| QB Robert Griffin III had another strong offensive performance vs. the Bengals, but once again, the Redskins' defense cost the team a win. (AP) |
Two weeks ago the Redskins celebrated a big opening win and appeared ready to make some noise, if not for the whole season then at least in the early part. Two weeks later and they’re reeling at 1-2, with defensive mishaps spoiling good offensive performances.
That’s quite a twist from most of the past decade. But the reality for the Redskins is that they have a rookie QB in Robert Griffin III who must do a lot more than they initially hoped, as the defense is nowhere near a top-10 unit at this point.
With a tough second-half schedule, the Redskins need a few wins early to prevent the season from slipping away. Again.
Offense: B
Why not an A when they scored 24 points? Because in the first half they did little against a struggling defense and because they had two drives that started near midfield late in the third and in the fourth that resulted in no points. And a fumble gave the Bengals the ball inside the 15 in the first half. So it was an inconsistent day. But quarterback Robert Griffin III had a solid day with 221 yards passing and 85 rushing. Alfred Morris was solid with 78 yards on 17 carries.
Defense: D-
They allowed 38 points, what else should they receive? The only reason they didn’t receive an F is because they actually scored a touchdown and caused another turnover. But they surrendered way too many big plays and had too many missed tackles to be anything other than an ordinary struggling defense. They’ve allowed three straight teams to pass for more than 300 yards and they’ve allowed 16 pass plays of 20 or more yards this season. The Bengals finished with 478 yards of total offense. Thing is, missing Adam Carriker and Brian Orakpo did not hurt them as much as feared. Rob Jackson, starting in place of Orakpo, had the interception for a touchdown and three tackles for a loss.
Special teams: B+
The best part? No blocked punts. That won’t exactly soothe Redskins fans, but hey, it’s a start. The Redskins were solid, though, as Billy Cundiff made his one field goal attempt (from 36 yards) and the coverage units were strong. They allowed 24 yards on four punt returns and 63 on three kick returns. Lorenzo Alexander had a good tackle on one kick return. The return game produced a 55-yard run by kick returner Brandon Banks.
Coaching: C-
The Redskins made good adjustments at halftime offensively and finally started to move the ball, using Brandon Banks behind Griffin in the pistol formation as a new wrinkle. But they were slow to get anything going and it cost them in the first half. They still haven’t produced a consistent passing game from the pocket on straight drop-backs. Coach Mike Shanahan lost another challenge, using a timeout they needed late in the game. Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct before the last play, though his frustration stemmed initially from another officiating screw-up. The defense, once again, was behind the opposing offense by a step most of the day. They weren’t prepared for a pass out of the wildcat on the first play, despite Mohamed Sanu throwing it in that situation 18 times at Rutgers. They surrender way too many big plays for it to only be about the players.
John Keim covers the Redskins for the Washington Examiner. Follow him on Twitter @CBSRedskins or @John_Keim.