It’s finally here Redskins fans, the NFL season is upon us!
With 6 more days of training camp and only 3 days until the Redskins suit up against the Browns, this will be our first chance to see how much this team has improved. I’m sure that everyone remembers last season when these two teams squared off in the preseason on a nationally televised game in which Johnny Manziel flipped the bird at the Skins defense. This was a moment that gave the NFL a glimpse into the truth that Manziel wasn’t ready for the big leagues, and the rest of his season showed that.
Here are a few things to keep your eyes on when the Redskins travel to Cleveland this Thursday:
Will RGIII show he is back?
This is the number one question that every single fan out there is wondering, regardless which side of the fence that you sit on. Robert Griffin III has had a great camp and is showing that he is very much improved (and healthy) compared to the last two seasons. RGIII looks to have taken steps in the right direction with his footwork, accuracy, decision making, and just being overall confident in Jay Gruden‘s offense. Coach Gruden said this week that he expects Griffin to play at least a quarter on Thursday. This will give fans and coaches a chance to see if Griffin can reflect his improvement on the field. After attending training camp here in Richmond, I am impressed with what I’ve seen and it looks like Griffin is ready to show he is this team’s franchise Quarterback.
The rookies!
This is our first chance to see Scot McCloughan’s first draft here in Washington in action. With a surprising move last week, the Skins moved 5th overall selection Brandon Scherff to Right Guard. This surprised many people, including myself because when the Skins took him 5th overall in the draft, it was very much expected that he would play Right Tackle. The biggest weakness in the offensive line last season was the right side. Scherff is naturally a Guard and it’s a position that he is more comfortable with so it makes sense. The biggest concern is wether or not Morgan Moses can handle the leap into a starting role. Last season against the 49ers Moses got some playing time and looked about as flustered and bad as one could be. He was absolutely tossed around by the Niners defense. In his defense, Moses is naturally a Right Tackle so playing Left Tackle was something he wasn’t exactly comfortable with. The bottom line is that Bill Callahan knows what is best for this group and will put the best man where he belongs.
Running Back Matt Jones is another player who has turned heads in camp, and is showing us all why McCloughan compares him to Marshawn Lynch. Also, the big brawl that happened this past week at camp is speculated to have happened because the Texans were not happy with how rough Jones had been playing the day before. Listen to the latest podcast as we discuss this!
Jamison Crowder has looked like a draft steal so far and even went viral on social media, after he burned a few Texans Cornerbacks. Right now Crowder is listed as the 5th WR on the depth chart but if he stays healthy and plays the way he has played in camp he will very quickly move up that list.
Preston Smith has been pretty quiet so far in camp so the verdict is still out on him, but if he lives up to his potential he could add to an already solid pass rush that Redskins have put together.
The Cornerbacks…
If there is one position on this team that lacks depth it’s CB. Chris Culliver is the clear cut #1 guy and Deangelo Hall will be CB2. Bashaud Breeland is battling and injury and is suspended the first game of the season. All 3 of the names above are solid CB’s but after them things take a big drop. Next in line is David Amerson who had about as bad of a season as a CB could have last year, and then unknowns in Justin Rogers, Bryan McCann, DreQuan Hoskey, Deshazor Everett, Tajh Hasson, and Trey Wolfe. The Redskins secondary is in trouble if one of the top 3 guys goes down with an injury, so be sure to keep an eye out if anyone steps up during the preseason.
The Kicking game…
Kai Forbath is having a bad training camp and has been nothing short of inaccurate. Forbath is known for being an accurate kicker so it’s concerning to see him struggling so much right now. Coach Gruden said he’s baffled by the inconsistency, but hopefully Forbath will look a lot better in games. Last season Forbath beat out rookie kicker Zach Hocker, this season he is against rookie Ty Long. Lucky for Forbath, Long hasn’t been having a strong camp either. Don’t forget the new NFL rule is in effect on FG distances, so we’ll see if this also factors into the kicking game for the Redskins.
Just show us SOMETHING!
It’s been tough for Redskins fans these past two seasons, and we got a taste of the playoffs in 2012. This current roster has a lot of potential but it needs to translate on the field. This is the first time we will see this team this season so hopefully they will be able to show the fans that they are a different team and ready to surprise a lot of people in the league.
The game will air on Comcast SportsNet on Thursday at 8pm.
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