Redskins Week 1 In Review: Defense Week 1

Film Review: How’d the Defense Look?Each week after the coaches film is released on NFL Game Pass on Tuesday afternoons Cheap Derrius Guice Jersey , I will review the tape and report my findings.The Redskins defense was dominant on Sunday. The unit allowed only 2 first-downs in a first half shutout, spending most of the first 30 minutes with only 19 yards given up. Perhaps the most impressive stat, though? The Redskins held David Johnson, one of the NFL's most dynamic players to only 67 total yards. The addition of DaRon Payne and the return of Matt Ioannidis and Jonathan Allen obviously make a huge difference up front, as the Redskins only needed to blitz on four plays against the pass. It’s sometimes hard to decipher whether or not a team is run-blitzing, but by my count the Redskins only run-blitzed on one play. What does this mean? Well, it shows that the Redskins can effectively sit back in coverage and get enough pressure with their front-four while also being stout enough against the run without having to send reinforcements against the run.How did the Redskins accomplish this? Well, the answer is fairly simple; personnel that finally fit the system. Greg Manusky wants to be able to drop his DBs and linebackers into complex zones, and to do that he needs athletic linebackers and a front-four that can both stuff the run and apply pressure. Finally, with the addition of Da’Ron Payne, the emergence of Josh Harvey-Clemons, and the health of Zach Brown and Mason Foster, the Redskins have the pieces needed to be effective in this system. Mason Foster was matched up (in his zone) with Larry Fitzgerald on 11 occasions by my count, allowing only one catch for 7 yards. Any time a team can put a linebacker on a Hall-of-Fame receiver, things are looking good. On the back end, the Redskins employed mostly quarters and cover-3 looks, allowing their corners to take away one quarter of the field and leaving the safeties to cover the deep thirds depending on the play. Manusky also mixes in some ‘robber’ coverage, bringing a safety down in the box from a high position, usually pushing a linebacker’s responsibility to a flat. While a veteran QB like Bradford can usually pick apart a zone defense, pressure makes the looks harder to discern. While many fans are questioning the pressure the Redskins forced on Sunday, Manusky didn't need to send more than four if the Cardinals were only going to manage a meager 4.7 yards per pass play. Against the murderer’s row of quarterbacks the Redskins have coming up, expect Manusky to dial up some more exotic pressure.I wanted to focus on a few plays in this film review, starting with a stellar play (above) from Quinton Dunbar, who had an exceptional game overall. Dunbar drops into his zone, responsible for the quarter of the field to the bottom of the screen. He shows he’s studied this week Cheap Da'Ron Payne Jersey , seeing the TE pulling the linebacker into the flat to clear the middle of a slant from the slot receiver. Dunbar breaks immediately on the route before the ball is even thrown and breaks the pass up-with his helmet. Dunbar commented after the game that even he was surprised how quickly he got there, wishing aloud with Deangelo Hall that he could’ve gotten his hands on the ball rather than the ball ‘hitting him in his face.’Another fantastic play from Dunbar here (above), as a clever route concept puts him in a tough spot and he still makes the play. Three receivers align in a tight split to the bottom of the screen, and Swearinger and Moreau move over to cover the underneath zones in front of those receivers, leaving Dunbar responsible for the deep third, and in this case, two receivers running vertical routes. Dunbar stays home between the two receivers and breaks quickly on Fitzgerald, making a tough play look easy. On this play (above), I wanted to highlight the contrast between Jonathan Allen and DaRon Payne. Allen shows his prowess with a combination of power and pass-rush moves, a relentless attack straight towards the QB. Payne, who is just scratching his pass-rushing potential, makes one move and attempts to use his power the rest of the way. Payne stayed in the game on possible run downs, so he won’t usually be in the game on obvious passing downs at this point in his career, but this type of play, and contrast between the two Alabama products, was evident throughout the game in passing situations. Lastly, I want to point out one of the only true negatives I saw in this game, and that was a lazy play from Josh Norman that could’ve really changed the game (above). Norman is responsible for the quarter of the field closest to the bottom of the screen. Seals-Jones enters his zone and makes a lazy fake to the outside, sitting down in the end zone. Norman oversteps to the outside and then puts little effort into recovering to cover Seals-Jones, who drops what would’ve been a sure touchdown with a better throw from Bradford. Norman is a good corner, but seems to get bored at times, and did not look fully engaged in this play, a play that could’ve certainly changed the game, as it would’ve resulted in just a 10-point point lead with under 4 minutes remaining.Some other notable observations for each defensive player:-Jonathan Allen is proving that he is one of the best interior rushers in the league. He is relentless and perfectly built for the position, recording two pressures and a QB hit (by my count) on a day where the QB was getting rid of the ball quickly.-DaRon Payne is already a great run-stuffer Youth Brandon Scherff Jersey , holding up two defenders consistently against the run and pushing the pocket on passing downs. He might have been the missing piece to this D.-Matt Ioannidis didn’t have his best game and was washed against the run on multiple occasions, but he will likely find his way to a mostly pass-rush role this season.