This has to be the most bittersweet blowout victory for the Washington Redskins in recent memory. QB Robert Griffin III looked like his old self early in the game before dislocating his ankle on a sideline pass. WR DeSean Jackson injured his shoulder soon after Griffin’s injury. But the Redskins didn’t miss a beat and went on to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars 41-10.
The Good:
- The guy with the cape and the number eight – Kirk Cousins stepped in after the Griffin injury and completed 12 consecutive passes. He came fresh off the bench and threw a touchdown to FB Darrel Young. Cousins went on to complete 22 of 33 passes for 250 yards and two TDs, in what was his best professional football game, in my opinion. He didn’t turn the ball over, which is huge because he’s done it in essentially every game he’s played as a pro.
- Redskins defense allowed only eight first downs Sunday and had 10 sacks. If you subtract the two long touchdowns Bacarri Rambo has allowed the past two games — Washington’s defense has only allowed six points through two weeks of football. Exceptional football is what that group is playing so far this season.
- Jason Hatcher is such a stud. That was a big loss for the Dallas Cowboys. Hatcher is proving to be that great interior rusher the Redskins haven’t had in a very, very long time.
- Ryan Kerrigan had a four sacks. He’s the team’s best outside rusher.
- David Amerson‘s game stood out to me. He played very well and did a great job tackling.
- Andre Roberts appears to be another great off-season signing for the team. He’s been impactful in each game this season on both punt returns and on offense.
- TE Niles Paul had a career day catching eight passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. This Jay Gruden offense is a tight end’s best friend. Imagine if Jordan Reed was healthy.
- DL Chris Baker looked excellent at nose tackle. It’s his natural position but he went into the season starting at five technique. He’s one of the few players this team has developed over the years.
- Rookie WR Ryan Grant had five receptions for 57 yards. He showed very strong hands, as he did in preseason.
- Redskins overvaluing Kirk Cousins forcing teams not to send trade offers for him. Clearly, he does have major value to this Washington Redskins organization.
The Bad:
- 11 penalties isn’t something you want to see.
- Bacarri Rambo typically takes bad angles when tackling, but for the past two weeks he’s allowed a long TD with poor coverage. That was supposed to be his strength — coverage. After the long TD he allowed vs Jacksonville, the coaches benched him in favor of Trenton Robinson.
- DeSean Jackson sprained his AC Joint. He was on his way to having a pretty explosive game.
- For a while there it appeared that Pierre Garcon wasn’t invited to the party Sunday. He eventually caught a football, but also had a drop. Garcon was targeted four times.
The Ugly:
- Robert Griffin III’s dislocated ankle, unfortunately, on a very great play. It was a horrible situation for Griffin, because he was on his way to having his best game since 2012. Yes, the Redskins scored 41 points without him. But there’s no doubt that losing Griffin again will be a major blow for the Redskins. Not only for this year, but for the future. The recovery time frame hasn’t been announced, but many expect this to be the end of Griffin’s season. At the very least, Griffin will miss significant time. Whether people want to believe it or not, this could potentially cloud the future of Griffin with the Washington Redskins. We’ll get more on his injury tomorrow after Griffin undergoes an MRI.
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