Welcome back to the B&G Report! I wanted to hear some questions before I posted the Dallas Week breakdown and Rookie Spotlight of the week. I received some great questions via Instagram this week. Let’s get started!
*Steve in MD-“Can we still win the division this year??”
*B&G– That’s the question on most Skins fans minds Steve. I think that one of the two Wildcard playoff spots is more realistic at this point. That probably goes out the window if they lose to Dallas though, which would put them at 0-3 for NFC East wins. Although the season is still young, the rising Redskins injury list is cause for concern. On MNF 4 out of the 5 Redskins starting O-Lineman went out of the game and a few never to returned. Trent Williams has been playing on a bum knee cap and will require surgery, when/if he can’t suit up for the remainder of the season. Coach Jay Gruden said he would consider giving Trent a game or two off, but I believe shutting him down for the year is the right thing to do at this point. Coaches and team physicians have stated that Trent’s knee cap cartilage can’t get worse(requires reconstruction). Many former football players state it will most likely lead to other injuries, as he will compensate for his gimpy knee. With Trent’s backup Ty Nsekhe about a week or two away from being cleared to return, it makes the decision even harder for Coaches. The Skins would either have to shift RT Morgan Moses to LT or go with 3rd stringer TJ Clemmings at LT. Either scenario will expose weak spots on the offensive line. Gruden needs to save Trent from Trent at this point. It’s a hard call, but he’s the long term leader of this position group. The rest of the line, other than Shawn Lauvao are all nursing various ailments and are questionable at this point.
*Sam in CO– “What can the Redskins do to establish the running game against Dallas?”
*B&G– Great question Sam, unfortunately things got complicated on MNF. The run game will suffer the most, due to the rash of injuries on the O-Line. Personally I think the Rob Kelley experiment at starter needs to end. I do like Kelly, but more as a backup. The fact that the Skins drafted a RB with a similar running style in Samaje Perine, was a head scratcher. I liked what I saw on tape from Perine, but he needs to be coached up on fundamentals. He has a Gerald Riggs type ceiling in my opinion. Kelly & Perine are backs that need their O-line to set up running lanes. That’s not happening this year, with the exception of the Rams 200 + yard rushing performance. The tight ends are expected to help in the run game, but our group is very weak in that area. As for Chris Thompson, he creates his own lanes! This year has been big for him, mainly in his receiving stats. Unfortunately Thompson isn’t a true run up the gut RB. The Skins will need to start shuffling O-lineman around, with the inevitable decision looming to send Trent to IR. Add Mack Brown into the equation. Brown can instantly make plays with less, compared to the Kelly/Perine duo. I’m not talking about giving Brown 15-20 carries a game, I just don’t think the Skins can be that type of team without Trent. The threat of passing or running out of the three tight end sets, gives the Redskins run game the best chance at success. The Redskins are a better pass blocking team at this point, Brown will only get into the mix if more injuries occur. So at this point, the best chance to win would be for the Skins to lean on their passing game and continue to feed their their tight ends.
*Afrodeeeshzzz in FL– “I believe they should just try to run it. I understand game plans change but somebody gotta establish themselves. Put in Mack Brown, see how he does. He was good those few carries a few games ago.” *B&G– Agree 100% Afrodeeeshzzz! As I previously mentioned, Brown is exactly what they need to jump start this running game. He offers good long speed as well as being a very good tackle shedder. Again I don’t see any of the backs getting any where close to 15 carriers a game, but Brown can be used in the screen game and is a reliable check down option. I’d love to see the Skins use three tight end sets more often, utilizing Thompson and Brown in the backfield simultaneously could pay huge dividends! A group such as that, could be utilized in the hurry up as well. I just don’t understand why some teams don’t put their best combination of players on the field. See the Patriots and their Coach’s game plans. They could care less what a players salary is and only put their best 11 on the field. The disfunction at the receiver position is a growing issue for Washington. At this point WR Terrell Pryor Sr has no business being activated on game days, but he will based on his salary. He offers no special teams ability and constantly drops balls. The better option would be to replace him with Brian Quick on game Day, even better promote my B&G underrated Practice Squad player WR Mo Harris. The former Cal U receiver, would instantly become the best blocking WR on the team based on last years tape. The Dallas game will go a long way to see what players will see game action for the rest of the season.
*Marvin in MD– “Isn’t it about time Doctson has a bigger role in our offense? All we have is Thompson producing.”
*B&G– It is about time for Josh “Papa Doc” Doctson to start contributing more than 3 catches for 39 yards(Eagles game stats)! Although it was his first career game as a starter, his impact was minimal and he posed no threat to the Eagles DB’s. Now that can be due to his lack of chemistry with Kirk Cousins or just being injury prone, since coming into the league last year. I like Doctson’s potential, but I just don’t understand why this team isn’t embracing their tight ends more. Having Reed, Davis, Paul/Sprinkle all in the game, changes how defenses can match up with multiple tight end sets. They can’t block for crap, but bunch our TE’s up together in a passing formation and most backs could run behind them! They also can be split out wide, since they are all former receivers. So ideally WR Jamison Crowder steps up and provides some veteran leadership to Docston. As of now, that’s all the wide receiver group has as far as a productive veteran mentor. I never hear of Doctson’s work ethic or if he spends extra time with Cousins in the film room. This is truly the only way to get on the same page with Cousins. Kirk is all about the process and he seems to have deep trust issues with our current receivers. He does trust his tight ends though. I’m looking for Doctson to have at least 50 yards receiving and a TD against Dallas. This game is a good matchup for out pass catchers and they need to attack the Cowboys rookie DB’s! Not a grest matchup for our defense though, against this high powered Dallas offens. It’s reported that Josh “The Cerbreal Assassin” Norman has been cleared by doctors to play, which is a huge boost for the defense! So look for Papa Doc to be a lot more involved against the young Dallas DB’s. Hope you enjoyed the latest installment of Skins Q & A. Keep a 👀 out for the Rookie Spotlight, as well as the Cowboys Primer coming soon! HTTR!🏹🤠🏈
Comments