Washington Redskins: What We've Learned Through Week 3 of Preseason
About to play their third game, the Washington Redskins have already learned a few things this preseason. They know that the quarterback situation still isn't any better. They also know that a revamped offensive line still has a lot of work to do to get up to scratch.
Those two things stand out as the biggest issues facing these rebuilding Redskins. But at least Washington has been finding out that its running game and defense can be strong points once the real action begins.
Most recently, the team got a cruel reminder about the heavy cost of preseason when a prominent member of the pass rush suffered a season-ending injury. Now, Washington will learn just how good of an eye for a player new general manager Scot McCloughan really possess.
Find out what preseason has taught us about the Redskins through three weeks.
The Value of a a Good Left Tackle
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Trent Williams says he isn't sweating his next contract with the Redskins, at least not yet. That's according to ESPN.com's John Keim: "I’m not going to worry about it. It’s up at the end of the year. As of now, I have to give Washington one of the best years of my career. That’s my focus, being better than last year and the contract situation, it’ll work out, hopefully. I don’t really have a say in that."
That's a commendable attitude from Williams, whom Keim notes has checked in at "20 pounds lighter than he weighed at the end of 2014." That's more good news for a player defined by his excellent mobility at the position.
Truthfully, Williams doesn't need to worry about his contract situation. The second game of preseason offered Washington a timely reminder of the value of a good left tackle.
Williams missed the game against the Detroit Lions, so veteran Willie Smith took his place. It did not go well. Smith was probably the biggest culprit along the front five for the beating that quarterback Robert Griffin III took.
It's not entirely unjustified to question whether Griffin could do more to avoid pressure, say by developing some pre-snap awareness and pocket presence. But it would also be remiss not to say any quarterback in the league is going to take a hit if he's shaking hands with a pass-rusher coming free from his blind side before he's even planted his back foot.
During the fiasco against Detroit, more than one pundit, including ESPN's Jason Reid, explained how Williams' agent may have been the only person connected with Washington who liked what he saw.
That the line, which still included four starters, crumbled so completely in Williams' absence only underlined his importance. Yes, it's an issue that could be mitigated with a better backup. But in defense of McCloughan, honestly, how many NFL teams have two genuine starters at the left tackle position?
Williams and the team are currently "far apart" over a new deal, according to CSNMidAtlantic.com's Rich Tandler. Yet you can't put a price on a Pro Bowl left tackle, even though the Redskins are going to have to try.
The Cost of Preseason Is Brutal
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McCloughan took a controversial punt on Junior Galette in the hopes of bolstering a pass rush that managed a pitiful 36 sacks last season. In terms of production, the gamble made some sense. After all, Galette has recorded 22 quarterback takedowns during the last two seasons.
But the chance to judge this gamble has now been taken away since the former New Orleans Saints starter tore his Achilles, per CSNMidAtlantic.com's Chick Hernandez. Galette will miss the 2015 campaign.
It's further proof that the cost of preseason can be brutal. That's not so much a lesson as a painful reminder. It's one the Redskins aren't alone in feeling this week.
The Green Bay Packers lost wide receiver Jordy Nelson to a torn ACL after their second preseason game, per Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press Gazette. That's a cruel blow to the team I picked as the NFC's Super Bowl representative.
Just like the Packers now have to find out how good their fringe receivers are, the Redskins will be turning to raw and young pass-rushers to fill the void in Galette's absence.
So there's a big chance for the likes of rookie Preston Smith and undrafted pair Houston Bates and Jackson Jeffcoat. Fortunately, all three have shown a knack for getting to the quarterback this preseason.
In particular, Bates leads the team with three sacks. The ex-Louisiana Tech defensive end is already looking like a find from McCloughan, a GM with a history of unearthing hidden gems, according to CSNMidAtlantic.com's JP Finlay.
As D.C. Hot Read writer Chris Russell points out, defensive coordinator Joe Barry is enthusiastic about both Bates and Jeffcoat:
"It may be coach-speak but Barry told me to 'watch out for this guy,' which as readers of this space already know – we had him on our radar after both preseason games.
Barry also brought up Jeffcoat on his own and signalled him out for what he’s done in games and practices.
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It's going to be fascinating to see if continued production from Bates justifies McCloughan's reputation. There should be equal interest in whether Jeffcoat can build on some of the promise he showed during the latter stages of last season.
But it won't just be fringe players under the microscope. Now Smith and Trent Murphy are under more pressure to prove themselves.
The former has actually stood out at times this preseason. By contrast, Murphy has been relatively quiet, registering a mere two tackles so far.
The cost of preseason can be brutal for some players, as Galette found out. But his absence won't cost the defense too much if even one member of this quartet emerges as a bona fide edge-rusher.
There's Reason to Believe in a Defensive Revival
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Galette's injury aside, it's been a good three weeks for Barry's new-look defense. The unit applied a ton of pressure against both the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions.
Pressure from the front four was strong, and Barry even showed some nice blitz designs. Washington's ability to play behind the line of scrimmage more often is being helped by the return to form and health of a key veteran, Jason Hatcher.
In another report for D.C. Hot Read, Russell praised the 33-year-old defensive tackle's showing against Detroit: "He helped stop the run and also had a big pass rush and hit on the quarterback on a third-down incompletion. A healthy Hatcher is a very good thing."
