NFL
Arizona Cardinals vs Washington Redskins Recap
I don’t remember the last time the Redskins were that prepared to play a football game. Those were my thoughts yesterday as they thoroughly beat the Arizona Cardinals 24-6. The last time the Redskins defense faced off against running back David Johnson, he torched them for nearly 200 total yards and a rushing and receiving touchdown.
After ending 2017 last in the NFL in rushing defense, Washington limited the Cardinals to 68 rushing yards. Johnson accounted for only 37 yards on nine carries. His lone rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter prevented a Redskins shutout ( something the Redskins haven’t accomplished since 1991). Johnson had 67 total yards on the afternoon.
Offensively, Alex Smith executed the game plan perfectly. After a shaky pre-season, Smith completed 70 percent of his passes and threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns. To go along with a 118.1 passer rating. Jordan Reed and Chris Thompson accounted for both of Smith’s touchdowns. Thompson was the perfect compliment to the pounding style of Adrian Peterson. Thompson was his usual self accounting for 65 rushing yards on five carries. He also was the leading receiver with six catches for 63 yards.
Running back Adrian Peterson surely did look the part of a lead back against his former team. Peterson passed Marshall Faulk and Jim Brown on the all-time rushing list with 26 carries for 96 yards. He only averaged 3.7 yards per carry. Peterson also had two catches for 70 yards. Other than his fumble at the end of his 52-yard catch, it was an error-free day for Peterson Collectively, the Redskins ran for 183 rushing yards. As a result, they were able to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.
Speaking of both sides of the ball, the Redskins defense complemented the offense with a stifling performance. Missed tackles were an issue in the preseason but not against the Cardinals. The defense also accounted for two turnovers, allowed 14 first downs, and limited the Cardinals to only one third down conversion. The Redskins host the Indianapolis Colts for their home opener this Sunday.
Photo credit to Highlight Store via Flickr
