Washington Redskins Beat Arizona Cardinals: Week 2 Observations

After the emotional end of the Washington Redskins game against the Arizona Cardinals, Redskins fans breathed a sigh of relief. Now it's time to get excited about the 2-0 Redskins facing our rival, the Dallas Cowboys, next Monday night.

A few old issues reared their ugly heads in Week 2 and are concerns heading into Washington's second division game in three weeks. While the game wasn't pretty, there are still a couple of good things to take away from the win.

Concern: Red Zone Woes Are Back

The Redskins made seven trips inside the 20 yard line and they came away with 22 out of a possible 49 points.

Trip one: interception.

Trip two: field goal.

Trip three: touchdown.

Trip four: blocked field goal.

Trip five: field goal.

Trip six: touchdown.

Trip seven: field goal.

This will not get it done against the Cowboys. Period.

Positive: The 3-4 Defense Is for Real

Last week I commented that the Redskins' defense was greatly improved and  looking good so far. This week they gave up a few big plays, but overall, they looked strong. Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan have the ability to create ferocious pressure this year. The linebacker corps had three sacks and an interception in Week 2. For the last two games, they have looked like bullies on a playground and it has been a pleasure to watch.

If LaRon Landry gets healthy and returns to the field, things could get ugly for the Redskins' opponents.

That said, there are areas for improvement for the Redskins' defense. DeAngelo Hall got scorched right when the Redskins could least afford it, allowing Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald to run down the field alone for a touchdown that almost cost the Skins the game. This was one of the things I mentioned in my previous article as a concern for this game. Mr. Landry, we need you back.

Additionally, the Cardinals exploited the aggressive nature of the Washington defense to really open up their running game in the second half.

Concern: Special Teams Is Going to Be a Mixed Bag This Year

I was ready to start bashing Graham Gano for missing yet another field goal this season, but I think this one was the line's fault. Calais Campbell seemed to have no one in front of him as he rushed straight in and blocked the kick.

Overall, Gano kicked 3 of 4 field goals, including the game winner and one extra point (the Redskins attempted a two-point conversion on the second touchdown).

Brandon Banks almost broke one loose on a punt return before being viciously face-masked by Cardinal Jeff King (the blatant foul better have financial consequences for King). However, it still looks to me that Banks is not consistently getting the blocking support that he needs from the rest of the return team.

The Redskins' kickoff team also had an inexcusable offside penalty and a kick out of bounds.

One more thing about the Skins' special teams: Sav Rocca is my favorite punter in the world. Not only can he place the ball inside the 20 yard line at will, he can also run down the field and crush the return man. That was a great way to end the game.

Positive: We Saw Good Rex

I will never again write the phrase: “Good Rex, Bad Rex.” That was the last time. I hate the phrase; it's already overused and we're only in the second week of the season. However, after watching him throw a forced ball for an interception on the first series, and then coming right back and throwing another one on the second, he has me worried.

The good news for him is that the interceptions were team-related breakdowns, rather than all his fault. When it really mattered, he ran a superb final series to get into field-goal range, giving Gano a chance to win the game.

This cannot be overstated: Rex Grossman led his team to victory. His line blocked for him, his running backs ran for him and his receivers caught for him, but Rex was responsible for his team's victory in Week 2.

Grossman impressed me yet again. He threw 25 of 43 for 291 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Oh yeah, touchdown number two was from the 18 yard line on a fourth and three completion to Santana Moss in the end zone.

In Summary

There's plenty more to write about, and I will be providing a detailed article later this week about what the Redskins need to do in order to beat Dallas. These are just my initial impressions after a game that felt entirely too much like last season.

The big lesson to take away, however, is that this was the kind of game that the Washington Redskins would have lost by two or three points last year. This year, the team's mentality is different, their play is different and the results today were different.

I am justifiably gun shy when discussing fast starts by the Washington Redskins, so I'll avoid any postseason talk until week eight or nine. I don't think it's impossible that we go into our bye week with a 4-0 record, something I never would have said before the season started. First we have to get past the Cowboys on a Monday night, though.