Dustin Hopkins: Vital to the Washington Redskins success

The Washington Redskins won the NFC East in 2015 thanks to a number of impact players, including names like Kirk Cousins, Jordan Reed, Trent Williams, Chris Baker, Ryan Kerrigan, and Bashaud Breeland.

Adding elite talent like Junior Galette and Josh Norman gives fans even more players to fawn over. People tend to see these big impact players as the most important pieces to a team’s success. While they all play their roles, sometimes it’s the less sexy positions that can lead a team to the promised land.

For the Washington Redskins, one of those players in Dustin Hopkins.

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After week one, the Redskins decided to axe kicker Kai Forbath, citing his problems with leg power (via John Keim of ESPN). After Forbath was sent packing, the Redskins brought in Dustin Hopkins, hoping his leg would prove a difference maker.

In Forbath’s 41 regular season games with the Redskins, he made two field goals of 50-or-more yards. In Hopkins 15 regular season games with the team, he matched Forbath. In those same 41 games, Forbath had 48 touchbacks on 176 kickoffs. Hopkins had 52 touchbacks on just 80 kickoffs last season. Dude’s got a boot.

In short, Dustin Hopkins did exactly what the Redskins brought him in to do.

I mean, not all of his kickoffs were exactly winners. He was a good sports about it though.

It wasn’t just kickoffs and long field goals where he excelled however. Hopkins was 89.3 percent (25-for-28) on field goals (one was blocked) and 97.5 percent (39-for-40) on extra points.

So he’s banging field goals from deep, he’s accurate, and he’s known to record touchbacks on kickoffs. That’s three huge elements added to a team that hasn’t really had success in the kicking aspect of the game over the years.

On offense, obviously being able to accurately hit field goals from deep means the Redskins are getting three points instead of punting it on occasion. His accuracy also means that Hopkins is going to give the Redskins a usual point after touchdowns and he’s probably not missing on anything shorter than a 45-yard field goal.

On defense and special teams, the Redskins are getting someone who can actually kick the ball deep enough to keep the opposing team from attempting a return. This means that Washington has a smaller chance of giving up a touchdown on kickoffs, and that the opponents will be starting from further away from their end zone than they would against ex-Redskins kickers on average.

Not to mention, he’s one of the better onside-kickers I’ve seen. Seriously, he’s laying bunts down the third-base line with perfection out there.

So when talking about the best defenders on the Redskins, maybe give Dustin Hopkins a shoutout, the man’s pinning the other team around their 20 every time.

Thanks to Hopkins, the Redskins defense has more field to work with, which as anyone could tell you, will result in less points given up. With a defense that boasts Baker, Kerrigan, Galette, Breeland, Norman, Mason Foster, Will Compton, Kyshoen Jarrett, Quinton Dunbar, and DeAngelo Hall; those extra few yards will become a big problem for the opposing offenses.

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Hopkins is that guy that does everything right, and sets up all his teammates for success, but never gets any credit. He’s out here getting 10 assists a game and nobody notices. Hopkins is basically the Ricky Rubio of kickers.

In fact, my feeling is that Dustin Hopkins will wind up the Redskins defensive player of the year. Is that possible? Never say never in this league.