1. One thing I learned about John Beck: he really does like throwing deep. Of his 10 passes three were downfield. He completed one, missed on another and was picked off on the third. But Beck said afterward he wouldn’t hesitate to make the same throw again. It didn’t come across like someone who was just blowing smoke, either. He was resolute in that and added, “I love the deep ball.” He just knew that vs. Indianapolis it wasn’t available, but against the Ravens you have to take your shots because of how aggressive they play defensively.
2. Apparently ESPN’s Jon Gruden was raving about Beck on TV and proclaimed him his day one starter. He also apparently raved about Beck’s interview. Here’s the thing; Gruden doesn’t do that if he’s not hearing something elsewhere. Like from the head coach. I’ve talked to a few people who have said that Mike Shanahan has told them he thinks Beck is better than Rex Grossman. And Gruden would have been in a production meeting with Shanahan the other day. Wonder if the QB topic came up. What do you think?
3. Grossman’s drive at the end of the first half featured passes between the hashmarks. Five of his six completions were between the hashmarks. When asked about this, Grossman said, “A lot of this offense, from the quarterback’s perspective, isn’t necessarily what you would like. You are trying to run the offense the way it is designed. Your personal preference doesn’t matter.” OK. Not sure exactly what he meant by that. But regardless he made good decisions on this drive. I’ll have to watch the game again Friday morning to get a better feel for his night. I will say, he does not get out of the pocket very fast. There was one time when he threw the ball away on that drive when he could not get very wide and therefore had a longer throw to get it out of bounds. It was nearly pass intercepted.
4. It’ll be a major shame if Jarvis Jenkins has a severe injury. He was far from a finished product, but there was little doubt about his ability to help the line. He understood what the coaches wanted him to work on and was willing to do it. That robs the line of a potential playmaker, especially in the second half of the season. We may not know until Saturday how bad his injury is, but Jenkins said he heard a pop and that’s never a good thing.
5. Brian Orakpo showed a little bit of everything. In the first half, he did a nice job setting the edge on one run; got off a block by a tight end to make a three-yard stop on another play; pressured the passer and then recorded a sack. Orakpo is looking much more comfortable as a 3-4 outside ‘backer. I did see him get beat off the line by the tight end, but Joe Flacco didn’t look down the left seam, instead throwing to the right.
6. Ryan Kerrigan is not an explosive player, but he’s showing that his effort will land him some sacks. For a second straight week he spun off a running back’s block and into a sack. That happens all the time where a back will help only to knock the defender into a better position. The key is that Kerrigan never slowed when he was hit and got inside the tackle for a sack. Excellent effort. I know I’ve said this before, but Kerrigan occasionally tips off his rush by leaning so much on his front foot. If it’s a long count he has a tough time not falling forward – hence the offsides penalties. Again, I give him credit for really working on trying to get a quick jump.
7. Rocky McIntosh remains a liability in coverage. This could be an issue this season, not just with him but also with Kerrigan. At least Kerrigan has an excuse considering he’s just a rookie who is switching positions. In a 3-4, the linebackers must be able to cover well. They got picked on at times last season and I would expect that to continue. I also didn’t like all the penalties (eight overall). Too sloppy at times.
8. One thing I like about the screen passes to Terrence Austin: They basically turn into a punt return situation for him. Once he catches the ball it’s all about setting up the blockers. On his touchdown catch, he waited a split second to allow Sean Locklear to clear out the side. Then Austin cut back inside and had an easy dash to the end zone for a 13-yard score. Austin is very good at making the first guy miss.
9. Want to see Roy Helu’s game again; by the time he was getting a lot of work, we’re focused on finishing our stories. But I did like that he was able to fall forward on his runs and showed some good shoulder pop against a linebacker on another run. I didn’t like that he helped the tackle on one block, but came in with his head down. Also, I’m a little surprised that Evan Royster didn’t play. Now I have to figure that they’ve seen enough and want to stash him on the practice squad.
10. The Redskins keep getting huge runs in part because of the athleticism of their offensive line. Last week Chris Chester finished off Tim Hightower’s long run by getting downfield and blocking the safety. This time, it was Trent Williams who sprinted to linebacker Ray Lewis and mauled him, clearing out the backside on Hightower’s 37-yard touchdown run. Hightower also appeared to have a good night in pass protection, but that’s something I need to go back and watch as well.
Bonus: 11. DeAngelo Hall wasn’t beaten badly by Lee Evans on the touchdown catch, but it was enough separation to result in a touchdown. Evans also separated at the end of the throw. Funny thing is, Hall allowed a 14-yard catch by Evans on a second and 10 in the first quarter. Why? Because he was playing way off – concerned about getting beat deep perhaps (he sometimes played soft last year for that reason)? Considering how heavy the Redskins rushed on the play I’m surprised at how much cushion Hall gave Evans. Two plays later he played tight on the slower Anquan Boldin. It enabled him to pounce on the little curl route and return the interception for a touchdown.
