Rick Snider's Report Card - A WFT Loss!
The game was an expected mismatch and that’s putting it lightly. It was another boring, bad loss for the Washington Football Team to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Dwayne Haskins did little to silence naysayers and the defense once again was dominated. Mostly, it was a quiet afternoon at FedEx Field.
QUARTERBACK: C
Dwayne Haskins stats were better while running for his first touchdown, but the decision-making was lacking. Throwing a dump off a fourth-and-goal pass to the 9 when the ball needed to reach the end zone was a colossally-bad decision. The ball has to go into the end zone or nothing. Too many poorly-thrown incompletions, a few overlooked open receivers.
RUNNING BACKS: B
Antonio Gibson is turning into a decent playmaker, but he’s not a dominating runner. His runs/catches and the numbers are respectable, but not something opponents fear. The same can really be said about J.D. McKissic.
RECEIVERS: B
It’s nice to have a favorite receiver, but Terry McLaurin’s 10 catches for 118 yards only led to a late touchdown in junk time. McLaurin has the speed to work the edges, but he’s living as a first-choice by Haskins for short passes aside a late 39-yard heave. Isaiah Wright continues to emerge as the No. 2 receiver, but Dontrelle Inman has been steady, too.
TIGHT ENDS: Inc.
Washington continues to move away from the tight end as a target in recent weeks. Logan Thomas has become an afterthought instead of a prime target. That should be a sign the offense is growing, but really it’s just Haskins dumping to Terry McLaurin instead of Thomas.
OFFENSIVE LINE: D
Dwayne Haskins is never sending left tackle Geron Christian a Christmas card after this season. Washington couldn’t stop the outside pressure on either side, but how much is Washington hating fourth-round tackle Saahdiq Charles isn’t healthy? Nice block by center Chase Roullier on the fourth-and-one early to clear path for Dwayne Haskins’ conversion. Overall, fair run blocking, awful pass blocking.
DEFENSIVE LINE: F
Yawn – without injured Chase Young they managed little pressure on Ravens passer Lamar Jackson. It was a repeat of the Arizona game when largely stoned at the line. They made a few plays, but were burned too often. And just one sack by Tim Settle?
LINEBACKERS: B
The unit was the defense’s strength if you can say such a thing when giving up so many yards and points. But, they filled a lot of holes. Jon Bostic has been the defense’s best player over the first month while Kevin Pierre-Louis continues to work the field.
SECONDARY: D
Kendall Fuller grabbed his first interception by anticipating a throw that led to a field goal, then added another interception off Ravens passer Robert Griffin III. And that was pretty much the good news as Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson burned them for two touchdowns and did whatever he wanted most of the afternoon. Cornerback Ronald Darby had a rough day versus Marquis Brown.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C
Everyone is saying watch the fake punt. Even the announcer called it. Then, the Ravens converted a throw that led to a touchdown and 21-7 lead. Backbreaker. The team was down to its third punt returner by the second quarter with Steven Sims out and Greg Stroman injured. Yet, Isaiah Wright is a decent option. Punter Tress Way remains the rock. Dustin Hopkins hit the upright on a 54-yarder before converting a 43-yarder.
COACHING: C
Ron Rivera was a warrior in just making through the game. He is clearly struggling with the demands of his cancer treatments just as he predicted from the start. Sat on bench at times, looks weary lately. Yet, Rivera’s still competing when many folks would stay home from work. I give Rivera an A and an F to his two coordinators. Why doesn’t defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio have answers? The defense allowed 30 or more points for the third time in four games.
Rick Snider is an award-winning sports writer who has covered Washington sports since 1978. He first wrote about the Washington football team in 1983 before becoming a beat writer in 1993. Snider currently writes for several national and international publications and is a Washington tour guide. Follow Rick on Twitter at @Snide_Remarks
