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Heyer
Davis
Santana Moss
Campbell
Portis |
QUARTERBACKS:
Jason Campbell has failed to meet expectations in his make-or-break season. Despite his familiarity with head coach Jim Zorn's West Coast offense, he too frequently fails to recognize open receivers down the field. His indecisiveness, inconsistent timing and problematic footwork also have contributed to Washington's 20th-ranked passing attack. Pass protection failures have negatively affected Campbell, as well. He admittedly has been distracted by the pass rush. Campbell's ball security issues also have resurfaced: He leads the NFL with 10 fumbles. On the plus side, his completion percentage (66.0) and passer rating (85.8) are continuing their yearly upward trends. But overall, there's mounting evidence that the Redskins will have a new starting quarterback next season.
RUNNING BACKS:
Clinton Portis has not been the offensive catalyst he once was. If it weren't for his career-long 78-yard run in Week 6, he would be on pace for less than 1,000 rushing yards and averaging less than 4.0 yards per carry. How much blame should be attributed to Portis, though, is debatable. The blocking in front of him has been inadequate, and wide running lanes have been too scarce. But Portis isn't making defenders miss, and he hasn't displayed the explosiveness and big-play potential that top NFL rushers do. Case in point, he failed to reach the end zone on his 78-yarder. Portis' pass blocking has been invaluable, though. FB Mike Sellers seems to have regressed from his Pro Bowl form. His dropped touchdown pass against St. Louis and failed fourth-and-goal block against Detroit were turning points in the season. Third-down RB Ladell Betts has struggled in pass protection.
WIDE RECEIVERS:
Santana Moss has proven to be Washington's only explosive player on offense. His speed, sure hands and route-running ability make him the Redskins' best offensive weapon. He's on pace for 64 receptions and 1,035 yards--far from overwhelming totals. But if it weren't for him, the receivers' grade would be much lower. Second-year wideouts Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly have not yet validated their second-round draft status. Thomas started training camp as the starting No. 2 receiver but lost the job to Kelly. Coaches say Thomas has improved, so how he performs as a starter the rest of the season will help determine his future role. Kelly's unrefined route running cost him his starting job, and he has had a minimal impact. Antwaan Randle El has been a reliable short-yardage slot receiver, but he hasn't shown big-play ability.
TIGHT ENDS:
If it wasn't clear before, Chris Cooley proved that he is Jason Campbell's favorite target. His 29 catches and two touchdowns lead the team, but his decreased production from last season is a function of the Redskins' overall offensive problems. Cooley has produced despite being a primary focus of opposing defenses. He'll be sorely missed while he recovers from a broken ankle. Cooley's blocking has been inconsistent, but Fred Davis' is much worse. Davis will be judged going forward by how he performs in Cooley's absence. His blocking must improve.
OFFENSIVE LINE:
Regardless of who deserves the blame--and there's plenty to go around--the results are damning: the offensive line has been a failure. Even before Pro Bowl LT Chris Samuels suffered a season-ending neck injury in Week 5, this group was not playing well enough for the offense to succeed. None of the Redskins' linemen has consistently dominated his opponent--not even Samuels. Pass protection has been a glaring deficiency from the first day of training camp. T Stephon Heyer without fail surrenders at least one sack, and often more, per game. He is overmatched. Free agent LG Derrick Dockery has showed why the Buffalo Bills gave up on him. His pass protection is spotty and he isn't an overpowering run blocker. C Casey Rabach gets pushed back too often, a stunning decline from a once-reliable lineman. The front office expected veteran RG Randy Thomas, 33, not to make it through the season, and he suffered a season-ending triceps injury in Week 2. That has helped expose a critical lack of quality depth.
