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Redskins Week 3: Last Night's MVPs and LVPs

It was a tough loss last night. A lot went wrong, and it left a lot of fans with the typical stomach ache from a let-down on a game we should have won. There were a couple bright spots that hopefully we can build on. There were plenty more dull spots, and hopefully the coaches can form strategies to minimize the mental errors and reduce the impacts of certain ineffective players. Here is a look at the Week 3 MVPs and LVPs:

MVPs:

1. Josh Wilson- He almost had a few interceptions, and unlike Carlos Rogers, the fact he didn’t reel them in was understandable because he was flying horizontally to make some tough, big plays. He ended with 4 Pass Deflections and that crucial Fumble Recovery. Speaking of the fumble recovery, during that play I was yelling at the TV for Barnes not to touch the ball because he came flying in to try to get it- we’ve seen it too many times, that if you sprint towards the sidelines to scoop up a fumble, you never gain full control before going out of bounds. Fortunately it worked out, and Josh Wilson took a better angle to the ball.

2. Graham Gano- The blocked field goal was Sav Rocca’s fault, not Gano’s. He gets bashed a lot by Redskins Nation, but Gano made the other 3 field goals including quick 46 and 50 yarders while Dallas was getting good pressure on the line. Gano did his job last night.

Honorable Mentions:

Kory Lichtensteiger- I considered mentioning Trent Williams also for doing pretty well when up against Ware, but since our rushing game netted 65 yards, I leave the LT off. As for Licht, he did as well as we’ve seen him play all year (and potentially last year too). He had solid footwork, pulled on a couple of nice blocks, and accomplished what he needed to do. Most of the pressure that made it through the line last night was not on Kory’s or Trent’s (left) side.

LaRon Landry (first half)- He was all over the place in the first half. Big hits, a forced fumble, and even when he didn’t make the tackle, I kept seeing #30 there at the end of plays. In the second half, he was hardly noticeable though.

LVPs:

1. DeAngelo Hall- I realize that people are defending him saying that Haslett shouldn’t have" left him on an island" with Dez Bryant. But the last time I checked, D-Hall struts around as this big time "pro-bowl" CB; and I doubt real big time "pro-bowl" CBs like Champ Bailey, Darrelle Revis or Nnamdi Asomugha would get beaten 1-1 when the game is on the line. Not to mention, it eerily reminded me of Jake Delhomme (I realize Bryant >> Delhomme) beating him down the one moment we really needed our highly paid corner. He talked trash before the game; he didn’t back it up; D-Hall FAIL.

2. Jammal Brown- He got beaten all night. He looked slow and had poor footwork. There was one play that sticks out in my mind, when Demarcus Ware simply shoved him over en-route to Rex. Normally Offensive Linemen are awarded "pancake blocks" – but on that play, it was Brown who was pancaked.

3. Sav Rocca- It was one play. It was the difference in the game. I was 1 of our team’s 2 holders in college, and I can say with certainty that it isn’t an easy job even in practice. But the holder has to get the ball down, and this botch swung the momentum away from the Redskins favor.

Dishonorable Mentions:

Jabar Gaffney- When you’re in the two minute drill, a veteran and talented WR like Gaffney knows he needs to get out of bounds. We didn’t need the extra 3 yards; we needed the 20 seconds on the clock and a chance to calmly huddle and call a play. Clock management in the 2 minute drill was poor. We had 2 timeouts, but mental mistakes like Gaffney’s rapidly changed the tempo from urgent to panicked.

Rex Grossman- I am not going to pin this loss on Grossman, but that interception deep in Redskins territory was a horrible decision in an area where we could least afford a mistake. And when the pressure was coming on him on the final drive, he knew where it was coming from (that’s why he was running up towards the left side), and he should have put two hands on the ball or just dropped to the ground to live to see another play.