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Overview
As a result of dropped passes and a general lack of support last week against the Eagles, QB Kurt Warner didn't play as bad as his numbers might indicate. However, his inability to deal with pressure remains a glaring weakness and will be put to the test once again on Sunday when the Redskins, under new coordinator Gregg Williams, bring their new-look, blitz-frenzy defense to town.
If the Giants are to bounce back at home they must get more consistent play from their passing attack and their defense will have to bottle up Redskins RB Clinton Portis better than it did the Eagles' Brian Westbrook, who averaged seven yards per carry last week. Otherwise, Tom Coughlin will still be in search of his first win as Giants head coach and Joe Gibbs' Redskins will remain undefeated heading into Week 3.
When the Redskins have the ball
Rushing:
Portis had a strong debut with 148 yards on 29 carries with a touchdown. He also deserves a lot of credit for his stamina and toughness in that game. However, his average of 5.1 yards per carry is extremely misleading. If you take away his 64-yard touchdown run, he averaged just 3.0 yards per carry, and after watching Sunday's performance it is clear that the Redskins' offensive line still has lots of work to do in terms of its overall run blocking.
LOT Chris Samuels and ROG Randy Thomas were solid as usual, but LOG Derrick Dockery, OC Lennie Friedman and ROT Kenyatta Jones were inconsistent and were not as overwhelming as they need to be at the point of attack. This week's matchup against the Giants might not be as easy as it seems, even though the Giants allowed Westbrook to run for 119 yards on 17 carries in the opener. Jones could really struggle with the overall quickness and explosiveness of LDE Michael Strahan, and RDT Fred Robbins should do a good job of occupying Dockery, which could lead to some forced double teams from him and Friedman.
Passing: Gibbs' team will always employ a run-first philosophy, but this could be a game where the Redskins need to throw the ball early in order to loosen up the Giants' run defense, which is exactly what the Eagles did a week ago. The Giants should get a better pass rush this week because of the matchup between Strahan and Jones.
However, the inconsistency of their secondary is alarming. DCs Will Allen and William Peterson do not seem to be as confident as they once were, and both were caught out of position on a couple of occasions last week. SS Shaun Williams does a good job underneath in coverage, but he is a target in the vertical passing game if you can get him matched up one-on-one, and Omar Stoutmire also has limited range for a free safety in the NFL.
The Redskins won't ever enter a game with the idea of turning it into a fireworks display, but the mismatches for WRs Laveranues Coles, Rod Gardner and TE Chris Cooley are inviting. Furthermore, much as the Eagles did with Westbrook last week, look for the Redskins to supplement some of the running game with short passes and screens to exploit the Giants' lack of overall athleticism at linebacker.
When the Giants have the ball
Rushing: All the talk in the offseason was focused on Gibbs and the big-name talent on offense. However, it was the defense that set the tone in the opener last week, as the Redskins held the Bucs to just 169 total yards, including just 30 rushing. Rookie FS Sean Taylor did not start and played mostly on special teams for precautionary reasons, but it didn't prevent coordinator Williams from gambling in his secondary.
It is very clear after watching last week's game against the Bucs that the Redskins' defense is going to be much more aggressive than originally anticipated. The idea is to sell out in order to stop the run, which hopefully will create a lot of third-and-long scenarios. With DCs Shawn Springs and Fred Smoot on islands in coverage for a good majority of the game, the Redskins will be able to cheat SS Matt Bowen up closer to the line of scrimmage to essentially create a lot of 4-4 looks versus the run on first and second down.
The Giants had some success running the ball against a suspect Eagles run defense last week, but their totals are grossly exaggerated because of RB Tiki Barber's 72-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. The Giants do have some advantages inside in terms of size and strength, but their inexperience -- both at ROG with rookie Chris Snee and playing together as a unit -- will lead to lots of problems against eight-man fronts.
The Giants will continue to work to establish a strong running game early and we can also plan on seeing a Ron Dayne -- 13 carries for 45 yards last week -- as a change of pace and short-yardage option in the running game. Overall, the Redskins really have an advantage here until the Giants can force them to back Bowens off with the passing game.
