5 Things the Redskins need to fix after Cowboys Loss

The Washington Redskins suffered their first defeat of the season after a mistake ridden, defensive struggle against fierce rival the Dallas Cowboys.

The Redskins outperformed the Cowboys for most of the game, but crucial mistakes in every area of the team frequently undermined their efforts and prevented them from putting the game away.

Here are five negatives from last night that the Redskins will need to fix before they travel to St. Louis.

5. Pass Protection

The Redskins long standing weakness in pass protection was exposed at critical moments during last night's game.

Right tackle Jammal Brown was the chief culprit, frequently finding himself overwhelmed by Cowboys edge rushers DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer.

Brown's timing and takeoff were labored all night, and it cost the Redskins in key situations.  Trent Williams produced a decent showing against Ware and was effective in the running game.

But Williams still needs to work on his footwork and stance in pass blocking situations. Ware's quickness capitalised on Williams' heavy leaning style more than once.

The Redskins offense put together some nice drives and always looked capable of moving the ball but were regularly undone by breakdowns in protection.

More max protection fronts may be required until the Redskins rectify this issue.

4. Decision Making on Kickoff Returns

Fleet-footed return man Brandon Banks displayed poor judgement all night on kickoff returns. Banks chose the wrong times to bring the ball out of the end zone and consequently put the Redskins in poor field position on more than one occasion.

The Cowboys coverage units did a good job subduing Banks, but his delayed reactions often made the task easier than it should have been. Banks must learn to be more judicious with his return opportunities, particularly during close games.

The Redskins have plenty of options in the return game such as Niles Paul and Terrence Austin, so Banks needs to do a better job of picking his spots.

3. Better Tackling

Speedy Cowboys running back Felix Jones broke too many tackles last night. The Redskins must improve their weak tackling if the defense is going to be stout against the run.

Incorrect angles were taken on counter plays and Jones frequently broke free from defenders who had taken up a poor tackling position.

The Giants game showed that the Redskins still have a lot of work to do defending the run, and the Cowboys ruthlessly exploited this weakness at times last night.

Technique and fundamentals need to be stressed and the defense as a whole must become more physical at the point of attack.

There are enough big bodies along the Redskins 3-4 front for the team to do a better job repelling the run.

2. Stick with the Run When It's Working

The Redskins coaching staff were too quick to abandon an effective looking running game against Dallas. There were yards to be had on the ground against the Cowboys defense.

Rob Ryan's shifting fronts and moving pieces are designed to create pass rush opportunities. But they do leave gaps for a productive running game to exploit.

The stretch plays were working very well for the Redskins offense, even if Tim Hightower needs to cut upfield more quickly on occasion.

But too often the Redskins would disrupt the momentum of their ground game and opt for an intricately designed pass play instead.

Kyle Shanahan creates some very effective plays and the passing game has been a pleasant surprise this season. But the desire to put the ball in the air should not come at the expense of the running game, which is after all supposed to be the the foundation of a Shanahan offense.

1. Smarter Defensive Play Calling

It is difficult to fathom the Redskins defensive call when the Cowboys faced third-and-21 late in the game. The decision to go with a 46-style front and bring another eight-man pressure in that situation defied belief.

This author is not a fan of overload pressures, fire zones or the general blitzkrieg approach taken to NFL defense during the last few seasons.

Pressure is the key to defensive football. But there are different and more subtle ways to create pressure than blitzing four people from one side, or sending seven and eight rushers through the line en masse.

If the Redskins still wanted to generate extra heat in such a long yardage situation, they could have simply sent the nickel corner off the edge, or stunted and extra safety inside.

The Redskins could then have still dropped at least six into coverage to blanket the receivers and limit the Cowboys to, well anything other than 21-plus yards would have done it. Dallas was backed up deep in its own territory and would likely not have risked a fourth-down attempt with over two minutes remaining.

They would probably have punted and relied on their defense, at least giving the Redskins the chance to run out the clock. The decision to go with an all-out man pressure in that situation was gung ho and reckless in the extreme.

Last night's defeat was a huge disappointment, and today there is probably little solace for Redskins fans who can recount many similar occasions when the team has self-destructed in recent seasons.

But the Redskins showed enough to suggest they will remain at least competitive for the rest of the campaign. Stressing fundamentals and some tweaks to the game planning on both sides of the ball, will see the team soon return to winning ways.