The Washington Redskins showed up to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for a much-anticipated Monday night football game where they had an opportunity to take command of first place in the NFC East division. Instead, we quickly found out that the Redskins weren’t ready for primetime and the NFC South-leading New Orleans Saints.
On the brink of breaking the NFL’s all-time passing record, it was no surprise that quarterback Drew Brees would play lights out and his team would step up to the plate to help him make history. With that being said, the Redskins came out flat and had no answers on both sides of the ball. Brees became the NFL’s all-time passer with a 62-yard touchdown to rookie wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith by halftime. He finished the game 26 of 29 for 363 yards and three touchdowns and walked away with a lopsided 43-19 victory over the Redskins.
In a game where mistakes cost the Redskins, the value of some players are on the rise while others are on the decline:
Value Up
CB Fabian Moreau
Moreau has been a constant bright spot for a struggling Redskins secondary. That did not change in primetime against the Saints. Moreau continues to own a starting cornerback position. Most notably, his tackle on wide receiver Cameron Meredith in the second quarter caused a fumble that Redskins linebacker Pernell McPhee returned for 24 yards. The turnover resulted in a four-yard Alex Smith touchdown making the score 26-13 and giving the Redskins some life before halftime.
LB Ryan Kerrigan
Kerrigan had not registered a sack through the first four games this season. He changed that when he came through with his first sack of the year on a pivotal 3rd & 8 that he turned into an 8-yard loss in the second quarter. Unfortunately, it was negated by a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on safety Montae Nicholson. If the sack counted, it would have shifted the momentum towards the Redskins.
4 things we learned in Redskins 43-19 loss to the Saints
Value Down
S Montae Nicholson
It was a rough night for Nicholson. In addition to blown coverages, his unnecessary roughness penalty in the second quarter gave the Saints full control of the game. It can’t be denied that Ryan Kerrigan’s sack would have changed the tone of the game at a time when the Redskins needed a play to go their way. Nicholson made a mistake that should have never happened. Especially on a critical third down.
This is not Nicholson’s best night. Saints know where to attack and it looks like they have identified him getting taken out of position on several big plays. #Redskins
— Lake Lewis Jr (@LakeLewisJr) October 9, 2018
QB Alex Smith
Alex Smith had an off night against the Saints. The concern is that this is happening one too many times to start the season. He had an off game against the Colts then a good game against the Packers and the pattern starts over again. It’s understandable that Smith is still finding chemistry with his teammates but consistency is key at this point. As the team’s leader, Smith must be sharp and find ways to get the ball in the hands of his receivers.