MMA
John Keim, ESPN Staff Writer 6y

Eagles will test Redskins' renewed commitment to run game

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Redskins entered the season touting a new commitment to the run game. For a variety of reasons, they had to abandon that commitment in the season opener. But, since that game, they’ve renewed their desire to stick with the run.

The Philadelphia Eagles will test that commitment once again on Monday night. The Eagles rank first in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game and 10th in yards per carry.

In the first meeting, the Redskins struggled to establish much on the ground, but they also only ran on consecutive plays twice during the game -- and that happened on the same drive.

However, the run game didn’t exactly put them in great positions considering the backs only gained a combined 34 yards on 13 carries. Of the Redskins’ carries by a back, 10 occurred on first down. But they actually had better success here: They gained four or more yards on seven of those, meaning they were left in a good spot on second down most of the time. (One of those 4-yard gains happened on a first-and-20).

There’s a case to be made they can at least run the ball more versus Philadelphia, based on these stats.  Last season, the Redskins averaged 6.02 yards per carry on 56 runs. The real key versus Philadelphia is avoiding third-and-longs and then converting third downs. The Redskins failed in both areas in the opener. When they threw on second down in that game? Cousins completed 13 of 18 passes, with 11 going for first downs. That’s success.

“We’ve got to make sure that when we do run the ball, we try to make positive yards even if it’s three yards, four yards -- that’s a good run for us to keep us in positive down-and-distances,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “To get in third down-and-long like we did … last time we played them, and like a lot of teams have done against them, it’s been not a win situation for the offense against them because their pass rush is so good.”

Indeed, the Eagles’ defense ranks 10th in the NFL in third-down defense when an offense needs six yards or more. The Eagles have allowed 24.4 percent of such plays to be converted (compared to the Redskins’ 31.0 percent), according to ESPN Stats & Information. Opposing quarterbacks have a 59.1 passer rating against them in these situations.

In the opener, Washington faced 10 third-down situations where it needed at least six yards; the Redskins converted three. Since that game, the Redskins have faced that same situation 27 times; they’ve converted 15. Despite that success, it’s a tough way to live –-- and even tougher versus the Eagles.

For the game, Philadelphia sacked Kirk Cousins four times and he was under duress 14 times. Since that game, Cousins has been sacked a combined four times with 20 throws under duress. One opposing player called the Redskins’ offensive line the best in the NFL. Whether that’s true or not, they’ve looked good lately, notably tackle Trent Williams and right guard Brandon Scherff. It helps, too, that Rob Kelley is expected to play Monday after missing last week with a sprained ankle; he's averaged 4.5 yards on his 29 runs this season.

They’ll need a high level of play against the Eagles. In the opener, one issue in the run game was tight end -- and receiver -- blocking. Tight ends Vernon Davis and Jordan Reed struggled along the line against powerful end Brandon Graham. Philadelphia's linebackers played three to four yards off the ball and aggressively shot gaps created by penetrating linemen. It leaves them susceptible to cutbacks -- if the secondary doesn't tackle well. In the opener, they did. The Redskins used more jet sweep action to help the run vs. San Francisco; it could remain a tactic to some degree this week.

Their run game commitment is better than their actual run game, though the numbers are strong enough to stick with this plan. They've averaged 137.5 yards per game since the opener (sixth in the NFL); they've averaged 4.17 yards per carry (18th). But if they continue to convert third downs, they can stick with the run. One note: According to ESPN Stat & Information, Cousins has completed 82.0 percent of his throws on plays after a run.

“It just puts a lot of stress on your passing game and on your quarterback if you’re throwing the ball 45 times a game to be very, very efficient in doing that,” Cousins said. “When you can stay balanced, it certainly can help, but I’ll be the first one to say that it doesn’t do you much good if you run a bunch of plays and you’re running the ball but you are not gaining yards and you’re not putting yourselves in a positive position.”

^ Back to Top ^