Upon Further Review ...

[Om]

I haven't had a chance to rewatch the Giants game yet, and may not before the Cards roll into town. Thought this article from Rich Campbell for the WT was worth a read.

Whether you've had a chance to go back and review the tape sans the real-time angst/beer factor or not....I'm thinking maybe you might as well.

Some good stuff.

Redskins–Giants: Game Balls, Gassers and Observations

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/sep/14/redskinsgiants-game-balls-gassers-and-observations/

ANALYSIS/OPINION

A review of the best and worst performances by the Washington Redskins' defense and some observations after re-watching the TV broadcast of their 28-14 win over the New York Giants.

GAME BALLS

LOB Ryan Kerrigan: The rookie gets top billing because he scored the decisive touchdown. What an athletic play it was. When QB Eli Manning began his throwing motion, Kerrigan was still bent over fending off RT Kareem McKenzie’s attempted cut block.

Let Kerrigan explain how he beat it: “It’s just vision, just seeing where the guy who’s going to block you is going,” he said Monday morning. “If he’s going to your legs, you want to protect yourself and keep him off you and make sure you get your hands on him to keep him away from you. It’s pure reaction.”

Kerrigan has steadily improved since debuting at linebacker in the Pittsburgh preseason game, and that’s a testament to his intelligence and work ethic. He still had his rookie moments on Sunday – he whiffed once when he tried to jam the tight end; another time he took a wasted step toward the sideline on a run and ended up wrong-footed; in the third quarter he missed a tackle in the backfield after shedding the fullback’s block – but they’re decreasing in frequency and impact.

Kerrigan’s perseverance netted the Redskins an intentional grounding penalty against New York. He fought through RG Chris Snee and FB Henry Hynoski to get to Manning. It took him 4.6 seconds to get to the quarterback – quite a long time in the pocket – but he ultimately pressured Manning into committing a foul. He’s clearly on the right course.

CB DeAngelo Hall: It’s ironic – Hall didn’t make one of his prime time plays, but this was one of the best games I’ve seen him play as a Redskin. Overall, Washington’s pass coverage was exceptional. (68 of New York’s 240 passing yards came on one play; the other 172 came on 35 dropbacks.) Hall was a big part of that. His reads were good, and so was his technique. He allowed WRs Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham the usual cushion at times, but that never really hurt the Redskins. Hall never got caught looking into the backfield and never gave up the big play, as he did in last season’s finale against New York.

Furthermore, his tackling was superb. On third-and-18 from New York’s 2-yard line in the fourth quarter, Hall read the screen pass, came off his receiver behind the blockers and dove to wrap up RB D.J. Ware for a gain of 3. On third-and-1 from the Redskins' 18 on the next series, he threw himself into traffic to help set the edge against RB Ahmad Bradshaw, and that helped NT Barry Cofield make the tackle from behind. Hall also pressured Manning on a cornerback blitz in the first half.

NT Barry Cofield: Cofield didn’t play well for the entirety of his Redskins debut, which makes the defense’s success even more impressive because he’s the key to the operation. However, the two plays he did make were so critical that they earned him a spot on this list.

He wasn’t as stout against the run as he was in the preseason. Sometimes Giants C David Baas blocked him one-on-one, which created problems for the Redskins' linebackers. Cofield failed to stay square on a couple of running plays, as well, which allows linemen to get to the linebackers. Cofield also wasn’t the pass-rushing force we got accustomed to during the preseason.

So why the game ball? The two plays he made in short yardage situations in the second half.

On fourth-and-1 from the Redskins' 44, he got off the ball faster than the Giants' offensive linemen and penetrated the gap between the center and left guard. That allowed ILB Rocky McIntosh to shoot that gap freely and make the tackle that gave the Redskins the ball back.

In the fourth quarter, the athleticism he displayed on third-and-1 from the Redskins' 18 rivaled that of OLB Ryan Kerrigan’s interception. Again, Cofield penetrated the backfield by getting off the ball quickly. And when RB Ahmad Bradshaw tried to run around the right edge, Cofield chased him down from behind and hurled his body at him to make the tackle. The Redskins blocked the Giants' field goal attempt on the next play.

