Many fans and analysts have pointed out that, over the course of the last two weeks, the Washington Redskins' offense has only produced six points off of the six turnovers created by the team's defense. Sure, that statistic makes the offense look horrible right now, but the hard truth is that this is nothing new for the 2014 Redskins. Well, maybe the defense causing so many takeaways is a turn for the better, but the offense not doing anything with them has just simply become old-hat at this point.
Prior to last week's loss to the 49ers, the Redskins had only forced nine turnovers on the season. That's bad in and of it of itself, but what's worse is that the offense was only able muster twelve points off of those nine turnovers. That's right, the offense scored 1.3 points per turnover in Weeks 1 through 11, not much better than the 1 point scored per turnover in Weeks 12 through 13. You also may have already deduced that the offense has not scored a single touchdown off of the takeaways produced by the defense and special teams this year.
When we add it all up that comes to 15 takeaways (ranked 24th), 18 points off of turnovers (31st) scored via 6 field goals, a 40% scoring rate off of turnovers and 1.2 points scored per turnover (32nd) for Washington in 2014. It's almost as if the Redskins' offense is so surprised when the putrid defensive or special teams units produces a takeaway that they don't even know what to do with it. I'll stop here and let the following table do the talking.
# | Game | Turnover | Starting Position | # Plays | # Sacks | # Penalties | Drive End | Points |
1 | at Houston | Fumble | Was 8 | 8 | 1 | 0 | Punt | 0 |
2 | Jacksonville | Interception | Jax 29 | 5 | 1 | 0 | Field Goal | 3 |
3 | at Philadelphia | Fumble | Was 28 | 11 | 0 | 1 | Field Goal | 3 |
4 | New York | Interception | Was 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Interception | 0 |
5 | at Tennessee | Interception | Was 42 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Interception | 0 |
6 | at Tennessee | Muffed Punt | Ten 24 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Field Goal | 3 |
7 | at Dallas | Fumble | Dal 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Interception | 0 |
8 | at Dallas | Fumble | Was 10 | 6 | 1 | 1 | Punt | 0 |
9 | Tampa Bay | Muffed Punt | TB 17 | 6 | 2 | 2 | Field Goal | 3 |
10 | at San Francisco | Fumble | Was 40 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Punt | 0 |
11 | at San Francisco | Interception | Was 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Punt | 0 |
12 | at San Francisco | Fumble | SF 36 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Field Goal | 3 |
13 | at Indianapolis | Fumble | Ind 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Field Goal | 3 |
14 | at Indianapolis | Interception | Ind 45 | 3 | 1 | 0 | Punt | 0 |
15 | at Indianapolis | Fumble | Ind 48 | 4 | 1 | 0 | Punt | 0 |
Average | N/A | 48.20 | 4.27 | 0.47 | 0.27 | N/A | 1.20 | |
Total | N/A | N/A | 64 | 7 | 4 | N/A | 18 |
***Data Disclaimer: This is my own count after watching the game tape. Snap data for kneel-downs and plays negated by pre-snap penalties are not included. However, plays negated by post-snap penalties are included.***
The Offense ran 80 snaps
- 58 Passing Snaps (73%) and 22 Rushing Snaps (27%)
- The 80 total snaps run by the offense were the second most of the season behind only the 84 offensive snaps in the Week 2 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
- The offense set new seasons-highs in passing snaps (58) and passing snap percentage (73%).
- Jay Gruden dialed up passes on 74% of the Redskins first-half plays (23 of 31 snaps). Washington never trailed by more than 11 points in the first half. The Skins' passing percentage dipped slightly in the second half to 71% (35 of 49). This is somewhat concerning, because I'm afraid that now that Gruden has his "pocket passer" that he will want to sling it all over the yard and that he'll once again begin to stray from any semblance of a commitment to the running game. This will certainly be something to monitor going forward with Colt McCoy at quarterback.
- The Redskins were tied with the Colts during their first 3 snaps (4%) and held the lead over them for the next 3 snaps (4%). They trailed Indianapolis on the other 74 offensive snaps (92%).
- The 14 drives for the Washington offense are tied for the most in a game this season (Week 6 at Arizona).
- The average starting field position was at the 33-yard line. That is the second best mark on the season (38.08 against the Jaguars).
- The offense was responsible for five of the team's ten accepted penalties (38 yards). Trent Williams was the guilty party on two of these (false start and holding) and got off the hook on an illegal formation infraction that that was declined by Indianapolis. According to Pro Football Focus, Williams' eight total penalties are tied for 8th most by among all offensive lineman in 2014.