-Ziggy Hood looked more natural and explosive from his more natural position of defensive end. It must feel fantastic to finally be playing in the position he belongs; no one is happier than Ziggy Hood about the addition of DaRon Payne.-Tim Settle has grown-man strength as a rookie. He had his best series in the third quarter, pushing two defenders into Sam Bradford on first down and holding up two defenders at the line on second down against the run.-Mason Foster is a very instinctive player, and when he’s healthy, has the athleticism to match. He played well against slot receivers and diagnosed the run with patience. He’s also an underrated blitzer.-Zach Brown is overly-aggressive at times, but man is he fast. If he picks the right gap, he gets a TFL. However, he picked the wrong gap on two ten-plus yard runs. A bit more patience would help even out his game.-Josh Harvey-Clemons might be the most underrated player on this defense. He’s a savvy blitzer-waiting on delays and getting his hands up in passing lanes, as well as a mismatch killer against TEs and backs in the pass game.-Preston Smith didn’t look special on Sunday, but he held the edge well on the run and had one QB hit.-Ryan Kerrigan was much the same as his counterpart, solid against the run and had two QB hits, but nothing spectacular.-DJ Swearinger had a mostly great day in coverage, specifically underneath, but got beat deep badly by Larry Fitzgerald to start the second half. He’s clearly more comfortable as the down safety in coverage.-Montae Nicholson had a great game. My only worry about him has been in man coverage, but he excelled in the zone-heavy gameplan on Sunday.-Josh Norman was great in run support and made two fantastic tackles on underneath routes, but was beat badly near the end of the game on what should’ve been a TD.-Fabian Moreau is clearly a good communicator and made sure he was where he needed to be on Sunday, but he’s overall a work in progress; he had a hold and was beat twice for medium gains.-Quinton Dunbar demonstrated why the team showed zero reluctancy in letting Bashed Breeland go. He’s on the rise and didn’t have a single negative on my note sheet. 3 PBU, 1 INT=great game.In Final Preseason Tuneup, Redskins Fall To Ravens 30-20 In their final contest prior the 2018 regular season, the Redskins fell to 1-3 on the preseason in a 30-20 decision to their regional rival, the Baltimore Ravens.In a game that featured virtually none of the presumptive starters for either team, all of the players were seemingly making their respective cases for a spot on the opening day roster. The Redskins have had a logjam at a number of positions including running back, defensive back, linebacker, and wide receiver.Several of the Mason/Brennan nominees saw significant playing time on both sides of the ball in what for several of them could very well be their last chance to suit up for the Redskins.With Chris Thompson and Adrian Peterson all but secured on the opening day 53-man roster Womens Matthew Ioannidis Jersey , tonight’s game was an opportunity for Rob Kelley, Samaje Perine, Kapri Bibbs, De’Veon Smith and Byron Marshall (who did not suit up due to injury) to vie for what could be just one or two open tailback spots. Kelley led the way with 49 yards on 11 carries, and saw the majority of snaps in the first half. Smith chipped in with 7 rushes for 42 yards, while Perine finished with 30 yards on 7 attempts.One of the more late-breaking competitions this preseason came between Kevin Hogan and new addition Connor Jessop, who joined the squad following Colt McCoy’s early departure against Denver. Hogan played the entire game and posted a stat line of 22-for-38, 272 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Both young quarterbacks have strong local ties and would certainly be intriguing options should the Redskins opt to keep three quarterbacks.A footnote in the quarterback department: Robert Griffin III similarly worked to earn himself a roster spot in Baltimore alongside Joe Flacco and rookie phenom and fellow former Heisman winner Lamar Jackson. The former Redskins’ rookie did not play in the contest, raising the question of whether he has already done enough to earn his spot on the team. Meanwhile Jackson finished the evening with 109 yards passing and 25 yards on the ground including a touchdown.On defense, Zach Vigil and Shaun Dion-Hamilton both had impressive showings as they sought to earn spots in what is likely a contest with Martrell Spaight and Josh Harvey-Clemons. Dion-Hamilton was the statistical leader in the group against the Ravens, racking up seven tackles including one for a loss.Last week against the Broncos the defensive secondary struggled mightily, allowing long plays through the air and struggling to make open field tackles. This was a troubling trend that extended into their game tonight. Against the Ravens Troy Apke ended up with just one solo tackle, while Greg Stroman may have done enough in coverage to outpace Quin Blanding, Danny Johnson, and Kenny Ladler.Now that the preseason games are in the books it’s time for the front office to make some challenging decisions for who stays and who goes. While they won’t ever openly admit to having your opinions affect their decisions, we certainly want to know what your final thoughts are as we prepare to put a bow on the 2018 preseason.Which player do you think helped himself out the most in stating his case against Baltimore? Conversely, who hurt himself the most with a lackluster performance? If you were calling the shots, who would be the 53rd man to receive a locker on day one? Also, after seeing Hogan’s complete performance tonight, did he do enough to convince the Redskins to keep three quarterbacks? Throw what you know in the comments below!