Redskins offensive line sputters in preseason Week 1 loss to the Browns

The Washington Redskins had a tough time out of the gate in their first preseason game, but some of their young pieces showcased growth.

The results in the Redskins’ first preseason game of the 2019 season weren’t exactly what the team’s fans were hoping for. In a game that had been hyped ahead for weeks, the Redskins faithful got their first look at the team. But, the results were particularly rough and got worse as the game went along.

The ‘Skins lost the game 30-10, and though the score didn’t matter, it was discouraging. They gave up a punt return touchdown late in the game. They couldn’t stop the Browns at all on the first drive, and the team scored a touchdown. They were outgained by nearly 200 yards. So, needless to say, it wasn’t pretty.

The most discouraging area for the team was the offensive line. That unit was dreadful for most of the night. Yes, the starters from center to right tackle sat out the game, but the duos competing for time on the left side were mostly poor.

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Geron Christian and Ereck Flowers were both poor when on the field. They were responsible for a holding penalty each and Christian, in particular, struggled to deal with Myles Garrett. He just doesn’t look like he’s ready to start at the NFL level. Donald Penn and Wes Martin may have been better if only by default. Penn was beaten by a spin move early on while on the field, so he will have to clean that up moving forward.

Because of the offensive line play, we didn’t learn much about the running backs. Samaje Perine had some nice runs early and had one nice blitz pickup. However, he got eaten up on another one, though it was likely a busted block by the offensive line. The line also had an effect on the quarterbacks, too.

Case Keenum was constantly under pressure as the starter and didn’t have enough time to make plays, save for a couple downfield shots to Robert Davis (1 catch, 46 yards, TD), one of which came thanks to the Perine blitz pickup. Keenum was generally solid and finished the game 4-of-9 with 60 yards and a TD.

However, Dwayne Haskins had a roller coaster of an evening. He showed off his strong arm and arm talent on several plays, mostly directed at Darvin Kidsy (5 catches, 86 yards), but also struggled to read the field and defense at times. He took a couple of sacks because of this and also threw a couple of interceptions. Haskins went 8-of-14 for 117 yards and two picks, added 17 yards on the ground, and flashed enough upside to stay alive in the quarterback battle. But at this point in time, it has become clearer as to why the team wants to give a veteran action ahead of him.

On defense, many of the starters sat and that gave cornerback Jimmy Moreland a chance to shine. Moreland was the ballhawk that he had been in practice and more. He had 6 tackles, 3 passes defensed, and 2 forced fumbles that likely saved the defense points. Sure, he did have some lapses in coverage and needs to develop, but he could improve moving forward. And he showed his game-changing abilities on the forced fumbles.

The big issue for the Redskins on defense was their inability to cover the middle of the field. Baker Mayfield played just one drive — in the style of a two-minute drill — but he carved up the unit and was able to generate quite a bit over the middle. It seems that the team’s linebackers are still a step slow, and it will be interesting to see if Josh Harvey-Clemons and Cole Holcomb, two more athletic players, will be able to challenge Shaun Dion Hamilton and Jon Bostic for playing time.

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While the Redskins had some massive, glaring weaknesses, there is clearly some upside on this squad. They will have a chance to develop their talent this season. But, unless the offensive line can improve, expect to see the team’s quarterback under pressure quite a lot this year.

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