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The Redskins received terrible news about the injuries on Monday as three offensive starters found themselves on the reserve list of casualties. No team can expect such injuries, especially not the same day.
Nevertheless, based on some of the decisions made by the Washington Home Office this past season, the team may not have done enough to prepare for any eventualities. injury.
More specifically, the Redskins have rolled the dice on three groups of positions this season: the cornerback, the inside offensive line and the wide receiver.
Let's start with praise, as the Redskins halfback group played well. The Skins have an established starter in Josh Norman, but after that, the team relies on players with little or no experience. Quinton Dunbar, when he is healthy, has played very well and looks like a possible star on the road.
Fabian Moreau, a sophomore, has been solid as a nickel corner player and even rookies Greg Stroman and Danny Johnson have delivered encouraging results.
However, inside the offensive line, the Redskins have done nothing to remedy the gap in the left guard in 2017 and the problem is even worse.
It's unfortunate that Shawn Lauvao was injured in a fatal season, but that's not a surprise. He has not played a full season since 2012 and has landed in the reserve of the wounded in the last two seasons.
NFL teams can not expect injury. The sport is so violent that if the teams tried to prepare for every injury that would occur during a 16-game season, they would probably not play.
Yet, teams can, and shouldconsider the history of each player's injuries. In particular, a 31-year-old offensive lineman who has missed 33 games in the past four seasons.
Entering the 2018 campaign with Lauvao at the left guard post was defensible. Kinda.
Come to the 2018 campaign with Lauvao at the left guard post, with no veteran reinforcement nor round-the-clock choices, as the insurance was not.
Losing Brandon Scherff hurts the team much more than losing Lauvao, but losing Scherff for the last eight games is much more unexpected. Football teams can not predict the unpredictable, but should look at what is likely.
Sunday in Tampa, week 10 of the season, it is highly likely that the Redskins are deploying at least one guard who signed with the team this week. And maybe two guards who signed with the team this week.
This is not good, and it's something that could have been avoided.
Now, about this group of receivers.
The Redskins thought they had solved the problem of the dead season by adding veteran WR Paul Richardson of the Seahawks. And on the surface, this movement should have helped.
Richardson played well early in the season and gave the group a bit of depth, paired with Jamison Crowder and Josh Doctson. Then, Crowder was injured in the fourth game of the team and has not played since. Doctson also missed a match earlier this year.
And now, Richardson is heading for the injured reserve. The lean speedster deserves a lot of credit for trying to defeat a shoulder injury, but the pain eventually wins.
At the receiver Sunday in Tampa, the team will rely on a combination of Doctson and Maurice Harris, completed by Michael Floyd or Brian Quick. Jehu Chesson will be active, but his role is mainly limited to special teams (which he does very well for what he's worth). Floyd, Quick and Chesson were not on the list for week 1.
It is not as easy to condemn the actions of the Redskins receivers as wide receivers as on the offensive line. The team just did not touch the depth to the left guard.
Off, they tried.
To bring Richardson was like a sonic gesture. He had a vertical speed that the Redskins needed and a difficult temperament. At the same time, he had also proven himself with many injuries, dating back to his time with the Seahawks and at the university.
Throughout the off season, the Redskins spoke boldly of the team they had formed. They liked this team and thought that the 2018 team looked like a division winner.
For eight weeks this thought was right. In the middle of the season, Washington is 5-3 and ranks first in the division. It's only now that injuries are accumulating, and decisions made during the off-season are beginning to carry weight for the regular season.
Inside the offensive line, the answer is obvious: the team did not do enough. At the cornerback, it seems that the game on young people will bear fruit. The broad target group will likely leave bland results, but some of these results could be a byproduct of offensive production in general.
It's good for an NFL team to trust their talents. The Redskins were confident and the organization was rewarded in eight games for its confidence.
The bad news is that one NFL season provides 16 games and that injuries inevitably play an important role. The end results will prove that if Washington was really right to be confident.
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