Ah, so this is football. Last week I had the ‘pleasure' of spending eight hours with a rewind button examining the Chiefs attempting to take on the Buccaneers and praying for a contest. Well, this game met that criterion in every sense of the word. Five lead changes, some excellent passing, running and blocking with a smattering of decent defense thrown in to keep things meaningful.
While the Redskins may have lost, the way Robert Griffin III is playing their season is already a success. Together with his coaches, they have taken a franchise that was struggling to remain relevant in the NFC East and made it as exciting and difficult to beat as any of the other teams in the division. They’ve still got a ways to go, and it’s possible that just as the offense begins to take shape the defense may be showing signs of decay, but it's encouraging.
The Giants will be delighted with the win, but underlying a decent record they are also a team with new strengths and some developing weaknesses. Let’s check it all out.
Redskins – Three Performances of Note
Option to Thrill
I must admit as I watched an incredibly ragged Redskins offensive display in early August at Ashburn I would have thought it inconceivable that by Week 7 the team would be performing like this. At the heart of it all Robert Griffin III (+3.3) has shown an uncanny ability to make plays regardless of the quality of the cast surrounding him. Losing perhaps his best receiving weapon (Fred Davis) after only 17 snaps, he still managed to put his team into a winning position that the Washington secondary then squandered.
He looks in such complete control of the offense it was surprising for him not to complete a throw, and a real shock when he threw the interception to Stevie Brown. Putting that error aside, he still made the throw of the day with the perfect pass on the corner route to Santana Moss that put Washington three points up with 1:27 to play, moving them 77 yards in a minute and 27 seconds. However, what makes him so special is that while his arm is excellent, his running threat is also very real and hard to defend. The use of the option has been amended to utilize other players more effectively and put him in better positions to succeed. Here, although he was used on five designed runs (and took off four times on scrambles) he never really took more than a glancing blow on any of them.
Chestering Chase
The generally excellent performances of the Redskins' offensive line has come as a surprise to even the most ardent of fans, and perhaps no one on that line has improved so much this year as right guard, Chris Chester (+3.9). After 2011, his job looked in doubt as he singularly failed in the running game (being our worst-graded run blocker among all guards), and it was perhaps only his above average pass protection skills and excellent discipline (only one penalty conceded) that kept him in work.
After a poor first week in New Orleans where he looked every inch the player he did last year, he’s gone from strength to strength culminating here in what was his best outing for well over a year. A single hurry given up protecting RG3 is not unusual for Chester, but the way he tormented Chase Blackburn at the second level was. On six separate occasions he got the better of the Giants' middle linebacker with only a single reverse. Perhaps the pick of the blocks was on the first Redskins offensive play of the fourth quarter where, after he got off his initial block, he proceed to push Blackburn back about eight yards.
Fading Away
Last week I spent some time watching Ray Lewis against Dallas and saw a man who looked nothing like even the player he was last year. Seeing London Fletcher (-1.5) in this game gave me a distinct feeling of Déjà vu. It’s not that he was completely terrible (he did make a couple of positive interventions) but the overall impression was of someone no longer able to keep pace with the game. Watching him getting trucked by Ahmad Bradshaw (a player he probably outweighs by 20 or so pounds) on the second Giants play of the day was not pretty and his production, by any meaningful measure, is in rapid decline. His tackling efficiency (11 misses so far) now rates seventh-worst among inside linebackers and in coverage, his 8.4 snaps per reception is fourth worst.
All things considered, was the way Lewis left this season a kinder way to go?
Giants – Three Performances of Note
V for Victor (y)
By George, the young scamp has gone and done it again. Victor Cruz (+2.1) seems to be making rather a habit of pulling the Giants out of a hole. On this occasion he just blew past two (rather pedestrian looking) defenders en route to a game-winning 77-yard score. However, that was just icing as he’d already had a pretty solid day regardless, playing on all bar one pass play and generating four first-down receptions. For the season he’s broadly playing 50% of his snaps in the slot and that was again the case in this game, splitting his 58 plays right down the middle, outside and slot.
With Hakeem Nicks still looking a little less than healthy, Cruz is picking up the slack and enjoying every minute of it.
Secondary Salvage
With Kenny Phillips still ruled out by knee injury the New York secondary is shipping water badly and often looks close to sinking. Corey Webster looks like his confidence is shot (this was his seventh negatively-graded game out of seven this year) and Jayron Hosley is a long way from the finished article. Among the corners it’s falling to Prince Amukamara (+1.7) to keep things on an even keel. After coming back from injury in Week 3 he’s consistently played well and again he looked the pick of a poor bunch. Although his stats don’t scream ‘Amukamara Island' just yet (three receptions on five targets for 41 yards with a pass defensed), he’s been reliable and that, in the context of this defense, is extremely valuable.
Where’s the Rush?
When people talk about the best current pass-rushing defensive lines, the Giants still frequent many lists, but I’m not sure why. The Giants simply aren’t as productive as they used to be, and chief among the culprits is Osi Umenyiora (-0.3). It’s not that he was shut out here (indeed he picked up a sack and hurry on 21 attempts to get to the QB) but he just doesn’t strike fear into offensive tackles as he used to. Last year his 11.3 pass rushing productivity rating was eighth among 4-3 ends, but this year that’s down to 7.3 and he’s plummeted to 33rd (just one place above team-mate Justin Tuck).
This is a line that is now basing its reputation on one player, Jason Pierre Paul, and as the others production falls so does his. It needs Umenyiora to re-find his mojo, and quickly.
Game Notes
– RG3 completed every pass he threw outside the numbers: 8-of-8 for 122 with 2 TDs.
– Although he had a good overall game, Rob Jackson had the unusual distinction of missing two tackles and making none.
– Justin Tuck picked up his first sack of the year. It took him 156 attempts to get it.
Game Ball
Who else other than Victor Cruz? Do the dance Victor, do the dance!
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