Washington’s latest surprise roster move puts more pressure on offense

The Washington Football Team just can’t catch a break.

Whether it be injuries or an unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak (90% of the team is vaccinated, per head coach Ron Rivera), it feels like the roster hasn’t been fully healthy in months.

We can’t speak for all fans, but this reality has kept us awake nights thinking about what this group’s ceiling could be at full strength.

In our eyes, Washington would be in pole position for a playoff berth instead of having to scratch and claw over the remaining three weeks.

As if having to deploy recent signing Garrett Gilbert under center Tuesday night against Philadelphia wasn’t enervating enough, Washington’s offense will now be without its most versatile weapon for the foreseeable future.

Before you freak out, Terry McLaurin is fine.

We’re talking about JD McKissic, whom Washington shockingly placed on IR hours before the Eagles showdown.

The Washington Football Team placed JD McKissic on injured reserve.

The hits just keep on coming!

On a more serious note, how does a player go from getting in limited practices all week to landing on injured reserve? Did McKissic suffer a setback or was he merely trying to see if he could give it a go Tuesday night?

Either way, it’s a relief Washington came to this decision. As vital as McKissic is to what the club does offensively, there’s no sense in playing through a neck injury, which he suffered late in the win over Seattle back in Week 12 and had to be carted off.

The 28-year-old hasn’t played since, spending the last two games in concussion protocol. However, he cleared that last week, leading fans to believe he was one step closer to returning for Week 15.

Alas, this update proves McKissic’s neck injury, which are always treated with an abundance of caution, is pretty serious. It’s a crippling blow to a Washington offense that has yet to break the 20-point mark in his absence.

That shouldn’t come as a surprise though, as McKissic is second on the team in receptions (43) and receiving yards (397), as well as third in total touchdowns (four) and scrimmage yards (609) despite missing the last three games.

Another aspect of McKissic’s game that will be sorely missed is his prowess in pass protection. He’s far and away the best blocker in Washington’s backfield and it’s been evident in each of the last three contests.

Luckily for Washington, Antonio Gibson is a willing workhorse and Jaret Patterson has been serviceable in limited opportunities…before his fumble last night. Even practice squad hero Jonathan Williams has shown promise.

With that said, McKissic being out until at least the regular season finale puts more pressure on the entire offense, including the backfield, McLaurin, the rest of the receiving corps, what’s left of the tight end unit and even the QB room, as Taylor Heinicke has greatly benefited from his presence.

It’ll be next man up for Washington without McKissic, which can probably go down as the team’s slogan for the 2021 campaign.