ANALYSIS/OPINION:

A review of the best and worst performances by the Washington Redskins‘ offense and some observations after re-watching the TV broadcast of their 34-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

GAME BALLS

RB EVAN ROYSTER: The sixth-round rookie had his second 100-yard game in as many starts. He finished with 113 yards on 20 carries, plus five catches for 52 yards, despite painful body cramps. He and fellow rookie RB Roy Helu (injured left knee) deserve high marks for toughness.

Royster dodged tacklers with deft footwork. He’s good at subtly adjusting his course while keeping his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage and continuing to get upfield. That fits his description as a “gliding” runner. His 28-yard run was an extreme example. His instincts took over, and he juked his way through three tackles and around another defender. He kept his shoulders squared for most of that run.

Royster has a knack for finding the hole. To me, he does it better than Helu. However, he lacks the burst to consistently turn those open lanes into gains of 20 or more yards. On Washington’s second run of the game, for example, he took a pitch to the right and almost immediately cut back off of FB Darrel Young, who cut-blocked DE Jason Babin. LG Maurice Hurt got to LB Casey Matthews, and C Will Montgomery drove DT Trevor Laws out. LT Willie Smith cut down DL Cullen Jenkins on the back side, too, so the lane was there. But Royster didn’t accelerate, and that allowed Jenkins to get up off the ground and make the tackle for only a 4-yard gain.

Royster’s balance problems also continued. Ironically, he went down without being touched on his 28-yard run after breaking three tackles. “I just tried to accelerate a little too hard and got a little too much forward lean and just slipped,” he said after the game. It’s another reason why the Redskins consider him to be only a solid reserve.

FB DARREL YOUNG: With the Eagles‘ ends lined up wide and their linebackers deep, Young consistently executed successful lead blocks by identifying defenders and getting to them. The Redskins sometimes used him as an H-back to wham the 3-technique. He helped RB Evan Royster gain 6 yards on a second-quarter run by doing that.

Young also solidified his reputation as a pass-catching threat. When the Redskins faked an end-around in the first quarter, Young slipped behind the linebacker on a corner route and caught a 20-yard pass at the sideline. He’s got good hands, too. QB Rex Grossman‘s throw was out in front of him about thigh-high, and Young had no trouble pulling it in.

Young’s 12-yard run in the second quarter made him a triple threat. When DT Derek Landri penetrated off the snap, Young quickly changed direction to the right and got around the corner. It was an appropriate way for Young to finish a promising first season as the starter.

RG CHRIS CHESTER: Each lineman contributed to the Redskins‘ 5.2-yard average on 25 rushes, but Chester was the most consistent, seeing as how both tackles had loads of trouble in pass protection against the Eagles‘ fast ends.

Chester got to the second level on several first-half runs. Chester and RT Tyler Polumbus also executed a few successful combination blocks. When RB Evan Royster converted third-and-1 on the first series of the third quarter, Chester sealed DE Juqua Parker inside after Polumbus shoved him in and released to LB Brian Rolle. Chester’s block of LB Keenan Clayton in space sprung Royster’s 15-yard reception on a screen pass in the second quarter.

Chester isn’t an overpowering lineman, but in his debut season in Washington he proved he can play in coach Mike Shanahan‘s system because he can run and carry out some of the nuances of combination blocks. He should benefit from experience in the scheme and some stability at right tackle, where the Redskins will look to upgrade in the offseason.

RB ROY HELU:Helu didn’t have a major impact on the game, but his 47-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown was impressive because he ran the last 20-or-so yards on one leg. He left knee was killing him all game. The Redskins put Helu in a bad spot last week by cutting RB Ryan Torain, which forced him to play when he obviously wasn’t close to full speed. Helu responded with the team’s only touchdown.

He was patient setting up his blocks on the screen. He drifted toward the sideline to help suck S Nate Allen into LG Maurice Hurt’s path. Helu during his rookie season proved he can be a contributor in the future, although the Redskins would love for him to be their No. 2. That depends on what they do to address the position in free agency.

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Washington Redskins‘ miserable National Football League season has hardened the resolve of head coach Mike Shanahan to return the once-proud franchise to its winning ways.

The three-time Super Bowl-winning Redskins finished in last place in the NFC East with a 5-11 record, losing 10 of their last 12 games after opening the year with a 3-1 mark.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of putting a great football team together here with the Washington Redskins. I know we’re not there yet,” Shanahan told reporters on Monday.

“But I’m excited with what I do. I’m excited about this football team and the players that we’ve got. And I’m excited for the future.”

Washington was 6-10 a year ago in Shanahan’s first season with the club and the coach admitted he did not expect to see an immediate turnaround for a franchise that has not made the NFL playoffs since the 2007 campaign.

“We’ve got the people that I feel give you the chance to make up something special. And that’s where it starts. It’s not going to happen all in one year or two years,” he said.

“I’m still disappointed we didn’t win 10 or 11 games. I really believe if we would have stayed healthy – that’s not using it as an excuse because we didn’t have a lot of depth – I think we could have gotten there.”

The Redskins lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 34-10 in their season finale on Sunday, sealing the team’s fourth-consecutive finish in the NFC East basement.

Shanahan, who won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos, conceded losing was agonizing.

“With all the time that you put in, every time you have a loss, especially with the effort that you put in, it’s like somebody sticks a knife in you. It’s tough to go through a season like that,” he said.

“Thank God I haven’t gone through any like this before. I might not have been in this profession very long. But it’s something that really drives you, motivates you.

