6 Reasons the Washington Redskins' Season Is Going Wrong
The 2017 NFL season was looking good for the Washington Redskins just a few short weeks ago. The team was coming off wins over the Los Angeles Rams and Oakland Raiders and was beginning to forge credible identities on both sides of the ball.
A defense successfully restocked with free-agent talent and prime draft picks during the offseason was tougher and more talented along a swarming front seven. Meanwhile, the offense had shown signs, particularly in L.A., of being able to run the ball consistently and establish the balance so often missing during previous seasons.
Even after a close loss to the then-unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football, followed by squeaking out a win over the San Francisco 49ers at home, the Redskins were sitting relatively pretty at 3-2.
Sadly, the roof has fallen in since then. The season has unravelled at an alarming rate as injuries have mounted, the run-pass balance has disappeared and the defense has been unable to stop key playmakers.
Those factors, as well as lack of production from wide receivers counted on for big plays, have led to consecutive losses to NFC East rivals the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.
The Redskins now find themselves 3-4 overall, and 0-3 in the division, ahead of a brutal slate of games, beginning with this Sunday's road trip to face the always tough Seattle Seahawks.
Find out what's gone wrong for Washington in recent weeks and what could hold the team back again in Week 9.
Injuries, Injuries and More Injuries
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It would probably be quicker to list those players deemed fit enough to play this Sunday, rather than perform a roll call for Washington's walking wounded.
Head coach Jay Gruden admitted he has 13 players questionable and potentially destined to fill only seven inactive slots, according to AP reporter Stephen Whyno (h/t Yahoo Sports). Whyno also went on to list the Redskins' many, many injury issues: "Tight end Jordan Reed and defensive lineman Matt Ioannidis are among those expected to be out Sunday at the Seattle Seahawks with the status of about a dozen other players in doubt."
Whyno continued: "No. 3 tight end Niles Paul, who is in the NFL's concussion protocol, starting left guard Shawn Lauvao, who has a stinger, starting center Spencer Long (knee injury) and backup safety Stefan McClure (hamstring strain) could also miss the Seahawks game."
He went on: "Starting left tackle Trent Williams, No. 2 cornerback Bashaud Breeland and starting right guard Brandon Scherff have knee injuries; top receiver Jamison Crowder has hamstring and lower-leg injuries; rookie safety Montae Nicholson has a stinger and a shoulder injury; backup offensive lineman T.J. Clemmings has a sprained ankle and third tackle Ty Nsekhe is working back from core muscle surgery."
And on: "That list doesn't include right tackle Morgan Moses playing through two sprained ankles, other injuries across the roster and long-term health issues with defensive lineman Jonathan Allen (foot), kicker Dustin Hopkins (hip) and linebacker Mason Foster (shoulder) that landed those players on injured reserve."
The picture is clear, the Redskins are about as banged up as an NFL team can be a mere seven games into a season. Of course, plenty will sing the song so popular among opposing fans, the one about everybody having injuries and good teams being able to adjust.
While both of those things are true, the cost of Washington's injuries has been painfully obvious in recent games. Quarterback Kirk Cousins has been set upon in the blink of an eye by pass-rushers as his O-line has crumbled before his eyes.
Meanwhile, a run defense showing major signs of improvement earlier in the campaign wilted horribly in front of Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys last week. Not having top draft pick Jonathan Allen and the revitalized Matt Ioannidis available to plug the interior didn't help.
Then there are the issues in the secondary, the same issues leading to Quinton Dunbar spending most of Week 8 covering premier Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant. Love him or hate him, Bryant is a dynamic burner who can take the top off even the best defenses when motivated.
Of all the problems caused by Washington's lengthy injury list, the absences along an otherwise formidable offensive line are proving the most costly. Sadly, the pattern looks set to continue this week in Seattle.
Depleted Offensive Line
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The tally of destruction along the Redskins' offensive line was summed up depressingly by the number of regulars who took to the practice field this week. Four of the five starters were mere onlookers, per Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post: "Only one starter, right tackle Morgan Moses, practiced Wednesday, while Trent Williams, Brandon Scherff, Shawn Lauvao and Spencer Long did not participate."
