Griffin didn’t have big stats. He only completed 11 of 17 passes for 74 yards. Again, though, his performance in the preseason isn’t about stats; it’s about progress.
Griffin had a nice moment on his four-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss late in the second. He did a good job corralling a high snap to his left, rolled right and made a perfect pass to Moss just inside end zone line near the sideline.
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Several of Griffin’s passes, particularly while he was on the move, were not accurate in his last game. On Saturday, Griffin overthrew Pierre Garcon on a deep pass to start the game. He also missed Garcon on another long ball that he should have thrown toward Garcon’s left shoulder instead of his right one. Sill, there’s a lot there for the Shanahans to build on this season.
Defense holds up
The Redskins had reason to be worried when Orakpo (shoulder) and Meriweather (knee) left the 33-31 loss to the Bears because of injuries. Orakpo is a Pro Bowler and one of the team’s defensive leaders. Meriweather essentially locked up the starting strong safety job with his work in the offseason and training camp.
Although the Redskins and the players said the injuries are not serious, Shanahan took no chances: Orakpo and Meriweather won’t play again until the season opener against the New Orleans Saints.
With Orakpo and Jackson out Saturday, that opened opportunities for backups. Rob Jackson filled in well for Orakpo and Tanard Jackson, playing for Meriweather, showed why he could move into the starting lineup soon.
Coaches really like Rob Jackson because of his pass-rushing ability, which he displayed often in the first half while harassing Luck. One of Jackson’s best plays occurred on the Colts’ opening possession in the first quarter.
With the Colts facing second and 25 from the Indianapolis 17-yard line, Jackson split a double team and applied significant pressure on Luck, whose pass fell incomplete in the middle of the field. On third down, Jackson maintained his leverage in a pile and stopped running back Donald Brown for a three-yard gain, which prompted the Colts to punt.
Now this next sentence may seem crazy, but hang with us to explain: The Redskins don’t lose a whole lot if Jackson replaces Orakpo occasionally. Orakpo is much more athletic than Jackson, a converted hand-down defensive end. That’s a fact. Jackson, however, is a fundamentally sound pass rusher, coaches say. He understands the importance of the use of hand placement and body weight and leverage in engaging blockers and winning battles. He made an impact against the Colts and has in other spot duty, too.
Meriweather and free safety Madieu Williams are the starters in the Redskins’ reconfigured secondary.
Jackson, though, was a first-teamer with Tampa Bay and figures to be part of the rotation.
In the first quarter Saturday, he delivered a big hit on wideout T.Y. Hilton to break up a pass. He dropped in coverage and made the right read, coming up quickly to jar the ball loose from Hilton when he and Luck seemed to have teamed on a short gain. Coaches revel in that type of instinctive play.
Luck combined with Hilton for a 31-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, beating Williams in the left corner of the end zone. But Luck rarely had time to relax in the pocket. In addition to Jackson, nose tackle Barry Cofield and end Stephen Bowen, among the starters, were also strong in the pass rush.
Another rookie impresses
Morris ran for 107 yards (with a 7.6-yard average) and scored his first touchdown. His best number? Zero.
That’s how many times Morris failed to pick up blitzes. Against the Bears, he missed his assignment on a play that led to the Bears recovering a Griffin fumble.
Morris continued to make one cut and hit the hole with great acceleration. He dragged would-be tacklers for extra yards and always seemed to fall forward for a few more yards.
He’s not a breakaway runner. That’s not his game. But on several solid runs in the first half — Morris’s best was for 24 yards — he showed more than enough of a burst.
Veteran Tim Hightower played Saturday for the first time since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament last October. Second-year backs Roy Helu and Evan Royster are both struggling with injuries. Shanahan has started rookie running backs before. Just saying.
For Jason Reid’s previous columns, go to washingtonpost.com/reid.
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