Washington Football Team studs and duds from Week 5 loss to Rams

Dud No. 3 – The rest of the front seven

Much like the secondary, the front seven was home to a couple key individual performances, but for the most part, the unit underwhelmed against the Rams, failing to stand out in key phases of the game.

Particularly against the pass, the Washington Football Team’s front seven was incredibly underwhelming. The only sack of the day was earned by Sweat, and the rest of the defensive line failed to generate pressure on a consistent basis. This allowed Jared Goff to get comfortable, throwing for 300 yards on 70% completion.

In coverage against tight ends, Washington’s linebackers, specifically Jon Bostic, were picked on early. The tight end continues to be a massive competitive edge for opponents against Washington; linebackers can’t stick with them, and the safeties aren’t instinctive enough to provide help.

For one of the first times this season, the defense supposedly overhauled by Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio is one of the key contributors to the team’s loss. Yes, a win wasn’t likely even if the defense did play well, given the offense’s complete lack of movement, but a lot of the issues present under Greg Manusky reared their ugly heads in Week 5, and that’s something that needs to change.