Why the Washington Redskins are having trouble running the ball

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Redskins entered Week 5 against the Atlanta Falcons as the NFL's No. 1 rushing team. They left town ranked 12th after being held to a season-low 51 yards in a 25-19 overtime loss.

That could be a blueprint for how to defend the Redskins going forward. They were dominant on the ground in a close loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 13 and a win over the St. Louis Rams a week later. That's the identity the front office and coaching staff wants to forge for itself.

But neither running backs Matt Jones (sprained toe) nor Alfred Morris could get on track against the Falcons, who didn't have to respect the deep ball with wide receiver DeSean Jackson (left hamstring) and tight end Jordan Reed (concussion) out injured. It was a similar philosophy employed by the New York Giants in Week 3 when Washington managed just 88 yards.

"There are so many things that go into a good running play or a bad running play that it's hard to just put your finger on it," Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said. "But I know that our blocking in the running game was not up to our standards. It wasn't winning football for us and we have to do better."

One way Washington got away with that against the Philadelphia Eagles was by featuring third-down back Chris Thompson. He hit a 42-yard run up the middle in that game. But Thompson had no better luck than Morris or Jones against the Falcons with just 15 rushing yards. He was, however, targeted seven times for six catches, including a long of 14.

Until Jackson and Reed return, it's going to be difficult for the Redskins to match what they did earlier this year in the run game. Opposing defenses don't have as much to worry about.

Jackson took part in individual drills during practice last week and did some one-on-one work with the quarterbacks. He is expected to try more this week starting Wednesday and hopes to be ready for Sunday's game at the New York Jets.

Reed's status remains unclear. Gruden said Monday that Reed "has improved," but is still undergoing independent neurological testing. He has four documented concussions dating to his college days at Florida.

REPORT CARD VS. FALCONS

--PASSING OFFENSE: C. Hard to give Cousins much better than this. He threw two interceptions in a game for the third time this season. The last one was a disaster with Falcons corner Robert Alford returning it 59 yards for the game-winning touchdown. On the positive side: With his team down 19-16 and 24 seconds left, Cousins needed just three throws to get the Redskins into field-goal range to force overtime.

--RUSHING OFFENSE: D. The NFL's top-ranked rushing offense heading into the week has hit a snag. Washington managed just 51 yards against the Falcons with neither Alfred Morris nor Matt Jones getting going. Jones did score a rushing touchdown, but also sprained his toe. Morris disappeared in the second half. Against a defense susceptible to big gains on the ground, the Redskins averaged 2.1 yards per carry.

--PASS DEFENSE: B. Held up surprisingly well give the injuries to top corners DeAngelo Hall and Chris Culliver. Falcons star wide receiver Julio Jones, himself nursing an injury, caught five passes for 67 yards, which qualifies these days as shutting him down. Ryan threw for 254 yards and did well to find tight end Jacob Tamme (eight receptions, 94 yards) repeatedly. But he did not throw a touchdown pass.

--RUN DEFENSE: C. The Falcons posed a unique challenge on the ground. Washington ranked second against the run (78 yards per game). But Atlanta's zone schemes get running back Devonta Freeman on the edge, stretch the defense out and he burned the Redskins for 153 yards on 27 carries, including a late touchdown in the fourth quarter. It's tough to run up the middle against Washington. Expect teams to watch this tape and adjust.

--SPECIAL TEAMS: B. Improvement here. The one negative? Dustin Hopkins, brought in for his big leg, missed a 53-yard field goal in the third quarter. Hard to be too harsh on him, though. Hopkins hit an ice-cold 52-yarder to tie the game at the buzzer and send it to overtime and on kickoffs was 4-for-4 on touchbacks. Rashad Ross totaled 53 yards on two kick returns. There were no coverage breakdowns, either.

--COACHING: C. Gruden and offensive coordinator Sean McVay aren't working with a full deck without WR DeSean Jackson and TE Jordan Reed. Until those two return they will need to find a way to keep opposing defenses honest because the Falcons were able to load up and stop the running game. And with 5:44 to play and Washington up 13-12, the coaches got conservative with the ball inside the 10. They settled for two Matt Jones runs and then a head-scratching bubble screen on third down from the 6 to Jamison Crowder that lost four yards. They settled for a Hopkins field goal, missing a golden opportunity to push the lead to eight points with under three minutes to go.