Three takeaways from the Redskins’ road win vs. Panthers
3. The pass rush was fine without Ryan Kerrigan
For the first time in 139 games, the Washington Redskins were without Ryan Kerrigan.
Since being drafted in 2011, Kerrigan had started every single game for the ‘Skins. That streak ended this week after he suffered a concussion last week against the Lions and wasn’t cleared prior to the game against the Panthers.
Despite the absence of Kerrigan, the Redskins pass rush was unaffected. They still got plenty of pressure on Kyle Allen and they ended up sacking him seven times during the contest.
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The pressure that the Redskins generated was consistent. Notably, Matt Ioannidis notched a couple of sacks and Montez Sweat (1.5 sacks) was enjoying the best game of his young career. His speed and length had a big impact on the Panthers tackles — and tight ends when he matched up against them — and it was clear that Carolina didn’t have an answer for him. Had Sweat not left with a quad injury, he could have had an even bigger day.
Also, Nate Orchard’s performance needs to be noted. The recently-signed player and former second-round pick by the Cleveland Browns had a monster day for the ‘Skins and made a number of plays. It looks like he could play a role as a rotational player for the squad moving forward.
Kerrigan’s presence is still a net positive for the Redskins. Even during a down year, he has still brought consistent effort, energy, and a combination of strength and athletic ability to the field. But now, we know that they will be okay if they ever have to be without him.
We’ll see how the pass rush looks when Kerrigan is on the field again. Perhaps the extra time for guys like Sweat and Orchard to serve as the top pass rushers will serve them well and allow them to better complement the veteran moving forward.