McLaurin was more eager to talk about a block he made to help get AP into the endzone on Sunday than he was about his 75-yard touchdown.
Rookie wide receiver Terry McLaurin has been no stranger to highlight plays this season. So far in his rookie year, the former Ohio State Buckeye has 833 yards and 7 touchdowns, and on Sunday he blitzed the Philadelphia Eagles once again for 130 yards and a touchdown.
However, even after the career-high performance on the field, McLaurin was eager to talk about a different play that he made when talking to reporters after the game. He wasn’t looking to talk about the 75-yard catch and run he had for a touchdown in the first quarter, but rather a block he had on the edge that allowed veteran running back Adrian Peterson to get into the end zone.
.@AdrianPeterson ties Walter Payton for the fourth-most rushing TDs all-time (110)! #HTTR
McLaurin was spread out wide to the right, and would normally be a non-factor on this run play that was designed to the left side, but AP’s tendency to reverse course had him ready and watching. As Peterson cuts back to the right side, McLaurin is able to re-engage with his defender and occupy him for enough time to allow the 34-year-old RB to cut up into the endzone, giving him his 110th career rushing touchdown — which would tie him with Walter Payton for the fourth-most in NFL history.
“I’ve missed a couple of those when AP bounces it back,” McLaurin said, via The Washington Post. “But on that play, I knew he was going to bounce it back. I just knew. So I just wanted to give him a two-way go, not necessarily force his hand. He came up and patted me on the head and told me he appreciated me, but that’s just my job.”
The old mantra for WRs in football is ‘no block, no rock,’ which encourages pass-catchers to help out in the run game so they can open up the passing game. McLaurin was able to hold up his end of the bargain on Sunday, and he seems extremely proud to be able to do so. That’s just what you want to see from your rookie playmaker.
Haskins was given the green light to sling it more on first downs Sunday, and it proved to be highly effective as it led to a scoring boom.
The Washington Redskins have had a scoring problem in 2019.
In 10 of their 14 games, they’ve been held to less than 20 points, and at one point earlier in the season, they went 16-straight quarters without getting into the end zone. Still to this date, they haven’t scored on the opening drive of a game since Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles, when Case Keenum was quarterbacking the team.
So on Sunday, when the team put up 27 points, rookie QB Dwayne Haskins throws for a career-high, and three rookie receivers had impressive performances on the stat sheet, things looked different. But what were the differences, exactly?
According to NBC Sports Peter Hailey, one of the Redskins’ main reasons for success was throwing the ball on first down.
To open the game, most NFL teams choose to take the first snap of their possession and hand it off to the running back, letting him plow his way forward and hopefully get in front of the chains. That has definitely been the case for Washington this season, as they’ve relied heavily on veteran RB Adrian Peterson. However, they went with a different strategy against the Eagles, as offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell chose to get Haskins into an early rhythm, calling for him to sling it on first down, where he found rookie WR Terry McLaurin for nine yards.
Later in the first quarter, Haskins — again on first down — found McLaurin streaking downfield for a 75-yard touchdown pass that gave Washington the lead while setting a tone for the game.
Later in the game, Haskins was also able to find rookie WR Steven Sims Jr. for a TD over the middle; a play that was set up by the Eagles committing a defensive pass interference on a first-down pass down the field.
It’s a small sample size, of course, but in the first showing of this new offensive gameplan, we witnessed the most watchable game the Redskins have played so far this season. Haskins was good, the receivers were great, and Washington almost came out with a victory.
If you’re looking for ways to get the team in a position to win the game, throwing on first down seems to be a key. It will be interesting to see what else O’Connell can unlock in these final two weeks of the season.
Norman finally talked to the media about being benched by the Redskins, and he said that he would continue to take the high road.
For years, Washington Redskins’ cornerback Josh Norman has made a career off of being a vocal and braggadocious playmaker; one that would always make you aware of his triumphs, while downplaying his failures.
So it was surprising to many when they realized that Norman had hardly spoken to the media in Washington following his benching with the Redskins. He went several weeks without opening up about the situation, but that changed on Sunday, following the Redskins’ 37-27 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in which Norman was the closest defender on a go-ahead TD for Philly in the back of the end zone.
