Monday Football Afterword: Redskins vs Eagles

Poor offensive line play and an atypical lack of ball security
doomed the Redskins on Monday night.

Saswat Misra

The Philadelphia Eagles’ relatively unknown offensive architectured by Chip Kelly was shown early and often in a big win against the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football. RGIII and the Redskins got off to a slow start, which did them in as they ended up losing 33-27. Eagles RB LeSean McCoy led the Eagles’ offensive attach with 184 rushing yards on 31 carries.

The Philadelphia offense came out looking very sharp and very comfortable as they were able to move the football at will in the first half. The only damper was a 75-yard fumble return for a touchdown by DeAngelo Hall on the first drive, but that didn’t have any effect on the Eagles’ momentum. Aided by the Redskins’ offensive mistakes, Vick and McCoy engineered a well-balanced, fast-paced attack that blew the game wide open. Solid defensive performances by Perry Riley, London Fletcher and Ryan Kerrigan weren’t enough to contain the Eagles until the second half when the Redskins started to show signs of life.

All eyes were on RGIII leading into this game, but early on he and the rest of the Redskin offense came out flat and rusty. The Redskins turned the ball over, committed several procedure-based penalties, and didn’t bring the same energy to the field that the Eagles’ defense brought. RGIII looked completely out of sync and looked like he could have used a pre-season game to screw the proverbial nuts and bolts of the offense. He was missing wide-open receivers and making poor decisions. In the second half, the offense started to settle down and launch a mini-comeback, but it was too little, too late.

It was unfortunate to see the Redskins struggle early, but it was encouraging to see the offense get it together in the second half, especially RGIII, whose throws looked much better. My concern is that we didn’t see the same explosiveness we saw from him last year. But give Philadelphia’s pass rush a lot of credit for that. Overall, I’m not too disappointed with this loss. Shanahan and company will make sure that the offense stops the technical errors that plagued them tonight before their next game. The Redskins play at Lambeau Field next week against the Packers, who are also 0-1.

Cory Puffett

I am in agreement with Saswat on everything above. He did a nice job of recapping the game, so I won’t bother repeating him. But I do have a couple thoughts to add to his.

Don’t buy into the hype ESPN and NFL.com are dishing out in favor of the Eagles’ offense just yet. During the second half, Philly’s offense got very conservative and when it did, it was easy to stop. Chip Kelly needs to recognize that and remember that there’s no such thing as running up the score in the NFL. Score however many points you can. Teams can always come back, as the Redskins showed. Philly’s offense can be unstoppable, but not if they turn conservative when they get a lead.

Washington’s offense came alive late. Griffin III did not play in any preseason games and was not quite prepared for how fast the defensive backs can be running toward the ball, leading to two interceptions. He was fine late in the game and I can see him still finishing the season with fewer than 12 interceptions. He didn’t run much, but it wasn’t clear whether that was because he can’t or because he’d rather pass.

Alfred Morris struggled early, and there was no excuse for that first fumble. But he is generally sure-handed and fumbling should not be a concern going forward. My concern in the running game was the offensive line. As good as Washington’s line was last year, they looked as bad as 2011 and earlier today. They will need to pull together or it will be a long year for the Washington offense.

As for Philadelphia’s defense, they locked things up in the trenches but struggled in the passing game, especially during the second half. I won’t be able to tell whether it was simply conservative play-calling or legitimate holes until I watch the coaches film on the game, but it will be something to keep an eye on going forward.

All in all, between this and the Sunday night game, this should be an interesting division to watch this season, with no clear-cut favorite emerging in Week 1.

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Sunday Football Afterword: Cowboys vs Giants

Victory Cruz did everything he could to carry his Giants to a fifth straight
victory in Big D, but New York's turnovers were too much to overcome.

Cory Puffett

Entering Sunday, the Giants were 4-0 in the House that Jerry Built, and Eli Manning was the only quarterback in NFL history to win four straight road games against the Cowboys. Dallas sought to end that streak while New York hoped to ease Tom Coughlin’s mind with a season opening victory.

The fans didn’t see much of that determination from either team in the early part of the Sunday night game. The Giants turned the ball over three times in the first quarter, and yet the teams were tied with a field goal each after the first fifteen minutes.

The scoring picked up after that, but it never turned into a “good game.” It was sloppy throughout. The Giants finished with six turnovers via three Manning interceptions and David Wilson’s fumblitis.

Dallas turned the ball over just once, but their offense often stalled out, which allowed the Giants to stay within reach in a game that ended with Dallas winning by just five points.

Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks both had solid receiving games, each with five receptions for over 110 yards. Cruz caught three touchdowns to none for Nicks, though.

