In Latest Loss, Watching The Redskins' Defense Was Almost Too Much To Bear

Count me as 1 of those guys that believed the Redskins and RG3 were due for a game like this. A lot of winning the turnover battle has to do with being careful with the ball on offense and wreaking havoc on defense, but it also has at least a little bit to do with chance or luck or randomness or whatever you want to call it…a tipped pass could fall into a defender’s waiting hands instead of harmlessly to the turf, or a fumbled ball could roll towards the opposing team instead of bouncing right back into your arms, etc. In light of that, the Redskins’ offense coughed the ball up only 5 times through their 1st 6 games, which is mind-boggling to anyone who watched Sexy Rexy play quarterback last season. So yes, maybe they were due yesterday…especially playing a division game on the road against the defending Super Bowl champion Giants.

And maybe Griffin was due as well. Through his 1st 6 games, you couldn’t say RG3 played poorly in any 1 of them. A bad game against a strong opponent (and a subsequent thumping at the hands of the Giants) was almost half-expected. And after a turnover-free 1st half, the Skins gave the ball away 4 times in the 2nd half. 2 of those belonged to Griffin (a fumble and a interception), and yet he still performed well by all accounts. The rest of his numbers for the day: 20 for 28 passing for 258 yards and 2 touchdowns as well as 89 yards on the ground. His 4th and 10 completion with the game on the line was epic. His 30 yard touchdown bomb 2 plays later to Santana Moss looked like it would put this game on ice.

Unbelievably, it looked like Griffin and the Redskins would have that bad day at the turnover offense they seemed to have been avoiding up until that point, and they still somehow looked to have the game in hand. My 1 fear, with about a minute and a half to play, was that Washington left too much time on the clock for Eli Manning to do his thing…which he did. Manning, who seemed off for most of the day (his missed touchdown pass to Victor Cruz earlier in the game and his 2 uncharacteristic interceptions probably cancelled-out the Redskins’ own turnover woes) needed only 2 plays it turns out. That’s how bad Washington’s pass defense is right now.

Cruz, who is by far the Giants’ most dangerous receiver, somehow beat double coverage, and got free for a 77 yard step-on-your-throat touchdown…cue the salsa dancing. Washington DBs Josh Wilson and Madieu Williams apparently thought that placing 2 guys on the field in Cruz’s vicinity would be enough to cause Eli to look to another option, but just because your defensive alignment calls for “double coverage” doesn’t mean you don’t actually have to play defense on that guy. An unimpeded Cruz ran right by Wilson and Williams like 2 burgandy and gold traffic cones. He had gotten so much separation that Manning’s slightly underthrown pass still didn’t allow any Washington defender to catch him. Another week…another minor league performance by the Redskins’ D. No, not much was expected of these Redskins this season...but it was another opportunity wasted just the same.