 }})
yep, the more they stay the same.
Washington found itself in position to score more points than in previous contests, got good return yardage from the special teams thanks to Devin Thomas and mounted a credible rushing attack without Portis and Betts.
But in the end the same bugaboos that have attached themelves to this team in previous games undid the Redskins in the end.
One is Zorn's decisionmaking. He is simply making the wrong calls at the wrong time, seemingly against the flow of the game.
Last week, instead of running a third down play right before the half to get additional yardage for the field goal or try a shot at 7 points, he decided after a long official timeout iced his kicker, to try the FG anyway.
This week, with the Redskins ahead 14-13 but with the Eagles having made hay on a previous turnover by Campbell, Zorn decided with 52 seconds left to gamble rather than go into the locker room with the lead on the road.
Those extra 3 points the Eagles scored on the turnover FG were the difference at the end of the game.
And we can look to a fourth and one play at the end of the game, where Campbell went back to throw a pass when the club merely needed that single yard to continue the drive.
These circumstances yelled out for either a quarterback keeper, inside handoff out of the shotgun, or a quick pass to Fred Davis or to the back in the flat.
Instead in a slow-developing play the Eagles got pressure and Campbell underthrew Santana Moss. Game over.
The other characteristic of this club that has dogged it from the beginning of the season has been the inability of the defense to hold a lead in the fourth quarter.
True, the defense was without Hall and Haynesworth today.
But at the same time the Eagles were 90 yards away from a chance to tie the game with a touchdown and 2 point conversion.
The odds of scoring 7 or 8 points on a 90 plus yard drive in the NFL are not generally very good.
Unless you have outstanding offensive personnel.
Or unless you are facing a team that isn't going to go all out to pressure the quarterback but is going to go to a prevent zone and not get in the face of the passer.
Blache is coaching the Redskins defense to make the games close but isn't making those aggressive calls at the end of games to close them out so the team can get a 'W'.
His scheme works when the Redskins are facing Josh Johnson or Chris Simms but against Tony Romo or Donovan McNabb you aren't going to be very successful sitting back and hoping they are going to make the critical mistake at home with the game on the line.
PS. I have been a supporter of Landry to this point, hoping he was going to start playing more responsibly and under control, but he needs to be sat down. He is hurting the team on the field with his play. Evidently, there is no accountability demanded of him as his poor coverage and tackling continue unabated from week to week with little or no change.
Washington found itself in position to score more points than in previous contests, got good return yardage from the special teams thanks to Devin Thomas and mounted a credible rushing attack without Portis and Betts.
But in the end the same bugaboos that have attached themelves to this team in previous games undid the Redskins in the end.
One is Zorn's decisionmaking. He is simply making the wrong calls at the wrong time, seemingly against the flow of the game.
Last week, instead of running a third down play right before the half to get additional yardage for the field goal or try a shot at 7 points, he decided after a long official timeout iced his kicker, to try the FG anyway.
This week, with the Redskins ahead 14-13 but with the Eagles having made hay on a previous turnover by Campbell, Zorn decided with 52 seconds left to gamble rather than go into the locker room with the lead on the road.
Those extra 3 points the Eagles scored on the turnover FG were the difference at the end of the game.
And we can look to a fourth and one play at the end of the game, where Campbell went back to throw a pass when the club merely needed that single yard to continue the drive.
These circumstances yelled out for either a quarterback keeper, inside handoff out of the shotgun, or a quick pass to Fred Davis or to the back in the flat.
Instead in a slow-developing play the Eagles got pressure and Campbell underthrew Santana Moss. Game over.
The other characteristic of this club that has dogged it from the beginning of the season has been the inability of the defense to hold a lead in the fourth quarter.
True, the defense was without Hall and Haynesworth today.
But at the same time the Eagles were 90 yards away from a chance to tie the game with a touchdown and 2 point conversion.
The odds of scoring 7 or 8 points on a 90 plus yard drive in the NFL are not generally very good.
Unless you have outstanding offensive personnel.
Or unless you are facing a team that isn't going to go all out to pressure the quarterback but is going to go to a prevent zone and not get in the face of the passer.
Blache is coaching the Redskins defense to make the games close but isn't making those aggressive calls at the end of games to close them out so the team can get a 'W'.
His scheme works when the Redskins are facing Josh Johnson or Chris Simms but against Tony Romo or Donovan McNabb you aren't going to be very successful sitting back and hoping they are going to make the critical mistake at home with the game on the line.
PS. I have been a supporter of Landry to this point, hoping he was going to start playing more responsibly and under control, but he needs to be sat down. He is hurting the team on the field with his play. Evidently, there is no accountability demanded of him as his poor coverage and tackling continue unabated from week to week with little or no change.
Last edited:
