Three takeaways from the Redskins embarrassing loss to the NY Jets

Another Sunday, and another chance for the Redskins to find new paths to rock bottom.

The Washington Redskins were able to do a couple of positive things late by scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but the damage had already been done. A 34-17 loss to the New York Jets stings, especially when you consider that the Redskins were coming off of a bye and had two weeks to prepare. After falling behind 34-3, a couple of young players scored their first career touchdowns, but it doesn’t do enough to take the stink away from this game. Here are our three takeaways.

The Streak is Finally Over

16-straight quarters without a touchdown was a perfect example of the ineptitude that has been brewing in Washington this season. For over a month, the Redskins were held out of the endzone, but at long last, that streak has come to an end.

Early in the 4th quarter, Haskins and Guice connected for a 45-yard touchdown that allowed the young RB to put his skill on display and show just exactly what he can do after the catch. It wasn’t all that impressive on Haskins’ part, but that doesn’t matter. What’s important is that both Haskins and Guice notched their first career touchdowns, which was hopefully the spark they needed to get the offense going in Washington.

It’s unlikely, but it could happen.

A New Rock Bottom

Don’t let the two late touchdowns cloud your memory of the first half. This was an absolutely poor performance from the Redskins for the first three quarters.

Somehow, someway, the Redskins continue to find new ways to hit rock bottom. After a much-needed bye week, Washington fans weren’t subjected to misery last Sunday and could sit back and enjoy a nice slate of NFL games.

The same couldn’t be said about this Sunday, as Washington returned to action and put up an all-time stinker against the Jets. In the first half alone, Washington totaled seven penalties, and they finished the game with 11 for 66 yards. At one point in the second quarter, the Redskins got the ball on the New York 16 and 27-yard lines, and they came away with just three points and six total yards.

In a season from hell, it seems like there are few things that Washington can do to compound the many mistakes that have gotten them here, but each and every week, they continue to succeed in that regard. Yay for all of us watching.

Haskins Stock Stays the Same

Once again, Dwayne Haskins did nothing too much to impress on Sunday, but he wasn’t awful either. By being mediocre once again, it technically could be called a failure of an outing for the rookie quarterback. The word out of practice for the last couple of weeks has been that Haskins is growing more comfortable and developing nicely, but there has been absolutely no proof of that so far. He ended Sunday with 19 for 35 with 214 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception.

There a few bright spots, to Haskins credit. In the first half, Haskins uncorked a 55-yard bomb to Terry McLaurin, finding his college teammate in stride for a big gain, but, of course, the play was called back because of a hold. Later in the fourth quarter, Haskins threw his first career touchdown pass to Guice and later orchestrated a drive down the field that ended in another TD to Jeremy Sprinkle.

The Redskins have done the right thing by naming Haskins the starting QB for the rest of the season, but now it’s on the rookie to start taking advantage of that opportunity. At some point in the next month, Haskins needs to show that he is making legitimate improvements and starting to really grasp the moment, and it has to be noticeable before the fourth quarter rolls around. That did not happen on Sunday.

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Instant Analysis: Sam Darnold, Jets make it 2 straight with blowout in D.C.

Like most things in D.C. these days, Sunday’s game at FedExField wasn’t always easy to watch.

Like most things in D.C. these days, Sunday’s game at FedExField wasn’t always easy to watch.

The Jets, however, prevailed in the matchup of NFL bottomfeeders, beating Washington 34-17. New York didn’t exactly play clean football, but it didn’t have to against a rookie quarterback and porous secondary.

With the win, the Jets are now 3-7 and on a two-game winning streak. Washington fell to 1-9 in the race for the top pick in April.

