In a preseason game, there are only three important considerations:
- How did the first string look compared to the other team’s first string?
- Who was injured, and how badly?
- Which bubble players helped themselves, and which hurt themselves?
The answers from the game tonight are fairly easy. The first string offense looked very good, the first string defense didn’t REALLY play, but the defense that did play did NOT look good.
Injuries were light…. Stephon Heyer looks to be the worst of the injuries at this point (halfway through the fourth quarter as I write this). Heyer looks like he’ll be fine.
So that leaves who helped themselves, and who hurt themselves. Some of those are obvious. While Todd Collins is going to be the #2 QB, and he had a fine day statistics-wise, it was obvious that the offense wasn’t nearly as crisp with him at the helm. Shawn Suisham obviously hurt himself with the missed field goal; you have to think the coaching staff is remembering that he missed the short kick that cost the Redskins the momentum back in Seattle last January. Jason Campbell looked very good, on the other hand.
However, other than perhaps Suisham, none of those are bubble players… so let’s talk about a few others…
I didn’t originally catch that Chris Horton recovered the onside kick… and with that hair, it was well into the 3rd quarter before I caught that it was Horton (all I could see was #48). But #48 was ALWAYS near the ball. In a defense that was giving up WAY too much yardage, he seems to have a been a true bright spot in the defense. My wife even started commenting on it, stating he seemed to have a good instinct on where to be. Even on plays where he’s NOT making the play, he’s almost always right there by the ball. Early return says our 7th rounder may be a keeper.
I have a guilty admission: I’m a Colt Brennan doubter. That said, he impressed me (in both a VERY good way, and in a slightly negative way) tonight. Say what you will, he made the plays. He was nearly money in the bank. VERY impressive performance… but what is up with that arm motion? That’s got me worried; I’ve never seen a good QB with a NORMAL sidearm motion… some have do it when they’re on the run, but that’s not the “normal” motion. You have to believe it will be something that Zorn will work on a year from now.
(As I write3 this, the Redskins have just won, 30-16)
Marcus Mason looked really good, but at least once, he made a bad decision: with the Redskins needing a first down, he HAD the first down if he sacrificed and dove. Instead, he ran down the line a yard short and never went for the easy yard. Bad choices like that get noticed. But otherwise, a fine performance, by both running backs, Cartwright and Mason.
And I’ll close with this: Is the Punt competition already over???
‘I’ve never seen a good QB with a NORMAL sidearm motion…”
Ever heard of a guy by the name of Brett Farve?
peace!
Well that abnormal arm motion sure won him more games and stats records that many normal motion QB’s.
‘I’ve never seen a good QB with a NORMAL sidearm motion…”
John Madden in his commentary tonight said something like…”you need to be able to throw the ball from anywhere on the field, and sometimes that requires a sidearm motion.” Colt seems to adapt his arm motion to what is needed to complete a pass in a given situation, and that’s smart in my opinion– And besides, not all his throws are sidearm….On another note: Brennan was the only QB that played tonight who sustained all his drives with no need to punt on 4th…On another note: Madden said Brennan was a players’ player– that’s what he was at UH, and that ‘s an “intangible” not may qb’s have– he’s one of those players who can lift his team mates to a higher level of play– when you’re down in the 4th quarter… or to a 12-0 season. Okay…so I’m a Colt-believer, but that’s not a bad thing if you’re a Redskins’ fan, is it?
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/19728-2008-nfl-draft-colt-brennan-wwbwd-what-would-bill-walsh-do
The best rookie player in this game was Rinehart, OG. I do not think he got beat in pass protection. On many running plays, he bulled his opponent backwards. Impressive game.
Brennan and Horton both seem to have football game sense – knowing how to make plays.
From the first day he stepped onto campus at Hawaii, and his life story of overcoming negative remarks to seeing him play on Sunday’s, he’s one story we will all remember as one of the great QB’s. This is one guy worth watching the NFL’s on Sundays. I won’t be surprised if he starts his streaks of breaking “now” NFL records, as he did in college…what was it, 16+ NCAA records? I lost count.
Colt played an awesome game! Even with a unorthodox throwing motion, he can make all the throws. Everyone bashed him about being too short, or not strong enough. There are a lot of quarterbacks with weird throwing motions and who are short. Well, he showed a lot of people today what he can bring to the table. Give him some time to develop, he might just be a great one!
“I’ve never seen a good QB with a NORMAL sidearm motion”
Bernie Kosar?
Somebody is imitating me! I didn’t make the remark about Bernie Kosar.
