Redskins Challenge: Colt McCoy, it’s time to ‘Put up your Dukes’
Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy is set to make his first start in three seasons.
Believe it or not, Colt McCoy has been with the Washington Redskins for the past five seasons. Since his arrival in 2014, he was often thought of as the plan-B option at best. Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins were the established draft picks on the team, while McCoy was a castoff from the woeful Cleveland Browns.
McCoy went 1-3 as a spot starter in 2014 before a neck injury ultimately ended his season. The following three seasons, Kirk Cousins would command the position, with McCoy serving as his backup. After the Redskins knew they would be moving on from Cousins, Jay Gruden considered starting Colt McCoy before the trade for Alex Smith materialized (Per Mike Jones of USA Today).
Now that Alex Smith is out for the season with a broken leg, Colt McCoy has the opportunity to lead Washington to the playoffs. Washington leads the NFC East at 6-4 and could very well be in contention for a wildcard berth, even if they don’t win the division.
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Like any NFL player, McCoy has his flaws. His gunslinger often translates to interceptions, evidenced by his 27-to-23 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He’s been prone to taking sacks as well, as he took 17 in four starts in 2014. McCoy doesn’t have the strongest arm and he isn’t the biggest guy (6-foot-1 ,215), but he’s a gamer and teammates feed off that energy. In McCoy’s last start at Dallas four years ago, a porous Washington defense rose to the occasion with two turnovers and five sacks.
After Alex Smith’s season-ending injury, I reached out to John Keim of ESPN asking him if McCoy would be an upgrade over Smith for the time being. Here’s what Keim had to say.
"If both were on the open market Smith is the guy teams would pursue, but Colt offers them some value too. He’s been the system a while and feels comfortable. It shows in his anticipation, etc. He plays with attitude, and players like that."
Colt McCoy led the Redskins to their first lead change of the season, coming off the bench against a solid Texans defense. Had it not been for the pick-six from Alex Smith, the Redskins would be 7-3. On McCoy’s first pass that resulted in a touchdown to Jordan Reed, you could see the anticipation on the throw. On the Redskins next offensive possession, McCoy led Washington to a 21-20 lead. Although Washington lost the game, they should be encouraged by McCoy’s performance moving forward.
On paper, it’s a tall task to expect a Redskins win on Thanksgiving. Injuries are once again becoming a deterrent this season. The Cowboys have looked impressive the past two weeks in wins over the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons. Colt McCoy has not started an NFL game in three seasons and it’s a short week on the road. Everything is just pointing to a Cowboys win.
However, I get the sense that this year’s Redskins team has a certain toughness to it. At each point this season when they’ve looked down and out, they’ve responded. Now they need for that resiliency to shine again more than ever. So, Colt McCoy, I challenge you to ‘Put up your Dukes’ for the rest of the season. Lead the Redskins to their second division title in three years, but most importantly, lead the Washington Redskins to a sweep over the arch-rival Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving.