In the words of Steve Spurrier, 'Welp, not very good!'
The Washington Redskins staggered through an embarrassing performance on national television Thursday night, falling 45-14 to the New York Giants. It was ugly all around, with very few positives to take from it. So, if you're looking for some moral victory pick-me-ups, this post will not do the trick.
Let's sift through the wreckage.
1. Cousins self-destructs: After flying high in his first two outings, Kirk Cousins came crashing back to earth Thursday night, throwing four interceptions, losing one fumble and completing just 53 percent of his passes while posting a passer rating of 53.0. Cousins's effectiveness has diminished in the second halves of games, but last night, things deteriorated to another level. As Cousins put it, 'I was killing us here and there.' Cousins did everything that Jay Gruden had said - and that the quarterback knew - he could not do if he wanted to succeed. 'Run the offense,' the coach had said as he ticked off a to-do list for Cousins leading up to his first start. But Cousins & Co. didn't come out firing on all cylinders. They basically had two good possessions. 'Be good on third downs,' Gruden also listed. Cousins went 1-for-8 on third downs. 'Take care of the ball,' was the last item on the list. And as we know, Cousins did not. The sack-fumble was not his fault. Tyler Polumbus offered little resistance to Mathias Kiwanuka. But the interceptions were Cousins' fault. He started locking in on receivers. Giants defenders said after the game all they had to do was follow Cousins' eyes, and that's how they knew where to go. Cousins got away with throwing balls behind receivers against Philadelphia and in the first half of Thursday's game. But those accuracy issues crippled him in the second half. Cousins admittedly lost his poise. He started to force things. He lost awareness of where defenders stood on the field, and that's why he had the interceptions. 'I was trying to get everything back in one play and you can't do that,' Cousins said. After the third interception, you wondered whether Gruden would just pull the plug on his quarterback for the night. But Gruden stuck with Cousins because he said sometimes a quarterback needs to fight through adversity. You can't close the book on Cousins - because Robert Griffin III will not return for at least another five weeks and also because he's still learning. Every quarterback has an ugly game here and there. But the pattern we have seen in Cousins both last year and this year is disturbing. On short notice, he looks like gangbusters, he does a good job in his first start, and then things fizzle. Why? I don't know the answer to that. The next outing will say a lot about Cousins. If he rebounds, then we know he has something special in him - a mental fortitude necessary to succeed at quarterback in the NFL. But if he struggles yet again, unable to break out of his funk 11 days after last night's outing, then everyone at Redskins Park probably will develop a sinking feeling.
2. Giant's physical domination: It was hard to re-watch that game, but what stands out is how the Giants clearly proved themselves to be the more physical team. New York's offensive line neutralized Washington's defensive front. The Giants' defensive line overwhelmed Washington's offensive line. The Redskins didn't give up any 102-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns, but the Giants' special teams units outplayed Washington as well. The lack of physical play and competitiveness from the Redskins proved disturbing. The short week and all the bumps and bruises that Washington's players had to deal with probably diminished some of their effectiveness. But the Giants had a quick turnaround as well, and they found a way to dig deep and execute. Tom Coughlin's group was indeed the superior team, on all fronts. Gruden said the Redskins got outplayed and out-coached and said the game will serve as 'a good slap-in-the-face wake-up call.' Considering the Redskins entered the game with a losing record (1-2), it's not clear what they needed to be woken from. But they definitely looked like they were sleep-walking out there last night, and if they hope to dig their way out of this hole, everyone in this organization needs to show some fight.
