| Redskins Report Week 1-7/10/07 Who looked good O-Line - I must say, for a unit that didn’t get much time to together during the preseason (between LT Chris Samuels’ MCL injury and newly acquired former NY Jets LG Pete Kendall’s late arrival) these guys looked pretty good considering it’s the first week of the NFL season. Despite lining up against Miami DE Jason Taylor, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Samuels held up well considering he only had a week to prepare with the first unit after sitting out five weeks to recover from injury. Because Kendall only had one preseason game and one week to practice with the unit, I was watching closely today to see how Kendall would gel with the rest of the line. My impressions early on are that he is the perfect player to replace the excellent run-blocking skills of recently departed LG Derrick Dockery, except he brings several more years of high-caliber experience and despite being a full 40 lbs lighter than Dockery, clearly knows how to use his weight to fend off heavier defensive tackles. The rest of the line must be given props too, having played solid, if unspectacular. C Casey Rabach and RG Randy Thomas are two of the most consistent players on this team, making it nearly impossible to penetrate the right interior side of the line. Things looked uncertain as starting RT Jon Jansen went down with a painful-looking ankle dislocation in the first quarter, but the performance of rookie T Stephon Heyer (who started 4 preseason games on the left side) makes me comfortable about the depth at the tackle position - should Heyer falter, T Todd Wade, who has starting experience, could step in. Jason Campbell, QB - I know what you’re thinking, he threw two interceptions, no touchdowns, and only completed 15 passes, but I still liked what I saw. He found opportunities while scrambling and seemed to have a much better pocket awareness than he showed in the preseason. Even though he threw many balls off target, his overall accuracy, particularly the long ball, was impressive. He started off shaky, but once the offensive line buckled down, he was afforded more time to make his decisions and clearly benefited from the line’s solid play, conducting a quick-strike drive to start off the third quarter. Campbell has been a winner at all levels of competition, from his high school state championship days to the perfect season he led Auburn to in his senior year. He has a desire to be the best and is a quick learner who is willing to put the necessary time in to ensure that he doesn’t repeat his mistakes. Look for him to develop into one of the NFC’s premier QBs by season’s end, as he gets more comfortable leading this offense. P.S. Did the Hail Mary at the end of the game make you say “Holy shit, that man has a cannon”? Antwaan Randl El, WR - One of the big questions coming into the season was if a second receiver would step up to help out Santana Moss. After Randl El’s breakout performance on Sunday, it looks as though Moss himself might be the second receiver. Randl El busted out for 160+ yards receiving, but more importantly revealed evident flashes of chemistry with Campbell. He is a ridiculous athlete who finally gets a chance to shine in this offense. In Pittsburgh, he was always the second or third option between Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress. Last year, his first in Washington, he was playing with a QB in Mark Brunell who had already developed a strong connection with Moss. This summer, Offensive Coordinator Al Saunders even went out of his way to specifically name Randle El the no. 2 receiver, placing him ahead of Brandon Lloyd, whom he was stuck behind on the depth chart for the majority of last year. Clinton Portis, RB - if there were doubts about CP going into the game (which by the way there were none from me…and don’t believe that he was ever injured - the man just hates preseason), he answered the critics on Sunday. For whatever reason, after one injury-riddled season, an otherwise healthy elite-level back who just turned 26 is deemed injury-prone. I don’t buy it. The last major injury Portis had before the 2006 season occurred in high school. Portis carried 17 times for 98 yards and scampered 19 yards for a touchdown that was reminiscent of 2005, when he ran for five straight 100-yard games to close out the regular season. Ladell Betts shared the load, logging 17 carries, but didn’t show the burst that Portis displayed. Sooner rather than later Portis’ load will be increased because he is a top-5 back in this league, and you simply can’t keep him on the bench. I wasn’t unhappy with Betts, but every time he was in the game, especially in the 4th quarter, I kept saying to myself that I wish Portis was in the game. Special Teams - K Shaun Suisham was clutch against the Dolphins. He made routine 40 yarders that I’ve grown accustomed to a John Hall or Nick Novak routinely missing. The coaches had so much confidence in him that they opted to kick a field goal on 1st and 10 in OT instead of trying to advance the ball. Kick coverage was an asset for the Redskins. They made many tackles within just a couple of yards of a return. Tackling was crisp and there were always multiple guys at the scene. Danny Smith has done a great job with this unit. |
The Wise Words of Zakaria
| The Staff |
 | |  | |  | |  |
