ASHBURN — Jay Gruden’s frustration with Matt Jones’ play on special teams on Sunday was evident when, after calling a timeout in the second quarter because the rookie running back wasn’t on the field for a punt, he began screaming toward the bench.
Jones rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the Washington Redskins’ 24-10 victory over the St. Louis Rams — which is a good way to mitigate any mistakes he may have made on special teams.
“He had a couple FUBARs on special teams,” Gruden said Monday, laughing. “Nobody is perfect. We’ll get him coached up, though. That’s just the way it is.”
Jones was lined up as an upback on the left side in punt protection, and early in the third quarter missed a block that nearly led to Rams safety Marcus Alexander blocking Tress Way’s punt.
Escaping without any major special teams miscues was a victory in itself for the Redskins, who missed a field goal and allowed a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown in the opener against the Miami Dolphins.
Kicker Dustin Hopkins, signed last Monday, sent all five of his kickoffs into the end zone, with four of them ending up as touchbacks. He also made a 46-yard field goal, his only attempt, and none of Way’s six punts were returned by Tavon Austin, the Rams wide receiver who returned a punt for a touchdown in the opener against the Seattle Seahawks and against the Redskins late last season.
“He’s a dangerous guy,” Gruden said after the game. “We made sure we weren’t going to punt it to him. He’s a great player, and we worked extremely hard [to lessen his impact].”
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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