I had very low expectations for this game and had planned to watch from home while I conducted my first of several fantasy football drafts. Late this afternoon, however, @SimoneBett offered tickets and field passes for the game - and I am so grateful she did. It was a great night for football and a surprisingly fun game as players left everything on the field, fighting for a chance to play here, or anywhere.
Big D Day
My praise for our defense is apparently limited only by my concerns at secondary. Last night proved there is no reason to be concerned about depth, talent development or lack of power. The guys showed great communication on the field, making adjustments on the fly, knowing their marks and executing cleanly. I lost track of the sacks at five, but each one seemed to come with more force than the one before it. The low 50's hit it big time all night too - Jackson, Wilson, Robinson, and Kehl were stand outs. The crowd went wild for Kehl's INT and big return. As down as I often am about the secondary, I thought Gomes and Jones both had good night, especially Jones who had some good break up and near-INTs (just need to make those actual INTs...). But the star of the night on secondary for me was again the rookie Richard Crawford. Crawford has speed, hits well and stays on his mark. I must also give a mention to Lorenzo Alexander, just for being himself. Last word on D goes to the Doughty Doubters - the man will be here, if for nothing else than his reliability as a back up.
Beam Me Up, Kirk
I continue to enjoy watching Cousins on the field. He's not perfect. Tonight he had some bad deep throws and some throws into empty space, but he scrambles, he looks good on roll outs and when he nails a big pass, he really nails it. I also love that he is not afraid - he is patient and he takes chances.
Competitive Reception
The wide receiver position still remains very competitive. I won't spend much time analyzing the contenders, as I know many others will, but I'll share these few thoughts... Armstrong played well and had a huge sideline catch from Cousins. A good showing combined with value on special teams helps his case. Morgan will be on the team, just based on his paycheck, but I do really appreciate his efforts to gain yards after the catch. We have often chided our receivers for that of late and thus Morgan's extra pushes are even more appreciated. I wanted to see more Briscoe tonight. He had at least one big catch and I, for one, hope he makes the team. While Banks remains a fan favorite, evoking cheers with every appearance on the field, I still question his value. His punt returns continue to feature too much lateral running and he had some significant drops and fumbles tonight. Banks did shine on a few big plays, but I'm not sure they were enough to give him an edge at a position deep with bourgeoning talent. To that end, see Robinson and Austin.
Run Game Race
The competition at running back has heated back up as Royster and Helu both had monster nights. Helu showed us once again what we loved about him last season as he strong-armed and bulldozed the Bucs D. Royster found the holes last night and made some key plays. Both backs recorded TDs. When you put Morris and Hightower into the mix, and add a coach whofavors running back by committee, I like the cocktail we're stirring up here.
Up the River Niles
My concerns with Paul remain, but I trust the coaches are not leaving us up the tight end river without a paddle. His routes look good, he is getting open and the opportunities for catches are literally right at his fingertips. Unfortunately, he still has problems making the catch. His dropsies continued tonight and he completely missed a pass in the end zone. Paul did, however, make some catches and his drops are not for want of trying - the man went after every pass with vigor, often in double coverage. If he can get control of his hands, he may one day give Fred Davis a run for his money - there is no doubt Paul is the better blocker of the two.
The Pulse on Paulsen
I've always been a Paulsen fan, if for nothing more than his size and blocking skills. He continues to develop into an even more versatile player, finding ways to get open and improving his catching skills. I think he has better hands than Paul does right now. And I really loved it when he chased down one of the INTs like I chase down beer vendors at the end of the 3rd quarter.
Farewell, Old Friend
And of course I cannot have all of this tight end talk without a note about one of Washington's favorite sons, Chris Cooley. I was not surprised to hear he was released. Caught off guard a little, yes. Surprised, no. I was, however, tremendously sad to see him go, very emotional while watching his presser and have goosebumps as I type. He is without a doubt one of the greatest Redskins of all time - a bright light through difficult franchise years and an incredibly talented player. Cooley will be missed. One fan at the stadium tonight was shown on the big screen for her seat upgrade and took the opportunity to wave a Cooley jersey she'd brought with her. The stadium erupted in cheers and then into the familiar "Coooooooooooooooley".
