Smith’s injury doesn’t end Redskins’ season
Redskins, Gruden believe in eighth-year veteran QB
Mike Jones: Backup Colt McCoy can keep Washington’s playoff drive alive
The cruelty of professional football struck in Washington on Sunday as Redskins quarterback Alex Smith broke the tibia and fibula bones in his right leg. Now, Jay Gruden and Co. face the task of quickly regrouping and preparing for a key Thanksgiving matchup in Dallas while trying to maintain their lead in the NFC East.
The Redskins will put their trust in Colt McCoy, who has spent the last five seasons with Washington, serving pri- marily as a backup.
When McCoy takes the field Thursday at AT&T Stadium, he’ll find himself in a familiar setting. The game not only will represent somewhat of a homecoming for the former University of Texas star but also feature the same location and opponent McCoy faced in 2014 when he got his first start for the fran-
“I’m a big, firm believer in Colt McCoy’s ability to play quarterback
in the National Football League. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime for him.”
Jay Gruden Redskins coach
chise, with Robert Griffin III recovering from a fractured and dislocated ankle and Kirk Cousins benched for poor play.
In that matchup, McCoy completed 25 of 30 passes for 299 yards while leading Washington to a 20-17 overtime victory.
Now the stakes are higher. Washington (6-4) clings to a onegame advantage over the surging Cowboys (5-5) and badly needs to rebound from Sunday’s loss to Houston. McCoy’s ability to direct the offense over the next six weeks will largely determine whether the Redskins can earn their first division title and playoff berth since 2015.
“I’m a big, firm believer in Colt McCoy’s ability to play quarterback in the National Football League,” Washington coach Jay Gruden told reporters Sunday evening after announcing the extent of Smith’s injury. “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime for him. I know he would like it in different circumstances, but he’ll take full advantage of it.”
Of course, many might think Gruden has to say such things. McCoy was the only quarterback left on Washington’s roster until the team signed Mark Sanchez as a backup on Monday.
But Gruden’s support for McCoy is not just lip service. Gruden has long declared he sees the ninth-year veteran as one of the league’s top backups. He has even suggested McCoy could start for some squads.
The multiple contract extensions totaling $14 million that the Redskins have awarded him since 2015 serve as evidence of Gruden’s faith.
Now, it’s McCoy’s turn to make good on that belief.
When Gruden looks at McCoy, he sees a far different player from the 2010 third-round pick, who through three seasons with Cleveland sported a 6-15 record while throwing 21 touchdown passes and 20 interceptions.
Instead, he sees a matured and polished veteran whose poise and level of aggression spark optimism. Gruden sees a player who gets the ball out quickly, isn’t afraid to take shots downfield and also has the mobility to extend plays or scramble.
Others with a strong knowledge of McCoy’s game agree.
“From going against Colt time and time again on scout team, I know he’s a NFL-starter-caliber quarterback,” former Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall told USA TODAY. “He’s comfortable in his own skin and comfortable in the offense. He’s decisive as a passer. He’ll run when he has to, but he’ll also sit back there in that pocket and give guys a shot to make plays downfield. He can make some great anticipation throws.”
In a way, McCoy is now getting the opportunity Gruden wanted to give him late in the 2014 season.
Had McCoy not suffered a late-season shoulder/neck injury in the final month of that campaign, he very well might have entered the following season as the starter, Gruden has said. But questions lingered about McCoy’s durability. Cousins emerged from the 2015 training camp as the starter and led Washington to the playoffs.
But Gruden always remained intrigued by the prospect of McCoy as a starter. Following disappointing losses in 2017 when the Cousins-led offense struggled in the red zone, Gruden asked confidants within the building if the outcomes would have been different had the more aggressive McCoy been playing. But Cousins never played poorly enough to warrant a benching.
When Washington brass decided not to try to sign Cousins to a long-term deal in the offseason, a part of Gruden wanted to use McCoy as a bridge quarterback this season while drafting and developing a prospect for the future. But team president Bruce Allen swung the trade for Smith, and Washington signed the 34-year-old to a four-year contract extension.
Now, however, McCoy will get his chance to deliver on the potential his coach saw. He certainly lacks the experience and resume of Smith, a 10-year veteran and three-time Pro Bowl selection with a 94-66-1 career record and seven playoff games under his belt.
But McCoy does provide several reasons for confidence.
With five years of experience in Gruden’s system, he has a comfort executing it that Smith lacked.
McCoy’s bond with Gruden also extends beyond the field. The two have become close personally, even golfing together at times during the offseason. Their many conversations should promote cohesion and understanding.
“I know how Jay sees this offense. I know how Jay wants this offense run,” McCoy said Sunday evening. “I’ll do my best to make that happen.”
McCoy’s pre-existing connection with some of Washington’s pass catchers also should benefit him. The trust factor between Smith and Jordan Reed and Josh Doctson remained a work in progress. But McCoy’s familiarity with the same players was evident by the spark he provided in Sunday’s game.
Because of these traits, many of those close to McCoy expect to see the quarterback keep Washington afloat. The same people believe it’s possible that his aggressive nature might actually help boost an offense that ranks 25th in yards per game (331) and 27th in points (19.7).
The Redskins need only look at the rival Eagles for a testament of a knowledgeable backup’s capabilities. That’s not to say McCoy is going to pull a Nick Foles and lead Washington to the Super Bowl. But he could at least give his team a fighting chance in the division.