Redskins Halftime Takeaways: Offensive line injuries hurting immensely

One half of football is over, and the Redskins are on top, by a score of 7-2. Talk about high-flying offenses, right?

There’s certainly a lot of room to improve for the Redskins, especially on the offensive side of the ball. They started out sloppy and decided they’d stick with that formula through the second quarter. The running game is, as usual, inept, and Kirk Cousins seems to have lost confidence in himself, his blockers, and his receivers.

The team totaled less than 50 offensive yards for most of the first half, and they did not look good. This drive summary from our updated analysis encapsulates the team’s struggles nicely. They since fixed some of the issues, but the point is that they’re missing consistency. And they need it. Otherwise, it’ll be hard for them to stay ahead.

"It’s hard to expect the Redskins’ defense to do much when they aren’t getting any time to rest from their offense. The team is starting to fall apart relatively quickly today. They let by a couple of big completions by the Seahawks, but toward the other end of the field, they were able to stop the Seahawks and force them to kick a field goal, which Blair Walsh would subsequently miss (shocker, right?). Anthony Lanier got some nice pressure, as did Kerrigan. But this formula is not a sustainable one. The offense has to get a drive."

The defense is putting in a great effort, but the offense is giving them no favors whatsoever. Without any rest, this defense is not only tired, but they’re agitated as well. Bashaud Breeland and Josh Norman both had dirty plays to display their discontent. Nevertheless, the defense has kept the team in the game, and against Wilson, that’s an admirable feat.

The offense found some life late, but they need to be more consistent if they want to hold off the Seahawks. The offensive line needs to use every break to rest and prepare for the coming action. Otherwise, this could be loss No. 5 for the Redskins. Penalties on the Seahawks have helped, as has Blair Walsh with three missed field goals, but the team can’t win relying on these mistakes in the second half.

Next: Redskins vs. Eagles drive-by-drive analysis

The defense is playing very well. It’s up to the offense to capitalize on the defense’s solid play and start putting points on the board. The run game hasn’t been effective in open field thus far, but Kirk Cousins and Vernon Davis have. Perhaps it’s time for a brief philosophy change. For now, the Redskins are still in it. Be sure to stay tuned to our drive-by-drive analysis, as we’ll keep you in the loop with instant takeaways from each set of plays. The Redskins are in this game. Can they get the win on the road?