For Dallas, Jason Witten, who caught 18 passes at home against the Giants last year, had eight receptions for 70 yards and two scores. Dallas also did a good job running ball as DeMarco Murray grinded out 86 yards.

Both teams have some issues to address, though Dallas appears to be a little better off than New York. If either want to be part of the fight for the NFC East crown, their coaching staffs have their work cut out for them after a sloppy game in the NFL’s first Sunday night game of the season.

Keep up with the Football Freaks but liking The All-Sports Crew’s Facebook page and listen to their live shows on WMUC Sports and as well as their podcasts on iTunes.

2013 Offseason Needs: NFC East

I began going through the NFL division-by-division last week, writing about what each team needs to address this offseason. I have covered the bases in all four AFC divisions, so this week I move on to the NFC.

I won’t pretend to know every detail of what each team needs, but am open to comments from those who may know better what their teams need.

Dallas Cowboys

I will say it one more time, Tony Romo is a very good quarterback and the Cowboys are right to stick by him. He has struggled at times in more important games, but he is not the only one on the team who has done so. He may not have the ‘clutch gene,’ but if they put the right team around him, he won’t have to.

Rob Ryan is gone at defensive coordinator. Monte Kiffin is in and will switch Dallas back to the 4-3 scheme that was largely developed by former Cowboys coach, Tom Landry. What this means, is that the Cowboys are putting less weight on the linebacker corps and more on the defensive line, so they will have to add some depth there.

The offensive line has also been a problem for several seasons, and there is no way that Tony Romo will ever be able to execute in the clutch if his linemen can’t protect him. They need to pick up a solid prospect in the draft and maybe a good, but affordable, free agent for immediate results.

We also saw how injuries impacted their defense in 2012, especially in the secondary. Depth at safety is a must, and it wouldn’t hurt to add another talented corner.

New York Giants

The Giants were very disappointing in 2012, missing the playoffs the year after winning the Super Bowl for the second time under Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning. The silver lining in that, though, is that they don’t have to lose too many pieces from a team chockfull of talent.

Ahmad Bradshaw is gone, but David Wilson is ready to step up. Even with Andre Brown on the roster, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Wilson getting 75% (or more) of the carries by Week 9.

The biggest loss New York stands to lose is Victor Cruz, who is a restricted free agent. I can think of several teams who would be willing to give up a second-rounder for Cruz, one of which is in the division. The Giants will need to step up and get Cruz the money he deserves.

The biggest issue for the Giants in 2012, as NFL.com described it, was consistency. The Giants rarely looked like the same team in consecutive weeks on either side of the ball and Eli Manning looked to be in a funk for much of the season, especially during one particular three-week stretch. The Giants will be one of the most talented teams in the NFL in 2013. They just have to show it.

Philadelphia Eagles

I’m excited to see what the Eagles do this year, not because I want them to do well, not because I think they can do well, but because I have no clue what to expect from them.

Nick Foles is a talented young quarterback, but he is still very raw. Of course, Michael Vick is back, but if he struggles to protect the ball, don’t expect their new coach to wait as long as Andy Reid did to make a change. Speaking of their new coach, Chip Kelly is an excellent college coach, but we’ve seen great college coaches crash and burn on the NFL level (see Steve Spurrier and Pete Carroll’s first tenure).

Secondary is an area that must be addressed. Philadelphia had very poor safety play in 2012 and word is that Nnamdi Asomugha may not be back in 2013 after two very underwhelming seasons.

Washington Redskins

7-0. That was the Redskins’ record over the final seven weeks of the 2012 regular season. It was a remarkable turnaround and they did it without Fred Davis who injured his Achilles early in the season and never returned. If he comes back and stays healthy both on and off the field, it will be a huge lift to an offense that will be tasked with picking up in Week 1 where they left off in Week 17.

Obviously, the biggest concern is getting Robert Griffin III to 100%. At this point, there is little doubt that it will happen. It is just a matter of when. But if he isn’t ready to go in Week 1, Redskins fans should feel confident that Kirk Cousins, who will spend this entire season as Washington’s #1 quarterback, can take care of the team during Griffin’s absence.

The only other real concern I have with this team is the defense. They ranked very high in stopping the run, and will be even better in 2013 with Brian Orakpo and Adam Carriker set to return. But their pass defense was atrocious. They don’t need to be a top-5 or even a top-10 team against the pass. But if they can be middle-of-the-pack, rather than nearly dead last, the rest of the team will be talented enough to pick up the slack.

Tomorrow I will cover the NFC North’s offseason needs, team-by-team. Keep up with new posts as I publish them by ‘liking’ my Facebook page and by following me on Twitter, @cpuffnfl.

