Coming off of a 17-point comeback win against the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Football Team heads out west to face the Arizona Cardinals in a battle of 1-0 teams. Washington scored 27 unanswered points last week on the back of a vaunted defensive front that sacked Carson Wentz eight times and gave the offense excellent field position outside of the first quarter. All of Washington’s scoring drives started in Eagles’ territory.
Last week’s five questions for Washington was headlined by Dwayne Haskins. Haskins had a performance typical of another quarterback on the roster, Alex Smith. He threw for 178 yards and had no interceptions. His accuracy was off to begin the game as he began completing just three out of his first 12 passes. However, Haskins got into a rhythm as the game went on, completing 14 of his last 19 passes.
This week, Washington has a big test on the road against a Cardinals team that is coming off a 24-20 win against the defending NFC Champions, San Francisco 49ers. Washington will have their hands full with second-year quarterback Kyler Murray and weapons including DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk, and Larry Fitzgerald. Here are five questions heading into a critical Week 2 affair.
Five Week 2 Questions for the Washington Football Team, Featuring the Running Game
1. A Consistent Rushing Attack
Coming into the season, the blueprint for Washington was excellent defensive play and a running game supplemented with the short passing game. After they released Adrian Peterson, it seemed that a modernized rushing attack with motion, jet sweeps, and misdirection would be a large part of the offense. With J.D. McKissic and Antonio Gibson, they hoped that two running back sets would allow for a variety of playcalling. Some of this came through, as Washington was third in the NFL in pre-snap motion in Week 1. However, the rushing attack struggled in Week 1, as the running backs had 29 carries for 63 yards, with Peyton Barber leading the group with 17 carries, and Gibson leading in yards with 36. Gibson almost broke a long rush but was tripped up by Terry McLaurin, settling for a 20-yard rush.
With a struggling left side of the offensive line (more on that later), Washington needs to rely on their steady right side of the line. Chase Roullier and Brandon Scherff are excellent blockers in space and Morgan Moses is solid as well. An excellent running game would also neutralize Chandler Jones, one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL, and allow for Haskins to take shots downfield against a talented secondary, with the likes of Patrick Peterson and Budda Baker.
2. The Left Side of the Offensive Line
The left side of the offensive line struggled throughout the Eagles game for Washington as Geron Christian was beat off the edge for a strip-sack and Wes Martin was bull-rushed into the backfield on multiple occasions. Although they seemed to improve as the game went on, that could be attributed to the increase in short-passing by Scott Turner‘s offense. Nonetheless, Christian and Martin must be better if the Washington passing game has any chance of getting going, especially with Chandler Jones coming off the edge. In addition to pass protection, the left side’s run blocking must also improve to reduce predictability in the running game. Although Scherff was beat on one occasion, the right side of the offensive line, especially Morgan Moses, played well against an excellent Eagles defensive line.
To assist Christian and Martin, Washington could chip with a running back or a tight end, but in third and long situations, Christian and Martin will be left on an island at times. Also, Washington could continue the quick passing attack that was successful in the second half last week. With more in-house options at left tackle and guard, Ron Rivera acknowledged that Christian and Martin struggled early on, but did go onto say that they improved as the game went along.
3. Containing the Cardinals’ Wide Receivers
There may not be a better receiving trio in the NFL than the Cardinals. They have a bonafide top-three wide receiver in DeAndre Hopkins, a future hall-of-Famer in Larry Fitzgerald, and an intriguing young player, Christian Kirk. Washington’s back-end was a mixed bag in Week 1, as Troy Apke and Ronald Darby struggled early as Apke missed tackles with bad angles, and Darby was beaten by Jalen Reagor for a 55-yard gain, However, the secondary looked good as the game went on with an interception by Fabian Moreau and Jimmy Moreland, and a few coverage sacks. It was also evident by the in-game adjustments by Jack Del Rio as Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert were contained after a fast start.
More help may be on the way as Kendall Fuller is questionable for Sunday’s game. Fuller was the biggest signing for Washington in the off-season after being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Alex Smith trade. If Fuller does return, it could be interesting to see if Washington keeps Darby at the second cornerback spot, or whether they stay with Moreau.
4. Dwayne Haskins‘ Accuracy
Although Haskins made strides in terms of leadership and decision-making, his accuracy was still an issue as his footwork was sloppy at times, and he didn’t drive the ball. Haskins made a few good throws such as a seam pass to Steven Sims and looked comfortable in a no-huddle. The Cardinals are an offense that can play with anybody, so Haskins needs to be more accurate and take advantage of lapses in coverage.
While the Cardinals have a solid group of defensive backs, they have struggled mightily in containing tight ends over the past two seasons. Talented rookie, Isaiah Simmons, struggled in his first career game last week but should look better with more reps. This could mean that Logan Thomas could be leading in targets again. In Week 2, Haskins must continue to target Thomas over the middle of the field but must be better at driving the ball outside of the numbers.
5. Maintaining Pass-Rushing Lanes
There is no question that Washington has one of the most ferocious pass-rushing units in the NFL with their top three interior linemen and top three edge rushers all getting at least .5 sacks. Ryan Kerrigan was named Defensive Player of the Week after a two-sack performance, and Chase Young lived up to the billing with 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble. Although Wentz is an athletic quarterback, they face a whole new challenge in Kyler Murray. Murray ran the ball 13 times last week for 91 yards. If Washington overpursues, Murray could make them pay in a big way, especially on third down.
Washington has as much speed as anyone on their line with Montez Sweat and Young, so if they don’t try to get too aggressive in trying to get the sack, they could contain Murray’s rushing output. With that being said, Murray does take lots of sacks, so Washington must remain aggressive with their defensive front, but be aware of their lanes at all times. Murray took 48 sacks last season, averaging three per game.
