New Orleans Saints vs. Washington Redskins: Washington Grades, Notes and Quotes
Showing a sense of urgency from the coin flip, the Washington Redskins breathed life into their NFC East title hopes in resounding fashion. Washington's 47-14 victory over the New Orleans Saints extended the team's winning streak at home to four games.
Not only that, the win put an end to one of the franchise's most ominous streaks: For the first time in five seasons, the team won't be 3-6 after its first nine games.
Now for the specifics on how the Skins avoided this fate. Here are the postgame grades, notes and quotes for Washington.
Position Grades
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| Position | Grade |
| QB | A |
| RB | A |
| WR/TE | A |
| OL | B+ |
| DL | B |
| LB | B- |
| DB | B |
| Special Teams | B- |
| Coaching | A |
New Orleans' league-worst defense presented the Redskins with a chance to right what was ailing their slumping offense. And in Week 10, they took this opportunity and ran with it.
In the first half alone, Washington outpaced its season average (329) with 394 yards of total offense. By game's end it had 525 yards and a season high in points. An offense that entered the game with a league-low 23 plays of 20-plus yards tallied nine in this contest.
With the exception being the three sacks they allowed, it was a rather flawless performance from the Redskins on offense.
On to the defense. After a shaky start, it held the Saints' high-powered offense in check.
To start the game, big plays were aplenty for the Saints. Mark Ingram, courtesy of a Dashon Goldson missed tackle, broke free for a 70-yard run. And after capping the opening drive with a short touchdown reception, Brandin Cooks hauled in a 60-yard touchdown strike from Drew Brees late in the first quarter.
That was the last of the scoring for New Orleans, though.
Its offense mustered just 190 yards of total offense the rest of the way. With two interceptions of Brees—one of which was returned for a score—Washington's defense extended its streak to six games with a forced turnover.
The rushing line the Skins (157 yards) surrendered to the Saints wasn't ideal, and the pass rush was inconsistent (two sacks and zero quarterback hits). Nonetheless, Sunday's contest was a step in the right direction for this unit overall.
Moving to special teams, a mediocre showing in the return game was masked by Dustin Hopkins' steady play. Rashad Ross had 29 yards on two returns, pinning the offense inside the 10-yard line on the opening possession. Hopkins, for his part, converted four field goals.
On the coaching end, the offensive staff's game plan to take advantage of New Orleans' overly aggressive defense worked to great effect. Screen passes routinely supplied the offense with big plays, with Matt Jones' 78-yard touchdown reception serving as the highlight.
Important Note No. 1: Career Day from Kirk Cousins
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Opposed by New Orleans' porous defense, Kirk Cousins had a career day—nearly at the half!
He connected on his first nine attempts (to seven receivers) en route to throwing 296 yards in the first half. Cousins finished completing 20 of 25 passes for 324 yards passing and a career-high four touchdowns.
A quarterback who previously hadn't recorded a score longer than seven yards had touchdowns spanning 16, 11, eight and 78 yards.
While he did connect with DeSean Jackson down the field for a 42-yard reception on the opening drive, Cousins operated within his comfort zone and threw short. His season-high average of 12.9 yards per attempt can be attributed to poor tackling from the Saints and mere determination on the part of his receivers.
So the deep ball remains an area in which he can improve. But going forward, all that's left for Cousins to do is to take his turnover-free act on the road.
Important Note No. 2: Washington Running Backs Get Their Groove Back
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Surely, you knew the grim picture before this contest. Over the past four games, Washington's trio of Jones, Alfred Morris and Chris Thompson had managed a meager 172 yards on the ground.
Consider the Saints defense an elixir to this slump. With Morris' 104 yards leading the way, the Skins tallied 225 yards on the ground.
It wasn't just in the running game that the team's backs made an impact, either. Jones led the team in receiving with 131 yards, with Thompson and Morris combining for 37 yards on four receptions.
This performance has long been overdue. But looking over the course of the year, you can't help but ask yourself how much the opponent factored into the team's showing.
It wasn't apparent at the time, but the team's success to start the year can be attributed to a favorable schedule. Outside of the St. Louis Rams, Washington's first four opponents all rank in the bottom half of the NFL in run defense.
The opposite is true of the last four. The Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets and New England Patriots stand atop the NFL in run defense. And while the Bucs rank No. 15 in yards allowed per game, they only allow 3.7 yards per rush (T-3rd).
So in this respect, the task ahead for the Skins is finding consistency, regardless of the opponent.
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Quote No. 1: Redemption for Perry Riley
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Following his literal no-show (zero tackles) at New England, Perry Riley lost his starting gig to Will Compton.
But due to Keenan Robinson's shoulder injury, Riley got another start at inside linebacker. And he didn't disappoint; he led the team with seven tackles.
Furthermore, he tallied two passes defensed and an interception, all from a player who was demoted in part for his shortcomings in coverage.
Speaking postgame, per Mike Jones of the Washington Post, head coach Jay Gruden stated how pleased he was with Riley's play.
Riley's showing may not earn him his job back, but seeing how injuries have wrecked the Skins defense in 2015, it's a positive development to know he's still capable of turning in such a performance.
Quote No. 2: Morgan Moses' Development
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Gruden wasn't short on candidates given the impressive fashion in which his team won, but when it came to singling out players who performed well, sophomore tackle Morgan Moses received high praise.
"(Moses) developed quicker than anybody.....He has solidified himself as a right tackle in the NFL for many many years," Gruden said, per Jones.
Moses started the game with a holding penalty. After he got settled, though, he played a pivotal role in the team's success on the ground and in the screen game.
Negative plays set back the team's running game in the previous four weeks. But against the Saints, the offensive line didn't surrender any tackles for loss. This opened the door for Skins backs to average a gaudy 6.9 yards a rush on 31 carries.
With the Carolina Panthers' vaunted front seven next up on the schedule, Washington will need Moses to live up to his coach's praise.
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