Who knew the Washington Redskins would miss tight end Jordan Reed this much? Things haven’t been going too well. And even though it’s still the preseason, the Redskins betting odds are still a little worrisome.
Redskins fans breathed a sigh of relief when they learned that the Pro Bowl tight end had been removed from the PUP list on Sunday. That means fans can look forward to seeing him in practice sometime in the week.
The news was actually pretty big and it made Sunday that much brighter for anyone that cares about this season for the Redskins. Reed hasn’t been available since before the training camp.
When Reed first suffered his toe injury, there was hope that things might not be as serious as was being suggested. But then fans learned that the tight end had been put on the ‘Physically Unable to perform’ list which meant that he might be out of commission for a while.
Fans should be happy that Reed is already making his return. At the moment, ESPN is reporting that Reed will be returning to practice very soon. The Redskins need him. Maybe they wish they did not. They probably wish they could deliver a stronger performance than what they have been giving fans so far, even in the absence of the tight end, but that isn’t the case.
The first-team offense played two series in the first preseason game. Both were awful. Both were three and outs. Kirk Cousins showed some fire, but he only attempted two passes when it was all said and done.
As far as offense is concerned, the team looked lost, which is troubling. The Week 2 game against Green Bay promised to be something different. One could see Head Coach Jay Gruden’s determination in his decision to keep the offense on the field for most of the first half.
Things did not improve. In fact, Gruden was probably only kept from despairing because things seemed to improve in the final series of the first half. Cousins showed the fire everyone had been expecting when he pushed a touchdown drive through to fruition.
He could have done better against their foe’s second-team defense but one shouldn’t deny him the credit when he deserves it.
Of course, many an analyst has chosen to downplay some of the panic that has begun to set in amongst Redskins fans. After all, this is still the preseason. And the Redskins now have Reed. When he is paired with Jamison Crowder, Reed normally becomes the central pillar of the Redskins’ offense.
The fact that Reed is back in time for practice matters because it means he should be ready to fight for his team in the first week of the regular season. Reed will use the practice sessions to acclimate to game conditioning.
The tight end has always had great chemistry with Cousins on the field, but the two still haven’t played together in quite a while. Anyone looking to see Reed on the field during the third preseason game on Sunday will likely be disappointed though. Gruden won’t likely put Reed in a game that means nothing, the risk of injury is far too great.
Especially with Reed.