In my opinion, Washington Examiner reporter John Keim does the best job covering the Redskins. He's efficient on Twitter and is extremely informative on his Redskins Confidential blog. But if you're not receiving Redskins Report, his weekly e-mails containing Redskins information, stats, and scouting reports, then you're missing out.
Here's an example from this week's report:
If it’s first-and-goal from the 6-yard line or closer, the Redskins have scored eight touchdowns and kicked three field goals. From beyond the 6, they’ve scored four touchdowns with four field goals and two interceptions. That contrasts with how their opposition has fared. From the 6 and in, they’ve scored three touchdowns, kicked three field goals and thrown a pick. From beyond the 6, it’s six touchdowns, two field goals and one interception.
Is that mind-blowing information? No. But informative? Definitely. And that's just a snapshot; the report this week also has interesting notes on rookies Ryan Kerrigan and Roy Helu.
This post is really just a heads-up more than anything. I'm sure lots of people already receive the weekly e-mails, but for those who don't, it's certainly worth it.
Heading into the season, most people figured the Redskins (2-1) would be an average to below-average team. I can recall only one analyst (NFL Network's Michael Lombardi) picking them to make the playoffs, and, predictably, he faced lots of criticism for doing so. Then the season started and the Redskins won their first two games.
Were they overly impressive wins? That's hard to tell, considering it's so difficult to accurately judge teams so early in the season. They beat an injury-depleted Giants team 28-14 in Week 1 and looked decent, though they needed an interception return by rookie linebacker Ryan Kerrigan to seize the lead in the third quarter and take control of the game for good. In Week 2 against the Cardinals, the Redskins again looked decent, racking up 455 yards of total offense and rushing for 172 yards. But they were also down 21-13 late in the fourth quarter and needed an 18-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss on a fourth down play and a crucial 34-yard Graham Gano field goal to pull out the 22-21 victory.
Last week's 18-16 loss to the Cowboys on Monday, which the Redskins could have won if they had taken advantage of several opportunities throughout the game, was more of a typical Redskins game. But fans are well accustomed to those kinds of ugly, underwhelming performances, particularly on Sunday or Monday night games.
The Cowboys and Giants are both 2-1, and the Cardinals are 1-2. But no one has a handle on exactly how good those teams are just yet -- just like the Redskins.
So how bad are the 0-3 Rams? They've lost by double digits in all three of their games, but they've also faced some strong competition in the Eagles, Giants, and Ravens. But if the Redskins are truly a decent team, they'll go to St. Louis and beat a winless team, which would put them at 3-1 going into their bye week.
To prove the critics wrong and actually have a chance at a 9-7 or a 10-6 season, the Redskins must throw everything they have at the Rams and win this game. Essentially, it's a "kitchen sink" game for them. Not only would it be awful to lose going into a bye week, but if they do lose, there will be two weeks of negative talk about the team, focusing on all the things this team hasn't done and trying to come up with answers even if there aren't any. If Rex Grossman has a bad game against the Rams, I also expect a ton of talk about benching him in favor of John Beck. Whether or not that actually happens is another thing, but no one would be surprised to see Beck get a chance if the Redskins struggle in yet another important game. No one thought that Mike Shanahan would bench a healthy Donovan McNabb in favor of Grossman last season, so going from Grossman to Beck wouldn't that surprising of a move.
With a loss, all of the positives surrounding the 2-0 start will disappear. That means, basically, it would be another long, Redskins-like season. The Redskins have shown flashes, particularly on defense, of being an improved team. And after a disappointing loss to the Cowboys, they need to score early and often against a bad, wounded team. Anything less would be, well, expected.
You may not be a fan of what the Redskins did in the first round of the NFL Draft yesterday, when they moved back from the 10th spot to the 16th spot, received an extra second-round pick, and selected DE/LB Ryan Kerrigan. That's OK. But let's see what some others are saying:
- "As quick as he is, I wonder if Kerrigan's pass-rush style will work right away in the NFL, especially as a lower weight. He has a decent bull-rush and impressive upper-body strength, but his game is built very much on edge speed, and a lot of tackles at the NFL level will be able to work that out. With a new transition to edge rusher/linebacker obviously in the cards (the weight loss sort of gives it away), he'll need to learn a lot about coverage unless his new defensive coordinator just wants him moving forward all the time. Loses his footing on stunts and loops at times because he's going at Tasmanian Devil speed." [Doug Farrar, Shutdown Corner]
- "Scouts Inc. pros: Natural playmaker. Tied FBS record with 14 forced fumbles in his career. Relentless pass rusher and rarely gears down early when chasing the run. Has outstanding technique and is disciplined. Will maintain outside contain. Pursues hard from the backside. Can get under offensive tackles and drive them back into the quarterback's lap. Has a knack for knocking the ball loose when gets to the quarterback.
