Making a Good First Impression

When the Washington Redskins were on the clock back in Aprils NFL Draft, most people expected the pick to come in quickly for Missouri Quarterback Blaine Gabbert.

Gabbert had been considered by Draft Gurus as a top 5 pick in this years draft. When he slipped past the Bills and the Titans took Washington QB Jake Locker (who was considered a perfect for the Redskins), it gave Bruce Allen and Mike Shanahan the perfect opportunity to draft and groom their next Franchise Quarterback.

The Redskins had been on the wrong end of a long line of failed QB’s for the better part of a decade, and the Donovan McNabb debacle had left most wondering how desperate the Skins were to take a QB.

Leading up to the draft rumors started circling that the Skins were working on a few trade scenarios that would grant them a high as the number two pick in order to draft Gabbert.

Wrong…

Bruce and Mike traded out of the ten spot, swapping picks with Jacksonville and picking up a 2nd round pick in the process. When they were on the clock again they took Perdue defensive end Ryan Kerrigan.

Like most, I was pretty shocked at the Kerrigan pick. Don’t get me wrong the Redskins defense needed help with the pass rush, but when you have the opportunity to draft your next franchise QB you HAVE to take it right? Don’t forget (even though it is becoming easy to) Kerrigan was drafted to play OLB but had never played in coverage at Perdue. He was a 4-3 DE that excelled at rushing the passer not dropping back. He would have to learn a completely new position/scheme in the middle of a lockout that kept him from his coaches.

As the lockout progressed and went deeper and deeper into the summer, I figured Kerrigan would be a hugely impacted from the lost time. He was not able to have any contact with coaches and every day lost was crucial time that he could have spent learning the nuances of his new position.

During Camp I fully expected Kerrigan to wander around the field lost (ala Andre Carter last year), but the thing I failed to realize is this; Ryan Kerrigan gets it. He is the prototypical dream player that every coach wishes they had. Sure he has made mistakes but, he is the rare type of player who corrects those mistakes after one time and never makes them again.

The preseason was a mixed bag for Ryan, showing great ability to create pressure on the QB, but also getting hit with penalties that were the direct result of mental errors and honestly a lack of experience playing linebacker. Instead of just reacting Ryan had to become a more cerebral player, understanding what opposing offenses were trying to do.

It did not take long to realize that Kerrigan was going to be getting national media attention, and the attention of the league sooner than later. Going into week one no one really knew what to expect. Would the game be too big, too fast? No doubt Redskins fans were optimistic, but with a rookie you really just never know.

Kerrigan exploded on the scene in week one, with his tip pick six of Eli Manning and a pivotal pass block on the way to the week one victory. Showing a knack for making big plays in the clutch, he had a drive stopping tipped pass against Arizona that gave the Redskins a chance to win the game. In both games Ryan was a force that had to be accounted for.

I remember hearing in April that he was a high motor guy, which is really hard to put a finger on. You can look back at his very solid college accolades including Big Ten Player and Defensive Lineman of the year in 2010 not to mention being a unanimous First Team All American. You look at his pro stats through three games 12 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble and one interception (for a touchdown) and you see the results. But what the stats do not show is that this kid is absolutely relentless.

He NEVER stops… ever. Don’t get me wrong his touchdown play against the Giants was huge, but in my opinion his best play as a pro came on Monday night against Dallas.

While rushing (the single greatest QB to ever live… ever) Tony Romo, Kerrigan realizes he isn’t going to beat the offensive lineman (who appeared to be holding him). Kerrigan has the presence of mind to reach out and swat the ball from Romo’s hand.

This play was an absolute veteran type of play. The kind of play that you see guys who are considered among the best make, instead of just fighting for the sack, he took the opportunity given to him to impact the game and make a play.

No I am not saying that Ryan Kerrigan, three games into his career is the best in the league. I am saying that he has put the league on notice that they have to account for him, and today the NFL recognized him naming him the NFL Rookie of the Month for September.

This is exactly what you want to see out of a first round pick…production. I said earlier this week that the Redskins pass rush could be the best that we have seen since Dexter Manley and Charles Mann, hopefully Ryan Kerrigan and Brian Orakpo can enjoy some of the same post game success that they did.

