Eagles vs. Redskins: Full Report Card Grades for Washington
Aided by a slew of miscues from the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Redskins exited their Week 16 contest with a 27-24 win.
With the win, Washington ended a six-game losing streak and beat the Eagles for the first time in nearly two years.
And to think, the Redskins were outgained by nearly 200 total yards and forced just two punts. What gives, right?
Let's find out. Here are the full report grades for Washington.
Quarterback
1 of 10
It was nothing to write home about, but Robert Griffin III's play in his first start since Week 12 was, if anything, steady.
Griffin completed 16 of 23 passes for 220 yards. Additionally, he sprinkled in 11 yards on the ground. Although they are unimpressive numbers on the surface, his biggest strength was managing the negative plays that have killed the Redskins offense in past weeks.
He was sacked just twice and threw one interception. While the 'Skins did struggle again on third down (2-of-9), Griffin made that a moot point by connecting on some of his deep strikes downfield. RG3 had three completions go for more than 20 yards, with two going for over 50 yards.
Is he the surefire starter in 2015 now? No. But he is making strides as a pocket passer. And at this point, that's all we're looking for.
Grade: B-
Running Back
2 of 10
Not that the play-calling did him any favors, but Alfred Morris managed to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the third consecutive season with his play in this contest.
On 21 carries, Morris tallied 83 yards. While he accumulated most of his yardage in small chunks, he did break free for a 28-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
A player whose contributions go unnoticed most weeks, Darrel Young had two carries and two touchdowns along the goal line.
Running for 100 yards on the game, Washington's rushing attack brought much-needed balance to the team's offense.
Grade: B
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Leave it to the Eagles to bring out the best in DeSean Jackson. Entering the contest in a bit of a slump, Jackson broke out for 126 yards on four receptions. A specialist at making big plays, he had two receptions north of 50 yards.
His running mate in name recognition and salary only for much of the season, Pierre Garcon eclipsed 60 yards receiving for just the second time in the past eight games.
Invisible for much of the first half, it was Garcon who turned in the biggest play of the game. His 23-yard reception on the final drive put Washington in field-goal range.
Continuing to disappoint in his sophomore campaign, Jordan Reed finished with two receptions for five yards.
All told, while this unit did have its share of drops, the big plays it turned in warrants a positive grade.
Grade: B
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The matchup between the Redskins' offensive line and the Eagles' pass rush was supposed to produce disastrous results for Washington. After all, Philadelphia was No. 2 in the NFL in sacks.
Fortunately for the 'Skins, though, this never came to fruition. Philly did tally seven quarterback hits, but it finished with just two sacks.
Considering that Washington's top offensive lineman, Trent Williams, was slowed by injury, this showing is all the more impressive.
Factor that in with the 100 yards rushing the team garnered, and in a shocking upset, the 'Skins' offensive line gets a passing grade.
Grade: B
Defensive Line
5 of 10
A unit that held LeSean McCoy to 22 yards rushing back in Week 3, Washington's defensive line was done in by lane discipline this time round—and the absence of its top defensive lineman, Jason Hatcher.
Gashed by cutback after cutback, the 'Skins allowed 88 yards rushing to McCoy and 134 yards to the Eagles as a team.
It can be said, though, that Washington didn't give up many big plays on the ground. The longest rush allowed went for 22 yards, and the Eagles had just three runs of 10-plus yards on the day.
With that in mind, it was a slightly above-average showing from the Redskins' defensive line.
Grade: C+
Linebackers
6 of 10
You know the story by now. Whether it's because of injury or a sheer lack of talent, the 'Skins can't generate a consistent pass rush without the aid of blitzes.
Sure, there's Ryan Kerrigan, who had one sack and a forced fumble on the day. But he's not enough.
Mark Sanchez had over 50 dropbacks but was sacked or hit only seven times.
Then there's this unit's job in coverage. Without Keenan Robinson to keep him in check, Zach Ertz scorched Washington's linebackers—and defensive backs now—to the tune of 15 catches and 115 yards receiving.
What else is there to say?
The likes of Jackson Jeffcoat and Trevardo Williams had their moments, as both had sacks. But overall, the Redskins' linebackers had a mediocre showing.
Grade: C-
Secondary
7 of 10
We should never see Sanchez's name next to a passing total of 374 yards, even in Chip Kelly's offense. That's what he put up against the 'Skins' beleaguered secondary, though.
He completed 74 percent of his throws and particularly picked apart the Washington secondary on third down. The Eagles converted 9 of 16 third downs on the game. Then there's the fact that Sanchez converted three third downs of 10 yards more, with a third-and-25 conversion being the highlight.
But this is Sanchez we're talking about. He's always bound to make a mistake. Driving for the winning score late, he did just that. The result of a poor throw more so than solid coverage, Bashaud Breeland made a diving interception of Sanchez.
Tasked with covering Jeremy Maclin for much of the day, Breeland held his own and surrendered 62 yards receiving.
While the gaffes in coverage weren't as glaring as previous weeks, the team's secondary was again the weak link.
Grade: D+
Special Teams
8 of 10
The good, the bad and the ugly—that's Washington's special teams for you. And return man Andre Roberts embodies that more than anybody.
Yeah, he had a 42-yard return. But he also carried the ball loosely on the opening kickoff of the second half and promptly fumbled.
Switching to the coverage of kicks, the 'Skins answered the bell. Darren Sproles gained only 10 yards on two punts, and the Eagles averaged 21.7 yards per kick return.
Then there's kicker Kai Forbath. He made both of his field goals. Heck, one was the game-winner. But what about that final kickoff? In failing to execute a squib kick, he gave Philly an opportunity to attempt a Hail Mary pass on the game's final play.
It wasn't the best performance. But at the end of the day, unlike Philly's unit, Washington's special teams didn't have a negative effect on the game overall.
Grade: B-
Coaching
9 of 10
Let's be real about it. The Eagles lost this game more than the Redskins won it.
Looking at the performances of Jay Gruden and Jim Haslett, this really rings true.
Opposed to pressuring Sanchez into making the mistakes he's known for, Haslett was content sending just four rushers most of the game. It wasn't until his back was against the wall that he blitzed Sanchez, and the result ended up being an interception.
Even more concerning was that he had no answer for Ertz. Did anybody see him double-teamed?
As for Gruden, the questionable play-calling continues. Despite the early success of his run game, Gruden went long stretches without calling a running play. Knowing that his defense needs rest to combat Philly's uptempo offense, Gruden's decision to lean on the teetering accuracy of Griffin as a means to keep his defense off the field was confounding.
Still, after seeing how the Eagles dug themselves a hole with penalties, you have to give credit to the Washington coaching staff because the 'Skins had just three penalties. Just last week, this team had 10, so that says something.
In a win-loss business, a positive grade goes to Washington's coaches for bringing an end to the team's six-game losing streak.
Grade: B-
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | B- |
| RB | B |
| WR/TE | B |
| OL | B |
| DL | C+ |
| LB | C- |
| Secondary | D+ |
| Special Teams | B- |
| Coaching | B- |
| Cumulative Grade | B- |
The Redskins haven't quit on their season—that's for sure. It was far from their best effort. But by simply averting the mistakes that cost them so many games this year, Washington is showing progress.
Was the team's draft position hurt in the process? Yes. But with the losing culture that has hovered over this franchise the past decade, a win carries much more meaning at this point.
One game remains in Gruden's inaugural season in Washington. And for his and the team's future, it's in everyone's best interest that the Redskins finish strong.
All stats courtesy of ESPN.com.
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