Game Balls:

  • S Jamal Adams: The safety’s reign of terror continued Sunday, as Adams picked up his third, fourth and fifth sacks over his last two games. He seems to be having a lot of fun going up against rookie quarterbacks.
  • TE Ryan Griffin: The Jets offense has not offered many pleasant surprises this season, but Griffin has really made a name for himself in Chris Herndon’s absence. The tight end reeled in five passes for 109 yards and a touchdown against Washington.
  • QB Sam Darnold: Darnold had his best game since New York’s win over Dallas. Granted, Washington left a lot of receivers uncovered, but Darnold threw three touchdowns in a half for the first time and set a new career-high with four touchdowns overall. He only made one notable error…

Quick Thoughts:

  • Darnold’s biggest strength and weakness is that he never gives up on a play. The QB has never seen a throwing window too small, and balance is optional. Tight coverage? Throw it. Under pressure? Throw it. Running like a mad man? Throw it. Darnold will force just about any pass; sometimes that leads to a magical highlight, sometimes that leads to a costly mistake. We saw plenty of the former on Sunday, but his interception was an example of the latter, as he threw into heavy traffic. He still needs to work on limiting those types of mistakes. 
  • The Jets should be encouraged by Darnold’s performance the last two weeks after a nightmarish three-game stretch that was littered with turnovers. However, let’s not forget to consider the competition. Darnold has turned things around against some of the worst pass defenses in football (NYG & WAS). He’s supposed to play well against teams like that. The question now is how sharp will he be against competent defenses moving forward?

  • Some Hollywood movie studios should hire Adam Gase because the man knows how to write a script. While the coach has drawn plenty of criticism this year, one area in which he and his offense have excelled at recently is opening drives — sequences in which plays are typically predetermined well in advance of kickoff. When Darnold found Daniel Brown for a touchdown right out of the gate, it marked the fourth straight game in which the Jets scored on their opening drive. Remember when that used to be a problem?
  • Gregg Williams looked to be toying with Dwayne Haskins early on. The coordinator threw plenty of confusing schemes at the rookie quarterback, as the Jets often rushed fewer men than they showed at the line of scrimmage. The strategy worked, as Haskins and his line frequently failed to figure out who was blitzing. The Jets, meanwhile, were able to keep more men in the back levels of their defense, a necessary insurance policy given the team’s current cornerback situation. All in all, Williams’ defense allowed 17 points while racking up six sacks and 10 QB hits.
  • The Jets finally hit the century mark on the ground — the first time they’ve done so all season. Gang Green’s ball carriers finished the day with 118 yards rushing. Le’Veon Bell led the way with 59 yards on 18 carries, including a touchdown, while Bilal Powell factored in more than usual, rushing seven times for 42 yards. On an individual level, the Jets would probably still like to get more out of Bell, but this was a strong combined effort for New York’s backs, as well as the line tasked with blocking for them.
  • Not to end on a negative, but the Jets will eventually have to find themselves a better kicker than Sam Ficken, who missed a field goal and an extra point in this one. Fortunately for him, the team has bigger problems at the moment.

How do you measure rock-bottom anymore for the Redskins?

Coming off of a bye, the Redskins just played a putrid first half against the New York that portrays a new low in Washington.

How do you measure rock-bottom for a team as bad as the Washington Redskins?

Is it going 15-straight quarters without a touchdown? Is it coming out of a bye week and getting stomped at home by one of the worst teams in the league? Is it getting the ball on your opponent’s 16 and 27-yard line on consecutive drives and turning it into just six yards and three points?

The first half against the New York Jets on Sunday was just about as bad of a half of football as you can expect to see in the NFL. The defense was porous and multiple blown coverages in the secondary allowed Jets players to run rampant downfield. The offense was no better, and the Redskins totaled just two first downs and seven first-half penalties.

It’s been a common theme all season that this is about as low as things can get in Washington, but each week, the Redskins seem to find new ways to disappoint. There is no sure way to measure failure, but they might need to come up with one soon in Washington.

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Jets vs. Redskins inactives: Le’Veon Bell will suit up against Washington

Jets vs. Redskins inactives for Week 11.

Le’Veon Bell is banged up and a bit under the weather, but that’s not enough to keep him off the field when the Jets take on the Redskins in Week 11.

After being listed as questionable throughout the week, Bell is active and will start for New York. Sunday also marks the return of Neville Hewitt, who has missed the last four games due to injury. Henry Anderson, Kelvin Beachum, Demaryius Thomas, Brandon Copeland and Alex Lewis are all set to play for the Jets after dealing with injuries in the days leading up to the game.

