Washington Redskins vs. New York Jets: Washington Grades, Notes and Quotes
On the road in Week 6, victory again evaded the Washington Redskins. With its 34-20 loss at the hands of the New York Jets, Washington lost its seventh consecutive road contest.
After failing to capitalize on three first-half New York turnovers, the Skins were blitzed in the second half. The Jets scored 24 unanswered points and had the game in hand prior to the start of the fourth quarter.
Washington was outgained 474-225 in total yardage. Posting 221 yards on the ground alone, the Jets nearly matched the Skins' entire offensive output.
Moving past the recap, here are the Redskins' postgame grades, notes and quotes.
Position Grades
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| Position | Grade |
| QB | D- |
| RB | D |
| WR/TE | D |
| OL | C- |
| DL | D |
| LB | D |
| DB | C- |
| Special Teams | B+ |
| Coaching | D |
Six games in, Kirk Cousins' performance is teetering in the wrong direction.
For a second consecutive game, Cousins tossed multiple interceptions. Relegated to throwing checkdowns, he averaged a meager 4.6 yards per attempt en route to throwing for 196 yards.
Looking to his supporting cast, Cousins received little in the form of help from Washington's skill positions.
Down rookie Matt Jones, the Redskins reached a new low point on the ground. Following last week's 51-yard performance on the ground, the team mustered just 34 yards rushing.
If not for Chris Thompson's contributions in the passing game (six receptions), this position group would be looking at a failing grade.
With Cousins wary to challenge New York's secondary down the field, Washington's receiving corps was forced to do much of its work after the catch.
Ball placement was an issue at times, but drops kept the team's receivers from further capitalizing on the cushion Jets defensive backs handed them. Jamison Crowder was once again the leading man in the Skins' passing game, with four receptions for 40 yards.
Without three starters' services, the offensive line's performance was a mixed bag. It struggled to open up running lanes for the team's backs. Then again, this was expected going against the Jets' No.2-ranked run defense.
In pass protection, it was a whole different story. Cousins was sacked once and hit only five times on 43 passing attempts.
Moving to the defensive side of the ball, Washington had no answers for New York's offense. The Jets racked up 474 yards of total offense, most of which came in the first three quarters.
On the heels of getting ran over by Devonta Freeman, the Redskins had no answers for New York's Chris Ivory-led attack.
Ivory had 146 yards of the team's 221 yards on the ground. The Jets averaged a gaudy 5.4 yards per rush on 41 carries.
Washington's pass rush didn't fare much better. Ryan Fitzpatrick wasn't sacked on the afternoon and was hit just four times. As a result, he found success against a banged-up Redskins secondary.
He completed 19 of 26 passes for 253 yards and two scores. Brandon Marshall was his favorite target, with 111 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions.
Amid the team's pass-coverage struggles was Bashaud Breeland's noteworthy performance. He had two fumble recoveries, two passes defensed and an interception.
A weakness coming into the season, the Skins' special teams had a solid showing. Next to Dustin Hopkins converting both of his field-goal attempts, Rashad Ross recovered Jeron Johnson's blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown.
In regard to the coaching staff, a solid plan to attack the Jets was never put into place. Fitzpatrick calmly picked apart the Skins secondary under little duress. Even with additional men in coverage, the defense still managed to allow 9.7 yards per attempt.
On offense, the team was content to throw the football south of the first-down marker in the hopes its receivers would garner yards after the catch. Without Jordan Reed and DeSean Jackson, it comes as little surprise the plan didn't work.
At 2-4, the shine from Washington's early start is beginning to fade.
Important Note No. 1: Second-Half Swoons
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Surprise, surprise. Washington blew another first-half lead. After holding a 13-10 lead at the break, the Redskins were outscored 24-7 in the second half.
Looking at this season's landscape, this is a disturbing trend. Despite leading at intermission in five of six games, the team only has two wins to its credit. This speaks to uneven play at the quarterback position and to the team being hampered by injuries.
There isn't an apparent solution to the former problem. But with the bye week approaching in Week 8, the Redskins can at least look forward to having more able bodies at their disposal to combat team fatigue.
Important Note No. 2: Alfred Morris' Struggles
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Jones was inactive for this contest, and Thompson missed some time after falling hard going after a pass.
No longer handcuffed by the team's running-back-by-committee approach, Alfred Morris had an opportunity in this one to break loose. He didn't seize it, though.
Continuing his downward trajectory, Morris instead registered 21 yards on 11 carries. Since his 121-yard showing in the opener, Morris hasn't averaged north of 3.6 yards a rush in any game. In his past contests, he's tallied just 155 yards on 49 carries.
This week's contest was an atrocious performance across the board for the Redskins. So once again, Morris' poor showing can be written off. But with a matchup looming in Week 7 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 26th-ranked run defense, there will be a mandate for him to produce.
If he doesn't deliver, his starter status will have to be evaluated during the bye.
Quote No. 1: Cousins' Starting Status
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Following yet another anemic performance from his offense, head coach Jay Gruden fielded postgame questions about the team's quarterback play.
While he stated he still stood behind Cousins, Gruden acknowledged he needed to watch film and analyze Cousins' game, per ESPN's John Keim.
Upon doing so, what he'll find is a quarterback who's best suited holding a clipboard. Judging from the conservative play-calling the Redskins have used this season, a game manager is what the team is looking for at quarterback.
That's not, and never was, Cousins. His proclivity for turnovers highlights this fact. He has eight interceptions on the year and four two-interception games. He's not churning out big plays in the passing game, so there's no trade-off for his miscues either.
By all accounts, Cousins is the same quarterback he was last season, just in a scaled-back offense. Gruden benched him then for Colt McCoy, and he should consider doing the same this season.
Quote No. 2: Week 7 Is a Must-Win Game
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Courtesy of some high-profile injuries, the NFC East race is wide-open. Eight or nine wins could very well be enough to tote the division crown.
Even with that said, the Redskins are entering must-win territory. The final 10 games will be no cake walk for the team. Four games remain against NFC East opponents.
Furthermore, there are five road games left on the docket, highlighted by a trip to see the undefeated New England Patriots.
Under Gruden, the team has one road win in 11 tries. Keeping all this in mind, the team can ill afford to blow opportunities at home, especially against opponents sporting losing records. You know, like Tampa Bay.
Speaking postgame, Gruden echoed this sentiment, proclaiming, "It's a code red for us," per Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
With two games against the undefeated Carolina Panthers and Patriots in their next four, a loss to the Bucs could spell out, best-case scenario, a 3-7 start to the season for the Redskins.
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