Redskins vs Raiders Game Analysis
The Redskins upgraded their record from 1-1 to 2-1 this past Sunday. Mirroring their game against the Rams, the team stuck with an offense that relied heavily on their running game and an aggressive defense for week 3 to take down the Oakland Raiders 27-10.
During pre-season, Gruden wanted the team’s offense to be primarily reliant on running, however it was expected that quarterback Kirk Cousins and the team’s passing game would be needed to move the ball since it seemed the team couldn’t run. After losing the first game of the season against the Eagles, Gruden re-committed to driving the ball. The decision paid off as the team nabbed their first win of the season against the Rams.
Going into week 3, many wondered if Gruden would revert to the passing-reliant offense in order to keep pace with Oakland’s 35 points per game average. Despite the fact that starter Rob Kelley was out for the game with a rib injury, the coach stuck with the same approach. Chris Thompson, Samaje Perine and Mack Brown combined for 116 rushing yard over 33 carries while Kirk Cousins completed 25 out of 30 passes for 365 yards, resulting in 3 touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Redskins’ aggressive defense paid off as well, recording three takeaways and four sacks. Raiders’ Derek Carr was only able to complete 19 of 31 passes with 118 passing yards against the Skins’ defense.
This win couldn’t have come at a better time as we line up to face the Chiefs next Sunday. The Kansas City team is gearing up to face the Redskins with a 3-0 season record. It seems our favorite DC team has begun to find their identity with strong physicality on both it’s offensive and defensive lineups. Hopefully this past week’s win against the Raiders will give the team confidence going in to Kansas City and that the new running-game reliant approach will prove to be effective once again.
