The Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills, 35-25, on Sunday at FedEx Field. Here’s how the 57 offensive and 67 defensive snaps were divided up:
Quarterback
Kirk Cousins – 57 snaps (played 100 percent on offense)
Colt McCoy – DNP
Cousins has played very well in December, and that’s exactly what the Redskins wanted to see from their starting quarterback. In three games, he has 838 yards, six passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and just one interception. He’s thrown for 300 yards in consecutive games for the first time in his career, after recording 319 yards against the Bills. He’s elevating his game to another level during the final month of the season. Cousins took more shots down the field and the team went 7 of 11 on third down. That’s a sign of a quarterback gaining confidence in his play. The Redskins will need him to maintain that heading into Saturday’s matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Running back
Alfred Morris – 30; 53% (four snaps on special teams)
Matt Jones – 26; 46%
Darrel Young – eight; 14% (18 snaps on special teams)
Pierre Thomas – one; 2% (four snaps on special teams)
Advertisement
The Redskins gained 123 rushing yards, but that’s a bit misleading. Morris had a career-long 48-yard run right before halftime that proved to be meaningless. Take away that run, and Washington had 75 yards on 26 carries. The good news is that the Redskins were balanced and had opportunities to run the football. The bad news is that the offense is still not as effective on the ground. Playoff teams must be able to run the football, particularly during this part of the season in December, and the Redskins haven’t had any answers to this problem yet.
Wide receiver
Pierre Garcon – 40; 70% (one snap on special teams)
Jamison Crowder – 40; 70% (four snaps on special teams)
DeSean Jackson – 36; 63%
Ryan Grant – eight; 14% (14 snaps on special teams)
Rashad Ross – 2; 4% (five snaps on special teams)
When Jackson missed six games nursing a hamstring injury, the question loomed about his future with the Redskins. He proved once again how foolish that conversation was with his performance against the Bills. Jackson eclipsed 100 yards for the first time this season, finishing with 153 yards on six catches and a touchdown. He’s now recorded a touchdown in four of the past five games, serving as a deep-ball threat for this offense. Jackson even had a heads-up play in the game calling timeout to avoid a delay-of-game penalty near the goal line that resulted in a touchdown on the next play.
Advertisement
Tight end
Jordan Reed – 50; 88% (one snap on special teams)
Alex Smith – 16; 28% (seven snaps on special teams)
Reed has been one of the best pass-catching tight ends, if not the best, in the NFL this season. He recorded two touchdowns, posting his third multi-touchdown performance this season. Reed is the first Redskins tight end to accomplish the feat in a single season since Jerry Smith in 1967. He finished with a game-high seven catches for 84 yards. Smith was active in his first game with the Redskins over Je’Ron Hamm, but he didn’t have a catch.
Offensive line
Spencer Long – 57; 100% (five snaps on special teams)
Brandon Scherff – 57; 100% (five snaps on special teams)
Trent Williams – 57; 100%
Josh LeRibeus – 53; 93%
Morgan Moses – 29; 51% (three snaps on special teams)
Ty Nsekhe – 28; 49% (nine snaps on special teams)
Tom Compton – 27; 47% (nine snaps on special teams)
Brian de la Puente – four; 7% (two snaps on special teams)
Against a talented defensive front, the Redskins allowed just one sack and two quarterback hits in the game. The offensive line did a nice job in protection against the blitz and gave Cousins enough time to operate in the pocket. Washington suffered a few injuries in the trenches to Moses (left foot) and LeRibeus (ankle) as de la Puente finished the game at center. Washington still needs to figure out how to get the running game working again, though.
Defensive line
Chris Baker – 46; 69%
Ricky Jean Francois – 28; 42% (five snaps on special teams)
Terrance Knighton – 27; 40% (eight snaps on special teams)
Jason Hatcher – 21; 31%
Frank Kearse – 20; 30% (two snaps on special teams)
Kedric Golston – 13; 19% (13 snaps on special teams)
The defensive line pressured Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor constantly, recording two of the team’s five sacks. Francois and Hatcher both brought down Taylor, while Baker added two quarterback hits. Taylor finished with nine carries for 79 yards, but the Redskins did a solid job overall of containing the mobile quarterback.
Advertisement
Inside linebacker
Will Compton – 59; 88% (six snaps on special teams)
Mason Foster – 46; 69% (three snaps on special teams)
Keenan Robinson – eight; 12% (seven snaps on special teams)
Carlos Fields – DNP (17 snaps on special teams)
Robinson received his first action since Week 9 against the New England Patriots, but it’s clear the Redskins are moving forward with Compton and Foster. Both were initially backups, but they’ve played well together at inside linebacker. Foster finished second on the team with six tackles, while Compton had five. There’s still room for improvement, however. Buffalo finished with 240 rushing yards, averaging 7.7 yards per carry.
Outside linebacker
Ryan Kerrigan – 60; 90% (three snaps on special teams)
Trent Murphy – 37; 55% (17 snaps on special teams)
Preston Smith – 35; 52% (two snaps on special teams)
Houston Bates – five; 7% (19 snaps on special teams)
Advertisement
Kerrigan and Smith had the responsibility of keeping Taylor in the pocket. While he was able to leak out a few times, they each recorded a sack in the game. Kerrigan has a team high 8.5 sacks this season. Smith, who has four sacks this season, split snaps with Murphy and finished with four tackles.
Cornerback
Bashaud Breeland – 67; 100% (eight snaps on special teams)
Will Blackmon – 64; 96% (11 snaps on special teams)
Quinton Dunbar – 51; 76% (four snaps on special teams)
Deshazor Everett – DNP (17 snaps on special teams)
Dashaun Phillips – DNP (13 snaps on special teams)
The defense held Buffalo to just 93 yards in the first half. It was a sloppy performance in the second half though as the Bills finished with 452 total yards. Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins finished with 111 yards and recorded both of his touchdowns in the second half. Even with the big lead they had at halftime, the Redskins can’t let up and allow teams to creep back in the game.
Safety
Dashon Goldson – 66; 99% (eight snaps on special teams)
Kyshoen Jarrett – 39; 58% (14 snaps on special teams)
DeAngelo Hall – 45; 67% (three snaps on special teams)
Advertisement
The safeties deserve some blame as well on Watkins’s two touchdown catches. Bills running back Mike Gillislee also broke off a 60-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to keep Buffalo in the game. Hall led the team with nine tackles. Goldson suffered a rib contusion during the game. It’s unknown at this point on the severity of the injury, but he only missed one snap.
More from The Post:
Suspension is in play for Giants’ Beckham
Redskins are sold on Kirk Cousins, but his value is up in the air
Opening Kick: Here’s how the Redskins can win the NFC East
Boswell: This Washington team is no longer beyond belief
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZLumw9JonainpJeurbiMoqWsoZSav3DDz2hpaWllZH5ze5FqZqudlKi4qrrSZqqnmaBisLDBza2qZq6jYq%2BquMusZKShoqB6pLvUrKCnq12otaq6xKxkoqZdlruwwMeeqWaclZiyrq7Eq2SgmZ2afA%3D%3D