Washington Football Team: 3 bold ideas for struggling offense

My other bold solutions address one of the team’s biggest challenges on offense: short yardage situations. Without an obvious bulldozer at running back (sorry Peyton Barber) and with the subtle shift to a smaller, more athletic line, 3rd & 1 could be a problem. Here are two answers.

Short Yardage Part 1

If you have a hard-hitting guy with some size on him, and you don’t exactly need him anyplace else, why not use him on short yardage plays? The Washington Football Team tried linebacker Ryan Anderson in this role in the recent past, but Anderson is now gone. Who might take his place?

How about a 6-foot-5, 260-pounder who can run a 4.6 40, can bench press 31 reps, and has vertical and broad jump numbers that would be respectable for a wide receiver? Sammis Reyes gives you all of that.

You do not want Reyes carrying the ball. His comfort level with the ball in his hands is clearly not where it needs to be. But as a blocker – where you can just point him at the line and tell him to wreak havoc – he could be very special.

To add to this alinement, the short yardage back should be Jaret Patterson. Antonio Gibson is not yet proficient at this type of run and JD McKissic is far too valuable as a pass catcher. Patterson’s size is advantage in this role because he is hard to locate for a defense, especially if he is slotted in behind the giant Reyes.

Some of the best short yardage backs of all time have been shorter guys who can squeeze through tiny cracks in the line and fall forward for a yard or two. Most of the time, that’s really all it takes.

The Jaret-Sammis tandem should be a thing. From memes, to tee shirts, to personal appearances, I’m on board with this new DC power couple.