Full Stat Predictions for Washington Redskins' Top Offensive, Defensive Starters

Marcel DavisJun 28, 2015

Team success is first and foremost, but for the Washington Redskins to accomplish this, they'll need good seasons from their top offensive and defensive starters.

Whether it's Robert Griffin III or Ryan Kerrigan, when it's all said and done, these players' stats will factor in heavily to the team's place in the standings.

With that in mind, let's project the stats of Washington's top players on both sides of the ball.

QB Robert Griffin III

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Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press

2014 Stats

Passing Yards—1,694
Completion Percentage—68.7
Touchdowns—4
QBR—30.8
Interceptions—6

What is there to say about RG3's 2014 season? Unmitigated disaster would seem to fit.

Injury again struck Washington's star-crossed quarterback. Already slow to pick up head coach Jay Gruden's new offense, Griffin was set back even further by a dislocated ankle he suffered in Week 2.

While he did return to action in Week 9, Griffin's play deteriorated to the point that Cleveland Browns castoff Colt McCoy was identified as the team's best option to line up under center.

As discouraging as this reality is, it pales in comparison to the vitriol Gruden spewed about the team's supposed "franchise" quarterback in the postgame press conference following Washington's 27-7 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 11:

"
Robert had some fundamental flaws. His footwork was below average. He took three-step drops when he should have taken five, he took one-step drops when he should have taken three – on a couple of occasions. That can’t happen. He stepped up when he didn’t have to step up, and stepped into pressure. He read the wrong side of the field a couple of times.
From his basic performance, just critiquing Robert, it was not even close to being good enough for what we expect from that quarterback position.
"

With his stellar rookie campaign further in the rearview, Griffin now faces a make-or-break year in 2015.

Aware of this fact, along with the likelihood that his future in D.C. is tied to Griffin's progress, Gruden has taken a different approach with his quarterback in year two, per Paul Woody of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

“I’m not going to criticize him for ever aborting a play and getting out of the pocket and trying to make a big play," Gruden said. "Once the pocket breaks down, Robert’s going to be Robert and do the best he can to make the play work.”

Even with that said, the expectation will continue to be for Griffin to mature as a passer from the pocket. So far, so good.

Following a minicamp practice, Gruden praised RG3 for his development in this arena (via CSNWashington.com's Tarik El-Bashir):

"
Every day he is doing something a little bit better, and that’s all we can ask, man. We’re just taking baby steps right now. We’re all getting better together. You can see that [he’s] starting to have confidence in the pocket and going through his progressions.
That’s got to be a consistent theme with him, and not always is that possible with the pocket the way it is. But for the most part, he’s coming along at a good rate right now. He’s doing a great job of exhausting all of his progressions, playing the quarterback position with good fundamentals and getting better. That’s all we can do.
"

All in all, while he's sure to undergo more growing pains, with a defense and running game to support him, Griffin will show drastic improvement in 2015.

2015 Prediction

Passing Yards—3,400
Completion Percentage—64
Touchdowns—18
Interceptions—12

RB Alfred Morris

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Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

2014 Stats

Rushing Yards—1,074
Yards per Rush—4.1
Touchdowns—8

The outcome of the team's games was vastly different in 2012 and 2013, but Alfred Morris remained a constant.

Not last season. Morris failed to eclipse 60 yards rushing in six of 16 games. Although a decline in production the previous season preceded this output, there's reason to be optimistic Morris can bounce back.

You know that power-running scheme Gruden wanted to incorporate in 2014? Well, now he has the personnel up front to utilize it.

Headlined by No. 5 pick Brandon Scherff, the team drafted three offensive linemen who fit the physical approach Gruden, general manager Scot McCloughan and new offensive line coach Bill Callahan want.

It'd be naive to think all three of these rookies will see extensive action in 2015. Still, with the presence of sophomores Morgan Moses and Spencer Long on the roster, there isn't a need for them to—outside of Scherff, of course.

Ultimately, though, these additions will be for naught if Washington isn't more committed to the running game. The Redskins were 21st in rushing attempts in 2014.

According to Gruden, with Callahan now on the staff, more runs will be on the docket this season, per ESPN's John Keim.

"If you’re a running back, you want to play for Coach Callahan because he likes to run the ball a lot,” Gruden said.

Morris won't be the only one running the ball with rookie Matt Jones in the mix. Still, with a better defense to keep the Skins in games late, there will be enough carries to go around.

2015 Prediction

Rushing Yards—1,300
Yards per Rush—4.5
Touchdowns—8

WR DeSean Jackson

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Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

2014 Stats

Receiving Yards—1,169
Catches—56
Touchdowns—6

Can we get an encore? Billed as a big-play threat in Philadelphia, DeSean Jackson came as advertised his first year in Washington.

