The Redskins are 0-3 and filled with a plethora of flaws. Those flaws were exposed to see on a national level as they were hammered 31-15 by the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. They fell behind 28-0 early and never could claw back into the game, despite a last ditch effort.
Certainly the biggest loser of the Redskins’ dreadful national performance is head coach Jay Gruden, but there are plenty others.
Loser: Jay Gruden
The clock is ticking on Gruden’s tenure in Washington whether it’s fair or not. He is in his sixth season with one playoff game in the previous five and now his team is off to a 0-3 start. The embarrassing loss on Monday night only laminates narrative.
Gruden is now 1-9 on Monday Night Football and destined for a fourth losing season in Washington.
Gruden entered the season as the odds-on favorite to be the first coach fired in the NFL. From the handling of Adrian Peterson, and the lack of production and emotion to this season, he is surely writing his exit story.
Winner: Terry McLaurin
There are not many winners from a 31-15 loss, but Redskins rookie wide receiver Terry McLaurin certainly has been as close to one as possible. McLaurin snagged in six catches for 70 yards and a touchdown. He has scored a touchdown in each of his first three games of his NFL career.
He became the first player in NFL history to record at least five receptions and a touchdown in each of his first three games to start a career.
McLaurin has built rapport with quarterback Case Keenum. It’s clear he is the No. 1 receiver even lined up with Paul Richardson.
McLaurin has 16 receptions on 24 targets, 257 yards, and three touchdowns, leading the Redskins in all four categories.
Loser: Case Keenum
Keenum once guided the Minnesota Vikings to the NFC Championship Game. And many Redskins fans would point to that, especially comparing him to former Washington QB Kirk Cousins. They also pointed to how turnover-free Keenum was through the first two games. Some media wrote that Keenum was not at fault for a 0-2 start.
However, Monday night, the Redskins QB was pretty much at fault for the loss. He turned over the ball five times. He threw a pick-six to former Redskins safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix on the opening drive.
Then he lost a fumble on a strip sack by Khalil Mack that led to Chicago’s second touchdown. He threw another interception to Clinton-Dix and one more to Kyle Fuller. Then the baffling goal line dive from the 15-yard line on fourth down resulted in his second fumble lost.
Certainly Monday night was one game Keenum would love to forget about soon.
Winner: Dwayne Haskins
As Daniel Jones has unseated Eli Manning as the starting QB of the New York Giants, there is a chorus of fans (and some media) clamoring for Washington to follow suit and let Dwayne Haskins take his rightful seat as the Redskins QB. Following Keenum’s struggles on Monday night, the chorus sang louder.
Haskins surely would love to play, but he has to wait for Gruden and the Redskins brass to deem it the right time. Gruden has already committed to Keenum for next week against the Giants. However, every struggle of Keenum will increase the chanting for Haskins. And already he is the “People’s QB” in Washington.
Loser: Greg Manusky
Once again the Redskins defense was gouged early and often. Yes, Keenum put them in peculiar situations, but Washington’s defense had no resistance to Mitchell Trubisky and the Chicago Bears offense as they fell behind 28-0 in the first half.
They showed life in the second half, as they held the Bears to three points. And Josh Norman intercepted Trubisky at the goal line, however, the visual of Taylor Gabriel scoring three receiving touchdowns and Trubisky completing 80 percent of his passes, leaves a lasting impression.
While the players are not executing, it’s the defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, who will get the blame. The Redskins defense has struggled each year he has led them, and this season is no different. It’s one thing to yield points to Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott, but Trubisky looked like a capable QB for the first time this season.
The lack of pass rush and the constant zone coverage that vacates open space for receivers and quarterbacks to work through has been a theme under Manusky. If Washington does not show signs of improvement next week against the Giants, Gruden may be forced to part ways with Manusky as a last ditch effort to save his own job.
Winner: Paul Richardson
For the second straight game Paul Richardson scored a touchdown and for the first time, heavily involved in the passing game. He finished the game with eight receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Richardson has taken an early backseat to the more popular McLaurin, however, he is making his presence known, even if it’s after Washington falls behind.
Already he is on the verge of having a better season than his first, last year, with the Redskins.
Loser: Ryan Kerrigan
Ryan Kerrigan seemed to be gifted with a blessing when Bears right tackle Bobby Massie was ruled out due to an illness. Working against the backup right tackle, Kerrigan was supposed to provide a spark. However, he didn’t. Instead he was a non-factor, and silenced.
Kerrigan didn’t pick up a sack or tackle. For all the criticism pointed around the Redskins defense, not much has been directed at Kerrigan, who is off to a lackluster start to the 2019 season. He has just one sack and three tackles through the first three weeks of the season.
Winner: Montez Sweat
The other first-round pick of the Redskins finally had a breakthrough game. Montez Sweat recorded his first NFL sack on the game’s opening drive, chasing down Trubisky from behind. He kept coming throughout the game, and recorded a strong seven tackles.
Sweat received unfair criticism after not recording much pressure and zero sacks in his first two games. However, he was primarily working on the left side against Pro Bowl-caliber left tackles Jason Peters (Eagles) and Tyron Smith (Cowboys). Monday Charles Leno didn’t present the same level of challenge. And Sweat had a comfortable game.
Loser: Adrian Peterson
There was a lot of fuss about Peterson being benched and made inactive in Week 1. Since reassuming the starting running back role with Derrius Guice out injured, Peterson has been a dud. And it’s not all his fault, but given whatever holdups Gruden has about him, are coming to fruition.
Peterson struggled to get open running lanes for the second straight game. He reportedly was frustrated that he was not on the field while Washington was in the red zone on a drive they eventually scored.
He finished with 37 yards on 12 carries. And his last is the one he would love to get back, as he fell short of the first down on a third-and-2 carry in the fourth quarter as the Redskins were rallying down 28-15. He seemingly had the open lane but cut it back into traffic to get stopped a yard short. On the very next snap, Keenum fumbled the ball and the game away for good on a failed QB sneak.
