Washington Redskins: Performance better than 2-2 record

The Washington Redskins may have lost to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night in Week 4, but they’ve played better than their 2-2 record.

Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins showed everyone on Monday night against the Kansas City Chiefs that he can think under pressure and make smart calls. It was surprising to see him run as much as he did, but the guy showed heart. There were several instances where, in the past, he would have tried to throw it, resulting in some crazy interception.

The fourth quarter has never been kind to him with a score as close as it was on Monday Night Football. This time, however, he took charge and made plays himself. That’s to be respected. In the closing minutes of the game, he scrambled three times, averaging seven yards when the team needed him the most to make something happen. That’s determination.

Washington’s defense did an excellent job slowing down the Chiefs run game. Containment likely could not have gone any better for the Redskins. The second half was pretty rough for the unit though, because injuries started to pile up.

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 When the Chiefs did start gaining ground, the Redskins were already sputtering. Cornerback Josh Norman left the game with a rib fracture (he’ll be week-to-week moving forward). Trent Williams is getting an MRI, and Rob Kelley is day-to-day with an ankle injury. The Washington Post‘s Liz Clarke reported Tuesday Josh Doctson may be injured again as well.

The good news is, the Redskins have a deep bench, so missing these guys shouldn’t be a big worry. Add the bye in Week 5 and some of these players should be good to go by the time their Week 6 matchup rolls around.

Here’s the reality: If Doctson caught the ball (we all know the one), the Redskins would have beaten the Chiefs. It was a catchable ball, and he had control until he hit the ground. That’s a learning experience. He’ll do better next time, considering he just starting playing this season.

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Monday night revealed some holes in the Redskins armor, things they’ll have to regroup and remedy. However, they were a dropped reception away from being 3-1 with a win over the most impressive team of the young season. To this point, their performance has been much better than their record going into the bye would indicate.