First off, I love this uni combo, modeled here by Mr. Fletcher.
My praise for our defense is apparently limited only by my concerns at secondary. Last night proved there is no reason to be concerned about depth, talent development or lack of power. The guys showed great communication on the field, making adjustments on the fly, knowing their marks and executing cleanly. I lost track of the sacks at five, but each one seemed to come with more force than the one before it. The low 50's hit it big time all night too - Jackson, Wilson, Robinson, and Kehl were stand outs. The crowd went wild for Kehl's INT and big return. As down as I often am about the secondary, I thought Gomes and Jones both had good night, especially Jones who had some good break up and near-INTs (just need to make those actual INTs...). But the star of the night on secondary for me was again the rookie Richard Crawford. Crawford has speed, hits well and stays on his mark. I must also give a mention to Lorenzo Alexander, just for being himself. Last word on D goes to the Doughty Doubters - the man will be here, if for nothing else than his reliability as a back up.
Beam Me Up, Kirk
I continue to enjoy watching Cousins on the field. He's not perfect. Tonight he had some bad deep throws and some throws into empty space, but he scrambles, he looks good on roll outs and when he nails a big pass, he really nails it. I also love that he is not afraid - he is patient and he takes chances.
Competitive Reception
The wide receiver position still remains very competitive. I won't spend much time analyzing the contenders, as I know many others will, but I'll share these few thoughts... Armstrong played well and had a huge sideline catch from Cousins. A good showing combined with value on special teams helps his case. Morgan will be on the team, just based on his paycheck, but I do really appreciate his efforts to gain yards after the catch. We have often chided our receivers for that of late and thus Morgan's extra pushes are even more appreciated. I wanted to see more Briscoe tonight. He had at least one big catch and I, for one, hope he makes the team. While Banks remains a fan favorite, evoking cheers with every appearance on the field, I still question his value. His punt returns continue to feature too much lateral running and he had some significant drops and fumbles tonight. Banks did shine on a few big plays, but I'm not sure they were enough to give him an edge at a position deep with bourgeoning talent. To that end, see Robinson and Austin.
Run Game Race
The competition at running back has heated back up as Royster and Helu both had monster nights. Helu showed us once again what we loved about him last season as he strong-armed and bulldozed the Bucs D. Royster found the holes last night and made some key plays. Both backs recorded TDs. When you put Morris and Hightower into the mix, and add a coach whofavors running back by committee, I like the cocktail we're stirring up here.
Up the River Niles
My concerns with Paul remain, but I trust the coaches are not leaving us up the tight end river without a paddle. His routes look good, he is getting open and the opportunities for catches are literally right at his fingertips. Unfortunately, he still has problems making the catch. His dropsies continued tonight and he completely missed a pass in the end zone. Paul did, however, make some catches and his drops are not for want of trying - the man went after every pass with vigor, often in double coverage. If he can get control of his hands, he may one day give Fred Davis a run for his money - there is no doubt Paul is the better blocker of the two.
The Pulse on Paulsen
I've always been a Paulsen fan, if for nothing more than his size and blocking skills. He continues to develop into an even more versatile player, finding ways to get open and improving his catching skills. I think he has better hands than Paul does right now. And I really loved it when he chased down one of the INTs like I chase down beer vendors at the end of the 3rd quarter.
Farewell, Old Friend
And of course I cannot have all of this tight end talk without a note about one of Washington's favorite sons, Chris Cooley. I was not surprised to hear he was released. Caught off guard a little, yes. Surprised, no. I was, however, tremendously sad to see him go, very emotional while watching his presser and have goosebumps as I type. He is without a doubt one of the greatest Redskins of all time - a bright light through difficult franchise years and an incredibly talented player. Cooley will be missed. One fan at the stadium tonight was shown on the big screen for her seat upgrade and took the opportunity to wave a Cooley jersey she'd brought with her. The stadium erupted in cheers and then into the familiar "Coooooooooooooooley".
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