ASHBURN — By the time Matt Jones caught Kirk Cousins’ screen pass, Trent Williams was already three yards ahead of him.
As Jones weaved his way through defenders, the 6-foot-5, 337-pound left tackle hustled a stunning 28 yards downfield to block a defensive back. Williams created the final hole Jones needed to complete his 78-yard touchdown in the Washington Redskins’ 47-14 win against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at FedEx Field.
Not only did Williams have to run downfield — he started the play on the left hash mark and still managed to get ahead of Jones on the right sideline.
That single snapshot was just one of many great plays made by the Redskins’ offensive line on Sunday. Williams wasn’t even the only one with a relentless effort on Jones’ touchdown. Rookie right guard Brandon Scherff threw the first block. Center Josh LeRibeus delivered another one 10 yards away from the line of scrimmage. Tight end Derek Carrier and wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon were all blocking downfield as well.
For at least one week, the Redskins’ offensive line also corrected its run-blocking problems that made it difficult for the running game to get going. Washington rushed for 213 yards in the win and gained a total of 514 yards on offense — 394 of which came in the first half.
All season, they’ve been solid in pass protection and they were again on Sunday. Though Cousins was sacked three times, coach Jay Gruden excused two of them. One was on an all-out blitz in which the Redskins’ offensive line was out-numbered. The other a coverage sack.
“Offensive line, I thought, was outstanding,” coach Jay Gruden said on Monday. “They really played well. “They played exceptional getting out on screen passes down the field and flying around. There’s some clips in that game that are highlight film reels for offensive linemen and they all played hard.”
Prior to the game against the Saints, the Redskins had rushed for just 172 yards in the previous four games. The inability to run well was weighing heavily on the coaches, the offensive linemen and the running backs.
On the offensive line, it was not just one singular breakdown. There were issues across the board and the Redskins were relieved to correct them on Sunday.
“It’s extremely satisfying,” Williams said. “It’s one of the best feelings in the world when you can run the ball and protect the quarterback and put up almost 50 points. You can’t ask for more.”
• Anthony Gulizia can be reached at agulizia@washingtontimes.com.
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