Redskins vs. Ravens: Postgame Grades, Notes and Quotes for Washington

The Washington Redskins extended their winning streak in preseason play to three games with a 31-13 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. 

Forever the slow starters, the Redskins again had to dig themselves out of an early hole. Down 13-0, Washington rallied behind Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy to score 31 unanswered points. The duo combined to throw for 285 yards and three touchdowns in Robert Griffin III's absence. 

With their quarterbacks leading the way, the Redskins were able to overcome their lowest rushing output of the preseason. On 33 carries, the team averaged just 3.3 yards per rush.

Nonetheless, the team still managed to win the time-of-possession battle by nine minutes and in turn churn out 73 plays to Baltimore's 54. 

The defense, for its part, forced three Ravens turnovers.

Moving past the recap, let's examine the postgame grades, notes and quotes on the Redskins.

Position Grades for Washington

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Position	Grade
QB	B
RB	C+
WR/TE	B+
OL	B-
DL	A
LB	B
DB	C
Special Teams	D
Coaching	B

With Griffin out, Cousins was provided the opportunity to show his stellar preseason to date was not courtesy of playing second-team defenses. In a half of play, he connected on 20 of 27 passes for 190 yards and one touchdown. 

Truth be told, though, Cousins' performance was a tale of two quarters. An interception, fumbled snap and zero points on the scoreboard highlighted the first quarter. What followed was the Cousins we've seen for much of the preseason. 

He engineered two 60-plus-yard drives at the end of the first half and staked the team to a halftime lead. Picking up where Cousins left off, McCoy didn't miss a beat in the second half. 

Extending plays with his feet, McCoy finished 10-of-12 for 95 yards and two touchdowns.

A strength this preseason, the team's running game was held in check by Baltimore's defensive front until late. Starter Alfred Morris was held to four yards on seven carries, as the team garnered just 27 yards on the ground in the first half. 

Behind rookie Matt Jones and Trey Williams, the team brought its game total to 111 yards.

No thanks to the offensive line, though. Rushing lanes were tough to come by, as the Skins averaged a meager 3.3 yards per carry. Cousins and McCoy played a part in the team allowing zero sacks, but on 39 throws, the offensive line also deserves some credit. 

Along the receiving corps, Jordan Reed returned to the lineup, nabbing two receptions for 21 yards. The stars here, though, were Rashad Ross and Ryan Grant. Combined, the duo tallied 120 yards, 11 receptions and two scores. 

Moving to the defensive side of the ball, missed tackles marred the team at the onset, particularly in the secondary. David Amerson and Dashon Goldson were the culprits at fault for Steve Smith Sr.'s 63-yard touchdown.

Following Smith's ejection and Joe Flacco's departure, life became easier for this unit. Baltimore netted just 52 yards passing in the second half.

The pass rush played a key part in this happening. Washington had three sacks, with the pressure it generated forcing the Ravens into two interceptions. 

Against the run, the defense was again dominant. Washington allowed 55 yards on 25 carries. Backed against the end zone, the Redskins even forced a fumble on the 1-yard line in the closing seconds of the first half, preventing a score.

After showing improvement the previous week, the Skins' special teams struggled. The team muffed another punt and allowed a 103-yard kick return.

Now for the coaching staff.

With the exception of Washington not sporting a healthy balance between the run and pass in the first half, the team executed a solid game plan. In particular, with McCoy in the lineup, head coach Jay Gruden and offensive coordinator Sean McVay did a good job of playing to his strengths by capitalizing on his mobility.

Important Note No. 1: First-Team Offense Finds the End Zone

Nick Wass/Associated Press

For the first time in the Gruden era, the Redskins' first-team offense found the end zone in preseason play. Sure, it was sans Griffin and it took seven games, but this is a positive development nonetheless.

If you can remember, the starters' poor performance in the preseason in 2014 carried over to the season opener. Against a middle-of-the-road Houston Texans defense, Washington managed all of six points.

With the Skins slated to oppose a Miami Dolphins team that finished 12th in total defense a season ago and added Ndamukong Suh, the semblance of rhythm on offense can only stand as a positive development.

Important Note No. 2: Impactful Rookie Class

Gail Burton/Associated Press

Injuries have already tested the depth of Washington's roster. Junior Galette, DeSean Jackson and Ryan Kerrigan are some of the more notable players currently sidelined by injury.

With their absences, though, more playing time has been made available to the team's 2015 draft class. Against the Ravens, the rookies more than took advantage of it. 

Top pick Brandon Scherff struggled to pave running lanes for Morris. But in the aftermath of his porous performance in pass protection against the Detroit Lions, it's a positive development that he held his own in this area this week. 

Moving to second-round pick Preston Smith, he tallied four tackles and one sack while also pressuring Matt Schaub into throwing an interception. 

The team's leading rusher, Matt Jones, continued to impress. Showcasing his nimble feet and impressive power, he churned out 57 yards on eight carries. While he wasn't drafted, Trey Williams is also worth mentioning. 

Williams had 47 yards on 10 touches, much of which he created himself via his elite quickness.

Making his long-awaited debut, Jamison Crowder finished with four receptions, 41 yards and a touchdown.

Kyshoen Jarrett literally made just one play, but that play was an interception. As the team works to trim its roster to 53 players, it's a positive sign so many of the team's draft picks are positioned to make the team on merit, opposed to just draft position.

Quote No. 1: Starting Quarterback to Be Determined

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Who will be Washington's starting quarterback in Week 1?

It's the question everyone wanted to know following this contest and really once news broke Griffin would miss this game with a concussion.

In his postgame press conference, Gruden revealed he hadn't yet decided on a starting quarterback, per Zac Boyer of the Washington Times.

Ending speculation on whose call it actually is to pick the starter, Gruden revealed the call will be his to make, per ESPN 980's Craig Hoffman.

"I've always been told I have the final say on who plays QB, and that hasn't changed," Gruden said, according to Hoffman.

Throughout the offseason, Gruden has given positive reviews of Griffin. He even named him the starter before OTAs even began.

Truth be told, if three preseason games are enough for Griffin to lose his job to Cousins, it's hard to imagine his position as the starting quarterback was anything but a mandate from ownership.

Quote No. 2: Safety Duke Ihenacho Not Satisfied with Defense

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The secondary was a weakness for Washington a season ago. Taking into account the manner in which this contest started, it didn't appear much had changed on this front.

In roughly a quarter of action, by way of missed tackles and poor coverage, Smith tallied 95 yards on four receptions. Baltimore's passing output was only 175 yards for the game. Even so, the early struggles of the starting defense resonated with safety Duke Ihenacho, according to an interview with CSNWashington.com's Tarik El-Bashir.

"We didn't do a good job on third down," he said. "We let that big play get over our heads."

Ihenacho did point to the defense's goal-line stand prior to the half as a positive omen. But going forward, you can't help but feel this will be a familiar theme once the real games begin. 

Goldson missing tackles and Amerson getting beat in coverage is nothing new. These were areas of weakness for both players a season ago.

The additions of DeAngelo Hall and Chris Culliver will do the secondary good in the long run. But as we've seen already, the secondary will continue to be a work-in-progress and ultimately be at the mercy of the team's pass rush.