Riggo's Rag
FanSided

Why the 2018 season will be pivotal to Jamison Crowder’s future with the Redskins

By Jacob Camenker

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 30: Jamison Crowder #80 of the Washington Redskins celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the NFL International Series game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Wembley Stadium on October 30, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 30: Jamison Crowder #80 of the Washington Redskins celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the NFL International Series game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Wembley Stadium on October 30, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 5
Next
ARLINGTON, TX – NOVEMBER 05: Alex Smith #11 of the Kansas City Chiefs warms up before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 5, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX – NOVEMBER 05: Alex Smith #11 of the Kansas City Chiefs warms up before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 5, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) /

Crowder must develop chemistry with Alex Smith

This is the most important short-term goal for Crowder. If he can’t get on the same page as Alex Smith, then he won’t stand a chance of remaining in Washington.

For all the criticism Kirk Cousins drew during his time in D.C., one thing that fans can’t complain about is his willingness to target Crowder. In the last two seasons Crowder and Cousins spent together, Cousins threw the ball his way a whopping 202 times. They did have their share of mistakes together, but generally speaking, the two seemed to be on the same page, especially when things were going well.

With Smith now in charge of the Redskins passing game, Crowder will have to start from scratch and develop a relationship with Smith. That said, it shouldn’t be hard for Crowder to do.

Smith likes to target players close to the line of scrimmage and across the middle of the field. While he often takes advantage of the deep routes, Smith likes to make the safest decision that will give the team a chance to move the ball and score. That means that Crowder could see a lot of targets in the intermediate part of the field. And given Smith’s excellent ball placement, Crowder should be able to put up bigger numbers.

Crowder’s downfield ability may also be better off under Smith, as he will have a chance to work himself open more. Since Smith’s combination of arm talent, accuracy, and ball placement is better than that of Cousins, he might be able to find Crowder more to create the explosive plays he was accustomed to making in his first two seasons with the Skins, when he was the forgotten man next to Garcon and Jackson.

That said, ability is one thing. Chemistry is another. As Terrelle Pryor showed Redskins fans last year, all the talent in the world can’t make up for a lacking chemistry with the quarterback. So, Crowder is hopefully getting a head start working with Smith at training camp to get on the same wavelength.

Home/Commanders News