With Darryl Roberts missing his second consecutive game and Nate Hairston out, rookie Bless Austin will continue to assume an increased role in New York’s secondary following his standout NFL debut against the Giants last week.

As for the Redskins, they’ll be without running back Chris Thompson, wide receiver Paul Richardson Jr. and tight end Vernon Davis, who were all ruled out earlier in the week.

Jets’ edge in the trenches among things to know vs. Redskins

The Jets solid defensive line and run defense should have the upper hand against the Redskins’ bad offensive line.

After 11 weeks, you pretty much know the strengths and weaknesses of every team. For the Jets and Redskins, there’s a lot more bad than good and now the two will face off with a combined three wins.

The Jets come off a morale-boosting win over the Giants while the Redskins will be fresh of their bye week, but neither team is playing for much more than pride and a draft pick position. New York likely has the edge given their run defense is among the best in the league and the Redskins have relied heavily on their running backs after Bill Callahan took over after Week 6.

Here are four things to know for Week 11.

(Wilfredo Lee-AP)

Jets should be able to win in the trenches

New York’s defensive line continues to progress this season after they traded away Leonard Williams and they’ll have another mouthwatering matchup against Washington. The Redskins rank 28th in Football Outsiders’ pass blocking DVOA and they have a power success rate of only 20 percent – worst in the league (meaning they’re’ typically stopped on third down or fourth-and-short). 

Though they’ve only been blitzed 67 times, the Redskins have allowed 38 hurries (10th-most in the league) and 24 hits. The Jets defensive line should be able to bully the Redskins up front and the linebackers in middle and on the edge should have no trouble getting into the backfield. The Jets also boast the second-best run defense in the league, which should be able to stifle the Redskins’ run-heavy approach.

Jets vs. Redskins: Le’Veon Bell’s status among pregame storylines

Jets Wire breaks down New York vs. Washington with four pregame storylines.

The Jets will have a legitimate chance to make it two wins in a row when they hit the road to take on the Redskins on Sunday.

Washington has struggled to a 1-8 record so far in 2019, with its only win coming against the Dolphins over a month ago. It’s a winnable game for New York, but a lengthy injury report and general inconsistency make nothing a certainty for Gang Green.

With that being said, let’s take a look at some pregame storylines to keep an eye on with kickoff approaching.

Le’Veon Bell’s status

AP Photo/Steven Ryan

Could the Jets be without their star running back for the first time this season when they take on the Redskins?

Le’Veon Bell’s status for Sunday’s game is up in the air, as he is dealing with rib and knee injuries, as well as an illness. If Bell can’t go, Ty Montgomery and Bilal Powell will be tasked with leading New York’s rushing attack.

Even with Bell, the Jets have struggled to run the football in 2019 due to some underwhelming play in the trenches. If he can’t play against Washington, New York’s ground game will have a tough time taking flight in Week 11.

Jets place C Ryan Kalil on season-ending injured reserve

Joe Douglas’ gamble on Ryan Kalil did not pay off as the veteran center’s Jets career will end after only making seven starts.

Former Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil came out of retirement to help galvanize the Jets offensive line and serve as a mentor to Sam Darnold. None of that really played out the way anyone hoped, though.

Kalil’s season ended Saturday when the Jets placed the veteran offensive lineman on season-ending injured reserve.

Kalil attempted to return to practice this week after injuring his knee in the Jets’ 29-15 loss to the Jaguars in Week 8. Jonotthan Harrison will take over as the starter, as he has for the past two weeks.

GM Joe Douglas made Kalil his first big-ticket free agency signing, hoping that Kalil would provide some leadership to the Jets offensive line. That didn’t sit well with the rest of the Jets offensive linemen, who had grown accustomed to working with Harrison.

Kalil was never able to return to his Carolina form and struggled to build chemistry with the rest of the room. Rather than serve as a stabilizing force on the line, Kalil had clearly lost a step and only hurt New York’s efforts in the trenches.

