Nothing does it like victory.
That good feeling this morning is real. The Redskins have continued the disciplined play that was the hallmark of their preseason. Stout at the point of attack. Gang tackling on defense. Redskins all around the ball. Disciplined pursuit. Offense was a little rougher, but there was still running room when it was needed… enough to force the respect needed for play action… and an effective ball control passing game that, while missing on all attempts, took it’s shots downfield. That will come.
London Fletcher picked right up where he left off… except with more intensity! After making a nice play near the goal line, he immediately started berating the goal posts… dude was as stoked as I’ve ever seen him…
Grossman pretty much had the time he needed, and made none of the gunslinger type of errors that he’s known for (with one notable exception, when he failed to cover the ball when being sacked)… I’ve heard some griping about him taking sacks, and not throwing the ball away… sorry… the gripers are wrong. Rex played those just the way he should have. Don’t take stupid chances. There was only one occasion when he tried to force the ball when it wasn’t there… he was being pressured from his backside (this was my main concern out of the game), and could have been picked… he lucked out.
Tim Hightower… must be good to be home. Nothing outstanding, but he took what he could, and consistenly finished by falling forward. Even badly wounded, the Giants aren’t going to give up a lot of yards on the ground. Still, there was enough to make play action work.
My concern? Backside protection. Trent Williams was schooled by a decent, but not great, DE. There was one play where it almost looked like he was doing his best Albert imitation… yeah, maybe that’s not fair, but the kid has got to show some pride, and get this figured out. He should be dominating this type of player.
Reed Doughty is still game… love him… but he’s just not a starter. Great tackler, great mind, knows what to do, rarely makes mistakes… but just not enough speed. We need to get Landry back into it. He will make a huge difference in this defense. At the same time, Reed led the team in tackles…
Heart. This team has tons of it. There was no way they were going to lose yesterday… Up by only 7 going into the 4th quarter, you felt it… this game was not going to slip away… The Giants knew it, too. You could see it on their faces… you could see it in Coughlin’s whining, and Manning’s defeated expression.
The times are changing…
HTTR
This was some of the best commentary I’ve read in the last few days, and I pretty much read/listen to everything, especially local (radio, WaPo/Times), even Bleacher Report.
No sensationalism, crazy inferences or any of that nonsense.
I agree, the times are changing. I ready a great quote from Fletcher, about how excited he is now about how everyone is working hard, there’s accountability, and the fact that he thought about retiring recently. I’m glad he stayed, and I’m very glad he’s fired up now!
HTTR
Bradley