What Pro Football Focus Says About Redskins « CBS DC
Interesting outlook on the team...
Best DEF player:
Washington Redskins: Bashaud Breeland, CB, 82.1
Signature stat: 11 pass defenses (tied for ninth among CBs)
After a difficult rookie season, Bashaud Breeland blossomed in his second year, though a difficult end to the season took some of the gloss off of his performance. Breeland let up 31 percent of his yardage total for the season (238-of-752 yards) over the final three weeks, but prior to that, was our eighth-highest graded cornerback in coverage.
QB:
13. Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins, 78.3
A strong finish to the season moved Cousins up the ranks, as he cut down on early-season questionable decisions and allowed his playmakers to make plays. His accuracy percentage of 79.3 led the league.
DL:
9. Washington Redskins (7)
Starters: OLB Trent Murphy, DE Chris I. Baker, NT Terrence Knighton, DE Jason Hatcher, OLB Ryan Kerrigan
Rotation: DE Ricky Jean-Francois, DE Stephen Paea, DE Kedric Golston, OLB Preston Smith
Washington’s front is not the stoutest against the run, but they have a number of consistent pass rushers. Ryan Kerrigan and Trent Murphy were not outstanding by any means, but they combined for a +16.7 cumulative pass rush grade. Interior defensive lineman Chris Baker (82.7) and Jason Hatcher (74.6) also pushed the pocket on a consistent basis. The former also played the run well in 2015 (81.7 run defense grade), unlike his teammate, Hatcher (48.4 run defense grade), who’s been a specialist pass rusher for awhile. Jean-Francois and Knighton combined for a +13.8 cumulative run defense grade, giving Washington a pair of stout run defenders. Stephen Paea (75.8) also proved to be a useful free agent addition, despite getting on the field for just 221 snaps. Preston Smith gives Washington some depth on the edge, even if he ultimately ended up with a poor overall grade this season (68.8). He’s flashed serious potential as a pass rusher, finishing the year with eight sacks and 35 combined pressures.