While much of the build up to Sunday’s game revolved around Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones against a patched-up Redskins secondary, it was actually the Falcons’ running game that did the damage. Washington entered the game with a top-five run defense, allowing an average of just 78 yards per game. But Atlanta finished the game with 176 rushing yards, with running back Devonta Freeman leading the way with 153 on 27 carries.
The Redskins’ run defense has been simple but stout. They’ve played with one-gap principles, setting an edge on the outside and forcing runs between the tackles where the interior defensive linemen and the linebackers lurked.