Game Notes: Skins vs. Bengals 2016

REDSKINS-BENGALS GAME NOTES

· The Washington Redskins tied the Cincinnati Bengals, 27-27, in front of an announced crowd of 84,488 people at Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday.

· The Redskins participated in the NFL's 17th regular season game played in London since the formation of the NFL International Series in 2007.

· The game marked the Redskins’ European regular season debut. It was the Redskins’ second regular season game outside the United States all-time, joining the team’s 2011 contest against the Buffalo Bills in Toronto.

· The tie was the Redskins’ 28th all-time but only their second since the NFL adopted overtime in 1974.

· The game marked the Redskins’ first tie since Nov. 23, 1997, when the team tied the New York Giants, 7-7.

· The Redskins are now 25-15-2 all-time in overtime games.

· The Redskins recorded 546 yards of offense, the fourth-most by the team in records dating back to 1950. It was the team’s largest offensive output since a 559-yard effort vs. Atlanta on Nov. 10, 1991.

· The game was the Redskins’ 15th game with at least 500 yards of offense since the 1970 merger. The Redskins are now 10-4-1 in those contests.

· The Redskins tied a team record by reaching 400 yards of offense for a third consecutive game. The franchise had previously accomplished the feat five times (1949, 1981-82, 1983, 2013 and 2015).

· The Redskins have now exceeded 300 yards of offense in a 12th consecutive regular season game, dating back to last season, for the first time since a 14-game stretch across the 2012-13 seasons.

· The Redskins set NFL International Series records in total yards (546) and passing yards (446).

· The Redskins tallied 30 first downs, reaching the 30-first-down mark for the first time since Week 2 of the 2014 season vs. Jacksonville.

· The Redskins (30) and Bengals (35) combined for 65 total first downs, shattering the Redskins’ single-game record for combined first downs, set previously on Nov. 10, 1996 (57, Redskins and Cardinals).

· The Redskins (24) and Bengals (17) combined for 41 passing first downs, the most combined passing first downs in a single game in Redskins history. The previous mark was 40 combined passing first downs between the Redskins and Texans on Sept. 19, 2010.

· The Redskins (4) and Bengals (8) also tied the Redskins’ team record for most combined penalty first downs, matching the mark set by the Redskins and Cowboys on Dec. 26, 1993.

· The Redskins rushed for 100 yards in a third straight game for the first time since a five-game span across Weeks 15-17 of the 2014 season and Weeks 1-2 of the 2015 season.

· Quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 38-of-56 passes for 458 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

· Cousins’ 38 completions set a team record, surpassing the previous mark of 33 set by Cousins (Oct. 25, 2015) and Jason Campbell (Nov. 18, 2007).

· Cousins’ career-high 458 passing yards were the second-most in a single game in team history, trailing only Brad Johnson’s 471-yard performance on Dec. 26, 1999.

· Cousins’ 56 attempts were a career-high and were the second-most all-time in a single game in team history (58, Jay Schroeder on Dec. 1, 1985).

· The game was the second 400-yard passing game of Cousins’ career, tying him with Mark Rypien and Sonny Jurgensen for the most 400-yard passing games in team history.

· Cousins’ pass attempts (56), completions (38) and passing yards (458) were all the most in Wembley Stadium history.

· Cousins recorded his 16th career 300-yard passing game, including postseason play, to tie Sonny Jurgensen for the most 300-yard passing games in team history.

· Cousins has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 23 of 24 regular season games since assuming the starting role prior to the 2015 season, including each of the last seven games dating back to Week 2.

· With his fourth completion of the day, Cousins reached 800 career completions on a 17-yard pass to wide receiver Jamison Crowder.

· Crowder caught a career-high nine receptions for 107 yards with one touchdown, his third career 100-yard receiving game.

· Crowder became the first member of the Redskins with consecutive 100-yard receiving games since DeSean Jackson in Weeks 8-9 of the 2014 season.

· Crowder scored on a 33-yard touchdown pass from Cousins in the fourth quarter.

· The touchdown was Crowder’s fourth of the season, extending his existing single-season career high.

· The touchdown by Crowder was the 100th touchdown in the history of the NFL International Series in London.

· With the touchdown to Crowder, Cousins tied Eddie LeBaron for (59) sixth-most passing touchdowns in team history.

