Redskins studs and duds in Week 7 loss to San Francisco

Dud No. 2 – Negative momentum shifts on offense

In this kind of game, where the sledding… er… sliding was tough, given the extreme weather conditions, every yard counted, and any negative momentum shift was an irreconcilable mistake that often killed the ensuing drive.

The Redskins, on offense, ran into too many negative momentum shifts to sustain any kind of success, and it’s why the more detail-oriented 49ers won out, even in the heavy rains.

As is often the case with failure, the generation of negative momentum shifts was a team effort for the Redskins offense. Adrian Peterson coughed up the football in a crucial spot in the second half, killing a building drive. Case Keenum spent too much time in the pocket, and was sacked three times (on twenty percent of his drop backs) as a result. The offense was penalized often, and those little setbacks added up as the team worked against the elements.

Even the refs contributed, as they called back what could have been a game-changing fumble recovery by Washington because they weren’t ready for the play to start. That said, the refs weren’t the reason the Redskins lost. The Redskins got in their own way more than enough to accomplish that on their own.

In truth, negative momentum shifts aren’t recommended in any game situation, but in Washington’s contest against the 49ers, where moving the football was especially challenging, these such shifts simply couldn’t happen. And because of several culprits on Washington’s offense, they did.