Liberty Bell
courtesy of KCZooFan
At the end of the first half the Redskins had the chance to get on the board after being handed a gift of a possession after a Brian Orakpo sack led to a fumble recovery by Perry Riley deep in Eagles territory. The Redskins couldn’t help but be the Redskins though. The first issue came on a incomplete pass to Santana Moss were he was in the belief that the defender deserved to be called for pass interference. Unable to keep his emotions in check he ripped off his helmet to better scream at the officials. It resulted in a fifteen yard penalty and a loss of down.
The Redskins still had time, but not much and were out of timeouts. Rex Grossman either needed to throw the ball into the end zone or out of bounds. He did neither and completed a short pass over the middle. The kicking unit had to scramble onto the field to attempt a last second field goal. They never made it and the half ended in the most Redskins fashion that it could.
The entire season has been one of disappointment, but would it have felt that way without the 3-1 start. The Redskins weren’t predicted to be good at anything. They were thought to be a 2-14 team that would be in the running for Andrew Luck. They have been better than that, but not by much. It is hard to call any of the Redskins wins flukes and they had a few loses that could have been wins. The Redskins were not an unlucky team during the season, but if luck had been on their side in those games they could have finished 8-8.
Better luck and a better record doesn’t change the number of holes they have to fill, and it might have made it slightly harder. As it stands the Redskins appear to have the sixth overall pick in the draft, and with the biggest need being quarterback they should be able to get one.
Against the Eagles all the Redskins strengths and weaknesses were once more on display. When a quarterback gets protection against the pass rush of the Redskins the secondary is not hard to pick apart. The Redskins need a shutdown corner back that can take a team’s top receiver out of the game.
The Redskins defense is a lot better than it was in 2010, and needing a shutdown corner is improvement over where the Redskins ended last season. The Redskins front seven is good and most will be returning. the contract of London Fletcher is up in the air, but few people believe he will end up anywhere but back with the Redskins.
The Redskins biggest off-season need besides quarterback is a big wide receiver who can catch passes in traffic. Not enough was seen of Hankerson to know if he could be that guy. It is still an area of weakness though and it is one the Redskins should look to solve by trading for or signing a known quantity. The Redskins have been trying to draft a wide receiver for what feels like forever and it might just be time to give in and pay for one.
Most of the other Redskins needs can be filled through the draft and with the sudden emergence of Evan Royster, who once again rushed for over 100 yards, and Roy Helu the Redskins backfield situation is no longer the mystery it was to begin the season. The Eagles exposed all the weaknesses of the Redskins, but they also let them display their few strengths. This final game of the season should drive home the point of what the Redskins needs are in the off-season. It is now a wait and see to find out how and if those holes are filled.
Brian Orakpo will be holding his annual, 4 day 3 night, football camp from July 17-20 at George Mason University, in Fairfax, VA. He will also be holding a 2 day camp in Austin, TX from July 10-11 at St. Michael’s Catholic Academy. Go to http://www.footballcamps.com for more info.