Washington Redskins Report Card Week 8: Grading Each Unit

After suffering a 23-point blowout at the hands of the Buffalo Bills, the Washington Redskins have very little to be proud of after Sunday's loss in Toronto. 

Saying that the Buffalo Bills stomped the Redskins would be an understatement. Not only were the Redskins held scoreless, but they earned just 10 first downs, finished with less than 200 total yards and allowed nine sacks.

Usually, the report cards full of miserable grades don't make the fridge. For this week's Redskins report card, this one barely makes the garbage can. 

Quarterback

Many will be quick to point the finger at John Beck after a rough performance that left the Redskins with no touchdowns and two interceptions. However, the real play of John Beck is hard to judge when the offensive line is hardly existent. 

Beck finished the game with 208 yards on 20-of-33 passing and no scores. Even with 56 yards lost on nine sacks and the ground becoming his only friend, Beck somehow retained composure and finished the game unharmed. 

Although far from perfect, I'm no where close to saying that Beck isn't the Redskins' best option at quarterback. Things will need to get better, obviously. But who can expect anything from a guy that spends more time on his back than he does in the pocket?

Grade: C-

Running Backs

The backfield is another hard position to grade after a game when the Redskins had just 12 total rushing attempts, three of which came by way of the quarterback. 

With Tim Hightower out for the rest of the season, Ryan Torain has assumed the starting role and he's a perfect fit for Mike Shanahan's zone-blocking scheme. But with an offensive line that couldn't block a youth team, Torain's 14 yards on eight attempts is barely suitable for criticism. 

No running game will spell disaster for almost any football team, and the Redskins are no different. Although I find the offensive line to be the problem's major contributor, I also wouldn't allow the coordinators off the hook that easy. 

Grade: D

Receivers

Fred Davis continues to be the Redskins' most reliable receiving threat, finishing the game with eight catches for 94 yards. Before long, Davis may be the only thing people are talking about when it comes down to Washington sports or the Redskins. 

If there was such a thing, bright spots included three catches by rookie Roy Helu for 20 yards and one 23-yard reception by rookie wideout Leonard Hankerson. 

Terrence Austin continues to progress with his two catches for 22 yards and I would expect big things out of him within the next few games. 

But even with those highlights, it was a pitiful game for the receiving crew. With only 208 yards amongst seven players, the Redskins are quickly earning the label of "non-threatening".

Grade: D+

Offensive Line

It's worse than awful. It's about as efficient as a rusty pipe. It's arguably one of the league's worst–or at least one currently on the steepest decline. It's the Redskins' poor excuse for an offensive line. 

Injuries are a part of football. These things happen. But the lack of depth along the Redskins' offensive front is pitiful and embarrassing. Nine sacks in one game is not acceptable. And on the plays that didn't result in sacks, John Beck had very little time to get the ball out. 

Without Trent Williams on the left side and the line still adjusting to the season-ending injury suffered by left guard Kory Lichtensteiger, the Redskins are going to need to grow up fast. 

This team lives and dies by the offensive line and they can expect a lot worse than what the Buffalo Bills dealt them last Sunday if they don't fix the trenches. 

Grade: F

Defense

All things considered, the Buffalo Bills should have probably scored more than just their 23 points. 

For a defense that normally ranks closer to the top, the Redskins may have showed their true colors against the Bills. Not only did the Redskins allow 390 yards, but they also allowed Buffalo to convert seven of their 14 third-down attempts. 

I'd like to give the defense credit for their two sacks and London Fletcher's interception, but nothing came about from the offense. Not capitalizing on turnovers essentially makes them irrelevant. 

Some, myself included, may be a little bitter towards the play-calling of defensive coordinator Jim Haslett. Although we're not the ones on the field playing the game, it was easy enough to tell that the cushion provided by the Redskins cornerbacks was no where near effective. 

If the Redskins want any chance of doing anything significant with the season, it will have to go through the defense. The offensive line is bad enough to effect the entire team and the most playmakers are stacked on the defensive side of the ball.

Not to place all of the pressure on the defense, but it just has to be. 

Grade: D