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Redskins: Studs and duds from the team’s Week 3 victory in Atlanta

By Ian Cummings

ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 22: Quarterback Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons is sacked by linebacker Montez Sweat #90 of the Washington Redskins and Ryan Anderson #52 in the first half of an NFL preseason game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 22, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 22: Quarterback Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons is sacked by linebacker Montez Sweat #90 of the Washington Redskins and Ryan Anderson #52 in the first half of an NFL preseason game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 22, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 09: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins walks onto the field before playing against the New York Giants at FedExField on December 9, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 09: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins walks onto the field before playing against the New York Giants at FedExField on December 9, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Dud: Jay Gruden

Yes, in the grand scheme of things, preseason doesn’t necessarily matter.  But how a coach uses preseason does matter. And Jay Gruden’s coaching job on Thursday night seemed lazy, if nothing else.

Gruden won the game, but he failed to use the game to its full potential, as both a play caller and a developer of players. Twice, he had the ball in the two-minute drill, and twice, he opted to go the conservative route, bringing no sense of urgency to his staff. He also did not give Dwayne Haskins a snap with the starting offense, for reasons that remain unclear.

Preseason serves a valuable purpose in this sense. It’s the only time of year where a coach can try new things, and work on more stressful situations, at a similar pace to real football, without negative consequences, and it’s especially important for the development of rookies and young players. We saw the Browns work on their two-minute drill, and the Falcons work on their fake punt operations. It’s an environment that must be used correctly, with creativity and a voyager’s curiosity. Not with indifference.

The Redskins worked on nothing new or unique, the one time they had the chance to do so safely. And they didn’t at least acclimate their rookie quarterback with the unit he’s going to take snaps with eventually. They handed the job to Keenum, depriving Haskins of what would have been a valuable opportunity and a learning experience. That’s why they may once again be a step behind when the regular season starts to pick up.

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