The start of the 2017 NFL regular season is upon us. What’s the forecast for quarterback Kirk Cousins and the Washington Redskins?
We will avoid the obvious comedy that can be associated when people want to talk about the problems in Washington, D.C. Here it’s all about the Redskins and the team’s attempt to reclaim the NFC East title for the second time in three years. You will recall that Jay Gruden’s team opened 2015 with a 5-7 mark. The club won win its final four games and capture a division crown.
Things were much different this past year. The ‘Skins opened with consecutive home losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys. But with six games to go, Gruden’s club had regained its footing and owned a 6-3-1 mark, putting them squarely in the playoff hunt.
However, it wasn’t meant to be. Washington dropped four of its final half-dozen contests to finish 8-7-1 and in third place behind the postseason-bound Cowboys and New York Giants. Starting quarterback Kirk Cousins enjoyed another big year and the offense finished third in the league in total yards per game. But once again, the team’s undoing proved to be the other side of the ball. Yes, Washington won the NFC East a year earlier but did it despite its shortcomings on defense. Be it the run or the pass, Joe Barry’s unit was well below average and he was out of a job.
This offseason was not a pleasant one for the franchise. Besides Barry, the organization parted ways with general manager Scot McCloughan. It came right on the eve of free agency. And while it was thought there would be a lot of chaos after the move, team president Bruce Allen did a very effective job procuring talent from other teams.
Free agency brought wide receivers Terrelle Pryor (Cleveland Browns) and Brian Quick (Los Angeles Rams), as well as defensive linemen Terrell McClain (Dallas Cowboys) and Stacy McGee (Oakland Raiders). Washington also signed 2016 Pro Bowl inside linebacker away from the Buffalo Bills and hard-hitting free safety D.J. Swearinger from the Arizona Cardinals. The latter will add some much-needed physicality to this unit. And while he was injured in the team’s first preseason game, strong safety Su’a Cravens (who spent his rookie year at inside linebacker) is expected to make an impact in the secondary as well.
Allen also went defensively heavy in April’s draft, grabbing a pair of one-time University of Alabama teammates in defensive end Jonathan Allen and outside linebacker Ryan Anderson. The third round brought UCLA cornerback Fabian Moreau and with the second of two fourth-round choices the club opted for Michigan State safety Montae Nicholson. All told, Bruce Allen used six of his 10 selections on the defensive side of the ball. The Redskins could have an intriguing player in University of Louisville linebacker Josh Harvey-Clemons, taken with the 230th pick in April’s proceedings.
Gruden enters his fourth season at the helm of this club. The team is a far cry from the one he led to a 4-12 record in his first season as an NFL head coach. Earlier this year, he signed a contract extension and that’s something we haven’t seen during the Daniel Snyder Era with the franchise. It’s also been an offseason which saw changes at both offensive and defensive coordinator. Sean McVay is now the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams and quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh takes over his spot. Defensive coordinator Joe Barry was fired after a couple of disappointing years and linebacker coach Greg Manusky was elevated in the process.
But the overwhelming offseason story when it came to this team was the failure to get Cousins signed to a long-term contract. The Redskins franchised the 2012 fourth-round draft choice following an impressive showing in 2015. That July, the deadline to sign the young signal-caller to an extended deal came and went. This offseason, Washington made the unexpected and rare move by giving Cousins the franchise tag for a second straight year. Roughly a month ago (July 17), another deadline came and went and no deal.
As to the future of the Pro Bowl quarterback with this franchise, your guess is as good as anyone’s. With one-time Redskins’ assistant Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco, there’s been much speculation that Cousins is bound for the Bay Area in 2018. But that’s neither here nor there when it comes to the 2017 season.
The Washington Redskins appear primed for a strong run at the NFC East title, despite some offensive issues during the preseason. But we’ve all been fooled before by a team’s play during the summer. With a formidable offensive front and better talent in the defensive trenches as well, there’s absolutely no reason not to expect this club to be right in the thick of things with the other three teams in the division.
X-Factor
In four NFL seasons, 2016 Pro Bowl tight end Jordan Reed has yet to play an entire 16-game season. But when he’s been available, he makes the Washington offense even more formidable. Yes, 11-year pro Vernon Davis showed signs of life a year ago and is still a quality player. But Reed is a different beast. And with talented wideouts such as Pryor, Quick, Jamison Crowder, 2016 first-round pick Josh Doctson and underappreciated Ryan Grant making up a deep wide receiving corps, the four-year pro benefits from their presence and vice versa.
So what would a season-long performance from Reed mean for this club? A lot when it comes to Cousins, who has developed a very solid connection with the imposing target. Having the tight end available all year long could mean another win or two for Gruden’s club. And that could be the difference between vying for a Super Bowl title or sitting on the couch come playoff time.
Best case
Jay Gruden has been looking for more offensive balance from his team. In 2015, the Redskins finished a disappointing 20th in the NFL in rushing yards per game. That ranking slipped to 21st this past season. But there was a reason that Bruce Allen used a fourth-round draft choice on University of Oklahoma running back Samaje Perine. During the summer, we didn’t see as much as we needed to. But look for that to change as he and starter Rob Kelley start to wear down opposing defenses on a more regular basis.
All told, the Redskins’ ground attack will prove to be the team’s suspect defense’s best friend. It’s a formula that always works and it’s one that the reigning NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys have perfected in two of the past three seasons (having a healthy quarterback helps). And this team has the proper personnel to make this game plan happen.
Worst case
Despite all of the changes via free agency and the draft, the defense falls flat on its facemasks once again. As previously mentioned, there’s a new coordinator in Manusky (promoted from linebackers coach), as well as new assistants in defensive line specialist Jim Tomsula and defensive backs coach Torrian Gray. But could this bolstered unit not live up to some people’s predictions? Is it possible that rookies Jonathan Allen and Ryan Anderson aren’t ready to make immediate contributions? Could the pass rush miss injured outside linebacker Trent Murphy (9 sacks in 2016) more than anticipated?
This is a Washington team that has allowed the fifth-most total yards in the league each of the past two seasons. Maybe much more is expected from this group than it’s ready to give. And as we have seen, even the most potent of offenses needs some support if the team itself is to have overall success. Just ask the Redskins.
Final word
The Washington Redskins are coming off back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1996 and ’97. And it’s been quite a while since we saw this club come away with a playoff victory. The offense is top-notch, led by Cousins, solid skill people and one of the better offensive fronts in the league. It’s the defense that has really held this team, especially the past two years.
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The Redskins are more than capable of getting back to the playoffs. That’s if they can do a better job against the Cowboys (0-2) and Giants (1-1) this season than they did this past season. The opportunity is there for more than just another winning campaign.