· Running back Robert Kelley recorded his first career rushing touchdown on a four-yard touchdown run on the team’s opening drive.

· The touchdown run was the culmination of a 15-play, 80-yard opening drive for the Redskins, the team’s longest in both categories this season. It marked the Redskins’ first opening drive touchdown since Week 4 vs. Cleveland.

· Kelley recorded career highs in rushing attempts (21), rushing yards (87) and rushing touchdowns (one).

· Cousins connected with tight end Jordan Reed for a 23-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

· The 23-yard touchdown was the longest scoring play of Reed’s career, surpassing a 22-yard touchdown catch at Philadelphia in Week 16 of the 2015 season.

· The touchdown was Reed’s third of the 2016 season and his first since a two-touchdown game in Week 4 vs. Cleveland.

· Reed finished the contest with season highs of nine receptions and 99 receiving yards.

· Tight end Vernon Davis contributed five receptions for 93 yards.

· During the contest, Davis (6,157) passed Jeremy Shockey (6,143) for 12th-most receiving yards by a tight end in NFL history.

· Davis recorded a season-long 44-yard reception in the second quarter. It was his longest catch since a 52-yard touchdown reception in Week 15 of the 2013 season as a member of the San Francisco 49ers.

· Wide receiver Pierre Garçon extended his streak of consecutive regular season games played with a reception to 94, the sixth-longest active streak in the NFL (Larry Fitzgerald, 186; Brandon Marshall, 151; Steve Smith Sr., 134; Jason Witten, 125; Michael Crabtree, 102). Sixty-five of the games in Garçon’s streak have come with Washington, the third-longest streak by a member of the Redskins since the 1970 merger.

· Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan started his 88th consecutive game, tied for second-most among active NFL linebackers. Kerrigan has not missed a start in his NFL career.

· Linebacker Will Compton recorded his first interception of the season in the fourth quarter. It marked his second career pick and his first since Week 17 of the 2015 season at Dallas.

· According to FOX, Compton’s interception snapped a streak of 165 consecutive pass attempts without an interception for Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton.

· Cornerback Josh Norman tied his season high with three passes defensed.

· The Redskins posted three sacks and have now posted at least three sacks in four consecutive games for the first time since the final four games of the 2015 season.

· Defensive end Chris Baker recorded his first full sack of the season in the second quarter.

· Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan added a sack and has now recorded a sack in four consecutive games for the first time since a five-game stretch in Weeks 12-16 of the 2014 season.

· Su’a Cravens recorded his first career sack in the fourth quarter.

· The Redskins held the Bengals to 82 yards in the first half, the Bengals’ fewest yards in a first half in a span of 33 regular season games.

· Defensive end Anthony Lanier II made his NFL debut and recorded a fumble recovery in overtime.

· Safety Donte Whitner Sr. played in his 150th career regular season game.

· Wide receiver Maurice Harris gained 17 yards on his first career kickoff return.

· Running back Chris Thompson tied a career high with three kickoff returns, gaining 53 yards.

· At 4-3-1, the Redskins (.571) now enter the halfway point of a season above .500 for the first time since 2008

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Kirk Cousins threw for 458 yards today and completed 70 percent of his passes. Great stats.

But what's missing is the red zone execution that other teams with better records are regularly seeing in games where their quarterbacks are putting up the stats.

Today, Derrick Carr went for 513 yards but also 4 touchdowns. Brady went for 300 yards but also threw for 4 touchdowns.

That is where the soft underbelly of the Redskins otherwise top 10 rated offense is lacking and why we are 4-3-1 instead of 6-2.

With better red zone execution against the Lions and Bengals that's where this team would be sitting right now.

You would think today with Reed, Davis, Garcon, Jackson and Crowder all active and on the field that we would be more productive in attacking for TDs.

But outside of the Cleveland game, Kirk's stats keep on looking like '2 touchdowns, 1 interception' or '1 touchdown, 1 interception'.

What we aren't getting are those '3 touchdown, Zero Interception' games we were getting in the second half of last season.

That lack of a nose for the end zone at age 28 is the one thing that has me concerned about Cousins moving forward as the qb here in 2017 and beyond.

That's the thing that's choking this offense, is all the red zone fails.

Red zone failure seems to be the one constant of the Gruden era. Regardless of who the QB is.