3. One-on-one losses on D: The defense looked nothing like the unit that we saw against Houston or Jacksonville, and instead, it looked kind of like the group we saw against Philly, but worse. Jim Haslett's players played hard at times, and they put themselves in position to make plays. They had the Giants in third-down situations, but Eli Manning & Co. converted 11 of 16 for first downs. The Redskins couldn't get pressure on the quarterback in those crucial situations, and they couldn't cover on the back end and wound up getting torched again and again. The overwhelming theme on defense centered around an inability for players to win their one-on-one matchups. Brian Orakpo had another quiet night, but credit some of that to Manning and the Giants' game plan. Now running a West Coast offense, Manning got the ball out of his hands quickly. He went with a lot of slants and quick hitters. That meant the ball was gone before Washington's pass-rushers even got into the backfield. The official stat keepers credited Washington with just three hits on the quarterback in addition to Ryan Kerrigan's sack. Because of the quick-release game, Orakpo had just six real pass-rushing opportunities. Kerrigan beat him to Manning for the sack once, but Orakpo didn't win his battles with left tackle Will Beatty. That was somewhat surprising considering Orakpo beat up on Beatty for two sacks in their last meeting. Perry Riley also didn't do well in his one-on-one matchups. He found himself in pass coverage against tight ends Larry Donnell and Daniel Fells, and it was a rough night. Riley looked unsure of himself. Hesitation on two plays Thursday led to a continuation of the pass-coverage struggles we have seen out of the athletic young 'backer this season. Riley gave up the touchdown to Donnell to begin the Giants' scoring barrage. Then safety Brandon Meriweather took over in covering the big tight end. But Meriweather was even worse in coverage, playing soft, walk-through-like defense on Donnell, who made an easy grab for his second touchdown catch. (It was a second straight week during which Meriweather got beat on a touchdown pass - not good). Rookie cornerback Bashaud Breeland actually did everything he could against Donnell. The Giants split the 6-foot-6 tight end out wide, and Manning threw a fade to him in the back of the end zone. Breeland had tight cover and timed his jump perfectly, but he gave up seven inches of height, and Donnell plucked the ball out of the air for the touchdown. Breeland got picked on in his first start, and that was bound to happen. The game had the feel of David Amerson's baptism against Green Bay last season. Breeland did some good things. The pass interference call on him seemed dubious: He didn't touch the receiver; instead he used the sideline to help him as a defender on a ball that appeared to be overthrown. But officials have made bad calls in those situations before, and there's nothing you can do as a defender but jog back to the huddle and prepare to do the same thing again. Amerson also had struggles. His timing was off on a couple of plays during which he tried to rush up and either break up a pass or jump the route. And on pass along the sideline, Amerson needed to have turned his head sooner so he could have intercepted the ball rather than give up another first down. This young cornerback tandem will take its lumps. But the Redskins hope they can get up to speed sooner than later.
4. Penalties: Gruden said he would use the next few days to take inventory of everything the Redskins are doing from top to bottom. One area he needs to address is penalties. Washington ranks fourth-worst in the league with 96.8 penalty yards per game. The Redskins also average 9.8 penalties a game (also fourth-most in the league). The Redskins have surrendered 3.2 penalties for first downs per game (sixth-most in the league). Team captain Trent Williams leads the team with five penalties for 45 yards. Breeland ranks second with four penalties for 40 yards. The most common penalty for the Redskins is offensive holding (nine). Special teams penalties also have been prominent, including two yesterday. Penalties killed offensive drives, and others by the defense gave the Giants (as was the case with other opponents) new life when they held the ball. The Redskins have to clean this up. Without discipline, they will not turn things around.
5. Tough stretch: The Redskins have a trying road ahead of them, and that's why a win last night would have really helped matters. Now, instead, Washington must prepare to face the defending Super Bowl champs on 'Monday Night Football' (another dreaded game in prime time, during which Washington last lost its last six). From that formidable matchup, the Redskins then travel to Arizona, where they will face the currently undefeated Cardinals. It's very possible this team could be 1-5 and nearly out of the playoff picture before we even reach the season's midpoint. Injuries will not make matters better. Left tackle Trent Williams was scheduled to have an MRI on his right knee (possible dislocated knee cap) Friday morning. No word yet on the findings. If Williams has to miss significant time, that means Tom Compton could take over at left tackle, and if the preseason and last night's spot duty are any indication, the third-year pro is not yet ready. That could put even more pressure on Cousins and spell disaster for this offense. The Redskins also are closely monitoring tight end Niles Paul, who has shined while filling in for Jordan Reed. Paul suffered a concussion Thursday night. That leaves the Redskins with only one healthy tight end (Logan Paulsen). Reed didn't sound like he expected to return from his hamstring in time to play against Seattle. The Redskins obviously are hoping for a speedy recovery for Paul, who will benefit from the 11-day layoff between games. Plenty of other players are banged up, and it's important that they use this time to get healthy. They'll need every ounce of effort to work their way out of this situation. Cousins has five turnovers, Manning five TDs in 45-14 loss
Takeaway: Cousins wasn't the only problem, but he was biggest
Wise: Gruden's Redskins aren't ready for prime time yet
Secondary a primary concern | Giants offense shines right before half
D.C. Sports Bog: Redskins-Giants best and worst | Simms slips up
Post By http://ift.tt/1rs9jr8