Chris Samuels had two holding penalties Sunday against the Giants. The first erased a touchdown and forced the Redskins to settle for three points. The second came at the Giants 19 at the end of regulation and nearly made John Hall’s game-tying field goal much more problematical — 47 yards instead of the 33 it wound up being.
And yet, Samuels had “an excellent game,” in Steve Spurrier’s opinion.
Hey, if you can have two holding penalties and still grade out as “excellent,” how much incentive is there, really, to play any better?
I don’t mean to single out Chris Samuels here. Chris, as we all know, is one of the best left tackles in the business, and the Redskins are fortunate to have him. I’m just using him to make a larger point, one about standards. After listening to the Ball Coach defend his offensive linemen in recent weeks, I’m beginning to wonder if his are high enough.
How can two holding penalties constitute an “excellent” game for a Pro Bowl tackle? And how can a line that had as many breakdowns as the Redskins’ did Sunday be praised by the head coach as “pretty good” in the pass protection department?
Before we go any further, let’s review the various missteps made by the line in the 24-21 loss to the Giants:
• Three sacks allowed (and a fourth that was wiped out only because blitzer Dhani Jones tackled Patrick Ramsey too zealously).
• Untold other hits on Ramsey (including a roughing call against the Giants’ William Joseph, who was flagged for hitting the Redskins QB too high rather than too late).
• Three holding penalties (and a fourth against a wide receiver on a running play, negating a 10-yard gain and eventually forcing a punt).
• Three false starts.
Add it all up, and you get something other than a “pretty good” day, even against a defense as formidable as the Giants’.
This has been going on for three weeks now, the Redskins brass pretending that things are okey-dokey with the O-line. But, of course, things aren’t okey-dokey with the O-line. How could they be when the Redskins have given up more sacks (13) than any team in the league?
Granted, the Washington offense is No.1 in the NFL in yards per game (406), but that’s misleading. The Redskins have trailed by big margins in each of their last two games and have had to throw the ball all over the lot to catch up. (Here’s another way you know it’s misleading: The Cowboys, quarterbacked by Quincy Carter, are No.2 in offense at 403 yards per game).
No, there’s been little that’s been “excellent” or “pretty good” about the play of the offensive line. And this is a concern, because Dan Snyder has invested heavily in the unit, and it should be one of the better ones in the league. Samuels and Jon Jansen are among the highest-paid players at their positions. Randy Thomas is the highest-paid player at his position. And Dave Fiore and Larry Moore are making well above the minimum wage. How can a line with that kind of talent be leading the NFL in sacks allowed?
Sure, the two guards are new to the group — and it can take some time for everybody to get comfortable with one another — but come on, these are all veteran guys. The protection shouldn’t be springing this many leaks.
Besides, look at the offensive line the Giants have been putting on the field. Because of injuries, they’ve been starting Wayne Lucier, a rookie seventh-round pick, at center, and David Diehl, a rookie fifth-round pick, at right guard. For the Monday nighter against Dallas, they even started a third rookie, undrafted free agent Jeff Roehl, at right tackle. And yet the Giants’ line — from this vantage point, at least — held up better Sunday than the Redskins’ experienced, high-priced aggregation did. Kerry Collins was sacked just once and wasn’t harassed nearly as much as Ramsey. And, oh yes, in OT, the Giants, with their bargain-basement line, marched right down the field, 83 yards, to boot the winning field goal.
So you can talk about coverage sacks and communication problems with the sideline and plays being changed too late at the line of scrimmage all you want — and the Redskins have. But the truth of the matter is this: The O-line should be playing better. Indeed, the O-line has to play better if the Redskins are to make anything of this season.
And if Ramsey is to be still upright at the end of it.
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