Game Recap: Redskins Lose to Atlanta 38-14, Continue Losing Today

If you were worried things were going too well for Washington this year, take solace in the drastic karmic realignment that’s taken place over the last 48 hours. This type of Monday is our post-’92 normal, so let’s put smiles on our faces and say it’s nice to be home.

Washington fans nursing a 38-14 hangover woke to the news today that Brandon Scherff, Shawn Lauvao, and Paul Richardson would all be lost for the season due to injury. For those keeping score (PSA: don’t), that’s two line starters and one starting receiver lost from an already-struggling offensive unit. For an indication of what that might mean, one need only watch yesterday’s game tape.

Without Williams (also out), Lauvao, and Scherff, Washington’s run-game found no purchase yesterday. Peterson’s performance nearly tied his worst this year (a 6 yard performance against New Orleans and a 20 yard performance against Indianapolis), and the offense failed to move consistently without him. Washington’s first drive after kickoff went for -6 yards and ate two minutes. Their next drive took 3 minutes and went for 15 yards. 3 more minutes on the next one, for a grand total of 17 yards. Washington finally scored on their fourth possession off an endzone fade to Doctson, but Atlanta turned right around and scored before the half off a pass to Ridley, then received after the break and scored again.

This is exactly why the dink-and-dunk game falls apart against a team that routinely picks up chunk yardage. The Redskins don’t have the time or luxury to sputter and putz their way up the field against Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. Remember, Washington’s game plan was barely enough hold on against struggling teams like Dallas and New York, and one of those still took a self-inflicted penalty and a badly-shanked kick to earn. There’s not much positive here. And unfortunately, things on offense will get worse before they get better, now that those three starters will join Williams and Crowder on the sideline.

On to the defense, then. Et tu, brute? For the first time this season, the Redskins defense looked incompetent in both aspects of the game. Regarding the pass-defense, that’s not terribly surprising. Someone was going to have a big day for Atlanta, I just didn’t think it would be everyone. Julio Jones had a great game and scored his first TD of the season. Tevin Coleman achieved season-high numbers for receiving. Calvin Ridley’s aforementioned score before halftime was completely inexcusable, considering it was off a short crossing route that he turned into a 40-yard TD through sheer speed and force of will. Mohamed Sanu put up as many yards as Doctson and Richardson combined. Even Austin Hooper got in on the action with 41 yards. Partially to blame were similar pick plays the Colts ran against the Redskins, and they were no more prepared for them this week than they were then.

Washington’s secondary has been exposed by quarterbacks already this year, but yesterday marked the first incompetent performance for the run defense. I’m not sure how Ito Smith and Tevin Coleman snuck over 100 yards past our front 7, but it looked to me like too many guys were dropping back into coverage to protect the pass, leaving those short, honesty-checking runs open to develop into more. Neither of Atlanta’s backs touch the pedigree of guys we’ve already faced and snuffed out this year, so this just wasn’t well-schemed.

There were some nice flashes in this game. Kerrigan and Ioannidis both got sacks. Dunbar got an INT. Maurice Harris got up over 100 yards. Alex Smith got over 300! Vernon Davis hurdled a guy with about 6 inches of air. Josh Doctson caught an endzone fade. But it all adds up to nothing, or at least not enough, when the score is 38-14 and you never have control.

That’s about all I can stomach for this one. I’m going to give the defense a mulligan this week; they’re a still a good unit and I’m not thrown by two poor performances. Show me a defense that’s perfect every week of the season – especially against Brees and Ryan – and I’ll eat my hat. The offense, however, gets no more passes from me. I don’t think it has the appropriate personnel, game plan, or play calling, and I don’t see things turning around heading into week 10, now that the injury list has grown permanently by three.

I, and much of the fanbase, would love to be proven wrong on this one. Ball’s in your possession, Redskins. Don’t turn it over this time.