The Redskins/Cowboys Thanksgiving day game turned out for the away team much like many families turkey dinners. The Skins got “stuffed”, “baked”, then eaten...and like most food items, are probably getting excreted right about now! We often talk about teams playing complete games in all three phases in route to victory. Well, the Redskins played a completely POOR game in all three phases on Thursday to “earn” their fifth loss of the season, and fall into a tie atop the NFC East with their hated rival.
Below are my Studs and Duds of the game, followed by some notes.
Studs:
Jordan Reed - Reed fought his ass off, but offensive mistakes, a defensive that looked like a sieve, and a non-call on a very obvious targeting, were just too much for him to overcome. He finished the day with six receptions for 75 yards.
Preston Smith - Smith continued his second-half tear, recording eight tackles, 1.5 sacks, three tackles for a loss, four quarterback hits and multiple pressures. He’s certainly making a case to be re-signed by the Redskins this offseason.
Jonathan Allen - Allen was one of just a handful of Redskins defenders who actually showed up to play yesterday. The second year defensive linemen led the team with nine total tackles (two for a loss), a sack, a quarterback hit and multiple pressures.
Duds:
Colt McCoy - Corky was credited with three terrible interceptions (although it easily could have been four), and simply looked confused and lacked command of the offense all afternoon. His poor arm was on display as he fluttered passes into double and triple coverage. He also fumbled once, which the offense luckily recovered.
Clean pocket, plenty of time to throw - McCoy throws a wounded duck into triple coverage and gets picked. Absolutely no excuse for this. pic.twitter.com/qkEdjPpUTk
— Mark Tyler(Hogs Haven) (@Tiller5681) November 23, 2018
Just an awful read and throw here by McCoy. Can’t ask for a better pocket and protection from the O-line. pic.twitter.com/pQ4f9IZAjp
— Mark Tyler(Hogs Haven) (@Tiller5681) November 23, 2018
Maurice Harris - Everyone’s favorite “possession” receiver was held without a reception in the game. He was, however, credited with one tackle on the afternoon - which tied Ryan Anderson.
Tony Bergstrom - I didn’t realize how badly I missed Brandon Scherff until I really dug into the film on Tony Bergstrom. He has poor footwork, a poor anchor, and just isn’t strong enough at the point of attack. Another really bad game by the veteran lineman. Part of him sticking out like a sore thumb may be due to the fact that Scherff was just so good.
Tony Bergstrom is slow out of his stance and gets absolutely destroyed here by the defensive tackle. pic.twitter.com/kX2KGFpUvK
— Mark Tyler(Hogs Haven) (@Tiller5681) November 23, 2018
Morgan Moses - I am done making excuses for Moses. He’s not playing well, and hasn’t played well for weeks. I’m calling a spade a spade here. He NEEDS to do much better.
Mason Foster - I don’t know what has happened to Foster recently, but his play at inside linebacker has been atrocious. His reads have been off, his pursuit has been horrible, his tackling suspect, and his coverage is a major liability. Tyler Football Focus has him rated as the worst inside linebacker in the NFL with a grade of -2347.6.
Fabian Moreau - It’s very clear this kid is just not ready for a starting roll. Moreau’s play has been up and down all season, with many more downs recently than ups. This game was the worst I’ve seen him yet (and that’s saying a lot). It’s a combination of untimely penalties, BAD tackling and POOR coverage.
Absolutely pathetic effort here by both Moreau and Clinton-Dix. pic.twitter.com/xlx5mgF4ZD
— Mark Tyler(Hogs Haven) (@Tiller5681) November 23, 2018
HaHa Clinton-Dix - I understand that Clinton-Dix is still learning this defense, and the corners in front of him are not playing very well...but, his tackling was very poor, and he looked slow in coverage against the Cowboys. I’m sure he’ll get better with time, but this was NOT a good game by the veteran safety.
Notes:
- I though Quinton Dunbar played VERY poorly, but he didn’t land on my Duds list for one reason - this kid was playing hurt, and it was VERY visible. I give him credit for trying to gut it out. Unfortunately, he got very little help from his defensive teammates.
- I give Trent Williams a lot of credit for playing through the pain of his thumb injury. But, it’s clear to see #71 is not the same.
- Doctson had a decent game, catching 6 passes for 66 yards - although he didn’t do much with them after the catch.
- Trey Quinn averaged just over five yards per catch, but he did catch a TD, and had a nice punt return.
- After two pretty solid games, Ryan Anderson fell back down to earth. He was virtually invisible against the Cowboys.