design and great coaching to get those guys in their blocks and put Jamison in the position to then do what he’s able to do, so it takes everybody. Coaches are doing a good job of putting him in a position to make plays and we’ve got to continue to do that week-in and week-out. Give guys opportunities to show what they’re capable of.”


On if he notices when players change position in the huddle:

“Yeah he took out two on the one play which is pretty good when one guy can get two people. Yeah you do, you’re aware of it but it’s sort of like a shrug your shoulders, what are we going to do about it, you know let’s just go. So, my big thing is I’ve got to go get snaps with the center because a fumbled snap can change an entire course of the game. So we’ve got to get snaps, we’ve got to make sure that we’re on the same page and there isn’t any fumble exchanges and we avoid those critical errors. But, welcome to the NFL with guys having to move around and play different positions. We’ve always got to just keep finding ways to still produce no matter what.”

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Like the way you've given us the presser info @Krusheasy

 

[Krusheasy]

Like the way you've given us the presser info @Krusheasy

i wish they would post the videos to their youtube account ... but if i keep bugging Czarda he'll probably block me, lol. They cant seem to get the audio for those mic right anyways so just as well, lol

 

[skinsdad62]

pryor could be an issue for the skins

 

[Stymietee]

pryor could be an issue for the skins

It's a bit troubling how well on balance these teams match up. If stats mean anything at all Cleveland will be pounding the ball all game long because they are right now a better run team than pass team. I agree based upon what I've just written that Pryor could present a lot of problems. Fortunately, Gordon is still out. We will have to score TD's when they are there, the browns ground game could take the air out of the ball.

 

[Breed]

pryor could be an issue for the skins

Yep, like Gordon he has that man among boys vibe. And given our run defense and their run offense. Pryor could be seeing a whole lotta single coverage.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

I can't believe this, for the first time since we moved 14 years ago I have no way of getting this game on TV. I live in the Baltimore cable market and a few times a year the Redskins are not on cable. No problem, I pull out a backup TV, hook up rabbit ears, and pull Fox out of DC. But this game is on CBS opposite the Ravens who are also on CBS at 1 and my rabbit ears do not pick up CBS out of DC. WTF? Is there a way to stream it that actually works?

 

[deanpet21]

I can't believe this, for the first time since we moved 14 years ago I have no way of getting this game on TV. I live in the Baltimore cable market and a few times a year the Redskins are not on cable. No problem, I pull out a backup TV, hook up rabbit ears, and pull Fox out of DC. But this game is on CBS opposite the Ravens who are also on CBS at 1 and my rabbit ears do not pick up CBS out of DC. WTF? Is there a way to stream it that actually works?

That is good you are able to get all the fox games with rabbit ears. I live in RI so its basically a sports bar for me who has nfl sunday ticket. I heard horror stores with that stream stuff.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

That is good you are able to get all the fox games with rabbit ears. I live in RI so its basically a sports bar for me who has nfl sunday ticket. I heard horror stores with that stream stuff.

Not a fan of the sports bar deal but it's that or my annoying neighbor's who has the Ticket.

 

[Sharkinva]

Not a fan of the sports bar deal but it's that or my annoying neighbor's who has the Ticket.

Or you could just I dont know... go to the game?? Just a thought.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

Or you could just I dont know... go to the game?? Just a thought.

Now that's funny.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Hue says there is a chance that Austin Reiter will play this Sun.

 

[deanpet21]

Not a fan of the sports bar deal but it's that or my annoying neighbor's who has the Ticket.

Your neighbor has the ticket and is a Redskins fan?

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

Yeah I was bummed he got picked up, the Redskins invested a lot of time developing him.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

Your neighbor has the ticket and is a Redskins fan?

J-E-T-S

Jets
Jets
Jets

 

[deanpet21]

J-E-T-S

Jets
Jets
Jets

oh. you should work out a deal when the jets aren't on.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Yeah I was bummed he got picked up, the Redskins invested a lot of time developing him.

The irony if he plays well will not be lost on anyone.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

oh. you should work out a deal when the jets aren't on.

Regardless it's 4 hours with my neighbor who would like to talk non-stop about his fantasy football team. Actually he's a good guy, just too much of him is too much. As I said this is the first time in 14 years I can't get the Redskins here.

I'd stop by Cali's place but something tells me it's not a quick trip.