MTK
08-20-2007, 05:50 PM
What We Learned (http://blog.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/)
Overall, the first team offense did what all of you guys were hoping it would. Whole lot to like about that game if you're a Skins fan. But let's start with the only thing everyone will ever remember about that game - the sight of Jason Campbell's plant foot getting buckled by a direct blow to the outside of the knee.
O-Line Issues. I have railed against the Stephon Heyer/Left Side Of The Line experiment pretty much since the onset. Now you know why. That was the season right there Saturday night, folks, and had Campbell blown out his knee after that D End blew through the kid tackle, well, not many football people would have been surprised. It was an accident waiting to happen, and I don't want to hear anything this year about the Skins not getting any breaks, because they already got the biggest break possible in August.
Even so, losing Campbell for even a week is a big deal. The third preseason game is the week that's a dress rehearsal for the regular season, with the most game planning and an approach similar to what goes on when the games count. Every practice is precious for Jason, and thus for the Redskins for that matter, and who knows how long he will have some discomfort. It was imperative to get Campbell's footwork and movement precise, and now he may have to compensate a bit. It's a setback for sure - albeit it much, much smaller than what nearly happened - and they came a fraction of an inch from taking a year or more off the kid's career and having all of his progress and hard work this offseason go down the drain.
If they go with Heyer at left tackle against Terrell Suggs this Saturday they are courting disaster again.
Hey, they have no depth on the O Line and few options - trust me I get that, even though it's a problem of their own creation (that's what the middle rounds of the draft are for) - but this has to stop. Like I wrote a week ago, too many people not named Bugel and Gibbs have told me this is an accident in waiting. Too many personnel people have told me the un-drafted kid just isn't ready to be protecting the blindside of the young franchise quarterback right now and that as his number of snaps in this role increases, despite him being serviceable for a series or two, that one huge error is always lurking.
"Right now, he can't play," one exec said. "I don't care what the Redskins tell you, he is not an NFL left tackle right now."
Overall, the first team offense did what all of you guys were hoping it would. Whole lot to like about that game if you're a Skins fan. But let's start with the only thing everyone will ever remember about that game - the sight of Jason Campbell's plant foot getting buckled by a direct blow to the outside of the knee.
O-Line Issues. I have railed against the Stephon Heyer/Left Side Of The Line experiment pretty much since the onset. Now you know why. That was the season right there Saturday night, folks, and had Campbell blown out his knee after that D End blew through the kid tackle, well, not many football people would have been surprised. It was an accident waiting to happen, and I don't want to hear anything this year about the Skins not getting any breaks, because they already got the biggest break possible in August.
Even so, losing Campbell for even a week is a big deal. The third preseason game is the week that's a dress rehearsal for the regular season, with the most game planning and an approach similar to what goes on when the games count. Every practice is precious for Jason, and thus for the Redskins for that matter, and who knows how long he will have some discomfort. It was imperative to get Campbell's footwork and movement precise, and now he may have to compensate a bit. It's a setback for sure - albeit it much, much smaller than what nearly happened - and they came a fraction of an inch from taking a year or more off the kid's career and having all of his progress and hard work this offseason go down the drain.
If they go with Heyer at left tackle against Terrell Suggs this Saturday they are courting disaster again.
Hey, they have no depth on the O Line and few options - trust me I get that, even though it's a problem of their own creation (that's what the middle rounds of the draft are for) - but this has to stop. Like I wrote a week ago, too many people not named Bugel and Gibbs have told me this is an accident in waiting. Too many personnel people have told me the un-drafted kid just isn't ready to be protecting the blindside of the young franchise quarterback right now and that as his number of snaps in this role increases, despite him being serviceable for a series or two, that one huge error is always lurking.
"Right now, he can't play," one exec said. "I don't care what the Redskins tell you, he is not an NFL left tackle right now."