Washington Redskins: Pass Catchers Trying to Make History

The Washington Redskins receivers can do something in 2016 that they’ve never done before.

The Washington Redskins already have three players with 50-or-more catches on the 2016 NFL season. Jordan Reed has 59, Jamison Crowder has 55, and Pierre Garcon has 52. Meanwhile, DeSean Jackson (38), Chris Thompson (36), and Vernon Davis (31) are all closing in on the 50-catch mark as well.

Though it’ll take some work, the Redskins could potentially finish the season with six players having 50 receptions on the year. That would be the first time in team history that has happened.

First off all, props need to be given to quarterback Kirk Cousins. This is textbook distribution. You know that old joke of “if you look Adjective A up in the dictionary you’ll see a picture of Person B?” This is a perfect time for that corny line. If you look up “distribution” in the dictionary, you’ll see a picture of Cousins and the Redskins offense.

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With just five games left, this seems like a pretty tall task. However, if you break it down, it’s not as impossible as it seems. Jackson needs 12 more catches, that’s a little over two per game. Thompson needs 14 more receptions, which is still a little over two per game. Finally, Davis needs 19 more, needing a tad under four per game.

So they don’t need that many receptions per, however, they have to worry about others taking away their receptions. Except it’s going to get a little bit easier for them because Reed is missing Washington’s Week 13 game and could be out for even longer. Cousins loves himself the tight ends, so expect Davis to feast.

Thompson has also been extremely reliable as a receiving back, and has racked up 21 receptions in his last five games. If Matt Jones wasn’t much of a pass-catching back, Robert Kelley is Clifford Franklin before the stick em. Due to that, Thompson is in on basically any play where a pass is necessary.

Then there’s Jackson. He’s already missed some time due to injury, but now that he’s healthy, this one’s easy. 12 catches in five games shouldn’t be a problem for still one of the most dangerous deep threats in football.

Even if all six don’t hit the 50-plus reception mark, they’ve done something to be proud of. Cousins clearly has a fantastic rapport with his receivers. He’s rarely looked onto a receiver anymore (which was a major problem in the past).

It’s no wonder why the Redskins offense has been so deadly this season. An assortment of weapons they haven’t had in an extremely long time, mixed with quarterback play they haven’t seen in a long time. Expect more offensive records to be chased by this group in the future.

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