Redskins Recap: Team Blows Late Lead In Loss To Cowboys
The Washington Redskins blew a chance to get a key divisional win. They are now 0-2 just a couple of weeks into the young season.
The Washington Redskins had this game in the bag. The team had a 23-20 lead late in the fourth quarter, and they were driving with a chance to add some points. It looked like they would be able to put the game out of reach. Then, the unthinkable happened. Kirk Cousins threw a terrible interception.
The ball was thrown right into the middle of the end zone, and Barry Church picked it off. It truly was a horrible throw, as no Redskins really had a chance to catch the pass. Following the pick, the Cowboys were able to drive all the way down the field and score the decisive touchdown. And who else but former Redskins star Alfred Morris had to run it in to give the Dallas Cowboys a 27-23 lead. It was truly a dagger for the Redskins, and the loss was certainly a tough one.
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If Cousins’ interceptions was not bad enough, he also misfired on three separate occasions that could have been touchdowns. He missed a wide open Jamison Crowder on the first drive and later overthrew DeSean Jackson. In the fourth quarter, he completed a 57 yards pass to Josh Doctson, but a better throw would have allowed Doctson to score. Cousins needs to play better in the future, or his 2016 campaign will be a disappointment for the Redskins.
Another big storyline in this game was going to be the Dez Bryant on Josh Norman battle. After putting Bashaud Breeland on Antonio Brown for most of the game against the Steelers, it was expected that defensive coordinator Joe Barry would make changes to the defense to allow for a better game plan. Well, that did not happen. Norman remained isolated on the left side and Bryant battled Breeland for a good chunk of the game. Breeland was only okay, but the team definitely needs to consider making changes. Otherwise, the defense will continue to struggle.
The Redskins did get some good play out of combination defensive end and linebacker Trent Murphy. Murphy looked great with his hand in the ground, and was able to use speed and power to break into the Cowboys backfield on multiple occasions. He notched 1.5 sacks on the day, and it looks like he will have a big impact this season.
Some bad news for the Redskins is that nose tackle Kedric Golston left early in the game with a hamstring injury. Golston is scheduled to get an MRI in the near future. If he is out long term, then the Redskins will need to look to get a replacement.
Overall, this game was a disappointment for the Redskins. They had some bright spots, but it was mostly negative. They need to improve their defensive play and Cousins has to improve his decision making and accuracy. Next week against the New York Giants will be a crucial game for the team to break out of their slump.