Category: 2019 NFL Regular Season

Derrius Guice is tired of the negativity surrounding the Redskins

Guice knows that there’s a lot of negativity in Washington, but he still thinks there are things that the players should celebrate.

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Nobody is going to tell fans of the Washington Redskins that they need to be happy with everything that goes on with their team each week — there often is a lot to be upset with.

At the same time, nobody should tell players for the Redskins that they shouldn’t be excited when they do something well. Anymore, it happens so rarely that I believe players should take a second to rejoice whenever success shows itself; this mantra of ‘act like you’ve been there before’ is rarely applicable to a team that hasn’t been there.

Derrius Guice, the second-year running back for the Redskins, is speaking out on this issue a week after scoring his first career touchdown in a game that was 90 percent downside for Washington. He understands fans’ tendency to trend negative, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t see the positive situations.

“It just sucks when I score, or someone else scores, and our team posts a picture to Instagram or Twitter and everything under it is just, ‘Fire this, fire that, we suck,” Guice said to NBC Sports Washington. “That doesn’t help anything.”

That’s understandable, coming from a young player who has a bright future ahead of him, and who has battled back from several injuries that derailed his career early on. For Guice to find success is a great comeback story that is worthy of celebration.

“I’m new here,” Guice said. “I understand some of these fans have been here 20-30 years, but like, there’s a lot of guys on this team that are new. Y’all can’t bring all that negativity to us like we’ve been here 20 years. I don’t think that’s fair to us players.”

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Terry McLaurin is the best WR in the NFL when it comes to this stat

When being targeted more than 10-yards downfield, McLaurin is the most sure-handed WR in the NFL.

Tired of reading bleak coverage of the Washington Redskins and all of their recent struggles that seem to have no end in sight?

Looking for a positive spin on things, or a stat that proves that the future may have some upside to it? We’ve got just what you need.

According to Pro Football Focus, among all receivers in the league, there is a young player in Washington that ranks as the best pass-catcher when it comes to an important stat. His name is Terry McLaurin, he’s a rookie, and he’s very good.

On passes that travel more than 10-yards downfield, there is no WR in the league that holds a higher catch percentage than McLaurin, who has been able to turn those into 13 explosive plays and make six of them with a hand in his face.

Things are pretty grim in Washington at the moment, but with the right moves made, the future definitely has a chance to be bright.

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Poll shows that Redskins have fallen from the graces of the D.C. sports fan

A new poll tells us what we’ve already known; that the Redskins have fallen from the top of the pyramid in D.C. sports fans’ favorite teams.

‘Poll’ is a word you’re sure to hear spread throughout the English lexicon for the next year as we enter another Presidential Election. However, a recent Poll in the Washington D.C. area has made some waves for sports fans, and it paints a grim picture for the Washington Redskins.

The Washington Post recently conducted a poll of 905 adults in the D.C. area,  and some of the questions centered around the sporting world. As a result, the poll showed that fans overwhelmingly thought of the Washington Nationals — who are fresh off of the first World Series victory in franchise history — are clearly the city’s favorite team.

The Redskins, who have long been the dominant team among fans in the region, has dropped significantly in the standings, with only 13 percent of people saying it is their favorite team. That number is down 21 percent since 2010. Here is how the polling shook out:

  • Nationals: 28 percent
  • Redskins: 13 percent
  • Capitals: 10 percent
  • Wizards: 8 percent
  • Mystics: 8 percent
  • D.C. United: 6 percent
  • Don’t Prefer Any Local Teams: 23 percent

According to The Post:

So the results underscore the elation that surrounded the Nationals’ postseason run but also the precipitous fall for the local football team. For years, the Redskins were the toughest ticket to get in town, dominating television ratings and water-cooler chatter.

In response to the poll, an image started circulating on Twitter that perfectly depicts the turmoil around the Redskins, and exactly how fed up the fans are.

That’s less than a cup of coffee in most places!

The poll also shows a disturbing trend that paints a bleak future for the Redskins, as younger fans look to be growing fewer and far between. According to the numbers, ‘a younger generation that didn’t experience the Redskins’ glory years has less affinity for the local football team. While the Nats have steady support among all age groups, the Redskins’ highest support is among Washingtonians 65 and older (22 percent say the Redskins are their favorite team) and that support weakens with each younger age group.’

