Washington Redskins: Running Backs Better Than Advertised

The Washington Redskins made the playoffs last season with a 9-7 record thanks to a breakout year from quarterback Kirk Cousins.

The 27-year old threw 29 touchdown passes compared to only 11 interceptions in his first full season as a starter. Cousins managed to break the Washington franchise record for passing yards in one season (4,166) while leading the league in completion percentage as well (69.8%) (via Sports Illustrated).

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While Cousins was a revelation in 2015, the Redskins running backs left much to be desired. In fact, Cousins (who’s not known for his running ability), led the team in rushing touchdowns (5). With Alfred Morris gone, the Redskins have no 1,000-yard rushers on their team.

Matt Jones split time in the backfield last season, but should be taking the bulk of the carries in 2016, with Chris Thompson coming in for relief duties.

Can Jones be that feature running back though?

In his rookie campaign, Jones ran for 490 yards and three touchdowns, while fumbling five times on 144 carries. That equates to a measly 3.4 yards per carry. The 23-year old had a much better time catching the football, reeling in 19 receptions for 304 yards (16 yard average) and one touchdown. His screen game is top-notch.

There are a few things to note. First off, give Brandon Scherff and the Washington Redskins offensive line credit. That’s incredible downfield blocking. Scherff and Trent Williams are right with Jones blocking, and those are two monster trucks you don’t want to run into.

Second, Jones has moves. He’s not just someone who will run you over, he’s extremely dangerous in open space and faster than people think, he can become a real asset with his hands.

While his rookie numbers are nothing to salivate over, his ability to break through contact and keep driving should make him a valuable asset to the team. If Jones can fix his fumbling problems, the Redskins could have an extremely dangerous running back on their roster.

Meanwhile, Thompson should be an extremely dangerous third-down back thanks to his excellent receiving skills and quick cuts. I love this guy. In his first full season in the NFL, Thompson was a monster. Serving as a deep rotation man for most of the year, Thompson only got 35 carries on the season. However, he ran for 216 yard (6.2 yards per carry) and reeled-in 35 receptions for 240 yards and two touchdowns.

Great route running by Thompson, and he makes a nice grab on a pass that looks to be behind him a little bit. Are you guys catching the theme here? The Redskins running backs are all dangerous in the passing game. No, that “catching” pun wasn’t too corny by the way. He’s going to be fantastic as the third-down/receiving back.

Finally, rookie Keith Marshall will also be thrown into the mix. He’s got the rare combination of size (220 lbs) and speed (4.31 40-yard dash). He didn’t get much playing time at Georgia because of running backs like Todd Gurley taking most of the carries, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t make an impression.

Oh! Look! Another Redskins running back that can make a difference in the passing game. I honestly don’t know where to start with this one. I think I’ll begin with the caption, fantastic shoutout to Mobb Deep. Where do we go from there though? How about the fact that he blew right by everyone, that’s Spaceballs “Ludicrous” speed. The only reason anyone caught up to him is because he was busy destroying that poor defensive back’s ankles. No one Marshall’s size should be allowed to do things like this.

Jones is the starter, and Thompson’s going to be taking most third downs, but Marshall’s going to play his way into the rotation. He might not see much playing-time early on, but within the first few weeks of the regular season, he’ll be carving out some carries.

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I’m not going to sit here and try to convince you that this is the most dangerous group of running backs in the league, or even that they’re near the top at the moment, but they all bring something special to the table. The combination of the three should be enough to keep the Washington Redskins running game relevant.

With the passing game and quarterback situation seemingly settled in Washington; Jones, Thompson, and Marshall could be the last piece of the puzzle to make this offense into an absolute juggernaut.