Burner's Burning Questions: Week Three Grades, Evaluations, Questions

[Burgundy Burner]

Greetings from the international headquarters of BBQ.

Week three is in the books and now we take a look at how the entire team fared against the Giants. It was a see-saw affair that had a lot of great football along with plenty of mistakes, but it became a contest that left fans happy and encouraged. We will try to make some sense of it all as BBQ hands out grades, evaluations and questions. Feel free to offer your own grades, evaluations, questions, and opinions.

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[Burgundy Burner]

Week Three Grades, Evaluations, Questions​

Greetings from the international headquarters of BBQ.

Week three is in the books and now we take a look at how the entire team fared against the Giants. It was a see-saw affair that had a lot of great football along with plenty of mistakes, but it became a contest that left fans happy and encouraged. We will try to make some sense of it all as BBQ hands out grades, evaluations and questions. Feel free to offer your own grades, evaluations, questions, and opinions.

Let’s take a look at week three.

Quarterbacks:
Question: Has Kirk Cousins turned a corner with Sunday’s performance?
Answer: Let’s give this a little time. There were a couple of brain fades, but his overall play was certainly improved over the previous two weeks. It took nearly half a season last year. This year???
Grade: B

Running Backs:
Question: Was Sunday’s game an indication that more balance is coming on offense?
Answer: Again, let’s give this a little time, but the stats are encouraging. Look for more passes this coming week as Cleveland is 20th in the league against the pass and 13th against the run. After Sunday’s game, there is still room for improvement.
Grade: B-

Wide Receivers:
Question: Would you agree that this group was on fire last week?
Answer: They were certainly impressive. Pierre Garcon was solid early on and kept the chains moving. You already know about DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder. This group could have another fine outing on the second day of October.
Grade: A-

Tight Ends:
Question: The tight ends disappeared a bit against the Giants. What happened?
Answer: Jordan Reed had his usual good day, but the stats are misleading. Blocking from this group was solid and the running and passing was much improved.
Grade: B+

Offensive Line:
Question: Was this the best game yet from this group?
Answer: Without a doubt. Just like last week - it wasn’t perfect, but the running game was improved. Pass protection was very good. Downfield blocking was superb. Moving Trent Williams to guard and Ty Nsekhe to left tackle was a brilliant decision by the coaches.
Grade: A-

Defensive Line:
Question: Ok, who lit a fire under Trent Murphy?
Answer: We’re not sure, but the results are encouraging. While this unit still has struggles, they did have their best game thus far. Key stat: Before Chris Baker’s sack, Eli Manning had a passer rating of 132.9. Rest of the game: A 63.9 rating.
Grade: B

Linebackers:
Question: Again, we must ask. Why isn’t Su’a Cravens starting?
Answer: Same answer. Patience with the rookie is a virtue, but he could be a starter by midseason. This group was bolstered by the play of Cravens, but the rest of this gang (other than the steady play of Mason Foster) needs to step it up. We’re looking at you Preston Smith and Ryan Kerrigan.
Grade: B-

Cornerbacks:
Question: Why didn’t Josh Norman follow the best receiver in previous games?
Answer: We don’t have access to Joe Barry’s phone number or email, but we would like to know. Bashaud Breeland struggled again, but his presence could now be a moot point. Quinton Dunbar did well in spot duty. It will be interesting to see how the Breeland injury situation unfolds.
Grade: B-

Safeties:
Question: Is the DeAngelo Hall injury a blessing in disguise?
Answer: Not really, but some think that Will Blackmon is better suited to the position and he did well after Hall exited. David Bruton had a better game on Sunday, but he was still out of position on some passes and running plays.
Grade: C+

Special Teams:
Question: Just how good was special teams on Sunday?
Answer: The best. Special teams continue to be a strength of the Redskins this season. Great blocking (just ask a wiped out Keenan Robinson). Great punt returns. Five for five on field goals. Quinton Dunbar. Very successful fake punt. Solid kickoffs. If BBQ would be in a nitpicking mood again, then we would point out the negated blocked punt. There is only one grade we can give.
Grade: A+

Coaching:
Question: You were saying something about that hot seat?
Answer: No. BBQ didn’t say a thing about it. Not at all. Ok, ok – we touched on the subject last week. It was a slow start, but the staff stayed true to a game plan of smash 'em football and some semblance of a running game. Yes, the defense could’ve been better, but that unit hung in there and made the plays when desperately needed. Yes, the offense committed a horrible and heinous mistake late in the first half, but they didn’t let it affect them in the second half. The special teams coach deserves a week’s worth of steak dinners at Morton’s. BBQ believes that the adjustments to injuries were the right calls – in fact, brilliant. Getting a road win against an undefeated NFC East opponent automatically elevates the grade by one full mark.
Grade: A-

How would you grade each position and the coaching staff? Should the Redskins start Nsekhe, Williams, Long, Scherff, and Moses along the offensive line this week? Do you think Arie Kouandjio is ready to start at left guard? Are you encouraged by the signing of John Sullivan and when will we see him in the lineup? Is the career of DeAngelo Hall over? Should Josh Doctson be put on injured reserve? On to game four.

See you again next week with grades, evaluations, and questions.

Hail to the Redskins!

 

[Fear The Spear]

Special Teams:
Question: Just how good was special teams on Sunday?
Answer: The best. Special teams continue to be a strength of the Redskins this season. Great blocking (just ask a wiped out Keenan Robinson). Great punt returns. Five for five on field goals. Quinton Dunbar. Very successful fake punt. Solid kickoffs. If BBQ would be in a nitpicking mood again, then we would point out the negated blocked punt. There is only one grade we can give.
Grade: A+

I assume you intentionally didn't penalize their grade for the muffed punt, since it appeared it was an officiating mistake ?