Team Snap Data
Quarter | Number of Snaps (%) |
1st | 13 (16%) |
2nd | 18 (23%) |
3rd | 31 (39%) |
4th | 18 (23%) |
Down | Number of Snaps (%) |
1st | 37 (46%) |
2nd | 26 (33%) |
3rd | 15 (19%) |
4th | 2 (3%) |
Field Position | Number of Snaps (%) |
Redskins Side | 48 (60%) |
Colts Side | 31 (39%) |
Midfield | 1 (1%) |
At or Inside Own 20 | 14 (18%) |
Red Zone | 13 (16%) |
Goal-to-Go | 4 (5%) |
Formation | Number of Snaps (%) |
Under Center | 19 (24%) |
Total Shotgun | 61 (76%) |
Shotgun | 44 (55%) |
Pistol | 17 (21%) |
Play Type | Number of Snaps (%) |
Regular Pass | 40 (50%) |
Regular Hand-off | 10 (13%) |
Play Action | 9 (11%) |
HB Pitch/Toss | 7 (9%) |
Screen | 6 (8%) |
Zone-Read Run | 4 (5%) |
Zone-Read Play Action | 3 (4%) |
HB Draw | 1 (1%) |
- The 61 total shotgun (basic shotgun and pistol formations) and 44 basic shotgun snaps are the most such snaps run by the offense this season.
- Colt McCoy utilized some form of the play-action pass on 12 snaps against the Colts, the most by the Redskins in 2014.
Personnel Groupings
Personnel | Number of Snaps (%) |
11 (1 RB/1 TE/3 WR) | 58 (73%) |
12 (1 RB/2 TE/2 WR) | 14 (18%) |
21 (2 RB/1 TE/ 2 WR) | 4 (5%) |
22 (2 RB/ 2 TE/ 1 WR) | 1 (1%) |
23 (2 RB/ 3 TE/ 0 WR) | 3 (4%) |
- After last week's brief reprieve from 11 personnel scoring, the 11 grouping put two players into the end zone this week against Indianapolis. The third touchdown was scored with the 12 personnel on the field.
- The 11 grouping was utilized a season-most 58 times in this game. This look had not been featured by the Redskins on more than 47 snaps in any game prior to Sunday's loss against the Colts.
- When 11 usage goes up, the frequency in which at least one other grouping is used must fall. This week it was the 21 personnel, which was only used four times (5%), the least this season.
Individual Player Snaps
Name (* - denotes starter) | Position | Snaps | Snap % |
Trent Williams * | LT | 80 | 100% |
Shawn Lauvao * | LG | 80 | 100% |
Kory Lichtensteiger * | C | 80 | 100% |
Chris Chester * | RG | 80 | 100% |
Tom Compton * | RT | 80 | 100% |
Colt McCoy * | QB | 80 | 100% |
Pierre Garcon * | WR | 65 | 81% |
Alfred Morris * | RB | 57 | 71% |
DeSean Jackson * | WR | 53 | 66% |
Andre Roberts | WR | 52 | 65% |
Jordan Reed | TE | 50 | 63% |
Niles Paul | TE | 32 | 40% |
Santana Moss | WR | 27 | 34% |
Roy Helu | RB | 22 | 28% |
Logan Paulsen * | TE | 19 | 24% |
Ryan Grant | WR | 14 | 18% |
Darrel Young * | FB | 8 | 10% |
Silas Redd | RB | 1 | 1% |
Spencer Long | G | Inactive | N/A |
Tyler Polumbus | T | Inactive | N/A |
Leonard Hankerson | WR | Inactive | N/A |
Aldrick Robinson | WR | Inactive | N/A |
Kirk Cousins | QB | Inactive | N/A |
- The heavy offensive workload contributed to a number of players seeing season-high snap totals including: Colt McCoy, Shawn Lauvao, Tom Compton, Santana Moss, Jordan Reed and Alfred Morris.
- DeSean Jackson's injury caused him to miss the final 24 plays of the game; Santana Moss and Ryan Grant were the main beneficiaries of his absence. Moss and Grant recorded 78% and 86% of their respective snaps after Jackson went down late in the third quarter. Moss even recorded two targets and two catches, which marks the first time since Week 2 that a Redskins' receiver other than Jackson, Garcon or Roberts has recorded a reception. Yes, you read that right.
- Moss took 78% (21 of 27) of his snaps from the slot, which bumped Washington's primary slot receiver, Andre Roberts, to the outside to fill Jackson's role. Only 48% of Robert's snaps were from the slot in this one, his lowest percentage of the year.
- Alfred Morris was the lead back on a season-high 36 passing snaps (63%). A whopping 95% of Roy Helu's snaps (21 of 22) also came when the Redskins passed the ball, his highest percentage of passing plays on the year. Morris once again handled all of the work when the offense used "heavier" personnel looks (21, 22 and 23). Meanwhile, Roy Helu saw 86% of his snaps come in the 11 grouping.
- The Redskins passed on 78% of Jordan Reed's 50 snaps. Reed took the vast majority of his snaps from the 11 personnel grouping (86%). He did however cede much of his usual 12 personnel work to Logan Paulsen this week. Like Alfred Morris, Paulsen was in on all eight of the snaps from the 21, 22 and 23 groupings.
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