Under Pressure

Pressure… it can be your absolute best friend or your worst enemy, depending on if you’re applying said pressure or being crushed under it.

When Mike Shanahan took over as Head Coach of the Washington Redskins he inherited a defense who had ranked among the best in the league on overall defense. Unfortunately that same defense also ranked among the worst in regards to creating turnovers.

In an effort to increase the pressure that his defense generated, Shanahan decided to switch the Washington Redskins from a 4-3 base defense to a more agressive 3-4, which in theory would lead to more turnovers from increased pressure on apposing Qbs.

While the theory was sound, forcing it on a team built for the 4-3 was, well, lets just call it terrible. The team just did not have the personnel to run the 3-4 and it showed.

Watching former defensive centerpieces like Andre Carter (who had double digit sacks in 2009) wander the field like a lost puppy was equally as humiliating as it was heartbreaking (and don’t even get me started on Fat Albert).

One of the biggest reasons for the Redskins early success this season is the night and day improvement of the defense.

The improvement through the first two weeks has been stunning. To say that the defense has impacted the outcome of the first two games is quite frankly a gross understatement. The results of the switch in year two speak for themselves. In the first two games netting 7 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 2 interceptions and a TD (which came from rookie Ryan Kerrigan’s beautiful Tip Pick Six in week 1).

Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan (KERRAKPO!!)so far are off to a spectacular start. Last year when offenses could hold back Orakpo (literally), they could stop the pressure of theWashingtondefense, especially afterWashingtonlost Laron Landry to injury.

This season offenses have not been able to stop Kerrakpo. If they are able to stop one, the other is coming free terrorizing quarterbacks. It’s not just the sacks either, Kerrigan in his first two games has showed a keen ability disrupt QB’s even when he isn’t touching them.

In each of his first two games as a pro Kerrigan has deflected key passes, against the Giants intercepting his own tip and scoring, then against Arizona he tipped a Kevin Kolb pass stalling a key fourth quarter drive, giving the Redskins the ball when they needed it most.

For Redskins fans the improved play of the defense is a welcome surprise considering that hard hitting safety Laron Landry has been out dealing with Achilles and hamstring issues.

Landry looks set to make his return Monday night against the bitter rival Dallas Cowboys. You can be sure Dallas fans are losing sleep considering their demigod of a quarterback Tony Romo has been on life support all week nursing broken ribs and a now miraculously healed punctured lung (can these guys be bigger drama queens?).

It’s not just the linebackers and Landry the Cowboys should be worried about. The defensive line in 2011 has been much better than last year.

Barry Cofield has done a great job collapsing the pocket and creating opportunities for the linebackers to make the plays they need to and don’t forget Monday marks Stephen Bowens return to Jerry World. I fully expect Bowen to play at a level we have not yet seen from him as he proves Dallas made a mistake by letting him go.

Honestly I hope we see Romo Monday Night, not really just to hush Dallas fans from saying we only beat them because of injury (though that is all I have heard this week), and not just because I want to see Landry/Orakpo/Kerrigan go all “Lavar Arrington” on Romo and knock his star wearing head off (and believe me I really, really want to see that).

It is because truly and honestly Romo is hurt. This week watching him on every single NFL related TV show in existence, the guy can hardly breathe. Rumor has it that he is sleeping sitting up because it hurts too much to lie on his back.

Forget the fact that he could get hurt worse; the guy is a liability to the game. His range of motion is going to be terrible and I cannot imagine he will be able to make the throws that he normally would, and believe it or not this Redskins team will be looking for a way to use that to their advantage.

A lot has been made of Deangelo Hall’s comments stating he would be gunning for Romo’s broken ribs, but lets be honest guys every team looks for ways to exploit weakness. No one is saying they want to intentionally hurt Romo, and honestly I don’t believe that is what Hall meant either. It is all about strategy and finding a way to get an edge on your opponent.

The fact is this; if you take away the Dallas passing game you take away the Dallas offense. The Running game has been terrible for Dallas averaging only 2.3 yards per carry, and Felix Jones is dealing with an injured shoulder on top of that.

