Don't Panic Yet: Washington Redskins Are Moving in the Right Direction

It probably hasn't been too long since you last caught yourself saying, "...same old Redskins."

In fact, after the Redskins were smacked by the Rams in St. Louis last Sunday, you probably shook your head along with it. 

Although the Rams entered last Sunday's game with a 14-game home losing streak, the Rams were able to pounce on the Redskins early and never let them up for air.

But let’s not get hasty—the NFL season is a long one, and the Redskins have a lot of ground to cover.

The big time analysts have given their thoughts on who’s to blame for the Redskins mishaps, but trying to pick between the offense and defense as to which looks better at this point in the season is like choosing between Susan Boyle and Rosie O’Donnell in a bikini contest. It’s obvious that every unit has had its ups and downs, and that’s why I’m here to make excuses for everyone.

Quarterback

Donovan McNabb has been nothing but impressive so far this season. Just a few weeks ago, during the preseason, people were quick to label McNabb as the “typical and fragile” quarterback that he had been in Philadelphia. But through three games this season, McNabb is averaging 277 yards a game on 60 percent passing and 8.2 yards per completion.

The down part of the team’s new quarterback is his touchdown total. Two passing touchdowns in three games will not suffice in an offensive scheme such as Kyle Shanahan’s or in a cutthroat division like the NFC East.

We can cross our fingers that more touchdowns will begin to fly, but for now let’s be pleased with the fact that McNabb has avoided pressure quite impressively and has only thrown one interception.

Receivers

Coming into the season, the receiving crew may have been the largest question mark on offense—and that’s still the case. Other than Santana Moss and Chris Cooley, not one receiver has stepped up to the task as a reliable pass catcher. Moss leads the team with 22 receptions and almost 300 yards, while Cooley is second on the team with 14 catches and almost 200 yards.

Other than those two, the team’s next leading receiver would be fullback Mike Sellers with seven receptions—surprising in large part because Sellers’ hands seem to be made of stone.

After San Diego prevented anyone from taking on Vincent Jackson, the Redskins are in serious trouble. Unfortunately, we cannot look at the current roster and honestly believe that any current receiver on the team is about to take off. This problem will linger.

Running Game and Offensive Line

What running game? Without question, the running game has struggled significantly. It doesn’t appear to be the fault of the running backs as much as it does the fault of the offensive line. Not to call out the big guys up front, as they’ve done very well in pass-blocking, but the line seems to be having trouble with the new zone-blocking scheme.

Clinton Portis is off to a slow start, and the entire offensive game plan seems to be heavily favoring the passing game and placing the running game on the top shelf. Portis is obviously the team’s leading rusher through the first three games, but recent call-up Ryan Torain showed well last Sunday after Portis was pulled due to an apparent wrist injury.

Torain continues to be a pleasant surprise, and he could bring a great change of pace to the Redskins’ running game.

As far as the offensive line goes, we can’t complain much, as Donovan McNabb has stayed relatively clean through 102 pass attempts. But the run game is a head-scratcher. Do we blame the offensive scheme for lack of run plays? Or do we blame the line for not blocking for the backs when a run play is called?

Before doing either, we should first be thankful for Trent Williams. In the team’s first two games, the rookie Williams handled his business against talented pass rushers from both the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. But once Williams was forced to sit out against the Rams last Sunday, the offensive line showed a significant decrease. Bottom line: This offensive line NEEDS the rookie.

That said, we can call Trent Williams the right pick—through just his first three games.

Defense

Too many people have been critical of the Redskins’ newly implemented 3-4 defensive scheme. Through just three games, more than enough people have elected to abandon the scheme, scrap the idea, and start over with the 4-3. Has anyone ever succeeded with a new defensive scheme after just three days of work?

Of course the current roster isn’t equipped with the perfect 3-4 personnel, but this is also an idea and plan for the future. Mike Shanahan and the front office will continue to draft and acquire players that will fit the system, and the defense will certainly get better in time, but people can’t expect a shutdown, Pittsburgh-like defense in their first season of business.

In addition to not having the ideal personnel, the team is also weak on the depth chart. Although the team has extremely useful reserves like Phillip Daniels and Lorenzo Alexander, the team also has to rely on guys like Reed Doughty in coverage. This defense will get better; the fans’ attitude should too.

Special Teams

Contrary to popular belief, special teams are still important. But with blocked kicks, shanked punts, and iced field goals, the Redskins have done it all—in just three games. In fact, arguably the most impressive man on this special teams unit so far is Devin Thomas, who is averaging 28 yards per kick return.

With the way the team has played so far, we should still be thankful for Graham Gano and his ability to put up a majority of the team’s points. Punter Josh Bidwell is hurt, and Hunter Smith has returned to Ashburn for a tryout. Punter competition is never a good sign.

Blocking needs to get better, downfield tackling needs to become more alert, and we can count on coach Danny Smith to get this unit back in order.

Moral of the story? Don’t panic. If anything, be thankful that the team may be getting the kinks out early rather than starting 6-2 and then finishing 2-6 (wink). This team will get better, and we must remember that it won’t happen overnight. This team, other than the significant addition of McNabb, is still a 4-12 talent until proven otherwise at the conclusion of the 2010 season.