Washington Football Team: Studs and duds from 2020 opening win

Stud No. 2 – CBs Jimmy Moreland and Fabian Moreau

There was some skepticism surrounding the Washington Football Team’s cornerback unit heading into Sunday’s game, as they would be without versatile veteran Kendall Fuller. But as it turns out, Fuller’s absence only paved the way for Jimmy Moreland and Fabian Moreau to get two game-changing opportunities, which they both took advantage of.

Toward the end of the first half, the Washington Football Team was down 17-0, and it was due to be more, as the Eagles had the ball again. Washington was all but demoralized. But on that drive, Fabian Moreau snagged a pick, high-pointing a lofted pass from Carson Wentz and giving Washington the ball back.

Moreau’s spark gave the offense enough energy to reach the end zone before the half, and in the second half, Jimmy Moreland gave them another jolt of life, closing in on another lofted pass from Wentz and wrenching it away from his receiver.

In truth, Washington’s entire coverage unit — including Troy Apke and Ronald Darby, who both had hiccups early on — deserves praise for their performance Sunday. There were sacks on Wentz that were just as much caused by the secondary, who forced Wentz to hold onto the ball longer than expected with tight coverage and solid communication.

But the cornerbacks with the most to do with the team’s success are Moreau and Moreland, who provided momentum-changing plays when the team needed them most.