Redskins’ Commitment To Youngsters Is Paying Dividends

For the last month, fans and media alike have been expecting Washington to pursue a veteran running back following the loss of Rob Kelley. They chose to increase rookie running back Samaje Perine’s workload. Before the trade deadline, when it was evident the Terrelle Pryor Sr. experiment was failing (yes, he claims he was playing through an injury), they also did not trade for a wideout. The Redskins instead increased Brian Quick’s workload, and after both Quick and Pryor’s injuries, Maurice Harris was promoted and immediately made an impact.

The Redskins have shown again and again, that they are committed to developing their talent, and expecting them to improve weekly and become consistent when stepping on the field. Perine has achieved career highs in back-to-back weeks and seems he has developed a sense of patience as a back, which in turn allows him to be more physical as well. Josh Doctson has become more of a factor in recent weeks, although his statistics are not very impressive on the year. Kirk Cousins has looked to him more often than earlier in the season. Doctson has been counted on to make tough, athletic catches, and more often than not, he has delivered. Maurice Harris is one of Jay Gruden’s favorites and has had no issue getting targets from Cousins following Quick’s injury.

Throughout the year, the lack of talent was the excuse being made for Cousins and the offenses lack of production. However, that was never accurate; the issue was lack of consistency. The receiver group as a whole was hardly consistent, but for four weeks now they have created problems for defensive secondaries. Jamison Crowder who has been injured, and struggled for a good portion of the year, had his best and the most consistent game of the season against the New York Giants. Doctson and Perine individually are not finished products, but as the season moves along, the development of the Redskins younger players will play a pivotal role in the future of the offense. Post-season or not.

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