Biggest Takeaways from Washington Redskins' Week 15 Win

Kirk Cousins is beginning to look like a playoff-caliber quarterback for the Washington Redskins. Defenses certainly can't cover his favorite weapon, tight end Jordan Reed.

The duo put the Buffalo Bills to the sword in Week 15, connecting for a pair of touchdowns. But Reed wasn't the only recipient of Cousins' hot streak.

Success through the air was again complemented by a steady and efficient running game. Alfred Morris and rookie Matt Jones both lugged the rock effectively. The former even rediscovered his own big-play threat.

Defensively, Washington maintained its suddenly swarming pass rush. But coordinator Joe Barry's unit was still vulnerable to the big play.

Read on for a more detailed breakdown of the main takeaways from the Burgundy and Gold's win.

Jordan Reed Can't Be Covered

Associated Press

Teams just can't find the right answer for Jordan Reed.

Reed is the matchup advantage that just keeps on giving. No matter who they choose to cover him or what techniques they employ in coverage, teams just can't find an answer for No. 86.

He grabbed seven more passes in Week 15, tallying 84 yards and two scores. In now typical fashion, Reed struck from everywhere. He thrived in the flat, from the slot and when split out wide.

The Bills tried everything to shackle 2013's third-round pick. They matched a safety, ex-Redskins draftee Bacarri Rambo, over him in the red zone. It didn't work. Currently injured Washington tight end Niles Paul wasn't surprised.

Reed is now keeping pace with the league's most prolific players at his position, according to CSNMid-Atlantic.com's JP Finlay: "Hand in hand is right, as Reed has now caught nine TD passes on the year, behind only Tyler Eifert and Rob Gronkowski for the NFL lead by tight ends."

Just like those tight ends, Reed is exerting the most decisive influence on Washington's offense, as noted by Forbes' Zach Petersel: "He’s not nearly the imposing figure that Pats’ TE Rob Gronkowski is, but he’s just as important in the Redskins’ offense."

His matchup with Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks will be fascinating to watch in Week 16. He has promised the Redskins have "something coming to them," per CSNPhilly.com's Reuben Frank.

That's bold talk considering he'll be trying to stop one of the toughest mismatches in football.

Reed's flair for getting open and making plays after the catch is going to be hugely significant in wrapping up the NFC East crown and securing a playoff berth.

Alfred Morris Still Has Some Juice Left in the Tank

Andrew Harnik/Associated Press

Morris ripped off a few big runs against Buffalo's defense.

Morris has struggled to get past snail's pace for most of this season. He's been diffident and tame when pressing the edge and attacking cutback lanes.

But 2012's sixth-round pick turned the clock back against the Bills. Morris amassed 84 yards on 14 carries. He got 48 of those yards on a single rush, a season-long gain. It was classic Morris.

He made one quick cut, drove through the first tackler and hit accelerate. No. 46 hasn't run like this since the record-breaking days of his rookie season. The only thing that ruined the run was Morris' decision to remain in bounds, one of the biggest bonehead plays of this campaign.

Despite the gaffe though, Morris showed he still has some explosion left. That quality will prove vital for the remainder of the season. The Redskins are going to need their running game to come through in the clutch. So Morris is going to be the primary ball-carrier. He's the trusted hand who is patient enough to wear down defenses.

If he can add more big plays to his repertoire, Morris will open up the playbook and expand the field for Cousins.

It should be simple against Philadelphia's 30th-ranked rush defense. CSNPhilly.com's Reuben Frank summed up how bad things have been for the Eagles on the ground recently: "From 1977 through 2014—a 38-year span—only one running back ran for 185 or more yards against the Eagles in Philadelphia. Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith in 1993. Now two have done it in three games."

One reason to worry though is how defensive linemen Fletcher Cox, Cedric Thornton and Bennie Logan have often dominated the interior in meetings against the Redskins.

Kirk Cousins Is Finally Making the Grade

Associated Press

Cousins has become the QB the Redskins need.

Not too long ago major questions still persisted about Cousins' ability to be the quarterback the Redskins need. But he's erased any remaining doubts with a clutch of big days in the last four weeks.

Week 15 may have been the biggest for the 27-year-old. He hurled a quartet of touchdown passes and ran for another to account for all of Washington's points against the Bills.

In the process, No. 8 helped himself to a pair of franchise records, according to Todd Dybas of the Washington Times:

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His 22 completions on Sunday vaulted him to the top of the franchise’s list for completions in a single season. He surpassed the 327 of Jason Campbell in 2009. Cousins has 336 completions with two games to play.

