Redskins Breakdown: Consistency is the difference in close loss
By Ian Cummings
A win was well within the Redskins’ grasp on Monday. With a little more consistency on both sides of the ball, they could’ve pulled it off.
The Redskins started out strong against the Chiefs. But they soon stalled after the first quarter, and although they hung in bitterly as the game wound to a close, they couldn’t come away with the win in the final moments. The sad part is that they could have taken the lead with authority early, and controlled the game, had they been more consistent.
On offense, short runs and dropped passes killed momentum with the swift strokes of disappointment. There were passes Kirk Cousins threw that hit his receivers square in the hands, and yet, the catch wasn’t made. Many of these were in key situations, on third down, and the worst of all was late in the game when the perceived playmaker Josh Doctson couldn’t corral a flawless pass by Cousins in the end zone.
What could have been the game winner ended up sapping the last of the Redskins’ hopes at a regulation win, and with a minute to work with, the Chiefs easily drove by the depleted Redskins’ defense, and Harrison Butker, a name that will forever be infamous in Ashburn, hit the game winning field goal from 43 yards out.
The defense was tired in the latter parts of the game, surrendering long drive after long drive at the hands of the masterful Kansas City offense. Too often, they let the Chiefs chip away at their reserves, and by the final drive, the defense had nothing left. Their energy is contagious, but long drives can drain it without relent.
Next: Redskins Recap: Injuries place team's efforts in vain
Need a silver lining following the Monday night loss? Here’s one. The Redskins remain in second place in the NFC East at 2-2, just one game behind the Eagles. And in three weeks, they travel to Philadelphia, with a chance to enact vengeance on an Eagles team that beat them 30-17 in Week 1. The Eagles are no pushover, but the Redskins have undergone massive improvement since their opening game. For now, we can be happy with how far they’ve come. And in the future, we can expect better. Better times are coming. With any luck, they’re almost here.