Lions vs. Redskins: Postgame Grades, Notes and Quotes for Washington
In their preseason home opener, the Washington Redskins followed a familiar script to victory. Defeating the Detroit Lions 21-17, Washington again rallied from a double-digit deficit.
Down 10 points early on, the team stormed back behind a dominant rushing attack.
Spanning 40 carries, the Skins averaged 4.5 yards a rush with one touchdown. Cast in supporting roles, Colt McCoy and Kirk Cousins combined to complete 13 of 18 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns.
Once again, though, injury struck. Starting quarterback Robert Griffin III and linebacker Adam Hayward both exited the games with injuries.
Battered all night long, Griffin managed to complete just two of his five attempts while being sacked three times.
Led again by a stout front seven, Washington's defense flustered the Lions offense. Detroit's quarterbacks were limited to 5.4 yards per pass, and its running backs 3.5 yards per rush.
Moving past the recap, here are the postgame grades, quotes and notes for the Redskins.
Position Grades for Washington Redskins
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| Position | Grade |
| QB | C- |
| RB | A |
| WR/TE | B- |
| OL | D- |
| DL | A- |
| LB | B |
| DB | B+ |
| Special Teams | B |
| Coaching | D |
When evaluating the team's quarterback position, turnovers stood out. Griffin's fumble directly led to the Lions scoring a touchdown. And in the case of McCoy's fumble at the 1-yard line, it took a touchdown off the board for the offense.
Griffin's performance aside—he wasn't given a chance to succeed—McCoy and Cousins performed well. McCoy directed two scoring drives, while Cousins provided the winning margin.
With Griffin being hurt again, the thought of Washington keeping two quarterbacks is unfathomable. But at the moment, there remains little separation between the two for the top backup spot.
Moving to the running game, it once again carried the offense. The team ran for 179 yards on a staggering 40 carries. Most importantly, though, the team's backs repeatedly showed the ability to make defenders miss. In particular, this was the case for Trey Williams (52 yards), Chris Thompson (37 yards) and rookie Matt Jones (44 yards).
With the way the offensive line performed, the trio had little choice but to make things happen themselves.
The team's run blocking came and went. But as far as pass protection is concerned, the offensive front was atrocious. Repeatedly, especially with Griffin in the game, offensive linemen were beat off the snap and pushed back into the face of the quarterback.
True, Trent Williams didn't play, but knowing the remaining starters played in this contest, the play of this unit is cause for concern.
Along the receiving corps, Rashad Ross was the standout. He led the team with four receptions, 39 yards and a touchdown.
At the tight end position, the team got a brief glimpse at Chase Dixon and Je'Ron Hamm. The duo combined for two receptions and 43 yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, missed tackles marred what was an overall solid performance from the team's pass defense. The linebackers in particular did a poor job of sticking the Lions backs in the passing game. Detroit's leading receiver was a running back, after all.
For the game, the team allowed 195 passing yards on 22 completions while accumulating three sacks.
Against the run, the defense was again dominant. Washington held the Lions to 46 yards on 13 carries.
An improvement over the previous week, the Skins' special teams performed well. Detroit's return unit was kept under wraps, with the long return going for only 28 yards.
On Washington's side of things, Andre Roberts' 34-yard punt return set the offense up with prime field position late in the first half. Ross' two returns were underwhelming, but all in all, it was a solid showing.
Now for the coaching staff.
As far as play calls go, they don't get any more questionable than head coach Jay Gruden's at the end of the first half. Despite the fact his running game was carrying his offense, Gruden opted to go with a quarterback rollout from the 1-yard line on the final play of the half. The result was a fumble. Ultimately, though, the poor grade for the staff is attributed to the injury suffered by Griffin.
It was painfully obvious Griffin wasn't being protected by the offensive line. True, Griffin needed more game reps, but with health being more paramount than anything, Gruden's decision to bring him back out for the second quarter is a true head-scratcher.
He's not psychic, but there's no denying that by keeping RG3 in the game, Gruden put his starting quarterback in harm's way.
Important Note No. 1: Injuries Strike Again
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After scrambling to recover his own fumble, Griffin laid on the ground in agony. Stop me if you've heard this before.
According to ESPN.com's John Keim, RG3 suffered a shoulder stinger and a concussion, leaving his status for Week 3's preseason tilt against the Baltimore Ravens up in the air.
Missing out on preseason snaps typically wouldn't be detrimental. However, with the third preseason game being the dress rehearsal for the regular season, it's an outing the team ideally would want Griffin playing in.
While Griffin's injury could be classified as one of the minor variety, the same can't be said about linebacker Adam Hayward.
As Mike Jones of the Washington Post notes, he's being examined for a torn ACL. He didn't figure to make an impact on defense, but as a standout special teams player, his absence looms large.
Important Note No. 2: Running Game Again Carries the Offense
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By the looks of things, the team could again have a revolving door at quarterback. Should the running game continue to play at this level, though, this is something Washington could survive this season.
Through two preseason games, the team is averaging 166 rushing yards and 38.5 carries a contest. To put this in perspective, you should know the Skins averaged 105 yards and 25 carries per game in 2014.
Stark contrast, right?
This production has to be taken with a grain of salt—it is the preseason, after all. The number of carries doesn't, though. There were various instances last season in which the Redskins were too quick to abandon the run, so by that account, this is a positive omen.
Should the team carry this renewed commitment to the run over to the regular season, life for whichever quarterback lines up under center will be much easier.
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Quote No. 1: Why Gruden Left Griffin in the Game
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It's the question we all want to know the answer to. After watching his quarterback being beaten to a pulp for a quarter, what possessed Gruden to serve RG3 up to the Lions one more time in the second quarter?
Speaking at the postgame press conference, per Jerry Brewer of the Washington Post, Gruden gave his explanation.
"We felt confident in our tackle and our offensive line to try and get something going there with the fourth drive,” Gruden said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t happen."
You think?
Repeating the same action and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. And by all accounts, this sums up Gruden's decision.
Injuries have been blamed for Griffin's stunted development. At the same token, in lieu of his poor play the past two years, they've stood as excuses for why the team hasn't moved on.
With Gruden's actions here, the team is no closer to finding out what it has in Griffin long term.
Quote No. 2: Griffin Still Gruden's Starting Quarterback
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Griffin's injury may have ignited questions over his job status. But truth be told, the markedly better play of Cousins and McCoy this preseason surely had something to do with it as well.
Regardless of the reasoning, though, Gruden stated postgame that Griffin will remain his starter, per The Associated Press' Howard Fendrich.
"We'll have to see. I would imagine, depending how long he's out, he's still going to be our starter," Gruden said.
Keeping in mind that McCoy lost his job to injury last season, it isn't out of the realm of possibility that Gruden's decision could be swayed on this matter.
Knowing that preseason Week 3 is the true tuneup for the regular season, Griffin's playing status and the subsequent performances of Cousins and McCoy will be something to monitor going forward.
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