ILB Rocky McIntosh: London Fletcher probably deserves a game ball, too, but Rocky doesn’t often represent the inside linebackers here, so Fletcher can wait for another day. McIntosh had one of his best games in coverage. On one first-quarter play, he shadowed the tight end to the right sideline, which contributed to the intentional grounding penalty against the Giants. His run fit was perfect when it had to be on fourth-and-1 in the second half. He shot the gap NT Barry Cofield created with his penetration. McIntosh also hit QB Eli Manning and forced an incompletion on the Giants' penultimate drive....

Lots more at the link above....including a link at the end of the DEFENSE review to his OFFENSE review.

 

[Om]

The problem with trying to analyze a player's performance after only watching the game live is you simply cannot grade the overall performance.

For one thing, we tend to only remember one or two plays by any single player, out of the dozens he plays throughout the game.

For another thing, when we're watching live we have zero context--no idea what the guy was SUPPOSED to do, no idea why he ended up where he did, etc.

Plus you have that whole emotion thing clouding clear analysis.

Big fan of the Upon Further Review philosophy. Puts matters in a far, far different light almost every time.

 

[Beauty is Only]

The problem with trying to analyze a player's performance after only watching the game live is you simply cannot grade the overall performance.

For one thing, we tend to only remember one or two plays by any single player, out of the dozens he plays throughout the game.

For another thing, when we're watching live we have zero context--no idea what the guy was SUPPOSED to do, no idea why he ended up where he did, etc.

Plus you have that whole emotion thing clouding clear analysis.

Big fan of the Upon Further Review philosophy. Puts matters in a far, far different light almost every time.

Reading some of Doughty's comments in this article helps me realize,too, just how humble and accepting of correction a successful professional football player must be. Players are critiqued (by the media, coaches, fellow players, themselves, etc.) on a daily basis. They must accept (from the right source) what they're hearing and make changes based on the instruction they receive in order to succeed. That's hard no matter how much money one makes.

And each week EVERY PLAYER makes mistakes no matter how long he's been playing. Ego has to take a back seat to sound football execution. A player has to be more than physically strong to survive in the NFL.

 

[servumtuum]

The problem with trying to analyze a player's performance after only watching the game live is you simply cannot grade the overall performance.

For one thing, we tend to only remember one or two plays by any single player, out of the dozens he plays throughout the game.

For another thing, when we're watching live we have zero context--no idea what the guy was SUPPOSED to do, no idea why he ended up where he did, etc.

Plus you have that whole emotion thing clouding clear analysis.

Big fan of the Upon Further Review philosophy. Puts matters in a far, far different light almost every time.

Well put, mon ami. I agree on all counts.

It's one of the reasons I lean so strongly toward quantitative analysis.

 

[fansince62]

Well put, mon ami. I agree on all counts.

It's one of the reasons I lean so strongly toward quantitative analysis.

oi..that's you Serv...always playing by the numbers!

 

[burgold]

The other thing for Coefield is that he was going up against the team and players that know him best. They played against him extensively in practice, know all his moves, all his tendencies, his strengths and weaknesses... Now, he should know theirs too, but that my explain why he wasn't as dominant in this game.

 

[Elephant]

The other thing for Coefield is that he was going up against the team and players that know him best. They played against him extensively in practice, know all his moves, all his tendencies, his strengths and weaknesses... Now, he should know theirs too, but that my explain why he wasn't as dominant in this game.

And the fact that the Giants have had a solid offensive line for years now, plugging in the next guy whenever one of their pro-bowlers goes down without missing a beat.

 

[Canadian Hog]

A great read.

Based on that assessment, it's clear that there is room for improvement. The one thing we can all take comfort in though is that while it wasn't a perfect game from the Redskins, they certainly were opportunistic and made plays when they absolutely needed them. You think back to the Kerrigan INT, Cofield and Rocky making stops on "and short" situations, the touchdowns to Armstrong and Gaffney, etc. It was these kinds of situations that the team would traditionally let slip away that would ultimately lead to losses. Hopefully, this is a sign of hope for the rest of the season.