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.

Four Observations From Pre-Season Game 3: Skins vs. Bills

It's Skins vs. Buffalo in the 3rd game of the pre-season.  The stakes are low, but there is still much to be learned about the team. Below are 4 observations about RB depth, kickoffs, turnovers, and backup QBs.  

What Did We Learn From Preseason Game 1?

You can't learn much from a preseason game, but here are a couple tidbits that I think were apparent from the film:

• Kirk Cousins looks sharp.  Cousins showed great footwork, mechanics, and tempo, and every one of his throws was accurate.  And I mean really accurate -- he practically placed the ball into the hands of his receivers.  If Cousins can show similar accuracy on the long ball, he's the real deal.

• Kai Forbath still has trouble on kickoffs.  The Skins and Titans each kicked the ball off 4 times, yet the Skins had 1 kickoff return and the Titans 4.  Short kickoffs were a problem last year too, and giving the opponent opportunities for returns is not a good thing. 

Cutting Tim Hightower

Tim Hightower was among today's cuts. This was somewhat surprising since some felt Hightower would begin the season as the starter. However it's a sound move for a few reasons.

First, Hightower is coming off an ACL repair. As reliably as the sun rises, running backs lack explosion and speed their first year back from ACL repair. Keeping Hightower would have only made sense as an investment for next year and beyond.

Alfred Morris vs. Evan Royster

Given the injuries at RB -- Hightower recovering from an ACL tear and Roy Helu missing his second straight game with achilles tendonitis -- the Skins may end up keeping both rookie Alfred Morris and 2nd-year player Evan Royster. But if they keep just one, I think they keep Alfred Morris. Neither has blazing speed, but Morris seems to have the better vision and make the quicker reads, which are essential for running behind Shanahan's zone blocking scheme. Of course Morris could end up on the practice squad.