Dallas’ offense is riddled with injury with Miles Austin and Dez Bryant likely to miss the game with injury and Romo trying to play hurt. Even the offensive line which has been less than stellar going in will be without former Redskin Derrick Dockery opening the door for Haslett to blitz early and often.

In a big game like Monday the Washington defense will need to set the tone early. Expect the defense to be as aggressive as we have seen under Haslett whether Romo is playing or not.

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Monday Musings Week 1

5. No Landry No Problem
On Friday night I was lucky enough to be invited to appear on Brian Mitchell’s Friday night Tailgate Show with Darrell Young and the guys from Hogs Haven and The Hogs.net on http://www.bmitchlive.tv. During one of the segments, B Mitch asked me how the team would fair without Landry, considering the Defense really dropped off without him late last year. I stated that the additions of guys like Kerrigan, Cofield and Bowen not to mention OJ and Dejon Gomes would help mask him not playing.

Last year losing Landry really hurt the team because we had so many guys out of position. Adding all the pieces to solidify the 3-4 really helps hide the fact that you’re missing a guy like Landry.

Gladly I was right and last night, the defense survived.

Not only survived but really played a heck of a game. Make no bones about it, this Giants offense is a good one (you have to be to get ten wins). Leading up to Sundays’ matchup Eli and the G Men had pretty much owned the Skins nine of the last ten times they have met, and let’s be real here we have not been able to stop the Giants running attack since Gibb’s running the show.

In the first half it looked like same old same old. Watching Nicks torch Doughty for 68 yards was enough to send me into a pillow throwing tirade. Following that with the Giants marching down the field brutalizing the front seven with the run in the second quarter was enough to push me over the edge.

I spoke to Fullback Darrell Young Friday night regarding how they were going to attack the Giants, and what they needed to do to be successful. He said that they had to limit their turnovers and stop the power run, noting that the power game killed them in the season finally last year. They knew the Giants were going to run right at them early and often. Apparently knowing its coming and stopping it is two different things, but still to see them struggle when they knew it was coming was a pretty difficult pill to swallow.

You won’t will a whole lot of games giving up 14 points in the first half, unless you can make adjustments and correct mistakes. Thank God that the Redskins did just that allowing zero points over the next two quarters with pressure that absolutely suffocated Eli Manning.

Look I’m not saying it’s a good thing Landry is out. In fact it’s pretty lame. Reed Daughty (bless his little heart) is just not close to being the player Laron is. He get’s torched in coverage consistently, and really does not bring the ability to make the big plays…ever.

The fact is last night the defense played as a unit. They had each other’s back and did everything they could to minimize the impact of not having a big play guy like Laron.

That’s really all you can ask for.

4. Strong Showing by Rookie Class
One reason the defense pitched a shutout in the 2nd half was because of the play of rookie OLB Ryan Kerrigan and seventh round pick NT Chris Neild. I had been tweeting with some of you guys back and forth throughout the game when twitter follower @rypien1191 tweeted “one turnover might win this game”, I responded that was a scary thought with Rex at QB. Literally seconds after my tweet Ryan Kerrigan came through with an absolutely beautiful tip pick six leading @rypien1191 to tweet “and there it is”.

Kerrigan is the kind of guy who just gets at it the whole game and never ever takes a snap off. Sure he is a little rough around the edges with the switch to LB from DE. Last night he showed that more importantly than playing a position he plays football. It has helped that Haslett has put him in a position to be successful while making the transition leading to Kerrigan getting a few sacks in preseason and now stealing the show in the opener.

Last night was exactly the type of performance you would hope to get out of your first round pick, and Kerrigan did not disappoint.

Neild on the other hand, is a totally different story.

Does anyone know how many players were drafted after Neild in April? Anyone? I will tell you… just one. Chris Neild was the next to last player taken in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL draft. The nose tackle from West Virginia was expected to be sort of a project. Most fans and experts thought he would be a practice squad guy. In fact Just about everyone was pretty shocked last Saturday to see him survive cut day and actually make the team.

Thankfully Shanahan and Haslett know a little more about their players than we do.

