The Redskins are 5-3, but it’s clear that the ice is thin.
Jobs won’t be on the line until the Washington Redskins lose their NFC East lead, but until then, the possibility will always be hovering in the back of Jay Gruden’s mind.
Today, Gruden came into Tampa Bay motivated to turn the tide after a week that saw more than half of the team’s offensive line become sidelined with serious injuries. A lackluster performance against the Atlanta Falcons demoralized the Redskins defense, and morale was relatively low in the lead-up to Sunday’s game.
The Redskins didn’t do a lot to change the perception surrounding the team; they looked limited in the first half against Tampa Bay. But the Buccaneers looked almost equally limited, and at the end of the first half, both teams are still in the game.
That said, the Washington Redskins seem to be stuck in a cycle, and it’s not a sustainable strategy if they wish to leave Tampa on top. The team is facing the worst passing defense in the league, and through two quarters, Alex Smith‘s stats are terribly underwhelming. He’s thrown for 103 yards, going 12 for 17.
The blame can go around for the lack of offensive production. Jay Gruden has made both good and bad play calls on offense. Smith still isn’t seeing downfield like a starting quarterback should, and opportunities have been missed by receivers. They’ve been drastically outgunned by Tampa.
Even while the Buccaneers offense has churned out yards, however, they only have three points to show for their consistent production. Matt Ioannidis got his weekly sack. The Redskins defense has made stops when needed, but they won’t be able to keep it up with two late-round rookies playing substantial snaps at cornerback, getting no rest from an unreliable offense. Things need to change in the second half (I feel like we say that a lot).
To recap, the offense is bad. The defense is good. But to beat the Buccaneers’ offense, the Redskins’ passing game will need to come to life eventually. Stay tuned for the tantalizing conclusion. 6-3 looks a lot better than 5-4. So far, the Redskins lead 6-3. More points are bound to come.