Three Plays from Gameday: Week 6, Dolphins

For each Redskins game in the 2019 season, Andrew York plans to pick three plays and break them down in an effort to highlight individual Redskins players.

For the Week Six matchup against the Dolphins in Miami, the three plays will focus on Redskins top CB Quinton Dunbar, inside linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton, and running back Adrian Peterson.

Redskins @ Dolphins, Week 6 highlights | NFL 2019 on YouTube

[02:04] Quinton Dunbar makes yet another crucial interception by jumping the route.

Just like several of his plays against the Giants, Quinton Dunbar reads the QB’s eyes and anticipates a WR’s route in order to jump it and get an interception.

I think Dunbar’s background as a WR is starting to become evident on big plays like this, because it helps him diagnose routes quickly and easily while maintaining awareness of the QB in order to anticipate his throw. Dunbar has already overtaken Norman as the best CB on this team, but if he creates more plays like this, then he could be recognized as one of the better CBs in the NFL.

The Dolphins were marching down the field on this drive, and this interception prevented them from evening the score.

[03:09] Shaun Dion Hamilton makes another critical interception to kill a Dolphins drive and set the Redskins offense up with excellent field position.

The Redskins LBs have largely been a liability in coverage, but maybe they should be getting Shaun Dion Hamilton more involved to correct that.

He does an excellent job here of playing the WR (Isaiah Ford), moving back in coverage while the WR is moving, but keeping the play in front of him, recognizing when the WR breaks, and using that as a sign to look at the QB, see where the ball is going, and make a play on it.

Watch the linebacker’s reaction the moment the WR breaks his route (comes back to the QB); SDH shifts his attention from the WR to the QB to read the throw and jump on the ball.

[03:33] Adrian Peterson takes a short pass for a 13 yard gain and a first down.

I think the Redskins need to get Peterson more involved in short passes like this going forward.

Notice that they set this pass up by first using Steve Sims (15) as a misdirection runner to draw a LB to the opposite side. Although Peterson isn’t a route runner, he shows here that he has good hands and can be used in the passing game. Moreover, he will fight for extra yards and punish DBs who try to tackle him in the defensive backfield.

If the Redskins can’t open holes for him up the middle, I think getting him in space like this (particularly with a banged up Chris Thompson) will be important going forward.

The Redskins didn’t play especially well last Sunday and gave up a lot of plays later in the game, but they managed to beat a Dolphins team coming off its bye that was also desperate for a win.

Now they will face an undefeated 49ers team with what looks like one of the NFL’s best defenses. We’ll see how much of the positive play from this win carries forward.