Washington Football Team: Studs and duds in Week 4 loss to Ravens
Washington Football Team Stud: RB Antonio Gibson
The Washington Football Team didn’t do much on the ground on Sunday. They totaled 69 rushing yards and Antonio Gibson had most of them. On 13 carries, he had 46 yards and scored on the ground and was effective and explosive at times between the tackles.
However, what made Gibson a true stud in this game was his ability as a receiver. He caught four passes on the day and turned them into 82 yards, the second-most receiving yards on the team behind Terry McLaurin. And Gibson was every bit as good as those numbers indicated.
It was clear that Scott Turner wanted to get his running backs involved in the passing game more against the Ravens. So, Gibson ran more routes out of the backfield than normal. He caught a few shorter passes and used his elusiveness and speed to turn them into bigger plays.
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However, Gibson’s best play came when he caught a ball on a quick screen pass. Gibson secured the grab and immediately turned on the jets, worked his way into the middle of the field, and outran the Ravens defense for a 40-yard gain. He couldn’t quite get to the end-zone but just a few plays later, he was able to use his strength to bull through the Ravens line and into the end-zone.
Gibson looks dynamic. He also looks strong. He can be a multi-faceted weapon for the Washington offense and as he develops more as a runner, he should only get better.
It’s easy to forget, but Gibson was a receiver in college and only handled 33 carries during his final year at Memphis. The fact that he’s putting up solid rushing numbers behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines is a good sign. And it’s an even better sign that the team is getting him more involved as a receiver, as he could make a big impact for the team in that area as the season goes along.
Gibson was surely a stud in this one as evidenced by his team-leading 128 scrimmage yards. Turner will have to keep manufacturing touches for him as he looks to become the lead back of the future for Washington.