Snap counts: Redskins’ linebacker depth tested in win against Tampa Bay

Left tackle Trent Williams would not go as far to say Sunday’s stunning 31-30 comeback victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers saved the season, but Williams and the Redskins knew the dooming implications of a third-consecutive loss before the bye week.

“It’s too early say that,” Williams said. “But we needed that win.”

The Redskins got their win in electric fashion, pulling off the greatest comeback victory in franchise history after trailing, 24-0, in the second quarter.

The win sends the Redskins into the bye week with a 3-4 record — still alive in the muddled NFC East — but they may have lost more key players along the way.

Outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan fractured his right hand and will see a specialist on Monday. Cornerback Bashaud Breeland strained his right hamstring. Inside linebacker Perry Riley, who already missed two games this season with a calf strain, sustained a lower leg muscle strain. Inside linebacker Keenan Robinson sustained a rib injury, but later returned to the game.

With Kerrigan, Riley and Robinson all hurt on Sunday, the Redskins’ linebacker depth was greatly tested. Trent Murphy and Preston Smith, who normally rotate defensive series on the side opposite of Kerrigan, were counted on once Kerrigan was injured.

Murphy, who entered the game playing 68.2 percent of defensive snaps this season, played 58 of the Redskins’ 63 snaps on Sunday. Smith played 37 snaps, or 59 percent. He entered the game playing 35.3 percent of the snaps.

The Redskins also turned to Jackson Jeffcoat, who played 13 defensive snaps — one more than he’s played in the entire season.

In the third quarter, Jeffcoat stripped Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston, though Winston recovered it.

Though Robinson re-entered the game, Riley did not. Will Compton, who filled in well for Riley when he was injured in Weeks 3 and 4, was called on again. He played 64 percent of the defensive snaps and had four tackles.

Here are some other observations from Sunday’s snap counts:

** Alfred Morris played just 10 snaps, the same amount as rarely-used fullback Darrel Young. Through seven weeks, Morris has now played 36 percent of the Redskins’ offensive snaps, sharp decrease from the 56.5 percent he played last season. Of course, there are various factors here. Most importantly, the Redskins’ running game has been inefficient. Washington has averaged 45 rushing yards in its last three games, forcing them to go away from the run game, which correlates with Morris’ decrease in playing time. On Sunday, Matt Jones played 45 offensive snaps — an increased workload with third-down back Chris Thompson out with a back injury. It also didn’t help that the Redskins often ran plays out of empty sets. All that considered, the numbers are still startling, as Morris is supposed to be one of the Redskins’ key playmakers.

** Veteran wide receiver Andre Roberts played 30 snaps or more for the second consecutive game. After being benched against Philadelphia in Week 4, Gruden said the Redskins weren’t down on Roberts and they’d need him moving forward. Thompson’s absence may have contributed to increase in playing time for Roberts. The Redskins have split Thompson outside often this season. If Thompson played, it may have been him, and not Roberts on the field when the Redskins went with empty sets.

** Mostly all of the Redskins’ defensive linemen saw an increase in snaps on Sunday. Defensive end Chris Baker played 71 percent, nose tackle Terrance Knighton played 65 percent, defensive end Ricky Jean Francois played 35 percent and nose tackle Kedric Golston played 22 percent. Baker and Knighton played approximately 20 percent more snaps than they usually do. Jean Francois and Golston played roughly 10 percent more. Defensive end Stephen Paea only played eight snaps. He was active but did not play last week because of a back injury. This week, Paea said he felt fine, but still appears to be hampered by the injury.

Here are the full snap counts, with the amount of snaps played in parentheses.

Offense: LG Spencer Long (64/64), RT Morgan Moses (64/64), C Josh LeRibeus (64/64), QB Kirk Cousins (64/64), RG Brandon Scherff (64/64), LT Trent Williams (63/64), WR Pierre Garcon (55/64), WR Jamison Crowder (52/64), RB Matt Jones (45/64), WR Ryan Grant (39/64), TE Jordan Reed (38/64), TE Derek Carrier (36/64), WR Andre Roberts (30/64), FB Darrel Young (10/64), RB Alfred Morris (10/64), T Tom Compton (4/64), Rashad Ross (1/64), LT Ty Nsekhe (1/64).

Defense: CB Will Blackmon (63/63), FS Trenton Robinson (60/63), FS Dashon Goldson (59/63), OLB Trent Murphy (58/63), CB Bashaud Breeland (58/63), ILB Keenan Robinson (46/63), DE Chris Baker (45/63), NT Terrance Knighton (41/63), ILB Will Compton (40/63), DE Jason Hatcher (39/63), ILB Perry Riley (39/63), OLB Preston Smith (37/63), FS Kyshoen Jarrett (22/63), DE Ricky Jean Francois (22/63), OLB Ryan Kerrigan (18/63), NT Kedric Golston (14/63), OLB Jackson Jeffcoat (13/63), DE Stephen Paea (8/63), SS Jeron Johnson (5/63), CB Quinton Dunbar (4/63), ILB Mason Foster (2/63).

Special teams: Johnson (20/30), Young (19/30), W. Compton (19/30), Deshazor Everett (18/30), Mason Foster (17/30), Jeffcoat (17/30), Smith (16/30), Golston (13/30), T. Robinson (12/30), Dustin Hopkins (11/30), Dunbar (11/30), Murphy (11/32), Goldson (11/30), Grant (9/30), Ross (9/30), Tress Way (9/30), Nick Sundberg (9/30), Blackmon (7/30), Breeland (7/30), Jarrett (7/30), T. Compton (6/30), Nsekhe (6/30), Jean Francois (6/30), Arie Kouandjio (5/30), Hatchers (5/30), Knighton (5/30), K. Robinson (5/30), Carrier (5/30), Scherff (5/30), Moses (5/30), Long (5/30), LeRibeus (5/30), Jones (4/30), Riley (4/30), Anthony McCoy (2/30), Kerrigan (2/30), Crowder (2/30), Paea (1/30).