For Redskins' DeAngelo Hall, the future is now

ASHBURN, Va. -- Veteran defensive back DeAngelo Hall of the Washington Redskins talked often last summer about eventually transitioning to safety as his cover skills declined and he entered his 30s.

Welcome, Hall, to the circumstance known as future shock. Or, as they once said in Washington, The Future is Now.

After missing most of last season because of a torn Achilles tendon and multiple nagging injuries this year, including a plantar plate tear in his right foot, Hall is right where he tought he would be.

He has played primarily at safety since returning from that injury three weeks ago after missing five games.

Hall was the free safety -- the better to take advantage of his cover skills and limit his run-stopping duties -- and veteran Dashon Goldson moved to strong safety on Sunday against the New York Giants. Hall played 48 snaps.

"I see the potential," safety Dashon Goldson said. "He definitely could be a top-level safety. He has the speed, he has the coverage, he understands football and he's a tough player. I've seen him dive in there a few times. I didn't know DeAngelo had it in him like that."

--The Redskins' locker room is a different, happier place than it was in 2013 and 2014. That's what happens when a team remains relevant into December.

With five games to go, Washington controls its own fate in the NFC East and any off-field drama has been non-existent since August when coach Jay Gruden made the surprising decision to start Kirk Cousins over Robert Griffin III.

"It was miserable," left tackle Trent Williams said. "You've seen it. You've seen how dead the locker room was. It was a dark place to be to know that you come into work for a whole month, month-and-a-half knowing that the games were basically meaningless."

--Dallas is a mid-level team when it comes to stopping the run, allowing 4.07 yards per play. The Redskins need to build on last week's performance against the New York Giants, when they had 105 rushing yards. That's not great, but it's good enough to keep the offense balanced.

But do they have the personnel in place to make this a consistent part of their attack. Other than a win over New Orleans when Washington topped 200 rushing yards, the Redskins haven't proven that.

Running back Matt Jones has been fantastic in the screen game and Dallas has to account for him. He has the speed and the power to take advantage when he gets into space. Jones turned a short pass into a 45-yard play last week. Chris Thompson, the third-down back, has seven receptions of 10 yards or longer.

But it comes down to Alfred Morris on the ground. Jones had 123 rushing yards in Week 2 against St. Louis. Otherwise, his best effort is 56 and he's had four fumbles, giving the coaching staff pause.

Morris averages only 3.6 yards per carry, but he's also the best bet to produce 60 yards or more. He's done it four times this season.

--Quarterback Kirk Cousins has recorded three rushing touchdowns this season, the latest a one-yard plunge in Sunday's win over the New York Giants.

--Tight end Jordan Reed established his career-high with 55 receptions after he caught eight passes last Sunday in a win over the New York Giants. Reed also had 98 receiving yards to establish a career-high in that category (541), too.

--Outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan had 6.5 sacks this season, including two against the New York Giants on Sunday. Kerrigan has 43.5 career sacks and moved into a tie for third place in Washington history since sacks became an official NFL stat in 1982.

--Punter Tress Way has had three punts downed inside the 20 in consecutive games after he accomplished that Sunday against the New York Giants. Way's 60-yard punt against New York was his longest since a 63-yarder on Oct. 4 against Philadelphia.

--Running back Matt Jones had a 45-yard reception on a screen pass Sunday against the New York Giants. He is the first Washington running back to have two games in a season with catches of at least 45 yards since at least 1994. Jones took a screen pass 78 yards for a touchdown against New Orleans.

--Running back Alfred Morris had 23 carries on Sunday against New York for 78 yards. With 1,011 career attempts, Morris has the sixth-most in team history.