Easy Victory? Pass the Ball!

Look up horrible in the dictionary and you may find a picture of the Detroit Lions.

The reason the Lions are winless is really obvious. They are averaging just 16 points a game and are 27th in the league with an awful average of 265 yards of total offense. This is the better half of Detroit’s stats. Hideous may be the better word to describe the defense, which is ranked dead last giving up 419 yards a game.

The Redskins can select its attack mode. The Lions rank 31st on pass defense ( 251 ypg) and 31st against the rush (168).

The best idea would be to get back to the West Coast passing attack, for a couple of reasons. Clinton Portis has rushed 48 times for 304 yards in the last two games. Both games came down to the opposing team lining up for a game winning/tying field goal attempt at the end of the game. The Redskins split the games. The Lions’ Jason Hanson is 8 for 8 in field goals, so it would be wise to avoid this scenario.

There is an oddity to the last two games. Despite Portis’ rushing success, the time of possession was no longer a big advantage for the Redskins. Cleveland actually had the ball for two more minutes, while the Redskins advantage against St Louis was just two minutes. In the 4-game winning streak that has made the season, the Redskins averaged a 10-minute possession advantage. In those 4 games, Jason Campbell averaged 32 passes. In the last 2 games, his average is 25. In the first 3 games of the streak, Portis carried 21 times a game while in the last 3 his averaged went up to 26.

In the winning streak, the Skins averaged just under 26 points a game. In the last 2 games, just over 15 ppg.

Now the Redskins will attack what Detroit’s defense gives them. One would have to think that the Lions first defensive priority would be to stop the running game after watching Portis average 132 yards in the last 3 games.

First downs appear to be the key to the way Washington plays. Against Cleveland, the Skins pass on its first 2 first-down possession in the first half. Then didn’t pass again until there was 2:16 left in the 0-0 first half. On the two second half touchdown drives, the first down plays were split between the run & pass. The first touchdown coming on a Portis run and the second coming on a pass to Santana Moss.

It is scary to think that the Redskins will let the Lions stay in the game. Maybe if we find the West Coast passing attack again, Washington can have an easy triumph.