Ashburn, Va. – Washington Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden’s press conference today was sobering. The list of injuries to key players in this ball club — especially on the offensive side of the ball — is long. This makes it hard to imagine how difficult it is going to be to game plan against one of the National Football League’s best defenses in the New York Jets. Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams is out with a concussion (a bit of a surprise to all considering nothing was said definitively about this previously), Pro Bowl wide out DeSean Jackson (hamstring) continued to be limited in practice for the second day in a row (after having been held out for four weeks and then having a slight “issue” yesterday) and is questionable for Sunday. Gruden said Jackson will be a game time decision but it’s unlikely he’ll play if he’s not 100 percent. Rookie running back Matt Jones (toe) did not participate in practice today and is questionable for Sunday. Tight end Jordan Reed is out and veteran center Kory Lichtensteiger (broken thumb/shoulder/neck) are both out. Receiver Andre Roberts (quad) is questionable. With some critical injuries along the offensive line, there are some big challenges ahead for both the coaching staff and a couple of young guys that are going to have to step up.
Beyond the O-line itself, Williams’ and Lichtensteiger’s injuries put a real strain on Gruden, offensive coordinator Sean McVay and quarterback Kirk Cousins obviously. The offense was already having issues stretching the field with Jackson and Reed — two of the teams most talented pass catchers — out. But to ask the guys that are filling in for Williams and Lichtensteiger to pass protect against the league’s No. 1 and No. 2 ranked defense is tough. Their inexperience could seriously limit Cousins’ ability to drop back. This will make it difficult for guys like receiver Rashad Ross and/or tight end Derek Carrier to get down the field and could really put the kibosh on the already limited vertical play calls that can be used.
This will, in turn, likely hamper the run game which is already struggling to this point.
Since Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins and Week 2 against the St. Louis Rams, Washington’s running game has been virtually non-existent. In those first two games, workhorse Alfred Morris and Jones had a combined yards-per-carry average of 4.8 yards. Since then; against the New York Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons, it has dropped to an average of 2.75 yards-per-carry. And that’s with one more game than the first two. Not good.
According to Gruden, there are multiple reasons for this (I have my own thoughts that have to do with fullback Darrel Young not getting enough snaps and the thought that one can’t leave a rusher on the sideline for an hour and expect him to come in and burn through tackles but that’s a different article). It is notable that the rushing troubles started in the Giants game and that is the contest during which starting left guard Shawn Lauvao went down with a left ankle injury and left the game. He was eventually put on Injured Reserve and 2014 third-round draft pick Spencer Long took his place the next game on the depth chart.
Long held his own in the Eagles match up and the running game improve a little with Morris getting 3.6 yards-per-carry on 17 touches. But the running game has never gotten back to it’s productive early-sesaon form.
It is possible that 6’2”, 315 lbs., third-round draft pick (2012 draft) Josh LeRibeus will actually start at center and 6’8”, 325 lbs. undrafted free agent O-lineman Ty Nsekhe (a bit of a journeyman since entering the football world in 2009 but a huge GM Scot McCloughan type of guy) will start for Williams at left tackle. With Long already playing for the injured Lauvao, this means the “veteran” on the offensive line will be 6’6” 318 lbs. second-year third-round draft pick Morgan Moses. That is a scary thought although Moses has done an excellent job and all of these guys have a great deal of respect for each other. He will stay at right tackle with rookie right guard Brandon Scherff remaining where he is. This is best for the little bit of continuity that it brings to this decimated offensive line.
“I can’t imagine having any more [injuries],” Gruden said today. “You know, I don’t know… it’s tough to deal with. It is frustrating but it’s pro football and these things happen at certain times. It’s unfortunate they’re all happening in bulk. These guys all want to play. They’re all very competitive players, I know that. Nobody’s quitting on anybody. They’re all as disappointed as we are. They’re fluke injuries too. They’re not like we’re training them too hard. We’ve got a concussion. We’ve got a neck thing. We’ve got a hand. We’ve got a shoulder. We’ve got a calf. We’ve got a quad. We’ve got a little bit of everything. These guys are working hard, playing hard and want to play, but unfortunately these guys can’t go and the ones that can go are going to have to play, play a lot and play well.”
The Redskins also have 2015 fourth-round draft pick Arie Kouandjio on the roster and one would think he would be active this Sunday. The 6’5” guard came to Washington from Alabama and helped the Crimson Tide win two SEC championships and two BCS National Championships. Of the three guys who could be called upon to step up soon, he has the most “big game” experience. It could be that he is still just a bit too raw for the coaching staff to feel comfortable putting him in without more veterans around him. But this is going to be a tough match up all the way around and each of the guys will need to prove why they are worth having on the roster. It won’t be easy on the coaching staff either.
“It’s going to be a great challenge for us,” McVay said today about preparing these reserves to play. “It’s been a great week of preparation though. [Offensive line] Coach [Bill] Callahan does an excellent job getting those guys ready to go and putting them through all the looks that we expect to see. We know [Jets Head] Coach [Todd] Bowles and his staff do an excellent job present a variety of looks with excellent players and personnel. So, it’s going to be a big day for a lot of guys getting an opportunity to step up and fill in for some big-time veterans that are core players for us.”
The silver lining to all of this is that, for those who have wanted the “young pups” on the squad to get onto the field… this is that time. Now McCloughan — as well as Gruden and even Redskins Nation — will be able evaluate them and just how talented the 2015 player acquisitions are. The Jets game was going to be challenging enough as it was. Along with guys like Ross and fellow wide out Ryan Grant, the young offensive linemen will need to stick to their fundamentals/techniques and rely on everything they’ve learned this offseason in order to give Washington a chance to compete.