Washington Fails to Contain Kyler Murray, Lose to Cardinals 30-15

The Washington Football Team traveled to Arizona for a matchup in the desert with Kyler Murray and the Cardinals' explosive offense. This game felt like deja vu compared to last week..but this time the Team's rally was too late.

Kyler Murray was exceptional in this one, connecting on 26/38 for 286 yards,1 passing touchdown to go along with 86 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns. Murray was a handful for a defense that was considered top of the league after week one.

Murray displayed pinpoint accuracy and exceptional elusiveness all day long, while Dwayne Haskins and Washington's offense struggled out of the gate once again. Haskins finished the game stronger than he started, going 19/33 for 223 yards and 1 touchdown, but if this team is going to test a .500 record this season they are going to need to stop getting in 17-0 holes in the first half. One way to not go down multiple scores early is to stop turning the ball over early. Washington gave the ball back TWICE in the first quarter. One was a Haskins fumble immediately after a Landon Collins Interception in Arizona territory, and the other was a Steven Sims fumble on special teams. Just brutal. You may be able to get away with that against other teams, but not one with teams like Arizona.

Pete Hailey from NBC Sports Washington asked Head Coach Ron Rivera if there was a common theme between last week and week 2 in regards to the slow starts. Ron's response was not surprising:

"Yeah..We turned the ball over. We can't turn the ball over. We made mistake. It's one of those things where..we have to sustain the success. I've said it and said it again. We had three 2nd & 1's in the first half and each time the next play we did not succeed..We have to learn to be consistent. These are growing pains..We are a young team, that's the truth of the matter."

Cardinals' Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury kept his foot on the gas even up 20-0. In the 3rd quarter, Arizona went for a 4 &1 on their own 27 yard line! I know the NFL is changing, but this was a tough pill to swallow. Clearly Kingsbury is not intimidated by the Washington defensive line. Given the comebacks around the NFL this past Sunday, including Washington's comeback last week vs Philly, it makes sense.

WFT strung together a couple decent drives to end the game, and successfully utilized their young playmakers. Let's look at some takeaways from Sunday.

Positive Takeaways

• Antonio Gibson and JD McKissic were bright spots for sure, combining for over 100 yards on the day and Gibson rushed for his first career touchdown.

• Terry McLaurin reminded fantasy owners he is still a stud, catching 7 balls for 125 yards and a touchdown.

• Chase Young is clearly a difference maker even when he isn't hitting the quarterback. He managed 2 tackles for loss to go along with another sack on the year.

• Dwayne Haskins once again played much better as the game went on, and once again played well in an up-tempo offense. In the second half, Haskins led 3 scoring drives throwing 9/15 for 139 yards and 1 touchdown. This may turn out to be a key for the offense to be effective moving forward.

Needs Improvement

• The offensive line had fits against Chandler Jones and the much improved Arizona defense. Brandon Scherff went down with a knee injury..not a good sign for an already struggling group. Haskins was sacked 4 times on the day and clearly heard footsteps throughout the game. This was one of DH's least accurate games.

• The Safety position is officially a concern in Washington. Sure Landon Collins had a great interception, but right before that he gave up a wide open touchdown to Deandre Hopkins on a blown coverage. Troy Apke seems to be solid in run support, but against the pass there are major questions. Too many balls got behind the safeties yesterday. Troy Apke may run a 4.2 40 yard dash, but it doesn't matter one bit if he is getting misdirected and burnt on sundays.

• The Wide Receiver/Tight End position has been frustrating for Washington in the pass game. Logan Thomas was targeted 9 times, only pulling in 4 balls for 26 yards..failing to catch almost every one on one jump ball opportunity. Haskins was inaccurate on most of these throws, but our rule at NYA/DCXP is if the ball hits yours hands, catch it. Terry McLaurin once again proved he is great, but the rest of the crew needs to step up. Look for rookie receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden to get more snaps next Sunday.

Summary

Week 2 was a harsh reality check that this team needs time. Each week might not be a consistent climb up. Build on the positives, nullify the negatives, move forward. Cleveland presents a new challenge in week 3.

Look for more uptempo from Washington's offense to slow down superstar Myles Garrett. WFT's defense will have their hands full with Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, Kareem Hunt, Nick Chubb, and Austin Hooper. Should be a fun one.

Photo Cred-Michael Chow/Arizona Republic-USA TODAY NETWORK