Entire Redskins offense to blame for early woes, must strive for better

In tough times like these, it’s easy to play the blame game. But who do you attribute blame to if everyone is guilty to some degree?

The Redskins are dealing with this problem. The answer is in the question. Everyone is to blame for the Redskins troubling offensive miscues. Through the first week of football, and even through preseason, the Redskins defense, in contrast, has looked serviceable, while the offense has been shockingly sloppy and ineffective in a way no one could have predicted.

As mentioned above, no one is immune to indictment. Kirk Cousins looks three years younger, and not in a good way. Robert Kelley looks no more effective than a random fan to be thrown out behind the line.

And speaking of the line, they aren’t doing their team mates any favors either. In the running game, they fail to create any gaps at all, and more often than not, they’re pushed backward instantly, allowing no room for the ball carrier to run. And in the passing game, they rarely give Kirk Cousins any time to throw, hindering the abilities of the entire offense.

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Yes, this is an offense flush with big names. Kirk Cousins. Jordan Reed. Trent Williams. Terrelle Pryor. Jamison Crowder. We remember names, for both reasons good and bad. And early into the 2017 campaign, these names are synonymous with an offense that continues to underachieve. Synonymous with a team that showed glimpses of its past promise, only to fade away. Synonymous with disappointment, confusion, and the ever-swirling unpredictability of football.

Kirk Cousins must be better. Due $24 million this year, he was outperformed in Week 1 by at least 20 quarterbacks. Cousins has never been expected to start strong, but he’s being paid the salary of a top-tier starter. Top-tier starters don’t take weeks off. They don’t need time to warm up, or time to shake off the rust. And when new receivers come, they don’t need half a season to gain chemistry, because they make their team mates better. Cousins needs to show he belongs.

However, Cousins can’t do that without a ground game to supplement his attack. And he certainly can’t do it without a consistent offensive line. This is an offense with all the pieces seemingly in place. They’ve shown they can produce before. And yet, early in the 2017 season, we’re already questioning their worth, their resolve, and their ultimate potential. Something needs to change, so that these names, which once prompted reveling, will no longer be synonymous with fading hopes, or change too late.

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Week 2 grows closer. And in that game against a friend turned foe, the Redskins have an opportunity to rebound from an underwhelming beginning. It all starts and ends with the offense. Once a top-tier unit, our expectations have changed. Week 2 starts the journey. This team has great pieces. But there is work to do, if they wish to synonymous with greatness for the first time.

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