Redskins showcase poor fundamentals in preseason loss to Ravens

The Washington Redskins were handled easily by the Baltimore Ravens in the preseason finale. The game didn’t matter, but it was another disappointing outing.

It’s the fourth preseason game. Let’s not get carried away with the results. The Redskins didn’t play very well, but some guys shined. Overall, the final score 30-20 in favor of the Ravens doesn’t matter. The information learned from the game is what matters.

First things first, Kevin Hogan doesn’t belong with the Redskins. He played well in the first half, but he struggled mightily in the second half and threw a brutal pick in the fourth quarter. Hogan has some raw talent, but he’s too much of a project three years into his career. He isn’t worth stashing for the Redskins, as they can target a true successor for Alex Smith in one of the next two draft classes.

The star of the evening was easily Rob Kelley. While many believed the third-year man from Tulane would be cut after an uninspiring preseason, he put forth an excellent performance in the preseason finale. He ripped off massive chunk gains on a few first-half carries, and he also had a nice 10-yard catch for a first down. Overall, he finished the game with 11 carries for 49 yards and two catches for 14 yards.

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While Kelley thrived, Samaje Perine looked very good — until a fumble in the middle of the first half. Perine dropped the ball when Patrick Ricard punched it out, and it was a very poor play. Perine should still make the final roster, but this mistake coupled with Kelley’s performance puts that in doubt a little bit.

Elsewhere on offense, J.P. Holtz continued his push for a roster spot. The blocking tight end/fullback hybrid had another great game in the run game, but he also caught a couple of passes and notched a touchdown. Holtz should be versatile enough to make the final roster and have an impact as a blocker and special teams player.

For the defense, this was a much worse performance. The unit once again showed poor tackling skills and fundamentals. Though the backups and depth players were the guys who were mostly in action, the team still couldn’t stop the Ravens and at one point allowed a 92-yard drive in just about three minutes. Greg Manusky really needs to motivate his starters and get them into the right mindset to tackle properly if they want to win in the first week of the season.

There were some bright spots on defense. Shaun Dion Hamilton looked like a strong tackler and shot through a gap to make a play at one point. Ryan Anderson and Pete Robertson (1 sack) also looked good off the edge. In the secondary, Adonis Alexander had one excellent play in coverage and probably would have had a pick if he wasn’t penalized. Ranthony Texada also had a nice return after he caught an easy pick after a deflection.

Next. Tyler Catalina out for the season after undergoing surgery. dark

Overall, this game didn’t matter. It only helped the Redskins to identify what needs they still have, who belongs on the roster, and who might be a strong practice squad candidate. The result of the game doesn’t matter, and what we’ll be watching now is who will be cut.

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