Washington Redskins vs. Atlanta Falcons: Washington Grades, Notes and Quotes
Following a familiar script, the Washington Redskins' demise in Week 5 was their inability to finish.
Out in front the entire first half and at various points in the fourth quarter, Washington collapsed and fell 25-19 to the Atlanta Falcons in overtime.
For most of the afternoon, the undefeated Falcons looked mortal. Atlanta was held out of the end zone the first three quarters of play. Additionally, the team had three turnovers.
Stagnant on offense, Washington didn't capitalize. The Skins were held to 270 total yards and had two turnovers of their own.
With that said, let's now review the postgame grades, notes and quotes for the Redskins.
Position Grades
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| Position | Grade |
| QB | C |
| RB | D |
| WR/TE | C+ |
| OL | C+ |
| DL | B- |
| LB | B- |
| DB | A- |
| Special Teams | C+ |
| Coaching | B |
Just when you thought he'd moved away from being a charitable quarterback, Kirk Cousins gift-wrapped a win for the Falcons.
On what became the final play of the game, a flustered Cousins threw a pick-six to Atlanta cornerback Robert Alford. With the ill-advised throw, an otherwise solid showing from Cousins was overshadowed.
With just 24 seconds to work with, Cousins calmly engineered a four-play, 46-yard drive that culminated in Dustin Hopkins' game-tying field goal. For the game, he completed 21 of 32 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown.
Looking to the backfield, Washington's top-ranked rushing attack was simply abysmal. The team gained all of 51 yards on 24 carries. Running lanes were hard to come by with Atlanta loading the box. In totality, though, the porous showing was a combination of poor run blocking and Washington running backs going down on first contact.
Staying with the offensive line, it more than held its own in pass protection. Cousins was only sacked one time on the afternoon.
In addition to the hogs up front, the Redskins receivers also lent a helping hand. Jamison Crowder led the team with 87 yards on eight receptions, with the majority of his production coming after the catch.
Standing in for an injured Jordan Reed, Derek Carrier hauled in the lone touchdown pass. Rashad Ross didn't register a reception, but by drawing a pass interference penalty in the end zone, he set up the team's other touchdown drive.
As for Pierre Garcon, the biggest play he was involved in dealt with a pass he didn't catch. Cousins' first interception came on a pass he bobbled and popped into the air for Alford to intercept.
Moving to the defensive side of the ball, the Skins flipped the script. Despite being short-handed in the secondary, Washington neutralized Atlanta's explosive passing attack.
Matt Ryan never found a rhythm and tossed two interceptions. The NFC's leading receiver, Julio Jones, was held to 67 yards on five receptions. Responsible for one of the team's two picks, Bashaud Breeland had a banner day.
Breeland was second on the team in tackles (8) and had four passes defended.
Contributing to the secondary's success was a relentless pass rush. Highlighted by Ryan Kerrigan's two sacks, Washington had three sacks and three quarterback hits on Ryan. This doesn't even include the countless times Ryan was forced into throwing hurried passes.
If only the run defense held up. Something you can correlate to the 77 plays it was on the field, the defense surrendered 176 yards on the ground.
On special teams, Hopkins connected on two kicks but also missed his first field goal of the season. With just two kicks to cover, the team's kick coverage wasn't put to the test in this one.
Looking at the coaching staff, defensive coordinator Joe Barry drafted a stellar game plan to neutralize Jones. Using multiple looks and bracket coverage on Jones to great effect, Barry forced Atlanta's other receivers to drive the passing game.
Offensively, the only grievance was Washington's second-to-last possession in regulation. With a chance to deliver a knockout blow following Breeland's interception, head coach Jay Gruden went ultra conservative.
Inside the 10-yard line, the team never threatened to score with him calling two runs and a screen pass to Crowder. Instead of a touchdown drive to put it up eight, Washington settled for three and left the door open for a Falcons comeback.
There are no moral victories in the NFL. But judging from the Redskins' performance, it's evident the team's early success in 2015 is no fluke.
Important Note No. 1: Slumping Offense
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After a hot start to the season, Washington's running game has fallen off a bit. In its past two outings, the team hasn't eclipsed 4.1 yards per carry.
Corresponding with injuries and inexperience at receiver, the Redskins have struggled to score as a result.
Through five games, 24 points is the team's season high. To put this in perspective, 12 teams in the league sport a scoring average of 24 or more.
While improved on defense, the Redskins have to become more productive on this side of the ball if they're truly to contend for the NFC East crown.
Important Note No. 2: Red-Zone Defense
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All season long, the Redskins have sported a bend-but-don't-break defense that buckles down in the red zone. According to TeamRankings.com, opponents have scored touchdowns on just 37.5 percent of their red-zone trips.
Due to the quarterback slate they had to open the season, though, the Redskins didn't garner much praise for this statistic.
Being that it was opposed by Ryan, the defense had the opportunity in Week 5 to validate its red-zone defense. And it seized it.
In Washington territory for much of the afternoon, Atlanta only managed 19 points on offense. Given four opportunities to score in the red zone, the Falcons scored just twice.
With their offense still missing pivotal cogs, this is something the Skins have to continue doing to stay afloat.
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Quote No. 1: Improving on Offense
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For a second consecutive week, Washington's run game got off to a slow start. But unlike Week 4, it never recovered. The team had a season-low 51 yards, with Chris Thompson's nine-yard run going for the long gain.
As a result, it was Atlanta that led in time of possession (34:56).
Speaking postgame, Gruden said he would rectify this issue, per the team's official Twitter feed. He also acknowledged the need for the passing game to pick up the offense when the run is shut down.
The status quo may be sufficient enough for the Redskins to compete with the likes of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets. But with matchups against the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers in the coming month, Washington has to find the proper balance on offense to be successful.
Quote No. 2: Trent Williams' Status
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As if the heart-wrenching loss wasn't bad enough, the status of star left tackle Trent Williams was a conversation point for Washington following the game.
While it was initially feared that Williams suffered a concussion, Gruden confirmed this wasn't the case, per the Washington Post's Mike Jones.
Already down DeSean Jackson and Reed, with the running game struggling, an injury to Williams is the last thing the Redskins needed—especially with the blitz-happy Jets next on the docket.
Rookie Matt Jones did suffer a toe injury. But all told, if Williams checks out, this is a positive omen for a team that's been riddled with injuries thus far.
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