“You saw what happened,” Norman said to a group of reporters, via The Washington Post. “I’m not going to put nobody under the bus.”
It’s unclear whether or not Eagles WR Greg Ward — who caught the TD — was Norman’s assignment on the play, but he came down with the ball nonetheless, and No. 24 was unsuccessful in knocking it free.
While the missed opportunity for a game-saving stop was the pertinent topic, an elephant in the room loomed large, as Norman had brushed off the media since taking a back seat weeks before. When asked about his thoughts on the benching, Norman once again hesitated to delve into detail, but he did have a few things to say as he navigated the high road.
“I’m still under contract for a year, so we’ll see what happens,” Norman said. “Someone higher deals the cards, I just have to play the hand.”
His time may be done in Washington, as Norman enters the final year of his $75 million contract, which is good enough to make him the second-highest-paid corner in the NFL. That doesn’t mean that his career is over. If you ask Norman whether or not he believes that he’s still an elite corner, he will say “I don’t believe anything, I am.” There may be some franchise out there that’s willing to trade for him, or more likely yet, willing to pick him up after the Redskins cut him this offseason.
He can’t control what cards he receives, he can only control how he plays the hand. So far he’s chosen to take the high road, and he traversed it well once again on Sunday.
The Redskins fanbase instantly thought of Urban Meyer as a coaching candidate upon his Sunday arrival, but McLaurin doesn’t agree.
Who was it that had the famous quote about a lie spreading halfway around the world while the truth is still putting its shoes on? Mark Twain, right?
The same can be said for a rumor that is started in the Washington Redskins’ fanbase, and that’s exactly what took place on Sunday morning before the Redskins hosted the Philadelphia Eagles in their second-to-last home game of the season.
When the team was on the field warming up before kickoff, a report surfaced that former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer was in attendance at FedEx Field, and he was to be watching the game from Dan Snyder’s owner’s box, alongside Alex Smith, his former QB at Utah.
This got the rumor mill up and running like nothing else has this year for Redskins fans.
Before we knew it, Urban Meyer had already been named by fans as the leading candidate for Washington’s vacant head coaching position, and by halftime, he’d basically accepted the job, depending on who you ask. However, rookie wide receiver Terry McLaurin — who played for Meyer at Ohio State last year — said that none of this was true when asked about it after the game.
McLaurin said his former head coach didn’t even know Washington had a home game Sunday, but when he found out, he wanted to see his former Buckeyes players, McLaurin and Dwayne Haskins. He asked if there was anything McLaurin could do to help him get in, so McLaurin made some calls.
“He’s not a candidate” for Washington’s job, McLaurin said. “He just came here to support me and Dwayne.”
Dwayne Haskins, the Redskins rookie QB who also played under Meyer in 2018, said after the game that he wasn’t even aware that his former coach was watching from the box, but he accredited his career performance to Urban’s presence.
If you ask McLaurin though, that’s about all Meyer’s appearance brought on Sunday; good vibes and a friendly meeting between former players and coaches. As for all of those coaching rumors that accompanied him as well? It might be safe to do away with those, for now.
Rumors in Washington are aplenty when it comes to GM’s and coaching candidates, but many of the floated possibilities contradict each other.
Many rumors have swirled around the Washington Redskins organization in the past couple of weeks, a majority of which have to do with a major upheaval in the team and its ownership group.
Team President Bruce Allen is rumored to be out of a job soon, and multiple candidates have been “floated” for the head coaching position in Washington, like Kansas City Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy, Stanford’s David Shaw, or most recently, Urban Meyer, the former coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
While it is nice to daydream about future coaching or managerial changes for many Redskins who are experiencing yet another disappointing year from their favorite team, The Athletic‘s Ben Standig points out that there’s one major problem with all of these rumors that are everpresent in Redskins’ circles: They can’t both be true at the same time.
If the organization is eyeing certain individuals, then Allen is part of the evaluation process since his role involves making such hires. Therefore he’s either staying, or none of these rumors hold weight considering Allen’s replacement, if given freedom of thought, would offer suggestions.
As the president and GM of the team, obviously, Allen’s words would carry some weight with the organization when it comes to major coaching decisions. So the rumors around the team give us two options that we can believe: these candidates that have been floated are actually true, and the Redskins are pursuing them, but that means Allen is likely staying on. Or Allen is on his way out, but the rumored coaches that he is interested in hold no weight.
