Worst turnovers inside the 10-yard line: The Redskins. Twice. One came on a botched hand-off when Robert Griffin III tripped over a lineman's foot, and the other came after a long catch-and-run from Niles Paul, who was filling in for the injured Jordan Reed, and really, you can get a pretty good sense of how the game went just from this sentence.
Worst blocked kicks: The Redskins. Twice. We'll get back to that later. But there are elementary school children who don't remember Washington having a consistently competent special teams unit.
Worst way to get beat late in the fourth quarter: A Ryan Fitzpatrick third-down run up the middle. On perhaps the game's most crucial snap - a third and six near midfield late in the game - Houston's totally average quarterback scrambled for nine yards and a first down. That put the Texans in field goal range, and when their kicker converted, the game was essentially over.
Worst job by a team captain of not picking up a silly personal foul penalty: DeAngelo Hall. There may have been some flopping involved, but Hall put himself in position to pick up a late-hit penalty with some well-placed shoves near a receiver's head. It also negated a Houston penalty, giving the Texans another down.
Best leaping fumble strip from behind: Ryan Kerrigan. As he's done his entire career, the linebacker forced a monumental turnover, stopping Houston inside the 10-yard line early in the fourth quarter and giving Washington yet another chance to get back into the game. Kerrigan forced four fumbles in 2013.
Best player: J.J. Watt is really good. Probably better than Tyler Polumbus.
Worst Porsche:From what I've gathered at #Redskins Park: Preseason offense = my beat up old minivan. Offense we will see today = new Porsche.
- Rich Tandler (@Rich_TandlerCSN) September 7, 2014
Worst foreboding: All the overheated preseason worries and angst and blog posts now seem entirely justified. Washington's offense scored one touchdown, and Robert Griffin III was harassed and uncomfortable throughout the game. His completion percentage was great, and Washington had 372 yards of offense, but this wasn't a Porsche. Not yet, anyhow.
Worst penalty call: The roughing-the-passer penalty against D.J. Swearinger that preserved Washington's impressive third-quarter drive was just bogus. Everyone watching the game - Texans fans, Redskins fans, neutral fans, and suckling children - knew that was bogus. He didn't hit Griffin's head, and he didn't hit him late.
Worst divine justice: Still, divine justice did not require that Washington fumble its next snap and give the ball back to the Texans. That was mean, divine justice. That was taking ball don't lie entirely too far.
NOTE: I FOUND SOMEONE WHO THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD CALL.
Roughing the QB call ...Griffin got lit up..Swearinger came free..led with facemask to chest but DROVE Griffin into the ground. - Chris Russell (@Russellmania980) September 7, 2014
(Second) worst penalty call: The roughing-the-passer penalty against Jarvis Jenkins was closer to being a real penalty, in my view. There was a bit of helmet-on-helmet action. Still, that's the kind of call that most fans don't much like.
Worst health: Jordan Reed. The oft-injured tight end caught one pass, was injured on the tackle, and didn't return to the game. He's now ofter-injured than he was before. He's like the oftenest-injured.
Worst two-minute drive: Washington's final possession of the first half was like when you quickly drive to the corner store to get some emergency diapers, except first you break some traffic laws, do a few slow circles in the middle of the road, run into three trees and a mailbox, and then finally just park your car in the neighbor's driveway and go to sleep. Somehow the Redskins went from a first down in Houston territory with a minute left on the clock to just giving up on the drive.
Best first half summary: 'Sort of hard to understand what's going on right now with this Washington offense,' Thom Brennaman said as time ran down on a miserable first half. It was! Unless Brennaman was talking more generally. Which still would have made sense.
Best reminder of the 2013 special teams: There were plenty of good moments: Long punts, deep kickoffs, strong punt returns, good tackles. But there was also a blocked extra point. And a player tackling his teammate. And a blocked punt returned for a touchdown. The Redskins, for years, have specialized in mildly unusual special teams plays that don't happen every day. Here were three. In the first half of the first game.
@dcsportsbog Special Teams could be better... https://t.co/qFLHnBdWJR - Ben Celestino (@bencelestino) September 7, 2014
Worst coverage: Whoever was supposed to be watching DeAndre Hopkins at any point during his 76-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. Also, whoever was in charge of tackling him after he caught it.
Best first-year player: I believe Jason Hatcher had a bigger impact on the game than DeSean Jackson, or Trent Murphy, or any other offseason acquisition. He had his first sack, caused pressure, was in the middle of a bunch of tackles, and returned after a brief injury scare. Hatcher looks to be Washington's best defensive line acquisition since Albert Haynesworth.
Huh: I dunno. This isn't a best or a worst. Just a thing that exists in the world.
It's going to be a long season http://ift.tt/1pFyuku - Eric Kay (@ekaycbs) September 7, 2014
Worst throw to a wide open receiver: Robert Griffin III had Andre Roberts just chilling by himself in the middle of yards of green space late in the first quarter. The throw led Roberts to the sidelines, though, and possibly his last little toe nicked the white, and officials ruled him out-of-bounds. Replay was inconclusive, and what should have been a huge gain instead became a punt.
Best special teams tackle: Darrel Young was right there with a form tackle to stop the punt returner from breaking up the sidelines. The punt returner was Andre Roberts. Both those dudes play for the same team.
Form tackle http://ift.tt/1lLXueT - Dan Steinberg (@dcsportsbog) September 7, 2014
Worst offensive start: The first two drives did not do anything to calm preseason fears of a less-than-terrifying new Redskins offense. Washington's first six plays gained six yards and no first downs.
Best Slide: Early in the third quarter, Robert Griffin III scrambled upfield when a play broke down, gained a few yards, and then, when defenders closed in on him, pretty gracefully slid to a stop. It was a revelation.
Worst facial hair: Ryan Fitzpatrick needs to shave.
enjoyed his performance in Tombstone http://ift.tt/1pFyv7Y - Danny (@recordsANDradio) September 7, 2014
Worst scoreboard: By 1:45, every 1 p.m. game had enjoyed a scoring play besides the Washington-Texas game. No, I don't watch football for the defense. I'm aware that many of you, plus Michael Wilbon, do. Also, there were seven punts in the first quarter. No, I don't watch football for the punting.
Best game day footwear: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
#GameDay kicks. #HTTR http://ift.tt/1lLXsn9
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) September 7, 2014
Worst timeout after two plays: Surely there's a way to scientifically prove that the Redskins do not call more timeouts in the first five minutes of the first quarter than the average NFL team. But I'd like to see the data. This time, the Redskins ran a whopping two plays before needing to call a timeout on third-and-one. The ensuing play did not gain a first down. The spent timeout wafted up into the air and disappeared.
Best punting debut: Tress Way, the NFL punter whose name most sounds like a leafy suburban residential street, began his NFL career with a booming 61-yard kick. His second punt went for 58 yards. Not bad for a guy who wasn't' on the roster a month ago. (Note: TEXT WRITTEN BEFORE BLOCKED PUNT RETURNED FOR TD. DELETE DELETE.)
Worst development elsewhere: The Jaguars - Washington's Week 2 opponent - were maybe supposed to be awful. They didn't look awful in Philadelphia, going up 17-0 before eventually falling behind Philadelphia - another bad development for Washington fans.
Worst losing streak: Dating from last year, that's now nine straight losses for Washington.
Worst road losing streak: Dating from last year, that's now seven straight losses on the road for Washington.
Worst sight: As of 4 p.m. on Sunday, the Redskins were yet again in last place in the NFC East.
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