National Football League

Washington Redskins Breakdown: Ups And Downs In Week 7 Loss

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:02 p.m. ET

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Oct 16, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden looks on during the first half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Redskins could not get their fifth straight victory against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Here is a full breakdown of what happened in the game.

The Washington Redskins played a near complete game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon. The two teams were engaged in a defensive battle early on, but the offenses came alive to close the contest. Each each had a chance to win, but the Lions ultimately converted on a huge drive to clinch the victory. The final score was 20-17 in Detroit’s favor.

Despite the loss, the Redskins actually did not play too badly. They had some major mistakes, but some of their players had some very strong performances. There is a reason that the team was almost always within one score of the Lions.

With all that in mind, it is time to take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from this week’s game. Here’s a look at the Redskins Breakdown for Week 7.

Oct 23, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) runs for a touchdown past Detroit Lions free safety Glover Quin (27) during the fourth quarter at Ford Field. Detroit won 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Passing Game: Kirk Cousins Impresses Against Lions

Though the Redskins were unable to emerge victorious in the game against the Lions, Kirk Cousins may have played his best game of the season. In the contest against the Lions, Cousins was absolutely superb. He went 30-of-39 during the game for 301 yards and a touchdown. He also scrambled for 19 yards and a touchdown during the game.

The touchdown was a classic NFL style play. On the one yard line, the Redskins lined up in an I-formation play. Cousins faked the ball to Matt Jones before lofting a pass to Robert Kelley. Kelley was wide open on the play so Cousins just had to do what he did. It was a good pass by Cousins, but the fake was the better part of the play.

His rushing touchdown was arguably his best play of the day. The Redskins dialed up an unconventional read option for Cousins, and he delivered. After faking the handoff to the back, he realized that he had an open lane to the end zone. He pulled it out and turned on the jets to get the score. That put the Redskins up 17-13 at the time and was ultimately a huge play by the quarterback. On another day, it would have won them the game.

Throughout the rest of the match, Cousins just seemed to be on point. He was able to hit all of his receivers and had very few bad throws. He went through his progressions well, and aside from a couple of fumbles, he played well. Cousins really looked great in this game, and maybe he will bring this momentum with him into the game against the Bengals.

Oct 23, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Washington Redskins wide receiver Jamison Crowder (80) runs after a catch against Detroit Lions strong safety Miles Killebrew (35) during the third quarter at Ford Field. Lions won 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Passing Game: Jamison Crowder, Vernon Davis Are Big Play Threats

It was a well-known fact that the Washington Redskins had a great receiving corps heading into the season. However, the team’s top two options have actually not done anything too special this year. DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon have played well, but they have not been spectacular. Instead, Jamison Crowder has emerged as the big-time playmaker for the unit.

Against the Lions, Crowder was once again terrific. He led the Skins in receiving with 108 receiving yards on seven catches. He was able to get open consistently against the porous Detroit defense, and he was definitely an asset to the team. By the end of the year, Crowder may be the most talented receiver on the team’s roster.

Aside from Crowder, Vernon Davis had another fantastic game. Playing in place of the injured Jordan Reed, Davis used his athleticism to make plays against the Lions linebackers. Davis caught all six of his targets for 79 yards and was a security blanket for Cousins. The Redskins may elect to hold Reed out in Week 8 to give him extra rest going into the bye. If they do, Davis will continue to be a fine replacement.

The Redskins will continue to be able to use their receiving corps as a weapon. The team can create mismatches to take control of and really affect the outcome of games. Today’s game a was a great example of that.

Oct 23, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Washington Redskins running back Matt Jones (31) gets tackled by a group of Detroit Lions during the first quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Running Game: Matt Jones Struggles Immensely

The Redskins were absolutely not happy with the performance of Matt Jones during this game. Coming off of one of the best performances of his career, many expected the second year player to put together another great game against the Lions weak front. However, he performed poorly and it looks like consistency is still an issue for him.

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On the day, Jones carried the ball 10 times for 27 yards. He looked lethargic on the field and was unable to get any momentum. Making matters worse, he lost a fumble early in the game and sat on the bench for a bit as a result. He really could not get anything going and that set the tone for him in the game.

The bright side is that Chris Thompson played well in relief of Jones. Thompson ended up leading the team in carries with 12 and yards with 73. He had numerous good runs and used his elusiveness to gash the Lions defense. He also was a factor in the receiving game, catching seven passes for 40 yards.

Thompson could take some snaps away from Jones moving forward given his performance in this contest. It will be interesting to see how their rotation looks next week against the Bengals.

Oct 23, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman (24) walks off the field with an injury during the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Lions won 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Defense: Josh Norman Suffers A Concussion

The Redskins looked to be in position to notch a win early in the second half. However, things changed when Josh Norman went down. The team’s star cornerback was hurt on a play in the second half. He was slow to get up and walked into the locker room after receiving medical attention. He ended up having a concussion and obviously missed the rest of the game.

Without Norman, the Redskins defense was not able to hold up as well. Notably, on the final drive of the game they allowed the Lions to march 75 yards down the field in six plays. The drive took only 49 seconds. It culminated with the game winning pass from Matthew Stafford to Anquan Boldin which gave the Lions the huge victory.

Had Norman been in, and had Bashaud Breeland not hurt his ankle, the Redskins would have had a better chance to win. Being without their top corner absolutely killed them late. They have great depth at the position, but they just did not have quite enough to combat the Lions top notch talent. It was devastating to the Skins, but they will have to move on.

Hopefully Norman will be healthy enough by next week to play. Otherwise, containing A.J. Green will be an issue for the team.

Oct 16, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins defensive end Trent Murphy (93) tackles Philadelphia Eagles running back Ryan Mathews (24) during the second half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Defense: Pass Rush Performs Well

This has been a common theme for the Redskins this season. They have three solid pass rushers on the outside and they have all performed well at various points. Today, Ryan Kerrigan, Preston Smith, and Trent Murphy were all great once again. Each notched a sack and put some pressure on Stafford.

Kerrigan has really started to come on in recent weeks. Over the past couple of games, Kerrigan has recorded a whopping 3.5 sacks. He has beaten up on right tackles and today was no different. He fought hard against Riley Reiff and was able to blow by him once. It was a great performance by the veteran and he should continue to play strong.

Murphy has continued to be strong week in and week out in the 2016 season. He totaled his sixth sack in this game and has put pressure on opposing quarterbacks every game. He is a great combination end/linebacker and he will definitely succeed as he continues to play. Pairing him with Kerrigan has resulted in some pretty effective pass rushing situations. When they are on the field with Smith, then opposing teams really struggle.

If this play continues, the Redskins will always have a chance to win. They have a strong pass rush and a deep secondary. That is the making of a pretty solid defense. They will have success as long as they can continue to stop the run.

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