Riggo's Rag
FanSided

Redskins: 3 duds from Week 9 loss to the Falcons

By Jacob Camenker

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 28: Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Redskins in action against the New York Giants during their game at MetLife Stadium on October 28, 2018 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 28: Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Redskins in action against the New York Giants during their game at MetLife Stadium on October 28, 2018 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
LANDOVER, MD – NOVEMBER 15: Linebacker Mason Foster #54 of the Washington Redskins celebrates with inside linebacker Will Compton #51 of the Washington Redskins after a stop on fourth down in the fourth quarter of a game against the New Orleans Saints at FedExField on November 15, 2015 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – NOVEMBER 15: Linebacker Mason Foster #54 of the Washington Redskins celebrates with inside linebacker Will Compton #51 of the Washington Redskins after a stop on fourth down in the fourth quarter of a game against the New Orleans Saints at FedExField on November 15, 2015 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/Getty Images) /

2. Redskins linebackers in coverage

This was known to be one of the weaknesses of the Redskins defense. And it proved to be a bit of a problem on Sunday afternoon.

Simply put, the Redskins linebacker struggled to cover the middle of the field against the Falcons. Mason Foster had trouble moving fast enough to stay with the players he was supposed to cover. He can hold up in certain coverage schemes, but chasing down and following opponents isn’t his strong suit.

Elsewhere, Zach Brown had some issues as well just protecting the middle of the field. That’s part of the reason the Falcons receivers were able to make plays throughout the afternoon.

The Redskins need to try and fix this moving forward. Getting Josh Harvey-Clemons more involved could be a potential solution, but it may benefit them to also get Shaun Dion Hamilton some extra looks or to try using more three-safety sets thanks to the addition of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Either way, this is an area that has to be addressed.

Foster and Brown do a lot to help the team against the run and when they’re playing downhill, they’re great. However, in tougher matchups where they’re asked to cover more, it can be a bit more of a struggle. And that’s exactly what we saw on Sunday.

Home/Commanders News