Cousins also finished with 319 passing yards against Buffalo. It was his sixth 300-yard passing game of the season, breaking the Redskins' previous team record of five, accomplished by Sonny Jurgensen in 1967, Jay Schroeder in 1986 and Mark Rypien in 1989. Cousins has 10 career 300-yard passing games, which tie him with Rypien for third-most in organization history.

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Clever play-calling even helped Cousins flourish as a runner, as Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News described:

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Ryan is the master of the overload edge blitz, but Washington just happened to call the perfect play against it, a roll to the right. Sure enough, the Bills were outflanked off right tackle. Mario Williams did his job by taking away the shuffle pass to the running back, so Cousins took off. Preston Brown got blocked up by guard Spencer Long. The next best player in position to make a tackle was safety Corey Graham, who got blocked by Jordan Reed. Those were the only blocks Cousins needed.

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But the full range of the scheme is only working because Cousins is proving capable of executing every concept head coach Jay Gruden and offensive coordinator Sean McVay draw up. He knows where to go with the ball and how to spread the passes around among a group of dynamic and versatile receivers.

Cousins is so confident with the playbook he's started varying his snap count to cheat defenses into tipping their coverage and pressure intentions pre-snap.

These things represent a sea of change for the quarterback who started this season equipped with training wheels. But Gruden and his staff have taken the wheels off in recent weeks. The result is a gifted young signal-caller routinely picking defenses apart.

Cousins still has to finish the job by beating division rivals Philadelphia and Dallas. The way he's playing, don't rule out a perfect finish for Washington.

Defense Still Susceptible to the Big Play

Andrew Harnik/Associated Press

The Bills produced more than a few big plays in Week 15.

Surrendering three touchdowns on plays of 20 yards or more revealed the ongoing weakness of Washington's defense. Coordinator Joe Barry's group is still too generous giving up big plays.

Buffalo wide receiver Sammy Watkins eventually won his individual duel with Redskins cornerback Bashaud Breeland by hauling in two touchdown grabs totalling 80 yards. The wideout finished with 111 yards on five catches.

Admittedly, Breeland wasn't always helped by late safety support. The bad angles DeAngelo Hall took in deep coverage exposed the lack of precision in Washington's patchwork defensive backfield.

Watkins joined Dez Bryant and Alshon Jeffery as receivers who have gobbled up big gains against Washington in recent weeks. Philly pass-catcher Jordan Matthews has the talent to do the same.

Speaking of the Eagles, they'll likely be buoyed by how much the Redskins struggled to contain speed on the ground. Stand-in runner Mike Gillislee sped his way to 81 yards on four carries, including a 60-yard scoring scamper.

The Eagles have had success unleashing mini sprinters Darren Sproles and Kenjon Barner. Washington must play better contain against outside runs in Week 16.

But the biggest cause for concern has to be the inability to keep quarterbacks in the pocket. Despite registering five sacks against the Bills, the Redskins still let Buffalo quarterback Tyrod Taylor run free too often.

He finished with 79 yards from nine rushing attempts. Taylor also threw effectively when scrambling away from pressure. Jay Cutler did the same for the Chicago Bears in Week 14.

Even though Philly passer Sam Bradford is not particularly dynamic as a runner, he's still mobile enough to create big plays through the air whenever he escapes the pocket.

Washington's front seven must rush with more discipline and keep Bradford on his spot.

Injuries an Unwanted Factor

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

Moses was one of a number of injury concerns in Week 15.

If there's one potential storm cloud hovering over Washington's playoff chances it's the injury list. The Redskins saw four key players go down with various ailments in Week 15.

Among them was right tackle Morgan Moses, according to Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He was joined by Jones, free safety Dashon Goldson and middle linebacker Will Compton.

The loss of Moses looks like the most significant. He's improved every week, but his absence will certainly buoy Eagles pass-rusher Connor Barwin.

Washington's defense is sure to miss Compton, who has surprisingly emerged as a very useful organizer in the middle. Fortunately, Keenan Robinson was available to step in. He called signals for the D' in 2014 and still has the potential to be a stud at the heart of the linebacker corps.

Speaking of good fortune, the Redskins can be more confident about surviving a spate of injuries than in recent seasons. New general manager Scot McCloughan has filled out the roster with useful veterans like linebacker Mason Foster and running back Pierre Thomas. They are potentially invaluable contributors during the crunch period of the season.

The test of that deeper roster and McCloughan's recruiting skills will come in the next two weeks.

Washington has the edge in the NFC East race after Week 15 results fell just right. Strong performances from key members of the offense are driving this team toward the playoffs.

All statistics and player information via NFL.com.

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