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Anthony Lanier deserves more playing time after strong performance vs. Seahawks

By Jacob Camenker

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 21: A Washington Redskins helmet is carried by a player before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on September 21, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 21: A Washington Redskins helmet is carried by a player before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on September 21, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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Anthony Lanier had a solid game against the Seattle Seahawks. The Washington Redskins need to find him some more playing time moving forward.

The Redskins win against the Seahawks on Sunday was nothing short of exhilarating. In a contest that the team was supposed to lose, the Redskins came away with a huge victory to improve their overall record to 4-4. They managed to stay alive in the Wild Card race and more importantly, proved that they could beat quality competition in difficult scenarios.

Many Redskins stepped up to have big games in the win. Notably, Zach Brown was a defensive catalyst and Kirk Cousins led the team on an excellent game winning drive. However, a player that hasn’t been mentioned as much is Anthony Lanier. The second year defensive lineman had a solid performance and he definitely should earn more playing time as a result.

Lanier, a former undrafted rookie out of Alabama A&M, was inactive for the first six games of the Washington season. He served as the sixth defensive lineman, and the team simply didn’t need him. But if Sunday was any indication, he wasn’t sitting due to lack of talent.

When Lanier was on the field, the Redskins pass rush looked superb. Granted, the Seahawks don’t exactly have the best offensive line in football, but Washington was able to pressure Russell Wilson relentlessly. One of the players that allowed them to do this was Lanier.

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Lanier took over the main pass rushing defensive end role from the injured Matt Ioannidis. The Temple product was out with a hand injury, and without him and rookie sensation Jonathan Allen, the Redskins pass rush was supposed to struggle. Instead, Lanier pushed through the interior of the Seahawks offensive line seemingly every play. He was bearing down on Wilson in numerous situations, and if the Seahawks quarterback didn’t have elite mobility, Lanier would have had a chance to rack up a couple of sacks.

Though Lanier didn’t post a big stat line, he finished the day with just two QB hits, his on-field performance was terrific. He was the third piece to the stellar Washington pass rush along with Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith. He deserves a lot of praise for being able to come in and play a big role when his team needed him.

Moving forward, the Redskins have to look to get Lanier involved more in the defense. He has immense athletic upside and if he can develop into a strong, consistent pass rusher, the team will be able to build that up as the strength of their defense. If Ioannidis can return this season, the Redskins will be able to field a great deal of fearsome pass rushers and then they can play matchups on the defensive line. That would be an ideal scenario for the team.

Next: Redskins Breakdown for Week 9 vs. Seahawks

Overall, Lanier’s performance is a huge bright spot for the team. He now will have a chance to play more and could start some games until Ioannidis is fully healthy. The Redskins defensive line is looking good, and Jim Tomsula can be thanked for that.

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