There will be plenty of soul searching around the Washington Redskins after blowing a 17-point lead to the Philadelphia Eagles in a 32-27 loss not nearly as close as the final score indicated.Quarterback Case Keenum and the offense went from surprisingly effective to dormant
Dwayne Haskins Jersey White , and coach Jay Gruden didn’t match Eagles counterpart Doug Pederson’s adjustments. The result was the kind of Jekyll and Hyde performances in the first and second half that lead to more questions than answers with the Dallas Cowboys in town for the home opener Sunday.WHAT’S WORKINGThe defense, despite giving up so many points. It’s full of playmakers and can be incredibly effective when not worn down by too much time on the field. It hurt to lose defensive lineman Jonathan Allen to a knee injury, and that the offense couldn’t hold on to the ball.“I’m tired,” cornerback Josh Norman said. “We forced some plays, some three-and-outs early on. We played solid defense, fine football, and as the game went on we started to damage communication. I feel like we weren’t all in sync.”WHAT NEEDS HELPThe offense, despite scoring 17 consecutive points to start the game. Specifically, the running game is an issue exacerbated by veteran Adrian Peterson’s healthy scratch that put the onus on Derrius Guice to shoulder the load.In his NFL debut 13 months since tearing the ACL in his left knee, Guice injured his right knee and underwent an MRI Monday morning. The knee injury at least partially explains why Guice was limited to 18 yards on 10 carries.“I thought that (Guice) did a great job of making plays when there wasn’t much there at times,” Keenum said. “Sometimes those 1- or 2-yard runs that aren’t necessarily negative runs are good, but I thought Guice played a great game and was in the right spot.”The lack of an effective ground attack stunted Washington’s opportunities to produce through the air .“(Philadelphia) is a team that loads up the box,” Gruden said. “We tried some runs that didn’t work, a couple traps, a couple toss and cracks, things of that nature. … I thought our attack was sound. We just had three or four penalties that took us off some critical drives.”STOCK UPRookie receiver Terry McLaurin caught seven passes for 125 yards and a touchdown and is already the Redskins’ top receiver. That was evident in training camp, and keeping the third-round pick out of Ohio State on the sideline during the preseason didn’t stunt his development and perhaps made his breakout debut a bit of a surprise.STOCK DOWNThe rest of Washington’s receivers combined for 10 catches, with third-down back Chris Thompson the most popular target with seven receptions. Between veteran Paul Richardson, second-year player Trey Quinn and rookie Kelvin Harmon, someone else is going to have to step up to take the heat off McLaurin.INJUREDGuice’s isn’t the only key player to worry about. Allen is considered week to week with the knee injury, and that’s a big blow given how much he can affect the game in the pass rush and run stopping.Caleb Brantley suffered an ankle injury, too, so the depth of a very young defensive line could be tested earlier than anyone with the Redskins hoped for.KEY NUMBERWashington had the ball for just 5:47 during the first 26:50 of the second half against Philadelphia. The Eagles outscored the Redskins 25-0 in that span.NEXT STEPSPeterson figures to get his starting job back with Guice out, though it’s too early to tell what kind of off-field damage the Redskins did by scratching him. Peterson knew he wouldn’t be the No. 1 running back, but not being in uniform could be seen as a slap in the face.Figuring out how to compensative for the loss of Allen and how to better mitigate in-game adjustments are all part of a full platter. Potentially getting tight end Jordan Reed back after another concussion should only help, but the film of Dallas shredding the New York Giants in Week 1 will make this a busy week for the coaching staff. ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys had to abandon any realistic hope of defending their NFC East title while losing three straight games without suspended star running back Ezekiel Elliott.A fourth straight defeat when Washington visits Thursday night would hand the crown to Philadelphia with the Eagles still having five games left.Even if they find a way to win without last year’s NFL rushing leader, the Cowboys carry faint playoff hopes at best along with the team that shares second place in the division at 5-6 — the Redskins.“It’s frustrating, it’s shocking,” Prescott said. “You look around and you see the Pro Bowlers and the talent you have
Womens Bryce Love Jersey , it’s almost a loss for words on why it’s happening. But it just shows you this game is tough.”Made even tougher without Elliott, who was moving up the rushing list again during a three-game winning streak when he finally ran out of legal options to avoid the six-game suspension for alleged domestic violence.The Cowboys haven’t had 300 yards in a game since then, the longest such stretch since the last four games in 2002.“I’m sure it has a little bit to do with it,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “But they’ve had some issues. When you lose a game, you can’t finger-point the offensive side of the ball.”The absence of 2016 All-Pro linebacker Sean Lee because of a hamstring injury hasn’t helped, with the Cowboys getting outscored 72-6 in the second half on the current losing streak. Lee has been ruled out for the third straight game.It’s been more about the volume of injuries for Washington, which has 15 players on injured reserve and was eliminated in the division race in Week 12 despite beating the New York Giants.Three starters have been ruled out against the Cowboys: tight end Jordan Reed (hamstring), center Chase Roullier (hand) and safety Montae Nicholson (concussion). A key reserve, former Dallas defensive lineman Terrell McClain, will sit with a toe injury.