Redskins vs. Giants: 6 Things We Learned in Washington's 23-10 Win

The Washington Redskins manhandled the Giants on the road in New York. Mike Shanahan's team stepped on the G-men and recorded a stunning 23-10 victory.

The Redskins were disciplined and aggressive on both sides of the ball and relied on simple, yet effective gameplans to catch Big Blue off guard.

More sensible and measured play calling enabled the Redskins to protect the football and still make big plays when it counted.

Here are six things we learned after Washington's thrilling and morale boosting divisional triumph.

6. Young Linemen Will Smith and Maurice Hurt Are Showing Some Potential

Inexperienced pairing Will Smith and Maurice Hurt continued to demonstrate potential manning the left side of the offensive line.

Rookie free agent Smith is still very raw, but he possesses good athleticism and decent footwork. He did a creditable job against explosive pass rusher Jason Pierre-Paul.

The first half sack notched by Pierre-Paul was the result of Niles Paul failing to chip, rather than a missed assignment by Smith.

Pierre-Paul recorded some gaudy looking stats, but a lot of his tackles failed to sufficiently impact the progress of Washington's offense.

Hurt continued to impress in run blocking. He was quick off the ball against the Giants defensive line and succeeded in driving defenders back throughout the game.

Hurt and Smith are creating a nice dilemma for the Redskins coaching staff. They are developing well in Shanahan's zone blocking scheme.

Trent Williams has struggled to look convincing so far and Kory Lichtensteiger has been plagued by injury.

If Smith and Hurt continue to produce they could save the Redskins from major investment along their front five.

5. Evan Royster Looks Like an Effective Change of Pace

Sixth-round draft pick Evan Royster is beginning to look like an effective change of pace option to the more explosive Roy Helu.

Royster showed some good patience and straight-ahead power against the Giants defensive front. He appears to be a better choice on shorter, inside handoffs.

Royster seems to have better instincts between the tackles than Helu. He has the ability to provide a nice compliment to Helu's more speedy, slashing style.

4. The Offense Doesn't Have To Be Complex for the Redskins To Succeed

The Redskins proved in this game that their offense doesn't have to rely on overly complicated plays in order to put up points.

Washington relied on a simple formula of running the football and utilising play-action to seamlessly move the football on the Giants' beleaguered defense.

Despite this author's critique of Kyle Shanahan last week, the young coordinator deserves credit for keeping his play-calling smart and simple and sticking with the effective running game.

Shanahan stayed patient despite a ground attack that didn't yield spectacular gains, but did enough to keep the chains moving and the clock ticking.

This is what the Redskins offense should have looked like all season long. The unit only needs to grind out the yards, protect the football and support their defense.

By doing no more or less than that today, the Redskins offense controlled the momentum and dominated the Giants.

3. The Redskins Must Re-Sign London Fletcher

This slide is dangerously close to stating the obvious territory, but the Redskins simply must do all they can to make sure London Fletcher returns for 2012.

Washington's defensive talisman was outstanding against the G-men. Fletcher's tackling was ferocious, yet still fundamentally sound throughout the game.

The veteran's aggression was the key to snuffing out any second half hopes the Giants may have had. Phrases like "dependable" and "solid pro" are often attached to Fletcher.

But the diminutive tackling machine is more than just hard work and enthusiasm. Fletcher is a highly intelligent and skilled defender, blessed with excellent instincts, awareness and physicality.

The Redskins defense will need its best player to once again lead the group next season.

2. O.J. Atogwe Makes a Big Difference to the Redskins Coverage Schemes

Since arriving from the St. Louis Rams, O.J. Atogwe has been blighted by injuries and struggled to make the impact many were expecting.

Now fully fit, Atogwe showed against the Giants that he is a key part of the Redskins coverage schemes. With his ball hawking instincts patrolling the deep zones, corners DeAngelo Hall and Josh Wilson were able to play more aggressively and press Big Blue receivers at the line of scrimmage.

Atogwe increases the turnover potential of the Redskins defense, thanks to his knack for stealing the football. He demonstrated this trait brilliantly with his deft first half theft of Eli Manning.

Atogwe set the tone for a smarter, more conservative defensive approach that stifled the Giants all day long.

1. A More Cautious Gameplan Better Suits the Redskins Defense

This victory certainly proved that the Redskins defense doesn't need to blitz heavily in order to shut down their opponents.

Washington's defense was superb all game and suffocated the Giants offense, thanks to a more conservative game plan.

Coordinator Jim Haslett couldn't resist dialling up a few blitzes, but the defense was most effective when trusting the pass rush responsibilities to a four man line.

The different combinations up front harassed Manning for four quarters and led to three crucial sacks. Adam Carriker and Stephen Bowen were particularly effective at collapsing the middle of the pocket and preventing Manning from stepping up.

But the coverage schemes were also more responsibly designed. There always seems to be deep safety support for the corners.

This loose umbrella zone concept reduced the big play potential of a Giants offense that has relied on long gains all year.

This is what the Redskins 3-4 should look like. Aided by the efficiency and time of possession of the offense, the defense was able to create an aggressive shell, which gave players the freedom to swarm to the ball.

The Redskins Determination To Win This Game Bodes Well for 2012

Rookie Ryan Kerrigan's fired up celebration of a Lawrence Tynes second half field goal miss, showed just how determined the Redskins were to win this game. That kind of enthusiasm is potentially a good sign for the future.

Mike Shanahan and his staff finally let this team show what they can achieve when they a follow a simple blueprint.

A steady, ball control style of offense and a more measured and physical approach to defense, plays to the strengths of this particular team.

Completing a clean sweep of the New Yorkers for this first time since 1999 is a deserved highlight for both the team and the fans.

At a time when many fans are concentrating too much on who the Redskins can bring in for next season, this game reminded everyone that there is still plenty of pride to be salvaged and excitement left in Washington's 2011 campaign.

If the Redskins rebuilding efforts are going to bear fruit, then the evidence will become clear during the final games of this season.