Cooley Film Breakdown Grades

[turtle28]

Kirk Cousins: C-. 

Kirk missed a lot in the game. He had Doctson open on 3 plays and didn't throw to him, instead opting for closer & easier routes. Sheehan said these intermediate downfield throws are the types of passes that Kirk didn't throw the last 2 years and why Djax was always so upset with Kirk. 

Doctson could have had 3 recs for over 100 yards on these routes if Kirk lets it fly and at least one TD. Then, as Lavar703 said there is the bad drop & poor fade pass to Doctson in the redzone. This would have been a 2nd TD for Doctson.

He also missed Vernon Davis on a few opportunities, missed Crowder open in the end zone when he chose to throw the fade to Doctson. He was late and behind on some throws and missed Chris Thompson wide open after he escaped pressure on a possible 20 or 30 yard gain.

Thompson: A!

Only negatives were the drop, fumbled toss & a few missed blocks in pass protection.

His 60 yard run was thing of beauty. There were several unblocked defenders that almost tackled him but he was patient and set up his blockers like Lauvao and Scherff which sprung him for the TD.

Rob Kelley: B-.

Good in the game but he missed a lot. 1st play he missed a hole that should have gotten him 50 yards. He had 12 full yards between him and the safety. Doctson rode the corner 29 yards downfield. Kelley needed to hit the sideline but he cut it back and was tackled. He was unblocked to the edge, basically tackled himself. First two runs could have been a TD, kelley took just what was blocked.

Perine: C+

Poor in pass protection. Lauvao was beat on first play Perine was in, Perine had a block right infront of him and he missed it.

Mark Barron a 220 lb linebacker blew him up, he should have run over him like he did in the preseason. Ran into back of Lauvao once on a counter because he didn't have patience.

Pryor: C+.

Poor route running again, overthinking routes and cuts. Cutting off routes. Needs to cut and go instead of taking small steps before making a cut. Cooley called it rookie mistakes. He did have a few nice receptions including one which really made wing the game possible. Had one reception called back because of an ol hold.

Reed: A- as Receiver, D as blocker.

Willing blocker but don't ask him to do it much. Did have a great crack block on Quinn though.

Ran a poor route on a flat route like before halftime. It's why he couldn't get out of bounds, needs to square it off flat to sideline not drift back.

Breaks tackles to make 5 yard gain into a 11 yard gain and 1st down.

Davis: B+.

Best blocking day as a Redskin, nice job on reception at end of game to turn 5 yd reception into 1st down. Kirk missed him a few possible big plays.

Paul: B.

Great run blocking as a FB, smashed people in the hole. Needs to be used as an h-back receiver like Cooley was by Gibbs in 04 & 05

Doctson: A-.

Blocked well. Kirk missed him on 2 chances to have 2 TDs and overthrew him onntfe fade. If Kirk islets it fly and throws a better ball on the fade, Doctson has 3 catches, over 100 yards and 3 TDs.

Crowder: A-.

great blocker and wins all day on his routes, saved Kirk on a few bad passes where he made nice catches. If Kirk hits him on time, Crowder gets big yards.

TWill: A-

Was fantastic in run blocking and made Quinn look pedestrian as a pass rusher. He missed a few things in the run game and had a holding call that called back a Pryor catch but overall he was great.

Lauvao: C

Funny Cooley said this, this morning because I've said it for 4 years about him and I said it for the 4 years Chester was here:

"Fans only see the negative plays from Lauvao, they don't ever pay attention to when he does his job or he does something really well.

He did get beat by Donald a few times in pass protection including for the sack which I mentioned earlier because Perine also didn't stay in to block Donald after he clearly beat Lauvao right in front of Perine. He was mostly good in the run game but did miss some things. He had a great block  where he got both Ogeltree and Westbrooks on the Thompson 61-yard draw play TD run but as Cooley said before  the blocks were really set up perfectly and patiently by Thompson himself so most of the credit goes to Thompson on that play for setting up his blocks so well.

[turtle28]

TWill kicked Quinn's butt a day except for the holding which took away one of TPs receptions.

[SeanTaylorsaPIMP]

I mean, if Chris Thompson becomes the starting back he's going to last about 3 games before his body can't take it. I think Gruden is being very, very smart with his usage. I know it's tough not to give him 20+ touches a game but Gruden and the team know what they are doing with him, I believe. 

[lavar703]

I'd actually like to see what happens with Thompson if we used him as the starter. He's short but he's got some muscle on his frame so he might be able to withstand the beating an every-down back takes. 

[turtle28]

18 minutes ago, SeanTayorsaPIMP said:

I mean, if Chris Thompson becomes the starting back he's going to last about 3 games before his body can't take it. I think Gruden is being very, very smart with his usage. I know it's tough not to give him 20+ touches a game but Gruden and the team know what they are doing with him, I believe. 

He can start and not get 20 carries a game.

[turtle28]

14 minutes ago, lavar703 said:

I'd actually like to see what happens with Thompson if we used him as the starter. He's short but he's got some muscle on his frame so he might be able to withstand the beating an every-down back takes. 

He's built like Sproles, 5'8 191 lbs

[SeanTaylorsaPIMP]

Just now, turtle28 said:

He can start and not get 20 carries a game.

Well, of course. But I think Riggo meant giving him the touches of a starter/3down back like David Johnson, Le'veon Bell, Zeke etc. I just don't think it's smart to overload him with his slight frame and prior injury history. It's tough to hold back I know.

