Redskins defense growing each week

Sep 26, 2017 - 3:25 AM ASHBURN, Va. -- The performance was shocking for anyone who watched the Washington Redskins defense closely for the past decade.

A team that could not get out of its own way on third down in 2016, a group that has tried patchwork solutions at safety and on the defensive line for years, held a formidable Oakland Raiders offense to 128 yards of offense.

The Raiders couldn't run the ball against the Redskins, they couldn't throw it and they were lucky to score at all. It took two fumbles inside its own 20 for the Redskins to give up points in a 27-10 victory.

Historically bad on third downs in 2016 at 46.6 percent -- only four teams have done worse since 2009 -- Washington didn't allow a single third-down conversion in 11 tries on Sunday night. So what's changed?

"No. 1, we've upgraded our talent pool," Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said in a Monday afternoon conference call.

That's true. And while Washington is still thin at some spots, its unheralded offseason moves have paid dividends. Free safety D.J. Swearinger arrived from Arizona and immediately became a team captain. At age 26, he's the best blend of youth and experience at the position since Sean Taylor's tragic death a decade ago.

Add in the speed of Pro Bowler Zach Brown at inside linebacker and rookie first-round pick Jonathan Allen on the defensive line, and it's clear the Redskins have quickly upgraded their talent base.

And other young players have developed. Third-year pro Preston Smith has three sacks in three games. Second-year cornerback Kendall Fuller had a fine Week 1 game and Sunday intercepted a pass and forced a fumble. Defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis, a fifth-round pick in 2016 who landed on the practice squad, has found a role in the middle of a defense that has held opponents to 3.2 rushing yards per play, which is seventh in the league through Sunday's games.

Five different Washington players were credited with a sack or half sack against Oakland's excellent offensive line (Smith, Allen, Ioannidis and outside linebackers Ryan Kerrigan and Junior Galette).

"It was somebody different all the time. It was the interior pass rush. It was the edge pass rush. It was the coverage. It was tackling. It was pursuit. It was a little bit of everything," Gruden said. "There was some fundamental clinic tape in that game that I am very, very impressed with. Now the standards are set very high around here now. The ability to maintain it is going to be critical for us."