[SFREDSKIN]

LANDOVER, MD. -- Some quick observations after the Washington Redskins Redskins’ 15-13 win over the New York Jets:

1. There wasn’t much to go on with quarterback Alex Smith considering he only played one series. It was very Smith-like: He was hit hard on a naked bootleg on the first play, but got the ball off for an eight-yard gain. He hit Vernon Davis in stride for 16 yards. Smith connected with Josh Doctson (had Paul Richardson initially for some reason) over the middle. And he was slightly behind on a slant to Trey Quinn in the end zone, though the pass could easily have been caught.

2. Here’s what I like about Paul Richardson: He can run a variety of routes. He caught a screen pass off a boot action on the first play. I liked that because it provided a fast guy with an opportunity to run in space. He also caught a pass over the middle. Despite his lean frame, he does not shy from contact. Later, Richardson served as a decoy. Or, rather, his speed opened an area for someone else, in this case Vernon Davis. On the play, Richardson ran a deep out. When the corner saw him, he dropped deeper into coverage. That enabled Davis to leak into the flat from a fullback position. He turned it into a 16-yard gain, but it was because of Richardson that the play was open.

3. Richardson does not have DeSean Jackson’s elite tracking ability; it separates Jackson from others. But Richardson can make contested catches and he does run a greater variety of routes. He will help as long as he stays healthy.

4. Rookie nose tackle Daron Payne isn’t as hyped as Derrius Guice was, but his impact will be big. His ability to take on double teams and not get moved will be a major help, but he also showed what he could do as a pass rusher in a one-on-one situation. He said he knew he could win inside when the guard “quick set me and tried to jump at me.” Payne’s strength then took over as he cut inside. Don’t expect Payne to be celebrating anything just yet. When asked what he’s most pleased with what he’s shown, Payne said, “I can’t really say because I haven’t done much yet.”

5. Third round pick Geron Christian will be a project this season. That’s not what you want to hear about a higher-round pick, but it’s the truth. You can see the talent, but there’s a lot of inconsistencies that need to be cleaned up – his base, for example -- for him to help in a game this season. That’s OK right now because he’s the fourth tackle, but after last season who knows when he might be needed. Morgan Moses got off to a slow start his rookie season, too. But he worked hard and rarely made the same mistake twice. It’s why he developed.

6. I’m mentioning this one rush in the third quarter because it’s a chance to talk about Ryan Anderson. He hasn’t threatened the quarterback enough during camp so it’s easy to wonder what direction he’ll take in this area. You have to give players time to develop and not everyone does so right away. With Anderson, the power is evident and that leads to the one rush where he did a nice job. He ran an inside stunt and drove the lineman back into a sack. Anderson stayed low and his strength made the difference.

7. Cam Sims opened the Redskins’ eyes in the spring and has continued doing so in training camp. They still consider him a raw receiver – he needs to be more consistent with route running among other things -- but one who is clearly talented. He caught three passes for 57 yards tonight and had a touchdown catch nullified by penalty. But don’t expect him to say Alabama coach Nick Saban made a mistake by not throwing to him more. “He never makes no mistakes,” Sims said. “I got two rings. He’s not making no mistakes. I went to the college playoffs four years in a row. No, he ain’t making no mistakes. He’s doing something right.”

8. Here’s what Gruden said of Sims: “He’s still as raw as can be. He’s a big talented guy. He’s got big strong hands. He’s a size mismatch for some of these corners. He can high-point and jump. That’s good. We still got to clean up some of his routes, some of those stems, some of his alignment. But overall, you just look for a young guy like that to make steady progress and he’s done that.”

9. I like how inside linebacker Martrell Spaight has been playing with the No. 2 defense. He’s stayed healthy all camp and that’s made a difference in his development. He’s had a hard time staying healthy in his first three seasons, but he’s always been active the more he’s played.

10. Adjustment time: Corners Quinton Dunbar and Fabian Moreau got tangled up on one coverage facing a stacked look by the Jets' receivers. Dunbar got picked because both players were trying to stay on their man. But after talking it over, the next time they faced that look they simply switched men and there was no problem. Moreau said game planning would have taken care of it from the start, but it's also an example of being able to adjust. It might not have been a hard one, but it was a necessary one.

11. Running backs Samaje Perine (ankle) and Byron Marshall (leg) are OK. Perine hurt his ankle on a 30-yard run, getting a big hole from the blockers. Gruden said of the backs, "Martez [Carter] had a couple good looks. Kapri Bibbs continues to be consistent. His job is protecting, running routes and running the ball. It'll be a tough deal to figure that all out but we will."