Perhaps the most impressive part about the Washington Redskins making the playoffs with a 9-7 record a year after finishing 4-12 is the manner in which they did it. Kirk Cousins emerged as a franchise record-setting quarterback, Jordan Reed blossomed into one of the league’s best pass-catching tight ends and the Redskins have adjusted on the fly to survive a rash of injuries.
A lot of credit has been directed general manager Scot McCloughan’s way — and rightfully so — for finding guys who could sign and contribute immediately, such as cornerback Will Blackmon, inside linebacker Mason Foster, running back Pierre Thomas and tight end Alex Smith. That said, there were also other breakthroughs — ones by players that were already at Redskins Park at the start of the season and have stepped up in big roles when the team needed it most.
Will Compton
The second-year inside linebacker, who started five games last season, filled in for an injured Perry Riley earlier in the year but was relegated to a backup role once Riley returned. Compton continued to play well and impressed the staff enough to steal the starting mike linebacker role from Keenan Robinson in Week 10. Since then, he has 56 tackles, but that’s not his greatest asset. His uncanny ability to diagnose offenses and direct the defense before the ball is snapped has made him an invaluable piece of the defense. In last Sunday’s win against the Dallas Cowboys, he showed his ability to drop back in coverage, too, when he snagged his first interception of his career against quarterback Kellen Moore.
Jamison Crowder
When the Redskins drafted Crowder in the fourth round, it was certain he’d have a role as a punt returner after a heralded career at Duke. What the Redskins didn’t expect was Crowder to develop into a dangerous slot receiver so quickly. In Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles, the speedy Crowder was targeted 12 times and caught seven passes for 65 yards. In practice the next week, coach Jay Gruden confirmed the obvious: Crowder had supplanted veteran Andre Roberts as the team’s primary slot option. Ironically, Crowder’s work as a receiver has been far more impressive than his punt returning. A reliable target for Cousins, finished the regular season with 59 catches for 604 yards and two touchdowns.
Matt Jones
Like Crowder, Jones did not have a definitive role carved out for him in the Redskins’ offense when he was drafted in the third round. With Morris entering the final year of his contract, Jones was expected to help lighten the workload for the veteran, who carried the ball an average of 292 times a year over three seasons. In the second game of his career, Jones burst into the picture with 123 yards and two touchdowns against the St. Louis Rams. Jones, who also has value as a receiver, struggled with ball security at times this year, but Gruden remained committed to using both Jones and Morris regularly. Jones has been inactive the last two games because of a hip injury but should be healthy for the playoffs.
Spencer Long
When left guard Shawn Lauvao was injured in Week 3, the Redskins had a big void to fill on the offensive line. Lauvao, who often served as the pulling guard on running plays, was a key factor in the Redskins’ early rushing success. He needed season-ending surgery to repair a lateral ankle sprain and the Redskins turned to Long, a second-year guard with no career starts. Long has started all 13 games since and while he’s endured some growing pains, he’s worked well next to Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams. “Just his knowledge of the game has improved so much and you can tell it’s helping him,” Williams said earlier this season.
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Preston Smith
It’s been hard to miss the rookie outside linebacker in the last three games. Smith has sacked opposing quarterbacks five times, including three against Sam Bradford and the Eagles in Week 16. At 6-foot-5 and 271 pounds, Smith is an imposing and athletic pass-rusher who uses his long reach to rip past offensive linemen. Smith has fine-tuned his game quite a bit this year, but there are still some edges that the rookie needs to smooth out. However, the Redskins are encouraged by the progress he’s made late in the season. Smith leads all rookies with eight sacks.
• Anthony Gulizia can be reached at agulizia@washingtontimes.com.
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