Washington Redskins Breakdown Week 15: What Happens Next?
Dec 19, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera (L) talks with Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden (R) during the second half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
The Washington Redskins blew a game that was a virtual must win on Monday night. They fell to the Carolina Panthers by a score of 26-15.
The Washington Redskins had a chance to take control of their own destiny on Monday night. Thanks to a Dallas Cowboys win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team had a chance to move into the six seed for the NFC Wild Card with a win over the Carolina Panthers. The team seemed to have an advantage, but things fell apart on Monday.
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The Redskins put forth one of their worst efforts of the season. They were dominated in almost all facets of the game, and showed no heart in the loss. It would have been one thing if they stayed competitive and still lost. They were flat and looked like they did not want to be there. They had no confidence.
The final score of 26-15 means two things for the Redskins. The first is that they will be hard pressed to make the playoffs. They are now behind the Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers for a shot at the six seed. The second is that the team is going to have to make some changes in the future. We will outline them here, along with the reasons that the Redskins lost. Here is a look at this week’s Redskins Breakdown.
Dec 19, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) throws the ball as Carolina Panthers safety Tre Boston (33) chases in the third quarter at FedEx Field. The Panthers won 26-15. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Passing Game: Kirk Cousins Plays Worst Game Of Season
It may not look like it on paper, but Monday night’s performance was the worst of the season for Kirk Cousins. During the contest, Cousins went 32-of-47 for 315 yards and tossed an interception. He did not account for a single touchdown, and looked extremely mediocre for most of the night.
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Early in the game, Cousins had some slight accuracy issues. They were nothing major, he missed a couple of receivers by a few feet either way, but they just seemed to get him off on the wrong foot. From there, his receivers dropped a handful of key passes and Cousins was unable to do much.
Cousins’ biggest struggle was finding an open receiver. He had serious trouble reading the Carolina defense, and could not decipher the zone scheme that they were running. On too many occasions, Cousins held onto the ball for a long time before deciding to throw it away or take a non-impactful checkdown. A true franchise quarterback would have adjusted to the scheme and found a way to beat them. Cousins did not until the fourth quarter.
This performance definitely lost Cousins a bit of money. The Redskins absolutely needed to win the game, and they came up short at home, in prime time. Cousins is not the only man to blame for this, but he certainly deserves a share of it.
Dec 19, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins wide receiver DeSean Jackson (11) carries the ball past Carolina Panthers strong safety Kurt Coleman (20) during the first half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Passing Game: DeSean Jackson Puts Together Quality Performance
Of all the receivers in this contest, none was more impressive that DeSean Jackson. The veteran speed receiver was Cousins’ top option during the game, accumulating 111 yards on seven catches. For one, he did not function as a one trick pony and actually worked fairly well in the mid-range receiving game.
Also, Jackson had a couple of very nice catches on the sideline. Both of them were initially ruled incomplete, but they were overturned after challenges. On both plays, Jackson managed to slide towards a low, outside pass from Cousins and get his hands on it while dragging his leg in bounds. They were extremely impressive, and each helped to give the Redskins some extra momentum.
Elsewhere, Pierre Garcon caught seven passes and turned them into 78 yards. He left for a bit with an injury, but returned in the fourth quarter. He was generally effective against the Carolina corners, and used his physicality to get open on a few plays.
The biggest disappointment was the play from the tight ends. Jordan Reed was a non-factor before getting ejected while Vernon Davis endured a couple of brutal drops. Both players probably put in the worst performance of their season.
Dec 19, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins running back Robert Kelley (32) is tackled by Carolina Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson (54) in the third quarter at FedEx Field. The Panthers won 26-15. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Running Game: Rob Kelley Does Practically Nothing
Coming into this game, I was not expecting a huge performance out of Rob Kelley. After all, the Panthers defense has a couple of the best defensive tackles in the league, and their front was going to be able to get some serious push. Well, that is exactly what ended up happening, and Kelley was a disappointment.
On the ground, Kelley only mustered a meager 8 yards on nine carries. The Redskins kept insisting on handing him the ball in an attempt to remain one dimensional, but it ultimately failed. It would have made more sense to give Chris Thompson a couple of more carries. The receiving back had 10 yards on just two totes, but he would have opened up more option in the passing game. They used him a fair amount, but they could have done better on that front.
Overall, this was always going to be a tough game to get any rushing yards during. That turned out to be the case, and that caused the team to lose due to their one dimensional offense.
