With only a throwaway preseason game remaining, the Washington Redskins are still an incomplete team.
The run defense looks terrible. The running game stinks. Quarterbacking is a mystery. There’s no return game yet. And those are just the obvious weaknesses.
The Redskins are a quintessential 8-8 team this season. They’ll look great some days, awful on others and you’ll never know which to expect.
The New York Jets stuffed the Redskins’ running game in Washington’s 16-11 victory on Friday, particularly before halftime, which the starters entered leading 6-5. It hardly matters who’s running the ball if they have nowhere to go because the interior blocking has been awful. It’s a decent pass blocking line, but the Redskins need to run between tackles better.
Willie Parker looks like the odd man out at running back, with Keiland Williams getting his spot if the Redskins carry four tailbacks. Larry Johnson sealed the No. 2 job over Ryan Torain, but Clinton Portis has been the only effective runner.
Rex Grossman showed he’s an effective backup, completing 8-for-16 for 111 yards with the starters while Donovan McNabb rested a sprained ankle. Grossman is still spotty on the deep ball, though Santana Moss dropped one. Given that McNabb has played 16 games only once in the last six years, Grossman will play some this season. It’s imperative defenses respect his arm so they can’t cheat against the run. Washington should keep John Beck as the third passer, too.
Receiver Joey Galloway looks like a starter after the Redskins featured him early. Anthony Armstrong will get a job largely off standout special teams play, but Devin Thomas hasn’t dislodged the 37-year-old Galloway, and Malcolm Kelly can’t get on the field.
The Albert Haynesworth drama finally appears over, though coach Mike Shanahan wouldn’t rate the defensive lineman’s effort after discussing several others. There always will be some tension between the two, but Haynesworth now looks like a starting right end who makes a difference.
The Redskins still need a returner, and Brandon Banks, as much as people would like the 5-foot-7 rookie to be that great story, just isn’t it. He fumbled against the Jets and at 151 pounds clearly can’t handle the pro game. It’s too bad because Banks has some speed, but it’s so seldom used the Redskins must look elsewhere.
Washington certainly will scan the waiver wire come Tuesday. The Redskins have improved over last season, but a few holes remain.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
