Run-First Offense Gives Washington Redskins an Identity

It's amazing to think that barely over a month ago the Washington Redskins' identity wasn't one of a team at all. Instead, the Burgundy and Gold was getting ready for a third season acting as a vehicle for Robert Griffin III's painstaking development.

But since RG3 was rightly sat down in favor of Kirk Cousins, Washington has cultivated a new identity. It's an unmistakable one, and it's most obvious on offense. Specifically, the Redskins' run-heavy attack has given this team a smashmouth identity at the start of the 2015 season.

There's just no other way to describe the character of a group that's piled up 343 rushing yards through two weeks. This is now a throwback bunch, one brimming with old-school trademarks. The most notable being the running back combination that's been so dominant on the ground.

After Alfred Morris stomped his way to 121 yards on 25 carries against the Miami Dolphins in Week 1, Matt Jones proved even more explosive against the St. Louis Rams. The rookie bulldozed a supposedly formidable defensive front en route to 123 yards on just 19 carries.

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

It's pretty rare for a team in the NFL's modern, pass-first era to have two prolific runners, as AP reporter Howard Fendrich noted:

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How unusual? With Jones running for 123 yards in Week 2, after Morris gained 121 yards in Week 1, the Redskins are the first NFL team since the 2006 Chargers to have two backs each gain at least 100 yards on the ground in a season's first two games.

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It's more unusual still for both of those backs to be power-style bruisers who batter and run over defenders rather than around them. But that's just what the Redskins have, a prime evil double act capable of sharing the load and leaving every defense on the schedule bruised and bloodied.

The sharing approach was more sharply defined against St. Louis. While Jones tallied one short of the 20-carry mark, Morris was only a whisker behind with 18 totes of the rock.

That's a sign not only of the obvious commitment to the run Washington is showing this season, a commitment head coach Jay Gruden insists he'll stick with, according to Rick Snider of the Washington Post.

But 37 runs in one game also indicates just how much this offense has changed. Last season, Gruden's Redskins aired it out 547 times compared with just 401 rushing attempts, as noted by Pro-Football-Reference.com.

Through two games in 2015, there's been 74 runs and only 58 pass attempts. It's a marked difference that's benefiting every facet of the team.

For newly ensconced quarterback Kirk Cousins, a run-first offense is letting him be the one thing he's previously never managed to be: Efficient. That quality was particularly evident against the Rams.

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Cousins threw 27 times and completed 23. Notably, he didn't commit a single turnover. He'd never managed that before during a full start.

But it isn't just Cousins feeling the benefits of Gruden's ground-heavy approach. The offensive linemen in front of him probably still have to pinch themselves to believe how well they're playing.

All linemen love to run block rather than pass protect, but it's a particular bonus in Washington. The Redskins gave up 58 sacks last year blocking in a pass-crazed scheme.

This season, the men up front have yielded three sacks despite facing two of football's most prolific pass-rushing teams. It's a night-and-day difference that has certainly caught me by surprise.

B/R's Chris Simms and Stephen Nelson recently highlighted this Bill Callahan-coached line, along with the Morris and Jones tandem, as reasons to be optimistic about Washington's season:

Keeping things grounded is playing to the strengths of key members of the front five. In particular, the heavy dose of run calls have let youngsters Morgan Moses and rookie Brandon Scherff, a linemen most comfortable clearing out space in the running game, settle in quickly.

But even an established veteran like Shawn Lauvao is responding well to the new philosophy. The left guard experienced a fairly middling debut season with the Burgundy and Gold in 2014.

Now, though, Lauvao is becoming a staple of how this team knocks open holes on the ground. Specifically, the image of the 27-year-old ex-Cleveland Browns starter pulling into space is now a signature sight on game days, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post:

Pulling guards are a core part of power-based blocking concepts. It's an extra element Callahan has added to this year's offense.

But that isn't the only change Washington's smashmouth identity has inspired. The same identity is also reflected in the formations seen on the field, as well as the way personnel is being used.

Specifically, the three-tight end set has become a major part of 2015's playbook. Jordan Reed, Derek Carrier and Anthony McCoy helped outnumber and overwhelm the Rams front seven in Week 2.

Their presence on down blocks has meant the Redskins can get lineman out into space more often to exploit mismatches against physically inferior second-level defenders. During the 24-10 win over St. Louis, ESPN.com's John Keim offered one description of how the tactic is working:

The old schoolers who still remember the glory days of this franchise are forgiven for thinking this is familiar. Back in Joe Gibbs' day it was common to see Washington load the field with tight ends.

It became a hallmark of the team's rushing attack throughout the '80s and into the early '90s. Players such as Clint Didier, Don Warren, Terry Orr, Jimmie Johnson and Ron Middleton all helped supplement different versions of the Hogs.

But today's Redskins don't just share schematic similarities with the remnants of Washington's halcyon days. Gruden's run-heavy team has already matched a mark set by the last roster of Gibbs' glorious first era, according to Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post:

The benefits to bossing the clock are obvious for the team's suddenly stingier defense. A new-look unit populated with bigger bodies at every level is being kept fresh by spending a third of a game on the sideline.

It's just one more way Washington's run-heavy identity is changing this team for the better.

During the offseason, new general manager Scot McCloughan sold a vision for a tougher, blue-collar team. Usually, there's nothing more cringeworthy than teams declaring they are going to be tougher on the field. How about just being better?

But so far at least, the new approach is working at Redskins Park. The running game has given Washington a tough, smashmouth mindset for the first time in a long while.

More than that though, with a clear identity in place, the whole roster is working in symmetry.

The quarterback and his play-callers are taking fewer risks because they are either facing more manageable down-and-distance situations or knowing they own the clock, they can play percentage football.

Up front, the O-line is improving because it's spending more plays doing what it does best, not marking time until RG3 releases the ball. If he ever does.

Finally, a stouter defense can keep up its high-energy, swarming style because the unit is well-rested.

Once you have a true identity you know how you're going to win on Sundays. After years of waiting, the run-heavy Redskins finally have theirs.

All statistics and player information via NFL.com, unless otherwise stated.