Washington Redskins 27, Philadelphia Eagles 20
Here are the highest-graded players and biggest takeaways from the Redskins' Week 6 NFC East victory over the Eagles.
Quarterback grade: Carson Wentz, 72.0
Wentz rallies, but Eagles fall short
Doug Pederson emphasised balance in his gameplan for the Washington Redskins. The rushing attack struggled, however, and pass protection was a major issue. Wentz was pressured on 13 of his 27 dropbacks, disrupting his rhythm throughout the first half. Ultimately, he completed only 11 of 22 passes for 179 yards in the defeat. Despite some uncharacteristic accuracy issues, Wentz still found a way to remind the watching audience of his impressive talent. The rookie quarterback found a tiny window on an out route to Jordan Matthews early in the game, but a toe on the paint resulted in an incompletion. Wentz also showed off his understated mobility on one play in the second half, escaping a couple of sacks before hitting WR Dorial Green-Beckham with an off-balance throw. In the short-term, losing a divisional game is a significant setback, but the long-term future remains bright with Wentz at the helm.
Top offensive grades:
LT Jason Peters, 76.4
LG Allen Barbre, 74.9
WR Jordan Matthews, 74.0
WR Dorial Green-Beckham, 73.4
RG Brandon Brooks, 72.5
New and familiar failings limit Eagles' offensive effort
Three-fifths of the Eagles’ offensive line is functioning at maximum efficiency. The loss of right tackle Lane Johnson to a 10-game suspension for repeated drug test failures instantly cast uncertainty on the unit, however. Top backup Dennis Kelly was traded in the offseason, leaving a major gaping hole. Rookie fifth-round pick Halapoulivaati Vaitai, certainly could not fill it. The rookie gave up two sacks, a hit, and two hurries in 29 dropbacks, earning a 32.0 overall grade. Jason Kelce’s form is also becoming a concern. The Eagles’ center is having a terrible season, having already committed six penalties, and ranks dead last in our center grades.
Top defensive grades:
DT Bennie Logan, 82.2
DT Beau Allen, 79.2
S Malcolm Jenkins, 78.5
DE Brandon Graham, 76.9
DT Fletcher Cox, 74.9
Logan injury cause for major concern
Despite Washington’s dominance in the ground game, the Eagles’ defensive tackles generally enjoyed a productive day. On plenty of occasions, runs were disrupted in the backfield, only for a linebacker to over-pursue, resulting in a big play. Bennie Logan was critical to some early success, recording two stops from just eight run-defending snaps to go with a hurry from nine rushes. His early departure (Logan managed only 17 of 74 snaps) intensified the strain on the Eagles’ spine. The weight was too much to bear by the end, as Matt Jones sealed the game with a 58-yard carry.
Quarterback grade: Kirk Cousins, 69.6
Cousins continues solid streak against Eagles
Kirk Cousins seems to saves his best performances for games against Philadelphia. The two highest-graded games of his career have come in divisional games against the NFC East rival. Aside from one glaring error, a pick-six thrown of his backfoot, Cousins was solid again. In total, he managed 18 completions on 29 attempts for 263 yards, two touchdowns, and the aforementioned interception. Perhaps his best throw was a perfectly-flighted crosser to DeSean Jackson in stride for a long gain. After starting the season slowly, a productive game against a divisional foe was just what Cousins needed.
Top offensive grades
LT Trent Williams, 87.8
RT Morgan Moses, 73.8
WR Pierre Garçon, 71.9
TE Niles Paul, 70.1
HB Chris Thompson, 69.2
Trent Williams earning All-Pro billing
Trent Williams has consistently graded amongst the league’s top tackles, but has always been somewhat overlooked due to the proximity of elite talents like Jason Peters and Tyron Smith. Should this form persist, however, Williams’ exploits will be hard to ignore. He gave up only one hurry on 41 dropbacks, and facilitated a number of long runs with cutoff blocks on the backside of Washington’s trademark outside zone. Williams’ athleticism makes him a match for any linebacker at the second level, and his power ensures he’s rarely beat once in position. Rarely does a tackle inflict fear in opposing defenses, but Williams is a special player.
Top defensive grades:
OLB Ryan Kerrigan, 81.7
S Duke Ihenacho, 80.5
DE Chris Baker, 78.2
DE Ziggy Hood, 76.3
OLB Trent Murphy, 75.6
Range of Washington pass-rushers wreaking havoc
Kerrigan’s demolition of Vaitai was key to Washington’s defensive success, but he had help from his teammates. Interior lineman Chris Baker and Ricky Jean-Francois managed three hurries and a batted pass between them. On the edge, Preston Smith and Trent Murphy were even more disruptive, generating two sacks and two hits. GM Scot McCloughan has done an exceptional job collecting pass-rushers, illustrated by his defense’s performance on Sunday.
PFF Game-Ball Winner: Redskins LT Trent Williams
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