Run game dominance has Washington atop the NFC East
Under Dan Snyder, Washington has been largely accustomed to inflated expectations. Perhaps the splashy free-agent signings of faded stars that marked Snyder’s first five years or so of ownership became a cheap shot at the franchise that outlived its truthfulness. It was still not uncommon for 'Skins fans to be whipped into a frenzy year after year despite few positive results.
This past offseason was decidedly an exception. The inexorable pushing of Kirk Cousins out of town by the front office wearied more than a few fans, especially when his replacement turned out to be 34-year-old Alex Smith, who was being jettisoned by the Chiefs because they had at least an inkling that Pat Mahomes would be as good as he has been this season.
Two seasons removed from their last playoff appearance, the most encouraging thing one could say about the 'Skins coming into this season was that they had rotten injury luck in 2017. Perhaps if they got a little better fortune in that regard, they could meet their full potential of maybe being a wild-card team.
So far, Washington has been the best version of itself as the first half of the season closes next week with a home game against the Falcons. At 5-2 through eight weeks, the 'Skins have a game-and-a-half lead in the NFC East, a division, few have forgotten, that contains the defending Super Bowl champs. The Eagles had to fend off the Jaguars in London on Sunday just to keep their heads above water going into the second half. The 'Skins, meanwhile, racked up another division win, albeit over the lowly and discombobulated Giants.
And yet, even with that start, the locals aren’t exactly ecstatic.
In a league year in which offenses are putting up record numbers and quarterbacks are posting 300-yard games like they’re nothing, Washington is winning with an old-school approach. The team is grinding out wins through the ground game and defense — not that Smith has failed to display the ability to put up numbers in the recent years when called on to do so. The Alex Smith of 2018 is fulfilling everyone’s glib assessment of the man: a game manager who safely dinks and dunks his way to victory.
Smith hasn’t yet posted a 300-yard game in 2018. In fact, over the past three weeks, all Washington victories, he’s thrown for less than 200 yards. Obviously if the team is winning and the quarterback is called on to do that little, the squad is excelling in other ways. Indeed, Washington’s defense continues to get better, to the point it may be becoming one of the more formidable units in the league, especially against the run.
In those last three wins the defense has held the opposition to less than 100 yards rushing, and in the last two weeks that has come against feature backs Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley. The Washington defense has forced multiple turnovers in each of those victories. Eli Manning was sacked seven times on Sunday. The defense will have a more difficult task in the next two weeks with the Atlanta offense and a Bucs attack that has been noticeably better with Ryan Fitzpatrick.
The concern then shifts to the Washington offense. Adrian Peterson has been a pleasant surprise. For years, Washington landing an aged star only for him to disappoint, which became a cliche. Peterson didn’t come to the team as a high-priced free agent, of course. He was a last-minute replacement after buzzed-about rookie running back Derrius Guice suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason. Peterson looked like he was running on fumes last year, splitting time between New Orleans and Arizona. AP hasn’t quite been restored to his prime, but he’s a passable feature back and on pace to top 1,000 yards in a season for the eighth time in his career.
The passing attack is limited. Smith has done well in that conservative role, throwing eight touchdowns to only two interceptions. Limiting turnovers is key, yet eventually the 'Skins are going to run into an offense where that isn’t enough. The approach got them a win over the Packers. But in the road game in New Orleans it wasn’t enough, and the 'Skins got steamrolled by the Saints. They were still effective against the run in that game, but Drew Brees was electric in his record-breaking night.
Washington is not going to run into a Hall of Fame quarterback every week, though it does serve as a reminder of what the team has to ward against. Plenty of solid first halves have fizzled out well before a playoff berth can be clinched. Both meetings with the Eagles remain, and one has to believe even if Philadelphia never quite finds its championship form of last year, the team is going to improve somewhat. Nevertheless, the 'Skins are in the driver’s seat, with pronounced strengths they can follow to victory.
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