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If you have been watching the Redskins closely, it has been apparent since the first game against the Miami Dolphins that Washington has the horses to compete with the best. Both the offense and defense have been physical at the point of attack making clean blocks and throwing ‘bows in the trenches. The run game looked to be the wrecking ball to wear down opposing team’s defenses and the defense is holding teams to 10 points.
Sunday at FedEx field there was more than just being physical with the St. Louis Rams however. For instance, one could almost feel the energy that wide out Pierre Garçon displays… an energy and attitude that former Redskins tight end Rick Doc Walker calls the “dawg in you.” There was an electricity in the air that said that the guys on this team were, rather than being bullied, would be the bully.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins commanded the offense with conviction, after an opening game in which he turned the ball over twice, leaving some to wonder if Head Coach Jay Gruden had made the right decision. After the Miami game and those INTs, Cousins returned with a vengeance against St. Louis and became thorn in that team’s side. Captain Kirk played mistake-free football, completing 23 of 27 passes for 203 yards and a touchdown. He almost had a pick but “almost had” isn’t the same as “did.”
This type of performance from Cousins is what this team needs in order to be successful but what any quarterback needs is physical offensive line play. Bill Callahan’s unit brought this. It brought a mauling, nasty streak to the trenches, walloping the Rams’ defense into submission.
“If I could give you five reasons for us playing so well, it would be those five guys,” Cousins said of his offensive line.
This was a unit that held a Rams defensive — a front considered among the best in the NFL — to only two sacks.
Washington’s big-boys-in-the-trenches would open up holes that would allow the offense to establish its physical and punishing run game led by Alfred Morris and rookie Matt Jones. The Redskins ground-and-pound game would rack up 182 yards on 37 carries.
Morris carried the ball 18 times for a total of 59 yards, breaking open a big 35-yard run on the Redskins second drive. Also on this day it was Florida Gator Matt Jones that had a huge game. Jones took his first carry from scrimmage for a 39-yard house call on the Redskins second drive and would continue to run the ball with no regard for human life. He would finish the day with 19 carries 123 yards and two touchdowns.
Just like we saw the Dallas Cowboys doing in 2014, the Washington line’s proficient ground-and-pound game has helped the Burgundy and Gold chew up the clock in a major way. The Redskins owned the ball for 37:44 on Sunday after holding it for 37:54 in Week 1 against the Dolphins. These games were the first time they’ve topped 37-plus minutes of possession in back-to-back games in twenty-three years.
But it wasn’t just Washington’s offense that beat up on the Rams, the defense — known in the locker room as Capital Punishment — showed again why they should be feared and respected as such. The Rams offense scored 27 points in a 34-31 overtime battle against the 2014 NFC Champions Seattle Seahawks. This was not repeated against the Redskins.
The Capital Punishment crew led by defensive linemen Terrence Knighton, Jason Hatcher and Stephen Paea, along with outside linebackers Ryan Kerrigan and Trent Murphy; have anchored a front seven that held St. Louis to just 67 yards on the ground. Rams’ quarterback Nick Foles was held to just 150 yards through the air. Defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s defense also held the Rams to converting just two of 12 third downs.
”You know there was no other choice; you know they were going to pass [on third down],” defensive end Ricky Jean Francois said. “We made sure on first and second down to put them in an awkward position they’re not used to. They’re used to third and three, third and five. When we had them in third and eight, third and nine, [Barry] can open up that playbook and do whatever he wants with us.”
When the offense of the Redskins had seemingly hit a brick wall in the third quarter, the Redskins defense continued to be relentless in their pursuit. Maintaining pressure on Foles and the Rams offense allowed time for the Redskins offense to regain its composer and put the nail in the coffin. The Redskins had just one sack, by Paea, but they accumulated two tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries.
“The veteran guys led the way and we kept our heads about us and found a way to get this victory,” Gruden said.
Washington’s defense has been solid up front allowing an average of just 60 rushing yards per game through its first two. It’s carried over to the back end as well, which has cut down on the number of explosive plays allowed.
The Rams on Sunday had just one play — a 40-yard touchdown pass from Foles to receiver Kenny Britt — that resulted in more than 16 yards.
The Washington Redskins won the battle in the invisible squared circle called “the trenches.” Showing that they have truly bought into first year General Manager Scot McCloughan’s philosophy of having “big, tough, nasty, strong guys” who cause opposing players to know that, after playing the Redskins, “you’re going to know you played us.”
One thing is for certain… the NFL is just two weeks into the 2015 season and the NFC East division race is wide-open. If the Redskins can continue to walk to the cadence of McCloughan’s war chant like they have been, the team that everyone was down on could be brewing up a nasty concoction in the District.
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