Washington Redskins: More Focus Needed on Running Game

For the Washington Redskins to fully get back on track in 2016, it’s going to take a stronger commitment to running the football.

The Washington Redskins started the 2016 NFL season losing their first two games. However, consecutive wins have brought them back to .500. In Week 5, they enter a matchup against a still-not-sure-if-they’re-that-good Baltimore Ravens team.

As Washington looks to get back into the thick of the NFC East, they’re going to need to keep winning at this point of the season. If they want to continue their winning ways, the Redskins will have to lean more on their rushing attack.

First let’s look at the running backs.

First we have Matt Jones, the primary running back. He’s averaging 4.5 yards per carry and has two touchdowns.

Next up is Chris Thompson, the third down back. He’s averaging 4.7 yards per carry and has one touchdown. Finally, Robert Kelley is the used sparingly, picking up 11 yards on five carries.

Then there’s the offensive line. Trent Williams is one of the best lineman in football; nothing else needs to be said. Shawn Lauvao is one of the more underrated guards in football. He’s quick off the snap and has the strength to drive defenders off the line. Spencer Long is the current center and he’s got plenty of talent—but there’s some growing pains. Despite his upside, John Sullivan will more than likely usurp him soon.

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Brandon Scherff and Morgan Moses make up the right side of the line. The two young lineman are a joy to watch. They work well together and have been known to basically drag away the defenders or throw them to the ground.

This mixture of lineman and running backs has worked well for Washington. The Redskins are tied for sixth in the NFL in yards per rushing attempts (4.4). They’ve also only had one fumble, and they recovered it. Despite that, they’re tied for 20th in the league in rushing yards per game (93.0). Thus, the problem is touches, not talent.

One of the most overlooked stats in football is time of possession. If a team dominants the time of possession, my money is on them winning the game.

It’s no secret that the Redskins defense has been their weak point in 2016. This is easy to recognize due to them being 28th in the league in yards given up, and 25th in points allowed. The offense can help lower those numbers by keeping the defense off the field and controlling the clock. What’s the easiest way to control the clock? Running the football.

With such an effective run game and all the talent needed, there’s no reason for the Redskins to be 28th in the NFL in rushing attempts. Meanwhile, it’s obvious that Washington needs to dominate the clock to keep the defense of the field. Therefore, there’s only one course of action: give the ball to Jones and let that fantastic line do it’s job.

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