Scouts Inc. cons: Not an elite athlete. Struggles to quickly change directions and will be limited with outside-in and inside-out moves in the NFL. Powerful tackler and will finish if he approaches point of attack in good position, but the more space he's in the less effective he becomes as a tackler." [Scouts Inc., ESPN NFC East Blog]
- "Anybody who follows the Redskins recognizes this isn’t a team that is one good draft away from being in contention. The Redskins need to find a quarterback now that the Donovan McNabb era has turned disastrous. They have to bolster their defensive interior with Haynesworth’s future in doubt and running back and offensive line are other questionable areas. In a division as competitive as the NFC East, this team won’t be competing for anything for at least another year.
One key reason for those issues is the team’s drafting history. While the Redskins have found gems like Orakpo and left tackle Trent Williams, last year’s top pick, they’ve also had a mediocre track record in this area lately. This is a team that has been far too concerned with big-name coaching hires and high-profile acquisitions. What they ultimately should have learned by now is that there are no quick fixes in the NFL.
The teams that win most consistently are the ones who get it right on draft day. By taking Kerrigan, the Redskins proved that they have a better sense of the value in this philosophy. He isn’t the only thing they need these days, but his arrival is definitely a strong step in the right direction." [Jeffri Chadiha, ESPN NFC East Blog]
- "Gabbert was hyped by the draftniks as a top-five quarterback because he looked the part despite a college career that didn’t blow anyone away. He has plenty of talent and athleticism, but it’s worth noting the following quarterback needy teams passed on him: Buffalo, Cincinnati, Arizona, San Francisco, Tennessee, and finally Washington, who traded their No. 10 pick to Jacksonville.
(Consider it a red flag when Mike Shanahan has no legitimate quarterback and passes on a mobile one.)" [Gregg Rosenthal, Pro Football Talk]
- "Washington wisely traded down from #10 to a QB desperate team in Jacksonville, who saw a run on QBs and decided to go up and get Blaine Gabbert. Washington only moved back six spots and picked up an extra second round pick in the process. When their pick came up at #16, Ryan Kerrigan, who they likely wanted all along was still there. We may be seeing a new Redskins after all. Really nice bit of maneuvering by them.
Even better, they aren't going to have Blaine Gabbert throwing three yard curls for them for the next three years. Who knows who will play QB for them, but either way this was a great first round for the Redskins. They got their man and replaced the picks in this draft that they wasted last year." [Jason Brewer, SB Nation Philly]
- Also, ESPN's Todd McShay is a fan of the pick. Not sure if that's good or bad, though.
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As for what the Redskins will do with their two second-round picks, I'd be stunned if they didn't go after a quarterback. They now have the ninth (41st overall) and 17th (49th overall) picks in the second round (but no third-round choices), so if a quarterback, possibly Ryan Mallett, Andy Dalton, or Colin Kaepernick, drops to them, they may decide to pull the trigger. There's no guarantee that happens, though, since there are still a few teams ahead of them that may decide to address their own quarterback deficiencies.
Considering how many holes the Skins currently have, they could certainly choose to go in another direction and select some other players -- maybe an offensive or defensive lineman or two. But still, expect them to pick a quarterback at some point on day two of the NFL Draft.
If the goal for the Redskins was not to do anything stupid, then they achieved that with their first move of the night. Then they decided to take a minor gamble.
Not content to just take someone they targeted at No. 10 (which may have been DE/LB Ryan Kerrigan anyway), the Redskins traded the pick to the Jaguars. In exchange for that pick, the Skins received the 16th pick and a second-round choice (49th overall). It's likely that the Skins wanted to move out of the 10th slot the whole time, or maybe another player they wanted just didn't drop to them. Either way, they got a player they really liked in Kerrigan.
Kerrigan seems like a guy who will fit well in the Redskins' 3-4 defense as an outside linebacker. Here's a brief summary of his skills via ESPN DraftTracker:
What he brings: Kerrigan lacks elite size and athleticism, but when you put on the film he shows the instincts to find the ball and make plays. He'll play outside linebacker for the Redskins and will be at his best moving forward rather than playing in reverse. He has above-average first-step quickness and a wide array of pass-rush moves to provide an immediate upgrade to the pass rush opposite Redskins OLB Brian Orakpo.
How he fits: He should fit nicely in Jim Haslett's 3-4 defense. The Redskins have really needed a bookend for their best pass-rusher, Brian Orakpo, who will now see less double teams. Right now, the other starter, Lorenzo Alexander, is probably a better run stopper than pass rusher and even though Kerrigan is not an elite edge rusher, he is a try-hard guy who will greatly improve the pressure this unit tries to create.
So he's not a perfect choice, but he has a lot of talent and is a hard-nosed player who won't be out of place in this defense. That already seems like a change of pace from a team that usually doesn't have any kind of organized plan and frequently tries to fit square pegs into round holes. An enormous defensive lineman or two will go a long way to making this pick look better, but it's a step in the right direction that the Redskins are seeking out the ability to get more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Instead of reaching for a quarterback too early, the Redskins ended up with a useful player and an extra draft choice. There's a lot of work still to be done, but is there really that much to complain about right now?