Dec 19, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Carolina Panthers fullback Mike Tolbert (35) scores a touchdown as Washington Redskins outside linebacker Martrell Spaight (50) defends during the second half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Defense: Missed Tackles Galore Allow Huge Chunk Plays
Watching the Redskins defense was maddening tonight. Without Su’a Cravens and Will Compton, it was expected that they would be weaker up the middle, and were they ever. They surrendered 148 rushing yards to the Panthers, 132 of which came from Jonathan Stewart. They team simply could not tackle the talented back, and it appeared that the fundamentals were missing from the squad.
Early in the game, it became apparent that this would be an issue. Stewart was able to rip off some big gains on the opening drive, and he made so many defenders miss. Too often, the Redskins defenders would come in and attempt to make arm tackles on the strong runner. In two instances, Stewart actually threw Redskins off of him like rag dolls. Trent Murphy and Greg Toler were the two, and the yards after contact really allowed the Panthers to build momentum.
Of course, it did not help that Compton’s replacement, Martrell Spaight, put together a poor performance. Though the linebacker led the team in tackles with 15, he looked lost in coverage and was unable to make quick reads to diagnose the opposing offense. He also missed some tackles due to overpursuit and just generally being in the wrong area. That said, it was his first start and he did play some quality snaps. He was far from the problem, but he should not be relied upon as a starter in the future.
This aspect of the team is something that absolutely has to change moving forward. If they do not put in the effort to make tackles, they will not win games. It is that simple.
Dec 19, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart (28) carries the ball as Washington Redskins cornerback Quinton Dunbar (47) chases in the first quarter at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Defense: Secondary Desperately Needs To Be Upgraded
I actually was fooled into thinking that Bashaud Breeland was having a quality performance in the first half. The third year man made some nice pass breakups and played some good defense on Greg Olsen. However, it was not long before the wheels fell off for him.
Breeland was burned a couple of times by Ted Ginn, and on one occasion he should have allowed a touchdown. Ginn actually dropped the ball after being wide open, and that kept the Redskins alive. Breeland should consider moving to safety in the offseason, because he simply has not showed the ability to stay with opposing receivers this year.
The depth corners in this game were also problematic. Quinton Dunbar and Greg Toler both left with injuries, but neither was playing well prior to exiting. Dunbar can be a quality depth guy, but Toler is at the end of the line for his career. The team should look into adding some help in the draft.
It would also help if they focus on developing Kendall Fuller, who inexplicably did not log a snap until both Dunbar and Toler were out. Fuller had been struggling lately, but he certainly was no worse than the other two were during the game.
Finally, Donte Whitner was brutal. He got mercilessly torched by Ginn on a touchdown. The Redskins desperately need some better safeties, or they should at least consider giving Deshazor Everett some more snaps.
Nov 24, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed (86) scores a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Penalties: Jordan Reed Ejected For Punch
One of the more frustrating moments of this game came when Jordan Reed was ejected. The star tight end had banged up his already injured shoulder early in the third quarter, but was still on the field. After a play in the red zone, Reed got into a jawing match with Kurt Coleman and eventually sucked punched him. Reed was rightfully ejected and his boneheaded move cost the Redskins 15 yards.
This play was absolutely terrible by Reed, and he should be ashamed of himself. The Redskins were driving in an attempt to get back into the game, and he killed any and all momentum they were getting. The next snap, a second and goal, took place 25 yards from the end zone, giving the team virtually no chance of scoring. Reed has to be more of a team player, and perhaps he should not be on the field if his shoulder is not fully healthy. I give him credit for trying to play through pain, but he was a negative factor on Monday.
Aug 26, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins defensive coordinator Joe Barry looks on against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Final Note: Joe Barry Could Be The Scapegoat
On another note, the Redskins are likely going to have to find a scapegoat for this season. They were expected to win the NFC East coming into the year, and it does not look like they will even make the playoffs. It likely will not be Jay Gruden or Sean McVay, given that the offense has been superb. Instead, defensive coordinator Joe Barry could get the ax.
Barry’s defense has been easy to beat, and he has not really made any great adjustments to fix it. Granted, he was dealing with depleted personnel for some of the season, but the lack of fundamentals displayed by the team in their losses is concerning. I think that the team will part ways with him in the offseason and try to bring in a different coach to do the job.
There will be a lot of veteran defensive mind coaches on the market this offseason. Keep an eye on Rex Ryan, as he could potentially be out as the Bills coach. He may be the most intriguing name on the market.