[turtle28]

 

[lavar703]

2 hours ago, turtle28 said:

He's built like Sproles, 5'8 191 lbs

I think he couldn't handle 20 carries a game but a combo of receptions and carries he could touch the ball probably 20 times a game and that would be fine. But I do understand why they're scared to do that. He's definitely undersized. 

[lavar703]

In regards to Kirks performance so far this season I really have no idea what's going on with him? I personally saw him missing open receivers in the first game when I was there and now this film breakdown of the Rams game is making it seem even worse. I'm not sure if it's the contract situation or just the general distrust of his receivers but he's got to start letting it fly. 

[turtle28]

30 minutes ago, lavar703 said:

In regards to Kirks performance so far this season I really have no idea what's going on with him? I personally saw him missing open receivers in the first game when I was there and now this film breakdown of the Rams game is making it seem even worse. I'm not sure if it's the contract situation or just the general distrust of his receivers but he's got to start letting it fly. 

I think it's the distrust he has in the new receivers. He trusts Crowder, Reed, Thompson, Grant and Davis because he's worked with them for 2 years or more now. It's pretty clear he doesn't trust Doctson yet - with good reason, Doctson has barely been healthy for them to develop chemistry and for him to earn Kirk's trust - and TP has dropped 4 or 5 passes and lost a ball in the sun on the first ever long ball Kirk threw to him.

So it's all understandable but they all really have to get on the same page like, YESTERDAY!

We need Kirk to be extremely sharp the next few weeks at the least if we are going to have a chance at stealing one or both from the Raiders or Chiefs who are both better teams than the young Redskins at this point.

What bothers me the most is him just not seeing things right! He's locking onto receivers and predetermining pre-snap where he's going and isn't giving downfield routes time to develop. Not seeing wide open guys on intermediate to deep routes and opting to take the short safer stuff instead to Crowder, Reed, Davis or Grant is killing the potential of our offense to really explode.

Week 1, I put most of that in TP - he should have/could have had 7 or 8 receptions for 150 yards and 2 TDs - if he had just caught the ball and tracked the first pass from KC better.

[turtle28]

 

[turtle28]

DEFENSE:

1. Brown had the fastest clocked speed of the game when he chased down the Rams TE Everret after he blew that coverage. He even ran faster than Thompson on his TD run.

Best player in the game was Ioannidis. He had the 2nd most snaps of any DL. Stuffing run, hustling down the line for run stops. Good pressure. He was an A!

Only in 3-4, 14 times out of 50 plays in the game. Hood, McClain and McGee play in base 3-4 on run looks by offense.

19 snaps for Hood, he was a B.

McClain played 18 snaps and was a B+.

McGee played 18 snaps and was the worst DL of the game and was a  D.

Allen was a B. He & Ioannidis play in the nickle defense in 4 man fronts.

Cooley likes Nicholson At free safety, keys eyes of qb well, plants & drives well. He breaks on the ball well.He has good instincts and a lot of potential. Problem he had was as single high sometimes but he has to improve there.

Nicholson: B+

Everrett: B. He wasn't challenged much though.

Cooley loves the defense they are playing. They are playing mostly cover 3 zone with the outside corners playing man with a single high safety. The underneath defenders weee Swearinger, Mason and Brown. Manusky has done a better job at putting the players in position to succeed. He has taught keying & matching in zone well. Skins ILBs aren't perfect at it but better than years past.

Mason Foster: B+.

He was instinctual, great tackler, good blitzer, got better at keying eyes as game went on.

Brown: B-.

4 bad plays cost him an A. He ran 22 mph chasing down Everret. He's going to be a perennial pro bowler. Great tackler, blitzer but need improvement in coverage. Del Rio said the Raiders pursued him but lost out To the skins and he was disappointed.

Cooley said we must re-sign Brown!

Kerrigan: B

Redskins are 2nd in the NFL over the last 3 years in forced fumbles. He got pinned on a run early in the gave. Got blocked by the TE once. If he uses the Rip rush move abs it doesn't work he goes no where. Needs to bulk rush more. Carrier blocked 

Smith: B-

Looks stronger & quicker. Made several plays in the run game and a great one on the Austin jet sweep. Has to develop another pass rush move but overall is much improved over last year.

Galette: C

Had 5 great rushes, almost had a sack. He's a little rusty.  Needs time to get his feet under him. When he goes to the inside move he always gives up contain.

Anderson played boot perfectly unlike our other OLBs 

Fuller: C+

Screen wizard. Ok as Zone defender. He gives up too much space. 

Norman: A

Gets beat some on in breaking routes which is his weakness. 

Breeland: A+

Didn't get beat all game long. Locked down every route. If he continues to play like this he's going to get a huge contract. Difference is how manusky is playing him, which is press man and he's excelling. Cooley doesn't expect Bree to get beat much in man coverage this year.

[MikeT14]

Did we watch different games on Fuller? Not perfect, but at least in the B's.

[turtle28]

26 minutes ago, MikeT14 said:

Did we watch different games on Fuller? Not perfect, but at least in the B's.

Yeah, I was shocked are Cooley's grade for Fuller also. Maybe I heard him wrong but I thought he said C+. Fuller and Norman have the same issue actually, they both get beat on in breaking routes often any way you look at it though, Fuller is light years ahead of what he was last year which is very encouraging.