Redskins Halftime Takeaways: Offense streaky, Landon Collins striking

One half is in the books in Atlanta, and the Redskins trail the Falcons by a score of 7-6.

Week 3 has always been known as a dress rehearsal of sorts, and if the definition is accurate in its entirety, then the Washington Redskins will still have some kinks to work out at the start of the regular season.

The Redskins starting defense started strong, as it did last week. Landon Collins, the team’s most notable free agent acquisition in half a decade, was laying the wood, and playing with authority; he almost notched an interception late in the half. The defensive line continued to generate pressure, and Josh Harvey-Clemons, surprisingly healthy, reprised his role as the starting inside linebacker well.

But later in the half, the secondary allowed Matt Ryan to drive, and the offense couldn’t quite keep up. The Redskins were up 3-0 for most of the half, courtesy of an early drive, but the unit was streaky for the most part. Case Keenum was crisp and efficient in his best moments, but unspectacular as expected, and an interception thrown by Keenum under pressure led to the Falcons first touchdown.

There were times when Keenum could have had more help, however. Jordan Reed did drop a pass on one third down. But Keenum got all the starting reps, and the team withheld an earned opportunity from Dwayne Haskins. It appears as if the team is preparing to start Keenum in Week 1, but if he doesn’t show more consistency and ultimately help the team win, the job might not be his for long.

Elsewhere on the offense, Derrius Guice had a solid outing, running eleven times for 44 yards. He boasted the trademark patience, athleticism, and contact balance that had some draft experts nab him as a first-round caliber prospect last year, and if Washington intends to be a run-first offense (inherently inefficient but oh well), Guice can help with that. The line was inconsistent, but bright in isolated moments.

In the second half, we’ll likely see more of the backups, and the depth of the teams will decide the outcome. Stick with us, as we’ll be back with a recap after the final whistle, and a list of studs and duds tomorrow morning!