Redskins Halftime Takeaways: Defense thriving in an ugly football clash
By Ian Cummings
The Redskins play ugly football. But they’re not all too bad at it.
Let’s make this clear: Being decent at ugly football is not an accomplishment in the slightest, but when an ugly team plays another ugly team, it makes both teams look somewhat competent. Today, the Washington Redskins defense has been the beneficiary of such a matchup.
The Redskins defense ate in the first half of this game, using the mismatch between the defensive line and the Jaguars’ blocking unit to rack up sacks on backup quarterback Cody Kessler. Jonathan Allen, Ryan Kerrigan, and Zach Brown all found action, with Allen notching two first half sacks and a plethora of strong defensive stops.
The hope is that a game like this might rejuvenate the Redskins’ defense; it’s been apparent that the last few games have sapped the confidence from the unit. But in the NFL, all it takes is one game to rebound and accumulate some more momentum. Could today be the day they turn a new leaf?
If the defense is starting to find its way again, however, the offense is not following in their footsteps. The offense has been anemic through one half, almost matching total yards and penalty yards.
It’s clear that while Josh Johnson has adequate mobility, and a strong arm, he’s not a quarterback who can spark hope for the team. If they want to win, they’ll have to win with this brand of ugly football that they’ve grown accustomed to relying on over the course of the 2018 season.
It was their formula earlier in the season, and with Alex Smith, they were able to battle with competent teams. Now, they’ll simply have to capitalize on games with other ugly teams, and win their brand of football. It won’t get them far, from a long-term standpoint. But this team hasn’t shown a concern for that.
On the bright side, Tress Way is still amazing.
Next. Washington's Keys to Victory in Week 15. dark
Right now, the Redskins are keeping themselves in the game by playing ugly. It wouldn’t work against anyone else, but it’s working against the Jaguars, and if they can improve in the second half, perhaps they can reach .500 again. Right now, the Redskins trail by a touchdown, 10-3. The outcome is still very much in the air.