Ladies and gentlemen, football is back! The wonderful time of year where we are blessed with fast-paced, hard-hitting action. The first set of 1 p.m. games have wrapped up but there’s still a lot of football to be played. Here is the Redskins game 1 recap.
The Washington Redskins took on the Philadelphia Eagles. For the Burgandy and Gold, there were a few ups and a few downs; the typical for any Redskins game. Just how well did the Skins perform? Time to issue a week 1 report card.
Offense: C-
The offense got off to a surprisingly electric start at Lincoln Financial Field. Case Keenum hooked up with Vernon Davis for an early touchdown. Keenum also looked to spread the ball around hitting Richardson, Quinn, and Harmon. The deep threat was Terry McLaurin who went for 125 yards on just 5 catches; not to mention a 70-yard touchdown. The first half looked great.
However, in the second half, the only score came during the last seconds of the game. Penalties mounted resulting in the loss of 90 yards. Much like the back half of last season, the offense was on for 3, and then off. Don’t blink, you might just miss McLaurin being overthrown.
Defense: C
The game of football is not in the business of making excuses. Yes, the offense did not help by not moving the ball, but that does not excuse missing tackles and blowing coverages. The world knows DeSean Jackson is a deep threat and is super fast. Jackson with 8 catches for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns. There was an absence of pressure from the outside. Kerrigan and Sweat just couldn’t seem to get to Wentz. Moreover, Sweat struggled which leads to the question of preparation. Dunbar also falls into the boat of underperformers as Wentz & co. had a field day, literally.
Special Teams: B
Does special teams really get any attention? Not really but credit should be given where it is due. Tress Way is probably one of the best punters in the league, consistently pinning the ball between 5 and 15 no matter where he is on the field. Also, a special shoutout goes to Dustin Hopkins for nailing a 48-yard field goal.
Overall Performance: C
if the special teams was not counted, the overall grade would be a D. The Redskins lost 27-32. Though the team started out well, they could not keep the momentum going. A pair of touchdowns from the “The Redskins Killer” had morale low. From there on, it was just a series of blown coverages, overthrown balls, and penalties galore. Not to mention the time of possession which was lopsided. At one point the Eagles controlled the ball 4 times as long with the Redskins having the ball for 5 minutes, to the Eagles 20 minutes. This is week 1 and it is too early to be super fatigued. So, the excuse can be, these are early-season kinks to work on.
The Redskins take on the Cowboys next week at FedEx field. This is the home opener against another division rival; a more disliked rival. Gruden and his staff have a lot to review and a lot of practicing to do before then. Until then, hail to the Redskins, even in defeat. That is the Redskins game 1 recap.
