Jaguars vs. Redskins: Postgame Grades, Notes and Quotes for Washington
Undefeated no more. For the first time this preseason, the Washington Redskins faced a deficit they couldn't overcome.
And to think, it wasn't of the double-digit variety, either. Washington fell to 3-1 in preseason play after suffering a 17-16 defeat at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
After rallying from a late deficit to take a 16-14 fourth-quarter lead, the Skins defense folded late.
Led by Stephen Morris, the Jags marched 36 yards for the winning score. With the loss, Washington wasted a stellar performance from Rashad Ross. On the night, he accumulated 131 all-purpose yards.
Filling the role as the starting quarterback, Colt McCoy was Ross' main benefactor, as nearly half of his 22 completions and 208 passing yards can be attributed to the receiver.
Holding its fourth consecutive opponent under 20 points, the team's defense limited the Jags to 273 total yards and kept them from converting on third down for the night.
Moving past the recap, here are the postgame grades, notes and quotes for the Redskins.
Position Grades for Washington
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| Position | Grade |
| QB | B |
| RB | C- |
| WR/TE | B- |
| OL | C- |
| DL | B |
| LB | C+ |
| DB | B- |
| Special Teams | C+ |
| Coaching | B |
With Robert Griffin III out and Kirk Cousins resting, the show on offense was McCoy's to run.
Much like his predecessors, the McCoy-led offense got off to a slow start. With the exception of the fourth-quarter scoring drive he led, McCoy—for the most part—leaned on the excellence of Ross to manufacture passing yards.
On the night, he completed 22 of 33 passes for 208 yards and a score.
Moving to the backfield, the running game lacked the pop it's displayed much of the preseason. On 34 carries, the team mustered all of 114 rushing yards, with 10 yards being the long gain.
Once again, it was Ross at receiver and no one else. He finished with 10 receptions for 103 yards.
A different cast of offensive linemen appeared in this game, but the result was still middling. Running lanes were few and far between, and the pass protection was spotty again. Thanks in large part to McCoy's evasiveness, the team allowed just three sacks.
In particular, it was a tough outing for Spencer Long. Beaten at the point of attack constantly, Long's demotion was outlined in full on Thursday.
While the point total falls in line with what we've seen from Washington's defense this preseason, it was an uncharacteristic performance overall.
Stout all preseason, the team's run defense was repeatedly gashed in this one. Lacking gap discipline, the Skins found themselves out of position on a pair of Jacksonville 40-yard runs. In total, the defense surrendered 120 rushing yards at a clip of 7.1 yards per rush.
Big plays weren't just limited to the running game, though. Making his way back into the lineup, Bashaud Breeland was victimized on a 40-yard reception.
Outside of this miscue, though, the secondary held its own. The Jags mustered all of 153 yards passing while surrendering one sack.
On special teams, Kai Forbath split his two field-goal attempts. Looking to the team's kick coverage, a 38-yard return was the lone mistake.
As far as the coaching staff is concerned, it deserves credit for sticking with the run throughout this contest. Washington's go-ahead score in the fourth quarter can be attributed to this commitment, as the play-action game was factored in heavily on the drive.
Important Note No. 1: Rashad Ross Vies for Final WR Spot
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Battling for the sixth receiver spot, Ross put a stamp on a spectacular preseason. He led the team in every receiving category—four touchdowns, 25 receptions and 266 yards.
In comparison, his counterpart Evan Spencer missed time with a concussion and produced all of two receptions.
Then there's Ross' contributions on special teams. A 35-yard kick return and Thursday's 19-yard punt return highlight his preseason.
With what little Spencer's shown, Ross has shown enough to warrant a roster spot.
Important Note No. 2: Running Back Battle Unsettled
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With Alfred Morris and Matt Jones sitting this game out, the table was set for Chris Thompson and Trey Williams to settle their battle once and for all.
What the team received, though, was perhaps the worst games of both players.
Thompson lacked explosive plays and churned out 45 yards on 15 carries. Limited by an ankle injury he suffered in this one, Williams only managed five carries for 21 yards. With durability being a knock on a player of Williams' diminutive size, his injury was a major blow to any hopes he had of making the team.
With a spot awaiting Williams on the practice squad should another team not claim him, Thompson is the victor here, if by default.
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Quote No. 1: Jackson Jeffcoat Leaving His Mark
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Junior Galette's season-ending injury was quite the blow for the Redskins. Next to Trent Murphy and Preston Smith, he was expected to take pressure off Ryan Kerrigan.
With Galette's absence, though, an additional roster spot has been made available at the linebacker position. Looking at the work he's put in this preseason, Jackson Jeffcoat has staked his claim for the job.
He led the team with four preseason sacks. Speaking postgame to the Washington Post's Mike Jones, head coach Jay Gruden gave the sophomore pass-rusher quite the endorsement.
"He's made his mark. ... He's got an excellent chance," he said.
Knowing Kerrigan is making his way back from offseason knee surgery, Washington could call upon Jeffcoat to spell him. Additionally, with Murphy and Smith also being relative unknowns, it's feasible he could fill a prominent role in the team's pass-rushing rotation.
Quote No. 2: Extra Receiver Needs to Contribute on Special Teams
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More talk on Ross.
Following his stellar performance, Ross' future with the team was the top storyline after the game. While he acknowledged Ross' feats, per CSNWashington.com's Rich Tandler, Gruden put a damper on the swelling support for him to make the final 53-man roster.
"He's going to make it very interesting. But we need the extra receiver, the fifth or sixth guy, to be a good special team player," Gruden said.
Now, yes, Ross does play special teams. But reading between the lines here, it's kick coverage, not returning kicks, Gruden is referring to.
Knowing special teams ace Adam Hayward is gone for the year, Gruden's thinking here is more than understandable.
And this favors Spencer. Largely unproductive at Ohio State, it was Spencer's physical profile and special teams prowess that led the Skins to draft him in the first place.
Keeping this in mind, his lackluster showing at receiver carries less weight.
Ultimately, though, with Spencer yet to pass the league's mandated concussion protocol, one has to hope the team can finagle a way to keep both players on the roster, with Spencer landing on the practice squad.
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