Getting Hatcher back to his best is indeed vital for Barry this season. Even after the arrivals of free-agent linemen Ricky Jean Francois, Stephen Paea and Terrance Knighton, Hatcher remains the big-play specialist up front.
With Knighton wrecking running games and Hatcher consistently collapsing the pocket, Washington's defense will enjoy a significant revival. But it won't be all about the line.
After the Detroit game, Mark Bullock of the Washington Post provided this great breakdown of Barry's growing use of Cover 3 shells. Just to be clear on what the Cover 3 is, Bullock offered this description: "It consists of seven zone defenders and four pass-rushers. Of the seven zone defenders, three play deep, splitting the deep part of the field into thirds. The remaining four play underneath zones. Traditionally, this is associated with 4-3 defenses, but the Redskins use a 3-4."
The advantages are obvious. Primarily, Washington can play Cover 3 and rely on a four-man rush up front. As mentioned, if the pressure is strong in front of seven covering defenders, the Redskins will have the classic formula for solid defense.
But without doubt the biggest benefit of leaning on a traditional coverage structure is how it can simplify the defense. Bullock made note of how well that's worked so far this preseason: "The early indications from the preseason suggest that having a base coverage scheme like this has allowed the Redskins defense to get on the same page."
Things were far from simple under previous defensive boss Jim Haslett. He relied on a complex mix of coverage behind various man and zone pressures. The varied scheme, while admirable in its intent and design, was clearly too much for many players to grasp.
A more elementary formula can help Redskins defenders play fast and swarm to the ball. Defenses that do those things usually find success in this league.
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Washington's Running Game Is Ready to Lead the Offense
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The Redskins want their running game to lead the offense. So head coach Jay Gruden and his staff have to be happy about what they've seen so far.
In two preseason games, Washington has amassed 332 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. It's impossible not to be impressed by those numbers, regardless of them coming during preseason fare.
Success on the ground is great news for a team with a not so small (try massive) question mark at quarterback. It's also a good complement for a stingier, more opportunistic defense.
That's the formula Washington is being built to put into practice this season. While it won't guarantee the first winning season since 2012, the combination represents a good starting point on the road back to winning.
So far, the Redskins have seen how their adjusted ground schemes—adjusted to include more inside running—are helping tough backs Alfred Morris and Matt Jones thrive. The latter, a third-rounder in this year's draft, is really catching the eye.
Gruden was recently effusive in his praise for the young battering ram-style runner, per CSNMidAtlantic.com's Tandler. With defensive improvement, an offense that controls the clock by hammering defenses on the ground and setting up play-action pass opportunities may be all Washington needs for large portions of 2015.
Issues and Controversy at Quarterback Aren't Going Away
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Gruden and his staff had better hope the running game and defense deliver, because the issues at quarterback just aren't going away. Neither is the controversy surrounding nailed-on-no-matter-what starter Robert Griffin III.
He was pummeled mercilessly against the Lions, eventually being forced off with a concussion. He's since been cleared to play this week, per the team's official Twitter feed.
But as usual with No. 10 and the Redskins, that's just the start of the problem. CBS Sports' John Breech put together a report detailing the confusion between team reports Griffin suffered a concussion in Week 2 and the player's evasion of the subject.
In his article, Breech included tweets from ESPN's Reid claiming team sources have told him previously how Griffin isn't exactly popular with his offensive line. Whether that's the case or not, just the suggestion of it serves as yet more fuel for a fire that's already out of control before the real season has even started.
RG3 can only remove the storm cloud of negativity hovering over him by delivering better performances. Yet for that to happen, he has to act like he knows there's a problem.
Based on his latest comments, it's hard to believe he does. Here's what he said when asked what he could have done to halt the problems against Detroit, per Liz Clarke of the Washington Post:
"We all look at the film, and we don’t look at it and say, ‘Hey, it’s this guy’s fault, it’s that guy’s fault.’ We don’t point the finger or point the blame. You watch the film, and you assess yourself. You say, ‘What can I do to make sure that this doesn’t happen again?’ We’ve all done that. I talked to all the guys. I’ve done it myself. We’ll get better and make sure that stuff doesn’t happen.
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Again, it's yet more attitude speak. We get it. You're a competitor, an unselfish teammate. But when are you going to talk about improving the fundamental flaws in your game?
It would be great to hear Griffin say something along the lines of, he has to do a better job of reading the blitz pre-snap. Or he's been working on his footwork since the Lions game to get better at sliding away from pressure in the pocket while still keeping his eyes downfield.
These are the nuts-and-bolts things he needs to do to get better at playing the quarterback position. Referencing the areas for improvement once in a while would at least show Griffin is connected to the idea of just how much work he needs to do.
That's what this whole offseason was supposed to be about. It's why Matt Cavanaugh was hired as quarterbacks coach.
So far at least, the same old problems are still evident.
Essentially, that's the story of Washington's preseason. There's real improvement in some key areas, such as defense and the running game. Meanwhile, fortifying the offensive line is going to be a big job for assistant coach Bill Callahan. There's no overnight fix, something he'd have already known.
But ultimately, this Redskins team will still be judged and determined by what goes on under center.
We've been here before.
All statistics and player information via NFL.com.
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