Redskins vs. Giants: 3 studs from Sunday’s victory
By Ian Cummings
No. 1 – DL Matt Ioannidis (And Jonathan Allen. And Daron Payne)
What a quick turnaround this defensive front has seen.
Just a year ago, lament was widespread as the Redskins defensive line failed to defend even the most inept offenses. On the ground, teams moved the ball at will, and in the passing game, the lack of interior pressure gave teams the time they needed to execute.
Now, however, the Redskins defensive line has removed both time and comfort from their opponents’ list of assets.
Against the Giants, it was Matt Ioannidis‘ time to shine, as the one-man wrecking crew racked up 2.5 sacks, manhandling the Giants’ interior line on pass rushing downs. The development of the former fifth-round pick has been stunning; it’s not brash to say he’s one of the best pass rushing interior linemen in the entire NFL.
While Ioannidis’ performance will get most of the attention, Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne each logged singular sacks as well, and their combined effort led to a subpar showing from Giants’ rookie phenom Saquon Barkley. The Redskins front held Barkley to 38 rushing yards on 13 carries, and although Barkley enjoyed some success as a pass catcher, he was severely limited on the ground by the Redskins’ revamped line.
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The Redskins have now held Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, and Saquon Barkley to under 100 yards combined in three consecutive weeks, and in just seven games, Matt Ioannidis has already logged 5.5 sacks, more than the 4.5 he accrued in all sixteen games last year. Simply put, Washington’s defensive line is dominating at this stage of the season, and the success will just make them hungrier for more.