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Mark Tyler looks at the Studs and Duds from the Redskins Monday night battle with the Chiefs.
By Mark Tyler
October 3, 2017
The Redskins may have exited Arrowhead with a loss Monday night, but I thought the team played well against a very good team on the road in an extremely hostile environment. This loss may have showed us more than the last two wins, and what we saw is that the Redskins are for real, and can hang with the best teams in the league.
Below are my Studs and Duds from Monday nights game.
Studs:
Kirk Cousins - Cousins threw two touchdowns on the evening (should have been three) but it was the plays he made with his legs in crunch time that will endear him to teammates and fans. Twice on the Redskins final offensive drive of the night, Cousins scrambled for big gains and put the Redskins in a position to win the game.
Vernon Davis - Davis had two huge receptions for 89 yards, and showed he looks more like a 23 year old than a 33 year old with his nifty running after the catch. He also blocked very well when he was in the game. His 69 yard catch and run in the third quarter set up the Ryan Granttouchdown.
Brandon Scherff - So much for a poor preseason. Scherff has elevated his game to another level, showing why he was the fifth overall pick in the 2015 draft. He looked exceptional in both the run game and in pass protection. It’s amazing how well he moves for a 6’5" 320 pound man.
Terrelle Pryor - Pryor caught his first touchdown early in the game on a nicely thrown 44 yard pass from Cousins in the end zone. He did have a drop on a slant pattern, but on the night he had three big receptions for 77 yards and his TD.
Matt Ioannidis/Terrell McClain - Ioannidis and McClain had solid performances Monday night, putting pressure on Alex Smith throughout the evening. Both recorded a sack and had multiple quarterback hits.
Mason Foster - Foster was another Redskins defender who was playing at less than 100 percent. He was in on some big hits despite a shoulder injury, and set a physical tone early in the game. He had nice coverage on the tight end in the second quarter.
Martrell Spaight - Spaight was a beast in the run game, filling holes nicely and laying the lumber when he arrived. He had a tackle for loss, and payed decent in coverage.
Quinton Dunbar - Dunbar saw significant action at corner after Josh Norman left with a rib injury. Although he was targeted often by Andy Reid, he did a nice job in coverage, especially on some deep shots.
D.J. Swearinger - He may not have been perfect in coverage all evening, but Swearinger proved to be the glue holding this defense together while his teammates were dropping left and right. Playing at less than 100 percent, Swearinger showed he has the heart of a warrior, coming up with 5 tackles, and a sack, while patrolling the back end of the Skins defense.
Duds:
Josh Doctson - Just catch the damn ball!
Jamison Crowder - So much for being a security blanket for Kirk Cousins. Crowder is being outplayed by Ryan Grant so far this season. He had one catch for minus 7 yards on the night.
Preston Smith - Smith was called for offsides three times during the game. This is inexcusable! He was credited with a sack, but it was one that Ryan Kerrigan should have been given.
Ryan Kerrigan - Kerrigan was virtually invisible all evening. He had a nice pressure early in the first quarter, but besides that, his presence was not felt. I do have a feeling once the NFL reviews the tape, Kerrigan will be given the sack that happened in the first quarter. He failed to contain Smith on a few occasions, most noticeably in the final seconds of the fourth quarter when Smith vacated the pocket to the right, and found Wilson down the sidelines for a huge gain.
Bashaud Breeland - Breeland had an up and down game, but in the end, the downs outweighed the ups. He gave up a touchdown to Kelce, and had two big penalties that helped the Chiefs; one (hands to the face) that extended a drive.
Who would you add to these lists?
