Guest Post: Still A. Dog

I didn't get the game last night so Still A Dog gets the nod here with his assessment. Thanks, bro.

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Charlie Batch continues to look sharp. Ben was not afraid to run. Frenchy played OK. QB - B

I don't know what we're doing on the offensive line but whatever it is, it doesn't seem to be working. "Human turnstile" is too kind a description for the putrid performance of Trai Essex at LT. Marvel Smith, come out come out wherever you are. After some second string Redskin DE made Essex his personal bitch by blowing by him for a sack, two plays later "Kick em in the Head" Kemoeautu smacked that same guy(#77)in the face so hard it knocked his helmet off drawing a 15 yard unnecessary roughness penalty. #77 wised up and kept his matchups to Essex where he continued to make plays for the duration of his playing time. Colon played pretty good at RT nothing spectacular though. Mahan muffed a shotgun snap to Ben which he had to fall on. Capezzi knocked some scrub guys around in limited action. Oline - D+

Never used the TEs for anything but extra offensive linemen. Spaeth looked like female genetalia in his attempts to block on sweeps. At this point Jerame Tuman looks like our best TE. Probably choked on your coffee when you read that, but it's true. TEs - D

Hines is Hines he will be ready to go. Santonio is ready to break out. Once he & Ben really connect he is going to be something else. Soft hands, fast feet and balls. Nate Washington made some nice grabs. Willie Reid had a nice one from Frenchy. Cedrick "The Whiner" dropped a pass in the red zone. I don't like him. Not to be trusted. Dallas Baker is gone. Completely lost. WR - B- would have graded higher but as a group had trouble getting open.

RB - Not real good. FWP carried the rock a couple times for minimal gains. Running game practically non-existent perhaps by design?? Barlow ran OK for a washed up scrub who, if there is a God in heaven, will not make this team. Dump Truck caught a screen and made one nice move. Kuhn caught a pass and ran hard... then he dropped one right in his hands for what would have been a sure first down. Verron Haynes (Verran Hayes according to Mike Patrick) ran the best of all backs. Not sure if it'll be enough to keep him. RB - C+

Special Teams- Sepulverizer is just waaay too good. We got our punter for the next 10-15 years. All FGs attempted by Reed (2) and Connor Hughes (2) were good. Cowher would be proud at Tomlins election to kick FGs in lieu of punching it in from inside the 1. Willie Reid didn't show much but at least he didn't fumble. He'll be OK, Redskins coverage teams did a really good job. Standouts on our coverage teams were William Gay and Carey "Little Bull" Davis.

Fat Casey played a lot with Hoke sidelined for this one. Keisel made a bunch of plays including knocking 'skins QB Jason Campbell out of the game in the first quarter. But he seems a bit slow for some of the Adaleus Thomas stuff LeBeau is trying with him. Silverback did his best Porter impression... invisible. Woodley had a scheme sack. It's still a tossup between Anthony Smith and Ryan Clark at safety. DeShea had a good night. On one series he made all three plays on a Washington 3-and-out. McFadden and Little Evil could not keep up with that slippery white-boy of a TE for the 'skins, Cooley. If he had played the whole game he might have caught 14 passes. We are most definitely vulnerable to any team with a good TE unless you stick Polamalu on his ass all game. Pass rush was non-existent as well. William Gay had another garbage time INT and dropped another sure one when his man fell down.

DL - B-
LB - B
DB - B-

Summary: Lots of guys for both Washington and Pittsburgh played their final NFL game last night. Washington first team kicked our first teams ass, both sides of the ball but moreso their D vs. our O. Washington has good depth but we have better players who will be cut. We have a new coach but the same old problems remain. Lack of a consistent pass rush. Can't get the D off the field on 3rd down. Not very good ST coverage. And horrible Red Zone play. We won the game without scoring a TD. Players who will be bartenders and UPS drivers by Labor Day for Washington turned the ball over twice in the 4th quarter against guys who will be substitute school teachers and Home Depot salesclerks for Pittsburgh. That's how we won.

Camp is over. But there is a whole lot of work to do. Tomlin cannot be very happy with his team's performance last night. It will be interesting to see how he handles this bunch who gave a decidedly Oakland game 2006 effort against the 'skins. Team looked far too much like last years 8-8 squad to me. If they don't improve on last night's effort 8-8 will be hard to come by this year.
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Thanks again, not good news at all.