Washington Redskins: 3 Takeaways vs. Raiders in Week 3

LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 24: Quarterback Derek Carr (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 24: Quarterback Derek Carr (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – SEPTEMBER 10: Chris Thompson #25 of the Washington Redskins celebrates his touchdown with fans against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second quarter at FedExField on September 10, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – SEPTEMBER 10: Chris Thompson #25 of the Washington Redskins celebrates his touchdown with fans against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second quarter at FedExField on September 10, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

1. Chris Thompson shines again

Chris Thompson had another big game for the Washington Redskins on Sunday night. Do we sense a theme here? Thompson carried the ball eight times for 38 yards, while also catching six passes for 150 yards and a score. Thompson has scored in every game this season.

As usual, Washington used Thompson in a limited capacity. The Redskins had 68 total offensive plays and Thompson was on the field for 28 plays. That is 41 percent of Washington’s offensive plays. Don’t expect that to change in the coming weeks and that’s a good thing. The Redskins cannot lose Thompson. He’s become more critical to this offense than Jordan Reed.

Remember in the offseason when Washington fans clamored for Christian McCaffrey? All the while the Redskins had their dynamic, dual-threat back on the roster. Many around the league wondered how the team would replace Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson. So far, Thompson has replaced Jackson as the primary big-play threat.

Next: NFL Power Rankings 2017: Week 4

As the Redskins offense continues to evolve, Thompson’s role will likely stay the same. The Redskins need Josh Doctson to build off his big catch on Sunday and hope Terrelle Pryor continues progressing as a receiver. But make no mistake about it, Chris Thompson has become Washington’s most important skill player and that’s not changing.