The Washington Redskins lost a tight game to the Miami Dolphins this past weekend. The game had 5 sacks combined for both teams with the Redskins getting three and giving up two.
Each week we’re going to break down all the sacks from the game…both good and bad.
Let’s start with the bad…
This play was designed for Brandon Schreff and Morgan Moses to double N. Suh while Shawn Lauvao blocks one end and Kory Lichtensteiger grabs the nose guard. Trent Williams is in charge of the blind-side and Derek Carrier and Jordan Reed pin down the weak-side. The Dolphins middle linebacker is fully keyed on Redskins runningback Matt Jones on this play and follows his every move.
Everyone does their job, with an exception of Lichtensteiger who loses his gap rather quickly as Jordan Phillips gets around him almost exactly at the same time Matt Jones cuts back inside after the play-action fake from Kirk Cousins.
Kirk has no where to go as the play breaks down before it has time to develop.
On this play Brandon Scherff and Morgan Moses double-down on N.Suh while Lauvao and Lichtensteiger double down the nose tackle. Trent Williams slides back to cover the blind-side and runningback Chris Thompson is supposed to pickup any rushers that creep in from the right side (ie; Cameron Wake).
Everyone does there job except Thompson who gets beat badly around the edge and Cousins goes down.
Now on to the good…
This play sets up with Ryan Tannehill in shotgun formation with a one-man backfield. Jason Hatcher makes an outsdie move to the end as Preston Smith shoots back towards the inside. Tannehii has to adjust.
The Dolphins got away with a block in the back penalty on this play as Preston Smith was clearly mugged (follow the arrow)…
As the play further develops and Tannehill can’t find any open receivers, Chris Baker breaks free and forces Tannehill to run…right where Jason Hatcher was already waiting for sack number one on the day for the Redskins defense.
Sack number two starts off with Miami in a shotgun formation, their runningback went in motion to the right. Rookie LB Preston Smith made his first move outside but cut back in. The play almost turned into another Jason Hatcher sack but Tannehill briefly escaped the Redskins defense.
After Hatcher missed on the sack Smith swallowed Tannehill up and forced a fumble that trickled some 20+ yards. Smith made the sack, forced the fumble and recovered it.
The play starts out with Miami once again in shotgun formation. This time Ryan Kerrigan dips towards the middle and targets Dolphins center Marcus Pouncey.
As Kerrigan makes his move, the pocket collapses around Tannehill at the same time Chris Baker reaches his other side. Tannehill is almost stripped again, this time by Kerrigan. Baker and Kerrigan share the last sack of the day.
The Redskins showed Sunday that the team is indeed focused on improving in the trenches on both sides of the ball in 2015. The young right side of the Redskins o-line looked extremely good against one of the best defensive lines in football. Consistency is the key here…we’ll check back next week and see how the unit does against the Rams this weekend.
The defensive unit is only going to get better as they all get used to playing along side one another. Rookie Preston Smith looked extremely good in his first NFL game getting his first sack, creating his first fumble and then recovering it. The entire defensive front should improve with Terrance Knighton on the field creating havoc in the middle. Like most nose-tackles, Knighton may not show up much in the stats category, but his performance is felt all over the field. Jason Hatcher is staring a huge year in the face if that defensive front continues to play the rest of the year the way they did against Miami.
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