LANDOVER, Md. -- A few initial thoughts after the Washington Redskins' 21-17 preseason win against Detroit:
This will be brief, or at least mostly about the starters considering that's about all I was able to watch Thursday night. Too much going on with the Robert Griffin III story to focus on some of the backups.
Wrote a lot about Griffin after the game, in a news story and an analysis. Did not get much into coach Jay Gruden's decision to put him back on the field. Yes, I wondered about it as well. Thing is, the last time Griffin went in, the first offense was facing Detroit's second defense. But here's the other part: The Redskins were using a left tackle in Willie Smith who has not had a good camp and who remains, for me at least, a longshot to make the roster. And he did not have a strong night. Sure enough, he was driven back on one play for a sack.
Still not sure why Griffin decided to run on that last play; he wasn't going to pick up the third-and-16 with his legs and he could have dumped the ball off. Get some yards, punt and move on. Do the ordinary. I admire his toughness, but it's hard to watch all the hits -- he can't stop all of them, but he can prevent some. I'll say this again, too: The throw to Andre Roberts under duress was terrific. Griffin stood in there; feet turned properly and made a good throw before Roberts broke -- the ball skipped off his hands -- and before he was drilled.
I've written about the line's responsibilities, too. Just know that having a quarterback who lacks great pocket presence playing behind a developing line is a difficult proposition. It's not about blaming one or the other, either. And I don't think it's about pre-snap reads all the time; it's about instincts. Some of the pressure that reached Griffin was so quick, you have to allow those natural instincts to take over (in some cases there wasn't much time for that to happen).
Tom Compton lined up at tight end on a handful of occasions. Paid attention to him on two plays, both of which ended with excellent blocks. He turned the defensive end outside on the second play of the game on Alfred Morris' 10-yard run. On a play in the second quarter, Compton drove the linebacker a few yards downfield. I like him in this role; he's still limited because, you know, he's a tackle/guard, but he should provide help. Did not like him as a tackle, but like him in a hybrid role as a backup lineman/tight end option.
Each of the top four running backs had at least one good run, from Morris to Matt Jones and then Chris Thompson and Trey Williams. For a big guy, Jones at times gets taken down by one man more than I'd imagine (around the line of scrimmage). But when he gets going, it's a little tougher. That's when he can use his feet to fool people or just try to lower his shoulder. On one run, he swerved to miss one linebacker -- he kept the linebacker uncertain of where he was going, too, and that allowed him to stay blocked -- and then did the same to a defensive back en route to 24 yards. Thompson and Williams have the ability to cut and move without losing speed. Williams' footwork is terrific, as he showed on his 38-yard run. He bounced wide and two cuts left two defenders upset. And Thompson juked a defender over the middle on his 19-yard run up the gut. The Redskins should be encouraged by this group, but they should be discouraged by the first-down runs with the starters. Not good and it set up bad passing situations.
I like the way end Jason Hatcher is playing. Beat both guards with outside moves for pressure; he's healthier than last summer and playing accordingly. Last summer he could not sustain the early dominant flashes that he showed. Can't say he did Thursday because he only played a quarter, but it was another good showing.
Of Detroit's 13 runs, only one was for more than seven yards. It's not just about Terrance Knighton in the middle; the ends are doing an excellent job of holding their ground, but also penetrating to force the action. And though there was some sloppy tackling, the Redskins compensated with more of a swarming defense so those misses led to little damage. It's when you have no one else around the ball when they become a bigger issue.
The pass defense needs some work; I'm guessing they'll feel better when they have all their guys out there (linebacker Junior Galette; corners DeAngelo Hall and Bashaud Breeland). But it's an area they must improve. They did do a job on a blitz/sack by slot corner Justin Rogers. Liked how quickly safety Dashon Goldson rotated to Rogers' area to prevent a throw by Matthew Stafford. Ricky Jean Francois had a sack -- and performed the "Peanut Butter Jelly" dance. He also got off one block to help on a tackle for a short gain.
