The Game-Changing Stat: Week 5

After watching the defense of the Washington Redskins completely manhandle a good offense in a way we just don’t see enough, there was one statistic which, in my mind, almost completely sums up the entire game:

The Lions (3-2) had been averaging 28.5 points and 387.3 yards per game, but they could muster only a field goal and 144 total yards against a Washington defense that had five sacks by four players. (NFL.com)

Five sacks. The Redskins already have 12 after four games so far, compared to the putrid 19 of a year ago. They’re on pace for 48 this year. Granted, you could argue that the Lions only managing to get 76 yards through the air, or the Redskins scoring more than 30 points for the first time since last December, or Mike Sellers hitting Kenoy Kennedy with approximately 92 tons of force are all cooler, more obvious, and more important stats. However, this begs the question: How did the defense tame such a potent passing game? These same Lions scored 34 points in one quarter last week and Jon Kitna led the league in passing yardage. So, what happened?

Pressure happened.

The most important aspect of the entire game, as far as I’m concerned, is that the defensive line played its best game in years (granted, against a crappy Detroit offensive line) and Kitna was slowly running for his life on just about every play. The Lions wide receivers combined for only 9 catches because Kitna never had the time or the nerve to get them the ball. The secondary got two interceptions when he tried. On top of that, DE Andre Carter had his first 2-sack game as a Redskin, literally throwing tackle Jeff Backus out of his way on the play that resulted in a safety. Granted, Jason Campbell and the offense turned it up a notch and scored some serious points yesterday, but even if they hadn’t, the defense was all over the Lions and they weren’t anywhere close to keeping up.

Many Redskins fans, myself included, have been complaining about the lack of pressure from the defensive line for a couple of years now. Watching teams like Chicago, San Diego, and New England more or less violate quarterbacks on a weekly basis, it’s only natural to wonder why our guys can’t do the same. Well, for this week at least, they did, and the defense looked like it was starting 11 Pro Bowlers as a result. When the defensive line gets pressure, the secondary isn’t forced to do all the work (something incredible had to be going on for Carlos Rogers to not just hold on to a ball but actually score), linebackers can focus on the run (except for a few draws up the middle when the defensive line was split out over the tackles, the Lions did nothing on the ground, getting only 68 yards from the running game), and turnovers start piling in. Hopefully, this game is a sign of things to come, and if it is, the Redskins are in a very good place.