August 13-- O-line speaks after rough first game
The Redskins sign former Eagles WR Todd Pinkston and release WR Kyle Brown.. The team also signed DT Matthias Askew, a former 4th round pick of the Bengals.. The team let Vaka Manapuna go who suffered a quad injury last week and wasn’t available to return to practice..
Pinkston is remembered most around here for an alligator arms moment against the Skins on MNF when he was wide open on a deep pass play in the middle of the field but shied away from the ball when he thought Sean Taylor was closer to him then he actually was.. Pinkston did little in practice today and figures to be a longshot to make the team anyway with vet Cory Bradford and second year man Mike Espy still on the roster..
WR Brandon Lloyd continues to miss practice, Joe Gibbs said the shin splints have not calmed down yet but the hope is he may run with the trainers tomorrow trying to get himself back on the field.. Gibbs said the Pinkston signing is not related to Lloyd’s absence from practice.. This soreness started in the middle of the first week of camp and Lloyd failed to play in the scrimmage or first pre-season game..
Others who missed practice today: RB Clinton Portis (knee), T Chris Samuels (knee), TE Tyler Ecker (groin), G Todd Wade (shoulder), WR Antwaan Randle-El (quad). Gibbs said he doesn’t believe this injury is serious.. DT Anthony Montgomery suffered a slight knee strain and was limited in practice..
As for Wade, Joe Bugel said he needs to continue getting reps so he will continue as the team’s starting left guard as long as he can return to practice.. Wade injured his shoulder early in the Tennessee game but played through it.. Today in practice, Mike Pucillo was taking the first teams reps as Wade watched and Bugel said if Wade can’t go, Pucillo will get a look at the spot…
Bugel praised the play of undrafted rookie Stephon Heyer who he said is going to be a very good football player.. As for the overall play of the line, Bugel called certain things unacceptable but said “my team isn’t fickle, there wasn’t one person who watched the film and thought we couldn’t do better.” The Skins averaged 2.3 per rush in the first half against Tennessee.. Bugel and Gibbs both credited the Titans for playing “much faster then us.” The team also allowed 5 sacks after a season where they gave up only 19 a year ago..
The second first half sack which led to a second fumble by Jason Campbell was blamed on Jon Jansen stepping on Randy Thomas’s foot.. This allowed a Titan to run free.. Jansen said he is not overly concerned by the play of the line saying the first game is always just a stepping off point..
Jason Campbell had a quote worth mentioning today “The thing I need to work on is that I hadn’t been hit since last season. I have to work on keeping the football once I’ve been hit. We don’t get hit in practice.” So let the debate over whether the practices are tough enough continue..
OK men..
Pinkston is remembered most around here for an alligator arms moment against the Skins on MNF when he was wide open on a deep pass play in the middle of the field but shied away from the ball when he thought Sean Taylor was closer to him then he actually was.. Pinkston did little in practice today and figures to be a longshot to make the team anyway with vet Cory Bradford and second year man Mike Espy still on the roster..
WR Brandon Lloyd continues to miss practice, Joe Gibbs said the shin splints have not calmed down yet but the hope is he may run with the trainers tomorrow trying to get himself back on the field.. Gibbs said the Pinkston signing is not related to Lloyd’s absence from practice.. This soreness started in the middle of the first week of camp and Lloyd failed to play in the scrimmage or first pre-season game..
Others who missed practice today: RB Clinton Portis (knee), T Chris Samuels (knee), TE Tyler Ecker (groin), G Todd Wade (shoulder), WR Antwaan Randle-El (quad). Gibbs said he doesn’t believe this injury is serious.. DT Anthony Montgomery suffered a slight knee strain and was limited in practice..
As for Wade, Joe Bugel said he needs to continue getting reps so he will continue as the team’s starting left guard as long as he can return to practice.. Wade injured his shoulder early in the Tennessee game but played through it.. Today in practice, Mike Pucillo was taking the first teams reps as Wade watched and Bugel said if Wade can’t go, Pucillo will get a look at the spot…
Bugel praised the play of undrafted rookie Stephon Heyer who he said is going to be a very good football player.. As for the overall play of the line, Bugel called certain things unacceptable but said “my team isn’t fickle, there wasn’t one person who watched the film and thought we couldn’t do better.” The Skins averaged 2.3 per rush in the first half against Tennessee.. Bugel and Gibbs both credited the Titans for playing “much faster then us.” The team also allowed 5 sacks after a season where they gave up only 19 a year ago..
The second first half sack which led to a second fumble by Jason Campbell was blamed on Jon Jansen stepping on Randy Thomas’s foot.. This allowed a Titan to run free.. Jansen said he is not overly concerned by the play of the line saying the first game is always just a stepping off point..
Jason Campbell had a quote worth mentioning today “The thing I need to work on is that I hadn’t been hit since last season. I have to work on keeping the football once I’ve been hit. We don’t get hit in practice.” So let the debate over whether the practices are tough enough continue..
OK men..
posted by Bram Weinstein | 4:25 PM
2 Comments:
One point on that Bram: I'm pretty sure that teams that do engage in more full contact in practice still do not touch the QB.
The offensive line struggled last year in the beginning of the SEASON, if I recall it took them about 5 games to find their rhythm. Makes me wonder if not having serious contact in practice is part of the problem. The line in particular is all about smash mouth type contact.
Generally in sports a lack of rhythm is predicated on lack of play time and once you get the reps needed you find your stride.
If it takes the line 5 games or so again to find their stride and establish a running game, we are in trouble. And if that happens its hard not to blame the relatively soft training camp -- with little contact, fewer 2 a days than all but one team, and shorter practices than most teams.
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