Washington Vs. Baltimore - Studs and Duds

Most realists knew coming into today that the Baltimore Ravens were a much better football team than Washington. What many were looking for was improvement from certain players, better team chemistry; especially on offense, and really just not to get completely embarrassed at home.

Despite the loss, overall, I feel much of the above happened.

Now, we move onto a new four game stretch that includes three division games(Dallas and the Giants twice), the Rams, and a bye. There is some hope...

Below are my Studs and Duds of the game and some notes.

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Studs:

Antonio Gibson - The rookie rushed 13 times for 46 yards and a touchdown(his third of the season), and caught four passes for 82 yards. Things are starting to come together for Gibson, and that can has to be very exciting for the team.

Terry McLaurin - F1 caught 10 passes for 118 yards. He just missed a touchdown on a deep pass that saw him get tackled inside the five yard line. He already has 26 receptions for nearly 400 yards on the young season, and has proven to be a legit number one wide receiver.

Tim Settle - The big man continues to take advantage of his increased playing time. He had two tackles, a sack, a tackle for a loss and a quarterback hit on the afternoon. He was stout inside against a powerful Ravens’ run game.

Kendall Fuller - Fuller had two interceptions and two passes defended on the afternoon, and played well on the outside. Unfortunately, the Ravens took advantage against poor coverage in the middle of the field and against their tight ends.

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Duds:

J.D. McKissic - McKissic’s fumble on Washington’s second offensive series really put the team in a bad situation after stopping the Ravens on their first offensive possession. The NFL is all about momentum swings - and this one really hurt.

Logan Thomas - One reception for eight yards...and poor blocking. Plus, he tipped a ball that would have hit Inman in the chest for a big gain. I have almost forgot what it feels like to have a good TE.

Washington Linebacking Corps - Sure, Jon Bostic had 14 tackles on the afternoon, but this is one of those times where stats don’t tell the whole story. The Raven ran for 144 yards, including a 50 yard touchdown scamper by Jackson, and picked apart the defense underneath - mainly by the tight ends and slot receivers. A lot of today’s woes fall squarely on the shoulders on Bostic, Pierre-Louis, Dion Hamilton and Davis.

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Notes:

- All eyes were on Dwayne Haskins Jr. today, and given the circumstances, he played a pretty good football game. There were still some head-scratching moments, but he looked MUCH more poised, went through he reads, and showed improved accuracy to all part of the football field.

- Geron Christian Sr. played his best game of his career today at left tackle. For the first time, he actually looked like he belonged in the NFL. I actually debated having him on my Studs list - but we’re not there quite yet.

- Chase Roullier threw some very good downfield blocks today - especially on the screens, and had good push on Haskins rushing TD.

- Troy Apke played a half-way decent game this afternoon. There are still a few communication errors on the back end, once on the second touchdown by Andrews, but he played the deep ball well and didn’t miss any wide open tackles. He also had a nice pass defended that could have went for a first down. BIG improvement today.

- In no way, shape or form is a 54 yard field goal a chip shot, but AGAIN, Dustin Hopkins hit the upright(reoccurring theme over the past few seasons).

- Where was Antonio Gandy-Golden today? Yeah, I didn’t see him either even though he played.

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