Sink or Swim
November 6, 2019
by Jay Evans
Not all hope is lost in D.C. The DMV has been fascinating the past few weeks. The Mystics and Nationals are champions. The latter’s parade down Pennsylvania Avenue capped another intense season for the city’s baseball team.
Even the Wizards have captivated eyes with their youthful brand of basketball, having scored 157 points against the Houston Rockets in regulation time…and lost! Then there are the vivacious Capitals, who are in first place after registering the best October in franchise history.
Allow the jubilation to rage for Nats’ nation. Get lost in the beers chugged through jersey’s at Caps games and the polar bear plunges into the nation’s capital fountains. Support the city and its teams because cathartic releases are few and far-flung for the football faithful.
Lost in the D.C. mishegas are the Redskins and the eight long weeks from vacation. They have lost three consecutive games by a combined score of 52-18 and failed to score a touchdown in that span for the first time in their 88-year history.
In the same fortnight, the Redskins have been defending their medical practices against the players union and editing their playbook with pop-up coloring areas for their rookie quarterback.
It is too early to make offseason plans, but too late to expect significant changes. The time to release inefficient coaches has passed and the trade deadline disappointedly lapsed without any additions by subtractions.
The Redskins have committed to this team for the remainder of the season. It won’t be until January when the Redskins will officially reset the life cycle of the organization and even then, many will speculate as to their efficacy without a full-scale upheaval.
If your attention diverted away from the Bruce Allen depression era Redskins, then you are likely part of the majority.
The Redskins balked at the trading deadline, forcing Trent Williams to return to Ashburn. Williams reluctantly accepted the call, only to accrue a year of service on his contract, but is unlikely to see action any time soon.
There was “no trust” with the Redskins, said Williams to a throng of reporters. It’s a stain that has set into the fabric of the franchise.
Williams, widely regarded as the team’s best player for a decade, is unwilling to play for the franchise after his recent battle with cancer where doctors opted to remove a third of his skull. Ryan Kerrigan, another longtime stalwart, is in the midst of his worst professional season and 34-year old Adrian Peterson is once again leading the offense, to no avail.
Following the off week, the Redskins need to provide the young players as many situations to succeed, or fail, as possible.
Enough of the coaches flirting with the idea of returning to Case Keenum or Colt McCoy. Haskins is the quarterback for the remainder of the season.
Dwayne Haskins started the first game of his career Sunday afternoon in a 24-9 loss to Buffalo. Afterwards interim head coach Bill Callahan remained reluctant to name Haskins the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season.
After weeks of interminable speculation as to whether Haskins understood the playbook, halfway through his rookie season no less, he appeared to be okay in a tough situation against a top three defense.
At times Haskins showed off his talented arm strength, with strikes to Terry McLaurin and Paul Richardson throughout the game. Then again, Haskins missed those same open targets and the offense struggled to sustain drives.
The argument to play Haskins or not is over. His development for the remainder of the season will come barring all the expectations of a savior. It’s a weight that could prove to be a burden for the burgeoning rookie, but if his progress continues to ascend then it would add an optimistic asterisk to the dismal record.
Adrian Peterson’s march to NFL immortality, characterized as noble, is fundamentally self-interested. Peterson’s best days were spent in Minnesota and since has spent time in New Orleans and Arizona in a chase to stockpile upon his already prodigious career.
Veiled in the pursuit of a championship, Peterson re-signed in D.C. acutely aware the Redskins were unlikely to contend for a title. Peterson forced his release from the Saints organization wronged from back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, but begged for reprieve only when it became apparent he wouldn’t be the lead running back.
Now that second-year pro Derrius Guice is cleared for play, he should be the ball carrier receiving a heavy workload for the remainder of the season. Is he the lead back going forward? The answer is truly unknown.
The Redskins don’t need a definitive answer from Guice right away. Before moving forward, the second-round pick has to provide the Redskins more content to evaluate than the thirteen total touches he has accrued in his two-year injury marred career.
Terry McLaurin has been a pleasant surprise, but the chemistry Haskins and McLaurin during their time at Ohio State needs to bare itself. Additionally, the Redskins must continue manufacturing touches for Steven Sims, Jr., Trey Quinn and Kelvin Harmon.
On defense, bench the two veterans who won’t be on the team in three months. Jon Bostic was a nice addition to the locker-room late in training camp, but his skills are limited and his ability to almost make plays resembles the man he replaced in Mason Foster.
The Shawn Dion Hamilton hype was never greater than immediately following the Reuben Foster injury and since the Bostic signing he has seen limited playing time.
Josh Norman’s last snap should be his final. After failing to trade the highly compensated cornerback, his presence on the roster does nothing to improve the ethos of the Redskins and his inconsistent play warrants a decrease in snaps.
Expose the defensive backfield and rule judgment going forward. Fabian Moreau entered the league with lofty expectations, but slumping play has left questions. After recovering from a preseason injury, Moreau has been adequate at best. He has received decent playing time in the slot, but might be best suited on the outside and his experience on the boundary has been limited.
Troy Apke’s errors continue to baffle the team. The workout warrior has all the prerequisite physical talents and his playing time is beneficial, but the second-year pro was always a work project with possibly the steepest learning curve on the team. His football intelligence is low and he regularly struggles with spacial recognition.
Jimmy Moreland was thrust into unforeseen expanded playing time earlier in the season, but after a couple months of fully immersed in the NFL, he should be better prepared for its rigors. The aggressive late round pick became a fan favorite in training camp and could provide a boost to a backfield that has eight interceptions on the season.
Sink or swim. Are all of these players the answer to their respective roles and positions? Are any of them? The Redskins for years seemed reluctant to promote young, inexperienced talent into significant playing time, but a lost season is perfect for earnest evaluation.
For the past few seasons, the Redskins have cheered themselves, boasting successful drafts in April. If these players can’t succeed on the field, then it’s time to stop the post-draft parades. Here’s looking at you Bruce.
Developing the fledgling players is the only saving grace of a putrid season in efforts to uncover a buried trinket amongst the litter. The time is now to throw every young player in the deep end and see which ones come up breathing.