Redskins defense needed Saints game to turn the corner

For most of the 2018 season, the Redskins defense has been one of the best in the league.

Most.

The asterisk for the Washington Redskins came in Week 5, after the team’s bye week, when they traveled to New Orleans to take on Sean Payton and Drew Brees, the latter of whom was in close pursuit of the all-time passing yardage record. Coming into that primetime matchup, the Redskins conveyed an intent to keep Brees from making history.

They didn’t.

Instead, the Redskins folded under the lights, putting up an embarrassing display on both sides of the ball. The defense couldn’t stop Brees and Company, the offense was anemic under Alex Smith‘s control, and the end result of this bisecting disfunction was a lopsided 43-18 defeat that sent the team home utterly demoralized.

That demoralization, however, could have been exactly what Washington needed to take the next step.

Since the debacle down south, the Redskins have won three straight, and the defense can be referred to as the direct cause for this torrid streak. In the last three games, versus the Panthers, Cowboys, and Giants offenses, respectively, the Redskins have allowed an average of 15.7 points. They’ve dominated the turnover margin, and last week, against the Giants, they terrorized the opposing quarterback, racking up seven sacks.

The Redskins resurgence following their blowout loss to the Saints is no coincidence; numerous players came out and said that the game served as motivation for the team to never again be humiliated in such a nature.

The game against New Orleans was a wakeup call for a team that had become drunk on the first fumes of victory. Now, after a three-game winning streak, it appears as if they won’t soon ditch the chip on their shoulder. As this week’s power rankings show, they still have plenty to prove.