The Redskins offense has been impressive marching to a 10-7 halftime lead over the Arizona Cardinals. In controlling the football for more than 20 minutes of the first half, the Redskins rolled up more than 250 yards of total offense and 17 first downs.
But despite the gaudy stats, the Redskins' offense continues to struggle in the red zone with various errors costing the Redskins points. The last gaffe, a blocked Graham Gano field goal, negated a brilliant Brandon Banks punt return that set the Redskins up in scoring position. Continued offensive production should produce more points in the second half.
The Redskin defense also performed well in the first half. Brian Orakpo recorded his first sack of the season. His crunching hit on Arizona quarterback Kevin Kolb forced a fumble but the Cardinals recovered. In the waning seconds of the second quarter, impressive rookie Ryan Kerrigan sacked Kolb. The Redskins have long term visions of Orakpo and Kerrigan terrorizing opposing backfields for many years.
Washington quarterback Rex Grossman showed some of his trademark inconsistency in the first half. His stat line shows almost 150 yards passing and a touchdown, but also two interceptions including one that ended a promising drive to start the game. On the ground Tim Hightower has over 80 yards rushing and rookie Roy Helu contributed a key pass catch for a 30-yard gain in addition to 32 yards on the ground.
We'll have more on the this game throughout the week in this StoryStream. For more on the Redskins check out Hogs Haven. For more on the Cardinals, head over to Revenge Of the Birds and SB Nation Arizona.