“You take away all the dust and the smoke and everything else that people really say about this team and you see what type of fighters and guys we get off the street and come in and play and still win games, it’s pretty great,” said cornerback Josh Norman, set for another showdown with struggling Dallas receiver Dez Bryant.Some things to consider with the Cowboys seeking to make the rival Redskins the first team they’ve beaten 70 times:O-LINE JUGGLE: Redskins left tackle injury that will require surgery and has kept him out of three of the past five games.He knows he won’t be playing left guard for the injured Shawn Lauvao because 6-foot-8 backup tackle Ty Nsekhe is moving there. “I can’t remember a time in my career where I looked down and the left guard is towering over me,” the 6-5 Williams said.SECONDARY SHUFFLE: The Cowboys are making changes among their defensive backs after giving up a season-high 434 yards passing to Philip Rivers of the LA Chargers.Rookie second-round pick Chidobe Awuzie, hampered most of the season by hamstring injuries, has been running with the first team and is expected to take snaps from second-year man Anthony Brown. Another rookie, Xavier Woods, could see more time at safety.CROWDER TIME: Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins has spread the ball around a lot this season, completing passes to 15 players, but receiver Jamison Crowder is his favorite option.Crowder is coming off his best game of the season with seven catches for 141 yards and a touchdown. “Sometimes he gets lost in the mix, but now he is becoming a feature-type guy,” Gruden said.BEHIND MORRIS: Alfred Morris has been the lead back filling in for Elliott, who is out three more games. The Cowboys eliminated any remaining doubt about Rod Smith as the next choice when they released Darren McFadden three days after Smith scored his first career touchdown. Trey Williams came up from the practice squad and could be active against the Redskins.SIMPLE PLAN: Linebacker Zach Brown said the Redskins have only watched film of Dallas without Elliott because Morris is such a different back. They will follow what Atlanta, Philadelphia and the Chargers did.“They’re not having (any) more big, explosive run plays,” Brown said. “Now everybody’s forcing them to pass the ball. Now for our game, we’re going to force them to pass the ball, too.”
There will be plenty of soul searching around the Washington Redskins after blowing a 17-point lead to the Philadelphia Eagles in a 32-27 loss not nearly as close as the final score indicated.Quarterback Case Keenum and the offense went from surprisingly effective to dormant Dwayne Haskins Jersey White , and coach Jay Gruden didn’t match Eagles counterpart Doug Pederson’s adjustments. The result was the kind of Jekyll and Hyde performances in the first and second half that lead to more questions than answers with the Dallas Cowboys in town for the home opener Sunday.WHAT’S WORKINGThe defense, despite giving up so many points. It’s full of playmakers and can be incredibly effective when not worn down by too much time on the field. It hurt to lose defensive lineman Jonathan Allen to a knee injury, and that the offense couldn’t hold on to the ball.“I’m tired,” cornerback Josh Norman said. “We forced some plays, some three-and-outs early on. We played solid defense, fine football, and as the game went on we started to damage communication. I feel like we weren’t all in sync.”WHAT NEEDS HELPThe offense, despite scoring 17 consecutive points to start the game. Specifically, the running game is an issue exacerbated by veteran Adrian Peterson’s healthy scratch that put the onus on Derrius Guice to shoulder the load.In his NFL debut 13 months since tearing the ACL in his left knee, Guice injured his right knee and underwent an MRI Monday morning. The knee injury at least partially explains why Guice was limited to 18 yards on 10 carries.“I thought that (Guice) did a great job of making plays when there wasn’t much there at times,” Keenum said. “Sometimes those 1- or 2-yard runs that aren’t necessarily negative runs are good, but I thought Guice played a great game and was in the right spot.”The lack of an effective ground attack stunted Washington’s opportunities to produce through the air .“(Philadelphia) is a team that loads up the box,” Gruden said. “We tried some runs that didn’t work, a couple traps, a couple toss and cracks, things of that nature. … I thought our attack was sound. We just had three or four penalties that took us off some critical drives.”STOCK UPRookie receiver Terry McLaurin caught seven passes for 125 yards and a touchdown and is already the Redskins’ top receiver. That was evident in training camp, and keeping the third-round pick out of Ohio State on the sideline during the preseason didn’t stunt his development and perhaps made his breakout debut a bit of a surprise.STOCK DOWNThe rest of Washington’s receivers combined for 10 catches, with third-down back Chris Thompson the most popular target with seven receptions. Between veteran Paul Richardson, second-year player Trey Quinn and rookie Kelvin Harmon, someone else is