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For the Redskins:
Pros
1.) Rookies on display. RGIII and Alfred Morris both looked legit. RGIII showed great awareness, kept plays going and had a typically aggressive defense holding back. He kept extending plays and excelled on throwing to all parts of the field. Meanwhile, Morris had 96 yards on 28 carries and two TDs, first wearing down the defense and then breaking some decent runs. He keeps going after contact and gets those tough yards, and Morris showed enough to validate the coaching staff's confidence in him and they have already named him the starter next week.
2.) Receivers stepped up. Pierre Garcon had a great debut, and only played a few minutes in the game. Targeted early and often, Garcon had four catches for 109 yards, including an 88 yard TD catch where he outran the Saints secondary. When he left with a foot injury, Aldrick Robinson stepped right up with four catches for 54 yards and a TD. Six other players caught passes, and Santana Moss showed some early success in the slot.
3.) Secondary may not be a weak spot. Many thought the Redskins secondary would be a weak spot, and they performed pretty well. DeJon Gomes played extremely well Meriweather injured, and if that play keeps up, he may have one of the starting spots even when Meriweather returns. Cedric Griffen also played very well, and if he stays healthy (a huge if considering his history with injuries) the Redskins have a very good cornerback.
4.) I was upset about Graham Gano being released, but Billy Cundiff hit all four field goals and looks to be a good addition. Lets see how he holds up when he gets into a pressure situation.
5.) Offensive line played a good game against one of the better defensive lines in the league. They needed this confidence booster, especially with Lichensteiger returning from knee reconstruction and a new starter at RT.
Cons
1.) I loved how we called the offense early on, and it seems we built off the previous series and had the Saints D on the ropes. However, late in the game, play calling on both sides got extremely conservative and this allowed the Saints to get back in the game. This can not continue to happen, as it's happened quite a bit with Shanahan when the Redskins are ahead. Keep pushing for more points, and do what you are doing to move the ball, don't change the game plan and risk losing the game. This can lose games more than anything else, and I hate seeing the Redskins letting teams back into games.
2.) The special teams unit will need some work. The first attempted punt was blocked, and with the way the FG protection team was last season, allowing five kicks to be blocked, this is not a good sign. I hope this doesn't continue, and I still believe in Danny Smith, but if it does, this could be his last season in Washington.
3.) Backup running backs need to produce. Even with the starter, Shanahan likes to change his backs up. Helu had one catch for 21 yards, but the rest of his catches and his two rushing attempts didn't even produce 10 total yards. Evan Royster had two rushes for 10 yards, but that was the extent of his playing time. Injuries have not helped Helu (both Achilles) or Royster (knee) but the bottom line is that the rest of the roster produced on offense, and one of them needs to step up going forward.
Pros
1.) Rookies on display. RGIII and Alfred Morris both looked legit. RGIII showed great awareness, kept plays going and had a typically aggressive defense holding back. He kept extending plays and excelled on throwing to all parts of the field. Meanwhile, Morris had 96 yards on 28 carries and two TDs, first wearing down the defense and then breaking some decent runs. He keeps going after contact and gets those tough yards, and Morris showed enough to validate the coaching staff's confidence in him and they have already named him the starter next week.
2.) Receivers stepped up. Pierre Garcon had a great debut, and only played a few minutes in the game. Targeted early and often, Garcon had four catches for 109 yards, including an 88 yard TD catch where he outran the Saints secondary. When he left with a foot injury, Aldrick Robinson stepped right up with four catches for 54 yards and a TD. Six other players caught passes, and Santana Moss showed some early success in the slot.
3.) Secondary may not be a weak spot. Many thought the Redskins secondary would be a weak spot, and they performed pretty well. DeJon Gomes played extremely well Meriweather injured, and if that play keeps up, he may have one of the starting spots even when Meriweather returns. Cedric Griffen also played very well, and if he stays healthy (a huge if considering his history with injuries) the Redskins have a very good cornerback.
4.) I was upset about Graham Gano being released, but Billy Cundiff hit all four field goals and looks to be a good addition. Lets see how he holds up when he gets into a pressure situation.
5.) Offensive line played a good game against one of the better defensive lines in the league. They needed this confidence booster, especially with Lichensteiger returning from knee reconstruction and a new starter at RT.
Cons
1.) I loved how we called the offense early on, and it seems we built off the previous series and had the Saints D on the ropes. However, late in the game, play calling on both sides got extremely conservative and this allowed the Saints to get back in the game. This can not continue to happen, as it's happened quite a bit with Shanahan when the Redskins are ahead. Keep pushing for more points, and do what you are doing to move the ball, don't change the game plan and risk losing the game. This can lose games more than anything else, and I hate seeing the Redskins letting teams back into games.
2.) The special teams unit will need some work. The first attempted punt was blocked, and with the way the FG protection team was last season, allowing five kicks to be blocked, this is not a good sign. I hope this doesn't continue, and I still believe in Danny Smith, but if it does, this could be his last season in Washington.
3.) Backup running backs need to produce. Even with the starter, Shanahan likes to change his backs up. Helu had one catch for 21 yards, but the rest of his catches and his two rushing attempts didn't even produce 10 total yards. Evan Royster had two rushes for 10 yards, but that was the extent of his playing time. Injuries have not helped Helu (both Achilles) or Royster (knee) but the bottom line is that the rest of the roster produced on offense, and one of them needs to step up going forward.
worthy and the throw he made was perfect. He also learned from his mistakes through the game, despite having constant pressure throughout.
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