It means the starting front five this week could be Ty Nsekhe or T.J. Clemmings, whichever one is healthy, at left tackle, Arie Kouandjio at left guard, sixth-round pick Chase Roullier at center, undrafted free agent Tyler Catalina at right guard next to a banged-up Morgan Moses at right tackle, per Tesfatsion.
What this patchwork group needs is a favorable matchup guaranteeing an easy week. Sadly, the Seahawks will be unleashing one of the league's best defensive lines on Washington's stitched together front.
There will be matchup problems everywhere when the Redskins' deputy trench warriors put their hands down at CenturyLink Field this Sunday. Versatile Michael Bennett wrecks even outstanding lines, either as a rush end or as an interior, 3-technique pressure specialist. Sheldon Richardson can also collapse things from the inside for fun when motivated.
Then there is Frank Clark, no longer one of football's best-kept secrets. Instead, the explosive edge-rusher is now a legitimate game-wrecker, one who could run riot against Nsekhe or Clemmings.
Cousins likely won't sleep well the rest of this week as he contemplates the beating he's in for in the Emerald City.
Taking a beating has become common for No. 8 as his starting line has been decimated. Tyrone Crawford and DeMarcus Lawrence knocked him from pillar to post last week.
The injuries up front haven't just meant pass protection has been non-existent. There has also been next to no push in the running game, with Redskins rushers averaging a paltry 3.3 yards per attempt against a Cowboys D previously worked over by every back on the schedule.
It would help both Cousins and the running game if the passing attack could loosen defenses up. Sadly, quick strikes are a thing of the past now DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon are playing elsewhere and their replacements have been anything but reliable.
Struggles at WR
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The expression of Terrelle Pryor Sr. in the picture above is a vivid illustration of the response of most Redskins fans toward the most disappointing offseason acquisition on the team.
Pryor arrived in D.C. after topping 1,000 yards in his first full season as a pro wide receiver. The fact he managed such production catching passes from a carousel of calamitous quarterbacks on the 1-15 Cleveland Browns only made Redskins fans more excited about his potential in a more talented offense.
Excitement reached fever pitch when Pryor put together a season's worth of highlight-reel catches during training camp and OTAs. This man seemed the ideal fit to replace the big plays Jackson took with him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Flash forward to Week 8 of the real action and Pryor barely qualifies as a passenger on Washington's midnight run to mediocrity. The 28-year-old has caught just 18 passes for 223 yards and a single touchdown.
Things have been so barren for No. 11 he even lost his starting job to Josh Doctson, the player who is still no closer to justifying his status as Washington's first-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft.
Pryor has cited a foot injury as a primary reason for his struggles and insists he's now ready to take on more responsibility in the offense, per ESPN.com's John Keim. Being fully healthy will help, but so will hanging into passes, something Pryor hasn't managed too often this season. Running more precise and nuanced routes also couldn't hurt.
Pryor has his faults as a receiver, many of them, but the sad reality is the Redskins need him to step up because the rest of their receiving corps is hardly scaring defenses.
Doctson also needs to add refinement to his game after middling production since winning the starting role. In another article for ESPN.com, Keim detailed some of the problems Doctson had against the Cowboys: "The problem vs. Dallas, at times, was the routes he ran required more time in the pocket for Kirk Cousins. With a makeshift line, that was difficult. Other times, Doctson didn’t seem to be in the progression or there was confusion on the route."
However they make it happen, the Redskins have to get more from Doctson and Pryor. The pair are supposed to be the big-pay targets who can make Cousins and the fans forget about Garcon and Jackson.
Everybody's still waiting.
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Lack of Commitment to the Run
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The Redskins aren't a good running team. At least I don't think they are. It's hard to tell since they so seldom actually run the ball.
A lack of commitment to the run is as much behind Washington's struggles on the ground as injuries along the O-line and inconsistency among the team's ball-carriers. In fact, Gruden's apparent unwillingness to commit to the run might be the root cause of this season falling apart.
The last statement may read as hyperbole to some, but think of the value a steady running game would have for the 2017 vintage of the Burgundy and Gold.
For one thing, dialing up more running plays would certainly make life easier for those backup linemen who are struggling to keep pass-rushers at bay. All pro road graders prefer it when their team keeps the ball on the ground because it lets them attack defenses and dictate their individual matchups.
