Maybe the Redskins didn’t need the reminder, but many others did. Brandon Banks entered camp supposedly on the so-called bubble; after two more big returns Friday, it’s clear what he means to the Redskins.
And, as long as he stays healthy, it’s also clear he’s probably not on any bubble. Yes, he made a mistake fielding one punt, failing to catch one and letting it bounce about 15 yards. But he makes big plays.
“I love the guy and I will stand on the table for him,” special teams coach Danny Smith said. “He’s damn good; he’s electric.”
Coach Mike Shanahan also talked about having Banks rest his knee to “have him full speed by the first game of the season.”
Bubble guys aren’t being prepared for the first game; they’re trying to win a spot. So if the Redskins keep six receivers, barring Banks’ left knee getting worse, it’s hard to imagine him not being included. Maybe this isn’t surprising, but a lot of pre-game chatter discussed the potential for him being released. When his knee (which needed draining) kept needing rest, those who wondered about his future in Washington increased.
Banks said he didn’t feel as if he still needed to prove what he could do.
“But anytime you step on the field you want to do what you do best,” he said. “That’s what I do. I return kicks and I’m a playmaker….I still have a ways to go. I’m not 100 percent healthy yet.”
And the Redskins are devoid of playmakers. The question is: with the new kickoff rule, will Banks’ ability to make plays be diminished? If Friday is any indication the answer is: sometimes it will. But it won’t completely erase his talents.
Smith knows he has a playmaker so he will tell Banks to return some kicks that he fields in the end zone. Friday, his 58-yard return started six yards deep.
Smith said many factors play a role in having Banks return a kick from deep in the end zone, including hangtime, who’s kicking and strength of the coverage team.
“If Danny tells me I can bring it out, that’s what I’m gonna do and I’ll try to run it back every time,” Banks said. “I just want to make plays.”
Smith isn’t worried about Banks returning a ball from the end zone and getting stopped inside the 20-yard line.
“We don’t ever plan on having the ball at the 15,” Smith said.
And Smith likes that Banks is showing more patience on punt returns.
“He came in here as a guy who can fly,” Smith said. “Hell, we cut him and brought him back. So he didn’t have everything. Nobody gave him a chance and then we did. We were developing him and we’re still developing him. He’s a young guy; he’s a young talent. He’s developing patience; he understands more. He never looked at tape and he never looked at setting stuff up. It was all speed. You can get away with that at some levels, but up here you don’t.”
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