I know some get all wet looking at stats. The only stat that truly matters, is winning games. Where Gruden continues to fail.

Again, and again.

And yet ... after so many seasons of spinning our wheels winning 3 games, 4 games, 5 games, 6 ... your "failure" of a head coach took the 3-13 dumpster fire he inherited and went from 4-12 in his rookie season, to 9-7 in his second, and has the team at 4-3-1 in his third. Maybe you're being a little unfair? Or is this still psychological schtik?

Hey, if the team craters in the second half and finishes with 5 or 6 wins and look rattled and unprepared and all, then yeah, I could maybe see crushing Gruden like that. But if they don't? If they finish at .500 or better for consecutive seasons under the same coach for the first time in 20 years ... not so much.

Sitting here at midseason of the man's third year, having gone 13-11-1 over the last season and a half, and 10-5-1 over the last 16 games, personally I'm pretty tickled we seem to have at the VERY least righted the ship and appear to be sailing toward open waters instead of rocky shoals for the first time in effing forever.

Hopkins makes a PAT-length FG in OT yesterday, and we're 5-3 at the midpoint. Can anyone honestly say that if that happens, anyone here is complaining even a little today?

I'm totally onboard your ship sailing for open waters Om.

I think for all it's faults this team is markedly better than ANYTHING we've had for a long time.

2012 was smoke and mirrors and we know in hindsight that the promise of that season was false. It was built around the one trick pony offense and one the league figured that out and with RGIII losing his run ability through injury, we were toast.

This team is competitive every week pretty much. Yeah we make mistakes and shoot ourselves in the foot a fair bit, but (to use your analogy) I think this team is learning how to sail at the moment. As I said on the other thread, I'm looking at 2018 as being the year we contend. We need to fix the D-Line and shore up the safety spot. We need to commit to a running back, who I believe at this point should be Kelley. And the offense needs time together to be as consistent as it is explosive. No one can say we can't move the ball, we really can. WE just need a little more balance, consistency and to figure out the red-zone. I think that'll come with time together.

By 2018 Cousins to Reed is going to be the same as Brady to Gronk. Or Cousins to Crowder is going to be the same as Rodgers to Nelson. The more time they spend playing together the slicker this offence will run, and it's already pretty darn good.

Hopefully Doctson works out and we move on from Djax and then Garcon (I'm thinking DJax is gone this year... he's looking a shade of his former self, and I think Crowder is being groomed for that role. Garcon may stick around while we groom Doctson...). If Kelley can establish as consistent and reliable, to take some heat off the pass game then we're in business.

Gruden, in my opinion, has done a great job. But even he is still learning. This is only his 3rd year as a head coach and I'm happy for him to have his learning curve alongside this team.

Oh and Pay Kirk! He's worth the money at this point. He throws the occasional interception or dumbass ball, but then they all do. That's QB in the NFL. But he can ball. Frankly there's just no one out there close to him in ability who is available.

addendum... I feel sorry for poor Dusty. He's had a bad run lately. The Baltimore game, you watch those replays and that wind just took the ball in unpredictable directions. That long FG straight down the middle he almost nailed till it hit that brick wall of wind. The Lions game just felt like fate. It was such a bizarre game all around.
As for London. Yeah he got iced. If you put that kick infront of him again, exactly the same circumstances I reckon he'd nail it 95 times out of 100. Chip shot. I don't know what the turf was like in Wembley, I guess that may have been a contributing factor. The long FG was only just short.
He's still a keeper in my book and I don't blame him for the loss at all. Gotta put that on the play calling and the Offense in general.

If we'd have kicked that FG instead of going for it on 4th and 1 we'd have won.

The TD at that point, that early in the game was very tempting, even I was kinda hoping they'd go for it... But the old adage "TAKE THE POINTS!" was never truer than yesterday.

Anyway... you want to know who's to blame for this one... ME!

I was there. I have only EVER seen TWO NFL games. This one and the American Bowl on 8th August 1993 that was also played at Wembley. Remember that. I've only EVER seen TWO NFL games LIVE!

For your handy reference I've provided the link to the Wiki page... Look it up and tell me what strikes you and why this is all MY fault...

American Bowls history

No, the shtick is over. You're all welcome for the 4 game winning streak, BTW.

