Redskins should continue to test their newfound pass rushing talent vs. Packers

Last week, the Washington Redskins had a surprisingly effective pass rush without Ryan Kerrigan. This week, they should continue to take a look at some of their newfound pass rushing talent.

For the first time since 2010, the Redskins played a game without Ryan Kerrigan. The first-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft had played in 139 consecutive regular season games for the franchise before being sidelined with a concussion against the Carolina Panthers.

Despite being without Kerrigan, the Redskins pass rush was actually very successful. They were able to sack Kyle Allen seven times during their surprise upset win over their NFC foe. And it wasn’t just the team’s star talent on the defensive line that was able to get it done.

During the contest, Matt Ioannidis, Montez Sweat, and Jonathan Allen combined for four sacks. But a couple of little-known depth players found success as well. Nate Orchard and Chris Odom, both who had been signed by the Redskins in the week leading up to the game, had the other three sacks and combined to perform well in the contest.

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After Sweat left the game with a quad injury and Ryan Anderson was questionably ejected for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Greg Olsen, the Redskins were forced to rely on Orchard and Odom to produce in big roles. And they did just that.

Orchard, a 2015 second-round pick by the Cleveland Browns, was able to notch a sack during the game but also had a key goal-line tackle for loss on the Panthers’ final drive of the game. He prevented Christian McCaffrey from getting into the end zone and that did a lot to help seal the win. Overall, the 27-year-old showed well and definitely showcased the upside as a role playing edge rusher moving forward.

As for Odom, he made a couple of critical plays as well. He ended up with two sacks, one of which came on the final play defensive play of the Redskins’ day. Odum got heat on Allen and forced him to retreat in the pocket. He stayed home on Allen and was able to strip him as the Panthers QB made a desperate attempt to escape. The Redskins recovered the ball, took over on downs, and were able to take a knee to end the game.

Odom went undrafted in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Arkansas State and spent two years fighting to make an NFL roster. Ultimately, he played in the AAF, notched 2.5 sacks, and was signed to a contract by the Atlanta Falcons. After being cut, he spent time on the Redskins practice squad in two separate stints before being given a chance to perform on Sunday.

The contributions of Orchand and Odom are certainly notable, and it would be nice to see if they can produce moving forward. The Redskins don’t have the greatest edge rush depth, so if either can continue to play well, they could earn themselves a roster spot for next season.

Against the Packers, the Redskins should look to get both on the field a bit to see if they can provide a spark. It may be hard to do that with Kerrigan looking likely to play and Anderson returning from a suspension, but it should still be a goal for the team to get them in at some points, just to see if they can produce against a better offensive line and quarterback combination.

The ‘Skins may have unearthed some diamonds in the rough. In the final four weeks of the season, we’ll see if their newfound pass rushers can continue to grow into backup roles for the team’s defense.