In addition to his 16 receptions of 20-plus yards, Jackson had an NFL-high 13 receptions of 40-plus yards. And keep in mind, he tallied these numbers with three different quarterbacks throwing him the ball.

Griffin will have to stay healthy—with a better offensive line he shouldn't take as much punishment—but in having a better rapport with his quarterback, Jackson should be poised to improve on these numbers—particularly in the receptions department.

2015 Prediction

Receiving Yards—1,200
Catches—65
Touchdowns—10

WR Pierre Garcon

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Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

2014 Stats

Receiving Yards—752
Catches—68
Touchdowns—3

Who said numbers never lie?

Pierre Garcon's follow-up to his career 2013 season wasn't stellar, but it wasn't all doom and gloom either.

Garcon again led the Redskins in targets. The difference this go-round was the array of weapons the team had available in the passing game. With the additions of Jackson and Andre Roberts, not to mention the emergence of Niles Paul, there wasn't a need for Garcon to be targeted 181 times like he was the year previous.

As a result, he was only targeted 105 times last season. And upon closer examination, Garcon hauled in a higher percentage of his targets in 2014. According to Sporting Charts, he caught 62.4 percent of his targets in 2013 and 64.8 percent last year.

What Garcon needs to improve on, though, is his yards per catch. At 11.1 yards per reception, Garcon posted his lowest average since his rookie year. With a career average of 12.7 yards, the odds are he'll do just that.

2015 Prediction

Receiving Yards—900
Catches—75
Touchdowns—4

DL Jason Hatcher

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Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

2014 Stats

Tackles—25
Sacks—5.5

An import from the Dallas Cowboys, Jason Hatcher didn't turn out to be the difference-maker the Redskins made him out to be when they signed him to a four-year, $27 million contract.

Absent in three games and limited in others because of a knee injury, Hatcher didn't affect Washington's bottom line as far as rushing the passer is concerned. Without him in 2013, it produced 36 sacks. And with him last year, it tallied an identical total.

Then again, what about that surprises you? Point to playing time if you must, but looking at Hatcher's career, how can you not view his 11-sack 2013 season as an outlier?

That's the past, though. Looking ahead, Washington's depth along the defensive line figures to keep Hatcher both fresh and in favorable matchups. Flanked by the likes of Stephen Paea and Ryan Kerrigan, Hatcher should see fewer double-teams.

As such, even with fewer snaps—courtesy of a defensive line rotation—Hatcher should replicate last season's output.

2015 Prediction

Tackles—20
Sacks—6

LB Ryan Kerrigan

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Patrick Smith/Getty Images

2014 Stats

Tackles—64
Sacks—13.5

Stepping into the role franchise player Brian Orakpo was supposed to fill, Kerrigan was the Redskins' top playmaker in 2014. In addition to setting a career high in sacks, he forced five fumbles.

League-wide, per Pro Football Focus, only two pass-rushers disrupted the passer more than Kerrigan in 2014. A player who has steadily progressed since entering the league in 2011, Kerrigan will now go from an afterthought to the focus of opposing offenses.

Taking into account this increased attention and his offseason "minor" knee surgery, Kerrigan, for the first time in his career, will see his sack total decrease.

2015 Prediction

Tackles—64
Sacks—11

CB Chris Culliver

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Nick Wass/Associated Press

2014 Stats

Tackles—45
Passes Defensed—15
Interceptions—4

Washington's marquee addition, Chris Culliver will enter unchartered territory in 2015. A complementary player in San Francisco, he'll be tasked with heading up the Skins' maligned secondary.

Moving up to covering No. 1 receivers like Dez Bryant is no easy task, but looking at Culliver's apprenticeship, it's a role he'll be ready for.

Culliver ranked fifth in Football Outsiders' adjusted success rate for supporting-role cornerbacks last season.

There's more. According to Pro Football Focus (h/t Conor Orr of NFL.com), he surrendered an opposing passer rating of 66.5 in 2014, sixth-best in the league.

Then there's the praise the fifth-year cornerback has already earned from Gruden (via 247Sports' Jamie Oakes).

"He can play through press, he’s a great bump and run corner, a great man corner, he can play from off, he can play zone, he’s got decent ball skills," Gruden said.

"We feel very good about him and his progress and his work ethic. It’s been good."

Given the opportunity to hone his craft against the likes of Jackson and Garcon in practice, Culliver will be the team's latest free-agent signee to deliver. Go figure.

2015 Prediction