For the first time this season and the first time in a long time the Redskins lead the NFC East. Now, you tell me, who could have predicted this going into the season.
Not Ian Rappaport:
The #Redskins move into first place in the NFC East. Not sure I saw that coming.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 29, 2015
or Jason La Canfora:
We will enter December with the Skins in first place in the NFC East. Beat the Giants, 20-14. What a crazy league
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) November 29, 2015
Regardless of expectations and preseason prognostications, its time for Redskins fans to take this team seriously. After a down to the wire finish against the Giants in Week 12, the Redskins will enter the closing weeks with a number of strengths but also some major concerns.
Takeaways from Sunday:
1) Secondary stepping up:
The stat-line will say otherwise, but Brashard Breeland and Will Blackmon blanketed Beckham and for much of the game made him a non-factor. Beckham was held to 5 catches and 65 yards in the first half and then made a couple of circus catches that only OBJ makes. Breeland has impressed this year when on the field, and Will Blackmon is looking like a clever mid-season pickup, especially with an injured Chris Culliver and a useless Deangelo Hall. And let’s not forget the Redskins 6th round pick rookie Kyshoen Jarrett and Quinton Dunbar who played his best game as a pro on Sunday. Dunbar, a former WR turned cornerback reaped the fruits of his labor with a game-saving interception in the end zone on Reuben Randle.
2) Near-Perfection at Home Continues:
While the offense was far from Super Bowl caliber on Sunday and it did just enough to win the game. They didn’t turn the ball over and Cousins completed some big passes down the stretch. The Defense was exceptional and it was great to see Terrance Knighton healthy and making big plays as the Redskins run-stuffer. The Giants ran for 33 yards on Sunday and Knighton was a big reason for that paltry effort.
3) Rushing Attack:
Watching Alfred Morris in the first half put a smile on my face. He was vintage Morris and ran the ball like the 1,000-yard rusher he once was. He made some quick and effective cuts and cutbacks and moved the pile on first and second down. Although I don’t fully trust Matt Jones yet, especially when he carries the ball in the 4th quarter, but his 45 yard screen play in the first half showcased his speed and elusiveness.
4) Turnovers:
As any educated football fan knows, the turnover battle usually determines the outcome of the game. And while they didn’t capitalize on Eli’s interceptions in the first half, Cousins and the offense took care of the ball and didn’t give the Giants an opportunity for an easy score. The Redskins won the turnover battle on Sunday 3-0 and that more than anything has been the key to their success at home this season.
5) Penalties:
There has to be some bad, right? Forced into a blocking role when Derek Carrier went down with an injury, Jordan Reed was overmatched and compensated for that by committing penalty after penalty. Reed’s penalties took the Redskins out of field goal position on one drive and the ten yards they lost on the next drive is probably the reason the normally reliable Dustin Hopkins had his 55 yard field goal blocked.
Headlines for Monday Night’s Showdown:
1) Red-hot at Fedex:
Will the Skins continue their home winning streak on Monday night? The Redskins are 5-1 at home this season including five in a row entering Monday night’s game against Dallas. Kirk Cousins 10:0 touchdown to interception ratio at home this season has been one of the keys to their home success. Facing a Romo-less Cowboy team that has little to play for should enable the Redskins to push their streak to six..
2) Winning the up-front battle:
Last week’s defensive performance was truly remarkable but the Redskins front 7 will have a tougher time against a great Cowboys offensive line. Matt Cassel isn’t very good, but any NFL starting quarterback that can drop back into the pocket without fear of getting hit and can throw to a top 5 WR like Dez Bryant, should be able to play competently. The onus will be on Ryan Kerrigan, Jason Hatcher and Troy Murphy to breach the Cowboys line and make life difficult for Cassel.
3) Containing Dez:
The Cowboys offense will only go as far as Dez Bryant takes them. Darren Mcfadden doesn’t scare anyone with his 3.8 yards per carry and while the ageless Jason Witten will find space in the middle, the rest of the Cowboy receiving corp is subpar. Bashaud Breeland had his breakout game in last year’s MNF Redskins victory over the Cowboys and there is no reason to think that he cant shut down Dez for a second straight time.
4) Time of Possession:
In most of their victories this season the Redskins have dominated the time of possession battle, and with the exception of the Miami game the Skins have lost every game where they lost in that stat. The Redskins aren’t a good enough team to win games without dominating the clock. Dallas, leads the league in time of possession with a time of 33:18 per game. The Redskins fare 9th in the league with a time of 30:58 per game. It will be tough to remove the grin from Jay Gruden’s face if Washington wins the time of possession battle.
5) Establishing the run-game:
The Redskins will have to get this part of the game plan going against the 15th best rush defense in the league. Alfred Morris and Matt Jones must open things up for Kirk Cousins in the passing game since Dallas is ranked 7th in the league in passing yards against and tied for best in the league in receiving touchdowns allowed. In order for Cousins to keep his interception-less streak at home alive, the run game needs to soften up the Cowboys D and create play action opportunities that lead to the D-Jax long ball.