It may be the ‘Redskins’ name, or it may be that the team has continually been the laughing stock of the NFL for the better part of a decade, but it’s resulted in empty seats and a growingly fed-up fanbase. There are a few options going forward that owner Daniel Snyder could try to make things better, but he likely will be reluctant to try the one at the top of the list.

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It’s too early to judge Dwayne Haskins as an NFL quarterback

With just 57 total pass attempts, it’s too early to judge Haskins by his play on the field, but his determination to get better is great.

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Dwayne Haskins had the best game of his young career last Sunday against the New York Jets, though that isn’t saying much.

He finished with 214 yards and two touchdowns in the air, though his team fell once again, 34-17. There were some flashes of competence throughout the competition, but far more growing pains that point towards much-needed improvement before Haskins is crowned as the franchise QB that he was expected to be when the Washington Redskins drafted him with the No. 15 overall pick in 2019.

Luckily for them, Haskins seems to be a very smart and self-aware player that knows what he doesn’t know and is knowledgable about what he needs to get better at.

As a quarterback in the NFL, Haskins has thrown just 57 total passes. It’s too early to judge his play on the field as of yet, but it’s not too early to make a determination on his character and drive. In that department, the rookie QB is hungry to grow and get better.

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Alex Smith is ‘anxious to get back’ to playing football once again

Just 12 months after suffering an assumed career-ending injury, Smith is still determined to get back to playing in the NFL.

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Monday marked exactly one year since Washington Redskins quarterback Alex Smith fractured his lower leg in gruesome fashion against the Houston Texans, putting his career in the NFL in major doubt.

Looking back, he’s made remarkable progress.

After undergoing 17 surgeries and numerous infections, Smith is now running, throwing and working on other football preparations. At one point it was looking like Smith would never play football again after that fateful day; now it seems likely that he will take the field once again.

“I’m working on my own, doing some of that stuff, so it’s kind of the next phase in this,” Smith said, via Redskins.com. “It just feels good to be able to run and drop and throw.”

The details surrounding Smith’s recovery have been secretive over the past 12 months, but this past summer he declared that returning to the NFL was still the plan.

“I’ve never seen anything like the effort he’s pouring into his rehab,” interim head coach Bill Callahan said via Redskins.com. “It’s so impressive, and for him to be going out there in the stages he’s gone through, he’s got the ultimate respect from all of us.”

While there is still a long road to climb before he can put on a uniform once again and step out onto the field, the last 12 months have shown that Smith has the determination to do it and little will stand in his way.

“I’m hopeful for that,” Smith said. “I hope I never forget what this has been like to go through. I’m anxious to get back.”

Judging by the success he saw early in the 2018 season, fans of the Redskins are anxious to see him back as well.

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What is the Redskins’ biggest need in the 2020 NFL Draft?

With an eye already towards the 2020 NFL Draft, the Redskins need to look at filling several holes in the offensive line.

With an eye towards the 2020 NFL Draft already, the Washington Redskins should start looking at their roster and determining what some of their biggest needs are going forward.

With a projected pick that’s high on the board, it’s unlikely that the team will draft for need early in the first round when it makes more sense to take the best player available. That will likely be Chase Young, a dynamic and generational pass-rusher out of Ohio State. However, in the rounds after that, the Redskins need to do the best they can to fill out their roster and find guys that fit their needs.

According to Pro Football Focus, that means they need to draft offensive lineman above anything else.

With no more Trent Williams and Brandon Scherff hitting free agency, the Redskins offensive line went from strength to liability in the blink of an eye. Left tackle, left guard and right guard all need addressing.

You could argue whether or not the Redskins really have a hole to fill at left guard, as Ereck Flowers has been surprisingly good this season, but there are still several places in the front five that need improving. After a top-talent is taken in the first round, look for Washington to focus mainly on the big boys upfront.

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According to Bill Callahan, the Redskins have looked great at practice

The head coach says that when fans can’t see, and media can’t watch, the Redskins have looked really good while practicing.

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It’s hard for fans to judge a football team by anything other than what they see on the field on Sunday afternoons in the Fall.

Whatever happens on the practice field each week leading up to the games is relegated to quick-hitting tweets from beat reporters and short snippets of videos that rarely show anything other than stretching routines and individual drills.

