Don’t make those Super Bowl plans just yet.
After a stellar road win over the Arizona Cardinals last week to start the 2018 season, the Washington Redskins came into their home opener at FedEx Field completely flat in all facets of the game, losing 21-9 to the Indianapolis Colts.
Only 57,013 fans came to the game — about 25,000 shy of FedEx Field’s roughly 82,000 capacity— marking the first time the team failed to sell out a home game since 1967. Those who passed on the game didn’t miss much.
The Redskins rushed only 22 times for just 65 yards. Quarterback Alex Smith threw for 292 yards and was sacked three times. The lone bright spot was safety D.J. Swearinger Sr., who intercepted two of Colts quarterback Andrew Luck’s passes. Luck still threw for 179 yards and two touchdowns.
“They executed and we didn’t,” said Redskins head coach Jay Gruden. “Our running game suffered and we were pretty much one-dimensional. We didn’t have a very good run plan.”
The win was the first for rookie head coach Frank Reich, a former quarterback at the University of Maryland.
Things don’t get any easier for Washington (1-0) as future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers come to FedEx Field next week. The Packers (1-0-1) are coming off a 29-29 tie against the Minnesota Vikings and former Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins.c