The Washington Redskins started the season 1-0 after winning at Arizona on Sunday. Several players stood out, especially on offense.
How good were the Washington Redskins going to be in 2018? That was one of the biggest questions in the NFL in the offseason. No one knew quite what to expect from Washington with new quarterback Alex Smith. Well, after Sunday’s dominating 24-6 win over the Arizona Cardinals, it’s clear this team could be much better than some expected.
Smith was super efficient in his debut, completing 21 of 30 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns. In true Smith fashion, he also took care of the football and at one time had a streak of 13 consecutive completions. Smith only pushed the ball down the field once and it was a nice throw that went off the hands of Paul Richardson.
Outside of that, Smith used his running backs and tight ends to dominate the short and mid-range passing game.
Smith, of course, had help. The running game was outstanding on Sunday as Washington churned out 182 yards on the ground behind Adrian Peterson and Chris Thompson. Head coach Jay Gruden had an outstanding game plan, which helped him win his first season opener in five tries.
And the rebuilt defense held the Cardinals to just 213 total yards, many of which came in garbage time during the fourth quarter. David Johnson was held to just 37 yards rushing.
Who were the biggest standouts in Washington’s impressive season-opening win?