Passing: The Redskins looked a lot like the Eagles last week with their man-to-man coverage and heavy blitz packages. With FS Taylor likely to return to action on defense this week, the Redskins should be even better equipped to play the aggressive man-to-man coverage scheme. Look for Taylor to spend a lot of time matched up one-on-one against Giants TE Jeremy Shockey, while Smoot and Springs will match up on the perimeter against WRs Amani Toomer and Ike Hilliard, respectively.
While Taylor has ideal size, speed and athleticism to match up against Shockey -- that's one of the biggest reasons they drafted him so high -- it will be Taylor's first start in a regular-season NFL game, so look for the Giants to test the rookie early on.
The biggest key to the Giants' success on offense is their ability to pick up the blitz. Williams is doing an aggressive job of not only getting OLBs Marcus Washington and LaVar Arrington involved as edge rushers, but he's also mixing in safety and cornerback blitzes. Warner did not throw an interception last week, but he was sacked four times and consistently struggled in terms of his timing with his receivers on "hot reads". If Warner and his receivers don't do a better job of getting on the same page, and if the Giants' offensive line doesn't jell quickly, this could be another frustrating matchup for Coughlin's offense.
Scouts' Edge
Things won't come as easily for the Redskins as people might think, following their opening win and the Giants' blowout loss to the Eagles. The Redskins struggled on offense in Week 1 and, if it were not for Portis' 64-yard touchdown run, the offense would have finished with fewer than 230 total yards.
The Giants ran into a red-hot Eagles passing attack last week and were exploited for their inconsistent pass rush and overrated secondary. The Redskins also have some mismatches to exploit in that area, but QB Mark Brunell must show better accuracy and the unit as a whole will have to take greater risks in order to do so.
On the flip side, the Redskins' defense was impressive in the opener and it matches up well against the Giants this week. Look for Warner to continue to struggle with pressure in his face and for the Redskins to make things difficult for the one-two punch of Barber and Dayne. Add it all up and this game has the makings of a low-scoring, somewhat sloppy defensive battle between two conservatively coached teams. The Redskins will outlast the Giants, but not by much.
As a result of dropped passes and a general lack of support last week against the Eagles, QB Kurt Warner didn't play as bad as his numbers might indicate. However, his inability to deal with pressure remains a glaring weakness and will be put to the test once again on Sunday when the Redskins, under new coordinator Gregg Williams, bring their new-look, blitz-frenzy defense to town.
If the Giants are to bounce back at home they must get more consistent play from their passing attack and their defense will have to bottle up Redskins RB Clinton Portis better than it did the Eagles' Brian Westbrook, who averaged seven yards per carry last week. Otherwise, Tom Coughlin will still be in search of his first win as Giants head coach and Joe Gibbs' Redskins will remain undefeated heading into Week 3.
When the Redskins have the ball
Rushing:
Portis had a strong debut with 148 yards on 29 carries with a touchdown. He also deserves a lot of credit for his stamina and toughness in that game. However, his average of 5.1 yards per carry is extremely misleading. If you take away his 64-yard touchdown run, he averaged just 3.0 yards per carry, and after watching Sunday's performance it is clear that the Redskins' offensive line still has lots of work to do in terms of its overall run blocking.
LOT Chris Samuels and ROG Randy Thomas were solid as usual, but LOG Derrick Dockery, OC Lennie Friedman and ROT Kenyatta Jones were inconsistent and were not as overwhelming as they need to be at the point of attack. This week's matchup against the Giants might not be as easy as it seems, even though the Giants allowed Westbrook to run for 119 yards on 17 carries in the opener. Jones could really struggle with the overall quickness and explosiveness of LDE Michael Strahan, and RDT Fred Robbins should do a good job of occupying Dockery, which could lead to some forced double teams from him and Friedman.
Passing: Gibbs' team will always employ a run-first philosophy, but this could be a game where the Redskins need to throw the ball early in order to loosen up the Giants' run defense, which is exactly what the Eagles did a week ago. The Giants should get a better pass rush this week because of the matchup between Strahan and Jones.