Standig brings up a scenario where it’s possible that team owner Dan Snyder is the one floating these potential coaching interests, but that seems highly unlikely, as if he were to believe that Allen is on his way out, it would make very little sense to target a coach before hiring a general manager.
So which rumors, in particular, are true if any? That’s impossible to say at this point because it is all based on who you believe. Until something concrete happens with the program, it’s going to be more ‘he said, she said’ in Washington, which is usually fun for water cooler talk, but not typically a great way to run an NFL franchise.
Haskins had the best game of his career on Sunday, but he thinks that he should be able to put up those stats any week.
Redskins quarterback Dwayne Haskins wasn't impressed by his best statistical day. He threw for a career-best 261 yards and two touchdowns. "I'm nowhere close to where I want to be. That should be an average game for me," Haskins said. https://t.co/MsryMVRNUp
Dwayne Haskins had the best performance of his career on Sunday, going 18-for-29 for 261 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
But this isn’t about moral victories for Haskins — he thinks that those stats should be just another Sunday when all is said and done.
Regardless of what he says after the game, Haskins finally looked like a first-round pick on Sunday, as he played in front of his college coach Urban Meyer, though he says he didn’t know Meyer was in attendance. With an ability to get the ball out on time and elude pressure in the pocket, the rookie was able to keep his eyes downfield and connect with his trio of rookie receivers.
It’s been a long season so far for Haskins, but things are starting to shape up, slowly but surely. If things keep progressing like this for the rookie, then he can definitely have a long and bright future.
Less than an hour after Washington Redskins’ cornerback Josh Norman gave up the go-ahead touchdown to the Philadelphia Eagles in the back of the endzone, he is still holding onto the notion that he is one of the best corners in the NFL.
Norman, who was benched a few weeks ago in order to get younger talent on the field, says that he doesn’t just believe he is an elite corner, but he knows that he is. So far this season, Norman has given up six touchdowns on defense, the most of any Redskins player.
While his play on the field may have deteriorated as of late, Norman is still at the top of his game when it comes to believe in himself.
Urban Meyer’s appearance on Sunday fueled rumors of a potential coaching hire for the Redskins, but McLaurin said that wasn’t the case.
Terry McLaurin said Uban Meyer was there to support he and Haskins. Said it didn’t have anything to do with the coaching search. Called Meyer his personal guest.
A lot of speculation as to why Urban Meyer was in the owner’s box at the Washington Redskins game swirled on Sunday, but rookie wide receiver Terry McLaurin has attempted to clear that up right away following the 37-27 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
McLaurin, who played for Meyer alongside QB Dwayne Haskins in college, said that Meyer was his personal guest for the game and that his appearance had nothing to do with a coaching search that the Redskins are starting. Whether or not we are to believe McLaurin, it still seems interesting that Meyer would spend all of that time with Dan Snyder in the box if it had absolutely nothing to do with a potential coaching search.
Regardless, there is are a lot of things to read into, and not much fact to base things off of. Until we know anything is certain, we have to assume that Meyer was solely watching the Redskins as a fan.
The Redskins lost on Sunday, but they led for most of the game and looked like a functional NFL team in the process, which is always a win.
If we’re being honest, that was just about the best-case scenario for the Washington Redskins. In the end, it will go down on the stat sheet as a 37-27 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but the Redskins were actually in the game and leading most of the way. Meanwhile, the loss helps them in the NFL Draft Stock watch, as the New York Giants picked up a win to even the records.
The rookie players looked great, Dwayne Haskins showed poise and aggressiveness, and all in all, the team looked like a team capable of doing some things in the future. Here are our biggest takeaways from the game.
Redskins Rookies Show Out
LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 15: Steven Sims #15 of the Washington Redskins celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half at FedExField on December 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
When Redskins wide receiver Paul Richardson Jr. was sent to the injured reserve on Saturday, it was decided in Washington that the offense would be spearheaded by a rookie quarterback, and three starting rookie receivers.
In Sunday’s game against the Eagles, those players showed out, and two of them had career days.
