Redskins falter at home, fall to Falcons by a score of 38-14

At worst, this game is a glimpse of who the Redskins really are.

At best… more motivation?

It was a culmination of many things that led to the Washington Redskins 38-14 home loss against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. The offensive line suffered injury after injury. The referees were inconsistent, but self-inflicted penalties decimated any momentum gained. The defensive line wasn’t its usual self against a Falcons’ offensive line with discernible weaknesses. Matt Ryan was simply very good, perhaps the best quarterback (when healthy) the Redskins have faced this year.

But all these fall to the ear as excuses. The fact of the matter is this: The Washington Redskins came home against an injury-riddled Falcons team and looked like they didn’t belong. The Falcons proved to possess the perfect antidote for Washington’s hard-nosed style of play: A fast-paced, explosive offense.

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With an explosive offense, the Falcons bested the Redskins solid defense, making them look worse than they are for the better part of four quarters. The secondary was overtaken several times by Atlanta’s skill position players, and the defensive line, for the most part, was tamed against a banged up Falcons offensive line.

If there’s anything good to take away from this game, the offense seemingly found a rhythm at some points. Alex Smith had perhaps his most encouraging outing yet. He was aware in the pocket, and decisive with his throws, and although he threw a couple would-be picks in the first half, he was fairly solid, running the offense with some aggression to his efficiency.

There were other offensive standouts for Washington as well. Kapri Bibbs scored a touchdown and showed off his versatility. Vernon Davis was a reliable pass catching weapon, as was Josh Doctson, who logged over 30 yards and his first touchdown of the season. The best showing on offense, however, was from Maurice Harris, who notched ten catches for 124 yards, effectively cementing his role on the offense as one of the team’s premier pass catchers.

Perhaps Chase Roullier should also get an honorable mention for being the lone Redskins offensive lineman to stay healthy.

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To provide a summation, Washington’s defense got a wakeup call on Sunday. The team still leads the NFC East at 5-3, and the Falcons were one of their toughest opponents remaining, but the defense couldn’t get a stop on Sunday. The offense made progress, and the defense regressed. In the weeks to come, the two units need to mesh and compete simultaneously. If this team can’t coalesce through the rest of the season, it could be a long eight weeks to close out. Their response next week will be crucial.

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