And, the main shtick was, I don't usually go negative during the season. Especially here. Except during the bye week. All of my criticisms were based in truth. I embellished for dramatic purposes.

So, here we are, at the bye week.

You will find nothing but me supporting the continued employment of one Jay Michael Gruden, since the day he was hired. I currently still feel that way. Though I have to admit, my confidence that he will become a quality head coach that is feared/respected by the opposition, has taken a hit the 1st half of this season. I don't believe criticizing his shortcomings erases my "bottom line" support for him as our coach. But I can't dismiss the feeling I have that he's as likely to be our new Norv Turner, as he is anything else. He pretty much has to run the table in the second half to not still have a losing record as a head coach. That's what I'm hoping for. And it is indeed possible.

That doesn't change the idea that we've had red zone struggles from the beginning. And, we are still a very undisciplined team, that too often underperforms, with a coaching staff that still has a 50/50 personality of brilliance/incompetence. Actually, more like 40/60. But I'm trying to remain optimistic.

Anywho, for my money, yesterday's loss(IMO)gets added to the Dallas, and Detroit losses, as inexcusable.

Om said:

......Hopkins makes a PAT-length FG in OT yesterday, and we're 5-3 at the midpoint. Can anyone honestly say that if that doesn't happen, anyone here is complaining even a little?

Click to expand...

Oh there will be complaints no matter what, even during Gibbs finest seasons there were 'complainers' but it was more about the way we won not the fact that we won. I can remember 9-7 seasons back then being the most exasperating.

Wasn't very long ago we all were clamoring for a 'competitive' team, looks like we have one now despite the evident shortcomings.

How many rookies, one and two year players are getting on the field and contributing? How many vets are showing renewed vigor?

Garcon chirping at Gruden on the sidelines........ Clark doing the same to Gibbs back when, is that disrespect or a coach allowing a player to 'express' himself, be willing to listen and Garcon knowing that he will?

The 'lucky-we-got-these-FA's-because-they-fell-into-our-laps' thing is also part of the equation, this team is willing to get it done and quickly when those opportunities arise, they're seemingly much more effective and there were number high profile guys out there that didn't get signed because they weren't the 'right guy'.

Yeah, rezone plays and execution still need to be fixed, Kirk still needs to get comfortable with the ad lib and the D needs some more up front production (and talent) but as Om sez.... let's see how they come out of the gate after the bye.

Ax,

Agree we're underperforming in the red zone so far this year. Just not sure I attribute those failures to the coaching staff as much as you seem to. Nor do I have quite as sure a sense of what percentage of what our coaches do is genius vs incompetence. But that's just us seeing this through our own filters--so it's all good.

Really wish Hopkins had made the damn kick though. What a different two weeks we'd be looking at.

My frustration with Gruden is, if I'm being honest and realistic, residually based on how he handled RG3, which I vehemently disagreed with.

I will say that I have scratched me head a couple of times at how slow he has been to make a change from Jones, when it seemed like he couldn't wait to kick Morris off the team.

But I'm warming to Gruden. I don't see him as the sure fire HOF'er others do, but he is improving.

Om said:

Ax,

Agree we're underperforming in the red zone so far this year. Just not sure I attribute those failures to the coaching staff as much as you seem to. Nor do I have quite as sure a sense of what percentage of what our coaches do is genius vs incompetence. But that's just us seeing this through our own filters--so it's all good.

Really wish Hopkins had made the damn kick though. What a different two weeks we'd be looking at.

Click to expand...

It's simply an observation of mine, that the one constant in our red zone struggles, is the coach. And I believe it's been a problem since he arrived.
Another observation is, the fade route/jump ball in the end zone. We haven't had a QB that can throw it, or a receiver who can run it, consistently, in the Gruden era thus far. I mean, when they do try it, it looks like something they just started working on during pregame warmups. Pretty pathetic.

I'm as thrilled as anyone that we've improved, vastly, between the 20's. I wish that was the stat that matters most. But it's not.

And I agree, had Hopkins made the kick, or Norman caught the 2 int's, or half the missed tackles had been made, or half of the penalties weren't called, or the coaches knew there ass from a hole in the ground inside the redzone, what a different two weeks we'd be looking at.

Been a problem going back to Norv. But most of it from Norv on is lack of consistency. I believe as we continue to draft our own players we will get better.