The Washington Redskins weren’t able to beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1 of the 2019 NFL season. Here are the takeaways from their loss.
If you told the average Redskins fan that the Redskins were going to lose to the Eagles in the first week of the 2019 NFL season, they probably wouldn’t have been surprised. However, if you told them the team would blow a 17-point lead in the process of losing the game, they probably would’ve looked at you like you were crazy.
But, that’s exactly what happened.
The Redskins had a 17-0 lead early and a 20-7 halftime lead. But they couldn’t hold on for the win against a strong Eagles team that came roaring back in the second half. Perhaps the Eagles, who didn’t play their starters much in the preseason, used the first half as their preseason. But either way, the Redskins fell by a final score of 32-27 to start off the season with an 0-1 record.
Though the Redskins didn’t win, there was plenty to be encouraged about. There were also plenty of things to take away from the performance. Here are our three biggest takeaways from the Redskins loss.
3. Case Keenum is excellent when well protected
During the preseason, Case Keenum was fine for the Redskins. He wasn’t anything special. He led 11 drives in the preseason and that netted them just 13 total points. He looked like a solid, veteran quarterback who was going to be able to do enough to keep the team afloat.
In the season opener though, Keenum was really good. He demonstrated excellent accuracy and great downfield ability while leading the team to a 20-7 halftime lead. In the second half, Keenum wasn’t quite as good. He was still able to make some throws and avoid mistakes, but he didn’t have as much time to make plays.
So we learned something about Keenum in this game. When he is well-protected, he can be a really good starting quarterback at the NFL level. When he isn’t, he isn’t bad but has a bit more trouble finding success.
Moving forward, the Redskins are going to have to sell out to protect Keenum. If they can do that, they will be in good shape. Obviously, the weak part of the offensive line is on the left side. Donald Penn and Ereck Flowers looked really good in the first half but did have some issues in the second. Perhaps keeping a guy like Jeremy Sprinkle in the game to chip on that side or even just assist as a blocker would do enough to buy Keenum the time he has to make some big plays.
Keenum’s Redskins debut was better than many were expecting. He really was one of the better performers — if not, the best — for the Redskins in this game. And if they can continue to keep him upright, they may have a chance to win some games against weaker competition.
2. The Redskins still have yet to learn to play a full 60-minute game
The Redskins are a young team, so they are going to have some painful moments amid growing pains. But losing this game to the Eagles felt more than painful after their first-half performance.
In the first half, the Redskins were able to find plenty of space against the Eagles defense. Their passing offense was excellent, as Case Keenum was sharp and the team’s weapons found a lot of space. They were able to move the ball better than they did at any point in the preseason and took advantage of the Eagles’ poor tackling.
On the defensive side of the ball, they didn’t allow the Eagles to do much at all. In fact, they held the Eagles scoreless until a DeSean Jackson touchdown cut into their 17-0 lead late in the second quarter. Carson Wentz looked frustrated and it simply didn’t look like the Eagles were going to be able to score much.
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After halftime, everything changed. Keenum still had openings in the passing game, but his protection wasn’t as good. The team couldn’t really run the ball at all either. That caused the unit to become one dimensional and stall out frequently. They only scored seven points in the half and that came at the end of a long, virtual garbage-time possession at the end of the half when the Eagles were mostly just trying to waste time.
And on defense, they completely fell apart. They simply lost the ability to cover the Eagles and allowed Wentz and company to march down the field at will. It looked like the team was fielding two completely different units in the first and second half.
In essence, the Redskins didn’t play a 60-minute game. They weren’t able to capitalize on a great first half or even come close to staying afloat in the second half. Outside of Case Keenum, they weren’t really consistent at all. They’ll need to find some consistency moving forward. This young team needs to learn how to win.
If the Redskins keep blowing 13-point halftime leads, it’s going to be a long season for the team.
1. Terry McLaurin can be a stud
I mean, this has to be the No. 1 takeaway, right? While the Redskins didn’t win the game, they saw their third-round rookie have one of the best games a Washington receiver has had since DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon were in town. After a couple of seasons of watching the receiving corps struggle, McLaurin was a breath of fresh air.
McLaurin finished the game with five catches for 125 yards and a touchdown. And he was every bit as good as that stat-line looks. He used his speed to consistently create separation at the point of attack. He beat the Eagles deep on a number of occasions, and he actually could’ve had a second deep score had Keenum not slightly overthrown him on the play.
Beyond his deep speed, McLaurin showed a knack for finding space and creating separation with his quickness near the line of scrimmage. At the very least, he looks like a DeSean Jackson-type clone for the Redskins offense. And at the best, he could continue to develop into a strong receiver and lock down the No. 1 role in Washington.
It’s too early to make a firm judgment on what McLaurin can offer. But for the time being, he certainly has done enough to give Redskins fans confidence. Hopefully, the versatile speedster from Ohio State will continue to make strides the more he gets to play and truly emerge as the team’s top receiving threat.