
If you were worried before last week’s game then once it started it you understood why. Twice in three games a team with a poor record had recorded a good showing the week before playing the WFT. Both times the underdog team came out and established a lead they would not relinquish. There’s blame to go around aplenty. But, the lion’s share ends up in the lap of the new Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy. The Giants had shown little interest in blitzing the previous weeks, especially against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. With young Quarterback Sam Howell on the pitch the tactics changed drastically. Giants’ Defensive Coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale dialed up extra rushers an astounding 66% of the time. That included a “Cover Zero” blitz on first down, a true rarity. Washington’s Offensive Line simply could not block them on a straight drop back pass. Young Howell was sacked five times in the first half.
Conventional wisdom is to roll the QB out on boots and chili rolls to the weak side to negate the pressures. Washington did that in the second half. It helped the offense establish some success. It also stopped the sacks, although there were still plenty of pressures. If that adjustment had been made after one quarter instead of one half the outcome may well have been different. That slow response is on Bieniemy. Remember, this is his rookie year calling plays. Rookie Quarterback, Rookie Play Caller, and a bad O-Line is not a recipe for playoff football. This team now stands on the edge of the abyss titled, “Irrelevance.”
Continue reading