Redskins vs. Bears: Positives & Negatives

The Positives

• Defensive Turnovers: Jim Haslett’s defense has come under fire recently, primarily because it has allowed a stunning 420 yards per game to opposing teams through seven weeks. But on Sunday, Haslett’s turnover- and pressure-oriented scheme silenced its doubters by intercepting Bears’ QB Jay Cutler four times and recovering two fumbles. The ‘Skins pass-rush (who logged four sacks on the day) made Cutler uncomfortable in the pocket and forced him to make poor throws. And as for those fumbles, the first prevented the Bears’ from taking a 21-10 lead by stopping them at the goal-line and the second ended another potential scoring drive by Chicago. Don’t look now, but Jim Haslett’s defense has now gotten nine important turnovers in its last two games. That’s what this scheme is supposed to do.
• Albert Haynesworth: Can we finally put this saga to rest? Haynesworth’s performance on Sunday—he forced the Bears’ goal-line fumble, sacked Jay Cutler once, and generally made the pass-rush more effective—is exactly the kind of performance that he wants to have as a defensive lineman. It’s also the kind of performance that Mike Shanahan wants him to have as a defensive lineman. So I think it’s safe to say that all of the offseason drama is water under the bridge between these two. Let’s put it to bed.
• Ryan Torain: Torain broke the 100-yard mark for the second consecutive week yesterday. And while he did have an unfortunate fumble in the red-zone, he also averaged six yards per carry and rushed for a key first down that enabled the Redskins to finish a game in the victory formation for the first time this year. With his tough running, incredible balance, and great second effort, Torain is quickly establishing himself as a legitimate threat in the Redskins backfield and the kind of back that Mike Shanahan loves to coach.
• DeAngelo Hall: He should get into arguments with Jim Haslett more often, especially if he’s going to intercept four passes the week after. His 92-yard interception return for a TD proved to be the go-ahead score and helped the team overcome its offensive miscues.

The Negatives

• Donovan McNabb: Ever since his incredible Week 2 performance against Houston, McNabb has been inconsistent at best and his play against the Bears bordered on abysmal. Despite throwing a great-looking ball to Santana Moss for a TD, McNabb made a lion’s share of mistakes. For the second straight game, his downfield passes were off the mark. He also made arguably the dumbest play of the weekend by trying to throw a short pass as he was being tackled in the backfield by Bears’ defender Israel Idonije. The ball was easily tipped by Idonije and intercepted by cornerback D.J. Moore, who returned it 54 yards for a TD. For a 12-year veteran, McNabb should know when to take a sack.
• Kyle Shanahan: Last I heard, he was calling the plays for the Redskins’ offense, so I’m looking at him when it comes to the Redskins’ offensive struggles, especially their awful 3^rd-down conversion percentage (25%, 30^th in the NFL). Vanilla draw plays and short passes to Moss and Cooley aren’t getting the job done. What they are getting is predictable, and Shanahan needs to draw up some 3^rd-down plays that are more creative and that get the job done. Because at this point, I don’t think it’s just player execution that’s the problem.
• Ball security: This one’s pretty simple. The Redskins turned the ball over three times (two INT’s and a fumble). But the team also recovered their own fumbles five other times and McNabb had an interception negated because he didn’t get a play off before the play clock ran down. That’s nine times that the team could have turned the ball over. Ball security like that is not going to win you many games. This is something the ‘Skins need to fix this week.