Redskins must withstand the injury to rookie RB Derrius Guice

The Redskins lost a lone starter for the season on Thursday, and already, it feels as if the season is over.

Few times in history has a fan base been so unanimous in its mourning. The Washington Redskins‘ fan base has experience with loss. Dan Snyder has seemingly snuffed the life out of a once-great playoff titan. In 2007, the Redskins became one of the select few to lose a generational player’s life midway through the season. And now, after just one half of preseason football, the Redskins have lost Derrius Guice for 2018.

Guice suffered an ACL injury on an exciting 34-yard run that was called back for a holding penalty. In that run, he showed off all the traits that made him an electric running back, and a catalyst for contention. But at the end of that run, all it took was one player to fall the wrong way. A perfect, terrible storm of controlled chaos. And Guice’s season was over.

Guice is still in good spirits, but for many fans, it feels like a death has occurred. Perhaps it was not the death of a human being, but the death of the excitement and hope leading into the 2018 campaign that has resonated so feverishly since the report of the injury. Guice was a fan-favorite; his attitude was notably contagious on and off the field, even in the short time he played with pads on, and his playing style was similarly energetic. The Redskins won’t be able to replace Guice in 2018. But they must withstand the loss.

As painful as the sting from this injury is, football is a team sport, and while Guice was set to reinvigorate the team’s rushing attack this season, he is only one of 53. The Redskins still have a menacing defensive line. They still have a solid offensive line with multiple All-Pro caliber players. They still have number of young players ready to ascend the ranks. And they still have Alex Smith, a precise quarterback who’s made a habit out of winning throughout his career.

Losing Guice hurts. The pressure is on Jay Gruden’s shoulders to make something out of so little yet again. But even with a subpar running attack last year, and a relentless case of the injury bug, the Redskins found a way to go 7-9. The team is well-rounded in 2018. There are very few holes. The loss of Guice does not eliminate the Redskins from contention, by any means.

And if Guice has made enough of an impact in the locker room, they’ll be motivated to win for him.