For fans of the Washington Redskins, there’s little reason to believe that the team has shown anything other than complete ineptitude because that’s all they’ve seen on the field this season. However, coach Bill Callahan said recently that one of the most frustrating things he’s seen this season is that the team is struggling to carry over great play from practice into the games on Sunday.

“The translation is what really gets to me, taking plays from the grass to the game,” Callahan said, via NBC Sports Washington. “Nobody wants to hear it and I understand that. No one wants to hear how hard you practice and how hard you prepare because everyone does in the National Football League. You’ve got to come to the game and you’ve got to make plays. When that doesn’t translate, yeah there’s a disappointment.”

Maybe the Redskins do practice hard, and maybe they are world-beaters when playing at Redskins Park on any random weekday. Maybe Callahan is trying to paint a prettier picture than there really is.

What matters is that when the players take the field on Sundays, or Thursdays, or Mondays, it looks like they haven’t even practiced that week. That’s a problem and one that needs fixing right away.

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Bill Callahan says he feels bad for Washington Redskins fans

Bill Callahan offered his condolences for Washington Redskins fans after the putrid performance that they were witness to on Sunday.

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The Washington Redskins interim head coach, Bill Callahan, feels bad for the fans of the team.

He feels bad for the people who tune in, day-in and day-out, following along with every roster move and every report, hoping for an improved product on Sunday. He feels sorry for the men and women, boys and girls, who put on the burgundy and gold every week, counting down the days until Sunday, when they get to watch their favorite team take the field, hoping that the outcome will be different from a week before. He feels bad for all of the people whose confidence borders on delusional at points.

He didn’t mention a fool-proof plan for the future, nor get into details about how things will start looking up if the right moves or made; Callahan just said that he felt bad for those who are subjected to whatever it is that the Redskins do on Sundays.

Sometimes sorry isn’t enough. Until some real action is taken, sorry is just another meaningless word.

Daron Payne in walking boot on Monday, Tress Way looks to be okay

Daron Payne is in a walking boot and being held out of practice on Monday for the Redskins, but punter Tress Way seems to be healthy.

Injury news is coming out of Redskins Park on Monday afternoon, some of which is good, and some of which might not be great.

To start with the good news, Washington’s punter — and quite possibly the team MVP — Tress Way is no longer in a walking boot, despite leaving the stadium in one for precautionary measures on Sunday evening. Way got hit in the foot while punting on Sunday, and he went down in some pain. Despite the injury, he punted two more times in the game afterward.

On the darker side of things, DT Daron Payne was seen in a walking boot on Monday afternoon due to an ankle injury that he suffered in the game on Sunday. There is not yet any word on the severity of the sprained ankle that he suffered, but it’s something that we will absolutely keep an eye on going forward. Defensive lineman Tim Settle was held out of this last game with a leg injury, so if the Redskins were to be without Payne has well, the depth at that position would surely take a hit.

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Jets QB Sam Darnold offers encouraging words to Dwayne Haskins after loss

Haskins had a tough outing against the Jets on Sunday, which is something that Sam Darnold is all-too-familiar with.

While Washington’s rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins was struggling to get anything going on offense Sunday against the New York Jets, there was a QB standing on the opposite sideline that knew just what he was going through.

Sam Darnold has had a frustrating start to his career as well. After being drafted by the Jets with the No. 3 overall pick in 2018, Darnold went 4-9 in his rookie year, and an illness sidelined him for several weeks this season as well. In his NFL career, he has thrown for 28 touchdowns and 25 interceptions, and he is 7-13 in that span. If anyone were to understand the pain that Haskins is feeling, it’s Darnold.

“I just told him after the game to keep his head up,” Darnold said, via The New York Post. “No matter what people say, the doubters, people who are going to say anything bad about him, I just said, ‘Walk it out, man. Just continue to go to work. And if you go to work every single day, it’ll be all right.'”

After the game had long been decided, Haskins found the endzone a couple of times to notch his first career touchdowns, but the performance was poor when it mattered the most. Losing is a familiar feeling for rookie quarterbacks, and Haskins is not the first, nor will he be the last to experience that frustration that comes with it. Sam Darnold knows better than anyone.

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