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Skins Stats & Snaps: Giants @ Redskins (DEF/ST)

A look at the stats and snap counts for every defensive and special teams player on the Redskins in the team's Week 12 Thanksgiving night win over the New York Giants

NFL: New York Giants at Washington Redskins Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Snaps- Greg Manusky utilized 19 of his 27 defenders over the course of 57 defensive snaps against the Giants.

The 8 that did not play included 4 inactives (Terrell McClain, Caraun Reid, Martrell Spaight and Montae Nicholson), 3 players who saw time solely on special teams (Chris Carter, Joshua Holsey and Fabian Moreau) and 1 player who didn’t take a snap of any kind (DeAngelo Hall).

Yards- The Giants gained just 170 yards on their 55 plays from scrimmage (3.1 yards per play). The only other time the Redskins have allowed fewer than 300 yards of offense and below 4.5 yards per play was in Week 3 against the Raiders (128 yards and 2.7 Y/P).

The Giants gained 36 of their yards on two Manning passes that were thrown with under two minutes left to play in the game.

Eli WOAT-ing- Eli Manning was held to just 113 passing yards in the game, the lowest total in his last 166 contests. Eli has only thrown for fewer yards six times in his entire 224-game career (including playoffs). His YPA of 4.19 on Thursday was the eighth lowest average of his career.

Points- The defense did not allow a single touchdown to the Giants. The only time New York found the end zone was on a Janoris Jenkins pick six.

The only other time the defense did not allow a touchdown during the Jay Gruden era (since 2014) was in Week 6 of last season against the Eagles; and Philadelphia found a way to somehow score 20 points that day (2 FG, 1 ST TD, 1 Def TD).

The Redskins have only held their opponent without an offensive TD on seven other occasions in the past ten years.

Quarterback Pressure- The Redskins hit Eli Manning 7 times and sacked him on 4 of his 31 dropbacks. The 4 sacks by the Washington defense ties a season-high set by the team in Week’s 3 and 4. The 12.9% sack rate for the defense is a new season high (previous high of 11.4% vs. Oakland).

Turnovers- This was the seventh game this year the Washington defense has scored a takeaway in. The team is currently tied for 10th in the NFL with 16 turnovers forced on defense.

The takeaway on Thursday came courtesy of an interception, making this the fourth straight week in which the defense has recorded a pick. The last time a Redskin team intercepted a pass in four or more consecutive games was in the 2013 season.

Third Down- Manning and the Giants only converted on 2 of their 14 third downs (14.3%), which represents by far the defense’s second best showing on the money down this season. They were only better in their third-down shutout (0-11) against the Raiders in Week 3.

The Redskins have held five of their last seven opponents to a third-down success rate below 36%.

First Downs- The Redskins’ defense only allowed the Giants to move the chains seven times in the game. The Skins also limited, you guessed it, the Raiders to 7 first downs in Week 3, but you have to go all the way back to 2007 to find the last time the defense did this prior to this season.

When was the last time a Redskins’ opponent was held to fewer than 7 chain movers in a game, you ask? Well, that game took place in the historic 1991 season, when a dominant Washington defense shut the Eagles out and held them to just 4 first downs. That is the only time since the 1970 merger the Burgundy and Gold accomplished this feat.

Tight End Defense- Vernon Davis wasn’t the only tight end that failed to produce in a juicy matchup on Thursday night. Giants’ tight ends only combined for 4 receptions for 27 yards, 2 first downs and 0 touchdowns on 8 targets.

The 27 yards allowed to the position is a new season-best for the Redskins defense (previous low of 38 yards vs. Minnesota). This performance also snaps the team’s three-game streak of allowing a touchdown to a tight end.

Washington’s defense had allowed at least 49 yards receiving yards or a touchdown to the position in every one of their 2017 games prior to this one.

Rushing Defense- The Giants ran the ball 24 times for a total of 84 yards (3.5 YPC), 0 touchdowns and 1 first down.

