Redskins Reality Checks Week 12: Redskins ruin Thanksgiving with loss in Dallas

1. Reality Is, the short week is a massive disadvantage for the visiting team and is compounded by the Redskins’ emergency QB shuffling.

Compounding the home-away disparity this week was the fact that the Redskins had to get Colt McCoy ready to start and Mark Sanchez at least comfortable enough with the offense to function in case of emergency. In addition, the defense didn’t have the benefit of a “scout team quarterback” to practice against during the week, since Colt McCoy had to try to get up to speed with the first team offense.

I was watching to see if the Redskins came out flat or sloppy to start the game. I was also watching to see if Quinton Dunbar, Chris Thompson, and Trent Williams were activated for this game even with only the three days to continue healing up since they were declared inactive for the Houston game. I expected the Redskins to have a tough time matching the intensity of the Cowboys early and to have to find a way to dig deeper after getting punched in the mouth early.

Reality Check: Quinton Dunbar and Trent Williams were active, while Chris Thompson was not. Dunbar should not have been active, and his presence, though admirable, probably hurt the team. Trent Williams played well and continues to defy the odds.

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As for the intensity and preparation gap hurting the Redskins? The defense seemed to be more affected than the offense. The Redskins fought back after giving up a long, sustained drive to open the game, and even took the lead in the third quarter. At that point, preparation couldn’t be considered the issue anymore. So, the Redskins managed to overcome this particular disadvantage this week.

2. Reality Is, Colt McCoy may be the best-prepared backup QB in the NFL.

You could tell leading into this game that the team all felt McCoy could come in and lead them not only to a win in this game, but also into the playoffs down the stretch.

I was watching to see if McCoy looked rushed or calm early on. I was watching to see if he checked out of run plays too early and often. I was also watching to see if he realized this team’s best strategy was not to try to win a shootout, but to dominate field position and time of possession.

I predicted the game would verify the assumptions of many Redskins fans: with Colt, the Redskins’ offense has a higher ceiling and a lower floor. I said there would be ups and downs. I said the offense would move with more pace and more explosiveness than in recent weeks, but would also experience a higher percentage of negative plays. I suggested McCoy’s final line would be as follows: 28-of-38 for 280 yards, two TDs, one INT, four sacks, and 45 yards rushing.

Reality Check:  There were certainly high highs and low lows. Colt did seem to handle the pressure well, but he didn’t seem to embrace the reality that this team isn’t equipped to win a shootout. He forced four or five throws and was lucky to end up with (only) three picks. His final line was 24-of-38 passing for 268 yards, two TDs, three INTs, three sacks and 28 yards rushing. It could be argued that if he’d only had two INTs, the Redskins may have been able to win this game. But if he hadn’t made some of those great throws as well, he might not have led the team to the 20 points they did score…