However, the inconsistency of their secondary is alarming. DCs Will Allen and William Peterson do not seem to be as confident as they once were, and both were caught out of position on a couple of occasions last week. SS Shaun Williams does a good job underneath in coverage, but he is a target in the vertical passing game if you can get him matched up one-on-one, and Omar Stoutmire also has limited range for a free safety in the NFL.
The Redskins won't ever enter a game with the idea of turning it into a fireworks display, but the mismatches for WRs Laveranues Coles, Rod Gardner and TE Chris Cooley are inviting. Furthermore, much as the Eagles did with Westbrook last week, look for the Redskins to supplement some of the running game with short passes and screens to exploit the Giants' lack of overall athleticism at linebacker.
When the Giants have the ball
Rushing: All the talk in the offseason was focused on Gibbs and the big-name talent on offense. However, it was the defense that set the tone in the opener last week, as the Redskins held the Bucs to just 169 total yards, including just 30 rushing. Rookie FS Sean Taylor did not start and played mostly on special teams for precautionary reasons, but it didn't prevent coordinator Williams from gambling in his secondary.
It is very clear after watching last week's game against the Bucs that the Redskins' defense is going to be much more aggressive than originally anticipated. The idea is to sell out in order to stop the run, which hopefully will create a lot of third-and-long scenarios. With DCs Shawn Springs and Fred Smoot on islands in coverage for a good majority of the game, the Redskins will be able to cheat SS Matt Bowen up closer to the line of scrimmage to essentially create a lot of 4-4 looks versus the run on first and second down.
The Giants had some success running the ball against a suspect Eagles run defense last week, but their totals are grossly exaggerated because of RB Tiki Barber's 72-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. The Giants do have some advantages inside in terms of size and strength, but their inexperience -- both at ROG with rookie Chris Snee and playing together as a unit -- will lead to lots of problems against eight-man fronts.
The Giants will continue to work to establish a strong running game early and we can also plan on seeing a Ron Dayne -- 13 carries for 45 yards last week -- as a change of pace and short-yardage option in the running game. Overall, the Redskins really have an advantage here until the Giants can force them to back Bowens off with the passing game.
Passing: The Redskins looked a lot like the Eagles last week with their man-to-man coverage and heavy blitz packages. With FS Taylor likely to return to action on defense this week, the Redskins should be even better equipped to play the aggressive man-to-man coverage scheme. Look for Taylor to spend a lot of time matched up one-on-one against Giants TE Jeremy Shockey, while Smoot and Springs will match up on the perimeter against WRs Amani Toomer and Ike Hilliard, respectively.
While Taylor has ideal size, speed and athleticism to match up against Shockey -- that's one of the biggest reasons they drafted him so high -- it will be Taylor's first start in a regular-season NFL game, so look for the Giants to test the rookie early on.
The biggest key to the Giants' success on offense is their ability to pick up the blitz. Williams is doing an aggressive job of not only getting OLBs Marcus Washington and LaVar Arrington involved as edge rushers, but he's also mixing in safety and cornerback blitzes. Warner did not throw an interception last week, but he was sacked four times and consistently struggled in terms of his timing with his receivers on "hot reads". If Warner and his receivers don't do a better job of getting on the same page, and if the Giants' offensive line doesn't jell quickly, this could be another frustrating matchup for Coughlin's offense.
Scouts' Edge
Things won't come as easily for the Redskins as people might think, following their opening win and the Giants' blowout loss to the Eagles. The Redskins struggled on offense in Week 1 and, if it were not for Portis' 64-yard touchdown run, the offense would have finished with fewer than 230 total yards.
The Giants ran into a red-hot Eagles passing attack last week and were exploited for their inconsistent pass rush and overrated secondary. The Redskins also have some mismatches to exploit in that area, but QB Mark Brunell must show better accuracy and the unit as a whole will have to take greater risks in order to do so.
On the flip side, the Redskins' defense was impressive in the opener and it matches up well against the Giants this week. Look for Warner to continue to struggle with pressure in his face and for the Redskins to make things difficult for the one-two punch of Barber and Dayne. Add it all up and this game has the makings of a low-scoring, somewhat sloppy defensive battle between two conservatively coached teams. The Redskins will outlast the Giants, but not by much.