LANDOVER — The plan for stopping Tyrod Taylor’s running game was simple: Step up in pass rush lanes and wait for the Buffalo Bills’ quarterback to make the mistake.
“It’s just like in my sack — I didn’t do nothing,” Washington Redskins defensive end Jason Hatcher said. “I just held contain and he ran right into my arms. We’ve just got to rush smart against a guy like that, and I think we did later on in the game.”
Hatcher’s first-quarter sack, his first since the season-opener against the Miami Dolphins, was one of five the Redskins were credited with in a 35-25 victory over the Bills on Sunday. Defensive end Ricky Jean Francois and outside linebackers Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith each had one sack, and cornerback Will Blackmon was credited with one for stopping Taylor as he scrambled back to the line of scrimmage on the third play of the third quarter.
The five sacks were the Redskins’ most in a game since a 23-20 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4. They entered the week tied for 25th in the league with just 24 sacks on the season.
“Once we get going, a lot of things fall into place for us,” said Smith, who had the final sack in the fourth quarter. “Once we play downhill, you can see a lot of great things. When we play together as a team, a lot of things fall into place.”
Taylor was still effective against the Redskins. Not including the yards lost because of the sacks, which don’t count in the NFL’s recordkeeping, Taylor ran for a season-high 79 yards on nine carries, and his 8.8 yards-per-carry average was his third-highest of the season.
The first true mobile quarterback Washington has faced this season, the Redskins recognized that Taylor has a tendency to scramble when his primary targets aren’t open. Their goal, then, was to limit what he could gain on the ground.
“Let him beat us with his arm,” Hatcher said. “We know that with his legs, he can do some damage to a defense, but with his arms, he’s just going to have to prove it to us. With the great secondary we’ve got and the disciplined players, it was going to be hard for him to move in and out of that pocket the way he wanted to.”
Moses injures left foot; others ailing
Right tackle Morgan Moses sprained his left foot on the final drive of the second quarter when right guard Brandon Scherff landed on Moses’ leg.
Moses missed the final two plays of the first half, returned for the Redskins’ first play from scrimmage in the third quarter — a 77-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver DeSean Jackson — and then sat out the remainder of the game.
Free safety Dashon Goldson bruised his ribs, but continued to play. Running back Matt Jones bruised a hip, center Josh LeRibeus sprained his right ankle and inside linebacker Will Compton sustained a stinger, with all three injuries occurring in the fourth quarter and forcing each player from the game.
Rambo returns, has six tackles for Bills
Bills free safety Bacarri Rambo, a sixth-round pick by the Redskins out of Georgia in 2013, had six tackles against his former team.
“It felt good to see all the guys,” said Rambo, who was cut in September 2014. “It would’ve been even better if we would’ve come back with a W. … I still have a lot of love for those guys and I still communicate with them and I wish them the best of luck with the playoff run.”
Rambo has started seven games for the Bills this season and was named the NFC defensive player of the week after finishing with two forced fumbles and an interception in a victory over the New York Jets on Nov. 15.
Coleman inducted into ’Ring of Fame’
Monte Coleman, now the coach at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, was inducted into the Redskins’ ’Ring of Fame’ at halftime. Coleman, a linebacker for the Redskins from 1979 through 1994, played for the team in the Super Bowl four times, including all three wins. … Running back Chris Thompson missed his second consecutive game because of a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Also inactive for the Redskins because of injury were inside linebacker Perry Riley, wide receiver Andre Roberts and strong safety Jeron Johnson, while tight end Je’Ron Hamm, left guard Arie Kouandjio and third quarterback Robert Griffin III were healthy scratches. … Running back Alfred Morris had a career-long 48-yard carry at the end of the first half and finished with 84 rushing yards. He gained more yards on that one carry than he had in eight games this season. … Washington had not previously won at home against the Bills since 1990, though they only hosted Buffalo in 1999 and 2007. … The victory was the Redskins’ first over a team from the AFC East since 2007, a span of eight games.
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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