Washington Preseason Game 2: Some Keys to Look For

Posted on by

August 19, 2022

by David Earl

Antonio Gibson vs. Brian Robinson Jr.

Let’s not overreact over one preseason game for Brian Robinson Jr. as a starting running back. He could just be an average player at best. It’s a road this fan base has traveled before, me included at times, having that preseason darling who shines in the most meaningless of games. While preseason is essential for evaluation and to get these players one step closer to week 1 game action prepared, game planning and scheming is just not prevalent from both teams. Preparing for the opponent to scheme against weaknesses while deploying your strengths against those weaknesses is not an intricate aspect of the game rookies like Robinson will face in the preseason. Where does that leave us in this running back conversation? Is there reason for Antonio Gibson to be concerned?

Ball security for Antonio Gibson was a glaring issue last season and now, on his second carry in the preseason game, nothing appears to have changed. While it’s probably harsh to say, “nothing appears to have changed,” turnovers are serious momentum-shifting events that also cannot be taken lightly. Some believed that his adjustment into a more pure style of running back was the cause of his league-leading six fumbles, possibly due to a lapse of   his focus on ball security. Being more of a wide receiver in college, it was a valid thought, but last week’s preseason game showed that he still has a tendency to hold the ball low and not protect it with the second hand prior to impac. So, this week Gibson will have the opportunity to reset from last week and begin to create a new narrative as this team’s primary feature running back. When you have your offensive coordinator stating, “Can’t waste a possession,” this week just becomes that more important. Watch for ball positioning in his arms and how he protects the ball prior to impact this week vs Kansas City or the rookie could take another step towards the top running back role by week 1.

Scott Turner talking about Gibson and not wasting a possession to acknowledging Brian Robinson Jr.’s hard running style consistently producing positive gains regardless is significant in my opinion. Brian is the definition of a pure NFL running back as he runs with excellent patience and decisiveness when hitting the hole. He can make his first step up the field without shuffling his feet to push up the field, creating plus yardage every time. That’s what Gibson lacks. With Robinson continuously pushing up the field for positive yards after his first and decisive step combined with this offensive line’s success rate on short yardage power runs, he may very well be the piece missing in Scott’s offense. The only aspect of his game yet proven, buy of which he showed a small sample size vs Carolina (2 receptions for 15 yards), is his ability to be a 3-down running back. The one saving grace for Gibson is Brian’s possible inability to be a receiving running back in this offense. This week watch to see if Scott Turner will test his hands early and often because last week he showed the potential to be a 2-down running back and if a 3rd down aspect proves effective enough for Scott Turner then Gibson will be in trouble.

Linebacker Coverage More of the Same

Until Jamin Davis takes that next step, reacting to this play as the linebackers show more of the same is not an overreaction after just 1 preseason game. To be blunt, the fact that this group ranked in the bottom third of the NFL last year in coverage while heading into the 2022 season ranked is just as bad as Ron Rivera, completely neglecting this group all offseason. They apparently have confidence in Cole Holcomb anchoring this unit but he’s most effective against the run and in pass-rushing situations. He clearly lacks any lateral movement in coverage and does not display any instincts in reading a wide receiver’s route. Jamin Davis was drafted to secure this role in pass coverage but he’s yet to prove anything going into his second year. The video above shows what the next man up, David Mayo, does in coverage but does not offer any encouragement whatsoever. This week I’ll be looking to see if and how they will deploy Jamin Davis in pass coverage or if they will utilize more of the Buffalo Nickel. Considering Danny Johnson’s limitations, Benjamim St. Juste is a vital piece going forward. Kam Curl could also drop down more into this position. Regardless of what Ron Rivera does the real concern here is the inexperienced depth on this roster going forward, so this week I actually have no clue what this staff will do. As I expect this area of the defense to be exploited again, so let’s wait to see what steps the head coach (a former linebacker) and defensive coordinator (another former linebacker) will take to rectify the one area of the defense that honestly should not be this terrible.