The Washington Redskins faced a disappointing loss in their third preseason game against the Denver Broncos. As the team looks forward to moving on to preparing for the final preseason game, here are the players who saw their stock rise or fall versus the Broncos.
Stock Up
1. RB Adrian Peterson
If there was any question about whether Adrian Peterson had anything left in the tank, he put that all to rest in his debut against the Broncos. At age 33, Peterson was the lone bright spots in an otherwise bleak performance by the Redskins offense. From explosive speed to swift cutbacks, Peterson ran like a man on a mission. One of his most impressive carries came on a fourth-and-inches that he turned into a 15-yard gain. Peterson finished the first half with 11 carries for 56 yards. With just a few days under his belt as an official Redskin, Peterson solidified that he can be the starting running back in week one.
We could get used to seeing this. #HTTR | #DENvsWAS pic.twitter.com/rra2xbWakt
— Washington Redskins (@Redskins) August 25, 2018
I think it's safe to say Adrian Peterson will be the #Redskins opening day starter at RB. He is still making plays at 33 and frankly, looks like he can give the Redskins a boost in the run game.
— Lake Lewis Jr (@LakeLewis) August 25, 2018
2. QB Kevin Hogan
It may not impact Hogan’s future with the Redskins but he deserves credit for producing the only two touchdowns of the game. In fact, Hogan’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Simmie Cobbs, Jr. was the first Redskins touchdown since the second quarter of their preseason game against the New England Patriots.
The drive in the fourth quarter with third stringers was the #Redskins first touchdown since the second quarter of their first preseason game against the New England Patriots.
— Lake Lewis Jr (@LakeLewis) August 25, 2018
He later connected with Darvin Kidsy for a 4-yard touchdown. Hogan’s preseason has been up and down at best. However, he showed good command of the offense on Friday night.
Simmie Cobbs Jr. scores his first TD with the #Redskins!#HTTR | #DENvsWAS pic.twitter.com/UpXXBmm4Dw
— Washington Redskins (@Redskins) August 25, 2018
Stock Down
1. QB Alex Smith
Smith never established a rhythm on offense in this second preseason debut. Some of his challenges included high throws down-field, a sack, and only completed one pass in the first quarter. It’s too early to panic but this is not the performance you want to see with only one preseason game left before the regular season. Consistency and forward progress are key at this point.
“There will be some stuff for us to look at and I think get better at,” Smith said. “You expect to go out and execute. I get that we’re not full-strength, we’re not showing everything, but at the same time, you want to go out there and play your best. So, we’ll learn from it and get better.”
2. First-Team Defense
The Redskins defense has shown significant improvement in the past two preseason games. That changed against the Broncos. Collectively, the starting defense did not play well and could not keep up with the Broncos offense. There were missed tackles, poor coverage, and very little pressure on the quarterback. On a positive note, DT Tim Settle continues to have an impressive preseason.