The Washington Redskins are coming off an overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons as they aim to try and find some offensive consistency. Kirk Cousins certainly showed some improvement in the loss as he prepares to face the tough defense of the New York Jets. Getting a win on Sunday would be much easier if DeSean Jackson was back on the field, something the receiver is hoping to accomplish heading into Week 6.
Jackson has been the missing wrinkle in the Redskins' offense after he injured his hamstring in the first quarter of the first game of the season. The Redskins have been trying to make do without their top receiver on the field, but it has not been easy for Cousins and company. Head coach Jay Gruden noted that the team thought Jackson was moving in the right direction, but could not make any guarantees about him being on the field yet. He wants the receiver's hamstring to be completely 100 percent before getting back to work and that has not happened yet.
"It was very frustrating just dealing with injuries," Jackson said, via the Washington Post. "Just really trying to do everything I can to keep my body healthy. Sometimes it's out of your control. This game we play is a very physical game, and things happen. I'm just doing everything I can to better myself and have me healthy enough so I can get out there and play."
With Jackson out, the Redskins have gotten production from different names on the field. Jamison Crowder is a fantasy waiver option heading into Week 6 as he has developed into a nice target for Cousins to work with. Against the Falcons, Crowder led receivers with 87 yards off eight catches. Pierre Garcon followed up catching just three of his eight passes for 51 yards. If Jackson continues to sit out, those two players along with Ryan Grant will be relied upon heavily.
The biggest thing for Washington is the need to get the run game going. Against the Falcons, five players combined for just 51 yards of rushing. That is not enough to get the job done. Originally, the Redskins were working an even split with Matt Jones and Alfred Morris, but Rich Tandler of CSN Washington reports that sticking with one back might be more productive for the team. Morris has said he gets into a rhythm with the more carries he gets on the field. That could benefit the Redskins, but Gruden was not ready to commit to the idea just yet.
"I don't know," Gruden said, via RealRedskins.com. "There probably is some validity to it, but there's also some validity to keeping them fresh and having a package of plays for each back that we feel good about. There are certain things that Matt Jones does better than Alfred. There are certain things that Alfred does better than Matt Jones . . . We try to mix and match our system to the best personnel that we have at that time on that play call."