This was the first time since Week 6 the Skins did not allow their opponent to rush for over 100 yards. It was just the third time in the last five years the defense has allowed 1 or fewer rushing first downs.

The Giants became one of four teams that have played the Redskins and not either averaged over 4 yards per carry or scored a rushing touchdown on them.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

Matt Ioannidis- Ioannidis led this group in snaps for the second straight week.

Matty I didn’t put up big tackle numbers (1 assist on a 3-yard run), but he was effective as a pass rusher. He registered 2 hits on Manning, with one of those coming on a third-down incompletion. This was the fourth multi-hit game of the year for Ioannidis, who ranks second on the team in hits (13).

Ziggy Hood- Hood played on over 50% of the snaps for the eighth consecutive game and set new season highs in assisted (2) and total tackles (4). All four of his tackles came on New York runs that gained 6 or fewer yards and failed to pick up a first down.

Old man Evander was also able to get some pressure in the game, which is a rare accomplishment for him.

Anthony Lanier- Lanier played on a career high 46% of the defensive snaps. His snap share has now increased in each of the past two weeks (36% > 42% > 46%).

He recorded an assisted and a solo tackle (2 total), with his solo tackle coming on an 8-yard sack on a third down in the fourth quarter.

This was Hood’s second straight game with a sack and his third consecutive contest with a QB hit.

Stacy McGee- McGee started for the seventh time this season, but played on his lowest snap total since Week 3.

That didn’t stop McGee from tying two other Redskins for the second most solo (4), assisted (2) and total tackles (6) on the team.

He amazingly made tackles on four consecutive plays on the Giants’ second quarter field-goal drive. Half of his takedowns came within 2 yards of the LOS and one of them went for a loss of a yard.

Stacy McGee leads all Redskins’ D-linemen with 29 tackles on the year. The next closest linemen in tackles is Terrell McClain, who has only recorded 19 tackles this season.

A.J. Francis- This was the first time the former Maryland Terrapin played in an NFL game since 2015. He took 14 snaps with the defense and set new career highs in assisted (2) and total tackles (2). That sounds crazy, but it really isn’t considering Francis only played in three games prior to Thursday.

He helped to stuff a Giants’ run on 2nd-and-1 for a loss of a yard. He recorded his other assist on a 4-yard run.

Francis was also able to get some pressure on Manning.

Terrell McClain- He missed his first game of the year with a foot injury. Hopefully this doesn’t become a trend for the 29-year-old. McClain has only played 16 games one time in his seven-year career.

Caraun Reid- Caraun Reid has been inactive for both of his games with the team.

The only time Reid played this season was when he took 18 defensive and 1 special teams snaps with the Lions in their Week 6 matchup with the Saints. He did not record any traditional stats in that contest, but he was able to generate some pressure on Drew Brees.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS

Ryan Kerrigan- It was another “Heartbreak Kid” pose-striking day for Ryan Kerrigan. On 26 pass-rushing snaps, he recorded 2 sacks, pressured Eli Manning a total of 7 times and forced Ereck Flowers to commit a holding penalty. He made 5 total tackles on the night (3 solo and 2 assists).

This was Kerrigan’s second 2-sack game of the season (Week 8 vs. Dallas), and the 11th such game of his career. Dexter Manley (23) and Charles Mann (13) are the only Redskins who have ever recorded 2 or more sacks in a game more than Kerrigan has.

The 2 sacks against Eli and the Giants brought his 2017 total to 9. Those sacks made him one of just five players to ever record at least 7.5 sacks in each of their first seven seasons. The four others (Jared Allen, Derrick Thomas, DeMarcus Ware and Reggie White) are all either already in the Hall of Fame or headed there in the very near future.

He also tied Dexter Manley with the most 7.5-sack seasons in franchise history.

Kerrigan was PFF’s highest graded player in the game (87.9).