2012 Season in Review, Last 8 Weeks

The tandem of rookies RG3 (10) and Alfred Morris (46) is the
basis of everything the Redskins do on offense.
Photo credit to NY Daily News.

Yesterday, I reviewed the first nine weeks of the regular season. So today, naturally, I am looking back at the second half of the regular season, which was very different for many teams and all too similar for others. My predictions for this weekend will come tonight on The All-Sports Crew’s blog and in each of my Wild-Card previews, which will start coming out tomorrow.

These are the NFL standings for the final 8 weeks of the regular season:

AFC East	AFC North	AFC South	AFC West
1. NE (7-1)	1. CIN (5-3)	1. IND (6-2)	1. DEN (8-0)
T-2. MIA (3-5)	2. BAL (4-4)	2. HOU (5-3)	2. SD (3-5)
T-2. NYJ (3-5)	3. CLE (3-4)	3. TEN (3-4)	T-3. OAK (1-7)
T-2. BUF (3-5)	4. PIT (3-5)	4. JAC (1-7)	T-3. KC (1-7)
NFC East	NFC North	NFC South	NFC West
1. WAS (7-0)	T-1. GB (5-2)	T-1. ATL (5-3)	1. SEA (6-1)
2. DAL (5-3)	T-1. MIN (5-2)	T-1. CAR (5-3)	2. SF (5-2-1)
3. NYG (3-4)	3. CHI (3-5)	3. NO (4-4)	3. StL (4-3-1)
4. PHI (1-7)	4. DET (0-8)	4. TB (3-5)	4. ARI (1-6)

Of course the talk of the NFL in the second half of the season was the Redskins entering their bye week 3-6, voting Robert Griffin III a captain when they returned, and then going on to win their final 7 games to clinch the NFC East for the first time since 1999. Hidden in the shadow was the Colts’ run to nearly take back the AFC South and Cincinnati doing the same in the AFC North.

AFC East

The Bills had a decent offense, but their defense was atrocious. Ryan Tannehill did not carry his momentum into the second half of the season and the Jets were at the mercy of Mark Sanchez. The Patriots didn’t need to win 7 of their last 8 to run away with this division, but they did and now hold the AFC’s #2 seed.

AFC North

Baltimore seemed hot in the second half of the season, winning their first three games. They’ve dropped 4 of 5 now and only a win against the reeling Giants kept the Bengals from claiming the division. An injury to Ben Roethlisberger hurt Pittsburgh more than some people want to admit.

AFC South

Houston struggled late and Indy didn’t, allowing the Colts to come within a Week 15 loss in Houston of winning the AFC South. Jacksonville repeated their first-half record and the Titans struggled despite Chris Johnson getting into a groove and Jake Locker putting up big numbers in several games.

AFC West

The Broncos had an easy schedule but never let an opponent give them a serious scare as they rolled through the competition. The question for them is whether the lack of competition will hurt them in the postseason. San Diego only had the second best record during the second half because their competition was Oakland and Kansas City.

NFC East

The Giants suffered their typical late-season collapse and for once there was a team there to take advantage. In fact, there were two teams. The Redskins, as I mentioned, never lost in the second half of the season. The Cowboys made a late run at a division title but came up short in Week 17 against Washington. Philly has won just one game since the Phillies last victory and Andy Reid was fired the day after the regular season ended.

NFC North

Green Bay and Minnesota went neck-and-neck for the NFC North title and Green Bay held off the Vikings, despite losing to them in Week 17. Chicago, as I said early, was a product of an easy schedule. They lost to the good teams they faced in the second half.

NFC South

Carolina, as they did last year, picked it up in the second half. The hole was too deep for them, but they had the same record as the Falcons. If they can put things together for a full season, 2013 could be a scary year in the NFC South.

NFC West

Seattle scored over 170 points in their final four games – 150 points between Weeks 14, 15 and 16. They make fans of every other team nervous. The only thing that gives other teams’ fans a little relief is that they won’t be able to host a playoff game unless they play the Vikings in the NFC Championship. San Francisco held them off the division championship by virtue of a tie against the Rams.

2012 Season in Review, First 9 Weeks

The 'Monday Night Fiasco' finally put an end to the NFL's
replacement officials. Photo credit to CBS Chicago.

Happy New Year, everyone! To kick off 2013, I am reviewing the 2012 regular season. Today I will cover the first nine weeks and tomorrow I will review the last eight weeks of the season. My predictions for this weekend will come Wednesday on The All-Sports Crew’s blog and in each of my Wild-Card previews, which will start coming out Thursday.

