The Redskins finished off the season with a 5-11 record. They finished 2-4 in the NFC East and swept the Giants. After starting the season a promising 3-1, the Redskins finished 2-10 after the bye week.
The Redskins did some things right and
they did some things wrong. Let's rake a look at a good thing, a bad thing, and an ugly thing from the Redskins season.
The Good: The Rookies
The Redskins rookie class this year was one of the best in the Dan Snyder era. Ryan Kerrigan finished the season with 63 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 1 interception, and 1 touchdown. The combination Orakpo and Kerrigan created havoc in opposing teams backfield.
Late round picks Roy Helu Jr and Evan Royster were staples of the Redskins offense by the end of the season. Helu was the starting running back by season's end. Helu finished with 640 yards rushing. Royster finished second to Helu in total rushing with 328 yards on the ground.
Undrafted free agent left tackle Willie Smith was the unsung hero of the Redskins offense. Smith's first appearance came against Andre Carter and the New England Patriots. He followed that solid performance with strong standings against the Giants, the Vikings, and the Eagles. Smith should surely be in position to start at left tackle next season.
The Bad: Injury Status
The Redskins had a terrible season in terms of injuries. Early in the season they lost Tim Hightower for the season due to a knee injury. The Redskins also had to put safety LaRon Landry and tight end Chris Cooley on season ending injured reserve.
Rarely this season did they have a fully healthy roster. They were missing OJ Atogwe at point, as well. They were also plagued by injury on the offensive line. With a healthy game squad, the Redskins could have played much better.
The Ugly: Rex Grossman
It's a wonder he even got to 3,000 yards. He finished with a completion percentage of 57.9 and a passer rating of 72. He threw 20 interceptions to just 16 touchdowns. Three times he threw for under 200 yards; 2 of them for wins.
In the final 15 games of the season, Grossman threw at least one interception.
Grossman is not a starting quarterback. In games where he was the focus of the offensive gameplan, the offense performed worse than games when the running game was the focus. If the Redskins do not draft a quarterback in the upcoming draft, fans can expect much of the same next season.
The Redskins have some great things that they can build off of and some things that they need to improve on. This will be a pivotal offseason for the Shanahan regime.
Come back tomorrow for my Redskins offseason plan!
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