Redskins youth shines through in Week 11 studs and duds
By Ian Cummings
Stud No. 4 – Redskins RB Derrius Guice
How about DG?
People were very quick to call Derrius Guice a bust after his 10-carry, 18-yard performance against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1 of the regular season. And Guice, who was placed on injured reserve after that game, wasn’t able to respond to the criticism.
Now, however, Guice is back in the mix, after being reinstated from injured reserve, and he was a key component of the team’s offensive success on Sunday. He carried the ball seven times for 24 yards, showing exciting burst and physicality on his runs, and he also found the end zone for the first time in his NFL career, taking a screen 45 yards to the house.
On the screen pass, Guice showed a number of traits that make him an enticing weapon for this offense in the future. He adjusted his feet quickly after making the pass, in order to turn upfield and follow his blocks. He used his vision to quickly sprint to the sideline and slip past the shifting defense. He had the speed to separate after that, and he made a defender miss just outside the end zone.
Guice is a more complete back than Adrian Peterson, and his effort in Week 11 made that clear. If Guice can stay healthy, then the Redskins offense has another versatile weapon at its disposal. And it’s hard not to root for that smile.