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Report: Redskins expected to be without Jamison Crowder, Chris Thompson in Week 6

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 20: Wide receiver Jamison Crowder #80 of the Washington Redskins makes a catch past cornerback Josh Norman #24 of the Washington Redskins in the third quarter at FedExField on November 20, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 20: Wide receiver Jamison Crowder #80 of the Washington Redskins makes a catch past cornerback Josh Norman #24 of the Washington Redskins in the third quarter at FedExField on November 20, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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The Washington Redskins are expected to be without two of their top offensive weapons in Week 6 against the Panthers. Neither Jamison Crowder nor Chris Thompson will play.

The Redskins were always likely to be short-handed coming into Week 6 of the NFL season. Their offense was dealing with a great number of injuries, and the team was expected to be without some of their top playmakers at receiver. Their running backs were also banged up, so that was an area to watch as well.

Early indications ahead of the game are that the Redskins will be without Jamison Crowder and Chris Thompson. Both were reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and barring any changes before the contest, it seems likely that each will miss the game against the Panthers.

The absences of these two players will certainly sting for the team. Both were expected to play vital roles in the offense and without them, the Redskins will certainly lack pass-catching weapons for the game.

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Crowder’s absence will likely push Maurice Harris into the starting lineup as the slot-man/outside receiver hybrid. Harris has a good catch radius and surprising speed, but he has lacked consistency during his NFL career. The team may look to play Paul Richardson in the slot more in this game too, but he is also dealing with injury issues and he may miss the game. So, that’s a bit more of a question mark.

Losing Thompson is a bit worse for the Redskins for a couple of reasons. The first is that Alex Smith has heavily relied on Thompson out of the backfield and at times, Thompson has functioned as the team’s top receiving weapon. While that might not always be ideal, losing the potential short-yardage playmaker who can turn any catch into a big play won’t be good news for a Redskins offense that is already somewhat devoid of weapons.

Further complicating the matter is the fact that the Redskins don’t have a similar enough player at running back to replace Thompson. Sure, Kapri Bibbs can step into the role as a pass catcher, but he’s just not as explosive as Thompson, and Smith doesn’t have as much chemistry with him. Still, Bibbs should be at least functional and in the screen game, he should have an impact.

The one silver lining about Thompson missing the game is that Samaje Perine should be active. Perine looked good as a runner during the preseason, but a couple of preseason fumbles put him in Jay Gruden’s doghouse. If he can get some carries, he might be able to provide a spark for the Washington run game, which has pretty much lived and died by Adrian Peterson this season.

dark. Next. 5 bold predictions for Redskins vs. Panthers

At the end of the day, it was always possible that Crowder and Thompson were going to be out. But when the reality of that sets in, the ‘Skins offense just looks much weaker than it did before. They should still fight hard against the Panthers, but Smith may have to lean a bit more on Jordan Reed, Vernon Davis, and possibly Josh Doctson to move the ball through the air.

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