Washington Football Team: 3 players we desperately need more from in Week 3

The Washington Football Team snatched victory from the jaws of defeat last Thursday when they beat the New York Giants in primetime.

All told, it was a very sloppy performance from Washington. The defense couldn’t stop Daniel Jones in the running game if their lives depended on it and there were countless momentum-killing penalties on both sides of the ball.

There’s a reason Ron Rivera was more relieved than jubilant in his postgame presser. The second-year head coach realizes Washington isn’t playing a brand of football that’s conducive to making the playoffs.

While some players — like Taylor Heinicke, Terry McLaurin, Jonathan Allen, Montez Sweat and JD McKissic — came up huge for the Football Team, there was a group of players who didn’t come close to meeting the mark.

Let’s highlight them, because if they don’t perform well in Week 3 against Buffalo, Washington will be staring down the barrel of a 1-2 start.

These 3 Washington players need to rebound vs the Bills

3. Chase Young

It didn’t feel great including Chase Young on this list. He’s the face of the franchise and the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year. However, your stars have to be held accountable just likely any other player and Young had minimal impact in a game where Allen and Sweat really generated consistent pressure.

For the game, Young managed just three tackles, one of which went for a loss when he chased down Saquon Barkley in the backfield. That’s a very underwhelming stat line for one of the most talented young pass rushers in the league…who was going up against a bottom-barrel group of offensive tackles.

Did the Giants game plan to minimize Young’s impact? It’s hard to say, but we sure didn’t see consistent double teams being thrown at him. We’re not saying that Young has to log multiple sacks per game to be considered a success, but he needs to at least make his presence felt on a weekly basis.

Through two games, Young has six tackles (two for loss), zero sacks, zero QB hits and two pressures. We obviously aren’t hitting the panic button, but the former No. 2 overall pick better make a statement against the Bills.

If he doesn’t, Washington could be in trouble.