Which NFL star could help snap the Redskins four game skid?
By author
(courtesy of Bing Images)
If the Washington Redskins could have one player from any team for this Sunday’s game against the Dolphins that would help them win, who should it be? Any casual Redskins fan could tell you that the team has more than one glaring weakness on the roster; however I wonder- is there one player out there in the NFL that would be that much of a game changer for the Skins to snap the four game skid they’re enduring?
Instincts would lead me down the path of the Quarterback, arguably the most important position on the field. The current Redskins QB’s have compiled a 3-5 record. Redskins backup Rex Grossman has a winning record as a starter this season, at 3-2; the current starter John Beck has a stellar (sarcasm) 0-3 record as a starter. These numbers are neither flattering, nor hopeful for the rest of the season let alone the long term future. If I had to pick one QB to lead the Skins this Sunday, I would have to pick Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has been lights out this season completing 72.5% of his passes, throwing 24 TD with only 3 INT. The University California product also can add a mobility aspect that would be beneficial since the Redskins are fielding a make-shift offensive line…but wait isn’t that one reason why Beck is playing instead of Grossman?
I’ve been craving for a “playmaker” on offense all season, so maybe a star WR could help the Redskins in Miami. What about Wes Welker, Steve Smith, or Calvin Johnson? I would love any of these elite WR’s to be on the field for the Redskins this Sunday- but would they get the ball? Is John Beck going to be able to connect with any of these playmakers downfield? A lasting image that keeps replaying in my mind is seeing Jabar Gaffney and Leonard Hankerson running post patterns against the 49ers, with their hands up in the air to show Beck how open they were- they never got the ball on those plays. Are Gaffney or Hankerson in the same conversation as Welker, Smith or Johnson? No- however, if I can only pick one player to have for the game against the Dolphins I don’t think I’d use it on a WR when our current WR’s are wide open and can’t get the ball delivered to them.
One of the most overused lines I hear in the NFL is “defense wins championships”, which I agree with- to a certain extent. For a team to win a championship they need a defense to produce turnovers, get timely stops and play steady throughout the season. A good defense is definitely a key component for a team to win a championship, however they also need an offense to hold their own- score touchdowns instead of field goals, capitalize on turnovers and win the game when it’s on the line. I bring this philosophy up for a reason, that reason being- is there one defensive player that would really make the sole difference against the Dolphins (let alone make the Skins a contender)? I would love to have Clay Matthews, Brian Urlacher, Ed Reed or Troy Polamalu- but honestly if the Redskins can’t score points I don’t see myself picking any of these outstanding defensive playmakers.
Maybe I have tunneled vision at this point of the season since the Redskins offense is averaging 15.9 points per game. So if I had a the luxury of having any NFL superstar play for the Redskins this week against the Dolphins, without reservation I’d have to go with my instinct- Aaron Rodgers. There is two things I know for certain: one being- the NFL is a QB driven league and the Redskins QB situation is in shambles. The second being- John Beck will lead the Redskins out on the field against the Dolphins, I wish him luck- but still dream of the day the Redskins QB situation could be viewed as a model for success and other teams would wish they had our QB on their team.