The Washington Football Team trails the Seattle Seahawks, 13-3, at halftime. Here are three quick hits from the first two quarters.
1. Offense Continues To Struggle
After managing 193 total yards in a win over the San Francisco 49ers, Washington's offense continued to struggle in the first half Sunday.
Its first three drives ended with 34 combined yards and three punts, while its forth ended with an interception from quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. inside Seattle's 30-yard line. Haskins forced a pass to wide receiver Isaiah Wright, who tipped the ball before it landed in the hands of a Seahawks defender for the turnover at the goal line.
Haskins, making his first start since Week 4 because of Alex Smith's injury, completed 15 of his 24 passes for 98 yards. He did look much better during the final two drives, though, and helped Washington get on the board with a 48-yard field goal from kicker Dustin Hopkins in the final seconds.
Check out photos of the Washington Football Team during its Week 15 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. (Photos courtesy of Amanda Bowen/NFL, Emilee Fails/Washington Football Team and Elijah Griffin Sr./Washington Football)
2. Defense Plays Well Enough
Washington entered Sunday having played three top 11 offenses (the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Rams). In those losses, the defense allowed 31.3 points per game.
The defense stifled quarterback Russell Wilson and the Seahawks' sixth-ranked offense for much of the half, forcing two field goals and allowing just 81 total yards. But after Haskins' turnover, the Seahawks went 97 yards on 10 plays and capped the drive with a 10-yard catch from Jacob Hollister to make the score 13-0 just before halftime.
Wilson completed 11 of his 16 passes for 71 yards the first two quarters and added 55 yards on the ground. He also has not been sacked.
Washington's defense is playing well, but it'll have to play even better to overcome the offense's lack of production.
3. Logan Thomas Has Been A Bright Spot
When Washington was going through training camp in August, it was apparent that Haskins had a strong connection with tight end Logan Thomas. Four months later, it seems that relationship is still going well.
Washington struggled to get much production in the first half, but any movement it had mostly came from Thomas. He's caught all eight of his targets for 64 yards, which leads all pass catchers. He has caught 93% of his passes in the past four games.
Thomas' best stretch came in the second quarter when Haskins targeted him on his first three passes. Facing a 2nd-and-10, Thomas caught a pass for a first down and rumbled forward for a 20-yard gain.
The drive ended in an interception two plays later, but it did show that Washington can find success when leaning on the tight end. With the team down 13-3 entering the third quarter, it will need to continue that trend.
