The Washington Post - 21.10.2019

D10 EZ SU THE WASHINGTON POST.MONDAY, OCTOBER 21 , 2019

BY KAREEM COPELAND

Adrian Peterson stalked
around his small corner of the
Washington Redskins’ locker
room with the distinct look of
disdain that the future Hall of
Fame running back is known for:
clenched jaw, furrowed eyebrows,
wide and piercing eyes. He threw
something to the ground before
yanking a door on the way to the
showers after the Redskins’ 9-0
loss to the San Francisco 49ers on
Sunday afternoon at FedEx Field.
Peterson composed himself be-
fore meeting with reporters but
was still furious with himself over
a fumble late in the third quarter
that halted a promising drive at
the San Francisco 29-yard line
with the Redskins trailing 3-0.
“The fumble, for me personally,
I feel like that’s what lost us the
game,” Peterson said. “I always
look at going on to the next play,
next play, but that was a critical
point in the game. We were in
position to put points on the
board.... We can’t have a turn-
over, especially playing against
this defense. It hurts even more
because it wasn’t like the guy
punched the ball out. It came from
pain. That little moment of ‘ugh’

allowed the ball to come out, and

for me that’s just not acceptable.

I’ll be beating myself up about this

one all night.”

The entire day was set up for

Peterson to carry the offense on his

broad shoulders, something the

13-year veteran relishes. A steady

rain that began in the morning and

continued hours after the game

ended turned the proceedings into

a sloppy mess. Throwing the ball

was an adventure on every drop-

back, so quarterback Case Keenum

attempted only 12 passes. The Red-

skins opened the game with

10 consecutive runs before at-

tempting a third-down shovel pass

to Steven Sims Jr. that was essen-

tially another run. The plan was

clear from the first snap: The Red-

skins were going to run the ball on

this nasty day and limit the risk of

turnovers in the passing game.

“The conditions played into the

decision to run the ball a little bit

more and be more controlled in

the pass and limit the pass at-

tempts,” interim coach Bill Callah-

an said.

Washington’s lone turnover,

however, came in the running

game at a game-changing mo-

ment. The Redskins only had

three drives that lasted longer

than three plays, and all three

ended disastrously. The opening

drive resulted in a missed 39-yard

field goal on the 12th play of the

possession. A 10-play, 36-yard

drive in the second quarter moved

Washington to the San Francisco

28-yard line, but Peterson was

stuffed on fourth and inches. Cal-

lahan said the call was one of the

Redskins’ better plays that they

have faith in, but the 49ers’ defen-

sive line just penetrated at the

point of attack. Peterson was frus-

trated with himself and said he

should have bounced the play out-

side.

After the 49ers scored the first

points of the game in the third

quarter, the Redskins went

47 yards on five plays and had first

and 10 from the San Francisco 29.

An immediate answer would have

been significant in a game that

didn’t feature a touchdown. But as

Peterson was being tackled on his

first-down carry, his right ankle got

caught underneath 49ers defen-

sive tackle Sheldon Day, and he

said the pain caused him to let go of

the ball. Jullian Taylor scooped it

up for the 49ers, and the Redskins

didn’t gain another first down the

rest of the game.

“Those are tough situations

when you have a Hall of Fame-type

of runner and the ball goes on the

floor,” Callahan said. “We really

talked about ball security and put

an emphasis on it... but it’s not

always the back’s fault.... He’s

one of the greatest competitors

I’ve seen. And he’s going to work

and do everything he can to get

that yard. Unfortunately when

you’re in bad conditions like this,

you know ball security and you’ve

got to double your efforts.”

Peterson finished with 81 yards

on 20 carries. Washington man-

aged 154 total yards, including just

77 through the air. Peterson was

effective for the most part, but the

stalled drives in San Francisco ter-

ritory proved to be the difference.

“We always feel like it is on us

and we try to do our best to allow

the offense to lean on us, and

today was one of those days,” 49ers

cornerback Richard Sherman

said. “You have to get a turnover.

You’ve got to make a play.”

Notes: The Redskins’ second-

ary was down two starters by the

end of Sunday’s game. Cornerback

Josh Norman (thigh/hand) was

inactive after not practicing all

week, so nickelback Fabian

Moreau moved outside and Jim-

my Moreland played in the slot.

Safety Montae Nicholson went

down with an ankle injury early in

the third quarter. He limped off

the field slowly with the help of

trainers and was carted to the

locker room soon after. The severi-

ty of his injury was not immedi-

ately known. Safety Troy Apke re-

placed Nicholson and intercepted

a Jimmy Garoppolo pass on his

first series.

