Santana Moss
courtesy of Keith Allison
A game as good as Sunday’s match-up between the Patriots and Redskins shouldn’t have ended the way it did. With CBS refusing to show a replay of the Santana Moss penalty it is unclear whether or not there was a penalty, but there was no foul once Santana Moss came into view on TV. The closest defender to Moss was four feet away. On the second to last play of the game Moss was as open as any receiver could be and it didn’t look to be because he pushed off. If CBS had shown a replay to clarify the call and found an angle that showed the foul that would have helped, but they didn’t and what was seen remains all the info available.
Santana Moss wasn’t happy with the call and it cost the Redskins on the next play. They still had one more down to try and get back the score that was taken from them. Moss too busy being upset about the previous play lost concentration when the ball came his way and shoveled it into the waiting arms of a Patriot’s defender. It was a typical ending to a Redskins game that got off to a promising start.
This game against the Patriots was much like the season has been for the Redskins. It started with expectations being blown through and then a slow and painful tumbling back to reality. The Redskins still have a long way to go as a franchise, but standing toe to toe with Tom Brady and the Patriots is progress in a season where that is all people wanted to see.
It is also progress that the Redskins were able to overcome the absence of Trent Williams and Fred Davis and still play a competitive game. The Redskins offensive line has been playing better of late and yesterday they were one of the reasons the Redskins were in the game as much as they were. They allowed only two sacks and for the third week in a row Roy Helu rushed for over 100 yards. The Redskins are starting to find some pieces that could help them in the future. The goal now is to find the star that can lead them.
Rex Grossman is not a quarterback that should spend much more time on the Redskins. He isn’t important to the future of the franchise and while it might even be more painful next season watching a young quarterback struggle as he learns the offense and to play in the NFL. It will help his development and be better for the future of the franchise.
The interception on the last play of the game isn’t Grossman’s fault, but his fumble in his own end zone was. Grossman dropped back, looked down field for a receiver but they were all covered, he looked to see if the check down was open and it wasn’t, then he did the only thing he could. He waited. Grossman stood backed up in his own end zone trying to do to much. Waiting for a play that never was going to develop to develop, and by the time he realized the smart move would have been to throw the ball away it was too late and he had been sacked and fumbled the ball in his own end zone.
That play and the Santana Moss penalty/non-penalty are the two biggest factors in the Redskins loss. that isn’t important though. Winning and losing at this point is secondary to building for the future. Seeing Helu continue to come into his own and watching the offensive line start to look competent are important factors for the future of the Redskins. If the Redskins can find a primary receiver and a quarterback then the offense should start to look good. The Redskins are still far away from being a good football team, but they are getting closer.
I saw about 10 minutes of the game, including the Santana Moss reception in the end zone. I was thinking today that I don’t recall seeing a replay, which seemed odd considering what a game-changer it was. Thanks for confirming my impression.
In watching network coverage of games, I often think that the sportscasters are rooting for the team not called The Redskins. This is probably an example of that – they don’t want to take the shine off the Patsies and the Golden Boy by showing a blown call.