It wasn’t pretty, but the Washington Redskins did something they haven’t been able to do for over a full calendar year and that was to win a game at FedexField. The Redskins defeated the Detroit Lions 19-16 and gave the fans who were in attendance a reason to feel good leaving the stadium. The last home win for Washington was back on October 21, 2018, in a 20-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
Redskins rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins secured his first NFL victory and a home win in front of a raucous crowd. The former Ohio State standout wasn’t on the field to take the final victory formation, however, because he was having a nice moment with offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell and fans by taking a ‘selfie’ near the teams’ bench.
Regardless of the final play, the Redskins youth served notice and played an intricate role in the victory.
Haskins left some throws on the field but again showed that late in outings he is a gamer who will not quit. On the day he was 13 of 29 for 156 yards with an interception.
After leading most of the game the Redskins saw the Lions fight back and ultimately take the lead. Unlike games over the past year and a half, the Redskins and Haskins fought back and made the plays that needed to be made in securing the win.
Young players like rookie wideouts Terry McLaurin (5 receptions for 72 yards) and Steven Sims Jr (91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown) made big plays on offense and special teams.
On the defensive side of the ball, third-year cornerback Fabian Moreau had a career game by recording two interceptions with the second pick sealing the win for Washington.
Moreau and fifth-year CB Quinton Dunbar intercepted Lions quarterback Jeff Driskel who was starting for injured Pro Bowl QB Matthew Stafford a total of three times.
#Redskins coach Bill Callahan comments on his teams win today over the Detroit Lions. pic.twitter.com/7QUyjjeWrk
— Lake Lewis Jr (@LakeLewis) November 25, 2019
As a whole, the defense played aggressively and that was not lost by interim coach Bill Callahan who liked what he saw from the unit.
“Well, I think it was in the plan to begin with and I thought, you’re right,” Callahan said in response to his defenses play and that of some of the young players. “In the second half, we applied a little bit more pressure on third down. I know that we caught him off guard a few times in the third-down situation where we got them to turn the ball over on downs and make them punt. I like the mix today. I like the balance of what we did from zone, pressure, man and also whether we were dropping eight or just rushing for it. I like the balance and I like the mix. I thought [Defensive Coordinator] Greg [Manusky] did a really good job with that.”
The Redskins will need to lean on the young players on the roster who will have an opportunity down the stretch to show what they can do and perhaps alter the draft and free agency plans of a roster that will need to make some changes with current veterans.
Against the Lions (3-7-1), the young talent made a significant impact in fighting for the victory.