Neild said he expected to get around 10 snaps last night, but man did he make those snaps count. He was consistently adding pressure and collapsing the pocket getting two sacks on the night. Barry Cofield joked last night that Neild was already on his way to the Hall of Fame.

Joking aside Chris made serious impact on the game last night. If he can continue to make contributions like that it will allow Jim Haslett the same type of flexibility we hoped to have when Jarvis Jenkins was healthy. We should see a lot of rotation along the D Line with Bowen, Carriker, Cofield and Neild allowing Haz to attack offensive lines from every angle and keeping them guessing. In any case we should definitely be expecting a few more snaps for Neild as the season progresses.

3. Keep Loose Mr. Beck
How awful was the pass protection last night?

I really feel bad for Rex he got hit early and often against a Giant’s defense that was missing both of their pass rushers. I could understand it a little more if Osi and Tuck had played but really Trent Williams? To borrow a line “Come on Man!”

You cannot go against backup guys and get pushed around like that. Rex should have had it made last night, but the New York defenders just flat beat our big guys up front. I understand it’s the first game and all but if we don’t get some better protection John Beck is going to get his chance to play while the training staff tries to sow Grossman’s head back on.

2. The Times they are a Changin’
Remember last year when Willie Parker said the Redskins players don’t care about football and they just wanted to party and goof off?

Those days, if they even existed in the first place are long gone. Every player that I have talked to this year has told me this team is different. They don’t care about having the most popular jersey in the league. They don’t care what ESPN is saying, in fact Santana Moss told ESPN NFC East Blogger Dan Graziano “At the end of the day, we don’t really care what the outside world thinks”. This team wants to do one thing win…period.

It is such a breath of fresh air to hear that the players declined to take a “Victory Monday” day off, opting to instead get back to work preparing for the Cardinals.

I’m pretty sure Clinton Portis never begged for extra practice time win or lose, and maybe that’s why he is currently unemployed. But the point is the Skins have not been the hardest practicing team over the last few years, so seeing this culture change is a welcome site.

During the post game on Comcast Sports Net Anthony Armstrong told Kelly Johnson there is “something special” to this team, you know what I believe him.

1. HEEEEEEEEEYYYYY OOOOOOOOH, YOUR REX IS ON FIRE
If I have learned anything in my years of football obsession it is that consistency is the key to success.

Yesterday afternoon Rex Grossman became the first Redskins QB to start the Season Opener with more than two years in the same system since (are you ready for this) Gus Ferrotte. It has been no secret that the QB carousel in DC has been a nightmare since the Jeff George debacle, so we have not had a chance to see any QB actually understand a system.

On his way back to NASCAR Joe Gibbs told Dan Snyder that the most important thing they had to do when hiring a new coach was to keep some form of continuity. They failed…badly causing the team to go through two years of embarrassment at the hands of Jim Zorn, leading to the arrival of the Shanahans.

When Mike and Kyle took over and brought in Rex Grossman, I thought it was little more than bringing in a guy who knew the system to help teach, and to be able to play ok enough to be a backup (ala Al Saunders and Todd Collins). Again looks like they knew a little more than the rest of us. Grossman spent 2010 showing the team how the system was supposed to be run while Donovan McNabb did everything he could to tailor it to himself.

When McNabb was benched and Grossman was given the keys to the car, the offense absolutely took on new life. Sure Grossman turned the ball over, but in three games he twice threw for over 300 yards. Yesterday he broke the three hundred yard mark for the fourth time in his carrier.

If you are doing the math at home that means that in his time with Chicago Rex only went over 300 yards one time…once. The other three have come over his four total starts in Washington.

I’m no math wiz but that is serious improvement. This is a system that is absolutely a perfect fit for Rex and he knows it inside and out. You can see his knowledge of the system on both touchdown passes. Both were perfectly placed balls that were thrown at the exact time they needed to be. He believes in this system and more importantly the Coaches and the players believe in Rex.

IF (and I understand that is a big IF) Rex can keep the turnovers down, we could be in for a real treat watching him run the offense in 2011. One thing is for sure, if only for one week, Mike Shanahan can tell the world “I told you so”