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Redskins Halftime Takeaways: Mistakes killing team on defense

By Jacob Camenker

NEW ORLEANS, LA - OCTOBER 08: Chris Thompson #25 of the Washington Redskins runs with the ball as Kurt Coleman #29 of the New Orleans Saints defends at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on October 8, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - OCTOBER 08: Chris Thompson #25 of the Washington Redskins runs with the ball as Kurt Coleman #29 of the New Orleans Saints defends at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on October 8, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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The Washington Redskins are not faring well at halftime against the Saints. Not at all.

Well, for those who were hoping that the Redskins-Saints game might be a big moment for the Redskins, things aren’t looking good. The team finds themselves down big at the half, as the home team Saints lead 26-13. And that is largely thanks to a rash of penalties and defensive mistakes

The worst penalty of the first half came on Montae Nicholson. After Ryan Kerrigan picked up his first sack of the season, Montae Nicholson unnecessarily laid out Mark Ingram after the play. There was no need for the senseless play, and the Saints would have punted if not for the penalty. Instead, they got a second chance and drove down the field to extend their lead to 13-3. It was inexcusable from Nicholson, and his teammates were clearly upset with him after his decision.

There were a couple of other holding penalties that extended drives. While those were sloppy and the team could have gotten off the field, they didn’t have the same major impact that the Nicholson penalty did.

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It also didn’t help the team’s cause that they allowed a massive play from Drew Brees to Cameron Meredith on a second and 17. It was a big chance for the Redskins to come up with a stop, and they immediately surrendered a 46-yard completion. That just can’t happen in that scenario.

Even worse, their defense completely busted coverage later in the half. They allowed Tre’Quan Smith to get wide open on the sideline to grab a 62-yard touchdown. That broke the NFL’s all-time passing yards record for Brees, and the game came to a stop to honor him. As great as that moment was, the way in which it happened was embarrassing for the Redskins, as it was just awful defense.

The offense wasn’t as bad as the defense, but it was more by default than anything else. The running backs were good, but playing from behind, they really couldn’t execute their game plan. The late QB draw TD from Alex Smith is keeping them in the game, but the overall performance was still not too inspiring.

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At this point, all we can hope for is a better second half. A win may not be in the cards, but if they don’t step up, this loss will be more than deflating.

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