Redskins vs. Cowboys: 3 takeaways from Thursday’s 23-31 loss
By Ian Cummings
No. 2 – Colt McCoy offers increased reward, but mostly increased risk
In the wake of Alex Smith‘s season-ending injury, and Colt McCoy‘s almost-comeback against the Houston Texans, many onlookers were as bold to say that McCoy could possibly be an upgrade for the Washington Redskins at quarterback.
Yes, McCoy is perhaps more of a gunslinger than Smith was, but the potential for increased reward also comes with the guarantee of increased risk, and that was on full display on Thursday night.
McCoy wasn’t afraid to sling the ball around the field and give his receivers contested chances. On some occasions, it worked. But all two of McCoy’s three interceptions came on such chances. He failed to exercise proper care for the football, as Smith had done for nine and a half games before McCoy.
The negative impact of McCoy’s turnovers were easily recognizable. The Redskins were only 70 total yards behind the Cowboys’ offense, but because they couldn’t keep possession of the ball, they fell behind, and they kept putting themselves in situations where increased risk was necessary. With McCoy at the helm, it’s clear that, while the offense may glean more success in those situations, a momentum-killing pick is always a plausible outcome. It wasn’t with Smith.