Washington Redskins Lose at Home to Green Bay Packers, 21-17

For the second game in a row, the Washington Redskins’ offense appeared lethargic when they took the field to kick off the first quarter. Kirk Cousins and the first team unit struggled to make anything happen; the offensive line got little push, and Cousins’ passes were inconsistent: high, short, and more. The unit went three-and-out on their first three series, including a second chance at the ball after rookie Fabian Moreau caused Green Bay to fumble the punt after the opening drive. Dustin Hopkins was called upon to hit a field goal that time, and those would be the only points Washington would put up on the scoreboard until the Jameson Crowder finally managed to cross the goal line with a Cousins pass to cap a 78 yard drive in the last two minutes of the first half. On that drive, the first team’s last one of the game, fans finally spotted Josh Doctson on the field, looking sharp and healthy, and veteran Vernon Davis caught a 43 yard pass.

On defense, the first team defensive line seemed to struggle to generate consistent pressure. Stacy McGhee made his second costly mistake in as many weeks, extending the Packers’ first drive by being too slow to back to the sidelines and beat Aaron Rodgers’ snap, drawing a penalty for being the 12th man on the field and allowing the Packers to go down the field and score a touchdown. Inside linebackers Zach Brown and Mason Foster stood out for their play; Foster easily earned credit for defensive MVP in the first half for his play. Matt Ioaniddis also had a strong showing and rookie Jonathan Allen appears to be growing more confident and capable on the defensive front.

As the game went on and second and third team players took the field, some players made an effort to make their presence noticed. Rookie Fabian Moreau looked fast and showed solid tackling skills in punt coverage, and he began to find his rhythm on defense. Fellow first year player Samaje Perine played significantly better this week than last week, making decisive, powerful moves. Nico Marley tallied four tackles, three solo, and was the player calling out directions and getting his teammates lined up. Others, however, began to fade into the background. Kendall Fuller floundered in punt return duties with three returns for a total of 12 yards and one fumble. Running back Matt Jones had just two carries for four yards. On a team that currently carries six running backs, games like tonight don’t bode well for Jones.

What did you think of tonight’s game? Looking ahead, what do you want to see out of the team during the third preseason game on Sunday, August 27 against the Cincinnati Bengals? Leave us your thoughts in the comment section!