"Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics":Washington Redskins Stats at the Quarter Point

The Good:

The Redskins are 3rd in the league in yards

1st in rushing and 4th in points

The Redskins rank tied for 2nd in completion percentage and 4th in yards per attempt.

They are 3rd in rushing yards per attempt and lead the league in rushing touchdowns.

The Redskins rank 4th in takeaways, and are tied for the lead in fewest giveaways.

-My Take: The Redskins have relied heavily on two rookies (Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris) and they haven't been let down. Griffin when given time to throw has been very good at hitting his man. Things are also more open down the field given how effective the running game has been. Both Griffin and Alfred Morris have churned up big yards, which is why the Redskins have been so effective moving the ball on the ground.

The Bad:

The Redskins have given up 11 sacks, tied for 9th worse in the league (and their sack rate is higher since most teams above them have attempted more passes)

The Redskins are tied for the worst 3rd down percentage in the league.

Washington has just 7 sacks despite teams attempting 161 dropbacks

The Redskins have given up 14 pass plays over 25 yards and have allowed on average 326 yards per game through the air.

The Redskins are the worst in the league giving up 6.8 yards per play.

Washington has also given up the 6th most points

My take: The offensive line has been the biggest culprit on offense, that and penalties has led to a number of 3rd and long situations which are unfavorable. The line and other blockers are also responsible for most of the sacks.

Defensively, the loss of Brian Orakpo is beginning to be felt as the pressure level is not the same as last season. The run defense is improving some, but this defense is just getting torched on the back end, and it doesn't matter who the defensive backs are. Though the secondary is the biggest issue, the lack of a pass rush outside of Ryan Kerrigan is pretty troubling.

Interesting Stat at the Quarter Point: The Redskins have 136 rushing attempts to 124 passing attempts for a 52/48 split in favor of the run. Each of the last two seasons saw roughly a 60/40 split in favor of the pass in Washington. Having a quarterback that can run the ball is a big part of this, but Morris's impact here shouldn't be understated. The fact that the Redskins have been so effective moving the ball on the ground is impressive. Last year the Redskins managed just 79 rushing first downs, this year they already have 40.

What stats stick out to you, and what ones do you think are the most impressive/worriesome going forward?