Last week’s loss in New York crushed Redskins nation. The game was coming off a high for this team and it’s fans as the Redskins finally showed their potential against the Rams, but then we all came back down to earth on Thursday. Yes, we could all blame it on a short week and it being the first away game against a division rival, which could be a factor. But the biggest issue here is this team is leaving so much on the field. Whether it’s not hitting guys on open touchdowns (Jordan Reed!), penalties, Special Teams mistakes etc. This team is beating themselves so far this season. If that does not change it will be a very, very long season for this team.
There is still a lot of football left to be played, but with the way the division is going right now each game is a must win. The Eagles are coming off a game in which most people expected them to lose and pretty much dominated a very solid Jets team. The Eagles will be coming to FedEx field with momentum, and this is a team that could be unwise to sleep on.
Here are a few things to watch during Sunday’s game and also what gives the Redskins their best chance of winning:
Quarterback play
This has been the hot topic in Redskins world and most likely will be all year. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, everyone agrees that this position needs to improve. I am on record for saying that I believe Kirk Cousins is the best option for this team at QB, and what makes me say that is that he is the best fit for this offense. Quick passes, not taking sacks, and proto-typical drop back passer are all elements that fit best in this system. However, he seems to be having the same issues that he has always had with his interceptions. There is no way to sugar coat it, if that continues than we all know the Quarterback carousel could go into full effect. Not to mention Kirk Cousins is leaving too many plays on the field. An example of that is the missed opportunities to Jordan Reed on Thursday. Both times could have been touchdowns and perhaps the difference in the game.
On the flip side, Kirk Cousins had one of the strongest games of his career last season against the Eagles. If there is ever a game where he needs to bounce back it’s now. Luckily he will be facing a weak Eagles secondary. There will be plays to be had…the question is whether or not Cousins can make those plays.
Go back to your identity!
Coach Jay Gruden seemed to have gone back to his old ways on Thursday when he called an offense that threw the ball 49 times. That’s not how this team is built. This team will not win games when they throw it 49 times and Alfred Morris has 6 carries, just not going to happen. People will say that he was just trying to play comeback all game, and I understand that, but the game was not completely out of reach when he abandoned it. Once this team became one dimensional and put the ball into Kirk Cousins’ hands they set themselves up for failure.
What’s interesting is that Gruden preached to Cousins not to overdue it, and to be “boring”. He also said not to try to do too much and get all the points back at once. That’s a bit hypocritical to say when you are asking him to throw nearly 50 times in a game. It’s clear that Gruden and Sean McVay pushed the panic button far too early. For this team to stay competitive it will need to be on the backs of Alfred Morris and Matt Jones.
Special Teams
A big reason the Redskins started the season 0-1 was due to Special Teams. It’s always been an issue that is brought up week after week. Then week 2 the team starts off the game with a blocked punt that results in a Safety. There is just no excuse. Yes, I know there are key injuries but a lot of these issues are mental mistakes. This week the team will be punting the ball to Darren Sproles who just had a big punt return TD against the Jets. He is the type of player that could take it back to the house any time he touches the ball. If I’m the Redskins I’m keeping it out of his hands or he could make them pay for it.
On a positive note, shout out to Rashad Ross who gave this team their first kickoff return TD since 2010. He’s dangerous when he gets an opportunity and hopefully he can keep it up. The Redskins have had problems with finding a solid return man but the team should be confident going forward with Ross and Jamison Crowder back there.
Will the Cornerbacks step up?
On Thursday Deangelo Hall partially tore ligament in his toe and he will be out for at least a month. This team has not been able to keep their top three corners on the field and it’s frustrating for everyone. Bashaud Breeland did what he could against the Giants but he also looked very rusty. Chris Culliver is a solid cornerback but right now it seems like there is more to be had with him than what we are seeing. Going into week 4 of the season and this team still doesn’t have an interception. That’s a reason for concern. Obviously week 1 there were a few dropped opportunities but there can’t be excuses. This secondary needs to start forcing turnovers. Nobody in the secondary has really stood out, and now with Hall out someone will have to step up.
Pass Rush
Last week against the Giants the Redskins got zero sacks. Eli Manning looked to have all day to throw, and was making the most of the opportunity. This team has really struggled to get any type of pass rush going and it’s not doing any favors for the secondary.
It pains me to say it but even Ryan Kerrigan hasn’t been as dominant as he was last season. A part of that could also be due to the fact that with Joe Barry‘s defensive scheme it’s more of a Cover 3 so it’s a lot less blitzes, so the sacks are going to be coverage sacks. With that said, I hope to see more creativity from Coach Barry as well as adjustments. The defense has been solid against the run, but they need to find a way to get to the Quarterback.
PROS:
#1: Demarco Murray (assuming he plays) will be going against the 2nd overall ranked defense in the league. The Redskins defensive line has been a brick wall for RB’s. This is good because it will put the ball in Sam Bradford‘s hands, who hasn’t looked like the sharpest QB this season.
#2: Weak Eagles defense. The Eagles are currently the 17th ranked overall defense in the NFL. The secondary has been especially bad and Byron Maxwell is looking like a Free Agent bust so far this season. If the running game gets going, there will be plenty of opportunity for a play-action deep pass. If Desean Jackson is able to play, he could have a big day.
#3: Sam Bradford, who currently is the 31st overall QB in the NFL based on QBR. He’s really struggling this season and has not looked impressive in the least bit. You never want to sleep on a player, but this a good time for the Redskins defense to gain some confidence.
CONS:
#1: Philly is coming off a victory against the Jets, who at the time were unbeaten. It’s a victory that gave them confidence and a bit of momentum coming into FedEx. Last week the Redskins played a team whose back was against the wall and it backfired. Hopefully we won’t see that same outcome on Sunday.
#2: Shawn Lauvao is headed to IR, which means either Spencer Long or Arie Kouandjio will be playing LG. Lauvao was having a great season and a key part to the running game’s success. It will be a big test at LG as they will be having to go against Fletcher Cox who is a tough task. Luckily, Trent Williams will be there to assist but it could be a long day for Cousins if the left side of the line doesn’t hold up.
#3: Special Teams. As I said earlier, always a big issue with the Redskins and this week the ball is going to Darren Sproles. The last thing the Skins want is for the ball to get in his hands or he could make them pay, just like he made the Jets pay last week.
Philadelphia Eagles vs Washington Redskins is this Sunday (Oct 4) at 1:00pm EST on FOX
As always follow me on Twitter @anthonyraposa for all things Redskins as well as your news and outlook.
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