I’m not saying the sidearm motion isn’t ok (it’s fine, when you need it to put the ball in an awkward place). I’m saying that it seemed to be that he was sidearming even on his rainbow passes. Yes, Favre has been known to sidearm, but that’s when Favre is >MOVING< and not set; his normal motion is over when he has an open field and is set. Joey T. had a sidearm when HE scrambled (yeah, some of you folks don’t remember him other than as a Redskin rooting talking head for ESPN, but he was a nice scrambling QB back in the day, before LT broke that leg).
However, I said I was a doubter of Brennan, and I’m NOT the only one… but there are a legion of non-doubters, and last night, SOME of that doubt went away…. but everyone also needs to remember a few things: PRESEASON GAME. Third stringers. Babe Laufenberg.
In a few years, Brennan may make a very good backup QB. For now, he’s raw, and had a bit more going for him than I feared. Let’s especially not get worked up with some QB controversy (he says while wearing a #17 Jersey which has the OTHER #17 on the back, Jason Campbell, vice the original Doug Williams).
Kosar did have a weird motion, but he was also very tall (6’5 or so). For a rookie, Brennan looked good. That one pass would have likely been picked off against starters but it was fine. The guy is a long term project for Zorn and he’ll be fine.
I thought the run that Bill (author Bill, not commenter Bill) mentioned was Rock Cartwright dancing around instead of taking the 1st down although I could be wrong. Mason seemed more willing to go straight ahead than Rock, then again Rock is a veteran he may have been looking to avoid taking straight on shots.
I could have sworn it was Mason; it does throw a very different slant on it if it was Cartwright.
Cartwright is the #3 RB, and the #1 Punt and Kick return man; he’s very important for the team, and even a short term injury would be a big problem. Mason is not likely to get many in season reps as the #4 RB. While he, too, is an important player for Special Teams, a short term injury for him neither jeopardizes his spot on the team (he’s almost certainly “in” as the the history of injuries to RBs will require the Redskins to keep 4), nor hurts the team (they plug in a rookie for the rest of the preseason). Yet, at #4 of 4 RBs, he needs to show courage to go for the tough yardage; he won’t get that many carries in the regular season, so the coaches need to see he wants that yard for the time when he WILL get carries.
Rock has been pressed into being #1 for short periods before; he needs to think about injuries FIRST. Marcus needs to think about showing the coaches he’ll grind it for them…. very different requirements on what to do on that yard.
If it was Rock, it was a “safe” play, and a good decision. If it was Mason…. he should have dove for the yard.
BTW, someone mentioned Rinehart, and that reminded me I neglected to other players that had an up or down that should be noted.
Rinehart played well, but during much of that time, Pass Protection didn’t look quite right. That has nothing to do with Rinehart, though. Look to see him play on the 2nd string at some point during the preseason, and maybe get a short shot at a first string D at some point. He was an up (though I wouldn’t say best player of the game).
Fred Davis wasn’t QUITE Mr. Invisible, but in an offense that should have been stressing TEs, he only caught a few passes against 2nd and 3rd stringers. It was a disappointing performance for him, from my perspective, as he appeared only “workman-like”.
And lastly, an (almost) bubble veteran…. Jason Fabini. Fabini has the fact that the Redskins are still shy of depth on the OLine (Heyer and Rinehart are the youngsters) in his favor. Fabini is one of the players we NEED to continue to perform well. He did NOT have a good night, however; he was credited with giving up at least one of the sacks, and I believe he gave up two. Not good. He had his highlights, though (recovering Jason Campbell’s fumble/incomplete shovel pass, for example). Perhaps it’s footsteps, or age, or just an off game.
(Formerly the other Bill.) It was Rock that didn’t nose in for the first down and it was Todd Collins, not Jason that had the flick fumble play.
Rich Gannon did pretty good throwing sidearm.
Regardless, Zorn’s arguably one of the best QB teachers in the league, picking up a project like Brennan in the sixth was a great plan.
I didn’t notice the play that you’re referring to with Mason, but I agree that he and Rock both looked great.
One thing that kind of bothered me on offense was Jason getting sacked. I realize Jansen needs to knock some rust off, but Freeny wasn’t even playing.
I agree that sack on Campbell was a bad play by Jansen. His play hasn’t been as strong since his 1st injury a few years back, hopefully he improves as the off-season goes on. He hasn’t played in nearly a year, so lets hope that he’s still working into form.
Then I stand corrected on Mason; if Rock is the one who didn’t do the dive, Mason had a good game; I just could have sworn that Mason was in the game at that point.
Overall, MOST of the OLine was a touch off; not badly, but most were off. Of the lineman, from my perspective Fabini had the worst night. I know he gave up one sack, and I’m pretty sure he gave up two. Jansen gave one up (but that was botched blocking from the snap; the player was too wide for Jansen to cover).
Luckily, it doesn’t mean anything in 4 more weeks.