1.Tampa Bay’s youth and roster-building approach is in stark contrast to Washington’s » For various reasons last year, the Redskins patched together an aging roster designed for short-term success. The Bucs turned over their roster and focused on developing young players. The result? They play with an energy the Redskins don’t always have. When the Redskins commit to rebuilding, they will have a chance for long-term success. But this is not the most patient city in the world, from the fans — who haven’t seen a good stretch of success in 20 years — to the owner to the head coach.
2. The offensive line has done a solid job protecting quarterback Donovan McNabb the past two weeks » The consecutive losses can’t be pinned on them, even if they allowed four sacks vs. the New York Giants. But against the Giants they gave McNabb plenty of time to throw and Sunday they created numerous cutback lanes and huge holes for running back Ryan Torain, at least in the first half. They still struggle against strong defensive tackles, so upgrades remain necessary and RT Jammal Brown’s mobility is still an issue. But give them credit for improved play.
3. The Redskins draft classes from 2007-09 are a big reason why this team continues to struggle » Washington had 21 picks in those three seasons combined, and only two of those selections are considered front-line starters — safety LaRon Landry and linebacker Brian Orakpo. And only one other player is currently a starter — struggling free safety Kareem Moore. Only nine players even remain with the organization (with two of them on injured reserve and another on the practice squad). It’s impossible to have more than fleeting success with such a record.
4 As well as running back Ryan Torain has played this season, it’s hard to get excited about his future because he still has to prove he can stay healthy » It’s a shame, too, because he’s now averaging 4.9 yards per carry and has shown a lot of promise. He’s big enough to break arm tackles at the line and he’s doing a nice job of pressing the hole, planting and cutting. He had several such cuts Sunday, leading to big gains. Torain is a much better runner than he was in the summer, and it would be interesting to see how good he could be if he stayed healthy for an extended period of time.
