Tag: Ryan Kerrigan

Redskins won’t have Ryan Kerrigan, Paul Richardson vs. Panthers

This is news because until now Kerrigan has never missed a game in his career.

The Panthers have had as much bad luck with injuries as any NFL team this year. Now that rookie running back Jordan Scarlett has been placed on injured reserve, 12 players have been on that list this season.

At this time of year every team is banged up though. That includes today’s opponent, who will be missing two key players.

According to a report by Adam Schefter at ESPN, the Redskins won’t have outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan or wide receiver Paul Richardson available for Sunday’s matchup.

This is news because until now Kerrigan has never missed a game in his career. He suffered a concussion in last week’s win over the Lions.

It’s a significant loss as Kerrigan is Washington’s best edge rusher and one of the most underrated in the league. He has 4.5 sacks this season, bringing his career total to 89. The guy who will benefit most from Kerrigan’s absence is right tackle Taylor Moton, who has become Carolina’s most consistent offensive lineman.

As for Richardson (who is dealing with a hamstring injury), his speed makes him the Redskins’ best deep threat receiver – not that Dwayne Haskins is really capable of taking advantage of that as of yet.

Donte Jackson would have been tasked with slowing him down. With James Bradberry taking on Terry McLaurin, Jackson will matchup with the likes of rookie Kelvin Harmon, who played college ball at NC State. Harmon can’t compete with Jackson for pure game speed, but his size (6-foot-2, 215 pounds) could present a challenge.

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Ryan Kerrigan praised as ironman streak comes to an end

Ryan Kerrigan won’t suit up this weekend.

Ryan Kerrigan’s incredible attendance sheet comes to an end this weekend when the Washington Redskins take the field.

Kerrigan won’t be able to suit up due to a concussion, meaning his consecutive games streak ends at 139.

Bill Callahan, interim head coach, was one of many to offer praise, per Redskins.com’s Kyle Stackpole:

“I can’t even begin to express how much he’s meant to this organization, what he’s contributed, what he means to this teammates and the type of pro that he is day in and day out. He’s a consummate pro as you just watch him around the facility, in the meeting room, on the field. There’s no better example of what a pro should be in the NFL than Ryan Kerrigan.”

There’s also this to consider:

Kerrigan, after all, is 31 years old and he’s only got one year left on his deal. Were the Redskins smart, they’d reward him with another massive extension without worrying about a one or two-game absence this year.

Either way, the praise continuing to roll in for Kerrigan is more than warranted.

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Ryan Kerrigan will miss the first game of his career on Sunday

Kerrigan will end his streak of 139-consecutive games on Sunday as he is recovering from a concussion.

Ryan Kerrigan’s impressive streak of 139-straight games played will unfortunately come to an end on Sunday, as the linebacker remains in the concussion protocol after suffering a hit to the head in last week’s victory over the Detroit Lions.

Kerrigan, who was drafted by the Washington Redskins back in 2011, has played in every game of his career. In that time, Kerrigan has amassed 89 sacks, 319 solo tackles, and 26 forced fumbles, making him one of the most underrated pass-rushers in the league.

The loss of Kerrigan comes at an extremely inopportune time for Washinton, as they will look to bottle up Carolina’s superstar running back Christian McCaffrey. Look for the Redskins to bring safety Landon Collins into the box to help on run support in Kerrigan’s absence.

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How on Earth will the Redskins slow down Christian McCaffrey?

The Redskins have a huge challenge on their hands as they look to slow down Christian McCaffrey on Sunday and get their third win.

For a Washington Redskins defense that has actually found some success in the past few weeks, Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers looms large. It stands as quite possibly the toughest test they’ve faced in a while, and it’s all due to one player.

Christian McCaffrey, a powerful and shift running back who is running away with the fantasy football MVP award.

So far this season, McCaffrey has amassed 1,123 rushing yards and 586 receiving yards, making for a league-leading 1,709 total yards at an average of 155 yards from scrimmage per game. Week in and week out, he has gone up against defenses that are scheming to nullify is production, and the rest of the league is still waiting on a blueprint to stopping him.

So how will Washington attempt to slow him down? The same way they did in last year’s 20-17 victory over the Panthers — by stacking the box and blitzing the back.

In an impressive late-season victory a year ago, the Redskins were able to hold McCaffrey to 20 yards on eight rushes and 46 yards on seven receptions. They were able to be so successful because edge rusher Ryan Kerrigan was stout against the run, and Daron Payne muddled up rushing lanes in the middle. According to Mark Bullock at The Athletic, Washington also brought an extra man into the box to offer some run support and spy McCaffrey out of the backfield, a role that will likely be played by Landon Collins on Sunday.

Washington also routinely sent a blitzer on passing plays, causing McCaffrey to stay and help pick it up before releasing on his routes and putting a linebacker in a tough position to cover him out of the backfield.

Blitzing the back was successful for the Redskins against McCaffrey last year, limiting the number of times he was able to work out into a route or at the very least, delaying his release. Expect them to try some different blitzes with the same intent on Sunday.

Will it be just as effective this time around? Maybe, maybe not. McCaffrey is another year older and his level of play has gone up significantly since last season, but it’s worth a shot.

If the Redskins can slow down McCaffrey, then they have a chance to slow down the Panthers and pick up their third win of the season. If not…it could be an ugly afternoon.

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Ryan Kerrigan’s remarkable start-streak is in danger this Sunday

Kerrigan has started 139 straight games — every game of his career — but the streak is in danger as he goes through the concussion protocol.

Sunday could end up being a historic day for Ryan Kerrigan and the Washington Redskins, but for an unfortunate reason.

Earlier this week, the team’s dynamic edge rusher was held out of practice while in the concussion protocol, and if he were to miss Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, it will end his streak of 139 consecutive starts. That’s every game of his career, which started in Washington back when he was drafted in 2011.

In that time, Kerrigan has amassed 89 sacks, 319 solo tackles, and 26 forced fumbles, making him one of the most underrated pass-rushers in the league.

“The nature of what he does every day as a professional athlete, he is the prototype model of what a Redskin is all about,” Redskins coach Bill Callahan said, via NBC Sports Washington. “I’ve never seen a pro that takes care of himself the way he does. Diligent in terms of how he prepares, takes care of his body and trains. I mean he is relentless in his training, his regiment, and his preparation. I’ve got the utmost respect for everything that Ryan does for us as a Redskin.”

It would be a big loss to see Kerrigan miss Sunday’s game, not only because of the hole it would leave on the field, but because it marks the end of an impressive streak that is rarely seen in today’s day and age. Here’s to hoping that Kerrigan progresses through the protocol, and he is good to go on Sunday.

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Ryan Kerrigan and a surprise name make PFF’s team of the week

Two notable Redskins made a team of the week list despite a loss.

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It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to hear Washington Redskins star pass-rusher Ryan Kerrigan made a team of the week anywhere.

Kerrigan did just that for his performance in Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets, landing as one of the defenders on Pro Football Focus’ team of the week.

According to that writeup, Kerrigan put up a 90.9 pass-rushing grade on the day.

More interesting is the other Redskins player joining him: Donald Penn.

Penn landed there for the following:

Penn allowed just one pressure in 26 pass-blocking snaps against New York on Sunday. He also earned an impressive 81.3 run-blocking grade.

It’s a nice feather in the cap of sorts for Penn, who came on and suddenly had to step in for an elite player like Trent Williams.

And while Penn hasn’t been a Trent Williams by any means, he’s been an unexpectedly stable presence on the left side of the offensive line.

Call it a bright value spot for a front office that has otherwise understandably come under plenty of fire this season.

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