Thursday, August 29, 2013

What Mattered in Pre-Season Game 4

As expected, the Skins rested their starters for pre-season game 4.  But there were still important issues to be addressed involving some potentially key players, including Kai Forbath, Evan Royster, Chris Thompson, and Pat White.  Let's handle these one at a time.

Is Kai Forbath reliable on kickoffs?
Forbath is extremely accurate on FGs, but he is below average on kickoffs.  In fact, in college he only handled FGs, and he has struggled to kick the ball deep in the NFL.
Is he improving?
Sort of.  He's hitting some kickoffs deep, but he's still letting up more returns than the average NFL kicker.  On Thursday a long return was called back on a penalty. Heading into the regular season, I do think there should be concern about Forbath's kickoffs and the returns and starting field position he will let up.

Who will replace Richard Crawford as punt returner? 
Rookie RB Chris Thompson has replaced Crawford in the pre-season.  On the plus side, Thompson has shown quickness, speed, and big-play potential.  On the minus side, Thompson has fumbled twice.  The Skins don't have great options at punt returner, so Thompson may very well get his shot.

Will Keiland Williams or Evan Royster start the season as 3rd-string RB?
Royster looked sluggish in the first pre-season game and saw no action in the next two. Meanwhile, Williams has looked more comfortable in his second stint with the Skins.  I and others saw Williams moving ahead of Royster on the depth chart.  But pre-season game 4 saw two developments.  First, Royster started and looked fantastic -- crisp, decisive, comfortable.  Second, Williams left the game with a shoulder sprain. Given these developments, I think Royster secured his spot on the roster.

Can Pat White unseat Rex Grossman as 3rd-string QB?
Short answer, no.  White shows flashes of speed and ability, but his throws don't come out on time and are often inaccurate.  Also, Kyle Shanahan's recent quotes about Pat White suggest White is not being viewed as football readly: "“Pat took a few years off, going to play baseball,” Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday. “I think he just started working at quarterback again at the end of January, early February. So Pat hasn’t been totally consistent in all his drops and the rhythm of the passing game and everything."

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