The Washington Redskins blew the brilliant chance to get once more into the NFC playoff picture and lost, 26-15, to the Carolina Panthers on Monday night at the FedEx Field.
In a very puzzling game, the Redskins, who had everything to play for, got outplayed by the Panthers, who had beside nothing to play for.
Presently, at 7-6-1, the Redskins are in genuine peril of missing the postseason. In any case, there’s little time for the team to think about this defeat. In only a couple days, they play the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, needing a win to save their season.
Be that as it may, to start with, here are a few observations from Monday night’s loss.
The observation
1. Metal Block:
This isn’t the first event when we’ve seen this, however, it’s a genuine issue for this Redskins team, and nobody can clarify it. In any case, for reasons unknown, they make an incredible battling with regards to when their backs are against the wall. Gotten into a tight spot, they emerge cocked and locked and get the job done. Be that as it may, for some puzzling reason, when confronted with a level of progress, where they need just play from ahead, in a manner of speaking, they get to be distinctly self-satisfied and can’t figure out how to flip the switch.
A decent team must react well to misfortune; however, a decent squad additionally knows how to handle success. Prior this year, subsequent to ripping off four straight wins and beating the Eagles, the Redskins broadcasted that they ran the NFC East. They turned out the following week and lost to Detroit, and tied Cincinnati after that. They recorded two more triumphs, and lost to Dallas, however, had the ideal chance to redeem themselves with a win over Arizona, and keep up their remaining in the playoff chase, and the Redskins turned out level and blew that shot.
Monday night was familiar. The Redskins were falling off a win over the Eagles, having gotten assistance from the Cowboys to jump Tampa Bay by beating Carolina. Be that as it may, the Redskins put on another drowsy performance. Jay Gruden blamed himself for not coaching his folks up all around. In any case, it can’t all fall on the coach. This team has a lot of men who see themselves as solid pioneers. They needed set a superior tone to guarantee that a failure like Monday’s didn’t occur. It’s practically similar to the Redskins anticipated that would take off there and have the game handed to them. Clearly, players know they can’t think little of rivals. Be that as it may, it certainly looked like some place in their psyche; they didn’t trust they needed to attack.
By difference, the Panthers are a team that has battled this season, and for all intents and purposes have nothing to play for. In any case, despite everything they played with a feeling of urgency and pride– On the off chance that the Redskins could adjust the same forceful sort of mind-set.
2. Cousins goes cold
It surely could have been more regrettable. We’ve seen uglier exhibitions from Kirk Cousins. Not the renewed Cousins of the previous two years, however, the trying-too-hard-to-prove himself Cousins of 2012 to ’14. The performance on Monday night particularly took after Cousins’ first trip of this season, where he tossed for noteworthy yardage, however, looked exceptionally conditional and didn’t convey in the forceful way that his team needed.
From about the halfway point of the season, Cousins has been sharp, forceful, and extremely equipped for carrying his team. All that went out the window on Monday night. He didn’t appear like he could get dialed in when it came to exactness and touch. He didn’t see the field too, missing open receivers since he was so secured on different targets, and he got tricked by coverages. Cousins didn’t have great security on the sack-mishandle (recouped via Carolina at the 1-yard-line), where Vernon Davis got tossed into him. Yet, all in all, Cousins had satisfactory assurance for the duration of the night. Also, he certainly had a few drops by receivers on tosses that ought to have been completions. Nonetheless, receivers likewise made some extreme catches to compensate for Cousins’ absence of exactness on a few tosses. Along these lines, it levels out as it were.
Cousins must kick himself over this blown opportunity on a night where he simply wasn’t acting naturally. It is not necessarily the case that he’s not permitted to have awful outings. Be that as it may, in the grip minutes, you would want to have gotten better.
3. Absence of run game
The Panthers made an extraordinary job with regards to making the Redskins a one-dimensional offense. Since assuming control as the starter, running back Rob Kelley has arrived at the midpoint of 4.2 yards a carry while guaranteeing balance for the Redskins. The rookie on the back had no running room on Monday night as the Panthers dominated the line of scrimmage and swarmed to the ball. Kelley oversaw only 0.9 yards on every carry, and the absence of creation put the Redskins in second-and-long, third-and-long holes. That converted into poor production on third downs: five three-and-outs, and a terrible 2-for-12 appearing on conversions. Battles against the run weren’t completely shocking considering the Panthers have the third-best run safeguard in the team. Be that as it may, Gruden conceded that the way that Carolina so completely close down his team’s run game really surprised him. The typical issues persisted on defense, yet without the offense running on all chambers, this team didn’t have a chance.
4. Defensive backs, youthful and old
After weeks of struggles, it was nice to see Bashaud Breeland break out of his droop and make some huge plays to help his team. He looked far more agreeable in the nickel back part on Monday night than he did the past game. Breeland had three pass breakups – two in the red zone, furthermore defended another pass inside the five-yard line that wound up going for a two-yard loss instead of a possible touchdown. With every positive play, you could see Breeland’s certainty develop.
5. Short turnaround
This week’s game will be a definitive test for Washington, both mentally and physically. Players had Tuesday off, as it is as per the CBA, and afterward will have meetings and walkthroughs on Wednesday, a light practice Thursday, a walkthrough on Friday and afterward travel to Chicago. It’s a somewhat unsettling a setup considering the way that this meeting has attempted to turn out with the feeling of urgency and the fresh execution that they needed notwithstanding when they have satisfactory time to get ready. In this way, limited prep time does not look good for them. All expectation is not lost for the playoffs.
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