“It’s something that I look forward to doing – putting a great football team together and doing it the right way. And sometimes it takes a little bit longer than sometimes expected.”

(Reporting By Steve Ginsburg; Editing by Frank Pingue)

The Washington Redskins’
miserable National Football League season has hardened the
resolve of head coach Mike Shanahan to return , you better be
motivated, because if you’re not motivated, you’re not going to
be in this business for a long time,” Shanahan the once-proud
franchise to its winning ways.

The three-time Super Bowl-winning Redskins finished in last
place in the NFC East with a 5-11 record, losing 10 of their
last 12 games after opening the year with a 3-1 mark.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of putting a great
football team together here with the Washington Redskins. I know
we’re not there yet.

“But I’m excited with what I do. I’m excited about this
football team and the players that we’ve got. And I’m excited
for the future.”

Washington was 6-10 a year ago in Shanahan’s first season
with the club and the coach admitted he did not expect to see an
immediate turnaround for a franchise that has not made the NFL
playoffs since the 2007 campaign.

“We’ve got the people that I feel give you the chance to
make up something special. And that’s where it starts. It’s not
going to happen all in one year or two years,” he said.

“I’m still disappointed we didn’t win 10 or 11 games. I
really believe if we would have stayed healthy – that’s not
using it as an excuse because we didn’t have a lot of depth – I
think we could have gotten there.”

The Redskins lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 34-10 in their
season finale on Sunday, sealing the team’s fourth-consecutive
finish in the NFC East basement.

Shanahan, who won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos,
conceded losing was agonizing.

“With all the time that you put in, every time you have a
loss, especially with the effort that you put in, it’s like
somebody sticks a knife in you. It’s tough to go through a
season like that,” he said.

“Thank God I haven’t gone through any like this before. I
might not have been in this profession very long. But it’s
something that really drives you, motivates you.

“It’s something that I look forward to doing – putting a
great football team together and doing it the right way. And
sometimes it takes a little bit longer than sometimes expected.”

The latter half of the first round will still change depending on the results of the Playoffs, but the first 20 picks in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft are just about set. There are still four picks (8/9, 11/12) that will be decided based on the results of a couple coin flips, but 16 of the first 20 picks are set, and the Washington Redskins will be picking sixth. Here is the Draft order for the first round as it stands now, according to SB Nation.

1. Indianapolis Colts, 2-14
2. St. Louis Rams, 2-14
3. Minnesota Vikings, 3-13
4. Cleveland Browns, 4-12
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4-12
6. Washington Redskins, 5-11
7. Jacksonville Jaguars, 5-11
8. Carolina Panthers, 6-10*
9. Miami Dolphins, 6-10*
10. Buffalo Bills, 6-10
T-11. Seattle Seahawks, 7-9*
T-11. Kansas City Chiefs, 7-9*
13. Arizona Cardinals, 8-8
14. Dallas Cowboys, 8-8
15. Philadelphia Eagles, 8-8
16. New York Jets, 8-8
17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland Raiders, 8-8)
18. San Diego Chargers, 8-8
19. Chicago Bears, 8-8
20. Tennessee Titans, 9-7

*Coin flip will be used at a later date

For more on the Redskins, visit Hogs Haven.

The Philadelphia Eagles have nothing at stake against the Washington Redskins on Jan. 1. Eagles fans like myself can only root for a .500 record that is completely misleading to how 2011 really went – and a loss doesn’t seem likely to get Andy Reid fired anyway. The Redskins have nothing to play for either, since they are 5-10 and stuck in last place yet again.

This makes the Eagles-Redskins battle completely meaningless as a whole. What’s more, it is even more embarrassing since it is one of the few Week 17 games that have absolutely no stakes at all.

There are only two other games that will not make any impact on the playoff picture or on the top of the NFL draft order. The 7-8 Chicago Bears visit the 3-12 Minnesota Vikings, after the Bears got knocked out of the playoff race and the Vikings knocked themselves out of the race for Andrew Luck. Meanwhile, the 7-8 Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals do battle with only an 8-8 record on the line for the winner.

Every other game means something in some way for some team – and even the Indianapolis Colts-Jacksonville Jaguars battle is huge since it will settle the No. 1 draft pick one way or the other. The other finales will determine postseason berths and playoff seeding for one or both teams in action. But the Eagles and Redskins are completely free of such worries, however.

Washington is used to just playing out the last game of the season with nothing to shoot for, but it is a different story for Philadelphia. It is either resting for the postseason, trying to secure a better seed or seeking to clinch a spot in the playoffs by now. Instead, the Eagles are only attempting to reach .500 and not have any injuries that will impact the start of 2012.

Considering the rest of the high impact action in Week 17, there is no reason to tune into the Eagles-Redskins game over all the others, unless one is a fan of these teams. Unfortunately, myself and others are stuck with the Eagles and will have to yawn through the finale. In between, we will either be infuriated that Philadelphia couldn’t win four straight earlier in the season, or be mad at only the third losing season in the Reid era.

There is a slim chance that this finale could be historic as the last game in Philadelphia for Reid and DeSean Jackson, but we won’t know that for sure for weeks or months. For the moment, this is the most boring and meaningless Week 17 Eagles game in a long time, and perhaps the most boring Week 17 battle in the NFL as a whole.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident who has followed the Eagles since he was eight years old.

Other stories by this contributor

Shanahan, Reid likely to survive disappointing 2011

Smith latest Dallas legend to question Cowboys

Cowboys, Giants to reverse momentum yet again?

2011 Jets collapse nearly as bad as 2008

Rumors of Spagnuolo’s return to Eagles more of the same

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