Washington Redskins Week 9 Review

Nov 2, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback

III (10) at the line of scrimmage against the Minnesota Vikings in the first quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings win 29-26. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

A healthy RG3 wasn’t enough for the Washington Redskins to defeat the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. The 26-29 loss brings the Redskins record down to an abysmal 3-6 and they remain in the cellar of the NFC East. With that being said, there were still some positive signs for Jay Gruden and his squad.

I’ll be using this article to examine and highlight the positives and negatives from the week 9 contest between the Washington Redskins and the Minnesota Vikings.

Let’s start out by looking at the positive takeaways from the game.

1.) RG3 showed little rust

Despite missing 6 weeks of action, Robert Griffin III looked pretty good. Yes, he did throw an ugly interception to Captain Munnerlyn in the second quarter, but besides that he played well. In my opinion, he seemed to be much more comfortable in the offense than he did in weeks 1 & 2.

RG3 completed 18 out of 28 passes for 251 yards. He also had one touchdown and one interception on the day. His numbers weren’t fantastic but he definitely showed improvement within the Jay Gruden offense.

2.) Strong outing for Alfred Morris

It appears as if Alfred Morris has finally hit his stride. He gouged the Minnesota defense for 92 yards and two touchdowns on the ground and the return of RG3 is a major factor. He is averaging an impressive 5 rushing yards per attempt with RG3 in the backfield and an underwhelming 3.5 yards per carry without him.

The threat of the read-option opens running lanes for Morris and his numbers reflect that notion. If Robert Griffin III can stay healthy, Alfred Morris and the Washington backfield will benefit.

Womp, womp, womp,…with the good comes some bad. Let’s take a look at the negatives from the game.

1.) Protection issues

The Redskins did a lousy job of protecting Robert Griffin III. The ferocious Minnesota pass-rush managed to tally 5 sacks against Washington and their subpar offensive line. The Redskins will have to do a better job of protecting Griffin moving forward. It’s incredibly difficult for a quarterback to improve if he’s under constant duress.

2.) Lackluster pass-rush

The defense had a big hand in the victory against the Dallas Cowboys last week. At times, the Washington pass-rush looked unstoppable. They were confusing Tony Romo with exotic blitz packages and disguised defenses. You would think Jim Haslett would serve up much of the same against a young, rookie quarterback. But no, the Washington defense spent most of the day sitting back in zone coverage and Teddy Bridgewater took advantage.

At times, Bridgewater had all day in the pocket. That’s something that can’t happen with this defense because the backend simply isn’t strong enough. The Washington front-seven will have to play better for this defensive unit to succeed.