Washington Redskins: Key Stats Tracker, Preseason Game Two

Welcome to installment two of the 2010 Redskins Key Stats Tracker.

This is a weekly feature focusing on three specific statistical categories—turnover differential, third-down-efficiency and red-zone-efficiency—plus any specific statistical observations/anomalies that stand out from any given game.

Baltimore Ravens 23
Washington Redskins 3

This Week's Quick Notes

● Through two preseason games, the win/loss record of team that forces more turnovers is 2-0.

● It seems counterintuitive, but despite gaining 396 total yards, the Ravens only went 1-10 (10 percent) on third down.

● 51 of those total yards, of course (and ultimately the play of the game), came on a fake punt down to the Redskins one yard line that led to the only touchdown of the first half. Yeah, a fake punt in the preseason. Whatever.

● Interesting to note the Redskins' run/pass ratio—47 passes, 14 runs. Those were not garbage-time passes playing catch-up either—26 of the 47 total passes were by Donovan McNabb in the first half. By contrast, last week against Buffalo the Redskins' numbers were 41 runs and 33 passes (first half: 18 runs, 22 passes).

What does this week's disparity suggest? That Kyle Shanahan came into the Ravens' game with a specific goal in mind—working his passing game. To what end? Could have been to look at the offensive line against the Ravens' pressure packages sans any real game planning, getting McNabb untracked, or something else entirely. We can speculate, but we will never truly know.

Just another illustration of the folly that is trying to draw meaningful inferences from preseason results.

On to the raw numbers...

Redskins Key Stats Tracker

(Preseason Game 2 - Ravens 23, Redskins 3)

FORCED TURNOVERS

Redskins: 1
Opponent: 4

Season:

Redskins: 4
Opponent: 4

3rd DOWN EFFICIENCY

Offense: 4-13 (30%)
Defense: 1-10 (10%)

Season:

Offense: 16-32 (50%)
Defense: 2-20 (10%)

RED ZONE (TD) EFFICIENCY

Redskins: 0-3 (0%)
Opponent: 2-4 (50%)

Season:

Redskins: 4-7 (57%)
Opponent: 2-5 (40%)

Bonus

This one is my own pet peeve. It will be tracked relentlessly and with ever-increasing angst until it is broken. As of this writing, the last Redskins' defensive touchdown came in October 2007, when the Redskins beat the Arizona Cardinals 21-19 at FedEx Field and linebacker London Fletcher picked off Kurt Warner, taking it to the house in the second quarter to give the Redskins a 14-0 lead. At least it was epic—be sure to check out his flying leap into the end zone.

For those scoring at home, that was 54 games ago (43 regular season, 10 preseason, 1 playoff).

DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS

REDSKINS: 0
OPPONENTS: 0

Season:

REDSKINS: 0
OPPONENTS: 0

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