Preston Smith- Don’t ask me how, but Preston “Houdini” Smith pulled one of his famous 2016 disappearing acts and failed to record a single traditional statistic on his 41 defensive snaps. This was the third time in his career Smith has not recorded any tackles, sacks, hits, PDs or turnovers of any kind in a game.

I suppose he can at least take some solace in the fact that he was able to get a little bit of pressure on Eli Manning.

Junior Galette- This was easily one of Junior Galette’s best games as a member of the Redskins.

He recorded his first full sack since 2014 on a Giants’ fourth-down attempt late in the fourth quarter. Galette forced a fumble on the play too, and he did all this while being held by Ereck Flowers. And believe it or not, but that was the first sack allowed by Flowers in his last 9 games and 348 pass-blocking snaps.

This wasn’t the only time Junior hit Eli Manning despite being held by Flowers. He also did it on the Giants’ final offensive play of the game, just moments before Kendall Fuller intercepted Manning’s pass.

Galette earned an 83.7 PFF grade for his work as a pass rusher against the Giants, which was the third highest rating on the team.

He has recorded multiple quarterback hits in back-to-back games and is now up to 10 hits on the season (4th on the team).

Ryan Anderson- The rookie second rounder saw his snap percentage drop for the third consecutive week (20.5% > 19.7% > 18.3% > 14%).

Anderson only made 1 solo tackle in the game, which came on a 9-yard Giants’ rush. He’s not posting high totals, but at least he’s consistently finding his way onto the stat sheet now. After only recording a traditional stat in one game between Weeks 1 and 8, he has made a tackle in four straight games (1 tackle in each game).

Unfortunately, he failed to pressure the opposing signal caller for eighth time this season.

Chris Carter- Carter did not take a defensive snap for the seventh consecutive game. He only plays on special teams. The team would probably go out and sign somebody else before they would give him defensive snaps again.

INSIDE LINEBACKERS

Zach Brown- Zach Brown bounced back from his down performance against the Saints, with an impressive showing against the Giants on Thursday night.

He played all but one snap and recorded team highs in solo (6), assisted (3) and total tackles (9). He stuffed Giants’ ball carriers and held them to a gain of 2 yards or less on five of his tackles, one of which was a 2-yard TFL.

ZB fared well in coverage, too. By my count, he only allowed up a combined total of 3 receptions for 15 yards and 1 first down. All three of the catches against him were made by running backs (Gallman and Vereen). He also defended a pass thrown at tight end Evan Engram.

This was actually a great day in coverage for Brown, when you consider he is Pro Football Focus’ worst graded inside linebacker in coverage this season (31.8).

Zach Vigil- Zach Vigil started in place of Martrell Spaight at inside linebacker. This was the first time since 2015 he started and played more than 1 defensive snap in a game.

Vigil set new career highs in assists (2) and total tackles (2). New York only gained 12 total yards and failed to move the chains on any of the plays that he made a stop on.

He only gave up 2 receptions for 12 yards and a first down in coverage.

Josh Harvey-Clemons- JHC finally got his chance to play with the defense. He made it onto the field for 17 defensive snaps and recorded 2 assisted tackles.

Pete Robertson- Robertson made his first appearance in a regular-season game on Thursday night. He played on six defensive snaps.

Martrell Spaight- He missed the game with an ankle injury. This was the first missed contest of the year for Spaight, who still ranks 2nd and 4th on the team in assisted (19) and total tackles (37), respectively.

CORNERBACKS

Bashaud Breeland- Count this as yet another impressive performance by contract-year cornerback Bashaud Breeland.

He only allowed 1 of the 5 passes thrown into his coverage to be completed, and the Giants gained just 4 yards on that reception. This was sixth time this year he has allowed 1 or fewer receptions and under 10 yards receiving in a game.

Breeland registered a team-high 2 pass defenses, with one of them coming on a fourth-quarter third-down play. This was his second game in a row with multiple PDs.

