monKEYS to the Game

A big question faces the Seahawks this week; will they be two and two or three and one heading into the most important game of the season?
While in my mind, and on paper, I look at the Redskins and think that they are really no better (and not much different) than the Cardinals at least talent wise, there are some things that we will have to overcome this week that we didn't last week, such as crowd noise, another long trip to the east coast, and a legendary head coach whose team has been quite lucky, but is playing with some confidence, having not lost and coming off of a bye week. Also it would be very easy to look forward to next weeks game, which is the far more important game for this team, and which will no doubt, be a real measuring stick of just how good we can be this year.
So with those differences and factors in mind I present monKEYS key to the game week 4.

monKEY #1 for entire team: We must not look past this team to next week. Granted next weeks game is HUGE but it would be so much better going into that game with a winning record and a swagger. This is another one of those games that we should win on paper, we need to take care of business.
monKEY #2 for entire team: Avoid distractions and mental errors which tend to crop up on long road trips like this one.

monKEY #1 offense: Stay balanced even when early on it will be tempting to get pass happy. The Redskins do have a very good defense, and they will no doubt stack 8 in the box often to take away the run. I personally do not see us running roughshod over this defense the way that we did against the Tards. However, that does NOT mean that we should abandon the run, we must try to keep them honest, even when the passing game is successful, (as it no doubt will be).
monKEY #2 offense: Take advantage of our hieght avantage at reciever and tight end. Right now Darryl Jackson is hot RED HOT, and he will no doubt get his catches throughout the game as the primary reciever. We do not have anyone on the recieving corps who is a true burner, but we do have hieght, in guys like like Jurivicius and Stevens. We can utilize this hieght to our advantage against the smaller secondary of Washington much the same way that other teams use raw speed. Jerramy Stevens, especially presents matchup problems for the Redskins, as he is too fast for any linebacker of the Skins to cover, and too tall and strong for any corner to cover. Use that advantage! Send Stevens deep and throw to him. So far, in every single game this season Stevens has gotten very open, very deep at least twice, and has not been thrown the ball. Take a shot Hass! Also, Matt Hasselbeck is at his best when he is utilizing multiple recievers, when he throws to five or more diffferent recievers we almost always win.
I feel like reiterating my second monKEY to the entire team about eliminating mental errors in a road game as this has been a week spot for our offense, but I already covered it so I will not put it as a monKEY, but I just had to reemphasise. Turnovers cost games plain and simple, the recievers must run crisp routes and Hass must not try to force the ball into places it doesn't belong. Those kinds of mental lapses (which we have seen in the past on the road) lead to turnovers, which lead to losses.

monKEY #1 Defense: Don't let them beat you deep! It's true that the single most talented player on the Redskins offense is Clinton Portis, it's true that stopping the run will be, as it should be, the focus of our defense; but NOT at the expense of getting beat deep. This reminds me of what I said in week 1 which proved to be prophetic, we can live with them running the ball 20-25 times and getting 80-90 yards, we cannot live with their recievers flying by our secondary for easy scores. Santana Moss can hurt us more in one play, with one catch, than Portis can in twenty carries, if we are not careful. The Redskins showed last week, in a game they should have lost and in which they were badly outplayed, just how dangerous the deep ball can be.
monKEY #2 Defense: Remain aggressive, take the intensity we saw at home and bring it to Washington DON'T PLAY NOT TO LOSE!. No offense to Ray Rhodes, (well maybe a little) but the defense, coincidentally or not, became much more aggressive when Rhodes was not on the sideline; that aggressiveness has won games for us. Never again do I want to see our defense back on their heals playing not to lose. I want to see this defense taking it to their opponents, bringing it like they can, aggressively with intensity. Too often in road games, our defense has looked flat, or looked as if they just didn't want to lose the game, but at home they look much different. Bring the home attitude with to Washington and we will be just fine. Also stop allowing those little 6-8 yard passes uncontested, get up in their facemasks and take those away! I am not sure why our secondary still plays so darn far off the recievers or why we still allow recievers to catch those short passes and then settle for the tackle, SHOW SOME CAJONES, and take that crap away. Heck that could almost be another monKEY but it is all a part of aggressiveness and intensity.

Comments: Like I said earlier, this is a game we should win. We are the superior team talent wise in every aspect of the game to the Skins, we are simply much better. The problem is, on the road, we have not put teams like this away in the past. Can we? Are we capable? I believe that we are, but I need to finally see it.
As I also said before, the Skins will try to take away the run, the key word (or should I say monKEY word)for this week should be PATIENCE. We must remain patient with the run, even when it seems like it is going nowhere. Hasselbeck must remain patient with the pass, and not try to force things, but rather throw it away if need be. If we remain patient, take our shots downfield when they presnet themselves, we will win through attrition if nothing else.
My prediction: Seahawks 21 Redskins 17