Protecting reserve blockers, as well as preserving the health of his bruised quarterback, isn't the only reason Gruden should be leaning on the run. He may want to throw the ball 35-40 times a game, but this year's passing attack is hardly equipped for it.
Pryor and Doctson have struggled, while brittle Reed, the best pass-catcher on the roster, has been in and out of the lineup. It makes zero sense to have Cousins continually dropback behind an offensive line unable to stand up for long in protection. It also makes zero sense to have Cousins continue to aim for a stable of receivers who have proved maddeningly inconsistent through seven games.
Instead, Gruden should be tweaking his offense accordingly to play to the strengths he has and mask the unit's weaknesses. In this case the strengths are a solid contingent of running backs featuring Chris Thompson, Rob Kelley and rookie Samaje Perine.
The effect of not running the ball versus the benefit of keeping it on the ground have been obvious for the Redskins this season, per Rich Tandler of NBC Sports Washington: "Doing the math, that is a total of 33 rushing attempts in two weeks. In perhaps their best game of the season, against the Rams in Week 2, they ran 39 times. If the win in LA wasn’t their best of the season, then it was the following week against the Raiders when they ran 34 times."
Of course, running with success won't be easy in Seattle. The Seahawks boast a formidable rush defense led by D-tackle Jarran Reed, the player former Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan should have drafted in 2016.
Even so, Washington won't be playing the Seahawks every week. Regardless of matchup, the Redskins have to be brave and smart enough to commit to the run and play more close-to-the-vest football to aid their patchwork O-line, overcome struggles at wide receiver and give an overworked defense a rest.
Drab 3rd-Down Offense
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Running the ball more often can also be the ticket for livening up what has been a drab third-down offense. The Redskins have successfully converted just 38 percent of their third-down attempts so far this season, per the league's official website.
As with most of the team's other problems, injuries have played a big part. Not having Reed regularly available has been particularly galling since Cousins loves to look his way on football's money down.
Similarly, Jamison Crowder's slow start before last week also robbed Cousins of a quick read and throw on third downs. As the line has crumbled, running back Thompson has often had to stay in to block rather than releasing to catch the passes out of the backfield he has made his forte in recent years.
One sure way to ease these woes would be to create more manageable third-down situations. It demands the Redskins face 3rd-and-4 or less more often.
Crafting a shorter, quicker and more high-percentage passing game would be a start. Tilting the play calling more toward the run, or at least a semblance of run-pass balance, would help even more.
Both of those things put the onus on Gruden and his coaching staff to do a better job preparing this team to win each week.
Poor Coaching
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Remember this line from Keim's article on what Doctson can do to step up?: "The problem vs. Dallas, at times, was the routes he ran required more time in the pocket for Kirk Cousins. With a makeshift line, that was difficult."
It pinpoints the main reason Washington's season is falling apart. Coaching just hasn't been good enough.
Why on earth would any coach design and call long-developing pass plays when the injury hit offensive line can't holdup in protection? The fact Gruden has continued to call his scheme as though all his starters are available sums up the lack of situational coaching undertaken in Washington.
It's a problem I referenced in this article and one the Redskins have been plagued by since opening day. There haven't been enough intelligent adjustments to help the team cope with its mounting injuries.
Adjusting the offense will mean putting ego to one side and accepting the receivers aren't good enough to play the wide-open game of 2016 when both Garcon and Jackson topped 1,000 yards. Instead, Gruden has to go conservative, even against his better instincts.
Defensively, coordinator Greg Manusky may want his team to whip people physically. However, such dominance isn't possible without a stellar line and regular starters in the secondary.
Most of all, Manusky must show more respect for an opponents' best weapons. There is no shame in crafting gameplans specifically designed to nullify a particular playmaker or two. It's how defenses without elite talent can still be effective.
Coaching changes won't be magic fairy dust able to turn these depleted Redskins from strugglers to regular winners overnight. Few, if any, coaches have this sort of power, even in an era where the cult of coaching has seen average sideline generals adorned with the genius label.
Yet Gruden and his staff can still do more to help Washington deal better with injuries and regression in key areas and still win.
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