Redskins Recap: Team almost lets a win get away in Week 2

The Washington Redskins once had a 13-0 lead in Week 2. Slowly but surely, they let the Los Angeles Rams get back into the game.

The Redskins were able to finish the day with a victory, but it was far from an inspiring one. They notched the 27-20 victory by the skin of their teeth, Mason Foster had the critical pick on the Rams’ final possession, and it proved that this team is further from being a contender than they are from picking in the top 10.

Rob Kelley and Chris Thompson were the two biggest playmakers for the Redskins offense. Kelley led the team in rushing in the first half, totaling 78 yards on 12 carries. He ran with excellent strength and solid speed. The Rams looked helpless to stop him. Meanwhile, Thompson had a couple of big plays, including a 61 yard touchdown run on a delayed hand off. He was explosive, but did suffer a key drop on a pass that could have been another big gain. The duo should be the offensive leaders for the team moving forward.

Though the running game was decidedly on today, the passing offense left a bit more to be desired. Kirk Cousins didn’t have a bad game, but he was mostly just a game manager out there. Early on, the Redskins relied heavily on the run, and Cousins was just asked to be efficient. He did this well, but he still lacked the razor sharp accuracy that had allowed him to succeed in previous seasons.

The Redskins receivers didn’t have too good of a performance either. Terrelle Pryor was virtually a non-factor, only recording a couple of catches on the day. Jamison Crowder was better off, but the team still lacks a true No. 1 receiver. Jordan Reed led the team with 6 catches for 48 yards. Those are uninspiring numbers that will not allow the Redskins to succeed on offense.

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Defensively, things were better but only by default. The team got a solid performance from their stop unit, and the defense was able to limit the Rams on many occasions. They put solid pressure on Jared Goff, but they did struggle to slow down Todd Gurley.

Gurley was able to run at will over the Redskins defense and he was able to score both of the team’s touchdowns. Goff targeted him in the passing game and Gurley was the only back to get any carries. The Redskins have to shore up their defense against running backs if they want to continue to succeed. Zach Brown has helped a lot in this regard, but he is only one man.

The team did get solid coverage from their defensive backs for a majority of the game. The secondary continues to be a strength. One of the major issues came covering tight ends, as Mason Foster had some trouble in coverage. The Redskins could opt to use Will Compton in obvious passing situations if Foster contiues to have issues in this regard.

The Redskins suffered countless injuries in this affair as well. Notably, Kelley left the game after setting a career high in rushing in just one half of play. Additionally, the offense lost Jordan Reed for the game. He came back just prior to the fourth quarter without his pads on. Morgan Moses, Josh Norman, Zach Brown, Mason Foster, and Deshazor Everett were the other starters who left the contest at various points. The Redskins need to hope that they avoided any major injuries, as they don’t want to lose their depth at this point.

Next: Redskins vs. Rams Live Blog Week 2

Overall, this was not a great performance from the team. They did get the win and are now 1-1, but they still have a lot of work to do. They need to make some big changes heading into their primetime matchup with the Oakland Raiders.

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