It’s 3rd-and-wrong too often for the defense
There are plenty of things for Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden to be surprised about in 2019.
The holdout by Trent Williams, which has continued into late September, was unexpected. The defense was supposed to be a strength of the team, not giving up 30-plus points every game. The running game, led by a healthy Derrius Guice, was intended to fuel the offense.
But none of that is what has caught Gruden off guard the most.
“The struggle of the defense on third down [is] probably the most surprising and disappointing,” Gruden said. “When we were 6-3 last year before Alex [Smith] got hurt, we were playing really good defense and protecting the ball. I thought that might be the key to our success this year, with a new quarterback and some new offensive lineman, a bunch of new receivers. … I still have a strong feeling that the defense will get better and play better moving forward.”
The Redskins’ third-down defense has been horrific this season, allowing opponents to convert a league-high 63% of their opportunities. Last season, the Cincinnati Bengals were the most porous third-down defense in the league with a 49% conversion rate allowed, which tied for the worst in the NFL since the 2000 season.
Washington simply hasn’t been able to get its defense off the field, which has equated to long drives that wear it out.
In Monday night’s loss, four of the Chicago Bears’ drives lasted at least nine plays and three resulted in points. The Cowboys had four drives of nine or more plays and scored on each one. The Eagles had four, including a 19-play drive in which they converted four third downs. That 19-play drive was the longest by any team in the league this season.
“We’ve just got to find a way to get off the field, and one way we can help ourselves with that is having better first and second downs,” outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan said. “When you can put a team in third-and-long, your chances go up of being able to get off the field. ... [We] haven’t done that the first couple games.”
Kerrigan explained that opponents can call anything in the entire playbook on third-and-short, but in longer situations the defense can focus on a finite number of options.
“Ultimately, you’ve just got to execute the defense and execute the call, beat the guy across from you,” Kerrigan said. “Can’t overcomplicate it.”
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Linebacker Jon Bostic wasn’t so much concerned about the third-down distance.
“We all have to play together,” Bostic said. “Pass rush has got to work with coverage, coverage has got to work with the pass rush. Guys just have to do their job, that’s really what it comes down to.
“Third down is a money down. Pass rushers like to go eat. For us on the back end, we’ve got to go cover. Inside, we’ve got to run and hit and cover it well. … We’ve got to play better situational football.”
There’s a chance things could come a bit easier for the Redskins defense this week, facing a rebuilding NewYork Giants team that will be without star running back Saquon Barkley, who is sidelined with a high ankle sprain. But rookie quarterback, Daniel Jones, is coming off a stellar professional debut, having earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors after throwing for 336 yards and two touchdowns in a 32-31 comeback win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his first game after replacing longtime starter Eli Manning.
The Giants were 6-for-13 on third downs in the victory, and their gamewinning touchdown was a 7-yard rush by Jones on fourth down. His mobility, particularly on third downs, will be something on which the Redskins must focus.
“That’s the money down,” Giants coach Pat Shurmur said. “I thought [Jones] did a good job throwing the ball accurately. I thought he did a good job of handling some of the pressures.”