Redskins X-Factors for the second half of the 2018 season
By Ian Cummings
No. 1 – QB Alex Smith
This almost goes without saying.
Alex Smith‘s tenure with the Redskins thus far has been marred in confusion. On one hand, he’s a 14-year veteran who should be able to join a new offense with fairly little acclimation time; he’s done so before. And yet, Smith hasn’t been the kind of quarterback many expected. He started with some flashes, but he hasn’t thrown over 200 yards in three weeks, and his performances have been dotted with surprisingly bad misses.
On the other hand, however, Smith has only thrown two interceptions to his eight touchdowns. He’s limiting turnovers on an impressive scale, and when the time comes to move the chains through the air, more often than not, Smith has been reliable, giving the offense a new set of downs, and Adrian Peterson more chances to run.
Smith’s style of play isn’t flashy, but he should get credit for this: Smith’s specific style has played a hand in maximizing the rest of the team. With the Redskins winning the time of possession battle and the turnover battle, the defense has had time to rest. Thus, they’re fresh on every drive, ready to smother the opposition with relentless drive.
Smith himself has looked limited; it’s something Jay Gruden has tried to both scheme around by giving Peterson plenty of run, but also remedy, by giving Smith chances to connect with his targets in crucial moments. It’s a tough line to balance, but so far, the Redskins have been able to win despite their issues in the passing game.
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Smith has showed small improvements each week, and as he continues to go through the fire with Gruden, he should be able to gain more confidence. But as of now, while the future is still unclear, only one thing is certain: The Redskins can only get so far with the Alex Smith they have now. To truly contend for a title, they’ll need Smith to become the X-Factor he was brought in to be.