He leads the Redskins with 12 pass defenses on the year. D.J. Swearinger, who ranks 2nd on the team in PDs, has only recorded 7 of them. Breeland ranks 7th in the NFL in pass defenses going into Sunday’s games.

He also made 2 tackles in the game (1 solo and 1 assist).

His 83.4 PFF grade for the game ranked 3rd on the defense and 4th on the team.

Kendall Fuller- The second-year corner out of Virginia Tech continued to shine on Thursday night. Kendall Fuller only played on a season-low 33 snaps and did not record a single tackle for the first time this season, but he was exceptional in coverage.

He did not allow a single reception in the game. This was the third week a row Fuller has given up fewer than 2 receptions and 10 receiving yards.

The only player who caught a pass thrown in Kendall Fuller’s coverage was Kendall Fuller, who sealed the game with an interception for the second time this season. He leads the team with 4 picks.

Fuller is still only 22-years-old, which makes him the youngest Redskins player to record 4 interceptions in a season since Sean Taylor did at age 21 in 2004. Fred Smoot and Champ Bailey accomplished that same feat several years before Taylor did.

With a season-long grade of 88.4, Fuller is Pro Football Focus’ highest rated Redskins player in 2017.

Josh Norman- Josh Norman bounced back from three consecutive down games with a decent showing against the Giants. However, he didn’t play at quite the same level that fellow corners Breeland and Fuller did.

Norman allowed receivers in his coverage to catch a combined 3 passes and gain a team-high 39 receiving yards, but 27 of those yards and the only first down he allowed came with less than two minutes to go in the game, when the outcome was no longer in doubt.

He defended a third-down pass, his first PD since Week 9, and made a season-low 1 tackle in the game.

Norman will match up against Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams next week in Dallas.

Quinton Dunbar- Dunbar got on the field with the defense for the first time since Week 9. He did not record a traditional stat and was not targeted on his 6 defensive snaps.

Joshua Holsey- Joshua Holsey only played on special teams for the fifth consecutive week.

Fabian Moreau- He was relegated back to special teams duty after allowing a first-down reception on one of his two snaps against the Saints.

SAFETIES

D.J. Swearinger- D.J. Swearinger took all 51 snaps with the defense on Thursday night. He leads the Skins’ defense with eight 100% snap games.

Swearinger didn’t pick off any passes or make many huge splash plays in the game, but he didn’t make many mistakes either.

I only had him with 1 reception allowed for 19 yards and a first down.

Swearinger made 3 solo and 4 total tackles, with two of those takedowns coming within 3 yards of the line of scrimmage.

He made 2 additional solo tackles that he was not officially credited with, because they came on plays the Giants were flagged for holding on.

Deshazor Everett- Deshazor Everett got his first start since Week 3 and played on all 51 defensive snaps in the game. This was only the third time all year he’s been in on more than 50% of the snaps.

He led all Redskins’ defensive backs with 4 solo (a new season high) and 6 total tackles in the game. The Giants picked up a first down on just one of the plays Everett made a tackle on and only gained 1 yard on two of those plays.

He also played well in coverage, with only 2 receptions for 15 yards and 1 first down allowed on targets thrown in his direction.

DeAngelo Hall- Hall was active for the game, but he did not take a single snap on defense or special teams.

The coaches saw the same thing we did last week. It’s obvious Hall is either too injured to be on the field or he is just flat-out done as an NFL player.

DeAngelo Hall has the lowest PFF rating (37.0) among all 131 safeties that the site has graded in 2017.

Montae Nicholson- The rookie safety sat out for the third time in the last four games.

It might be just a coincidence, but the Redskins have allowed 66 fewer passing yards per game when Nicholson plays on more than 25% of the defensive snaps. That numbers skyrockets to 113 yards if you exclude this week’s demolition of the Giants’ lowly passing attack.

ALL DEFENSIVE SNAPS

SPECIAL TEAMS

Snaps- The Redskins used 35 of their 46 active players throughout their 30 special teams snaps against the Giants. The group of 35 players was made up of 19 defenders, 13 offensive players and 3 specialists.