going to have to step up to take the heat off McLaurin.INJUREDGuice’s isn’t the only key player to worry about. Allen is considered week to week with the knee injury, and that’s a big blow given how much he can affect the game in the pass rush and run stopping.Caleb Brantley suffered an ankle injury, too, so the depth of a very young defensive line could be tested earlier than anyone with the Redskins hoped for.KEY NUMBERWashington had the ball for just 5:47 during the first 26:50 of the second half against Philadelphia. The Eagles outscored the Redskins 25-0 in that span.NEXT STEPSPeterson figures to get his starting job back with Guice out, though it’s too early to tell what kind of off-field damage the Redskins did by scratching him. Peterson knew he wouldn’t be the No. 1 running back, but not being in uniform could be seen as a slap in the face.Figuring out how to compensative for the loss of Allen and how to better mitigate in-game adjustments are all part of a full platter. Potentially getting tight end Jordan Reed back after another concussion should only help, but the film of Dallas shredding the New York Giants in Week 1 will make this a busy week for the coaching staff. ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys had to abandon any realistic hope of defending their NFC East title while losing three straight games without suspended star running back Ezekiel Elliott.A fourth straight defeat when Washington visits Thursday night would hand the crown to Philadelphia with the Eagles still having five games left.Even if they find a way to win without last year’s NFL rushing leader, the Cowboys carry faint playoff hopes at best along with the team that shares second place in the division at 5-6 — the Redskins.“It’s frustrating, it’s shocking,” Prescott said. “You look around and you see the Pro Bowlers and the talent you have Womens Bryce Love Jersey , it’s almost a loss for words on why it’s happening. But it just shows you this game is tough.”Made even tougher without Elliott, who was moving up the rushing list again during a three-game winning streak when he finally ran out of legal options to avoid the six-game suspension for alleged domestic violence.The Cowboys haven’t had 300 yards in a game since then, the longest such stretch since the last four games in 2002.“I’m sure it has a little bit to do with it,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “But they’ve had some issues. When you lose a game, you can’t finger-point the offensive side of the ball.”The absence of 2016 All-Pro linebacker Sean Lee because of a hamstring injury hasn’t helped, with the Cowboys getting outscored 72-6 in the second half on the current losing streak. Lee has been ruled out for the third straight game.It’s been more about the volume of injuries for Washington, which has 15 players on injured reserve and was eliminated in the division race in Week 12 despite beating the New York Giants.Three starters have been ruled out against the Cowboys: tight end Jordan Reed (hamstring), center Chase Roullier (hand) and safety Montae Nicholson (concussion). A key reserve, former Dallas defensive lineman Terrell McClain, will sit with a toe injury.“You take away all the dust and the smoke and everything else that people really say about this team and you see what type of fighters and guys we get off the street and come in and play and still win games, it’s pretty great,” said cornerback Josh Norman, set for another showdown with struggling Dallas receiver Dez Bryant.Some things to consider with the Cowboys seeking to make the rival Redskins the first team they’ve beaten 70 times:O-LINE JUGGLE: Redskins left tackle injury that will require surgery and has kept him out of three of the past five games.He knows he won’t be playing left guard for the injured Shawn Lauvao because 6-foot-8 backup tackle Ty Nsekhe is moving there. “I can’t remember a time in my career where I looked down and the left guard is towering over me,” the 6-5 Williams said.SECONDARY SHUFFLE: The Cowboys are making changes among their defensive backs after giving up a season-high 434 yards passing to Philip Rivers of the LA Chargers.Rookie second-round pick Chidobe Awuzie, hampered most of the season by hamstring injuries, has been running with the first team and is expected to take snaps from second-year man Anthony Brown. Another rookie, Xavier Woods, could see more time at safety.CROWDER TIME: Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins has spread the ball around a lot this season, completing passes to 15 players, but receiver Jamison Crowder is his favorite option.Crowder is coming off his best game of the season with seven catches for 141 yards and a touchdown. “Sometimes he gets lost in the mix, but now he is becoming a feature-type guy,” Gruden said.BEHIND MORRIS: Alfred Morris has been the lead back filling in for Elliott, who is out three more games. The Cowboys eliminated any remaining doubt about Rod Smith as the next choice when they released Darren McFadden three days after Smith scored his first career touchdown. Trey Williams came up from the practice squad and could be active against the Redskins.SIMPLE PLAN: Linebacker Zach Brown said the Redskins have only watched film of Dallas without Elliott because Morris is such a different back. They will follow what Atlanta, Philadelphia and the Chargers did.“They’re not having (any) more big, explosive run plays,” Brown said. “Now everybody’s forcing them to pass the ball. Now for our game, we’re going to force them to pass the ball, too.”