Redskins Vs. Giants - Studs and Duds

The Redskins and Giants engaged in a defensive battle for most of the day Sunday, with the Redskins prevailing to improve to 5-2 on the season, and a strong-hold on first place in the NFC East.

The win may not be as pretty for those who are used to seeing 300 yards of passing, but it was a sight for sore eyes for fans who have had to watch the Skins defense get gashed on the ground by opposing running backs for years.

Below are my Studs and Duds of the game.

Studs:

Adrian Peterson - It seems AP is becoming quite a regular on the Studs list this season. The 33 year old rushed 26 times for 149 yards and a touchdown, and caught one pass for seven yards and a score. He did fumble once, but that’s a rarity for him. He has 587 rushing yards a four scores on the season, while adding nine receptions for 151 yards and a touchdown.

Josh Doctson - Normally five receptions and 49 yards wouldn’t land you on the Studs list, but if you’re Josh Doctson, it does. He caught all five of his targets, and looks to be getting more comfortable with Alex Smith.

Cerberus (Ioannidis, Allen and Payne) - In Greek mythology, the Three Headed Hound of Hades, is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. It is said to have a serpent’s tail, a mane of snakes and lion’s claws. This is the best depiction I can think of to describe Matt Ioannidis, Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. The trio combined for 12 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and six quarterback hits. They held all-world running back Saquon Barkley to just 38 yards on 13 carries. They are certainly preventing running backs from leaving the backfield this season.

Ryan Kerrigan - Kerrigan had 4 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and multiple quarterback pressures on the afternoon. He’s back (although some say he was never gone)!

Mason Foster - Foster was a tackling machine, racking up 13 combined tackles, and playing pretty darn well against the pass.

D.J. Swearinger - If Swearinger is not having an All-Pro type of season, then I don’t know who is. The safety was once again the enforcer on the back end, and notched two interceptions (a total of four for the season). His prowess as both a box safety and a single high were on display against the Giants.

Duds:

Alex Smith - Stop double-clutching and just throw the damn ball!

Vernon Davis - Father Time was not himself on Sunday, getting a costly penalty, dropping an easy pass and blocking poorly. Better days will be in store for the veteran.

Red-Zone Offense - It may be worse than last year...

Worth Mentioning:

Greg Stroman - Stroman was not perfect on the afternoon, but I thought he played very well as a starter against a talented Giants receiving corps. He did have a bad pass interference call against OBJ (which was declined due to a great catch), but seems to be improving each game. He made a heck of a play on the deep ball to Shepard late in the second quarter.

Brandon Scherff/Chase Roullier - The interior duo were just beasts in open space. They helped in a rushing attack that produced 182 yards, and allowed zero sacks on Smith.

Ty Nsekhe - Nsekhe came in for the injured Trent Williams and pretty much held his own on the left side.