The Washington Redskins’ defense was not perfect in Sunday’s win against the Detroit Lions, but they were good when they needed to be.
In total, they gave up 364 total yards — split pretty evenly between passing and rushing — but they only allowed that to turn into 16 points. They came up with four turnovers at opportune times, and the special teams got in on the action with a 91-yard kick return from Steven Sims Jr.
After it was announced that veteran cornerback Josh Norman would not start on Sunday, the focus shifted to the young defensive backs on the roster; Jimmy Moreland and Fabian Moreau. With high expectations for the future, and finally a chance to prove their mettle, the two young players stepped up in a major way. Moreau picked off two passes from Lions QB Jeff Driskel, Quinton Dunbar’s interception late interception set up Washington’s go-ahead scoring drive with 20 seconds remaining, and Moreland finished with six tackles and a defended pass.
It’s safe to say the young core stepped up to the challenge.
“We always throw flashes out there,” Dunbar said, via The Athletic. “You got young Jimmy. Fabian is still young. For them guys to show up against some top tier receivers in Marvin Jones and (Kenny Golliday) … They’re capable of playing in this league at a high level. Now I’m not going to let them slack. That’s always going to be my job, to get on them and let them know we can’t get complacent.”
Dunbar is a perfect player to be leading this young group, as he has risen to become one of the better cornerbacks in all of football this season. He seems to have a grasp on the talent that Washington has in the secondary, and with the right guidance, there is a bright future ahead.
