The Washington Redskins will have to prove new wide receivers can perform as well as the now-departed duo DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garçon.
Last season, DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garçon were the top targets for the Washington Redskins offense when they faced the Philadelphia Eagles. In October’s 27-20 victory, Garçon caught six balls for 77 yards. Jackson caught four for 55 yards.
In December the Redskins beat the Eagles again, 27-22. In that game, Garçon caught three for 102 yards while Jackson caught five for 59 yards.
The Redskins have done a good job in trying to supplement with fresh talent. However, it’s going to be up to quarterback Kirk Cousins to prove it can all gel together. Bringing in Terelle Pryor Sr., will probably be his most comfortable target on the field. That’s great, but it’s going to take more than one target to prove some points, and Cousins has a lot to prove.
If he wants to start the season off the right way, he’s got to start the season with the deep ball. Another factor he should also consider is getting the running backs in the passing scheme. Hey, they’re no strangers to catching that ball. Last season, running back Robert Kelley had 82 yards in receiving yards and a touchdown.
Everyone knows that Cousins does superb in the short game of 10 or so yards, but to shake up an Eagles defense that will be prepared to shut that down, he’s got to show that he can get the ball down field in a major way.
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Lacking the talents of DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garçon, the Redskins can still get a win, but they cannot play conservatively. Obvious? Of course. What I am hoping is Cousins has the drive to prove something to the front office. The fans have already said he deserves a long-term contract. This season, he needs a killer instinct. That mentality has to begin Week 1, not Week 5.