Chris Carter led the Redskins in special teams snaps (26), just as he has in every other game this season.

You probably knew that; what you most likely weren’t aware of is Carter was leading the entire NFL in special teams snaps going into Sunday’s games (277 snaps). The Titans’ Brynden Trawick is the only player in the league who has averaged more specials snaps per game (25.4) than Carter has (25.2).

Fabian Moreau tied Carter for the most teams snaps against New York. They were followed by Josh Harvey-Clemmons (24), Pete Robertson (24) and Quinton Dunbar (22).

Kick Coverage- Dunbar led the team with two solo special teams tackles. He took down Shane Vereen at the Giants’ 27-yard line on a kickoff return and stopped Kalif Raymond at the 28 on a punt return. He also downed a punt at the New York 3-yard line.

Pete Robertson assisted on one of Dunbar’s tackles and made a solo stop of his own on the opening kickoff of the game.

Deshazor Everett made a solo tackle on a punt return. He leads the team with solo specials tackles.

Fabian Moreau downed another fourth-quarter punt at the New York 6.

Special Teams Miscues- Pete Robertson could’ve downed a punt inside the 10-yard line too, but he caught the ball at the 7 and ran it into the end zone for a touchback. Quinton Dunbar was not pleased.

A.J. Francis’ face-mask infraction on a Byron Marshall return to the 23-yard line cost the Redskins field position; as did Josh Holsey’s holding penalty on another Marshall return. Holsey has committed a special teams penalty in three of the Redskins’ last five games.

Nick Rose- Rose connected on field goals from 28 and 33 yards out, and both of his extra points were good. He has only missed one field goal (10-for-11) and one extra point (16-for-17) since joining the team a little over a month ago.

Three of his five kickoffs went for touchbacks. The kicks that the Giants did return were only taken out to the 23 and the 25-yard lines.

Tress Way- Tress Way punted the ball 7 times for 380 yards against the Giants on Thursday. Those are both the second highest totals of the season for Way, who has only punted for more yards in four other career games and punted more than 7 times in three other games.

He pinned the Giants inside their own 20-yard line a career-high 4 times in the game. New York only gained 4 yards on their 2 punt returns and their average starting field position was at their own 17-yard line.

Punt Returns- Jamison Crowder returned 4 of Brad Wing’s 9 punts for 20 yards. His 20 return yards were his most since Week 7 (24 yards at Philadelphia). Those yards also brought his all-purpose yardage total to a career-best 161 yards.

Crowder took every one of his returns out to at least the Washington 33-yard line. He and Mo Harris each fair caught a punt.

Kickoff Returns- This was only the second time in his career that Byron Marshall returned a kickoff in a regular-season game. He returned two kickoffs for a career-high 38 yards (19-yard average).

He would’ve been credited with 51 KO return yards had the Redskins not committed a penalty on both of his returns. Marshall downed the only other Giant’s kickoff in the game for a touchback.

*All statistics are courtesy of Air, Yards, CSN Mid Atlantic, ESPN, Football Outsiders, NFL.com, NFL Gamebooks, Player Profiler, Pro Football Focus, Pro Football Reference, Redskins.com, Sharp Football Stats and Team Rankings*

Poll

Ryan Kerrigan currently has 67.5 career sacks. He will turn 30 next August. How many sacks will Kerrigan finish his career with?

This poll is closed

  • 5%
    75 to 84 sacks
    (5 votes)
  • 30%
    85 to 94 sacks
    (30 votes)
  • 16%
    95 to 99 sacks
    (16 votes)
  • 30%
    100 to 104 sacks
    (30 votes)
  • 6%
    105 to 109 sacks
    (6 votes)
  • 4%
    110 to 114 sacks
    (4 votes)
  • 9%
    115 or more sacks
    (9 votes)
100 votes total Vote Now