Douglas’ first gamble was costly, as the Jets will end up paying Kalil $6.7 million.

To take Kalil’s roster spot, the team signed OL Leo Koloamatangi off the practice squad.

Predicting Dwayne Haskins stats for Sunday’s game against the Jets

Haskins has a chance to show a lot of improvement on Sunday in his second career start, so we took a shot at predicting his final stats.

At this point in the season for the Washington Redskins, it’s tough to judge success simply by wins and losses. What’s more important is that young players show growth.

With that being said, the most important thing for the Redskins to see during Sunday’s game against the New York Jets is that rookie QB Dwayne Haskins finds some success in the offense, and shows that he feels more comfortable on the field.

That leaves a lot of grey area by which we can judge his performance on Sunday. The Jets rank 17th in the NFL when it comes to yards allowed per game, and they have the second-ranked run defense in the NFL, so a lot of the offense will look to Haskins to move the ball. With second-year running back Derrius Guice returning for the first time since Week 1, it will help take some of the pressure off of Haskins by having a reliable check-down option. Looking ahead to the game, let’s set a stat line that paints the floor for a successful outing from the rookie.

Pass Attempts: 25

Completions: 17

Touchdowns: 2

Interceptions: 1

Sacks: 1

Rushing Yards: 20 yards

Third Down Conversions: 3

Those may seem like lofty expectations, considering that in his career thus far, Haskins has thrown zero touchdowns and four interceptions, but he has now had several weeks to prepare for his second start, and it’s imperative that he shows growth in the offense.

It will be interesting to see how many times Bill Callahan and Kevin O’Connell choose to let him air it out — he had only 22 attempts in his first start against the Buffalo Bills — but no matter what the final number is, a completion percentage around 68-72 percent would be great.

If Haskins can put up a stat line similar to this one, the Redskins will have a great chance at winning on Sunday.

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Jets OT Kelvin Beachum reaches out to NFLPA on Quincy Enunwa’s behalf

New York Jets offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum is supporting Quincy Enunwa after the Jets fined him for missing treatment.

As it turns out, Quincy Enunwa isn’t the only person at One Jets Drive who is unhappy with the fine New York issued him for missing treatment.

Kelvin Beachum, who is a player representative for the Jets, reached out to the NFL Players Association on Friday to see if Enunwa has any possible recourse to dispute his fine. Enunwa publicized his fine on Twitter on Thursday night, posting a picture of a television screen displaying his fine for everyone in team facilities to see.

“[The union] will put some things in place to see what’s the course of action,” Beachum said.

Beachum, who has played in the NFL for eight years, said he has never seen a team post fines and make them visible to all players. Gase’s public posting of fines is a practice that dates back to his days as Dolphins head coach.

“We handle our stuff in-house and some people choose to use social media,” Gase said when asked about Enunwa’s unhappiness. “There’s probably a reason they’re doing that.”

According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, players typically don’t have many options for recourse when fighting a team fine as opposed to a league-issued fine.

Since Christopher Johnson announced that Gase would return in 2020, a handful of Jets have come out and supported their head coach. Enunwa and Beachum’s actions show that not everyone in the locker room is on board with how Gase is managing the team right now, though.

Targeting Josh Norman among 4 keys to Jets’ offense vs. Washington

The Jets passing offense should succeed against the soft Redskins secondary, and that begins with attacking cornerback Josh Norman.

The Jets take on another easy defense this week in the Washington Redskins and will look to string together consecutive wins for the first time since Week 6 of the 2018 season. Sam Darnold enjoyed a nice bounce-back game against the Giants in Week 10 and will face an even weaker secondary against the lowly Redskins, while Le’Veon Bell could find lots of running lanes against a bad run defense.

The Jets should be able to move the ball effectively considering Washington allows a league-high 6.7 plays per drive and teams convert 50 percent of their third-down attempts against the Redskins. The biggest thing for New York will be its ability to maintain the ball and attack Washington’s weakest points on defense.

Here are four keys to the Jets offense in Week 11.