Three takeaways from the Redskins loss to the Jets
3. Terry McLaurin and Derrius Guice are solid building blocks
Let’s start with what may have been the only positives in this game. While the Redskins offense mostly struggled in this game, there were two players who stood out. They were Terry McLaurin and Derrius Guice.
McLaurin standing out is no surprise. He has had a really good rookie campaign to date and has shown off quality route-running skills. But on Sunday, he showed something else that was impressive. The ability to make a contested catch.
Late in the game against the Jets, McLaurin went up for a 50-50 ball that Haskins put up. It looked like the defensive back would have a great chance to come down with it, but McLaurin elevated and managed to rip the ball away from the defender for the long catch. It was an impressive play and showed off that he has a variety of different skills that will afford him the opportunity to become productive as he continues to grow.
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As for Guice, he finally got a chance to play an NFL game while healthy. And in limited action, he looked good.
The Redskins strangely opted not to use Guice early in the game and used Wendell Smallwood in addition to Adrian Peterson. But as the game wore on, Guice came in more and showed off his shifty running style and his speed.
Guice’s best play came in the fourth quarter when he caught a dump-off from Haskins on a screen and took it to the house, running around tacklers and turning on the jets to get into open space. It was a nice play overall and one that demonstrated his excellent upside.
As the season goes along, we’ll get to see more of these two players. But at this point, they appear to have the skills needed to be key offensive building blocks for the ‘Skins.