NFL
By: Ryan Cooley
For the first time since October of 2018, the Redskins have won back-to-back games. They quickly found themselves in a 14-0 hole. After that, the Panthers had a tough time moving the ball, and the Redskins took full advantage of it, scoring 29 points.
Even with them dominating most of the game, they still nearly blew the lead. The Panthers scored late in the fourth, recovered an onside kick and drove inside the Skins five. However, they made one final stand to hold onto the win. It will be challenging to keep up this momentum when they travel to Lambeau Field to face the 9-3 Packers next week.
Here five takeaways from their week 13 victory.
Haskins improved slightly
Haskins finished the game 13 of 25 for 147 yds. It was another disappointing performance from the rookie QB who now has four starts under his belt. He showed improvement from the previous weeks, but still not enough to make me feel as if he is a franchise QB.
He is still very much inaccurate on most of his throws. There were once again many completions that did not hit the receivers in stride. If he wants to make it in this league, he must significantly improve on his accuracy.
It is frustrating to watch Haskins struggle when so many other young QBs are finding success. We just saw Drew Lock throw two TDs and impress in his first game. Daniel Jones, Kyler Murray, and even Kyle Allen have had games that show they belong in this league. Haskins has yet to have any game that would show me he belongs. Hopefully, he will be able to turn things around by the end of the season.
Guice shined
Guice has gotten better with each game he has played in since coming back from his injury. He had himself a day with 137 total yds and 2 TDs on only 12 touches. It is evident that Guice is a big part of the future in Washington.
Coming out of LSU, Guice was a powerful runner that drew comparisons to that of Marshawn Lynch. His running style was relentless, and I thought it would translate well to the NFL. After his two injuries, I was unsure if he could be the same dominant player, but Sunday’s game proved he is capable.
It will be interesting to see what the backfield will look like next season with Bryce Love fully healthy. I expect Guice to be the first and second-down back while Love serves as the third-down back.
Moreau impresses again
With Norman sidelined once again, Moreau had another opportunity to prove he belongs as the starting CB opposite of Dunbar. He has three interceptions in the past two games. The Redskins have desperately needed another CB that they could rely on.
Pro Football Focus gave Moreau an 88.4-grade last week and will most likely have another high grade this week. With both Dunbar and Moreau playing well, the future of this defense is looking up. Another plus is that Moreau is not getting paid $15 million a year.
Harmon is continuing to get better
Outside of McLaurin, this WR core has struggled immensely. In the past three games, Harmon has eight receptions and 147 yds. While this is not an extremely impressive stat line, it is encouraging to see him improve each week. A sixth-round pick will usually just try to make plays on special teams, so for him to be making these types of plays is encouraging.
His route running is also improving as the season goes on. With Paul Richardson most likely gone next year and Trey Quinn playing poorly, the Redskins need another WR to step up. Hopefully, Harmon will do just that as the season comes to a close.
This is only helping Bruce Allen
Reports came out earlier this week that Snyder is considering letting go of Allen at the end of the season. However, two wins in a row might change his mind. If the Skins end on a strong note, Allen may run yet another offseason for them.
Everyone but Snyder knows that would be a disaster. The final straw should have been a failed season with him completely botching a potential Williams trade and telling fans the culture is “damn good.” Even if they can manage a couple of wins at the end of the season, this team still needs drastic changes.
Along with finding a new head coach and hopefully, a new president/GM, they may need to find a new defensive coordinator. Fans can only hope and pray that Snyder will finally be able to make changes that will actually matter. He can bring in any coach he wants, but with Allen running the team, they will never be successful.
