Washington Football Team: Studs and duds from 2020 opening win
By Ian Cummings
Dud No. 1 – Offensive Line
The contrast in the trenches is very striking. Just as the defensive line dominated the battle at the line of scrimmage, the Washington Football Team’s offensive line severely underwhelmed, and while they weren’t the absolute root of all the offense’s problems, they hindered the offense from catching on in the first half.
Even with the Eagles missing Derek Barnett, they were able to get plenty of penetration both against the run and against the pass. Early on in the game, Washington’s game script was questionable, and they ran the ball on a lot of suspect downs. Their runners couldn’t get to open space because the gaps were closing as quickly as they opened.
Washington would end up getting two rushing touchdowns by the end of the day, but Philadelphia actually stopped the run very well the entire day, and they also made quarterback Dwayne Haskins uncomfortable with pressure on passing downs. Between Josh Sweat, Genard Avery, Vinny Curry, Ty McGill, and Duke Riley, the Eagles notched three sacks, and their pace prevented Haskins from finding a rhythm with his passing.
Next week, the offensive line has to show more consistency, especially on the left side of the line, where Geron Christian and Wes Martin failed to impress in Week 1 action. Having a sub-standard offensive line can be a death knell for a team trying to make a surprise playoff run.