Washington Redskins Should be Worried About Alfred Morris

We need to talk about Alfred Morris. The lead workhorse in the Washington Redskins backfield just doesn't seem himself. He's not the same man who put together a trio of 1,000-yard rushing seasons before 2015.

Week 5's sudden-death loss to the Atlanta Falcons represented the nadir moment of a season that started brightly but has since spiraled downhill. He managed a pathetic 15 yards on eight carries against the NFC South club.

The drab showing is merely one more example of Morris' worrying deterioration.

Discussing the struggles of No. 46's partnership with Matt Jones, a double act given the cringe-worthy moniker "MoJo," CSN Mid-Atlantic's Peter Hailey detailed Morris' recent lackluster performances: "Morris has just 96 yards in the past three contests against the Giants, Eagles, and Falcons, and 62 of those came against Philly, meaning he's put up 19 and 15 yards in two of his last three appearances."

Champions of 2012's sixth-round pick will immediately point to the proficiency stopping the run boasted by both the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles. Washington's NFC East rivals rank second and 10th, respectively, against the run.

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Top spot in that particular chart actually belongs to the Falcons, a ranking certainly helped by limiting Morris and Co. to a mere 51 yards in Week 5. Using Pro Football Focus statistics, Neil Greenberg of the Washington Post breaks down how much playing the Redskins boosted Atlanta's run defense:

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The Redskins ran the ball 67 times on first down during the season’s first four weeks, averaging four yards per carry and getting enough yards for a first down 13.4 percent of the time. Atlanta had allowed 4.1 yards per carry and 21.7 percent first-down conversion on first-down carries up until that point. On Sunday, Washington averaged two yards on 19 first-down carries with just one first down (6.3 percent).

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Bemoaning the quality of the competition Morris has faced recently is to miss the point. No team wants its featured back to only produce when the schedule is easy. In fact, it's the tougher games where the Burgundy and Gold really need Morris to reaffirm the team's run-first identity and ease the pressure on quarterback Kirk Cousins.

One of the problems currently blighting Morris is a distinct lack of speed. It's become sadly all too familiar to see him plow, at the pace of a snail, straight into the line of scrimmage. Simply put, there has to be more imagination motivating his runs.

What has happened to the quick decisions and even quicker cuts which so often defined the way Morris gashed defenses? There's very little acceleration and run-over-people power on display.

Seeking an explanation for Morris' current brand of very tame running, you might consider two things. First, there's the workload of his initial three seasons in the pros.

Morris carried the ball 335 times as a rookie. He lugged the rock 276 times in 2013. The number fell to 265 last season, the first year on current head coach Jay Gruden's watch.

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There's no doubt Gruden has been quicker to rein Morris in than many other coaches would likely be, quicker perhaps than his reputation and past production merits.

Limiting Morris' touches is unlikely to help a back who needs to a dozen or so hits early on just to establish some rhythm and feel his way into a game. If anything, good ol' Alf has always tended to become stronger later on.

But that coin has a flip side. It makes it hard to disagree with Gruden cutting back on Morris' playing time if the big back isn't producing.

Sure, he needs rhythm, but can the Redskins really justify drive-killing minimal gains early on and risk falling behind early? Since chasing a deficit often involves rendering the running game a nonfactor, the answer is no.

There have just been too many minimal gains from Morris this season. They are undermining him even when he rips off a big play.

The dichotomy was summed up perfectly by 106.7 The Fan's Brian McNally during Washington's 24-10 Week 2 win over the St. Louis Rams:

It was a game where third-round pick Jones announced himself. The ex-Florida product rushed for 123 yards and two scores on 19 carries against the Rams.

Like Morris, though, Jones' numbers have since decreased. But his struggles don't run quite as deep. Not yet, anyway.

After being stuffed by the Giants in Week 3 and suffering a costly fumble in the red zone, Jones was practically benched for the win over the Eagles. He had just seven carries for 11 yards. While the former number reached 11 in Atlanta, Jones still only managed 20 yards. Pretty depressing figures.

But take a look at any Jones run alongside one by Morris, and you'll see a back who is faster and stronger this season. There's more excitement and anticipation when Jones takes a handoff, because he's the more likely of the two to produce a big play.

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One reason why he's struggled since stomping on St. Louis, has been the below-par run blocking in front of him. Citing PFF data, Greenberg notes how Washington's O-line "is rated as the second-worst behind the Tampa bay Buccaneers for run blocking." 

Of course, those problems have also been a problem for Morris. But even after his recent woes, Jones is still averaging 4.1 yards a pop, while Morris can only manage 3.7. The latter's yards-per-carry average has dropped every year he's been in the league.

It's becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the fact there's a problem with the team's lead back. Gruden and his coaches certainly know it.

Morris did a pretty passable Claude Rains impression for most of the day against Atlanta. Even when Jones injured his toe, Chris Thompson got the carries while Morris remained the Invisible Man.

If Gruden really does think Washington's former favorite groundhog is a spent force, he's going to have an even tougher decision to make in Week 6. Facing the New York Jets, owners of an awesome line and the eighth-stingiest run defense in the NFL, is hardly the tonic for Morris' ills.

But he had better find the cure soon. For a player in a contract year, he's hardly making the strongest case for a lucrative new deal.

Maybe he does need the ball more, but No. 46 has to merit play-calling more favorable to him.

Based on the tepid way he's attacked defenses for most of the 2015 season, you can't really blame the Redskins for thinking the ball belongs in different hands.

All statistics and player information via NFL.com.

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