1 » The fuss made over quarterback Donovan McNabb still going onto the field for the coin toss as a captain is unbelievable. McNabb was elected as captain by his teammates. If he doesn’t go out for the coin toss he’s turning his back on them — not the coaches. This was not a request from the coaches that McNabb goes onto the field; it’s part of his responsibility. Had McNabb not gone onto the field, he would have made the situation about himself and not the team. That would have sent a horrible message.
2 » Don’t know if it was because practices were changed last week — and held indoors or on the turf field — but the Redskins missed too many tackles Sunday. Actually, this has been a problem in too many games; sometimes that stems from not having enough defenders around the ball. Safety Kareem Moore has struggled in this area most of the season. And for the past few weeks he’s attempted too many tackles at the ballcarrier’s shoulder pads. That leads to missed tackles. Coaches love his competitiveness, but Moore must become a better tackler.
3 » Brian Orakpo plays with energy and passion and is fun to watch. He’s a good pass rusher who is developing in other areas. But, as of now, there’s a gap between Orakpo and Dallas linebacker DeMarcus Ware. It’s noticeable when watching Ware drop into coverage and tackle a back in the flat or in space, as he did against Ryan Torain in the third quarter Sunday. Ware’s footwork was tremendous on this play. This is not a knock on Orakpo at all. Ware simply is just that good of a player.
4 » The Redskins’ defense needs an injection of speed, which is evident when watching other top units around the league perform. Some of that stems from familiarity with the system, but that’s also a function of young legs and high-level talent. Losing LaRon Landry hurts, but the line also is a bit slow. They’re full of try-hard guys, but they sometimes just can’t make the play. Anthony Bryant was an improvement over Maake Kemoeatu at nose tackle. Bryant is a bit inconsistent but he was more effective in clogging the middle. Still, an upgrade at this spot is necessary if the Redskins want to improve defensively next season. Finding energy, not to mention a good player, at nose tackle would benefit the entire unit going forward.
