Washington’s End of the Year Positional Grades: Offense

By: Ryan Cooley

Washington’s offense was never expected to be a top 10 unit. However, many believed they could hold their own and would be much improved from 2020. They ended the season ranked 23^rd in points per game and 21^st in yards.

Here are Washington’s end-of-the-year positional grades for the offense.

Quarterback: D+

Ryan Fitzpatrick finally got his opportunity to lead a team without being a bridge to a rookie. Unfortunately, after just 16 plays, he went down with a hip subluxation. This opened the door for the fan-favorite quarterback Taylor Heinicke.

Heinicke finished the season with 3,419 yards, 21 total touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. After his playoff performance in 2020, some believed he could be the long-term solution at quarterback. However, that narrative was quickly shot down. Heinicke struggled to consistently string together good games. He had five games where he had a sub 50 grade.

Heinicke’s inability to throw the ball deep handicapped the offense the entire season. His 52.6 passing grade when throwing 20+ yards ranked dead last in the league. It is safe to say Washington will have a new quarterback under center next season.

Running Back: C

Antonio Gibson managed the 7^th highest rushing grade in the league his rookie season at 83.4. 2021 was a different story, as his rushing grade plummeted to 65.6. His biggest issue was ball security as he led the league with six fumbles.

McKissic was Washington’s best running back before he went down with a neck injury in week 12. He is the only reason they didn’t receive a grade lower than C. His 76.2 receiving grade ranked 6^th among qualifying running backs. Jaret Patterson flashed a few times in 2021, but still had a lower rushing grade than Gibson.

Overall, the biggest issue was Gibson. His inability to take advantage of great blocking on countless plays and consistently putting the ball on the ground was frustrating.

Wide Receiver: C

After adding Curtis Samuel, Adam Humphries, and Dyami Brown in the offseason, this looked like a unit that could do some damage to NFL secondaries. That trio ended up with a combined 59 receptions for 575 yards and 0 touchdowns. Samuels had one of the strangest injuries as he only played in five games. He suffered a lingering groin injury in June and was placed on IR before the season.

Terry McLaurin was once again the only wide receiver Washington could rely on week in and week out. He finished the year with 77 receptions for 1,053 yards and 5 touchdowns. If given a legitimate NFL starting quarterback, I have faith he would put up top 5 wide receiver numbers.

Tight End: B+

Logan Thomas dealt with injuries throughout the season only playing in six games. This opened the door for other tight ends. Ricky Seal-Jones had moments that turned heads before the emergence of rookie John Bates.

Bates was selected in the fourth round out of Boise State. Bates was known for being a great blocker in college. This translated well to the NFL as he ended up with the highest run-blocking grade (87.5) among tight ends by a large margin (77.2 was the second-highest).

Offensive Line: A

For the second season in a row, Washington’s offensive line was the best unit on offense. Pro Football Focus ranked them 6^th best. This also sheds light on how disappointing the other offensive units were. Six teams managed a pass-blocking grade of 73+. Washington was the only team in that group who missed the playoffs.

Charles Leno was locked up for three more years after having his best season as a pro. His 87.3 pass-blocking grade ranked 4^th among all offensive linemen. Leno, Flowers, Roullier, and Cosmi are all under contract for next year. It seems unlikely Scherff will resign, so there will be an open spot at right guard. Wes Schweitzer will most likely take over as the starter. Schweitzer’s 79.8 grade was higher than Scherff’s in 2021.