 

[JohnssBass]

Defensive Line:
Question: Ok, who lit a fire under Trent Murphy?

I was wondering the same thing - whether they were scheming him differently or if he was just flat outplaying Ryan & Smith. So I went through some game tape over the last two games just looking at the dLine. For the most part - Trent's beating the same guys the other two aren't. For another he has been able to take an inside path when it's there and Kerrigan & Smith are almost exclusively playing a 5 technique. They have occasionally worked Trent closer to the middle of the line (see below) and it's worked out when they've done it.



Above: Murphy gets some help by RJF turning the Center but Trent pretty much beats the LT bulls his way in through the LG. Dak unloaded the pass and then Murphy unloaded Prescott. He's lined up closer to the Center than he normally does when he's in for Smith or Kerrigan. Any reason why they couldn't get all three on the field at the same time with Murphy towards the Center kinda like this?
Below: Jenkins pushes the double team behind the line and Trent comes back through the center while on the left side of the line Smith is going to stunt to release Baker to the backfield. The Giants send both the RB and the FB but Trent just blows by the FB and gets to the QB. It looks like the FB wasn't expecting anyone to be there as he had to turn back to try and block Murphy.




Not to say neither Ryan or Preston couldn't do the same thing as far as getting through the middle but that's not what they do. So I think that's why Trent has lit it up; the edges are still good with Kerrigan and Smith but Trent can get through the center of the line and has been playing better on the outside.

What I don't get is Ziggy getting so much time playing the middle. He rarely gets penetration, is usually just shoved out of the way and can't beat a double team. Most of the big runs Dallas and NY got are when that happened. Jenkins is an improvement, although I am glad the experiment against the Clownboys of Hood and Jenkins side by side in the middle was abandoned against the giAnts. RJF is an improvement over Jenkins and of course Baker is #1. But snap count wise on the first 3 is Hood, Jenkins and RJF.

Murphy could be used more often in the middle - it's worth a try and he's shown he can do it. Maybe get some of those guys who play better on the field more often. At the same time.

 

[Ax]

Only disagreement I have is calling the coaching staff brilliant, well, for anything, really.

The revamped Oline was forced upon them by injury. It was their "worst case scenario" when deciding actives/inactives for the game. That it worked out so good was fortunate for the team. But it was little more than dumb luck for the coaches.

Had that been the starting line, before injury, it could be brilliant. Stumbling into it, not so much.

This is still a barely average coaching staff. Still hoping they'll get better. They shit the bed the 1st two weeks. Last week, the players outperformed the coaches, and got it done. And after the Dallas debacle, the coaches get no benefit of doubt with me. I see them as the most likely cause if we fall to the Browns this week.

 

[JohnssBass]

Yeah, totally, Ax. Had Arie been on the game day roster - probably no Curly shuffle on the line, but what they did mostly worked. 0 - 4 in the Red Zone; 0 - 2 on goal to go in NY. So that's now 3 - 14 for RZ and 1 - 6 goal to go for the season. Coaching staff doesn't get a passing grade from me till something there changes for the better. It doesn't appear that Jay, McVay or Kirk is reading defenses very well down there and from their interviews it kinda sounds like they've admitted as much.

All the guys that did come in played really well, though. If they did it once, they can do it again.

 

[riggins44]

What is going on with Kerrigan? He isn't even getting pressure like we've seen him in previous years. Is he dinged? I was hoping bring in a OLB coach would help him raise his game this year. We need Kerrigan to find his old self.

 

[Burgundy Burner]

B- was the original grade for the coaching staff - bolstered by the special teams coach who would get the highest marks. Then the grade gets elevated by one full mark for three things: First, winning on the road. Second, beating a division opponent on the road. Third, beating an undefeated team on the road. It's as fair as you can get. Anything else is just hating.

 

[Bulldog]

I know the club promised Bruton a chance to start at safety as part of the deal to bring him here from Denver.

But after a couple of weeks it seems apparent that he has been a backup for most of his 7 year NFL career for a reason, he isn't fundamentally sound playing safety.

He is a superior special teams player and should revert to that role while Duke Ihenacho should be activated to play the strong safety position.

He like Bruton is not the fastest guy in coverage, but he is a very good run defender and solid tackler in the open field. Bruton has left some key tackles on the field that had to be made by others to prevent big plays from turning into touchdowns so far.

We have kept our commitment to giving David a chance to start, now we need to move on to a better overall solution in the back seven.

 

[JohnssBass]

Bruton has been improving each week so at least he is on an upward trend. If the refs don't steal his Int last week,people might be talking more about how he's coming along. Granted he didn't start well but if you sat everyone that didn't start well, Hopkins, Way and the cheerleaders would be the only ones on the field. Would like to see Duke out there more but I don't think he's quite 100% or maybe the coaches are just holding him back to be sure he's healthy - he is a guy who seems to get injured easily. As far as last week - Hall was having more trouble making tackles; a lot more. One game not his career but DeAngelo was having a bad day at the office and Bruton was picking up some slack there so possibly it looked like he was missing more tackles when he was actually making ones others missed. Kinda what a Safety does.

I've ragged on Bruton also, pretty much like I have on the entire team and staff, but I also have (sparingly) given credit where due also. It is going to be interesting to see what they do in the secondary due to the injuries they now have. I think they have the guys to pull it off but they may be forced to start playing guys where their skills are best suited to instead of where the staff tries to make them fit. In any case they will have to be somewhat creative with the game planning back there.