The Washington Redskins defeated the Detroit Lions, 19-16, for their first home win of the season. The win over the Lions snapped a four-game losing streak to the NFC North team dating back to 2008. The Redskins improved their all-time series record against the Lions to 31-14 and regular-season home record to 19-3.
The game was the first-ever win by rookie quarterback Dwyane Haskins and it was fitting the victory was at home in front of a crowd that hadn’t seen the Redskins win in the building going back to a 20-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys on October 21, 2018.
The former Ohio State star had some moments in the victory that he can learn from like an overthrow of wideout Terry McLaurin for a sure touchdown, but overall the growth process is in full effect.
The Redskins (2-9) played an assortment of young players and are evaluating talent for next year’s roster. The win should make coaches feel good about the way those players responded.
Washington will hit the road where they will face the Carolina Panthers Sunday in Charlotte, NC. The Panthers (5-6) are losers of the three straight games and four out of their last five outings.
In the victory over the Lions, the Redskins re-wrote several historical statistics and individual players put their names in the team record books.
Here are a few feats accomplished in the Week 12 home win.
On Defense:
The Redskins forced four turnovers in the game. It was the most turnovers they caused in a single game since Week 4 against the New York Giants [two interceptions and two forced fumbles].
The Redskins three interceptions were the most in a single game since notching five interceptions against the Chicago Bears in Week 16 of the 2016 season.
The Redskins defense finished with six sacks, continuing their streak of games with at least two sacks to seven games. It is their longest streak since Week 2-Week 9 of 2017. The defense now has 29 sacks on the season and 24 since Week 5.
The Redskins picked off the Lions three times (Fabian Moreau (2) and Quinton Dunbar) for their third multi-interception game of the season.
The defense recorded an interception and forced a fumble in back-to-back games for the first time this season. Washington now has 12 interceptions on the season and entered the game tied for seventh in the NFL.
Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan finished with four tackles [two solo], 0.5 sacks and three tackles for a loss before exiting the game with concussion-like symptoms. Kerrigan pushed his career sack total to 89.0. He is now two sacks away from tying Dexter Manley [91.0] for the franchise record.
Rookie linebacker Cole Holcomb finished with 13 tackles [seven solo], one sack and one tackle for loss. It is the first sack of his career. The 13 tackles are the third most in single-game in franchise history by a rookie. He is the third rookie to have 13-plus tackles [LaRon Landry, 15; DeJon Gomes, 14].
On Offense:
Haskins Jr. finished with 156 passing yards on 13-for-29 passing. He also added 28 yards on the ground on his three carries.
Haskins Jr. had an 18-yard run in the first quarter, the longest run by a Redskins quarterback since Alex Smith’s 22-yard run in Week 9 of the 2018 season against the Atlanta Falcons.
Running Back Adrian Peterson [2,959] is now No. 11 in carries on the all-time rushing list, passing Franco Harris [2,949].
Peterson has now amassed 1,517 career rushing yards against the Detroit Lions. He joins Walter Payton and Joe Perry as the only players in NFL history to record 1,500-plus career rushing yards against Detroit.
McLaurin finished with 72 yards on five catches [14.4 yards per]. He currently has 639 receiving yards which is seventh-most in franchise history for a rookie.
The Ohio State product pulled in at least four passes for the seventh time, becoming the fifth rookie to do so in franchise history. He joins Charley Taylor [1964], Art Monk [1980], Jordan Reed [2013] and Jamison Crowder [2015] as the only Redskins rookies to accomplish that feat.
McLaurin posted his seventh game of 50-plus yards, joining Charley Taylor [1964], Art Monk [1980], Gary Clark [1985] and Anthony Armstrong [2010] as the only rookies to achieve that feat.
Wide Receiver Steven Sims Jr. had 124 kick off return yards, including a 91-yard touchdown. Sims Jr.’s 91-yard return is tied for the 10th longest kickoff return in franchise history and the second-longest by a rookie [Brandon Banks, 96, 10/31/10].
The kickoff return was the first non-offensive touchdown of the season for Washington.