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ON THE NFL

Stuck in the mud, the Redskins need to start thinking about their future right now

muster anger at the 49ers’
celebration.
“Winning cures everything,”
guard Ereck Flowers said. “If
we’d have won the game, there
wouldn’t be no sliding.”
It was another bleak Sunday in
a long string of bleakness. The
shutout offered more evidence —
needless at this point — that
Washington’s season is lost and
that the remaining 10 weeks
matter only in how they can
enhance Washington’s future
prospects.
That’s a dicey topic of
discussion to begin with, because
the only consistent thing about
Snyder’s 20 years, particularly
during the past 10 with Bruce
Allen as a top executive, has been
the snuffing out of any signs of
promise. But if you’re a fan of the
franchise and haven’t given up
hope yet, the only point of this
season is the future. Washington
has not acted as if it realizes that
fact, and it needs to.
Whether Jay Gruden was at
fault or blameless for the ruinous

ON THE NFL FROM D1 beginning of Washington’s
season, his firing two weeks ago
should have resolved a central
problem to this Redskins season.
They had a lame-duck coach with
no incentive to develop players
or plan for the future. The best
course of action for today was
inherently at odds with the best
course of action for tomorrow.
That was untenable to begin with
because of the presence of first-
round quarterback Dwayne
Haskins, and it grew even more
untenable when losses mounted
and their season spiraled before
October.
Without the man in charge
coaching for his job, Washington
had a chance to reset its
priorities. Under interim coach
Bill Callahan, all indications are
they have not. Callahan’s
outlook, and his first two games,
have suggested the coach has
changed, but the core present-
vs.-future problem remains.
In his opening news
conference, Callahan declared
himself a devotee of the running
game who would work tirelessly
with the sole aim of winning

games, and his actions have

validated those promises.

Nobody could blame Callahan

for doing his job that way, but

they run counter to what

Washington needs now. And if he

doesn’t amend his approach, his

bosses ought to do it for him.

Washington threw only 12

passes Sunday as journeyman

Case Keenum took every snap.

The Redskins ran the ball on

their first 10 snaps, leaning

heavily on Hall of Fame-bound

Adrian Peterson. They added a

fullback, Michael Burton, to the

roster this week and used him

frequently as an effective lead

blocker.

What does that accomplish?

What is the point of lining up

Peterson in the I-formation and

pounding the rock while Keenum

flails and Haskins watches?

With the caveat that a victory

Sunday would have put them

only two games out of first place

in the underwhelming NFC East,

the Redskins’ season is dead.

They can use these games to find

and develop players who could

be useful in coming years. On

this roster, that means promising

young wide receivers and

Haskins. It means giving

offensive coordinator Kevin

O’Connell, viewed internally as

an up-and-comer, a chance to call

plays unencumbered by offensive

thinking out of step with basic

modern tenets.

To be fair, Sunday presented

Callahan with challenging

conditions. Playing Haskins

against San Francisco’s fearsome

pass rush in the slop would have

amounted to sabotage. The cold

rain and wind forced Callahan to

run even more than he wanted.

“The conditions played into

the decision to run the ball a

little bit more and be more

controlled in the pass and limit

the pass attempts,” Callahan said.

“That was more for field

conditions and weather

conditions. We wanted some

more attempts.”

That’s fair. The problem is,

Callahan does not seem intent on

playing Haskins. Callahan gave

Haskins more practice reps in his

first week, and this week, with

Keenum nursing a foot injury,

Haskins took the majority of the

first-team snaps. That is a good

first step. But it would be a

mistake not to give Haskins

game experience and learn more

about what exactly the Redskins

have in him. Callahan seems to

be leaning toward making that

mistake.

“Dwayne’s still learning,”

Callahan said. “I think he’d be

the first one to tell you that. We

still have faith in Case and his

ability to manage this offense

and run this offense. We’re

moving forward with Case at this

juncture.”

In discussing Haskins,

Callahan struck the same notes

as Gruden. It’s past time to let

Haskins prove, on the field,

whether he is ready. Maybe it

would be irresponsible to give

Haskins his first start Thursday

night on the road, after a short

week and against Kirk Cousins,

the quarterback Washington let

walk in free agency and

somebody natural to measure

Haskins against. Fine.

Washington’s following game is

at Buffalo 10 days later. Callahan

should use those extra days to

focus on preparing Haskins to

make his first NFL start.

So far, Callahan’s tenure feels a

lot like Gruden’s tenure.

Washington barely beat Miami,

the worst team the NFL has seen

in recent memory. On Sunday, it

scored no points in dismal

conditions. He has a fullback,

and he gives the ball to Peterson

a lot.

As far as the direction of the

franchise, nothing has changed.

“He works us harder during

the week,” wide receiver Steven

Sims Jr. said. “That’s about it. We

just practice a little harder, a

little longer.”

More change is needed.

Washington is 1-6 with the least-

impressive victory conceivable. If

this franchise has any chance to

reverse its two-decade course,

there’s no need to waste time

staying focused on the present. If

the Redskins don’t change how

they approach the rest of the

season, it will ensure only one

outcome: The slide is only going

to continue.

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NFL WEEK 7

TONI L. SANDYS/THE WASHINGTON POST

Redskins wide receiver Steven Sims Jr. tries to find his way through the sloppy conditions at FedEx Field. The Redskins attempted just 12 passes against the 49ers, and Sims had a team-high three receptions.

For Peterson, costly fumble puts a damper on an otherwise productive day

TONI L. SANDYS/THE WASHINGTON POST

“I feel like that’s what lost us the game,” the Redskins’ Adrian

Peterson, who rushed for 81 yards, said of his third-quarter fumble.