Washington Football Team falls to Cardinals by score of 30-15
By Ian Cummings
Well, it was nice well it lasted. But the undefeated streak is over after one game. The Washington Football Team is 1-1, having lost to the Arizona Cardinals in the desert.
The Washington Football Team came into Week 2 riding high, having recently dismantled the Eagles by a score of 27-17 in Week 1. There were clear issues for Washington to address in that first game, but the adrenaline of victory carried over through much of the week.
Perhaps in that noise, the legitimacy of Washington’s Week 2 opponent, the Arizona Cardinals, flew under the radar. The Cardinals also scored a big upset in Week 1, besting the San Francisco 49ers, and they were led by supremely dynamic signal caller Kyler Murray.
Early on in the Week 2 contest between Washington and Arizona, Murray stood out, and he’d go on to score three total touchdowns. Washington’s defense had trouble stopping Murray; the defensive line couldn’t contain him long enough to keep him in the pocket, and Troy Apke frequently found himself reeling due to Murray’s agility.
Defensive angles will need to improve if Washington wants to handle elusive threats like Murray in the future, but the main problem in D.C. is the offense. For a second straight week, the Washington Football Team couldn’t get anything going in the first half, and they didn’t score their first touchdown until the fourth quarter, when Arizona was already up 27-3.
As for the blame on the offensive side of the ball, it can go to a lot of people. Dwayne Haskins, despite putting up a decent raw stat line, needs to do better at cultivating production and consistency from his high-influence role. But similarly, the offensive line has to give him time to throw and go through his progressions on a consistent basis, and they didn’t do that today.
Next. Halftime Takeaways: Offensive production hard to come by. dark
There were some bright spots on offense. Terry McLaurin broke the 100-yard mark and found the end zone, and Antonio Gibson also showed flashes of both physicality and elusiveness, also logging a score. But the Washington Football Team as a whole has to be more polished in the coming weeks. They’re still tied for the lead in the NFC East with the Dallas Cowboys, but if they keep starting slow and tripping over their own feet, they won’t be in the lead for long.