Haskins orchestrated a great game for the offense, and he finished with a career-high 261 yards and 2 touchdowns on 19-for-28 passing. He also added 26 yards on the ground. While Terry McLaurin added to his impressive season with 130 yards and 1 touchdown, rookie WR Steven Sims Jr. also picked up the first touchdown of his career, and he finished with 45 yards, as well as an impressive game on special teams.
The Redskins are young and inexperienced, but anyone that has watched them over the course of this season has been able to witness an abundance of growth that should be encouraging for any fan in Washington.
Urban Meyer is the Creator of Buzz
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – DECEMBER 07: Urban Meyer watches the action during the BIG Ten Football Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 07, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
It was reported on Sunday morning before the game that former Ohio State University coach Urban Meyer was in the building, and he was hanging out with Redskins’ owner Daniel Snyder. Meyer ended up sticking around throughout the game, and he watched the contest from Snyder’s owner’s box alongside QB Alex Smith, who Meyer coached at the University of Utah years ago.
This is important for two reasons. First of all, Meyer has been rumored to be eyeing a return to coaching, and his name has been linked to a few jobs in the NFL. The Redskins are in the process of looking for a new coach, and potentially hiring someone like Meyer would be an absolute win for the franchise.
Meyer picked a great game to attend, as well, as it was the most watchable performance that the Redskins have put on this season. His former QB, Dwayne Haskins, looked highly competent, and his former WR Terry McLaurin continued his outstanding rookie season. Meyer was also able to see the young and dynamic group of playmakers on the Redskins’ roster, which could potentially convince him that there is something to work with in Washington, should he come out of retirement.
This is not to say that Meyer is a legitimate coaching candidate for the Redskins, but his attendance on Sunday definitely raises some eyebrows. He has the connections to Washington, and he was at least willing to let Snyder pitch to him for an afternoon. Whether or not he seriously considers the job is a different conversation, but it should at least be encouraging to Skins fans to see him in the building.
AP Defies Age Once Again
LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 15: Adrian Peterson #26 of the Washington Redskins runs in front of T.J. Edwards #57 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half at FedExField on December 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
This feels like the 100th time we’ve written this takeaway, but it still holds true. Adrian Peterson defeated Father Time once again on Sunday, as he finished the game with 66 yards and 1 touchdown on 16 carries.
With the RB1 role all to his own now with RB Derrius Guice out for the season, Peterson was able to get the job done and then some for the Redskins. With his second-half touchdown, AP moved into a tie for fourth place on the NFL All-Time Rushing Touchdown list, now sitting neck-and-neck with Walter Payton with 110 TDs.
Peterson receives a $500,000 bonus if he is able to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark this season, and as it stands now, he is just 282 yards away. Will he get it in the final two weeks? We will see.
Meyer was in attendance for the Redskins game on Sunday, which raises some intriguing questions about Washington’s coaching search.
There was confirmed to be a surprising face in attendance at the Washington Redskins game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, as former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer watched on.
Meyer, who has been acting as an analyst for FOX in his year removed from coaching at Ohio State, has been rumored as one of the more coveted candidates for NFL teams looking for a new head coach this upcoming offseason. It just so happens that one of the teams that are in desperate need of making a splash with that hire is the Redskins.
Meyer has some interesting connections with the personnel on the team as well. During his time in college, he oversaw the development of QB Dwayne Haskins, who played alongside WR Terry McLaurin. The duo is now playing together once again in Washington, where they have a bright future ahead of them.
Beyond those two, Meyer also has a history with Redskins’ QB Alex Smith, whom he coached at the University of Utah years back. Meyer and Smith formed a nice bond, and they led the Utes to a perfect 12-0 season and Fiesta Bowl victory in 2004.
It would be a rather shocking development to hear that Meyer is interested in taking over the Redskins’ job, as there are arguably much more attractive positions that are expected to be open this offseason. Meyer has already been connected to the Dallas Cowboys, should they choose to move on from Jason Garrett this year, and it’s assumed that only the best of jobs will bring Meyer out of retirement.
However, the connections to personnel on the team are nothing to look past. Meyer has won in the past with a few of these players, and he surely could do the same in the future. The Redskins may not have thought of Meyer as a potential suitor for the job, but that may have changed with his appearance on Sunday. If they can grab him, Dan Snyder absolutely should try to hire Urban Meyer.
