Washington Redskins Defense Exploited Perfect Matchup vs. New York Giants

Sometimes you can get everything you want. Just ask Joe Barry. The holidays came early for the Washington Redskins defensive coordinator during Week 12's 20-14 win against the New York Giants.

Barry and his unit got the chance to exploit a matchup that perfectly suited them. New York's unbalanced and injury hit offense played right into the the strengths of Barry's scheme.

For three quarters, the Burgundy and Gold took advantage of a decimated O-line to batter quarterback Eli Manning. Washington's defensive front also found it easy to plug the middle and clog rushing lanes against a quartet of struggling runners. Meanwhile, Barry's heavy diet of seven and eight-man zone coverage shells smothered Giants receivers.

The result was three interceptions and as many sacks, along with an anaemic running game limited to just 33 yards on 13 attempts.

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This was exactly how Barry's defense is supposed to work when he draws it up. He was able to turn what's on the chalkboard into reality because the Giants came into the game as perfect prey.

A lacklustre rushing attack has hamstrung Manning all season. Entering Week 12, Big Blue ranked 26th running the ball, averaging less than 100 yards per game.

Not one of Rashad Jennings, Orleans Darkwa, Shane Vereen and Andre Williams could get on track at FedEx Field. Washington's D-linemen hardly let them. Terrance Knighton and Ricky Jean Francois practically lived in the backfield on running plays—a rarity this season.

But it wasn't just New York's season-long inability to establish the run helping the Redskins out. Injuries up front, particularly in the guard-center-guard box, led to a big day for Pot Roast and Co.

Prior to the game, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported how the Giants had been forced into some major reshuffling along the interior:

The ranks got even thinner for the G-Men early on, according to Breaking Burgundy:

An early run stuff that saw Knighton whip deputy anchorman Dallas Reynolds with a swift swim move, set the tone for New York's tepid rushing effort. The Giants offered a huge break to a Washington run defense that's been soft all season.

This was also the first time the team's big-ticket items up front have lived up to their billing.

Without having to worry about the run, Barry never had to stack the box. So he was free to rely on rushing three or four up front. Barry didn't need his linebackers and second-level defenders to crowd the line of scrimmage. Instead, they aligned at natural levels suitable for zone drops.

Knowing Manning had to air it out almost every snap, Barry had his back seven drop off and play coverage all day. They kept the ball in front and swarmed on receivers after the catch. That's how the Redskins snatched their first two picks.

The team's official Twitter feed provided a highlight of the second—a grab by cornerback Will Blackmon, created by a crunching hit from versatile rookie Kyshoen Jarrett:

Barry's defensive backs spent the game playing off, just like every week, but delivered a thump when they closed on the ball. Thanks to the proliferation of comeback routes in their version of the West Coast offense, the Giants played right into this tactic.

Washington's NFC East rivals were also one-dimensional when airing it out. It really was a case of Odell Beckham Jr. or bust for Manning on most plays.

Peyton's younger bro targeted No. 13 18 times on his 51 passing attempts. The Madden cover boy reeled in nine catches for 142 yards and added another miracle, one-hander to his growing collection. But the over-reliance on Beckham made the Redskins' job easier.

Barry was able to roll his coverage toward the Giants' main man, regularly putting a safety over Beckham in key moments. Manning's Beckham-centric radar also meant Washington could trust a rag-tag cast of inexperienced and makeshift defensive backs to hold up in coverage.

ESPN's John Keim detailed the mix-and-match assortment of cover men that made life difficult for Manning and his receivers:

The only time the formula failed Washington came when the Giants made some long overdue adjustments during the final quarter. Instead of pushing the ball long to Beckham, Manning began to spread it around underneath.

He finally started targeting Vereen and stand-in tight end Will Tye. Manning was hitting his receivers in front of the dropping linebackers and slot DBs. Big Blue also forced the issue by adopting a hurry-up attack, so the Redskins didn't have time to riff on their prevent-style formula.

It's an indictment of the Giants' staff, especially head coach Tom Coughlin and offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, that it took so long to exploit these matchups and this pace.

Fortunately, Manning had spent most of the time trying to survive in a consistently crumbling pass pocket. It wasn't just the three sacks, he also took a further eight hits, according to ESPN.com.

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Not surprisingly, D-tackles Jason Hatcher and Chris Baker accounted for three of them. Just like in the running game, Washington's defensive front exploited the injuries along New York's line.

Barry called plenty of stunts with outside rush ends such as Trent Murphy and Preston Smith lopping inside to break through the interior. Major pressure up the middle also meant edge-rushers enjoyed a big day.

Not only did Smith and Murphy register a hit apiece on Manning, Ryan Kerrigan sacked him twice. It was the Pro Bowler's first breakout game this season; he has been quiet for too long in 2015.

Getting to New York's No. 10 put Kerrigan in some select company in franchise history, as noted by CSNMid-Atlantic.com's Tarik El-Bashir:

Barry's defensive approach is still not without its flaws. His prevent-style coverage can be infuriating. While his reticence to blitz to force negative plays nearly burned Washington late on.

But against a team whose missing pieces and tendencies played right into their hands, the Redskins defense finally performed exactly like it's supposed to.

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

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