LANDOVER — Leading up to Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons, Redskins coach Jay Gruden stressed there was “eventually” going to come a time when his team would have success passing the ball.
He’ll have to keep waiting.
And truthfully, there are now bigger problems that the Redskins have to solve first.
At issue: Washington’s defense, once seen as a strength, had no answer for quarterback Matt Ryan and the Falcons.
Ryan carved up the Redskins for 350 yards en route to a 38-14 win and snapped Washington’s three-game winning streak. The Redskins didn’t have an answer for any of Atlanta’s talented playmakers and trailed for the entire game.
Washington (5-3) still holds a lead in the NFC East.
Throughout the afternoon, the Falcons (4-4) were consistently able to extend drives. Atlanta didn’t punt until there were just over six minutes left in the third quarter. Before then, Atlanta was 8-of-8 on third down.
With Atlanta in tune offensively, the Redskins needed quarterback Alex Smith and the offense to hold their own. The unit couldn’t keep pace.
Despite the Falcons entering the game ranked 30th in yards allowed per game and points, the Redskins scored just two touchdowns against the Falcons.
This wasn’t all on Smith. While he did throw an interception, the 34-year-old threw for a season-high 304 yards and completed 65 percent of his passes.
He even led the Redskins on what was, perhaps, his most impressive series of the season: an 11-play, 80-yard drive that resulted in a one-yard touchdown to Josh Doctson. On that series, Smith escaped two tackles to rush for 23 yards down the field.
Washington, though, was too one-dimensional.
Because the Redskins fell into a hole quickly, they abandoned the run early on. Star running back Adrian Peterson had just nine carries for only 17 yards.
Washington also had problems along the offensive line, which was decimated by injuries against the Falcons. Already without left tackle Trent Williams (thumb), the Redskins had guards Shawn Lauvao (knee) and Brandon Scherff (shoulder) and tackle Morgan Moses (knee) all exit the game at various points. Only Moses returned.
For the Redskins, the main problem was the defense.
Washington struggled to finish tackles. The Falcons were too fast.
Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley showed off his impressive speed, burning the secondary for a 40-yard touchdown. Running back Tevin Coleman also proved to be a problem, breaking off a 39-yard score on a screen pass.
Atlanta jumped out to a 14-0 lead. While the Redskins cut it to 14-7, they couldn’t get a much-needed stop before halftime.
The Falcons marched 75 yards down the field in just 2:42 to take a 21-7 lead. Making matters worse for the Redskins, Atlanta received the ball after halftime and Washington didn’t have an answer for the Falcons’ attack.
Star wideout Julio Jones even scored his first touchdown this season, hauling in a 35-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Washington returns next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.