Washington Redskins: What We've Learned Through Week 3 of Preseason

With the start of the 2014 NFL season on the horizon, the Washington Redskins' play in the preseason has posed more questions than answers.

They boasted one of the league's top offenses—and worst defenses—in 2013, but through three games, the opposite has been the case for the Redskins.

Washington's first-team offense has only mustered field goals, while its starting defense has allowed just one touchdown.

What else have we learned about the Redskins through Week 3 of the preseason? Let's find out.

Quarterback Controversy?

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

On CSN SportsNet's telecast of the Redskins' 23-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, former Washington great Joe Theismann didn't mince words when discussing the state of Washington's quarterback position, per Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post:

"

Let’s stop beating around the bush. Kirk Cousins has played much better at the quarterback position than Robert Griffin III has. Now, Robert is learning to work out of a pocket. He doesn’t look as smooth or as comfortable throwing the football. I mean, your eyes will tell you everything you need to know.

It’s going to be a decision that Jay Gruden is going to have to make. Right now, Robert Griffin III is his quarterback. Now, if there was a quarterback competition, it wouldn’t be a competition. Kirk Cousins would be the man I believe he would have to go to, because of the efficiency with which he has run [the offense]. Now Kirk, like I said, is basically a drop-back quarterback. I see Andy Dalton in Cincinnati, I see Kirk Cousins that way.

"

Although head coach Jay Gruden firmly committed to Robert Griffin III as his starter in a postgame press conference (h/t JP Finlay of CSN.Washington.com), speculation over who should start will brew every time Griffin struggles.

Worsening matters, it was just a week ago that Bleacher Report's Matt Miller reported RG3 was "alienating" himself from the locker room.

While his teammates will likely back Griffin publicly for the time being, in light of Miller's revelation, you have to wonder if they will stand behind him when real games are at stake.

In a wide-open NFC East, how patient will they be with Griffin?

Kirk Cousins supporters will point to his play in the preseason, but he can't win this job. Griffin has to lose it. Consumed with proving his detractors wrong and showing he's a pocket passer, Griffin is doing a good job at just that.

Even with that said, the only plausible scenario in which Cousins replaces him is if he's injured—have you seen Griffin slide?

While he surely wants to exceed the expectations bestowed upon him, for the moment, the only thing Griffin should be trying to exceed is his Week 1 opponent, the Houston Texans. Not Kirk Cousins.

Unsettled Special Teams

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

For all the talk about improving on special teams, the team's play on this unit remains inconsistent.

Mixed in with the occasional big gain from its return men, Washington has been gashed in kick coverage on numerous occasions this preseason. After containing the Baltimore Ravens' return men for most of the night, the team allowed rookie Michael Campanaro to register a 44-yard kick return in the final minutes.

A similar turn of events unfolded the previous week against the Cleveland Browns. Lost in the shuffle of Washington's uneven kick coverage, the team's two kickers also had roles to play in this.

Both Zach Hocker and Kai Forbath have made the most of their field-goal attempts, but the duo has come up short on kickoffs—literally. The pair has just three touchbacks, two of which came in the preseason opener.

While the occasional flashes of competency from this unit are a welcome sight, it remains to be seen how much Washington's special teams has actually improved.

Defense Is Improved Under Jim Haslett

USA TODAY Sports

Let this be said: Jim Haslett isn't some new hire. When Washington ranked 21st, 22nd and 30th in scoring defense the past three seasons, it was Haslett who held the title of defensive coordinator.

Even with that said, it was former head coach Mike Shanahan who pulled the strings. While documenting Shanahan's failed tenure in Washington, The Washington Post's Kent Babb and Mark Maske touched on this very issue:

"

Shanahan, in his second year into the job, began sitting in on coaches’ defensive meetings. According to a former coach, staff members stormed out several times, furious after Shanahan had changed that week’s defensive game plan.

Haslett, the defensive coordinator and a former NFL head coach, also had part of his play-calling duties on the defense usurped by Shanahan, according to two coaches and a veteran player.

"

Given full rein over the defense, Haslett's aggressive play-calling has netted positive results. With more of an emphasis on rushing the passer, Washington has tallied nine sacks in preseason play, and most importantly, masked a secondary that remains the weak link on defense.

Overrated Offense?

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With three games in the books, Washington's first-team offense is still in search of its first touchdown. While Griffin's struggles are a root cause of this, the lack of chemistry between him and his receivers is also to blame. And to a lesser extent, the same can be said about the offensive line in relation to the running game.

The NFL's fifth-ranked rushing attack in 2013, the Redskins have tallied 375 rushing yards through three games. Problem is, the team is only averaging 3.78 yards per carry.

Washington's struggles may not be a precursor for the regular season, but at the very least, as the team undergoes growing pains, it should temper the expectations surrounding the offense.

Injury Situation

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Relatively unscathed for most of the preseason, the Redskins were hit hard by the injury bug Saturday night. Brian Orakpo, Chase Minnifield and rookie Morgan Moses all had their nights end early because of injury.

With an injury list that already features Chris Thompson, Tracy Porter, Stephen Bowen and Leonard Hankerson, as Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com notes, Washington is fortunate that none of the injuries suffered were serious:

"

Redskins appear to have escaped M&T Bank Stadium without any serious injuries: http://t.co/uYqk7wUpaX #RedskinsTalk

— Tarik El-Bashir (@TarikCSN) August 24, 2014"

Two weeks out from the season opener, there's ample time for this group to regain their health. With Bowen and Hankerson the lone question marks—both are still on the physically unable to perform list—the Redskins should look to have the core of their roster healthy for their first game with the Houston Texans.