Heading into Week 10, these were the standings in the NFL:

AFC East	AFC North	AFC South	AFC West
1. NE (5-3)	1. BAL (6-2)	1. HOU (7-1)	1. DEN (5-3)
2. MIA (4-4)	2. PIT (5-3)	2. IND (5-3)	2. SD (4-4)
T-3. NYJ (3-5)	3. CIN (3-5)	3. TEN (3-6)	3. OAK (3-5)
T-3. BUF (3-5)	4. CLE (2-7)	4. JAC (1-7)	4. KC (1-7)
NFC East	NFC North	NFC South	NFC West
1. NYG (6-3)	1. CHI (7-1)	1. ATL (8-0)	1. SF (6-2)
T-2. DAL (3-5)	2. GB (6-3)	2. TB (4-4)	2. SEA (5-4)
T-2. PHI (3-5)	3. MIN (5-4)	3. NO (3-5)	3. ARI (4-5)
4. WAS (3-6)	4. DET (4-4)	4. CAR (2-6)	4. StL (3-5)

It seemed clear at the time that Atlanta and Houston were a close one-two in the NFL. Houston had picked up right where they left off when Matt Schaub got hurt in 2011 and the Falcons were flat-out winning, even if some games were closer than they should have been.

AFC East

The Patriots had suffered a few tough losses, and they didn’t have a feel of consistency to them. They seemed to be in line to win the division, but mostly on the merit of everyone else in the division being bad. Down in Miami, Ryan Tannehill was turning heads with pretty rapid improvement through the first several weeks.

AFC North

Baltimore kicked off the season with a big win over Cincinnati in which they showcased a very efficient hurry-up offense. Things settled down for them after that game but they kept control of the division early. Cincinnati started the season slow but Andy Dalton and A.J. Green were starting to make their offense look like a serious contender.

AFC South

Houston, as I mentioned, was considered one of the league’s best teams. Losing Brian Cushing seemed not to hurt as much as we thought it would, thanks mostly to J.J. Watt’s phenomenal play. Indianapolis, meanwhile, was in the middle of a CHUCKSTRONG campaign to win games for Coach Pagano, who was away from the team receiving treatment for leukemia.

AFC West

San Diego controlled the division early on, but a memorable second-half collapse handed the division on a silver platter to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, allowing Denver to lead the division with the hard part of their schedule completely out of the way.

NFC East

The Giants struggled in their season opener against Dallas, becoming the first defending Super Bowl champs to lose the NFL Kickoff Game. Dallas cooled off after that game and New York caught fire, winning six of their next eight.

NFC North

Chicago was rolling through the first half of their schedule, mostly due to a weak schedule. Their only loss was to Green Bay and they hadn’t played another good opponent otherwise. The Packers, meanwhile, were hot and cold early one but seemed to be on the rise. The Vikings were the surprise of the NFL. Adrian Peterson hadn’t been noticed as much as Christian Ponder as the second-year quarterback was playing excellent ball in the early part of the season.

NFC South

Atlanta was running away with the division and was the only undefeated team left after Week 9. Tampa Bay seemed to be picking things up and a young man named Doug Martin seemed to be inserting his name in Rookie of the Year discussions while Josh Freeman was throwing for 300+ yards seemingly every game. New Orleans was suffering the effects of having their head coach, and their interim head coach, on top of a few players, suspended.

NFC West

The 49ers had suffered a few letdowns but still seemed to be a close second to the Falcons in the conference. Seattle seemed more of a pretender than anything with a home win over New England in a game when Tom Brady played awful and of course the infamous ‘Monday Night Fiasco’ against Green Bay.

Replacement Refs

The first three weeks were dominated by talk of how poor a job the replacement officials were doing. We may have been a little too hard on them and not hard enough on the league for not getting a deal done with the officials’ union, but it was pretty bad and it all culminated on that Monday Night game between Seattle and Green Bay. Thankfully the madness ended within a couple days of that game and we the real refs were back from Week 4 on.

Bounty Scandal

The New Orleans Saints had to deal with a lot with the NFL’s crackdown on their bounty system, which we still don’t really seem to have concrete evidence of. They lost the first several games of the season, including an overtime loss to Kansas City, who never led during regulation of any game in the first half of the season.

Rookie Quarterbacks

With five rookies starting under center in Week 1, an NFL record was set. Never had so many rookies been named the starter of their team to kick off a season. Robert Griffin III, the 2011 Heisman Trophy Winner, was starting in Washington and quickly made the Redskins into one of the best rushing teams and one of the highest scoring offenses in the league. Andrew Luck was not very efficient, but always seemed to come through in the clutch in Indy. Russell Wilson pissed a lot of people off against Green Bay on Monday Night when he threw the winning interception for Seattle. Ryan Tannehill showed improvement early in the season for Miami and Brandon Weeden was doing the same in Cleveland.