The Washington Redskins Can Win With Colt McCoy

The Washington Redskins will almost certainly start third string QB Colt McCoy against the Dallas Cowboys Monday night. Although franchise QB Robert Griffin III has practiced on a limited basis this week, Head Coach Jay Gruden knows he has to be careful and not bring him back too soon.

“The quarterback position is very delicate,” Gruden said on Sirius XM NFL Radio Wednesday. “You need your reps to play, and play successfully.  You can’t just throw a guy out there without the reps, and the practice time, and the continuity with the receivers and the backs and the tight ends.  So it’ll be a little bit of a process — probably a little bit more than people think — but we’ll play it by ear and see how he’s doing on a daily basis.”

Just a side-note — it’s ironic that Gruden mentioned “continuity” considering his third string QB that hadn’t received reps with starting receivers since the off-season won a football game with them last Sunday. That also means, while Griffin is shaking off rust this week — so is Colt McCoy. So we’ll just take that statement with a grain of salt.

Attempting not to make similar mistakes that the former regime made when Griffin returned from total reconstructive knee surgery, Gruden is being cautious. Not to mention, he values reps in practice — which is something the team and Griffin probably took for granted last year.

Griffin said in a brief statement to media Friday that he has taken this time to “listen and learn.” He also said, “we’re not going to rush my ankle.” He did not, however, announce his status for Monday’s game. Jay Gruden says it will be a game-time decision. The only thing that’s 100% certain is that a Texas-native will return to their home state as the starting QB for the Washington Redskins Monday.

Regardless of who starts at Quarterback, I believe Washington has a chance to win this football game.

Colt McCoy, if given the nod, will be making his first start in Dallas as a professional football player. That’s a bit surprising. In fact, Colt has only played one professional football game in his home state since entering the league. I guarantee you this — he will be fired up and Longhorn Nation will be there supporting him.

The Washington Redskins signed Colt McCoy as a guy they envisioned to one day replace Kirk Cousins. They believe he can be a franchise backup. A guy who can step up when needed but won’t cause any controversy when it comes to the status of who reigns supreme at the position.

“We know that in college he was one of the most successful quarterbacks to play, said Jay Gruden. “He’s a winning quarterback. He got drafted and started some games, some meaningful games and record-wise didn’t have a lot of success, but just watching him play quarterback, we know he has got talent. He was on the streets and we needed a third quarterback for training camp – somebody to come in here and compete. He was the perfect fit. I always liked the way he played – his accuracy, his toughness has always been a strong quality of his. We want to give him some opportunities. He knew coming in that we had Robert [Griffin III] and Kirk [Cousins] and he was going to be the No. 3 guy, and he just wanted an opportunity to come in, learn the system, and if his number was called, he’d be ready.”

McCoy will rise up for the challenge. I guarantee it. For one, I don’t think the Dallas Cowboys really know what to expect. Cowboys Head Coach Jason Garrett said earlier this week that Dallas evaluated McCoy “very closely” coming out of the draft. So I’m sure they have a sense of what Colt McCoy can and can’t do well. However, for the first time, McCoy will have a game plan tailored for him in Washington’s offense. That’s not available on film — there’s not really a way for Dallas to prepare for that. Of course, you wouldn’t expect drastic changes. But I do believe you’ll see a QB who will play with confidence and that’s what will make a big difference for Washington in this game.

Colt McCoy may not have the strongest arm. He’s also had issues turning over the football himself in the past. But he’s a guy who looked confident at the line of scrimmage last Sunday. He made offensive line protection changes. He’s also able to dissect defenses and make audibles at the line. Not to mention, he can be a very accurate thrower if he’s in rhythm.

One common note that was in most Colt McCoy scouting reports is that he does a great job hitting receivers in stride — giving them an opportunity to make yards after the catch. That too was evident Sunday on Pierre Garcon’s long 70-yard touchdown. For some reason, Kirk Cousins struggled to consistently hit players in stride.

Another trait that could help the Redskins offense is McCoy’s athleticism. It’s a trait that wasn’t used enough, if at all, when McCoy played for the Cleveland Browns. This is a guy who used his feet a lot when he played at Texas. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jay Gruden unleashes the zone read Monday. He did it a few times with Cousins, who is also somewhat athletic. But Cousins refused to run the ball. McCoy is not that guy. He’s a gutsy football player and he’s at his best when using his feet to make plays.

I think it will be a tough battle, as always, for the Redskins when they face Dallas. The Cowboys have been no joke this year. They are a very well-coached football team. On paper, their defense doesn’t look great. But they’ve been playing angry all season. However, I do believe the Washington Redskins can win — and they can do so with Colt McCoy at helm.

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